4x Life

One month in pop history, every week.

Category: Monthly

  • It’s August, 1970

    It’s still a full 50 years before Sadie is born in our musical journey, so many tunes to hear! Let’s go with August, 1970 for this week…

    Songs of the month

    • [new] “25 Or 6 To 4” – Chicago
    • [new] “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” – Diana Ross
    • “Are You Ready” – Pacific Gas & Electric
    • “Ball Of Confusion” – Temptations
    • “Band Of Gold” – Freda Payne
    • [new] “Big Yellow Taxi” – Joni Mitchell
    • [new] “Big Yellow Taxi” – Neighbourhood
    • “Close To You” – Carpenters
    • [new] “Don’t Make Me Over” – Brenda & The Tabulations
    • [new] “Don’t Play That Song” – Aretha Franklin
    • [new] “Down By The River” – Buddy Miles
    • [new] “Everybody’s Got The Right To Love” – Supremes
    • [new] “For The Good Times” – Ray Price
    • [new] “Funk 49” – James Gang
    • “Gimme Dat Ding” – Pipkins
    • [new] “Glory Glory” – Rascals & Sweet Inspirations
    • [new] “Going To The Country” – Steve Miller Band
    • [new] “Groovin’ With Mr. Bloe” – Cool Heat
    • [new] “Hand Me Down World” – Guess Who
    • [new] “Hi-De-Ho” – Blood Sweat & Tears
    • “Hitchin’ A Ride” – Vanity Fare
    • “I Just Can’t Help Believing” – B.J. Thomas
    • [new] “I Like Your Lovin’” – Chi-Lites
    • [new] “I Stand Accused” – Isaac Hayes
    • [new] “I Wanna Know If It’s Good For You” – Funkadelic
    • [new] “If I Didn’t Care” – Moments
    • [new] “In The Summertime” – Mungo Jerry
    • “Lay A Little Lovin’ On Me” – Robin Mcnamara
    • “Lay Down” – Melanie & Edwin Hawkins Singers
    • [new] “Lola” – Kinks
    • “Make It With You” – Bread
    • “Mama Told Me Not To Come” – Three Dog Night
    • [new] “Maybe” – Three Degrees
    • [new] “Mongoose” – Elephant’s Memory
    • [new] “Morning Buch Better” – Ten Wheel Drive
    • “O-O-H Child” – Five Stairsteps
    • “Ohio” – Crosby Stills Nash & Young
    • [new] “On The Beach” – 5Th Dimension
    • [new] “Out In The Country” – Three Dog Night
    • [new] “Overture From Tommy” – Assembled Multitude
    • [new] “Patches” – Clarence Carter
    • [new] “Rainbow” – Marmalade
    • “Ride Captain Ride” – Blues Image
    • [new] “Riki Tiki Tavi” – Donovan
    • [new] “Screaming Night Hog” – Steppenwolf
    • [new] “Sex Machine” – James Brown
    • [new] “She Said Yes” – Wilson Pickett
    • “Signed Sealed Delivered I’m Yours” – Stevie Wonder
    • “Silver Bird” – Mark Lindsay
    • [new] “Solitary Man” – Neil Diamond
    • [new] “Song From Mash” – Al Delory
    • “Song Of Joy” – Miguel Rios
    • “Spill The Wine” – Eric Burdon & War
    • [new] “Stay Away From Me” – Major Lance
    • [new] “Still Water” – Four Tops
    • [new] “Summertime Blues” – Who
    • “Teach Your Children” – Crosby Stills Nash & Young
    • [new] “Tell It All Brother” – Kenny Rogers & The First Edition
    • “The Love You Save” – Jackson Five
    • “The Wonder Of You” – Elvis Presley
    • “Tighter Tighter” – Alive & Kicking
    • [new] “Uncle John’s Band” – Grateful Dead
    • “War” – Edwin Starr
    • “Westbound #9” – Flaming Ember
    • [new] “What A Bummer” – Jaggerz
    • [new] “Where Are You Going To My Love” – Brotherhood Of Man
    • “Why Can’t I Touch You” – Ronnie Dyson
    • [new] “Yellow River” – Christie
    • [new] “Yours Love” – Joe Simon

    [new] = New to the chart this week.

