January 14th

The Monkees perform a sold-out show at Olympia Stadium in Detroit, Michigan.  

This week's edition of The New Musical Express reports that The Monkees will likely film an episode of their television series in Great Britain during their visit there in February.  

San Francisco hosts the first ever "Be-In" at Golden Gate Park, featuring live performances by Big Brother and the Holding Company, The Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service and The Jefferson Airplane.  Also in attendance … Hell's Angels.  Billed as "The Human Be-In:  A Gathering Of The Tribes", over 25,000 attend. It was here that Timothy Leary first proclaimed "Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out".  Spotlighting the Haight-Ashbury area, Allen Ginsberg reportedly for the first time coined the term "Flower Power".  

Senator Everett McKinley Dirksen (from the great state of Illinois!) appears on The Hollywood Palace this evening, performing his surprise hit "Gallant Men", which currently sits at #33 on this week's Super Chart. 

The Rolling Stones' brand new single "Ruby Tuesday" / "Let's Spend The Night Together" is released in America.  It will become a two-sided hit (although many stations will ban the B-Side due to its "suggestive lyrics".)  Mick Jagger will famously change the title line to "Let's spend some TIME together" when The Stones perform the song on The Ed Sullivan Show the following night at Sullivan's request.  (Or would that be insistence???)

January 13th

The top premiers on this week's chart include "The Beat Goes On" by Sonny and Cher, the Motown classic "It Takes Two" by Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston and the garage band classic "The Little Black Egg" by The Nightcrawlers.  

Also new on the chart this week are a couple of middle-of-the-road / soft rock gems … "Tiny Bubbles" by the late, great Don Ho (#97) and "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye" by The Casinos, one of my favorite songs of the whole year.  

Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr go to the Bag Of Nails club in London this evening where they see Jimi Hendrix perform for the first time.  (McCartney would be blown away six months later when he saw Hendrix again, this time performing the title track from The Beatles' brand new album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" just four days after its British release.)  

Otis Redding ("Try A Little Tenderness") and Dino, Desi and Billy make appearances on "Where The Action Is".

January 12th

The Louisville, Kentucky, draft board refuses the exemption requested for Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali.  

Dr. James Bedford becomes the first person to be cryonically preserved with intent of future resuscitation.  (Not quite "Disney On Ice" … but historic nevertheless)  

A reboot of the popular late '50's TV Series "Dragnet" returns to network television.  Creator Jack Webb is back as Sgt. Joe Friday … but his new sidekick, Bill Gannon, is played by future M*A*S*H star Henry Morgan.  (By the way, the word "reboot" didn't exist in 1967)   

The Seeds appear on "Where The Action Is", performing "Pushin' Too Hard".

January 11th

Big day in the recording studio today as Jimi Hendrix records the hard-rock classic "Purple Haze" and The Hollies lay down "On A Carousel".  

Keith and The Electric Prunes (singing "I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night") appear on "Where The Action Is".

Here are the songs Dex Card was counting down on The Silver Dollar Survey every weekday afternoon this week on WLS ...

And here's how many of those same songs ranked on Super 'CFL ...

(Note that according to the WCFL Chart "Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron" was still holding The Monkees at bay, hanging on to the #1 Spot for the third week in a row!)

January 10th

Sammy Davis, Jr., on the lot filming a guest appearance for the hit comedy "I Dream Of Jeannie", stops by The Monkees set, where they are filming the "Monkees A La Mode" episode.  Although it is reported that Davis films a brief cameo, no footage of this appearance ever materializes.  

Neil Diamond performs "I Got The Feelin'" and "Cherry Cherry" on "Where The Action Is".  

National Educational Television begins as PBS broadcasts for the very first time on 70 stations across the USA.  

It's a big day for Royal Weddings, too … Dutch Princess Margret marries Pieter van Vollenhoven.   

Elvis' new single "Indescribably Blue" / "Fools Fall In Love" is released.  It will peak at #26 / #100 on the  national charts … and go on to sell 300,000 copies, considered a failure by Elvis standards.

