Top Ten Songs From Summer 1969: "Mama Told Me Not to Come"

1.  (THEY LONG TO BE) CLOSE TO YOU--  Carpenters
2.  MAKE IT WITH YOU--  Bread
3.  SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED (I'M YOURS)--  Stevie Wonder

4.  SPILL THE WINE--  Eric Burdon & War
5.  BAND OF GOLD--  Freda Payne
6.  MAMA TOLD ME NOT TO COME--  Three Dog Night
7.  THE LOVE YOU SAVE--  Jackson Five

8.  BALL OF CONFUSION--  Temptations
9.  O-O-H CHILD--  Five Stairsteps
10.  IN THE SUMMERTIME--  Mungo Jerry

"The Fact That Me. An Overfed, Long-Haired Leaping Gnome."  --RoadDog


"Spill the Wine"

Where Were You December 27, 1969?-- Part 2

We were getting ready to go into the decade of the seventies and these were the songs we were listening to as compiled by Bob Stroud on his Rock and Roll Roots Show on WDRV, the Drive, in Chicago.

As usual, his comments first (how can he know that much stuff?) and mine following in parentheses.

As we get ready to say goodbye to the first decade of the 2000s, this morning on Rock and Roll Roots, we are going to time warp you back to when we said goodbye to the 70s and first off, the 60s. The date is December 27th and this is what your radio sounded like in 1969.

NA NA HEY HEY KISS HIM GOODBYE-- STEAM-- one hit wonder from a little studio band, it was in the top ten on this date. It is a song that still hasn't run out of steam, especially here in Chicago. We're kissing the first decade of the 2000s goodbye. (My White Sox song brought to us by Sox organist Nancy Faust, who will be retiring after this season after 40 years on the job. We'll miss her, a real Sox tradition. Whenever I hear another team's fans singing it, I think, "Hey, that's our song!!)
HEAVEN KNOWS-- GRASS ROOTS-- (Still one of the most under rated groups ever. They had some mighty good stuff.)

EARLY IN THE MORNING-- VANITY FAIR-- Seeing as it is early in the morning (about 7:10 AM), we are going to go back and catch the first of two hits by an English band called Vanity Fair. In 1970, they had their second hit, "Hitching to Ride."
WONDERFUL WORLD, BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE-- JIMMY CLIFF-- a big reggae hit, one of the first. (Way before I knew what reggae was. I didn't really get into this music until the 80s. It is now a favorite.)

Loved My WLS and WCFL. --RoadDog

Some Other Big Songs of September, 1969

From Dave McAleer's "The Book of Hit Singles Top 20 Charts."

Here are some that Bob Stroud did not play.

SHARE YOUR LOVE WITH ME-- ARETHA FRANKLIN
THIS GIRL IS A WOMAN NOW-- GARY PUCKETT & THE UNION GAP-- A fitting follow-up to "Young Girl." I wonder how she became a woman? Jail bait, Gary.

HURT SO BAD-- LETTERMEN
JEAN-- OLIVER

OH WHAT A NITE-- DELLS
LITTLE WOMAN-- BOBBY SHERMAN

CAN'T GET NEXT TO YOU-- TEMPTATIONS

I see that on the UK chart, "Bad Moon Rising" by CCR hit #1, something no Creedence song did here in the US, unfortunately.

Where Were You September 6, 1969?-- Part 6

Stroud introduces each segment with part of a song that was also popular.

Here is a list of those songs:

TRACY-- CUFFLINKS
SO GOOD TOGETHER-- ANDY KIM

Back with more stax of wax from the back of the racks. With R&B superstar turned politician, the one, the only Iceman Cometh, MR. JERRY BUTLER, with "WHAT'S THE USE OF BREAKING UP."

I'LL NEVER FALL IN LOVE AGAIN-- TOM JONES who debuted his TV show with Janis Joplin.
AORTA, a hometown Chicago band.

One Memory After Another. --RoadDog

Where Were You September 6, 1969?-- Part 5

EASY TO BE HARD-- THREE DOG NIGHT-- Top Ten. Originally from the "Hair" soundtrack.
RUNNIN' BLUE-- DOORS-- New Doors album "The Soft Parade" Another track from the album. ("Poor Otis dead and gone, left me in this stately home.")

