Latest weekly posts

We’re nearly done with our first year of our 3rd decade, my how time flies at 4x life…let’s listen to the sounds of November, 1970!

Songs of the month

• [new] “5-10-15-20 (25-30 Years Of Love)” – Presidents
• [new] “After Midnight” – Eric Clapton
• “All Right Now” – Free
• [new] “Black Magic Woman” – Santana
• “Candida” – Dawn
• “Cracklin’ Rosie” – Neil Diamond
• “Cry Me A River” – Joe Cocker
• [new] “Deeper And Deeper” – Freda Payne
• [new] “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is” – Chicago
• “El Condor Pasa” – Simon & Garfunkel
• “Engine #9” – Wilson Pickett
• [new] “Engine Number 9” – Wilson Pickett
• “Express Yourself” – Charles Wright & Watts 103Rd Street Rhythm Band
• “Fire And Rain” – James Taylor
• [new] “For The Good Times” – Ray Price
• [new] “God Loved And Rock And Roll” – Teagarden & Van Winkle
• “Green Eyed Lady” – Sugarloaf
• [new] “Green-Eyed Lady” – Sugarloaf
• [new] “Gypsy Woman” – Brian Hyland
• [new] “Heaven Help Us All” – Stevie Wonder
• “I Think I Love You” – Partridge Family
• “I’ll Be There” – Jackson Five
• “Indiana Wants Me” – R. Dean Taylor
• “It Don’t Matter To Me” – Bread
• “It’s Only Make Believe” – Glen Campbell
• [new] “Let’s Work Together” – Canned Heat
• “Lola” – Kinks
• “Look What They’ve Done To My Song Ma” – New Seekers
• [new] “Lucretia Mac Evil” – Blood Sweat & Tears
• “Montego Bay” – Bobby Bloom
• [new] “No Matter What” – Badfinger
• [new] “One Less Bell To Answer” – 5Th Dimension
• “Our House” – Crosby Stills Nash & Young
• “See Me Feel Me” – Who
• [new] “Share The Land” – Guess Who
• “Somebody’s Been Sleeping” – 100 Proof Aged In Soul
• “Stand By Your Man” – Candi Staton
• “Still Water” – Four Tops
• [new] “Stoned Love” – Supremes
• “Super Bad” – James Brown
• “Tears Of A Clown” – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
• “We’ve Only Just Begun” – Carpenters
• [new] “Yellow River” – Christie
• [new] “You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me” – Elvis Presley

[new] = New to the chart this week.

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

This month in history

The history section of 4xlife pretty much comes from wikipedia’s history-of-the-month pages. But by some complete coincidence this week – I remembered the UK comedy show, “The Goodies” when referring to Sadie’s lil gang of mischiefs at her kindergarten (they’ve named themselves this.) And what do you know, the show launched in the UK in November, 1970! A childhood favourite.

On the 7th Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, now the highest grossing ocean liner service in the world, made its first voyage as passengers boarded the company’s original ship, MS Song of Norway, departed from Miami at 6:00 in the evening for a seven-day round-trip tour with stops at the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. And because its 2025, here’s not a history video but a minecraft built model of the boat!

And on the 20th The Miss World 1970 beauty pageant, hosted by Bob Hope at the Royal Albert Hall, London was disrupted by women’s liberation protesters who hurled leaflets, smoke bombs and “stink bombs” on stage. Emcee Bob Hope left the stage temporarily, muttering “Who are these bastards?”, until police cleared the hall, then crowned Jennifer Hosten of Grenada as “Miss World”. The “jokes” in his emceeing and Bob’s reaction to the protest really are of a time…

What’d Sadie think?

Two weeks at the top for “I’ll Be There” by the Jackson Five before a couple for the Partridge Family with “I Think I Love You”.

Sadie was no-doubt pleased “Rubber ducky” wasn’t on the charts this week, as she had been telling me to turn it off, “it’s a kid song!” since it hit the billboard!

Loved ’em

• “5-10-15-20 (25-30 Years Of Love)” – Presidents
• “After Midnight” – Eric Clapton
• “Black Magic Woman” – Santana
• “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is” – Chicago
• “Green-Eyed Lady” – Sugarloaf
• “Gypsy Woman” – Brian Hyland
• “No Matter What” – Badfinger
• “Share The Land” – Guess Who

Liked ’em

• “Deeper And Deeper” – Freda Payne
• “Engine Number 9” – Wilson Pickett
• “For The Good Times” – Ray Price
• “Heaven Help Us All” – Stevie Wonder
• “Let’s Work Together” – Canned Heat
• “One Less Bell To Answer” – 5Th Dimension
• “Stoned Love” – Supremes
• “Yellow River” – Christie
• “You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me” – Elvis Presley
• “No Matter What” – Badfinger

Leave ’em

• “Lucretia Mac Evil” – Blood Sweat & Tears

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

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.

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.

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 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.

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.