“Skinny Legs And All” #10 12/30/1967

We close out ‘67 with a track that started a mini-trend of comedic routines over funky beats. This was recorded in Memphis, Muscle Shoals and Nashville. Joe Tex said the idea came from an encounter he witnessed at an Alabama store between a thin lady and her man. She was lugging around two heavy bags of groceries; he was arguing with the woman but was carrying nothing. Joe thought, “If he don’t want to be seen in public with you, some other guy will, skinny legs and all.”

“Hello, Goodbye” #1 12/30/1967

The last #1 single of 1967 topped the US charts for three weeks and the UK charts for seven. Paul’s mate Alistair Taylor asked McCartney how he came up with song ideas, so they played some word association. Paul asked Alistair to shout the opposite of whatever he would say. “Yes, no - stop, go - goodbye, hello...” John thought it was only so much pop drivel and really disliked it except for the ending, a late addition to the track. This video was one of three the Beatles filmed for the song, complete with the “Sgt. Pepper” pastel outfits and hula girls.

“I Am The Walrus”

The B-side of their current single was the first track the Beatles worked on after the death of their manager, Brian Epstein. John received a letter from a student at his old high school saying one of his instructors required the class to analyze Beatle lyrics. So John took some LSD (ok, a LOT of LSD) and wrote the most nonsensical words possible in order to confuse everyone, with more than a hint of “Through The Looking Glass” going on. (There’s also a very R-rated reason behind the term “Eggman” involving the Animals’ Eric Burdon.) They even included a BBC radio broadcast of “King Lear.” The final stereo version has a very weird mix for that reason, as everything feeds into a single channel for an extended period. The “Walrus” clip from the “Magical Mystery Tour” film is even stranger. I suppose you needed to ingest certain substances to watch it. The fact this was a B-side and a Paul song was the A-side irked John to no end, saying he got tired of being Paul’s backing band. That resentment lingered to the very bitter end of the group in 1970.

Beatles - I Am The Walrus

“In The Misty Moonlight” #46 12/23/1967

Dean Martin recorded a number of country-flavored songs in the 60’s. Here’s a remake of a Top 20 pop hit for Jerry Wallace in 1964, also done by Jim Reeves on the country side. Dino recorded this at about the same time, but it wasn’t released until late ‘67. This was the fifth and last #1 easy listening hit for the King of Cool.

“She’s My Girl” #14 12/23/1967

The sixth Top 20 hit for the Turtles, written by the same guys who wrote their previous single. After they broke up in 1970, front men Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman were contractually prevented from using the band name (or even their own names) to promote themselves. So they became known professionally as the Phlorescent Leech and Eddie (later just Flo and Eddie) and joined Frank Zappa and the Mothers Of Invention. They were with the Mothers in Montreux, Switzerland when the concert venue burned down, forever immortalized in Deep Purple’s “Smoke On The Water.”

“You Better Sit Down Kids” #9 12/23/1967

The second solo Top 10 hit for Cher, written by her then-hubby Sonny Bono. She sang it without changing the masculine perspective of the tune, which dealt with an impending divorce and its potential effects on the kids. Little did they know that would happen to their marriage in a few years. Definitely a Wrecking Crew effort, and definitely a jazzy ending to this record.

“If Every Day Was Like Christmas”

A Christmas tune written for Elvis by his former buddy, “Memphis Mafia” member Red West. I say “former” because he eventually questioned the King’s heavy pill use, leading to him being fired in 1976 along with two others in the entourage. Red would write a controversial best-selling book, “Elvis: What Happened?” published just before E’s passing in 1977. We’re taking tomorrow off for Christmas. Enjoy your time with families and friends, and God bless y’all.

“Boogaloo Down Broadway” #7 12/23/1967

Johnny Corley, a.k.a. The Fantastic Johnny C, attended the same Norristown, PA church as Cliff Nobles (see 1968’s “The Horse”) and their shared manager, Jesse James. This was far and away Johnny’s biggest hit, but he would do a remake of the Soul Brothers Six tune “(She’s) Some Kind Of Wonderful,” later a Top 5 hit for Grand Funk Railroad in 1975.

“The Fool On The Hill”

Inspiration for a song can come from some odd places. Paul said he was walking his dog Martha one morning when she ran off. He looked for her and claimed to have seen a stranger on a hill. Paul said later he may have imagined the whole thing, but he got an excellent song out of it. Sérgio Mendes would score a hit with a bossa-nova remake in a few months. The video is Paul in concert along with a few clips from the “Magical Mystery Tour” segment containing this song. McCartney traveled to Nice, France without money, an ID or a passport to film those scenes, telling customs agents “You know me” - of course, this was pre-9/11.

