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JUMP TO:
🎵 1987 – ALWAYS / Atlantic Starr
🎵 1977 – I’M YOUR BOOGIE MAN / KC and The Sunshine Band
🎵 1967 – RESPECT / Aretha Franklin
🎵 1957 – LOVE LETTERS IN THE SAND / Pat Boone
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Welcome to another #1 Songs On This Date! – a mid-June four-pack of the best of the best from the Top 40 Rock ‘n’ Roll music era.
To date, 249 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 / June 13th, 1987
ALWAYS
Atlantic Starr
[1987]
(Single Version)
Number One: 1 week
Replaced: YOU KEEP ME HANGIN’ ON / Kim Wilde
Succeeded by: HEAD TO TOE / Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
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The urban contemporary vocal group known as Atlantic Starr was enjoying a single week’s stay atop the Hot 100 on this date.
From White Plains, NY, AS was comprised of vocalist Barbara Weathers and instrumentalists Jonathan Lewis, David Lewis and Wayne Lewis – all brothers – as well as Joe Phillips.
Written by all three Lewis brothers, the original intention five years prior was to record Always at that time, but their record producer “decided that it wasn’t the right time,” said Wayne Lewis.
The song is a duet between Weathers and David Lewis, one in which the former laid down her vocals in New York first, after which the latter produced and recorded his part Los Angeles.
[Trivia Bits] The song Secret Lovers by Atlantic Starr previously topped Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart in 1986 – and reached #3 on the H-100.
The group achieved success a third time in 1992 with their #3 million-seller titled Masterpiece, a turn written by Kenny Nolan. Nolan also penned the huge hit Lady Marmalade by Labelle (1975 • #1) and scored his own #3 gold record hit in 1976 with I Like Dreamin’.
From 1978-1994, they placed 27 hits on the weekly magazine’s Rhythm & Blues listings.
Being a woman in Atlantic Starr was not the most stable of gigs. Over their long history, the group had no less than five different female lead vocalists.
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#1 / June 13th, 1977
I’M YOUR BOOGIE MAN
KC and The Sunshine Band
[1977]
(Radio Edit Version)
Number One: 1 week
Replaced: Replaced: SIR DUKE / Stevie Wonder
Succeeded by: DREAMS / Fleetwood Mac
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When one thinks of the mid-late 1970’s era of dance music, i.e. disco, the Bee Gees are likely the first artists who come to mind – quite possibly reluctantly – from that unforgettable era. Then, most likely followed by Hialeah, Florida’s KC and The Sunshine Band.
And on this date in 1977, the primary members and chief song scribes in the flamboyant outfit, Harry Wayne Casey and Richard Finch had again performed their hit-making magic with their fourth of five singles to hit #1.
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With I’m Your Boogie Man, vocalist-keyboardist Casey – a.k.a. “KC” – and bass player Finch were actually honoring Miami DJ Robert W. Walker.
It was their way of musically thanking him for launching the career of the Sunshine Band from the heavy airplay given by him to their debut Hot 100 summit-scaler in 1975, the funky R&B-laden Get Down Tonight.
Then, using GDT as their template, the Casey-Finch duo churned out million-sellers number two and three with 1975’s That’s The Way (I Like It) and (Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty the following year.
Other #1 Singles by KC and THE SUNSHINE BAND (5)
• 1975 / GET DOWN TONIGHT
• 1975 / THAT’S THE WAY (I Like It)
• 1976 / (Shake, Shake, Shake) SHAKE YOUR BOOTY
• 1980 / PLEASE DON’T GO
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#1 / June 13th, 1967
RESPECT
Aretha Franklin
[1967]
Number One: 2 weeks
Replaced: GROOVIN’ / The Young Rascals
Succeeded by: GROOVIN’ / The Young Rascals
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The singer deservedly known as the “Queen of Soul” was enjoying a two-week reign atop Billboard’s national singles chart on this date with a cover version of a tune written and first recorded in 1965 by the incomparable Otis Redding.
Aretha Franklin – a.k.a. “Lady Soul” – took Redding’s original and not only did it in her own gritty and soulful style, but also added a number of extra features to it, such as:
– Her now-famous “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” spelled out during the ‘middle eight’ bars.
