Music News and Events of 1968

Notable debuts were: Big Brother and The Holding Company (featuring Janis Joplin-top 40 debut), Blue Cheer, Canned Heat, Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band, Classics IV (featuring Dennis Yost), Country Joe and The Fish, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Deep Purple, Electric Flag, Iron Butterfly, Sly and The Family Stone, Steppenwolf, Vanilla Fudge, Mama Cass Elliot, Richard Harris, Janis Joplin, Archie Bell and The Drells, The Delfonics, Clarence Carter, Johnnie Taylor, Leonard Cohen, Judy Collins, Jose Feliciano (top 40 debut; already on Spanish music charts), 1910 Fruitgum Company, Peggy Scott and JoJo Benson, The Flamin' Groovies, The Archies, Friend And Lover, Madeline Bell, Henson Cargill, Barbara Acklin, Herb Alpert (as a solo act), Jimi Hendrix (top 40 debut). Irish Rovers, Hugh Masekela, The First Edition (featuring Kenny Rogers), Sweet Inspirations,Tiny Tim, and Tammy Wynette.

U.S. debuts were: Jeff Beck Group, Small Faces, Status Quo, Traffic, The Foundations, and (The Crazy World Of) Arthur Brown.

Babara Acklin had a no. 15 hit with "Love Makes A Woman" (Aug. 10th entry).

Herb Alpert had a no. 1 VOCAL smash (for four weeks!) with "This Guy's In Love With You" (written by Bacharach-David!)-May 25th entry).

The Amboy Dukes (which included Ted Nugent) had a no. 16 hit with "Journey To The Center Of The Mind" (July 27th chart entry).

The American Breed had their last top 4 hit with " Green Light", which peaked at no. 39 (Mar. 16th). The Chicago rock quartet would later evolve into the '70s soul group Rufus (featuring Chaka Khan).

"Sky Pilot (Parts 1 and 2)" was a no. 14 hit for Eric Burdon and The Animals (June 22nd entry). This would be the group's last top 40 hit.

The Archies (a popular cartoon group on TV, a studio group on records, was created by Don Kirshner with Ron Dante as lead singer) had a no. 22 hit with "Bang-Shang-A-Lang" (Nov. 2nd).

"Naturally Stoned" peaked at no. 40 for Avant-Garde (Oct. 26th chart entry).

"A Question Of Temperature" peaked at no. 37 for Balloon Farm (Mar. 16th).

Madeline Bell was the former lead singer of Blue MInk. She had a no. 26 hit (and the first version to make the top 40) with "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" (Mar. 9th entry).

Big Brother and The Holding Company (featuring Janis Joplin had a no. 12 hit with "Piece Of My Heart" (Sept. 28th).

"Sumertime Blues", a remake of the Eddie Cochran smash (no. 8, 1958) was a no. 14 hit for Blue Cheer (Mar. 23rd entry).

(The Crazy World Of) Arthur Brown had a no. 2 smash with "Fire" (Sept. 21st entry).

"The Funky Judge" peaked at no. 39 for Bull and The Matadors (Nov. 16th entry).

"Skip A Rope" was a no. 25 hit for Henson Cargill (Jan. 20th).

"The Lesson" peaked at no. 34 for Vikki Carr (Jan. 27th).

The Ray Charles version of "Eleanor Rigby" peaked at no. 35 (July 20th entry).

Folk singer Judy Collins debuted with a no. 8 smash, "Both Sides Now" (written by Joni Mitchell-Nov. 23rd entry).

Arthur Conley had a no. 14 hit with "Funky Street" (April 6th). This would be his last top 40.