TIRED OF WAITING-- FLOCK-- One of the most innovative bands from Chicago, from their first Columbia album and a cover of the Kinks classic. (Like no Kinks you ever heard. Kind of like Vanilla Fudge meets Ray and the boys.)
BEGINNINGS-- CHICAGO-- Brand new Chicago Transit Authority before they forced to change their name.
I WANT YOU TO KNOW-- NEW COLONY SIX-- Local band that charted more hits in Chicago than any other group. (My favorite 60s Chicago band, followed by Cryan' Shames.)

FOLSOM PRISON BLUES-- JOHNNY CASH--A statue of liberty play and fake punt and play a song from the #1 album. I'll let the artist introduce himself. The number one album was at San Quentin. Don't get me wrong, I like "Sugar, Sugar" as much as the next guy. (Yeah, right Bob. Just couldn't bring himself to play "Sugar, Sugar.")

Sure enjoyed this trip back to the Summer of 1969. Brought back lots of memories. I look forward to next year's Summer of 1970.

Let the Memories Begin. --RoadDog

Where Were You September 6, 1969?-- Part 4

SUSPICIOUS MINDS-- ELVIS PRESLEY-- hit bound from the King. It would hit #1. (One of my very favorite Elvis songs along with "Burning Love.)
THE TRAIN-- 1910 FRUITGUM COMPANY-- This highlights the beauty of Top 40 radio. You got Dylan, Joplin, the King and a dose of Bubble Gum right there. It is #3 in town. (I don't care what anyone says, I still love my Bubble Gum Music.)

I'D WAIT A MILLION YEARS-- GRASS ROOTS-- In the Top Ten, from Los Angeles, California. (Still one of the most under rated groups.)
DELTA LADY-- JOE COCKER-- a new track from an upcoming album.

HOT FUN IN THE SUMMERTIME-- SLY & THE FAMILY STONE-- He managed to squeak this out before summer time ended even though it was at the very end of the season when it finally got released. (A great summer song.)
UNDUN-- GUESS WHO-- The "B" side of a two-sided hit.

DID YOU SEE HER EYES-- ILLUSION-- band from the east coast in the Top Ten. One Hit Wonders. The full version of it. (I like the radio edit version better.)
LODI-- CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL-- "B" side of "Green River." (No one better in '69 than John Fogerty and the boys.)

Not Finished Yet. --RoadDog

Some More About This Music from 1969

"MAYBE"-- CHANTELS

"Maybe," the song covered by Janis Joplin in the earlier posting, was first recorded by the Chantels, considered to be the second all-girl black group to have success in the US (not sure who was the first). In 1958, this song hit #15 pop and #2 R&B. It is described as "arguably the first glimmering of the girl group sound."

Rolling Stone ranks it #195 on their list of 50 Greatest Songs of All Time.

From Wikipedia


"YOU, I" RUGBYS

Called Classic Top 40 Psychedelic Pop with that wah-wah pedal. I also call it Garage Rock and sure Little Steven would agree. The group was from the Louisville, Kentucky area and the song was on the Amazon record label, which was a bit sexy with the woman's attire.

"You, I" hit #1 on Louisville local charts and #24 on Billboard.

Not in Wikipedia. I found this information on the Garage Hangover web site. If you like garage bands, this has to be checked out. www.garagehangover.com.

One person wrote in to say the band played their prom in Harrisburg, Illinois, in 1970, and they made the event great.

The Rest of the Story. --RoadDog

Where Were You September 6, 1969? --Part 3

Continuing with Bob Stroud's Rock and Roll Roots Time Warp back to the Summer of '69 as we are fogged in this morning. This is his fourth and final installment of the show. If you are of the age (as I am, summer between graduating high school and before college), you really missed some memories. Hopefully the list will help, but nothing like listening to the actual music.

You can catch his show via the internet at www.wdrv.com between 7 and 10 AM CST every Sunday on WDRV, the Drive, from Chicago.

