“Carolina In My Mind” (1970 reissue) #67 12/26/1970

We close out 1970! Another case of an artist changing labels, finding huge success, and the former label reissuing an older track. That happened to James Taylor. After moving to Warner Brothers and the career-defining “Fire And Rain,” his old label (Apple) re-released his first single. It charted a little higher this time around, but still didn’t do that well. James re-did the song in 1976; that version became most familiar.

“Paranoid”’ #61 12/26/1970

Most heavy metal bands had little interest in singles, and Black Sabbath was no exception. The title track from their second LP was their first US 45 and became a Top 5 single in the UK. Ozzy Osbourne and the guys may have pioneered what could be called sludge rock. Most of their material was plodding with dark lyrics (this being a bit of an exception), but there was a large audience for that.

“Morning” #47 (#4 Country) 12/26/1970

By now it seemed as though more and more country performers wanted that elusive crossover hit sound, as they used pop arrangements more frequently and took on formerly verboten subjects. This Top 5 country hit from Jim Ed Brown is very representative of that style. He was seeing some solo success after rising to stardom in the late 50’s with his sisters Maxine and Bonnie (“The Three Bells”).

“5-10-15-20-25-30 Years Of Love” #11 12/26/1970

Sometimes I have difficulty finding out a lot about the acts that show up here, especially with the one-hit wonders. But, this one hit by the Presidents (oddly enough, from Washington, DC) is a pretty good one. They were produced by Van McCoy, who would have a huge hit several years later in 1975 with “The Hustle.”

“One Less Bell To Answer” #2 12/26/1970

People tend to forget Burt Bacharach and Hal David wrote this song, but not for the 5th Dimension. They had Keely Smith in mind (Louis Prima’s singing partner back in the day), but she never recorded it. Rosemary Clooney did the tune first; producer Bones Howe revived the track for 5D. A superb showcase for the Wrecking Crew and for Marilyn McCoo in particular.

“My Sweet Lord” #1 12/26/1970

The first solo #1 single from an ex-Beatle became a worldwide chart-topper for George Harrison. It dealt with his dedication to the Hare Krishna movement, with a slight nod to Judeo-Christian religions. He initially didn’t plan to release any singles from his triple-disc “All Things Must Pass” album; Phil Spector talked him into it. George had some high-powered help from Billy Preston, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr and an all-star cast. Peter Frampton supposedly played lead guitar here. The almost absurd lawsuits over the song’s unintended similarity to the Chiffons’ “He’s So Fine” are well documented and would take hours to delve into. Google it if you like.

“Sleigh Ride” (Ronettes) 1963

Another enduring Christmas classic was this, a seasonal hit first done in 1949 by Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops Orchestra. The lyrics were written in 1950. The definitive rock version came from the Ronettes off an album of holiday songs produced by Phil Spector. It had the misfortune of being issued the same day as the JFK assassination and was overlooked for a few years. But great songs always rise to the top, and in recent years that LP has received its due recognition.

We’re taking tomorrow off. Merry Christmas!

“The Christmas Song” (Nat King Cole)

There are only a select few Christmas songs that become timeless classics. Written by Robert Wells and Mel Tormé in 1946, Nat King Cole recorded this on at least four separate occasions. The definitive version included here was from 1961. Nobody ever did it better than Mr. Cole - a classic. Chestnuts roasting in the microwave...

“Do It “ (1970) #36 12/19/1970

There were times when the battle between Neil Diamond and his former label, BANG Records, became almost comical in its pettiness. Almost every single Neil released on Uni Records was followed immediately by BANG releasing one of his older songs. This track was first done in 1966 as the B-side to “Solitary Man” and remixed in late 1970, and Diamond couldn’t legally prevent it from being issued. He got the rights to his older material in 1977.

“He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” (Neil Diamond) #20 12/19/1970

An outstanding song will always shine through no matter who sings it. Originally a smash for the Hollies (after Joe Cocker turned it down!), Neil Diamond’s version was also a Top 20 hit. He included this on his very bold “Tap Root Manuscript” album. It’s always interesting when a great songwriter records a tune that they didn’t write.

“Be My Baby” (Andy Kim) #17 12/19/1970

One of the most enduring hits of the girl group sound came from the Ronettes in 1963. The opening drum lick from Hal Blaine has been imitated like no other, as has Phil Spector’s “Wall Of Sound” production style. One of the better cover versions here came from Andy Kim. This was his last big hit until “Rock Me Gently” in 1974. Video is from Dutch TV - look for Mariska Veres from the group Shocking Blue in the clip.

