It's the last new chart for February. What's going on 50 years ago today? February 22, 1969 Today marks the 50th anniversary of the launch of the final stage of the Tet Offensive. It will last until June 8 and figure prominently in President Nixon's decision to take the war into Cambodia. On Monday the … Continue reading New this week in ’69: February 22
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New this week in ’69: February 15
(Above: The top debut of the week.) February 15, 1969 Yesterday Pope Paul VI issued a document called Mysterii Paschalis. One of the things that it did was remove names from the Roman calendar of saints. Among them was Valentine, even though we still celebrate the saint today. Five days from now President Nixon will … Continue reading New this week in ’69: February 15
New this week in ’69: February 8
(Above: If you look up "groovy," you get this image.) February 8, 1969 The final issue of The Saturday Evening Post is published. It makes a brief return as an every-so-often magazine a year later. Tomorrow morning, a new airplane will make its maiden flight - a jumbo jet that Boeing has dubbed the 747. … Continue reading New this week in ’69: February 8
New this week in ’69: February 1
(Above: Tommy James and a blogger, March 2009.) Continuing on with our series - it's a new month, and there's new songs to write about that are turning 50. February 1, 1969 On this date President Nixon starts meeting with Secretary of State Henry Kissinger to plan talks with China. Andrew Brietbart, who founds the … Continue reading New this week in ’69: February 1
New this week in ’69: January 25
(It went to #2, because CCR never got to #1.) On this day in 1969, heavy rains in Southern California trigger mudslides that killed nine people. The winter storm system will take 95 lives in total and cause almost a billion dollars in damage in today's money. Albert Hammond was wrong. The following day Elvis … Continue reading New this week in ’69: January 25
New this week in ’69: January 18
(Above: It was a busy week in Washington.) January 18, 1969 The number 1 song in the country remains "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye. Born on that day: Wrestler/MMA fighter Dave Bautista. The next day, football star Junior Seau would be born. The following Monday, the 20th, Richard M. Nixon will … Continue reading New this week in ’69: January 18
New this week in ’69: January 11
(Above: Joe South tended to travel in triplicate.) There was positive response to the first installment in the "New this week in '69" series that started last week, so we'll continue. This is a weekly look at the new songs added to the Billboard Hot 100 exactly fifty years ago. A point of reference: a … Continue reading New this week in ’69: January 11
New this week in ’69: January 4
A lot of things will be turning 50 in 2019: the moon landing, the start of the Nixon presidency, the Chicago Cubs almost winning the pennant, the author of this blog... you get the idea. 1969 often gets overlooked in the retrospectives largely because of 1968 and the impact that that year had on American … Continue reading New this week in ’69: January 4
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