Looking Back at June 1967

On June 3, 1967, the number one hit was Aretha Franklin's Respect written by Otis Redding and first released by Otis Redding in 1965.  It became the signature song for R&B singer Aretha Franklin.  The day before, the Beatles released their LP Sergeant Peppers' Lonely Hearts Band.  Although at that time I did not quite understand the conflict, the Six Day War between Israel and Egypt, Syria and Jordan began on June 5 and ended on June 10.

I was working at Big Bear Supermarkets in Circleville, Ohio overly concerned about the draft and the growing conflict in Vietnam.  Little did I realized in less than a year I would be there. My boss tried to convince me to get into the Reserve or National Guard so I could remain home and continue to work.  I also was still contemplating on continuing my education but I guess my destiny was to serve my country which I have never had any regrets as I also continued my education while serving in the United States Army.



On June 13, President Johnson nominated Thurgood Marshall to become the first black Supreme Court Justice while the top 5 songs respectively were (1) Respect/Aretha Franklin (2) Groovin'/Young Rascals (3) I Got Rhythm/The Happenings (4) Release Me (and Let Me Love Again)/Engelbert Humperdinck (5) Him or Me - What's It Gonna Be?/Paul Revere & The Raiders.

With the Vietnam War  continuing to escalate I recall the verdict of Muhammad Ali  on June 20 who was convicted in Houston of violating Selective Service laws by refusing to be drafted but The U.S. Supreme Court later overturned the conviction.

June 29, as the month closed out, Jayne Mansfield, one of the most beautiful sex symbols during the 60s, perished with two others as their car they were traveling in slammed into the back of a tractor trailer rig.

The number one hit as the month closed was Groovin' by the Young Rascals.

You can visit me on my website The 60s Official Site, the largest and most visited 60s site on the web.  Also enjoy Neal Stevens exclusively on my site with his monthly show Soundtrack of the 60s as he plays the most popular songs from the current month of a 60s decade year.  This month June 67.

The Year is 1969 and the Month is January

Looking back to January 1969 with Vietnam going at full force with over 550,000 troops serving in the southeast Asian country, my most vivid memory was the Rose Bowl game played on January 1st.  The grand daddy of all bowl games featured #1 Ohio State against #2 University of Southern Cal with running back O.J, Simpson.  The Ohio State Buckeyes had Rex Kern at quarterback, a graduate from Lancaster High School of Lancaster, Ohio.  When the dust had settled the Trojans had five turnovers, two by Simpson, as the Buckeyes rolled over the Trojans 27-16.  Kern was named player of the game. 

On January 12, Super Bowl III was played and quarterback Joe Namath, predicted his Jets would defeat the heavily favored Baltimore Colts.  Namath lived up to his prediction as the Jets stunned the odds makers and the Colts 16-7.

The Top Ten TV shows for the 68-69 season were;

1. Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In

2. Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.

3. Bonanza

4. Mayberry R.F.D.

5. Family Affair

6. Gunsmoke

7. Julia

8. The Dean Martin Show

9. Here's Lucy

10. The Beverly Hillbillies

 

The #1 song for the entire month of January 1969 was Marvin Gaye's I Heard It Through the Grapevine. This great song with one of the best voices in Motown history actually spent 7 weeks at #1.  It peaked on December 14, 1968 and remained there throughout the remainder of December and  the month of January.

 

Other great songs from the month of January were:  Crimson and Clover/Tommy James & The Shondells, I'm Gonna Make you Love Me/Diana Ross & Supremes & The Temptations, B.J. Thomas' singing Hooked on a Feeling, Brooklyn Bridge's Worst that Could Happen and Elvis with If I Could Dream plus so many more outstanding sounds from the month of January 1969

 

On The 60s Official Site, on our monthly show  Soundtrack of the 60s, DJ Neal Stevens plays the popular songs from this month January 1969.  These are the songs you listened to on the radio back then.  You can listen to it now by clicking here.  This popular show and great music will remain on the website until February 1 when we will zoom back to another year with a featured month of February.

