February 7th

Other hits climbing the chart this week (all with bullets) include "Baby, I Need Your Lovin'" by Johnny Rivers, the biggest mover of the week, climbing forty places from #99 to #59, "Epistle To Dippy" by Donovan, up 34 points from #79 to #45, "The Dis-Advantages Of You" by The Brass RIng, up thirty spots from #96 to #66 (and popular on TV right now in a Benson and Hedges cigarette commercial), "California Nights" by Lesley Gore, climbing 28 spots from #100 to #72, "Let's Fall In Love" by Peaches and Herb, up 27 spots from #95 to #68, "Sock It To Me Baby" by Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, jumping 25 positions from #74 to #49, "I've Been Lonely Too Long" by The Young Rascals, up 17 places from #61 to #44, "The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game" by The Marvelettes, also up 17 places from #63 to #46, "So You Want To Be A Rock And Roll Star" by The Byrds, climbing 13 places from #60 to #47 and "For What It's Worth" by The Buffalo Springfield, up a dozen spots from #67 to #55.  

After several successful hits "down under" in Australia, The Bee Gees move to England in pursuit of a worldwide career.

It works.  

Teaming up with Robert Stigwood (then a protégé of Beatles Manager Brian Epstein), The Bee Gees will breakthrough with their first global hit a few months later when "New York Mining Disaster, 1941" hits the charts.  Nine more National Top 40 Hits will follow in the '60's before the band splits up, reunites and scores back-to-back #1 Records in 1970/1971 with "Lonely Days" and "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart". A few years later they update their sound to take on a more R&B edge and, in the process, help launch The Disco Era.  Their incredible soundtrack to the motion picture "Saturday Night Fever" propels them to become the biggest recording act of the '70's, an INCREDIBLE feat when one considers that before the first single from the film, "How Deep Is Your Love" is released they have already hit the pop charts 33 times!  

The sound of driving over a rickety bridge provided the inspiration for "Jive Talkin'" in 1975, Barry discovered his falsetto and the rest, as they say, is history.  Between 1975 and 1979, The Bee Gees would have eight more #1 Hits:  "Jive Talkin'" (1975); "You Should Be Dancing" (1976); "How Deep Is Your Love" (1977); "Stayin' Alive", "Night Fever" and "Too Much Heaven" (1978); and "Tragedy" and "Love You Inside Out" (1979).  

Micky Dolenz appears on the British BBC program "24 Hours" where he is asked by interviewer Cliff Michelmore "Does it worry you that you are, in effect, a manufactured pop star?"  Dolenz replies (without a moment's hesitation), "No, not a bit, because we weren't.  I was discovered going to school, L.A. Trade Tech.  Mike was discovered in The Troubadour singing to 15 people every night.  Peter was discovered in Greenwich Village singing to two people every night.  And Davy was discovered trying to get a job singing to anybody in L.A.  Yes, we were discovered.  No, we're not a manufactured group."  Later that evening he will catch The Spencer Davis Group at The Marquee Club.  

"Where The Action Is" features performances this afternoon by Neil Diamond ("You Got To Me"), Tommy Roe ("It's Now Winter's Day") and The Standells ("Dirty Water").  Man, I'd love a copy of THIS show!!!