THE SATURDAY SURVEY

 

The Animals hold on to the #1 spot for the third straight week with their first US Hit, "The House Of The Rising Sun."  "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" by Manfred Mann comes crashing into The Top Ten this week, leaping from #28 to #8 in only its third week on the chart.  This looks like a sure-fire #1 Hit.

But it may have to wait for Roy Orbison's "Oh, Pretty Woman" before it can make that claim ...

The Big O is up to #3 (from #6 the week before) and is still showing all kinds of momentum.

In between at #2, also still with a bullet, is "Bread And Butter" by The Newbeats.  It climbs from #4 to #2 this week.  Other Top Ten attention grabbers include "GTO" by Ronny and the Daytonas (#5, up from #7) and "Remember (Walking In The Sand)" by The Shangri-Las, which climbs to #7 from last week's #10 position.

Our focus this year has been on The British Invasion Hits ... and there are still plenty of those on this week's list ... The Beatles have six:  "A Hard Day's Night" (#13), "Matchbox" (#28), "And I Love Her" (#30), "Slow Down" (#41), "If I Fell" (#69) and "I'll Cry Instead," which falls from #50 to #100.

Also scoring from across the pond are The Dave Clark Five with "Because" (#9), "It's All Over Now" by The Rolling Stones (#31), "How Do You Do It" by Gerry and the Pacemakers (#34), Chad Stuart and Jeremy Clyde with "A Summer Song" (#35), The Searchers ("Someday We're Gonna Love Again," #40), "From A Window" by Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas at #45, "Wishin' And Hopin'," still holding on at #54 for Dusty Springfield, "Tobacco Road" by The Nashville Teens, a big mover at #64, up from #88, "Ringo's Theme" by George Martin, holding at #66 after two weeks at #56, "Someone Someone" by Brian Poole and the Tremeloes (#70), The Animals, up nearly twenty places with "Gonna Send You Back To Walker," now #78, up from #97, "Hold Me," #80 for P.J. Proby, "Have I The Right" by The Honeycombs, brand new at #85, "It's For You" by Cilla Black, another Lennon and McCartney song, and "I Wouldn't Trade You For The World," #96 for The Bachelors.

Big up-and-coming hits to watch include "Dancing In The Street" by Martha and the Vandellas (#11, up from #23), "It Hurts To Be In Love" by Gene Pitney (#16, up from #21), "Last Kiss" by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers (#37, up from #44), "You Must Believe Me" by The Impressions (#39, up from #53), "When I Grow Up To Be A Man" by The Beach Boys, up 31 spots from #73 to #42, "Let It Be Me" by Betty Everett and Jerry Butler, up 19 spots from #62 to #43, "Little Honda" by The Hondells, #65 after bowing at #94 the week before, and "Come A Little Bit Closer" for Jay and the Americans, brand new on the chart at #79.

 

Also on 9/14/64, little Frannie Blassingame turns four years old.  35 years later, she will move to Chicago and then, two years after that, marry Kent Kotal.

 

 

(I think what hooked me was those bangs!!!  lol)

THE FRIDAY (the 13th) FLASH

Boy, September has not been kind to our early rockers …

Right after the passing of Jimmy Gilmer, we heard about the death of Johnny Thunder, who hit The Top Five in early 1963 with “Loop De Loop.”  Although Johnny officially charted eleven more times, NONE of those records climbed any higher than #67 … and seven of them missed The Top 100 altogether.  He was 92  (kk)

Gilmer died just a week shy of his 84^th birthday.  I was surprised to learn that it is believed that Jimmy recorded the most vocals ever at the small Clovis, New Mexico studio run by Norman Petty, home most famously to the early recordings of Buddy Holly and the Crickets.  Buddy Knox recorded “Party Doll” there … Roy Orbison traveled down to New Mexico to record his first chart hit, “Ooby Dooby.”  Others who laid down tracks there include The String-A-Longs, Sonny West, Sonny Curtis, Waylon Jennings and more.  (kk)

From Photographer Jim Roup …

Hi Kent –

Here is a photo of James Earl Jones, taken at Le' Dome on Sunset Blvd. 

Regards,

Jim

kk …

GOOD NEWS … BAD NEWS … GOOD MORNING …

BAD NEWS = "Screamin'" Scott Simon Died (Sha Na Na) 75 Years Old

GOOD NEWS = "I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU," The 1959 Hit For The Flamingos, Has Reached 100 MILLION STREAMS. 

(Does Anybody Know What The Royalties Are For Each Time Song Is Streamed?)

Back In 1959, It Was Jake & Zeke Carey's Group …

Today, Terry Johnson Is The Lead Singer.

FB

Also passing away this week, Frankie Beverly, leader of the funk band Maze.

Although they never had a Top 40 Pop Hit, the group scored nine Top Ten Hits on Billboard’s R&B Chart, including the #1’s “Back In Stride” (1985) and “Can’t Get Over You” (1989)   kk

Rock Star Jon Bon Jovi talked a woman down from jumping off a bridge in Nashville this week.

