FM Radio wouldn't really take off for another three or four years here in Chicago ... and even then the rock stations seemed to be more about featuring the "heady rock" of the day ... but these guys at 92.7 FM were already spinning the hits back in '66! (Today 92.7 FM is a Christian station broadcasting out of Madison, Wisconsin ... but back then WNWC came to us out of Arlington Height, IL, a station that started in the '50's and is still on the air today as WCPT.) They were billing themselves as "Chicagoland's First Solid Rock on FM" ... and that just may be true! (Or at least they were certainly ONE of the firsts!!!)
I can only assume that the Cryan' Shames single was brand new at the time ... why else would they show the title as "Sugar and Spice and All Things Nice"?!?! And check out the spelling of "Bow Diddly" and his up-and-coming hit "We're Gonna Get Married". Local act The Shadows of Knight are also represented on this chart (although WNWC refers to them simply as "The Shadows".) Love is scoring well with "Little Red Book" ... and I like the seldom-played Young Rascals track at #3, too.
Jumping ahead a full decade, we've got this CKLW chart from June 22nd, 1976, that features a wide variety of musical styles ...
Our FH Buddy Henry Gross sits at #2 with his beautiful ode to puppy love, "Shannon" ... disco and funk rule The Top Ten with tracks like "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine" by Lou Rawls, "Silly Love Songs" by Paul McCartney and Wings, "Young Hearts Run Free" by Candi Staton, "Love Hangover" by Diana Ross, "Tear The Roof Off The Sucker" by Parliament and "Boogie Fever" by The Sylvers ... and tracks like "I'll Be Good To You" by Brothers Johnson, "That's Where The Happy People Go" by The Trammps and "Get Up And Boogie" by The Silver Connection aren't far behind.
We're also treated to the TV-Theme "Making Our Dreams Come True" by Cyndi Grecco (from "Laverne and Shirley") as well as "Welcome Back Kotter" TV Star John Travolta ... and his big hit "Let Her In" ... and check out Queen with TWO hits in The Top 20 this week!
Tower of Power was apparently all the rage over at KROY on this date in 1973 ... they've got the #1 Album AND the #1 Single on this chart. ("So Very Hard To Go" is one of my '70's favorites ... so I'm happy to feature that one today!)
Another Forgotten Soul classic debuts at #5 ... it's New York City doing "I'm Doin' Fine Now", right behind the reissue of Bobby "Boris" Pickett's "Monster Mash" ... a hit in JUNE this time instead of Halloween! And, since we're on a soul kick, check out the #14 Record, too ... it's "Natural High" by Bloodstone.
Two of the biggest names in '50's Rock And Roll have Top Ten Hits this week ... Elvis Presley is at #8 with "Steamroller Blues", a song written by James Taylor ... and Jerry Lee Lewis is at #10 with his remake of "Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee", a "comeback" hit of sorts for "The Killer"!
Two ex-Beatles bring up the rear ... Paul McCartney sits at #18 with his latest hit, "My Love" ... and George Harrison premiers right behind him at #20 with "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)".
Our final stop this week is back in 1969 ... where Three Dog Night is topping this KSTT Chart with their first big break-through hit, "One".
CCR's got one of two two-sided hits in The Top Ten this week with their latest, "Bad Moon Rising" / "Lodi" (one of my favorites by them. (The other two-sided hit belongs to Blood, Sweat and Tears, who are charting with "Spinning Wheel" / "More And More", not one of those B-Sides you typically see listed.) The Beatles have TWO Top Ten Hits this week ... "The Ballad Of John And Yoko" is at #6 (up from #18 the week before) and "Get Back" falls from #5 to #8.
Speaking of Blood, Sweat and Tears, it's nice to see The Arbors at #11 with their soft-rock, plush arrangement of "I Can't Quit Her", a tune featured on the first BS&T album when of FH Buddy Al Kooper was at the helm ... and local groups Orpheus (Boston) and The New Colony Six (Chicago) both have Top 20 showings as well. Neither track fared nearly as well in Billboard ... where "Brown Arms In Houston" peaked at #91 and "I Could Never Lie To You" stalled at #50.
