Every RPM Canadian Content #1 single discussion thread 1964-2000

Technically it is "The Hoochi Coochi Coo" with no E's at the ends either.

 

You are correct. I have corrected the title of the Youtube video. Must be a Canadian vs. American spelling thing.

 

While looking up The Staccatos' earliest records, I found Hagopian was the leader on two Staccatos singles. "Just In Case" b/w "This Is the End" is so obscure that it isn't listed on Discogs, besides mention by a user pointing out its absence.

popsike.com - DEAN HAGOPIAN AND THE STACCATOS JUST IN CASE VERY RARE CANADA 45 - auction details



Discogs lists another 1964 single by the same Staccatos on a Pembroke-based label, but I'm assuming it's actually a different band incorrectly tagged: The Staccatos (3) - Mess Of Blues

 

Thanks a lot! It's tough to talk about a song you've never heard!

 

Fantasy - Ace Records would do a compilation of 60s Canadian Girls

Hey, they've done one of Hungarian girls!

 

Another Wes Dakus single not on youtube is "Come On Down" which peaked at #11 on the CanCon chart on July 19.

 

That same week, Montreal's Bartholomew Plus Three (or +3) was at #14 with their first single "She's Mine". Corky Laing was in the group.

 

There's a surprising wealth of early Guess Who/Reflections material available on CD. I just recently tracked down a copy of this rare compilation which packs all three pre-RCA albums onto one disc (by omitting the duplicated songs): The Guess Who - Shakin' All Over / Hey Ho / It's TIme

Live 1962/'63 recordings: Chad Allan And The Reflections - Early Roots

CBC TV performances: https://www.discogs.com/The-Guess-Who-Lets-Go/release/4514896

Unreleased '67/'68 material: The Guess Who - This Time Long Ago

Overview of their early stuff, focusing on their rockier side and featuring some rare single tracks: The Guess Who - Shakin' All Over!

 

Worth noting that the Big Town Boys were Shirley Matthews' backing band, taking their name from her biggest hit.

And this one began life as a 30-second radio jingle for the Baby Ruth chocolate bar. Listeners found the tune so catchy that a full-length version was put together.

 

Caveat emptor: A couple years ago, SuperOldies switched from CDs to CD-Rs, which are more prone to degradation and often become unreadable within ten years. Thankfully, Shawn Nagy is up-front about which releases are CD-R on their website listing. In the most recent SuperOldies newsletter he says their newest upcoming release (70's southern rock group Baby) will be on properly manufactured CDs, so he might be switching back for all future titles.

 

15. (MY GIRL) SLOOPY
by LITTLE CAESAR AND THE CONSULS
#1 for 4 weeks: July 26 and August 2, 9 and 16, 1965




​

Another cover version... but this time, a more interesting and international story. "My Girl Sloopy" came out in 1964 by the Vibrations, a soul group from Los Angeles. Their version, with prominent bongos and background cheering, has a loose jam-session feel to it, which is quite beguiling in its own way.

In the spring of 1965, Bang Records' house band The Strangeloves were planning to record "Sloopy" as their follow-up to their current hit "I Want Candy". I don't want to use the word "cover" because the song was co-written by Bert Berns, founder of Bang Records, in the first place. It turns out that the Dave Clark Five also had their eyes on the song, so Bang Records became determined to beat them to the punch. With "I Want Candy" still charting, they felt it was too soon to release a follow-up single, so they used the Strangeloves' recording and dubbed 17-year-old Rick Derringer's voice 9and guitar) over top, releasing the result under the modified name "Hang On Sloopy", attributed to Derringer's band the McCoys.

But... completely removed from all of this, in Toronto, another band called Little Caesar and the Consuls had just recorded the song as well. The McCoys' version and Little Caesar's version débuted on Billboard on the very same week. The McCoys' version went to number one, holding "Yesterday" at bay. Little Caesar's version... didn't.

The McCoys' version, world-famous, took a more bubblegum approach and sped the Vibrations' song up. Little Caesar and the Consuls took a different approach and slowed it down. The net result is that all three versions are worth hearing in their own way.

Little Caesar and the Consuls have nothing to do with pizza. Or to do with the similarly-named American group Little Caesar and the Romans. Or, for that matter, the concurrent Québec-based César et les Romains! However, they were extant in and around Toronto since 1958, where an early lineup managed to include Gene MacLellan and Robbie Robertson. Neither are on this recording.

OTHER RPM CHARTS: I'm looking at the August 2 edition, and there's all sorts of discrepancy between the CanCon chart and the main Top 40 chart. But in a case of times a-changin', both "Like a Rolling Stone" and "California Girls" are débuting on the chart in the same week. Future CanCon number-one artist (no! really!) Tom Jones is at number one with "What's New Pussycat", and Billie Joe Royal's "Down in the Boondocks" is at number three, one week away from taking the number one position. The former only made #11 in Jones' native UK, while the latter only made #9 in Royal's USA. Sloopy is at number five, and the aforementioned "I Want Candy" is at number seven. Patty Duke, who I had no idea ever sang, is on the list. Down the list is the not-Canadian "Canadian Sunset" by Sounds Orchestral.

