The New Christy Minstrels hit no. 14 with "Green, Green" in late July and no. 29 with "Saturday Night" in mid-Nov.
Roy Orbison added to his classic collection with "In Dreams"(no. 7, late Feb.), "Falling" (no. 22, late June), and a double-sided hit, "Mean Woman Blues" (a no. 5 smash in late Sept.)/backed by "Blue Bayou" (no. 29, mid-Oct).
It was also the year of Peter, Paul and Mary ( Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey, and Mary Travers) as the folk-singing trio had four top 40 hits. "Puff, The Magic Dragon" was a no. 2 smash on Mar. 30th, as was "Blowin' In The Wind" in mid-July. "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" was a no. 9 hit in very late Sept., and "Stewball" came in at no. 35 in very late Dec.
Instrumental star Lonnie Mack had a no. 5 smash with Memphis" in late June. "Wham!" was a no. 24 hit in late Sept.
Gene Pitney took "Half Heaven, Half Heartache" to no. 12 in early Jan. "Mecca" also peaked at no. 12 in mid-April. "True Love Never Runs Smooth" made no. 21 in early Aug., and "Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa" placed at no. 17 in mid-Nov.
"Walk Right In" by The Rooftop Singers was a no. 1 smash in mid-Jan. "Tom Cat" peaked at no. 20 in late April.
Bobby Rydell had three top 40 hits this year. "Butterfly Baby" peaked at no. 23 in late Feb., "Wildwood Days" made no. 17 on June 1st, and "Forget Him" returned the singer to the top 10 at no. 4 in early Dec. This would be his last top 40 hit.
Neil Sedaka's "Alice In Wonderland" made no. 17 in mid-Feb. "Let's Go Steady Again" peaked at no. 26 in mid-May. And "Bad Girl" peaked at no. 33 in early Dec. This would be his last top 40 hit until 1974.
Dee Dee Sharp had a no. 10 smash, "Do The Bird" in early March. "Wild!" hit at no. 33 in early Nov. This would be her last top 40 hit. Sharp later got a Ph.D in Psychology from Pennsylvania University and resurfaced briefly in the mid-'70s with a comback album, "Happy 'Bout The Whole Thing." (By now, she was married to Kenny Gamble.
Who's Kenny Gamble? Ever heard of Gamble and Huff? Gamble, along with partner Leon Huff, were the songwriting/producing team primarily responsible for the '70s Philadelphia Sound. Most of the hits by The O'Jays, The Stylistics, The Dramatics, Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes, Billy Paul, Teddy Pendergast, The Emotions and countless others were either written, co-written, or arranged and produced by these two. Gamble and Huff also wrote and produced for The Intruders, The Sapphires, and I think for Archie Bell and The Drells, and some of the later hits of Dusty Springfield, Jerry Butler, and Lou Rawls.
Roy Orbison added to his classic collection with "In Dreams"(no. 7, late Feb.), "Falling" (no. 22, late June), and a double-sided hit, "Mean Woman Blues" (a no. 5 smash in late Sept.)/backed by "Blue Bayou" (no. 29, mid-Oct).
It was also the year of Peter, Paul and Mary ( Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey, and Mary Travers) as the folk-singing trio had four top 40 hits. "Puff, The Magic Dragon" was a no. 2 smash on Mar. 30th, as was "Blowin' In The Wind" in mid-July. "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" was a no. 9 hit in very late Sept., and "Stewball" came in at no. 35 in very late Dec.
Instrumental star Lonnie Mack had a no. 5 smash with Memphis" in late June. "Wham!" was a no. 24 hit in late Sept.
Gene Pitney took "Half Heaven, Half Heartache" to no. 12 in early Jan. "Mecca" also peaked at no. 12 in mid-April. "True Love Never Runs Smooth" made no. 21 in early Aug., and "Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa" placed at no. 17 in mid-Nov.
"Walk Right In" by The Rooftop Singers was a no. 1 smash in mid-Jan. "Tom Cat" peaked at no. 20 in late April.
Bobby Rydell had three top 40 hits this year. "Butterfly Baby" peaked at no. 23 in late Feb., "Wildwood Days" made no. 17 on June 1st, and "Forget Him" returned the singer to the top 10 at no. 4 in early Dec. This would be his last top 40 hit.
Neil Sedaka's "Alice In Wonderland" made no. 17 in mid-Feb. "Let's Go Steady Again" peaked at no. 26 in mid-May. And "Bad Girl" peaked at no. 33 in early Dec. This would be his last top 40 hit until 1974.
Dee Dee Sharp had a no. 10 smash, "Do The Bird" in early March. "Wild!" hit at no. 33 in early Nov. This would be her last top 40 hit. Sharp later got a Ph.D in Psychology from Pennsylvania University and resurfaced briefly in the mid-'70s with a comback album, "Happy 'Bout The Whole Thing." (By now, she was married to Kenny Gamble.
Who's Kenny Gamble? Ever heard of Gamble and Huff? Gamble, along with partner Leon Huff, were the songwriting/producing team primarily responsible for the '70s Philadelphia Sound. Most of the hits by The O'Jays, The Stylistics, The Dramatics, Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes, Billy Paul, Teddy Pendergast, The Emotions and countless others were either written, co-written, or arranged and produced by these two. Gamble and Huff also wrote and produced for The Intruders, The Sapphires, and I think for Archie Bell and The Drells, and some of the later hits of Dusty Springfield, Jerry Butler, and Lou Rawls.
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