THE #1 HITS OF 1971

Hello:  Continuing in our series of #1 Hits, today we look at the year “1971″.  

1-KNOCK THREE TIMES-DAWN,  2-ONE BAD APPLE-THE OSMONDS,  3-ME AND BOBBY MC GEE-JANIS JOPLIN,  4-JUST MY IMAGINATION-THE TEMPTATIONS,  5-JOY TO THE WORLD-THREE DOG NIGHT,  6-BROWN SUGAR-ROLLING STONES,  7-WANT ADS-THE HONEY CONE,  8-IT’S TOO LATE-CAROLE KING,  9-INDIAN RESERVATION-THE RAIDERS,  10-YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND-JAMES TAYLOR,  11-HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART-BEE GEES,  12-UNCLE ALBERT/ADMIRAL HALSEY-PAUL & LINDA MC CARTNEY,  13-GO AWAY LITTLE GIRL-DONNY OSMOND,  14-MAGGIE MAY-ROD STEWART,  15-GYPSYS, TRAMPS & THIEVES-CHER,  16-THEME FROM SHAFT-ISAAC HAYES,  17-FAMILY AFFAIR-SLY & THE FAMILY STONE,  18-BRAND NEW KEY-MELANIE

The biggest #1 record of the year was “Joy To The World” by Three Dog Night.  It topped the charts for 6 weeks.  “One Bad Apple” by The Osmonds and “Maggie May” by Rod Stewart were second with 5 weeks each at #1.

Look for more #1 charts to come, as we list the #1 hits of the “Golden Era of Rock and Roll”

Till the next time—Joe

CLASSIC SERIES–SKEETER DAVIS–”THE END OF THE WORLD”

Hello,  Born Mary Frances Penick on December 30, 1931 in Dry Ridge, Kentucky, she would come to be known as Skeeter Davis.  She was a top recording artist in Country music, where she charted 41 Country hits between 1958 and 1976.  She would also have 8 Billboard Hot 100 hits between 1960 and 1964.

Her biggest hit is the all-time classic, “THE END OF THE WORLD” a sad song of a love that has faded away and with it all hope.  Skeeter’s recording on RCA Victor records made it’s Hot 100 debut on January 26, 1963.  It enjoyed a 17 week run on the chart and reached #2 .  It is the most successful “crossover hit” on the four Billboard charts.  Adult Contemporary-#1 for 4 weeks, Country and Western-#2 for 3 weeks, Hot 100-#2 for 1 week and R&B-#4.  The record sold over a million copies and Skeeter was awarded a “Gold Record”.  “The End Of The World” became her signature song.

Skeeter would have another Top 10 Pop hit later in 1963 with her recording of ”I CAN’T STAY MAD AT YOU”, she would reach #7 on the Hot 100 and have a stay of 13 weeks with her hit.

Skeeter Davis died in September of 2004 at the age of 72.  She left a legacy of great music, both in Country and Pop.  Her great recording of “The End Of The World” lives on, it is timeless, “it’s a classic”. 

Till the next time—Joe

TRIVIA TEASER-73

Hello, thanks for stopping by today.  The answer to yesterday’s question is: “SWEET SOUL MUSIC” by Arthur Conley.

Today’s Trivia Teaser question is:  In 1962 Duane Eddy had a hit record with “THE BALLAD OF PALADIN”.  It was the theme of what famous TV series?

Leave your answer in the comment box or check back tomorrow for the answer?

Till the next time—Joe

NUMBER 1 HITS–TOMMY EDWARDS–”IT’S ALL IN THE GAME”

Hello,  Tommy Edwards had one of the biggest records of the late 1950′s.  Tommy was an Adult Contemporary singer with a smooth voice and a very distinctive style.  Tommy charted 14 Billboard Top 100 hits between 1958 and 1960.  Tommy was born on February 17, 1922 in Richmond, Virginia and began performing  when he was nine.

Tommy’s biggest record was his 1958 #1 hit recording of “IT’S ALL IN THE GAME” on MGM Records.  His #1 hit made its Billboard Hot 100 chart debut on August 18, 1958.  It was #1 for 6 weeks on the Hot 100 and was #1 on the Billboard R&B chart for 3 weeks.  “It’s All In The Game” enjoyed a 22 week stay on the Hot 100.  The story behind the song is that Tommy recorded a version of “It’s All In The Game” that was a hit in 1951 on the same record label (MGM) with the same orchestra leader (Leroy Holmes).  The 1951 version peaked at #18 on the chart.  The 1958 version was more up-tempo, more suited to the rock and roll style of the time.