SUITE: JUDY BLUE EYES-- CROSBY, STILLS & NASH-- From the album "Crosby, Stills and Nash." (Great harmonies from a group I liked just as well as CCR.)
WHEN I DIE-- MOTHERLODE-- Canadian band

CINNAMON GIRL-- NEIL YOUNG-- Another Canadian artist we were listening to because we had his second album in our collection "Everybody Knows This is Nowhere." (Love that guitar bit. Cinnamon is one of the hardest words for me to spell.)
CARRY ME BACK-- RASCALS-- blowing us away with each and every release. New in your radio. (They had dropped the Young from name. Guess they were getting older.)

LAY LADY LAY-- BOB DYLAN-- latest album "Nashville Skyline." Great song from an even better album. Made me think, "Hey this country stuff ain't all that bad. Perhaps this album can be credited with my getting into country music a few years later.)
MAYBE-- JANIS JOPLIN-- Mew one from her upcoming release "I Got Dem Old Kosmic Blues Again." From the R&B classic. (by the Chantels. Pouring out her soul in every single word.)

GREEN RIVER-- CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL-- current "45", the "A" side. (Ahh, Creedence.)
LADY SAMANTHA-- THREE DOG NIGHT-- This is likely the first Elton John Bernie Taupin composition many of us had heard here in the United States as it was included in their second album "Suitable for Framing."

As usual, Stroud's comment first. Mine in parentheses.

Mighty Good Stuff from 40 Years Ago. --RoadDog

Where Were You September 6, 1969? --Part 1

Sure blog-goofed and started this one on my Road Log yesterday. Two-finger typing is too slow to repeat it, but if you want to see it, go to http://roaddogsroadlog.blogspot.com.

I wrote about what I was doing back then.

Anyway, the songs that were around forty years ago. As usual, Bob Stroud's comments first, then mine in parentheses.

EVERYBODY'S TALKIN'-- NILSSON-- brand new recording included in the soundtrack of "Midnight Cowboy" (On the flipside was "Rainmaker" one of my all-time favorites, right up there with Christie's "Yellow River>' This song was played to death at popular NIU hangout Rick's out by the Lincoln Highway. If I heard it once there, I heard it a hundred times, probably six or seven times a night. Later, Chicago's own Cryan' Shames covered it.)
POLK SALAD ANNIE-- TONY JOE WHITE-- ("Some of you all never been down south too much.")

BOTH SIDES NOW-- JONI MITCHELL-- from the second album by who was regarded as a folk singer back then from an album called "Clouds."
I CAN'T GET NEXT TO YOU-- TEMPTATIONS-- On their way to having one of the biggest recordings of their career. (Give me that good old Motown sound. I don't know what was better, the music or the choreography?)

PUT A LITTLE LOVE IN YOUR HEART-- JACKIE DeSHANNON-- current hit
TIME MACHINE-- GRAND FUNK RAILROAD-- There's this new band out of Michigan and their debut album "On Time" is just a few weeks old at this point in time. Their first single release.

More Memories to Come. --RoadDog

It's a Generational Thing

Today's Chicago Tribune had an article called "Talkin' 'bout whose generation?" by Ann Powers.

She was comparing the generations based by decade, and saying that everyone is getting hit with the sixties thing because of the Woodstock thing.

She also had the top ten from August 21, 2009 and August 21, 1969. I know that yesterday I made myself sit through an American Top 40 show so I could at least have some idea what is being played for the younger folks these days.

TOP TEN TODAY

1. I GOTTA FEELING-- BLACK EYED PEAS
2. PARTY IN THE USA-- MILEY CYRUS
3. RUN THIS TOWN-- JAY-Z, RIHANNA & KANYE WEST
4. YOU BELONG WITH ME-- TAYLOR SWIFT
5. USE SOMEBODY-- KINGS OF LEON
6. BEST I EVER HAD-- DRAKE
7. DOWN-- JAY SEAN
8. KNOCK YOU DOWN-- KERL HILSON
9. GOOD GIRLS GO BAD-- COBRA STARSHIP
10. HOTEL ROOM SERVICE-- PITBULL

There were some good songs in here as well as the other ones in the top 40.

HOWEVER, I must admit liking the 1969 ones better for some reason.

