this day in history: First #1 Billboard R&B Tune in America, January 1965 - 07/29/11 03:15 AM
When those of us who lived through the 1960's think about the music of the era, we tend to think of the British Invasion. That was, certainly, a major influence. But right here, in the USA, the performers who were competing the best with the Brits were the soul or R&B artists. Detroit was the dominant force in American music. The motor city was making vinyl along with cars.

One of the most long enduring, and best ever, of the soul hits topped the R&B charts at the end of January 1965. It hit #1 on the pop charts a month later, in … (7 comments)

this day in history: #1 Song in America, Summer of 1966 - 07/28/11 09:17 AM
 I remember oh so well the summer of  1966. That was the year that I first started paying attention to music and the radio. Prior to that time, about the only exposure I had to music was my folks watching Lawrence Welk or Sing-A-Long with Mitch Miller. I much preferred Friday Night at the Fights to those fuddy-duddy music shows.
Then, in February 1966, I walked past disc jockey Kirk Wilde, who was on-site at a KPUG remote broadcast in downtown Bellingham. From that point forward, this Bellingham kid  listened exclusively to pop and rock music---they were pretty much synonymous with one … (8 comments)

this day in history: #1 Single 45 Years Ago, Jul 30, 1966 - 07/26/11 05:19 AM
It was 1966, the center of the universe in the United States was San Francisco.  Many new music groups were forming in the bay area.

But, despite the excitement in the USA, and the words "hippie" and "flower power" the bands from the U.K. were ruling the record charts in the United States.
The music critics rate the rock music of the mid-60's as the best of the best. Creativity was at an all time high. Rock music was getting sophisticated and many tricks were being used in the recording studio to create sounds that were hard for bands to duplicate in their … (9 comments)

this day in history: #1 Hit In America 38 Years Ago, 1973 - 07/24/11 01:09 PM
Some time ago, Kristin Johnston, a member here at Active Rain, said that she would like to see a music post in this series that referenced the year in which she was born, 1973. Well, being an old radio guy, of course I do requests.
Remembering back to 1973, the blockbuster movie of the day was Serpico. It was a crooked cops and crime movie that introduced most of us to the young actor, Al Pacino.

In the 1970's, it was prior to the advent of compact discs, we were still buying vinyl (45's and 33's) and spinning our hot wax.
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this day in history: #1 Song In America, 42 Years Ago, The Day Armstrong Walked On The Moon - 07/23/11 09:07 AM
 Those were the good times -- the 1960's. Rock and pop music was just about as good as it would get  -- ever. Between the artists from England and the bands and solo artists in the United States, the 60's were full of hot wax and spinning vinyl. 

The 1960's produced innovative sounds and huge hits that are still played on the radio today, 50 years later.

I remember well, the day of July 20, 1969.  I was, with my family, driving from Saskatchewan, Canada back to Bellingham.  We were on the road, listening to the radio the whole … (9 comments)

this day in history: #1 Radio Hit Single In America: The Day The President Died - 07/22/11 02:29 AM
Music that is popular at a given time and place helps us form indelible memories. Much of that music, and the events that were memorable for me, came from what was popular on the radio. In the course of a lifetime, there are historic moments that will be remembered until a person's dying day. In my lifetime perhaps the oldest and most prominent event was the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963.
I was in 6th grade at Parkview Elementary in Bellingham. The news reached us during our lunch break. We were stunned, many teachers and students sobbed. The public was thinking … (7 comments)

this day in history: 78 Minute Summer -- Poof And It Was Gone! - 07/21/11 12:29 PM
The Pacific Northwest made the national news today. I was listening to the radio, network news, and one of the major stories, right after a piece describing the heat wave in other parts of the nation, was a story that involved the lousy year we are having in western Washington.
If you live on the west side of the mountains, nobody has to tell you, or remind you, of the cold year we are having. In the course of doing home inspections, many a week, I have only taken my sweatshirt off two or three times. And, unusual, my wife and I have … (15 comments)

this day in history: #1 Album In America, July 1964, 47 Years Ago - 07/19/11 01:52 AM
President Kennedy had been killed the previous year, 1963. By July 1964, Lyndon B. Johnson was fully ensconced in office and his term would be among the most controversial in U.S. history, largely based on the country's direction, and his leadership during the Vietnam War.
 
