Music News and Events of 1966

Notable debuts were: The Association, The Cyrkle, The Happenings, Tommy James and The Shondells, Left Banke, The Mamas and The Papas, The Monkees, The Outsiders, Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels, The Sandpipers, The Rascals (known as "The Young Rascals" at this time), Neil Diamond, Bob Lind, Sandy Posey, Norma Tanega, Nancy Sinatra, B.J. Thomas (and The Triumphs), Sam And Dave, Lou Rawls, Jimmy Ruffin, Percy Sledge, The Statler Brothers (top 40 debut, on country charts before), James and Bobby Purify, The Grass Roots, Aaron Neville, and Keith.

U.S. debuts were: The Hollies, The Troggs, and The Walker Brothers (who were actually American).

Roger Miller's lovely ballad, "Husbands And Wives" was a no. 26 hit (a March 5th chart entry). "You Can't Roller Skate In A Buffalo Herd" peaked at no. 40 (July 23rd entry).

Billy Stewart had his first top ten hit with his fantastic rendition of "Summertime" (at no. 10!), an Aug. 6th entry. "Secret Love" peaked at no. 29 (Nov. 5th entry).
This would be the singer's last top 40 hit, though he continued on the R + B charts. (Stewart didn't actually like doing the standards and wanted to do more of his own material. And he did.)

The Chiffons returned to the top 40 since '64 ("I Have A Boyfriend", no. 36) with their no. 10 smash, "Sweet Talkin' Guy" (May 28th entry).

The Marvelettes returned to the top ten this year (since '62!) with their no. 7 smash, "Don't Mess With Bill" (Jan. 29th chart entry). The follow-up, "He's The One", was a minor hit (it didn't make the 40).
Member Wanda Young took over the lead vocals at this time; also, Smokey Robinson began writing and producing for the group.

Tom Jones had a no. 25 hit with "Thunderball", from the latest James Bond film (Jan. 1st chart entry). I believe "Promise Her Anything", written by Bacharach-David and from the Warren Beatty-Leslie Caron film, was also released this year (not a top 40 hit; it should have been!).
It's been said that the singer's popularity slipped somewhat this year (It did??). Manager Gordon Mills decided to redesign Jones' image into a more mature, tuxedo-clad, 'respectable' crooner. (Did you know that "It's Not Unusual" was first offered to SandieShaw?)

Roger Williams returned to the top 40 (since 1958) with a no. 7 smash, "Born Free" (an Oct. 15th chart entry).

The Toys had a no. 18 hit with "Attack" (Jan. 1st entry). This would be their last top 40 hit.

"Walkin' My Cat Named Dog" placed at no. 22 for Norma Tanega (March 19th entry).

Barbra Streisand returned to the top 40 (since 1964) with "Second Hand Rose", which peaked at no. 32 (Jan. 22nd chart entry).

"It's Too Late" was a no. 23 hit for Bobby Goldsboro (March 12th entry).

Marvin Gaye had a no. 29 hit with "One More Heartache" (also a March 12th entry).

The Poco-Seco Singers (Country star Don Williams was a member) peaked at no. 32 with "I Can Make It With You" (an Oct. 8th entry).

Nino Tempo and April Stevens, a brother-sister duo, had a no. 26 hit with "All StrungOut"(Oct. 1st entry). This would be their last top 40 hit.

Sam (Moore) and Dave (Prater) debuted this year with "Hold On! I'm A Comin'", a no. 21 hit (June 4th entry).
Issac Hayes and Dave Porter wrote this, "Soul Man", "I Thank You", and other hits for the duo. (Hayes also wrote or co-wrote "B-A-B-Y" by Carla Thomas.)
"Hold On" was banned in several cities due to what was considered a sexually suggestive title.

Eddie Floyd, a founding member of the Falcons, made his solo debut this year with "KnockOn Wood", a no. 28 hit (Nov. 19th chart entry).

Bobby Moore and The Rhythm Aces had their first and last top 40 hit with "SearchingFor My Love", which placed at no. 27 (July 30th entry).

Neil Diamond (he had considered changing his name to Eice Cherry or Noah Kaminsky!) had quite a debut. His first release, "Solitary Man" (Jan.) didn't make the top 40 (It didn't chart until 1970!), but the follow-up, "Cherry, Cherry" was a no. 6 smash (Sept. 10th entry). "IGot The Feelin' (Oh No No)" was a no. 16 hit (Nov. 26th entry).
Diamond was (and still is) a man of many talents. (He's a lifelong folk music lover, a former pre-med student who was admitted to NYU on a fencing scholarship.)
He started out writing minor hits for Pat Boone, the Rocky Fellers, and Cliff Richard, but when he met Brill Building songwriters Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, his career took off. He became one of the Brill Building's most famous and successful songwriters, writing or co-writing "I'm A Believer" and "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You"-The Monkees, "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother"-The Hollies, "Sunday And Me"-Jay and The Americans, "The Boat That I Row"-Lulu, and "Sunflower"-Glen Campbell, among many others.
His demos earned him a reputation not only as a songwriter, but as a SINGER, eventually resulting in a contract with Bang Records.

