#134: Rhapsody In The Rain by Lou Christie
City: Montreal, PQ
Radio Station: CFCF
Peak Month: April 1966
Peak Position in Montreal ~ #3
Peak position in Vancouver ~ #8
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ #16
Peak Position on Cash Box Top 100 Singles ~ #20
YouTube: “Rhapsody In The Rain”
Lyrics: “Rhapsody In The Rain”
Lou Christie was born in 1943 with the birth name Lugee Alfredo Giovanni Sacco. He was born in Glenwillard, a suburb of Pittsburgh. His first public performance was a first-grade Christmas pageant, in which he sang “Away in a Manger.” While in high school, he studied music and voice, served as student conductor of the choir and sang solos at holiday concerts. His teacher, Frank Cummings, wanted him to pursue a career in classical music, but Sacco wanted to cut a record to get on American Bandstand. At age 15 he met and befriended Twyla Herbert, a classically trained musician 20 years his senior, who became his regular songwriting partner. Lugee Sacco performed with several vocal groups and between 1959 and 1962 released several records on small Pittsburgh labels, achieving a local hit with “The Jury” by Lugee & The Lions (a group consisting of Sacco, Twyla Herbert’s daughter Shirley, and two others) released on the Robbee label. After graduating from high school in 1961, Sacco traveled to New York City and worked as a session vocalist.
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#153: When You’re Young And In Love by the Marvelettes
City: Montreal, PQ
Radio Station: CJMS
Peak Month: July 1967
Peak Position in Montreal ~ #4
Peak position in Vancouver ~ #20
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ #23
YouTube: “When You’re Young And In Love”
Lyrics: “When You’re Young And In Love”
The Marvelettes were a girl group formed in Inkster, Michigan, in 1960. Gladys Horton, Katherine Anderson, Georgianna Tillman, Juanita Cowart, Georgia Dobbins, were classmates at Inkster High School. Gladys Horton was born in 1945 in Gainesville (FL). Horton never knew her biological parents throughout her life, and lived with several foster families after being put up for adoption at nine months old. By the time of her high school years at Inkster High School, Horton had taken a strong interest in singing, joining the high school glee club. At age 14, she formed a group called the Del–Rhythmetts with three friends, recording under a small record label called JVB Records. Katherine Anderson was born in Inkster in 1944. While Anderson was not able to afford records growing up, she performed in gospel groups and the high school. She co-founded with Horton the girl group which was initially called the Casinyets. Georgianna Tillman was born in 1944 in Inkster.
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#2: Seven Bridges Road by the Eagles
City: Saskatoon, SK
Radio Station: CKOM
Peak Month: March 1981
Peak Position in Saskatoon ~ #2
Peak Position in Vancouver ~ did not chart
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ #21
YouTube: “Seven Bridges Road”
Lyrics: “Seven Bridges Road”
The Eagles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1971. With five number-one singles, six number-one albums, six Grammy Awards. The band was founded by co-lead vocalist and guitarist Glen Frey, co-lead vocalist Don Henley, guitar and banjo player Bernie Leadon, and bass guitarist Randy Meisner. Glenn Frey was born in Detroit in 1948. Frey studied piano at age five, later switched to guitar, and became part of the mid-1960s Detroit rock scene. One of his earliest bands was called the Subterraneans, named after the 1958 Jack Kerouac novel The Subterraneans. In 1968, Frey played acoustic guitar and provided backing vocals on the Bob Seger System’s “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man”. The song reached #17 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #1 in Windsor, Ontario. In 1969, Frey teamed up with J.D. Souther to form Longbranch Pennywhistle and the country-rock duo released an album. In 1971, Frey was one of four musicians hired as a backing band to tour with Linda Ronstadt. The other three were Don Henley, Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner.
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#11: Living In A Fantasy by Leo Sayer
City: Saskatoon, SK
Radio Station: CKOM
Peak Month: April 1981
Peak Position in Saskatoon ~ #3
Peak Position in Vancouver ~ #7
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ #23
YouTube: “Living In A Fantasy”
Lyrics: “Living In A Fantasy”
Gerard Hugh “Leo” Sayer was born in 1948 in Sussex, England. He left school in 1964 and went to an art college. Sayer also learned to play the harmonica and joined several bands. He moved to London and worked as an illustrator for several magazines and designed record covers. In 1970, he was still known to his friends as Gerry. Sayer was brought to the attention of former English pop star Adam Faith, who by the 70’s was a manager in the music business. He cowrote “Giving It All Away”, which became at Top 5 UK hit for Roger Daltrey in 1973. The song was credited to Leo Sayer. In late 1973, Leo Sayer appeared on stage dressed in a Pierrot costume – recalling the sad clown of 17th century Comédie-Italienne. Such was the reaction to his performance, the entire UK music business noted that a new star was born. Leo went on a British and European tour supporting Roxy Music, now appearing on stage dressed as the Pierrot. The following year, his song “The Show Must Go On”, climbed to #2 in the UK, #3 in Ireland, #10 in Australia and #11 in South Africa. “The Show Must Go On” was successfully covered by Three Dog Night, peaking in the Top Ten in Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the USA.