Recalling November 1966

I had just graduated from high school in June and still not sure what path to take.  I was torn between college, working and the military but in November 1966 I made a road trip to a Kansas college with a friend who wanted to see his girlfriend whom I had graduated with.  I did not seek permission from home and my parents reported me missing after a couple of days.

My friend and I stayed in the dorm room of one student we met while there.  I immediately got a taste of college life without attending a class at that time of my life.  I do recall waiting outside a building for my friend's girlfriend to come out and an attractive girl came by and kissed me passionately and said "Hello Adam, awww, you are not Adam." Shockingly but with a smile I could only say "I can be." 

At any rate we made it home through a snow storm with the Ohio Highway Patrol looking for us.  On the way home Big Bear Supermarkets called my home and wanted me to start work the next day. Which I  began my job a couple of days late as the frozen foods manager.  I left JC Penneys for Big Bear Supermarkets for more money.  Less than a year later I will be in Vietnam.

November 1966 events were going all around me without notice but I do remember that actor Ronald Reagan was elected Governor of California and the big news was  Edward Brooks of Massachusetts becoming the first African-American elected to the Senate since Reconstruction.  Being from Ohio the re-trial of the Sam Sheppard case was the big news.  He was acquitted this time around.  It was also the basis for TV series of "The Fugitive."  Similarity was the fact Sam Sheppard's wife, Marilyn had been murdered and he had been convicted the first time in 1954.  The second time around he was defended by F. Lee Bailey.

Music was great that month as was the entire year of 1966.   Great songs like 96 Tears by ? & The Mysterians, Poor Side of Town with Johnny Rivers, Jimmy Ruffin's What Becomes of the Brokenhearted and Reach Out I'll Be There by The Four Tops just to name a few.

This month on Soundtrack of the 60s on The 60s Official Site, DJ Neal Stevens plays the songs we listened to in November 1966.  A great year and a great month of memories.

I Remember October 1968

Looking back to October 1968 the one event that remains etched in my mind is the Detroit Tigers defeating the St Louis Cardinals 4 games to 3 in the World Series. Also the Vietnam war waged on as I was there in Phu Bai, RVN  when  Armed Forces Radio carried the news that because of progress in the Paris peace talks, President Lyndon B. Johnson announced to the nation that he has ordered a complete cessation of "all air, naval, and artillery bombardment of North Vietnam" effective November 1. Perhaps the war's end was in sight and we could come home and now we know it lasted another 5 years.

The Olympics were being held in Mexico City and black American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos raise their arms in a black power salute after winning, respectively, the gold and bronze medals in the Olympic men's 200 meters. 

It was a very trying time where violent protests of the Vietnam War were being waged as young men were dying in Vietnam but also there were positive happenings as well. Apollo program: NASA launches Apollo 7, the first manned Apollo mission (Wally Schirra, Donn Eisele, Walter Cunningham). Mission goals include the first live television broadcast from orbit and testing the lunar module docking maneuver.

The music of the era was beginning to change to a more heavy guitar influenced rock.  During October of 1968, the top songs of the month were:  Hey Jude by the Beatles, Fire by The Crazy World of Arthur Brown,  People Got to be Free by The Rascals, Hush by Deep Purple, Time Has Come Today by the Chamber Brothers and Midnight Confessions by The Grass Roots.  Hey Jude was to become the top hit for the entire 60s decade.  The song credit to Lennon-McCartney.  The song evolved what was suppose to be Hey Jules to comfort Lennon's son during his parents divorce.  This classic hit from the Beatles actually was released in August 1968 and remained at #1 for nine weeks.  It was the first single recorded on the Beatles' Apple Label. 

You can listen to the best of October 1968 by checking out Soundtrack of the 60s.  Each month Neal spins the best of the current month and a year from the 60s decade plus your requests and dedications.

Remembering July 1965

The summer of 1965, July to be specific was a very memorable month not only for music but events that eventually shaped our country.  An event that took place back in July 1965 is now causing debate and concerns if it in fact can remain solvent.  President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed Medicare into law on July 30, 1965 and which took effect in 1966.

