1968 was a year that transformed a nation. LBJ dropped his re-election campaign; Dr. Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy were assassinated; riots disrupted the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago; Richard Nixon won election as president.
North Korea captured the USS Pueblo; the My Lai Massacre took place; an execution in South Vietnam turned U.S. public opinion against the war; students occupied Columbia University; African-American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists in a black power salute at the Mexico City Olympics.
Yale University announced it would admit women; United Artists pulled eleven Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons from its library due to the depiction of racist stereotypes; astronauts Jim Lovell, Bill Anders and Frank Borman became the first humans to orbit the moon onboard Apollo 8.
Helen Keller, John Steinbeck, Nick Adams, Bea Benaderet, Tallulah Bankhead and Yuri Gagarin died.
2001: A Space Odyssey, Planet of the Apes , Rosemary’s Baby, Funny Girl, The Odd Couple and Oliver! premiered in theaters; Hair opened on Broadway; Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In debuted on NBC; Hawaii Five-O and 60 Minutes premiered on CBS; Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood premiered on National Educational Television.
The average Income per year was $7,850; the Federal Hourly Minimum Wage was $1.60 an hour; the average cost of new house was $14,950; the average cost of a new car was $2,822; gasoline cost 34 cents a gallon.
And in music? It was the year of the White Album, Beggar’s Banquet, Music From Big Pink, Electric Ladyland, Wheels of Fire, Sweetheart of The Rodeo, Odessey and Oracle, and Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake.
We start the weeklong look back at the year in music on the softer side today (because Sunday is always mellow); something to put you in a quiet mood before we crank it up tomorrow.
As usual, I have placed the highest position reached on the Billboard Hot 100 in parentheses for the included song next to the artist.
Play button is on the left … Volume slider is on the right
1968 Vintage Medley / Part 1
Paul Mauriat and His Orchestra (#1)
Judy Collins (#8) – Otis Redding (#1) – O.C. Smith (#2)
Bobby Vinton (#9) – Glen Campbell (#3) – Dion (#4)
“L’amour est bleu”! If Judy had listened to this Ray she would have learned how. Right now I’m sitting in the morning sun wondering why God didn’t make little green apples after all Ray he was only earning was a $1.60 an hour!! His wheels were not on fire that day!! Maybe it was Ogden’s nut going flake. It sure could have been Heavenly but I feel like I’m on overload and need a small vacation. After a quick stop in Electric Ladyland I’m going to go to the Beggers Banquet hoping to find an oracle!! Hopefully I’ll see my old friend John. Anyway Ray my 60 minutes are up so I’m going to go back to the planet of the apes and watch Rosemary’s baby!! Keep your wheels on fire and stay as mellow as you can!!
Fred, you just keep getting better and better!
Rock On, my friend … Maybe you could take the Funny Girl Nancy for a visit to Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood today! 😉
Ray, what are you doing, trying to put me back to sleep?
I was always surprised that Paul Maurait had those hits. They are enjoyable enough but …
I could listen to Judy Collins song the phone book. She has a magical voice.
Otis, sad he died so soon, missing all the adulation for his work. So well deserved.
Bobby Vinton has a sound all his own, pleasant enough but to me boring after a while.
Dion did a good job reinventing himself from Do Wop to Folk. He carried it off quite well.
Glen was a great talent. Session man to star.
Sorry, Don, it’s the traditional “Mellow Sunday Medley” … Please don’t think for on minute that I enjoy every song I play but I am covering 1968 this week and these songs were, to put it mildly, on the mellow side.
Trust me, tomorrow is a complete 180 degree change in direction.
Yes Ray … Happy Sunday Brother !
Thank you, Dale 🙂
Make it a GREAT day!
What a great way to start the week of ’68. I hadn’t listened to Love is Blue for years … but that sweet melody came back in a flash. I so love your intro reminding us of all that happened around us that year …. the best, the good, the bad and the most horrible! Today’s music selections have been mellow but they each carried a message … maybe what made our generation so great was that we listened to those songs and incorporated the messages into our souls as we started out to conquer the world. We didn’t conquer but we gave it our best … and we continue to try … the best Ray — Rock the Day!
Thank you, Barbara.
We may not have conquered the world, but we DID change it in so many positive ways.
I’m very glad the “intro” has meaning for you. I do it to remind people who lived through it (and to show others who weren’t around) what kind of world we were living in. Some of it was wonderful. Some of it was absolutely terrifying.
Rock The Day!
Turn off the “talking heads” and take a leisurely trip to 1968. Read a book, watch the bees pollinate the flowers and enjoy some peace. Today‘s medley sure puts me in the mood. Great way to start a new week and reflect on a good year for many of us.
Thanks Ray.
Thank you, Marty.
I’ll keep my response short because your comment said it all…
Thank You For Getting It!
Wow…1968 was packed with ups and downs, introspection and retrospection, all reflected in the music. And there we all were in our last year of high school feeling such angst for the future, for who we crushed on, what games we won and who was going to what college. Not oblivious to the history around us but maybe not as involved with world events as we would be.
Today’s music may have been mellow but the message was there .
How on earth did our parents survive financially? Ah but it is all relative isn’t it?
Looking forward to a week once again filled with music and memories and history.
Thank you, Donna.
Perhaps we thought we were more mature than we actually were at the time. Living in small town America with (gasp!) no Internet, we had to rely on the information being fed to us. That said, I’m proud we fought for the causes we believed in, and did our best to change the world.
I know I am going backwards but oh well .. I is tired 🙂 Actually listened to this yesterday and again today!
Would love to be sitting on the dock of the bay somewhere right about now and need more than just a small vacation someplace where I could eat little green apples.