Music News and Events of 1969

U.S. debuts were: Blind Faith, Joe Cocker, Guess Who (Canadian), King Crimson, LedZeppelin, Ten Years After, John Lennon (as a SOLO act, somewhat), Joni Mitchell (Canadian), and The Band (Canadian).

Johnny Adams had a no. 28 hit with "Reconsider Me" (July 26 th chart entry).

"Goodnight My Love" was a no. 27 hit for Paul Anka (Feb. 1 st entry).

The Arbors had a no. 20 hit with "The Letter" (April 5 th ).

The Band , started by Levon Helm in Canada, were a backup for Ronnie Hawkins and then for Bob Dylan. They made their top 40 debut with "Up On Cripple Creek", a no. 25 hit (Nov. 29 th entry).

"Echo Park" peaked at no. 40 for Keith Barbour (Nov. 1 st ).

The Beach Boys had a no. 24 hit with "I Can Hear Music" (April 5 th chart entry). This would be the group's last top 40 of the decade and until 1974.

Archie Bell and The Drells had a no. 21 hit with "There's Gonna Be A Showdown" (Jan. 4 th entry). This would be their last top 40.

"Worst That Could Happen" was a no. 3 smash for The Brooklyn Bridge (featuring Johnny Maestro-he was the former lead singer of The Crests), also a Jan. 4 th entry.

"Hot Smoke and Sassafrass" was a no. 14 hit for Bubble Puppy (Mar. 15 th chart entry).

The Buchanan Brothers (consisting of Terry Cashman, Gene Pastilli, and Tommy West) had a no. 22 hit with "Medicine Man (Part 1)", a May 31 st chart entry.

"With Pen In Hand" peaked at no. 35 for Vikki Carr (June 28 th ). This would be her last top 40 hit.

Clarence Carter peaked at no. 31 with "Snatching It Back" (Mar. 29 th entry).

Johnny Cash had a no. 2 smash with "A Boy Named Sue" (Aug. 2 nd ).

"Good Old Rock 'N' Roll (medley)" was a no. 21 hit for Cat Mother and The All NightNews Boys (July 12 th entry).

The Checkmates, Ltd (featuring Sonny Charles) had a no. 13 hit with "Black Pearl", a May 31 st entry.

Lou Christie returned to the top 40 (since 1966) with "I'm Gonna Make You Mine", a no. 10 smash (Sept. 13 th ). This would be his last top 40.

Country star Roy Clark had a no. 19 hit with "Yesterday, When I Was Young" (July 12 th entry).

Jamaican reggae singer/composer Jimmy Cliff had a no. 25 hit with "WonderfulWorld, Beautiful People" (Dec. 27 th ).

"Sugar On Sunday " was a no. 22 hit for The Clique (Sept. 27 th entry).

Perry Como peaked at no. 38 with "Seattle" (from the TV series "Here Come TheBrides"), a May 21 st chart entry.

The Cowsills had a no. 2 smash with "Hair" (from the off-Broadway musical of the same name), a Mar. 29 th entry. This would be the group's last top 40 hit.

"Gimme Gimme Good Lovin' " was a no. 12 hit for Crazy Elephant (April 5 th ).

"Crossroads" was a no. 28 hit for Cream (Feb. 8 th ). This was the trio's last top 40.

Crow had a no. 19 hit with "Evil Woman Don't Play Your Games With Me" (Nov. 29 th ).

"Tracy " was a no. 9 smash for The Cufflinks (Oct. 4 th chart entry). Lead singer RonDante was also the male lead for The Archies!

Sammy Davis Jr . had a no. 11 hit with "I've Gotta Be Me" (from the Broadway musical "Golden Rainbow"), a Jan. 18 th entry.

Desmond Dekker and The Aces had a no. 9 smash with "Israelites" (Jun. 7 th ).

"Touch Me " was a no. 3 smash for The Doors (Jan. 4 th ).

Bob Dylan returned to the top 40 (since 1966) with "Lay Lady Lay", a no. 7 smash (Aug. 2 nd entry).

The instrumental "Keem-O-Sabe" was a no. 16 hit for Electric Indian (Aug. 23 rd entry).

The Emotions made their top 40 debut with "So I Can Love You", peaking at no. 39 (July 19 th ).

