Music Events and News of 1967

Springfield, The Doors, The Fifth Dimension, Grateful

Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Lemon Pipers, Moby Grape,

Gary Puckett and The Union Gap, Linda Ronstadt and The

Stone Poneys, Spanky and Our Gang, Strawberry Alarm

Clock, Frank Zappa and The Mothers Of Invention, Glen

Campbell, Jimi Hendrix (ALBUM debut at this time),

Scott McKenzie, The Intruders, Peaches and Herb, Soul

Survivors, Arthur Conley, Arlo Guthrie, Tim Hardin,

John Hartford, Janis Ian, The Cowsills, Bobbie Gentry,

Velvet Underground, The Buckinghams, Kim Weston, The

Casinos, Ed Ames, Tammi Terrell, Bill Cosby (his

SINGING debut), Miriam Makeba (her Top 40 single debut), Jay

and The Techniques, Vicki Carr, The Esquires, and

Brenton Wood.

U.S. debuts were: Van Morrison, The Bee Gees,

Cream, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Procol Harum, The

Who, Spencer Davis Group (featuring Steve Winwood),

Englebert Humperdinck, Lulu, The Tremeloes, P.J.

Proby, and The Easybeats.

Procol Harum had a no. 5 smash with "A Whiter Shade

Of Pale" (July 1st chart entry). "Homburg" peaked at

no. 34 (Nov. 11th entry). This would be the group's

last top 40 until 1972.

Gladys Knight and The Pips returned to the top 40

(since 1964; they were now on Motown's Soul label)

with "Everybody Needs Love", which peaked at no. 39

(August 19th chart entry). But their follow-up, "I

Heard It Through The Grapevine" was a no. 2 smash

(Nov. 4th entry).

This year also marked a return by Bobby Vee (since

1963). "Come Back When You Grow Up" (with The

Strangers) was a no. 3 smash (Aug. 12 chart entry).

"Beautiful People" peaked at no. 37 (Dec. 16th entry).

Jay and The Techniques had a no. 6 smash with

"Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie" (Aug. 19 chart entry).

"Keep The Ball Rollin' " was a no. 14 hit (Nov. 11

entry).

Jackie Wilson also had a no. 6 smash with "(Your

Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher" (Sept. 2nd

entry). Motown's Funk Brothers are playing on this!

"Since You Showed Me How To Be Happy" peaked at no.

32 (Dec. 16th entry).

"Get On Up" was a no. 11 hit for The Esquires

(Sept. 16th chart entry). The sequel, "And Get Away"

was a no. 22 hit (Dec. 16th entry).

"Show Me" peaked at no. 35 for Joe Tex (April 8th

entry-one of his best!). But "Skinny Legs And All" was

a no. 10 smash (Nov. 25 chart entry).

American Breed had a no. 24 hit with "Step Out Of

Your Mind" (July 8th chart entry). "Bend Me, Shape Me"

was a no. 5 smash (Dec. 16th entry). This band later

evolved into the soul group Rufus (featuring Chaka

Khan).

The Beach Boys added to their string of hits with

"Heroes And Villians", a no. 12 hit (August 12th chart

entry). "Wild Honey" placed at no. 31 (Nov. 18th entry).

"The Letter" was a no. 1 smash (for four weeks!) by

The Box Tops (featuring Alex Chilton, lead singer-Aug.

26th entry). "Neon Rainbow" was a no. 24 hit (Dec. 2nd

entry).

The Electric Prunes had a no. 11 hit with "I Had

Too Much To Dream (Last Night)", a Jan. 21st chart

entry. "Get Me To The World On Time" was a no. 27 hit

(April 22nd entry).

"Let's Live For Today" was a no. 8 smash for The

Grass Roots (June 3rd chart entry). "Things I Should

Have Said" was a no. 23 hit (Sept. 2nd entry).

Harpers Bizarre had a no. 13 hit with "The 59th

Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)", a March 18th

entry. I believe this was written by Paul Simon. "Come

To The Sunshine" peaked at no. 37 (June 17th chart

entry).

