Friday, July 10, 2009

We GOT some satisfaction

Here were the top songs played on the Twin Cities' premier rock station KDWB on this week in 1965 (including record label and previous week's listing in the station's Fabulous 40 Survey):

1. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction, Rolling Stones (London) 3
2. Mr. Tambourine Man, The Byrds (Columbia) 1
3. Laurie, Dickie Lee (Hall) 4
4. Wooly Bully, Sam the Sham and Pharaohs (MGM) 2
5. Liar, Liar, Castaways (Soma) 9
6. Cryin' in the Chapel, Elvis Presley (RCA Victor) 6
7. I Can't Help Myself, Four Tops (Motown) 10
8. Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte, Patti Page (Columbia) 5
9. You Turn Me On, Ian Whitcomb (Tower) 8
10. Wonderful World, Herman's Hermits (MGM) 7

There was a day when AM radio was a glorious place to spend an afternoon, and that time was definitely 1965. If you were growing up in my region of the Midwest your dial was set to 630 during the day (in the evening, because of signal power, we switched to WLS in Chicago).

But the days belonged to KDWB. It played the best lineup of songs, had the hippest on-air personalities and maintained the strongest signal strength among big city stations beaming to my small hometown some 130 miles southeast of the Cities. Whether you were in your bedroom, bopping around in an older buddy's car or just hanging at the swimming pool, AM radio ruled the day.

And this was a significant week for radio play. "Satisfaction'' not only topped KDWB's "Fabulous 40'' Survey, it became the first Rolling Stones' single to reach No. 1 on the Billboard chart.
If I'm not mistaken, KDWB would not long after declare its Top 630 songs of all time and place "Satisfaction'' at the top.

(Thanks to oldiesloon.com for the poster of Hal Murray. He had left KDWB by '65 but the image was too crazy not to include here.)

1 comment:

  1. Keith wrote Satisfaction in Clearwater, they were staing at the Fort Harrison Hotel. THere needs to be a statue of the man - do you think the Scientologists will help?

    ReplyDelete