50 YEARS AGO: SEVEN WEEKS on the singles chart, “A Change Is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke peaked at No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100, week of March 6, 1965.
(source: Billboard)
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These were the record singles you bought in 1965. Many went on to become the most popular radio airplays heard on AM radio in Detroit, February 1965, on Top 40 WKNR, WXYZ, CKLW and easy-listening WJBK and conservative album-oriented WJR.
From the MCRFB news archive: 1968
Music Happenings In and Around Detroit Town 1967-1968
DETROIT — The Roostertail, Detroit’s largest nightclub, plans to devote one night a week to the 21 and under crowd. Disk jockey Robin Seymour will host the first “night for the young” Sunday (January 7) with four bands providing entertainment. Seymour has also taped a special New Year’s Eve TV show for CKLW Channel 9. Featured on that show will be Deon Jackson, Robert Knight, Bobbie Gentry, the Cowsills, and others . . . . Radio station WCHB hosted its annual Christmas stage show at the Fox Theater December 16, featuring Motown acts.
The annual Motor Town Revue ran for ten days (December 23-January 1). Gladys Knight and the Pips, the Marvelettes, Willie Tyler and Lester, and a new Motown group called Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers appeared for the ten-day run of the show. Stevie Wonder headlined the first five days, and Smokey Robinson and the Miracles headlined the last five shows . . . . Gino Washington and Merit Music Distributors have released Gino’s successful recording of “Gino Is A Coward” . . . .
The Utopias, released their first recording locally on the LaSalle label, titled, “Girls Are Against Me,” distributed by Solid Hitbounds Productions . . . . Brenda Holloway is in town to work on her next Motown recordings. END
(Information and news source: Billboard; January 6, 1968).
SOUL COAXIN’ * Raymond LeFevre Orchestra * WKNR (No. 26) 02/15/68
From the MCRFB news archive: 1983
’70s POP MUSIC ICON FOUND UNRESPONSIVE; DIES OF CARDIAC ARREST
LOS ANGELES — Karen Carpenter, one-half of the Carpenters, the top-pop duo of the 1970s, died Friday (February 4) of full cardiac arrest at Downey Community Hospital near here. Carpenter, 32, was taken to the hospital at 9:23 a.m. by her parents and brother Richard, and was pronounced dead at 9:51 a.m.
An autopsy is pending though it is known that Carpenter suffered from anorexia nervosa for which she was first hospitalized several years ago.
The Carpenters signed with A&M in 1969 and went on to cut 11 albums for the label, of which eight went gold. They also reached Billboard’s Hot 100 with all 28 of their singles releases, of which 10 went gold.
(Information and news source: Billboard; February 12, 1983).
From the MCRFB news archive: 1965
PARIS SLATED FOR MOTOWN U.K. TOUR; ADDED SCHEDULED STOP
LONDON — Tamla-Motown’s Motor Town Revue, besides 21 personal appearances in 24 days in England, has a show slated for the Olympia Music Hall in Paris on April 13.
A flock of new releases Friday (March 19) heralds the Motown in vasion of Britain. The Supremes’ “Stop! In The Name Of Love” was released for the first time in England and has been challenging for the top of the American chart. “Ooo, Baby Baby” by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles is being released as well as in the United States. A new record by Stevie Wonder, “Kiss Me Baby,” will also be released, but no definite date has been set.
Motown’s the Temptations, in England for a series of radio and television appearances, will release “It’s Growing” Friday (19). The group is not connected with the revue, but will appear on a TV spectacular, The Sound Of Tamla-Motown,” with revue stars. Dusty Springfield will only be the British star on the show.
The Supremes will also appear at the “Sunday Night At The London Palladium” TV show plus other TV/radio stints.
The Motor Town Revue package includes the Supremes, Martha and the Vandellas, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Stevie Wonder, and the Earl Van Dyke Sextet.
The U.K. Motor Town Revue Schedule
The Tamla-Motown schedule is: Astoria Hall, Finsbury Park, March 20. Odeon Hall, March 21; Colstone Hall, Bristol, March 23; Capitol Hall, Cardiff, March 24; Odeon Hall, Birmingham, March March 25; A.B.C., Kingston, March 26; Winter Gardens, Bournemouth, March 27; Odeon Hall, Leicester, March 28; Odeon Hall, Manchester; March 30; and Odeon Hall, Leeds, March 31.
Also scheduled: Odeon Hall, Glasgow, April 1; A.B.C., Stockton, April 2; City Hall, New Castle, April 3; Empire Hall, Liverpool, April 4; A.B.C., Luton, April 6; A.B.C., Chester, April 7; City Hall, Sheffield, April 8; A.B.C., Wigan, April 9; Gaumont, Wolverhampton, April 10; Gaumont, Ipswich, April 11; Guild Hall, Portsmouth, April 12; and Olympia Music Hall, April 13. END
(Information and news source: Billboard; March 20, 1965).
MCRFB NOTE: Above, a December 7, 1964 WKNR ‘PULSE’ ad which proclaimed how well WKNR knew it’s listeners outreach demographically throughout their broadcast day, here in Detroit, December, 1964.
MCRFB LINK: For an actual read of the 1965 WKNR PULSE report we have archived on Motor City Radio Flashbacks, you can find this rare Knorr/Patterson commissioned manuscript HERE.