Creedence Clearwater Revival (often referred to as CCR-John Fogerty, lead singer) made their top 40 debut with "Suzie Q (Part One)", a no. 11 hit (Sept. 28th chart entry).
In the late '50s, both of the Fogerty brothers, John and Tom, headed up different bands in and around El Cerrito, CA. By 1961, Tom was lead singer of John's group, The Blue Velvets; by 1964, the group was on Fantasy Records as The Golliwogs. Three years went by with no hits. Then Saul Zaentz bought out Fantasy, renamed the band, and gave them an image makeover, to appear more "San Francisco." The CCR name came from Tom's friend Credence Nuball, Clearwater beer, and the desire to revive the band's circumstances.
A local freeform FM station, KMPX began laying the group's extended jam on the Dale Hawkins classic, "Suzie Q". It eventually broke through nationally.
The band was on its way.

Dean and Jean (Welton Young and Brenda Lee Jones) returned to the top 40 (since 1964) with "Tra La La La Suzy" (That name again!) which peaked at no. 35 (Dec. 14th).

Derek (actually Johnny Cynbal-Remember "Mr. Bass Man" from 1963?) had a no. 11 hit with "Cinnamon" (Nov. 23rd entry).

Dion (DeMuci or DeMucci-accounts vary) returned to the top 40 (since 1963) with a no. 4 smash, "Abraham, Martin And John" (Nov. 2nd chart entry).
The British Invasion hurt most American rock stars, and Dion especially so, partly because he was also stuggling with a heroin addiction he picked up when still with the Belmonts. The singer switched to folk-rock in the mid-Sixties, which led to his huge comeback this year (He also produced a number of critically acclaimed albums. He would later return to doing rock and roll.)
Did you know that Dion's first musical inspiration was country singer Hank Williams? He was first discovered (Dion, not Williams) by jazz legend Paul Whiteman. He was almost on the Buddy Holly-Big Bopper-Ritchie Valens flight, but couldn't afford a seat! The backup vocal group on his solo hits were The Del-Satins.
And from this year, 1968 (and beyond), as far as I currently know, Dion has been drug-free!

The Equals (with Eddie Grant) peaked at no. 32 with "Baby, Come Back" (Sept. 28th).

Georgie Fame returned to the top 40 (since 1965) with a no. 7 smash, "The Ballad Of Bonnie And Clyde" (Mar.2nd entry). This would be his last top 40 hit.
But he was always a much bigger star in England (three no. 1 smashes in a row there!) and Europe than here, anyway.

"Hitch It To The Horse" peaked at no. 34 for the Fantastic Johnny C (Johnny Corley). This would be his last top 40.

Don Fardon (who was British) had a no. 20 hit with the original version of "(The Lament Of The Cherokee) Indian Reservation" (Sept. 21st entry). The Raiders (formerly known as Paul Revere and The Raiders) would have a no. 1 smash with this in 1971.

The Fireballs (also known as Jimmy Gilmer and The Fireballs-this group did instrumental AND vocal songs) had a no. 9 smash, "Bottle of Wine" ( Jan. 27th). This was the group's last top 40 hit.

The Foundations (Clem Curtis, lead singer) debuted with a no. 11 hit, "Baby, Now That I've Found You" (Jan. 13th entry).

"Master Jack" was a no. 18 hit for South African group Four Jacks And A Jill (May 18th).

"Will You Love Me Tomorrow" was a no. 24 hit for The Four Seasons (Mar. 9th entry). This would be the group's last top 40 until 1975.

Friend And Lover were James and Cathy Post, husband and wife. "Reach Out Of The Darkness" was a no. 10 smash (June 1st entry).

"Shape Of Things To Come" (from the film, "Wild In The Streets" Yardbirds song) was a no. 22 hit for Max Frost and The Troopers (Sept. 28th).

Gene And Debbie were Gene Thomas and Debbie Nevills, who had a no. 17 hit with "Playboy" (Mar. 9th entry-NOT the Marvelettes song).

The Grass Roots had a no. 5 smash this year with "Midnight Confessions" (Sept. 21st).

"MacArthur park" was a no. 2 smash (May 25th) for actor Richard Harris.

Guitar sensation Jimi Hendrix had a no. 20 hit with "All Along The Watchtower" (Sept. 28th entry- written by Bob Dylan!)

