WLS Top 30 for Week of September 14, 1970-- Part 3: 'Indiana Wants Me'

 * Means dropping on charts at this point.

20.  SNOWBIRD--  Anne Murray    #8    A great song that I haven't heard in a long while.  Evidently at one time she and her song were featured on Fox's sitcom "Family Guy" when Stewie and the dog had a crush on her.  This makes three Canadian performers or groups in the Top 30 in Chicago.  Was this the Canadian Invasion?  Her first hit.

19.  *HI-DE-HO--  Blood, Sweat & Tears    #14   Great horns and that David Clayton Thomas voice.  Was he from Canada?  Written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin

18.  *SPILL THE WINE--  Eric  Burdon     #3    This song went a long way toward launching the career of the band War.   Born in 1941.

17.  *I JUST CAN'T HELP BELIEVING--  B.J. Thomas    #9    You know, that guy with the craggy voice.  In case you're wondering, the B.J. in his name stands for Billy Joe.

16.  INDIANA WANTS ME--  R. Dean Taylor   #5  It is an absolute guarantee that when I'm on the road and see a Welcome to Indiana sign that I will be singing this song.  Just ask my wife.  (Though she's not a fan.)  Wait a minute, he was born in Toronto.  I'm telling you, it's a Canadian Invasion!!

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Gonna Find Me A Piece Of The Sky."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Hi-De-Ho"

Music Deaths: Bobby Lewis, Had 1961 Hit 'Tossin' and Turnin'

 BOBBY LEWIS, 95

Died 28 April 2020

Rock and Roll and Rhythm & Blues singer.  Biggest hit was "Tossin' And Turnin' " (#1-1961).  Also "One Track Mind" (#9-1961).

Born 1933 in Indianapolis in 1933, but adopted by Detroit family at age 12.

Music Deaths: Harold Reid of the Statler Brothers

 HAROLD REID, 80

Died 24 April 2020

Co-founder of country band Statler Brothers.  He was the one with the really deep voice.

In 1964, they were hired by Johnny Cash to open his show.  Columbia Records, also Cash's record company, gave them a contract, but didn't have much success until the 45 "The Ballad of Billy Christian" was released.  It didn't have much impact until deejays turned it over and played side B, which was "Flowers On the Wall," which as you know became a huge hit.

I remember seeing a show by Johnny Cash and the Statler Brothers in Chicago back in 1967 and remember the Statler Brothers saying that they got paid weekly by Johnny Cash, "Very Weakly."

The vocals this band could do, especially with that bass voice of Harold (and his humor), made them stars in country music and, besides "Flowers On the Wall," which became a #4 hit on the pop charts in 1965, they also had two other pop hits on the pop charts.  They put out fifty albums over 40 years.

WLS Top 30 for Week of September 14, 1970-- Part 2: "Hand Me Down World"

The number behind the artist is how high the song got on the Billboard Hot 100.  * Means the song was on its way down.   

25.  HAND ME DOWN WORLD--  Guess Who     #17     From Canada.  Formed in Winnipeg in 1963.

24.  THAT'S WHERE I WENT WRONG--  Poppy Family     #29    Another Canadian band.  Were we having the Canadian Invasion back in 1970?  I'd forgotten this one, but it sure is a great song.  Too bad it was so overshadowed by their first song which went to #2 earlier in the year.  And that would be "Which Way You Going, Bo;;y."

23.  SIGNED, SEALED DELIVERED, I'M YOURS--  Stevie Wonder    #3   That great Motown Sound.  How does it get any better.

22.  SOLITARY MAN--  Neil Diamond.     #21     My absolute all-time favorite Neil song. (With "Cherry, Cherry" next.)  This was the second time this song charted.  It was his very first charting song back in 1966 and went to #55.

21.  MAKE IT WITH YOU--  Bread      #1     I wonder how many times this song has been played at weddings?  Did they have deejays playing weddings back in 1970?

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Melinda Was Mine 'Till The Time That I Found Her Holding Jim."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Solitary Man"

WLS Top 30 for Week of September 14, 1970-- Part 1: "I'll Be There"

From the Oldies Loon site.

The  number behind the artist is how high the song got on the Billboard National Hot 100.  An * means the song was dropping on the survey.

