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JUMP TO:
🎵 1987 – (I Just) DIED IN YOUR ARMS / Cutting Crew
🎵 1977 – SOUTHERN NIGHTS / Glen Campbell
🎵 1967 – SOMETHIN’ STUPID / Nancy Sinatra & Frank Sinatra
🎵 1957 – ALL SHOOK UP / Elvis Presley with The Jordanaires
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Welcome to another #1 Songs On This Date! – another early-May four-pack of the best of the best from the Top 40 Rock ‘n’ Roll music era.
Since it started on January 6th, 2016 (and including this installment) 188 distinct number one singles from the years 1956 through 1995 have been featured – with hundreds more to follow.
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 smartphones, tablets and connected devices. Whenever possible, an alternate working audio source will be provided, but a PC, Mac or laptop may ultimately be required in some cases.
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#1 / May 4th, 1987
(I Just) DIED IN YOUR ARMS
Cutting Crew
[1987]
(U.S. Single Version)
Number One: 2 weeks
Replaced: I KNEW YOU WERE WAITING (For Me) / Aretha Franklin and George Michael
Succeeded by: WITH OR WITHOUT YOU / U2
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As you know, many artist(s) names and titles of songs have all kinds of unique and interesting stories as to their origins.
In the case of the UK’s Cutting Crew, the quartet’s moniker – according to lead singer-songwriter Nick Van Eede – was derived from an article he’d read in a British music mag on the incomparable Freddie Mercury and his group Queen. Writing about their upcoming studio session, the article’s author euphemistically referred to Queen as a ‘cutting crew’ – meaning a band who ‘cuts’ new recordings. Fair enough.
Van Eede also revealed the source for the title of a future #1 single. ‘I just died in your arms’ was a phrase the musician claims he uttered to his long-estranged girlfriend immediately after an exhausting session of ‘make-up’ lovemaking. And like any astute songwriter in that situation, he got up and scribbled down the phrase into his always-handy notepad. Um, okay.
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(I Just) Died In Your Arms was initially issued in the UK in mid-1986, where it hit their Top 5.
For it’s North American release in January of 1987, the track was re-mixed from the UK original, with that re-worked version presented here.
The single hit #1 on Billboard this week in ’87 and also spent three weeks atop the Canadian music charts.
[Trivia Bits] British business magnate, investor, and philanthropist Sir Richard Branson started his Virgin Records label in England in 1972, but it took almost fifteen years – and the release of Cutting Crew’s 1986 album Broadcast – for Virgin to finally break through into the American music market.
Six months later, Cutting Crew would again be among the Top 10 U.S. singles-dwellers when another track from ‘Broadcast’ called I’ve Been In Love Before ascended to #9.
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#1 / May 4th, 1977
SOUTHERN NIGHTS
Glen Campbell
[1977]
Number One: 1 week
Replaced: DON’T LEAVE ME THIS WAY / Thelma Houston
Succeeded by: HOTEL CALIFORNIA / Eagles
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One of the greatest American musicians of our time held down Billboard’s prestigious pole position on this date in 1977.
Glen Campbell, from Delight, Arkansas, has done it all. Starting as an extremely proficient guitarist, Glen became a member of the elite group of Los Angeles-based recording studio session musicians, the renowned Wrecking Crew. With them, he played on dozens of the biggest Top 40 hit records from early to mid-1960’s, which are far too numerous to list here.
In 1964, when the Beach Boys needed a touring member to replace an increasingly unstable Brian Wilson, Glen filled in superbly.
He was also a part of another ‘cars & surf sound’ outfit, a la ‘The Boys of Summer,’ called The Hondells. And along with future Beach Boy Bruce Johnston, songwriter Gary Usher and noted record producer Terry Melcher he recorded with the pop studio group Sagittarius.
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By 1967, Campbell turned his talents to recording full-time as a vocalist – and still with Capitol Records, the label giant for whom he recorded for almost 20 years.
Beginning with the John Hartford-penned Gentle On My Mind, Campbell reeled off an impressive string of huge hits which included By The Time I Get To Phoenix, Wichita Lineman and Galveston. The latter two were million-sellers, with many composed by the outstanding songwriter Jimmy Webb.