Betty Everett returned to the top 40 (since 1964) with "There'll Come A Time" (Feb. 15 th ). This would be her last top 40 hit.

(Arthur) Ferrante and (Louis) Teicher also returned to the top 40 (since 1961) with the instrumental no. 10 smash, "Midnight Cowboy" (Nov. 29 th ).

"Nothing But A Heartache " peaked at no. 34 for The Flirtations (May 24 th chart entry).

"Smile A Little Smile For Me " was a no. 5 smash for The Flying Machine (Oct. 18 th ).

The Foundations (Clem Curtis, lead singer) had a no. 3 smash, "Build Me UpButtercup" (Jan. 18 entry).

Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell peaked at no. 30 with "Good Lovin' Ain't Easy ToCome By" (Feb. 15 th ). It would be the duo's last top 40 hit. (Terrell would succumb to her brain tumor the following year)

The instrumental "Quentin's Theme" (from the TV series "Dark Shadows") was a no. 13 hit for Charles Randolph Grean Sounde (July 5 th entry).

"Take A Letter Maria" was a no. 2 smash for R.B. Greaves (Oct. 25 th ). Legend has it that the singer was a cousin of Sam Cooke!

Garland Green had a no. 20 hit with "Jealous Kind Of Fella" (Oct. 18 th chart entry).

The Edwin Hawkins Singers (featuring Dorothy Morrison) had a no. 4 smash, "OhHappy Day" (May 3 rd ).

Mary Hopkin had a no. 13 hit with "Goodbye" (also a May 3 rd entry).

"I'm A Better Man" peaked at no. 38 for Engelbert Humperdinck (Sept. 27 th ).

The instrumental "The Minotaur" peaked at no. 38 for Dick Hyman and His ElectricOrchestra (July 5 th entry).

Illusion peaked at no. 32 with "Did You See Her Eyes" (Aug. 23 rd chart entry).

The Impressions had a no. 21 hit with "Choice Of Colors" (July 12 th ).

The Intrigues peaked at no. 31 with "In A Moment" (Oct. 4 th ).

The Jackson Five made their top 40 debut with the Dec. 6 th chart entry, "I Want YouBack". The group consisted of Michael (lead singer), Marlon, Jackie, Tito, and Jermaine-replaced by Randy in 1975-all brothers, ranging in age from 11 (Michael) through the teens They were already seasoned entertainers and were managed by their father, Joe (for a while).

A supergroup was about to happen (and a future superstar).

Jay and The Americans returned to the top 40 (since 1966) with "This MagicMoment", a no. 6 smash and remake of The Drifters hit (Jan. 25 th entry).

"My Pledge Of Love " was a no. 14 hit for The Joe Jeffrey Group (July 5 th ).

Frankie Laine returned to the top 40 (since 1967) with "You Gave Me A Mountain", a no. 24 hit (Mar. 1 st ).

Led Zeppelin (Robert Plant, lead singer, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and JohnBonham) is mostly credited as the group that ushered in "heavy metal" rock (Some would say Iron Butterfly, but in my humble opinion, I disagree). There were other bands as well that did this music (originating from the Birmingham area of the U.K.) but Zeppelin brought the music to the mainstream.

Legend has it that their unique name came about partly in reference to Keith Moon's (The Who) jest that the band would "go down like a lead balloon", hence...

The breakout song? "Whole Lotta Love", a no. 4 smash (Dec. 6 th chart entry). This was inspired by blues legend Willie Dixon!

Peggy Lee returned to the top 40 (since 1958!) with "Is That All There Is", a no. 11 hit (Oct. 11 th ). This would be her last top 40.

TheLettermen (original members were Tony Butala, Jim Pike, and Bob Engemann) had a no. 12 hit with "Hurt So Bad (Aug.16 th ), a remake of the Little Anthony and TheImperials classic. This would be the trio's last top 40.

(Jackie) "Moms" Mabley was a well-known comedienne on the black theater route, or what is often called the "chitlin circuit". She also had a string of successful comedy albums.

By the late '60s, mainstream America discovered her, resulting in several appearances on the top variety shows of the day (she may have even played Vegas!).

