9/29/66 was indeed the day the '67 Camaro was introduced - but the red photo on FH is a '68.
Here's my '67 I bought in '71. (It's in my garage now)
David Lewis
If that sucker's still running, I call "shotgun" when we get to Nashville!!!
I bought a brand new 1976 White Camaro, a rather steep undertaking for a 23 year old. I found out a year later that, unbeknownst to me at the time, my Dad had taken out an insurance policy on my car stating that should he die before the car was paid off, it would be paid in full. He died a year later, completely unexpectedly ... and I felt guilty for the next twenty years. (My Dad and I were never very close ... and this was about as uncharacteristic thing he could ever have done ... totally took me by surprise and blew me away.) I felt so bad I had to get rid of it ... sold it to my youngest brother Dave a couple of years later, who then proceeded to paint it (himself) sky blue ... you could see every brush stroke!!! Completely ruined what was once a beautiful automobile. (kk)
And now it's 24 and counting ...
Ella Langley's "Choosin' Texas" just notched another week on top of Billboard's Hot 100 Pop Singles Chart. How is it that so many new people continue to embrace this song every week???
Billboard recounts her amazing chart run, dating all the way back to last December when the song went barely unnoticed after its chart debut. Pretty fascinating stuff! (kk)
It was quite a surprise (and a treat!) to hear Rick Nelson singing “I Will Follow You” in a commercial prior to The Bears’ Monday Night Football Game. The ad is for the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra … and how they came upon this selection is anyone’s guess … but I always did like Rick’s take on this tune, a #1 Hit for Little Peggy March in 1963 as “I Will Follow Him.” (The song took on religious overtones when it was used in the Whoopi Goldberg film “Sister Act.”) Geoff Lambert tells us that 64 years ago this week, Rick Nelson performed “I Will Follow You” in a 1962 bridal episode of “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet” … so there seems to be a certain symmetry to the timing of all of this! (Petula Clark had a minor European hit with this song, sung in French, that same year, released under its original title “Chariot.” Her English version, recorded later that year, was the first time that the title “I Will Follow Him” was used.) Nelson’s version appeared on his “For Your Sweet Love” album. The song was originally conceived as an instrumental, written by Franck Pourcel, under the pseudonym J.W. Stole, and Paul Mauriat, the “Love Is Blue” guy, under the pseudonym Del Roma. It has since taken on a life of its own! (kk)
And how about Bears third-string quarterback Case Keenum, making his first start since Christmas Eve, 2023 ... scoring his first rushing touchdown since 2019 ... the 38-year old veteran led the Bears to an unexpected 27-7 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. (Sure, he's now Chad Powers ... but he looked pretty damn good to me!!!) This is a game Bears fans will be talking about for a while!
I have to admit that between The Bears' surprise victory ... and The Cubs and Sox BOTH playing in the playoffs this year ... it's a pretty exciting time here in Chicago right now! (kk)
Thanks so much, Kent, for your comprehensive column on the music of 1971. Truly an amazing and memorable year in my own musical history and youth. I was 20.
Ron
>>I still love the music from 1969 … but I came to realize this past year that I’m more vested in the songs from ’71 … they’ve remained a very strong part of my life … so 1969 drops to third place now on my personal list of yearly favorites. (kk)
No need to agonize over the best year in music. The definitive answer is in your Top 3333 Classic Rock list.
I just filtered each year and counted the entries. The results are below. All three of your choices made the Top 3, but your #1 choice 1967 only came in at #3. Some songs have more than one year, so the total is greater than 3333.
Ed Erxleben
|
1971 |
202 |
|
1969 |
182 |
|
1967 |
178 |
|
1970 |
169 |
|
1973 |
164 |
|
1972 |
147 |
|
1977 |
144 |
|
1968 |
143 |
|
1975 |
141 |
|
1982 |
134 |
|
1980 |
129 |
|
1979 |
128 |
|
1978 |
124 |
|
1983 |
118 |
|
1976 |
113 |
|
1966 |
111 |
|
1974 |
109 |
|
1981 |
109 |
|
1984 |
97 |
|
1965 |
95 |
|
1985 |
79 |
|
1986 |
74 |
|
1964 |
62 |
|
1987 |
61 |
|
1989 |
50 |
|
1988 |
37 |
|
1991 |
32 |
|
1994 |
25 |
|
1990 |
24 |
|
1992 |
21 |
|
1993 |
18 |
|
1995 |
17 |
|
1996 |
14 |
|
1963 |
13 |
|
1956 |
10 |
|
1998 |
10 |
|
1999 |
10 |
|
1957 |
8 |
|
1997 |
8 |
|
1962 |
7 |
|
1958 |
6 |
|
1961 |
6 |
|
2000 |
6 |
|
2002 |
6 |
|
1955 |
5 |
|
1959 |
4 |
|
2004 |
4 |
|
1960 |
3 |
|
2003 |
3 |
|
2005 |
3 |
|
2006 |
3 |
|
2010 |
3 |
|
1954 |
2 |
|
2008 |
2 |
|
2009 |
2 |
|
2013 |
2 |
|
2001 |
1 |
|
2007 |
1 |
|
2016 |
1 |
|
2017 |
1 |
Interesting statistics … even more so since my 4th Favorite Year in Music is 1970, which also just happens to come in in 4th Place here!!!