Herman's Hermits had a no. 22 hit with I Can Take Or Leave Your Loving" (Feb. 3rd entry). This would be the group's last top 40.

"Born Free" peaked at no. 38 for The Hesitations (Feb. 17th entry).

Jennifer Eccles" peaked at no. 40 for The Hollies (May 18th).

Mary Hopkin had a no. 2 smash with "Those Were The Days" (Oct. 12th entry).

The Human Beinz had a no. 8 smash with "Nobody But Me" (Jan. 6th).

"The Unicorn" was a no. 7 smash for The Irish Rovers.

Iron Butterfly may well have been America's first "heavy metal" rock band. "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" peaked at no. 30 (Sept. 28th entry). Wasn't the title actually supposed to be "in a garden of Eden"?

"Security" peaked at no. 35 for Etta James (April 6th entry). This would be her last top 40.

"Strawberry Shortcake" peaked at no. 39 for Jay and The Techniques (Feb. 10th). This would be their last top 40 hit.

The Kasentz-Katz Orchestral Circus had a no. 25 hit with "Quick Joey Small (Run Joey Run)", a Nov. 9th entry. This was another studio group of sesson musicians set up by those superstar producers of bubblegum, Jeffrey Kasentz and Jeff Katz.

"Paying The Cost To Be The Boss" peaked at no. 39 for B. B. King (Riley B. "Blues Boy" KIng), a May 25th entry and a return to the charts (since 1964).

Leapy Lee had a no. 16 hit with "Little Arrows" (Nov. 9th entry).

Raymond LeFevre (and His Orchestra) peaked at no. 37 with the instrumental, "Ame Caline (Soul Coaxing)", an April 6th entry. This marked his top 40 return since 1958. And his last.

The Lettermen had a no. 7 smash
with a medley, "Goin' Out Of My Head"/Can't Take My
Eyes Off You" (Jan. 6th). The first song was
originally by Little Anthony and The
Imperials (no. 6, 1964), the second by
Frankie Valli (no. 2, 1967).

Gary Lewis and The Playboys had a
no. 19 hit with "Sealed With A Kiss" (remake of
the Brian Hyland no. 3 smash, 1962),
a July 27th entry.

Motown's Shorty Long had a no. 8
smash with "Here Comes The Judge" (June 15th
entry-inspired by the popular catchphrase on the hit
TV series Rowan and Martin's
Laugh-In").

"Best Of Both Worlds"peaked at no. 32 for
Lulu (Jan. 6th).

"Shame, Shame" was a no. 29 hit for
The Magic Lanterns (Nov. 30th entry).

Mama Cass had a no. 12 hit with
"Dream A Little Dream Of Me" (July 27th chart
entry). Who did the backup vocals? Why, The
Mamas and The Papas!

"Mighty Quinn (Quinn The Eskimo)" was a no.
10 smash for Manfred Mann (Mar. 9th).
This was written by Bob Dylan! This
would be the group's last top 40 as just Manfred Mann.

Comedian Dewey "Pigmeat" Markham had a no. 19 hit with "Here Comes The Judge" ( July 6th entry-NOT the same song as the Shorty Long one, but also inspired by "Laugh-In". Markham said that the show borrowed the line from one of his popular routines.)

The Marvelettes had a no. 17 hit with "My Baby Must Be A Magician" (Jan. 6th chart entry-That's Otis Wiliams of The Temptations doing the spoken word intro. I believe this was written by Smokey Robinson.) This would be their last top 40 hit.
Former lead singer Gladys Horton also left this year; she was replaced by Anne Bogan.

South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela (who was married to fellow South African and international singing sensation Miriam Makeba for a few years ) had a no. 1 smash with the instrumental, "Grazing In The Grass" (June 22nd).

Another instrumental, "Love Is Blue" was a no. 1 smash (for five weeks!) for Paul Mauriat (and His Orchestra). This was a Jan. 27th entry-and was adapted from the French song, "L'Armour Est Bleu".