TOP TEN- THEN

1. HONKY TONK WOMAN-- ROLLING STONES
2. A BOY NAMED SUE-- JOHNNY CASH
3. CRYSTAL BLUE PERSUASION-- TOMMY JAMES & THE SHONDELLS
4. SWEET CAROLINA-- NEIL DIAMOND
5. IN THE YEAR 2525-- ZAGER & EVANS
6. PUT A LITTLE LOVE IN YOUR HEART-- JACKIE DE SHANNON
7. GREEN RIVER-- CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL
8. POLK SALAD ANNIE-- TONY JOE WHITE
9. GET TOGETHER-- YOUNGBLOODS
10. LAUGHING-- GUESS WHO

Oh, Well. That's Then, This is Now. --RoadDog

Woodstock: 40 Years On-- Part 1

As I suspected, this past weekend, Bob Stroud revisited the Woodstock Music Festival, which was underway 40 years ago this weekend.

With the exception of some songs from people having birthdays and some live music, the main part of his show was devoted to music played at the festival or about it.

His comments follow the song and group/performer.

Come on in, my tie-dyed friend and join us at Woodstock, 40 years on as we travel back to Yasgur's farm and enjoy some of the performances that shook upstate New York 40 years ago this weekend. It is a Woodstock kind of a weekend right here on the Drive including the Rock and Roll Roots Program.

WOODSTOCK-- CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG-- Their version out in early 1970, right around the same time of Joni Mitchell's version. Of course, she the composer of the classic.
FREEDOM-- RICHIE HAVENS-- What better way to start our Woodstock 40 Years On presentation this morning on the Rock and Roll Roots Program than with the start of the Woodstock Music and Arts Festival here on 97.1, the Drive. And, it started with the above-mentioned Richie Havens. Throwing Richie Havens out there almost by his lonesome to the hungry masses and warming them up. A couple hundred thousand people out there. Sounds like he got the gig done with "freedom."

COMING INTO LOS ANGELES-- ARLO GUTHRIE-- Just a little under two years before he hit the stage at Woodstock he made his mark with a recording called "Alice's Restaurant."
CITY OF NEW ORLEANS-- ARLO GUTHRIE-- 1972, a good old Steve Goodman song.

"Three Days of Music, and Nothing But Music." --RoadDog

Where Were You August 2, 1969? --Part 5

Should Really Finish This Before the End of the Month.

BREAK AWAY-- BEACH BOYS-- we had the final album that summer made by the Beach Boys for Capitol Records titles "20-20," but it didn't contain their final 45 they would record before they left for the greener pastures with Warner brothers. And, it was aptly titles "Break Away" and one of the very best from the pen of Brian Wilson.
GET TOGETHER-- YOUNGBLOODS-- brand new. It had originally been out two years before, in '67 and only a minor hit. Now, it is becoming a Top ten smash. (Great way to sum up the sixties.)

MARAKESH EXPRESS-- CROSBY, STILLS & NASH-- their debut single.
MY PLEDGE OF LOVE-- JOE JEFFREY GROUP-- feel-good song of the summer. Out of Cleveland, Ohio.

MY CHERIE AMOUR-- STEVIE WONDER-- a "B" side in the Top Ten
SPINNING WHEEL-- BLOOD SWEAT AND TEARS--

COMMOTION-- CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL-- "B" Side (of "Green River")
EVERYBODY KNOWS MATILDA-- DUKE BAXTER-- some stations thought this too racy. One hit wonder, debuted on WCFL this week.

GOOD MORNING STARSHINE-- OLIVER
SWEET CAROLINE-- NEIL DIAMOND-- Top Ten

And the Number One Song

HONKY TONK WOMAN-- ROLLING STONES-- By August 2, 1969, Brian Jonesd not only kicked out of the Rolling Stones, he was dead, but yet the Stones continued to roll with the #1 song in town.

Great Music That Summer. --RoadDog

Where Were You August 2, 1969?-- Part 4

Remember Way Back Then. Well, Here We Go.

POLK SALAD ANNIE-- TONY JOE WHITE-- top ten. (Some of that Swamp Rock, you know.)
FEELIN' ALRIGHT-- THREE DOG NIGHT-- brand new album, their second, "Suitable for Framing" and the lead off track was the old Traffic classic done up Three Dog night style with horns by Chicago. The single would later be the "B" side of the single "Celebrate."

