So okay, it's been a while. Been busy. In a good way. But I haven't forgotten my obligations. So better late than never, here's the rest of 1968.
20 - "Say it Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud (Part 1)," James Brown
Brother James' rallying cry to his fellow African-Americans to stand up for themselves against oppression. "We'd rather die on our feet than keep living on our knees," he declares. The chorus of children that back him up on the refrain adds to the power of the statement. A genuinely important song.
19 - "Revolution," The Beatles
One of the band's hardest-rock songs was this number on which John Lennon gives his assessment of the growing youth political movements of the day. He was kind of cynical of them, feeling they were more about "destruction" than real meaningful change, and didn't really have workable alternatives to the systems they were fighting against ("we'd all love to see your plan"). His opinion seemed to be "it's gonna be all right." Of course, later he'd change his tune somewhat and become more politically active himself, to the point where the FBI tried to have him deported from America. Regardless, this is a great song, and it became historic nineteen years later when Nike made it the first Beatles song to be used in a television commercial.
18 - "Abraham, Martin and John," Dion
Dion DiMucci's first hit in four years was this mournful tribute to the cut-short lives of American heroes Lincoln, King, and Kennedy, with a sad coda about the death that year of Robert Kennedy. Heartfelt and poignant, and was especially meaningful recently when the world marked the 50th anniversary of JFK's assassination.
17 - "Hey, Western Union Man," Jerry Butler
Chicago-raised Butler was a member of Impressions in their early days, but left in the early 60s to begin a prolific solo career. One of his better hits was this funky plea to the titular messenger to send a telegram to his beloved. Sweet soul goodness.
16 - "Girl Watcher," The O'Kaysions
The lone hit for these Californians was this flimsy soul-popper about...um, watching girls. For me, if I need to hear a song like this, I'll put on Dean Martin's "Standing on the Corner."
15 - "Harper Valley P.T.A.," Jeannie C. Riley
The début single, and only pop hit, for this Texas-born country singer was quite a doozy. It tells the tale of Mrs. Johnson, a widow whose teen daughter who, one day, brings home a note from the local Parent Teacher Association. The note expresses the opinion of that distinguished body that Mrs. Johnson's choice of attire and active social life make her an unsuitable mother. Luckily, the PTA just happened to be meeting that afternoon, so the widow Johnson attends the meeting in her miniskirt and proceeds to expose the various booze and sex-related skeletons in the closets of the board's members. "This is just a little Peyton Place, and you're all Harper Valley hypocrites," she concluded on the day he "socked it to" them. A companion of sorts to "Ode to Billie Joe" in the pop crossover female story song category.
14 - "Suzie Q," Creedence Clearwater Revival
This quartet originated in San Francisco, but their swampy sound caused many to think they were from the American South. This tone was set by their first hit, a bluesy cover of a 1957 Dale Hawkins rockabilly hit. The lyrics are a basic expression of lust for the titular lady, but they go with the groove, and that's all that matters. A solid start to a short but brilliant run.
13 - "Sweet Blindness," The 5th Dimension
This quintet's sixth Top 40 was this ragtimey ode to getting drunk with friends. Like a few of their hits, it was written by Laura Nyro, a singer-songwriter who had more success with other people's versions of her song than her own recordings. I always thought I should look up her records sometime. Hopefully I'll get around to it.
12 - "Piece of My Heart," Big Brother and the Holding Company
Born and raised in Port Arthur, Texas, Janis Lyn Joplin would relocate to San Francisco, where she hooked up with an up and coming local psychedelic rock group. Her bluesy rasp elevated the band's popularity, which peaked with their smash hit second album, Cheap Thrills, and its main single, a cover of an R&B hit from the previous year by Aretha Franklin's sister Erma. Haven't heard that version, but on this one, Janis is in full-throated form, declaring her loyalty to a man who doesn't always reciprocate that courtesy. Just a classic, plain and simple. And arguably the best showcase her voice ever got.
11 - "Over You," Gary Puckett and the Union Gap
Originally from Yakima, Washington, Puckett formed this band in San Diego, California. Onstage, they dressed up as soldiers from the Union Army during the Civil War, although their name actually came from a town near Yakima. Between late 1967 and the summer of '69, they scored six Top 40 singles, including this one about not being able to recover from a breakup. It's kind of bland, like all of their hits. But not a bad song, really. Nothing to unleash anything close to Association levels of vitriol over.
The Top Ten admits to using crack cocaine, but only once, in one of its drunken stupors.
10 - "Midnight Confessions," The Grass Roots
The biggest hit for this L.A. band was this song about secretly lusting after a woman who is married to another man. I like the almost Gothic organ on the verses. Plus, Creed Bratton plays on this one, which is awesome. He's probably the thing I miss most about The Office.
9 - "Fire," The Crazy World of Arthur Brown
From Leeds, England, Brown first attracted attention for his outrageous stage performances, during which he wore face paint and a literally flaming helmet. His band's only major hit was this dark, organ-driven psychedelic horror piece which Brown opens by screaming "I am the God of Hellfire!" It's a great song, and Brown's act is said to have influenced many later musicians who brought outrageous theatrics to their concerts, from Alice Cooper to Kiss to George Clinton.
8 - "Elenore," The Turtles
The next-to-last of this band's nine Top 40 hits was this peppy pop number that the band wrote as kind of a parody of sunny, earlier hits like "Happy Together." The lyrics are deliberately sappy ("Gee, I think you're swell!"), and it is one of the rare hits to use the term "et cetera." But it all works. It might be their best single.
7 - "Magic Carpet Ride," Steppenwolf
Formed in Toronto, this band broke through earlier in the year with the motorcycle anthem "Born to Be Wild." They followed it up with their other major lasting hit, this driving rocker on which John Kay invites a girl to travel with him using a mode of transportation from Arabian myth. It is, indeed, quite a trip.
6 - "White Room," Cream
After making his reputation as "God" during his stints in The Yardbirds and John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Eric Clapton teamed with fellow Londoners Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker and formed a new band. They would have three American hits, including two Top Tens, the second of which being this cool rocker with the sort of inscrutable lyrics common in rock at the time: "tired starlings," "silver horses," shadows running from themselves and all that. But it's aged quite well. Still a great listen.
5 - "Hold Me Tight," Johnny Nash
A Houston-born singer who'd scored his first Top 40 at 17 with "A Very Special Love," in 1957, Nash also co-owned a record label, and in 1968, while traveling in Jamaica, he signed a young musician to his first American recording contract. While there, he himself recorded this breezy reggae number that became his first pop Top Ten. Nash would continue recording in that genre, eventually topping the charts in 1972 with "I Can See Clearly Now." Great voice, good song.
4 - "Little Green Apples," O.C. Smith
Born in 1932, Smith had spent much of his career to this point as a journeyman singer, with his most notable gig being a four-year stint singing with Count Basie and his orchestra. Earlier in 1968, he had hit #40 with "The Son of Hickory Holler's Tramp." His follow-up was this tender love song that declares that if his idyllic relationship with his isn't love, then God didn't create a lot of the good things in life, such as the titular fruit, Dr. Seuss., puppy dogs, and rain in Indianapolis. It went all the way to #2. It's kind of cheesy and sappy, but damn if it doesn't work. And apparently, Robbie Williams and Kelly Clarkson just put out a cover of it. Think I might have to check that out.
3 - " Love Child," The Supremes
The group's penultimate #1 is arguably their best. On it, Diana Ross tells her boyfriend she won't sleep with him because of the danger of it resulting in an unwanted pregnancy ("We'll only end up hatin' the child we may be creatin'") She goes on to tell her own said tale of being born "illegitimate," and the pain, poverty and shame that accompanied it. Affecting, realistic, and just so powerful. Too bad the other Supremes didn't actually sing on it; they were replaced for the recording by Motown session group The Andantes.
2 - "Those Were the Days," Mary Hopkin
Welsh folksinger Hopkin was just 18 when she signed to The Beatles' Apple Records label, but she sounded much older and more world-weary on her first and biggest hit. Set to the tune of a Russian love song from the 20s, it tells the tale of a woman reflecting on her youth with her friends and all the dreams that never came true. The kind of song that seems perfect for group sing-alongs at 2 am in a bar, with everyone enthusiastically swinging their beer mugs to and fro.
And at #1 way back then was:
1 - "Hey Jude," The Beatles
Clocking in at over 7 minutes, this is one of the longest songs ever to hit #1. And what a song it is. Written by Paul McCartney to help comfort John Lennon's son Julian during his parents' breakup. it's the ultimate cheer-up tune, talking about making sad songs better and not carrying the world upon one's shoulders. And then that long, almost cathartic series of "Na na na na"s.. Just greatness. Nine weeks at #1 almost seems like too little.
Next time: 1969. And you won't wait as long as you did this time. I promise.
Monday, December 16, 2013
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
November 9, 1968 Part One
This time we're near the end of one of the most tumultuous years of the 20th Century. Four days before the date of this chart, an eventful (to say the least) American presidential election campaign ended with Richard Nixon finally attaining the office he had nearly won eight years earlier. Meanwhile, this was the music the country's radio listeners and record-buyers voted for.
40 - "Little Arrows," Leapy Lee
Born Graham Pulleybank, this English country-pop singer had his only American hit with this cute little novelty about getting hit by Cupid's weaponry and falling in love. Catchy, but disposable.
39 - "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," Iron Butterfly
This San Diego band are considered one of the forebears of heavy metal, thanks in large part to this song, whose title reportedly was lead singer Doug Ingle's substance-assistant mangling of the phrase "In the Garden of Eden." The original version ran over 17 minutes, in order to make room for long drum, guitar, and organ solos, the latter of which caused the First Church of Springfield's organist to collapse in exhaustion. It was shorted to 3 minutes for the single, and although it only reached #30, it became a rock standard. I'm sure Marge and Homer Simpson aren't the only couple that used to make out to this hymn.
38 - "Take Me for a Little While," Vanilla Fudge
This four-piece band from Long Island had broken through the year before with a hard rock cover of The Supremes' "You Keep Me Hangin' On." Their albums sold well throughout the rest of the 60s, but they only managed one more Top 40 hit, this power-ballad plea for temporary comfort. It just didn't do much for me.
37 - "Always Together," The Dells
This Illinois vocal group formed in 1952, had their first national R&B hit in 1956, and were an intermittent presence on the soul charts up until 1992 Tis, their third of eight pop Top 40s, is a passionate ballad of long-term commitment. Very, very good
36 - "Chewy Chewy," The Ohio Express
The most prolific group produced by the bubblegum machine known as Super K Productions, these guys mainly consisted of producers Jerry Kasanetz and Jeffrey Katz and singer Joey Levine. Their second-biggest hit was also the most similar to their biggest, "Yummy Yummy Yummy," in that it compared a girl to sugary-sweet confections. It's well-crafted pop, but overindulgence might affect your mental health the way too much candy can affect your dental health. But it does gain the Express this week's Uneasy Rider.
