It’s 52 years and 7 months before Sadie is born and 9 years and 1 months before Thomas is….let’s hear from January, 1968 sounds like!
Songs of the month
[new] “Am I That Easy To Forget” – Engelbert Humperdinck
“And Get Away” – Esquires
[new] “Baby Now That I’ve Found You” – Foundations
“Bend Me Shape Me” – American Breed
“Boogaloo Down Broadway” – Fantastic Johnny C
[new] “Bottle Of Wine” – Fireballs
“Chain Of Fools” – Aretha Franklin
“Come See About Me” – Junior Walker And The All Stars
[new] “Darlin'” – Beach Boys
“Daydream Believer” – Monkees
“Different Drum” – Stone Poneys
[new] “Goin’ Out Of My Head / Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” – Lettermen
“Green Tambourine” – Lemon Pipers
“Hello Goodbye” – Beatles
“Honey Chile” – Martha Reeves And The Vandellas
[new] “I Can’t Help Myself” – James Brown
“I Heard It Through The Grapevine” – Gladys Knight And The Pips
“I Say A Little Prayer” – Dionne Warwick
“I Second That Emotion” – Smokey Robinson And The Miracles
[new] “I Wish It Would Rain” – Temptations
[new] “I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight” – Tommy Boyce And Bobby Hart
“If I Could Build My Whole World Around You” – Marvin Gaye And Tammi Terrell
“Incense And Peppermints” – Strawberry Alarm Clock
“It’s Wonderful” – Young Rascals
[new] “Itchycoo Park” – Small Faces
“Judy In Disguise” – John Fred And His Playboy Band
[new] “Love Is Blue” – Paul Mauriat
[new] “Love Me Two Times” – Doors
[new] “Love Power” – Sandpebbles
[new] “Monterey” – Eric Burdon And The Animals
[new] “My Baby Must Be A Magician” – Marvelettes
“Next Plane To London” – Rose Garden
[new] “Nobody But Me” – Human Beinz
[new] “She’s A Rainbow” – Rolling Stones
“She’s My Girl” – Turtles
“Skinny Legs And All” – Joe Tex
[new] “Spooky” – Classics Iv
“Summer Rain” – Johnny Rivers
“Susan” – Buckinghams
[new] “Tell Mama” – Etta James
“The Rain The Park And Other Things” – Cowsills
[new] “To Give” – Frankie Valli
[new] “Tomorrow” – Strawberry Alarm Clock
“Wear Your Love Like Heaven” – Donovan
[new] “Who Will Answer” – Ed Ames
“Woman Woman” – Gary Puckett & The Union Gap
“You Better Sit Down Kids” – Cher
[new] = New to the chart this week.
You can listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.
This month in history
On January 6th a group of “more than 200” Caltech students marched to and demonstrated in front of NBC’s studios in Burbank as part of what appeared to be a grassroots campaign, actually orchestrated by Gene Roddenberry, to get the network to renew Star Trek for a third season. If only they’d had social media to lobby for it! (Spoiler: the show would go onto a third and final season.)
On the 13th Johnny Cash performed his historic concert at the Folsom State Prison in California, selected by his manager because of Cash’s 1955 hit song “Folsom Prison Blues”. The concert was not the first that Cash had performed at a penal institution, nor was Cash the only artist to appear that day (the Statler Brothers, Carl Perkins, The Carter Family, and The Tennessee Three were also present), but it was the first time that Cash had recorded a live album inside a prison. Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison would become the number one country music album in the United States after going on sale in May.
And to end the month, on the 31st, The Jackson 5, an unknown family band at the time, released their debut single “Big Boy” by Steeltown Records. Despite the song being neither a critical or commercial success, the Jackson family were delighted when the song became a local hit after being played on radio stations in the Chicago-Gary area. In July, the Jackson 5 would leave Steeltown after signing with Motown Records – and we will hear much more from them no doubt!
What’d Sadie think?
Two more weeks at the top for the Beatles with “Hello Goodbye” and then two for John Fred And His Playboy Band with “Judy In Disguise”.
Loved ’em
- “Goin’ Out Of My Head / Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” – Lettermen
- “Itchycoo Park” – Small Faces
- “Love Me Two Times” – Doors
- “She’s A Rainbow” – Rolling Stones
- “Tell Mama” – Etta James
Liked ’em
- “Am I That Easy To Forget” – Engelbert Humperdinck
- “Baby Now That I’ve Found You” – Foundations
- “Darlin'” – Beach Boys
- “I Wish It Would Rain” – Temptations
- “I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight” – Tommy Boyce And Bobby Hart
- “Love Power” – Sandpebbles
- “Monterey” – Eric Burdon And The Animals
- “My Baby Must Be A Magician” – Marvelettes
- “Nobody But Me” – Human Beinz
- “Spooky” – Classics Iv
- “To Give” – Frankie Valli
- “Tomorrow” – Strawberry Alarm Clock
- “Who Will Answer” – Ed Ames
Leave ’em
- “Bottle Of Wine” – Fireballs
Now go listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.