That led to national TV exposure on CBS as host of his own ‘The Glen Campbell Good Time Hour’ from 1969-1972.
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But Glen Campbell’s best work was still ahead of him. Three years after his TV gig ended he’d record his signature tune, Rhinestone Cowboy, which galloped up the Hot 100 for a double-week tenure at the top, sold one million copies and scored the CMA award for ‘Record of the Year’ in 1975 – the Country Music Association of America’s top honor.
By 1977, Glen again was on top with his recording of the song Southern Nights authored by Allen Toussaint, the legendary American musician, songwriter, arranger, record producer and influential figure from the New Orleans R&B music scene since the 1950’s.
[Trivia Bits] It’s widely believed that Glen Campbell was a member of the late 50’s (mainly) instrumental group The Champs and played on their 1958 #1 hit Tequila.
But that’s only half true. Glen, along with Jimmy Seals (later of Seals & Crofts) joined the band after the instrumental smash.
Of course – and extremely sadly – Campbell’s career is essentially over as he continues to bravely battle an increasingly debilitating Alzheimer’s disease. His amazing fight – all while recording his final album called It’ll Be Me, then courageously conducting a year-long farewell tour – was presented so poignantly in the 2015 documentary of the same name.
Other #1 Singles by GLEN CAMPBELL (2)
• 1975 / RHINESTONE COWBOY
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#1 / May 4th, 1967
SOMETHIN’ STUPID
Nancy Sinatra & Frank Sinatra
[1967]
Number One: 4 weeks
Replaced: HAPPY TOGETHER / The Turtles
Succeeded by: THE HAPPENING / The Supremes
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[Note] Allow me to touch on the most important aspect (to me) of this song: It was the very first record I played on the radio (as an audio console operator) to begin my professional career!
It was a Saturday afternoon in April, 1967 at 2:05pm on 1320 CKKW/Kitchener, Ontario, Canada – the first record after the newscast. It was also the starting day on a new job for an announcer named Gar Shaw, who was doing an on-location broadcast – in radio parlance, was ‘on remote.’ I still get nervous whenever I recall the event.
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In the excellent book 1000 UK Chart Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh, Nancy’s regular producer, Lee Hazlewood – who also co-conducted this session – remembered:
“Frank Sinatra called me to his office and told me he had found the song (for his daughter Nancy Sinatra) but Nancy wouldn’t work with any producer but me. He played me the demo of ‘Somethin’ Stupid’ and said, ‘Do you like it?’ I said ‘I love it and if you don’t do it with Nancy, I will’ He said ‘We’re gonna do it, book a studio.’”
It was ultimately agreed upon that the senior Sinatra’s own producer, Jimmy Bowen, would co-conduct the recording along with Hazlewood. Bowen actually felt that it was wrong for Frank to sing a ‘love’ duet with his daughter.
Wisely, Bowen’s advice was ignored, as Somethin’ Stupid became the only father-daughter duet to reach the top shelf of the Hot 100.
[Trivia Bits] Members of the celebrated L.A. studio musicians known as The Wrecking Crew played on this session, including drummer Hal Blaine, guitarist Al Casey (the flamenco-style intro) with Glen Campbell (lead guitar).
The Sinatra/Sinatra duet was a cover version of Something Stupid, by the tune’s writer, C. Carson Parks and his wife Gaile Foote (as Carson & Gaile) – first recorded and released both as an album track and single on the Kapp label in early 1967.
And, as Casey reveals in the outstanding documentary, The Wrecking Crew, Frank wanted the exact same guitar line he’d heard on the original.
Guitarist Campbell valiantly tried to play it but couldn’t meet Sinatra’s demanding expectation. Finally, Casey told Glen that since he (Casey) had played those opening riffs on the original, it was probably best if he did it again – which he then performed quite nicely for ‘The Chairman of the Board.’
Other #1 Singles by FRANK SINATRA (3)
• 1955 / LEARNIN’ THE BLUES
• 1966 / STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT
Other #1 Singles by NANCY SINATRA (2)
• 1966 / THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR WALKIN’
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#1 / May 4th, 1957
ALL SHOOK UP
Elvis Presley with The Jordanaires
[1957]
Number One: 8 weeks
Replaced: ROUND AND ROUND / Perry Como
Succeeded by: LOVE LETTERS IN THE SAND / Pat Boone
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Elvis Aaron Presley entered 1957 after a previous year in which he dominated with four #1 singles; 12 months during which all of them became platinum-sellers (a combined 10 million copies sold). That would easily be considered as not one, but two outstanding Hall of Fame-worthy careers.
