Up-to-dates

It’s getting sweltering hot in December of 2024, so let’s go listen to the cool sounds of July, 1968…

Songs of the month

“Angel Of The Morning” – Merrilee Rush
[new] “Autumn Of My Life” – Bobby Goldsboro
“Choo Choo Train” – Box Tops
[new] “Choo Choo” – Box Tops
[new] “Classical Gas” – Mason Williams
“D.W. Washburn” – Monkees
[new] “Don’t Take It So Hard” – Paul Revere And The Raiders
[new] “Dream A Little Dream Of Me” – Mama Cass
[new] “Face It Girl It’s Over” – Nancy Wilson
[new] “Grazin’ In The Grass” – Hugh Masekela
“Grazing In The Grass” – Hugh Masekela
[new] “Hello I Love You” – Doors
[new] “Here Comes The Judge” – Pigmeat Markham
“Here Comes The Judge” – Shorty Long
“How’d We Ever Get This Way” – Andy Kim
[new] “Hurdy Gurdy Man” – Donovan
“I Love You” – People
[new] “I’m A Midnight Mover” – Wilson Pickett
“Indian Lake” – Cowsills
“Jumpin’ Jack Flash” – Rolling Stones
“Lady Willpower” – Gary Puckett And The Union Gap
“Licking Stick” – James Brown
“Macarthur Park” – Richard Harris
“Mony Mony” – Tommy James And The Shondells
[new] “Mrs Robinson” – Simon And Garfunkel
“Mrs. Robinson” – Simon And Garfunkel
“Never Give You Up” – Jerry Butler
[new] “Pictures Of Matchstick Men” – Status Quo
“Reach Out Of The Darkness” – Friend And A Lover
“She’s A Heartbreaker” – Gene Pitney
[new] “Sky Pilot” – Eric Burdon And The Animals
[new] “Some Things You Never Get Used To” – Diana Ross And The Supremes
[new] “Stay In My Corner” – Dells
“Stoned Soul Picnic” – 5Th Dimension
[new] “Sunshine Of Your Love” – Cream
“The Good The Bad And The Ugly” – Hugo Montenegro
“The Horse” – Cliff Nobles And Co.
“The Look Of Love” – Sergio Mendes And Brasil ’66
“Think” – Aretha Franklin
“This Guy’s In Love With You” – Herb Alpert
[new] “Tip-Toe Through The Tulips” – Tiny Tim
[new] “Turn Around Look At Me” – Vogues
“You Keep Me Hangin’ On” – Joe Simon
“Yummy Yummy Yummy” – Ohio Express

[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 17th “Yellow Submarine”, a psychedelic animated film that was inspired by a 1966 song of the same name, premiered at the London Pavilion. The Beatles had a cameo appearance, but their animated characters were voiced by other actors (John Clive, Geoffrey Hughes, Peter Batten and Paul Angelis). Most critics enjoyed the animation style, although TIME magazine would later describe the film as “too square for hippies and too hip for squares.”

Then the next day, Intel which would become one of the world’s leading computer semiconductor manufacturing companies, was founded by two engineers who had worked at Fairchild Semiconductor, Robert Noyce and Gordon E. Moore in Mountain View, California. They initially called the company and given the name “N M Electronics, Inc.”, then soon changed it to “Intelcorporation” before settling on a shorter and more memorable name, Intel, derived from a combination of the words integrated and electronics and suggestive of the word “intelligence”.

Then on the last day of the month, the popular British TV situation comedy Dad’s Army, based on life in World War II for members of the Local Defence Volunteers (the Home Guard), was launched on BBC1 as a six-part series. It would prove so successful that it would run for nine years, with 80 episodes. Some fond childhood memories watching this one in the ’80s!

What’d Sadie think?

It’s two weeks at the top for “This Guy’s In Love With You” by Herb Alpert then two for “Grazing In The Grass” by Hugh Masekela.

