My First Music Survey

Back in October, I posted about some of my early record collecting and referred to a local radio station survey that I couldn't find. Well, I found it recently and here it is. It's from December 1966 (a week or 2 before Christmas), and as I said earlier, it got me started on buying records.

WFIL was one of the two AM radio stations in Philadelphia that played rock and roll in the 1960s. They had only switched to that format in September 1966, and had soon overtaken WIBG (which had been playing rock since the late 1950s) for the #1 spot.

Unlike their normal bi-fold survey with the record list on the inside, this one was a tri-fold, due to the seasonal design on the inside.

Of the records on this list, I had "I'm a Believer" (#2), "Good Vibrations" (#9), "Lady Godiva" (#22), and (for reasons unknown to me now) "Hey Leroy" (Future Hit #2).

It's interesting to note that #38 is "Gallant Men" by then-US Senator Everett Dirksen.  I assume it was a Vietnam-era tribute song/spoken-word thing to the troops.

The inside features the 6 weekday disc jockeys, each in their own ornament. Perhaps the most well-known was George Michael, who by the early 1970s had moved on to WABC in New York City (replacing Cousin Brucie), and later had a syndicated weekend sports wrap-up show on TV, named "George Michael's Sports Machine".

Fifty Years Ago This Month: February 1964

Here come the Beatles!

Music: 
After months of #1 songs from the likes of The Singing Nun and Bobby Vinton, the Beatles' fifth single "I Want To Hold Your Hand" was the #1 song for all 5 weeks in February. In fact, it remained at #1 until mid-March, when it was overtaken by "She Loves You" (which was the #2 song for the last 2 weeks of February).

2/9 - The Beatles make their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show.
2/11 - The Beatles play their first US concert - in Washington DC.


News: 
In addition to all the Beatles' hoopla:
2/2 - GI Joe toy is introduced
2/24 - Muhammed Ali defeats Sonny Liston for the heavyweight boxing crown


Movies: 
No new movies were released this month.


Births: 
2/05 - Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan
2/10 - TV talk show host Glenn Beck
2/11 - politician Sarah Palin
2/11 - singer Sheryl Crow
2/15 - actor Chris Farley
2/18 - actor Matt Dillon
2/20 - actor French Stewart


Deaths: 
2/15 - Chicago Cubs' 2nd baseman Ken Hubbs (plane crash at age 22)