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JUMP TO:
• 1992 – I’M TOO SEXY / Right Said Fred
• 1982 – CENTERFOLD / The J. Geils Band
• 1972 – WITHOUT YOU / Nilsson
• 1962 – DUKE OF EARL / The Duke Of Earl (Gene Chandler)
• BONUS – WITHOUT YOU / Badfinger
Welcome to another #1 Songs On This Date! – another four-pack of the cream of the cream from the Top 40 Rock ‘n’ Roll music era.
92 distinct number one singles between the years 1956 and 1995 have already been presented since January – with literally hundreds more to come.
They’re all part of a permanent archive that’s being built at HouseoftheHits.com which will ultimately feature ALL 837 different number one singles as listed in 2,080 weekly national music charts published by Billboard® within that 40-year timeframe.
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Fortunately, HouseoftheHits has every one of those charts – plus secondary data – as published in the essential Joel Whitburn’s Record Research series (CD-ROM and eBook edition formats).
Everything is stored digitally on a HouseoftheHits computer – as are all 837 number one singles (in high-quality audio) from the music vault.
With the availability of precise data and the HOTH song files – together with some amazing technology – approximately 600 – 700 of those Billboard® chart-toppers will be presented this year – with the remainder to follow in early 2017.
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As the archive grows you will have continual free access to the accumulating repository, indexed by Decade, Month and Year. Plus, EVERY Title and Artist will be (blue) hyper-linked for smooth, easy navigation from song to song – with more great features to be added along the way.
Again, it will contain every #1 single in America, plus interesting commentary about each song (written by yours truly) and presented with a crystal clear High-Definition audio version of the complete original hit to instantly play as often as you wish.
The ever-expanding library is found HERE and you can bookmark this link for future instant access.
Enjoy!
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[NOTE]
Due to copyright issues, some audio song files may not play on tablets,
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#1 / February 27th, 1992
I’M TOO SEXY
Right Said Fred
[1991]
Number One: 3 weeks
Replaced: DON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME / George Michael with Elton John
Succeeded by: TO BE WITH YOU / Mr. Big
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The hilarious spoof recording I’m Too Sexy came from the UK band Right Said Fred, which consisted of Richard Fairbrass, his brother Fred Fairbrass and guitarist Rob Manzoli.
Despite there being a ‘Fred’ in the band, it’s not from where the trio’s odd name derived. Friend Katie Randall’s recollection of a 1962 British song called Right Said Fred by Bernard Cribbins led to the designation.
The composition of the lyrics was a collaborative process, with Richard Fairbrass coming up with the silly title and infectious repetition of “I’m Too Sexy” throughout the record, while brother Fred filled in the remainder.
In its second of three weeks at #1 in America on this date on 1992, the one-hit wonder novelty song was completely shut out of the top spot in the UK – relegated to the runner-up position for 6 weeks from a 16-week domination there by Bryan Adams with (Everything I Do) I Do For You.
Here’s the official video of I’m Too Sexy set to the original hit recording.
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#1 / February 27th, 1982
CENTERFOLD
The J. Geils Band
[1981]
Number One: 6 weeks
Replaced: I CAN’T GO FOR THAT (No Can Do) / Daryl Hall and John Oates
Succeeded by: I LOVE ROCK ‘N ROLL / Joan Jett and The Blackhearts
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Boston-based rock group the J. Geils Band took it’s name from guitarist Jerome Geils and featured the vocals of former Beantown FM rock radio DJ Peter Wolf.
First known as the J. Geils Blues Band, they experienced relative chart failure throughout the 70s’ despite shortening their name and placing six singles on the Hot 100.
The highest achiever among them was Must Have Got Lost, which flirted with the Top 10, but finally stalled at #12 in 1975.
The second half of the decade saw them sign with a new record label and produce five more recordings, but none managed to climb above #30.
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Perhaps the 70’s was just not meant to be for the JGB, because, with a mere flip of the calendar into the 80’s, their fortunes seemingly began to reverse.
But it was an adjustment to their musical style – less blues oriented to more commercial pop-rock leaning – that factored heavily in turning the corner for them.
Written, arranged and produced by group keyboardist Seth Justman, and from their album titled Freeze Frame, Centerfold was released in late 1981 and was in the middle of a 6-week run at #1 on this date.
