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

"Could You Ever Love Me Again" reached #92 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #47 on Billboard's adult contemporary chart. If there was another Greg Hambleton production that charted in Billboard, I can't think of it.

I didn't realize until a few weeks ago that Greg Hambleton had re-activated the Axe label and had a website offering CDs by Gary & Dave, Madrigal, Rain, Major Hoople's Boarding House, Thundermug, and others. Other albums by The Fringe and Greg's brother Fergus are also available, but only as downloads (128 kbps mp3's). The CDs that I've acquired so far (pictured below) all sound excellent. And they're only $12.99!
Category: Albums | Axe Records




Picture from the Axe Records website:

"Recently Gary And Dave met in a Boeing simulator"


It's wonderful that Greg Hambleton has made these CDs available. If only the larger labels would follow his example. (The artist of yesterday's #1, Tom Middleton, had several hits on a major label, Columbia Records, but none have ever been issued on a legit CD).

 

#7 WIXY (Cleveland). Also big in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

 

​

The B-side "Where Do We Go From Here?"





Together would be titled Could You Ever Love Me Again in Australia

 

At #25 the week of October 20, 1973, "Send A Little Love My Way" by Anne Murray. It also was #6 on the Adult Contemporary chart and #10 on the Country chart. In the U.S. it reached #72 on Billboard's Hot 100, #10 on the Adult Contemporary and #79 on the country charts. It was Top Twenty in La Plata MD, Iuka MS, Elkhart IN, Rock Island IL, Sebring FL, Rome and Toccoa (both GA).





France picture sleeve



Italy



Japan



"Send A Little Love My Way" was written by Henry Mancini and Hal David for the film Oklahoma Crude. It was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Original Song. It will be on her next album.

 

He seems to have rejigged both G&D albums, changing the tracklisting and (in the case of the second album) the name and cover art as well. Not sure why.

It's also fascinating that you can buy original-run 7"s on his website, raising the likelihood that he's had boxes of them just sitting in his garage for decades now.

 

At #36 the week of October 27 (without a MAPL wheel), "Basketball Jones (Featuring Tyrone Shoelaces)" by Cheech Y Chong. It reached #4 at CKLW in Windsor, #15 in Billboard, # 1 in Chicago, #2 in Detroit, #3 in Pittsburgh.



Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moeY_ZGWD5o



We all know the story of Cheech and Chong, the duo was 50% Canadian and were formed in Vancouver. The song was on their 1973 album Los Cochinos (#2 in Billboard) and featured such notables as George Harrison, Billy Preston, Klaus Voorman, Tom Scott, Carole King, Michelle Phillips, Ronnie Spector, Nicky Hopkins, and Darlene Love.

 

At #39 the same week of October 27, Bob McBride with "Treasure Song" (#30 on the Adult Contemporary chart)





The B-side "Straight Ahead", also from the Butterfly Days album
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UUR5bdHCBw



Bob McBride had been lead singer of Lighthouse when the LP was released, but had been dismissed by the band when he failed to show up for sessions for the Can You Feel It? album. He will chart once more.

 

Or, to put all that information in a list (copied from Wikipedia):

• Cheech Marin – Tyrone Shoelaces (voice)
• George Harrison – electric guitar
• Klaus Voorman – bass guitar
• Jim Karstein – drums
• Jim Keltner – percussion
• Carole King – electric piano
• Nicky Hopkins – piano
• Tom Scott – saxophone
• Billy Preston – organ

Cheerleaders (backing vocalists)

• Darlene Love
• Fanita James
• Jean King
• Michelle Phillips
• Ronnie Spector

Horny Guys (brass players)

• George Bohanon
• Dick "Slyde" Hyde
• Paul Hubison

Others

• Sister Mary Elephant
• Santana Street School 6th Grade Class

That's as close to an 'all-star' studio recording as I can think of before the Ethiopia crisis in the 80s.

 

Right behind Gary & Dave at #3 the week of November 3, with "Hearbeat - It's A Lovebeat", from Port Colborne ON and the pages of Tiger Beat, it's The DeFranco Family Featuring Tony DeFranco. It topped the Cash Box Top 100 and reached #3 in Billboard.



