"Na Na, Hey Hey, Kiss Him Goodbye" finally unseats The Beatles from the #1 spot after four weeks. This track (originally recorded as a B-Side knock-off) has lasted forever, used in countless commercials, movies and sporting events.
Diana Ross and the Supremes seem to be next in line for that coveted #1 spot as "Someday We'll Be Together" climbs from #16 to #5 this week ... but don't rule out "I Want You Back" by The Jackson Five, which also enters The Top Ten this week, moving from #15 to #10.
Crow continues to climb the chart ladder with "Evil Woman, Don't Play Your Games With Me" (up from #21 to #14 this week) as does "Midnight Cowboy" by Ferrante and Teicher (#26 to #18), "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head" by B.J. Thomas (#27 to #20), "Jam Up And Jelly TIght" by Tommy Roe (#29 to #21), "Early In The Morning" by Vanity Fare (#30 to #22), "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin (#31 to #23) and "Don't Cry Daddy" by Elvis Presley (#39 to #30).
[Only in the Golden Age of Top 40 Radio could you hear Elvis, Led Zeppelin, Tommy Roe, Peter, Paul and Mary and Diana Ross and the Supremes back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back!!! Radio was never any better!]
THIS WEEK IN 1969:
November 25th – John Lennon returns his MBE
medal in protest of The British Government’s involvement in the Nigerian Civil
War, Great Britain's support of America's War in Vietnam ... and his latest single "Cold Turkey" slipping down the charts!
His text in full read:
Your Majesty,
I am returning my MBE as a protest against Britain's involvement in the Nigeria-Biafra thing, against our support of America in Vietnam and against "Cold Turkey" slipping down the charts.
With love,
John Lennon of Bag
(seriously, we don't make this stuff up!!!)
Also on this date, Neil Diamond is divorced from his
wife Jayne.
November 29th – Ray Stevens, Dusty
Springfield and The Osmonds appear on The Andy Williams Show.
November 30th – The three remaining Monkees
make their final live appearance at a show in Oakland, California. (Peter Tork had quit the band seven months
earlier after their 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee aired on television.) Michael Nesmith announces his plans for a new
group, The First National Band, while Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz say that they
will continue on as a duo performing as The Monkees. (The big joke going around entertainment
circles was that eventually after the pair split up, ONE of them would start
billing himself as “The Monkee” just to keep the name going!) All four Monkees would reunite on stage again
in 1986 (17 years later!) for a performance at The Greek Theater in Los Angeles.
Also on this date, Simon and Garfunkel’s first
television special airs, but not without incident. Sponsor AT&T backed out after learning
that footage of Bobby Kennedy’s funeral march and the War in Viet Nam would be
shown.
Also on TV tonight … Neil Diamond appears as a guest on
The Ed Sullivan Show and performs “Sweet Caroline” and “Holly Holy.” (Probably could have really used the money after his divorce five days earlier!)
December 1st – Barry Gibb announces that he
is leaving The Bee Gees, stating that he was “fed up, miserable and completely
disillusioned.” (Brother Robin had quit
earlier in the year, pursuing a solo career.)
They would reunite the following year and record two INCREDIBLE comeback
singles, “Lonely Days” and “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart,” both of which
went to #1 on the charts. (After
reforming, Robin said “If we hadn’t been related, we would probably never have
gotten back together.” The reunion paid
off. After their career began stall a
few years later as their lush ballads began to fall out of favor with the
listening audience, they all but reinvented themselves … and a good chunk of
disco, too, in the process, scoring EIGHT #1 Singles between 1975 and 1979, with
hits like “Jive Talkin’,” “You Should Be Dancing,” “How Deep Is Your Love,”
“Stayin’ Alive,” “Night Fever” and others.
Their soundtrack to the film “Saturday Night Fever” topped the Album
Chart for 24 weeks, sold over sixteen million copies and rode the charts for
two and a half years.
Also on this date, Delaney and Bonnie perform at The
Royal Albert Hall in London. In the
audience that night are Eric Clapton, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. Clapton and Harrison will go on to tour and
make future appearances with the married couple in the future.
Also on this date, Sergio Mendes and Brasil ’66, Mama
Cass Elliott, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Neil Diamond appear on “Music
Scene.” (Now THAT’s an episode I’d like
to see again!)