“Piece Of My Heart” (Erma Franklin) #62 12/16/1967

In 1968, the hit version was sung - no, screamed! - by Janis Joplin with Big Brother and the Holding Company. Here’s the original, a very soulful R&B Top 10 by Aretha’s older sister, Erma Franklin. The song was co-written by the infamous Bert Berns, who first asked Van Morrison to record it - which Van turned down. Faith Hill did a version that went to #1 on the country charts in 1994. Faith claimed to have never heard the song prior to recording it.

“Beautiful People” (Kenny O’Dell) #38 12/16/1967

The Kenny O’Dell version. Kenny went on to write a bunch of country chart-toppers, such as “Behind Closed Doors” by Charlie Rich, “Lizzie And The Rainman” for Tanya Tucker and “Mama He’s Crazy” for the Judds.

“Beautiful People” (Bobby Vee) #37 12/16/1967

Today we feature a modern era Hot 100 chart rarity! Not only do we have competing versions of a sunshine pop song, but both peaked the same week...at consecutive positions. Bobby Vee’s version got to #37; the song’s composer, Kenny O’Dell, checked in at #38. This one makes you want to run out in the field and pick daisies!

“By The Time I Get To Phoenix” #26 12/16/1967

The first Top 40 record (and the first country Top 5) for Glen Campbell. He heard the original Johnny Rivers version of this Jimmy Webb song and said to himself, “I can do this and do it well.” It’s possible to drive from L.A. to Phoenix to Albuquerque to Oklahoma, but that Phoenix/Albuquerque stretch would be tough late at night. The more direct route is straight through Flagstaff on I-40, but I guess Phoenix works better lyrically. Poetic license. A Wrecking Crew record all the way.

“Keep The Ball Rollin“ #14 12/16/1967

The followup to “Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie” from Jay and the Techniques. Jay Proctor, like so many, started out singing in the black churches of Allentown, PA and turned that into a secular music career. He and fellow vocalist George Lloyd were paired with a bunch of white guys as a backing band, a real rarity in the 60’s.

“I Second That Emotion” #4 12/16/1967

Yesterday we mentioned how the Miracles were the first Motown act to record “I Heard It Through The Grapevine,” yet Berry Gordy wouldn’t release the song as a single. Instead, this one became their biggest hit since “Shop Around” in 1961. Smokey Robinson was shopping and found some pearls as a birthday gift for his wife. Instead of saying “I second that motion,” his buddy Al Cleveland said “I second that emotion” and they wrote a hit based on the misstatement.

“I Heard It Through The Grapevine” (Gladys Knight) #2 12/16/1967

One recorded by a couple of artists, then pretty much hidden by Motown until becoming a hit - twice. Originally the Miracles did the tune in 1966, but Berry Gordy buried the song on an album. The Isley Brothers did a version while at Motown, but that remains unreleased. Marvin Gaye recorded his slower “Grapevine” several months before the one featured here from Gladys Knight and the Pips, but Gordy nixed it as a single. Marvin’s take eventually got so much airplay as an album cut that Gordy’s hand was forced, and Gaye’s version would be #1 for seven weeks in late ‘68/early ‘69.

“Our Day Will Come” #1 3/23/1963

There weren’t many acts that had a #1 their first time out of the chute. Ruby and the Romantics, from Akron, Ohio, did just that in March of 1963. That giant Wurlitzer organ sound kind of harkens back to the roller rink. I can picture the owner on the PA saying “everyone skate” over that solo. Excellent harmonies here.

“Okolona River Bottom Band” #54 12/9/1967

Another swampy-sounding tune from Bobbie Gentry was the followup to “Ode To Billie Joe.” One can tell this had at least a subliminal influence on “Polk Salad Annie” with a great backbeat and a great horn section. Bobbie would concentrate more on TV over the next few years, hosting limited-run shows in Britain and Canada, while putting together a Vegas act. She would have a Top 40 record in 1970 with “Fancy” which became a country Top 10 hit for Reba McEntire in 1991.

“Paper Cup” #34 12/9/1967

Jimmy Webb was one of the finest songwriters of the 60’s, and he was only 21 when he broke through with “Up, Up And Away” for the 5th Dimension. Here he also wrote their followup, and though it didn’t do nearly as well, the group loved working with him. The video is from a Cleveland local “Bandstand”-type show called “Upbeat” which was syndicated nationally for a few years. Dig the fashion sense!

“Neon Rainbow” #24 12/9/1967

The city sure is a different place at night. The followup to “The Letter” for the Box Tops was also written by Wayne Carson Thompson. He wrote “Soul Deep” for that Memphis band plus a slew of country hits, and was a co-writer of “Always On My Mind” notably sung by Elvis, Willie Nelson and many others.

“Massachusetts” #11 12/9/1967

When the Bee Gees wrote this on a visit to New York City, those guys had never been to Massachusetts. They just liked the way the word sounded. The Gibb brothers wanted the Seekers to record the song, as they felt Judith Durham’s voice would be a perfect fit, but couldn’t make contact with the Down Under group. So they did it themselves, racking up a fourth Top 20 in America and a #1 in the UK. Video is from Germany’s “Beat Club” TV show.

