Ruby Anniversary Song of the Week: "Get Ready" by Rare Earth

Playing a mixture of rock, funk, and blue-eyed soul, Rare Earth received a good measure of AM and FM radio airplay during the early 1970s.  "Get Ready", their first single, debuted inauspiciously at #91 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending March 14, 1970.  It took 13 weeks for the song to reach the top ten, where it resided for 5 weeks.  Overall it spent an impressive 20 weeks on the chart.

"ABC" by the Jackson 5.  (41, 1, 13)
After their debut single, "I Want You Back", Retiring Guy was never much of a fan.

"Lovin' Livin' Maid (She's Just a Woman)" by Led Zeppelin.  (87, 65, 5)
Led Zeppelin II.  Back in the day, who didn't have this album in their collection?
"Whole Lotta Love" kicked the group into high gear.
Not exactly poetry, but lyrics some of us will never forget.
A-you need coolin'
Woman I ain't foolin'
I'm gonna say it yeah
Go back to schoolin'
A-way down inside
Woman you need love
I'm gonna give ya my love
I'm gonna give ya my love, ohhhhh

"Come Into My Life" by Jimmy Cliff.  (90, 89, 3)
His follow-up to "Wonderful World, Beautiful People".  And his last appearance on the Hot 100.

"My Woman My Woman My Wife" by Marty Robbins.  (92, 42, 8)
Marty's final appearance on the Hot 100.  His best effort:  "El Paso", which spent 2 weeks at #1 in late 1959.  (Retiring Guy thinks that Robbins spent a lot of time in front of a mirror.)

"For the Love of Him" by Bobbi Martin.  (93, 13, 14)
Bobbi puts sense 2 of this definition to music.

Verse 1:
When he opens the door says I'm home
Beware of the look in his eyes
They tell you the mood he's in
What kind of day it's been

Chorus:
For the love of him
Make it your reason for living
Give all the love you can give him
All the love you can

Verse 2:
There'll be little things he forgets to do
Have you told him today I love you
When he reaches out be there
Show him that someone cares,

Would Retiring Guy like this song more if Dusty Springfield sang it?

"Is Anybody Goin' to San Antone" by Charley Pride.  (94, 70, 7)
Although 29 of his singles reached #1 on the country charts, only 9 of them made an appearance on the Hot 100.  Best performer:  "Kiss an Angel Good Morning" reached #21 in early 1972.  (Sidebar:  Retiring Guy has always wondered is 'San Antone' is an outside kinda thing.)

"Reflections of my Life" by Marmalade.  (96, 10, 15)
Retiring Guy wonders why the group changed its name from Dean Ford and the Gaylords to Marmalade.  In their only American hit, they do a decent BeeGees imitation.

"You've Made Me So Very Happy" by Lou Rawls.  (99, 95, 3)
The third and least successful version of this song.  But that voice!

"Laughin' and Clownin'" by Ray Charles.  (100, 98, 2)
The song was written by Sam Cooke.

Ruby Anniversary Song of the Week: "Love or Let Me Be Lonely" by the Friends of Distinction

Should "Love or Let Me Be Lonely" by the Friends of Distinction be a guilty pleasure? Retiring Guy doesn't think so. He thinks it ranks among the best songs of the year.

The song entered the Hot 100 at #82 for the week ending March 7, 1970. It climbed its way into the top 10, peaking at #6, and spent 13 weeks on the chart.

Other songs making their first appearance on the Hot 100.
(Entry position, peak position, weeks on chart.)

"Up the Ladder to the Roof" by the Supremes*. (57, 10, 11)
(*Stormy, why didn't you just call your local public library?)
The first Supremes song without Diana Ross does pretty well for itself.

"Come Together" by Ike & Tina Turner. (78, 57, 8) The Beatles' version had recently finished up a 16-week stay on the Hot 100, spending 1 week at #1.

"Easy to be Free" by Rick Nelson. (80, 48, 6) The former Ricky Nelson is gathering material for his "Garden Party".