Napoleon XIV (His real name was Jerry Samuels) had a no. 3 smash with the year's strangest song, "They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" (a July 30th chart entry).
Samuels DID spend some time in a mental institution in his late teens. He also wrote "The Shelter Of Your Arms" (1964) by Sammy Davis Jr!

The New Vaudeville Band had a no. 1 smash (for three weeks!) with "WinchesterCathedral" (Nov. 5th entry).
There was never an actual group; this was written, sung, and produced by one man, British native Geoff Stephens. A band of studio musicians were assembled for TV shows and personal appearances.
Stephens was also a gifted songwriter, having written (or co-written) "There's A Kind OfHush"-Herman's Hermits, "Smile A Little Smile"-The Flying Machine, and "Daughter Of Darkness"-Tom Jones, among others.

The Troggs debuted here with a no. 1 smash as well, "Wild Thing" (a July 9th entry). "With AGirl Like You" was a no. 29 hit (Sept. 3rd entry).
The group was originally called The Troglodytes.
The lead singer was Reg Presley, (Real name: Reggie Ball. Presley DOES sound better, doesn't it?) who was renamed by the group's producer, Larry Page.
Page once recorded and toured under the billing of "Larry Page The Teenage Rage".
The Troggs were much bigger stars in England and elsewhere than in America.
"Wild Thing" was written by Chip Taylor, another notable songwriter; this song was first recorded by The Wild Ones in 1965.
By the time of their British no. 2 smash, "I Can't Control Myself", the group had become banned in Australia, placed on the BBC's restricted list, and were widely criticized as contributors to the end of morality (basically because of the WAY they sang and played their songs).

The Happenings had a no. 3 smash with "See You In September" ( A remake of The Tempos hit (1959)-July 30th entry). "Go Away Little Girl", a remake of the 1963 Steve Lawrence smash, was a no. 12 hit (Oct. 22nd entry).

The Left Banke had a no. 5 smash with "Walk Away Renee" (Sept. 24th entry).

Lou Rawls made a great debut this year with "Love Is A Hurtin' Thing", a no. 13 hit (Oct. 15th entry).
Born and raised in Chicago, Rawls started his career as a gospel singer, often touring with his schoolboy friend Sam Cooke (Rawls almost died in Cooke's 1958 car crash; he was actually pronounced dead and spent six days in a coma.)
He recovered quickly; by 1962, he was becoming well-known in Los Angeles, playing a variety of small clubs (That's Rawls you hear singing along with and doing backup vocals on Cooke's 1962 classic, "Bring It On Home To Me".)
Capitol producer Nick Venet caught a show one night, and soon the singer had a record deal.
This year, Capitol tried to break him in as a pop-soul singer (Rawls was already getting acclaim for his studio albums and live stage work in a jazz mode) for mainstream appeal. They succeeded.

Aaron Neville had a no. 2 smash with "Tell It Like It Is" (a Dec. 17th chart entry).

Donovan(Leitch) was red-hot this year, as "Sunshine Superman" became a no. 1 smash(Aug. 13th entry) and "Mellow Yellow" became a no. 2 smash (Nov. 19th entry).
The Scottish singer was the British answer to Dylan (he even wore a demin cap and used a racked harmonica for a while, until his "hippie" phrase.)
In 1964, he began performing folk music in clubs throughout the U.K. In 1965, he landed a TV spot on the British show, "Ready, Steady, Go!".
Legend has it that "Sunshine" featured Jimmy Page on guitar (That Jimmy Page gets around, too!) and "Mellow Yellow" featured Paul McCartney doing the whispering background vocals.

The Vogues took "Magic Town" to no. 21 (March 19th entry and then went to the "Land OfMilk And Honey", which peaked at no. 29 (June 25th entry).

Eddy Arnold was already a big country star; this year he had some crossover success with "IWant To Go With You", no. 36 (Mar. 12th entry). "The Last Word In Lonesome Is Me" peaked at no. 40 (June 18th entry). This would be his last top 40 hit.

"Love Me With All Of Your Heart" placed at no. 38 for The Bachelors (May 14th entry).

"Open The Door To Your Heart" was a no. 27 hit for Darrell Banks (Sept. 10th entry).

Len Barry also had a no. 27 hit with "Like A Baby" (Jan. 22nd entry). "Somewhere" peaked at no. 26 (April 9th entry). This would be his last top 40 hit.