On July 2, 1965 the President ordered an increase in  troop level in Vietnam by 125,000 and he raised the montly draft call from 17,000 to 35,000.

On July 27 U.S., the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act was signed into law. The law required health warnings on all cigarette packages. The warning had little or no affect initially after the law was signed as cigarette sales continued to skyrocket.  At that time they sold for around 25 cents a pack.

I never smoked other than an occasional cigar later in life so my mind was more occupied with girls and the great music of the times.  The month of July brought us (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction by the Rollings Stones.  This song was number one four of the five chart weeks.  Great music, great times and one of the best decades to have grown up.

Other great music right off the Billboard charts for July 1965 was The Four Tops I Can't Help Myself, Back in My Arms Again, by the Supremes, and who can forget The Beach Boys singing Help Me Rhonda?  Also on the charts was a song initially recorded in 1960 and withheld from his LP and released in 1965 as a single.  It was none other than Elvis Presley's Crying in the Chapel. Some other great memories we tuned our transistor radios to were Wooly Bully, Cara Mia, Mr. Tambourine Man, and Yes, I'm Ready.

Yes summer of 1965 was a great summer with some of the best music ever recorded but then again wasn't the whole decade loaded with great music?

You can listen to all of these marvelous songs and plus many more at Soundtrack of the 60s where Neal Stevens spins the best music ever recorded. This month he features July 1965.

The Month is June 1964

School is out and as far as I was concerned summer had already started.  I had just finished my sophmore year of high school and summer vacation was here.  Baseball, foil ball, wiffle ball, pool time and hanging out with friends were going to lead to a great summer.

How was I to know that the month of June 1964, my favorite radio stations of WCOL of Columbus and WHK of Cleveland would be playing some of the best music of the year?  The month  kicked off on June 1st when The Rolling Stones arrived in the U.S. for their first American tour.  I remember them appearing on Hollywood Palace on June 13 which for that show was hosted by Dean Martin, and my mother saying how unkempt and diry looking the Stones were.  They still sounded great to me.  Also during the month of June the Beatles released their LP "A Hard Day's Night."  A great summer indeed!

The Senate passed the Civil Rights Bill on June 20, 1964 and later that month Jan & Dean released one of my favorites "Little Old Lady from Pasadena".  

Watching American Bandstand continued throughout the summer and on June 6th, Brenda Holloway performed "Every Little Bit Hurts."    I didn't have my driver's license because I was only 15 and only one friend had his so all us cruised in his 1950 Chevy.  Memories galore duirng June 1964.

Neal Stevens of Soundtrack of the 60s for the month of June is playing those great songs of June 1964. 

Vibration of the Nation Continues - May 1968

This month I am looking back at the month and year of May 1968.  Do you recall what was going on in your life during that month and year?  It is very difficult to pinpoint exactly unless there was an event that was very memorable and you stored it away in your memory bank to be recalled whenever you like. 

I do recall the music and events that happened during that period.  The Vietnam War was at its highest point as more and more Americans disapproved of our involvement as protests continued across the country.  On May 10, Vietnam peace talks began in Paris between the U.S. and North Vietnam and we know what that went and the number one song across the nation was Bobby Goldsboro's "Honey."  The day following that Richard Harris released a song written by Jim Webb, "McArthur's Park."  To me that was a real dumb song but with a nice melody.

On May 14, the Beatles announce formation of Apple Corporation and on May 15 McCartney and Lennon appeared on Johnny Carson's Tonight's Show to promote Apple Records with Joe Garagiola as substitute host.  Do your remember that?

May 25, 1968 The Rolling Stones released "Jumpin Jack Flash" and the number one song of the week was "Tighten Up" by Archie Bell and The Dwells.

If you are a baseball fan of the San Diego Padres then you will be interested to know that the National League granted San Diego a franchise on May 28.

The music of that month was outstanding as was most of the music of the 60s era.  You can listen to the top songs being played on the radio during that month and year at Soundtrack of the 60s for this month only.  Neal Stevens, the DJ for The 60s Official Site spins them and gives you his insight on the music and of course the news of that month and year.

That wraps it up for this month, May 1968.