The Top 40 has been the leading hit list in the Netherlands since 1965. In the Today section we look back at events in pop music that took place exactly X years ago. In this episode of Today: the end of The Beach Boys’ ambitious project Smile.
The British music magazine Disc and Music Echo reports May 6, 1967 about The Beach Boys that the Smile project, which was to be the successor to the successful album Pet Sounds, is being canceled. Recording for the album started in October 1966. Brian Wilson wanted to make an album that would surpass The Beatles. The album was intended to be ready in December 1966, but this was postponed several times.
During this period, Wilson struggled with depression and began using more drugs. Disagreements arose within the group, because Wilson had co-written the lyrics for Smile with Van Dyke Parks and not with Beach Boy Mike Love. When Parks also withdraws from the project in March, The Beach Boys eventually stop recording in April. Instead of Smile, the album Smiley Smiles was released a few months later, which was produced much more simply.
37 years later, he and Van Dyke Parks revived the project and in February 2004 Wilson embarked on a Smile tour. The same year he released Smile as a solo album and received rave reviews. For the song Mrs. He gets a Grammy for O’Leary’s Cow best rock instrumental performance. The album reached 21st place in the Dutch Album Top 100. That is undoubtedly not the result he had in mind when he started the Smile project with his buddies from The Beach Boys.
Here’s what else happened on May 6:
In the San Siro stadium in Milan May 6, 1970 one of the strangest Top 40 hits recorded.
The final of the European Cup I will be played on this day. The match will be broadcast live on radio and television and can be followed via Nederland 1 and Hilversum II. The radio commentary is in the hands of Theo Koomen and Wim Hoogendoorn. Feyenoord beat Celtic 2 – 1 after extra time thanks to goals from Rinus Israël and Ove Kindvall. There is great joy in the Netherlands, because it is the first time that a Dutch club has won the European Cup.
In 1970, it is not yet possible to watch historical sporting moments at any time. Few people have equipment to record radio or television broadcasts. Of course there are many fans who want to relive this victory. That is made possible. On May 13, a 33 rpm single will be released with the title “Parts from the Radio Match Report Feyenoord Celtic – European Cup Final 6-5-1970”. The highlights are summarized in 18 minutes and spread over the two sides of the single. The price of the single is ƒ 4.50. Within two weeks, more than 10,000 copies of this single were sold, which automatically led to a listing in the Top 40. On June 6, exactly one month after the historic competition, the single even reached the top 10.
De Telegraaf also wrote an article about this special top 10 hit in June. Commentator Theo Koomen also speaks: “The top 10, is that important? I don’t know! I’m a sports boy who only occasionally has time to listen to music. And when I put on a record, it’s there usually one by Kathleen Ferrier or with Greek or Israeli folk music. I personally don’t like that Feyenoord album, but as a document it is good from the gramophone record. I think it’s fine! […] But no, that top 10 doesn’t mean much to me. Maybe when I get my bill. Oh well, I’m not an opponent of that pop, which I now stand among: every now and then I think: ‘That’s a nice tune’, but other than that… I like to listen to a piece of jazz, you know, Dixieland or Like this!”
Later, a single with football commentary reached the charts three more times, but in these cases the commentary was accompanied by music. It’s about Attacks! van Holland (number 5 after the 1988 European Championship), Attacks of HousEK ’92 (number 34 after the 1992 European Championship) and Ajax Has De Cup! van Mokum (number 39 after the 1995 Champions League final).
The match report of Feyenoord – Celtic is not the only Top 40 hit that contains no music at all. Until the mid-1970s, singles with popular conferences occasionally appeared in the charts. For example, on Bram in the RAI and the top 10 hit Majoor Kees En De Sinterklahaas by Paul van Vliet and on Nou Jaap Swart Nooit Opsodemieert by Ton Van Duinhoven, not a note of music can be heard. The circle with Feyenoord is therefore complete, because on that last single Ton plays the character Crooswijk, the Feyenoord guard, who responds to the farewell of Ajax player Sjaak Swart.
Also on this day:
1994: Pearl Jam files a complaint with the US government about Ticketmaster. The band believes that Ticketmaster is abusing its monopoly position and is launching a boycott against the company.
1995: Vangelis rises to first place with Conquest Of Paradise. It is the first number 1 hit for the Greek composer on a solo basis. As a member of Aphrodite’s Child, he topped the Top 40 in 1969 with I Want To Live. Conquest Of Paradise has been at number 1 for no less than ten weeks.
2009: American singer Viola Wills has died at the age of 69 from cancer. In 1979 she scored her first hit with Gonna Get Along With You Now, which reached number 7. Her biggest hit is the number 3 hit If You Could Read My Mind from 1981.
2015: Errol Brown breathes his last at his home in the Bahamas. As lead singer of Hot Chocolate, he scored thirteen Top 40 hits between 1974 and 1983, seven of which reached the top 10. The biggest hit was Girl Crazy, which reached number 2 in 1982. Brown had liver cancer. He was 71 years old.
2015: Chris Brown does a cool dance during a show in Las Vegas. He spins quite a few laps and then becomes so dizzy that he falls off the stage.
2016: Anyone who still says that you can’t make any money from streaming music is old-fashioned. Billboard announces that Drake earned more than 2 million euros from streaming in 2015. The Weeknd follows in second place with 1.3 million euros.
2018: The violent music video for Childish Gambino’s This Is America sparks controversy in the US. Nevertheless, the song becomes a number 1 hit there. In the Netherlands the song does not go further than 21st place.
Born today:
[1945 – Bob Seger,
1950 – Robbie McIntosh24 years old at death, Average White Band
1953 – Ernst Daniël SmidOnce For All
1960 – Larry SteinbachekBronski Beat
1963 – D Mob,
1966 – N’Dea Davenport,
1967 – Mark BryanHootie & The Blowfish
1971 – Chris ShiflettFoo Fighters
1979 – Leona Philippo,
1980 – Lola MunozLas Ketchup
1984 – Rose Van Erkel,
1986 – Maitre Gims,
1989 – Nanna Bryndis HilmarsdóttirOf Monsters And Men
1989 – Otto Knows,
2002 – Sophia,
Today at number 1:
1967 – 1 (1) Puppet On A String– Sandie Shaw (Pye), 2 weeks at number 1
1972 – 1 (1) Après Toi– Vicky Leandros (Philips), 3 weeks at number 1
1978 – 1 (1) Rivers Of Babylon / Brown Girl In The Ring– Boney M. (Hansa), 2 weeks at number 1
1989 – 1 (1) Eternal Flame– Bangles (CBS), 4 weeks at number 1
1995 – 1 (2) Conquest Of Paradise– Vangelis (EastWest), 1 week at number 1
2000 – 1 (1) Never Be The Same Again– Melanie C featuring Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopes (Virgin), 2 weeks at number 1
2006 – 1 (1) Hips Don’t Lie– Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean (Epic), 2 weeks at number 1
2017 – 1 (5) Despacito-Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee (Universal), 1 week at number 1
2023 – 1 (1) Flowers– Miley Cyrus (Columbia), 15 weeks at number 1
(06/05/2024)
