The song peaked on Billboard at #17 and on Cash Box at #13 on June 8, 1968. (Bobby Kennedy had died 3 days before)
One haunting minute of song (2:00-3:00), crystalizes the entire year,
1968 in that time. Nothing but deaths, destruction, and violence at home
and abroad. The date of its reaching the peak (#17) on June 8 was three
days after one of the infamous murders of that cruel year. Easily the
worst single year of the 1960s, and one of the worst of all time, with
no redeeming of its constant sadness, until December with the crew of
Apollo 8 circling the Moon, before the first landing in July 1969. Even
this band was hit with death in that same awful year.
On
Halloween (Oct. 31) 1968, the group's lead guitarist Malcolm Hale, 27,
died of carbon monoxide poisoning due to a faulty heating system.
(Hale's death has also been ascribed to bronchopneumonia). This was a
devastating blow to the group.The multi-instrumentalist did much of the
arranging and pretty well kept the band together. Hale's death, along
with the group's satisfaction over what they had achieved already, led
to the decision to disband early in 1969.
Only 3 of the 8 members survive today: Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane (74), John Seiter (72), and Jim Scherz (70).
SPANKY & OUR GANG ~ "LIKE TO GET TO KNOW YOU" 1968
