“Smell Of Incense” #56 10/26/1968

The band Southwest F.O.B. started out at Samuell High School in the Pleasant Grove section of Dallas, and soon became a local opening act for the likes of Led Zeppelin and Three Dog Night. But they never came close to a hit again. Two members were monstrously successful in the 70’s - we knew them as England Dan (Seals) and John Ford Coley.

“Naturally Stoned” #40 10/26/1968

This barely qualifies as a one-hit wonder, reaching #40 for a Nashville duo named the Avant-Garde, consisting of Bubba Fowler...and Chuck Woolery. Yeah, THAT Chuck Woolery, as in the original host of “Wheel Of Fortune,” “Love Connection” etc. Gotta start somewhere. Produced by Billy Sherrill, the guy behind the glass for so many country hits by the likes of Tammy Wynette, George Jones, Charlie Rich, and most of Music City back then. We’ll be back in two and two...

“Baby Come Back” #32 10/26/1968

As the 60’s rolled on, integrated rock groups became more prevalent. Here’s one from the Equals that was a British #1 but their only US chart record. They were all badly injured in a 1969 car accident in Germany. Front man Eddy Grant eventually left as a result, moving back to Guyana and resurfacing in the 80’s as a solo act with “Electric Avenue.” This one’s an absolute favorite of mine.

“In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” #30 10/26/1968

Thank goodness for lengthy songs on classic rock radio. The album version by Iron Butterfly ran 17+ minutes, and was the ultimate “in case of fire” bathroom break record. The DJ prayed it didn’t skip! The single edited out all the solos, including the nearly three minute drum solo. Organist Doug Ingle wrote the song while drinking a gallon (!) of wine. Drummer Ron Bushy was transcribing the words but Ingle slurred the title “In The Garden Of Eden,” badly mangling it; they left that in. Erik Brann was 17 and played guitar for only three months when this was recorded. It was part of a Simpsons episode where Bart snuck the sheet music into church. A true one-hit wonder, though the LP stayed on the charts for almost three years.

“Shape Of Things To Come” #22 10/26/1968

From a movie shot in 15 days titled “Wild In The Streets.” The film’s plot was that anyone over the age of 25 couldn’t be trusted and were declared non-members of society to be re-educated; it even advocated a voting age of 14. Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil wrote this tune performed by the fictional band Max Frost and the Troopers, whose drummer was played on screen by a very young Richard Pryor.

“Over You” #7 10/26/1968

The fourth straight gold single and Top 10 for Gary Puckett and the Union Gap. It was also their last hit written and produced by Jerry Fuller. They “wanted to do their own thing.” Worked well for the Monkees, right? The last straw was when Fuller hired a 40-piece orchestra to back the band on a new tune, but the group hated the song and skipped the session. Video has Portuguese subtitles - don’t ask.

“Little Green Apples” (O.C. Smith) #2 10/26/1968

A well-written song will easily cross over to various genres. Bobby Russell wrote this and “Honey” so 1968 was very good for him. This slice-of-life was done earlier in the year by Roger Miller becoming a Top 10 country hit. O.C. Smith’s version made the Top 5 on the pop, R&B and easy listening charts. Smith never had another big hit; he became a minister in Los Angeles until he died in 2001.

“Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye” (Eddy Arnold) #1 Country 10/19/1968

A remake of the Casinos’ surprise pop hit from 1967 became the 26th and last country chart-topper for Eddy Arnold this week in 1968. Eddy had an amazing career in that genre across five decades. In a business where it’s usually here today, gone later today, that’s quite an accomplishment. Neil McCoy also had a #1 country hit with his version in the 90’s.

“A Little Less Conversation” #69 10/19/1968

The Elvis song that launched hundreds of TV commercials in the 2000’s. It was from the otherwise forgettable movie “Live A Little, Love A Little” and the single did nothing at the time. A re-recording was made, but not used, for his comeback TV special that aired in December ‘68; that unused track became the basis for a remix by JXL in 2002. That mix was included on a greatest hits collection and brought Elvis to a whole new audience, not to mention all the ad exposure. Co-written by Mac Davis and Billy Strange. The Wrecking Crew’s great Hal Blaine was on drums.

“Porpoise Song” #62 10/19/1968

What could go wrong with “Head,” the Monkees’ first movie? The script was co-written by Jack Nicholson (who also appeared in the flick, which he co-produced), it had songs written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King (they composed this one) and Harry Nilsson, the soundtrack LP had a shiny, reflective foil cover...well, the movie tanked. It was totally unfocused and disjointed, maybe because Nicholson was reportedly tripping on LSD while he was writing. The Monkees argued constantly with the director. In other words, a typical rock movie. This single also tanked.

