THE CHART:
We've got a brand new month ... and a brand new #1 Record ... as The Righteous Brothers take over the top spot after a two week run by "Downtown." "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" is now the most popular record in America. (And its popularity will stand the test of time ... 60 years later, it remains the most-played song in pop music history. In 2005, it passed over ten million "plays" ... and today, 21 years later, may have enjoyed as many as 16 million.)
"Downtown" (an incredibly popular song in its own right, that continues to charm generation after generation) falls to #2 in its seventh week on the chart.
On the upswing in this week's Top Ten are "The Name Game" by Shirley Ellis (up one spot to #3), "This Diamond Ring" by Gary Lewis and the Playboys (which climbs three notches to #4), "All Day And All Of The Night" by The Kinks, also up three places, "Shake" by Sam Cooke (up four spots to #8) and "My Girl" by The Temptations, which shoots up another ten places from #19 to #9. (Is there any doubt that this will be a #1 Record? In the last four weeks, it has moved from #72 to #47 to #19 to #9.)
The British Invasion is represented this week by the #2 record already discussed, the #6 hit ("Love Potion Number Nine" by The Searchers), #7 by The Kinks, #14 ("I Go To Pieces" by Peter and Gordon, up six more places), #19 and #20 by, respectively, The Rolling Stones and The Zombies, #22 by The Beatles, with their former #1 Hit "I Feel Fine," #26 by Gerry and the Pacemakers, #30 by The Bachelors, #47 by Chad and Jeremy, #50 by Adam Faith, #57 by The Searchers (with their second hit on the countdown, up 19 places from #76, with "What Have They Done To The Rain," #62 (The Beatles again with "She's A Woman"), #68 by The Dave Clark Five, #69 by Herman's Hermits with their brand new premier, "Can't You Hear My Heartbeat," #71 by Gerry and the Pacemakers (with their new track, "Ferry 'Cross The Mersey," title tune from their first motion picture ... and their second hit on the survey), #76 by P.J. Proby, #80 by Shirley Bassey, with the theme from the hot new James Bond film, "Goldfinger" and #94 by Manfred Mann.
This gives The Brits a stranglehold of 20% ... meaning no drop off at all from the onslaught of The British Invasion that started last year.
There are a few American acts making headway this week ... The Four Seasons, The Ad Libs, Trini Lopez, Roger Miller, Jewel Akens, The Drifters, Buck Owens and Sam Cooke all make significant strides up the chart.
60 YEARS AGO TODAY:
2/1/65 – James Brown records “Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag”
Also on 2/1, former World Heavyweight Champion Floyd Patterson beats Canadian George Chuvalo in a 12-round unanimous decision at Madison Square Garden
Also on 2/1, Dr. Martin Luther King and 700 demonstrators are arrested in Selma, Alabama
Also on 2/1, Peter Jennings becomes anchor of the ABC Nightly News
Also on 2/1, Princess Stephanie of Monaco is born
