THE 60's SATELLITE SURVEY.....Taken from the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending August 2, 1969:
40. Let Me/Paul Revere & The Raiders (This radiant, hard-driving rocker is one of my favorite songs by this group.)
39. Moon Flight/Vik Venus (Another irresistible Dickie Goodman-type break-in record. This was released by Buddha Records, and all the song snippets used were from songs released by Buddha or a subsidiary label. I'd venture to guess that decision was made specifically to avoid being sued by other outside record companies.)
38. Marrakesh Express/Crosby, Stills, & Nash (This fun, catchy song has got to be one of the all-time greatest debut records.)
37. Clean Up Your Own Back Yard/Elvis Presley
36. It's Getting Better/Mama Cass Elliot (She released several great pop songs, not the least of which was this sunny, majestic, feel-good release. One of my favorite songs of the countdown.)
35. Lay Lady Lay/Bob Dylan
Survey Extra---Highest Debut in the Hot 100 (#55): Share Your Love With Me/Aretha Franklin (later a hit for Kenny Rogers in 1981)
34. Black Pearl/Sonny Charles & The Checkmates
33. Moody Woman/Jerry Butler
32. Doggone Right/Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
31. Too Busy Thinking About My Baby/Marvin Gaye
Survey Extra---Staff Pick #1: Break Away/The Beach Boys (This fine lost Beach Boys number was co-written by Brian's Father-Of-The-Year, Ol' Man Murry.
Although, to be fair, Murry wasn't such a bad judge of talent; aside from his contributions to his sons' band, he assembled and managed the Sun-Rays, who recorded a couple of great songs.)
30. I Turn You On/The Isley Brothers
29. Get Together/The Youngbloods
28. Reconsider Me/Johnny Adams
27. Along Came Jones/Ray Stevens
26. Laughing/The Guess Who
Survey Extra---Fabulous Flipside: Undun/The Guess Who (peaked at #22 on its own about three months later.)
25. Put A Little Love In Your Heart/Jackie DeShannon
24. Choice Of Colors/The Impressions
23. Love Me Tonight/Tom Jones
22. Bad Moon Rising/Credence Clearwater Revival
21. Good Old Rock 'N Roll/Cat Mother And The All Night News Boys (Hard to believe that this retro-'50's style band was produced by Jimi Hendrix; I guess the Voodoo Chile must have been a fan of '50's rock and roll as well. And at Woodstock later that month, performing on the same stage as Jimi, just not together, would be another retro-'50's group---Sha Na Na.)
Survey Extra---Staff Pick #2: In My Room/Sagittarius (Ironically, in the previous week's countdown from 1967, Dave played the other chart hit by Sagittarius, the far superior "My World Fell Down", although this Beach Boys remake was OK.)
20. A Boy Named Sue/Johnny Cash (The biggest pop hit for the Man In Black, and a hilarious story song.)
19. Yesterday When I Was Young/Roy Clark (I remember my parents loved this song, and my dad owned the 45 rpm record. It's a fine song, but rather poignant and sad.)
18. Polk Salad Annie/Tony Joe White
17. One/Three Dog Night
16. Love Theme From "Romeo And Juliet"/Henry Mancini & His Orchestra
Survey Extra---Bubbling Under At #101: Questions 67 & 68/Chicago (Transit Authority) (I have to admit I wasn't expecting to hear this, but what a wonderful surprise! I love the early hits of Chicago, and this is my favorite of all of them! The verses are so punchy and assertive, and that instrumental break just soars into the stratosphere!)
15. Good Morning Starshine/Oliver
14. My Pledge Of Love/The Joe Jeffrey Group (This sunny pop nugget is one of the all-time great one-hit wonders.)
13. Quentin's Theme/Charles Randolph Grean Sounde
12. Color Him Father/The Winstons (A sweet, beautiful R&B number that shows that stepfathers can be just as loving as real fathers, sometimes more so.)
11. Mother Popcorn (You Got To Have A Mother For Me)/James Brown
Survey Extra---Number One Country Song: Johnny B. Goode/Buck Owens & The Buckaroos
10. The Ballad Of John & Yoko/The Beatles
9. Baby, I Love You/Andy Kim (A fine pop song with a great Wall-Of-Sound production.)
8. Honky Tonk Women/The Rolling Stones (#1 in the UK)
7. Sweet Caroline/Neil Diamond
6. Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town/Kenny Rogers & The First Edition
Survey Extra---Staff Pick #3: Abergavenny/Shannon (Marty Wilde) (A fun, peppy lost hit that invokes old-time British music hall music.)
5. What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)/Junior Walker & The All Stars (A sweet, mellow, tender Motown love song.)
4. My Cherie Amour/Stevie Wonder (Ditto)
3. Spinning Wheel/Blood, Sweat, & Tears (#1 Adult Contemporary, #1 in Canada, and song from #1 album)
2. Crystal Blue Persuasion/Tommy James & The Shondells
1. In The Year 2525/Zager & Evans (And so an otherwise great countdown ends with a whimper.)
Although, to be fair, Murry wasn't such a bad judge of talent; aside from his contributions to his sons' band, he assembled and managed the Sun-Rays, who recorded a couple of great songs.)