"Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me" #8 8/28/1965

A #1 easy listening hit, this was Mel Carter's only pop Top 10 record. He would have two more 45's that barely cracked the Top 40, and that would be it. The song dates from the early 50's. Just a great ballad.

Mel Carter - Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me

"It's The Same Old Song" #5 8/28/1965

The Four Tops' former label tried to cash in on their new-found Motown success by issuing one of their older songs as a single. Berry Gordy, the head of Motown, thus ordered that a new Tops record be released within 24 hours, so under pressure, the team of Holland-Dozier-Holland took "I Can't Help Myself," turned the chord structure inside out and voila! -  the group had another hit.

Four Tops - It's The Same Old Song

"Unchained Melody" #4 8/28/1965

The Righteous Brothers probably had the most well-known of the over 500 recorded versions of this song from a forgettable 50's movie. Four versions were in the Top 30 the same week in 1955. It was meant to be the B-side of their latest single. Oh, snap. Produced by Bill Medley, since Phil Spector only concerned himself with their A-sides. It's just Bobby Hatfield singing because each Brother got one solo effort per album.

Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody

"California Girls" #3 8/28/1965

The quintessential summer song, this Beach Boys classic just oozes California and good times on the sand and bikinis and...well, you know. Brian Wilson made liberal use of the Wrecking Crew studio musicians on this and most everything the group recorded for the rest of the 60's. David Lee Roth's remake in the 80's stayed very true to the original, and also peaked at #3.

Beach Boys - California Girls

"What Are We Going To Do?" #93 8/21/1965

This is notable solely for the artist. David Jones started in theater and was in "Oliver!" on Broadway as the Artful Dodger. The cast was on Ed Sullivan the same night as the Beatles' first appearance. David saw the hysteria from backstage and decided he wanted to be a rocker. He became Davy Jones and, of course, wound up in the Monkees. Today's tune is in the Herman's Hermits "Mrs. Brown" vein. Trivia: Davy's success caused another guy with the same name to call himself David Bowie.

"Hung On You" #47 8/21/1965

This was the intended A-side of the current Righteous Brothers single, but as often happened, the B-side became the hit. That one will appear in this space in a few days. Today's side was written by Carole King, Gerry Goffin and Phil Spector. Soon thereafter the Brothers would have a messy business split from Phil.

Righteous Brothers - Hung On You

"I'll Always Love You" #35 8/21/1965

The Spinners worked for Motown throughout the 60's as everything from chauffeurs to shipping clerks. Occasionally they'd make a record or two. This was their last Motown hit until 1970 and "It's A Shame" (written by Stevie Wonder) whereupon they left for Atlantic and had their biggest success. Outside the US they were billed as the Detroit Spinners to avoid confusion with a similarly named English group.

Spinners - I'll Always Love You

"You'd Better Come Home" #22 8/21/1965

This one gets lost in the Petula Clark hits category. It just missed the US Top 20 but barely made the UK Top 50. She had already done very well in England and on the continent, but by this point her career took off in America, where she would find success throughout the 60's.

Petula Clark - You'd Better Come Home

"All I Really Want To Do" #15 & #40 8/21/1965

Here's one of those rarities where competing versions of the same song each peaked on the Hot 100 in the same week. Cher's label, Imperial, planned to release this Bob Dylan tune as her first solo single, so Columbia Records rush-released a version by the Byrds as well. Theirs only got as far as #40, while she made it to #15.

Cher - All I Really Want To Do

Byrds - All I Really Want To Do

"Baby, I'm Yours" #11 8/21/1965

Written by DC's own Van McCoy, who had recently written a Top 20 tune for Chad and Jeremy ("Before and After") and, of course, did the Hustle - he wrote it and presumably could dance it, too. I understand Barbara Lewis is still around and occasionally performing.

