Tag Archives: tb60s

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Song of the Day #6,580: ‘Hanky Panky’ – Tommy James and the Shondells

The week of July 12, 1966, found Tommy James and the Shondells atop the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Hanky Panky,’ one of two #1 hits for the band (‘Crimson and Clover’ would top the chart two years later).

This song started as a B-side for a duo called The Raindrops, written by its members Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich. A year later, 17-year-old Tommy James and his backing band The Shondells recorded a version of the song from memory, accurately recreating the chorus and melody but rewriting all of the verses.

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Song of the Day #6,566: ‘Red Rubber Ball’ – The Cyrkle

The week of June 28, 1966, found a couple of legends atop the Billboard Hot 100: Frank Sinatra with ‘Strangers in the Night‘ at #1 and The Beatles with ‘Paperback Writer‘ at #2. I wrote about the latter way back in 2009 when these were Beatles Weekends.

At #3 that week was the song ‘Red Rubber Ball’ by the bizarrely named pop band The Cyrkle. The American trio was managed by none other than Brian Epstein, who also managed the little band right above them on the chart, and they actually opened for The Beatles during the Fab Four’s U.S. tour. John Lennon even suggested the spelling of their band name.

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Song of the Day #6,552: ‘Barefootin” – Robert Parker

The week of June 14, 1966, found so many repeats atop the Billboard Hot 100 that I have to go all the way to #7 to find a song I haven’t already featured.

Let me first take a deep breath and run down the top six: ‘Paint it Black‘ by The Rolling Stones, ‘Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind‘ by The Lovin’ Spoonful, ‘I Am a Rock‘ by Simon and Garfunkel, ‘When a Man Loves a Woman‘ by Percy Sledge, ‘Strangers in the Night‘ by Frank Sinatra, a ‘A Groovy Kind of Love‘ by The Mindbenders.

Hell of a lineup.

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Song of the Day #6,538: ‘Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?’ – The Lovin’ Spoonful

A trio of repeats topped the Billboard Hot 100 the week of May 31, 1966: Percy Sledge’s ‘When a Man Loves a Woman,’ The Mindbenders’ ‘A Groovy Kind of Love,’ and The Rolling Stones’ ‘Paint It Black.’

At #4, on its way to a peak at #2, was The Lovin’ Spoonful’s ‘Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?’ This gentle rocker was the band’s fourth of seven straight singles to reach the top 10 of the chart (only these guys and Gary Lewis and the Playboys had that many consecutive top ten hits to start their career).

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Song of the Day #6,524: ‘A Groovy Kind of Love’ – The Mindbenders

The week of May 17, 1966, found a quartet of classic songs I’ve already posted atop the Billboard Hot 100. They were, in order: The Mamas and the Papas’ ‘Monday Monday,’ Bob Dylan’s ‘Rainy Day Women #12 & 35,’ The Young Rascals’ ‘Good Lovin’,’ and Percy Sledge’s ‘When a Man Loves a Woman.’

That #2 position was the closest Dylan ever got to a chart-topping hit, and it was his second song to hit #2 following ‘Like a Rolling Stone.’

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