Released February 21, “Gotta Hold On To This Feeling” peaked at #21 (charted 10 total weeks overall) on the Billboard Top Pop Singles charts in 1970. This week on Billboard (week-ending March 28; 6 weeks on the charts), climbs to #21.
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Released February 28, “Gotta Hold On To This Feeling” peaked at #2 (2 weeks; charted 10 total weeks overall) on the Billboard Top R&B Singles charts in 1970. B-side: “Clinging To The Thought That She’s Coming Back”
SOUL 35070 Source: Billboard Top Pop Singles and Billboard Top R&B Singles
Released March 14, “Get Ready” peaked at #4 (charted 20 total weeks overall) on the Billboard Top Pop Singles charts in 1970. This week on Billboard (week-ending March 28; 3 weeks on the charts), climbing up to #61.
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Released May 2, “Get Ready” peaked at #20 (charted 5 total weeks overall) on the Billboard Top R&B Singles charts in 1970. B-side: “Magic Key”
RARE EARTH 5012 Source: Billboard Top Pop Singles and Billboard Top R&B Singles
Released March 21, “You Need Love Like I Do (Don’t You)” peaked at #25 (charted 8 total weeks overall) on the Billboard Top Pop Singles charts in 1970. This week on Billboard (week-ending March 28; 2 weeks on the charts), climbing up to #41.
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Released April 4, “You Need Love Like I Do (Don’t You)” peaked at #3 (3 weeks; charted 10 total weeks overall) on the Billboard Top R&B Singles charts in 1970. B-side: “You’re My Everything”
SOUL 35071 Source: Billboard Top Pop Singles and Billboard Top R&B Singles
Note: This featured WHFI audio aircheck is courtesy of Bob Pratt, Farmington Hills, MI. Having been archived in our aircheck repository for several years, the aircheck audio was digitally restored yesterday.
You will note this (classic and rare!) WHFI Tom Clay aircheck now sounds better than it ever sounded before. It is today’s aircheck feature for the week.
After 8 years, 19 weeks, and 435 official WKNR surveys having been published since the November 7, 1963 premiere, this is, by all accounts, the last official music guide (03/20/1972) the legendary Detroit radio station published before WKNR changed it’s call letters and music format to WNIC in April of 1972.
A reliable music source and collector informed this site that the station, in essence, had publish one more chart, dated March 27, 1972 (which the collector is still in search of). Throughout the years having passed we’ve yet to see of such chart — anywhere — if such chart is known to exist, to this day.
One month after issuance of this chart, WKNR became the former. The station gave birth to a new Detroit radio sound on a Tuesday morning, April 25, 1972.
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The above WKNR chart was digitally restored by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
ON YOUR PC? To fully appreciate this WKNR Music Guide for the week of March20, 1972 chart feature click on image 2x and open to second window. Click image anytime to return to NORMAL image size.
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ON YOUR MOBILE DEVICE? Tap over WKNR chart image. Open to second window. “Stretch” image across your device screen to magnify for largest print view.
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A sincere thank you, Mrs. Patti Griggs. This featured presentation would have not been possible without your generosity, dedication, and your continuous support.
Above WKNR music chart courtesy of Mrs. Patti Griggs and the George L. Griggs estate.
Compiled by the Music Popularity Chart Dept. of Billboard, from national retail store and one-stop sales reports, and radio airplay reports.
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March 1
Clay Shaw, the only person ever indicted for conspiracy in the assassination of John F. Kennedy, was acquitted of all charges by a jury in New Orleans. The jury deliberated for only 55 minutes and concluded that Garrison had not proven his case.
March 2 — Eleven spectators at a dragstrip track were killed, and more than 40 others injured, when one of the race cars went out of control at a speed of 180 miles (290 km) per hour.
March 3
In a Los Angeles court, Sirhan Sirhan admits that he killed presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy.
Apollo program: NASA launches Apollo 9 (James McDivitt, David Scott, Rusty Schweickart) to test the Apollo Lunar Module.
March 4 – Arrest warrants are issued by a Florida court for Jim Morrison on charges of indecent exposure during a Doors concert three days earlier.
March 10 – In Memphis, Tennessee, James Earl Ray pleads guilty to assassinating Martin Luther King Jr. (he later retracts his guilty plea).
