December 2nd

The Monkees occupy the #1 spot on both the Album Chart and the Pop Singles Chart.  



Incredibly, all four of their albums are still on the chart … and in The Top 100 no less!  ("Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones, Ltd." is #1, "Headquarters" is #18, "More Of The Monkees" is at #39 and "The Monkees" is at #96.)   

Even MORE incredibly twenty years later, when Rhino Records re-releases all four of these LP's, they will chart together once again, this time peaking at #124, #121, #96 and #92 respectively.  

"More Of The Monkees" will chalk up another 26 weeks on the chart (that's half a year, folks!), bringing its lifetime tally to 96 weeks.  Their debut album did even better … between the 78 weeks it charted initially when released in 1966 and the 24 additional weeks it charted when it was reissued in 1986, "The Monkees" spent a total of 102 weeks on the chart overall.

1967 was, without question, The Year of The Monkees, as they outsold even The Beatles and The Rolling Stones this year.

Their album tracks were played on the radio as if they were singles ... thanks to the TV  show, fans heard nearly everything they recorded for these first four LP's.

Here is one more track from each of those 1967 #1 Albums ... 

 

December 1st, 1967

Singer Jimmie Rodgers is found beaten and near death in his car on The San Diego Freeway.  Rodgers had some big hits in the late '50's with songs like "Honeycomb" and "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine" and recently saw his comeback single "Child Of Clay" climbing the charts.

The circumstances of this beating have never been widely disclosed but many feel that Roulette Records Mogul Morris Levy had ordered the "hit".  (All of Jimmie's previous hits were recorded for the Roulette record label … but his latest release came out on the A&M record label.)

We have covered this incident several times in Forgotten Hits … in fact, we talked with Jimmie's son several years ago when his dad went in for surgery to successfully have the metal plate in his head removed as it had developed some type of toxic leakage going into Jimmie's brain.  A tragic, tragic tale of rock and roll.   

Talks of a Jimmie Rodgers bio-pic have floated around for years … maybe now that Tommy James has come forward with his tale of the ways and means of Morris Levy and his extended "family" … and Morris has passed on … it's finally time to tell the REAL Jimmie Rodgers story.  (And then maybe they can finally tell us what really happened to Bobby Fuller!!!)  

http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2009/05/jimmie-rodgers.html 
http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2009/05/jimmie-rodgers-part-2.html  
http://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2009/05/jimmie-  rodgers-part-3.html 

http://forgottenhits.com/bobby_fuller

The Jimi Hendrix Experience releases their second album, "Axis: Bold As Love".

Great Britain's Monkees Monthly reports that The Monkees will take the month of January off before starting work on their first full-length feature film ("Head").  After the incredible year they had in 1967, they deserve it.  But the truth is, 1967 WAS their year … the bubble burst pretty quickly after this, especially once the tv series was cancelled.  Incredibly (and much to the surprise ... and great dismay ... of all the doubters at the time who wrote The Monkees off as nothing more than a carefully calculated and created merchandising machine) dozens of reformations since then have kept the band and their music alive for the past 50 years.  It's fun, feel good rock and roll … and, thanks to the magic of television, they haven't aged a bit!  

   

The RMS Queen Mary is retired.

November 30th

Top 100 Movers climbing ten positions or more include "Beautiful People" by Bobby Vee (#54 to #44), "Woman Woman" by The Union Gap (#68 to #45), "Different Drum" by The Stone Poneys (#62 to #49), "Wear Your Love Like Heaven" by Donovan, up thirty places from #82 to #52, "Okolona River Bottom Band" by Bobbie Gentry (#64 to #53), "Since You Showed Me How To Be Happy" by Jackie Wilson (#75 to #54), "And Get Away" by The Esquires (up 33 places from #91 to #58), "What's It Gonna Be" by Dusty Springfield (#78 to #64), "Too Much Of Nothing" by Peter, Paul and Mary (#81 to #66), "Love Power" by The Sandpebbles (#80 to #69), "I'll Be Sweeter Tomorrow" by The O'Jays (#87 to #71), "Bend Me Shape Me" by The American Breed (#98 to #75) and "Judy In Disguise" by John Fred and His Playboy Band (#95 to #77). 





Senator Eugene McCarthy announces his bid to run for the Presidency of the United States.

Presidential Grandson David Eisenhower and Future Presidential Daughter Julie Nixon announce their engagement.  They would marry the following year on December 22nd, just prior to her father, Richard Nixon, assuming the office of President of the United States.  David, of course, is the Grandson of Former President Dwight "Ike" Eisenhower, under whom Nixon served as Vice President.  Both will go on to write several books.  Next year they will celebrate their 50th Wedding Anniversary.

 

November 29th

The Chicago White Sox reacquire shortstop Luis Aparicio from The Baltimore Orioles.  Little Louie was one of the most-popular White Sox players ever and was part of The Go-Go Sox when they won The American League pennant in 1959.

 

Robert McNamara announces his resignation as Secretary of Defense.  He will officially step down from this office on February 29th, 1968.   

He had been encouraging President Lyndon Johnson to stop the bombing and pull out of Viet Nam but Johnson ignored his advice.  In April of next year he will become President of The World Bank with Johnson's full support.

