What was the biggest hit of 1969?
We’ve been receiving a lot of feedback from our Canada 150 series which runs daily in The Penticton Herald, usually on Page A4.
For clarification, we are publishing the original stories from when they appeared in print. We chose what was ranked, at the time, as the No. 1 local news story of each year. As many stories often expand over time, some key details on the evolution of the story will be left out.
The Herald’s archives were overhauled in both 1999 and 2006.
We realize many news stories are tragic and will bring back some terrible memories. They are, however, part of our history.
It might just be me but I find it ironic that when there’s going to be a significant interruption of Summerland’s municipal water-supply system that the mayor’s surname is Waterman. It would be like having Fred Waterslide as mayor of Penticton.
It was again a great SOVAS Goes Disco night last week at The Parrot with super music (yay DJ Shakes), slinky moves, outrageous hair and bad fashion.
One of the songs guaranteed to pack the dance floor during the glory days of disco was “Le Freak” by Chic.
Producer Nile Rogers rebounded from the disco backlash and produced many great artists in the height of their popularity including Madonna, David Bowie (“Let’s Dance” album) and Duran Duran, and, more recently Adam Lambert and Daft Punk. His co-writer Bernard Edwards went on to help found supergroup The Power Station (“Some Like It Hot,” a credible remake of T. Rex’s “Bang a Gong”). Back to their days with Chic. The song was inspired by an incident outside New York’s Studio 54 which was mentioned in the lyrics. Apparently the band was turned away at the door by a discourteous doorman.
When Edwards and Rogers wrote the song the working title was “F—k Off,” because of how mistreated they were. Knowing the song likely wouldn’t be played on Top 40 radio, they changed the lyrics to “Freak Out.”
I think that was a wise move.
Let’s talk hockey. How dumb is the BCHL playoff format when the two teams with the best records in the regular season don’t receive byes in the first round of playoffs. (See Dave Crompton’s “Sidelines column.)
Our hometown Penticton Vees have the week off which, depending on your outlook, can be both a good and bad thing. Let’s take it as the former.
If you’re going through hockey withdrawal, there might be a junior game at the South Okanagan Events Centre on Saturday evening. If a Game 7 is needed in the KIJHL junior B conference semi-final between Kelowna and Summerland Steam it will be played at the SOEC.
At the time of this writing the series is knotted at 2-2. Check the Okanagan Saturday or our website on Friday night to see what’s happening with the series and whether there will be a Game 7 in Penticton.
We were listening to Christopher Cross in the newsroom today and it made me wonder with Donald Trump’s immigration policy if Cross will have to change the line “...to make it to the border of Mexico,” in “Ride Like the Wind.”
Interesting fact: The Christopher Cross album won Album of the Year at the 1980 Grammys beating “The Wall” by Pink Floyd.
For our story on “Riverdale” cast member Cody Kearsley I had to brush up on my Archie trivia.
The No. 1 single for all of 1969 on the U.S. Billboard charts (based on sales and radio airplay) was “Sugar Sugar” by The Archies featuring vocals by Canadian Andy Kim who also co-wrote the song.
It’s a fun song but consider all of the great songs released in 1969 — many by CCR; “Abbey Road” came out that year, and other songs to hit No. 1 included “Leaving On A Jet Plane,” “Everyday People,” and “Honky Tonk Woman.” Even Elvis had his final No. 1 song, “Suspicious Minds,” not to mention the greatest sports anthem ever “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” by Steam.
To our readers in Keremeos, if you want an example of gutsy, hard-hitting journalism read Tara Bowie’s recent editorials in The Keremeos Review.
She writes on Area G director Elef Christensen, who often opposes spending money because so many people in his region are on fixed incomes. The latest was for opening the library one extra day.
But Elef doesn’t have a problem traveling on the RDOS dime to out-of-town conferences. My question is how have the citizens of Hedley and Olalla benefitted from Elef’s recent trip to Edmonton? What exciting new ideas has he brought back to the board table after attending a large conference in Alberta’s capital?
James Miller is managing editor of The Herald. To contact the writer: editor@pentictonherald.ca