Music from "Hair" occupy the top two spots on the chart this week as The Cowsills' version of the title tune leaps from #10 to #1, just ahead of The Fifth Dimension's take on"Aquarius / Let The Sunshine In," which holds at #2.
The Beatles have the top debut this week with their latest, "Get Back" ... and Chicago's own New Colony Six premier this week at #39 with another Ronnie Rice ballad, "I Could Never Lie To You."
"These Eyes" by The Guess Who makes a giant leap from #30 to #19 this week, a move of eleven places ... while "Oh Happy Day" by The Edwin Hawkins Singers betters that with a twelve point move from #40 to #28.
And we've just got to give another nod to the two jocks pictured on this week's survey ... an honor they've held for the past several weeks. Chuck Buell and Kris Erik Stevens have been Forgotten Hits Readers and Contributors for years now ... and we always welcome their insightful commentary.
This Week in 1969:
April 22nd – John Winston Lennon legally changes his name to John Winston Ono Lennon in a short ceremony held on the roof of the Apple Records Building in London. Although Lennon always hated his middle name (given to him by his mother in honor of Winston Churchill, of course), British law didn’t allow him to change it. However, he COULD add “Ono” to it, so that’s what he did.
Also on this date, The Carpenters sign to Herb Alpert’s A&M Records … they will go on to have twenty Top 40 Hits for the label
Also on this date, The Carpenters sign to Herb Alpert’s A&M Records … they will go on to have twenty Top 40 Hits for the label
And, in Dolton, England, The Who perform their first ever complete live production of Pete Townshend’s Rock Opera “Tommy”
April 23rd - Johnny Cash seems to be EVERYWHERE lately! (He's been everywhere, man!) Tonight he and June Carter appear on The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour along with Vikki Carr and comedian Bob Newhart.
April 24th - "Nashville Skyline" has only been out for a couple of weeks and Bob Dylan is already back in the studio recording his next LP, "Self Portrait."
April 25th - Actress Renee Zellwegger is born
April 27th – Glen Campbell and Dionne Warwick appear as guests on Jose Feliciano’s television special
Also on this date, Joe Cocker (with the Grease Band) makes his American television debut on The Ed Sullivan Show, performing "Feelin' Alright." Also on hand is Connie Francis, who sings "Those Were The Days" and "The House I Live In."
(Now that's some SERIOUS variety television!!!)
(Now that's some SERIOUS variety television!!!)
April 28th – A brand new album … and a two-record set at that! … by a brand new
band out of Chicago is released. The self-titled Chicago Transit
Authority grows in stature through great word of mouth (and some
incredible live performances, including shows backing up the likes of
Jimi Hendrix.) The band features several DePaul University college
students who conjure up their own mix of music by combining rock, jazz
and politics. Their debut LP will stay on The Billboard Top 200 Album
Chart for the next three years becoming (at that time) the longest chart
life album by a rock band at 148 weeks. The band was forced to change
their name (again … they started out as The Big Thing) after being sued
by the REAL Chicago Transit Authority rail line … so they shortened it
to simply “Chicago.”
They
would go on to become one of the most successful rock bands of all-time
(and yet were denied induction into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame for
decades, until they were finally instated in 2015, 23 years after they
first became eligible for the honor.)
Despite
numerous band member changes, the core group of three original horn
players and Robert Lamm on keyboards continues to perform to sell out
shows all over the world today.
Also on this date - Charles de Gaulle steps down as President of France