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

    This month in history

    I’m not sure why anyone flew in the mid-20th century, if my monthly history reads are anything to go by… it seems to have been non-stop commercial plane crashes for decades! I guess bullet points compress time,  but still! I avoid most of the war and bad-news news in this section, in favour of news that is more illustrative of pop-culture / life at the time. 

    But i’ll give a pass to this one as it seems to merge pop-culture and plans…on the 2nd of August, for the first time, a “jumbo jet” was hijacked. Pan American Flight 299, which had made the first commercial Boeing 747 flight, was on its way from New York to San Juan, Puerto Rico. Shortly after midnight, one of the 360 passengers commandeered the aircraft brandished a gun and threatened to detonate explosives in his carry on luggage and demanded to be flown to Havana. Cuba’s Premier Fidel Castro traveled to the Jose Marti Airport to discuss plans for the 747 pilot about how to safely take off from the airport’s runways, which were not long enough to accommodate a large jet. The 747 took off for Miami after one hour in Cuba and safely returned.

    Then – speaking of safely returned – on the 25th, A 7-year-old boy, Tang Kwok-hin, survived a fall from the ninth floor of an apartment building in Hong Kong, unharmed, after he had tumbled out of the window of his family’s home. Tang’s fall was broken when he landed on, then bounced off of, the canvas awning of a flower shop on the building’s ground floor.

    *Not actual footage.

    On the 30th the third, and last, annual Isle of Wight Festival ended after three days of rock, pop and jazz performances before a crowd that reached 250,000 people, most of whom were able to get in without paying or who watched from a hillside. Headlined by Joan Baez, the list of stars included Jimi Hendrix (in one of his last appearances), The Who, Joni Mitchell, The Doors, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, The Moody Blues, Chicago, Jethro Tull, Miles Davis, Tiny Tim and Leonard Cohen. 

    What’d Sadie think?

    It’s three weeks at the top for”Close To You” by the Carpenters before Bread make it to the top with”Make It With You” and finally a week for”War” by Edwin Starr at number 1.

    Loved ’em

    • “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” – Diana Ross
    • “Big Yellow Taxi” – Joni Mitchell
    • “Lola” – Kinks
    • “Sex Machine” – James Brown

    Liked ’em

    • “25 Or 6 To 4” – Chicago
    • “Don’t Make Me Over” – Brenda & The Tabulations
    • “Don’t Play That Song” – Aretha Franklin
    • “Down By The River” – Buddy Miles
    • “Everybody’s Got The Right To Love” – Supremes
    • “For The Good Times” – Ray Price
    • “Funk 49” – James Gang
    • “Going To The Country” – Steve Miller Band
    • “Groovin’ With Mr. Bloe” – Cool Heat
    • “Hand Me Down World” – Guess Who
    • “Hi-De-Ho” – Blood Sweat & Tears
    • “I Stand Accused” – Isaac Hayes
    • “Maybe” – Three Degrees
    • “Mongoose” – Elephant’s Memory
    • “On The Beach” – 5Th Dimension
    • “Out In The Country” – Three Dog Night
    • “Patches” – Clarence Carter
    • “Rainbow” – Marmalade
    • “Screaming Night Hog” – Steppenwolf
    • “She Said Yes” – Wilson Pickett
    • “Solitary Man” – Neil Diamond
    • “Still Water” – Four Tops
    • “Summertime Blues” – Who
    • “Tell It All Brother” – Kenny Rogers & The First Edition
    • “Uncle John’s Band” – Grateful Dead
    • “Where Are You Going To My Love” – Brotherhood Of Man
    • “Yellow River” – Christie
    • “Yours Love” – Joe Simon

