Bobby Sherman hangs on to the #1 spot for another week as we see relatively little movement in regard to last week's Top Ten. (All ten of last week's top tunes are still holding down ten of the Top 12 positions this week.)
However this allows for two new songs to enter The Top Ten for the first time this week ... as "Tracy" by The Cuff Links moves from #18 to #7, a jump of eleven places, and Elvis Presley has another big comeback hit as "Suspicious Minds" climbs from #21 to #10, another move of eleven places.
Tommy James and the Shondells climb from #29 to #19 and Crosby, Stills and Nash also jump up ten spots (from #35 to #25) with "Suite Judy Blue Eyes" ... but other than those four tunes, not a lot of break-out hits popping up on this week's chart.
Significant debuts include the latest from The Beatles ... another two-sided hit most noteworthy due to the George Harrison A-Side, a Beatles first ... "Something" backed with "Come Together" premiers at #33. Both come from the brand new, just released "Abbey Road" album. (On the national charts, both sides would hit #1 separately ... this single proved to be one of those Elvis "Hound Dog" / "Don't Be Cruel" scenarios where each side took turns in the #1 spot.) "Something" officially only hit #1 in Record World, where it stayed for two weeks. It peaked at #2 in Cash Box (three weeks) and #3 in Billboard (two weeks).
"Come Together," on the other hand, reached #1 in all three publications, making it officially the bigger hit (and therefore technically the new A-Side.) It held down the #1 spot for three weeks in Cash Box, three weeks in Record World and one week in Billboard. (Keep in mind that by this point two-sided hits started sharing the same position again after charting separately for most of the previous thirteen years.)
Another new debut this week is one of my all-time favorite Glen Campbell songs, "Try A Little Kindness," which premiers at #30. (When compiling my list of 1969 favorites for a couple of different radio shows this year, this is one that always made my personal list of Top 40 1969 Favorites.)
THIS WEEK IN 1969:
September 30th – The very first Crosby, Stills and Nash album goes gold. Sadly, on the very same day, David Crosby’s girlfriend, Christine Gail Hinton, is killed in a head on crash in San Francisco.
October 1st – Actor Zach Galifianakis is born
October 2nd – It is announced that the World Wildlife Fund charity album will include a track by The Beatles. Producer George Martin dug back into the vault and pulled out some recordings The Beatles had done in February of 1968, mixed in some wildlife sound effects, along with the sounds of bird flying and children in a playground, sped up The Beatles’ original recording significantly (I have NO idea why … it sounds ridiculous!) and John’s beautiful “Across The Universe” finally saw the light of day. (It was so key to the album that the LP was officially renamed “No One’s Gonna Change Our World.”) Thankfully, the song was resurrected (at its original tempo) and rerecorded for the “Let It Be” film and soundtrack album.
October 3rd – Singer Gwen Stefani is born
October 4th – Junior Samples of “Hee Haw” has a heart attack
Also on this date, Glen Campbell and Kenny Rogers and the First Edition appear on The Andy Williams Show
October 5th – “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” premiers on BBC One.
Here in The States, Gladys Knight and the Pips appear on The Ed Sullivan Show singing a medley of “Let Us Entertain You,” “The Nitty Gritty,” “By The Time I Get To Phoenix” and “I Know I’m Losing You.” Also on hand are Clint Eastwood (on film from the set of “Paint Your Wagon,” where he sings “I Talk To The Trees” and, in the audience, Stevie Wonder.
Ed also welcomes to the stage New York Mets Manager Gil Hodges along with players Jerry Koosman, Tom Seaver, Cleon Jones and Tommie Agee … all part of The Miracles Mets Machine of 1969. (Agee was my favorite player when he played for The Chicago White Sox. And another former Sox player, Al Weiss, one of the weakest hitting second basemen on record, became a World Series Hero thanks to a couple of key hits along the way!)
Earlier that day, The Miracle Mets beat the Atlanta Braves by a score of 11-6 to win the National League Playoffs. Pitcher Tug McGraw picked up a save and pitched three scoreless innings. (Tug, by the way, is the father of Country Music Superstar Tim McGraw!!!)
October 6th – Roger Miller (performing “King Of The Road” and “Where Have All The Average People Gone”) appears on “Music Scene.” Other guests tonight include Bobby Sherman, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles and The Dells.