King Curtis (real name: Curtis Ousley) peaked at

no. 33 with the instrumental "Memphis Soul Stew"

(Sept. 23rd entry). "Ode To Billie Joe", another

instrumental, was a no. 28 hit (Oct. 7th entry-This

was billed only as The Kingpins.)

Frankie Laine returned to the top 40 (since 1957!)

with "I'll Take Care Of Your Cares", which peaked at

no. 39 (March 4th chart entry). "Making Memories"

peaked at no. 35 (May 6th entry).

Gary Lewis and The Playboys had a no. 21 hit with

"Where Will The Words Come From" (Jan. 7th entry).

"Girls In Love" peaked at no. 39 (June 10th entry).

"In The Chapel In The Moonlight" was a no. 25 hit for Dean Martin (July 22nd entry). "Little Ole Wine Drinker, Me" peaked at no. 38 (Sept. 9th). This would be his last top 40.

"Knight In Rusty Armor" was a no. 15 hit for Peter and Gordon (Jan. 14th entry). "Sunday For Tea" placed at no. 31 (April 15th ). This would be their last top 40 hit.

Peter, Paul and Mary had a no. 9 smash with "I Dig Rock And Roll Music" (Sept. 2nd entry). "Too Much Of Nothing" (I think this was written by Bob Dylan) peaked at no. 35 (Dec. 23 entry).

Elvis Presley was still hanging in there with "Indescribably Blue", which peaked at no. 33 (Feb. 18th entry) and "Big Boss Man", which peaked at no. 38 (Nov. 4th).

"I'll Try Anything" peaked at no. 40 for Dusty Springfield (April 22nd entry). "The Look Of Love" was a no. 22 hit ()ct. 14th entry-from the film, "Casino Royale"). By now, she had her own variety show, "Dusty", on British TV. One episode featured new sensation Jimi Hendrix, who did a duet with her of "Mockingbird".

Jr. Walker and The All Stars took "Pucker Up Buttercup" to no. 31 (March 11th entry). "Come See About Me" was a no. 24 hit (Dec. 23rd).

The Who (original members were Roger Daltrey, lead singer, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle, and Keith Moon) made their U.S. top 40 debut with "Happy Jack", a no. 24 hit (May 20th chart entry). "I Can See For Miles" was a no. 9 smash (Oct. 28th entry).

The Royal Guardsmen had a no. 15 hit with "The Return Of The Red Baron" (March 11th entry).

Comedian Bill Cosby had a no. 4 smash with "Little Ole Man (Uptight-Everything's Alright)"-a Sept. 16th chart entry. Allen Sherman helped Cosby get a recording deal by introducing him to record executives.

"Come On Down To My Boat" was a no. 6 smash for Every Mother's Son (May 27th entry).

The Bar-Kays had a no. 17 hit with the instrumental, "Soul Finger" (July 1st entry). Four group members were killed in a plane crash with Otis Redding on Dec. 10th of this year.

Linda Jones had a no. 21 hit with "Hypnotized" (July 22nd entry).

"(I Wanna)Testify" was a no. 20 hit for The Parliaments (Aug. 5th entry). This was George Clinton's original group, which later evolved into Parliament, The Funkadelics, Parliament-Funkadelic, and the P-Funk All Stars.

Bobby Gentry (real name: Roberta Streeter) had a no. 1 smash (for four weeks!) with "Ode To Billie Joe" (Aug. 12th chart entry).

"Your Unchanging Love" peaked at no. 33 for Marvin Gaye (July 22nd entry).

Scotland's Lulu (real name: Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie) had a no. 1 smash (for five weeks!) with "To Sir With Love", from the film of the same name (Sept. 23rd entry).

"Expressway To Your Heart" was a no. 4 smash for The Soul Survivors (Sept. 23rd entry). This group was formed by (Kenny) Gamble and (Leon) Huff, producers, songwriters, and creators of the "Philly Sound".

Strawberry Alarm Clock had a no. 1 smash with "Incense And Peppermints" (Oct. 14th chart entry).

