Ask “Mr. Music”
Jerry Osborne



FOR THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 11, 2019

DEAR JERRY: One of my record collecting friends is also a fan of the Kingston Trio.

He says that the Trio's Bob Shane not only had the original version of "Honey," but that his record charted a week or two before Bobby Goldsboro's.

He also claims that Shane's "Honey" even reached No. 1 in some areas before Bobby's hit topped the national charts.

I have no access to this kind of information, so I'm hoping you can sort all of this out.
—Montgomery Blase, Yuba City, Calif.

DEAR MONTGOMERY: Bob Shane's "Honey" (Decca 32275) debuted at No. 114 on Billboard's "Bubbling Under the Hot 100" on March 23, 1968.

In that same issue, Bobby Goldsboro's "Honey" (United Artists 50283) debuted at No. 64.

For the next five weeks, Bob Shane's "Honey" remained under the Hot 100, peaking at No. 104.

In just four weeks, Bobby Goldsboro zoomed to No. 1 on Billboard, Cash Box, and Record World.

As for Bob Shane's regional success, your friend is right.

Here is when and where Bob's "Honey" peaked with a position in the Top 20 on regional surveys:

No. 1 - March 22, 1968 KCPX, Salt Lake City
No. 1 - April 6, 1968 KIMN, Denver
No. 1 - April 14, 1968 KBLW, Logan, Utah
No. 2 - April 19, 1968 KNUZ, Houston
No. 3 - April 5, 1968 KLZ-FM, Denver
No. 5 - April 3, 1968 WIBM, Jackson, Mich.
No. 5 - April 10, 1968 WTOD, Toledo, Ohio
No. 12 - March 29, 1968 WLAV, Grand Rapids, Mich.
No. 17 - April 1, 1968 KAYC, Beaumont, Texas
No. 17 - March 17, 1968 WGH, Newport News, Va.

As for Bob Shane's "Honey" reaching No. 1 in some areas before Bobby's hit topped the national charts, that is true. Shane was No. 1 on March 22, at KCPX, Salt Lake City, three weeks and one day before Goldsboro topped the Billboard chart, on April 13th.


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