HBD (Hitbound)  I'LL BE THERE--  Jackson Five     #1   A slow one by this unbelievably hot group.  A good song for weddings.  The last of four straight #1s out of the gate, followed by two #2s.  Not a bad start at all.

30.  WE CAN MAKE MUSIC--  Tommy Roe     #49   Another Julie song.  I don't remember it.  Bubble Gum music.  I have always been a big fan of Bubble Gum music.

29.  ALL RIGHT NOW--  Free     #4    One of my all-time favorite songs.  This one grabs you right away.  Those first few notes.  Wow!

28.  PEACE WILL COME (ACCORDING TO PLAN)--  Melanie   #32    Follow up to "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)"  Born Melanie Safka in 1947 in Queens, New York.t.  A real One-Hit Wonder.  

27.  DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO--  Five Flights Up    #37   #10 on WCFL.  Never heard it before.  Soul group.  Real one-hit wonder group.

26.  *CLOSE TO YOU--  Carpenters    #1   How many times has this been played at weddings?

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Took Her Home To My Place, Watching Every Move On Her Face."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"All Right Now"

Music Deaths: Hamilton Bohannon, Motown Drummer

 HAMILTON BOHANNON, 78

Died April 24, 2020

Drummer, bandleader.  Worked with many of the top Motown artists in the 1960s.   Became a leader in the 1970s Disco Music.

In 1964, he was a drummer with Stevie Wonder's touring band.  Moved to Detroit in 1967 and was employed by Motown and provided the backing bands on many of Motown's top artists when touring.  This included Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, Temptations, Diana Ross & the Supremes and the Four Tops.

Music Deaths: Steve Hardy of Beach Music

STEVE HARDY, 74

Died April 23, 2020

Probably did more to advance east coast Beach Music than most anyone else in the genre and host of the long-running "Steve Hardy's Original Beach Party which ran from 1974 to the end of last year.

I enjoyed listening to his show on the many occasions I was visiting in North Carolina over all these years.  I also listened to him over the internet.  His Sunday Steve Hardy's Original Beach Party show was broadcast on Greenville, North Carolina's WNCT for many years.

Keep the Beach Playing There, Steve!

A Fitting Memorial for September 11, 2001

In all but one of my posts today, I wrote about September 11, 2001.

I always thought that it was too bad that they didn't find a way to stabilize the outer part of the World Trade Center as a fitting memorial to those who died that day.  See the picture to the right of this.

I also would have liked the part of the USS Arizona above the water after the attack to have also been stabilized and left as a memorial for Pearl Harbor as well.

But, regardless, both now have had suitable memorials built for them.

Back to the Summer of 1970, Part 13: "Looking Out My Back Door"

CRACKLIN' ROSIE--  Neil Diamond
SUMMERTIME BLUES--  Who (Live)
COTTAGE CHEESE--  Crow

HI-DE-HO--  Blood, Sweat & Tears
IN THE SUMMERTIME-- Mungo Jerry
LOOKING OUT MY BACK DOOR--  Creedence Clearwater Revival

CUT ACROSS SHORTY--  Rod Stewart
OUT IN THE COUNTRY--  Three Dog Night
FRESH AIR--  Quicksilver Messenger Service

GO BACK--  Crabby Appleton
FEELIN' ALRIGHT (Live)--  Joe Cocker
JUMPIN' JACK FLASH (LIVE)--  Rolling Stones

HONKY TONK WOMEN (LIVE)--  Joe Cocker
SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL (LIVE)--  Rolling Stones
WAR--  Edwin Starr   The number one song in the country.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Oh No There's Got To Be A Better Way, Say It Again."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"War"

Back to the Summer of 1970, Part 12: "Mississippi Queen"

 Songs on the radio (mostly WLS and WCFL in Chicago) and in your record collection (that's right, vinyl albums and even 45s perhaps) on September 6, 1970.  That would be fifty years ago.

I was a sophomore at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb and having a mighty good time as the original frat rat with that old fraternity of mine, Delta Sigma Phi.  We were more like the Deltas at "Animal House" and even had a guy who had been at college for seven years and was a sophomore named Czych.  Until the end, the movie could have been about us, but there was no parade scene.  I do, however, wish we had known about toga parties.  We definitely would have had to have one.

