Latest weekly posts

It’s already 1971 in our journey through the charts, so let’s hear what January sounded like…

Songs of the month

• “5-10-15-20 (25-30 Years Of Love)” – Presidents
• [new] “Amazing Grace” – Judy Collins
• “Be My Baby” – Andy Kim
• “Black Magic Woman” – Santana
• [new] “Born To Wander” – Rare Earth
• “Can’t Stop Loving You” – Tom Jones
• “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is” – Chicago
• “Domino” – Van Morrison
• “For The Good Times” – Ray Price
• [new] “Games” – Redeye
• “Groove Me” – King Floyd
• “Gypsy Woman” – Brian Hyland
• “He Ain’t Heavy He’s My Brother” – Neil Diamond
• [new] “I Hear You Knockin’” – Dave Edmunds
• [new] “I Really Don’t Want To Know” – Elvis Presley
• “I Think I Love You” – Partridge Family
• “I’ll Be There” – Jackson Five
• “If I Were Your Woman” – Gladys Knight & The Pips
• [new] “If There’s A Hell Below” – Curtis Mayfield
• [new] “If You Could Read My Mind” – Gordon Lightfoot
• “Immigrant Song” – Led Zeppelin
• “It’s Impossible” – Perry Como
• “Knock Three Times” – Dawn
• “Lonely Days” – Bee Gees
• [new] “Love The One You’re With” – Stephen Stills
• [new] “Mr. Bojangles” – Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
• “My Sweet Lord” by George Harrison
• “No Matter What” – Badfinger
• [new] “One Bad Apple” – Osmonds
• “One Less Bell To Answer” – 5Th Dimension
• “One Man Band” – Three Dog Night
• “Pay To The Piper” – Chairmen Of The Board
• [new] “Remember Me” – Diana Ross
• “River Deep Mountain High” – Supremes & The Four Tops
• [new] “Rose Garden” – Lynn Anderson
• [new] “Santana” – Santana
• “Stoned Love” – Supremes
• “Stoney End” – Barbra Streisand
• [new] “Stop The War Now” – Edwin Starr
• “Tears Of A Clown” – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
• [new] “Watching Scotty Grow” – Bobby Goldsboro
• [new] “We Gotta Get You A Woman” – Runt
• “We’ve Only Just Begun” – Carpenters
• “Your Song” – Elton John

[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 1st day of the new year the last cigarette commercials on U.S. television and radio were broadcast, and tobacco manufacturers spent US$1,250,000 for the farewell advertising prior to the ban that went into effect at midnight. The last commercial was a 60-second ad for Virginia Slims that was run by the Philip Morris company at 11:59 during a break on The Tonight Show on NBC. The company had bought the last pre-midnight ads on the late night talk shows of all three networks, with ads for Marlboro on CBS on The Merv Griffin Show and for Benson & Hedges on ABC on The Dick Cavett Show. And here’s that ad…

On the 3rd the BBC Open University, allowing older, working students to obtain an undergraduate university degree through distance learning, began operations in the United Kingdom, with the broadcast of early morning television courses (on BBC-2) to supplement written and audio materials provided to the students. In the first year, 25,000 students applied for the program. The first bachelor’s degrees would be awarded on January 11, 1973

And on the 12th the sitcom “All in the Family” premiered on CBS. Based on the British television comedy series Till Death Us Do Part), the TV series starred Carroll O’Connor as Archie Bunker, an openly-bigoted factory worker in Queens, with Jean Stapleton, Sally Struthers and Rob Reiner as his wife, daughter and son-in-law living in the same house. The critics’ reactions varied; Cynthia Lowry of the Associated Press called it “a half hour of vulgarity and offensive dialogue” with “little humor and considerable embarrassment” and of The New York Times observed Archie Bunker’s remarks and said “None of these is funny. They shock because one is not used to hearing them… They don’t make one laugh so much as they force self-conscious, semi-amused gasps.” And yet it resonated…

What’d Sadie think?

Three more weeks at the top for “My Sweet Lord” by George Harrison, before two at the top for Dawn’s “Knock Three Times”.

