Monday, January 12, 2015

50 Year Flashback - January 12th, 1965

We stop next in Detroit where we find a drastically different WKNR chart than the WLS list we featured last week.

For starters, The Beatles don't even make The Top 31! And "This Diamond Ring" by Gary Lewis and the Playboys, a record that didn't even show up on the WLS Chart is now the #1 Record, replacing "The Name Game" by Shirley Ellis in the top spot ... another record that didn't make last week's 'LS Chart!

(In fact, only FOUR songs from last week's WLS Silver Dollar Survey appear on this WKNR Music Guide.  As such, I cannot help but wonder if this date is a misprint ... February 14, 1965, would make a lot more sense since the Gary Lewis record first premiered in Billboard this week in '65 yet already shows up as #1 in Detroit ... but hey, this is all we have to go on!)

Some big movers this week on the chart ... "My Girl" by The Temptations climbs from #11 to #3 ... and right behind it, "The Boy From New York City" by The Ad-Libs leaps 17 places to #4 from #21.

Jay and the Americans are up eight places (from #20 to #12) with their latest, 'Let's Lock The Door" while Alvin Cash and the Crawlers and Peter and Gordon are both up 13 places with their hits "Twine Time" (#16) and "I Go To Pieces" (#17).

Brand new on the charts:  "Bye Bye Baby"  by The Four Seasons, "The Birds And The Bees" by Jewel Akens and "Dusty" by The Rag Dolls.

WKNR has selected the latest from J. Frank Wilson as their Pick Hit of the Week ... and The Kingsmen sit at #6 with a two-sided hit:  "Jolly Green Giant" / "Long Green".  There are also some unfamiliar titles listed like "Can You Jerk Like Me" by The Contours (a case of Detroit supporting their very own, I guess!), "Poor Unfortunate Me" by J.J. Barnes and "Hey-Da-Da-Dow" by The Dolphins.



Here are a few Forgotten Hits that are sure to bring back a memory or two.  Again our weekly challenge stands ... we dare EVERY deejay on the list to feature a few of these on your program this week!