"My Girl Josephine" #29 5/27/1967

Fats Domino did this one first in 1960. An Arkansas rockabilly performer, Jerry Jaye, recorded it in one take as a B-side at a session costing all of $13. Jerry took the single to the Hi label in Memphis; they liked that B-side better and the 45 took off. It was his only rock hit, though he made a few country records in the 70's. Jerry and his wife moved to the Mississippi Gulf Coast where last I heard, he still plays the club-VFW-American Legion circuit. A rockin' little number here.

"Casino Royale" #27 5/27/1967

It took 12 years from the time Ian Fleming sold the movie rights to the first of his James Bond novels until it actually got to the silver screen, long after Sean Connery established himself in the role of 007. Along the way, "Casino Royale" became a secret agent spoof starring David Niven and Peter Sellers. Reportedly Connery wanted too much money. The reviews weren't all that great, but it established the basis for the first Austin Powers flick. Groovy, baby. The title song (written by Burt Bacharach, uncredited) became a #1 easy listening hit for Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. The movie was remade in 2006 and was far closer to the book.

"Shake A Tail Feather" #25 5/27/1967

Here's one that certainly took on a new life in the years since it became the second hit for James and Bobby Purify. Ike and Tina Turner had a rather intense version in the 70's. It was covered by Ray Charles in the original Blues Brothers movie, where Ray was just hilarious as a pawn shop owner.

"Too Many Fish In The Sea" #24 5/27/1967

The final hit for Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels before Mitch went solo was a remake of the Marvelettes Top 5 R&B hit from 1964. It's certainly a reflection of their repertoire - loud, slam-bang, high energy rock and roll. The band broke up after a subsequent unsuccessful single. Mitch had one more Top 40 effort, and that was it.

"Sunshine Girl" #20 5/27/1967

The embodiment of the sunshine pop genre was the embodiment of a one-hit wonder, a Southern California group called the Parade. Well...these guys just did the vocals. The Wrecking Crew, L.A.'s famed studio musicians, actually made the music. One of the Parade's members was the first to record "We've Only Just Begun" which became a much bigger record for the Carpenters in a few years.

"Here Comes My Baby" #13 5/27/1967

On New Years Day 1962 the Tremeloes auditioned for Decca Records at the same time as a little band from Liverpool we like to call the Beatles. The label signed the Tremeloes, mainly because they were from the London area and closer to the company offices. Those Liverpool blokes - what happened to them? This Cat Stevens song was the Tremeloes' first hit after Brian Poole left to go solo, and their first US hit.

"On A Carousel" #11 5/27/1967

The first Hollies single to (at least partially) feature Graham Nash on lead vocals just missed the Top 10 in the States but became their 11th Top 10 record back in the UK. It was co-written by Nash, Allen Clarke and Tony Hicks of the group and dealt with the ups, downs, and round and rounds of a relationship.

"Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon" #10 5/27/1967

The second Top 10 effort for Neil Diamond was one he'd written specifically for his female audience. Smart move, because Neil realized that women made up a significant portion of his fan base. 50 years later, they still do. A version by Urge Overkill (whatever happened to them?) was included in the "Pulp Fiction" soundtrack.

"Release Me" #4 5/27/1967

Gerry Dorsey hadn't had much success until his manager Gordon Mills (who also had Tom Jones as a client) had him change his stage name to Englebert Humperdinck. The first record with the new name went to #1 in the UK, keeping the Beatles from the top over there for the first time since their second single, "Please Please Me" stalled in 1963. The original of this one is a country music classic from the 1940's. The real Englebert Humperdinck was a 19th century German opera composer.

"I Got Rhythm" #3 5/27/1967

Two-fers for the next seven days! It would take hours to list every version of this standard, written by George and Ira Gershwin and first appearing in the 1930 Broadway stage musical "Girl Crazy." That production made stars out of Ethel Merman and Ginger Rogers, and featured soon-to-be big band legends Benny Goodman, Gene Krupa, Glenn Miller and Jimmy Dorsey in the orchestra. We give you one of the most popular takes, from the Happenings. Clip introduced by Tommy Smothers.

"Tossin' And Turnin' " #1 7/15/1961

The great King Curtis played the sax solo on this Bobby Lewis classic, which stayed at #1 for seven weeks in the summer of 1961. It appeared on the "American Graffiti" soundtrack and regularly shows up on lists of the most influential songs in rock history. But my question is...who hears the milkman at the door these days?

"Quarter To Three" #1 7/1/1961

Back to July 1961 and #1's from that year. He was born Gary Anderson, grew up in Norfolk, VA and had the stage name U.S. Bonds. Radio stations were monitored back then by the FCC as to how many public service announcements they ran, so his producer thought they'd play his record, write down "U.S. Bonds" and get credit for playing a PSA. But that confused some programmers into thinking it was a band, so he was re-christened Gary "U.S." Bonds. First done as an instrumental by the Church Street Five, referenced in the lyrics. They were from Norfolk, too, as Church Street is one of the main drags through town. Allegedly everyone at the session was sloshed.