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#15: Day By Day by Godspell
City: Saskatoon, SK
Radio Station: CFQC
Peak Month: June 1972
Peak Position in Saskatoon ~ #1
Peak Position in Vancouver ~ #18
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ #13
YouTube: “Day By Day”
Lyrics: “Day By Day”
Godspell is the name of an Off-Broadway musical created in 1970, that began its run in 1971. The show features eight non-Biblical characters, who sing and act out the parables: Gilmer (silly, a great storyteller); Robin (a tomboy); Herb (goofy and entertaining); Jeffrey (happy and excited); Joanne (eager and enthusiastic); Lamar (clumsy and unintentionally funny); Peggy (shy and loyal); and Sonia (dramatic with a put-on sensuality). In the original script, licensed through Theatre Maximus, the “Christ” character and the “John” and “Judas” role are assigned the names of the original performers, Stephen and David. All ten actors are on stage throughout the entirety of the production. The score was based loosely on themes in the Gospel of Matthew.
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#22: Jackson by Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood
City: Saskatoon, SK
Radio Station: CKOM
Peak Month: August 1967
Peak Position in Saskatoon ~ #2
Peak Position in Vancouver ~ #10
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ #14
YouTube: “Jackson”
Lyrics: “Jackson”
Nancy Sinatra is the daughter of crooner Frank Sinatra and was born in New Jersey in 1940. When she was 5 years old he recorded a song about her titled “Nancy, With the Laughing Face”. At the age of twenty she began her career appearing on The Frank Sinatra Timex Show: Welcome Home Elvis. This was a television special on the occasion of Elvis Presley’s discharge from the U.S. Army after being drafted to into the services in 1958. Nancy was sent by her father to meet Elvis at the airport in front of a pack of photographers. In 1960, she also got married to singer and actor, Tommy Sands.
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#48: Are You A Boy Or Are You A Girl by the Barbarians
City: Hamilton, ON
Radio Station: CKOC
Peak Month: August 1965
Peak Position in Hamilton ~ #2
Peak Position in Vancouver ~ #20
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ #55
YouTube: “Are You A Boy Or Are You A Girl”
Lyrics: “Are You A Boy Or Are You A Girl”
The Barbarians were a band from Provincetown, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The drummer was Victor “Moulty” Moulton, born in Provincetown (MA) in 1945. Jerry Causi was the lead vocalist and had recently left the United States Coast Guard. Guitarist Ron Enos (born 1943) joined in 1964, but left the band before they found their fifteen minutes of fame. He was replaced by Geoffrey “Jeff” Morris in 1965. Guitar player Bruce Benson (born in 1946 in Provincetown) was the third original continuing member of the Barbarians. In the summer of 1964, Bruce Benson had a job at Howard Johnson’s tin Provincetown. Benson recalls, “I helped man the soda fountain, all the 3D burgers and ice cream you could eat.” Victor Moulton worked in the kitchen washing dishes. Benson and Moulton became friends and go to Victor’s Restaurant down Bradford Street from Howard Johnson’s.
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#26: Down Home by Rick Nelson
City: Saskatoon, SK
Radio Station: CKOM
Peak Month: October-November 1963
Peak Position in Saskatoon ~ #3
Peak Position in Vancouver ~ did not chart
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ #126
YouTube: “Down Home”
Lyrics: N/A
In 1940 Eric Hilliard Nelson was born. On February 20, 1949, while still eight years old, he took the stage name of Ricky Nelson when appearing on the radio program, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. A child actor, Ricky was also a musician and singer-songwriter. who starred alongside his family in the long-running television series, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952–66), as well as co-starring alongside John Wayne and Dean Martin in the western Rio Bravo (1959). He placed 53 songs on the Billboard singles charts between 1957 and 1973.
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#17: Hot Rod Hearts by Robbie Dupree
City: Saskatoon, SK
Radio Station: CKOM
Peak Month: September 1980
Peak Position in Saskatoon ~ #1
Peak Position in Vancouver ~ #7
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ #15
YouTube: “Hot Rod Hearts”
Lyrics: “Hot Rod Hearts”
Robert Dupuis was born in 1946 in Brooklyn, New York. In 1980, he released his debut self-titled album Robbie Dupree. He took the name Robbie Dupree as his stage name. The debut single from the album was titled “Steal Away”. It reached #6 in the USA and #14 on the RPM Top 100 Singles chart in Canada. Dupree is regarded as a one-hit-wonder. “Steal Away” was ranked #64 by American cable TV network VH1 on their 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the 80s list. However, Robbie Dupree actually released more than one Top 40 hit single. His followup was titled “Hot Rod Hearts”.
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#19: Beach Party by Frankie Avalon
City: Saskatoon, SK
Radio Station: CKOM
Peak Month: January 1964
Peak Position in Saskatoon ~ #2
Peak Position in Vancouver ~ did not chart
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ did not chart
YouTube: “Beach Party”
Lyrics: N/A
Francis Thomas Avallone was born in Philadelphia in 1940. When he was 12-years-old, he appeared in a Christmas episode on The Jackie Gleason Show, playing trumpet in a Honeymooners sketch. RCA signed Frankie Avalon to the label and in 1954 released the trumpet solo he performed in the December 1952 Honeymooners sketch. “Trumpet Sorrento” climbed to #42 on the Cashbox Best Selling Singles chart in March 1954. Avalon also appeared on The Perry Como Show where he played trumpet. With Bobby Rydell, Avalon was in a doo-wop group called Rocco and the Saints. They were backing vocalists for his debut single in 1957, “Cupid”, written by Peter DeAngelis. He appeared in the 1957 rock and roll film Jamboree and performed “Teacher’s Pet” (also written by DeAngelis, and different from “Teacher’s Pet” recorded by Doris Day in 1958). In the film Jamboree, Frankie Avalon got to meet other pop stars in the cast including Fats Domino, Connie Francis, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jimmy Bowen, Buddy Knox, Charlie Gracie, and jazz singer Joe Williams.
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