35 - "For Once in My Life," Stevie Wonder
Still not out of his teens, Stevie scored his seventh Top Ten with this one of the rare hits he didn't write. But that doesn't affect his passion on lines like "For once I can say, this is mine, you can't take it." A triumphant cry of joy at finding love at last, and one of Stevie's best performances.
34 - "Quick Joey Small (Run Joey Run)," The Kasanetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus
More from Super K, this time in the form of a an amalgamation of some of their groups, including the Ohio Express, The Music Explosion, and The 1910 Fruitgum Company. This combo's only hit was a respectably gritty garage-rocker about the title character's escape from prison to reunite with his "sweet Mary Jane." Fun singalong stuff, and much less depressing than that David Geddes song.
33 - "Lalena," Donovan
One of the Scottish folkie's last American hits was this flowery ballad that's apparently some kind of statement about the plight of women, but just comes off melodramatic and cheesy to these ears. And for that, Mr. Leitch, I can blame ya.
32 - "Chained," Marvin Gaye
Another hit for Marvin. Powerhouse soul about being extremely attached to a woman's love. Not much more to say. Just greatness.
31 - "My Special Angel," The Vogues
These singers from Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania broke through in 1965 with "Five O' Clock World," a cool little pop song about getting through the work day. But by the time they scored their third and last Top Ten with this crushingly cubic cover of Bobby Helms' hit 1957 ballad, they had descended to near-Association-level depths of uncoolness. Ugh.
30 - "Time Has Come Today," The Chambers Brothers
Mississippi siblings Lester, Joe, Willie, and George Chambers moved to Los Angeles in the 50s, where they began performing as a gospel band. In the mid--60s, they added drummer Brian Keegan and began playing around the L.A. folk scene. Then they began to take on a more rock sound, and this would result in their biggest hit, this hard-driving number with lyrics about changing rules and souls becoming "pyschedelicized." Not sure what it all means, but those "tick-tocking" drums help to make it an enduring classic, and one that it often used in media to epitomize the late 1960s.
29 - "All Along the Watchtower," The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Another song often employed as "late 60s" shorthand is this, the only Top 40 hit for James Marshall Hendrix, a Seattle native who, after stints backing up Little Richard and The Isley Brothers, formed a trio in England with Brits Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell and began on the road to becoming one of the icons of rock guitar. The group's biggest pop success was this cover of a Bob Dylan song from the previous year with lyrics about jokers, thieves, and wine-drinking businessmen. This has become the definitive version of the song, even to Dylan. A breathtaking combination of two geniuses.
28 - "I've Gotta Get a Message to You," The Bee Gees
We've heard plenty from the Brothers Gibb here at BGC, particularly in their 70s incarnations as pop balladeers and disco kings. But here's our first look at their folkish 60s origins, in the form of their first U.S. Top Ten. this song is about a man about to be executed for the murder of his wife's lover begging the prison chaplain to pass along some final words to her. Barry conveys the man's desperation quite well in the choruses, but for some reason, I find it fun to sing along with him. Strange.
27 - "Bang-Shang-a-Lang," The Archies
The adventures of Riverdale, USA teens Archie Andrews, "Jughead" Jones, Reggie Mantle, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, and their friends had been documented in comic books for over a quarter-century when they were given a new outlet as a Saturday morning cartoon. In the show, the gang formed a garage band that performed songs performed by studio musicians, and some of them ended up gaining radio play. The first of these was this catchy bit of okay pop-rock onomatopoeia. The "band" would score three more Top 40s, most notably the #1 "Sugar Sugar."
26 - "Hi-Heel Sneakers," Jose Feliciano
From Puerto Rico, Feliciano, in spite of being blind from birth, taught himself to play the acoustic guitar, and earlier in the year he had broken through with a Top Five cover of The Doors' "Light My Fire." His follow-up single was another remake, this time of a 1963 Tommy Tucker hit that requests that a woman don a red dress, a "wig hat," and the unusual title footwear. Feliciano's version is loose and fun, with a cool harmonica solo. He continues to record and perform to this day, but his only other hit would come in 1970 with the holiday perennial "Feliz Navidad."
25 - "Court of Love," The Unifics
This Washington soul group scored two pop Top 40s, the first being this ballad on which a man details the heartbreaking crimes of his ex to a judge and jury. Ther female foreman announces at the end that the defendant has been found guilty. Does this indicate a happy ending beyond mere justice? I'd like to think so.
24 - "Keep On Lovin' Me Honey," Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
Marvin and Tammi's penultimate Top 40 was this passionate plea for continued affection. What can I say except that these two were magic together?
23 - "Fool for You," The Impressions
These Chicago soulsters, fronted by the legendary Curtis Mayfield, were a frequent presence on the pop and soul charts throughout the decade. This record was a horn-driven declaration of Mayfield's dedication to a woman who's no good for him. The man was one of the genre's kings, no doubt about it, and here's proof.
22 - "Shape of Things to Come," Max Frost and The Troopers
The second fictional band we've come across this time around was created for the movie Wild in the Streets, in which rock singer Max Frost and his band inspire a movement to lower the voting age to 14, which eventually results in Frost becoming president and making everyone over 35 take LSD. Ah, the 60s. This film was also one of Richard Pryor's first movie roles. As for the song, it's an okay tune about change and revolution and stuff. The singer sounds kind of like Eric Burdon. I imagine the movie is much more interesting than the song.
21 - "Who's Making Love," Johnnie Taylor
The first major hit for Memphis soul man Taylor was this funky warning to men that while they're stepping out on their ladies, the women are frequently occupied as well. Listening back, I found the bassline on this remarkably similar to the one John Deacon played on Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust." Maybe it wasn't Chic he was ripping off after all.
In Part Two: pride, mourning, and flying floormats.
40 - "Little Arrows," Leapy Lee
Born Graham Pulleybank, this English country-pop singer had his only American hit with this cute little novelty about getting hit by Cupid's weaponry and falling in love. Catchy, but disposable.
39 - "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," Iron Butterfly
This San Diego band are considered one of the forebears of heavy metal, thanks in large part to this song, whose title reportedly was lead singer Doug Ingle's substance-assistant mangling of the phrase "In the Garden of Eden." The original version ran over 17 minutes, in order to make room for long drum, guitar, and organ solos, the latter of which caused the First Church of Springfield's organist to collapse in exhaustion. It was shorted to 3 minutes for the single, and although it only reached #30, it became a rock standard. I'm sure Marge and Homer Simpson aren't the only couple that used to make out to this hymn.
38 - "Take Me for a Little While," Vanilla Fudge
This four-piece band from Long Island had broken through the year before with a hard rock cover of The Supremes' "You Keep Me Hangin' On." Their albums sold well throughout the rest of the 60s, but they only managed one more Top 40 hit, this power-ballad plea for temporary comfort. It just didn't do much for me.
37 - "Always Together," The Dells
This Illinois vocal group formed in 1952, had their first national R&B hit in 1956, and were an intermittent presence on the soul charts up until 1992 Tis, their third of eight pop Top 40s, is a passionate ballad of long-term commitment. Very, very good
36 - "Chewy Chewy," The Ohio Express
The most prolific group produced by the bubblegum machine known as Super K Productions, these guys mainly consisted of producers Jerry Kasanetz and Jeffrey Katz and singer Joey Levine. Their second-biggest hit was also the most similar to their biggest, "Yummy Yummy Yummy," in that it compared a girl to sugary-sweet confections. It's well-crafted pop, but overindulgence might affect your mental health the way too much candy can affect your dental health. But it does gain the Express this week's Uneasy Rider.
35 - "For Once in My Life," Stevie Wonder
Still not out of his teens, Stevie scored his seventh Top Ten with this one of the rare hits he didn't write. But that doesn't affect his passion on lines like "For once I can say, this is mine, you can't take it." A triumphant cry of joy at finding love at last, and one of Stevie's best performances.
34 - "Quick Joey Small (Run Joey Run)," The Kasanetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus
More from Super K, this time in the form of a an amalgamation of some of their groups, including the Ohio Express, The Music Explosion, and The 1910 Fruitgum Company. This combo's only hit was a respectably gritty garage-rocker about the title character's escape from prison to reunite with his "sweet Mary Jane." Fun singalong stuff, and much less depressing than that David Geddes song.
33 - "Lalena," Donovan
One of the Scottish folkie's last American hits was this flowery ballad that's apparently some kind of statement about the plight of women, but just comes off melodramatic and cheesy to these ears. And for that, Mr. Leitch, I can blame ya.
32 - "Chained," Marvin Gaye
Another hit for Marvin. Powerhouse soul about being extremely attached to a woman's love. Not much more to say. Just greatness.
31 - "My Special Angel," The Vogues
These singers from Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania broke through in 1965 with "Five O' Clock World," a cool little pop song about getting through the work day. But by the time they scored their third and last Top Ten with this crushingly cubic cover of Bobby Helms' hit 1957 ballad, they had descended to near-Association-level depths of uncoolness. Ugh.
30 - "Time Has Come Today," The Chambers Brothers
Mississippi siblings Lester, Joe, Willie, and George Chambers moved to Los Angeles in the 50s, where they began performing as a gospel band. In the mid--60s, they added drummer Brian Keegan and began playing around the L.A. folk scene. Then they began to take on a more rock sound, and this would result in their biggest hit, this hard-driving number with lyrics about changing rules and souls becoming "pyschedelicized." Not sure what it all means, but those "tick-tocking" drums help to make it an enduring classic, and one that it often used in media to epitomize the late 1960s.
29 - "All Along the Watchtower," The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Another song often employed as "late 60s" shorthand is this, the only Top 40 hit for James Marshall Hendrix, a Seattle native who, after stints backing up Little Richard and The Isley Brothers, formed a trio in England with Brits Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell and began on the road to becoming one of the icons of rock guitar. The group's biggest pop success was this cover of a Bob Dylan song from the previous year with lyrics about jokers, thieves, and wine-drinking businessmen. This has become the definitive version of the song, even to Dylan. A breathtaking combination of two geniuses.
28 - "I've Gotta Get a Message to You," The Bee Gees
We've heard plenty from the Brothers Gibb here at BGC, particularly in their 70s incarnations as pop balladeers and disco kings. But here's our first look at their folkish 60s origins, in the form of their first U.S. Top Ten. this song is about a man about to be executed for the murder of his wife's lover begging the prison chaplain to pass along some final words to her. Barry conveys the man's desperation quite well in the choruses, but for some reason, I find it fun to sing along with him. Strange.
27 - "Bang-Shang-a-Lang," The Archies
The adventures of Riverdale, USA teens Archie Andrews, "Jughead" Jones, Reggie Mantle, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, and their friends had been documented in comic books for over a quarter-century when they were given a new outlet as a Saturday morning cartoon. In the show, the gang formed a garage band that performed songs performed by studio musicians, and some of them ended up gaining radio play. The first of these was this catchy bit of okay pop-rock onomatopoeia. The "band" would score three more Top 40s, most notably the #1 "Sugar Sugar."
