It would seem that Beatlemania is over and Monkeemania has began. The Monkees made their Top 40 debut with "I'm A Believer" and just 2 weeks later they followed up with "Last Train To Clarksville". They're proof that you can still make decent music if you're a manufactured band.
Although The Beatles did release "Sgt Peppers" in 1967 their remarkable singles chart record did take a dip in 1967 when they failed to top the charts for the first time with the singles they released since their 2nd hit in 1963. The record keeping The Beatles off was "Release Me" by Engelbert Humperdinck. Quite why that single was so successful I don't know, it sounded rather old fashioned for it's time.
The only act from Liverpool in this batch is Ken Dodd who was charting before The Beatles and was never part of that scene. It's the only record worst than the Engelbert Humperdinck one.
Blue-eyed soul was popular in January 1966 but nowhere to be seen in January 1967. We do have 3 Motown records though with the best one being "Standing In The Shadows Of Love" by The Four Tops. We have the Top 40 debut of Marvin Gaye who became the 9th Motown act to make the UK Top 40 along with Kim Weston who we wouldn't see in the charts again. Then there's a solid effort from Stevie Wonder with "A Place In The Sun".
This was the only January The Rolling Stones had a new entry and it's one of their better efforts with "Lets Spend The Night Together". Another blues rock record in there is "I'm A Man" by the Spencer Davies Group which was their final Top 40 hit with the Winwood brothers as members.
We had the chart debut of fellow Birmingham band The Move with "Night Of Fear". This music was known as Freakbeat which is described as bridging British Invasion R&B, beat and Psychedelia.
Once again I find most of the records at least listenable and we do have some outstanding records near the top countered by a couple of dreary ballads down the bottom.
Score: 52
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