"Jackson" (Nancy & Lee) #14 7/29/1967

A duet that reached #2 on the country charts a few months earlier for Johnny Cash and June Carter became a Top 20 pop hit for another duo, Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood. They performed it on her TV special "Movin' With Nancy" and would release a few more duets. Dig the fashion sense in the video.

"I Take It Back" #12 7/29/1967

The fourth and last Top 40 record for Sandy Posey dealt with a girl trying to dump a guy, but as soon as the words leave her lips, she wants to take them back. Written by Buddy Buie and J.R. Cobb, who respectively became the producer and guitarist for the Classics IV and later, the Atlanta Rhythm Section.

"White Rabbit" #8 7/29/1967

The marching orders for the Summer of Love came from Jefferson Airplane, and what better than Grace Slick's trippy interpretation of Alice in Wonderland and "Through The Looking Glass" complete with a hookah-smoking caterpillar. "Society's Child" from Janis Ian ran into so many issues with radio about an interracial romance, yet this song with all the drug references got airplay. And remember what the dormouse said...feed your head...feed your head.

"A Whiter Shade Of Pale" #5 7/29/1967

What a week for 60's music. Another simply iconic song of the era came from Procol Harum, and was somewhat adapted from Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales." John Lennon couldn't stop listening to it from the back seat of his psychedelically-painted Rolls-Royce. The lyrics didn't quite register with me at the time (I was 11), but I still loved the record. It took me a long time to find out what Vestal virgins were! Vesta was the Roman goddess of hearth and home, and being one of the Vestal virgins on earth was a big deal. It's the most played song in British broadcasting history. BTW, #2 on that list, "Bohemian Rhapsody," also has the word "fandango." There is a stereo mix with a different drum track, but the mono version from the single and this pre-MTV video is 100 times better. A record that summarizes the 60's in four minutes, and in my all-time Top 5.

"I Was Made To Love Her" #2 7/29/1967

Sometimes a great record got stuck at #2 because the #1 record was so damn good. That happened with this signature song of Stevie Wonder, kept from the top by "Light My Fire." His mother, Lula Mae Hardaway, helped co-write it as she did many times for her son. A sitar appears on the intro, followed by Stevie on that ripping harmonica. There's a question as to who played bass. Carol Kaye of the Wrecking Crew claimed she did, saying Motown did some non-union recordings in L.A., but to me it sounds far more like James Jamerson of Motown's house band, the Funk Brothers.

"Light My Fire" (Doors) #1 7/29/1967

Two-fers again! A song that totally defined the 60's. The first single by the Doors ("Break On Through") did nothing. This was their second single, but at seven minutes it had to be heavily edited for any chance at radio airplay. Today, the unedited version is the preferred one. The long instrumental break became a precursor to lengthy experimentations on record as the 60's moved on. Although this became their most popular song, vocalist Jim Morrison grew to really dislike it since he contributed very little to the writing, done mainly by guitarist Robby Krieger. The band performed on the Ed Sullivan show where they were asked to change the line "girl, we couldn't get much higher" for its perceived drug reference. They did so in rehearsal, but Morrison sang the offending line on the live broadcast. The Doors were not invited back. A year later, José Feliciano did a mellow, very rearranged version and the song became a major hit all over again.

"Peppermint Twist (Part I)" #1 1/27/1962

We move into 1962 chart-toppers. In January, Chubby Checker's "The Twist" made a second appearance at #1, 16 months after its first go-round. That dance craze knew no bounds. Joey Dee and the Starliters recorded their tribute to the Peppermint Lounge on West 45th Street in Manhattan, recognized as the launching pad for the Twist, and followed Chubby to #1. At 4:05 the song was deemed too long for AM radio in '62, so it was split into two-minute parts for each side of the 45. One of the Starliters, David Brigati, was the brother of Eddie Brigati of the Young Rascals.

