Monday, April 6, 2015

50 Year Flashback: April 6th, 1965

Here's an amazing chart from KRLA from this date in 1965.

Them leap out of NOWHERE to grab the #1 Spot this week.  (They hadn't appeared yet on ANY of the other charts we've featured thus far, year-to-date!)  And with a two-sided hit, no less ... the original version of "Gloria", backed with the extremely popular blues tune "Please Don't Go", Them reigns supreme this week in '65 ... just head of THE Supremes at #2 with "Stop! In The Name Of Love"!

Motown has a definite presence in the top ten ... in addition to The Supremes' tune, we also find Brenda Holloway at #4 with "When I'm Gone", Jr. Walker and the All-Stars at #7 with "Shotgun" and Martha and the Vandellas at #8 with "Nowhere To Run".

British Acts match them toe-to-toe, however ... in addition to Them's two-sided hit, we find The Kinks at #3 with "Tired Of Waiting For You", The Moody Blues at #5 with "Go Now", Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders are at #6 with "Game Of Love", Freddie and the Dreamers hold down the #9 spot with "I'm Telling You Now" and The Beatles have a two-sided hit of their own at #10 with "Eight Days A Week" / "I Don't Want To Spoil The Party".

This is a pretty extensive list ... pick hits already include the next Beatles single "Ticket To Ride" and if you look at their LP Chart, The Beatles are listed for "All LP's"!  In fact, in something called "On Cartridge", they've got a 4-Pack of Beatles tunes:  "Words Of Love", "Kansas City", "Shout" and "Soldiers Of Love" which I can only assume comes from the television broadcast of "Shindig" ... definitely NOT the kind of tracks one would expect to see on a weekly radio chart ... but proof that even 16 months after their invasion of America, The Beatles are still the hottest thing happening ... and stations would go through ANY lengths to feature songs not yet available here in America, whether it be British LP cuts or songs taped off of a television broadcast!

"Mary Poppins" is represented on the chart again, this time by The New Christy Minstrels and their version of "Chim Chim Cheree" ... and we find THREE tracks by Herman's Hermits listed:  "Can't You Hear My Heartbeat" at #14, "Silhouettes" jumping nearly 20 places to #23 and "Mrs. Brown, You've Got A Lovely Daughter", again featured as an LP cut, holding down the #50 spot.