"Recovery" peaked at no. 37 for Fontella Bass(Jan. 29th entry). This would also be her last top 40 hit.

The Brass Ring (featuring Phil Lodner) placed at no. 32 with the instrumental "The Phoenix LoveTheme" (April 16th entry) from the film "The Flight Of The Phoenix".

Chad(Stuart) and Jeremy(Clyde) peaked at no. 30 with "Distant Shores" (Aug. 13th entry). This would be their last U.S. top 40 hit.

"(When She Needs Good Lovin') She Comes To Me" peaked at no. 37 for the Chicago Loop (Nov. 26th entry).

Ray Conniff and The Singers (later known as The Ray Conniff Singers) had a no. 9 smash with "Somewhere, My Love"-Lara's Theme from "Dr. Zhivago" (July 9th entry).

Count Five took "Psychotic Reaction" to a no. 5 smash (Sept. 24th entry).

"Mr. Dieingly Sad" was a no. 17 hit for The Critters (Sept. 3rd entry). I think "Younger Girl" came out by them this year, too, but it didn't make the top 40. It should have. I believe John Sebastian (TheLovin' Spoonful) wrote this. Very nice!

"I Love You Drops" placed at no. 30 for Vic Dana (June 4th entry). This would be his last top 40 hit.

Bobby Darin returned to the top 40 (since 1963) with a no. 8 smash, "If I Were A Carpenter" (Oct. 8th entry). At this time, he wanted to be known as Bob Darin, but most DJs kept saying "Bobby". Let's face it , that's the name that made the fame and 'Bobby Darin' just has a nicer ring to it, don't you think?

David and Jonathan (who were actually Roger Greenaway and Roger Cook) had a no. 18 hit with Lennon-McCartney's "Michelle" (Jan. 29th entry).

Lee Dorsey had a no. 8 smash with "Working In The Coal Mine" (Aug. 13th entry). "Holy Cow" was a no. 23 hit (Nov. 19th entry).

Probably TV's best-known talk-show host at this time (actually his show was a combination of talk, variety, comedy, and even some cooking!), Mike Douglas, had a no. 6 smash with "The Men In My Little Girl's Life" (Jan. 8th entry). (Douglas used to sing with Kay Kyser's band!)

The Five Americans debuted with their no. 26 hit, "I See The Light" (Jan. 8th entry).

The Bobby Fuller Four had a no. 9 smash with "I Fought The Law" (Feb. 12th entry). And they placed at no. 26 with "Love's Made A Fool Of You" (May 7th entry).
Unfortunately, Bobby Fuller died on July 18th of this year from an apparent suicide, though many believed he was murdered.(He was found dead in a parked car near his home, with multiple wounds and covered in gasoline. I don't think this was ever solved.) He was only 22 years old.

Frank Gallop had a no. 34 hit with "The Ballad Of Irving" (May 7th entry). This is very funny!

"Girl On A Swing" was a no. 28 hit for Gerry and The Pacemakers (Oct. 8th entry). This was their last U.S. 40 hit.

The Grass Roots debuted with "Where Were You When I Needed You", a no. 28 hit (July 16th entry).

Slim Harpo (Real name: James Moore) said "Baby, Scratch My Back" and took this to no. 16 (March 5th entry).

Bobby Hebb had a no. 2 smash with "Sunny" (July 23rd entry). "A Satisfied Mind" peaked at no. 39 (Nov. 5th entry).

Neal Hefti peaked at no. 35 with the instrumental, "Batman Theme" (March 5th entry).

"Almost Persuaded" was a no. 24 hit for David Houston (Aug. 27th entry).

Brian Hyland returned to the top 40 (since 1962) with "The Joker Went Wild", a no. 20 hit (Aug. 6th entry) and "Run, Run, Look And See", which placed at no. 25 (Nov. 26th entry).

"You've Been Cheatin'" peaked at no. 33 for The Impressions (Jan. 1st entry).

The Isley Brothers , now with Motown, made a return to the top 40 (since 1962) with "This Old Heart Of Mine (Is Weak For You)", a no. 12 hit (March 19th entry). It should have placed higher. They also had "I Guess I'll Always Love You" and "Time Out For Love". (These were not top 40 hits, however.)

Deon Jackson had a no. 11 hit with "Love Makes The World Go Round" (Feb. 19th entry).

J. J. Jackson (I don't think they were related) placed at no. 22 with "But It's Alright" (Nov. 5th entry).

Jan and Dean had a no. 21 hit with "Popsicle"(June 18th entry). This would be their last top 40 hit; In April of this year, Jan Berry was critically injured in a car accident. He smashed his Stingray into a parked truck at 65 mph, substaining serious brain damage.