Tommy classic recording also charted at #1 on the UK Singles chart.  His recording was a huge success selling over 3.5 million records world-wide, earning him a “Gold Record”.  The flip side of “It’s All In The Game” was “PLEASE LOVE ME FOREVER” a great song of its own.  It also charted on the Hot 100, peaking at #61.  The only thing that stopped it from being a big hit was the “A” side, “It’s All In The Game”.

He would chart 5 more Top 30 hits in his career.  In October of 1969 Tommy Edwards died, at the age of 47.  Although he is gone his music lives on, it’s timeless.  “It’s All In The Game” is still a heavily requested and played song on oldies radio and why not!!! “it’s a great love song.

Tommy’s other Top 30 hits are:  “LOVE IS ALL WE NEED-#15 in 1958, “PLEASE MR. SUN”-#11 in 1958, “THE MORNING SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN”-#27 in 1958, “MY MELANCHOLY BABY”-#26 in 1958 and ”I REALLY DON’T WANT TO KNOW”-#18 in 1960. 

Till the next time—Joe

TRIVIA TEASER-72

Hello,  The answer to yesterday’s question is:  “I’M SORRY” was Brenda Lee first Billboard Hot 100 hit in 1960.

Today’s Trivia Teaser question is:  In 1967 Arthur Conley had a #2 Billboard Hot 100 hit with a song originally written by Sam Cooke as “Yeah Man”.  Can you name this song?

Leave your answer in the comment box or check back tomorrow for the answer.

Till the next time—Joe

#1 Hit Records–ELVIS PRESLEY–”SUSPICIOUS MINDS”

Hello:  Elvis Presley, “The King Of Rock and Roll”, the all-time #1 ranked singer had a chart history that began on March 3, 1956 and continued until his death on August 16, 1977 at his mansion “Graceland” in Memphis, Tennessee.  He was only 42 years old.  Elvis, through the re-mix versions of “A LITTLE LESS CONVERSATION” and “RUBBERNECKIN’” was still charting records in 2002 and 2003.

Elvis’s last number 1 record in his lifetime made its Billboard Hot 100 debut on September 13, 1969.  “SUSPICIOUS MINDS” on RCA Victor Records reached #1 on November 1, 1969.  The single had a 15 week stay on the Hot 100 chart and sold over 2 million copies.  “Suspicious Minds” was Elvis’s 124th charted single record, he has 165 charted hits to date.  The flip side of the record was “YOU’LL THINK OF ME”, a very good song that did not chart.

“Suspicious Minds” was recorded at the “Memphis sessions” in February of 1969.  The song was written by “Mark James” in 1968 and was recorded and released by Mark, but it failed to chart.  Elvis liked the song and felt he could turn it into a hit.  The song was brought to Elvis by “Chips Moman, owner of American Sound Studio, in 1969.

“Suspicious Minds” is noted for the fadeout and then fades back in, to bring home the message of the relationship in the song.  Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter recorded the song on RCA Records in 1970.  Their version reached #25 on the Billboard Country chart.  Their version was re-released by RCA in 1976 and peaked at #2 on the Country chart and was included in their history-making album “Wanted! The Outlaws” that same year.

Elvis Presley’s version is ranked #91 on the “Rolling Stone” Top 500 songs of all-time list, it won a “Hall of Fame” Grammy Award and is in the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame” as one of the 500 songs that shaped rock and roll.  It is also listed by BMI (Broadcast Music Industry) at #30 on their list of the 100 most played songs of the 20th Century.  Elvis Presley was inducted into the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame” in 1986.

Till the next time—Joe

TRIVIA TEASER-71

Hello, thanks for stopping by today.  The answer to yesterday’s Trivia Teaser question is, THE JIVE FIVE (Lead singer-Eugene Pitt).

Today’s question is:  On July 18, 1960 this song became Brenda Lee’s first Billboard Hot 100, number 1 hit.  It held the #1 spot for 3 weeks, can you name the song?

Leave your answer in the comment box or check back tomorrow for the answer.

Till the next time—Joe

DEE DEE SHARP

Hello,  Dee Dee Sharp is one of Cameo/Parkway Records biggest stars of the early 1960′s.  Her songs got us out on the dance floor and kept us coming back for more.  Dee Dee was born Dione LaRue on September 9, 1945 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  She was a backing vocalist at Cameo Records in 1961.