“Stoned Love” #7 12/19/1970

The last Billboard Top 10 pop hit from the Supremes minus Diana Ross, though they had a few more hits on the soul charts. It was quite obvious Berry Gordy pushed Diana’s solo career at the expense of almost all other Motown acts, mainly the Supremes. Gordy was hellbent on moving his company to L.A. in order to break into other forms of entertainment. He finally did so in 1972. Video is from “Soul Train.”

“Don’t Let The Sun Catch You Crying” #4 7/4/1964

SometImes a record resurfaces on the charts years after it was originally a hit. “Louie Louie” and “Wipe Out” fall into that category. For whatever reason, this British Invasion-era Gerry and the Pacemakers #4 single from the week of July 4, 1964 reappeared at #112 in the Bubbling Under section of the Billboard chart for a single week in 1970. I have no idea why, but I’m not passing up the chance to use it here.

“Carolina In My Mind” (Crystal Mansion) #73 12/12/1970

Not much is known about the group Crystal Mansion, who came from the Philly suburb of Mt. Laurel, NJ. They did this cover of a tune from James Taylor’s first album, and then kind of disappeared. Apparently they were in the mold of Rare Earth; at one point the band even recorded for the Motown group’s label.

“Who Needs Ya” #54 12/12/1970

The current Steppenwolf single. By now the band was experiencing personnel issues, notably with bassist Nick St. Nicholas. John Kay wanted to present a biker and leather vibe to the public, but ol’ Nick showed up for a gig at Fillmore East one night wearing nothing but rabbit ears and a jock strap. He would also wear kaftans and muumuus on stage - not quite the heavy metal image. He was soon fired.

"Don’t Try To Lay No Boogie Woogie On The King Of Rock N' Roll" #52 12/12/1970

After the unexpected success of “Evil Woman” the Minnesota-based group Crow tried and tried to follow up their one hit. This was as close as they got to doing so. Long John Baldry (Elton John’s mentor) had his own version a few months later. Like so many before and since, Crow ran into financial issues and soon broke up.

“Only Love Can Break Your Heart” #33 12/12/1970

This Neil Young song was all about then-bandmate Graham Nash and his breakup with Joni Mitchell. In happier days, the couple had been the subject of at least one previous CSN&Y tune (“Our House”). It seemed as though Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young just couldn’t coexist as a four-man group. They broke up countless times and regrouped in various forms over the next few years.

“After Midnight” (Eric Clapton) #18 12/12/1970

The debut solo single from guitar legend Eric Clapton, a more uptempo version of a J.J. Cale tune. Years later Clapton would perform a slower take in an ad for Michelob, which turned into one of the most successful commercials of the 1980’s. Cale was overjoyed to finally make some money from his songs. Leon Russell was on piano.

“The Tears Of A Clown” #1 12/12/1970

How many hit songs ever made a reference to Pagliacci? And how many featured a bassoon? This Smokey Robinson and the Miracles hit, their only pop #1 with Robinson in the lineup, was a buried album track...for three years. Finally Motown’s UK distributor, frustrated with a lack of Miracles product, got permission to issue this as a 45 and it reached #1 over there. Berry Gordy followed suit in America and got the same result. Smokey wrote the lyrics; Stevie Wonder and Henry Cosby the music.

“Wham!” #24 10/5/1963

Lonnie Mack followed up his instrumental version of “Memphis” with this rockin’ guitar tune in the fall of 1963. He was one of thousands whose careers were derailed by the British Invasion, however, and turned to session work like playing bass on the Doors’ “Roadhouse Blues.” Lonnie was a performer whose contributions to rock music almost got lost, if not for his tremendously influential style.

“Memphis” (Lonnie Mack) #5 7/20/1963

Occasionally cover songs that barely sound like the originals become hits, too. Lonnie Mack was a blues/country guitarist in the Cincinnati area who drew upon those and many other influences to create a style that in turn influenced young guitarists like Stevie Ray Vaughan and Duane Allman. Lonnie owned and regularly played the seventh Gibson “Flying V” guitar ever made. He didn’t know the words to this Chuck Berry tune but sort of structured an instrumental around the basic melody and turned his version into a Top 5 hit in the summer of 1963.

“Samba Pa Ti”

An instrumental album track from Santana’s current #1 LP “Abraxas.” It was a hit single in other countries. Carlos Santana still performs this at his live shows. He said the idea came from hearing a sax being played outside his window one morning. The guy apparently couldn’t make up his mind whether to keep playing or take a drink from a liquor bottle in his back pocket.

“Where Have All Our Heroes Gone” #93 12/5/1970

Another pro-America country tune (mostly spoken word) that made the lower reaches of the Hot 100, this time from Bill Anderson. It was his 25th Top 20 country single, as Whispering Bill would continue his successful singing career into the late 70’s. Bill did OK as a songwriter, too, with songs like “City Lights,” “Once A Day” and “Saginaw, Michigan” being huge hits for Ray Price, Connie Smith and Lefty Frizzell.