"Gonna Give Her All the Love I Got" by Marvin Gaye. (81, 67, 6) A surprising misfire during a period when just about everything Gaye touched turned to gold.

"Let's Give Adam and Eve Another Chance" by Gary Puckett & the Union Gap. (83, 41, 7) After five top 10 hits in two years, radio listeners were not inclined to give Gary Puckett & the Union Gap another chance.

"Who's Your Baby" by the Archies. (87, 40, 7) Bubblegum music was a short-lived phenomenon. Those younger baby boomers ruined everything for the rest of us.

"Add Some Music to Your Day" by the Beach Boys. (90, 64, 5) The Beach Boys spent ten years out of the top 10 -- from "Good Vibrations" in 1966 to "Rock and Roll Music" in 1976.

"Brighton Hill" by Jackie DeShannon. (93, 82, 4) Jackie's two top 10 hits were love songs: "What the World Needs Now is Love" in 1965 and "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" in 1969.

"Don't Worry Baby" by the Tokens. (95, 95, 2) The one-hit wonder ("The Lion Sleeps Tonight" reached #1 in early 1962) makes their final appearance on the Hot 100.

"Mighty Joe" by the Shocking Blue. (96, 43, 7) "Venus", the group's only hit, falls out of the top ten this week, after having spent 1 week at #1 in early February.

"Mississippi Mama" by Owen B. (99, 97, 2). Who the hell is Owen B. Apparently, not even Joel Whitburn knows. It's Owen's only appearance on the Hot 100.

"Run Sally Run" by the Cuff Links. (100, 76, 6) The one-hit wonders -- the execrable "Tracy" -- make a final appearance on the Hot 100.

Ruby Anniversary Song of the Week: "Instant Karma" by John Ono Lennon

Lennon's first top ten hit as a "solo" artist, Instant Karma debuted at #64 on Billboard's Hot 100 for the week ending February 28, 1970. It reached #3 and spent a total of 13 weeks on the chart. Notice what Yoko is doing in the video.

Other songs making their debut on the Hot 100 this week.

"Celebrate" by Three Dog Night. (48, 15, 9)
This song quickly jumped out of the blocks but ran out of gas before the top ten finish line.

"Spirit in the Sky" by Norman Greenbaum. (63, 3, 15)
A one-hit wonder that just won't go away. It is, admittedly, a catchy little tune.

"Stir It Up and Serve It" by Tommy Roe. (83, 50, 6)
Roe's hitmaking days are, thankfully, over.

"To the Other Woman" by Doris Duke. (84, 50, 9)
Duke's only appearance on the Hot 100. A little too much soul?

"You're the One" by Little Sister. (86, 22, 11)
It's got that funky, Sly Stone beat. No surprise, he put together the group.

"Long Lonesome Highway" by Michael Parks. (88, 20, 12)
Parks' only appearance on the Hot 100. From the TV show Then Came Bronson, which Retiring Guy managed to miss during the 1969-1970 season, its only year in prime time.

"Rock Island Line" by Johnny Cash. (93, 93, 1)
Originally recorded in 1956.

"Silly, Silly Fool" by Dusty Springfield. (95, 76, 5)
Dusty's last solo appearance on the Hot 100. To her credit, she makes even this piece of soulful fluff sound good. Radio audience at the time, apparently, didn't agree.

"Love, Peace and Happiness" by the Chambers Brothers. (96, 96, 1)
Retiring Guy saw the Chambers Brothers in concert: Clark Gym, University of Buffalo, September 1968. I can't recall if they played this song, but I do remember a very extended version of "Time Has Come Today", complete with cowbell.

"Can't Help Falling in Love with You" by Andy Williams. (97, 88, 3)

"Tennessee Birdwalk" by Jack Blanchard and Misty Morgan. (98, 23, 13)

"Message from a Black Man" by Whatnauts & the Whatnauts Band. (99, 99, 2)

"Sparkle and Shine" by the Clique. (100, 100, 1)
Their minor claim to fame is "Sugar on Sunday", from the fall of 1969.

