Ruby Anniversary Song of the Week: "Come and Get It" by Badfinger

"Come and Get It" is Badfinger's first single. (As the Iveys, "Maybe Tomorrow" floundered in the lower half of Billboard's Hot 100 in for 6 weeks in early 1969.) Like the BeeGees before them and the Eagles after, Badfinger arrived on a huge wave of hype. "The Second Coming of the Beatles", some declared. (Record company publicists?) And it certainly didn't hurt that Paul McCartney wrote the song that jump-started their career. But after 3 top ten hits and two well-received albums, the band quickly dropped out of sight in 1972, although they remained together, in one form or another, until 1982. Two of the original members committed suicide: Pete Ham in 1977 and Tom Evans in 1983.

"Come and Get It" entered the Hot 100, inauspiciously, at #92 for the week ending February 7, 1970. It reached as high as #7 and spent 15 weeks on the chart.

The 15 other singles making their first appearance:
(Entry position, peak position, weeks on chart)

"Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Simon and Garfunkel. (49, 1, 14)
One of the biggest songs of 1970, it spend 6 weeks at #1.

"Do the Funky Chicken" by Rufus Thomas. (62, 28, 12)
This song must have received zero airplay on Buffalo radio stations with a top-40 format.

"Never Had a Dream Come True" by Stevie Wonder. (67, 26, 7)
Fast start. Abrupt finish.

"House of the Rising Sun" by Frijid Pink. (73, 7, 13)
It's one-hit wonder time again. Doesn't hold a candle to the Animals version.

"Good Guys Only Win in the Movies" by Mel & Tim. (74, 45, 7)

"Easy Come Easy Go" by Bobby Sherman. (75, 9, 14)
Perhaps we can call him the Fabian of his day. A pretty face. Lotsa radio play for a year or so. Some TV work ("Here Come the Brides"). Then it's adios, amigo. It's interesting to note that Bobby's and Fabian's birthdays are 5 months apart. As far as teen idols come and go, Bobby was practically an old man by the time he took his turn. (And no, Bobby wasn't born in Philadelphia.)

"Shiloh" by Neil Diamond. (82, 24, 14)

"Why Should I Cry" by the Gentrys. (83, 61, 6)
Yes, those Gentrys, the one-hit wonders from "Keep on Dancing" fame (1965). This one's a nice bouncy little ditty --perhaps a little too reminiscent of "Midnight Confessions" by the Grass Roots.

"My Elusive Dreams" by Bobby Vinton. (86, 46, 9)
Even his eyes are blue. His website conveniently omits a mention of the year he was born. (1935). If he still looks this good at 74, more power to him.

"I Can't Help Falling in Love with You" by Al Martino. (93, 51, 8)
Al, on the other hand, is obviously allowing himself to age.

"She's Ready" by the Spiral Staircase. (95, 72, 6)
The infectious "More Today Than Yesterday" (guilty pleasure!) is this group's only claim to fame. Another group has taken the name.

"1984" by Spirit. (96, 69, 9)
The Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus remains one of my favorite albums. Subtlely psychedelic.

"Jesus is Just Alright" by the Byrds. (97, 97, 1)
The last of 16 songs by the group to reach the Hot 100. Columbia must have provided this single with no support.

"The Bells" by the Originals. (98, 12, 14)

"Call Me" by Aretha Franklin. (99, 13, 12)
We'll have plenty of opportunities to talk about Aretha later.