Bon Jovi was filming a music video for his new song “The People's House” when he noticed a woman had climbed over the guard rail on the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge.  She appeared ready to jump.  The whole incident was filmed as Jon went over to talk to her, calmed her down and even shared a hug.  He and one of his assistants then helped her back to safety until local police and fire officials arrived on the scene shortly thereafter.  (kk)

Rocker Dave Grohl made headlines this week for an altogether different reason with this Instagram post …

And Eric Clapton, a three-time Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Inductee, voiced THIS opinion about the Rock Hall in a recent interview ...

https://ultimateclassicrock.com/eric-clapton-rock-roll-hall-of-fame-frat-boys-club/?lh_aid=1113205&lh_cid=0guem09cq4&utm_campaign=eric_clapton_decries_rock_hall_of_fame_as_a_frat_boys_club&utm_medium=email&utm_source=letterhead&utm_term=ultimateclassicrock&di=ddf768841da68f055aa63e698484d676

Thursday brought a big Beatles release announcement ...

‘The Beatles: 1964 U.S. Albums In Mono’ Spotlights Seven Albums Released in America Between January 1964 and March 1965
180-gram Vinyl LPs, Analog Cut from the Original Mono Masters
Global release on November 22

 

As we know, Capitol Records pushed thru their own versions of Beatles albums during their inaugural year ... and they've all been collected to purchase either separately (other than the 2-disc "The Beatles Story" LP) or collectively as a boxed set ... all as vinyl LP's, offering you yet another way to buy the same things you've already owned several times over during the past sixty years!!!

(Hey I get it ... and there was a time when I absolutely would have jumped at this, even though I already purchased a complete set of US vinyl pressing when it was announced that from this point forward, especially in the CD/Digital Age, all Beatles albums would only be released in their British configurations.)

But still, this is a pretty impressive set ... and not outrageously priced either.

In fact, Bruce Spizer (who helped put this whole thing together, including writing special booklets to go with them) has his OWN special '64 deal going ... (or would that be $64???)

Check out some of his book specials:  https://www.beatle.net/?utm_source=mailpoet&utm_medium=email&utm_source_platform=mailpoet&utm_campaign=7-beatles-early-us-albums-on-vinyl-again-89 

More here:  https://theseconddisc.com/2024/09/12/beatles-us-album-mono-reissues-box-set/

Will we still need them, will we still feed them (boatloads of cash) when it's been 60+ years since their first arrival on our shores, taking over the airwaves and ushering in a whole new era of rock music?  You betcha!  (kk)

Also coming ...

A deluxe, expanded version of Donna Summer's Greatest Hits ... "On The Radio" is being re-released with other hits beyond her Casablanca career, all featuring the original 7" single mixes.  (This one sounds like a winner ... but when I went to pre-order it Amazon kicked back a "We don't know if or when this item will be back in stock" message ... so be forewarned.  Maybe it's still just a little too early to place a pre-order.)

Still, it looks like a good one ... so put me down for a new release notice when it becomes available!  (kk)

https://theseconddisc.com/2024/09/12/donna-summer-on-the-radio-compilation-expanded/

NOTE:  You CAN order it thru Amazon's UK site ... so that's exactly what I did!  (kk)

And, if you're a Frank Sinatra fan, you may want to grab a copy of THIS one!!!  

https://theseconddisc.com/2024/09/12/frank-sinatra-la-is-my-lady-40th-anniversary-remix/

Here's Something I Thought You Might Appreciate!

I have never bought a Personalized Vanity Car License Plate.  Before!

A couple of weeks ago, Linda and I were talking about them and she said, "You know if you ever did, what a Fun Plate for you might be?"

I thought about what she said and I thought, well, this late in the game, "Why not?"

And so I did!

 

On the Air Everywhere!

Buell

Cool, Buell!!!

(which, in this case, could easily be what CB stands for!)

I've never had one either ...

But when I first started doing this back in 1999, everything went out as The60sShop, which was my old AOL screen name at the time.

I thought it would have been cool to have a license plate that read 60S SHOP ... which probably would have been readily available.

But we were leasing our cars at the time and you couldn't order anything custom if you didn't own the vehicle.  (I also noticed that that name drew a lot of attention from people who figured it MUST mean I owned a collectibles shop or something ... and they wanted to know "do you have" or "can you find" any variety of nostalgic items (which also would have been a pretty cool way to launch a business ... assuming, of course, that I could actually FIND all this stuff that people were looking for!  lol)

But I like it ... and it makes for a cool looking plate!  (kk) 

After yet another ridiculous pronouncement from former President Donald Trump during this week’s presidential debate, FH Reader Clark Besch wrote in to tell us that this claim was really nothing new …

So just where did this rumor come from about people in Springfield, Ohio, eating dogs and cats?  Well, when going thru surveys to list for my sale lists, I noticed this survey from this Dayton, Ohio Top 40 station WING a mere 25 miles from Springfield.  It seems this rumor may have actually started nearly 60 years ago, but leave it to the Trump gang to uncover it again!  GOOD WORK, Donald!  GOTTA BE TRUE, RIGHT?

