Also This Week In 1970 ...

March 24^th – Actress Lara Flynn Boyle is born

March 26^th – Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary was arrested in Washington, DC, for “taking immoral liberties” with a 14 year old girl.  Yarrow pleads guilty and is sentenced to three months in jail.  (Ironically, the folk trio had just won a Grammy Award two weeks earlier for Best Recording For Children for their album “Peter, Paul And Mommy.”)  Years later, Yarrow was pardoned by US President Gerald Ford.

March 27^th – Singer Mariah Carey is born

March 23rd, 1970

Because 2020 is a leap year and 1970 wasn't, our calendar posts have been thrown off by the extra day.  (So much for "The Sunday Survey"!!!  lol)

That's ok ... we'll persevere using the actual dates printed on the WCFL Surveys back in 1970 ...

So here's the one dated March 23rd ...

It only took them three weeks to do it, but The Beatles now sit on top of this week's WCFL Survey with "Let It Be," their latest release on their own Apple Records label.

As we've since learned, the sessions for what was originally supposed to be the "Get Back" album took place in early 1969, culminating with The Beatles' rooftop concert on top of the Apple Studios on January 30th of that year.

There was so much dissension between the band members at this time that nobody could be bothered to sort out the hundreds of hours of recordings and filming that had been done ... so they let it sit for nearly a year before John Lennon turned the material over to Phil Spector and told him to have at it.  (Paul in particular was never happy with the results.)

Fortunately, in the meantime The Fab Four were able to regroup and make nice long enough to record what many consider to be their crowing achievement ... the "Abbey Road" album.  It almost looks like a mark against them that they weren't allowed to go out on a high note with this swan song masterpiece ... but instead whatever could be salvaged from the "Get Back" / "Let It Be" wreckage was assembled and released in May.  (Beatles fanatics like myself were already familiar with a good number of these "new" tracks due to the ample number of bootlegs making the rounds during this era.  I'll bet I had at least half a dozen alone from these "Get Back" sessions.)

To get a single out in a timely fashion, "Get Back" was released in May of 1969 ... and footage of that rooftop concert was shown on The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour as a music video to help promote the single.  Incredible to think that we all then had to wait a year before the "official" release!

Still, Paul's track "Let It Be" ranks among the best the band ever created ... and recently finished as high as #48 in our Reader Poll to determine The Top 3333 Most Essential Classic Rock Song Of All Time.

Odd to see The Beatles just two places ahead of John Lennon on this week's chart ... but this will become a more-often occurrence now that all four solo careers are in bloom.  (We'll even see one Beatle knock another Beatle out of the #1 spot in the years to come!)

The Ides of March have one of the bigger movers this week ... "Vehicle" races from #32 to #17, a jump of 15 places.

Meanwhile, "Shilo" (which fell off the chart for a couple of weeks) climbs 18 spots from #39 to #21.


And The Guess Who are back ... with a two-sided hit this time ... after topping the chart with "No Time" just a few weeks ago.  Does "American Woman" / "No Sugar Tonight" have what it takes to turn in a repeat performance.

That George Baker Selection track we told you about a few weeks ago finally shows up for the first time on this week's chart as "Little Green Bag" makes the Hit Bound list.  (Also singled out as a future hit is "Which Way You Goin', Billy" by The Poppy Family.  Watch for both of these records to make WCFL's Top Ten in the weeks to come.)

Forgotten Hits Remembers KENNY ROGERS

We lost another one of the good ones ... the world was quite saddened as news of Kenny Rogers' passing circulated this weekend.  He was 81.  

Rogers was an ensemble player in The New Christy Minstrels when he was motivated to step out on his own, forming The First Edition.  They were an immediate success, placing “Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)” in The Top Ten (#3 in Record World, #5 in Cash Box and #8 in Billboard) in early 1968.  

More hits followed, including:  “But You Know I Love You” (#15, 1969); “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town” (by which time the name of the group had been changed to Kenny Rogers and the First Edition, #6, 1969); “Reuben James” (#14, 1969); “Something’s Burning” (#5, 1970); “Tell It All, Brother” (#12, 1970); “Heed The Call” (#20, 1970) and “Someone Who Cares” (#39, 1971).

