WLS Top 27 Songs for Week of November 13, 1972-- Part 1: 'I'm Stone in Love with You'

That's right, a half century ago these were the big songs on Chicago's Powerhouse WLS, 890 AM.

*  Means the song was climbing the charts.  The number after the artist is how high the song got on the Billboard Hot 100 National Chart.

27.  *I'M STONE IN LOVE WITH YOU--  Stylistics    #10  With that unique voice of Russell Thompkins, Jr.  From Philadelphia.

26.  *CLAIR--  Gilbert O'Sullivan     #2       Dig the whistling.  Follow up to "Alone Again (Naturally)"  Real name Raymond O'Sullivan.   A song about the 3-year-old daughter of his manager.

25.  *CRAZY HORSES--  Osmonds     #14      This is a great Halloween song.  Weird.  Who says the Osmonds can't rock.  This could be Heavy Metal.  Seriously.  Give it a listen if you don't remember it.  Especially watch the video.

24.  *OPERATOR--  Jim Croce      #17      My favorite Jim Croce songs.  Too bad we didn't have him longer.  Just imagine all those great songs he might have had.

23.  *IF YOU DON'T KNOW ME BY NOW--  Harold Melvin       #3      Hard to imagine a song that is more of a belly rubber.    His group?  The Blue Notes.

22.  *BEN--  Michael Jackson     #1      A song about a rat?  Title song from the movie.

21.  EVERYBODY PLAYS THE FOOL--  Main Ingredient     #3     Again, this songs always reminds me of driving the Ramblin' Wreck ('63 Rambler station wagon)  on Lincoln Highway in DeKalb, Illinois, my senior year at NIU.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "See, The Number In The Matchbook Is Old And Faded."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Operator"

WLS Top 26 for Week of September 11, 1972-- Part 4: The Top Ten Songs, 'Back Stabber'

That's right, fifty years ago.  If you remember thesesongs you are more than a half century old.

*  means the song was climbing the charts.  The number after the artist is how high the song got on the Billboad Hot 100 National Charts.

10.  *BLACK AND WHITE--  Three Dog Night      #1     Reminds me of driving the ol' Ramblin' Wreck ('63 Rambler station wagon) on the Lincoln Highway in DeKalb, Illinois.

9.  *SATURDAY IN THE PARK--  Chicago    #3    Pound that piano, bring in the horns.

8.  ROCK & ROLL PART 2--  Gary Glitter    #7

7.  BACK STABBERS--  O'Jays    #3   

6.  YOU DON'T MESS AROUND WITH JIM--  Jim Croce     #8     Sure wish we'd had him around longer.

5.  LONG COOL WOMAN--  Hollies     #2    Just when you thought they were finished.

4.  *BABY DON'T GET HOOKED ON ME--  Mac Davis    #1 for three weeks.

3.  ALONE AGAIN (NATURALLY)--  Gilbert O'Sullivan    #1   It was #1 for six weeks.

2.  *I'M STILL IN LOVE WITH YOU--  Al Green   #3

1.  BRANDY--  Looking Glass.     #1    This is its third straight week in a row at #1 on the WLS survey.  It was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for one week.

I don't know about you, but this is one of the best Top Tens I've ever seen.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "People Dancing, People Laughing, A Man Selling Ice Cream."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Saturday in the Park"

DeKalb and Woodstock This Weekend-- Part 2: 'Hawks, Pizza and Beer

FEBRUARY 4, SATURDAY

We then went over to Lord Stanley's on Lincoln Highway, on DeKalb's Main Street.  We got seats at the bar and watched the first two periods of the Blackhawks game.  Lord Stanley's (named after the Stanley Cup, is a big hockey bar, especially for the Blackhawks.

They also have a great special: one of their famous 16-inch pizzas with one topping and two pitchers of beer for $19.  A real hard deal to beat.

Drove back to the Red Roof Inn, parked and walked across Lincoln Highway to Pizza Pros and saw the end of the 'Hawk victory.

--RoadDog

DeKalb and Woodstock This Weekend-- Part 3: Pizza, Beer and a Hawks Win!

Continued from Tuesday, February 7.