Barbara Lewis - Baby, I'm Yours

"Save Your Heart For Me" #2 8/21/1965

The third big hit out of the chute for Gary Lewis and the Playboys. Their first seven singles all made the Top 10. Like before, this was a Wrecking Crew production - those folks were responsible for so many hits recorded in L.A. in the 60's. Radio loved this record, as it clocked in at under two minutes.

Gary Lewis and the Playboys - Save Your Heart For Me

"One Dyin' And A Buryin' " #34 8/14/1965

A Top 10 country hit for Roger Miller, who showed he was capable of something besides all those goofy, screwball songs he was known for. One of Roger's earliest musical partnerships was with Donny Little, who would become a country star in the 70's as Johnny Paycheck.

Roger Miller - One Dyin' And A Buryin'

"I'm A Fool" #17 8/14/1965

This one pretty much falls into the novelty category because of the famous fathers of two group members. The sons of Dean Martin and Desi Arnaz along with their buddy Billy Hinsche made up the band. Truth be told, these teenagers couldn't play their way out of a wet paper bag and had a lot of help from the Wrecking Crew studio musicians.

Dino, Desi and Billy - I'm A Fool

"Take Me Back" #16 8/14/1965

This would be the last release of any consequence for Little Anthony and the Imperials. Their next record barely made the Top 40 - and that was it for one of the last hit-making doo-wop groups. The times, they are a-changin'...

Little Anthony and the Imperials - Take Me Back

"I Want Candy" #11 8/14/1965

The Strangeloves were a group of behind-the-scenes studio guys who were responsible for the Angels' "My Boyfriend's Back." They tried, tongue firmly in cheek, to pass themselves off as brothers who were ex-sheepherders from Australia. Bow Wow Wow re-did it in the 80's. This song is what you hear incessantly in those Candy Crush TV ads.

Strangeloves - I Want Candy

"Don't Just Stand There" #8 8/14/1965

Patty Duke was another of those preyed-upon child stars - abandoned by her parents, abused financially and psychologically by managers, etc. Despite that, she won acclaim for playing a young Helen Keller in "The Miracle Worker" on Broadway and as identical cousins (huh?) on her own TV show. She even made a few records - but boy, does this one sound suspiciously like Lesley Gore's "You Don't Own Me."

Patty Duke - Don't Just Stand There

"I'm Down" (Live)

The Beatles had their legendary Shea Stadium concert 50 years ago tonight, drawing a then-record crowd of 55,000+ which gave us today's video. They had taped their last in-studio Ed Sullivan appearance the previous night before starting a short US swing. The studio version was the B-side of the "Help!" 45, and became the show closer on that tour. Watch John play the organ with his elbows!

Beatles - I'm Down (Live)

"I Got You Babe" #1 8/14/1965

Nobody could've known in 1965 that Cher would be a mega-actress or that Sonny would become a politician. Sonny started out as Phil Spector's right-hand man in the studio and Cher was one of Phil's group of backup singers. Their first few records bombed and suddenly they had a #1 hit, forever immortalized in "Groundhog Day." They had one of the most successful TV shows of the 1970's.

Sonny and Cher - I Got You Babe

"I Need You" (Beatles) Album cut

Not to be confused with the similarly titled song by America, this was a George Harrison contribution to the "Help!" soundtrack. He was certainly getting better as a songwriter, and this manifested itself on their final few albums. Clip is from the movie, and was also filmed on Salisbury Plain in England.

Beatles - I Need You

"You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" Album cut

The second Fab Four movie "Help!" like their first, showed the world how to make a music video way before MTV. There's a definite Bob Dylan influence in this song, which might just be in my all-time Beatles Top 10. Absolutely brilliant.

Beatles - You've Got To Hide Your Love Away

"To Know You Is To Love You" #24 8/7/1965

Here's a remake by Peter and Gordon of a #1 hit from 1958 by the Teddy Bears, the only vocal group that Phil Spector, the song's writer, was a part of. There was a country version of this in the 80's by Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris that went to #1 on that chart as well.