Ruby Anniversary Song of the Week: "Comin' Home" by Delaney, Bonnie & Friends

Delaney & Bonnie. Forgotten now. Underappreciated then.

If this jam session sounds familiar, well.... it should, dammit! The "Friends" include Eric Clapton, Bobby Whitlock, Carl Radle, and Jim Gordon. Later in 1970, this foursome released an double album as Derek & the Dominoes. (Retiring Guy is sure you've heard of it.)

The two remaining "Friends" also deserve mention: George Harrison and Billy Preston. Yowsah! What a gathering.

This version of "Comin' Home" certainly wasn 't the one released as a single, but it certainly deserved better than a three-week stay on Billboard's Hot 100, running out of gas at #84.

Other songs making their debut for the week ending February 21, 1970.

"Gotta Hold on to this Feeling" by Jr. Walker & the All-Stars. (64, 21, 10)
Of the group's 21 singles that charted, only 2 reached the top 10. This one definitely should have been the third. It was all downhill from this point.

"Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" by Edison Lighthouse. (68, 5, 13)
It's one-hit wonder time again. Retiring Guy has never understood the initial and continuing appeal of this song.

"Gotta Get Back to You" by Tommy James & the Shondells. (79, 45, 8)
With 7 of their 8 top ten hits behind them, the group is looking forward to the oldies circuit.

"The Declaration" by the Fifth Dimension. (80, 64, 5)
Perhaps they should have recorded another Laura Nyro song.

"Until It's Time for You to Go" by Neil Diamond. (87, 53, 6)
I guess radio listeners and record buyers decided they wanted just one Neil Diamond hit at a time. Advantage: "Shilo".

"Take a Look Around" by Smith. (88, 43, 7)
Smith's vigorous reworking of the "Baby It's You", originally recorded by the Shirelles (and the version that Retiring Guy much prefers), was a huge hit in the fall of 1969 and is the group's only claim to fame.

"The Cat Walk" by the Village Soul Choir. (91, 55, 10)
The group's only appearance on the Hot 100.

"California Girl" by Eddie Floyd. (93, 45, 12)
Best known for soul classic "Knock on Wood", his first single, which never charted higher than #28 in 1966, Floyd makes his final appearance on the Hot 100.

"Just Seventeen" by the Raiders. (94, 82, 3)
No Paul Revere? On his own, Mark Lindsay had just scored a major hit with "Arizona", but the song would pretty much prove to be the beginning and end of his solo career.

"Baby Make It Soon" by the Flying Machine. (95, 87, 2)
By this time, the one-hit wonder is indeed "in pieces on the ground".

"Temma Harbour" by Mary Hopkin. (97, 39, 8)
The third of Hopkin's singles to reach the Hot 100. Here's their peak positions in chronological order: 2, 13, 39, 77, 87, 92. Goodbye.

Ruby Anniversary Song of the Week: "Heartbreaker" by Grand Funk Railroad

Not bound for glory, "Heartbreaker" entered Billboard's Hot 100 at #93 for the week ending February 14, 1970. It reached as high as #72 and exited after 6 weeks. In the late 60s/early 70s, Grand Funk also didn't get much respect on FM radio, though I suspect the Youngstown/Warren Ohio area, not too far from where I grew up, was one of a number of notable exceptions. Cleveland may rock, but these two solidly blue-collar towns have always managed to kick it up a few notches from there. But then Grand Funk didn't have to worry about radio airplay. They built up a fan(atical) base through extensive touring and intensive advertising.

Studio


Live


Other singles making their debut on the Hot 100.

"It's a New Day" by James Brown. (83, 32, 8)

"Keep on Doin'" by the Isley Brothers. (84, 75, 5)
Treading water between "It's Your Thing" and "That Lady"

"Something's Burning" by Kenny Rogers and the First Edition. (85, 11, 16)
The song was written by Mac Davis.