GOOD OLD ROCK AND ROLL-- CAT MOTHER AND THE ALL NIGHT NEWSBOYS-- paying tribute to an era gone by, an era that Elvis originally got his start, produced by Jimi Hendrix. (When I was just a little boy, you know my one and only joy was listening to that good old...." Where did they go? See below.)
JAILHOUSE ROCK-- JEFF BECK-- Some of the most beautiful noise ever put to vinyl. This is Jeff Beck's version and you can find it on his second album that was out in the Summer of '69 "Beckola" with Rod Stewart on lead vocals on this track."

LAUGHING-- GUESS WHO-- Played the "B" side earlier, the "A" side.
IN THE YEAR 2525-- ZAGER AND EVANS-- Back in 1969, the year 2525 seemed really far off, now here in 2009, it doesn't seem so far off. Your classic one-hit wonder. Back-to-Back RCA Victor 45s (with "Laughing")


WHERE DID CAT MOTHER GO?

Boston, Philadelphia, Pa, deep in the heart of Texas, La Jolla, New Orleans, and Frisco Bay.

If Man is Still Alive and Woman Can Survive, They may Find.... --RoadDog

Where Were You August 2, 1969-- Part 3

As in 40 years ago!!! Bob Stroud going back to what was on the radio and in our record collections all those years ago. This is his monthly Rock and Roll Roots Time Warp on Sundays from 7 to 10 AM on Chicago's WDRV-- 97.1 FM (96.9 FM here near the Wisconsin border. Bob's comments following. Mine in parentheses.


SOUL DEEP-- BOX TOPS-- brand new, latest from Alex Chilton and the Box Tops. (More blue-eyed soul!)
GIVE PEACE A CHANCE-- PLASTIC ONO BAND-- the real thing. (Song of choice for campus anti-war demonstrations at NIU. Well, not the real Beatles, but one of 'em anyway.)

BIRTHDAY-- UNDERGROUND SUNSHINE-- little garage band out of Minnesota in the top ten. Their version of the Beatles song. (Never heard it that I know of.)
SOMEBODY TO LOVE (lIVE)-- JEFFERSON AIRPLANE-- There was a strong showing by the San Francisco contingent 40 years ago. New albums by Sly & the Family Stone, Grateful Dead, and the Jefferson Airplane. The Airplane album was live and recorded at the Fillmore West. It was recorded in the fall of 1968 and called "Bless Its Pointed Little Head

PUT A LITTLE LOVE IN YOUR HEART-- JACKIE DESHANNON-- Top Ten
DID YOU SEE HER EYES-- ILLUSION-- An east coast band that called themselves the Illusion, they were a one-hit wonder. An edited version of this album cut was the hit. (Definitely the l-o-n-g version. I was only familiar with the radio version.)

I'D WAIT A MILLION YEARS-- GRASS ROOTS-- debuting this week, forty years ago. (One of the really underrated groups ever.)
SOUTH CALIFORNIA PURPLES-- CHICAGO-- their debut album was all over the place in the summer of 69. One of the big albums that summer. "The Chicago Transit Authority. Jerry Kaft? never sounded better. (Named after Chicago's mass transit system, the CTA.)

Never Heard of Underground Sunshine. Must Be Some Sort of a Psychedelic Thing. --RoadDog

Where Were You August 2, 1969?-- Part 2

RUBY, DON'T TAKE YOUR LOVE TO TOWN-- KENNY ROGERS AND THE FIRST EDITION-- huge hit. (I give this the reward for having the longest name and group name. Does it ever end?)
ONE-- THREE DOG NIGHT-- a former #1 hit for the group written by Harry Nilsson and a track off their debut album, and at this point in time, they had just released their second album, "Suitable for Framing" and we're going to hear some things from it later on in the show.

THIS WHEEL'S ON FIRE-- BYRDS-- Lead off track from their "Dr. Byrds and Mr. Hyde" album written by Bob Dylan. Yet, another Bob Dylan track that many of us had first heard on the debut album of the Band "Music From Big Pink" in 1968. (Never heard this version before.)
LAY LADY LAY-- BOB DYLAN-- brand new from his album "Nashville Skyline. (Liz was going to get this single for me, but when her mom saw the title, she couldn't. I wonder why? Something about a Generation Gap, perhaps? Liz did buy it later when her mother wasn't around. My favorite Bob Dylan song of my favorite album by him.)