"Little Green Apples" peaked at no. 39 for Roger Miller (Mar. 16th). This would be his last top 40 hit. But later this year, (Sept. 21st entry), O. C. Smith had a no. 2 smash with the same song. Go figure!

The Mills Brothers (Harry, Hubert, and Donald) made their top 40 return (since 1958) with "Cab Driver", a no. 23 hit (Mar. 2nd entry). This would be their last top 40.

Willie Mitchell returned to the top 40 with the instrumental, "Soul Serenade", a no. 23 hit (April 13th entry). This would be his last top 40, but not the end of his career. Oh no. You see, Mitchell was also president of Hi Records. And there was an up-and-coming singer on the label....Al Green

Hugo Montenegro (His Orchestra and Chorus) had a no. 2 smash with yet ANOTHER instrumental, "The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly" (April 6th entry).

The Moody Blues had a no. 24 hit with "Tuesday Afternoon (Forever Afternoon)", an Aug. 24th entry.

Johnny Nash returned to the top 40 (since 1958) with "Hold Me Tight", a no. 5 smash (Oct. 5th).

The New Colony Six (from Chicago!) made their top 40 debut with "I Will Always Think About You", a no. 22 hit (May 11th entry).

Cliff Nobles and Co. had a no. 2 smash with the instrumental, "The Horse" (June 8th).

"Girl Watcher" was a no. 5 smash by The O'Kaysions (Donny Weaver, lead singer). This was a Sept. 7th entry.

"Two Little Kids" peaked at no. 31 for Peaches and Herb (Jan. 13th entry). This would be the duo's last top 40 until 1979 (Herb Fame had a new "Peaches", Linda Greene. The original Peaches" was Francine Baker).

"I Love You" was a no. 14 hit for People (May 25th).

Gene Pitney returned to the top 40 with "She's A Heatbreaker", a no. 16 hit (June 15th entry). This would be his last top 40, but like several other stars, he had continued success overseas. And the fact that he could sing in several languages (like Connie Francis and Petula Clark, among others) sure didn't hurt!

Rene and Rene had a no. 14 hit with "Lo Mucho Que Te Quiero (The More I Love You", a Dec. 14h entry.

"Harper Valley P.T.A." was a no. 1 smash for Jeannie C. Riley (Aug. 31st entry). This was written by Tom T. Hall and was based on a true story!

"Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)" was a no. 5 smash debut by The First Edition (featuring Kenny Rogers) and a Feb. 24th entry. Rogers and three other members were originally with The New Christy Minstrels.

Merilee Rush (and The Turnabouts) had a no. 7 smash with "Angel Of The Morning" (June 1st entry).

"1432 Franklin Pike Circle Hero" peaked at no. 36 for Bobby Russell (Nov. 23rd). Russell later married (from 1972-1974) Vicki Lawrence of ("The Carol Burnett Show" and "Mama's Family'. He was also a noted songwriter; Lawrence had a smash with one of his songs, "The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia ", 1973.

Sam and Dave had a no. 9 smash with "I Thank You" (Feb. 17th chart entry). Did you know that the two couldn't stand each other offstage? Dave (Prater) shot his girlfriend in the face during an argument this year; Sam Moore vowed to never speak to him offstage again.
"I Thank You" was Sam and Dave's last top 40 hit.

The Sandpebbles had a no. 22 hit with "Love Power" (Jan. 6th entry).

Joe Simon debuted with "(You Keep Me) Hangin' On" (NOT the Supremes one) , a no. 25 hit ( June 8th).

Frank Sinatra had a no. 23 hit with "Cycles".

"Some Velvet Morning" was a no. 26 hit for Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood. This would be their last top 40.

"Take Time To Know Her" was a no. 11 hit for Percy Sledge (April 6th). Did you know that: The singer had 12 children (and at last count, 15 grandchildren)! The late '80s Republican strategist Lee Atwater once played guitar for Sledge. "When A Man Loves A Woman" (no. 1 smash, 1966) was Atlantic Records' first ever gold single. Sledge was one of the first soul singers, besides Ray Charles, to cover country artists.