"The Lion Sleeps Tonight" #1 12/23/1961

We close out our review of #1 records from 1961 with a tune first done in 1939 by a South African Zulu, Solomon Linda, originally called "Mbube" ("Lion" in English). The song came here in 1951 via folk group the Weavers, who retitled it "Wimoweh." New lyrics were written and it was re-done by the Tokens with a new title. It has been the subject of numerous copyright issues. Linda's estate sued Disney over its inclusion in "The Lion King" soundtrack. The case was eventually settled out of court.

"She's Leaving Home"

Like "Eleanor Rigby" this "Sgt. Pepper" track did not feature any of the Beatles playing instruments - only John and Paul on vocals, accompanied by strings and a harp. George and Ringo were conspicuously absent. Paul read a story about Melanie Coe, a runaway 17-year-old rich girl, and how her parents were so heartbroken. It was John's idea to provide the counterpoint lyrics ("We gave her most of our lives..."). Video is of Paul in concert at Red Square in Moscow.

"My World Fell Down" #70 7/22/1967

Sometimes a record is more notable for who appeared on it than for the song itself. So it was for the studio group Sagittarius, the brainchild of producer Gary Usher. He called on a few friends to make the record, including fellow producer Terry Melcher, Beach Boy Bruce Johnston, and former touring Beach Boy, Wrecking Crew member and soon-to-be country music superstar Glen Campbell, who sang lead. The single contained an almost-psychedelic middle section that was removed from the album version. A strange little tune and a tad reminiscent of "Good Vibrations."

"Make Me Yours" #21 7/22/1967

A #1 R&B tune from Louisiana's own Bettye (with an "e") Swann. She wasn't quite a one-hit wonder, as she would have one more minor Top 40 effort in 1968. The former Betty Champion made a few more records, including a R&B version of Merle Haggard's "Today I Started Loving You Again" before getting out of the biz and becoming a schoolteacher in Las Vegas.

"Don't Go Out Into The Rain" #18 7/22/1967

The seemingly unstoppable British Invasion started to lose a little steam in America during the 1967 Summer of Love. For instance, this was the last of 14 Top 20 records in the States for Herman's Hermits, though they continued to score hits at home into 1970. This wasn't even released as a single in the UK.

"Can't Take My Eyes Off You" #2 7/22/1967

The biggest solo single for Frankie Valli until 1974 and "My Eyes Adored You" was co-written by his Four Seasons bandmate Bob Gaudio and their producer Bob Crewe. The song has been covered by at least 200 artists and has shown up in dozens and dozens of movies, TV shows and commercials. Frankie did a little acting when he played a Jersey mobster (surprise!) on "The Sopranos."

"Please Mister Postman" #1 12/16/1961

The first single by the Marvelettes was also the first #1 for the Motown company, from December 1961. Marvin Gaye was the drummer on the session. The song was part of the Beatles' live shows in their early Cavern Club days, and they put it on their second album. The Carpenters brought it back to #1 again in 1975.

"Fixing A Hole"

At various times, Paul McCartney said this "Sgt. Pepper" track was either about actually fixing a leaky roof at his Scottish farmhouse...or about pot, where your mind keeps wandering...or just a stream of consciousness. He left his house the day of this recording session to find a man out on the street claiming to be Jesus, who asked to sit in the studio while the Beatles worked. Paul said he didn't think the guy really was Jesus, but figured he'd better take him along just in case. Dude sat quietly, then left. It's claimed their roadie Mal Evans wrote most of the song but never received credit. Clip is from the Rock Band video game.

"Step Out Of Your Mind" #24 7/15/1967

The American Breed landed a contract because of a blizzard. An executive with Mercury Records was stranded in Chicago due to a 20" snowfall and passed the time listening to demo tapes. He liked this local band and signed them. Lead singer Gary Loizzo went on to run his own recording studio, engineering platinum albums by Midwestern groups like Styx and REO Speedwagon. In the 70's, several Breed members formed a new band, hired Chaka Khan and became Rufus.