"Crying" was a no. 25 hit for Jay and The Americans (June 11th entry).

"The Impossible Dream", from the Broadway show, "Man Of La Mancha" peaked at no. 35 for Jack Jones (July 16th entry).

"I Can't Grow Peaches On A Cherry Tree" peaked at no. 34 for Just Us (May 7th entry).

Keith (Real name: James Barry Keefer) peaked at no. 39 with his debut hit, "Ain't Gonna Lie" (Nov. 12th entry). This should have been a top 10 hit.

Bob Kuban and The In-Men (Walter Scott was the lead singer. The word "in" was a popular term at the time.) had a no. 12 hit with "The Cheater" (Feb. 19th entry).

"Hey Joe" peaked at no. 31 for The Leaves (June 18th entry).

Brenda Lee had a no. 11 hit with "Coming On Strong" (Oct. 29th entry).

Barbara Lewis placed at no. 28 with "Make Me Belong To You" (Aug. 13th entry). This would be her last top 40 hit.

The Ramsey Lewis Trio had a no. 29 hit with "A Hard Day's Night" (Feb. 5th entry). "Wade In The Water" was a no. 19 hit (Aug. 20th entry), and the group was now billed as simply Ramsey Lewis. This would be their last top 40 hit.

Bob Lind had a no. 5 smash with "Elusive Butterfly" (Feb. 12th entry).

"I'm Comin' Home, Cindy" perked at no. 39 (May 7th entry) for Trini Lopez. This would be his last top 40 hit.

"Black Is Black" was a no. 4 smash for a group of Americans and Spaniards called Los Bravos (featuring Mike Kennedy, lead singer-Sept. 10th entry).

Love peaked at no. 33 with "7 and 7 Is" (Sept. 10th entry). They also had "My Little Red Book" which was featured in the film, "What's New, Pussycat?". It wasn't a top 40 hit, though. It should have been.

Manfred Mann returned to the charts (since 1964) with "Pretty Flamingo", a no. 29 hit (July 23rd entry).

The Marketts returned to the top 40 (since 1963)with the instructmental "Batman Theme", a no. 17 hit (Feb. 26th entry). This would be their last top 40 hit.

"Somewhere There's A Someone" peaked at no. 32 (Mar. 5th entry) for Dean Martin. "Come Running Back" peaked at no. 35 (June 11th entry).

"Think I'll Go Somewhere And Cry Myself To Sleep" peaked at no. 30 for Al Martino (April 2nd entry).

The McCoys placed at no. 22 with their remake of the Ritchie Valens song, "Come On Let's Go" (May 14th entry).

Tommy McLain had a no. 15 hit with "Sweet Dreams" (July 23rd entry).

Garnet Mimms (withoutThe Enchanters) returned to the charts (since 1963) with "I'll Take Good Care Of You" (No. 30, May 7th entry).

The Mindbenders (withoutWayne Fontana) had a no. 2 smash with "Groovy Kind Of Love" (April 30th entry).

It was a good year for The Miracles; "Going To A Go-Go" was a no. 11 hit (Jan. 22nd entry). "(Come 'Round Here) I'm The One You Need" was a no. 17 hit (Nov. 26th entry).

The Music Machine had a no. 15 hit with "Talk Talk" (Dec. 10th entry).

"Breakin' Up Is Breakin' My Heart" peaked at no. 31 for Roy Orbison (Feb. 12th entry). "Twinkle Toes" peaked at no. 39 (May 21st entry).

Robert Parker had a no. 7 smash with "Barefootin'" (May 21st entry).

Peter and Gordon did well this year, with "Woman", a no. 14 hit (This was credited to having been written by Bernard Webb; legend has it that it was actually written by Paul McCartney.) "Lady Godiva" was a no. 6 smash (Nov. 5th entry).

"Backstage" was a no. 25 hit for Gene Pitney (May 14th entry).

The Platters returned to the top 40 (since 1961!) with "I Love You 1,000 Times" (no. 31, June 4th entry).
They were the biggest-selling vocal group of the 1950s and the first black group to hit no. 1 in the rock era. They were also the first black group to beat out a white group's "cover version" of their song on the pop charts (this was a common practice in the '50s.)
Original members were Tony Williams, lead singer, Herb Reed, Zola Taylor, Paul Robi, and David Lynch.
The Platters' story is because of three men: Reed, who started the group in 1953, manager/songwriter/arranger Samuel "Buck" Ram, who made the group as we know them today, replacing all but Reed, and forcing Mercury Records to take them on as a package deal with his other group, The Penguins, and of course, Tony Williams.
It was Ram who wrote "Only You", "The Great Pretender", and "Twilight Time", among many others. When combined with their renditions of old standards, such as "Harbor Lights", "My Prayer", and "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", the Platters were unbeatable.
But then Tony Williams left for a solo career in 1961; the group continued, but it was never the same.
Did you know: An early member included Cornell Gunter, who went on to success as one of The Coasters?
The group's four male members were all charged with having sex with a minor in 1959; all were acquitted.
Zola Taylor was one of Frankie Lymon's three wives, becoming his lover when he was only 13. (Those Platters sure got around, didn't they?)
Buck Ram wrote "I'll Be Home For Christmas" and was an arranger for Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and The Dorsey Brothers.
By the time of the Platters' comback hit this year, there was already an ever-changing lineup.