February 4, Saturday

After the basketball victories, we drove downtown to Lord Stanley's, right on the Lincoln Highway.  This place gets its name for the Stanley Cup (which was given by Lord Stanley of Canada).  And, this is a big hockey place, especially when the Chicago Blackhawks are playing.  And, they were playing tonight.  We've always wanted to see a 'Hawks game there, so this was a chance.

The jukebox was turned off and all TVs were on the game and lots of cheering.

Also, they have a famous food and drink special: two pitchers of beer and a 16-inch, one topping pizza for $19.  We were always too full from football homecomings when we got there, but their pizza sure looked and smelled good.  It was.

We watched two periods and then drove back to the motel and walked across Lincoln Highway to Pizza Pros and watched the end of the Blackhawks victory.

A Really Fun Day.  --RoadDog

YOU'RE DRINKING TOO MUCH COFFEE WHEN:  The taster's Choice couple wants to adopt you.

DeKalb and Woodstock This Weekend-- Part 1: Huskie B-Ball

Liz and I took a mini one-night vacation this past weekend and drove the 60 miles out to DeKalb, Illinois.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4

We stopped for our Slider fix at the DeKalb White Castle, got our motel room and then over to the Convocation Center on Lincoln Highway for NIU's Spring Homecoming.  Both the women's and men's basketball teams played in the afternoon.

The women were honoring their 60th year of existence and also are having their best season ever right now.  They had a close game, but won.

The men were paying tribute to one of their greatest coaches, John McDougal, who died in October.  They also won and are having a rare winning season.

Huskie Basketball.  --RoadHuskie

Cruisin' the Lincoln in Illinois-- Part 1

MAY 18TH

Met the group over at Der Immigrant Dutch Windmill in Fulton, Illinois, on the  Mississippi River.  Talked awhile with Kay Shelton, Illinois Lincoln Highway Director, who put together the tour and also is president of the Lincoln Highway Association.  Two real busy hats.  The last time we saw her was at the Orange Bowl January 1st when our NIU Huskies played those pesky 'Noles.

Got our goody bags and a nice door magnet and took off. 

Went through downtown Morrison (one way going west) and then drove around Sterling looking at all those murals.  Finally found a bar which had the Blackhawk game on.  I watched the first period and then joined the rest of the group at the Monahan-Lincoln Home in town. Liz stayed at the Precinct.   Abraham Lincoln stayed there in 1856 while campaigning for John C. Fremont, the Republican candidate for president.

The people whose efforts and elbow grease preserved this home gave a couple of talks and a walk through.  See my Cooter's History Thing Blog for the account.

Rejoined Liz afterwards at the Precinct.  Unfortunately, the Hawks lost 4-1 to tie up their playoff series with the Detroit Redwings.

Then, Hurried to Catch Up With the Rest of the Folks.  --RoadDog


TOO PUNNY:  Atheism is a non-prophet group.

Hittin' the Road-- Part 2

Saturday, we plan to meet members from the Iowa and Illinois chapters of the Lincoln Highway Association at a joint meeting in Franklin Grove. This will be my first LHA meeting.

Saw a report on the Illinois Lincoln Highway National Scenic Byway site about a 1923 original LH shelter that has been restored in Aurora, Illinois. The Aurora Automobile Club built it as a place for tourists to stop in the days before motels. Back in the 1920s, municipalities across the US built 5000 of these to provide travellers with a place to stay as more and more people hit the roads.

It was last used by a band of gypsies in the early 40s and was enclosed during WWII and used as a Civil Defense Shelter. Since then, it was abandoned and seriously deteriorating until funds were found and it was restored.

Always good news to have something old preserved.

Keep on Down that Two Lane Highway. --RoadDog

Hittin' the Road-- Part 1: Lincoln Highway in Illinois

We're heading out for a cruise on the Illinois stretch of the Lincoln Highway. Plans call for a stop at the Franklin Grove, Il., LH visitors center and then we'd like to see the covered bridge I just found out about near Morrison. I'd also like to check out Dixon's 1930s swimming pool and Logan Park.

Planning on catching Clinton Lumber Barons game. That'd be Class A minor league baseball, where the players definitely aren't millionaires. You might say it's real baseball.

The Lincoln Highway is the nation's oldest transcontinental road and dates back to 1913, some 13 years before Route 66.

--RoadDog