"It Must Be Him" was a no. 3 smash for Vicki Carr (real name: Florencia Bisenta de Casillas Marinez Cardona), a Sept. 30th entry.

The Cowsills (A family group from Rhode Island) took "The Rain, The Park, And Other Things" to a no. 2 smash (Oct. 21st entry).

The Fantastic Johnny C (Johnny Corley) had a no. 7 smash with "Boogaloo Down Broadway" (Nov. 4th chart entry).

Gary Puckett and The Union Gap had a great debut with "Woman, Woman", a no. 4 smash (Dec. 2nd entry).

South Africa's Miriam Makeba, already a top-selling album artist, had a no. 12 hit with "Pata Pata" (Oct. 28th entry).

Van Morrison, formerly of Them, went solo this year with a no. 10 smash, "Brown Eyed Girl" (Aug. 19th entry).

Bobby Vinton had a no. 6 smash with "Please Love Me Forever" (Oct. 14th entry).

Bettye Swan had a no. 21 hit with "Make Me Yours" (July 1st entry).

Freddie Scott returned to the top 40 (since 1963) with "Are You Lonely For Me", which peaked at no. 39 (Feb. 18th entry).

The Platters had a no. 14 hit, "With This Ring" (March 25th entry). This would be their last top 40.

Davie Allan and The Arrows peaked at no. 37 with the instrumental, "Blue's Theme" from the film "The Wild Angels" (Sept. 9th entry).

"The Sweetest Thing This Side Of Heaven" peaked at no. 32 for Chris Bartley (Aug. 19th entry).

(Tommy) Boyce and (Bobby) Hart peaked at no. 39 with "Out And About" (Aug. 5th entry).

Brass Ring (featuring Phil Bodner) placed at no. 36 with the instrumental, "The Dis-Advantages Of You" from the Benson and Hedges commercial (Mar. 3rd entry).

Buffalo Springfield (members included Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Jim Messina, Richie Furay, Dewey Martin, and Bruce Palmer) had a no. 7 smash with "For What It's Worth (Stop, Hey, What's That Sound)", a Feb. 18th entry.

Spyder Turner had a no. 12 hit with "Stand By Me" (Jan. 14th chart entry). This song featured vocal impressions of Jackie Wilson, David Ruffin, Billy Stewart, Smokey Robinson, and Chuck Jackson.

Sam (Moore) and Dave (Prater) had a no. 2 smash with "Soul Man" (Sept. 30th entry). Both singers had a gospel background. Both were also inspired by Jackie Wilson and Sam Cooke and crossed over into secular music.

One night Dave was appearing at the King Of Hearts club in Miami in 1961. While singing "Doggin' Around" during amateur night, Prater forgot the words. Sam stepped in, trading lines, and the rest is history.

The duo were originally signed to Roulette Records, but it took four years for the two to find success. There was a label jump to Atlantic, who "loaned" the duo to Stax.

With songwriters Issac Hayes and Dave Porter, The Booker T. and The MGs house band, and The Memphis Horns, soul classics were created.

"Soul Man" was Stax's biggest pop hit to date since "Gee Whiz" by Carla Thomas (1961).

"Dead End Street" was a no. 29 hit for Lou Rawls (May 6th entry).

"(We Ain't Got) Nothin'Yet" was a no. 5 smash for Blues Magoos (Jan.7th chart entry).

Sonny and Cher had a no. 6 smash with "The Beat Goes On" (Jan. 28th entry). This would be their last top 40 until 1971.

Cher had a no. 9 smash with "You Better Sit Down Kids" (Nov. 18th entry). This would be her last top 40 until 1971 as well.

The (Julian)"Cannonball" Adderly Quintet had a no. 11 hit with the instrumental, "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" (Jan. 28th).

"Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye" was a no. 6 smash for The Casinos (also a Jan. 28th entry).

Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston had a no. 14 hit with "It Takes Two" (Feb. 4th entry). "Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me For A Little While)" and the duet with Gaye are probably the two songs most known by Weston, but she's done so much more and should have been a HUGE star. "Looking For The Right Guy" and "Feel Alright", among others, were very good songs, sung great, and should have at least been Top Ten hits. As it turned out, she only became a one-hit wonder, with the aforementioned "It Takes Two." (It's unfair, for she deserved so much better than that.)

Earlier this year, Weston and her husband, arranger/producer/writer Mickey Stevenson left Motown to form their own label, People. In the spring, Weston signed with MGMRecords. Stevenson was offered a million dollar deal to assure control of MGM's floundering Venture subsidiary; he was unsuccessful at this.

Nevertheless, he scored the film, "Changes" and wrote and produced a series of theatrical musicals.

Brenda and The Tabulations (Brenda Payton, lead singer)had a no. 20 hit with "Dry Your Eyes" (March 25th chart entry).

"Little Bit O' Soul" was a no. 2 smash for Music Explosion (May 27th entry).

Jerry Butler returned to the top 40 (since 1964) with "Mr. Dream Merchant", which peaked at no. 38 (Nov. 25th entry).

Glen Campbell made his top 40 debut with "By The Time I Get To Phoenix", a no. 26 hit (Nov. 25th chart entry).

He began playing guitar as a youth without ever learning to read music!

In 1958, he relocated to Los Angeles to become a session musician, and by the early '60s, Campbell was greatly in demand (He was a member of the renowned "Wrecking Crew", an elite group of studio musicians, many of whom went from session to session together. This group also played on many Phil Spector recordings!) He was also a full-fledged member of The Beach Boys (He filled in for an ailing Brian Wilson on tour in 1964 and 1965, and also played on the "Pet Sounds" album.)

Campbell's first single as a solo artist was "Turn Around, Look At Me", which had moderate regional success.

In 1962, Campbell signed with Capitol Records. Several albums and singles followed, but major success eluded him until this year. With producer Al De Lory and songwriter John Hartford, "Gentle On My Mind" was Campbell's breakthrough single (though it didn't make the top 40 until the following year).

The best was yet to come.

"Hey, Leroy, Your Mama's Callin' You", a semi-instrumental, peaked at no. 31 for JimmyCastorBunch (Feb. 4th chart entry).

"Music To Watch Girls By", a full instrumental, was a no. 15 hit for the Bob Crewe Generation (Jan. 21st entry).

The Critters peaked at no. 39 with "Don't Let The Rain Fall Down On Me" (Aug. 5th entry).

Bobby Darin peaked at no. 32 with "Lovin' You"(Feb. 11th entry).

James Darren returned to the top 40 (since 1962) with "All"- from the film "Run For Your Wife", which peaked at no. 35 (Feb. 18th entry).

"Gallant Men", a spoken word recording, was a no. 29 hit for Senator Everett McKinley Dirksen (Jan. 7th entry).

The Easybeats (from Australia) had a no. 16 hit with "Friday On My Mind" (April 22nd chart entry).

"Bowling Green" peaked at no. 40 for The Everly Brothers (July 8th entry). This would be their last top 40.

The Fifth Estate had a no. 11 hit with "Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead", from "TheWizard Of Oz" (June 10th entry).

John Fred (Gourrier) and His Playboy Band had a no. 1 smash with "Judy In Disguise (With Glasses)" (Dec. 16th entry).

Bobby Goldsboro peaked at no. 35 with "Blue Autumn" (Jan. 14th entry).

Lesley Gore returned to the top 40 (since 1965) with "California Nights", a no. 16 hit (March 4th entry). This would be her last top 40.

Brenda Holloway also returned to the top 40 (also since 1965) with "You've Made Me SoVery Happy", which peaked at no. 39 (Nov. 4th entry). This would be her last top 40.

But she did all right.

Holloway was Motown's first West Coast artist, but this may have been a big disadvantage; Motown didn't relocate to Los Angeles until 1972. And after this year, 1967, Berry Gordy was no longer involved in the company's day-to-day operation.

