#1 at KRUX/Phoenix: “Incense And Peppermints,” the psychedelic classic by the Strawberry Alarm Clock.
Skyrocketing from #25 to #4 is next week’s #1, “Daydream Believer” (written by soon-to-be Phoenix favorite John Stewart) and the very cool flip side “Goin’ Down” by the Monkees. Monkee Mike Nesmith wrote the hit debuting at #36: “Different Drum” by the Stone Poneys with lead vocal by Tucson native Linda Ronstadt — the record that kicked off her long and successful career.
Dropping from #2 to #5 is ? & The Mysterians (of “96 Tears” fame) with “Do Something To Me,” a hit in Phoenix but virtually nowhere else until the following year when Tommy James & The Shondells took it to the national top 40.
“Kentucky Woman,” written and performed by Neil Diamond, climbs to #23. A year later, Deep Purple would make this song a hit again with a more rockin’ version. Scott McKenzie is at #30 with the pensive “Like An Old Time Movie,” follow-up to his iconic hit “San Francisco (Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair).” Both songs were written and produced by John Phillips of the Mamas & Papas.
New at #40 is “Massachusetts,” the fourth hit in 1967 for the British-born Australian-raised Bee Gees, long before their disco incarnation. Their prior hit, the mournful “Holiday,” drops from #5 to #1o. Also debuting is “Neon Rainbow” (#39), the Box Tops’ change-of-pace follow-up to their former #1 hit “The Letter,” which drops to #11.
Among the 15 new songs listed as KRUX Klimbers are:
- “I Second That Emotion,” the soul classic by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles;
- “Too Much Of Nothing,” a Bob Dylan song by Peter, Paul & Mary and released before Dylan’s version;
- “Hello, Goodbye” and “I Am The Walrus” by the Beatles — a lightweight Paul McCartney song and a darker, surrealistic John Lennon composition, respectively;
- “Summer Rain” by Johnny Rivers, which mentions the Beatles‘ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band;
- “Wild Honey” by the Beach Boys, with kick-ass soulful vocals by Carl Wilson.
And finally, a very curious hit: “An Open Letter To My Teenage Son” (#17, up from #37), a corny spoken word record by Michigan radio DJ Victor Lundberg. It was a response to contentious issues of its time — some of which still have resonance now.