    Leave ’em

    • “Big Yellow Taxi” – Neighbourhood
    • “I Like Your Lovin’” – Chi-Lites
    • “If I Didn’t Care” – Moments
    • “Riki Tiki Tavi” – Donovan

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

  • It’s July, 1970

    Back to it this week with the sounds of July, 1970…

    Songs of the month

    • [new] “Are You Ready” – Pacific Gas & Electric
    • “Ball Of Confusion” – Temptations
    • “Band Of Gold” – Freda Payne
    • “Check Out Your Mind” – Impressions
    • [new] “Close To You” – Carpenters
    • “Everything Is Beautiful” – Ray Stevens
    • “Get Ready” – Rare Earth
    • “Gimme Dat Ding” – Pipkins
    • “Hitchin’ A Ride” – Vanity Fare
    • [new] “I Just Can’t Help Believing” – B.J. Thomas
    • “It’s All In The Game” – Four Tops
    • [new] “Lay A Little Lovin’ On Me” – Robin Mcnamara
    • “Lay Down” – Melanie & Edwin Hawkins Singers
    • [new] “Love Land” – Charles Wright & Watts 103Rd Street Rhythm Band
    • “Love On A Two Way Street” – Moments
    • [new] “Make It With You” – Bread
    • “Make Me Smile” – Chicago
    • “Mama Told Me Not To Come” – Three Dog Night
    • “Mississippi Queen” – Mountain
    • “My Baby Loves Lovin’” – White Plains
    • [new] “O-O-H Child” – Five Stairsteps
    • [new] “Ohio” – Crosby Stills Nash & Young
    • “Question” – Moody Blues
    • “Ride Captain Ride” – Blues Image
    • [new] “Rise Captain Ride” – Blues Image
    • [new] “Save The Country” – 5Th Dimension
    • [new] “Signed Sealed Delivered I’m Yours” – Stevie Wonder
    • [new] “Silver Bird” – Mark Lindsay
    • “Song Of Joy” – Miguel Rios
    • [new] “Spill The Wine” – Eric Burdon & War
    • “Sugar Sugar” – Wilson Pickett
    • [new] “Teach Your Children” – Crosby Stills Nash & Young
    • “The Long And Winding Road” – Beatles
    • “The Love You Save” – Jackson Five
    • “The Wonder Of You” – Elvis Presley
    • [new] “Tighter Tighter” – Alive & Kicking
    • “United We Stand” – Brotherhood Of Man
    • “Up Around The Bend / Run Through The Jungle” – Creedence Clearwater Revival
    • [new] “War” – Edwin Starr
    • [new] “Westbound #9” – Flaming Ember
    • “Which Way You Goin’ Billy” – Poppy Family
    • [new] “Why Can’t I Touch You” – Ronnie Dyson

    [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 the iconic radio music countdown show “American Top 40” made its debut, with Casey Kasem as host, playing the most recent list of Top 40 most popular songs as ranked by Billboard magazine (whose charts we use). Initially, only 7 radio stations carried the syndicated program. The first song introduced (the #40 seller for the week) was Marvin Gaye’s recording of “The End of Our Road”, and the first number one hit was “Mama Told Me Not to Come” by Three Dog Night.

    Hear that first show here.

    Then on the 11th in one of the largest parimutuel betting wins up to that time (by amount returned on investment), a New Zealand contractor won NZD $482,687 (US$431,000) from the jackpot at Matamata by being the only person to pick all four winners on a quadrella jackpot wager. Quite the luck! The win, by Te Aroha resident Peter Moran, would be the equivalent of 2.8 million U.S. dollars.

    What’d Sadie think?

    It’s a week at the top for “The Love You Save” by the Jackson Five then two for “Mama Told Me Not To Come” by Three Dog Night before “Close To You” by the Carpenters takes the top spot.