Holloway eventually left over under-promotion.

Before she did, she wrote the abovementioned song that would be her last top 40, but a megahit for Blood, Sweat, and Tears.

To this day, she still receives six figures a year in royalties from this song!

"Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out)" was a no. 12 hit for The Hombres (Oct. 7th chart entry).

Janis Ian was just 16 this year when she wrote and recorded the very controversial "Society's Child (Baby I've Been Thinking)", a no. 14 hit (June 17th entry). It was about interracial dating. Many stations banned it!

"There's Got To Be A Word!" peaked at no. 34 for Innocence (Pete Anders and Vinnie Poncia -Jan. 7th entry). The duo also recorded as The Trade Winds-remember "NewYork's A Lonely Town" (1965)?

Etta James returned to the top 40 (since 1963) with "Tell Mama", a no. 23 hit (Dec. 30th entry).

"My Girl Josephine" was a no. 29 hit for Jerry Jaye (May 6th entry).

Jon and Robin (Abnor) and The In Crowd had a no. 18 hit with "Do It Again A Little Bit Slower" (May 27th chart entry).

"Lady" peaked at no. 39 for Jack Jones (March 25th entry). This would be his last top 40.

"Everlasting Love" was a no. 13 hit for Robert Knight (Oct. 28th entry).

Brenda Lee peaked at no. 37 with "Ride, Ride, Ride" (Feb.11th entry). This would be her last top 40.

But it wouldn't be the end of Lee.

By next year, she would be doing exclusively straight country. And she would garner more big hits in this genre (after all, Lee started in country.)

"Pretty Ballerina" was a no. 15 hit for The Left Banke (Feb. 4th entry).

"Green Tambourine" was a no. 1 smash for The Lemon Pipers (Dec. 23rd entry).

"An Open Letter To My Teenage Son ", a spoken word recording, was a no. 10 smash for Victor Lundberg (Nov. 25th entry).

Al Martino had a no. 27 hit with "Mary In The Morning" (June 17th entry). This would be his last top 40 until 1975.

"Walkin' In The Sunshine" peaked at no. 37 for Roger Miller (May 6th entry).

"Sit Down, I Think I Love You" peaked at no. 36 for The Mojo Men (March 18th entry).

"Beautiful People" peaked at no. 38 for Kenny O' Dell (Dec. 16th chart entry). The Bobby Vee version was better to me!

Ohio Express debuted with "Beg, Borrow And Steal", a no. 29 hit (Nov. 18th entry).

The Parade had a no. 20 hit with "Sunshine Girl" (May 6th entry).

The Pozo-Seco Singers (Don Williams, lead singer) peaked at no. 32 with "Look What You've Done" (Jan. 14th entry).

P.J. Proby (real name: James Marcus Smith) had a no. 23 hit with "Niki Hoeky" (Feb. 25th entry).

"Child Of Clay" peaked at no. 31 for singer Jimmie Rodgers ()ct. 14th chart entry). On Dec. 2nd of this year, he nearly died as a result of a mysterious scull fracture.

"It's Now Winter's Day " was a no. 23 hit for Tommy Roe (Jan. 28th entry).

Linda Ronstadt and The Stone Poneys had a no. 13 hit with "Different Drum" (Dec. 9th entry).

"Next Plane To London" was a no. 17 hit for Rose Garden (also a Dec. 9th entry).

Jimmy Ruffin (older brother of David) had a no. 29 hit with "Gonna Give Her All The Love I've Got" (April 8th entry). This would be his last top 40 until 1980!

Crispian St. Peters peaked at no. 36 with "You Were On My Mind" (July 22nd).

Sam the Sham and The Pharaohs had a no. 27 hit with "How Do You Catch A Girl" (Jan. 21st entry). This would be their last top 40.

"Pushin' Too Hard" peaked at no. 36 for The Seeds (Feb. 11th entry).

"Wild Thing" was a no. 20 hit for Senator Bobby (Jan. 21st entry). No, not THE Bobby Kennedy; this was actually Bill Minkin (wasn't he good, though?)