Mabley cracked the top 40 this year, peaking at no. 35 with her rendition of "Abraham, Martin And John" (July 19 th entry).

"Love Theme From Romeo and Juliet" was a no. 1 instrumental smash for Henry Mancini (Orchestra and Chorus), a May 24 th chart entry.

Mel (Harden) and Tim (McPherson) had a no. 10 smash with "Backfield In Motion" (Nov. 8 th ). This was produced by none other than Gene"Duke Of Earl" Chandler on his own record label, Bamboo.

"Love (Can Make You Happy )" was a no. 2 smash (May 3 rd entry) for Mercy.

Motherlode had a no. 18 hit with :When I Die"- NOT the Blood, Sweat and Tears song; this was way cooler! (Sept. 13 th ).

"Morning Girl" was a no. 17 hit for Neon Philharmonic (May 10 th ).

The New Colony Six had a no. 16 hit with "Things I'd Like To Say" (Feb. 15 th entry).

"Mercy" peaked at no. 30 for The Ohio Express (April 26 th ). This would be their last top 40 hit.

"Baby, I'm For Real " was a no. 14 hit for The Originals (Oct. 18 th ).

Peppermint Rainbow peaked at no. 32 with "Will You Be Staying After Sunday" (April 12 th ).

"Hey Jude " was a no. 23 hit for Wilson Pickett (Duane Allman of The AllmanBrothers played on this).

Lou Rawls had a no. 18 hit with "Your Good Thing (Is About To End)", an Aug. 30 th entry.

"Nobody But You Babe" peaked at no. 40 for Clarence Reid (Sept. 13 th chart entry).

Lawrence Reynolds had a no. 28 hit, "Jesus Is A Soul Man" (Oct. 11 th ).

The Rolling Stones had a no. 1 smash with "Honky Tonk Women" (July 26 th ).

"Baby Let's Wait " peaked at no. 35 for The Royal Guardsmen (Jan. 4 th entry). This would be their last top 40 hit.

Billy Joe Royal returned to the top 40 (since 1966) with "Cherry Hill Park", a no. 15 hit (Nov. 1 st ).

David Ruffin was the former lead singer of Motown's top male group, The Temptations, from 1964-1968 (Legend has it that he was fired from the group for, among other things, "unprofessional conduct").

This year, Ruffin became a solo act; "My Whole World Ended (The Moment You LeftMe)" was a no. 9 smash (Feb. 22 nd ).

"You, I " was a no. 24 hit for The Rugbys (Sept. 20 th ).

"Cloud Nine", the instrumental, peaked at no. 32 for Mongo Santamaria (Mar. 8 th ) and marked his return to the top 40 (since 1963).

"Soul Shake " peaked at no. 37 for Peggy Scott and JoJo Benson (Feb. 15 th entry).

Bob Seger (backed by The Silver Bullet Band) made his top 40 debut with "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man", a no. 17 hit (Jan. 25 th; I would say probably late '68-early '69 here for the debut).

"Venus" (not the Frankie Avalon song) was a no. 1 smash for Shocking Blue(Dec. 20 th ).

Simon and Garfunkel had a no. 7 smash, "The Boxer" (April 19 th ).

"The Chokin' Kind" was a no. 13 hit for Joe Simon (Mar. 29 th chart entry).

"My Way" was a no. 27 hit for Frank Sinatra (April 12 th ) and became one of his signature songs.

The Sir Douglas (Doug Sahm) Quintet had a no. 27 hit, "Mendocino" (Mar. 15 th ). This would be their last top 40 hit.

Smith (Gayle McCormick, lead singer) had a no. 5 smash with "Baby It's You" (Oct. 4 th entry), a remake of The Shirelles classic.

O.C. Smith peaked at no. 34 with "Daddy's Little Man" (Sept. 20 th ).

Spiral Staircase (featuring Pat Upton) had a no. 12 hit, "More Today ThanYesterday" (May 3 rd chart entry). This song was an homage to Stevie Wonder!

Spirit (Jay Ferguson was lead singer; he left the group in 1970 to form JoJo Gunne) had a no. 25 hit, "I Got A Line On You" (Mar.8 th ).

Edwin Starr returned to the top 40 (since 1965) with "Twenty-Five Miles", a no. 6 smash (Mar. 22 nd ).

"Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" was a no. 1 smash for Steam (Nov. 8 th chart entry).

Diana Ross and The Supremes and The Temptations had a no. 25 hit with "I'll TrySomething New", a remake of The Miracles' classic (Mar. 22 nd ).

"Don't Touch Me" peaked at no. 38 for Bettye Swann (April 19 th entry).

B.J . (Billy Joe) Thomas had a no. 1 smash, "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head (from the film "Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid"-the song was written by Bacharach-David), a Nov. 22 nd chart entry.

Thunderclap Newman was a British group featuring Jimmy (Wings) McCulloch. They peaked at no. 37 with "Something In The Air", from the film "The Magic Christian" (Oct. 25 th entry).

The Turtles had a no. 6 smash, "You Showed Me" (Jan. 25 th ). This would be their last top 40 hit.

"Birthday " was a no. 26 hit for Underground Sunshine (Aug. 23 rd ).

"The Beginning Of My End " peaked at no. 36 for The Unifics (Jan. 18 th ).

Vanity Fare had a no. 12 hit with "Early In The Morning" (Dec. 20 th ).

The Ventures had a no. 4 instrumental smash, "Hawaii Five-O"-from the popular TV show (April 12 th chart entry). This would be the group's last top 40 hit.

The Vogues peaked at no. 34 with "No, Not Much" (Mar. 29 th ). This would be their last top 40.

Tony Joe White had a no. 8 smash with "Polk Salad Annie" (July 26 th entry).

"Happy Heart" was a no. 22 hit for Andy Williams (May 3 rd chart entry).

Wind (a studio group featuring Tony Orlando as lead singer) had a no. 28 hit, "Make Believe" (Oct. 4 th chart entry).

"Color Him Father" was a no. 7 smash for The Winstons (June 14 th ).

Charles Wright (a former member of The Shields) and The Watts 103 rd StreetRhythm Band had a no. 11 hit, "Do Your Thing" (Mar. 22 nd ).

The Youngbloods (Jesse Colin Young, lead singer) had a no. 5 smash, "Get Together" (Aug. 2 nd ). This was a re-release from 1967!

(Denny) Zager and (Rick) Evans had a no. 1 smash, "In The Year 2525 (Exordium and Terminus)", a June 28 th entry.

The Zombies (featuring Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone) had a no. 3 smash with "Time Of The Season" (Feb. 22 nd chart entry).

This group had already broken up by the time this became a hit, due to prior poor record sales in England. But just before the breakup, they recorded what is now considered a landmark album, "Odessey and Oracle" (intentional misspelling).

And it was from this album that "Time Of The Season" was released as a single, almost as an afterthought.

The Zombies became red-hot everywhere this time, but it was too late-Argent and other band member Chris White had already begun work on the new group Argent; member Colin Blunstone had begun a solo career. All offers to reunite as The Zombies were declined.

As a result, there sprung up several groups claiming to be the Zombies; I guess from the promoters' point of view, someone had to tour with the songs and cash in (I'm being sarcastic here)!

"Suspicious Minds " is Elvis Presley's last song to hit no. 1.

Jan.30-The Beatles perform in public for the last time (the site is the rooftop of their Apple headquarters in London).

"This Is Tom Jones" his U.K. variety show, debuts on ABC (Friday nights).

On March 4 th , Cher gave birth to her first child, Chasity Sun Bono.

12 th -Paul McCartney married Linda Eastman.

13 th -George and Patti Harrison are arrested after police find 120 joints at their London home.

20 th -John Lennon married Yoko Ono in Gilbratar.

21th-John and Yoko stage a "bed-in" for world peace at the Amsterdam Hilton Hotel.

May 26 th -John and Yoko began their second bed-in, this one at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal.

28 th -Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull are arrested in London for possession of marijuana.

On June 3 rd , Tiny Tim married Miss Vicki.

7 th -The "Johnny Cash Show" debuts.

13 th -Brian Jones quits The Rolling Stones, the band he co-founded six years before.

14 th -John and Yoko appeared on David Frost's British TV show.

17 th-"Oh! Calcutta!" partially written by John Lennon, opened in New York.