Canadian Sunset is also the seventh best-selling album on the album charts, though by Andy Williams. Sounds Orchestral also chart at number eleven. The album chart, consistently through the years, has tended to have better Canadian representation than the singles chart. Here, Ian and Sylvia are at number one, and Catherine McKinnon is at number three. The Toronto Philharmonic Orchestra is on the chart and so is Robert Goulet, and at number five is Ballads to Barrelhouse by Ralph Richards, a Canadian recording so obscure that the internet seems to barely know it exists.

ON THE PAGES OF RPM: A little bit of hand-wringing about our Two Solitudes and a peek behind the curtain of the Québec music industry, which is busy developing away from the eyes of RPM: "In past weeks we have been ever mindful of the reason for the success of the French Canadian music industry. The main reason for this success is the support the French Canadian public gives its artists. The following letter from Kev Griffin, Youth Editor of The Stratford Times is further proof of this loyality. 'Dear Walt: With regards to RPM's Canadian content percentages in a recent issue, you stated that Quebec radio stations (English anyhow) only programmed 2.5% Canadian. But I'd like to tell you that P.Q's. French stations must play over 30% Canadian. I was in Quebec City recently and my regular listening was CKCV and I was thoroughly impressed with their charts. They play mainly French songs and these are nearly all by Quebec artists and of good quality. But, as a bonus, they also play the best of the English hits, including Canadian releases, although all announcing is done in French. The French Canadian records were so good that I missed them on my return to Ontario. Why can't English Canadian stations play the best of the French records? Although several are just translations of English and American hits, many are original and worthy of greater coverage and they are CANADIAN.' (signed) Kev Griffin."

 

Don't Just Stand There and Say Something Funny. Classic sixties girl tunes. Lots of punch ins and splicing to make it work, Anna would tell you she couldn't sing.

 

The "GMP Guide" (whatever that means) should not be regarded as an actual album chart as it excludes "teen" music.

 

Yeah, I figure it's a proto-"Adult Contemporary" format. There's a lot of folk, some popular classical, a lot of show tunes...

But my understanding is that "teen" music was still singles-driven at this point. So I'm not sure the "teen" albuns would have been charting anyway. I wonder if it's strictly sales or if it's also radio-based.

Wes Dakus charted on it (a few weeks hence), so who knows?

 

"Sandy" by Robbie Lane (billed without the Disciples) would hit #6 on the CanCon chart (July 26) and #36 on the bigger chart.

 

Here's the Billboard chart from the same week:
Billboard 200 Chart | Billboard
The Beatles (#1/#28), Herman's Hermits (#2/#8), The Rolling Stones (#9), The Beach Boys (#11/#25), The Byrds (#12), Bob Dylan (#13), The Righteous Brothers (#14), The Miracles (#22), The Supremes (#26), The Beau Brummels (#29)

 

Barry Allen's "It's Alright With Me Now" would peak at #2 on the CanCon chart on August 2 and at #12 overall. Recorded at the Norman Petty Studios in Clovis.

 

I'm not too sure, but it looks like Parr's Litho or whoever pressed label blanks for Canadian Capitol (Ever Reddy? Modern?) as was used by the RCA Smiths Falls plant which pressed this copy, used 60 lb. Kromekote C1S paper. The colors appear slightly darker than on label blanks printed on 70 lb. Kromekote C1S. The orange for sure looked more brownish as printed in Canada vs. U.S. Capitol. Having quite a few 45's and LP's in my collection with labels printed on such paper, whites appear more solid in 70 lb., and you can see a bit of the vinyl with 60 lb.

 

"Take Me Back" by David Clayton & The Shays would debut at #19 on July 26 but could only manage to crawl up one spot two weeks later.

 

These DCT tracks with The Shays are monstrous! Tempted to track down the LPs, Lord help me...

Even more than this, I long for a proper Nuggets-style Canadian garage rock anthology. All that exists is this rare two-volume set of dubious legitimacy, lacking liner notes and missing countless essential tracks (and the artwork is hideous to boot): Various - Nightmares From The Underworld

 

Yes!

Details escape me, but I'm sure I once had a cd in 1990s Ottawa with the theme of Canadian Pyschobilly. Can't imagine what it might be worth now

 

There's a very solid CD of Ottawa garage/psych worth getting for the Don Norman & The Other 4 tracks alone. I was lucky enough to find it for $9.99 at CD Warehouse years back. Various - Ottawa Rocks - The Sir John A. Years 1966-1968

A follow-up volume was even released, but only on cassette and limited to 100 copies: Various - Sir John A. Leftovers

 

Just bought this record, mainly based on the strength of "Skip, Hop and Wobble". I realize the rest of the album is likely to be more straight country than rockabilly, but some of the song choices are intriguing and I like the "yelping" quality in McLaren's voice. Two other songs from the album can be heard online, covers of one of Jimmie Skinner's countless "rambling" songs and an ancient bluegrass standard.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9s9uSCaqbSc

 

Did you buy it from me? The copy I had on Ebay just sold.

 

Sure looks like it! Small world.