Bunny Sigler had a no. 22 hit with "Let The Good Times Roll and Feel So Good" (July 22nd entry).

"Love Me Tender" peaked at no. 40 for Percy Sledge (also a July 22nd entry).

Whistling Jack Smith declared that "I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman", an instrumental no. 20 hit (May 13th entry).

Sopwith Camel had a no. 26 hit with "Hello Hello" (Jan. 28th entry).

"Back On The Street Again" peaked at no. 36 for The Sunshine Company (Nov. 18th entry).

"Portrait Of My Love" peaked at no. 36 for The Tokens (May 20th entry). This would be their last top 40.

Oscar Toney, Jr. had a no. 23 hit with "For Your Precious Love" (June 17th chart entry).

Andy Williams returned to the top 40 (since 1965) with "Music To Watch Girls By", which peaked at no. 34 (April 22nd entry).

Yellow Balloon had a no. 25 hit with "Yellow Balloon" (April 29th entry).

The Young-Holt Trio (as they were known at this time-Eldee Young and Isaac "Red" Holt were formerly two-thirds of The Ramsey Lewis Trio) peaked at no. 40 with "Wack Wack", an instrumental (Jan. 21st entry).

Frank Sinatra placed at no. 30 with "The World We Knew (Over And Over)", an Aug. 26th entry.

By now, rock was widely regarded as an important musical form.

From this year, 1967 and onward, the rock festival was regarded as the ideal context in which to hear music. And thousands of fans would faithfully attend these events.

On Nov. 9th, the first Rolling Stone magazine was published; John Lennon graced the cover.

In Sept., "American Bandstand" began broadcasting in color.

On Jan. 3rd, The Beach Boys' Carl Wilson refused to comply with a draft notice. A five year legal battle ensues with Wilson eventually being acquitted of draft evasion.

On Feb. 3rd, record producer Joe Meek (he wrote and produced "Telstar" by TheTornadoes, among other things) shoots his landlady, then himself. His suicide occurs on the eighth anniversary of Buddy Holly's death (Feb. 3rd, 1959). Meek was fascinated with Holly.

Feb. 12th-Police raid Keith Richards' house and arrest him, Mick Jagger, and MarianneFaithful.

On March 9th, Rolling Stone member Brian Jones entered the hospital with respiratory problems.

On April 8th, Sandie Shaw became the first British performer to win the Eurovision Song Contest, with "Puppet On A String".

On May 1st, Elvis Presley married Priscilla Beaulieu in Las Vegas.

May 10th-The Rolling Stones are in court on drug charges.

On June 16th, the Monterey International Pop Festival got underway.

June 25th-26 countries and 400 million people are linked by satellite to watch TheBeatles perform "All You Need Is Love", broadcast from the Abbey Road studios in London in a TV special.

On August 3rd, Liza Minnelli began a nightclub season in Sydney, Australia.

Aug. 15th-The Marine Offences Bill is passed, which bans pirate radio stations in Britain.

Aug. 27th-The Beatles' manager, Brian Epstein, is found dead.

On Sept. 30th, BBC Radio One, Britain's long-awaited national pop network, begins broadcasting. The first single played on the station is "Flowers In The Rain" by The Move.

On October 3rd, folk/protest singer Woody Guthrie died.

On Dec. 26th, The Beatles' "Magical Mystery Tour" was shown on the BBC to disappointing reviews. Even devoted Beatle fans found it confusing!

New Orleans-based Sansu Records was launched by noted producer/songwriter AllenTouissant and Marshall Sehorn.

"The Monkees" TV show was a success in Britain.

Reprise Records paid $50,000 for the American rights to the Jimi Hendrix Experience, whom they called "the greatest talent since The Rolling Stones".

On Jan. 14th, a "Human Be-In" took place at Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. The FREE festival attracted 20,000 people and included the bands Grateful Dead, Quicksilver, and Jefferson Airplane, among others. It predated the "Summer Of Love" by five months. In retrospect this event was considered the peak of the whole hippie phenomenon.