WORKIN' ON A GROOVY THING-- FIFTH DIMENSION-- New single. Follow up to "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In."
PRE-ROAD DOWNS-- CROSBY, STILLS, AND NASH-- One of the big albums of the summer was the debut of CSN. This is the tune that closes side one. In an interview not too long ago, Graham Nash let out the secret that there is one other voice on the record besides himself, David Crosby, and Steven Stills, and that is Mama Cass from the Mamas and Papas who they sneak in on the line, "Be sure to hide the roaches." If you listen closely, you can hear her voice. (Wish Bob had said this before the song so I could have been listening closely. I live it when Bob provides a little tidbit like this.)

CRYSTAL BLUE PERSUASION-- TOMMY JAMES & THE SHONDELLS-- latest single
BABY, I LOVE YOU-- ANDY KIM-- In the top ten with his remake of the classic Ronettes hit.

Lay, Lady Where? --RoadDog

Events of 1969

The July 19th Chicago Tribune ran an article by Rob Mankel titles "Wal*Mart >", actually a star between the two words.

It had twelve other things occurring in 1969 and how they stacked up against the Moon Landing. Things like Nixon being sworn in, "The Brady Bunch" premiering, Beatles releasing "Abbey Road," Arpanet debuting and others.

Today, I gave my observations on my history blog at http://cootershistorything.blogspot.com.

If You're Interested. --RoadDog

Where Were You August 2, 1969?-- Part 1

This past Sunday, Bob Stroud did his third installment of his Time Warp back to the Summer of 1969.

By now, I was really getting ready to start my freshman year at Northern Illinois University in Dekalb. I had a chance to go to any college I wanted in Illinois and this was the one I chose. I liked it because it was far enough away, but close enough to home in Palatine, about an hour.

I had already been to an orientation program on campus and was really looking forward to it. As they say, "It's not for knowledge that I come to college, but to raise hell while I'm here."

As usual, quotes are Stroud's and those in parentheses are mine.

You're just in time to stop on in and follow us back to the Summer of 1969 as we commemorate the 40th anniversary of August 2, 1969. This is what your radio sounded like.

GREEN RIVER-- CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL-- Speaking of two-sided hits, this was a new one in your radio from Creedence Clearwater. On the "A" side, "Green River and their new album would be out in about three weeks as well. This would be the title track from their third album. We'll hear the "B" side a little later in the show. (CCR always will be my favorite group.)
UNDONE-- GUESS WHO-- Doing it up with Guess Who on the Time Warp. There was a new two-sided hit. There's the "B" side. The "A" side we'll hear a little later. (Blue-eyed soul from Burton Cummings and crew.)

Break-- Coming back, Stroud played part of "Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet" by Henry Mancini. "Music to the soundtrack. This was a movie basically about a boy named Romeo and a girl named Juliet.

A BOY NAMED SUE-- JOHNNY CASH-- There was also a song on your radio 40 years ago about a boy named Sue by J.C., Johnny Cash. It was brand new from "Live at San Quentin. And, I'm a jock named Bob, this morning a Boss Jock. ("...Bill or George, anything but Sue!!" When I was deejaying, I really gave any girl in the audience named Sue a hard time with this one.)


More to Come. --RoadDog

Where Were You July 5, 1969?-- Part 5

Getting near the end of July so thought it might be a good time to finish the list of top songs in Chicago for this date. This Sunday, Bob Stroud will go to August 2, 1969 and flood out those memories. The show will stream live from 7 to 10 AM on the Drive, 97.1 FM. www.wdrv.com

Finishing Up Now.


BABY I LOVE YOU-- ANDY KIM-- Remake of an old Ronettes number. (Always reminds me of Honey Hill in Wauconda, Illinois. Spent lots of days at that beach that summer.)
STAND-- SLY & THE FAMILY STONE-- Title track to one of my favorite albums from that summer. Out just a few months. (One of the Big Four artists played at the Delta Sig parties at NIU in 1970. Sly's GH, Temptations GH, Four Tops GH, and CCR's "Green River.")

ISRAELITES-- DESMOND DEKKER AND THE ACES-- a little ska in your radio. (My first intro to reggae-style music.)
BAD MOON RISING-- CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVVAL-- "A" Side of "Lodi." (That's my ringtone!!)