This week Sadie was heard to remark, “What is this? this is dope!” about Pigmeat Markham’s “Here comes the judge” (indeed it is!) and asked for “Hello I Love You” by Doors to be “put on the list”.

The former sounds every bit like a piece of early hiphop and i’m surprised I hadn’t come across it before. Apparently it’s based on Markham’s skit from a TV sketch show, you can watch a small piece here.

It’s also not only song by that name on the chart, as Shorty Long also have a song with that title, apparently inspired by the show but in quite a different style.

Loved ’em

• “Dream A Little Dream Of Me” – Mama Cass
• “Hello I Love You” – Doors
• “Here Comes The Judge” – Pigmeat Markham
• “Hurdy Gurdy Man” – Donovan
• “Mrs Robinson” – Simon And Garfunkel
• “Some Things You Never Get Used To” – Diana Ross And The Supremes
• “Sunshine Of Your Love” – Cream

Liked ’em

• “Autumn Of My Life” – Bobby Goldsboro
• “Choo Choo” – Box Tops
• “Don’t Take It So Hard” – Paul Revere And The Raiders
• “Face It Girl It’s Over” – Nancy Wilson
• “Grazin’ In The Grass” – Hugh Masekela
• “I’m A Midnight Mover” – Wilson Pickett
• “Pictures Of Matchstick Men” – Status Quo
• “Sky Pilot” – Eric Burdon And The Animals
• “Stay In My Corner” – Dells
• “Turn Around Look At Me” – Vogues
  

Leave ’em

• “Classical Gas” – Mason Williams
• “Tip-Toe Through The Tulips” – Tiny Tim

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

It’s 52 years and 2 months before Sadie is born and 8 years and 8 months before Thomas is…it’s June, 1968 in our journey so let’s hear what it sounds like!

Songs of the month

“A Beautiful Morning” – Rascals
[new] “A Man Without Love” – Engelbert Humperdinck
[new] “Ain’t Nothin’ Like The Real Thing” – Marvin Gaye And Tammi Terrell
“Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing” – Marvin Gaye And Tammi Terrell
[new] “Angel Of The Morning” – Merrilee Rush
[new] “Choo Choo Train” – Box Tops
“Cowboys To Girls” – Intruders
“Cry Like A Baby” – Box Tops
[new] “D.W. Washburn” – Monkees
“Delilah” – Tom Jones
[new] “Do You Know That Way To San Jose” – Dionne Warwick
“Do You Know The Way To San Jose” – Dionne Warwick
[new] “Grazing In The Grass” – Hugh Masekela
[new] “Here Comes The Judge” – Shorty Long
“Honey” – Bobby Goldsboro
[new] “How’d We Ever Get This Way” – Andy Kim
“I Could Never Love Another” – Temptations
[new] “I Love You” – People
“I Will Always Think About You” – New Colony Six
“If I Were A Carpenter” – Four Tops
[new] “Indian Lake” – Cowsills
[new] “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” – Rolling Stones
[new] “Lady Willpower” – Gary Puckett And The Union Gap
[new] “Lickin’ Stick” – James Brown
“Like To Get To Know You” – Spanky And Our Gang
“Love Is All Around” – Troggs
[new] “Macarthur Park” – Richard Harris
“Master Jack” – Four Jacks And A Jill
“Mony Mony” – Tommy James And The Shondells
“Mrs. Robinson” – Simon And Garfunkel
[new] “Never Give You Up” – Jerry Butler
[new] “Reach Out Of Darkness” – Friend And A Lover
[new] “She’s A Heartbreaker” – Gene Pitney
“She’s Lookin’ Good” – Wilson Pickett
“Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day” – Stevie Wonder
“Soul Serenade” – Willie Mitchell
[new] “Stoned Soul Picnic” – 5Th Dimension
“Take Time To Know Her” – Percy Sledge
“The Good The Bad And The Ugly” – Hugo Montenegro
“The Happy Song” – Otis Redding
[new] “The Horse” – Cliff Nobles And Co.
[new] “The Look Of Love” – Sergio Mendes And Brasil ’66
“The Unicorn” – Irish Rovers
“Think” – Aretha Franklin
“This Guy’s In Love With You” – Herb Alpert
“Tighten Up” – Archie Bell And The Drells
[new] “Tip-Toe Thru The Tulips” – Tiny Tim
[new] “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” – Joe Simon
“Young Girl” – Gary Puckett & The Union Gap
“Yummy Yummy Yummy” – Ohio Express