    Loved ’em

    • “Close To You” – Carpenters
    • “Make It With You” – Bread
    • “O-O-H Child” – Five Stairsteps
    • “Ohio” – Crosby Stills Nash & Young
    • “Signed Sealed Delivered I’m Yours” – Stevie Wonder
    • “Teach Your Children” – Crosby Stills Nash & Young
    • “War” – Edwin Starr

    Liked ’em

    • “Are You Ready” – Pacific Gas & Electric
    • “I Just Can’t Help Believing” – B.J. Thomas
    • “Lay A Little Lovin’ On Me” – Robin Mcnamara
    • “Love Land” – Charles Wright & Watts 103Rd Street Rhythm Band
    • “Rise Captain Ride” – Blues Image
    • “Save The Country” – 5Th Dimension
    • “Silver Bird” – Mark Lindsay
    • “Spill The Wine” – Eric Burdon & War
    • “Tighter Tighter” – Alive & Kicking
    • “Why Can’t I Touch You” – Ronnie Dyson

    Leave ’em

    • “Westbound #9” – Flaming Ember

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

  • It’s June, 1970

    And we’re back! We had to skip a week’s post due to my faithful macbook dying on me. As the script that generates the YouTube playlists runs on this machine we’re not much good without it. Probably a prompt for me to move it to the cloud!

    If you want to listen to May, 1970 here’s the post with the playlist. Now onto June, 1970!

    Songs of the month

    • “Abc” – Jackson Five
    • “American Woman” – Guess Who
    • [new] “Ball Of Confusion” – Temptations
    • [new] “Band Of Gold” – Freda Payne
    • “Cecilia” – Simon & Garfunkel
    • [new] “Check Out Your Mind” – Impressions
    • “Come Saturday Morning” – Sandpipers
    • “Daughter Of Darkness” – Tom Jones
    • “Everything Is Beautiful” – Ray Stevens
    • “For The Love Of Him” – Bobbi Martin
    • “Get Ready” – Rare Earth
    • [new] “Gimme Dat Ding” – Pipkins
    • [new] “Hey Mr. Sun” – Bobby Sherman
    • “Hitchin’ A Ride” – Vanity Fare
    • [new] “It’s All In The Game” – Four Tops
    • “Lay Down” – Melanie & Edwin Hawkins Singers
    • “Let It Be” – Beatles
    • [new] “Love Land” – Charles Wright & Watts 103Rd Street Rhythm B
    • “Love On A Two Way Street” – Moments
    • “Make Me Smile” – Chicago
    • [new] “Mama Told Me Not To Come” – Three Dog Night
    • [new] “Mississippi Queen” – Mountain
    • “My Baby Loves Lovin’” – White Plains
    • “Question” – Moody Blues
    • “Reach Out And Touch” – Diana Ross
    • “Reflections Of My Life” – Marmalade
    • [new] “Ride Captain Ride” – Blues Image
    • [new] “Song Of Joy” – Miguel Rios
    • [new] “Spirit In The Sky” – Aretha Franklin & The Dixie Flyers
    • “Spirit In The Sky” – Norman Greenbaum
    • [new] “Sugar Sugar” – Wilson Pickett
    • “The Letter” – Joe Cocker
    • “The Long And Winding Road” – Beatles
    • [new] “The Love You Save” – Jackson Five
    • [new] “The Wonder Of You” – Elvis Presley
    • “Turn Back The Hands Of Time” – Tyrone Davis
    • “United We Stand” – Brotherhood Of Man
    • “Up Around The Bend / Run Through The Jungle” – Creedence Clearwater Revival
    • “Vehicle” – Ides Of March
    • “Which Way You Goin’ Billy” – Poppy Family
    • “Woodstock” – Crosby Stills Nash & Young

    [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 13th “The Long and Winding Road” became the Beatles’ 20th and final single to reach number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. During their six-year recording career, the Beatles had averaged one #1 hit single every 3.7 months.

    And on the 24th the first videodisc, the Television Electronic Disc (TeD), was demonstrated at a press conference in West Berlin by Teldec, a joint venture of the West German electronics manufacturer AEG Telefunken and Britain’s Decca Records. The 20 cm (7.9 in) flexible foil disc was capable of storing roughly five minutes of video programming, and would be upgraded to longer times by the time it went on sale on March 17, 1975.

