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JUMP TO:
🎵 1995 – THIS IS HOW WE DO IT / Montell Jordan
🎵 1985 – WE ARE THE WORLD / USA For Africa
🎵 1975 – HE DON’T LOVE YOU (Like I Love You) / Tony Orlando and Dawn
🎵 1965 – MRS. BROWN YOU’VE GOT A LOVELY DAUGHTER / Herman’s Hermits
🎵 TRUE STEREO – MRS. BROWN YOU’VE GOT A LOVELY DAUGHTER / Herman’s Hermits
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Welcome to another #1 Songs On This Date! – another four-pack of the cream of the crop from the Top 40 Rock ‘n’ Roll music era.
Since it began during the first week of 2016, 190 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 6th, 1995
THIS IS HOW WE DO IT
Montell Jordan
[1995]
(Single Version)
Number One: 7 weeks
Replaced: TAKE A BOW / Madonna
Succeeded by: HAVE YOU EVER REALLY LOVED A WOMAN? / Bryan Adams
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Southern California-born R&B singer-songwriter Montell Jordan grew up in household that was filled with the sounds of Motown – the Four Tops, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, the Temptations and even the Spinners during there brief tenure on one of Berry Gordy‘s umbrella of labels.
But Marvin Gaye became his favorite – both during his latter days with Hitsville U.S.A.’s Tamla label and into his early 1980’s stint with Columbia Records (before his tragic death at the hands of his father in April of 1984).
In fact, Jordan ‘borrowed’ a Gaye initiative from Marvin’s 1977 #1 Motown smash Got To Give It Up (Pt. 1).
A la Gaye, Jordan admittedly invited a small group of people into the recording studio (30 mostly complete strangers in this instance) to create a ‘live’ party atmosphere; encouraging them to “Have good time. Talk and do whatever you’d normally do at a party.”
So the good-time ambiance on this record is genuine – maybe contrived, but genuine.
[Trivia Bits] This Is How We Do It became a popular song in film soundtracks, appearing in ‘The Nutty Professor’, ‘To Gillian On Her 37th Birthday’, ‘Multiplicity’, ‘How High’, ‘8 Mile’ and ‘Ali G Indahouse.’
But it received its highest exposure as comedian Howie Mandel’s theme song for his short-lived candid-camera-style TV show ‘Howie Do It.’
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#1 / May 6th, 1985
WE ARE THE WORLD
USA For Africa
[1985]
(Single Version)
Number One: 4 weeks
Replaced: ONE MORE NIGHT / Phil Collins
Succeeded by: CRAZY FOR YOU / Madonna
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The idea for the hugely lucrative benefit recording We Are The World was prompted by the great success of the previous year’s UK fundraiser, Do They Know It’s Christmas?, the holiday season effort organized by Boomtown Rats band member/leader Bob Geldof in 1984. With a choir of heavyweight British artists collectively known as Band Aid lending their talents to the cause, the recording, co-written by Geldof and Midge Ure, sold over 3 million copies to assist with the mid-1980’s famine crisis in Ethiopia.
Iconic American singer Harry Belafonte was the spearhead in getting the ball rolling with this new effort, first of all, by recruiting Motown Records superstars Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson to co-pen a tune intended to launch a massive poverty relief project for Africa and the United States.
Just prior to the live airing of the American Music Awards in Los Angeles (for maximum convenience of participation) 36 mega performers amassed for the historic recording session, conducted and produced by Quincy Jones, on the afternoon of January 28, 1985: Dan Aykroyd, Harry Belafonte, Lindsey Buckingham, Kim Carnes, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Sheila E., Bob Geldof, Daryl Hall and John Oates, James Ingram, Jackie Jackson, LaToya Jackson, Marlon Jackson, Michael Jackson, Randy Jackson, Tito Jackson, Al Jarreau, Waylon Jennings, Billy Joel, Cyndi Lauper, Huey Lewis and The News, Kenny Loggins, Bette Midler, Willie Nelson, Jeffrey Osborne, Steve Perry, the Pointer Sisters, Lionel Richie, Smokey Robinson, Kenny Rogers, Diana Ross, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner, Dionne Warwick and Stevie Wonder.
[Trivia Bits] The single version of We Are The World was released on a Thursday (March 7th) and all 800,000 copies were completely gone by that weekend.
In total, 7.3 million singles and 4.4 million albums were sold.
The estimated worldwide sales of related items (caps, tees, videos, posters, etc.) approximated $44 million.
By co-composing the song, Lionel Richie notched his eighth consecutive year of writing at least one #1 record.
[More Reading] A comprehensive minute-by-minute breakdown of ‘who sang what and when’ can be found HERE (Source: RollingStone.com)
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#1 / May 6th, 1975
HE DON’T LOVE YOU (Like I Love You)
Tony Orlando and Dawn
[1975]
Number One: 3 weeks
Replaced: (Hey Won’t You Play) ANOTHER SOMEBODY DONE SOMEBODY WRONG SONG /
B.J. Thomas
Succeeded by: SHINING STAR / Earth, Wind & Fire
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Singer Tony Orlando was already a ten-year veteran of the pop music wars before finding success in 1970 with Telma Hopkins and Joyce Vincent in the pop trio Dawn.
He began as a solo recording artist for Epic Records in 1961, placing two singles on the national chart that year named Halfway To Paradise and Bless You.
But despite the tunes being penned by two of the top songwriting tandems inside New York City’s Brill Building – Gerry Goffin & Carole King (the former) and Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil, both records struggled to reach #39 and #15 respectively.