The number twelve was lucky for Sandy Posey this year, as she debuted with "Born A Woman", a no. 12 hit (Aug. 6th entry). "Single Girl" was also a no. 12 hit (Dec. 10th entry).

James and Bobby Purify ("Bobby Purify's" real name was either Bobby Dickey or Ben Moore. Accounts vary.) had a no. 6 smash with "I'm Your Puppet" (Oct. 22nd entry).

? and The Mysterians were a group of Mexican-Americans, one of the first of the rock era. Their no. 1 smash, "96 Tears" (Sept. 17th entry), was written by "?" himself, group member and lead singer Rudy Martinez. "I Need Somebody" was a no. 22 hit (Dec.10th entry).

"It's Over" peaked at no. 37 for Jimmie Rodgers (June 18th entry) and marked his return to the charts (since 1960!).

Another chart return was made by Tommy Roe (since 1964) with "Sweet Pea", a no. 8 smash (July 2nd entry) and "Hooray For Hazel", a no. 6 smash (Oct. 1st entry).

Ronny (Real name: Bucky Wilkins) and The Daytonas also returned to the charts (since 1964) with "Sandy", a no. 27 hit (Jan. 8th entry).

"Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron" was a no. 2 smash for The Royal Guardsmen (Dec. 17th entry).

"I've Got To Be Somebody" peaked at no. 38 for Billy Joe Royal (Jan. 15th entry).

Jimmy Ruffin, who was the older brother of The Temptations' David Ruffin, and who was also with Motown, made an impressive debut this year, with "What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted", a no. 7 smash (July 10th entry). "I've Passed This Way Before" was a no. 17 hit (Dec. 24th entry-Christmas Eve!).

Crispian St. Peters had a no. 4 smash with "The Pied Piper" (July 9th entry). At the time, the singer boasted that he would become a bigger star than Sammy Davis Jr! (By the way, that didn't happen.)
Sam the Sham and The Pharaohs continued their success with the no. 2 smash, "LittleRed Riding Hood" (July 2nd entry), and "The Hair On My Chinny Chin Chin", a no. 22 hit (Oct. 15th entry).

The Sandpipers had a no. 9 smash with "Guantanamera", (which has its roots in a Cuban poem and folk song) (July 13th entry). "Louie, Louie", a slow, folky version of the rock classic, peaked at no. 30 (No. 12th entry).

"Day For Decision", a spoken word recording, peaked at no. 35 for Johnny Sea (June 25th entry).

"Georgy Girl" was a no. 2 smash for The Seekers (Dec. 31st-New Year's Eve!)

The Shades Of Blue had a no. 12 hit with "Oh How Happy" (May 28th entry).

A Chicago act, The Shadows Of Knight, had a no. 10 smash with "Gloria" (April 16th entry). "Oh Yeah" peaked at no. 39 (July 2nd entry).

"Long Live Our Love" peaked at no. 33 for The Shangri-Las (Feb. 26th entry). This would be their last top 40 hit.

"The Rains Came" peaked at no. 31 for The Sir Douglas Quintet (March 5th entry).

"Tar and Cement" peaked at no. 38 for Verdelle Smith (Aug. 13th entry).

The Standells had a no. 11 hit with "Dirty Water" (June 11th entry).

"History Repeats Itself", a spoken word recording, peaked at no. 39 (May 14th entry) for Buddy Starcher.

"Night Time" peaked at no. 30 for The Strangeloves (Feb. 5th entry). This would be their last top 40 hit.

The Surfaris returned to the charts (since 1963) with a re-entry of their '63 instrumental no. 2 smash, "Wipe Out", a no. 16 hit (Aug. 27th entry).

The Swingin' Medallions had a no. 17 hit with "Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)", a June 4th entry. This was banned from several stations.

"Little Girl" was a no. 8 smash for Syndicate Of Sound (June 25th entry).

Joe Tex had a no. 29 hit with "A Sweet Woman Like You" (Jan. 1st entry-New Year's Day!). "S.Y.S.L.J.F.M. (The Letter Song)" peaked at no. 39 (June 18th entry). I think the initials stood for "Save Your Sweet Love Just For Me". Isn't that nice?