Keep in mind that The Top 3333 are not indicative of MY choices … but rather the consensus of just over a million votes, airplay records and iTunes popularity based on number of downloads … so these choices represent the feelings of a very wide-spread range of Classic Rock aficionados. (This list is currently in the process of being revised ... which likely won't occur until sometime next year. What I really want to do THIS time is find somebody who'll air the entire countdown, maybe in a circulating rotation so you can tune in whenever you want and still catch part of the countdown. Time will tell.) kk
Kent,
I may have sent this before, but altho I would not choose 1971 over late 60s years, I was my most prolific making my personal charts in 1971. MOST weekly charts had top 200 current records + top 50 LPs. Top 200 included LP cuts, but mostly singles. Here's what my top cuts of the year 1971 looked like:
Clark Besch
Ted Gorden Smucker is putting together another WLS Rewound Reunion that’ll air on Sunday, October 11th on WLS. Scott Childers will handle the hosting duties and WLS superstar alumni will include Fred Winston, Jeff Davis and newsman Lyle Dean. More details as they become available. (kk)
If you happened to miss Micky Dolenz's live commentary on The Monkees' official 60th Anniversary last week, you can catch it here: https://www.youtube.com/live/MbtxWNC7hHY
From Tom Cuddy …
Jimmy Webb Searches For A Love “Farther Than Eyes Can See” With New Single Featuring Michael McDonald
View the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fw52lwwwp4s
Congratulations to Glen Fisher who, after fifteen years of publishing the Doo-Wop Ramblings newsletter, is calling it quits to spend more time with his wife in order to take care of her health issues.
You had a good. long run, Glen, but as we all learn at various times along the way, sometimes “real life” gets in the way of doing the “fun” things we enjoy doing the most.
I wish the best for both of you … and understand that the radio show will continue … so you’ll never be far from listening range. (kk)
Rod Stewart is evidently a glutton for punishment.
He has now announced 2027 as his LAST year of touring. (After all the health issues he’s battled this year, one can only wonder why!)
He’s saying that he’s NOT retiring … just giving up touring. (Stewart will turn 82 in January of next year.)
Here’s his official statement:
“Ladies and gentlemen, after much deliberation and sadness, I have to announce next year will be my last tour ever, ever. I’m not retiring, but this will be the last rock and roll tour. I wanna thank you for everything you’ve given me, and hopefully I’ve given you something in return.” He then sang, “Please come out and see me on the tour. It’s gonna be great!”
A list of planned dates (thus far) can be found here:
But be forewarned that Stewart cancelled a number of shows this past year, including some that were already rescheduled due to previous cancellations. So buy your tickets knowing in advance that this tour may not go off exactly as planned. (kk)
Speaking of hitting the road, with Stevie Wonder set to go out and perform “Songs In The Key Of Life” in its entirety as part of the multi-Grammy winning album’s 50th Anniversary, he released four tracks from the vault this past week that didn’t make the final cut on the released album. (If you recall, the double LP even came with a bonus 4-track EP … these newly released track are in addition to everything else that had been released thus far.)
The “new” tracks are: “It’s Easier,” “My Life Story of Love,” “I Can See the Sun In Late December,” and “I’m Into Livin’.” The new bonus tracks (roughly 20 minutes of music) are now available for purchase thru the usual downloading sources … and they’re really not bad! (kk)
This past weekend marked the 43rd anniversary of the release of the film “The Big Chill.” Purely by coincidence, Frannie and I watched it the week before, totally at random, unaware that such an anniversary was looming.
The film itself doesn’t hold up all that well … although there are certainly some key moments that take you back … but the soundtrack is simply incredible. Heavy on material from their catalog, Motown Records won the rights to the soundtrack release … but there are SO many other great songs that were featured that a second volume had to be issued a year later. The film is worth watching again if only for the music. (kk)