January 9th

The biggest movers on this week's chart include "Color My World" by Petula Clark, up another ten places to #22, "98.6" by Keith, now sitting at #26 (up from #37) and "Stand By Me" by Spyder Turner (#27, up from #41).  

The Buckinghams make a HUGE leap into The Top 40 this week, climbing from #65 to #37 (that's a jump of nearly thirty places!)  The Bob Crewe Generation ("Music To Watch Girls By"), "Wild Thing" by Senator Bobby and "Bring It Up" by James Brown (#61, up from #92 the week before) all make significant moves this week as well.    

The Buffalo Springfield appear on "Where The Action Is". 

The Monkees' second album, "More Of The Monkees", is released.  In a few weeks it will displace their debut LP at the top of the national album sales chart.  Later this evening, the episode "The Case Of The Missing Monkee" airs on NBC.  "Steppin' Stone" is the featured song.  

New Orleans christens their brand new football franchise "The Saints"

January 8th

Today is Elvis' 32nd birthday.  

The Number One Movie at the Box Office this week is The Sand Pebbles  

We've got a brand new chart (for the week ending January 14th).

As you can see, The Monkees hold at the #1 position with "I'm A Believer" (their third week on top.)  The Mamas and the Papas sneak into The Top Ten with their latest, "Words Of Love" (up from #11 last week to #6 this week … the B-Side of that record, their remake of the Motown classic "Dancing In The Street" is "bubbling under this week at #104.)  "Words Of Love" is the only new Top Ten entry on this week's chart.  

Meanwhile, The Monkees also have the #1 Album again this week as their debut album "The Monkees" holds down the top spot on the LP Chart for the tenth consecutive week.

January 7th

UK Music Publication The New Musical Express announces that The Monkees will make their first visit to Great Britain in February.  

Country Singer Charley Pride becomes the first African-American solo singer to perform at The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, TN.  It would be 67 Country Chart Hits (including 29 #1 Records) and 25 years later that Pride officially became a member of The Grand Ole Opry in 1993.

Pride played baseball in the Negro Leagues for several years and had Major League try-outs with both the New York Mets and the California Angels before finally choosing a musical career over his baseball dreams.  (I'd say it paid off in dividends!)  His biggest #1 Hit came in 1971 when "Kiss An Angel Good Mornin'" topped Billboards Country Singles Chart for five weeks.

From this week's pop chart here's "Tell It Like It Is" by Aaron Neville.  (Neville wouldn't have another Top Ten Hit for 22 years until he teamed with Linda Ronstadt for "Don't Know Much".  Ironically, BOTH records peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles Chart.)

Here's one I never understood ...

They played the heck out of this record here in Chicago (especially on WIND ... my mom used to listen to Howard Miller every morning when she was getting us ready to go to school and absolutely LOVED this tune ... and so did I!) yet it never hit our local charts ... and spent exactly one week at #100 in Cash Box.  (It "bubbled under" in Billboard, never climbing higher than #110.)

We've featured it several times before in Forgotten Hits ... and it seems like EVERYBODY remembers it, too ... so how the heck was this not a huge hit???  (Rich Appell ... I don't know if this one's ever made your I.R.S. list or not ... It Really Shoulda ... Been A Top Ten Hit ... but I'm going to start campaigning early for votes for this one!!!)

I know there's been some talk over the years that the record was just "too suggestive"  (seriously?!?!?) so recording artists Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich re-recorded a "cleaner" version ... but that one wasn't a hit either (and doesn't have anywhere NEAR the appeal of the original.)

So, if you're feeling in a frisky, suggestive mood, dig out your old Twister game, grab your partner and give a listen to this one ... "Bend It", the #100 Hit in Cash Box on January 7th, 1967.

January 6th

Here's what the Chicagoland Charts looked like that first week of January, 1967 ...

