It’s the beginning of a new year here in 2025, as we wrap up 1968 in our journey through time. We were busy holidaying last week so we didn’t post – so November can be found here, for those who want to hit every note for the year before you listed to December…
Songs of the month
“Abraham Martin And John” – Dion
“Bang-Shang-A-Lang” – Archies
“Both Sides Now” – Judy Collins
“Bring It On Home To Me” – Eddie Floyd
“Chewy Chewy” – Ohio Express
[new] “Cinnamon” – Derek
“Cloud Nine” – Temptations
[new] “Crimson And Clover” – Tommy James And The Shondells
“Cycles” – Frank Sinatra
“For Once In My Life” – Stevie Wonder
[new] “Going Up The Country” – Canned Heat
“Hey Jude” – Beatles
“Hold Me Tight” – Johnny Nash
[new] “Hooked On Feeling” – B.J. Thomas
“I Heard It Through The Grapevine” – Marvin Gaye
“I Love How You Love Me” – Bobby Vinton
[new] “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” – Diana Ross And Supremes And Temptations
[new] “If I Can Dream” – Elvis Presley
“Little Arrows” – Leapy Lee
“Little Green Apples” – O.C. Smith
[new] “Lo Mucho Que Te Quiero” – Rene And Rene
“Love Child” – Diana Ross And The Supremes
“Magic Carpet Ride” – Steppenwolf
“Midnight Confessions” – Grass Roots
[new] “Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag” – Otis Redding
[new] “Pickin’ Wild Mountain Berries” – Peggy Scott And Jo Jo Benson
“Promises Promises” – Dionne Warwick
“Quick Joey Small” – Kasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus
[new] “Scarborough Fair” – Sergio Mendes And Brasil ’66
“See Saw” – Aretha Franklin
“Shame Shame” – Magic Lanterns
[new] “Son Of A Preacher Man” – Dusty Springfield
[new] “Soulful Strut” – Young-Holt Unlimited
“Stormy” – Classics Iv
“Those Were The Days” – Mary Hopkin
[new] “Till” – Vogues
[new] “Too Weak To Fight” – Clarence Carter
“White Room” – Cream
“Who’s Making Love” – Johnnie Taylor
“Wichita Lineman” – Glen Campbell
[new] “Wichta Lineman” – Glen Campbell
[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 3rd The 50-minute television special Elvis, or “the comeback special”, (sponsored by American sewing machine manufacturer The Singer Company), taped in June with a live audience in Burbank, California, aired on NBC, marking the comeback of Elvis Presley after 7 years during which the legendary musician’s career had centered on the movie industry.
On the 11th the film Oliver!, based on the hit London and Broadway musical, opened in the U.S. after being released first in England. It would go on to win the Best Picture.
Then on the 21st, Apollo 8 became the first space vehicle to carry human beings beyond Earth’s orbit, and the three American astronauts on board — Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and William Anders — went further from away Earth than any people in history.
The next day…. astronaut Frank Borman vomited while in orbit, the day after taking a dose of the barbiturate drug Seconal, leaving the three astronauts with the task of avoiding the floating particles in a weightless environment. The episode marked the first experience of space-sickness by an American astronaut. In order to keep NASA from ordering the mission to be aborted before the spacecraft could pass the point where it could return without a slingshot trip around the Moon, Borman waited for a while to report that he was ill, and sent a taped message back to Earth.
What’d Sadie think?
A week at the top for Diana Ross And The Supremes with “Love Child” before a run of 3 for “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye
Sadie has been particularly enchanged by “Bang-Shang-A-Lang” by The Archies this week. I need to show her this video, “The Archies” being a fictional band from the Archie comic and TV show.
Loved ’em
- “Crimson And Clover” – Tommy James And The Shondells
- “Hooked On A Feeling” – B.J. Thomas
- “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” – Diana Ross And Supremes And Temptations
- “Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag” – Otis Redding
- “Scarborough Fair” – Sergio Mendes And Brasil ’66
- “Son Of A Preacher Man” – Dusty Springfield
- “Wichta Lineman” – Glen Campbell
Liked ’em
- “Cinnamon” – Derek
- “Going Up The Country” – Canned Heat
- “If I Can Dream” – Elvis Presley
- “Lo Mucho Que Te Quiero” – Rene And Rene
- “Pickin’ Wild Mountain Berries” – Peggy Scott And Jo Jo Benson
- “Soulful Strut” – Young-Holt Unlimited
- “Too Weak To Fight” – Clarence Carter
Leave ’em
- “Till” – Vogues
Now go listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.