[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 5th, moments after thanking supporters for his win in the California primary, Senator Robert F. Kennedy was shot and fatally wounded while walking through a corridor at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Kennedy would die the next day, 5 years after his brother’s assassination. 56 years later… yeah let’s stay in the past!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjmW153nTkM

Then on the 20th a US federal law, that had prohibited the printing of color images of United States postage stamps, was repealed as President Johnson signed legislation. “Since stamp counterfeiting is today virtually nonexistent,” a White House statement said, “this restriction is no longer necessary. There is no reason now why the full meaning and beauty of our postage stamps cannot be communicated to all the world in color reproduction.” Previously, stamp catalogs and encyclopedias could only display black-and-white images. The law had become obsolete after U.S. stamps were “impregnated with an invisible phosphor which causes canceling machines to reject counterfeits”.

I can’t find a video on this specifically, but here’s a video of US stamps from ’68-’69:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz_ul0l5YsY

Also on the 20th, David Ruffin was fired from The Temptations for missing a performance, after he developed a cocaine addiction and began questioning Berry Gordy’s handling of the group’s financial affairs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9JcariNKV4

What’d Sadie think?

Three weeks at the top for “Mrs. Robinson” by Simon And Garfunkel then two for “This Guy’s In Love With You” by Herb Alpert.

Loved ’em

• “Ain’t Nothin’ Like The Real Thing” – Marvin Gaye And Tammi Terrell
• “Angel Of The Morning” – Merrilee Rush
• “Do You Know That Way To San Jose” – Dionne Warwick
• “I Love You” – People
• “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” – Rolling Stones
• “Stoned Soul Picnic” – 5Th Dimension
• “The Look Of Love” – Sergio Mendes And Brasil ’66

Liked ’em

• “A Man Without Love” – Engelbert Humperdinck
• “D.W. Washburn” – Monkees
• “Grazing In The Grass” – Hugh Masekela
• “Here Comes The Judge” – Shorty Long
• “How’d We Ever Get This Way” – Andy Kim
• “Indian Lake” – Cowsills
• “Lady Willpower” – Gary Puckett And The Union Gap
• “Lickin’ Stick” – James Brown
• “Macarthur Park” – Richard Harris
• “Never Give You Up” – Jerry Butler
• “Reach Out Of Darkness” – Friend And A Lover
• “She’s A Heartbreaker” – Gene Pitney
• “The Horse” – Cliff Nobles And Co.
• “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” – Joe Simon
  

Leave ’em

• “Choo Choo Train” – Box Tops
• “Tip-Toe Thru The Tulips” – Tiny Tim

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

It’s sodden spring in Auckland, so let’s dive back to May, 1968 and check out the sounds of a revolution…