"Ain't No Mountain High Enough" #19 7/15/1967

Tammi Terrell hadn't had much luck either as a solo performer or in abusive romantic relationships with James Brown and David Ruffin. Being paired professionally with Marvin Gaye, though, proved to be golden as their duets were very successful. Unfortunately it didn't last, as she collapsed while on stage with Marvin in October 1967. Tammi was diagnosed with a brain tumor and died at the age of 24 in 1970. Diana Ross had her first #1 after the Supremes with a radical rearrangement.

"Here We Go Again" #15 7/15/1967

It was easy to tell that Ray Charles loved to perform country music. He did so by fusing country and blues, which really aren't all that different except one genre is primarily done by white folks and the other by black folks. The message is very much the same. Ray re-did the song with Norah Jones on his "Genius Loves Company" duets LP, released a few months after his passing in 2004. Great album.

"Society's Child" #14 7/15/1967

A lot of radio stations wouldn't play this record from 16-year-old Janis Ian because it dealt with the touchy subject of an interracial romance. Janis wrote the song at age 13 and recorded it at 15, but it took a year for the single to gain any traction. She claimed a radio station was torched over the record, but that was never confirmed. The video is a little grainy, but still conveys the song's message.

"C'mon Marianne" #9 7/15/1967

The last Top 10 single from the Four Seasons until 1975. It was written by L. Russell Brown, who also wrote several major hits for Tony Orlando and Dawn in the 70's, such as "Knock Three Times" and "Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree." In 1968, the group was booked to christen the Salem-Roanoke Valley Civic Center in Virginia. The politicians spoke, a few local rock bands played, and the Four Seasons showed up...in Salem, WEST Virginia, over 200 miles away. Oops. They rescheduled the show.

"Bowling Green" #40 7/8/1967

The Everly Brothers were a major force in early rock and roll, with 13 Top 10 hits from 1957-62, including three #1's. The music scene changed due to the British Invasion, and besides this record, they had just one other minor Top 40 single over the next five years. They still toured, but tensions between the brothers boiled over at a Knott's Berry Farm gig in 1973. Phil went all Pete Townshend that day, smashing his guitar and storming off stage. He and Don didn't speak to each other for a decade, but they eventually reconciled and were elected to both the Rock and Roll and Country Music Halls of Fame. Phil died of COPD in 2014.

"Pay You Back With Interest" #28 7/8/1967

Here's a case of a British group putting out a single in other countries but not at home. It did rather well for the Hollies in Canada and New Zealand, but they were only moderately successful in America this time around. Their next single would score very highly around the world.

"The Tracks Of My Tears" (Johnny Rivers) #10 7/8/1967

Yesterday we spoke of Johnny Rivers and his connection to the 5th Dimension. Today we feature his cover of a Motown song, this one from the Miracles; his previous single was a cover of a Four Tops tune. Linda Ronstadt also re-did this quite well in the 70's. Backing vocals were by the Blossoms (featuring Darlene Love) and Hal Blaine of the Wrecking Crew played the drums.

"Up, Up And Away" #7 7/8/1967

The first Top 10 for the 5th Dimension, and the tune that put Jimmy Webb on the map as a songwriter. Johnny Rivers had recorded Webb's "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" in 1965, but only as an album track. Rivers co-produced this single, and the group's early records were released on his Soul City label. A very pronounced Wrecking Crew presence here. Somehow this always shows up in TV news stories about ballooning. Every high school chorus and glee club has performed it as well. Look for a Seinfeld poofy pirate shirt in the video!

"Come On Down To My Boat" #6 7/8/1967

Yet another one-hit wonder, this time by Every Mother's Son, a rather clean-cut Greenwich Village group. This was done first by the Rare Breed as "Come And Take A Ride In My Boat," also the title used on EMS's first album. Weird to have different song titles on the album and single. Band member Dennis Larden was with Rick Nelson's group, the Stone Canyon Band, for a few years after they'd recorded "Garden Party."

