"Funky Broadway" #8 9/30/1967

Originally done by Dyke and the Blazers, the Broadway referenced in this #1 R&B hit from Wilson Pickett isn't the one in NYC, but in Buffalo where Arlester "Dyke" Christian was from. It's also said to be about Broadway Road in Phoenix, where Mr. Christian and his band were broke and stranded once upon a time. This was recorded in Muscle Shoals and was Wilson's last Top 10 pop hit.

"It Could Be We're In Love" #85 9/23/1967

This just barely charted nationally (gaining traction at different times in different areas of the country has that effect) but in their hometown of Chicago, the Cryan' Shames reached #1 on both WLS and WCFL, the two local powerhouse AM Top 40 stations. It's a curious little record but the harmonies are really quite good. Maybe it was just a tad too quirky or something. Soon, the band kind of fell apart. Several members eventually re-formed and are still doing gigs around Chicagoland.

"Blues' Theme" #37 9/23/1967

The opening theme to a low-budget biker movie called "The Wild Angels." It starred a pre-"Easy Rider" Peter Fonda with Nancy Sinatra, Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd. You may have seen it at the drive-in back in the day...or maybe not, if you had something else going on at the drive-in ;) Davie Allan and the Arrows played on a bunch of those type of soundtracks. Davie had a badass sound with lots of distortion and other effects. Eddie Van Halen said this record was one of his first influences, and he learned to play guitar as a result. That kinda worked out well for Eddie, dontcha think?

"Groovin' " (Booker T. & the MG's) #21 9/23/1967

An instrumental remake of the Young Rascals' #1 from earlier in the year became a Top 10 R&B tune for Booker T. and the MG's. They were basically the house band at Stax Records in Memphis, playing on virtually all the label's hits. These guys were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 - and deservedly so.

"I Had A Dream" #17 9/23/1967

Paul Revere and the Raiders and Terry Melcher would part ways shortly after this single. Terry produced all of their early hits but as a staff producer at Columbia Records, he was spending a lot more time working with other acts and less with the Raiders. A guy would soon audition for Melcher by the name of Charlie Manson. After he was turned down and not signed...well, the Manson "family" invaded Melcher's old house in 1969 looking to kill him (Terry had already moved), and they wound up murdering Sharon Tate and the others. Wrong place, wrong time.

"I Dig Rock And Roll Music" #9 9/23/1967

The fifth Top 10 from Peter, Paul and Mary. The trio was one of the leading folk music acts of the early 60's but hadn't had a real hit in a few years. Here, they parodied the styles of the Mamas and the Papas, Donovan, and the Beatles. They broke up in 1970 after Peter Yarrow was convicted of making moves on a 14-year-old girl. P, P & M reunited in 1978 and toured off and on until Mary Travers died of leukemia in 2009.

"Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie" #6 9/23/1967

The initial hit for Allentown, PA's Jay and the Techniques, one of the first integrated rock bands of the 60's. Lead singer Jay Proctor was the only member appearing on the record, though, as producer Jerry Ross chose to have Philadelphia studio musicians perform instead. The song had been offered to Bobby Hebb as a followup to "Sunny" but he turned it down.