Featured Songs Saturday 21 November 2009

Eddie Arnold
THE CATTLE CALL US#69, 1 week on Top 100, 19 November 1955, a Country #1 in 1955 and originally released in 1947. Written in 1934 by Tex Owens Moderate Hit in N.Z. With 146 songs on the country charts -- including 28 number one hits -- Arnold ranks among the most popular country singers in U.S. history. Only George Jones had more individual hits on the country charts but, according to a formula derived by Joel Whitburn, Arnold is the all-time leader in an overall rankings for hits and their time on the charts. He became popular on Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry as a singer with Pee Wee King (1940-43) and died 8 May 2008

*The Supremes - YOU KEEP ME HANGING ON, US#1(2) from 19 November 1966 and a Monster Hit in N.Z.
*The Supremes - I HEAR A SYMPHONY, US#1(2) from 20 November 1965 Big Hit in N.Z.

Isaac Hayes
Theme From Shaft US#1(2) from 20 November a UK#4 (In Top 20 from 4 December) 1971 and NZ#7 from early 1972.
Written and produced by Isaac Hayes it was released in the US 29 September and in the UK November 1971 and peaking there at #2* (12 weeks in the Top 50). The ‘Shaft’ theme from the film soundtrack passed the million and half in the US and in Britain sold over 250,000. It won the Oscar for Best Film Song of 1971 and Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement and for Best Engineered Recording in 1971. Along with Isaac Hayes (vocal/organ) there were Lester Snell (electric piano), James Alexander (bass guitar), Michael Toles (lead/rhythm guitar), Charles Pitts (lead/rhythm guitar), Willie Hall (drums/tambourine), Gary Jones (bongos/congos), The Memphis Strings & Horns (arranged by Isaac Hayes & Johnny Allen). *according to the Encyclopedia of Million Sellers. However both everyHit.com and Rock File 4 say the peak was #4.


Del Shannon
KEEP SEARCHIN' His own composition and 3rd million-seller (globally) - US#9, 14 weeks in Top 100 from 21 November 1964 and UK#3, 8 weeks in Top 20 from 21 January 1965. MONSTER HIT

The Partridge Family
I Think I Love You US#1(3) from 21 November 1970 and UK#18 and NZ#3 in 1970
The Partridge Family was created for a popular TV show in the US, as were the Monkees. The show describes the humorous adventures of a widow and her five children and proved to be a top-rating TV series, networked weekly by ABC-TV.
The Partridge Family were David Cassidy, lead singer, (son of Jack Cassidy) with his real life step-mother, Shirley Jones. Shirley Jones, was an actress and former star of films (Oklahoma and Carousel) and stage (Call Me Madam, South Pacific). Other members were Susan Dey, Jeremy Gelbwaks, Danny Bonaduce and Suzane Crough.
Bell Records mounted a huge promotion campaign around the TV series, single, album and music from the show. “I Think I Love You”, written by Tony Romeo was the first single release and achieved the R.I.A.A. Gold Disc award by December. In Britain the song was released in November with 9 weeks in the Top 50

Jimi Hendrix – Voodoo Chile. UK#1, 21 November 1970

Long John Baldry
Let The Heartaches Begin. UK#(2) from 22 November 1967 and US#88, and NZ#20 in early 1968. The song was #1 when the first heart transplant was performed by Dr. Christiaan Barnard in South Africa on 3 December 1967.
The song also had a claim to fame in being one of the few occasions when song writers have ousted another of their songs from the top. Tony McAuley and John McLeod had written the charts previous #1 by The Foundations - Baby Now That I've Found You.
Long John Baldry himself, was born 12 January 1941 and is/was probably the tallest act to make UK#1. He sang with various blues groups in the sixties, including the Hoochie Coochie Men, Steampacket and Bluesology, whose pianist, Elton John, took his second name from Baldry’s first. None of Baldry’s blues recordings made the charts and it was a switch to tear-jerking ballads such as this one, that brought him to national attention. He eventually went back to his musical roots but no more chart records followed.

Billy Connolly – D.I.V.O.R.C.E. UK#1, 22 November 1975

KC & The Sunshine Band – That’s The Way (I Like It) US#1(2) from 22 November 1975

Dale & Grace
I'm Leaving It Up To You US#1(2) from *23 November 1963 (15 weeks in US Top 100) *the day after JFK assassination
Two 19 years olds, Dale Houston and Grace Broussard updated a 1957 song which sold a million for them globally. Dale and Grace had sung in local Baton Rouge Louisiana bistros for several years before teaming up. Grace first sung with her brother Van, while Dale worked as a soloist. It was at producer Sam Montel's studio where they met and did an impromptu session -Montel was greatly impressed with their version of "I'm Leaving It Up To You" and it became a local success in the southern states before becoming a national then international hit. Not a million seller