20 th -150,000 attend the music festival in Newport, Rhode Island.

June 22 nd -Judy Garland died in London from an amphetamine overdose. She was 47.

29 th -The Jimi Hendrix Experience played their last concert in Denver before breaking up.

July 3 rd -Ex-Rolling Stone Brian Jones was found dead in his swimming pool.

5 th -The Rolling Stones gave a free concert on Hyde Park, London,, in tribute to Brian Jones.

31 st -In Las Vegas, Elvis performs his first concert since 1961.

August 15 th -The Woodstock Festival started; over 400,000 fans attend

18 th -Mick Jagger was accidentally shot on the set of "Ned Kelly" in Australia.

18 th -Marianne Faithfull attempted suicide in Australia during filming of "Ned Kelly".

28 th -A daughter, Mary, is born to Paul and Linda McCartney.

31 st -Rock fans flock to the Isle of Wight festival.

Sept. 5 th -A son, Dweezil, is born to Frank Zappa.

18 th -Tiny Tim and Miss Vicki get engaged.

Nov. 25 th -John Lennon returned his MBE to Buckingham Palace.

Dec. 6 th -18-year-old Meredith Hunter was beaten to death by Hells Angels, who provided security at a Rolling Stones concert at Altamont Raceway.

17 th -Tiny Tim married Miss Vicki (Vicki Budinger) live on "The Tonight Show".

21-Diana Ross made her final TV appearance as a Supreme.

The Jackson Five were signed with Motown Records.

By the end of this year, Johnny Rivers had divested himself of interest in his record label, Soul City (The 5th Dimension recorded for it) and ceased personal appearances.

"The History Of Rock 'n' Roll" radio special first aired on KHJ (Los Angeles) early this year. It was narrated by noted DJ Robert W. Morgan.

The second in a trilogy of now classic albums by songwriter/singer Laura Nyro was released this year: "New York Tendaberry".

All together, they were: "Eli and The 13th Confession" (1968), "New York Tendaberry" (1969), and "Christmas and The Beads Of Sweat" (1970).

The success of 1968's "Switched-On Bach" spawned a deluge, like Martin Denny's "Exotic Moog", Marty Gold's "Moog Plays The Beatles", and The Moog Machine's"Switched-On Rock".

Doors leader Jim Morrison was arrested in Miami for lewd and lascivious behavior in public and for indecent exposure and public profanity.

Ex-Cream members Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker were planning a new group, Blind Faith with Stevie Winwood (formerly of The Spencer Davis Group and Traffic).

Elvis recorded in Memphis for the first time since 1955.

Headliners for the first Country Music Festival in Britain included George Jones, TammyWynette, Conway Twitty, and Loretta Lynn.

In the U.K., several re-issued American soul singles charted.

Blind Faith's debut show in London's Hyde Park was watched by a crowd of 150,000.

The first successful rock opera, "Tommy" by The Who, entered the British and American album charts at the same time.

The Beach Boys sued Capitol Records for over $2 million and announced the formation of their own Brother label.

Johnny Winter signed a $300,000 contract with Columbia Records.

"Hair ", the first rock musical, also topped the album charts for three months.

Many U.K. radio stations banned the "Ballad Of John and Yoko" for mentioning "Christ" and Crucifixion."

The Beatles' publishing catalog was sold to ATV for $2.5 million (1 million pounds).

The Rolling Stones toured the U.S. for the first time in three years, breaking records (attendance ones), but the event was marred by Altamont.

In Birmingham, England, four tough, rough teens formed a group called Earth in 1967, belting out American blues numbers from Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, etc. and British blues, such as from Cream and John Mayall. Eventually the blues transformed into much heavier stuff.

This year, the band changed its name to Black Sabbath, led by its vocalist John "Ozzy" Osbourne

Deep Purple recorded a "Concerto for Group and Orchestra" with the RoyalPhilharmonic Orchestra. After this album failed to sell in the U.S., guitarist Richie Blackmore began to dominate the band, which banged out a series of heavy metal classics in the early '70s.

Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill , and Frank Beard formed ZZ Top.

Dickey Betts, Berry Oakley, Butch Trucks (!), Jaimoe Johanson, Duane and his brother Gregg formed The Allman Brothers.