“In And Out Of Love” #9 12/9/1967

The last Top 10 record for Diana Ross and the Supremes for almost a year was also their last single with Florence Ballard as a member. However, her vocals (and Mary Wilson’s) were later overdubbed by the Andantes, Motown’s in-house backup singers. The Andantes frequently subbed in the studio for Wilson and Cindy Birdsong until Ross went solo. Holland-Dozier-Holland also recorded over the Funk Brothers’ music tracks by using several Wrecking Crew folks out in L.A.

“I Say A Little Prayer” (Dionne Warwick) #4 12/9/1967

This Bacharach/David tune marked Dionne Warwick’s return to the Top 10 for the first time in almost two years. Hal David’s lyrics were about a woman’s concern for her guy who was off serving in Vietnam. Both sides of the 45 did rather well, as the flip (the theme from “Valley Of The Dolls”) would also chart highly in a couple of months. Aretha Franklin did a fine cover in the fall of ‘68 that also made the Top 10. This is certainly one of the few Hot 100 songs to contain a 7/4 time signature.

“Walk Like A Man” #1 3/2/1963

In the "Jersey Boys" musical and movie, Tommy DeVito of the Four Seasons made a wisecrack about Frankie Valli singing the lyrics in falsetto, "Walk like a man - with THIS voice?" Still, in March 1963 it became their third straight #1 record. Legend has it the group was locked in the studio by their producer Bob Crewe, who was searching for the perfect take, as a fire broke out on the floor directly above. Smoke filled the room and the ceiling started to fall, but Crewe refused to let them out until firefighters broke down the doors with their axes.

“Wild Honey” #31 12/2/1967

From the LP of the same name, Mike Love of the Beach Boys wrote these lyrics with Stevie Wonder in mind. Even though Brian Wilson contributed to almost every song on the album, he took a major step back from his primary leadership role within the band. Their chart performance suffered as Brian fought his inner demons, detailed in the movie “Love And Mercy.”

“Beg, Borrow And Steal” #29 12/2/1967

A single credited to the Ohio Express, but actualły recorded by the Rare Breed. The Ohio Express name was an umbrella for various bands controlled by Kasenetz and Katz (Super K Productions). And that doesn't include the road band doing shows under that moniker. This record was NOT by the musicians fronted by Joey Levine that had the bubblegum hits later on. The Rare Breed had another single that was covered by Every Mother's Son as "Come On Down To My Boat."

“Lazy Day” #14 12/2/1967

More sunshine pop about balloons and picking daisies and all that frothy stuff. It became the second Top 20 hit for Spanky and Our Gang. Lead singer Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane was in an 80's incarnation of the Mamas and the Papas, performing the Cass Elliot parts. That group had a pretty rough go of it.

“An Open Letter To My Teenage Son” #10 12/2/1967

One of those 45's that came out of nowhere, then disappeared just as quickly. This spoken-word track was from Victor Lundberg, a radio newsman in Grand Rapids, MI, and was certainly one of the oddest records to ever make the Top 10. It was about as conservative as anything from the Sixties. The narrator makes nice but at the end tells his teenage son in no uncertain terms that if he burns his draft card, the kid should burn his birth certificate as well, disowning him. Pretty strident stuff.

“The Rain, The Park And Other Things” #2 12/2/1967

Some sunshine pop by the real-life inspiration for "The Partridge Family" TV show. The Cowsills started out as four brothers (Bill, Bob, Barry and John) in a rock band from Newport, RI. Their mom was talked into singing harmonies on their first album. After the success of this single, brother Paul and baby sister Susan joined the family group. The original four brothers are the ones seen in today's video. Co-written by Arnie Kornfeld, soon to be a promoter of the Woodstock festival. Barry Cowsill was a drowning victim in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.

“Daydream Believer” #1 12/2/1967

The third and last #1 for the Monkees was written by former Kingston Trio member John Stewart, who had a Top 5 record himself in 1979 with "Gold." The group was asked by their label to change one word in Stewart's lyrics, from "Now you know how funky I can be" to "Now you know how happy I can be." This video from their TV series shows the band clowning around and not taking themselves too seriously.

“Hey Paula” #1 2/9/1963

We return to #1 tunes from early 1963 with one from February by Ray Hildebrand and Jill Jackson, better known as Paul and Paula. They were college students in central Texas when this record caught on. Paul (well, Ray, who wrote the song) couldn't handle the sudden fame and bailed out for a few weeks in the middle of a tour. He was easily replaced since they were lip-syncing on stage, anyway. The record was featured prominently in "Animal House." Produced by Major Bill Smith, who later had ties to the Don and Mike local radio show in Washington, DC.