“Do The Choo Choo” #44 10/19/1968

Archie Bell and the Drells tried to ride the wave of their first two hits one more time. Didn’t quite work out as well here, even though Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff were again involved. Archie left Atlantic Records in 1970 and after a few unsuccessful singles on a smaller label he reconnected with Gamble and Huff at Philadelphia International, finding a bit of success on the R&B charts. Archie still does gigs around the Houston area and has a black belt in Kung Fu.

“All Along The Watchtower” #20 10/19/1968

Yes, boys and girls, Jimi Hendrix had a Top 20 single. Hendrix covers Bob Dylan. Even Dylan preferred Jimi’s version. BEST. COVER RECORD. EVER. Absolutely a personal fave.

“Say It Loud - I’m Black And I’m Proud” (Part I) #10 10/19/1968

A black pride jam from James Brown. According to the Songfacts website, within a year this had pretty much disappeared from his concert set list. When asked why, JB said the song served its purpose in raising awareness and he didn’t need to belabor the point. Certainly one of the funkiest records Brown ever did.

“Fire” #2 10/19/1968

Long before KISS, before Alice Cooper, there was Arthur Brown. He was one of the first rockers to incorporate theatrics into his performances. At one gig in Italy he got naked on stage. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins in the 50’s wasn’t even this outrageous. Brown’s trademark move was to wear a metal headpiece doused in methanol or lighter fluid and set it on fire. It looked like a flaming spaghetti strainer, actually.

“Ice In The Sun” #70 10/12/1968

By request, the followup to “Pictures Of Matchstick Men” was the second (and last) Status Quo single to appear on the American charts. At home in the UK, however, they racked up a total of 39 Top 20 hits, well into the 2000’s. The band morphed from the psychedelic sound heard here into more of a rockin’ outfit.

“Don’t Change Your Love” #59 10/12/1968

Family acts have been an important part of music history over the years. The Five Stairsteps were siblings from Chicago, so named when Mom said that’s what they looked like side by side. For a while, littlest brother Cubie was the sixth Stairstep. Their neighbor was Fred Cash of the Impressions; this one has a definite Curtis Mayfield influence. They had a number of Top 20 R&B hits but 1970’s “O-o-h Child” was their only major pop record.

“Down On Me” #43 10/12/1968

Sometimes a record will linger for months before even a little success, like this one from Big Brother and the Holding Company. They brought Janis Joplin on board (I’ve heard of her!) just prior to their first album, partly recorded in Chicago where the group was stranded after a concert promoter stiffed them. “Cheap Thrills” was actually their second LP. Right around this time (Oct. 20, 1968) the band played at the Alexandria (Va.) Roller Rink - yes, a roller rink. The opening act was the Jeff Beck Group, with a relatively unknown Rod Stewart on lead vocals.

“I Met Her In Church” #37 10/12/1968

A gospel-tinged tune (no surprise, given the title) from the Box Tops. After the band broke up in 1970, lead singer Alex Chilton was offered (and declined) a spot with Blood, Sweat & Tears after David Clayton-Thomas left. Alex later formed the critically acclaimed group Big Star. “Critically acclaimed” is another way of saying “they’re good but couldn’t sell any records.”

“Help Yourself” #35 10/12/1968

A song that had its premiere at the Sanremo Music Festival in Italy. It was given English lyrics (which bore no resemblance to the Italian words) and became a huge European hit for Tom Jones. The single was also a Top 5 easy listening hit in America but didn’t do quite as well on our pop chart, barely making the Top 40.

“Hip City (Pt. 2)” #31 10/12/1968

One of those two-part singles where Part II became the primary side. Junior Walker (born Autry DeWalt Mixon Jr., or was it Oscar Mixon?) was spotted in Battle Creek, MI by Johnny Bristol. He recommended the group (known by now as the All Stars) to Harvey Fuqua, who signed them. Fuqua sold his label to Berry Gordy and Motown, where Junior recorded “Shotgun,” still one of the best party records ever.

“My Special Angel” #7 10/12/1968

The last Top 10 record for the Vogues also topped the easy listening charts. It was a remake of a 1957 #1 country hit and #7 pop hit for Bobby Helms, whose previous single was “Fraulein,” also a country chart-topper. Bobby’s next record in ‘57 was the original of “Jingle Bell Rock,” a Christmas standard and one of the most played seasonal songs in history.

“Almost In Love” #95 10/5/1968

From the forgettable Elvis flick “Live A Little, Love A Little.” There were just four songs recorded for the movie; two of them appeared on this single, with the Wrecking Crew providing the music. The other side of the 45 only did slightly better in a few weeks, but nowadays appears in countless TV ads. Stay tuned...