Loved ’em

• “Amazing Grace” – Judy Collins
• “Born To Wander” – Rare Earth
• “If There’s A Hell Below” – Curtis Mayfield
• “If You Could Read My Mind” – Gordon Lightfoot
• “Love The One You’re With” – Stephen Stills
• “Mr. Bojangles” – Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

Liked ’em

• “I Hear You Knockin’” – Dave Edmunds
• “I Really Don’t Want To Know” – Elvis Presley
• “One Bad Apple” – Osmonds
• “Remember Me” – Diana Ross
• “Rose Garden” – Lynn Anderson
• “Stop The War Now” – Edwin Starr
• “Watching Scotty Grow” – Bobby Goldsboro
• “We Gotta Get You A Woman” – Runt

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

We’re running late this month, so let’s rush to the end of 1970 with the songs of December, 1970…

Songs of the month

• “5-10-15-20 (25-30 Years Of Love)” – Presidents
• “After Midnight” – Eric Clapton
• [new] “Be My Baby” – Andy Kim
• “Black Magic Woman” – Santana
• [new] “Can’t Stop Loving You” – Tom Jones
• “Cry Me A River” – Joe Cocker
• “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is” – Chicago
• [new] “Domino” – Van Morrison
• “Engine Number 9” – Wilson Pickett
• “Fire And Rain” – James Taylor
• “For The Good Times” – Ray Price
• “Green-Eyed Lady” – Sugarloaf
• [new] “Groove Me” – King Floyd
• “Gypsy Woman” – Brian Hyland
• [new] “He Ain’t Heavy He’s My Brother” – Neil Diamond
• “Heaven Help Us All” – Stevie Wonder
• “I Think I Love You” – Partridge Family
• “I’ll Be There” – Jackson Five
• [new] “If I Were Your Woman” – Gladys Knight & The Pips
• [new] “Immigrant Song” – Led Zeppelin
• “Indiana Wants Me” – R. Dean Taylor
• “It Don’t Matter To Me” – Bread
• [new] “It’s Impossible” – Perry Como
• [new] “Knock Three Times” – Dawn
• “Let’s Work Together” – Canned Heat
• [new] “Lonely Days” – Bee Gees
• “Montego Bay” – Bobby Bloom
• [new] “My Brother” – Neil Diamond
• [new] “My Sweet Lord / Isn’t It A Pity” – George Harrison
• “No Matter What” – Badfinger
• “One Less Bell To Answer” – 5Th Dimension
• [new] “One Man Band” – Three Dog Night
• [new] “Pay To The Piper” – Chairmen Of The Board
• [new] “River Deep Mountain High” – Supremes & The Four Tops
• “See Me Feel Me” – Who
• “Share The Land” – Guess Who
• “Somebody’s Been Sleeping” – 100 Proof Aged In Soul
• “Stoned Love” – Supremes
• [new] “Stoney End” – Barbra Streisand
• “Tears Of A Clown” – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
• “We’ve Only Just Begun” – Carpenters
• “Yellow River” – Christie
• “You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me” – Elvis Presley
• [new] “Your Song” – Elton John

[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 1st “What Color Is Your Parachute?”, an early example of the, now massive, self-help industry was first published by the author Richard Nelson Bolles . In 1991, the Library of Congress would name Bolles’ book as one of “25 books that have shaped readers’ lives”.

Then on the 21st Elvis Presley was welcomed to the White House by U.S. President Nixon. The meeting would become the subject of several books and two films, “Elvis Meets Nixon” in 1997 and “Elvis & Nixon” in 2016. Despite the fame of both Nixon and Presley, the meeting was not reported in the media at the time and went unnoticed for more than a year until Jack Anderson’s nationally syndicated newspaper column of January 27, 1972.

On the 31st Paul McCartney filed a lawsuit against John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr in London to dissolve The Beatles’s legal partnership.

What’d Sadie think?

A week extra at the top for the Partridge Family with “I Think I Love You” before two for”Tears Of A Clown” by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, with the month rounded out by the first hit for ex-Beatle George Harrison with “My Sweet Lord / Isn’t It A Pity”.

Loved ’em

• “Groove Me” – King Floyd
• “If I Were Your Woman” – Gladys Knight & The Pips
• “Immigrant Song” – Led Zeppelin
• “Lonely Days” – Bee Gees
• “Pay To The Piper” – Chairmen Of The Board
• “Your Song” – Elton John

Liked ’em

• “Can’t Stop Loving You” – Tom Jones
• “Domino” – Van Morrison
• “It’s Impossible” – Perry Como
• “Knock Three Times” – Dawn
• “One Man Band” – Three Dog Night
• “River Deep Mountain High” – Supremes & The Four Tops
• “Stoney End” – Barbra Streisand