“Share The Land” #10 12/5/1970

Another Top 10 single for the Guess Who. This one, however, did catch some flak from conservative groups in the US due to a perceived socialist or Communist message promoting communal ownership of property. Oh, well. Some things never change. It wouldn’t be rock and roll if the songs didn’t tick off someone or another.

“No Matter What” #8 12/5/1970

The followup to “Come And Get It” for Badfinger. It was produced by former Beatles roadie Mal Evans, solidifying their lot as protégés of the Fab Four. This was from their “No Dice” LP, famous for the girl with ridiculously big hair on the cover and for “Without You” which Nilsson turned into a huge hit in a few years. “No Matter What” is just a great power pop record. Plus, a real music video here!

“Gypsy Woman” (Brian Hyland) #3 12/5/1970

A remake of the first Impressions release after the departure of Jerry Butler became the last hit for Brian Hyland. He hadn’t had a hit in over four years until this, a marked shift from the slightly frothy material he was known for, i.e., “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie” etc. etc. I dig the violin solo - it sure adds to the whole Gypsy motif.

“Perfidia” #15 12/26/1960

Let’s go back to late 1960 for a Ventures tune, a rockin’ little instrumental followup to “Walk Don’t Run” which also did very well. The original of this was a pre-World War II hit for Cuban-born bandleader Xavier Cugat, who was said to be part of the basis for the Ricky Ricardo character from “I Love Lucy.” ‘Splain that to me, Lucy?

“Beaucoups Of Blues” #87 11/28/1970

After the Beatles split up, Ringo Starr was actually the first to release a solo LP. That album of standards rather confused the record buying public, though. Ringo’s next album was much more country flavored, in line with a few of his Fab Four vocal efforts. This was recorded in Nashville with backing musicians like Charlie Daniels, Jerry Reed, D.J. Fontana (Elvis’s first drummer) and the Jordanaires.

“I Don’t Wanna Cry” #50 11/28/1970

The latest from Ronnie Dyson, a Top 10 soul hit, was a remake of the Chuck Jackson (“Any Day Now”) tune from 1961. Later in the 70’s Ronnie would collaborate with a different guy also named Chuck Jackson on a few songs. Sadly, Dyson passed away in 1980 from heart failure. His father had also died earlier in the year.

“So Close” #49 11/28/1970

Not many people can connect the dots between Led Zeppelin, ad jingles and one of the biggest blunders ever on Casey Kasem’s “American Top 40” radio show, but Jake Holmes could. He never had a real hit himself, but did write “Dazed And Confused” which Jimmy Page apparently ripped off. Holmes later wrote jingles like “I’m A Pepper” and “Be All You Can Be.” Hey, it paid the bills. The AT40 staffers mistakenly told Casey this was #39 the week of 12/19/70 and Jake’s song apparently got onto the program instead of “Love The One You’re With” from Stephen Stills. Oops.

“Part Time Love” #45 11/28/1970

Here’s a remake of the 1963 Johnnie Taylor hit that became a Top 10 soul smash for Ann Peebles. She recorded for the same Memphis label as Al Green (Hi Records) and hit upon the same style that would work so well for Reverend Al. Her biggest hit would come several years later with “I Can’t Stand The Rain.”

“Heed The Call” #33 11/28/1970

Another plea for brotherhood from Kenny Rogers and the First Edition on the heels of “Tell It All, Brother." Even though there were disagreements within the group, they went to Canada to star in a TV variety show called “Rollin’ On The River.” This proved to be their final Top 40 record before splitting up in 1974, with Kenny going on to his massively successful solo career. Video is from Glen Campbell’s TV show.

“Let’s Work Together” (Canned Heat) #26 11/28/1970

The last hit from Canned Heat was a rockin’ blues number done first by Wilbert Harrison as “Let’s Stick Together” in 1962. Wilbert re-did the song with new lyrics and a new title in early 1970; Canned Heat deferred releasing their version out of respect for Harrison. This take did better, but co-lead singer Alan Wilson died several months earlier from a rumored suicide. Video is from the UK’s “Top Of The Pops.”

“Yellow River” #23 11/28/1970

Perhaps the only thing rarer than being a one-hit wonder...is being a one-hit wonder with a single that lingered until this point for 20 weeks (plus three weeks Bubbling Under) and topped out @ #23. That happened to Jeff Christie, who used his surname for a group name. This former UK #1 was Jeff singing over a backing track by the Tremeloes instead of his own band. The chart positions by week starting 6/27/70: 105-105-111-98-96-87-80-80-64-64-55-65-59-53-51-50-42-40-37-28-26-25-23.