C'mon, we all knew it was coming ...
The Righteous Brothers take over the #1 spot with "(You're My) Soul And Inspiration," knocking The Lovin' Spoonful to the #2 position.
Behind that are four solid up-and-comers: "Bang Bang" by Cher (up three more spots to #3), "Secret Agent Man" by Johnny Rivers (up four spots to #4), "Time Won't Let Me" by The Outsiders (up from #13 to #5) and "Good Lovin'" by The Young Rascals, which climbs from #14 to #6. All of these records are solid contenders to take over the top spot in the weeks to come.
The only other record in The Top Ten showing upward movement is B.J. Thomas' take on the Hank Williams classic, "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" ... but that one doesn't even have a bullet, so it may have already topped out.
Once you look past The Top Ten, however, you'll find another solid block of records on the rise ...
"Kicks" is up six places to #11, "This Old Heart Of Mine" climbs four notches to #12, "Sloop John B" is up fifteen spots to #13, "Little Latin Lupe Lu" makes a four point move to #14 and Petula Clark's "A Sign Of The Times" climbs another nine places to land at #16. (And let's not rule out The Shadows Of Knight ... their first chart hit, "Gloria," moves up 16 notches to #20!)
Herman's Hermits seem to have another hit on their hands ... their latest, "Leaning On The Lamp Post," is up 32 spots to #27. Last week it was #59 ... and the week before that, it premiered at #91.
The Mamas and Papas are back with a big mover this week ... "Monday Monday" climbs from #80 to #34, a move of 46 places.
The Byrds are up 31 spots with "Eight Miles High" ... and there's an interesting spoken-word record on the rise as well ... Buddy Starcher's "History Repeats Itself," comparing the Kennedy assassination to the Lincoln assassination moves from #82 to #67.
Bob Dylan's got the top debut this week ... "Rainy Day Women #12 and 35" bows at #78.
And Nancy Sinatra's back, too, with the follow-up to her #1 Hit. "How Does That Grab You, Darlin'" bears a similar "growl" vocal ... and debuts at #85.
60 YEARS AGO TODAY:
4/11/66 - The Buffalo Springfield make their first live (unbilled) performance at The Troubadour in Hollywood, California. (They performed in the smaller room called "The Folk Den.")
Also on 4/11, Jack Nicklaus becomes the first professional golfer to win back-to-back US Masters, beating Tommy Jacobs in an 18-hole playoff round
Also on 4/11, Frank Sinatra records “Strangers In The Night,” which will go all the way to #1 for him. It will become Frank’s first #1 Hit in eleven years.
'60's FLASHBACK:
Glen Campbell used to tell an interesting (and very funny) story about recording "Strangers In The Night" with Frank Sinatra.
At the time, Campbell was still a studio session musician ... part of the so-called Wrecking Crew ... and he played on literally HUNDREDS of hit records. But this was the first time he was ever asked to play guitar on a session for Frank Sinatra, one of the "bigs."
He couldn't believe the excitement he felt when Producer Jimmy Bowen asked him to play on the session:
One
of my earliest thrills came when Bowen called for me to play rhythm
guitar on a Frank Sinatra session. I had been in Hollywood about three
years, but there was still more Arkansas than California in me. I was
one of four guitarists and the only one to play in E-Flat with a capo.
“'Strangers
In The Night' was to become a classic. We rehearsed the song fifteen
times before Sinatra arrived. We recorded only three versions or 'takes'
when Bowen stopped the session and selected the first rendition. The
multi-million-copy version of that song was recorded on the first take!
"There
were perhaps thirty musicians in the studio that day, including a
string section, so who should wind up standing right next to Sinatra's
singing booth? Me!
"I
couldn't take my eyes off him. I couldn't believe that I was in the
same room, much less that I was playing for him. Each time I looked at
him, he was looking at me. I thought that he was impressed with my
playing and that he was taking note that I was the only guitarist using a
capo. I was positive I had impressed him, particularly after I saw him
talking to Bowen and looking in my direction after the session.
“Bowen,” I asked, “Was Frank talking about me?”
"Yes, Bowen replied.
"What did he say?” I asked anxiously.
He wanted to know who the fag guitar player was. Frank said you never stopped looking at him and he thought you were lusting."
-- Glen Campbell