Songs of the month

“A Beautiful Morning” – Rascals
“Ain’t No Way” – Aretha Franklin
[new] “Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing” – Marvin Gaye And Tammi Terrell
“Cowboys To Girls” – Intruders
“Cry Like A Baby” – Box Tops
“Dance To The Music” – Sly And The Family Stone
[new] “Delilah” – Tom Jones
“Do You Know The Way To San Jose” – Dionne Warwick
[new] “Does Your Mama Know About Me” – Bobby Taylor And The Vancouvers
“Forever Came Today” – Diana Ross And The Supremes
“Funky Street” – Arthur Conley
“Honey” – Bobby Goldsboro
[new] “I Could Never Love Another” – Temptations
“I Got The Feelin'” – James Brown
[new] “I Will Always Think About You” – New Colony Six
[new] “If I Were A Carpenter” – Four Tops
“If You Can Want” – Smokey Robinson And The Miracles
“La-La Means I Love You” – Delfonics
“Lady Madonna” – Beatles
[new] “Like To Get To Know You” – Spanky And Our Gang
“Love Is All Around” – Troggs
[new] “Master Jack” – Four Jacks And A Jill
“Mighty Quinn” – Manfred Mann
[new] “Mony Mony” – Tommy James And The Shondells
[new] “Mrs. Robinson” – Simon And Garfunkel
“Playboy” – Gene And Debbie
[new] “She’s Lookin’ Good” – Wilson Pickett
[new] “Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day” – Stevie Wonder
“Since You’ve Been Gone” – Aretha Franklin
[new] “Soul Serenade” – Willie Mitchell
“Summertime Blues” – Blue Cheer
“Sweet Inspiration” – Sweet Inspirations
“Take Time To Know Her” – Percy Sledge
[new] “Tha Happy Song” – Otis Redding
“The Ballad Of Bonnie And Clyde” – Georgie Fame
“The Dock Of The Bay” – Otis Redding
“The Good The Bad And The Ugly” – Hugo Montenegro
[new] “The Happy Song” – Otis Redding
“The Unicorn” – Irish Rovers
[new] “Think” – Aretha Franklin
[new] “This Guy’s In Love With You” – Herb Alpert
“Tighten Up” – Archie Bell And The Drells
[new] “Us Male” – Elvis Presley
“Young Girl” – Gary Puckett & The Union Gap
[new] “Yummy Yummy Yummy” – Ohio Express

[new] = New to the chart this week.

You can listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.

This month in history

Beginning in May 1968, a period of civil unrest occurred throughout France, lasting seven weeks and punctuated by demonstrations, general strikes, and the occupation of universities and factories. At the height of events, which have since become known as “May 68”, the economy of France came to a halt.

And in lighter news, on the 18th of the month Mattel’s “Hot Wheels” toy cars were introduced, and would become one of the best-selling line of toys in history. Love an excuse for an old ad!

Then on the 20th, financed by a group of wealthy exiles from Haiti, a poorly handled attempt was made to overthrow the dictatorship of François “Papa Doc” Duvalier, starting with an attempt at aerial bombardment of Port-au-Prince. According to one account, a B-25 dropped a single explosive “which blew one more hole in an eroded road”, followed by a package of leaflets “which did not scatter because the invaders had not untied the bundle before dropping it”. An invasion force came ashore and temporarily captured the port city of Cap-Haïtien. One bomb dropped on Port-au-Prince destroyed some private rooms in Duvalier’s residence, and “an undetermined number of people were killed”. The 35-man invasion force would be defeated the next day. Amusingly farcical!

What’d Sadie think?

It’s two weeks each at the top for “Honey” by Bobby Goldsboro and then “Tighten Up” by Archie Bell And The Drells.

Loved ’em

• “Delilah” – Tom Jones
• “Mony Mony” – Tommy James And The Shondells
• “Mrs. Robinson” – Simon And Garfunkel
• “She’s Lookin’ Good” – Wilson Pickett
• “Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day” – Stevie Wonder
• “Think” – Aretha Franklin

Liked ’em

• “Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing” – Marvin Gaye And Tammi Terrell
• “Does Your Mama Know About Me” – Bobby Taylor And The Vancouvers
• “I Could Never Love Another” – Temptations
• “I Will Always Think About You” – New Colony Six
• “If I Were A Carpenter” – Four Tops
• “Like To Get To Know You” – Spanky And Our Gang
• “Soul Serenade” – Willie Mitchell
• “The Happy Song” – Otis Redding
• “This Guy’s In Love With You” – Herb Alpert
• “Yummy Yummy Yummy” – Ohio Express

Leave ’em

• “Master Jack” – Four Jacks And A Jill
• “Us Male” – Elvis Presley

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

We’re later in the week, so let’s get straight to it and tune into the sounds of April, 1968…