    Then on the 27th the first Gay Pride march in history took place in Chicago, where 150 participants listened to speeches at Washington Square, then proceeded down Chicago Avenue, Michigan Avenue and Randolph Street to arrive at the Chicago Civic Center.

    What’d Sadie think?

    A week at the top for”Everything Is Beautiful” by Ray Stevens then two for The Beatles with”The Long And Winding Road”  before a chart topper from the Jackson Five with “The Love You Save”.

    Loved ’em

    • “Band Of Gold” – Freda Payne
    • “Mama Told Me Not To Come” – Three Dog Night
    • “Spirit In The Sky” – Aretha Franklin & The Dixie Flyers
    • “The Love You Save” – Jackson Five

    Liked ’em

    • “Ball Of Confusion” – Temptations
    • “Check Out Your Mind” – Impressions
    • “Gimme Dat Ding” – Pipkins
    • “Hey Mr. Sun” – Bobby Sherman
    • “It’s All In The Game” – Four Tops
    • “Lay Down” – Melanie With Edwin Hawkins Singers
    • “Love Land” – Charles Wright & Watts 103Rd Street Rhythm B
    • “Mississippi Queen” – Mountain
    • “Ride Captain Ride” – Blues Image
    • “Sugar Sugar” – Wilson Pickett
    • “The Wonder Of You” – Elvis Presley

    Leave ’em

    • “Song Of Joy” – Miguel Rios

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

  • It’s April, 1970

    It’s 50 years and 4 months before Sadie is born and 6 years and 10 months before Thomas is. Let’s dive into the sounds of April, 1970…

    Songs of the month

    • “Abc” – Jackson Five
    • “All I Have To Do Is Dream” – Bobbie Gentry & Glen Campbell
    • [new] “American Woman” – Guess Who
    • “Bridge Over Troubled Water” – Simon & Garfunkel
    • “Call Me / Son Of A Preacher Man” – Aretha Franklin
    • [new] “Cecilia” – Simon & Garfunkel
    • “Celebrate” – Three Dog Night
    • “Come And Get It” – Badfinger
    • “Didn’t I” – Delfonics
    • “Easy Come Easy Go” – Bobby Sherman
    • [new] “Everybody’s Out Of Town” – B.J. Thomas
    • [new] “Everything Is Beautiful” – Ray Stevens
    • “Evil Ways” – Santana
    • [new] “For The Love Of Him” – Bobbi Martin
    • “Give Me Just A Little More Time” – Chairmen Of The Board
    • “Gotta Hold On To This Feeling” – Junior Walker & The All Stars
    • “He Ain’t Heavy He’s My Brother” – Hollies
    • “House Of The Rising Sun” – Frijid Pink
    • “Instant Karma” – John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band
    • “Kentucky Rain” – Elvis Presley
    • “Let It Be” – Beatles
    • [new] “Long Lonesome Highway” – Michael Parks
    • “Love Grows” – Edison Lighthouse
    • “Love Or Let Me Be Lonely” – Friends Of Distinction
    • “Ma Belle Amie” – Tee-Set
    • “Rainy Night In Georgia” – Brook Benton
    • [new] “Reflections Of My Life” – Marmalade
    • [new] “Shilo” – Neil Diamond
    • “Something’s Burning” – Kenny Rogers & The First Edition
    • “Spirit In The Sky” – Norman Greenbaum
    • [new] “Tennessee Birdwalk” – Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan
    • “The Bells” – Originals
    • “The Rapper” – Jaggerz
    • “Travellin’ Band / Who’ll Stop The Rain” – Creedence Clearwater Revival
    • [new] “Turn Back The Hands Of Time” – Tyrone Davis
    • “Up The Ladder To The Roof” – Supremes
    • [new] “Vehicle” – Ides Of March
    • [new] “Woodstock” – Crosby Stills Nash & Young
    • [new] “You Need Love Like I Do” – Gladys Knight & The Pips
    • [new] “You’re The One” – Little Sister

    [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 first U.S. President Richard M. Nixon signed the “Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act” into law, banning cigarette television and radio advertisements in the United States effective January 2, 1971. The “one, big last day” on January 1 was permitted by Congress to allow television networks to get tobacco revenue for the college football bowl games on New Year’s Day.