"B-A-B-Y" was a no. 14 hit for Carla Thomas (Sept. 24th entry). This was written by Issac Hayes and David Porter. And as far as I know, the initials just stood for "baby".

"I Hear Trumpets Blow" peaked at no. 30 for The Tokens (April 9th entry).

The Turtles had a no. 20 hit with "You Baby" (Feb. 19th entry).

The Four Seasons' lead singer, Frankie Valli, also went solo this year (He was still in the Seasons.) "(You're Gonna) Hurt Yourself" peaked at no. 39 (Feb. 12th entry). This really should have been a top 10 hit; it's that good.

"Dum-De-Da", also known as "She Understands Me" peaked at no. 40 for Bobby Vinton (May 28th entry). The singer had a no. 11 hit with "Coming Home Soldier" (Dec. 17th entry).

"Harlem Nocturne", an instrumental, peaked at no. 39 (Jan. 1st-New Year's Day!). This was a re-release of the 1959 hit by The Viscounts, which made the top 40 this second time around. I don't think it made the 40 the first time out.

The Walker Brothers were a trio from Los Angeles (NOT brothers; they were HUGE stars in England. They had a no. 13 hit, "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore)" (April 30th entry).

Motown's Jr. Walker and The All-Stars had a no. 20 hit with ""(I'm A) Road Runner" (May 21st entry) and "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)", a no. 18 hit (Sept. 3rd entry).

"Summer Samba (So Nice)" was a no. 26 hit (instrumental) for Walter Wanderley (Oct. 1st entry).
Margaret Whiting returned to the charts this year (since 1956!) with "The Wheel Of Hurt", a no. 26 hit (Nov. 19th entry). This would be her last top 40 hit.

The Beach Boys' lead singer, Brian Wilson, did a solo turn in addition this year. "Caroline, No" peaked at no. 32 (April 23rd entry).

Jackie Wilson returned to the top 40 (since 1963) with "Whispers (Gettin' Louder)", a no. 11 hit (Nov. 19th entry).
This was the first of Wilson's comeback hits (a short-lived one, however; the singer survived later only by playing the oldies circuit.)
He was still under contract to Nat Tarnopol, manager with mob ties who took over upon the death of first manager Al Green (NOT the singer). Tarnopol controlled with an iron hand and always had one eye on the mainstream pop market at all times. This, along with the British Invasion, stalled Wilson's career a bit.
Like many singers, Wilson sang in local gospel groups (he wasn't particularly religious, though.) and was also quite a hooligan growing up! He dropped out of school, also sang in local clubs, and became a Golden Gloves champion.
Johnny Otis discovered him; soon, Wilson ended up replacing Clyde McPhatter in Billy Ward and The Dominoes.
And from there, it was on to a solo act and stardom.
For the next three years at least, "Mr. Excitement" was back on the pop and R + B charts.

At first, everyone thought this group was The Beatles. They sure did sound like them. "Lies" was the no. 20 hit by The Knickerbockers that had people wondering (Jan. 1st entry-New Year's Day!). This should have been a top 10 hit; it's a really great pop song and rock-out classic. And they sounded like the Beatles, for heaven's sake! The group followed up with "One Track Mind", which didn't make the 40. It should have; another great rock-out song!

Gene Chandler had a hit on the R + B charts with "I Fooled You This Time." One of his best!

"The Monkees" TV show debuted Sept. 12th on NBC. It was an instant hit!

The jazzy British keyboard virtuoso and singer Georgie Fame (andThe Blue Flames) had his second no. 1 smash in the U.K. with "Get Away" (July)-a song that started out as an advertising jingle for an oil company (His first British no. 1 was "Yeh Yeh". Both songs got some airplay here; "Yeh Yeh" only made no. 21 (1965). "Get Away" didn't make top 40 here.)
Shortly after "Get Away's" success, Fame left the Blue Flames to go solo.

Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich came from the same West Country area of England as The Troggs and were enormously popular in the U.K. (with at least eight top ten songs), but weren't able to crack the U.S. market.
They're probably best remembered here for "Bend It", which didn't make the top 40 and was widely banned from most radio stations.

"My Best Friend", by the up-and-coming group Jefferson Airplane was bubbling under in the hot 100.

Commenting on the ongoing British Blues Invasion of America, B. B. King observed that "We still have mostly Negro adults at our gigs, but I've noticed that in the last year or so, I've had a lot (more) of the white kids come out than ever before."
Another blues legend, Muddy Waters, noticed the same trend: "The Rolling Stones came out named after my song, you know, and recorded 'Just Make Love To Me' and the next thing I knew (white youths) were out there. And that's how people in the States really got to know who Muddy Waters was."
The sound of Chicago blues had ironically been introduced to American youths by British bands.