And when the same four records accumulated nearly a half year’s stay in the top spot of Billboard (25 weeks), it might even be seen as three blue chippers!
Yet, in 1956, with Heartbreak Hotel, I Want You I Need You I Love You, Don’t Be Cruel b/w Hound Dog and Love Me Tender, Elvis Presley was just getting warmed up.
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In 1957 he virtually duplicated the previous year’s performance – another four #1 hits that combined for 7 million records sold: Too Much, (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear, Jailhouse Rock and his first Billboard pole-sitter from ’57, All Shook Up.
The latter, plus the former three, sat on Billboard’s top rung for exactly half of 1957 – i.e. 26 weeks!
In addition, All Shook Up became the magazine’s #1 single for all of 1957, and the second year in a row in which “The King of Roll ‘n Roll” had won that slot – duplicating the honor for 1956’s Heartbreak Hotel.
It also spent 7 weeks atop the UK pop music charts.
[Trivia Bits] Elvis spent several days in the first two months of 1957 recording new material, beginning with All Shook Up and its B-side, That’s When Your Heartaches Begin.
During those recording sessions, he also turned out four songs for his EP Just For You, an equal number of tracks for the Peace In The Valley EP and another two for the soundtrack from his forthcoming debut film, Loving You.
All Shook Up was written by African-American songwriter-singer-pianist Otis Blackwell, who also penned Elvis’ 1956 record-setting Don’t Be Cruel and co-composed his 1962 platinum seller, Return To Sender.
[Note] Beginning with Heartbreak Hotel in 1956, Elvis (or, more likely his manager, Col. Tom Parker) initiated a shrewd business practice of demanding a composing co-credit in exchange for recording the writer’s song. That was the case with the author of ‘Hotel’ (Mae Boren Axton) and why Presley’s name is listed along side Blackwell’s on All Shook Up‘s label as the song’s co-writer.
Otis Blackwell also wrote the early rock ‘n roll classics Fever by Little Willie John (which later became Peggy Lee‘s signature number), Jerry Lee Lewis‘ Great Balls Of Fire and Breathless, as well as Handy Man from Jimmy Jones (subsequently covered by Del Shannon and James Taylor).
Other #1 Singles by ELVIS PRESLEY (18)
• 1956 / HEARTBREAK HOTEL
• 1956 / I WANT YOU, I NEED YOU, I LOVE YOU
• 1956 / DON’T BE CRUEL
• 1956 / HOUND DOG
• 1956 / LOVE ME TENDER
• 1957 / TOO MUCH
• 1957 / (Let Me Be Your) TEDDY BEAR
• 1957 / JAILHOUSE ROCK
• 1958 / DON’T
• 1958 / HARD HEADED WOMAN
• 1959 / A BIG HUNK O’ LOVE
• 1960 / STUCK ON YOU
• 1960 / IT’S NOW OR NEVER
• 1960 / ARE YOU LONESOME TO-NIGHT?
• 1961 / SURRENDER
• 1962 / GOOD LUCK CHARM
• 1969 / SUSPICIOUS MINDS
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CREDITS
Produced & Written By: Rick Murray Hunter / HouseoftheHits.com
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 Billboard Book Of Number One Rhythm & Blues Hits by Adam White and Fred Bronson
• The Billboard Book Of Number One Adult Contemporary Hits by Wesley Hyatt
• The Billboard Book Of Number One Albums by Craig Rosen
• The Billboard’s Hottest Hot 100 Hits (4th Edition) by Fred Bronson
• 1000 UK Chart Hits (Kindle Edition) by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh
• Elvis Presley: A Life In Music (Kindle Edition) by Ernst Jorgensen
• The Archives of RollingStone.com
Record Sleeve & Label Graphics: Courtesy of 45cat.com
Special thanks to the patio of Starbucks, Little Road in New Port Richey, FL 😎
Other #1 Songs on This Date Posts are HERE