GOOD MORNING LITTLE SCHOOL GIRL-- JOHNNY WINTER-- Summer of '69, the year many of us would be introduced to the greatest blues guitarist, Johnny Winter. Debuted on his first Columbia album and what a milestone release.
MOTHER POPCORN-- JAMES BROWN-- That's some microwave popcorn right there, from the King, James Brown.

HONKY TONK WOMEN-- ROLLING STONES-- hit-bound. (One of my favorite Stones songs along with "Jumping Jack Flash." This is one of those signature songs of that summer for me. Reminds me of the trip to North Carolina.)
MEDICINE MAN-- BUCHANAN BROTHERS-- (This one always sounds like we're part way through it when it starts. "Don't you know that I'm a man, the only one who can understand.")

*****ONE-- THREE DOG NIGHT-- The band you can see this week at Harrad's Joliet (IL) for free, had the number one song. (How about that, "One" is Number one. How'd they know?)

Man, Those Were Some Memories. --RoadDog

Where Were You July 5, 1969?-- Part 4

Continuing Down Memory Lane. These were the songs playing on your radio and in your album collection forty years ago.

SEE-- RASCALS-- Never can remember the name of this one.

MARAKESH EXPRESS-- CROSBY, STILLS AND NASH-- The first single release from their debut album out a month and the word is spreading fast that this is not to be missed. Graham Nash from the Hollies, Steve Stills from Buffalo Springfield, and David Crosby of the Byrds to create something for the ages. (This was the second group I bought every single album as soon as it was released. The first group was CCR. What harmony these guys could do.)
49 BYE BYES-- CROSBY, STILLS AND NASH-- closing selection on the album. (My favorite song on the album.)

CRYSTAL BLUE PERSUASION-- TOMMY JAMES & THE SHONDELLS-- current release in the top ten. (Talk about your perfect laid-back summer song!)
A SALTY DOG-- PROCUL HARUM-- Sailing the high seas with their brand new album "Salty Dog." The title selection and beautiful composition. Great lead vocals from Gary Brookens.

LET ME-- PAUL REVERE AND THE RAIDERS-- latest. Big record here in Chicago as all of them were. (The lead guitarist for the band, Drake Levin, who played on many of their earlier hits, just died.)
THE BALLAD OF JOHN AND YOKO-- BEATLES-- Ase mentioned last time, not played by a lot of stations because of the word "Christ." (Christ you know it ain't easy. You know how hard it can be.")

A Week from Sunday, Bob Takes Us to August2, 1969. --RoadDog

Where Were You July 5, 1969? --Part 3

More songs from WLS AM and WCFL AM. Chicago

Bob Stroud's quotes. Mine in parentheses.

MY CHERIE AMOUR-- STEVIE WONDER-- Started out as a "B" side. The "A" side was "I Don't Know Why" that sort of floundered and jocks started flipping the record over and found this killer ballad.

GET BACK-- BEATLES-- "A" side. When we last left June, this was #1 in Chicago. It had been replaced.
DON'T LET ME DOWN-- BEATLES-- "B" side

IT'S FOR YOU-- THREE DOG NIGHT-- Back to the debut album again with a Lennon/McCarthy song. English singer Cilla Black originally recorded it. Handles in the inimitable three-part harmony.
MY PLEDGE OF LOVE-- JOE JEFFFREY GROUP-- A great one hit-- out of Cleveland making them a classic one-hit wonder. (One of those special little songs that so reminds me of that summer.)

BRAVE NEW WORLD-- STEVE MILLER BAND-- A trip to the record store would find the third album of the band. Title selection.
WHITE BIRD-- IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY-- new band out of San Francisco. (This was Liz's roommate, Debbie's, favorite album. I ended up having to buy the LP when i somehow misplaced the cover. To this day, I have no idea what happened to it.)

GOOD MORNING STARSHINE-- OLIVER-- (I think from the musical "Hair.")
NEVER COMES THE DAY-- MOODY BLUES-- From the new album "On the Threshold of a Dream." (Let's put the album on the turntable and then put the earphones on to listen to this one.)

More Memories to Come. --RoadDog