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

At #6 the week of June 30, Montreal's The Sceptres with "Good Morning New Day" b/w "Walk Hand In Hand".



Here's the B-side
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEfsyWUsM-0

"Good Morning New Day" was originally rleased by the Coronados in 1968:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jK2urH42Gm4
The Spiral Starecase would record a version of it that would be unreleased at the time:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vt5T_pyNxs

The Sceptres would pack it up within a year, but lead singer Marty Butler would find some success with a solo career later.
The Sceptres

 

One of the earliest releases on U.S. Polydor after its establishment in mid-1969:

I have a copy - at least, I think I do - but a promo.

 

And the US label (which likewise f'd up co-writer Harvey Fuqua's surname):

 

Interesting thing about the songwriting credits is that Freed actually co-wrote the song, as opposed to... well, you know.

 

Oh, I get it. No other explanation needed.

 

At #7 on the CanCon chart the week of June 30, the Collectors with "Early Morning". It would peak at #84 two weeks later (#15 on Vancouver's CKLG). It was released on New Syndrome in Canada, Warner Bros. in the U.S. and with a picture sleeve in Italy.







The B-side "My Love Delights Me"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjsN20XpxB0

Both sides of the single came from their second LP, Grass And Wild Strawberries, released earlier in February.
The album was something different, a collaboration between the band and Vancouver playwright George Ryga.



Liner Notes for the Collectors' "Grass & Wild Strawberries"

 

Here's the Collectors playing a few songs from the album on the April 11 edition of Where It's At:



After a short U.S. tour, Wild Grass And Strawberries would debut at Vancouver's Playhouse Theatre on April 9 and last until May 3. Within days, lead singer Howie Vickers would shock their fans by leaving the group. His final concert with the group was at "Zonk" on May 30 where the band would play with the Vancouver Symphony. The Howie-less group would re-emerge at the Cave nightclub two weeks later.

 

What's with all the disappearing images? Sometimes there is a little black x, but on the previous page, a blue block...

 

It unfortunately looks like my old image host has deleted all my images

 

The single version is about 15 seconds longer, a rare example of a single version being longer than the album version:

 

On the June 30, 1969, RPM 100, "Good Morning Starshine" by Oliver moved into the #1 spot. Here's Galt MacDermot leading a four-piece jazz ensemble in an instrumental version from MacDermott's 1969 Hair Cuts album:

 

Oliver was bumped out of the #1 spot by Blood, Sweat & Tear's "Spinning Wheel", a song whose origin was discussed many pages ago. Here's the mono single version:

 

Over on the RPM country chart, starting on June 9, 1969, there were three consecutive CanCon #1's (two by Canadian acts and one written by some dude from Orillia).

The first was "Who Drinks My Beer When I'm Gone" by The Mercey Brothers:

 

The following week, The Mercey Brothers were knocked out of the #1 country spot by Lucille Starr's "Cajun Love". Co-written by Starr and her husband, Bob Regan, the single was also released in the U.S. but did not chart. Like Ms Starr's most famous tune, this one was also sung partly in French.

 

And here's the U.S. label, from Pitman, NJ:

There is a stereo mix of the 45 edit/mix. The guitar solo was on only one channel. Ditto for the piano note that started the 45 edit/mix.

Believe it or don't, I have that stereo promo . . .

 

Reminds me of The Outer Limits : "We are controlling transmission. If we wish to make it louder, we will bring up the volume. If we wish to make it softer, we will tune it to a whisper. We will control the horizontal. We will control the vertical. We can roll the image, make it flutter. We can change the focus to a soft blur, or sharpen it to crystal clarity."

Or : We'll just abandon you...

 

After one week at the top of the RPM country chart, Lucille Starr was dethroned by Connie Smith's version of Gordon Lightfoot's "Ribbon Of Darkness". It peaked at #13 on the Billboard country chart.



Here's a live performance of the song by Connie, which I'm only posting because she mentions in her intro that she was encouraged to come to Nashville by my close personal friend, Bill Anderson (who wrote Connie's first and biggest hit, "Once A Day"):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RL4-6Kc853A

 

A few observations about Hair Cuts:

• Its label, Kilmarnock, was MacDermot's own vanity label. It still exists today, but 95% of everything it's ever released has been released under MacDermot's own name. The label claimed to have offices in New York and Montréal.
• It was recorded live in concert at Carleton University for the CBC.
• The quartet includes some very accomplished jazz musicians: Jimmy Lewis, who was 50 at the time, had worked with Count Basie going back to 1952. His sessions as a sideman include dozens of jazz greats, but also Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Wilson Pickett (and David Clayton-Thomas in 1972!). Idris Muhammad is on Fats Domino's "Blueberry Hill" and also dozens of jazz greats' sessions. He also recorded about a dozen albums as frontman. Both also appear on one of my personal favourite jazz albums, Grant Green's Carryin' On. All four of these performers were part of the Broadway production of Hair, which was probably one hell of a steady paycheque for journeyman jazz musicians.
• It has one of the very worst album covers I've ever seen.

 

MacDermot also did the same thing (with bigger bands) in 1968 with Hair Pieces and in 1970 with Galt MacDermot's First National Hair Band.

 

I just noticed this thread, sorry for the lateness of this post. Been reading along and I noticed that it's my video in the post! Haha, well, anyway, Little Caesar et al also did a nice version of "You've Really Got A Hold On Me", did it make number 1 also in this chart? If so, I may get to my video of that shortly lol. Great thread by the way,

 

Well, welcome to the thread and thanks for your involuntary contribution! And the answer to your question is "yes". Follow through the thread and you'll see it soon enough. We're on 1969 now.

 

Collection of Collectors articles:

 

Howie splits!

 

At #8 the same week of June 30, also on New Syndrome/ Warner Bros., Tom Northcott with "Make Me An Island" b/w "High Hope". It would come with a picture sleeve in Germany.





The B-side:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyspHOa4uZA



"Make Me An Island" was released in the U.K. on May 9; the same day Pye put out a competing version by Ireland's Joe Dolan. Dolan would make it to #3 in Britain and was a smash all over Europe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drkVazS8yUI



Still more to come from Tom.