Saturday, February 18, 2017

February 18th

Tickets to The Monkees' April 2nd appearance at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens sell out in less than four hours as fans wait in sub-zero degree weather to snatch up their seats.  

"Kind of a Drag," the first national hit single by the Buckinghams, knocked the Monkees' "I'm a Believer" from the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 on February 18, 1967. For the Buckinghams chapter in "Where Have All the Pop Stars Gone? Volume 2"  (http://www.editpros.com/WHATPSG_Vol_2.html)
The band's current lead singer and original guitarist Carl Giammarese told authors Marti Smiley Childs and Jeff March, "We started rehearsing ["Kind of a Drag"] in my parents' basement. And I remember my mother coming down and saying, 'You know, guys, that's a great song. I really think it's got something. It's very catchy.' So we went into the Chess Studio over at 2120 South Michigan, and Carl Bonafede and Dan Belloc produced it." Released on the U.S.A. label, "Kind of a Drag" held on to the top spot for two consecutive weeks in Billboard Magazine before relinquishing it to the Rolling Stones' "Ruby Tuesday." The Buckinghams' tune remained on the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles Chart for 13 weeks.

"No Milk Today," the 15th chart single by the British group Herman's Hermits, made its debut on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on February 18, 1967. 
"No Milk Today" was written by Graham Gouldman, who also wrote the Hollies' hits "Bus Stop" and "Look Through Any Window"; the Yardbirds' hits "For Your Love" and "Heart Full of Soul"; and another Hermits tune, "East West." 
Gouldman eventually became a member of the band 10cc, for which he wrote "I'm Not in Love" and "The Things We Do For Love."  
On the MGM Records release in the United States "No Milk Today" was the flip side of "There's a Kind of Hush," while on the Columbia release in the United Kingdom, "No Milk Today" was the "A" side, with "My Reservation's Been Confirmed" on the "B" side. In the States, "No Milk Today" peaked at No. 35 and remained on the chart for 10 weeks.  
Lead singer Peter Noone, speaking to authors Marti Smiley Childs and Jeff March for the Hermits chapter in their book "Where Have All the Pop Stars Gone? Volume 1," (http://www.editpros.com/WHATPSG_Vol_1.html) said he has many fond memories of performing in the '60s. "The whole thing was actually quite a very good time. We were young guys, so everything was a new experience. We played in Hong Kong, Israel, America, the Philippines, France. Every day was a new experience," he said.   

New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison claims that he can prove the Kennedy assassination was a conspiracy planned down in New Orleans.  As a result of his investigation, New Orleans Businessman Clay Shaw was put on trial in 1969 … but acquitted of all charges within an hour of going to the jury.  Garrison's story was made into the Oliver Stone film JFK in 1991 with Kevin Costner in the Garrison role.  Garrison died of cancer in 1992, a year after the release of the film. 



DIDJAKNOW?:  When Garrison left office in 1978, he was defeated in the election by Harry Connick, Sr., father of popular entertainer (singer, musician, actor, American Idol Judge and talk show host) Harry Connick, Jr.


The Mojo Men and Jimmy Castor appear on American Bandstand.