Sly and The Family Stone had a great debut this year, with the no. 8 smash, "Dance To The Music" (Mar. 2nd entry).
Formed in San Francisco, the group consisted of Sly (Sylvester Stewart, a former popular local DJ), sister Rose, brother Freddie, cousin Larry Graham, Cynthia Robinson, Jerry Martini, and Greg Errico.
Sly was already making a name for himself; besides DJing, he had produced "Laugh, Laugh" and "Just A Little" by The Beau Brummels, Bobby Freeman's "(C'mon And) Swim" and the original Great Society version of "Somebody To Love", later a hit for Jefferson Airplane.
He acquired "Sly" from a grade school spelling bee at which he was mistakenly introduced as such.
The Black Panthers constantly pressured Sly to replace his white members (he didn't) and make his music more militant., but the head of CBS Records, Clive Davis (at the time) was also pressuring Sly for commercial material. So Sly set out to record the most commercial song he could, so when it flopped, "the suits" would chill out. The song? "Dance To The Music".
The band was on its way.

The Small Faces had a no. 16 hit with "Itchycoo Park" (Jan. 13th). Member Steve Marriott was the group founder that later evolved into Faces.

"Explosion In My Soul" peaked at no. 33 for The Soul Survivors (Jan. 20th entry). This was their last top 40 hit.

Dusty Springfield had a no. 10 smash with "Son-Of-A Preacher Man" (Dec. 14th entry).

Status Quo had a no. 12 hit with "Pictures Of Matchstick Men" (June 29th). In the States, this group was a one-hit wonder, but in England (and possibly Europe) they were superstars, with several big hits and no. 1 smashes!

Renowned for his comedy songs, Ray Stevens took a serious turn with "Mr. Businessman", a no. 28 hit (Aug. 31st entry).

Strawberry Alarm Clock had a no. 23 hit with "Tomorrow" (jan. 27th chart entry).

"Sweet Inspiration" was a no. 18 hit for the studio vocal group of the same name, The Sweet Inspirations (Mar. 30th entry-Cissy Houston was the lead singer; the mother of future star Whitney).

Bobby Taylor and The Vancouvers were from Canada (Taylor himself was born in North Carolina and raised in Washington, D.C. He eventually migrated to the Vancouver area in his singing career.) and were one of the new Motown groups. "Does Your Mama Know About Me" was a no. 29 hit (May 18th). Tommy Chong (later of Cheech and Chong and father of actress Rae Dawn Chong) was lead guitarist.
Legend has it that it was actually Bobby Taylor who discovered The Jackson Five and told Berry Gordy about them.

Johnnie Taylor had a no. 5 smash debut with "Who's Making Love" (Nov. 2nd entry). He was a former gospel singer who had replaced Sam Cooke as lead singer of The Soul Stirrers.

"Men Are Getting Scarce" peaked at no. 33 for Joe Tex (Mar. 2nd entry). This would be his last top 40 hit until 1972.

"Tiptoe Thru The Tulips With Me" was a no. 17 hit for Tiny Tim (real name: Herbert Khaury), a June 8th entry.
"Tiny Tim was a very pale, stringy-haired, hook-nosed, big-eyed (and he was strange looking, too!) ukulele playing singer (?) who had a high cartoonish falsetto. His first appearance on "Laugh-In" caused a sensation; as a result, he made several appearances on that show and other variety shows of the time. Tiny Tim was pure camp!" recalled Pamela Foster.

The Troggs returned to the top 40 (since 1966) with a no. 7 smash, "Love Is All Around" (Mar. 23rd entry). This was the group's last top 40 hit.

The Turtles had a no. 6 smash with "Elenore" (Oct. 12th).

"People"-a rock out, R + B version of the tune from "Funny Girl"-peaked at no. 39 for The Tymes (Dec. 28th entry).

The Unifics had a no. 25 hit with "Court Of Love" (Oct. 19th).