November 28th

The Beatles have a new record on the chart this week as "Hello Goodbye" premiers at #50.  Also making their chart debuts this week are "If I Could Build My Whole World Around You", another duet by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell (#67), "The Other Man's Grass Is Always Greener", new for Petula Clark at #70 and a couple of recent remakes, "Come See About Me" by Jr. Walker and the All-Stars (#72) and "Windy" by Wes Montgomery (#73).  

We've got a couple of flip-side debuts this week, too, as "I Am The Walrus" by The Beatles (B-Side to "Hello Goodbye") premiers at #94.  (This track will be featured as part of the soundtrack to their new television special "Magical Mystery Tour".)  And "I'm In Love", the flip-side of Wilson Pickett's #18 Hit "Stag-O-Lee" premiers at #99.  The Hollies debut at #96 with "Dear Eloise" and there's a brand new Doors single coming in at #100  ("Love Me Two Times").  

The Beatles record their fifth Fan Club Christmas Single at EMI Studio Three in London.  It is the last one they will record together as a group.  (1968 and 1969 Christmas singles were issued but all of the tracks were recorded separately by each Beatle and then edited together for final distribution.)  

Actress / Model Anna Nicole Smith was born (as Vickie Lynn Hogan) in Houston, Texas.  She died in 2007.

November 27th

The Monkees leap into the #1 position on this week's Pop Singles Chart as "Daydream Believer" climbs from #5 to #1 in its fourth week on the chart.  (A pretty impressive chart run:  #68 to #31 to #5 to #1).  

Eight of last week's Top Ten Hits remain in The Top Ten this week … the only new entries are "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" by Gladys Knight and the Pips, which jumps from #20 to #9 and "An Open Letter To My Teenage Son" by Victor Lundberg, which climbs 16 places from #26 to #10, also in its fourth week on the chart. 



Earning Top 40 Bullets this week are "Keep The Ball Rollin'" by Jay and the Techniques (#15 to #11), "In And Out Of Love" by Diana Ross and the Supremes (#18 to #13), "I Second That Emotion" by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles (also up 16 places from #31 to #15), "You Better Sit Down Kids" by Cher (#27 to #16), "Boogaloo Down Broadway" by The Fantastic Johnny C (#25 to #17), "Stag-O-Lee" by Wilson Pickett (#22 to #18), "She's My Girl" by The Turtles (#35 to #24), "Skinny Legs And All" by Joe Tex (#33 to #25), "Massachusetts" by The Bee Gees (#36 to #26), "Beg, Borrow And Steal" by The Ohio Express (#34 to #28), "Yesterday" by Ray Charles (#40 to #29), "Neon Rainbow" by The Box Tops (#39 to #32), "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" by Glen Campbell (which moves from #47 to #34), "Summer Rain" by Johnny Rivers (another 16 place mover, from #52 to #36), "Honey Chile" by Martha Reeves and the Vandellas (#51 to #37) and "Paper Cup" by The Fifth Dimension (#48 to #39). 





The Monkees also take over the #1 spot on The National Album Chart with their latest, "Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones, Ltd."  (The title is a direct reference to their astrological signs … Pisces is Micky Dolenz (born March 8th), Aquarius is Peter Tork (born February 13th), Capricorn refers to Michael Nesmith (born December 30th) and Jones, of course, is Davy Jones … who was ALSO born on December 30th but three years after Michael Nesmith made his first appearance here on earth.  Ironically, their brand new #1 Single does not appear on their new LP. 

It is by far the most sophisticated album The Monkees have ever made … and still holds up today as a production gem.  Yes, they were still exerting their control in the studio but, after the long rigors of "Headquarters" and going thru take after take after painful retake of nearly every track, finally came to realize that they could still achieve what they were shooting for in the studio with a little bit of talented, professional help there to guide them.  "Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones, Ltd." is not only a '60's gem, but a timeless one … which has never reaped the true recognition and appreciation it deserves.  Once again, many of the tracks became familiar mainstays thanks to usage on their television series and repeated airplay on the radio.  Even AFTER "Sgt. Pepper", The Monkees seem to be the band of choice for the young and preteens out there buying music. 









Also on this date, Capitol Records released the new Beatles album "Magical Mystery Tour".  It would eventually top the charts, sell over a million copies and be nominated for a Grammy for Album of the Year.  (It lost to Glen Campbell's "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" LP!) 

 
This album was never officially released in Great Britain, where the soundtrack songs used in the television film were issued on a special EP with a colorful booklet.  It did become one of the most popular imports of its time, however.  Twenty years later, the album officially became a part of The Beatles' catalog on both sides of the pond. 

The Association received a gold record for their recent hit record "Never My Love". 



The Beatles' promotional video for their latest single, "Hello Goodbye" is shown on "The Hollywood Palace" on ABC-Television. 

Jimi Hendrix turns 25.  Incredibly, he will be dead in less than three years.

 

August 18, 1967 Afternoon rehearsals, Hollywood Bowl

Credit: Brian T. Colvil /  © Authentic Hendrix, LLC

November 26th

The Beatles promotional film for "Hello Goodbye" is shown on The Ed Sullivan Show.  Although I've never particularly liked this song, it IS a great video … yet was never shown on British television because of their musicians union ban on "miming" to a record on TV! 



16 year old Janis Ian appears on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour to sing "Society's Child". 



"The Jungle Book" holds on to the top spot at the box office again this week, giving it a total of FIVE weeks on top over the past six weeks. 



Major floods hit Lisbon, Portugal, killing 462 people.