Two of the hottest records we've been tracking continue to climb as The Rolling Stones reach their FOURTH Week at #1 with "Honky Tonk Women." Closing the ranks this week are "Lay Lady Lay" by Bob Dylan (now #4, up from #13 last week) and "Green River" by Creedence Clearwater Revival, which now sits at #8, up from #14. The rest of The Top 10 is status quo.
But don't rule out "Easy To Be Hard" by Three Dog Night (up from #19 to #13) or "Sugar Sugar" by The Archies, which leaps twelve places from #28 to #16. (I think THIS is the one to watch!)
Little Anthony and the Imperials seem to have a comeback hit on their hands as "Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind" climbs from #30 to #23. (This record just doesn't seem to fit in 1969! It just sounds completely out of place with the rest of what's playing on the radio today.) Meanwhile, The Lettermen's remake of Little Anthony's "Hurt So Bad" is now the #2 song in Chicagoland, making it the biggest hit they ever had on the WLS Chart.
The 1910 Fruitgum Company seem to have another bubblegum hit (this is their SIXTH!) as "The Train" climbs from #39 to #25, a move of fourteen places, making it the biggest mover of the week. (Although this one will eventually peak at #9 on the WLS Chart, it's not one of the band's more memorable tunes ... making it the PERFECT qualifier for this week's Forgotten Hit!)
I especially like three of this week's newcomers to the chart ... "What Kind Of Fool Do You Think I Am" by Bill Deal and the Rhondels (#30), "This Girl Is A Woman Now" by Gary Puckett and the Union Gap (#36) and "When I Die" by Motherlode (#38).
And how can I leave out Dickie Goodman, who ALWAYS did well here in Chicago. His latest (and first chart hit in three years) "Luna Trip" premiers at #34. (And that's as high as it will ever get!) A pretty timely record, however, coming out just two months after the moon landing.
THIS WEEK IN 1969:
August 13th – The Guess Who record their future #1 Hit “American Woman” right here in Chicago! The song grew out of an onstage jam started by guitarist Randy Bachman when technical difficulties delayed their show. Lead vocalist Burton Cummings started improvising words and when they saw the reaction from the crowd, they knew they had something here … and went back to the studio to develop it further. They also received a Gold Record today for their first big US Hit, “These Eyes.”
August 14th - Johnny Cash scores a gold record for "A Boy Named Sue"
August 15th - 17th - Woodstock Music and Arts Festival is held on Max Yasgur’s 600-acre farm in Bethel,New York. Yasgur’s farm will ultimately play host to over 500,000 fans. Crosby, Stills and Nash, Joe Cocker, Sha Na Na, Jefferson Airplane, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Joan Baez, Richie Havens, Santana, The Who, Arlo Guthrie, Country Joe and the Fish, Ten Years After and Sly and the Family Stone are among the acts that perform. It remains the most well-know rock festival in history.
Also on this date, Three Dog Night are awarded a Gold Record for their first, self-titled album.
August 16th – Pete Townshend of The Who knocks Abbie Hoffman off the stage during The Who’s set at Woodstock. Pete said later that he didn’t know it was Hoffman, leader of The Hippies Movement, who was trying to get on stage to make a political statement.
Also on this date Melanie and O.C. Smith perform on The Johnny Cash Show.
August 17th – Hurricane Camille, the most powerful hurricane in history to this point, hits the Mississippi coast, killing 248 people and causing over $1.5 Billion in damages (1969 dollars … about $10.5 billion in 2018 dollars)
Also on this date, Steppenwolf perform on The Ed Sullivan Show this evening, singing "It's Never Too Late" and a medley of "Born To Be Wild" and "Magic Carpet Ride."
And, Singer Donnie Wahlberg (New Kids On The Block) is born
Also on this date Melanie and O.C. Smith perform on The Johnny Cash Show.
August 17th – Hurricane Camille, the most powerful hurricane in history to this point, hits the Mississippi coast, killing 248 people and causing over $1.5 Billion in damages (1969 dollars … about $10.5 billion in 2018 dollars)
Also on this date, Steppenwolf perform on The Ed Sullivan Show this evening, singing "It's Never Too Late" and a medley of "Born To Be Wild" and "Magic Carpet Ride."
And, Singer Donnie Wahlberg (New Kids On The Block) is born
August 18th – Actors Christian Slater and Edward Norton are born
Also on this date, Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones nearly had his hand blow off when an old gun backfired while filming the movie “Ned Kelly” in Australia.