"To Give (The Reason I Live)" was a no. 29 hit (Jan. 20th entry) for Frankie Valli.

"My Girl/My Guy (medley)" peaked at no. 35 for Bobby Vee (May 18th). This would be his last top 40 hit.

Billy Vera and Judy Clay were probably rock's first interracial duo (he was white, she wasn't. OK, I'll stop. She was black. But that first line can still apply!).
I believe ' Storybook Children" was their first song; it didn't make the top 40. But "Country Girl-City Man" peaked at no. 36 (Mar. 23rd).

"Hip City-Pt. 2" peaked at no. 31 (Sept. 14th entry) for Jr. Walker and The All Stars.

Battle Hymn Of The Republic" peaked at no. 33 (Nov. 30th entry) for Andy Williams (with the St. Charles Borromeo Choir)-On the flip side (B) was "Ava Maria".
Both of these were sung by Williams at the funeral of Robert F. Kennedy.

Mason Williams had a no. 2 smash with the instrumental, "Classical Gas" (July 13th chart entry).

Al Wilson debuted with a no. 27 hit, "The Snake" (Sept. 21st).

"I Get The Sweetest Feeling" peaked at no. 34 (Aug. 31st chart entry) for Jackie Wilson. This was the singer's last top 40.

Jazz singer Nancy Wilson returned to the top 40 (since 1964) with the no. 29 hit, "Face It Girl, It's Over" (June 15th entry).

"Girls Can't Do What The Guys Do" peaked at no. 33 for Betty Wright (Sept. 7th) and marked her top 40 debut. (In the song, it sounds like she's singing "Girls can't do what the guys KNOW".)

Country singer Tammy Wynette had a no. 19 hit with "Stand By Your Man" (Dec. 28th entry).

Young-Holt Unlimited (formerly known as the Young-Hlot Trio) had a no. 3 smash, the instrumental, "Soulful Strut" (Dec. 7th entry). Eldee Young and Isaac Red Holt were also formerly 2/3 of the Ramsey Lewis Trio.
"Am I The Same Girl" by Barbara Acklin (released in early 1969) was originally recorded BEFORE the Young-Holt hit. Acklin's voice was taken off and a piano was added. The earlier release of "Strut" undercut the success of Acklin's record.
Actually, neither Young nor Holt was on the record; the Brunswick Records session orchestra had originally created and recorded this; session man Floyd Morris played the piano. Young-Holt Unlimited was credited with this as the result of a marketing decision.
See all the things you learn here?

Curtom Records was started in March of this year by Curtis Mayfield and Eddie Thomas. During the previous two years, Mayfield had launched two prior labels, Windy C and Mayfield. Both failed (or folded).
But the third time was the charm.

Steppenwolf's self-titled debut album was completed in four days on a $9,000 budget.

Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers went solo. Remaining member Bobby Hatfield recruited Jimmy Walker of The Knickerbockers and kept the name going. The original duo reformed in 1974.

The Yardbirds broke up in June.

James Brown shocked many blacks (and some whites) by supporting Nixon for President.

Sammy Davis Jr. also supported Nixon, shocking many blacks (and some whites), too. He shocked people even more by hugging Nixon, I think, at the Republican National Convention.

Jan. 13th-Johnny Cash records his concert at California's Folsom State Prison for a live album.

Feb.1st-Lisa Marie Presley's born to Elvis and Priscilla, who were married the previous year.

" 28th-The Cavern Club closed.

" 29th-"Sgt. Pepper" wins four Grammy Awards

March 1st-Johnny Cash and June Carter were married.

May 24th-Marianne Faithfull and Mick Jagger are busted for drugs in their London home.

Also that same day, radio DJ Tom Donahue moves to KSAN, San Francisco.

July 20th-Jane Asher breaks off her engagement to Paul McCartney.

Nov. 8th-John Lennon and Yoko Ono appear nude (front and back) on the cover of their " Two Virgins" album (LP).