"Walking Through the Country" by the Grass Roots. (86, 44, 8)
Sometimes when you stumble across the title of a long-forgotten song, the tune immediately pops into your head. Not the case here. Definitely one of their forgettable efforts.

"A Friend in the City" by Andy Kim. (90, 90, 2)

"Ticket to Ride" by the Carpenters. (92, 54, 12)
An inauspicious debut for the duo. Their next 6 singles, however, all reached the top 3 of the Hot 100, a string of hits that extended into early 1972. (Very weird video. The close-up of Karen's mouth at the 3-minute mark -- yeah, I actually lasted that long -- is more than I can handle.)

"All I Have to do is Dream" by Bobbie Gentry & Glen Campbell. (95, 27, 10)
The Everly Brothers original spent 5 weeks at #1 in 1958. An uninspired, by-the-numbers remake.

"Kentucky Rain" by Elvis Presley. (96, 16, 9)
The first song of Elvis's to reach the Hot 100 in the 1970s. The 112th of his career.

"If You've Got a Heart" by Bobby Bland. (97, 96, 2)

"Rag Mama Rag" by the Band. (98, 57, 8)
In their 9-year career, the Band's songs spent very little time on the Hot 100. Of the 8 that charted, "Up on Cripple Creek" was the best performer. It reached as high as #25. They were more at home on Billboard's Top 200 albums chart.

"Take It Off Him and Put It on Me" by Clarence Carter. (99, 94, 4)

"The Fightin' Side of Me" by Merle Haggard & the Strangers. (100, 92, 3)
Singer-songwriter Nick Gravenites, who worked with many San Francisco area bands back in the day, penned a little ditty to Haggard -- "I'll Change Your Flat Tire, Merle". The chorus goes as follows: Oh I'll change your flat tire, Merle/Don't you get your sweet country picking fingers/ All covered with oil/You're a honky I know, but Merle, you got soul/So I'll change your flat tire, Merle.

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.

Ruby Anniversary Song of the Week: "Oh Well Part 1" by Fleetwood Mac

Even the studio version of this song was probably too raw for top 40 radio, even by 1970's standards. Recall that 1970 is the year the Carpenters began their 5-year rule of the AM airwaves. "Oh Well Part 1" debuted at #81 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending January 31, 1970. It hung around for 10 weeks, peaking at #55. It's the only song from Fleetwood Mac's pre-Buckingham/Nicks era to make an appearance on the Hot 100.

Other singles making their first appearance.
(Entry position, peak position, weeks on chart.)

"Travelin' Band/Who'll Stop the Rain" by Credence Clearwater Revival. (50, 2, 10)
Up and down the chart in a hurry. Often with a B side that garnered as much airplay as side A, Creedence's singles reached the top 10 of the Hot 100 nine times. Five times at 2. But never at #1.

"The Rapper" by the Jaggerz. (79, 2, 13)
One-hit wonder hall of fame.

"New World Coming" by Mama Cass Elliot. (82, 42, 7)

"Down in the Alley" by Ronnie Hawkins. (83, 75, 5)

"Je T'aime...Moi Non Plus" by Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg. (92, 58, 10)
A few tidbits from Wikipedia:

The lyrics are written as an imaginary dialogue between two lovers during a sexual encounter.

The song culminates in simulated orgasm sounds by Birkin: mostly because of this, it was banned from radio play in Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and the UK, and denounced by the Vatican in a public statement.

The song was a commercial success throughout Europe.

"Welfare Cadillac" by Guy Drake. (93, 63, 14)

"The Court of the Crimson King (Part 1)" by King Crimson. (96, 80, 3)
You are correct if you guessed this is the group's only appearance on the Hot 100.

"Victoria" by the Kinks. (97, 62, 9)
The Kinks hadn't released a hit single in the U.S. since 1966. ("Sunny Afternoon"). Surprisingly, this song didn't do much for their airplay.

