Check out this week's #1 Record ... "The Train" by The 1910 Fruitgum Company! That one didn't even make The Top 50 in Billboard. (In fact, it was their last Hot 100 Hit!)
Kind of surprising as their biggest, best-know hits have got to be "Simon Says", "1,2,3 Red Light" and "Indian Giver", all Top Five national smashes.
And look at this late-charting hit for Dino, Desi and Billy ... "Hawley" sits at #9 (down from #7 the week before). This one didn't make The Billboard Chart at all!!!
Just outside The Top Ten: "Any Way That You Want Me", the original Evie Sands version, is at #12. Chicago's own American Breed also took a crack at this great, overlooked Chip Taylor song. And The Hardy Boys (mentioned here a few weeks ago) break into The Top 20 this week with "Love And Let Love" (perhaps a precursor to McCartney's "Live And Let Die"???)
I also like the John Beland track at #25, "Baby, You Come Rollin' 'Cross My Mind". And how about this one??? "Which Way You Goin' Billy" premiers this week at #36 ... a full FIVE MONTHS before it hits The Billboard Chart!!! (It's not like this was a "local hit" by a local band ... The Poppy Family came from CANADA ... and this chart was published by a radio station out of Kansas!!!)
And we'd be remiss if we didn't point out a couple of unusual obscurities. Peggy Lee is at #15 with her big comeback hit "Is That All There Is" ... and congenial television host Art Linkletter (who lost a daughter to drugs) airs his heartfelt pleas with "We Love You, Call Collect" at #34. (Try to make it through this one without shedding a tear, knowing that Art, so well loved by America, went through this very anguish on a personal level.)
Here's a KILT Chart from 1970 with a few surprises ... Mark Lindsay's solo hit "And The Grass Won't Pay No Mind" (a Neil Diamond tune) holds down the #5 spot on this week's survey. (This one only got as high as #44 in Billboard.)
And check out one of my all-time favorite "FM Rock" tracks, "Fresh Air" at #12 for Quicksilver Messenger Service. (This was a #49 Billboard charter ... but I couldn't get enough of this tune ... then and now!!!)
There are several great songs on this chart that radio doesn't play anymore ... but I maintain that they would STILL sound great coming out of your speakers as a "Wow!" song.
Tracks like "Gypsy Woman" by Brian Hyland, "Lucretia Mac Evil" by Blood, Sweat and Tears, "Let's Work Together" by Canned Heat and even Glen Campbell's version of "It's Only Make Believe". (Glen'll be all over the radio again once this documentary starts to make the rounds in wide release.)
And check out ZZ Top at #25, a full FOUR YEARS before they'd crack The Top 40 on The National Charts for the very first time! (Of course this WAS a Texas radio station!!!)
1974 was NOT one of my favorite years in music ... but this WOKY has me questioning that line of thinking ... LOTS of great tracks here amongst the bland!!!
"Honey Honey" by ABBA was a #4 Hit ... nationally it stopped at #27. I've always been fond of The Osmonds' hit at #7, too, "Love Me For A Reason" ... beautiful song with some incredible harmonies. And I like the clever way they listed "Whatever Gets You Thru The Night", on THIS chart shown as by Elton John Lennon! (lol)
You never hear "Longfellow Serenade" by Neil Diamond anymore ... not that I'm particularly fond of this track but it WAS a pretty big hit for him in his new "spoken-song" style.
One of my all-time favorite hits of the '70's, "So You Are A Star" by The Hudson Brothers jumps up six places to #15, followed by "Jazzman", a GREAT Carole King tune that you still hear once in awhile.
Not so much the case with "I've Got The Music In Me" by Kiki Dee, a rocker that will absolutely get the crowd going (if radio would only play it!) And I remember being particularly fond of Paul Davis' "Ride 'em Cowboy", too, back in the day.
And look at The New Colony Six at #24 with "I Don't Really Want To Go", another non-charter nationally, but evidently still quite popular in Wisconsin circa 1974! (This one didn't even make our charts here in Chicago!) You'll also find our Forgotten Hits Buddy Henry Gross making an appearance at #27 with "Meet Me On The Corner".
Nope ... not a bad chart at all!
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