Speaking of Paul Revere and the Raiders, they appeared on tonight's episode of The Hollywood Palace, where they performed "The Great Airplane Strike of 1966" … despite the fact that they're currently in The Top Ten with one of their best, "Good Thing".  (Over the past four weeks, "Good Thing" has climbed from #43 to #32 to #15 to #7.)  Also of interest on this evening's program is the appearance of Ray Bolger, who performs a couple of songs from "The Wizard Of Oz", dressed as The Scarecrow.  

Paul Revere and the Raiders also hosted a very soulful edition of "Where The Action Is" this afternoon, featuring performances by guests James Brown, The Four Tops and Wilson Pickett. 

Other music of note on the Super Chart this week …  

"Try A Little Tenderness" by Otis Redding sits at #27 … 



and Cannonball Adderley debuts on the chart this week with the instrumental version of "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy".  (#93)  The Buckinghams will have a Top Five Vocal Hit with this record later this year. 

How hot are The Monkees right now? 

Advance orders for their second album "More Of The Monkees" are so overwhelming that the LP is certified gold before it even ships!

January 5th

One of my personal favorites on this week's chart include "East West" by Herman's Hermits (a track you virtually NEVER hear anymore).  

Chris Montez ("Time After Time") and The Outsiders ("Help Me Girl") perform on "Where The Action Is".

 

January 4th

The Doors release their first album titled simply "The Doors".  

Other tracks earning bullets on this week's chart include "Words Of Love" by The Mamas and the Papas (#11, up from #18 the week before), "Tell It To The Rain" by The Four Seasons (#17, up from #26) and "Where Will The Words Come From" by Army-bound Gary Lewis and the Playboys (#35, up from #47)  

The Music Machine (performing "Talk Talk") and Sandy Posey (singing "Single Girl") appear on "Where The Action Is".

January 3rd

Two days after Gary Lewis is drafted, Carl Wilson of The Beach Boys refuses induction into the US Army claiming to be a conscientious objector.  His status is upheld and he never serves in the armed forces.  

The Bee Gees reach #1 in their home country of Australia with "Spicks And Specks", a record that never charts here in America but is included in many of their hit compilations years later.  It is their first official #1 Record.  

Jack Ruby, the man who shot and killed accused John F. Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald, died in a Dallas hospital today.  

Brand new debuts on the chart this week include the novelty hit "Wild Thing" by Senator Bobby (premiering at #63), "Pretty Ballerina" by The Left Bank, cracking the chart at #82 and "Gimme Some Lovin'" by The Spencer Davis Group, which bows at #89.  

Paul Revere and the Raiders perform "Good Thing" today on "Where The Action Is" … and their guest Ian Whitcomb sings his big hit from 1965, "You Turn Me On".

January 2nd

Biggest movers on the chart this week include:  "Music To Watch Girls By" by The Bob Crewe Generation  (up from #80 to #57) a jump of 23 points, "Kind Of A Drag" by The Buckinghams  (up from #86 to #65) a jump of 23 points, "Knight In Rusty Armour" by Peter and Gordon  (up from #69 to #48)  a jump of 21 points … next week it'll pass their current hit "Lady Godiva", "Hello Hello" by Sopwith Camel (up from #81 to #64) a jump of 17 points, "Stand By Me" by Spyder Turner  (up from #57 to #41) up 16 and "Georgy Girl" by The Seekers  (up from #38 to #23) a jump of 15 places.

Former actor (for future President) Ronald Reagan is inaugurated as Governor of California.  
 

The Monkees perform at The Civic Center Arena in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  During their performance of "I Wanna Be Free", a film of a freedom march in Montgomery, Alabama, is shown on a large projection screen.