26 - "Hi-Heel Sneakers," Jose Feliciano
From Puerto Rico, Feliciano, in spite of being blind from birth, taught himself to play the acoustic guitar, and earlier in the year he had broken through with a Top Five cover of The Doors' "Light My Fire." His follow-up single was another remake, this time of a 1963 Tommy Tucker hit that requests that a woman don a red dress, a "wig hat," and the unusual title footwear. Feliciano's version is loose and fun, with a cool harmonica solo. He continues to record and perform to this day, but his only other hit would come in 1970 with the holiday perennial "Feliz Navidad."
25 - "Court of Love," The Unifics
This Washington soul group scored two pop Top 40s, the first being this ballad on which a man details the heartbreaking crimes of his ex to a judge and jury. Ther female foreman announces at the end that the defendant has been found guilty. Does this indicate a happy ending beyond mere justice? I'd like to think so.
24 - "Keep On Lovin' Me Honey," Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
Marvin and Tammi's penultimate Top 40 was this passionate plea for continued affection. What can I say except that these two were magic together?
23 - "Fool for You," The Impressions
These Chicago soulsters, fronted by the legendary Curtis Mayfield, were a frequent presence on the pop and soul charts throughout the decade. This record was a horn-driven declaration of Mayfield's dedication to a woman who's no good for him. The man was one of the genre's kings, no doubt about it, and here's proof.
22 - "Shape of Things to Come," Max Frost and The Troopers
The second fictional band we've come across this time around was created for the movie Wild in the Streets, in which rock singer Max Frost and his band inspire a movement to lower the voting age to 14, which eventually results in Frost becoming president and making everyone over 35 take LSD. Ah, the 60s. This film was also one of Richard Pryor's first movie roles. As for the song, it's an okay tune about change and revolution and stuff. The singer sounds kind of like Eric Burdon. I imagine the movie is much more interesting than the song.
21 - "Who's Making Love," Johnnie Taylor
The first major hit for Memphis soul man Taylor was this funky warning to men that while they're stepping out on their ladies, the women are frequently occupied as well. Listening back, I found the bassline on this remarkably similar to the one John Deacon played on Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust." Maybe it wasn't Chic he was ripping off after all.
In Part Two: pride, mourning, and flying floormats.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
October 14, 1967 Part Two
Time to wrap up 1967.
20 - "Brown Eyed Girl," Van Morrison
The pride of Belfast, Northern Ireland, George Ivan Morrison was exposed to R&B, jazz, gospel, and country as a child thanks to his father's vast record collection. In 1964, he formed the band Them, and during his time with, er, them, he wrote the rock standard "Gloria" ("G-L-O-R-I-A!"). The band broke up in 1966, after which Morrison kicked off his solo career with this now-classic soul-rocker about young romance. On the single version, the song famously repeats "laughin' and a-runnin', hey hey," in place of the then-risqué line "making love in the green grass behind the stadium," and it always pisses me off when I hear that version. Van and his lady should never be denied their frolic. Accept no substitutes. Then again, I guess I can forgive that bit of censorship, because at least the song made the radio, which it might not have if Van had used his original title "Brown-Skinned Girl." No, 1967 would not have been ready for that.
19 - "You Keep Running Away," The Four Tops
Levi Stubbs and co. bring their usual drama and intensity to this song about obsessing over an unattainable girl. Their usual solid effort, one they could probably have done in their sleep. But most groups couldn't have come close to this with eyes wide open.
18 - "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman," Aretha Franklin
A minister's daughter from Detroit, Franklin naturally began singing gospel, but then decided to follow the footsteps of Sam Cooke into secular music, and in 1960, at the age of 18, she signed with Columbia Records. She had several R&B hits with the label, but limited pop success, and many felt that her potential wasn't being fulfilled. This seemed to be confirmed when, after switching to the Atlantic label at the beginning of 1967, she had five pop Top Tens within a year, including the #1 "Respect." Her fourth hit of '67 was this very gospel-influenced ballad about how a man's love has turned her life around. Famously, Murphy Brown sang this to her newborn baby. Slightly less famously, Selma Bouvier sang it to her newly acquired iguana, Jub-Jub. And I'm going to take the opportunity presented by this Simpsons reference to say RIP Marcia Wallace.
17 - "I Dig Rock and Roll Music," Peter, Paul and Mary
Assembled in 1961 by manager Albert Grossman, the trio of Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey, and Mary Travers were one of the best-selling and most influential folk acts of the decade. But where some of their peers embraced rock, they felt that the genre lacked substance and lyrical heft. So they recorded this deceptively positive "tribute," which takes specific aim at The Mamas and the Papas, Donovan, and even the already-sainted Beatles with lyrical sarcasm and remarkably dead-on vocal parodies. The song also contains the line 'If I really say it, the radio won't play it," which is ironic, because they really said a lot, and radio played it enough to get it to the Top Ten. In modern parlance, this might be referred to as a "dis track." In my world, I refer to it as the co-winner of this chart's Uneasy Rider.
16 - "Get On Up," The Esquires
The first and biggest hit by this Milwaukee R&B combo was this nifty little invitation to dance. Inconsequential, but it will get you moving.
15 - "Expressway (To Your Heart)," The Soul Survivors
The best-known hit by these Philadelphians was this soul jam comparing the search for love to negotiating through highway traffic. I'm not sure if these guys made it to their destination. Myself, I'm stuck on the side of the road with an overheating radiator, waiting to be towed.
14 - "Dandelion," The Rolling Stones
The Stones' fifteenth U.S. Top 40 was this wistful number about children playing games with weeds. Some would say it has a "Beatlesque" quality, and the fact that John Lennon and Paul McCartney sang backup on the song does nothing to dispel that notion. An overlooked gem.
13 - "Your Precious Love," Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
Gaye was already an established Motown hitmaker when he began a string of hit duets with onetime James Brown backup singer Terrell. Their second Top 40, and first Top Ten, was this straightforward romantic ballad that serves as a showcase for their talents and chemistry. Sadly, Terrell would die in 1970 at the age of 24, but her voice will never be forgotten.
12 - "Hey Baby, They're Playing Our Song," The Buckinghams
This Chicago group had broken through earlier in the year with the #1 "Kind of a Drag," and would go on to crack the Top 40 three more times during this year. Their final '67 hit was this lightweight pop tune about wanting to get back together with an ex. Sounds like a Neil Diamond outtake, one he3 would have had the sense not to bother releasing.
11 - "Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie," Jay and The Techniques
From Allentown, Pennsylvania, this band scored its first and biggest hit with a song that isn't about fruit and baked goods, but rather the never ending game of hide-and-seek that is romance. Silly, singalong fun.
The Top Ten means never having to say you're sorry.
10 - "Soul Man," Sam and Dave
The duo of Sam Moore and Dave Prater rose to stardom in the mid-60s when they signed with Stax Records and were backed in the studio by Booker T. and the M.G.s. Their biggest, and best, hit was this classic about being dependable and a good lover and stuff like that. Just great. In 1986, Moore recorded the song again for a movie of the same name, but this time his duet partner was none other than Lou Reed. As I'm sure you know, Lou Reed died this past weekend, and I want to take this opportunity to wish him happy trails in the great beyond. He may have only had one "hit" but he was one of rock's greatest songwriters and characters, and his influence will be felt for years to come.
9 - "Gimme Little Sign," Brenton Wood
Born Alfred Smith, Wood was a high school track star in Compton, California before changing his name and turning to music. His biggest hit was this R&B tune about wanting a clear indication of his lover's devotion. I especially like the organ solo.
8 - "How Can I Be Sure," The Young Rascals
Since their national debut just two years earlier, this New Jersey band had already hit #1 twice with "Good Lovin'" and "Groovin'," This one didn't top the charts, but this is probably their most interesting song. It's kind of an odd mashup of American soul and French accordion-based music, and it's lyrics about the uncertainties of life and love were apparently inspired by the group's experiences with Transcendental Meditation. I like it more than I'd ever expected to like one of their songs.
7 - "Come Back When You Grow Up," Bobby Vee and the Strangers
The former teen idol hadn't had a major hit in four years when he made a surprise return to the upper reaches of the charts with this bland number about a girl who isn't as mature as she looks or she thinks she is. Another of those songs whose popularity mystifies me. And I have know idea who The Strangers are. But I guess that makes sense.
6 - "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher," Jackie Wilson
The final Top Ten for the man known as "Mr. Excitement" was this energetic raveup about the elevating power of love. Seriously, every time I hear Jackie's version, I feel that Rita Coolidge needs to make a public apology for what she did to it.
5 - "Ode to Billy Joe," Bobbie Gentry
This Mississippi-born country singer (nee Roberta Streeter) had her greatest success with this pop #1, a story song that tells the story of Billie Joe MacAllister, a young man who commits suicide by jumping off the Tallahatchie Bridge. The tale is told through the point of view of Gentry's unnamed narrator, who learns of Billie Joe's death from her mother. We learn from dinner table conversation that the narrator's father never thought much of the boy, but her brother was a friend of his. Then we learn that the narrator's mother has invited the local preacher to dinner on Sunday, and while he was accepting the invitation, he told the mother that he had recently seen a girl who strongly resembled her daughter with Billie Joe, and they were "throwing something" off of the very bridge from which the boy fell to his death. Was it our narrator? What were they throwing? What exactly does she know about why Billie Joe ended his life? Over the years people have speculated that the item in question was a ring, or maybe Billie Joe's draft card, or perhaps even the aborted fetus of Billie Joe and the narrator's love child. Whatever it was, the last verse gives no clues, simply telling us the status of the narrator's family one year later and sharing that she herself often picks flowers and drops them into the water off the bridge. One of pop's most enduring mysteries, and a great song to boot.
4 - "Little Ole Man (Uptight - Everything's Alright)," Bill Cosby
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Cosby originally followed in his father's footsteps by joining the United States navy, but in the early 60s, he began doing standup comedy, and quickly became hugely successful. By this time, he was one of the most successful comics on the live circuit, had recorded many successful albums of his material, and was the Emmy-winning star of the popular TV drama I Spy. And here, he added a Top ten song to his list of achievements. Borrowing the tune and the chorus from a Stevie Wonder hit from the previous year, Cosby talk-sings the tale of his encounter with an elderly gentleman whom he finds crying. He asks the man what the matter is, and the man tells him that he was just run over by a train. Not only that, but the same train hits him at the same time every day. Later, Cosby encounters the man, who is again upset. This time, he says he was trampled by elephants, the same elephants that trample him every day "a half hour after the train runs over me." Then Cosby comes across the man a third time, and he's still upset. Cosby asks him how he's doing after his run-ins with the train and the elephants. The man then asks him "What train? What elephants?" Cosby is confused. Then the man says that Cosby is young and has a lot to learn, and then makes him the same offer Bill had made to him on the first two occasions "Reach out, take my hand. You'll understand." Strangely entertaining, and in its own way as trippy as anything the psychedelic-rock scene ever produced. Which is why The Cos is the other winner of this chart's Uneasy Rider.