Interviewed by Dick Clark
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MitIdRcLdA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H_eqV2bEVI

Promo film
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvrjVMNG_3E



The debut album was titled after the single, #31 in Canada, #109 in Billboard





From Wiki:
The DeFranco Family - Wikipedia

And some utter nonsense from Wiki:

The DeFranco Family never qualified as Canadian content, their singles never had a MAPL on the label nor on the RPM charts. By the time "Heartbeat" entered the RPM chart on September 15 at #87, it was at #63 in Cash Box, already in that chart for four weeks. It reached #1 in Buffalo and Salt Lake City before making the top ten in any Canadian market. So there.

Leetle Tony not so leetle anymore
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzvuzQIaies

Canadian Bands.com - DeFranco Family

 

Pressed by the Columbia (Canada) plant in Don Mills, ON.

 

At #27 the week of November 10 for the first of two weeks, "Love Is Coming" by A Foot In Coldwater (#26 at CHUM). The following is the LP version, I can't find the 3:59 single edit.



B-side (also from their second LP)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNZqUQfoAsQ

 

And the US record label:

Slightly edited (slightly! - ha!), this appeared on the US iteration of the K-tel album Dynamic Sound (TU 235), along with another CanCon record yet to be heard from.

 

At #35 the week of November 10 for the first of two weeks, "Carpenter Of Wood" b/w "Get Yourself Some Sunshine" by Cliff Edwards (#5 on the Country chart, #14 on the Adult Contemporary chart)






Carpenter Of Wood would be the title of his second album (can be heard at link)
Edwards, Cliff - Carpenter of Wood

 

Probably my least favorite Anne Murray song. I strongly suspect that the record company pushed her to record this one.

 

Another Columbia Don Mills pressing. As apparently was this:

 

At #45 the week of November 10 for the first of two weeks, Bill King with "Give Me Love" b/w "Canada". Both sides charted, neither is on Youtube.



"Give Me Love" would be released in the U.S. as a promo paired with his first single "Goodbye Superdad"

 

At #51 the week of November 10 for the first of two weeks, Joey (no longer Gregarsh) Gregorash with "Liza". The A-side is not on Youtube but the B-side "Freedom Means Love" is. It was on his North Country Funk album two years earlier in a 3:30 form, the single version was 2:51, don't know if it's a re-recording or an edit.

 

At #83 the same week of November 10, F.L.A.G. with "Do-Do" b/w "I've Been Waiting", neither is on Youtube.



F.L.A.G. stood for Fullerton Little Agnello Group. The group was from Toronto, comprised of Grant Fullerton (Lighthouse), Pat Little (Luke and the Apostles, Chimo) and Joe Agnello (Leigh Ashford). This was the first release on the Taurus label, founded by future Rush manager Ray Danniels, which would last until 1977. Grant Fullerton would later chart with the band Fullerton Dam.

 

The only theory I can come to about why this song is not considered CanCon is some technicality regarding the fact that (a) their parents were immigrants, (b) they were minors, and (c) they were not residing in Canada at the time. It's still complex, though: the 1947 Citizenship Act is clear about birthright citizenship unless their parents were Italian ambassadors.

In short, I don't get it. I'd have gleefully included this song if it weren't for Gary & Dave pipping it.

 

Actually, that US issue has four Canadian songs on it, if you include the Incredible Bongo Band. That's not including future Torontonian Donny Osmond.

Of course, K-Tel itself was a Canadian entity. For which we should perhaps apologise to the world.

 

Thanks for the tip . . . but still . . . my own pressing's a Columbia, with Pitman label fonts. So that mitigates it a bit. But as some would say, not by much . . .

 

Right behind Gary & Dave at #2 the week of November 17, Wednesday with a re-make of J. Frank Wilson's "Last Kiss". It topped the charts in Vancouver (CKLG), Saint John NB, #3 in Ottawa, #5 in Winnipeg and #7 at CHUM. In the U.S. it reached #34 in Billboard, #45 in Cash Box and #33 in Music World. It was #1 in Chicago and Buffalo, #2 in Milwaukee, top five in Pittsburgh and making the top ten in San Francisco and Tulsa. It broke first at Windsor's CKLW, peaking #10 in October.



The B-side "Without You"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD3kvhBCgOE



German picture sleeves




Wednesday formed in Oshawa, they released their first single on Ampex in 1971, "Hang On Girl", here's the psychedelic B-side, "Velvet Colours"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1BsLuIcJvc

Wednesday Bio

 

Yay! Thus we have given the world Steppenwolf, Shirley Eikhart and Wednesday. And, like, some cars and stuff.

 

That was a jolt. I had completely forgotten that Wednesday track. Nice version.