January 1st, 1967

The brand year begins with the following Top Ten Records in America:  

#10 - Standing In The Shadows Of Love - The Four Tops

#  9 - Mellow Yellow - Donovan

#  8 - Coming Home Soldier - Bobby Vinton

#  7 - Good Thing - Paul Revere and the Raiders

#  6 - Sugar Town - Nancy Sinatra

#  5 - That's Life - Frank Sinatra

#  4 - Winchester Cathedral - The New Vaudeville Band

#  3 - Tell It Like It Is - Aaron Neville

#  2 - Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron - The Royal Guardsmen

#  1 - I'm A Believer - The Monkees  

The #1 Album in the Country as 1967 begins is "The Monkees" by The Monkees, their debut album which is now in its ninth week at #1.  

Speaking of The Monkees, they performed live on New Year's Day at Municipal Auditorium in Nashville.  

Gary Lewis, son of comedian Jerry Lewis, and leader of The Playboys, who have been ALL over the charts the past two years scoring hit after hit after hit (and currently hold down the #35 spot on this week's chart), is drafted into the US Army.  In an interview with Gary James of classicbands.com, when asked why, with his celebrity status and all his father's connections, he couldn't have avoided the draft, Gary replied:  "I had a really good role model. When I was thinking about getting out of the draft, I thought of Elvis going into the service at the height of his career and doing what he had to do for his country without complaining.  So, thinking of how Elvis did that, I thought to myself, I'm going to do the same thing and I'm going to be proud the rest of my life for it, and I am. It's just amazing how many Vietnam vets come up to me at these shows and thank me for doing what I was supposed to do. So, I wouldn't change that for anything."   

Speaking of Elvis, today he signs a new contract with Colonel Tom Parker which explicitly recognizes that they are engaged in what amounts to a partnership or joint venture.  According to the terms of this contract, Parker will continue to collect a 25% commission on all of Elvis' movie salaries and guaranteed record company advances .. but will now also receive 50% of any profits or royalties beyond the basic payments from these record and film contracts … as well as 50% of any "special" or "side" deals.  Basically stated, Elvis provides 100% of the talent but then  equally splits the financial results of that talent with his manager.  Unreal!  

Sonny and Cher are banned from The Tournament Of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California, for supporting the 2000 demonstrators (known as The Sunset Strip Rioters) speaking out against a year-long campaign by sheriffs and police to clear the Strip of "loitering teenagers".  

The New Vaudeville Band appear on The Ed Sullivan Show tonight performing their former #1 Record "Winchester Cathedral" along with "Whispering" and "Shine".  

Meanwhile, The Doors make their first live television appearance in Los Angeles on the KTLA-TV Program "Shebang", where they lip-sync their first single "Break On Through". Later this year they'll make an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show performing their #1 Hit "Light My Fire" before being banned for life for not deleting the line about "getting higher" per Mr. Sullivan's request.  When told afterwards that they'll never play The Sullivan Show again, frontman Jim Morrison said "Who cares … we've already done it."  

The First Annual New Year's Wail is held in San Francisco.  Among the artists performing that evening were The Grateful Dead and Big Brother and the Holding Company, featuring Janis Joplin.  The concert was arranged by the San Francisco Chapter of Hell's Angels as a good will gesture for all of the Haight-Ashbury hippies who got together to bail Angels members Chocolate George and Hairy Henry out of jail after their arrests at the Death Of Money Parade held December 17, 1966, an event staged by The Diggers, a radical community-action group of activists and improvisational actors, cofounded by actor Peter Coyote.  (Making their political statement, the actors dressed in animal masks and carried a large coffin full of fake money down Haight Street singing "Get out my life, why don't you babe?".)  

Number One at the Box Office this week:  The Sandpebbles

*****

I talked with Gary Lewis about being the "lead story" in our Salute to '67 this year in Forgotten Hits ...

Kent Kotal / Forgotten Hits:  OK, tell me about The Ed Sullivan Show. 