Laura Nyro begins her trilogy of three classic albums with "Eli and The 13th Confession."

March 6th-British singer Sandie Shaw married fashion designer Jeff Banks.

April 29th-"Hair" opens on Broadway, at the Biltmore Theater.

May 21st-The Who's Pete Townshend married dress designer Karen Astley.

July 17th-The Beatles' full-length animated movie, "Yellow Submarine". Premieres at the London Pavillion.

Sept. 24th-The musical, opens in London.

Oct. 18th-John and Yoko are arrested for marijuana possession during a raid on Ringo Starr's London apartment.

Stax Records was sold in May to Gulf and Western for several million dollars. Why? Stax had a distribution deal with Atlantic Records that was about to expire and had to be renegotiated. To Stax co-owner Jim Stewart's horror, he found out that the original contract gave Atlantic ownership of al his company masters (Atlantic owned the entire Stax catalog!). Negotiations dragged on for months, but Stax had no leverage. Instead of giving up and signing with Atlantic, Stewart sold Stax.

A wave of Mexican rock heavily influenced by psychedelic and funk rock emerged in several northern border Mexican states, particularly in Tijuana, Baja California. Love army was one of the most prominent.

The film Magical Mystery Tour was the Beatles' first commercial and critical flop, but the MUSIC from it kept the group at the top of the charts.

Status Quo was a one-hit wonder here, but in the U.K. they went on to have more chart singles than the Beatles or Stones. The group debuted this year.

Across the ocean, Genesis and Elton John released their first singles.

Frankie Lymon (lead singer of Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers) died of a drug overdose.

Singer Little Willie John died in prison.

The "Philly Sound" (Philadelphia) was starting up. Several acts in the top 10 were: Archie Bell and The Drells, The Delfonics, The Intruders, and Cliff Nobles and Co..

Trend setters debuted: Sly and The Family Stone, Blue Cheer,, and Iron Butterfly.

Over half of the Beach Boys shows with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi were cancelled. Shortly afterward, The Beatles described their association with the Maharishi as a "public mistake."

Simon and Garfunkel albums were red-hot.

Across the ocean, The Beatles launched their own label, Apple.

Cream broke up. Janis Joplin left Big Brother and The Holding Company, and ex-Contour Dennis Edwards replaced David Ruffin in The Temptations.

Pete Townshend was working on a rock opera named Tommy.

The Newport Pop Festival was attended by 100,000 fans. Headliners included: Sonny and Cher, The Byrds, Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Iron Butterfly, Steppenwolf, Canned Heat, and Eric Burdon and The Animals.

John Sebastian left The Lovin' Spoonful, Eric Burdon disbanded The Animals, Graham Nash left The Hollies (to form Crosby, Stills, and Nash),Mama Cass left The Mamas and The Papas, and Peter Tork quit The Monkees.

Cream's farewell American tour grossed over $700,000.

Double album "The Beatles" topped the charts and the group's seven-minute single, "Hey Jude" amassed world sales of at least five million. The first Beatle solo albums (LPs) were released by George and John (with Yoko).
The Sound Of Music" became Britain's biggest selling album to date, topping the charts for 68 weeks and passing two million dollars in sales.

For the first time, more albums were sold in Britain than singles.

The Mamas and The Papas were sued by their label, Dunhill, for disbanding mid-contract.

Motown sued Holland-Dozier-Holland for four million dollars for not offering them any recordings this year.

The Miami Pop Festival attracted 100,000. The bill included: Marvin Gaye, Jose Feliciano, Three Dog Night, Chuck Berry, Fleetwood Mac, Joni Mitchell, The Box Tops, The Turtles, Jr. Walker and The All Stars, and Joe Tex.

Elvis Presley's long-awaited TV special was a critically acclaimed and ratings success.

Rock ballrooms boom across the country, due to the success of the Fillmores East and West.

Discos fade.

Almost 5,000 new LPs are being released every year.

