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

good tune, thought about it at the start of the thread and saw it was released too early for this wonderful discussion.

and The REEFERS? saints protect us all....

 

Everybody loves refrigerated trucks.....
and SCUBA diving....

 

It turns out that Ben Ghazi Enterprises is owned by Songs of Universal, Inc. now, and as such is listed in BMI's repertory, where the songwriters are listed as precisely who we'd guess they'd be all along: Mickey Baker and Sylvia Robinson (actually the listing is "S. Robinson"). BMI has fully 794 songs by Sylvia Robinson in their repertoire (partly because of current-day rappers sampling Sugar Hill classics).

Just to be a bit of a stickler, Sylvia was married to neither John nor Jay but Joe Robinson, who was her business partner in Sugar Hill Records. Joe Robinson Jr. was also involved in the company but has since passed away.

 

On April 25 the Bradfords are back, with "What Are You Doing To My Friend" b/w "Babette" (#18)

 

On May 2, peaking at #13 from Winnipeg are the Quid with "Crazy Things". It would be the first of two singles on Eagle Records (we'll get to the other one later). The B-side was an instrumental called "Merseyside" (by the "Quid", wink wink). The lead singer was Ron Rene ("and fade away/ like Ron Rene").

 

On May 16, peaking at #3, is "That's Why I Love You Like I Do" b/w "Little Dandelion" by Joey Hollingsworth. It would hit #27 on the Top 100. The A-side isn't on youtube, but the B-side is:





Joey Hollingsworth was from London, Ontario and was a true song-and-dance man. He was a world renowned tap dancer, appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show and with over 30 visits to Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. He started dancing professionally at the age of five, and his meeting with William "Bojangles" Robinson in 1946 while the latter was in town made the front page of the London Free Press. Here's a video of some of his career highlights:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzxZE1Q8sVs
(that late 60s hippie futuristic science fiction tap-dancing extravaganza looks intriguing)

He released an earlier single in 1959 for Sparton called "Yow! Are You Hungry, Baby?" b/w "All I Wanna Do Is Tap"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSqRoMsARIs



With Lenny Breau:

 

cool tune, is that a recording "wow" or are at least one guitars out of tune the whole song?

 

Also on May 16 (at #14) are Montreal's Rockatones with the moody garage rocker "For My Own". We had heard from them previously with "I'm A Man". They had released five previous singles on the Fontaine and Melbourne labels, this was the only one for London. They threw in the towel shortly after.
Rockatones (aka Rock-A-Tones)

 

"That's Why I Love You Like I Do" is a cover of a Roger Miller song, from Miller's 1964 Roger And Out album.

 

Yesterday I posted a video of Shirley Matthews singing "Big Town Boy" on Music Hop (introduced by Alex Trebek). The show's backing singers (Rhonda Miller, Dianne Miller and Stephanie Taylor) called themselves "The Girlfriends" and released a single "I Will" on the Cal label in 1964. The would be named RPM's "Top Female Vocal Group" strictly on the basis of their TV appearances. In 1966 they changed their name to "The Willows" and recorded "My Kinda Guy" in New York with the legendary Tom Wilson (arrangement by Benny Golson).





The song would peak at #3 on the Cross Canada Chart on May 23 and spend two weeks at ##15 on the big chart. They would release one more single, we'll get to that later.

 

On May 23, peaking at #4 (#33 on the big chart), are the Liverpool Set with "Oh Gee Girl"

 

The Liverpool Set would release one more 45, the fuzzed out classic "Seventeen Tears To The End". It would not chart, and the group was no more.

 

Peaking at #9 on May 23, from Edmonton, it's the King-Beezz with "She Belongs To Me" b/w "Gloria"





The record was originally released in September of 1965 on the tiny Pace label in Edmonton. From the Ugly Things article:
The King Beezz, History

"Gloria" would make it to #75 on the Top 100.

 

Here's "Gloria". We'll hear more from the King Beezz later.

 

On May 30, at #5 (making it to #37 on the big chart) is "A Bit Of Love" b/w "You're Breaking My Heart Little Girl" from Kitchener's own Jimmy Dybold. Neither side is on youtube. Here's some of the promotion from Red Leaf, interesting to see the phrase "country rock" in 1966:



We'll be hearing more from Jimmy later (literally: it's on youtube).

 

Poor Jimmy wasn't available for many photo shoots, it seems. Or perhaps he only possessed the one outfit.

Neither of those would fully explain that vector-doodle illustration on the fourth ad, complete with... a broken column... and... a mammoth piece of seaweed?

 

It's something new...and different.

 

Both sides of the single give the writer's name as "Hambleton". I assume that is Greg Hambleton, alias Greg Hamon.

 

That sounds really good. The only CD I know of with this song is the unauthorized Wylde Canada Vol. 6, on which it does not sound anywhere near as good as this.

 

What a great song! Both sides of the Willows single are on SuperOldies Canada Rock Archives Volume 1.

Both sides of the Quid single are on SuperOldies Best Of Eagle Records.

And as previously, mentioned they have also issued all of Barry Allen's Clovis recordings.

 

Clear the Track (Again), Here Come the Secrets
At #18 on May 30 are Toronto's Secrets with the follow-up to "Clear The Track (Here Comes Shack)". Now signed to Arc records, the new release would be "Cryin' Over Her" b/w "He Treats You Bad":





We'll hear from them later after they've changed their name to the Quite Jungle.

 

Yes, he would write the following single too.

 

We must not overlook that, starting on May 16, 1966, for three weeks the #1 song on the RPM chart featured the lead vocals of Haligonian Denny Doherty. Come to think of it, "Monday, Monday" may well be the biggest hit of the sixties on which a Canadian sings lead.