3 - "To Sir With Love," Lulu
The Scottish starlet had her only American #1 with the theme song from the hit film in which she sang it to teacher Sidney Poitier, who had taken her and her unruly classmates and turned them into respectable young ladies and gentlemen. Never seen it, but I have seen the SCTV parody "Teacher's Pet." Bob Geldof gave Ricardo Montalban such a hard time. Anyway, good song, well sung.
2 - "Never My Love," The Association
These human sleeping pills again, back and boring. Will they win my love? Never.
And topping the charts 46 years ago was...
1 - "The Letter," The Box Tops
These Memphis soul-rockers went straight to the top with their first single, a song about a guy who gets a letter from his ex saying that she wants him back, and so he needs to get to her by plane, because he "ain't got time to take a fast train." Goodness from the airplane takeoff sound at the beginning to the circus organ at the end. The band would score six more Top 40s, and then Alex Chilton would leave to form the cultishly adored Big Star.
Next time, it's 1968.
20 - "Brown Eyed Girl," Van Morrison
The pride of Belfast, Northern Ireland, George Ivan Morrison was exposed to R&B, jazz, gospel, and country as a child thanks to his father's vast record collection. In 1964, he formed the band Them, and during his time with, er, them, he wrote the rock standard "Gloria" ("G-L-O-R-I-A!"). The band broke up in 1966, after which Morrison kicked off his solo career with this now-classic soul-rocker about young romance. On the single version, the song famously repeats "laughin' and a-runnin', hey hey," in place of the then-risqué line "making love in the green grass behind the stadium," and it always pisses me off when I hear that version. Van and his lady should never be denied their frolic. Accept no substitutes. Then again, I guess I can forgive that bit of censorship, because at least the song made the radio, which it might not have if Van had used his original title "Brown-Skinned Girl." No, 1967 would not have been ready for that.
19 - "You Keep Running Away," The Four Tops
Levi Stubbs and co. bring their usual drama and intensity to this song about obsessing over an unattainable girl. Their usual solid effort, one they could probably have done in their sleep. But most groups couldn't have come close to this with eyes wide open.
18 - "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman," Aretha Franklin
A minister's daughter from Detroit, Franklin naturally began singing gospel, but then decided to follow the footsteps of Sam Cooke into secular music, and in 1960, at the age of 18, she signed with Columbia Records. She had several R&B hits with the label, but limited pop success, and many felt that her potential wasn't being fulfilled. This seemed to be confirmed when, after switching to the Atlantic label at the beginning of 1967, she had five pop Top Tens within a year, including the #1 "Respect." Her fourth hit of '67 was this very gospel-influenced ballad about how a man's love has turned her life around. Famously, Murphy Brown sang this to her newborn baby. Slightly less famously, Selma Bouvier sang it to her newly acquired iguana, Jub-Jub. And I'm going to take the opportunity presented by this Simpsons reference to say RIP Marcia Wallace.
17 - "I Dig Rock and Roll Music," Peter, Paul and Mary
Assembled in 1961 by manager Albert Grossman, the trio of Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey, and Mary Travers were one of the best-selling and most influential folk acts of the decade. But where some of their peers embraced rock, they felt that the genre lacked substance and lyrical heft. So they recorded this deceptively positive "tribute," which takes specific aim at The Mamas and the Papas, Donovan, and even the already-sainted Beatles with lyrical sarcasm and remarkably dead-on vocal parodies. The song also contains the line 'If I really say it, the radio won't play it," which is ironic, because they really said a lot, and radio played it enough to get it to the Top Ten. In modern parlance, this might be referred to as a "dis track." In my world, I refer to it as the co-winner of this chart's Uneasy Rider.
16 - "Get On Up," The Esquires
The first and biggest hit by this Milwaukee R&B combo was this nifty little invitation to dance. Inconsequential, but it will get you moving.
15 - "Expressway (To Your Heart)," The Soul Survivors
The best-known hit by these Philadelphians was this soul jam comparing the search for love to negotiating through highway traffic. I'm not sure if these guys made it to their destination. Myself, I'm stuck on the side of the road with an overheating radiator, waiting to be towed.
14 - "Dandelion," The Rolling Stones
The Stones' fifteenth U.S. Top 40 was this wistful number about children playing games with weeds. Some would say it has a "Beatlesque" quality, and the fact that John Lennon and Paul McCartney sang backup on the song does nothing to dispel that notion. An overlooked gem.
13 - "Your Precious Love," Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
Gaye was already an established Motown hitmaker when he began a string of hit duets with onetime James Brown backup singer Terrell. Their second Top 40, and first Top Ten, was this straightforward romantic ballad that serves as a showcase for their talents and chemistry. Sadly, Terrell would die in 1970 at the age of 24, but her voice will never be forgotten.
12 - "Hey Baby, They're Playing Our Song," The Buckinghams
This Chicago group had broken through earlier in the year with the #1 "Kind of a Drag," and would go on to crack the Top 40 three more times during this year. Their final '67 hit was this lightweight pop tune about wanting to get back together with an ex. Sounds like a Neil Diamond outtake, one he3 would have had the sense not to bother releasing.
11 - "Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie," Jay and The Techniques
From Allentown, Pennsylvania, this band scored its first and biggest hit with a song that isn't about fruit and baked goods, but rather the never ending game of hide-and-seek that is romance. Silly, singalong fun.
The Top Ten means never having to say you're sorry.
10 - "Soul Man," Sam and Dave
The duo of Sam Moore and Dave Prater rose to stardom in the mid-60s when they signed with Stax Records and were backed in the studio by Booker T. and the M.G.s. Their biggest, and best, hit was this classic about being dependable and a good lover and stuff like that. Just great. In 1986, Moore recorded the song again for a movie of the same name, but this time his duet partner was none other than Lou Reed. As I'm sure you know, Lou Reed died this past weekend, and I want to take this opportunity to wish him happy trails in the great beyond. He may have only had one "hit" but he was one of rock's greatest songwriters and characters, and his influence will be felt for years to come.
9 - "Gimme Little Sign," Brenton Wood
Born Alfred Smith, Wood was a high school track star in Compton, California before changing his name and turning to music. His biggest hit was this R&B tune about wanting a clear indication of his lover's devotion. I especially like the organ solo.
8 - "How Can I Be Sure," The Young Rascals
Since their national debut just two years earlier, this New Jersey band had already hit #1 twice with "Good Lovin'" and "Groovin'," This one didn't top the charts, but this is probably their most interesting song. It's kind of an odd mashup of American soul and French accordion-based music, and it's lyrics about the uncertainties of life and love were apparently inspired by the group's experiences with Transcendental Meditation. I like it more than I'd ever expected to like one of their songs.
7 - "Come Back When You Grow Up," Bobby Vee and the Strangers
The former teen idol hadn't had a major hit in four years when he made a surprise return to the upper reaches of the charts with this bland number about a girl who isn't as mature as she looks or she thinks she is. Another of those songs whose popularity mystifies me. And I have know idea who The Strangers are. But I guess that makes sense.
6 - "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher," Jackie Wilson
The final Top Ten for the man known as "Mr. Excitement" was this energetic raveup about the elevating power of love. Seriously, every time I hear Jackie's version, I feel that Rita Coolidge needs to make a public apology for what she did to it.
5 - "Ode to Billy Joe," Bobbie Gentry
This Mississippi-born country singer (nee Roberta Streeter) had her greatest success with this pop #1, a story song that tells the story of Billie Joe MacAllister, a young man who commits suicide by jumping off the Tallahatchie Bridge. The tale is told through the point of view of Gentry's unnamed narrator, who learns of Billie Joe's death from her mother. We learn from dinner table conversation that the narrator's father never thought much of the boy, but her brother was a friend of his. Then we learn that the narrator's mother has invited the local preacher to dinner on Sunday, and while he was accepting the invitation, he told the mother that he had recently seen a girl who strongly resembled her daughter with Billie Joe, and they were "throwing something" off of the very bridge from which the boy fell to his death. Was it our narrator? What were they throwing? What exactly does she know about why Billie Joe ended his life? Over the years people have speculated that the item in question was a ring, or maybe Billie Joe's draft card, or perhaps even the aborted fetus of Billie Joe and the narrator's love child. Whatever it was, the last verse gives no clues, simply telling us the status of the narrator's family one year later and sharing that she herself often picks flowers and drops them into the water off the bridge. One of pop's most enduring mysteries, and a great song to boot.
4 - "Little Ole Man (Uptight - Everything's Alright)," Bill Cosby
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Cosby originally followed in his father's footsteps by joining the United States navy, but in the early 60s, he began doing standup comedy, and quickly became hugely successful. By this time, he was one of the most successful comics on the live circuit, had recorded many successful albums of his material, and was the Emmy-winning star of the popular TV drama I Spy. And here, he added a Top ten song to his list of achievements. Borrowing the tune and the chorus from a Stevie Wonder hit from the previous year, Cosby talk-sings the tale of his encounter with an elderly gentleman whom he finds crying. He asks the man what the matter is, and the man tells him that he was just run over by a train. Not only that, but the same train hits him at the same time every day. Later, Cosby encounters the man, who is again upset. This time, he says he was trampled by elephants, the same elephants that trample him every day "a half hour after the train runs over me." Then Cosby comes across the man a third time, and he's still upset. Cosby asks him how he's doing after his run-ins with the train and the elephants. The man then asks him "What train? What elephants?" Cosby is confused. Then the man says that Cosby is young and has a lot to learn, and then makes him the same offer Bill had made to him on the first two occasions "Reach out, take my hand. You'll understand." Strangely entertaining, and in its own way as trippy as anything the psychedelic-rock scene ever produced. Which is why The Cos is the other winner of this chart's Uneasy Rider.
3 - "To Sir With Love," Lulu
The Scottish starlet had her only American #1 with the theme song from the hit film in which she sang it to teacher Sidney Poitier, who had taken her and her unruly classmates and turned them into respectable young ladies and gentlemen. Never seen it, but I have seen the SCTV parody "Teacher's Pet." Bob Geldof gave Ricardo Montalban such a hard time. Anyway, good song, well sung.
2 - "Never My Love," The Association
These human sleeping pills again, back and boring. Will they win my love? Never.
And topping the charts 46 years ago was...
1 - "The Letter," The Box Tops
These Memphis soul-rockers went straight to the top with their first single, a song about a guy who gets a letter from his ex saying that she wants him back, and so he needs to get to her by plane, because he "ain't got time to take a fast train." Goodness from the airplane takeoff sound at the beginning to the circus organ at the end. The band would score six more Top 40s, and then Alex Chilton would leave to form the cultishly adored Big Star.
Next time, it's 1968.