Bubblegum music's big with 8-11 year-olds (but many teens and grownups liked it). For example, The Lemon Pipers were red-hot this year, with the no. 1 smash, "Green Tambourine" released late last year (12/23/67). The group's other hits included "Rice Is Nice" and "Jelly Jungle (of Orange Marmalade)". The latter two didn't make the top 40, but I'm sure they're fondly remembered, nevertheless.

21-year-old songwriter Jimmy Webb boosts his income to $300,000 a year in 18 months (he wrote "Up, Up And Away" and "By The Time I Get To Phoenix").

Paul Butterfield, Canned Heat, and John Mayall lead a blues revival.

Ralph Nader states that rock is producing a nation with impaired hearing.

Jefferson Airplane makes the cover of Life.

Independent record producers and self-producing performers are now recording 60% of the hits vs. company A + R men's ("the suits) 40%.

The Rolling Stones'"Street Fighting Man" is released about the same time as Chicago's Democratic Convention. And it was banned by some radio stations.

"Hair" takes Broadway by surprise after being turned down by all top producers.

Folk singers shift from protest to self-analysis.

"MacArthur Park" and "Hey Jude" break DJ taboo on long records.

Songwriters Laura Nyro and Randy Newman become popular for their songs AND as singers.

The Moody Blues teamed up with the London Festival Orchestra for the classically-oriented "Days Of Future Passed". Enormous success of the allbum paves the way for others such as Pink Floyd, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Electric Light Orchestra, Rick Wakeman, and Yes.

The Moog Synthesizer reaches the rock world via the classics, as the "Switched On Bach" album by Walter Carlos becomes a best-seller.

Simon and Garfunkel switched from folk guitar to electric for their "Bookends" album.

Despite negative reviews,The Beatles'"Magical Mystery Tour" (cost $90,000 to make) film still made an estimated $3 million from overseas sales (in addition to record royalties).

The group also went to Rishikesh, India, for a transcendental meditation course at the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's

New all-time high in gold records; according to the Record Industry Association of America. 45 singles sold a million or morecopies and 75 LPs sold over $1 million vs. last year's 34 singles and 61 LPs.

The "John Wesley Harding" album, recorded by Bob Dylan in Nashville with local studio musicians, begins a pop star influx of studios there.

Hard rock takes over from folk-rock.

The rock musical, "Your Own Thing" (based on Shakespeare's"Twelfth Night"), gets rave reviews from the New York Times when it opens off-Broadway. It ran for 933 performances and was named Best Musical over "Hair", but stays off-Broadway.

San Francisco is still the red-hot U.S. music scene.

• Here are some of the top albums of the year:

"Magical Mystery Tour", "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", and "The Beatles (White Album)" -The Beatles

"Their Satanic Majesties Request"-The Rolling Stones

"Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn, & Jones Ltd", and "The Birds, The Bees, and The Monkees"-The Monkees

"Diana Ross and The Supremes' Greatest Hits"-Diana Ross and The Supremes

"John Wesley Harding"-Bob Dylan

"Ninth" and "Beat Of The Brass"-Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass

"Blooming Hits"-Paul Mauriat

"Axis: Bold As Love" and "Electric Ladyland"-Jimi Hendrix Experience

"Lady Soul" and "Aretha Now"-Aretha Franklin

"The Graduate"- Soundtrack, "Bookends", Sounds Of Silence", and "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme"-Simon and Garfunkel

"The Dock Of The Bay"-Otis Redding

"The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly"-Hugo Montenegro

"Honey"-Bobby Goldsboro

"A Tramp Shining"-Richard Harris

"Wheel Of Fire" and "Disraeli Gears"-Cream

"Time/Peace: Greatest Hits"-The Rascals

"Waiting For The Sun" and "Doors"-The Doors

"Feliciano!"-Jose Feliciano

"Realization"-Johnny Rivers

"Cheap Thrills"-Big Brother and The Holding Company

"In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida"-Iron Butterfly

"Steppenwolf-The Second"-Steppenwolf

"Wichita Lineman" - Glen Campbell