Music History Today: October 29, 2021

October 29  1967: The movie To Sir, With Love - starring Sidney Poitier and Lulu performing the theme song -  is released in the UK.

It's a far cry from the gang of high school hoodlums with whom Sidney Poitier was involved 12 years ago in "The Blackboard Jungle" to the mixed group of East End London youths he teaches in James Clavell's "To Sir, With Love."

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In "The Blackboard Jungle," you may remember, he was an angry, ferocious Negro youth, full of the same cold aggressions as the vicious white toughs in his class. In "To Sir, With Love," we see a much different bunch of pupils and a much different Mr. Poitier. 

Read more: NY Times

October 29, 1955: "Autumn Leaves" by Roger Williams is the new Number 1 hit for the next four weeks.

"Autumn Leaves" is a popular song and jazz standard composed by Joseph Kosma in 1945 with original lyrics by Jacques Prévert in French and later by Johnny Mercer in English. An instrumental version by pianist Roger Williams was a number one best-seller in the US Billboard charts of 1955. 

Read more: Wikipedia

October 29, 1968: B.J. Thomas released "Hooked on a Feeling."

"Hooked On a Feeling" was written by Mark James, who also wrote the song “Suspicious Minds,” which Elvis made a hit. 

B.J. Thomas

The original artist to record Hooked on a Feeling was B.J. Thomas, famous for “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” and “Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song,” both number one hits. 

Read more: Songs from Memory

October 29, 1977: The Babys moved from Number 58 to 32 with "Isn't It Time."

"Isn't It Time" was the breakout hit for The Babys, a British rock group fronted by John Waite, which also includes Wally Stocker, Tony Brock, and Mike Corby.

The Babys

The song is about a man torn between the possibility of experiencing his great love and the fear of the consequences of its failure. It is known for its strong backup vocals performed by The Babettes. 

Read more: Songfacts

 

October 29, 1988: Steve Winwood peaked at number 6 on the US Top 100 chart with "Don't You Know What the Night Can Do? 

"Don't You Know What the Night Can Do?" by Steve Winwood peaked at number six on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and spent two weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Prior to the 1988 release of the "Don't You Know What the Night Can Do?" single, the song was used in a national TV commercial for Michelob. 

Read more: Wikipedia

To Sir, With Love
Lulu