The Saturday Survey / 60 YEARS AGO TODAY (May 30th, 1966)

Man, they don't make Top 10's like this anymore!!!  Great song after great song!

Percy Sledge is still on top with "When A Man Loves A Woman," followed by "A Groovy Kind Of Love," "Paint It, Black," "It's A Man's Man's Man's World" and "Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind."

Behind that you've got The Mamas and the Papas ("Monday Monday), "I Am A Rock," "Rainy Day Women #12 and 35," "Green Grass" and "Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart."

Knocking on the door to get into The Top Ten are Frank Sinatra ("Strangers In The Night, up 18 spaces to #11) and "Barefootin'" by Robert Parker.  "Sweet Talkin' Guy" and "Cool Jerk" are also Top 20 Hits with bullets.

The Animals climb twenty spots (to #27) with "Don't Bring Me Down,"  "Red Rubber Ball" is up 21 places for The Cyrkle while Dusty Springfield climbs 31 spots (to #35) with her latest, "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me."

The Temptations shoot up 26 spots with "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" (it was last week's top debut) while Ray Charles' "Let's Go Get Stoned" climbs 26 places to #52.

And a new group called The Critters seem to be having the bigger hit with John Sebastian's "Younger Girl."  THEIR version moves up to #57 (27 spots) while The Hondells' version sits at #69 (a move of 24 spots from last week's #93 showing.) 

[The Lovin' Spoonful didn't release this track as a single ... but Sebastian's publishers DID offer the song to Bobby Darin ... who felt it would be an inappropriate song for him to sing at the time.]

And Chicago's Shadows Of Knight are back with their follow up to their Top Ten Hit "Gloria" ... "Oh Yeah" bows at #74 this week, just ahead of catchy tune by Tommy James and the Shondells called "Hanky Panky."

 

60 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK:

5/30/66 – The Beatles release the single “Paperback Writer” / “Rain” in the US.  It is believed to be the first record to use a backwards recording as part of its hook.  It will come out in Great Britain eleven days later.

THE FRIDAY FLASH

During his “Tracks Of My Years” interview, Paul McCartney mentioned hearing an unreleased demo recording that Prince had done of “The Long And Winding Road.”  (McCartney picked Prince’s cut “Kiss” as one of his ten favorites on the program.)

He said that he would like to do something to finish the track and release it as a duet between himself and Prince … and that move may be coming closer to reality.

This would make for another stunning collaboration for McCartney, who has previously recorded duets with both Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder, both of which reached #1 status on the charts.  It’ll be interesting to see what develops from here.  (kk)

>>>"RAMA LAMA DING DONG" Was Released In 1958 Under The Wrong Title, "LAMA RAMA DING DONG."  It bombed!"  (Frank B)

I did not know this!  Thanks, FB!

Damn-a Lama Label!

I found this incorrectly labeled record on the Internet for only $150.00!  It would have only cost $.89 or $.99 in 1958!

Do you have a copy, Kent?!

Nope – but I’ve got a very rare copy of an Elvis Presley record on RCA where they spelled his name wrong as “Presely” … we always hear about the rare Vee Jay pressing of The Beatles misspelled at “Beattles” … but nobody talks about this one.  Wonder what it is worth!  (kk)

>>>"RAMA LAMA DING DONG" Was Re-Released in 1961, This Time Using The Right Title. It Peaked At # 21 On The Billboard Chart."  (FB)

Then there's this adaptation I created and contributed to FHs about four years ago ~~~

CB (which stood for "Clueless/Cartoon Boy!")

The other day, there was a mention in FH about the DJ, Shotgun Tom Kelly being inducted into the Radio Hall Of Fame ...

I used to listen to him in the L.A. area on a few stations & met him in '05. He was thoughtful enough to present me with my own bobble-head figure of himself, which I think is hilarious. He even autographed it to me! I only have two other bobble-heads, one of Willie Nelson & one of Alfred Hitchcock.

Anyways, I have been frantically looking for a photograph of Shotgun & myself together when we met, but so far I cannot locate it. But rest assured when it does finally turn up, I'll definitely let you know and pass along a copy of it.

Shotgun has always been a top-notch, hard-working DJ & takes his occupation extremely sincere.

Timmy

 

From Tom Cuddy ...

 

On a related note, I am happy to report that FINALLY somebody is agreeing with me that you cannot fairly and accurately compare the chart records today to those from back in the day when you had to physically LEAVE your house, get into your car and DRIVE to a record store to make a purchase of the music you wanted.

Today’s calculations are so convoluted and have so many “weight factors” applied to them that it doesn’t result in an apples-to-apples comparison.

That, plus the fact that today every track on an album can now chart side by side based on the number of downloads and streams they achieve … so an artist like Drake can release an album today and all 14 tracks will chart 24-48 hours later.  This wasn’t the case when The Beatles, for example, claimed the Top Five spots on Billboard’s Hot 100 Pop Singles Chart … people had to actually go out and BUY those tracks … and album tracks (back then, played with nearly the same regularity because listeners just couldn’t get enough of this hot new sound) weren’t allowed to chart at all. “Singles” meant singles … records actually pressed on 45 rpm vinyl.

Thank you, Noise 11, for more deeply explaining the point we have been trying to make here for the past twenty years.  (kk)

https://www.noise11.com/news/streaming-charts-cannot-be-compared-to-physical-sales-era-20260528

May 28th, 1966

60 YEARS AGO TODAY: 

5/28/66 - All four Beatles spend the day with Bob Dylan in his room at the Mayfair Hotel in London, England, watching rushes of D.A. Pennebakers's forthcoming documentary film, “Don’t Look Back,” which covered Dylan's 1965 concert tour of the United Kingdom ... (and most likely smoking a little bit of weed as well!)

Also on 5/28, Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass went to No.1 on the US album chart with “What Now My Love.”  This achievement set a new American chart record as The TJB became the first artist to ever place four albums in the US Top Ten at the same time … something neither Elvis or The Beatles ever did!  The other three were “South of the Border,” “Going Places” and “Whipped Cream and Other Delights.”

 

I wasn't sure if you guys had ever seen this album cover before so I thought I’d run it today in Forgotten Hits!)  kk