Friday, October 25, 2013
October 14, 1967 Part One
This time we visit October of 1967. During this month, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Boston Red Sox met in the World Series. This year's Series is going on right now, between the same two teams. But the music on the charts is quite a bit different now. How different? See for yourself.
40 - "Love Bug Leave My Heart Alone," Martha and the Vandellas
Martha Reeves, Rosalind Ashford, and Betty Kelley were one of Motown's stalwart acts, picking up a dozen Top 40s between 1963 and 1967. This song about trying to avoid the temptation of getting back with an ex isn't one of their best-known, but it's very good. I especially like the fuzz-guitar sound on it. And did you know that Martha Reeves served on Detroit's City Council for five years? I didn't, but I'm glad I do know
39 - "I Make a Fool of Myself," Frankie Valli
While still a member of the Four Seasons, Valli was starting to put out singles under his name alone. Earlier in '67, he scored his first solo hit with "Can't Take My Eyes Off You." His follow-up was this number about not being able to keep his cool around the girl he fancies. Not all that different from the stuff he did with his group, except maybe a bit slicker. Not bad, though.
38 - "Love is Strange," Peaches and Herb
We went through the saga of Herb Fame and the many "Peaches" he's had over the years, and now we get to hear him with the original, Francine Barker, on a cover of the 1956 Mickey and Sylvia hit that was re-popularized in 1987 by Dirty Dancing. Their horn-heavy soul take has its moments, but I think the gritty blues of the original is so much sexier. And I will say that Peaches #1 is likely the best of the bunch.
37 - "Please Love Me Forever," Bobby Vinton
The Polish Prince returned to the Top Ten for the first time in three years with this countryish plea for eternal devotion. A little too mellow for me, even by his standards.
36 - "The Last Waltz," Engelbert Humperdinck
Born Arnold Dorsey, this English singer signed with Tom Jones' manager, who suggested he change his name to that of a 19th-century German opera composer. In 1967, he broke through on both sides of the Atlantic with the smash "Release Me." His third hit of the year was this tune about dancing and heartbreak and stuff. A bit cheesy, but fine. And it certainly doesn't cause "After the Lovin'" levels of nausea.
35 - "A Banda (Ah Bahn-da)," Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass
More instrumental goodness from Herbie and company on this jaunty version of a song by Brazilian composer Chico Buarque. I was sure I'd heard it before somewhere, and then it hit me that it might of been the theme song for the pro wrestling shows that used to air on CHCH TV in Hamilton, Ontario during the late 70s and early 80s. And I looked it up, and I was right.
34 - "Incense and Peppermints," Strawberry Alarm Clock
This L.A. band went all the way to #1 with their first hit, this psychedelia touchstone. Swirly keyboards, distorted guitars, and cowbell-heavy percussion provide a backdrop for lyrics about "the color of time" and "meaningless nouns. A genuinely cool pop song. They only had one more minor hit after this, but this isn't a bad legacy in and of itself.
33 - "Memphis Soul Stew," King Curtis
Born in Fort Worth, Texas, saxophonist Curtis Ousley had played on records by The Coasters and Buddy Holly, among others, and had a hit of his own in 1962 with "Soul Twist." On his second hit, he outlines the recipe for the titular dish, whose ingredients include "a pound of fatback drums" and "4 tablespoons of boiling Memphis guitars." Naturally, it all cooks up into something funkily delicious. Wonderful stuff.
32 - "Child of Clay," Jimmie Rodgers
Originally from Washington state, folk-pop singer Rodgers scored a number of hits in the late 50s, including the #1 "Honeycomb." The hits dried up once the decade turned, but he did manage to scrape into the Top 40 twice in the latter half of the decade. The second and last of these minor hits was this song about a boy whose neglectful upbringing resulted in him becoming an unhappy and desperate adult. It reminds me a little of Elvis' "In the Ghetto." An interesting little artifact that I'm glad I dug up.
31 - "The Look of Love," Dusty Springfield
This sultry, almost bossa nova-ish ballad, written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for the original, comedic version of the James Bond film Casino Royale, has become one of Miss Dusty's best known recordings. And justifiably so. Music to make classy love by.
30 - "What Now My Love," Mitch Ryder
Born William Levise, Jr. in Hamrtramck, Michigan, Ryder had scored five Top 40 hits between 1965 and 1967 fronting The Detroit Wheels, the most famous of these being the medley "Devil With a Blue Dress On/Good Golly Miss Molly." Then Ryder embarked on a solo career, but unfortunately, that only produce one hit, the English version of a 1961 French ballad called "Et Maintenant" that has been covered numerous times over the years. It's a haunting song about feeling desperate and lonely, but Ryder's vocals just seem too square and unaffected to really work, and his spoken word interlude doesn't add anything. But that high note he hits at the end has to be heard to be believed.
29 - "Ode to Billy Joe," The Kingpins
More from King Curtis, here leading his group (who also served as Aretha Franklin's backing band) on a jazzy instrumental version of a song that was quite popular at the time. I'll say more about it when the original comes up in Part II, but for now, I'll just say that this take is nice, but inessential.
28 - "Let Love Come Between Us," James and Bobby Purify
Floridian cousins James Lee Purify and Robert Lee Dickey scored the last of their four pop Top 40 hits with this snappy number about putting an end to all the fussin' and feudin' and just getting along. For some reason, my major reaction to this song was "Why didn't James Taylor cover this in the 70s? It seems like he would have." Don't know why I thought that, but there it is.
27 - "Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out)," The Hombres
This Memphis band's only hit is this drawly garage-rocker about just, you know, doing your own thing, like hanging off of a pine tree or "eating a Reuben sandwich with busauerkraut." Odd, but profound in its way. Love it.
26 - "Groovin'," Booker T. and the M.G.
The legendary house band of Memphis soul factory Stax Records, the combo of Booker T. Jones, Steve Cropper, Lewie Steinberg, and Al Jackson, Jr. had a huge hit of their own in 1962 with the classic "Green Onions." They didn't return to the pop Top 40 until five years later (with Steinberg being replaced by Donald "Duck" Dunn), when they reached those heights twice, the second time with this instrumental take on a love song that had been a #1 hit earlier in the year for The Young Rascals. Gotta say, I like this version better.
25 - "Lightning's Girl," Nancy Sinatra
The red hot period of Frank's daughter's music career spanned 1966 and 1967. During these two years, she scored all ten of her career Top 40 hits, including two #1s: "These Boots are Made for Walkin'," and the duet with Dad, "Somethin' Stupid." Her last solo hit was this song on which she assures would-be suitors that her boyfriend "Lighting" will kill them if they try anything on her. It's a bit of a dark rocker, and Nancy does her usual sassy thing. Very, very good.
24 - "It Must be Him," Vikki Carr
This El Paso, Texas native was born Florencia Martinez Cardona, but she changed it to a more Anglo-friendly name when she launched her singing career. Her second biggest hit was this ballad about getting really, really disappointed when the phone rings and the voice on the other end doesn't belong to her long-lost love. Dramatic to the point of humor. And based on a French song written by Gilbert Becaud, who also wrote what became "What Now My Love."
23 - "People are Strange," The Doors
The L.A.-based legends, fronted by the one and only Jim Morrison, broke on through to the mainstream side earlier in this year with the #1 "Light My Fire." Their follow-up single was this spooky song with lyrics about wicked women and "faces com(ing) out of the rain." The piano on this really adds to the macabre quality, making it a perfect song for this particular time of year.
22 - "Reflections," Diana Ross and The Supremes
One of the last songs recorded with original member Florence Ballard, this cry of heartbreak and betrayal is also notable for being one of the first hits to contain contributions from a Moog synthesizer. For me, those spacey sound effects don't really add anything, but neither do they detract from yet another Motown gem.
21 - "Funky Broadway," Wilson Pickett
Pickett's second and final pop Top Ten was this cover of a song originated by a Buffalo band called Dyke and the Blazers. In the song, "Broadway" is not only a street, but also a nightclub and a dance step. It's also "dirty" and "filthy." But most importantly of all, it's funky. And isn't that all that matters?
In Part 2: a song whose "radio edit" angers me to no end, some good old-fashioned folk sarcasm, and a comedy legend gives singing a try.
40 - "Love Bug Leave My Heart Alone," Martha and the Vandellas
Martha Reeves, Rosalind Ashford, and Betty Kelley were one of Motown's stalwart acts, picking up a dozen Top 40s between 1963 and 1967. This song about trying to avoid the temptation of getting back with an ex isn't one of their best-known, but it's very good. I especially like the fuzz-guitar sound on it. And did you know that Martha Reeves served on Detroit's City Council for five years? I didn't, but I'm glad I do know
39 - "I Make a Fool of Myself," Frankie Valli
While still a member of the Four Seasons, Valli was starting to put out singles under his name alone. Earlier in '67, he scored his first solo hit with "Can't Take My Eyes Off You." His follow-up was this number about not being able to keep his cool around the girl he fancies. Not all that different from the stuff he did with his group, except maybe a bit slicker. Not bad, though.
38 - "Love is Strange," Peaches and Herb
We went through the saga of Herb Fame and the many "Peaches" he's had over the years, and now we get to hear him with the original, Francine Barker, on a cover of the 1956 Mickey and Sylvia hit that was re-popularized in 1987 by Dirty Dancing. Their horn-heavy soul take has its moments, but I think the gritty blues of the original is so much sexier. And I will say that Peaches #1 is likely the best of the bunch.
37 - "Please Love Me Forever," Bobby Vinton
The Polish Prince returned to the Top Ten for the first time in three years with this countryish plea for eternal devotion. A little too mellow for me, even by his standards.
36 - "The Last Waltz," Engelbert Humperdinck
Born Arnold Dorsey, this English singer signed with Tom Jones' manager, who suggested he change his name to that of a 19th-century German opera composer. In 1967, he broke through on both sides of the Atlantic with the smash "Release Me." His third hit of the year was this tune about dancing and heartbreak and stuff. A bit cheesy, but fine. And it certainly doesn't cause "After the Lovin'" levels of nausea.
35 - "A Banda (Ah Bahn-da)," Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass
More instrumental goodness from Herbie and company on this jaunty version of a song by Brazilian composer Chico Buarque. I was sure I'd heard it before somewhere, and then it hit me that it might of been the theme song for the pro wrestling shows that used to air on CHCH TV in Hamilton, Ontario during the late 70s and early 80s. And I looked it up, and I was right.
34 - "Incense and Peppermints," Strawberry Alarm Clock
This L.A. band went all the way to #1 with their first hit, this psychedelia touchstone. Swirly keyboards, distorted guitars, and cowbell-heavy percussion provide a backdrop for lyrics about "the color of time" and "meaningless nouns. A genuinely cool pop song. They only had one more minor hit after this, but this isn't a bad legacy in and of itself.