The MC5 (MC stood for Motor City) released their first album, "Kick Out The Jams". To open the album, they enlisted the services of Brother J. C. Crawford, who delivered one of the most rousing exhortations in rock history.

The first major American rock 'n' roll revival show took place in New York City, and starred Bill Haley, Chuck Berry, The Platters, The Coasters, and The Shirelles.

As the year closed: Elton John first collaborated with Bernie Taupin, Rod Stewart joined The Faces, Jimi Hendrix unveiled his new group, Band Of Gypsies, and IsaacHayes' "Hot Buttered Soul" album turned gold.

Cassette tapes accounted for 40% of the $1 billion spent on recorded music in 1969-75% of this amount came from the under-30s.

Woodstock promoters paid: Hendrix-$18,000, Blood,Sweat and Tears-$15,000, Creedence Clearwater Revival-$10,000, Joan Baez-$10,000, The Band, JeffersonAirplane, and Janis Joplin-$7,500 each, Sly and The Family Stone-$7,000, Canned Heat-$6,500, The Who-$6,250, Richie Havens-$6,000, Arlo Guthrie-$5,000, Crosby, Stills and Nash-$5,000, Ravi Shankar-$4,500, Ten Years After-$3,250, Country Joe (and The Fish)-$2,500, and The Grateful Dead-$2,500.

By now, The Beatles have sold over 330 million records worldwide.

Young people,"freaks", and musicians are moving to rural communities.

Sixteen out of 26 songs in the show "Hair" are released as single records, setting a Broadway mark.

There's an estimated 3,000 mimeographed high school underground papers in the U.S.

Sha Na Na cashes in on the Ffities rock 'n' roll revival.

CBS, Capitol, Decca, RCA , and Mercury-owned labels are down from 80% of record hits in 1965 to 37% now, as new labels thrive on rock.

Guitar sales almost quadruple in the past nine years: now $130 million, from $35 million in 1960.

Grand Funk Railroad debuted at the Atlanta Pop Festival.

Rock music now accounts for 60% of Columbia Records' vastly-increased business, vs. about 15% five years ago.

Atlantic Records pays Led Zeppelin a $110,000 contract advance.

Cream performed their last concert at London's Royal Albert Hall, both filmed and recorded for an album.

James Brown was featured on the cover of Look magazine, beside a picture of Senator Edmund Muskie.

The year's top albums were: "The Beatles (White Album)", "Yellow Submarine", and "Abbey Road"-The Beatles, "Fool On The Hill"-Sergio Mendes and Brazil '66, "Wichita Lineman" and "Galveston"-Glen Campbell, "TCB" (means Taking Care of Business-from the TV special), and "Diana Ross and The Supremes Join TheTemptations"-Diana Ross and The Supremes with The Temptations, "Beggar'sBanquet", "Let It Bleed", and "Through The Past Darkly (Big Hits, Vol. 2)"-The RollingStones, "Greatest Hits, Vol. 1"-The Association, "Goodbye" and "Best Of Cream"-Cream, "Ball" and "In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida"-Iron Butterfly, "Blood, Sweat and Tears"-Blood, Sweat and Tears, "Hair"-Original Cast, "Donovan-Greatest Hits"-Donovan, "Nashville Skyline"-Bob Dylan, "Age Of Aquarius"-The Fifth Dimension, "Romeo andJuliet"-Soundtrack, "This Is Tom Jones", "Help Yourself", Tom Jones Live in LasVegas", "Tom Jones Live", and "Fever Zone"-Tom Jones, "Johnny Cash at SanQuentin" and "Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison"-Johnny Cash, "Blind Faith"-Blind Faith,"Green River" and Bayou Country"-Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Led Zeppelin II"-Led Zeppelin, "I've Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama"-Janis Joplin, "Funny Girl"-Soundtrack, "Three Dog Night"-Three Dog Night, "Cloud Nine"-The Temptations, "Oliver"-Soundtrack, "Switched-On Bach"- Walter Carlos andBenjamin Workman, "2001: A Space Odyssey"-Soundtrack, "Cheap Thrills"-Big Brother and The Holding Company, "The Ice Man Cometh"-Jerry Butler, and "Stand"-Sly and The Family Stone