40 YEARS AGO - MARCH 1967

PLAY THE SHOW

I know it’s a matter of personal taste, so it would be difficult if not impossible to prove, but it is very possible that the Spring of 1967 was the very best era for pop music that we have ever seen. Usually, when compiling these shows, I need to play songs from the top ten, add a “bad hit” or two, and play a few album tracks to convey what pop musi8c was like during any given era. The highlight of the program (for me) consists of ‘debut tracks’, when I pick my favorite songs that debuted in that month. If I’m lucky, I’ll find two or three to highlight the best that radio had to offer at that time.
To put things in perspective, EVERY song from today’s show is a ‘debut track’. There are so many that we can’t even talk about the top 10, and forget about ‘bad hits’ – there aren’t any. Eleven classic singles debuted in March 1967, and these are only my own personal picks! Each of these songs has achieved legendary status, so to paraphrase one of the song titles, this show is dedicated to the pop songs I love. Next week, we’ll come back for a look at some of this era’s best album tracks.
Here are the songs featured in today’s show;
1) Jimmy Mack – Martha & the Vandellas
2) I Never Loved a Man (the Way I Love You) – Aretha Franklin
3) There’s a Kind of Hush – Herman’s Hermits
4) Bernadette – The Four Tops
5) I Think We’re Alone Now – Tommy James & the Shondells
6) A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You – The Monkees
7) Dedicated to the One I Love – The Mamas & the Papas
8) Happy Together – The Turtles
9) Somethin’ Stupid – Nancy and Frank Sinatra
10) Penny Lane – The Beatles
11) Strawberry Fields Forever – The Beatles