    On the 13th, the Mission Control team at the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, Texas, received word from the Apollo 13 crew that an oxygen tank in the command module had exploded, and that electrical power was gradually dropping, an event that led to an abort of the planned lunar landing. The mission shifted to recalculation of the Apollo 13 route in hopes of getting the three astronauts safely back to Earth. Nine minutes after the crew had finished a 40-minute live broadcast to television viewers, astronaut Fred Haise began alerting with the words “Okay, Houston…” and Jim Lovell followed with “I believe we’ve had a problem here.”

    And on the 26th “Company”, a Broadway musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, began the first of 706 performances at the Alvin Theatre. It would win six Tony Awards, including best musical, best music and best lyrics.

    What’d Sadie think?

    A week extra at the top for”Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon & Garfunkel before the Beatles’ “Let It Be”  grabs it for a couple, then the Jackson Five take it with “ABC”.

    Meanwhile Sadie was all about singing “Celebrate” from Three Dog Night this week. She’s also learnt the concept of an “ear worm” it seems!

    Loved ’em

    • “American Woman” – Guess Who
    • “Cecilia” – Simon & Garfunkel
    • “Woodstock” – Crosby Stills Nash & Young

    Liked ’em

    • “Everybody’s Out Of Town” – B.J. Thomas
    • “Everything Is Beautiful” – Ray Stevens
    • “For The Love Of Him” – Bobbi Martin
    • “Reflections Of My Life” – Marmalade
    • “Shilo” – Neil Diamond
    • “Turn Back The Hands Of Time” – Tyrone Davis
    • “Vehicle” – Ides Of March
    • “You Need Love Like I Do” – Gladys Knight & The Pips
    • “You’re The One” – Little Sister

    Leave ’em

    • “Long Lonesome Highway” – Michael Parks
    • “Tennessee Birdwalk” – Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan

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

  • It’s March, 1970

    Let’s turn our ears back to March, 1970…

    Songs of the month

    • [new] “Abc” – Jackson Five
    • [new] “All I Have To Do Is Dream” – Bobbie Gentry & Glen Campbell
    • “Always Something There To Remind Me” – R.B. Greaves
    • “Arizona” – Mark Lindsay
    • “Bridge Over Troubled Water” – Simon & Garfunkel
    • “Call Me / Son Of A Preacher Man” – Aretha Franklin
    • [new] “Celebrate” – Three Dog Night
    • [new] “Come And Get It” – Badfinger
    • “Didn’t I” – Delfonics
    • [new] “Do The Funky Chicken” – Rufus Thomas
    • [new] “Easy Come Easy Go” – Bobby Sherman
    • “Evil Ways” – Santana
    • “Give Me Just A Little More Time” – Chairmen Of The Board
    • [new] “Gotta Hold On To This Feeling” – Junior Walker & The All Stars
    • “He Ain’t Heavy He’s My Brother” – Hollies
    • “Hey There Lonely Girl” – Eddie Holman
    • “Honey Come Back” – Glen Campbell
    • “House Of The Rising Sun” – Frijid Pink
    • “I Want You Back” – Jackson Five
    • “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again” – Dionne Warwick
    • [new] “Instant Karma” – John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band
    • “Kentucky Rain” – Elvis Presley
    • [new] “Let It Be” – Beatles
    • “Love Grows” – Edison Lighthouse
    • [new] “Love Or Let Me Be Lonely” – Friends Of Distinction
    • [new] “Ma Belle Amie” – Tee-Set
    • “Never Had A Dream Come True” – Stevie Wonder
    • “No Time” – Guess Who
    • “Oh Me Oh My” – Lulu
    • “Psychedelic Shack” – Temptations
    • “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head” – B.J. Thomas
    • “Rainy Night In Georgia” – Brook Benton
    • [new] “Something’s Burning” – Kenny Rogers & The First Edition
    • [new] “Spirit In The Sky” – Norman Greenbaum
    • “Thank You” – Sly & The Family Stone
    • [new] “The Bells” – Originals
    • “The Rapper” – Jaggerz
    • “The Thrill Is Gone” – B.B. King
    • “Travellin’ Band / Who’ll Stop The Rain” – Creedence Clearwater Revival
    • [new] “Up The Ladder To The Roof” – Supremes
    • “Venus” – Shocking Blue
    • “Walk A Mile In My Shoes” – Joe South