The United States Navy establishes the Navy Fighter Weapons School (also known as Top Gun) at Naval Air Station Miramar.
The novel The Godfather by Mario Puzo is first distributed to booksellers by the publisher G. P. Putnam’s Sons.
March 13 – Apollo program: Apollo 9 returns safely to Earth after testing the Lunar Module.
March 18 – Operation Breakfast, the covert bombing of Cambodia by U.S. planes, begins.
March 28 – Former United States General and President Dwight D. Eisenhower dies after a long illness in the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C.
Source Credit: 1969 (March) WiKipedia
ON YOUR PC? To fully appreciate this Billboard Hot 100 (week-ending) March 22, 1969 chart feature click on image 2x and open to second window. Click image anytime to return to NORMAL image size.
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LOS ANGELES — The MCA and Motown labels have settled their nearly 2-year-old legal battle. As a result, investment firm Boston Ventures, which already owns most of Motown, will purchase MCA’s approximate 18% interest in Motown and the pending lawsuit between MCA and Poly-Gram likely will be resolved.
The settlement was announced March 23 in a one-paragraph press release issued jointly by MCA and Motown stating that “all claims alleged in the various lawsuits will be dismissed.”
As part of the settlement, Motown, MCA, and Boston Ventures have agreed not to comment on the settlement. According to sources, the settlement is significant because it cuts Motown loose from ties to MCA. Boston Ventures’ plans to purchase MCA’s share of Motown will mean the label once again will be owned by non-warring parties. Boston Ventures already owns 70% of Motown. A partnership of Motown management and artists own the other 12%.
Losing Motown is a major blow to MCA’s Uni Distribution Corp., which counts global expansion as a key goal, and Motown’s deep and valuable catalog would likely further that cause.
According to published reports, Boston Ventures may have paid as much as $60 million for MCA’s 18% stake in Motown. But sources close to the deal claim that figure is “wildly inflated,” pointing out that Motown founder Berry Gordy sold the label, which was once one of the largest black-owned companies in the U.S., for $61 million in June 1988.
However, the subsequent sales of Geffen Records, for approximately $650 million, and of Virgin for $900 million, drove up the market value of labels. The reported $60 million for the 18% stake in Motown suggests that the label is now worth close to $300 million, which is in line with current market prices.
The Motown-MCA battle dates back to May 1991, when Motown sued MCA over the handling of Motown’s promotion and distribution. The suit alleged MCA “has consistently undermined the effort to rebuild Motown” (Billboard, May 25, 1991).
In response, MCA claimed Boston Ventures was attempting to use the suit as a tool to renegotiate the Motown- MCA distribution deal. Within weeks, MCA issued a cross-complaint against Boston Ventures and Motown (Billboard, June 8, 1991).
In late 1991, after Motown announced it would sever its ties with MCA Music Entertainment, the label announced it had signed new domestic and foreign distribution pacts with PolyGram Group Distribution (Billboard, Oct. 5 and Nov. 16, 1991).
MCA’s Uni Distribution responded by discounting Motown product, and a month later filed a suit against Poly-Gram for pacting with Motown while the label was still bound to Uni (Billboard, Nov. 23, 1991).
Insiders speculate Poly-Gram eventually will purchase an interest in the label from Boston Ventures. A Poly-Gram spokesperson termed such talk “just speculation.”
MCA had distributed Motown product since July 1983, when the companies signed a 10-year agreement with two five-year options. END
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Credit source information (as published): Billboard, April 3, 1993
A MCRFB Note: For a previous Billboard Motown-related article published on this site previously — in addition to this story — GO HERE
NEW! The featured CKLW audio aircheck is courtesy of Michael Lockhart, Ferndale, MI. Thank You! Michael recently donated this (60 year-old) CKLW audio memory for the site’s aircheck repository.
Audio recording was digitally enhanced by Motor City Radio Flashbacks
The Detroit Free Press The day’s morning headlines. Wednesday, November 20, 1963
Released February 21, “Gotta Hold On To This Feeling” peaked at #21 (charted 10 total weeks overall) on the Billboard Top Pop Singles charts in 1970. This week on Billboard (week-ending March 28; 6 weeks on the charts), climbs to #21.
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