33 - "Memphis Soul Stew," King Curtis
Born in Fort Worth, Texas, saxophonist Curtis Ousley had played on records by The Coasters and Buddy Holly, among others, and had a hit of his own in 1962 with "Soul Twist." On his second hit, he outlines the recipe for the titular dish, whose ingredients include "a pound of fatback drums" and "4 tablespoons of boiling Memphis guitars." Naturally, it all cooks up into something funkily delicious. Wonderful stuff.
32 - "Child of Clay," Jimmie Rodgers
Originally from Washington state, folk-pop singer Rodgers scored a number of hits in the late 50s, including the #1 "Honeycomb." The hits dried up once the decade turned, but he did manage to scrape into the Top 40 twice in the latter half of the decade. The second and last of these minor hits was this song about a boy whose neglectful upbringing resulted in him becoming an unhappy and desperate adult. It reminds me a little of Elvis' "In the Ghetto." An interesting little artifact that I'm glad I dug up.
31 - "The Look of Love," Dusty Springfield
This sultry, almost bossa nova-ish ballad, written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for the original, comedic version of the James Bond film Casino Royale, has become one of Miss Dusty's best known recordings. And justifiably so. Music to make classy love by.
30 - "What Now My Love," Mitch Ryder
Born William Levise, Jr. in Hamrtramck, Michigan, Ryder had scored five Top 40 hits between 1965 and 1967 fronting The Detroit Wheels, the most famous of these being the medley "Devil With a Blue Dress On/Good Golly Miss Molly." Then Ryder embarked on a solo career, but unfortunately, that only produce one hit, the English version of a 1961 French ballad called "Et Maintenant" that has been covered numerous times over the years. It's a haunting song about feeling desperate and lonely, but Ryder's vocals just seem too square and unaffected to really work, and his spoken word interlude doesn't add anything. But that high note he hits at the end has to be heard to be believed.
29 - "Ode to Billy Joe," The Kingpins
More from King Curtis, here leading his group (who also served as Aretha Franklin's backing band) on a jazzy instrumental version of a song that was quite popular at the time. I'll say more about it when the original comes up in Part II, but for now, I'll just say that this take is nice, but inessential.
28 - "Let Love Come Between Us," James and Bobby Purify
Floridian cousins James Lee Purify and Robert Lee Dickey scored the last of their four pop Top 40 hits with this snappy number about putting an end to all the fussin' and feudin' and just getting along. For some reason, my major reaction to this song was "Why didn't James Taylor cover this in the 70s? It seems like he would have." Don't know why I thought that, but there it is.
27 - "Let it Out (Let it All Hang Out)," The Hombres
This Memphis band's only hit is this drawly garage-rocker about just, you know, doing your own thing, like hanging off of a pine tree or "eating a Reuben sandwich with busauerkraut." Odd, but profound in its way. Love it.
26 - "Groovin'," Booker T. and the M.G.
The legendary house band of Memphis soul factory Stax Records, the combo of Booker T. Jones, Steve Cropper, Lewie Steinberg, and Al Jackson, Jr. had a huge hit of their own in 1962 with the classic "Green Onions." They didn't return to the pop Top 40 until five years later (with Steinberg being replaced by Donald "Duck" Dunn), when they reached those heights twice, the second time with this instrumental take on a love song that had been a #1 hit earlier in the year for The Young Rascals. Gotta say, I like this version better.
25 - "Lightning's Girl," Nancy Sinatra
The red hot period of Frank's daughter's music career spanned 1966 and 1967. During these two years, she scored all ten of her career Top 40 hits, including two #1s: "These Boots are Made for Walkin'," and the duet with Dad, "Somethin' Stupid." Her last solo hit was this song on which she assures would-be suitors that her boyfriend "Lighting" will kill them if they try anything on her. It's a bit of a dark rocker, and Nancy does her usual sassy thing. Very, very good.
24 - "It Must be Him," Vikki Carr
This El Paso, Texas native was born Florencia Martinez Cardona, but she changed it to a more Anglo-friendly name when she launched her singing career. Her second biggest hit was this ballad about getting really, really disappointed when the phone rings and the voice on the other end doesn't belong to her long-lost love. Dramatic to the point of humor. And based on a French song written by Gilbert Becaud, who also wrote what became "What Now My Love."
23 - "People are Strange," The Doors
The L.A.-based legends, fronted by the one and only Jim Morrison, broke on through to the mainstream side earlier in this year with the #1 "Light My Fire." Their follow-up single was this spooky song with lyrics about wicked women and "faces com(ing) out of the rain." The piano on this really adds to the macabre quality, making it a perfect song for this particular time of year.
22 - "Reflections," Diana Ross and The Supremes
One of the last songs recorded with original member Florence Ballard, this cry of heartbreak and betrayal is also notable for being one of the first hits to contain contributions from a Moog synthesizer. For me, those spacey sound effects don't really add anything, but neither do they detract from yet another Motown gem.
21 - "Funky Broadway," Wilson Pickett
Pickett's second and final pop Top Ten was this cover of a song originated by a Buffalo band called Dyke and the Blazers. In the song, "Broadway" is not only a street, but also a nightclub and a dance step. It's also "dirty" and "filthy." But most importantly of all, it's funky. And isn't that all that matters?
In Part 2: a song whose "radio edit" angers me to no end, some good old-fashioned folk sarcasm, and a comedy legend gives singing a try.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
September 24, 1966 Part Two
Closing out '66.
20 - "Mr. Dieingly Sad," The Critters
This New Jersey band's biggest hit was this song about a morose gentleman and his longing for a blue-eyed blonde. Mediocre pop in the Association vein.
19 - "I've Got You Under My Skin," The Four Seasons
Frankie V. and the Jersey boys cracked the Top Ten with this showy interpretation of a song Cole Porter wrote for the 1936 Hollywood musical Born to Dance. It's prime Porter, and these guys do a good job of staying true to it while incorporating their signature sound. One of their best efforts.
18 - "How Sweet it Is (To be Loved By You)," Junior Walker and the All-Stars
Junior and co. return, this time with a cover of what had been Marvin Gaye's first pop Top Ten a year earlier. It's very good. It doesn't top Marvin, but I'll take it over James Taylor's version any day.
17 - "Wipe Out," The Surfaris
We encountered this in '63, and here it is on it's second chart run. Don't have anything to add from the first time, except that it really was a shame what those boys (Fat and Beach) did to it later.
16 - "Born a Woman," Sandy Posey
Posey, who grew up around the Memphis area, had her first hit with this song that lamented what she felt was a female's lot in life, which was "to be under some man's thumb," and forced to tolerate being cheated on, lied to, and otherwise mistreated. But she seems to think that having her man in her life is worth all that. "I was born a woman, I'm glad it happened that way," she sings. Kind of a precursor to "Stand by Your Man," only much more disturbingly non-feminist. Apparently, Rush Limbaugh is a big fan of this song. And I'm not even joking.
15 - "Sunny Afternoon," The Kinks
We encounter the boys from Muswell Hill in North London just in time, as this would be their last U.S. Top 40 of this decade. It's a loping, lazy number about trying to relax on a pleasant summer's day in spite of financial and relationship difficulties. I'm a huge fan of the band's droll, literate, and very English twist on rock. Ray Davies is one of the greatest lyricists in the history of the genre. All in all, I think I like them better than any other British Invasion band not called The Beatles.
14 - "Cherry, Cherry," Neil Diamond
This Brooklyn singer-songwriter had his first major hit with this song about a girl who "got the way to move me." The arrangement, particularly the piano, gives it a kind of Ray Charles feel. A terrific first impression of what would be a prolific and diverse career. He has a cheesy rep, but the man could write a hook.
13 - "Guantanamera," The Sandpipers
This square vocal quartet originally called themselves The Four Seasons until they found out that name was taken. Their first and biggest hit was this popular Cuban song whose Spanish lyrics are about a guy who writes poems for a woman. At least that's what the guy who comes in near the end and does spoken-word translation says. Anyway, this version doesn't contain nearly as much passion as that sort of lyric requires.
12 - "See You In September," The Happenings
More MOR vocalizing, this time from another group of Jersey boys who weren't as good as The Four Seasons. Their first and biggest hit was this cover of a 1959 hit by The Tempos about parting with a lover over the summer, telling her of your hope that you'll still be together in the fall while warning her "there is danger in the summer moon above." Is that some kind of warning about werewolves? I'll assume it is, just to make this snorefest more interesting.
11 - "Eleanor Rigby," The Beatles
1966 was the year that it started to become clear that these guys weren't satisfied with just making three-chord pop-rock anthems about girls; they wanted to try many different styles and themes. And a prime example is this dark exploration of the lives of two "lonely people:" an elderly spinster, and the priest of a poorly-attended church. The song consists of nothing but vocals and strings, and nothing more is necessary. Deeply affecting and brilliant. It was the B-side of a single, but it was a slightly bigger hit than the A, which we'll get to later.
Use the Top Ten as directed.
10 - "Reach Out I'll Be There," The Four Tops
The second of two pop #1s for these Motown legends was this classic pledge to provide support and love to someone in their darkest hours. The strength of Levi Stubbs' voice provides abundant reassurance all on its own. Just greatness.
9 - "Wouldn't It be Nice," The Beach Boys
The A-side of "God Only Knows" is this wistful wish of a young person to be able to begin his adult life by getting married and setting up house with the girl he loves. Lushly orchestrated with additional support from the famous studio band The Wrecking Crew, this is one of the major reasons why Pet Sounds has become one of the most influential albums of all time.
8 - "96 Tears," ? and the Mysterians
This band of Michiganders were drawn together by both their Mexican heritage and their love of surf music, and their lasting legacy is this organ-driven garage rocker on which singer Rudy "Question Mark" Martinez sing/howls his intention to break an ex's heart as badly or worse as she broke his. They would only hit the Top 40 one more time after this went to #1, but this one song has probably been more influential to rock in general than the entire catalogues of many other, more prolific bands.
7 - "Black is Black," Los Bravos
This Spanish band with a German lead singer had their biggest international success with this song about loneliness that has a similar groove to "96 Tears." And vocalist Michael Kogel sounded quite a bit like Gene Pitney. A worthy hit, I suppose, but it doesn't really stand out to me.
6 - "Beauty is Only Skin Deep," The Temptations
The Temps picked up their second pop Top Five with this number about learning that inner substance is more important than outward appearance when it comes to choosing a lover. Just another solid chip off the Motown block.
5 - "Bus Stop," The Hollies
The second American hit for these Mancunians was this song about how an offer of a shared umbrella on a wet day blossomed into romance. Just simple and catchy and good. An essential track of the decade.
4 - "Yellow Submarine," The Beatles
The flip side of "Eleanor Rigby" was this silly-but-engaging children's song that, in spite of many elaborate interpretations from outside commentators, was apparently just intended to be about an old man telling young people about his life aboard an underwater vessel. Ringo sings it, and that's how it should be. He's always done the lighter stuff well. Just a fun tune that makes me smile, and odd enough to take down this week's Uneasy Rider.