By this year, San Francisco was boiling over with talented (and some not so) artists of all varieties. Pantomime and theater groups also infiltrated the streets while the musicians joined in.

Murray the K was program director and primetime DJ on WOR-the first FM rock station.

"Spicks And Specks" was a big hit in Australia for an up-and-coming trio called The Bee Gees.

An entire segment of thee British TV show, "Ready, Steady, Go!" was devoted to James Brown.

"Uptight" was Stevie Wonder's first U.K. hit.

The first hippie boutique, The Psychedelic Shop, opened in San Francisco.

Crawdaddy, the earliest youth culture magazine, was launched in New York.

Wilson Pickett and Mary Wells made successful appearances on "Ready, Steady, Go!".

CBS announced that they were developing a metal disk containing music and pictures that could be seen on a TV set for the mass market (at a time when video tape recorders were only rich people's toys).

Guests on the final Shindig show included The Kinks and The Who. Hullabaloo went off the air soon afterward. And Liverpool's Cavern Club closed. (Jeez!)

Besides their last U.S. concert, this year marked The Beatles' last U.K. date , which was at the NME poll winner's concert. They also started their final world tour by returning to Hamburg.

The Rolling Stones used a sitar on "Paint It Black".

The American trio, The Walker Brothers (who were HUGE stars in the U.K.) applied for British citizenship, soon after British duo Chad and Jeremy requested U.S. citizenship.

After losing The Righteous Brothers to MGM, Phil Spector released his most ambitious and expensive ($22,000) production, "River Deep, Mountain High" by Ike and Tina Turner (It's actually just Tina.) The song was a worldwide smash, hitting no. 1 in several countries, EXCEPT America, where it flopped. Spector, totally disgusted, quit the business (He was right to be so disgusted; It was one of her best vocals!)

In the U.K., Dusty Springfield launched her own TV series, "Dusty".

Tape cassettes and tape cartridges (invented in 1954) were introduced commercially; album sales increased by 6% (Labels were therefore actively seeking artists with single AND album sales potential.)

Paul McCartney wrote the music score for the film, "The Family Way", starring HayleyMills.

Over 10,000 records were released this year.

Popular dances were The Skate, The Philly Dog, and The Boston Monkey.

Shortly after Bob Dylan was hurt in a motorcycle crash, his backup band, The Hawks, became his Woodstock neighbors at Big Pink and started recording there as "The Band."

Janis Joplin joined Big Brother and The Holding Company.

There are now 250 underground newspapers.

Only seven of the 39 new groups who made it in 1961 are still on the charts.

Pressure from Washington starts rock lyric drug reference censorship by radio stations.

The Grateful Dead and Big Brother proclaim entry of the new musical genre, "acid rock" at the San Francisco Trips Festival.

18 people work the first light shows at the San Francisco Fillmore Ballroom for a payment of 3.00.
The Fillmore and Avalon become rock dance meccas in San Francisco, with their light shows, psychedelic posters, and large dance floors. They were also top venues for blues bands and a springboard for many local up-and-coming groups.

The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, The Association, and many other new and established California groups move in together-starting another growing trend.

The Beatles' "Rain" was the first record to use reverse tapes.

Manager Robert Stigwood forces Atlantic Records to sign a new group, Cream, as part of giving them TheBee Gees.

Monkee merchandise, from guitars to comic books, lunchboxes, pants, and others, grossed $20 million this year.

The National Association of Broadcasters instructs DJs to screen all records for dirty or hidden meanings (drug allusions).

The "chitlin' circuit" was a string of theaters in the northeastern U.S. at which all the major soul revues would play. These theaters included: the Howard (Washington, DC), the Uptown (Philadelphia), the Royal (Baltimore), the Fox (Detroit), the Apollo (New York), and the Regal (Chicago).
The circuit was the last remnant of the vaudeville tradition. Each show took the form of a revue. The core of each show was soul music, but on the bill was usually a dance act, sometimes a gospel act, and always a comedian (often doubling as MC). Each theater had a house band that would provide accompaniment to the acts.
A typical price for a ticket (at the Regal, for example)for a matinee show would be $1.25; an evening show, $1.50; and in later years, $2.00.
Just think: In April 1966, you would pay $1.25 to see in one show Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, Bobby Bland, Maxine Brown, The Mad Lads, Ronnie Milsap (Oh?), Sam and Bill, The Five Stairsteps, The Radiants, Jackie Ross, and Billy Stewart!

Though she wasn't hitting the top 40 anymore, Mary Wells had a big R + B hit in early Feb. this year with "Dear Lover."