“Street Fighting Man” #48 10/5/1968

The followup to “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” didn’t even make the Top 40 for the Rolling Stones because many radio stations wouldn’t play the single due to “subversive” lyrics. It since became a mainstay of album rock radio. There was a lot of fighting in the streets in 1968 in America and elsewhere. Mick Jagger was at an anti-Vietnam War rally in London, but ducked out before things turned violent. That gave him the idea for the song. The odd-sounding intro was played by Keith Richards on an acoustic guitar into a highly distorted portable cassette player.

“The Snake” #27 10/5/1968

The first hit for soul singer Al Wilson, who grew up in Meridian, Miss. and San Bernardino, California. It’s the tale of a woman who took in a rather sickly half-frozen snake, nursing it back to health. When it turned and bit the woman, she asked why, to which it replied, “You knew I was a snake!” Sort of based on the fable of “The Farmer And The Viper.” Wilson wouldn’t have another hit until the ‘70’s with “Show And Tell.”

“Indian Reservation” (Don Fardon) #20 10/5/1968

Originally titled “The Pale-Faced Indian” and done first in 1959 by Marvin Rainwater (who was one-quarter Cherokee), this was the only US hit for British singer Don Fardon. John D. Loudermilk, the song’s writer, once pranked Casey Kasem, telling him a whopper about a Cherokee chief named Bloody Bear Tooth. Casey used the fake anecdote on his American Top 40 radio show when a remake hit #1 in 1971 for the Raiders (actually a Mark Lindsay solo effort). Loudermilk got a writing credit on Tim McGraw’s “Indian Outlaw” which used a line from this song. Love this version!

“I Say A Little Prayer” (Aretha) #10 10/5/1968

Burt Bacharach and Hal David racked up a Top 10 twice for the same song within 10 months. Dionne Warwick scored big with her version in December of 1967; Aretha Franklin did the same here with the flip of “The House That Jack Built,” albeit hers was just a tad slower. Aretha and the Sweet Inspirations were singing this one day for fun in the studio, then decided to record it for real. Good move.

“Slip Away” #6 10/5/1968

The first major hit for Montgomery, Alabama’s own Clarence Carter. Blind since birth, he graduated college with a degree in music before making a go of it in the business. Most of his material could be summed up in one word: S-E-X. Clarence’s famous “Strokin’ “ got absolutely zero radio airplay due to its raunchy nature, but still became a club and jukebox hit. Sounds like the approach most rappers use these days. This was recorded in Muscle Shoals at FAME Studios. A personal fave.

“Girl Watcher” #5 10/5/1968

A one-hit wonder, the O’Kaysions came from the coastal plain town of Kenly, NC. They were a group of white guys (I really had no idea!) who cut this single at a small Greenville, NC studio. It flopped at first yet was soon picked up for national distribution, making the R&B Top 10 and the pop Top 5. Obviously someone believed in the song. A Carolina beach music standard.

“The Weight” (The Band) #63 9/28/1968

Here’s the original version from The Band, Bob Dylan’s backing group for a time. They saw their take, written by the group’s Robbie Robertson, became a fixture on classic rock radio. With a name as uncluttered as The Band, nobody at Capitol Records quite knew how to print that on the labels, as it was sometimes shown as performed by the individual members instead of by the group.

“The Weight” (Jackie DeShannon) #55 9/28/1968

Once again, we have competing versions of a song that charted at the same time. Although Jackie DeShannon’s take charted a little higher than The Band’s, neither cracked the Top 50. The highest ranked version came a few months later from Aretha Franklin. DeShannon, who opened for the Beatles’ early US shows, made her mark as a songwriter with hits like “Bette Davis Eyes.”

“Special Occasion” #26 9/28/1968

A Top 5 R&B smash from Smokey Robinson and the Miracles that didn’t do nearly as well on the pop charts. As far as why that happened - I have no words. Smokey still had a lot on his plate between his wife and kids, the group gig, and being a VP at Motown. It helped that Claudette Robinson was still contributing on their records.

“Magic Bus” #25 9/28/1968

The Who was still working on their rock opera “Tommy,” so this was released as a single until that was ready to go. Supposedly “magic bus” was a form of LSD, and some radio stations wouldn’t play the record. It still became a staple of their live shows, where the group turned it into an extended jam...when they weren’t smashing instruments on stage.

“On The Road Again” #16 9/28/1968

It’s safe to say that without Canned Heat, there would be no Blues Traveler or hundreds of other blues boogie bands. Their first hit featured a droning sound which I believe was a tamboura, used heavily in music from India. They performed at Woodstock and many other festivals, in between the internal friction and disagreements and fistfights and hard partying. Still a great record to this day.