"Don't Sleep In The Subway" #5 7/8/1967

Petula Clark scored with a tune written by impresario Tony Hatch and his then-wife Jackie Trent. It was pieced together from three unfinished songs, and you can tell where one ends and the next begins - listen for the transitions. A subway in the UK is a pedestrian tunnel below an intersection. What we call a subway, they call the Underground. Pet wouldn't chart this highly again at home until a 1988 remix of "Downtown" not released in America. I think the Breakaways are on backing vocals.

"Little Bit O' Soul" #2 7/8/1967

A one-hit wonder by the Music Explosion from the rock and roll hotbed of Mansfield, Ohio, with a great bass and organ intro. It was produced by the team of Jerry Kasenetz and Jeff Katz, who went on to become the kings of bubblegum, masterminding hits by groups like the Ohio Express and 1910 Fruitgum Company.

"You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby" #35 7/1/1967

A show biz standard from a 1938 Warner Brothers movie titled "Hard To Get" starring Dick Powell and Olivia de Havilland. Since it was a WB property, the song was used numerous times in Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons. Bing Crosby had the first hit version; Bobby Darin covered it as well in 1961, among many others. Here, it became the last of 17 Top 40 hits in America for the Dave Clark Five.

"Alfie" (Dionne Warwick) #15 7/1/1967

A rarity here - a Burt Bacharach/Hal David song not recorded first by Dionne Warwick. It's from a year-old movie starring Michael Caine and had been done dozens of times, notably by Cher in the US and Cilla Black in the UK. However, there's no doubt Ms. Warwick made it hers. Both Bacharach and David said this was one of the favorite songs they'd ever written - and that's saying something.

"New York Mining Disaster 1941" #14 7/1/1967

The breakthrough hit for the Bee Gees in the US and UK. The Gibb family had just returned to England after a decade in Australia. Within a few weeks, the Brothers Gibb signed a fairly large recording contract, as they had some success Down Under. Thanks to the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack, they later became the kings of disco, and to this day are still in the all-time top ten worldwide in record sales. There was no mining disaster in New York - one had just happened in Wales, but the locale was changed to not offend folks in the UK. Video is from German TV's "Beat Club."

"Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead" #11 7/1/1967

In the 60's, just about anything went on the music charts. Case in point: the Fifth Estate's sole national hit. Lyricist Don Askew made a bet at a party that he could turn any subject into a hit. Some adult beverages were involved. Duh. This tune from "The Wizard Of Oz" was suggested, and by incorporating sections of a piece from 17th century German composer Michael Praetorius, Askew pulled it off.

"Let's Live For Today" #8 7/1/1967

The first Top 10 for the Grass Roots was an English-language version of an Italian song titled "Piangi con me." Both borrowed the chorus structure from "I Count The Tears" by the Drifters. Hal Blaine of the Wrecking Crew played the drums here. Creed Bratton was the group's guitarist by now, and later played a fictional version of himself on the US TV take of "The Office" with occasional references to his rocker days.

"San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair)" #4 7/1/1967

The unofficial anthem of the counterculture, written by Papa John Phillips and sung by Scott McKenzie, born Philip Wallace Blondheim III. By now the Haight-Asbury area of San Francisco wasn't quite the idyllic hippie mecca portrayed in the song. I once had a co-worker who made that pilgrimage back in the day; she said it was really rather squalid and full of broke, starving, stoned kids, so she went home. George Harrison said the same thing after an incognito visit when "Sgt. Pepper" was released. Hal Blaine of the Wrecking Crew was the drummer, with Joe Osborn on bass.

"Windy" #1 7/1/1967

Over the next three days we'll feature songs with large contributions from the Wrecking Crew, L.A.'s unsung studio musicians. The Association did the vocals on their second #1, but Hal Blaine was on drums, with Joe Osborn on bass (what an iconic intro!) and Larry Knechtel (later with the group Bread) on keyboards. Not sure where the video is from.