Peter and Gordon - To Know You Is To Love You

"Theme From 'A Summer Place' " #16 8/7/1965

Brian Wilson said many times the vocal harmonies of the Beach Boys were influenced mightily by the Lettermen. Kind of a forgettable movie, but the 1960 version of this by Percy Faith still holds the Hot 100 instrumental record of being at #1 for nine straight weeks.

Lettermen - Theme From "A Summer Place"

"Sunshine, Lollipops And Rainbows" #13 8/7/1965

Arguably the first bubblegum record, this was co-written by Marvin Hamlisch, who later composed the score for "The Sting" and "The Way We Were" among others. This was featured in a movie titled "Ski Party," a beach blanket-type flick set on the slopes. It was notable for an all-black ski patrol led by James Brown - one of his songs was featured as well, and will appear here in a few weeks.

Lesley Gore - Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows

"I Like It Like That" #7 8/7/1965

Originally a hit for New Orleans' own Chris Kenner in 1961, this one found new life a few years later for the Dave Clark Five. Kind of an interesting name for the business, once you think about it.

Dave Clark Five - I Like It Like That

"I'm Henry VIII, I Am" #1 8/7/1965

At the time, this was said to be the fastest-selling single in rock history. It's an English dance hall song dating from before World War I that supposedly had over 20 verses. Herman's Hermits rocked it up, added a Cockney accent from Peter Noone, stretched the name Henry into three syllables, repeated the first verse three times (second verse, same as the first!) and scored another #1 hit.

Herman's Hermits - I'm Henry VIII, I Am

"The Night Before" Album cut

The second Beatles movie "Help!" was released on July 29, 1965. The accompanying album came out 50 years ago today in Britain, and one week later in America. Today's video is a scene filmed on Salisbury Plain, just down the road from Stonehenge. There's a Spinal Tap reference to playing Stonehenge that I won't use. The audio is synced from their final in-studio BBC Radio appearance.

Beatles - The Night Before

"Nobody Knows What's Goin' On (In My Mind But Me)" #49 7/31/1965

The Chiffons helped define the girl group sound of the pre-Beatles early 60's with "One Fine Day" and so forth.  This was a minor hit, as they would have one more big record in 1966, which was pretty much the end of the line for them.

Chiffons - Nobody Knows What's Goin' On (In My Mind But Me)

"Trains And Boats And Planes" #47 7/31/1965

This Burt Bacharach/Hal David tune was the last chart record for Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas in both England and America. Turned out a lot of British Invasion acts flamed out rather quickly. Gene Pitney turned this down first, but Dionne Warwick had better results with her version in '66.

Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas - Trains and Boats and Planes

"Too Many Rivers" #13 7/31/1965

They called Brenda Lee "Little Miss Dynamite" because she was 4' 9" and had such a powerful voice.  This was recorded 18 months prior to its topping out this week in 1965 on the Hot 100. Like many other 60's pop stars, she would find success in country music in the 70's and early 80's.

Brenda Lee - Too Many Rivers

"Yes, I'm Ready" #5 7/31/1965

Here's an early example of Philadelphia soul, which would be a very successful genre of pop music throughout the 60's and 70's. It was Barbara Mason's biggest Top 40 hit; she would continue charting on the R&B side for a number of years. Kenny Gamble, one of the developers of the Philly Sound and who was married to DeeDee Sharp ("The Mashed Potato") for a time, sang backup on this.

Barbara Mason - Yes, I'm Ready

"Cara Mia" #4 7/31/1965

The third Top 10 record for Jay and the Americans featured lead singer Jay Black holding a ridiculous note for sixteen beats in the middle. I can picture him turning blue and his clothes unraveling, singing that painfully high note like the tenor in that Bugs Bunny opera cartoon "Long-Haired Hare." That's all, folks!

Jay and the Americans - Cara Mia