January 19, 2008

50 years ago
1958

On television tonight
Alfred Hitchcock Presents on CBS
Tonight's episode: Sylvia

40 years ago
1968

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Hello Goodbye--The Beatles

Edmonton's top 10
1 Bottle of Wine--The Fireballs
2 Judy in Disguise (With Glasses)--John Fred and his Playboy Band
3 Dear Eloise--The Hollies
4 Jezebel--The Witness Inc.
5 Hello Goodbye--The Beatles
6 Daydream Believer--The Monkees
7 Next Plane to London--The Rose Garden
8 Different Drum--Stone Poneys
9 Monterey--Eric Burdon and the Animals
10 Woman, Woman--The Union Gap
Pick hit of the Week: New Orleans--Neil Diamond
New this week: Sunday Mornin'--Spanky and Our Gang
Quicksand--The Youngbloods
My What a Shame--Dino, Desi, and Billy
You--Marvin Gaye
And Get Away--The Esquires

The B-side of Sunday Mornin', titled Echoes, is the Fred Neil composition that became a huge hit for Harry Nilsson under the title Everybody's Talkin'. Nilsson's version was originally released in the late summer of 1968, but didn't become a big hit until a year later, after it was used in the movie Midnight Cowboy.

Died on this date
Ray Harroun, 89. U.S. auto racer. He won the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911 with an average speed of 74.6 miles per hour. It took him about 6 hours and 42 minutes to complete the race, driving a Marmon of his own design. In those days, race cars carried a mechanic seated behind the driver, but Mr. Harroun's Marmon replaced the mechanic with a rear-view mirror. Mr. Harroun had retired after winning the AAA championship in 1910, but came out of retirement for this race only.

30 years ago
1978

Politics and government
U.S. President Jimmy Carter delivered his first State of the Union address, in which he called for a $25 billion tax cut, Senate ratification of the Panama Canal treaties, creation of a federal department of education, and a strong energy bill.

Journalism
Hal Walker, retiring after 12 years as sports editor of The Calgary Herald, wrote his last column. He came to Calgary in 1966 after many years in Toronto. He was particularly known for his coverage of the Canadian Football League.

Baseball
Eddie Mathews, who hit 512 home runs in a 17-year major league career, was the only player elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in the 1978 vote of the Baseball Writers Association of America. Mr. Mathews was the only man to play for the Boston, Milwaukee, and Atlanta Braves. The third baseman played in the World Series of 1957 and 1958 (the Braves won in 1957), and finished his career as a backup with the Detroit Tigers' World Series championship team of 1968. Mr. Mathews' best season was probably 1953, the Braves' first season in Milwaukee. He led the National League in home runs with 47, with 135 runs batted in (second in the NL), 110 runs scored, and 99 bases on balls (fourth in the league). He batted .302 that year, and his slugging percentage of .627 was second best in the NL. Mr. Mathews also led the National League in home runs in 1959 with 46.

25 years ago
1983

Died on this date
Don Costa, 57. U.S. conductor and arranger for many hit recordings of Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, and others. He also had his own record label, DCP.

10 years ago
1998

Died on this date
Carl Perkins, 65. U.S. musician. Mr. Perkins was one of the pioneers of rock and roll in the mid-1950s, part of the stable of artists assembled by Sam Phillips for his Sun label in Memphis, Tennessee. His biggest hit was Blue Suede Shoes, which hit #2 in the U.S. in the spring of 1956, spending 17 weeks in the top 40. The song was quickly covered by Elvis Presley, who took it to #20. Mr. Perkins' career was interrupted shortly after when he was seriously injured in a car accident. Several of his songs were performed by the Beatles, usually with Ringo (Honey Don't; Matchbox) or George (Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby) on lead vocal. In 1986 the surviving Sun records alumni--Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, and Roy Orbison--came together to record the album Class of '55. Although Mr. Perkins' song Birth of Rock and Roll didn't achieve chart success as a single, the album was highly regarded. In addition to his status as an elder statesman of rock and roll, Mr. Perkins became known in later years for his ridiculously obvious toupee.