3 - "Sunshine Superman," Donovan
Scotsman Donovan Leitch topped the U.S. charts for the first and only time with this psychedelic come-on on which he promises to "pick up your hand and slowly blow your little mind." I'm not sure if that's sexy or creepy, but the song is great regardless. And it was probably one of the first major pop hits to reference superheroes, as Green Lantern gets a shoutout in addition to the Man of Steel.
2 - "You Can't Hurry Love," The Supremes
Charttopper number seven for these ladies was this number about staying patient during the search for lasting affection. Lyrically, it's the same song as The Miracles' "You Better Shop Around," but it has plenty of other charms that are more than enough to justify its existence. Phil Collins did better than anyone had any right to expect with it, but the original is the one you need.
And on top of the charts at this moment in time was...
1 - "Cherish," The Association
In the past, I have alluded to my distaste for these agents of blandness, and now at last I encounter one of their songs. And naturally, it would have to be their biggest hit. There's nothing about it that I find the least bit tolerable. The harmonies are squaresville, the lyrics are not as clever as they're intended to be, and the arrangement is aural anasthesia. The only reason I can think of for this song's existence is to provide music for the most boring people in the world to make love to. I...just don't get it.
Yeah, that wasn't the most positive note to go out on, sorry. But hopefully 1967 will provide more thrills. Tune in next time to find out.
20 - "Mr. Dieingly Sad," The Critters
This New Jersey band's biggest hit was this song about a morose gentleman and his longing for a blue-eyed blonde. Mediocre pop in the Association vein.
19 - "I've Got You Under My Skin," The Four Seasons
Frankie V. and the Jersey boys cracked the Top Ten with this showy interpretation of a song Cole Porter wrote for the 1936 Hollywood musical Born to Dance. It's prime Porter, and these guys do a good job of staying true to it while incorporating their signature sound. One of their best efforts.
18 - "How Sweet it Is (To be Loved By You)," Junior Walker and the All-Stars
Junior and co. return, this time with a cover of what had been Marvin Gaye's first pop Top Ten a year earlier. It's very good. It doesn't top Marvin, but I'll take it over James Taylor's version any day.
17 - "Wipe Out," The Surfaris
We encountered this in '63, and here it is on it's second chart run. Don't have anything to add from the first time, except that it really was a shame what those boys (Fat and Beach) did to it later.
16 - "Born a Woman," Sandy Posey
Posey, who grew up around the Memphis area, had her first hit with this song that lamented what she felt was a female's lot in life, which was "to be under some man's thumb," and forced to tolerate being cheated on, lied to, and otherwise mistreated. But she seems to think that having her man in her life is worth all that. "I was born a woman, I'm glad it happened that way," she sings. Kind of a precursor to "Stand by Your Man," only much more disturbingly non-feminist. Apparently, Rush Limbaugh is a big fan of this song. And I'm not even joking.
15 - "Sunny Afternoon," The Kinks
We encounter the boys from Muswell Hill in North London just in time, as this would be their last U.S. Top 40 of this decade. It's a loping, lazy number about trying to relax on a pleasant summer's day in spite of financial and relationship difficulties. I'm a huge fan of the band's droll, literate, and very English twist on rock. Ray Davies is one of the greatest lyricists in the history of the genre. All in all, I think I like them better than any other British Invasion band not called The Beatles.
14 - "Cherry, Cherry," Neil Diamond
This Brooklyn singer-songwriter had his first major hit with this song about a girl who "got the way to move me." The arrangement, particularly the piano, gives it a kind of Ray Charles feel. A terrific first impression of what would be a prolific and diverse career. He has a cheesy rep, but the man could write a hook.
13 - "Guantanamera," The Sandpipers
This square vocal quartet originally called themselves The Four Seasons until they found out that name was taken. Their first and biggest hit was this popular Cuban song whose Spanish lyrics are about a guy who writes poems for a woman. At least that's what the guy who comes in near the end and does spoken-word translation says. Anyway, this version doesn't contain nearly as much passion as that sort of lyric requires.
12 - "See You In September," The Happenings
More MOR vocalizing, this time from another group of Jersey boys who weren't as good as The Four Seasons. Their first and biggest hit was this cover of a 1959 hit by The Tempos about parting with a lover over the summer, telling her of your hope that you'll still be together in the fall while warning her "there is danger in the summer moon above." Is that some kind of warning about werewolves? I'll assume it is, just to make this snorefest more interesting.
11 - "Eleanor Rigby," The Beatles
1966 was the year that it started to become clear that these guys weren't satisfied with just making three-chord pop-rock anthems about girls; they wanted to try many different styles and themes. And a prime example is this dark exploration of the lives of two "lonely people:" an elderly spinster, and the priest of a poorly-attended church. The song consists of nothing but vocals and strings, and nothing more is necessary. Deeply affecting and brilliant. It was the B-side of a single, but it was a slightly bigger hit than the A, which we'll get to later.
Use the Top Ten as directed.
10 - "Reach Out I'll Be There," The Four Tops
The second of two pop #1s for these Motown legends was this classic pledge to provide support and love to someone in their darkest hours. The strength of Levi Stubbs' voice provides abundant reassurance all on its own. Just greatness.
9 - "Wouldn't It be Nice," The Beach Boys
The A-side of "God Only Knows" is this wistful wish of a young person to be able to begin his adult life by getting married and setting up house with the girl he loves. Lushly orchestrated with additional support from the famous studio band The Wrecking Crew, this is one of the major reasons why Pet Sounds has become one of the most influential albums of all time.
8 - "96 Tears," ? and the Mysterians
This band of Michiganders were drawn together by both their Mexican heritage and their love of surf music, and their lasting legacy is this organ-driven garage rocker on which singer Rudy "Question Mark" Martinez sing/howls his intention to break an ex's heart as badly or worse as she broke his. They would only hit the Top 40 one more time after this went to #1, but this one song has probably been more influential to rock in general than the entire catalogues of many other, more prolific bands.
7 - "Black is Black," Los Bravos
This Spanish band with a German lead singer had their biggest international success with this song about loneliness that has a similar groove to "96 Tears." And vocalist Michael Kogel sounded quite a bit like Gene Pitney. A worthy hit, I suppose, but it doesn't really stand out to me.
6 - "Beauty is Only Skin Deep," The Temptations
The Temps picked up their second pop Top Five with this number about learning that inner substance is more important than outward appearance when it comes to choosing a lover. Just another solid chip off the Motown block.
5 - "Bus Stop," The Hollies
The second American hit for these Mancunians was this song about how an offer of a shared umbrella on a wet day blossomed into romance. Just simple and catchy and good. An essential track of the decade.
4 - "Yellow Submarine," The Beatles
The flip side of "Eleanor Rigby" was this silly-but-engaging children's song that, in spite of many elaborate interpretations from outside commentators, was apparently just intended to be about an old man telling young people about his life aboard an underwater vessel. Ringo sings it, and that's how it should be. He's always done the lighter stuff well. Just a fun tune that makes me smile, and odd enough to take down this week's Uneasy Rider.
3 - "Sunshine Superman," Donovan
Scotsman Donovan Leitch topped the U.S. charts for the first and only time with this psychedelic come-on on which he promises to "pick up your hand and slowly blow your little mind." I'm not sure if that's sexy or creepy, but the song is great regardless. And it was probably one of the first major pop hits to reference superheroes, as Green Lantern gets a shoutout in addition to the Man of Steel.
2 - "You Can't Hurry Love," The Supremes
Charttopper number seven for these ladies was this number about staying patient during the search for lasting affection. Lyrically, it's the same song as The Miracles' "You Better Shop Around," but it has plenty of other charms that are more than enough to justify its existence. Phil Collins did better than anyone had any right to expect with it, but the original is the one you need.
And on top of the charts at this moment in time was...
1 - "Cherish," The Association
In the past, I have alluded to my distaste for these agents of blandness, and now at last I encounter one of their songs. And naturally, it would have to be their biggest hit. There's nothing about it that I find the least bit tolerable. The harmonies are squaresville, the lyrics are not as clever as they're intended to be, and the arrangement is aural anasthesia. The only reason I can think of for this song's existence is to provide music for the most boring people in the world to make love to. I...just don't get it.
Yeah, that wasn't the most positive note to go out on, sorry. But hopefully 1967 will provide more thrills. Tune in next time to find out.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
September 24, 1966 Part One
I'm a little late with this one, but at last, I'm taking you back to the early autumn of 1966. Around this time, the African nation of Botswana was granted independence, and psychologist Timothy Leary formed a religion called the League for Spiritual Discovery, whose holy sacrament was...well, I think you'll figure it out. Meanwhile, here are the songs that America was "tuning in" to.
40 - "Walk Away Renee," The Left Banke
These New York teenagers scored their first and biggest hit with this pretty, aching midtempo ballad about lost love. The strings, harpsichord, and other elements that would have this classified as "baroque pop" just add to the atmosphere. The sound of a broken heart, captured on wax.
39 - "God Only Knows," The Beach Boys
One of the standout tracks from the groundbreaking Pet Sounds LP is also in that "baroque pop" family. Just a brilliantly performed and ararnged declaration of how much a loved one means. Three minutes of heaven. Possibly my favorite of their entire catalogue. And it was only a B-side. We'll encouter the A later.
38 - "B-A-B-Y," Carla Thomas
The second pop Top 40 for the "Queen of Memphis Soul" was this slinky soul ode to a special lover. "When you squeeze me real tight, you make wrong things right," she sings. That's what we all look for, I suppose. Sounds to these ears like a grittier version of a Motown track. And that's a very good thing.
37 - "Summer in the City," The Lovin' Spoonful
Emerging from the Greenwich Village folk scene, this band scored seven consecutive Top Tens in 1965 and 1966, including a #1 in the form of this rock classic about how the mornings and afternoons in an urban setting can be hard to bear, but the evenings can be rather pleasant. And oh, that distinctive keyboard riff. Good good good.
36 - "I Really Don't Want to Know," Ronnie Dove
Virginian Dove had a nice run of eleven pop Top 40s between 1964 and 1966, even though none of them charted any higher that Number 14. This one, a cover of a 1953 hit by Les Paul and Mary Ford is a country song about wondering about your lover's "number" (and I don't mean phone number), but ultimately deciding that ignorance about that subject is bliss. He has a nice country voice, and this is okay, but nothing that I couldn't have lived withoug hearing.
35 - "Wade in the Water," Ramsey Lewis
The jazz pianist's fourth Top 40 was an instrumental version of an Negro spiritual that was supposedly written partially as a means of advising escaped slaves to cross rivers and streams to through bloodhounds off their trail. This version is a joyful noise indeed. a
34 - "The Joker Went Wild," Bryan Hyland
New Yorker Hyland was only 16 when he went to #1 with the evergreen novelty "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini." Through the rest of the sixties, he'd score mostly moderate-to-minor hits, with the exception of the 1962 Top Five "Sealed With a Kiss." His penultimate Top 40 of the decade was this meh pop song about screwing up a good romantic thing. Not much to it.