"Melancholy Music Man" #43 5/20/1967

This gets overlooked in the Righteous Brothers catalog. Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield would soon go their separate ways, reuniting in 1974 to record "Rock And Roll Heaven." After two more 70's chart entries, they pretty much stopped performing as a duo until "Unchained Melody" was used in the 1990 movie "Ghost." That brought them back together, touring until Hatfield's death in 2003 before a show in Michigan.

"Making Memories" #35 5/20/1067

A Top 5 easy listening hit and one of the last Top 40 records for Frankie Laine, though he had several more hits on the easy listening charts. He was from Chicago, but Frankie recorded a few Western-themed albums. His most recognizable song from that time was the theme to TV's "Rawhide." Clint Eastwood had a relatively minor role, but somehow that's morphed into Clint being remembered as a major star of the show. You've gotta ask yourself one question...do I feel lucky? Well...do you, PUNK?

"Yellow Balloon" #25 5/20/1967

Here's one that helped define sunshine pop. The drummer for the Yellow Balloon band (playing "Yellow Balloon") was ex-Mouseketeer Don Grady, who was in the middle of portraying Robbie on the long-running "My Three Sons." The video is from KTLA's "Shebang!" hosted by Casey Kasem and was taped on the field after a California Angels game in Anaheim where they hosted the Washington Senators. Check out Casey in an Angels uniform, and the band on the dugout roof. A very strange clip.

"Friday On My Mind" #16 5/20/1967

The Easybeats were one-hit wonders in America but had fifteen Top 40 records back in Australia. This was voted the all-time #1 song in Aussie rock history. The group's guitarists, Harry Vanda and George Young, became noted songwriters and producers, composing "Love Is In The Air" for John Paul Young (no relation) and producing the first six AC/DC albums. Talk about a real dichotomy! George is the older brother of Angus and Malcolm Young of AC/DC.

"Groovin' " #1 5/20/1967

The second #1 for the Young Rascals was all about how musicians spent a lazy Sunday afternoon, since that was pretty much the only time they could have with their girlfriends. It was just the nature of their line of work. It stayed at the top for four non-consecutive weeks, then dropped like a rock from the charts.

"Moody River" #1 6/24/1961

We go back to June of 1961 and the sixth #1 for Pat Boone, but his first since late 1957 and "April Love." He was one of a number of 50's singers derisively called "white bread" who did very sanitized versions of songs recorded by rockers like Fats Domino and Little Richard. This record was about a guy who was supposed to meet his girl down by the river, but finds out she committed suicide. Dark stuff for 1961.

"Live" #63 5/13/1966

Occasionally a record sold well in one part of the country but did nothing elsewhere. This was a solid hit pretty much only in L.A. for the Merry-Go-Round. That group featured Emitt Rhodes from Hawthorne, CA (hometown of the Beach Boys) who later became one of the first rockers to play all the instruments on an album by himself. Les Paul multitracked his hits in the early 50's, Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney did it in the 70's, and these days everybody does it, but in the late 60's that was very rare.

"Get Me To The World On Time" #27 5/13/1967

The second and last Top 40 record for the Electric Prunes. Like their first, this featured lots of spacey studio effects. The opening riff was actually their producer groaning into a microphone hooked up to a Fender guitar amp and using lots of tremolo. The band later made an album of Gregorian chants sung entirely in Latin. Even by 60's standards, that concept was way out there. They soon broke up.

"You Got What It Takes" #7 5/13/1967

The last US Top 10 single for the Dave Clark Five. They would have a few more minor chart entries in the States, but the DC5 scored a few more UK hits into 1970 before disbanding. This was a stomping remake of a 1959 Marv Johnson song co-written by Berry Gordy. Marv's debut 45 was the first actual Motown record, but the original of "You Got What It Takes" (his second record) was distributed by United Artists.

"Don't You Care" #6 5/13/1967

"Lawdy Miss Clawdy" was technically the followup to "Kind Of A Drag" for the Buckinghams, but had been rush-released by their small Chicago-based hometown label as a way to ca$h in. The group had already signed with Columbia Records and this was their first single with the much larger outfit, recorded at Columbia's state of the art studios in NYC.

"Sweet Soul Music" #2 5/13/1967

Do you like good music? Arthur Conley was a protegé of the great Otis Redding. Arthur and Otis, however, lifted the melody from Sam Cooke's "Yeah Man" to where Sam's manager sued to have Cooke posthumously added to the writing credits. The song is a roll call of 60's R&B greats, but James Brown is the king of them all, y'all!

"The Happening" #1 5/13/1967

From a very forgettable flick of the same name, this record is notable for a couple of reasons. Not only was it from Faye Dunaway's first movie, this was the last record billed solely as the Supremes until Diana Ross left the group a few years later. It was also one of their last recordings with Florence Ballard. Her conduct on and off stage became more erratic due to behind-the-scenes issues we'll address soon.

"Running Scared" #1 6/10/1961

This #1 from June 1961 by Roy Orbison could be one of the greatest songs of angst ever. The listener keeps being drawn into the notion of the guy consciously avoiding his girl's former beau, but in an unexpected plot twist the guy gets and keeps the girl. Roy hit some ridiculous notes here, because he just sang his ass off on this one. Man, I love this record.