GARY LEWIS:  OK, well the Sullivan Show, everybody knew that if you got asked to do that show, that was going to be a high point in your career.  So we went on there and debuted "This Diamond Ring" to the country and I know that had a lot to do with that going to #1 for us … and then we got asked back six different times to do it.  So within the release of our first seven singles, we did six Ed Sullivan Shows … and so all seven of those tunes went to The Top Ten.  

kk:  You had a string of hits there that just wouldn't stop … for awhile, it was just unreal.  

GL:  Oh yeah, it was just great … it was really great … and then I got my draft notice!

kk:  Let's talk about that.  1967 was still a big year for the Playboys … in fact, you guys  had a few hits that year … "Where Will The Words Come From", "The Loser (With A Broken Heart)", "Girls In Love", "Jill" ... it's funny because the very first entry in my 1967 calendar for the year, January 1st, is: Gary Lewis gets drafted.

GL:  That's right …   

kk:  Tell me about that.   

GL:  That was my first day in the Army … New Year's Day … and, since it was a holiday, nobody was around.  We hung out, not knowing where we were supposed to be, who we're supposed to see … are we supposed to talk to anybody? … what's going on … no, nothing until the 2nd.  But it was … I didn't really like going in, but by the end of it, when I was comin' out, I knew that it was a good thing that I did it, it really was.  I had to grow up a little.   

kk:  I read a quote from you that you kind of used Elvis as a role model. 

GL:  Well, that's exactly right … when I got my draft notice, that's the first thing that I thought of … well, Elvis did it, I'll do it.  And everybody's tellin' me, "You're nuts!  Your dad could have gotten you out of that!" .  Well, I didn't want that, ya know?  I just didn't want it … so I went. 

kk:  And I don't know if you even know this or not, but two days later … two days after you went in, Carl Wilson of The Beach Boys filed for conscientious objector status.   

GL:  Oh really?!?  No, I didn't know that!  

kk:  Yeah, it was like two days later.  

GL:  I did not know that!   

kk:  Yeah … I mean, it was a different time, for sure … January, '67, I had just turned into a teenager right then, so I probably wasn't really all that aware about all that was going on outside my own little bubble of suburbia ... but let's face it, you weren't that much older than me. 

GL:  No, I was barely 21.  And I suppose I could have done that ... asked my dad for help ... but that wasn't what I wanted ... I wanted to do this on my own and face whatever was in store for me.

 

kk:  I tell people that the day The Beatles hit America, Paul McCartney was twice as old as me … and now he's only eleven years older than I am now … and it just doesn't seem fair!

GL:  Laughing … ha, ha … oh yeah, yeah … funny!

kk:  But he used to be TWICE as old as me!

GL:  Yeah, yeah, right!

kk:  Now you're in the army ... yet Gary Lewis and the Playboys had four hit records that year ... so how did that happen?  I mean, you were gone!  Did you go in and prerecord a bunch of stuff before you went into The Army?

GL:  Yeah, when we found out that I was going into the service, Snuffy (Record Producer Snuff Garrett) said, "Let's just go in and cut what I think can all be singles", so we recorded like four or five songs and just put them in the can and just released them while I was overseas.

kk:  Well, that definitely kept things goin'!

GL:  Yeah, right.

kk:  Now did you do any entertaining when you were in the service, or no?

GL:  No, they wanted me to get a band together and go around and play USO clubs around the country and stuff and at that time I didn't want to be anything special … I didn't want to BE special … I just wanted to be one of the guys that had to go thru everything that you have to go thru … I didn't want any kind of favoritism … and thank goodness I thought that way.  'cause I gotta live with all these guys!  And if I would have been shown any kind of favoritism it would have been a real drag … so I said, "No thank you, please just give me a job" and so they stuck me in the supply room.  (laughing)

kk:  Yeah, but that probably made it a heck of a lot easier in the long run overall!

GL:  Yeah, it probably did, actually, you know.  I mean I just had the foresight to understand that if you're pointed out as something special and you're getting favors and this and that, it just would not have been a good two years.

kk:  So when you came back, obviously the music scene had changed quite a bit … '67 … one of the reasons I focused on '67 is that just really seemed to be the year of change … EVERYTHING changed.