Vinyl was still king and kids were buying their favorite tunes as 45's and as albums.
 
Top 40 radio was at it's peak and the band that had the #1 album in the country, come the dwindling days of July 1964, was one of the most famous bands, maybe the most famous of all, in recording … (8 comments)

this day in history: #1 Single In America, July 1964, 47 years ago - 07/17/11 02:13 PM
One of the groups that has been classified as, perhaps, the most all-American of all singing groups, had a #1 single for two weeks in July 1964. The song hit the #1 slot on July 4th and it stayed there for two weeks.  As a result of the British Invasion, the single had the distinction of being the first #1 hit on the U.S. charts by an American "boy" band in eight months.
The band had formed in high school as Carl and the Passions, from there the name changed to the Pendletons. Needless to say, the numerous tracks of "hot … (8 comments)

this day in history: First Ever Gold Record -- Booming Back to 1958 - 07/16/11 02:42 PM
Let's face it, the entertainment and music industries are fueled by hype and excitement--heightening people's expectations sells merchandise.
By the late 1950's, to generate record sales and with no strict rules or guidelines in effect, the record labels were, at will, awarding gold records to their artists. The result was that the false hype sold more records. At one point the labels were shipping out what they claimed to be records that were "gold on delivery." The dishonest part of that distribution system was that many of those discs did not sell well and they ended up coming back to the record companies as … (8 comments)

this day in history: #1 in America, July 1966 -- 45 Years Ago This Month - 07/12/11 04:26 AM
 The artist who had the #1 hit in the country in July 1966, 45 years ago, had an incredible chart life. His hits spanned -- first hit charted to last hit charted -- over 40 years.
The artist had the distinction of being the vocalist on the first ever #1 hit single which was listed on Billboard magazines first ever singles chart, back in July 1940.  His last hit came out in July 1980 and, if you watch baseball, you hear it fairly often when the Yankees win.
This guy had a hot daughter who looked good in go-go attire and she … (7 comments)

this day in history: Well, It Was 44 Years Ago Today -- #1 Album In America, July 1967 - 07/10/11 03:58 PM
One of the most anticipated and famous albums in recording lore went to the top of the album charts in the USA on July 1, 1967. This is considered to be, historically and creatively, one the most significant albums ever recorded. The album,  by the most popular super-group in all of recording history, was a smash during the summer of love.

Here was an unusual fact: Not one cut on the album had been released as a single in the USA or Great Britain. Usually, to pump-up album sales, the record companies and promoters put a hit single or two into the … (9 comments)

this day in history: Signature Song -- Remembering The Summer of 1967 - 07/08/11 02:36 AM

There is one song, more so than any other one I can think of, that takes me back to the summer of 1967. Those of us who did not live in California were hearing about the summer of love and the hippies. Even on the outskirts of the real action -- we were not having love-ins up here -- we saw tie-dyed shirts and psychedelic hippie art.

The center of the universe, for pop culture, was Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco.

Many of the top acts of the psychedelic-rock era hailed from, or formed in, the bay area -- Jefferson … (10 comments)

this day in history: #1 Album In America -- 55 Years Ago Today - 07/06/11 03:26 AM
A bit of history was made between May and July 1956. It was the first time that an album, defined as rock 'n' roll, topped the album charts in the United States.
The other oddity about the RCA album was that it did not include any of the artists big single hits, one of which had been released only two months prior to the album. I was only four years old when this album was released. So I do not remember it, other than the songs as oldies. But I still remember remnants of the era. For example, my dad had a green Hudson Hornet and … (13 comments)