"Travelin' Man" #1 6/3/1961

Back to 1961 and a #1 for Ricky Nelson written by Jerry Fuller, who gave the demo to Sam Cooke's manager, who tossed it in the trash. Ricky's bassist Joe Osborn (later a mainstay of the Wrecking Crew) heard the song from the next room, retrieved it and a hit arose from the dustbin. The B-side, "Hello Mary Lou" also made the Top 10 and featured one of the great guitar solos of early rock, played by James Burton. That solo influenced countless numbers of kids to learn how to play guitar, including yours truly. J.B. was with Ricky for years and later joined Elvis's Vegas-era stage band.

"Buy For Me The Rain" #45 5/6/1967

The first chart record for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Jackson Browne was briefly in the group but left before their first album. Steve Martin wasn't a member but played banjo on stage with them in the early days prior to joining the Smothers Brothers TV show as a writer, and long before becoming a wild and crazy guy. The Dirt Band later played on Steve's "King Tut" as part of the Toot Uncommons. It would be several years until "Mr. Bojangles" and their influential Nashville recordings with country music legends Roy Acuff, Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson, Merle Travis and Mother Maybelle Carter.

"My Back Pages" #30 5/6/1967

The last Top 40 single for the Byrds was a cover of a very cryptic, reflective Bob Dylan song. They concentrated much more on albums from here on out. The band had numerous personnel changes around this time as one by one the original members all left except for Jim McGuinn, who changed his first name to Roger. David Crosby went on to hook up with Stephen Stills, Graham Nash and (later) Neil Young.

"When I Was Young" #15 5/6/1967

This record marked a clear shift in the direction of the Animals' music. Eric Burdon's name was out in front of the band by now. He moved to California and became a spokesman of sorts for the Love Generation of hippies, flower power and...uhhh, certain illicit substances. "And I was so much older then/When I was young..." That concept surfaces in tomorrow's tune as well.

"I'm A Man" #10 5/6/1967

The last US hit for the Spencer Davis Group, as Steve Winwood and his brother Muff both quit the band. Muff became a record executive (producing the first Dire Straits album) and Steve moved on to join Traffic, Blind Faith, and other projects, eventually having a successful solo career. This isn't the Bo Diddley tune covered by the Yardbirds; this particular song was covered quite well a few years later by Chicago.

"Close Your Eyes" #8 5/6/1967

Peaches and Herb were actually Herb Fame (born Herbert Feemster) and Frances Barker (the first of a succession of females in the pairing), both from Washington, DC. Herb got into the music biz thanks to fellow Washington native Van McCoy. After five Top 40 singles in '67 and '68, they stepped away from show business as Herb joined the DC police force. He found a new "Peaches" and the duo had a comeback in the late 70's shakin' their groove thing.

"Mother-In-Law" #1 5/27/1961

From May '61, some #1 New Orleans stylings from Ernest Kador, billed as Ernie K-Doe. Benny Spellman sang bass here. Written by NOLA legend Allen Toussaint, who was actually single at the time. Allen's granny was horrified the first time she heard the lyrics, but she forgave him. Ernie later became a radio DJ and opened a pub called the Mother-In-Law Lounge. He died in 2001, but his widow kept it open until Hurricane Katrina destroyed the place. It reopened, but she died on Fat Tuesday in 2009.

"Runaway" #1 4/29/1961

One of my all-time faves, a song by Del Shannon that every beginning rock and roll band just needed to learn. It topped the charts for four weeks in the spring of 1961 and had one of the most unique instrumental breaks ever, played by Max Crook on a custom-built keyboard he called a Musitron. Tom Petty directly referenced this song in "Runnin' Down A Dream." ("Me and Del were singin' little runaway...") Just. WOW.

"Blue Moon" #1 4/8/1961

A number of early rock hits were written in the 1930's and reworked. This Rodgers and Hart tune came from the 1934 movie "Manhattan Melodrama" with Clark Gable, William Powell and Myrna Loy and has been done countless times since. Richard Rodgers later said he completely hated this rocked-up version. The Marcels, an interracial doo-wop group from Pittsburgh, made it their only #1 in April 1961. Fred Johnson is the bass singer doing all the bomp-ba-bomping.

"Surrender" (Elvis) #1 3/25/1961

Back we go to #1's from 1961. From March of that year, here's the followup to "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" and the 16th chart-topper from Elvis. Like "It's Now Or Never" it was a rewrite of an Italian ballad. This one dates from 1902, originally called "Toma a Surriento" or "Come Back To Sorrento." Nashville session legends Floyd Cramer and Boots Randolph appear, as do the Jordanaires.

"Puppet On A String" (Sandie Shaw) #1 UK 4/27/1967

Not to be confused with an Elvis song having the same title. We present the UK's #1 record this week in 1967 as done by Sandie Shaw, and the first British entry to win the Eurovision Song Contest. ABBA and Céline Dion got career boosts from that competition. Sandie had showcased five tunes on a BBC programme and this was selected by viewers to represent the country. She later said she despised the song as too cutesy but recorded it anyway. It was her third and last #1 over there. I don't believe it was ever released in America. Her trademark was performing barefoot.