May 13, 2012

60 years ago
1952

On television tonight
Suspense, on CBS
Tonight's episode: The Corsage, starring Lawrence Fletcher, Celia Johnson, and Brian Keith

40 years ago
1972

Hit parade
#1 single in the U.K.: Amazing Grace--Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (5th week at #1)

Australia's Top 10 (Go-Set)
1 Without You--Nilsson (3rd week at #1)
2 A Horse with No Name--America
3 Most People I Know Think that I'm Crazy--The Aztecs
4 Morning Has Broken/I Want to Live in a Wigwam--Cat Stevens
5 American Pie, Parts I and II--Don McLean
6 Mother and Child Reunion--Paul Simon
7 Ranger's Waltz--The Mom and Dads
8 Amazing Grace--Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
9 Joy--Apollo 100
10 Day After Day--Badfinger

Singles entering the chart were Amazing Grace; Roll Away the Stone by Leon Russell (#30); Crazy Mama by J.J. Cale (#34); Esmerelda by Murtceps (#36); and The Lion Sleeps Tonight by Robert John (#37).

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face--Roberta Flack (5th week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face--Roberta Flack (4th week at #1)
2 Rockin' Robin--Michael Jackson
3 I'll Take You There--Staple Singers
4 Look What You've Done for Me--Al Green
5 I Gotcha--Joe Tex
6 Betcha By Golly, Wow--Stylistics
7 A Cowboys Work is Never Done--Sonny and Cher
8 Oh Girl--Chi-Lites
9 Baby Blue--Badfinger
10 Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard--Paul Simon

Singles entering the chart were I Need You by America (#67); It Doesn't Matter by Stephen Stills (#71); How Can I Be Sure by David Cassidy (#74); Living in a House Divided by Cher (#75); Amazing Grace by the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (#77); Cat's Eye in the Window by Tommy James (#80); You're the Man (Part 1) by Marvin Gaye (#81); I Only Have Eyes for You by Jerry Butler (#87); Powder Blue Mercedes Queen by the Raiders (#88); Ain't That Peculiar by Fanny (#91); Put it Where You Want It by the Crusaders (#93); Questions by Bang (#94); I Can't Turn You Loose by Edgar Winter's White Trash (#96); Pass the Peas by the JB's (#97); and Day by Day by Godspell (#100). A Prayer, the B-side of I Only Have Eyes for You, was featured in the movie The Thing with Two Heads (1972).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Heart of Gold--Neil Young
2 You Could Have Been a Lady--April Wine
3 A Cowboys Work is Never Done--Sonny and Cher
4 A Horse with No Name--America
5 The Family of Man--Three Dog Night
6 The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face--Roberta Flack
7 Baby Blue--Badfinger
8 Cotton Jenny--Anne Murray
9 Vincent--Don McLean
10 Back Off Boogaloo--Ringo Starr

Singles entering the chart were Young New Mexican Puppeteer by Tom Jones (#74); House on Holly Road by David Idema (#84); Masquerade by Edward Bear (#93); How Do You Do by Mouth & MacNeal (#94); Dunrobin's Gone by Brave Belt (#96); The Theme by Robbie McDougall (#98); Guns, Guns, Guns by the Guess Who (#99); and Vahevella by Loggins and Messina (#100).

Calgary's Top 10
1 Sylvia's Mother--Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show (2nd week at #1)
2 The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face--Roberta Flack
3 Taos New Mexico--R. Dean Taylor
4 A Horse with No Name--America
5 Walkin' in the Rain with the One I Love--Love Unlimited
6 I Like What I Like--Everyday People
7 Son of My Father--Giorgio Moroder
8 Taxi--Harry Chapin
9 I Gotcha--Joe Tex
10 Strawberry Wine--Spice
Pick hit of the week: Amazing Grace--Royal Scots Dragoon Guards

Died on this date
Dan Blocker, 43. U.S. actor. Mr. Blocker played Hoss Cartwright on the television western series Bonanza from 1959 until his death.

Abominations
New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller, who, two years earlier, had signed the most liberal abortion bill in the United States, vetoed a bill that had passed the state’s assembly and senate, repealing the law that permitted elective abortions through the 24th week of pregnancy. Mr. Rockefeller, well-known as a womanizer, denounced the way in which backers of the repeal bill exerted pressure in an election year, and said he could see “no justification” for condemning women to “the dark ages” again.

Disasters
116 people were killed in Osaka, Japan when they were trapped in a cabaret on the top floor of a department store building where fire had broken out.

30 years ago
1982

Hit parade
Edmonton’s Top 10 (CFRN)
1 I’ve Never Been to Me—Charlene (4th week at #1)
2 Don’t Talk to Strangers—Rick Springfield
3 Did it in a Minute—Daryl Hall & John Oates
4 Goin’ Down—Greg Guidry
5 Ebony and Ivory—Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder
6 Always on My Mind—Willie Nelson
7 Beechwood 4-5789—Carpenters
8 Don’t You Want Me—The Human League
9 Baby Step Back—Gordon Lightfoot
10 Making Love—Roberta Flack

Personal
This blogger was the day’s winner of the “Remember Rock and Roll” contest on the Joey and Friends morning show, hosted by Joey Gregorash on CKY in Winnipeg. For correctly identifying Over and Over by the Dave Clark Five, I won a gift certificate for $25 from Pharo’s Pizza.

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Finals
New York Islanders 3 @ Vancouver 0 (New York led best-of-seven series 3-0)

Protest
While 5,000-6,000 people gathered at Warsaw University to silently protest against Poland’s Communist government, police charged a group of 150-200 young people in the city’s Old Town, beating them with truncheons as they attempted to enter a cathedral.

25 years ago
1987

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): You're the Voice--John Farnham (6th week at #1)

Hockey
NHL
Stanley Cup
Clarence S. Campbell Conference Finals
Detroit 3 @ Edmonton 6 (Edmonton won best-of-seven series 4-1)

20 years ago
1992

Hit parade
#1 single in Sweden (Topplistan): Stay--Shakespears Sister

On television tonight
The Wonder Years, on ABC
Tonight's episode: Broken Hearts and Burgers

This was the last episode of the season.

Space
U.S. space shuttle astronauts Pierre Thuot, Thomas Akers, and Richard Hieb succeeded on their third attempt at capturing the communications satellite Intelsat-6, which had failed to reach a proper orbit and was not functioning. The three astronauts brought the satellite into the shuttle’s cargo bay and attached an 11.5-ton solid-fuel rocket, and springs pushed the satellite back into space. The astronauts worked 8 hours and 29 minutes outside the shuttle, a U.S. record for a spacewalk.

War
A brief cease-fire took effect between the Serb-dominated army of Yugoslavia and the secessionist republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Politics and government
A three-day meeting of Canadian federal and provincial politicians concluded without agreement on Senate reform or federal-provincial power-sharing.

Economics and finance
The United States Labor Department that consumer prices had increased 0.2% in April.