Songs of the month

[new] “A Beautiful Morning” – Rascals
[new] “Ain’t No Way” – Aretha Franklin
“Cab Driver” – Mills Brothers
[new] “Cowboys To Girls” – Intruders
“Cry Like A Baby” – Box Tops
“Dance To The Music” – Sly And The Family Stone
[new] “Do You Know The Way To San Jose” – Dionne Warwick
[new] “Forever Came Today” – Diana Ross And The Supremes
[new] “Funky Street” – Arthur Conley
“Honey” – Bobby Goldsboro
“I Got The Feelin'” – James Brown
“I Thank You” – Sam And Dave
“If You Can Want” – Smokey Robinson And The Miracles
“Jennifer Juniper” – Donovan
“Just Dropped In” – First Edition
“Kiss Me Goodbye” – Petula Clark
“La La Means I Love You” – Delfonics
[new] “La-La Means I Love You” – Delfonics
“Lady Madonna” – Beatles
“Love Is All Around” – Troggs
“Love Is Blue” – Paul Mauriat
“Mighty Quinn” – Manfred Mann
“Playboy” – Gene And Debbie
“Scarborough Fair” – Simon And Garfunkel
“Simon Says” – 1910 Fruitgum Co.
“Since You’ve Been Gone” – Aretha Franklin
[new] “Summertime Blues” – Blue Cheer
“Sweet Inspiration” – Sweet Inspirations
[new] “Take Time To Know Her” – Percy Sledge
“The Ballad Of Bonnie And Clyde” – Georgie Fame
“The Dock Of The Bay” – Otis Redding
[new] “The Good The Bad And The Ugly” – Hugo Montenegro
[new] “The Unicorn” – Irish Rovers
[new] “Tighten Up” – Archie Bell And The Drells
“Valleri” – Monkees
“Valley Of The Dolls” – Dionne Warwick
“Will You Love Me Tomorrow” – Four Seasons
“Young Girl” – Gary Puckett & The Union Gap

[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 2nd in the United States, NBC broadcast a television special in which British singer Petula Clark appeared with Harry Belafonte as her guest. An innocent, affectionate gesture between the two during a song (Clark touched Belafonte on the arm) prompted concern from the show’s sponsor (Chrysler Corporation) due to the difference in their races…

And on the 4th American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated as he stood on a balcony at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. King was rushed to St. Joseph’s Hospital and pronounced dead at 7:05pm. The powerful figure, described as a weapon of non-violence, died at the age of 39.

Closer to home, on the tenth, Fifty-three people were killed when the New Zealand inter-island ferry “Wahine” struck Barrett Reef at the mouth of Wellington Harbour. The disaster came in the wake of Cyclone Giselle, which created the windiest conditions ever recorded in New Zealand. Most of the 691 survivors from the ferry “were saved by a Dunkirk-like flotilla of small boats which put out into the tumultuous seas” to effect the rescue.

And in, “I thought this was a joke about gullibility”-news, on the 18th the famous London Bridge (specifically the 1831 “New” London Bridge designed by John Rennie the Elder) was sold to American entrepreneur Robert P. McCulloch as the McCulloch Oil Corporation paid $2,240,000 for the landmark. It would be shipped overseas to be rebuilt, and would reopen in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, in 1971.

What’d Sadie think?

Sometimes a song is number 1 in the first week and I think, “classic, must have held on for a while”, but then no… “The Dock Of The Bay” by Otis Redding has just a week at the spot before “Honey” by Bobby Goldsboro takes it for the rest of the month. No accounting for taste!

Loved ’em

• “A Beautiful Morning” – Rascals
• “Ain’t No Way” – Aretha Franklin
• “Do You Know The Way To San Jose” – Dionne Warwick
• “Forever Came Today” – Diana Ross And The Supremes
• “The Unicorn” – Irish Rovers

“The Unicorn” is a song I remember very much from my own youth in the 1980s, and Sadie being a big unicorn fan today – this one had to make the loved ’em column.