    [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 the world saw the premiere of “Airport” in New York City before its U.S. and worldwide release. Based on the bestselling suspense novel by Arthur Hailey, Airport was made on a budget of USD $10.2 million and would gross almost ten times that amount worldwide ($100.5 million).

    Then on the 12th, for the first time in British history, citizens younger than 21 were able to cast ballots in a parliamentary election. The opportunity came in the by-election, to fill a vacancy in the Bridgwater constituency in the House of Commons that followed the October 31 death of Gerald Wills. Miss Trudy Sellick, a secretary who had turned 18 years old earlier in the day, registered the first under-21 vote in British history; she was in line when the polling station at North Newton, Somerset, opened at 7:00 in the morning.

    Not from the by-election, but this short film from later in the year about voting in the general election is a snapshot of the time:

    On the fifteenth “The Expo ’70 World’s Fair” opened in Suita, a suburb of the Japanese city of Osaka. By some coincidence the city is hosting the expo again back here in 2025.

    What’d Sadie think?

    The whole month is owned by Simon & Garfunkel’s classic “Bridge Over Troubled Water”. And Sadie is  loving the new Jackson Five song, ABC!

    Loved ’em

    • “Abc” – Jackson Five
    • “All I Have To Do Is Dream” – Bobbie Gentry & Glen Campbell
    • “Celebrate” – Three Dog Night
    • “Instant Karma” – John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band
    • “Let It Be” – Beatles
    • “Spirit In The Sky” – Norman Greenbaum

    Liked ’em

    • “Come And Get It” – Badfinger
    • “Do The Funky Chicken” – Rufus Thomas
    • “Easy Come Easy Go” – Bobby Sherman
    • “Gotta Hold On To This Feeling” – Junior Walker & The All Stars
    • “Love Or Let Me Be Lonely” – Friends Of Distinction
    • “Ma Belle Amie” – Tee-Set
    • “Something’s Burning” – Kenny Rogers & The First Edition
    • “The Bells” – Originals
    • “Up The Ladder To The Roof” – Supremes