The band even hosted its own syndicated television show which featured several other performing artists of this era, many of whom didn’t typically make television appearances, before they disbanded in 1975.  

Focusing his solo career on the country charts (keep in mind that Rogers’ first hit bordered on psychedelia … and, in fact, was voted your #12 Favorite Psychedelic Song of All Time when we ran our poll in 2005), Rogers reinvented himself in a HUGE way, becoming one of the biggest recording artists worldwide.  (Many of those hits also crossed over to the pop charts in a very big way, including the Top Ten Hits “Lucille,” “She Believes In Me,” “You Decorated My Life,” “Coward Of The County,” “Don’t Fall In Love With A Dreamer,” recorded with Kim Carnes, “Love The World Away,” “Lady,” written by Lionel Richie, “I Don’t Need You,” “Through The Years,” “We’ve Got Tonight,” recorded with Sheena Easton and, of course, “Islands In the Stream,” the #1 smash written by The Bee Gees and recorded by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton.)  

We’ve given Kenny the spotlight treatment here in Forgotten Hits several times over the years …

Rather than rehash it all here again, you'll find the links you need below to enjoy the best of these pieces … (please do … I have always felt that this was one of our most under-rated series!)

https://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2013/02/its-kenny-rogers-week-in-forgotten-hits.html

https://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2013/02/kenny-rogers-and-first-edition-part-1.html    

https://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2013/02/kenny-rogers-and-first-edition-part-2.html

https://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2013/02/kenny-rogers-and-first-edition-part-3.html 

https://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2013/02/kenny-rogers-and-first-edition-part-4.html   

https://forgottenhits60s.blogspot.com/2013/02/kenny-rogers-and-first-edition-your.html    

According to his official representative, “Kenny Rogers passed away peacefully at home from natural causes under the care of hospice and surrounded by his family.”

Due to the national coronavirus pandemic, the family is planning a small private service ... and a larger-scale, public memorial will be planned at a later date.

After sixty years of performing, Rogers’ farewell tour began in 2017, and ran through early 2018, at which time he called off the remaining dates in April of that year due to unspecified “health challenges.” 

“I didn’t want to take forever to retire,” Rogers said in a statement. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this opportunity to say farewell to the fans over the course of the past two years on ‘The Gambler’s Last Deal’ tour. I could never properly thank them for the encouragement and support they’ve given me throughout my career and the happiness I’ve experienced as a result of that.”

During the course of his incredible career, Kenny was featured on a staggering 30 Number One singles spread out across the U.S. pop, country, and adult contemporary charts from 1977 to 1999.  Along the way, he also earned three Grammys, five CMA awards, and eight ACM awards, along with membership in the Country Music Hall of Fame. During the course of his career, he sold more than 100 million records worldwide.  To say that he made his mark on the musical landscape is an understatement of epic proportions.  You’ll find much more about his remarkable career via the links above.  (kk)

THE KENNY ROGERS HIT LIST:

Here is a complete list of every Top 50 Hit Kenny had on both Billboard’s Pop Music Chart AND their Country Chart.  Again, the list is nothing short of staggering.

1968 – Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) with The First Edition   

  (POP = 5 / COUNTRY = xx)

1969 – But You Know I Love You (with The First Edition)  POP = / COUNTRY = xx

1969 – Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town (as Kenny Rogers and the First Edition)

            POP = 6 / COUNTRY = 39

1969 – Reuben James (as Kenny Rogers and the First Edition) 

   POP = 26 / COUNTRY = 46

1970 – Something’s Burning (as Kenny Rogers and the First Edition) 

   POP = 11 / COUNTRY = xx

1970 – Tell It All Brother (as Kenny Rogers and the First Edition) 

   POP = 17 / COUNTRY = xx

1970 – Heed The Call (as Kenny Rogers and the First Edition) 

   POP = 33 / COUNTRY = xx

1976 – Love Lifted Me  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 19)

1976 – While The Feeling’s Good  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 46)

1976 – Laura (What’s He Got That I Ain’t Got)  POP = xx / COUNTRY = 19

1977 – Lucille  (POP = 5 / COUNTRY = #1)

1977 – Daytime Friends  (POP = 28 / COUNTRY = #1)

1978 – Sweet Music Man  (POP = 44 / COUNTRY = 9)

