It’s Sadie’s birthday week! So we’ve been doing this for 4 whole years… time really does fly – especially at 4x speed! Let’s celebrate our darling’s birthday with the songs from April, 1967…
Songs of the month
“59Th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy)” – Harpers Bizarre
[new] “A Little Bit Me A Little Bit You” – Monkees
[new] “At The Zoo” – Simon And Garfunkel
“Baby I Need Your Lovin'” – Johnny Rivers
[new] “Beggin'” – Four Seasons
“Bernadette” – Four Tops
“California Nights” – Lesley Gore
[new] “Close Your Eyes” – Peaches And Herb
“Dedicated To The One I Love” – Mamas And Papas
[new] “Detroit City” – Tom Jones
[new] “Don’t You Care” – Buckinghams
[new] “Dry Your Eyes” – Brenda And The Tabulations
“For What It’s Worth” – Buffalo Springfield
[new] “Friday On My Mind” – Easybeats
[new] “Get Me To The World On Time” – Electric Prunes
[new] “Gonna Give Her All The Love I’ve Got” – Jimmy Ruffin
“Happy Together” – Turtles
[new] “I Got Rhythm” – Happenings
“I Never Loved A Man” – Aretha Franklin
“I Think We’re Alone Now” – Tommy James And Shondells
[new] “I’m A Man” – Spencer Davis Group
“I’ve Been Lonely Too Long” – Young Rascals
[new] “Jimmy Mack” – Martha And The Vandellas
[new] “Love Eyes” – Nancy Sinatra
“Love Is Here And Now You’re Gone” – Supremes
“My Cup Runneth Over” – Ed Ames
[new] “On A Carousel” – Hollies
“Penny Lane” – Beatles
“Return Of The Red Baron” – Royal Guardsmen
“Ruby Tuesday” – Rolling Stones
“Sock It To Me Baby” – Mitch Ryder And Detroit Wheels
“Somethin’ Stupid” – Frank & Nancy Sinatra
“Strawberry Fields Forever” – Beatles
[new] “Sweet Soul Music” – Arthur Conley
[new] “The Happening” – Supremes
“The Love I Saw In You Was Just A Mirage” – Smokey Robinson And Miracles
“Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye” – Casinos
“There’s A Kind Of Hush” – Herman’s Hermits
“This Is My Song” – Petula Clark
“Ups And Downs” – Paul Revere And Raiders
“Western Union” – Five Americans
[new] “When I Was Young” – Eric Burdon And The Animals
[new] “With This Love” – Platters
[new] “You Got What It Takes” – Dave Clark Five
[new] = New to the chart this week.
You can listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.
This month in history
On the 19th of the month Kathy Switzer became the first woman to run in the Boston Marathon as a registrant, after listing herself simply as “K. V. Switzer” and being assigned the number 261. Four miles into the 26-mile event, race official Jock Semple tried to pull Switzer out of the crowd of runners, and was shoved to the curb by Switzer’s boyfriend, Thomas Miller.
On the 22nd The Big Mac, signature sandwich for the McDonald’s hamburger restaurant chain, was introduced at a franchise owned by Jim Delligatti, and located in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, selling for US$0.45 (equivalent to $4.11 in 2023) at the Uniontown Shopping Center. The Big Mac would then be introduced to all other McDonald’s restaurants in 1968.
Then on the 30th the British cabinet voted, 13 to 8, to seek the admission of the United Kingdom into the European Economic Community, referred to at the time as the “Common Market”. Prime Minister Harold Wilson would announce his plans on May 2 and the House of Commons would approve the resolution, 488 to 62. Because, of course, the UK would then back out of (what would become known as) the European Union 50 years later, much paining myself and many others, let’s enjoy a clip from the brilliant Yes, Minister – rather than a news reel on this one.
What’d Sadie think?
Two weeks at the top for “Happy Together” by the Turtles before a trifecta for “Somethin’ Stupid” by Frank & Nancy Sinatra.
“Happy Together”, covered by Miley Cyrus, was the song Emily and I walked down the aisle to in 2015, so luckily Sadie particularly liked that one this week. As well as “I think we’re alone now” – which was covered by teen-sensation Tiffany when i was a teenager. It is the first song I remember being told was a cover “of a song from back when I was a kid” by some grumpy adult at the time.
And finally she loved “Sweet Soul Music”, which Conley wrote with Otis Redding. However, it is based on the Sam Cooke song “Yeah Man” from his posthumous album, “Shake”. J.W. Alexander, Cooke’s business partner, sued both Redding and Conley for appropriating the melody. A settlement was reached in which Cooke’s name was added to the writer credits.
The song is an homage to soul music in which the following songs are mentioned in the lyrics:
“Going to a Go-Go”, by the Miracles;
“Love Is a Hurtin’ Thing”, by Lou Rawls
“Hold On, I’m Comin'”, by Sam & Dave
“Mustang Sally”, by Wilson Pickett
“Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song)”, by Otis Redding.
Loved ’em
- “At The Zoo” – Simon And Garfunkel
- “Beggin'” – Four Seasons
- “Friday On My Mind” – Easybeats
- “I Got Rhythm” – Happenings
- “Jimmy Mack” – Martha And The Vandellas
- “On A Carousel” – Hollies
- “Sweet Soul Music” – Arthur Conley
- “When I Was Young” – Eric Burdon And The Animals
- “With This Love” – Platters
Liked ’em
- “A Little Bit Me A Little Bit You” – Monkees
- “Close Your Eyes” – Peaches And Herb
- “Detroit City” – Tom Jones
- “Don’t You Care” – Buckinghams
- “Dry Your Eyes” – Brenda And Tabulations
- “Get Me To The World On Time” – Electric Prunes
- “Gonna Give Her All The Love I’ve Got” – Jimmy Ruffin
- “I’m A Man” – Spencer Davis Group
- “Love Eyes” – Nancy Sinatra
- “The Happening” – Supremes
- “The Love I Saw In Your Was Just A Mirage” – Smokey Robinson And Miracles
- “You Got What It Takes” – Dave Clark Five
Now go listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.