1970: March 15th – The Expo ’70 World’s Fair opens in Suita, Osaka, Japan
And here in The Windy City ...
After four consecutive weeks, "Bridge Over Troubled Water" finally vacates the #1 space ... and it's Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit In The Sky" that knocks them out. ("House Of The Rising Sun" and "Love Grows [Where My Rosemary Goes]") continue to hold the #2 and #3 positions respectively.
Meanwhile, John Lennon leapfrogs to #4 with "Instant Karma" ... could this be the first #1 Solo Beatle Hit? (Stay tuned!)
Speaking of The Beatles, they're not doing too badly themselves, as "Let It Be" skyrockets from #27 to #9, a leap of 18 places. (Ironically, there was a WHOLE lotta discussion back in 1970 when Paul McCartney wanted to release his first solo album that it might interfere or take away from the sales of The Beatles' own LP, "Let It Be" ... yet they seemed to have NO problem at all with John Lennon releasing "Instant Karma" ... with his newly-formed Plastic Ono Band ... and going head-to-head with the "Let It Be" single as they both raced up the chart. Hmmm.)
The Jackson Five jump twenty spots with their new record "ABC," proving that their first big hit record, "I Want You Back," was not a fluke. (The Jackson Five would have FOUR #1 Records on the WCFL Chart before the radio station flipped formats in 1976. They also had three #2's and five other Top Ten Hits, all within the span of just five years. (LITTLE KNOWN FACT: The Jackson Five first charted on Super 'CFL back in 1968 with a song called "Big Boy," released on the Steeltown Record Label, prior to their signing with Motown. It climbed as high as #27 in its two weeks spent on the chart. Recorded in January of 1968, that means young Michael would have been all of nine years old at the time!)
And here in The Windy City ...
After four consecutive weeks, "Bridge Over Troubled Water" finally vacates the #1 space ... and it's Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit In The Sky" that knocks them out. ("House Of The Rising Sun" and "Love Grows [Where My Rosemary Goes]") continue to hold the #2 and #3 positions respectively.
Meanwhile, John Lennon leapfrogs to #4 with "Instant Karma" ... could this be the first #1 Solo Beatle Hit? (Stay tuned!)
Speaking of The Beatles, they're not doing too badly themselves, as "Let It Be" skyrockets from #27 to #9, a leap of 18 places. (Ironically, there was a WHOLE lotta discussion back in 1970 when Paul McCartney wanted to release his first solo album that it might interfere or take away from the sales of The Beatles' own LP, "Let It Be" ... yet they seemed to have NO problem at all with John Lennon releasing "Instant Karma" ... with his newly-formed Plastic Ono Band ... and going head-to-head with the "Let It Be" single as they both raced up the chart. Hmmm.)
The Jackson Five jump twenty spots with their new record "ABC," proving that their first big hit record, "I Want You Back," was not a fluke. (The Jackson Five would have FOUR #1 Records on the WCFL Chart before the radio station flipped formats in 1976. They also had three #2's and five other Top Ten Hits, all within the span of just five years. (LITTLE KNOWN FACT: The Jackson Five first charted on Super 'CFL back in 1968 with a song called "Big Boy," released on the Steeltown Record Label, prior to their signing with Motown. It climbed as high as #27 in its two weeks spent on the chart. Recorded in January of 1968, that means young Michael would have been all of nine years old at the time!)
"Jennifer Tompkins" by The Street People climbs from #36 to #19 this week. The group includes Rupert Holmes, who will go on to have one of the biggest hits of the late '70's and early '80's, "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)." In between he would score what has to be the biggest hit ever written about cannibalism, "Timothy" for The Buoys, which made The Top 20 in 1971 (and went to #8 on the WCFL chart ... this is another song that WLS ... and several OTHER radio stations ... refused to play on the air.)
The Ides Of March officially make the chart this week when they bow at #32 ... (one of the reasons we're running this chart ON The Ides Of March) and look, Neil Diamond's back on the list with "Shilo," a record he recorded while he was still with Bang Records.
The Shocking Blue are gunning for a follow-up hit to their chart-topper "Venus" as "Mighty Joe" debuts at #37 ...
And Simon and Garfunkel aren't wasting any time between hit records ... "Cecilia," the follow-up to their #1 Hit "Bridge Over Troubled Water" is already on this week's Hit Bound list.
My personal favorite hot new premier has got to be "Reflections Of My Life" by Marmalade, a British group who enjoyed FAR more success at home in London than they did here in The States, where this would prove to be their biggest hit. Dean Ford, the original lead singer of the group, released a new, solo version a few years ago that we have featured many times before in Forgotten Hits. I've got BOTH of these for you here today.