1978 – Every Time Two Fools Collide  (POP = 101 / COUNTRY = #1)

1978 – Love Or Something Like It  (POP = 32 / COUNTRY = #1)

1978 – Anyone Who Isn’t Me Tonight  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 2)

1979 – The Gambler  (POP = 16 / COUNTRY = #1)

1979 – All I Ever Need Is You  (POP = 102 / COUNTRY = #1)

1979 – She Believes In Me  (POP = 5 / COUNTRY = #1)

1979 – Til I Can Make It On My Own  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 3)

1979 – You Decorated My Life (POP = 7 / COUNTRY = #1)

1980 – Coward of The County  (POP = 3 / COUNTRY = #1)

1980 – Don’t Fall In Love With A Dreamer (with Kim Carnes) 

   POP = 4 / COUNTRY = 3

1980 – Love The World Away  (POP = 14 / COUNTRY = 4)

1980 – Lady  (POP = #1 / COUNTRY = #1)

1981 – What Are We Doin’ In Love (with Dottie West)  POP = 14 / COUNTRY = #1

1981 – I Don’t Need You  (POP = 3 / COUNTRY = #1

1981 – Share Your Love With Me (with Gladys Knight and the Pips) 

   POP = 14 / COUNTRY = 5

1982 – Blaze Of Glory  (POP = 66 / COUNTRY = 9)

1982 – Through The Years  (POP = 13 / COUNTRY = 5)

1982 – Love Will Turn You Around  (POP = 13 / COUNTRY = #1)

1983 – We’ve Got Tonight  (with Sheena Easton)  POP = 6 / COUNTRY = #1

1983 – All My Life (POP = 37 / COUNTRY = 13)

1983 – Scarlet Fever  (POP = 94 / COUNTRY = 5)

1983 – Islands In The Stream (with Dolly Parton)  POP = #1 / COUNTRY = #1

1984 – You Were A Good Friend  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 20)

1984 – Buried Treasure  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 3)

1984 – This Woman  (POP = 23 / COUNTRY = xx)

1984 – Together Again (with Dottie West)  POP = xx / COUNTRY = 19)

1984 – Eyes That See In The Dark  (POP = 79 / COUNTRY = 30)

1984 – Evening Star / Midsummer Nights  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 11)

1984 – What About Me? (with Kim Carnes and James Ingram) 

   POP = 15 / COUNTRY = 70

1985 – Crazy  (POP = 79 / COUNTRY = #1)

1985 – Love Is What We Make It  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 37

1985 – Real Love (with Dolly Parton)  POP = 91 / COUNTRY = #1)

1986 – Goodbye Marie  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 46)

1986 – Tomb Of The Unknown Love  (POP = xx / COUNTRY - #1)

1986 – The Pride Is Back (with Nickie Ryder)  POP = xx / COUNTRY = 46

1987 – Twenty Years Ago  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 2)

1987 – Make No Mistake, She’s Mine (with Ronnie Milsap) 

   POP = xx / COUNTRY = #1

1987 – I Prefer The Moonlight  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 2)

1988 – The Factory  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 6)

1988 – When You Put Your Heart In It  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 26)

1989 – Planet Texas  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 30)

1989 – The Vows Go Unbroken (Always True To You)  POP = xx / COUNTRY = 8

1989 – If I Ever Fall In Love Again  (with Anne Murray)  POP = xx / COUNTRY = 28

1990 – Maybe (with Holly Dunn)  POP = xx / COUNTRY = 25

1990 – Love Is Strange (with Dolly Parton)  POP = xx / COUNTRY = 21

1992 – If You Want To Find Love  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 11)

1999 – The Greatest  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 26)

2000 – Buy Me A Rose (with Alison Krauss and Billy Dean) 

   POP = 40 / COUNTRY = #1

2000 – He Will, She Knows  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 32)

2001 – There You Go Again (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 26)

2001 – Beautiful (All That You Could Be)  POP = xx / COUNTRY = 47

2001 – Homeland  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 39)

2002 – Harder Cards  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 47)

2003 – I’m Missing You  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 49)

2003 – Handprints On The Wall  (POP = xx / COUNTRY = 40)

2006 – I Can’t Unlove You  (POP = 93 / COUNTRY = 17)