60 YEARS AGO TODAY: September 12th, 1966 ... and THE SATURDAY SURVEY

As predicted, The Supremes take over the #1 position this week with "You Can't Hurry Love."  "Cherish" jumps nine spots to #5 ... it looks like a pretty sure bet to grab the #1 spot next.

"96 Tears" continues its climb ... it's now sitting at #25.  The Four Tops' latest, "Reach Out, I'll Be There" is up 23 places to #31 while The Monkees crack The Top 40 with their first hit record, "Last Train To Clarksville."  (Their television series premiers tonight on NBC.)

Check out the #50 record ... "Psychotic Reaction" by Count Five rockets up 35 PLACES this week!  And it looks like Bob Dylan may have another hit single on his hands as "Just Like A Woman" climbs from #91 to #62.

Roger Miller's got the top debut of the week ... (you can listen below) ...

You'll find him AND The Monkees in today's 60 YEARS AGO TODAY spotlight.

 

60 YEARS AGO TODAY:

9/12/66 – “The Monkees” premiers on NBC Television.  It will run for 58 episodes.

As you can see by the chart above, The Monkees already had a Top 40 Hit Single before a single episode of their television series had ever aired. 

"Last Train To Clarksville" would go all the way to #1 and soon "Monkeemania" would fill the void left by The Beatles leaving their cute mop top images behind to concentrate on much more sophisticated music as they embraced the drug culture that was the '60's to a new generation of preteen fans.

For the next eighteen months, The Monkees could do no wrong, earning FOUR consecutive #1 Albums during that reign, including a stretch of 31 weeks in a row spread between their debut LP ("The Monkees," #1 for 13 straight weeks) and its follow-up "More Of The Monkees," which unseated it at #1 and then held that spot for the next 18 weeks in a row.

Their third LP, "Headquarters," would hold the top spot for a week during the Summer of '67, knocked out of the top spot by a little album called "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" ... before The Monkees returned to the top with their 4th LP, "Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones, Ltd.," which spent the last five weeks of 1967 at the top of the heap before The Beatles came back and knocked them out again with "Magical Mystery Tour."

Their fifth album, "The Birds, The Bees and The Monkees," peaked at #3 the following year before things finally died down ...

But did they???

Their television series (which won two Emmys) has never really been off the air for the past sixty years ... it's still airing now ... and when MTV began airing reruns in 1986, Micky, Davy and Peter reunited for a series of decades-long reunion tours, during which time all five of those original albums charted again!

Much as The Beatles' music inspires each new generation that discovers it, every generation since has grown up watching "The Monkees" ... and even though Davy, Peter and Mike are no longer with us, the group is frozen in time thanks to their celluloid images from way back when ... and the music sounds as new and fresh as ever.

Also on 9/12, “The Roger Miller Show” debuts

Also on 9/12, musician/songwriter Ben Folds is born

 

BONUS:  Here's the rare Monkees' TV opening as filmed for the pilot ...

September 11th, 1966

60 YEARS AGO TODAY:

9/11/66 – The Rolling Stones appear on The Ed Sullivan Show singing “Paint It, Black.”  It is their fourth appearance on the program.  (After their first appearance back in 1964, Sullivan swore that he would never have them on his program again.  Hmm ... guess they must have been good for ratings!)

 

Thursday This And That

Say What?!?!?!

 

Tom Jones is saying that he was fired from the U.K. version of “The Voice” after nine seasons.

What on earth are they thinking?

Jones was the ONLY reason to watch the show, often coming up to sing with some of the contestants or on his own … truly a joy to watch as his voice hasn’t lost any of its magic over the years.

The general consensus seems to be that their feeling was Tom was getting "too old" ... at one point, a comment was even made that he was uninsurable.

I say, buy the program right out from under ‘em, Tom … and sack the whole lot.  Then, go out and hire Lulu, Barry Gibb and Donovan Leitch to be your co-coaches / judges / and mentors and watch the program soar ... prove to the entertainment world once and for all that there is no substitute for talent (both having it and recognizing it), knowledge and wisdom ... just imagine what this panel could do to inspire tomorrow’s wannabes!)

Sir Tom is that rare exception to the rule of an 86-year old who can still belt them out with the best of them.  He certainly deserves better than this.  (kk)

Kent,

Thanks so much for supporting our fifth year of WLS / WCFL Rewound. 

The comments we have received from the DJs and their family members, along with many original Top 40 fans is overwhelming.  We don't realize how much hearing these old shows means to those who are tuned in, and oftentimes themselves are a part of the history of Chicago Radio or the Music Industry.

Thanks again for spreading the word.

Ted

My pleasure … consider me amongst your very biggest fans!  (kk)

Well, you Guys did it again!

Another Spectacular Rewound Radio Labor Day Weekend . . . ah . . . Spectacular!

