Saturday, March 9, 2019

"Nothing But a Heartache" by the Flirtations debuts on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending March 8, 1969


If you listen to Little Steven's Underground Garage on a regular basis, you know that its DJs have a soft spot in their hearts for the girl groups of the 1960s -- the Flirtations, included.   (They don't make this top 10 list.)

"Nothing But a Heartache" is the group's only single to reach the Billboard Hot 100.  Although it spent 14 weeks there, it couldn't manage to crack the top 30, let alone the top 10, where it deserved to land.

In other chart action... 

The 3 singles that set the pace for the week quickly faltered.   Brooklyn Bridge would remain a one-hit wonder, never finding a follow-up to "Worst That Could Happen".  Vanilla Fudge, in their last Hot 100 appearance, obviously went to the Motown well one too many times.  And the Vogues, with four singles in the top 10 to their credit, wouldn't come close to this level in their last 3 tries before officially hitting the oldies circuit.  Unofficially, they'd been doing so since 1968's "Turn Around, Look at Me".

In big-time chart action, the Fifth Dimension's "Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In", one of a number of covers from the musical "Hair", put them in the top 10 for the 3rd time and at #1 for the first of two appearances there.   The Ventures' "Hawaii Five-O" put them in the top 10 for the first time since 1964.





Related article:
Solid gold northern soul:  The Flirtations "Nothing But a Heartache".  (Dangerous Minds, 11/26/2012)
The Flirtations were three women from South Carolina who moved to the UK in the late 60s to record for the Deram label. Unfortunately, none of their records were major hits, even though history has looked on some of them very kindly indeed.

Related posts:
August 1968
"I Say a Little Prayer" by Aretha Franklin
"In-a-gadda-da-vida: by Iron Butterfly
"Piece of My Heart" by Brother and the Holding Company 

September 1968
"Fire!" by The Crazy World of Arthur Brown
"Hey Jude" by the Beatles
"All Along the Watchtower" by the Jimi Hendrix Experience
"Bang-shang-a-lang" by the Archies

October 1968
"White Room" by Cream 
"Ride My See-Saw" by the Moody Blues
"Love Child" by Diana Ross and the Supremes
"Abraham, Martin & John" by Dion

November 1968
"For Once in my Life" by Stevie Wonder 
"Hang 'em High" by Booker T. & the MG's
"Hooked on a Feeling" by B. J. Thomas 
"I Heard It Through the Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye
"Everyday People" by Sly and the Family Stone

December 1968
"Going Up The Country" by Canned Heat
"Crimson and Clover" by Tommy James and the Shondells
"Ramblin' Gamblin' Man" by Bob Seger
"Touch Me" by the Doors

January 1969
"Build Me Up Buttercup" by the Foundations
"Games People Play" by Joe South
"I Got a Line on You" by Spirit
"Proud Mary" by  Credence Clearwater Revival

February 1969
"Do Your Thing" by the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band
"Time of the Season" by the Zombies
"Hot Smoke and Sasafrass" by Bubble Puppy
"The Letter" by the Arbors

March 1969
"Only the Strong Survive" by Jerry Butler

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