HOUSE AT POOH CORNER--  Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

HAND ME DOWN WORLD--  Guess Who

LET IT BE--  Beatles

MAN, WE WAS LONELY--  Paul McCartney   This would have been at the 10 am time.  As Bob Stroud always plays two Beatle songs then (which is when Terri Hemmert's Breakfast With the Beatles show on Chicago's WXRT ends.

MISSISSIPPI QUEEN--  Mountain

LONG AS I CAN SEE THE LIGHT-- Creedence Clearwater Revival  Off that great "Cosmo's Factory" album.

ALL RIGHT NOW--  Free   One of the best-ever rock songs.

IT'S UP TO YOU--  Moody Blues

SPILL THE WINE--  Eric Burdon

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "There She Stood In The Street Smilin' From Her Head To Her Feet."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"All Right Now"

Back to the Summer of 1970, Part 11: "Let It Rain"

 Bob Stroud continued his trip back to the summer of 1970 this past Sunday with part 4 of his yearly trip.  Fifty years ago, September 6, 1070, these were the songs being played on the radio and in your record collections.

25 OR 6 TO 4--  Chicago

THE SHAPE I'M IN--  Band

I KNOW (I'M LOSING YOU)--  Rare Earth

SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED, I'M YOURS--  Stevie Wonder

AIR OF GOOD FEELING--  Ides of March

LET IT RAIN--  Eric Clapton

TIGHTER & TIGHTER--  Alive & Kicking   Produced and written by Bob King and Tommy James.  Yep, that Tommy James.

THE BOMBER--  James Gang

INDIANA WANTS ME--  R. Dean Taylor  Drives my wife nuts when, every time we enter Indiana, I start singing this song.

Name That Tune (from the above songs): "Waiting For The Break Of Day, Searching For Something To Say."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"25 or 6 to 4"

K-Tel's 'Hit Machine' Album (1976)-- Part 2: "Let Your Love Flow"

 Continued from September 1.

These were the ten songs on the flipside of the album.

ISLAND GIRL--  Elton John

A FIFTH OF BEETHOVEN--  Walter Murphy & the Big Apple Band

LET YOUR LOVE FLOW-- Bellamy Brothers

WELCOME BACK--  John Sebastian (No Sweathogs allowed.)

EVIL WOMAN--  Electric Light Orchestra

TAKE A HAND--  Rick Springfield (Not Springsteen)

ROCK AND ROLL ALL NITE--  Kiss

I'M NOT LISA--  Jessi Colter

WHO LOVES YOU--  Four Seasons (What?  No Valli?)

DISCO LADY--  Johnnie Taylor

Lots of Bang for Your Buck, You Know.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Your Dreams Were Your Ticket Out."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Welcome Back"

WLS Top Ten for Week of September 7, 1970: 'Looking Out My Back Door'

 Fifty years ago today, the top ten songs in Chicago according to WLS AM 890.

1. WAR--  Edwin Starr

2.  LOOKING OUT MY BACK DOOR-- Creedence Clearwater Revival

3.  AIN'T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH--  Diana Ross

4.  NEANDERTHAL MAN--  Hotlegs

5.  PATCHES--  Clarence Carter

6.  GROOVY SITUATION--  Gene Chandler

7.  JULIE, DO YA' LOVE ME--  Bobby Sherman

8.  I (WHO HAVE NOTHING)--  Tom Jones 

9.  25 OR 6 TO 4--  Chicago

10.  IN THE SUMMERTIME--  Mungo Jerry

**************************************

DEBUTS

25.  OUT IN THE COUNTRY--  Three Dog Night

27.  INDIANA WANTS ME--  R. Dean Taylor

29.  THAT'S WHERE I WENT WRONG--  Poppy Family

30.  PEACE WILL COME (ACCORDING TO PLAN)--  Melanie

Name That Tune (from the above songs): "Bein' Alone At Night Makes Me Sad, Girl, Yeah It brings Me Down All Right."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Julie, Do Ya' Love Me"

Bob Stroud Goes Back to September 6, 1970, Today on Chicago's WDRV. 97.1 FM

 That would be the songs played on the radio and in your record collections FIFTY years ago today.  It streams from 9 am to noon CDST and will be repeated from 9 pm to midnight CDST.  This is the fourth and final Root Salute of the Summer of 1970.  Previous ones were on the first Sunday of June, July and August.