In 1962 she began a string of Top 10 records.  Her first was a duet with Chubby Checker, “SLOW TWISTIN’, on Parkway Records (Chubby’s label), made its Hot 100 debut in March of 1962.  Running up the Billboard chart it peaked at #3.  Also making its chart debut on the same day (March,3) was her first solo hit, her classic dance tune “MASHED POTATO TIME” on Cameo Records.  Dee Dee made it to #2 on the Hot 100 and remained on the chart for 18 weeks.  “Mashed Potato Time” sold over a million copies and Dee Dee was awarded a “Gold Record”.  She also crossed over to the Billboard R&B chart, holding the #1 spot for 4 weeks.

In June of 1962 her next single entered the chart.  “GRAVY” (For My Mashed Potatoes) became her third Top 10 hit, reaching #9.  In October, Dee Dee was on the Hot 100 with another hit record.  “RIDE!” became her fourth Top 10 record, peaking at #5 and like “Mashed Potato Time” it sold over one-million copies, earning Dee Dee her second “Gold Record”.  In March of 1963 yet another big record made its way up the chart.  “DO THE BIRD” became her fifth Top 10 record in a row, making it to #10 on the Hot 100.

She would continue to place records on the Hot 100 through 1965, but the string of Top 10 hits had come to an end.  As with a lot of American artists, the British Invasion cut into their chart time, as the British artists ruled the charts.  In 1981 Dee Dee spent 4 weeks at #1 on the “Hot Dance Club Play” chart with “BREAKING AND ENTERING”/”EASY MONEY” from her album “DEE DEE”.

Dee Dee Sharp and the great songs she recorded in the early ’60s are a part of  “Rock and Rolls Golden Era” an era we will never see again.

Till the next time—Joe

TRIVIA TEASER-70

Hi, Yesterday’s question asked: What famous singer is heard doing the backing vocal on Neil Sedaka’s hit “Bad Blood” from 1975?  The answer is Elton John.

Today’s Trivia Teaser question is:  This great R&B vocal group from Brooklyn, New York reached #1 on the Billboard R&B charts in 1961 and #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 with their recording of  ”MY TRUE STORY”.   Can you name this group?

Leave your answer in the comment box or check back tomorrow for the answer.

Till the next time—Joe

TERRY STAFFORD

Hello:  Terry Stafford was born on November 22, 1941 in Hollis, Oklahoma.  He was raised in Amarillo, Texas.  Terry was a pop/rock and roll singer and songwriter.  He was an Elvis Presley sound-alike.  Terry charted 2 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.

His first hit made its chart debut on February 22, 1964.  “SUSPICION” on the Crusader Records label was a huge hit for Terry climbing the chart and peaking at #3 and remaining on the chart for 15 weeks.  “Suspicion” also was a hit in the UK, reaching #31 on the UK singles chart.  With strong world-wide sales “Suspicion” became a million selling single record.  Elvis Presley actually recorded “Suspicion” before Terry, but it stayed an album track until Terry’s version was already a hit.  Elvis recorded it for his “Pot Luck” album in 1962.  Elvis’s version released in 1964(May) only reached #103 on the” Billboard Bubbling Under The Hot 100″ chart.

In May of 1964 Terry’s second Hot 100 hit made its chart debut.  “I’LL TOUCH A STAR” climbed the chart to #25 and remained on the Hot 100 for 8 weeks.  In August of ’64 Terry’s “FOLLOW THE RAINBOW” failed to reach the Hot 100 but did reach #101 on Billboards “Bubbling Under The Hot 100″.  That would be the end of Terry Stafford’s charted hits but by no means the end of his career.  His writing took over, in 1973 he wrote “AMARILLO BY MORNING” and had a #31 Country hit.  In 1982 George Strait took Terry’s song to #4 on the Billboard Country chart and Buck Owens recorded Terry’s “BIG IN VEGAS” in 1969 and took it all the way to #5 on the Country chart.

I’m not sure why he didn’t have more Hot 100 hits than 2, maybe he sounded too much like Elvis or maybe it was because of the British Invasion taking hold on the American music scene, (The Beatles 5 #1′s kept “Suspicion” out of  the #1 spot).  This much is certain, he was not a One-Hit Wonder.  Beside his 2 Hot 100 hits Terry charted 6 country hits and wrote many other good songs.  Terry Stafford died on March 17, 1996 at the age of 54, but his music lives on.

Till the next time—Joe