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

  • It’s February, 1970

    As Easter approaches in 2025, let’s turn our ears back to February, 1970…

    Songs of the month

    • “Always Something There To Remind Me” – R.B. Greaves
    • “Arizona” – Mark Lindsay
    • “Baby Take Me In Your Arms” – Jefferson
    • “Blowing Away” – 5Th Dimension
    • [new] “Bridge Over Troubled Water” – Simon & Garfunkel
    • [new] “Call Me / Son Of A Preacher Man” – Aretha Franklin
    • [new] “Didn’t I” – Delfonics
    • “Don’t Cry Daddy” – Elvis Presley
    • “Early In The Morning” – Vanity Fare
    • [new] “Evil Ways” – Santana
    • [new] “Give Me Just A Little More Time” – Chairmen Of The Board
    • [new] “He Ain’t Heavy He’s My Brother” – Hollies
    • “Hey There Lonely Girl” – Eddie Holman
    • “Honey Come Back” – Glen Campbell
    • [new] “House Of The Rising Sun” – Frijid Pink
    • “I Want You Back” – Jackson Five
    • “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again” – Dionne Warwick
    • “Jam Up And Jelly Tight” – Tommy Roe
    • “Jingle Jangle” – Archies
    • [new] “Kentucky Rain” – Elvis Presley
    • “Leaving On A Jet Plane” – Peter Paul & Mary
    • [new] “Love Grows” – Edison Lighthouse
    • “Ma Belle Amie” – Tee Set
    • “Midnight Cowboy” – Ferrante & Teicher
    • [new] “Never Had A Dream Come True” – Stevie Wonder
    • “No Time” – Guess Who
    • [new] “Oh Me Oh My” – Lulu
    • “Psychedelic Shack” – Temptations
    • “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head” – B.J. Thomas
    • [new] “Rainy Night In Georgia” – Brook Benton
    • [new] “She Came In Through The Bathroom Window” – Joe Cocker
    • “Someday We’ll Be Together” – Diana Ross & The Supremes
    • “Thank You” – Sly & The Family Stone
    • “The Rapper” – Jaggerz
    • [new] “The Thrill Is Gone” – B.B. King
    • [new] “Travellin’ Band / Who’ll Stop The Rain” – Creedence Clearwater Revival
    • “Venus” – Shocking Blue
    • “Walk A Mile In My Shoes” – Joe South
    • “Walkin’ In The Rain” – Jay & The Americans
    • “Whole Lotta Love” – Led Zeppelin
    • “Winter World Of Love” – Engelbert Humperdinck
    • “Without Love” – Tom Jones
    • “Wonderful World Beautiful People” – Jimmy Cliff

    [new] = New to the chart this week.

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

    This month in history

    Some history

    On February 2, Bertrand Russell (97), British philosopher passed away. I’ll leave it to his answer to this 1959 interview question, “Suppose Lord Russell this film were to be looked at by our descendants, like a Dead Sea scroll in a thousand years time, what would you think it’s worth telling that generation about the life you’ve lived and the lessons you’ve learned from it?”

    On the 13th the “first heavy metal album”, Black Sabbath went on sale in Britain. Black Sabbath had been formed in the English city of Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist and chief songwriter Tony Iommi, lead singer Ozzy Osbourne, drummer Bill Ward, and bassist Geezer Butler. Within weeks, the debut record would be the eighth bestselling rock album on the British charts, and would be released in the United States on June 1.

    And on a literal, lighter, note on the 25th during an episode of the children’s TV series Sesame Street, “Rubber Duckie” was performed for the first time and would soon become a best-selling record.

    What’d Sadie think?

    A week at the top for”Venus” by Shocking Blue, two for “Thank You” by Sly & The Family Stone and then a week at number one for Simon & Garfunkel’s”Bridge Over Troubled Water”.

    Sadie said, “that’s a tune!” of Son of a Preacher man and continues to love The Jackon 5’s “I want you back”. She may have also made her first use of a music reference to “Don’t Cry Daddy” by Elvis Presley , which she also really likes, during the week when telling me not to be sad about something!

    Loved ’em

    • “Bridge Over Troubled Water” – Simon & Garfunkel
    • “Call Me / Son Of A Preacher Man” – Aretha Franklin
    • “He Ain’t Heavy He’s My Brother” – Hollies
    • “House Of The Rising Sun” – Frijid Pink
    • “Rainy Night In Georgia” – Brook Benton

    Liked ’em

    • “Didn’t I” – Delfonics
    • “Evil Ways” – Santana
    • “Give Me Just A Little More Time” – Chairmen Of The Board
    • “He Ain’t Heavy He’s My Brother” – Hollies
    • “Kentucky Rain” – Elvis Presley
    • “Love Grows” – Edison Lighthouse
    • “Never Had A Dream Come True” – Stevie Wonder
    • “Oh Me Oh My” – Lulu
    • “She Came In Through The Bathroom Window” – Joe Cocker
    • “The Thrill Is Gone” – B.B. King
    • “Who’ll Stop The Rain” – Creedence Clearwater Revival

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