It’s nearing February in 2025, but its March, 1969 in our journey back through pop music history…
Songs of the month
[new] “25 Miles” – Edwin Starr
[new] “Aquarius / Let The Sunshine In” – 5Th Dimension
“Baby Baby Don’t Cry” – Smokey Robinson & Miracles
“Build Me Up Buttercup” – Foundations
“But You Know I Love You” – First Edition
“Can I Change My Mind” – Tyrone Davis
“Crimson And Clover” – Tommy James & Shondells
[new] “Crimson And Clover” – Tommy James And The Shondells
“Crossroads” – Cream
“Dizzy” – Tommy Roe
[new] “Do Your Thing” – Watts 103Rd Street Rhythm Band
“Everyday People” – Sly & Family Stone
[new] “Galveston” – Glen Campbell
“Games People Play” – Joe South
“Give It Up Or Turn It Loose” – James Brown
[new] “Good Lovin’ Ain’t Easy To Come By” – Marvin Gaye And Tammi Terrell
“Goodnight My Love” – Paul Anka
“Hang ’em High” – Booker T & Mg’s
[new] “Hot Smoke And Sasafrass” – Bubble Puppy
[new] “I Got A Line On You” – Spirit
“I Heard It Through The Grapevine” – Marvin Gaye
[new] “I’ll Try Something New” – Diana Ross & Supremes & Temptations
“I’m Livin’ In Shame” – Diana Ross & Supremes
[new] “I’ve Got To Be Me” – Sammy Davis Jr.
“I’ve Gotta Be Me” – Sammy Davis Jr.
“Indian Giver” – 1910 Fruitgum Co.
[new] “It’s Your Thing” – Isley Brothers
[new] “Mendocino” – Sir Douglas Quintet
[new] “Mr. Sun Mr. Moon” – Paul Revere And The Raiders
[new] “My Whole World Ended” – David Ruffin
[new] “Only The Strong Survive” – Jerry Butler
“Proud Mary” – Creedence Clearwater Revival
“Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man” – Bob Seger
[new] “Rock Me” – Steppenwolf
[new] “Runaway Child Running Wild” – Temptations
“Sweet Cream Ladies Forward March” – Box Tops
“Take Care Of Your Homework” – Johnnie Taylor
[new] “The Weight” – Aretha Franklin
“There’ll Come A Time” – Betty Everett
[new] “Things I’d Like To Say” – New Colony Six
“This Girl’s In Love With You” – Dionne Warwick
“This Magic Moment” – Jay & Americans
[new] “This Magic Moment” – Jay And The Americans
[new] “Time Of The Season” – Zombies
“Touch Me” – Doors
“Traces” – Classics Iv
[new] “White Room” – Cream
“Worst That Could Happen” – Brooklyn Bridge
[new] “You Gave Me A Mountain” – Frankie Laine
“You Showed Me” – Turtles
[new] “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy” – “Blood Sweat And Tears”
[new] = New to the chart this week.
You can listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.
This month in history
One the 1st Jim Morrison, the lead singer for The Doors, performed a controversial rock concert (and other alleged acts) before 12,000 fans at the Dinner Key Auditorium in Miami. Three days later, a Miami court would issue warrants for his arrest on a felony charge of indecent exposure and five misdemeanor charges. It would still be on appeal when he passed away two years later. Here’s some amusing testimony from some young Floridians that weren’t even at the concert… (more on them shortly!)
On the 6th the “Moon suit” (officially the “Extravehicular Mobility Unit”), to be worn by Apollo mission astronauts on the Moon was successfully tested in the vacuum of outer space for the first time. Apollo 9 astronaut Russell L. Schweickart donned the cumbersome pressurized garment (with a greater than previously-required oxygen supply and more powerful radio equipment) and performed a spacewalk for 37 minutes, proving that the suit would be effective for the Apollo 11 astronauts to wear for an extended period on the Moon.
Then on the 20th, eight days after Paul McCartney’s wedding, John Lennon and Yoko Ono were married in Gibraltar, then proceeded to their honeymoon in Amsterdam, where, starting on March 25, they performed what they called a “Bed-in for Peace” for the duration of their stay.
Back to those teens…on the 23rd, in a reaction to the earlier controversy over Jim Morrison’s conduct during the earlier concert by The Doors, a group of 30,000 people gathered at the Orange Bowl Stadium in Miami for a “Rally for Decency” organized by teenagers. Celebrity guests included Jackie Gleason, Anita Bryant and the pop rock group The Lettermen. Love this story about it….
What’d Sadie think?
Two weeks at the top for “Everyday People” by Sly & Family Stone before the charts got “Dizzy” for Tommy Roe.
Loved ’em
- “25 Miles” – Edwin Starr
- “Crimson And Clover” – Tommy James And The Shondells
- “Galveston” – Glen Campbell
- “It’s Your Thing” – Isley Brothers
- “White Room” – Cream
Liked ’em
- “Aquarius / Let The Sunshine In” – 5Th Dimension
- “Do Your Thing” – Watts 103Rd Street Rhythm Band
- “Good Lovin’ Ain’t Easy To Come By” – Marvin Gaye And Tammi Terrell
- “Hot Smoke And Sasafrass” – Bubble Puppy
- “I Got A Line On You” – Spirit
- “I’ll Try Something New” – Diana Ross & Supremes & Temptations
- “I’ve Got To Be Me” – Sammy Davis Jr.
- “Mendocino” – Sir Douglas Quintet
- “My Whole World Ended” – David Ruffin
- “Only The Strong Survive” – Jerry Butler
- “Rock Me” – Steppenwolf
- “Runaway Child Running Wild” – Temptations
- “The Weight” – Aretha Franklin
- “Things I’d Like To Say” – New Colony Six
- “This Magic Moment” – Jay And The Americans
- “Time Of The Season” – Zombies
- “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy” – “Blood Sweat And Tears”
Leave ’em
- “Mr. Sun Mr. Moon” – Paul Revere And The Raiders
- “You Gave Me A Mountain” – Frankie Laine
Now go listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.