Makes me wonder if YOU had anything to do with producing the later 1966 hit "They're Coming To Take Me Away, HaHa"?!?!

I am NOT Kamala Harris, but I approve this message.

 

Shelley ... and Mr. Jones

I'm growing dimmer in the eyes
I'm growing fainter in my talk
I'm growing deeper in my sighs
I'm growing slower in my walk

I'm growing careless of my dress
I'm growing thrifty with my gold
I'm growing wise
I'm growing, yes I'm growing old

I'm growing drowsy in my chair
And I no longer ponder life

And though I save a lock of hair
I seldom dream about my wife

I'm growing fonder of the fire
I'm growing mindful of the cold
I'm growing wise
I'm growing, yes I'm growing old

This is not a song you would expect to hear from the man named Tom Jones. When I saw the name of the tour: Ages and Stages, I was thinking performance stages. It turns out he meant stages in life. 

Tom released the album 'Surrounded By Time' in 2021 and by early 2022, it was a number one album in the UK. This officially made him the oldest performer to have a number one album in the UK. Tonight, I watch the first show of a six-week tour across America.  Sometimes you just get lucky ... Tom's focus is this last album (I believe his 41st), so if you think he will be doing all his memorable 60s hits, you may be disappointed. There are some, and I will tell you which ones.

This opening song (I'm Growing Old) leads into 'Not Dark Yet'. 

Here is my dilemma ... His voice is MAJESTIC. Any song he sings tonight wows my friends and me. However, with the subject matter of so many of them being growing older, the effects of time, loss in this world and eminent death; I kid around telling my friends we may go home depressed. I did not, however. The power of his music to heal and encourage must be greater than its power to depress.

A note about 'I'm Growing Old' ... 

 

Look at the official lyrics and you see:

Although I save a lock of hair

I seldom dream about my wife

The lyrics Tom sings on his album and tonight in concert are

Though I don't save a lock of hair

I often dream of my wife

Very telling, wouldn't you say? I will not go into psychotherapy here, but given Tom's panty throwing past, this belies a deeper longer lasting emotional man. He has not lost his flirt on stage. It is incredible to watch his eyes and smile infect the women here and even more incredible to hear them scream and pant when he utilizes this charm. We even had someone (stupidly, in my opinion) throw panties down the balcony which hit a woman in the front row of our high-top section. Where did they think, it was going to go? We were high in the back center of an arena!

The visual effects are out of this world! Special effects lighting, live video inter-mingled with pre-recorded whirling color and photo snaps and a change in the arrangement of many songs to incorporate a Latin rhythm give this tour a new face for Mr. Jones. 

'It's Not Unusual' using conga drums and said Latin beat presented a feel that WAS unusual for this song. Following it up with 'What's New Pussy Cat?' utilizing an accordion to give a Mediterranean feel along with audience flirtation brought another new feel to a true oldie. A run of songs from this latest album follow, along with songs from artists he admires.

The Windmills of Your Mind

Sexbomb

Pop Star (from Cat Stevens)

Green Green Grass of Home (an oldie he took from Jerry Lee Lewis)

One More Cup of Coffee (from Bob Dylan)

Across the Borderline (from Willie Nelson)

Talking Reality Television Blues

I Won't Crumble With You If You Fall

Tower of Song

Delilah (Also with a Latin beat)

Lazarus Man

You Can Leave Your Hat On (from The Full Monty)

If I Only Knew

Kiss (from Prince)

One Hell of a Life

Lay me down in a wooden field
Plant a bush above my head
Well, lay me, lay me down
Don't go writing on my grave
I'll have said it all before the end
Lay me, lay me down

Ok, you get my drift on the doom and gloom feel. That is the first verse of 'One Hell of a Life.'  The lyrics of many others here express similar feelings. This is where Tom currently is, and he is doing it His way ... to paraphrase Paul Anka. 

Soon it's Gonna Rain (from The Fantastiks ... I believe Tom Jones has writing credits on this one)

Every Day Boogie Woogie

Johnny B Goode (from seeing Chuck Berry with Elvis)

Great Balls of Fire (another Jerry Lee song)

Years ago Elvis said to Tom: "Stop singing those ballads. We don't do that." Then Frank Sinatra told him: "Get out of Rock and Roll. Stick with us in the ballads." WHY? Do we have to choose just one? There are many flavors of ice cream. Nobody restricts us to one. This was my first of five concerts this month. As varied as Tom Jones is, I bet I will find some more varieties attending the next four concerts and pieces I will love from each one. 

Tom Jones does not move around the stage as he used to, but he still sways, swings, flirts unmercifully and MAN CAN HE BELT OUT A SONG ON TUNE!!!

Shelley J Sweet-Tufano

NE Correspondent 

Forgotten Hits

60 YEARS AGO TODAY:

9/12/64 – Talk about your great shows ...

Man, what a show THIS must have been!!!   

The Supremes, The Shangri-Las, Marvin Gaye, Dusty Springfield, The Ronettes, Millie Small, The Temptations, The Miracles and Little Anthony and the Imperials all appeared in concert together at The Fox Theatre in Brooklyn, New York.