this day in history: Americana -- The Day Pearl Harbor Was Attacked - 07/03/11 02:10 PM
In the course of every person's life,  for every generation, there are historic moments that will be remembered until your dying day. In my lifetime, those events would be (1) JFK assassination (2) Challenger explosion (3) Oklahoma federal building bombing (4) 9/11 attacks.
The shocking nature of such events is frozen in time in the memory. I remember exactly where I was, what I was doing, who I was with, when each of those shocking events unfolded. I remember the TV shows I had been watching, the songs that were playing on the radio.
Those are the moments that I remember, based … (7 comments)

this day in history: This Day In History -- Number One Album In America 45 Years Ago - 07/02/11 03:03 AM
In May through July 1966, the top album in America, for 9 non-consecutive weeks, was by one of the most successful musicians in the history of recording. And, as a side note, he is still performing today with his wife and tends to visit Jazz Alley, in Seattle, every year or two. I will show you a more recent photo, we will see if this provides you with a clue. His wife was the lead singer of another 60's group. Brazil 66. Here is another clue, a short time back he gave UCLA millions of dollars and they named the music school … (11 comments)

this day in history: This Day In History -- #1 on the R&B Charts - 06/29/11 03:05 AM
The year was 1967. It was a year of outstanding achievements and great artistry. Andy Warhol created "Marilyn Monroe in hot pink" which is one of the most recognized images of the enduring sex pot.

Also, in 1967, a monster hit was born. It is today one of the most popular and the most played of the classic oldies. The tune had been written and recorded by Otis Redding two years before. He had a respectable showing on the R&B charts but the record never made it on the pop charts.
Enter a young woman who recorded this same tune with … (10 comments)

this day in history: This Day In History -- #1 With A Bullet 45 Years Ago - 06/27/11 03:04 AM
Forty-five years ago today, the song that was perched at #1 on the singles chart was by a British super group. In fact, this song just happened to knock that "other" British super group off the top of the charts. The British Invasion had been underway for several years at this point and the redcoats were dominating the U.S. music charts in 1966.

This hit song had a distinction --  in a single week, in a single leap, it rose from #15 to #1. The only other song that had done better, jumped higher, was a prior song from this same … (11 comments)

this day in history: This Day In History -- Top Album In America 47 Years Ago - 06/26/11 11:05 AM
It was June 1964, barely six months since President John F. Kennedy had been killed.

One of the hottest cars in the country was the 1964 Pontiac GTO.

And an old man, figuratively speaking, was sitting at the top of the hit album charts. 47 years ago today, the top album in the country was not by the boy super groups from across the ocean. The top album on the Billboard charts, for the period from June 13 until the end of July, was by an old timer. The artist had made his recording debut, as a sideman, 41 years before hitting #1.
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this day in history: From England With Attitude -- 45 Years Ago Today - 06/21/11 04:49 PM
The year was 1966. What was happening in San Francisco was in the news all over the world.
 
There were new words "hippie" and "flower power".

Some music critics claim that rock music was at its best in those years -- that it would never be better than the music that was created by the artists of the mid to late 1960's. The band that held the #1 position for that two week period in mid-June 1966 was from the other side of the ocean.
The guys in this band were known as that "other" super group from England. Despite their European … (7 comments)

 
Steven L. Smith, Bellingham WA Home Inspector (King of the House Home Inspection, Inc.)

Steven L. Smith

Bellingham WA Home Inspector

Bellingham, WA

More about me…

King of the House Home Inspection, Inc.

Address: 1609 East Maplewood Ave, Bellingham, WA, 98225

Office: (360) 319-0038

Mobile: (360) 319-0038

Steven L. Smith, King of the House Home Inspection, provides information for real estate buyers, sellers and real estate industry professionals. Blog posts emphasize issues commonly found in Bellingham, WA and Whatcom County. Smith is Washington State Licensed Home Inspector #207, a state licensed structural pest inspector, ASHI certified inspector #252760 and one of the most experienced inspectors in the northwest corner of the Pacific Northwest. Steven L. Smith is lead instructor of home inspection at Bellingham Technical College and teaches classes for Washington State University and the Washington State Department of Agriculture. Steve was a two-term member of the state licensing board.


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