A local Chicago girl group, The Gems, broke up this year. One of its members went solo this year, recording on release "Lonely Girl" (a local Chicago hit) as Andrea Davis (the record company picked this monicker for her, which she detested. Her real name: Minnie Riperton.
Riperton became a member of Chess Records' one progressive rock group, the Rotary Connection (1967-1970).

"Function At The Junction" by Shorty Long also spawned a line dance called the same from the winter of 1966.

In the wake of the British Invasion, thousands of middle-class, college-educated youths (Most were white and "voluntarily poor." 68% were college-educated, 96% were between 16 and 30 years old, and 44% had a college graduate father. Many of the San Francisco rock band members came from upper and upper-middle class backgrounds.) clustered around San Francisco Bay to demonstrate to the country, and eventually to the world, that love could replace war, sharing could replace greed, and community could supersede the individual.
These San Francisco missionaries strove for nothing less than a total transformation of America, which they demanded immediately.
A new genre of rock 'n' roll reflected and helped propagate the new culture. "Acid rock" (inspired by a strange new drug, LSD) broadcast the word of hippiedom from its epicenter, San Francisco, to the hinterlands.
Unlike the British groups and singers, who used music to entertain, the West Coast bands such as Jefferson Airplane, The Grateful Dead, and at least 1,500 others, used music to lead this new movement.
From 1965 to 1967 or '68, some of rock 'n' roll's stars had a mission.
The social upheaval of hippiedom had its origins with the Beats (popularly called "beatniks"), who had wandered from their homes in New York City to San Francisco more than a decade earlier (Some of THIS movement's leading figures were Jack Kerouac, Neal Cassady, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and Allen Ginsberg.
The Beats formed a counterculture philosophy based on aspects of Eastern religion (Their very name-Beats-suggested the quest for beatitude that's a factor of Zen Buddhism. It also referred to the drifters, hobos, or "bums". Although appearing "beat down" to the "straights", they represented freedom. And finally, the term referred to the beat of jazz, particularly the music of Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Lennie Tristano, and Gerry Mulligan, who were considered cultural heroes.
Traditional American values were lambasted by the Beats; they sought fundamental change through cultural relativism and individual feelings. There was experimentation with sex and drugs.
This resulted in backlash and attacks from "the establishment."
Some of the Beats reappeared on the scene to parent the new hippie movement. (The term "hippies" was first used in Sept. 1965 by San Francisco Examiner writer MichaelFallon. The first hippie gathering was held in Oct. 1965.)
For three days in Jan. 1966, Beat writer Ken Kesey, author of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1962), and his band of free spirits, known as The Merry Pranksters, hosted the Trips Festival, which attracted more than 6,600 people. The Grateful Dead and Big Brother and The Holding Company supplied the music, five movie screens projected combinations of colors and shapes, and the punch was spiked with LSD. (This became known as the Kool-Aid Acid Test.) People were dressed in anything and everything.
Like the Beats, the hippies attacked and rejected their affluence, championed freedom if individual expression, and used drugs.
There was a freewheeling attitude toward nudity and sex. (More than six million women were on the Pill by 1966.) Hair was worn long by both male and female. The drugs of choice were marijuana, the more expensive hashish, and LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide). Discovered in Switzerland in April 1943 and legal (!) in the U.S. until Oct. 6th, 1966, LSD, or "acid" fragmented everyday perception into a multitude of melting shapes and vibrant colors. (But a bad "trip" could mess you up mentally for life, or just outright kill you.)
Timothy Leary, an ex-Harvard professor, advocated its use, promoting and using it at every opportunity, becoming the "high priest of acid".
Many heeded Leary's advice. In 1966, it was estimated that more than 10% of all college students had injested LSD; more than 90% of Haight-Asbury had taken the drug.
The "acid king" was probably chemist Augustus Owsley Stanley III, grandson of Senator A. Owlsey Stanley (KY); many of the hippies obtained LSD from him. (He produced and distributed an estimated 15 million acid tabs, sometimes dispensing them free at events like the Trips Festival.
The hippies also embraced the beliefs of past civilizations, real or imagined. Some looked to Asian culture, some to the American Indian (the real ones weren't thrilled.) Some banded together in communes and shared their resources (for example, The Diggers. Some shopkeepers did this, too.)
By changing their corner of the world, many hippies believed, perhaps the world would change its corner.

Stax Records became a mainstream music force to be reckoned with (due to the previous success of Booker T. and The MGs, Carla Thomas, The Mar-Keys, and Otis Redding, the label's studios became a magnet for other acts.
Atlantic brought in Wilson Pickett and the duo Sam and Dave to record there. Stax itself had added William Bell, Eddie Floyd, The Mad Lads, and the producing/songwriting team of Issac Hayes and David Porter. In 1965, Al Bell was hired as National Sales Director (He was a very successful black DJ.) He took over leadership of the company and greatly expanded the label's roster of artists.