Leave ’em

• “He Ain’t Heavy He’s My Brother” – Neil Diamond

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

Let’s tune into the sounds of October, 1970…

Songs of the month

• “25 Or 6 To 4” – Chicago
• “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” – Diana Ross
• “All Right Now” – Free
• “Band Of Gold” – Freda Payne
• “Candida” – Dawn
• [new] “Closer To Home” – Grand Funk Railroad
• “Cracklin’ Rosie” – Neil Diamond
• [new] “Cry Me A River” – Joe Cocker
• “Don’t Play That Song” – Aretha Franklin
• [new] “El Condor Pasa” – Simon & Garfunkel
• [new] “Engine #9” – Wilson Pickett
• “Express Yourself” – Charles Wright
• [new] “Express Yourself” – Charles Wright & Watts 103Rd Street Rhythm Band
• [new] “Fire And Rain” – James Taylor
• [new] “Gh Enough” – Diana Ross
• [new] “God Love And Rock And Roll” – Teagarden & Van Winkle
• “Green Eyed Lady” – Sugarloaf
• “Groovy Situation” – Gene Chandler
• “I Know I’m Losing You” – Rare Earth
• [new] “I Think I Love You” – Partridge Family
• “I Who Have Nothing” – Tom Jones
• “I’ll Be There” – Jackson Five
• “Indiana Wants Me” – R. Dean Taylor
• [new] “It Don’t Matter To Me” – Bread
• “It’s A Shame” – Spinners
• [new] “It’s Only Make Believe” – Glen Campbell
• “Joanne” – Michael Nesmith & First National Band
• “Julie Do Ya Love Me” – Bobby Sherman
• “Lola” – Kinks
• “Long Long Time” – Linda Ronstadt
• [new] “Look What They’ve Done To My Song Ma” – New Seekers
• “Lookin’ Out My Back Door / Long As I Can See The Light” – Creedence Clearwater Revival
• “Make It With You” – Bread
• [new] “Montego Bay” – Bobby Bloom
• “Neanderthal Man” – Hotlegs
• [new] “Our House” – Crosby Stills Nash & Young
• “Out In The Country” – Three Dog Night
• “Patches” – Clarence Carter
• “Rubber Duckie” – Ernie
• [new] “See Me Feel Me” – Who
• “Snowbird” – Anne Murray
• [new] “Somebody’s Been Sleeping” – 100 Proof Aged In Soul
• [new] “Stand By Your Man” – Candi Staton
• [new] “Still Water” – Four Tops
• [new] “Super Bad” – James Brown
• [new] “Tears Of A Clown” – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
• [new] “That’s Where I Went Wrong” – Poppy Family
• “War” – Edwin Starr
• [new] “We’ve Only Just Begun” – Carpenters

[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 singer Janis Joplin dies of an overdose aged 27. By some, noted, coincidence Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, and Jim Morrison all also died at the age of 27 between 1969 and 1971. At the time, the coincidence gave rise to some comment  but, according to Charles R. Cross, a biographer of Hendrix and Kurt Cobain, “it wasn’t until Kurt Cobain took his own life in 1994 that the idea of the 27 Club arrived in the popular zeitgeist.”

On the 20th  the North Tower of the World Trade Center became the world’s tallest building when a piece of framework was fitted into place, bringing the tower’s height to 382 m , higher than the 380 m height of the Empire State Building. It’ll come up again in a few decades time, when the charts will sound very different…

Then on the 27th, “Jesus Christ Superstar” was first placed on sale as a two-disc record album of the studio recording of a rock opera written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, without having been performed before a live audience. Initially unable to get backing for a stage production, the composers released it as an album, the success of which led to stage productions premiering in 1971.

What’d Sadie think?

One last week at the top for”Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Diana Ross before Neil Diamond’s “Cracklin’ Rosie” gets one at number one and then its two at the top for”I’ll Be There” by the Jackson Five.

Loved ’em

• “Express Yourself” – Charles Wright & Watts 103Rd Street Rhythm Band
• “Fire And Rain” – James Taylor
• “It Don’t Matter To Me” – Bread
• “Look What They’ve Done To My Song Ma” – New Seekers
• “Our House” – Crosby Stills Nash & Young
• “Super Bad” – James Brown
• “We’ve Only Just Begun” – Carpenters

Liked ’em

• “Cry Me A River” – Joe Cocker
• “El Condor Pasa” – Simon & Garfunkel
• “I Think I Love You” – Partridge Family
• “It’s Only Make Believe” – Glen Campbell
• “Montego Bay” – Bobby Bloom
• “See Me Feel Me” – Who
• “Somebody’s Been Sleeping” – 100 Proof Aged In Soul
• “Stand By Your Man” – Candi Staton
• “Still Water” – Four Tops
• “Tears Of A Clown” – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

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

If you want to rock and roll all night, and party everyday…this is the month for you, let’s hear it!