Liked ’em

• “Cowboys To Girls” – Intruders
• “Funky Street” – Arthur Conley
• “La-La Means I Love You” – Delfonics
• “Summertime Blues” – Blue Cheer
• “Take Time To Know Her” – Percy Sledge
• “Tighten Up” – Archie Bell And The Drells

Leave ’em

• “The Good The Bad And The Ugly” – Hugo Montenegro

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

Let’s escape the current news cycle and slip back in time to listen to the sweet sounds of March, 1968…

Songs of the month

“Baby Now That I’ve Found You” – Foundations
[new] “Ballad Of Bonnie And Clyde” – Georgie Fame
“Bend Me Shape Me” – American Breed
“Bottle Of Wine” – Fireballs
[new] “Cab Driver” – Mills Brothers
[new] “Carpet Man” – 5Th Dimenision
[new] “Cry Like A Baby” – Box Tops
[new] “Dance To The Music” – Sly And The Family Stone
“Everything That Touches You” – Association
“Goin’ Out Of My Head / Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” – Lettermen
“Green Tambourine” – Lemon Pipers
[new] “Honey” – Bobby Goldsboro
“I Can Take Or Leave Your Loving” – Herman’s Hermits
[new] “I Got The Feelin'” – James Brown
“I Thank You” – Sam And Dave
“I Wish It Would Rain” – Temptations
“I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight” – Tommy Boyce And Bobby Hart
[new] “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” – Madeline Bell
[new] “If You Can Want” – Smokey Robinson And The Miracles
“Itchycoo Park” – Small Faces
[new] “Jennifer Juniper” – Donovan
“Judy In Disguise” – John Fred And His Playboy Band
“Just Dropped In” – First Edition
[new] “Kiss Me Goodbye” – Petula Clark
[new] “La La Means I Love You” – Delfonics
[new] “Lady Madonna” – Beatles
[new] “Love Is All Around” – Troggs
“Love Is Blue” – Paul Mauriat
[new] “Mighty Quinn” – Manfred Mann
“Nobody But Me” – Human Beinz
[new] “Playboy” – Gene And Debbie
[new] “Scarborough Fair” – Simon And Garfunkel
“Simon Says” – 1910 Fruitgum Co.
[new] “Since You’ve Been Gone” – Aretha Franklin
“Skip A Rope” – Henson Cargill
“Spooky” – Classics Iv
[new] “Sweet Inspiration” – Sweet Inspirations
[new] “Talk Too Much” – Paul Revere And The Raiders
[new] “The Ballad Of Bonnie And Clyde” – Georgie Fame
“The Dock Of The Bay” – Otis Redding
“The End Of Our Road” – Gladys Knight And The Pips
“There Is” – Dells
[new] “Too Much Talk” – Paul Revere And The Raiders
[new] “Valleri” – Monkees
“Valley Of The Dolls” – Dionne Warwick
“Walk Away Renee” – Four Tops
“We Can Fly” – Cowsills
“We’re A Winner” – Impressions
[new] “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” – Four Seasons
“Woman Woman” – Gary Puckett & The Union Gap
“Words” – Bee Gees
[new] “Young Girl” – Gary Puckett & The Union Gap

[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 4th the film adaptation, by Franco Zeffirelli, of Romeo and Juliet was shown for the first time, as the feature of the annual Royal Film Performance at the Odeon Cinema in London’s Leicester Square. Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh were in attendance along with their son, Prince Charles. The American press made note of the fact that the silver screen version of William Shakespeare’s late 16th Century play included nudity and that the love scene between teenage actors Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey “was passed for general exhibition by Britain’s board of movie censors which decided it was filmed in impeccable taste.”