I am so honored to be featured in your presentation each year.  For that I say a Big "THANK YOU!"

Now, here is my Special 40-second Mashup I created just for you!

CB

 

And Timmy sent us this … an old WLS Concert Poster promoting all of the shows coming to Washington Park … man, what a line-up … and only about $6 or $8 for tickets!  Man, those were the days.  (Although I’m not so sure I’d venture into that neighborhood nowadays!!!  (kk)
 

Record Research has sweetened the pot if you preorder any of their new “Across The Charts” Decades books.  (A preorder also offers you a discount price on each new book.)

Check out the link below to see how you can receive a free collectors’ card featuring founder Joel Whitburn.

https://mailchi.mp/recordresearch/g0xetr2ghd-12871179?e=d5785dc612

Looks like we missed a major milestone yesterday ... 

Although the first memory that sprang to MY mind was 9-9-99 ... the day the first Beatles CDs were released ...  (they were kinda late to the game so this was considered a very big deal at the time when their first four albums were released on compact disc). 

However, it is FAR more significant that 70 years ago to the day (September 9th, 1956), Elvis Presley made his first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.  All Hail The King!  (kk)

 

Quick Takes

I hope you all enjoyed your long, Labor Day Weekend … and had a chance to tune in to listen to bits and pieces of this year’s WLS / WCFL Rewound on Rewound Radio.  

Kudos again to the incredible team that puts this thing together for us every year … and to Allan Sniffen (a NEW YORKER, mind you!!!) … who gives them three days each year to present it to the nation and the rest of the world … many of whom have now become confirmed, bona fide fans of Chicago Top 40 Radio.  Great job, all the way around! (kk)

Stevie Wonder has just announced a tour promoting the 50th Anniversary of "Songs In The Key Of Life," his 1976 masterpiece and multi-Grammy winning album.

Frannie and I saw him ten years ago for the 40th Anniversary of the album and it was an exceptional show.  Stevie and his crackerjack band played the whole album all the way thru, front to back, then took a short break and came back to play some of Stevie's greatest hits.  ("Songs In The Key Of Life" already includes a few of them ... both "I Wish" and "Sir Duke" both topped the charts ... and "Isn't She Lovely" became a HUGE radio hit, even though it was never officially released as a single.  "Another Star" and "As" gave Stevie FOUR Top 40 Hits off his double LP.)

He's only doing a few US dates (but Chicago is one of the stops ... so who knows, we just may go see him again!)

Here's the full schedule: 

October 13, 2026 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham
October 15, 2026 – Accor Arena, Paris
October 18, 2026 – Royal Arena, Copenhagen
October 20, 2026 – Unity Arena, Oslo
October 22, 2026 – 3Arena, Stockholm
October 24, 2026 – ZAG-Arena, Hannover
October 26, 2026 – Lanxess Arena, Cologne
October 28, 2026 – Ziggo Dome, Amsterdam
November 1, 2026 – 3Arena, Dublin
November 3, 2026 – The O2, London
November 8, 2026 – Co-op Live, Manchester
November 11, 2026 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow
November 19, 2026 – Madison Square Garden, New York City
November 21, 2026 – United Center, Chicago
November 23, 2026 – Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.
December 8, 2026 – Fox Theatre, Detroit
December 9, 2026 – Fox Theatre, Detroit
December 19, 2026 – Intuit Dome, Los Angeles 

MICKY DOLENZ JOINED CHRIS CARTER 9-7-26 TO CELEBRATE 25 YEARS OF BREAKFAST WITH THE BEATLES

https://nypost.com/2026/09/06/us-news/monkees-legend-micky-dolenz-joins-chris-carter-for-25-years-of-breakfast-with-the-beatles/ 

More praise for Micky’s new EP …  https://mail.yahoo.com/n/list/folders=00_1&listFilter=PRIORITY/messages/00_AAMlKkyFhm391hA0CMNuowG95uP

Hi Kent –

Ray Graffia will join me on my Those Were The Days radio show this Saturday night (9/12) between six and seven (central time). He has been a guest several times. As I celebrate the show's 40th anniversary this fall, it is great to reconnect with long time friends.  You can hear it through our website WRCO.com or download the Civic Media app and search for WRCO. Thanks.

Phil Nee

kk ... 

Monday Morning William Shatner Was On The 7 AM Cartoon Show (ME-TV) ---

Celebrating 60th Anniversary Of STAR-TREK.

About A Week Ago On The News I Heard That William Shatner & His Daughter Both Survived Stage 4 Cancer. 

FB

And a feel good clip from Chuck Buell ...

 

60 YEARS AGO TODAY:

9/9/66 – Actor / Comedian Adam Sandler is born

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He's not for everybody ... I'd say he rates about a 50/50 with me ...

The stuff I like, I like a lot ... 

But the stuff I don't, I won't ever watch again.