As The Spencer Davis Group debuted with "Gimme Some Loving", their 18-year-old vocalist Steve Winwood announced he was leaving to form Traffic.

The Beatles' album "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", which had been five months in the making, was released to much critical acclaim.

The price of mono albums increased from $1.00 to $4.98-the first increase since 1953.

Atlantic Records paid a reported $250,000 for the Bee Gees' American contract. Their UK label, Polydor, called them "The most significant talent since The Beatles."

The lineup at the Monterey Pop Festival (organized by John Phillips!) included The Byrds, The Association, The Mamas and The Papas, The Who, Ravi Shankar, Hugh Masekela, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Otis Redding, Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, and Buffalo Springfield.

Across the ocean, acts at the National Jazz and Blues Festival included The Jeff Beck Group (featuring vocalist Rod Stewart), Donovan, and newcomers Fleetwood Mac.

Jimi Hendrix became the opening act for The Monkees(!).

Not surprisingly, he was soon fired as his performances were considered "too erotic" for young Monkee fans.

James Brown's "Cold Sweat", a big hit this year, was considered by many, in retrospect, to be the first real "funk" record.

The Beatles were replaced this year as the world's most successful act by The Monkees. Among other achievements, the American group set a record of four no. 1 albums in one year.

U.S. record sales topped the 1 billion mark for the first time.

Also for the first time, albums outsold singles.

The gap between the American and British markets widened; only 25% of Top 20 hits scored in both countries.

"To Sir With Love" by Lulu, was a no. 1 smash in the States, but was treated as a B-side in Britain!

The newest dance was The Shing-A-Ling.

The musical "Hair" opened off-Broadway.

Many of the original hippies mourned the premature death of their "love and peace" lifestyle-caused by media overexposure.

Rolling Stone magazine debuted.

On Dec. 10th, Otis Redding (and four members of his backup band, The Bar-Kays) were killed when his tour plane crashed into Lake Monon near Madison, Wisconsin.

Redding had recently preformed at the Monterey Pop Festival; his legendary appearance there placed him on the very brink of mainstream pop stardom.

After living on a houseboat for a week in Sausalito, CA, listening to The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper" album, the singer was inspired to write "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay", specifically as his big breakout hit.

Did you know that he was to have his own national TV special in 1968?

And his greatest success would happen posthumously next year, to ensure his place in the decade and in rock history.

The Steve Miller Band received a record $750,000 to sign with Capitol Records.

Tom Jones signed a $1 million deal for live appearances in Las Vegas.

The San Francisco Sound was red-hot.

An estimated 500-1,500 psychedelic bands sprung up in the Bay area.

"Blue-eyed Soul" becomes popular.

Fantasy Faire and Magic Mountain Music Festival atop Mt. Tamalpais, San Francisco, in June, is the first rock festival. 15,000 were peacefully driven by bus two miles to the summit. The Byrds, Fifth Dimension, Doors, Jefferson Airplane, Country Joe and The Fish, Dionne Warwick, and others performed-all for only $2.00!

The second rock festival was Monterey. Artists only paid expenses, and about $200,000 profit was earmarked for charity.

Janis Joplin was signed by Columbia Records for $250,000, to be followed by $500,000 promotion.

A free roach-holder was given with the first issue of Rolling Stone.

"Sgt. Pepper" album introduces electronic rock.

More rock groups defy AFM (musicians' union) rule by forming cooperative groups and playing free gigs.

Success of folk-rock spawns experiments with jazz-rock, and fusions of country, Indian ragas, etc., to create a wave of new sounds.

Tom Donahue debuts FM underground radio at KMPX in San Francisco. This soon tops AM competitors.

First important rock musical, "Hair", opens off-Broadway at New York Shakespeare Festival's Public Theatre.

ABC-Paramount starts phasing out monaural records by going 100% stereo.

Jefferson Airplane played 150 concert dates in a year of heavy touring, as their manager (and Fillmore owner) Bill Graham capitalizes on their hit singles.