GL:  Oh man, did it ever … yeah, that was it … Jimi Hendrix … Janis Joplin … and I'm going, you know, "Oh my God, where do I fit into this?"  And then when I got out of the service I said, "Snuffy, what are we gonna do" and he said "Nothing - there's no market for you."

kk:  Oh wow!

GL:  Just like that … boom!  I mean, pie in the face.  So that's when I really started not liking him too much because he could have come up with something … I mean, he ran Liberty Records … Al Bennett was the President and The Boss and all that, but Snuffy … he would do anything that Snuffy said … so Snuffy was actually in charge.  And if he wanted to do something, he could have, so I was pretty upset about that.

kk:  Well SO many things changed … it was such a volatile time … 

GL:  It was, it really was.

kk: Think about all of the guys who were HUGE, top of the charts artists until The Beatles hit … and then all of a sudden they couldn't even get played on the radio anymore.

GL: That's exactly right … and I didn't think of that until YEARS later … and it's absolutely true … and the guy that worried the most was Elvis!

kk:  FIfty years later, tho, and you're still doin' it, man … I mean who would have EVER thought!

GL:  Oh my God … NEVER!  We've done 52 years so far … and that's the best gift I could have EVER been given.  I'm truly blessed.

kk:  And you're still havin' fun … and the folks are havin' fun watchin' it … you can't ask for anything better than that, you really can't!

GL:  No, no … and it's true … ALL the people we play to are just SUPER good people … they're probably the same people we played to in the '60s!

kk:  (laughing)  No, I think you've picked up a couple of generations since then (lol) … 'cause I've gotta say, this is infectious music … there's just something about this music that spans every age group … and as they discover it … I remember watching my kids grow up whenever they'd have a birthday party or something, they would still play the music of the '60's … didn't matter what era it was … it was still that feel good music of the '60's.

GL:  Ah, yeah … that's cool … you know, people tell me that all the time at our shows … "Oh my God, where is music like that now?"  And I say "Well, you know, I don't know the answer to that one but thank you for saying so."

kk:  One other thing from '67 that I wanted to ask … and this fact totally surprised me … "This Diamond Ring", which is one of my FAVORITE records of all time, was such a HUGE, huge hit when it first came out … but did you know that it didn't actually go gold until 1967.  Does that seem right to you?  Kinda odd?  I mean, that record was HUGE … BIG #1 Hit.

GL:  Yeah, that's right … I think that's because it got to #1 too fast … that's what I think.  It went up the charts SO fast … like maybe five or six weeks … that it didn't have time to sell all that until later on.

kk:  That could be.

GL:  That's what I think anyway.  Ever since 1965, I've got five "Diamond Ring" gold records, and three of all the others … so they keep coming because these songs have continued to sell.

kk: Wow - that's great!

GL:  I love it!

kk:  Now do you still get royalties on any of this stuff?

GL:  Yeah, sure … oh yeah, we made a GREAT deal with Liberty Records … a lifetime deal!

kk:  Well, that's just awesome … because a LOT of guys don't!

GL:  Oh, I know, I know … somewhere in their career when their popularity kinda sinks a little bit, they sign things back over to the record company, and that's the mistake right there.

kk:  Well, I appreciate you taking some time today to talk about some of this stuff, it means a lot … please follow along as we relive 1967 this year in Forgotten Hits ... and feel free to chime in at any time with some "fly on the wall" memories.

GL:  Oh sure, my pleasure … any time you want to do this, just shoot me an email or give me a call.

A rare shot of Gary in his Army Uniform - supplied by Gary Lewis!

December 31st

This is how we closed out 1966 on the national level.  (It's actually the perfect break … these records are ranked in order of sales and popularity for the week ending December 31, 1966 … the last day of the year.) 

Yesterday we showed you the twenty biggest records in Chicago during 1966.   

