Remember the girl who became famous for impersonating Aretha Franklin

Marvin Gaye’s ‘Heard It Through The Grapevine’ had spent a massive seven weeks atop the charts in the lead up to February 1969, and on February 1 it was toppled by a psychedelic comeback hit from Tommy James and the Shondells called ‘Crimson and Clover’. Written by the duo of Tommy James and drummer Peter Lucia Jr, ‘Crimson and Clover’ actually entered the United States charts in December 1968 and spent 16 weeks on the US charts before reaching number one.

James had wanted to change the band’s direction after the release of ‘Mony, Mony’. He started producing his own material. He’d first written a song to fit the phrase with bassist Mike Vale, but this was scrapped and he went on to collaborate with Lucia Jr. The song is the band’s most successful, having sold 5 million copies. It peaked in the US, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand and Switzerland in 1969.

George Harrison and Ringo Starr hire Allen Klein as The Beatles’ new business manager against the wishes of Paul McCartney. Klein had worked with The Rolling Stones in the renegotiation of the group’s contract with Decca Records, but the band became dissatisfied with him when he started managing The Beatles. Klein had had an interest in The Beatles since the early-’60s, having approached the band’s manager, Brian Epstein, with an offer to sign with RCA Records for $2 million in ’64, but Epstein wasn’t interested. When he died in 1967 the band created Apple Corps. Klein contacted John Lennon and became his financial representative in January 1969, before meeting with the other band members. However, Paul McCartney preferred to be represented by John and Lee Eastman. When Klein was appointed The Beatles’ manager, the Eastman’s were appointed their attorneys, but the situation was unworkable.

On February 8 came news that Blind Faith were rehearsing for the first time. The line-up was Eric Clapton (formerly of the Yardbirds), John Mayall (Bluesbreakers and Cream), Stevie Winwood (The Spencer Davis Group and Traffic), Rick Grech (Family) and Ginger Baker (The Graham Bond Organisation and Cream). Another supergroup who was slowly organising itself at that time was Crosby, Stills and Nash, who had started working on their first album.

Vicki Jones (whose real name was Mary Jane Jones) had forever wanted to be like Aretha Franklin. In 1969, both artists were 27 years of age and while Franklin had been discovered in the church and had won four Grammy Awards, Jones was still singing with the gospel group where she’d started. She started to follow Franklin’s every move, painting her eyes like her idol, and would sing along to Franklin’s hit songs.

Having performed the song ‘Respect’, Jones was approached by James Brown impersonator, Lavell Hardy and invited to tour. He also said he was booking the opening act for the real Aretha Franklin. It was nothing short of a lie. When Jones arrived in Florida, Hardy informed her that there would be no Aretha Franklin and that it was she who would perform at the Queen of Soul. There began a bizarre string of events.

Her performance in concert was so convincing that nobody in the audience asked for a refund. At her hearing after being arrested, Jones was asked by the judge to sing and she sounded so much like Franklin that he spared her.

Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan recorded together for the first time on February 17. Only one song ‘Girl From The North Country’ would be released from their session together and it was to form part of Dylan’s Nashville Skyline album.

In Australia, Johnny Young had returned from the United Kingdom. He’d recorded songs from Barry Gibb and had song-writing ambitions of his own. He showed these compositions to Russell Morris (Somebody’s Image) who was looking for a song to kickstart his career. Morris was unimpressed with the songs and asked for something else. Young played him an unfinished song he had planned to record himself, ‘The Real Thing’, which was to be one of the most iconic productions ever made in Australia.

The top 10 singles in Australia in February 1969

1. ‘Lily The Pink’, The Scaffold
2. ‘I Started A Joke/Kilburn Towers’, Bee Gees
3. ‘Eloise’, Barry Ryan
4. ‘Going Up Country’, Canned Heat
5. ‘Star Crossed Lovers’, Neil Sedaka
6. ‘Son Of A Preacher Man’, Dusty Springfield
7. ‘Hey Jude/Revolution’, The Beatles
8. ‘Build Me Up Buttercup’, The Foundations
9. ‘If I Can Dream’, Elvis Presley
10. ‘Scarborough Fair/Canticle’, Sergio Mendes and Brasil ’66

UK Number 1 hits in February 1969

1: ‘Albatross’, Fleetwood Mac
8: ‘Blackberry Way’, The Move
15, 22: ‘(If Paradise Is) Half As Nice’, Amen Corner

US Number 1 hits in February 1969

1, 8: ‘Crimson And Clover’, Tommy James and the Shondells
15, 22: ‘Everyday People’, Sly & The Family Stone

Australia Number 1 hits in February 1969

1: ‘Eloise’, Barry Ryan
8, 15, 22: Lily The Pink’, The Scaffold

Where were you in February 1969? What music were you listening to?

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