"Save the Country" by Thelma Houston. (98, 74, 3)
Back in the day when everyone, it seems, was covering Laura Nyro songs.

"Superstar" by Murray Head with the Trinidad Singers. (99, 74 , 7)
The song makes a return to the Hot 100 in January 1971 and spends what was then a phenomenal 24 weeks on the chart.

"I'll See Him Through" by Tammy Wynette. (100, 100, 2)

Ruby Anniversary Song of the Week: "Evil Ways" by Santana

During my sophomore year at UB, Santana's debut was a big hit at both 482-A and 482-B Allenhurst Drive. It was a musical choice that the 10 of us could always agree upon.

"Evil Ways" was the 2nd cut from this album to be released as a single. It entered the Billboard Hot 100 at #71 for the week ending January 24, 1970 and charted for 13 weeks, peaking at #9. "Jingo", Santana's first single, was always -- and still is, if all's fair in the world -- a sure bet to get folks off their fannies at parties.

Other songs that debuted the same week. (Entry position, peak position, weeks on chart.)

"If I Were a Carpenter" by Johnny Cash and June Carter. (80, 36, 8)
One of 5 versions of this song to reach the Hot 100 from 1955 to 1990. The others: Bobby Darin (1966 and the most successful), the Four Tops (1968), Bob Seger (1972), and Leon Russell (1974).

"Oh What a Day" by the Dells. (82, 43, 8 "Oh, What a Night" was a much better effort.
"Oh What a Night", a R&B hit in 1956 that took 13 years to reach the Hot 100, is a much better song.

"Ma Belle Amie" by the Tee Set. (83, 5, 12)
One-hit wonder. And not a favorite of Retiring Guy. I still change the station whenever I hear this song played.

"It's Just a Matter of Time" by Sonny James. (94, 87, 4)
Reached #1 on Billboard's country chart.

"Then She's a Lover" by Roy Clark. (95, 94, 3)

"Always Something There to Remind Me" by R. B. Greaves. (97, 27, 8)
It's a fiver special this week. Greaves' uninspired version of this Burt Bacharach/Hal David song is one of 5 to reach the Hot 100 from 1955 to 1990. The others: Lou Johnson (1964), Sandie Shaw (1965), Dionne Warwick (1968), and Naked Eyes (1983, the most successful).

"Got to See If I Can't Get Mommy (to Come Back Home) by Jerry Butler. (98, 62, 5)

"Guess Who" by Ruby Winters. (99, 99, 2)

"I've Gotta Make You Love Me" by Steam." (100, 46, 7)
Na-na, hey-hey, say goodbye. This one-hit wonder quickly ran out of steam, and deservedly so, based on the evidence of this lame follow-up effort. Their claim to fame spent 2 weeks at #1 in late 1969.

Ruby Anniversary Song of the Week: "Give Me Just a Little More Time" by The Chairmen of the Board

Sounding for all the world like The Four Tops -- particularly with General Johnson's urgently plaintive vocals -- "Give Me Just a Little More Time" debuted at #85 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending January 17, 1970. During its 4 weeks in the top 10, it reached as high as #3, behind "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and "The Rapper". It spent a total of 15 weeks on the Hot 100, quite an accomplishment during a period of high turnover.

Other singles that debuted this week 40 years ago. (Debut position, highest position, weeks on chart.)

"Honey Come Back" by Glen Campbell. (78, 19, 9)

"Hello It's Me" by Nazz. (re-entry; 83, 66, 13)

"The Touch of You" by Brenda and the Tabulations. (84, 50, 8)

"Psychedelic Shack", by the Temptations. (95, 7, 11)

"If Walls Could Talk" by Little Milton. (97, 71, 5)

"Country Preacher" by Cannonball Adderley Quintet. (98, 98, 1)

"The Ghetto" by Donny Hathaway. (99, 87, 8)

"Shades of Green" by the Flaming Ember. (100, 88, 5)