I was a sophomore at Northern Illinois University and living at the Delta Sigma Phi frat house out on Greenbrier in Greek Row.  This was my first year as an active, having pledged during spring semester as a freshman.  Probably the most fun I has while a college student (and I sure had a lot of good times).

The songs he will be playing will sure bring some memories back.  I will be recording the show on my cassettes (that's how far behind I am).  

Looking Forward to the trip Back.  --RoadFrat

Ten Songs from 1970 and That Dear Old Fraternity of Mine: Delta Sigma Phi-- 'But to Raise Hell While We're Here'

 Yesterday, Bob Stroud played ten songs from 1970 on his Ten at Ten at Chicago's WDRV, 97.1 FM.  I feel obliged to include them here for you.

Like I said yesterday, 1970 was the end of my freshman year, start of sophomore year at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb  It was also a fraternity year for me, pledging Delta Sigma Phi in the spring and as an active in the fall.  I figured being in a fraternity was going to be fun and it sure was.

Not to say that my grades suffered, but they did.  School got in the way of fraternity.  I was a real frat rat of the first order.  Like one of our old frat songs went:  "Well, it's not for knowledge that we came to college, but to raise hell while we're here!"

Anyway, Bob Stroud's Ten at Ten 1970 songs played Thursday, September 3.

CRAZY--  Van Morrison

FUNK #49--  James Gang

BELL BOTTOM BLUES--  Derek & the Dominos

LET'S WORK TOGETHER--  Canned Heat

SPIRIT IN THE SKY--  Norman Greenbaum

DEJA-VU--  CSN&Y

LOLA--  Kinks

CASEY JONES--  Grateful Dead

COME AND GET IT--  Badfinger

HAND ME DOWN WORLD--  Guess Who

The number one song on September 3, 1970:  "War--  Edwin Starr,  #1 album:  "Cosmos' Factory"--  Creedence Clearwater Revival,  #1 movie:  "Diary of a Mad Housewife."

Hoddy Toddy!!

Name That Tune (from the above songs:  "I Met Her In A Club Down In Old Soho."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Lola"

All-Vinyl Friday at Chicago's WXRT from 9am to Midnight

 

Chicago's WXRT, 93.1 FM will be having their All Vinyl Friday today starting at 9 am and going to midnight.  That means they will play one side of some of the best albums ever made from the first song to the last one on that side.  Always fun to listen to this day.

It streams at www.wxrt.com, so give it  a listenn.

--ToadDog

Bob Stroud Going to 1970 for His Ten at Ten Today at 10 am on Chicago's WDRV, 97.1 FM

 In just a few minutes, Bob Stroud will be going back to the hood college year for me, 1970, while a freshman and sophomore at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.  Since the songs that came out in my high school and college days are by far my favorite, I am really going to enjoy this one.

It streams at ww.wdrv.com and will be replayed tonight at 10 pm.  All times CDST.

Give a listen.  I'll be recording the show on my audio cassette recorder.  Not that I'm a little behind times or anything.

Download?  --OldRoadDog

PONDER THIS:  Never take life too seriously.  Nobody gets out alive anyway.

K-Tel's 'Hit Machine' Album, 1976-- Part 1: 'Love Really Hurts Without You"

I bought this album at The Vinyl Frontier in McHenry, Illinois, on Saturday for Record Store Day for $3.

I had my eye on this album or possibly one about the old TV show "Hee-Haw."

For $3, I got twenty songs from 1976.

(SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE) SHAKE YOUR BOOTY--  K.C.& the Sunshine Band
RIGHT BACK WHERE WE STARTED FROM--  Maxine Nightingale
MOONLIGHT FEELS RIGHT--  Starbuck

SUMMER--  War
WHEN WILL I BE LOVED--  Linda Ronstadt
HAPPY DAYS--  Pratt & McClain
OUR DAY WILL COME--  Frankie Valli

(YOU'RE) HAVING MY BABY--  Paul Anka
LOVE REALLY HURTS WITHOUT YOU--  Billy Ocean
DISCO DUCK (PART 1)--  Rick Dees  & His Class of Idiots

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "I've Been Cheated, Been Mistreated."  Answer below.  --RoadDog


"When Will I Be Loved"