This week's chart comes from Fairbanks, Alaska!!!
5-17-68 KFRB Fairbanks, Alaska
Check it out ... our New Colony Six buddies have the #22 Record in Alaska this week!!! Chicago's Spanky and Our Gang are just a few spots behind them at #29 with "Like To Get To Know You." (kk)
The name "Fairbanks" is well known, but has only about 30,000 people, sitting in the middle regions of Alaska. Despite the location, by looking at the survey, you might think the station was anywhere in the lower 48. They were even "thinking" of the New Colony 6 (#22!) way up there! They were NOT thinking much of rare tracks, however. How many record services and companies flew 45s up there, I wonder? Looks like R&B was quite popular in Alaska in '68.
One obscure track charting here is by Grammy winning Martha Reeves and the Vandellas' "I Promise to Wait my Love," which has the classic Motown Funk Brothers backing backing track that the 4 Tops could have easily sang the same song over.
-- Clark Besch
THIS WEEK IN 1968:
5/14/68 - The Beatles announce formation of Apple Records and boutique
Also on this date ... John Lennon and Paul McCartney appear together on The Tonight Show to promote Apple – Johnny Carson isn’t there that night so John and Paul hang out with substitute host Joe Garigiola. (At one point Paul asks "Where's Johnny?" Many years later McCartney appeared on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and recounted the incident, explaining "Came to see Johnny ... got Joe!"
5/14/68 - The Rascals record “People Got To Be Free”
5/15/68 - George Harrison’s movie and soundtrack to "Wonderwall " premiers at Cannes 50th ... it is officially the first Beatles solo album!
5/16/68 – Tony Joe White records “Polk Salad Annie”
5/18/68 – Tiny Tim’s “novelty” rendition of “Tip-Toe Thru The Tulips” is released by Frank Sinatra’s Reprise Records. The record made The National Top 20 and landed him key appearances on Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In as well as The Tonight Show, Starring Johnny Carson, where he married Miss Vicki the following year.
Also on this date, Archie Bell and the Drells reach the #1 Spot on The Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles Chart, but Archie was nowhere to be found to enjoy his sudden, newfound success. That’s because he was resting in a West German Hospital after suffering a leg wound he received while serving in the Army in Viet Nam. (We ran a story several years ago about how all these fake “Archie Bell and the Drells” groups sprang up all over America, trying to cash in on the popularity of Archie’s hit record … and they were soon earning bookings all over the country … and there was not a damn thing Archie Bell could do about it because he was still overseas fighting for his country in The Viet Nam War!) You'll see that he also tops this week's Alaskan Chart!
5/19/68: The Fifth Dimension are back on The Ed Sullivan Show tonight to perform “Stoned Soul Picnic” and “On Broadway”
