Saturday, October 4, 2014

The Saturday Surveys (October 4th)

This chart certainly starts out reflecting the way most of the country was buying singles back in October of 1968 ... "Hey Jude" by The Beatles at #1, "Fire" by The Crazy World of Arthur Brown at #2 ... and Top Ten Hits for The Grass Roots ("Midnight Confessions"), Gary Puckett and the Union Gap ("Over You"), Aretha Franklin ("I Say A Little Prayer") and Creedence Clearwater Revival ("Suzie Q") ... but there are plenty of surprises ahead.

How about TWO Top 20 Hits by Big Brother and The Holding Company ... "Piece Of My Heart" at #5 and "Down On Me" at #13!

Andy Kim scored at Top Ten Hit in Birmingham, Alabama, with "Shoot 'em Up Baby", a record that only climbed as high as #31 on The Billboard Chart.  And look at the chart hits for artists like Jimmy Webb, The Fuzzy Bunnies, Larry Marks, The Will-O-Bees, Sajid Kahn and Professor Morrison's Lollipop!  (These are not names we were used to seeing on chart hits here in Chicago!)  I also like seeing "The Weight" charting by both Jackie DeShannon and "Big Pink" ... which I can only assume is The Band since that's their album from whence it came!)  "Ride My See Saw" by The Moody Blues sits just outside The Top 30 ... and Fats Domino's cover of The Beatles' "Sgt.  Pepper" track "Lovely Rita" holds down the #39 spot!  (It's AWFUL by the way!)

And when's the last time you heard "Sunday Sun" by Neil Diamond.  (I'm guessing that for most of you it was during our "Month Of Sundays" feature ten years ago!!! 'Cause radio sure hasn't been playing it!)














Check out this 1973 chart from KLWW in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where Osmondmania seems to be ruling the roost ... The Brothers are at #1 with "Let Me In", a song that peaked at #36 on The Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles Chart, while little sister Marie holds down the #2 spot with her version of "Paper Roses".  (Kinda hard to believe on a radio station billing itself as "Superock"!!!)

Today's People, a pop vocal group from France (who never climbed higher than #90 on the Billboard Chart) sit at #7 with "He" and "Shady Lady" by Shepstone and Dibbens is climbing the chart at #19.










Here's another one of those "Heavy Charts" from KACY, showing some pretty mainstream artists (like Dusty Springfield, Engelbert Humperdinck and Vikki Carr) charting alongside "Heavyweight Hits" by The Doors, Buffalo Springfield, The Box Tops and The Hollies.)

Kinda cool to see both The Young Rascals in The Top Ten (with their latest, "How Can I Be Sure") as well as Booker T. and the MG's, with their cover of the recent Rascals' hit "Groovin'"!  I always liked the Jimmie Rodgers hit at #11, too ... "Child Of Clay".  And how about the group there at the bottom with the "Kontender" Hit "Love Is In The Air" ... The Wreck-A-Mended!!!