Billboard's National Year-End "Best of 1966" Chart tells an entirely different story …   

Here S/Sgt Barry Sadler's had the biggest record of the year with his five week chart-topper "The Ballad Of The Green Beret". 



The #2 Record of the Year was "Cherish" by The Association.  Coming in at #3 was "Soul And Inspiration" by The Righteous Brothers, followed by "Reach Out, I'll Be There" by The Four Tops (#4), "96 Tears" by ? and the Mysterians (#5), "Last Train To Clarksville" by The Monkees (#6), "Monday, Monday" by The Mamas and the Papas (#7), "You Can't Hurry Love" by The Supremes (#8), "Poor Side Of Town" by Johnny Rivers (#9) and "California Dreamin'" by The Mamas and the Papas (#10).  (This gives the brand new … and fire hot … Mamas and Papas TWO of the year's ten biggest records … and The Monkees … who would rule the charts in 1967 … one of the year's biggest singles in just the few months remaining after its first release.)  

Rounding out The Top 20:    

#11 - Summer in The City - Lovin' Spoonful
#12 - Born Free - Roger Williams (wow!)
#13 - These Boots Are Made For Walkin'  - Nancy Sinatra
#14 - What Becomes of the Broken Hearted - Jimmy Ruffin
#15 - Strangers In The Night - Frank Sinatra
#16 - We Can Work It Out - The Beatles 
#17 - Good Lovin' - The Young Rascals
#18 - Winchester Cathedral - The New Vaudeville Band
#19 - Hanky Panky - Tommy James and the Shondells
#20 - When A Man Loves A Woman - Percy Sledge

Tomorrow in Forgotten Hits ... 

1967 begins!

December 30th

Our brand new series kicks off today with a look back 50 years ...

And we'll continue to do so for ALL of 2017 ...

Please join us as we recreate 1967 ... exactly as it happened .

But first we've got to show you how it got there!

*****

Here's how things shaped up here in Chicago as 1966 drew to a close.

Notice that The Monkees have the #1 Record on WLS but, for whatever reason, they're showing "Steppin' Stone" as the A-Side of the hit!  (This will be the only time the record appears that way in the #1 slot.)  The Monkees haven't reached the top the WCFL chart yet … they're showing "Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron" by The Royal Guardsman on top ... and it'll occupy the #1 spot on Super 'CFL for three weeks. 

Some of Chicago's Top 20 Records didn't fare nearly as well on the national charts … "Grizzly Bear" by The Youngbloods, "Love You So Much" by The New Colony Six, "There's Got To Be A Word" by Innocence would be prime examples.

Both charts offer recaps of The Top 20 Hits of 1966 … but with surprisingly different results.  Although 17 titles (18 if you count "Day Tripper" by The Beatles, listed as a two-sided hit on the WCFL chart) appear on both year-end charts, some are in surprisingly different rankings.   

For example, WCFL shows "California Dreamin'" by The Mamas and the Papas as the biggest hit of 1966 … but it ranks at #6 on the WLS chart.  Likewise, WLS' #1 Record of 1966, "Hanky Panky" by Tommy James and the Shondells" only musters a #8 showing on the 'CFL chart.  "Kicks" by Paul Revere and the Raiders ranks as both #3 and #9, "96 Tears" by ? and the Mysterians fared better on WLS (#7) than it did on WCFL (#19) and "Sounds Of Silence" by Simon and Garfunkel was either the 8th … or the 13th biggest hit record of the year.   

Making the WLS list (but not the WCFL chart) are "Last Train To Clarksville" by The Monkees (#14) and "Five O'Clock World" by The Vogues (#19).  (Again the balance is off because WLS listed "We Can Work It Out" and "Day Tripper" as separate entries at #11 and #12 respectively).  

WCFL shows "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" by Nancy Sinatra at #10, "Reach Out, I'll Be There" by The Four Tops (#12) and "Barbara Ann" by The Beach Boys (#15) … none of these records made the WLS Year-End Top 20.