It’s only February, 1966 in our journey – 11 years before Thomas is born… When we get into the single digits this writer is going to start to feel very old! Let’s listen to the hits of the day,
Songs of the month
[new] “A Hard Day’s Night” – Ramsey Lewis Trio
“A Must To Avoid” – Herman’s Hermits
“A Well Respected Man” – Kinks
“As Tears Go By” – Rolling Stones
[new] “At The Scene” – Dave Clark Five
“Attack” – Toys
[new] “Ballad Of The Green Berets” – S/Sgt. Barry Sadler
“Barbara Ann” – Beach Boys
[new] “Batman Theme” – Marketts
[new] “California Dreamin'” – Mamas & Papas
[new] “Call Me” – Chris Montez
“Crying Time” – Ray Charles
“Day Tripper” – Beatles
[new] “Don’t Mess With Bill” – Marvellettes
[new] “Elusive Butterfly” – Bob Lind
“Five O’clock World” – Vogues
“Going To A Go-Go” – Miracles
[new] “I Fought The Law” – Bobby Fuller Four
[new] “I See The Light” – Five Americans
“It Was A Very Good Year” – Frank Sinatra
“Jenny Take A Ride” – Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels
[new] “Just Like Me” – Paul Revere & Raiders
“Just Like Me” – Paul Revere & The Raiders
“Lies” – Knickerbockers
“Lightnin’ Strikes” – Lou Christie
“Like A Baby” – Len Barry
[new] “Listen People” – Herman’s Hermits
[new] “Michelle” – David & Jonathan
[new] “My Baby Loves Me” – Martha & Vandellas
“My Love” – Petula Clark
“My World Is Empty Without You” – Supremes
[new] “Night Time” – Strangeloves
“No Matter What Shape” – T-Bones
“She’s Just My Style” – Gary Lewis & The Playboys
“Sounds Of Silence” – Simon & Garfunkel
“Spanish Eyes” – Al Martino
[new] “The Cheater” – Bob Kuban & In-Men
“The Duck” – Jackie Lee
“The Men In My Little Girl’s Life” – Mike Douglas
[new] “These Boots Are Made For Walkin'” – Nancy Sinatra
“Uptight” – Stevie Wonder
“We Can Work It Out” – Beatles
[new] “What Now My Love” – Sonny & Cher
[new] “When Liking Turns To Loving” – Ronnie Dove
[new] “Working My Way Back To You” – Four Seasons
[new] “You Baby” – Turtles
“You Didn’t Have To Be So Nice” – Lovin’ Spoonful
“Zorba The Greek” – Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
[new] = New to the chart this week.
You can listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.
This month in history
On February 3rd the uncrewed Soviet Luna 9 became the first object to make a controlled landing on the Moon, touching down in the Oceanus Procellarum. It began transmitting signals four minutes later, and within 20 minutes of landing, sent back the first ground-level photographs of the Moon’s surface. The pictures would yield an important discovery, demonstrating that the surface of the Moon was solid rock, rather than the accumulation of eons of dust deposits, and therefore would be suitable for a human landing. Nor was it cheese as some had speculated…
On the 10th “Valley of the Dolls”, by author Jacqueline Susann, was released by publisher and quickly rose to become the number one best-selling novel. Susann had obtained a list of the bookstores, from a friend, upon which The New York Times relied on sales figures to determine its bestseller list. She then used her own money to buy large quantities of the book at these stores, resulting in her novel going to #1 on the list. Valley of the Dolls would go on to rank among the best selling novels of all time – mostly sold to actual readers eventually.
Then in a curious case of multiple media-frauds in a month – In an attempt to give an artificial boost to the Nielsen ratings, by cheating on the rating reports for a television presentation of “An Evening with Carol Channing”, Rex Sparger conspired with Channing’s husband, producer Charles Lowe, to pay viewers in 58 households in Ohio and Pennsylvania to watch the entire program. The Nielsen company’s screening procedures detected the unusual spike of viewers in those locations, and omitted the areas from its sample that evening.
What’d Sadie think?
Two weeks at the top for “My Love” by Petula Clark before a week for Lou Christie’s “Lightnin’ Strikes” and then Nancy Sinatra’s classic, “These Boots Are Made For Walkin'”.
Loved ’em
- “California Dreamin'” – Mamas & Papas
- “Don’t Mess With Bill” – Marvellettes
- “I Fought The Law” – Bobby Fuller Four
- “Just Like Me” – Paul Revere & Raiders
- “My Baby Loves Me” – Martha & Vandellas
- “These Boots Are Made For Walkin'” – Nancy Sinatra
- “What Now My Love” – Sonny & Cher
- “Working My Way Back To You” – Four Seasons
A classic of the california’ sound and countercultural era, “Califonia Dreamin'” was written by John Phillips and Michelle Phillips while they were living in New York City during a particularly cold winter. It took two years, and the evolution of a couple of bands into The Mama & Papas before it was released. Apparently Michelle Phillips wrote the lyrics, “Well, I got down on my knees, and I pretend to pray,” but Cass Elliot had sung “began” on the original recording and had continued doing so on tour until corrected by Phillips.
Here’s the story retold many years later:
Also of interest, Nancy Sinatra’s song (written by Lee Hazlewood) was inspired by a line spoken by her father, Frank Sinatra, in the comedy-western film 4 for Texas, “They tell me them boots ain’t built for walkin’.”
Liked ’em
- “At The Scene” – Dave Clark Five
- “Batman Theme” – Marketts
- “Call Me” – Chris Montez
- “Elusive Butterfly” – Bob Lind
- “I See The Light” – Five Americans
- “Listen People” – Herman’s Hermits
- “Michelle” – David & Jonathan
- “Night Time” – Strangeloves
- “The Cheater” – Bob Kuban & The In-Men
- “You Baby” – Turtles
Leave ’em
- “A Hard Day’s Night” – Ramsey Lewis Trio
- “Ballad Of The Green Berets” – S/Sgt. Barry Sadler
Now go listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.