On the 14th the nationwide introduction of the “child-proof cap” for medicines was announced at a news conference in Chicago, three days before the start of National Poison Prevention Week.The new type of container had been developed in Canada and had been tested in Tacoma, Washington during 1967, where local pediatricians had determined that their patients couldn’t open the bottle unless they knew to push down on the cap before it could be turned. The Journal of the American Pediatrics Society reported in its most recent journal that the number of children treated for serious poisoning at one Tacoma hospital over a six-month period had decreased from 50 to only three.

Also on the 14th ABC aired the final original episode of its Batman television series with Adam West and Burt Ward. The final guest villain was Zsa Zsa Gabor as “Minerva” in a 30-minute episode titled “Minerva, Mayhem and Millionaires”. A great documentary on that below:

What’d Sadie think?

Two weeks at the top for “Love Is Blue” – Paul Mauriat before classic “The Dock Of The Bay” by Otis Redding reigns for the next three weeks.

Loved ’em

• “I Got The Feelin'” – James Brown
• “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” – Madeline Bell
• “Jennifer Juniper” – Donovan
• “La La Means I Love You” – Delfonics
• “Lady Madonna” – Beatles
• “Love Is All Around” – Troggs
• “Scarborough Fair” – Simon And Garfunkel
• “Since You’ve Been Gone” – Aretha Franklin

Liked ’em

• “Ballad Of Bonnie And Clyde” – Georgie Fame
• “Carpet Man” – 5Th Dimenision
• “Cry Like A Baby” – Box Tops
• “Dance To The Music” – Sly And The Family Stone
• “Honey” – Bobby Goldsboro
• “If You Can Want” – Smokey Robinson And The Miracles
• “Kiss Me Goodbye” – Petula Clark
• “Mighty Quinn” – Manfred Mann
• “Playboy” – Gene And Debbie
• “Sweet Inspiration” – Sweet Inspirations
• “Valleri” – Monkees
• “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” – Four Seasons
• “Young Girl” – Gary Puckett & The Union Gap

Leave ’em

• “Cab Driver” – Mills Brothers

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

And here we are…listening to songs just 9 years before this ol’ timer was born! Happy Halloween to all and here’s the songs of February, 1968…

Songs of the month

“Am I That Easy To Forget” – Engelbert Humperdinck
“Baby Now That I’ve Found You” – Foundations
“Bend Me Shape Me” – American Breed
“Bottle Of Wine” – Fireballs
“Chain Of Fools” – Aretha Franklin
“Darlin'” – Beach Boys
“Daydream Believer” – Monkees
“Different Drum” – Stone Poneys
[new] “Everything That Touches You” – Association
“Goin’ Out Of My Head / Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” – Lettermen
“Green Tambourine” – Lemon Pipers
“Hello Goodbye” – Beatles
[new] “I Can Take Or Leave Your Loving” – Herman’s Hermits
“I Heard It Through The Grapevine” – Gladys Knight And The Pips
“I Second That Emotion” – Smokey Robinson And The Miracles
[new] “I Thank You” – Sam And Dave
“I Wish It Would Rain” – Temptations
“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
“Itchycoo Park” – Small Faces
“Judy In Disguise” – John Fred And His Playboy Band
[new] “Just As Much As Ever” – Bobby Vinton
[new] “Just Dropped In” – First Edition
“Love Is Blue” – Paul Mauriat
“Love Power” – Sandpebbles
“My Baby Must Be A Magician” – Marvelettes
“Nobody But Me” – Human Beinz
[new] “Simon Says” – 1910 Fruitgum Co.
[new] “Skip A Rope” – Henson Cargill
[new] “Some Velvet Morning” – Nancy Sinatra And Lee Hazelwood
“Spooky” – Classics Iv
[new] “Sunday Morning” – Spanky And Our Gang
“Susan” – Buckinghams
“Tell Mama” – Etta James
[new] “The Dock Of The Bay” – Otis Redding
[new] “The End Of Our Road” – Gladys Knight And The Pips
[new] “There Is” – Dells
“To Give” – Frankie Valli
“Tomorrow” – Strawberry Alarm Clock
[new] “Valley Of The Dolls” – Dionne Warwick
[new] “Walk Away Renee” – Four Tops
[new] “We Can Fly” – Cowsills
[new] “We’re A Winner” – Impressions
“Woman Woman” – Gary Puckett & The Union Gap
[new] “Words” – Bee Gees

[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 6th The Beatles, Mike Love, Mia Farrow, Donovan and others traveled to India to visit Maharishi Mahesh Yogi at Rishikesh in India’s Uttarakhand state, a visit that would have a profound impact on them and culture for decades.