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#1 / February 27th, 1972
WITHOUT YOU
Nilsson
[1971]
(Single Version)
Number One: 4 weeks
Replaced: LET’S GET TOGETHER / Al Green
Succeeded by: HEART OF GOLD / Neil Young
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Harry Edward Nilsson III initially made his mark as a songwriter during the early-mid 60’s by penning dozens of mostly obscure tunes – although recorded by major artists like Blood, Sweat & Tears, Ella Fitzgerald, Mary Hopkin, John Lennon, Lulu, Modern Folk Quartet, The Monkees, Rick Nelson, The Ronettes and The Turtles.
The Ronettes and Modern Folk Quartet were particularly significant in putting Nilsson on the musical map. The songs Paradise and Here I Sit (by the former) and This Could Be The Night were given by Nilsson to the influential Phil Spector for the fabled record producer’s acts to record.
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Nilsson’s first success as a recording artist was Everbody’s Talkin’ from the soundtrack of the film Midnight Cowboy (1969 • #6). It also won the ‘Best Pop Male Vocal Performance’ Grammy for that year
His next two releases – I Guess The Lord Must Be In New York City and Me And My Arrow – both failed to crack Billboard’s Top 30.
But when he rebounded big time in late 1971 with this week’s chart-topper Without You, he earned both his only gold record and another ‘Best Pop Male Vocal’ Grammy gramophone for his mantle.
[Trivia Bits] Ironically, Without You wasn’t written by Nilsson but was a cover version of a song by England’s Badfinger (the story and the original version below as the ‘Bonus Trak’).
One more Nilsson single would crack the Top 10 – 1972’s Coconut reached #8.
His biggest success as a songwriter was 1969’s million-selling One by the group Three Dog Night.
He also scored the movie Skidoo, the animated TV movie The Point, and TV’s The Courtship Of Eddie’s Father.
Harry Nilsson died from a heart attack in January, 1994 at age 52.
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BONUS TRAK
WITHOUT YOU
Badfinger
[1971]
Nilsson was visiting London, England and attending a party one evening when a song being played on BBC Radio caught his attention.
He was certain the record – titled Without You – was by The Beatles, only to learn it was the Beatlesesque UK group Badfinger, who so happened to record for the Fab Four’s own label, Apple Records.
Written by Badfinger members Peter Ham and Tom Evans, here’s the original version which inspired Harry to record his cover.
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#1 / February 27th, 1962
DUKE OF EARL
The Duke Of Earl (Gene Chandler)
[1961]
Number One: 3 weeks
Replaced: PEPPERMINT TWIST – Part 1 / Joey Dee and The Starliters
Succeeded by: HEY! BABY / Bruce Channel
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Gene Chandler topped the Billboard Hot 100 on this date in 1962 with a song whose title became his moniker.
Duke Of Earl was recorded for the small Chicago label Nat Records by The Dukays when Gene was the lead singer for the R&B quintet, but the company had little faith in the record and essentially didn’t promote it.
However, another Windy City record company, Vee-Jay, purchased the recording and signed Chandler to the label as a solo act.
But since The Dukays were still under contract with the Nat label, the artist name on the Vee-Jay release had to be changed – with The Duke Of Earl (Gene Chandler) being chosen.
Duke Of Earl was Chandler’s first single to sell one million units, but he’d score another gold record 8 years later with Groovy Situation on the Mercury label in 1970 (#8).
[Trivia Bits] Chandler was born Eugene Dixon in Chicago and came up with his stage surname by using that of his favorite actor Jeff Chandler.
The ‘Duke’ portion of the record’s title, lyrics and Gene’s moniker evolved from the song originally being written as a Doo-Wop tune (“Doo, Doo, Doo”). When it ultimately morphed into an R&B/Pop number, the words were changed to “Duke, Duke, Duke.”
The ‘Earl’ part was borrowed from the first name of Dukays’ member Earl Edwards.
An ‘answer song’ titled Duchess Of Earl by a female R&B vocal group known as The Pearlettes was released later in 1962 but crawled to just #96 on the Hot 100.
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Written By: Rick Murray Hunter
Songs Source: The Music Vault of HouseoftheHits Inc.
Billboard® Chart Data: Joel Whitburn’s Record Research (eBook Editions)
References: The Billboard Book Of Number One Hits (5th Edition) by Fred Bronson
The Archives of RollingStone.com
Record Sleeve & Label Graphics: Courtesy of 45cat
Other #1 Songs on This Date Posts are HERE
