“For The Good Times” #11 1/2/1971

Kris Kristofferson was on an absolute roll as a songwriter by late 1970. His “ Sunday Morning Comin’ down” had recently hit #1 on the country charts for Johnny Cash, as did this one recorded by Ray Price. It’s generally acknowledged as one of the saddest country songs ever written - and that’s saying something. This would be Price’s only Top 40 pop appearance.

“Domino” #9 1/2/1971

Fats Domino remains a favorite for tributes in the rock world. No wonder, because his influence was immeasurable. For instance, Paul McCartney wrote “Lady Madonna” as a tribute to the Fat Man. Van Morrison’s highest charting single was also in that vein, though it could also be considered a tribute to American R&B in general. As always, the horn section is just impeccable.

“Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?” #7 1/2/1971

One that its writer, Robert Lamm, said was the first song Chicago worked on for its first album back in 1968. However, this wasn’t released as a single for over two years. Like a number of their songs, several edits exist. An intro consisting of some noodling on the piano by Lamm was cut from the 45. Some great trumpet work by Lee Loughnane here. Definitely a personal fave.

“Coal Miner’s Daughter” #83 (#1 Country) 12/26/1970

Welcome, 1971! Once again, we have a super-twangy country record making it onto the pop charts. This recent country #1, an autobiographical Loretta Lynn song, originally had ten verses. Producer Owen Bradley told Loretta that the lengthy “El Paso” had already been done and the world didn’t need another one. She complied and cut out a few verses, now forever lost. The song served as the basis for a self-penned book and the 1980 movie starring Cissy Spacek.

“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.