4x Life

One month in pop history, every week.

It’s November, 1969

Written by

Thomas Scovell

in

Let’s tune our ears back to the sounds of November, 1969…

Songs of the month

  • “And When I Die” – “Blood Sweat And Tears”
  • “Baby I’m For Real” – Originals
  • “Baby It’s You” – Smith
  • [new] “Backfield In Motion” – Mel & Tim
  • [new] “Ball Of Fire” – Tommy James And The Shondells
  • [new] “Cherry Hill Park” – Billy Joe Royal
  • “Come Together” – Beatles
  • [new] “Down On The Corner” – Creedence Clearwater Revival
  • “Easy To Be Hard” – Three Dog Night
  • [new] “Eleanor Rigby” – Aretha Franklin
  • [new] “Eli’s Coming” – Three Dog Night
  • “Everybody’s Talkin’” – Nilsson
  • [new] “Fortunate Son” – Creedence Clearwater Revival
  • [new] “Friendship Train” – Gladys Knight And The Pips
  • “Going In Circles” – Friends Of Distinction
  • [new] “Holly Holy” – Neil Diamond
  • “Hot Fun In The Summertime” – Sly And The Family Stone
  • “I Can’t Get Next To You” – Temptations
  • “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again” – Tom Jones
  • “I’m Gonna Make You Mine” – Lou Christie
  • “Is That All There Is” – Peggy Lee
  • “Jealous Kind Of Fella” – Garland Green
  • “Jean” – Oliver
  • [new] “Jesus Is A Soul Man” – Lawrence Reynolds
  • [new] “Leaving On A Jet Plane” – “Peter Paul And Mary”
  • [new] “Let A Man Come In And Do The Popcorn” – James Brown
  • “Little Woman” – Bobby Sherman
  • [new] “Mind Body And Soul” – Flaming Ember
  • [new] “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” – Steam
  • [new] “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head” – B.J. Thomas
  • [new] “Ruben James” – Kenny Rogers And The First Edition
  • “Smile A Little Smile For Me” – Flying Machine
  • [new] “Someday We’ll Be Together” – Diana Ross And The Supremes
  • “Something” – Beatles
  • “Sugar On Sunday” – Clique
  • “Sugar Sugar” – Archies
  • [new] “Suite Judy Blue Eyes” – Crosby Stills & Nash
  • “Suspicious Minds” – Elvis Presley
  • [new] “Take A Letter Maria” – R.B. Greaves
  • “That’s The Way Love Is” – Marvin Gaye
  • [new] “These Eyes” – Junior Walker And The All Stars
  • “This Girl Is A Woman Now” – Gary Puckett And The Union Gap
  • “Tracy” – Cuff Links
  • [new] “Try A Little Kindness” – Glen Campbell
  • [new] “Undun” – Guess Who
  • “Wedding Bell Blues” – 5Th Dimension
  • [new] “Yester-Me Yester-You Yesterday” – Stevie Wonder
  • “You – I” – Rugbys
  • “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” – Dionne Warwick

[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 9th of the month rhe end of the daily rum ration, enjoyed by sailors of Britain’s Royal Navy for more than two centuries, was announced by the Ministry of Defence. The “tot”, consisting of 71 millilitres (2.5 imp fl oz; 2.4 US fl oz) of 95.5 proof rum, was given at mid-day as a morale-booster for the men at sea and had been a practice introduced in 1731. The serving of the rum would formally end on August 1, 1970.

Then on the 10th “Sesame Street” aired its first episode on the National Educational Television (NET) network, the predecessor to the Public Broadcasting System (PBS), starting after school at various times. As one critic noted in informing parents that the new show for preschool children presented the alphabet and numerals in the form of commercials, “The first edition of Sesame Street comes to you today… through the courtesy of the numbers 2 and 3, and the letters E, S and W.”

In parallels to today, on the 13th, U.S. Vice President Spiro Agnew took the unprecedented step of accusing the three American television networks (whose affiliate stations’ broadcast rights were licensed by the United States government) of letting their newscasters and commentators of abusing “a concentration of power over American public opinion, unknown in history” and hinting that “perhaps it is time that the networks were made more responsive to the views of the nation and more responsible to the people they serve”, and urged Americans to call and write their local TV stations.

What’d Sadie think?

A week for Elvis and”Suspicious Minds” before “Wedding Bell Blues” by 5Th Dimension has two weeks at the top, with The Beatles and “Come Together” finishing up the month at number 1.

Loved ’em

  • “Down On The Corner” – Creedence Clearwater Revival
  • “Eleanor Rigby” – Aretha Franklin
  • “Fortunate Son” – Creedence Clearwater Revival
  • “Let A Man Come In And Do The Popcorn” – James Brown
  • “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head” – B.J. Thomas
  • “Someday We’ll Be Together” – Diana Ross And The Supremes
  • “Yester-Me Yester-You Yesterday” – Stevie Wonder

Liked ’em

  • “Backfield In Motion” – Mel & Tim
  • “Ball Of Fire” – Tommy James And The Shondells
  • “Cherry Hill Park” – Billy Joe Royal
  • “Eli’s Coming” – Three Dog Night
  • “Friendship Train” – Gladys Knight And The Pips
  • “Holly Holy” – Neil Diamond
  • “Leaving On A Jet Plane” – “Peter Paul And Mary”
  • “Mind Body And Soul” – Flaming Ember
  • “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” – Steam
  • “Ruben James” – Kenny Rogers And The First Edition
  • “Suite Judy Blue Eyes” – Crosby Stills & Nash
  • “Take A Letter Maria” – R.B. Greaves
  • “These Eyes” – Junior Walker And The All Stars
  • “Try A Little Kindness” – Glen Campbell
  • “Undun” – Guess Who

Leave ’em

  • “Jesus Is A Soul Man” – Lawrence Reynolds

Now go listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.

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