And on the 16th “The world’s first 9-1-1 emergency call” was placed in Haleyville, Alabama, by Alabama Speaker of the House Rankin Fite, from the Haleyville City Hall; the call was routed by the operator to the city’s police station, where it was referred to U.S. Representative Tom Bevill. Who knew that emergency calls were a relatively “new” thing in the scheme of things. Except it wasn’t the world’s first, here Wikipedia shows its biases, The United Kingdom had introduced the 9-9-9 emergency call in 1937. Different digits, same idea.

For the latter I love that the public were advised only to use it in an ongoing emergency if “for instance, the man in the flat next to yours is murdering his wife or you have seen a heavily masked cat burglar peering round the stack pipe of the local bank building.” Very cartoon-esque badies! Sadie would love it.

I also just love these local news human-interest stories about historical events that come up on Youtube when you search. It’s so “one thing happened that was interesting in this town once folks!”.

On the 25th “Zap Comix”, the first successful title of the underground comix genre, an alternative to standard comic books, published its first issue. The book was drawn and written by 24-year old San Francisco cartoonist Robert Crumb, and his wife Dana sold the initial copies in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood along with two other people. The next day, a small distribution company, Third World Distribution, would purchase 500 copies for distribution in outlets throughout the Bay Area.

What’d Sadie think?

Sadie, who now definitely understands that we are telling people about this, wants

everyone to know she loves Human Beinz’ “Nobody but me” and “Skip A Rope” by Henson Cargill.

She did also wonder, “how do you get it onto everyone’s phones?” to which I had to disappoint her to say it doesn’t go to _everyone_, just a few people who have chosen to read it and mostly they’re related to her!

It’s a week at the top for “Green Tambourine” by the Lemon Pipers before Paul Mauriat’s “Love Is Blue” takes it for the rest of the month.

Loved ’em

“I Can Take Or Leave Your Loving” – Herman’s Hermits

“I Thank You” – Sam And Dave
“Just Dropped In” – First Edition
“Skip A Rope” – Henson Cargill
“Some Velvet Morning” – Nancy Sinatra And Lee Hazelwood
“The Dock Of The Bay” – Otis Redding
“The End Of Our Road” – Gladys Knight And The Pips
“Walk Away Renee” – Four Tops
“We’re A Winner” – Impressions
“Words” – Bee Gees

“Some Velvet Morning” is a particular personal favourite. It was slightly disappointing to red that Lee Hazlewood said of it, “It’s not meant to mean so much. I’m not a druggie, so it was never to do with that.” Given he was such a key figure in psychedelia! I also only noticed explicitly for the first time, because I’d read it, that his verses are in 4/3 and hers in 3/4.

Liked ’em

“Everything That Touches You” – Association
“Simon Says” – 1910 Fruitgum Co.
“Sunday Morning” – Spanky And Our Gang
“There Is” – Dells
“Valley Of The Dolls” – Dionne Warwick

Sadie would also like to suggest that “Simon Says” is about “like, an easy game of Simon Says for kids maybe, because they say ‘Simple Simon Says….'”. Makes sense! She is certainly the target audience for the song, which was apparently in the new-ish genre of “bubble gum pop” that was, “marketed to preteens as the evolving genre of rock music was beginning to target older adolescents and adults with darker lyrics and heavier rhythms”.

Leave ’em

“Just As Much As Ever” – Bobby Vinton
“We Can Fly” – Cowsills

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