Songs of the month

• [new] “(They Long To Be) Close To You” – Carpenters
• “25 Or 6 To 4” – Chicago
• “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” – Diana Ross
• [new] “All Right Now” – Free
• “Band Of Gold” – Freda Payne
• [new] “Candida” – Dawn
• “Close To You” – Carpenters
• [new] “Cracklin’ Rosie” – Neil Diamond
• “Don’t Play That Song” – Aretha Franklin
• “Everybody’s Got The Right To Love” – Supremes
• [new] “Express Yourself” – Charles Wright
• [new] “Green Eyed Lady” – Sugarloaf
• [new] “Groovy Situation” – Gene Chandler
• “Hand Me Down World” – Guess Who
• [new] “Hi-De-Hi” – Blood Sweat & Tears
• “Hi-De-Ho” – Blood Sweat & Tears
• “I Just Can’t Help Believing” – B.J. Thomas
• [new] “I Know I’m Losing You” – Rare Earth
• [new] “I Who Have Nothing” – Tom Jones
• [new] “I’ll Be There” – Jackson Five
• “In The Summertime” – Mungo Jerry
• [new] “Indiana Wants Me” – R. Dean Taylor
• [new] “It’s A Shame” – Spinners
• [new] “Joanne” – Michael Nesmith & First National Band
• [new] “Julie Do Ya Love Me” – Bobby Sherman
• “Lay A Little Lovin’ On Me” – Robin Mcnamara
• “Lola” – Kinks
• [new] “Long Long Time” – Linda Ronstadt
• [new] “Lookin’ Out My Back Door / Long As I Can See The Light” – Creedence Clearwater Revival
• “Looking Out My Back Door / Long As I Can See The Light” – Creedence Clearwater Revival
• “Make It With You” – Bread
• [new] “Neanderthal Man” – Hotlegs
• “Out In The Country” – Three Dog Night
• “Overture From Tommy” – Assembled Multitude
• “Patches” – Clarence Carter
• [new] “Rubber Duckie” – Ernie
• “Signed Sealed Delivered I’m Yours” – Stevie Wonder
• [new] “Snowbird” – Anne Murray
• “Solitary Man” – Neil Diamond
• “Spill The Wine” – Eric Burdon & War
• [new] “Tell It All Brother” – Kenny Rogers & First Edition
• “Tighter Tighter” – Alive & Kicking
• “War” – Edwin Starr
• “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 19th the first Glastonbury Festival, still going to this day, took place in England, at a farm belonging to Michael Eavis.

On the same day, across the pond, “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” began a seven-season run as a situation comedy about a woman starting a new career as an associate TV news producer. Reactions to Ms. Moore’s return to television (after having been a co-star on The Dick Van Dyke Show) were generally favorable, with one critic noting that she “is back where she belongs, as a girl with spunk in a TV series”.

And in another iconic TV launch, on the 25th, “The Partridge Family”, a situation comedy about a fictitious family of pop musicians, premiered on ABC television. Only two members of the cast, Shirley Jones and her stepson, David Cassidy, could actually sing or play a musical instrument, and a team of studio musicians and singers recorded the popular record albums and singles which the actors would lip sync to during the filming.

What’d Sadie think?

Two weeks at the top for “War” by Edwin Starr followed by two for “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Diana Ross.

Loved ’em

• “(They Long To Be) Close To You” – Carpenters
• “All Right Now” – Free
• “Express Yourself” – Charles Wright
• “I Know I’m Losing You” – Rare Earth
• “I Who Have Nothing” – Tom Jones
• “Snowbird” – Anne Murray

Liked ’em

• “Candida” – Dawn
• “Cracklin’ Rosie” – Neil Diamond
• “Green Eyed Lady” – Sugarloaf
• “Groovy Situation” – Gene Chandler
• “Hi-De-Hi” – Blood Sweat & Tears
• “I’ll Be There” – Jackson Five
• “It’s A Shame” – Spinners
• “Joanne” – Michael Nesmith & First National Band
• “Julie Do Ya Love Me” – Bobby Sherman
• “Long Long Time” – Linda Ronstadt
• “Neanderthal Man” – Hotlegs
• “Rubber Duckie” – Ernie
• “Tell It All Brother” – Kenny Rogers & First Edition

Leave ’em

• “Indiana Wants Me” – R. Dean Taylor

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

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.