Checking in at #1 is Dusty Springfield with her classic "Son Of A Preacher Man", recorded down in Memphis. Next up, another Memphis staple, Booker T. and the MG's with "Hang 'Em High", a song that got ALL kinds of airplay back in the day ... yet you never hear it anymore (or very many OTHER instrumentals for that matter either!)
Peggy Scott and Jo Jo Benson are "Pickin' Wild Mountain Berries" at #3, The Fifth Dimension hold down the #8 spot with "Sweet Blindness", followed by Stevie Wonder with "For Once In My Life" at #9 and "He's Bad, Bad, Bad" by Betty Wright at #10. (Most of us wouldn't hear of Betty Wright until a few years later when she it it big with "Clean Up Woman" in 1972. "He's Bad, Bad, Bad" only "bubbled under" in Billboard ... but was a Top Ten Hit in Louisville, KY!)
There's something called "Hayride" at #6 by Saturday Cartoon ... that one didn't make Billboard's Chart at all!
More soulful sounds can be found from Aretha Franklin ("See Saw", #14), "Love Child" by Diana Ross and the Supremes (#15), "Cloud Nine" by The Temptations (right behind it at #16) and "Been Down So Long" by Soul, Inc. at #25. Even this week's "pick hit" has a soulful flavor ... it's "Sweet Cream Ladies Forward March" by The Box Tops. You'll also find Joe South's "Games People Play" premiering on the chart this week.
But are Chicago groups are pretty well represented on this chart, too! Check out The Buckinghams at #12 (with a bullet no less!) with their latest, "Where Did You Come From". You'll also find The Shadows Of Knight with their "bubblegum hit" "Shake" at #17. And if you look at the ad for The Kentucky State Fair at the bottom of this chart, you'll find Chicago's own New Colony Six on the bill along with the previously mentioned Joe South and Soul, Inc., as well as Gene Pitney and Classics IV!
This next chart was "Made In Japan" ... literally.
Plenty of Forgotten Hits regulars can be found on this list.
The Lettermen top the chart with their version of "Sealed With A Kiss", followed by The Archies with "Sugar Sugar", The 1910 Fruitgum Company with "The Train" and Chicago at #18 with "Questions 67 and 68", followed by Paul Revere and the Raiders, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, Dionne Warwick and Tommy Roe.
The Beatles are represented by THREE tracks from their "Abbey Road" album ... "Come Together" is at #4, "Something" is at #10 and "Oh! Darling" is at #23. The Monkees are still charting well with their latest, "Good Clean Fun", which comes in at #13 this week ... and for some reason, The Searchers are back on the charts with their 1965 Hit "Love Potion Number Nine"!
Here's a mammoth chart from K-SHE in St. Louis from 1967 ...
It runs for two weeks (from December 1st - December 15th) is a bit unusual ... but it lists 95 HITS!!!
As such, a lot of "obscurities" make the chart ... such as "Hooray For The Salvation Army Band" by Bill Cosby (all over the news again today ... and NOT for a good reason), the Wes Montgomery "smooth jazz" version of "Windy", the Chris Farlowe version of "Paint It Black", "I Feel Free" by Cream, "Dancing Bear" by The Mamas and the Papas" and "Pata Pata" by Miriam Makeba ... not songs you're likely to hear anywhere any time soon ... unless, of course, you happen to be a Forgotten Hits Reader!!!
Speaking of mammothly large charts, here's "Canada's Only Official 100 Single Survey" from 1966.
Peter and Gordon top this chart with their novelty hit "Lady Godiva". The Brenda Lee track at #13 is one of my all-time favorites by her. ("Coming On Strong")
There's an early Guess Who track at #36 ("And She's Mine"). And Chicago's Cryan' Shames are at #57 with "I Wanna Meet You". Lou Christie's remake of "Since I Don't Have You" continues to jump up the chart (from #99 to #82 to #71) this week. Billy Joe Royal's original version of "Yo Yo" sits at #75 ... it would be a hit six years later for The Osmond Brothers.
And finally, this college chart from Hope, Michigan, shows how so many schools across our country were going their own way musically back then. They're playing the John Barry instrumental version of the theme from "Midnight Cowboy" rather than the popular Ferrante and Teicher version ... followed by The Arbor's version of "Touch Me" rather than the hit version by The Doors. The Cryan' Shames can be found on this chart, too ... their latest, non-hit "Rainmaker". (This one didn't even chart here in Chicago!) And then, amidst all this soft-rock fever we find "Cold Turkey" by The Plastic Ono Band, "Kozmic Blues" by Janis Joplin, "Jingo" by Santana, "Evil Woman" by Crow, and tracks by Led Zeppelin and MC5 ... as well as Johnny Cash and Buddy Holly!!! An eclectic mix at best!