Orlando labored in anonymity for the next nine years with five more forgettable releases – four of which underachieved to only “Bubbling Under” (the Hot 100) status.
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He also spent that period working for a music publisher until 1970 when, as a favor, he was asked to fill in with the lead vocals on a song called Candida with the group Dawn. To his (and everyone’s) amazement, the record reached #3 and gold status in the summer of ’70.
Orlando became a permanent part of the trio who would have four additional million-sellers with two more #1’s among them, as listed below.
[Note] An old record company trick is found on the record’s label, where the running-time for the song is listed at 3:26. In fact, it plays :10 longer at 3:36, and I can all but assure you that wasn’t an oversight or typo.
In those days, radio stations were looking for records that were under 3:30 in length to place on their playlists, so that slight ‘error’ could have made the difference between it being added or being arbitrarily ignored.
[Trivia Notes] He Don’t Love You (Like I Love You) was a cover of a hit by Chicago-based Jerry Butler, a.k.a ‘The Ice Man’ and titled He Will Break Your Heart.
The tune was co-written by Butler and the great Curtis Mayfield when both were members of soulful sixties group The Impressions (first known as Jerry Butler and The Impressions).
Prior to this success, all of Dawn’s hits were with Bell Records in New York City. But in 1975 they signed with Jac Holzman‘s L.A.-based Elektra label, a move that proved to be instantly fruitful for Orlando, the gals and Holzman.
Orlando briefly had moderate chart success in the fall of 1969 as the lead vocalist for the ‘studio’ pop group Wind with the song Make Believe (#28).
Other #1 Singles by TONY ORLANDO/DAWN (3)
• 1971 / KNOCK THREE TIMES
• 1973 / TIE A YELLOW RIBBON ROUND THE OLE OAK TREE
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#1 / May 6th, 1965
MRS. BROWN YOU’VE GOT A LOVELY DAUGHTER
Herman’s Hermits
[1965]
Number One: 3 weeks
Replaced: GAME OF LOVE / Wayne Fontana and The Mindbenders
Succeeded by: TICKET TO RIDE / The Beatles
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1965 was a very prolific year for the quintet of teenage lads from Manchester, England known as Herman’s Hermits, led by 17 year-old Peter Noone (Herman), with no less than a half-dozen residencies inside Billboard’s Top 10, including a pair of top-of-the-heap gold record successes.
Second-liners on the initial wave of the British Invasion that began in early 1964, HH‘s significant achievements for that year and beyond can be attributed to several things: Excellent selection of material that fit the band’s style – mostly cover versions of previously familiar fare in America – as well as terrific production work on their records by the highly skilled Mickie Most.
And, perhaps too, there was a wee bit of help from The Beatles, who, as the undeniable leaders of the Brits’ domination of the America’s music charts, forged an indelible impression in the minds of radio programmers that anything British was golden for their playlists.
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The number one-er on this date in ’65, Mrs. Brown You’ve Got A Lovely Daughter, was the third of that sextet of singles: Can’t You Heart My Heart Beat (#2), Silhouettes (#4), Mrs. Brown, Wonderful World (#4), I’m Henry VIII, I Am (#1) and Just A Little Bit Better (#7). A seventh, A Must To Avoid, was released in December of 1965 but didn’t hit its peak (#6) until early 1966.
[Note] As a ‘Bonus Trak’ found after this selection, I’ve included a recently-released, first-time in ‘true’ stereo version of MBYGALD, But I’ve decided to stick with the original mono hit single version first off because it sounds great!
For a mid-1960’s mono single, the clarity of this digitally remastered track is the best I’ve heard – I like to call these “sonic whoppers.”
[Trivia Bits] The years 1966 and 1967, although not quite as outstanding, were also great ones for Noone and company. Beginning with the aforementioned A Must To Avoid in ’66, Listen People (1966 • #3), Leaning On The Lamp Post (1966 • #9), This Door Swings Both Ways (1966 • #12), Dandy (1966 • #5) and 1967’s million-selling There’s A Kind Of Hush (#4) rounded out their impressive string of hits in just over two years.
Peter Noone left the group for a solo career in 1972, also formed a Los Angeles-based band called The Tremblers and hosted his own show on VH-1.
He now tours actively as Peter Noone Starring Herman’s Hermits, playing both clubs and casino-type venues. He also can be followed on Twitter at @peternoone.
Other #1 Singles by HERMAN’S HERMITS (2)
• 1965 / I’M HENRY VIII, I AM
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EXTRA TRAK
MRS. BROWN YOU’VE GOT A LOVELY DAUGHTER
Herman’s Hermits
[1965]
(Extended Version in ‘True’ Stereo)
As mentioned, an outstanding triple-CD compilation, an import called
The Best of Herman’s Hermit’s: 50th Anniversary Anthology, was released in 2015.
I’m not one to proactively endorse CD’s of any kind, feeling it’s not within the scope of this blog. Plus, I wouldn’t get paid!
But this is an outstanding package, produced and compiled by noted audio remastering engineer Ron Furmanek: three CD’s, all the hits, B-sides, rarities, demos etc. But most significantly, the music is heard in newly-discovered ‘true’ stereo (as noted on the cover “sounds great in true STEREO”) plus an outstanding 140-page booklet.
If you’re a fan of Herman’s Hermits, you can find it at Amazon.
Meanwhile, check this one out from it – a longer-running version with a cold ending.
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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
• Billboard’s Hottest Hot 100 Hits (4th Edition) by Fred Bronson
• 1000 UK Chart Hits (Kindle Edition) by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh
• 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