– For the song’s instrumental bridge, borrowed a faster-tempo version of the saxophone work done by the great King Curtis on the Sam and Dave song When Something Is Wrong With My Baby.
– Added the repeated “sock it to me” – although it wasn’t the first time that catch phrase had been heard in a song. Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels had a #3 hit called Sock It To Me-Baby! in early 1967, just weeks before Aretha’s recording took place. Regardless, the phrase was further popularized on the NBC-TV comedy series ‘Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In’ starting in 1968.
– Used the lyrical line “Take care, TCB” which was an acronym for the term ‘Taking Care of Business,” later employed by Elvis Presley when naming his back-up band and the title of a 1973 hit by Bachman-Turner Overdrive.
Here’s a great-sounding ‘true stereo’ version of “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” from the album I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You.
[Trivia Bits] Besides Otis Redding’s original, which reached #35 on the Hot 100 in 1965, and Aretha’s 1967 smash hit, a cover version by a Detroit band known as the Rationals gave a less-than-respectable showing at #92 in 1966.
Other #1 Singles by ARETHA FRANKLIN (2)
• 1987 / I KNEW YOU WERE WAITING (For Me) (Aretha Franklin and George Michael)
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#1 / June 13th, 1957
LOVE LETTERS IN THE SAND
Pat Boone
[1957]
Number One: 5 weeks
Replaced: ALL SHOOK UP / Elvis Presley with The Jordanaires
Succeeded by: (Let Me Be Your) TEDDY BEAR / Elvis Presley with The Jordanaires
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Crooner Pat Boone broke the ‘all Elvis all the time’ syndrome on this date in 1957. In that year alone, the Presley locomotive was stationed at the top of the Billboard Top 100 for virtually half the time – 25 weeks. And with just 4 singles – Too Much (3 weeks), Jailhouse Rock b/w Treat Me Nice (7) All Shook Up (8), and Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear (7).
Both replacing and being succeeded by the latter two chronologically, Boone was able to hold on to #1 for five weeks – a testimony to the popularity and strength of Love Letters In The Sand, which spent 34 weeks on the charts.
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Signed to Dot Records, a strategic decision was made by label owner Randy Wood to initially have Boone cover salacious R&B songs first recorded by African-American artists. And in fact, this was common practice among ‘white’ record companies in rock ‘n roll’s early days.
With the originals having already been exposed by black radio to their audiences, Boone’s ‘sanitized’ remakes found great popularity with the white sector of the population – most of whom were hearing these songs for the first time.
Covers of At My Front Door (Crazy Little Mama) by the Eldorados, Little Richard‘s Long Tall Sally, Chains Of Love from Joe Turner, Ain’t That A Shame by Fats Domino, Ivory Joe Hunter with I Almost Lost My Mind and Charles Singleton‘s Don’t Forbid Me, all hit Billboard’s Top 10 for Boone, with the latter three reaching #1 in 1955, ’56 and ’57, respectively.
With Boone having established a large enough fan base by 1957, Dot Records and the crooner broke the ‘black cover’ mold in 1957 by releasing Love Letters In The Sand, a 1931 tune primarily penned by a prolific American songwriter named John Frederick Coots. Among 700+ songs, Coots co-authored the holiday classic Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.
[Trivia Bits] Billboard ranked Love Letters In The Sand as the #2 song for 1957 – sandwiched between, who else, Elvis with All Shook Up (#1) and Jailhouse Rock (#3).
In the beginning, Pat Boone regarded recording pop songs as merely “a hobby” and instead had aspirations of becoming a teacher.
As well, because of his strong religious upbringing in Tennessee, he believed his inner ‘moral’ voice would be in perpetual conflict with the prurient nature of rock ‘n roll music.
What eventually made him change his mind? Money. Lots of it. And who could blame him?
Other #1 Singles by PAT BOONE (6)
• 1955 / AIN’T THAT A SHAME
• 1956 / I ALMOST LOST MY MIND
• 1957 / DON’T FORBID ME
• 1957 / APRIL LOVE
• 1961 / MOODY RIVER
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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
• The Archives of RollingStone.com
Record Sleeve & Label Graphics: Courtesy of 45cat
Special thanks to the patio of Starbucks, Little Road in New Port Richey, FL 😎
Other #1 Songs on This Date Posts are HERE