33 - "7 and 7 Is," Love
These psychedelic rockers, formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, have become highly influential over the years, particularly through their 1967 album Forever Changes. Their only pop success in their time came the year before with this rolling rocker on which Arthur Lee sings lines like "I'd sit inside a bottle and pretend that I was in a can." It's just strange, wonderful, rock n' roll genius. Nothing more to say but "Oop-ip-ip, oop-ip-ip, yeah!"
32 - "Summer Wind," Frank Sinatra
Two years after Dean Martin returned to the top of the pop charts on Frank's Reprise label, Ol' Blue Eyes himself picked up his first #1 in 11 years with "Strangers in the Night." He followed up that hit with this languid jazz ballad about fleeting seasonal romance. As cool and classy as you'd expect.
31 - "Respectable," The Outsiders
This Cleveland band is best known for their 1965 Top Five "Time Won't Let Me." Their second biggest hit was this okay pop-rocker about desiring a literally untouchable girl. But I'm sorry, guys, your use of "rubbity rub dub dub" as a line is just lazy, lazy writing.
30 - "Flamingo," Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass
L.A native Herbert Alpert has been a prolific songwriter, and was the co-founder of the influential A&M Records label, but he is most familiar to the public as a jazz trumpeter who scored a batch of 60's instrumental hits with his backing band. This one is a jaunty little trifle. I can't say it reminds me of long-legged pink birds, but I think the marimba on this is pretty cool.
29 - "Almost Persuaded," David Houston
This Louisianan, a descendant of Texas revolutionary hero Sam Houston, scored 6 country #1s during this decade, but the only one to make a major dent on the pop chart was this tale of a married man who manages to resist the advances of a beautiful stranger in a bar. A fine example of the genre, and your enjoyment of it will probably be determined by how much you like country in general.
28 - "Open the Door to Your Heart," Darrell Banks
Ohio-born, Buffalo-raised Banks only managed one major hit, this solid soul number that's reminiscent of Southern R&B stars like Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett. Perhaps he could have had a revival in future decades like some of his peers, but sadly, he was shot and killed by his girlfriend's lover in 1970.
27 - "Working in the Coal Mine," Lee Dorsey
Dorsey, who we ran into in '65 with "Ride Your Pony," returns this time with his second and last pop Top Ten. It's a funky evocation of taxing manual labor that owes more than a little to Sam Cooke's "Chain Gang." Great stuff. And for the second chart in a row, I'm going to recommend that you also check out the Devo cover version.
26 - "Last Train to Clarksville," The Monkees
In 1965, TV producers Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider sold the idea of a Hard Day's Night-style sitcom about a rock band to a production company. They then held auditions for actors and singers to form their "Pre-Fab Four," eventually casting Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork and giving them a Beatlesque "misspelled animal" group name. Along with the show, the boys were sent into the studio with session musicians to record a debut album. The show debuted on September 12, 1966, and shortly afterward, this, their first single, would go to #1. The song is a jangly earworm about a soldier about to be sent to Vietnam calling his lover to ask her to come to him so they can spend a last night together before he ships out. People may question the "authenticity" of these guys, but there's no doubt that this is an absolute gem, one of several that they would produce in their heyday.
25 - "Psychotic Reaction," Count Five
The only major hit by these San Jose, California garage rockers was this swampy, spacey song that was inspired by a phrase guitarist Sean Byrne heard in a college health class that he thought would be a cool song title. Otherwise, it's just another song about a girl. But an excellent one. And it's the second song we've come across that's on the Nuggets compilation. You really ought to check it out.
24 - "Land of 1000 Dances," Wilson Pickett
Pickett's first pop Top Ten was a song originally written and recorded by New Orleans soul singer Chris Kenner in 1962, then taken to #30 by a Los Angeles rock band called Cannibal and the Headhunters three years later. That group added the "na, na na na," refrain to the original, and Pickett kept that addition for his breakneck celebration of a magical place where a large number of dances are performed. But Pickett only mentions five. No matter. You can come up with your own steps while enjoying this classic.
23 - "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted," Jimmy Ruffin
Mississippi-born Ruffin signed to Motown as a solo artist and session singer in 1961. Three years later, he was given a chance to join The Temptations, but lost out on the spot to none other than his younger brother, David. Finally, in '66, he scored his first and biggest hit with this immortal rumination on the "sadness and confusion" a breakup can cause. He may not have been one of Motown's most prolific hitmakers, but this is definitely an essential part in any discussion of the label's finest moments.
22 - "Turn-Down Day," The Cyrkle
Formed in Easton, Pennsylvania, this group's big break came in 1965 when Beatles' manager Brian Epstein discovered them and agreed to guide their career. The next year, they went to #2 with "Red Rubber Ball," a song co-written by Paul Simon. Their follow-up was this jaunty, piano-driven ode to a languid, lazy summer day at the beach. And I dig it. But there would be no more hits for these guys, and by the end of '67, they had broken up.
21 - "Sunny," Bobby Hebb
Born in Nashville to two blind musicians, Robert Von Hebb began his show business career at age 3, performing as a song-and-dance team with his nine-year-old brother Harold. Later, he performed with Roy Acuff, sang backup for Bo Diddley, and played trumpet in a Navy jazz band. In November of 1963, just one day after the assassination of President Kennedy, Harold Hebb was killed outside of a Nashville nightclub. Devastated by both of these events, Hebb decided to write an optimistic song in hopes of brighter days ahead, and 48 hours later, he composed this bright number that may be about a girl or the actual sun. Regardless, it became a #2 smash three years later, and is still a terrific slice of musical positivity. Great lyric, great melody, great stuff.
In Part 2: More sun, multiple transportation references, and a number of secretions from the lacrimal glands.
40 - "Walk Away Renee," The Left Banke
These New York teenagers scored their first and biggest hit with this pretty, aching midtempo ballad about lost love. The strings, harpsichord, and other elements that would have this classified as "baroque pop" just add to the atmosphere. The sound of a broken heart, captured on wax.
39 - "God Only Knows," The Beach Boys
One of the standout tracks from the groundbreaking Pet Sounds LP is also in that "baroque pop" family. Just a brilliantly performed and ararnged declaration of how much a loved one means. Three minutes of heaven. Possibly my favorite of their entire catalogue. And it was only a B-side. We'll encouter the A later.
38 - "B-A-B-Y," Carla Thomas
The second pop Top 40 for the "Queen of Memphis Soul" was this slinky soul ode to a special lover. "When you squeeze me real tight, you make wrong things right," she sings. That's what we all look for, I suppose. Sounds to these ears like a grittier version of a Motown track. And that's a very good thing.
37 - "Summer in the City," The Lovin' Spoonful
Emerging from the Greenwich Village folk scene, this band scored seven consecutive Top Tens in 1965 and 1966, including a #1 in the form of this rock classic about how the mornings and afternoons in an urban setting can be hard to bear, but the evenings can be rather pleasant. And oh, that distinctive keyboard riff. Good good good.
36 - "I Really Don't Want to Know," Ronnie Dove
Virginian Dove had a nice run of eleven pop Top 40s between 1964 and 1966, even though none of them charted any higher that Number 14. This one, a cover of a 1953 hit by Les Paul and Mary Ford is a country song about wondering about your lover's "number" (and I don't mean phone number), but ultimately deciding that ignorance about that subject is bliss. He has a nice country voice, and this is okay, but nothing that I couldn't have lived withoug hearing.
35 - "Wade in the Water," Ramsey Lewis
The jazz pianist's fourth Top 40 was an instrumental version of an Negro spiritual that was supposedly written partially as a means of advising escaped slaves to cross rivers and streams to through bloodhounds off their trail. This version is a joyful noise indeed. a
34 - "The Joker Went Wild," Bryan Hyland
New Yorker Hyland was only 16 when he went to #1 with the evergreen novelty "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini." Through the rest of the sixties, he'd score mostly moderate-to-minor hits, with the exception of the 1962 Top Five "Sealed With a Kiss." His penultimate Top 40 of the decade was this meh pop song about screwing up a good romantic thing. Not much to it.
33 - "7 and 7 Is," Love
These psychedelic rockers, formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, have become highly influential over the years, particularly through their 1967 album Forever Changes. Their only pop success in their time came the year before with this rolling rocker on which Arthur Lee sings lines like "I'd sit inside a bottle and pretend that I was in a can." It's just strange, wonderful, rock n' roll genius. Nothing more to say but "Oop-ip-ip, oop-ip-ip, yeah!"
32 - "Summer Wind," Frank Sinatra
Two years after Dean Martin returned to the top of the pop charts on Frank's Reprise label, Ol' Blue Eyes himself picked up his first #1 in 11 years with "Strangers in the Night." He followed up that hit with this languid jazz ballad about fleeting seasonal romance. As cool and classy as you'd expect.
31 - "Respectable," The Outsiders
This Cleveland band is best known for their 1965 Top Five "Time Won't Let Me." Their second biggest hit was this okay pop-rocker about desiring a literally untouchable girl. But I'm sorry, guys, your use of "rubbity rub dub dub" as a line is just lazy, lazy writing.
30 - "Flamingo," Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass
L.A native Herbert Alpert has been a prolific songwriter, and was the co-founder of the influential A&M Records label, but he is most familiar to the public as a jazz trumpeter who scored a batch of 60's instrumental hits with his backing band. This one is a jaunty little trifle. I can't say it reminds me of long-legged pink birds, but I think the marimba on this is pretty cool.
29 - "Almost Persuaded," David Houston
This Louisianan, a descendant of Texas revolutionary hero Sam Houston, scored 6 country #1s during this decade, but the only one to make a major dent on the pop chart was this tale of a married man who manages to resist the advances of a beautiful stranger in a bar. A fine example of the genre, and your enjoyment of it will probably be determined by how much you like country in general.
28 - "Open the Door to Your Heart," Darrell Banks
Ohio-born, Buffalo-raised Banks only managed one major hit, this solid soul number that's reminiscent of Southern R&B stars like Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett. Perhaps he could have had a revival in future decades like some of his peers, but sadly, he was shot and killed by his girlfriend's lover in 1970.
27 - "Working in the Coal Mine," Lee Dorsey
Dorsey, who we ran into in '65 with "Ride Your Pony," returns this time with his second and last pop Top Ten. It's a funky evocation of taxing manual labor that owes more than a little to Sam Cooke's "Chain Gang." Great stuff. And for the second chart in a row, I'm going to recommend that you also check out the Devo cover version.
26 - "Last Train to Clarksville," The Monkees
In 1965, TV producers Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider sold the idea of a Hard Day's Night-style sitcom about a rock band to a production company. They then held auditions for actors and singers to form their "Pre-Fab Four," eventually casting Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork and giving them a Beatlesque "misspelled animal" group name. Along with the show, the boys were sent into the studio with session musicians to record a debut album. The show debuted on September 12, 1966, and shortly afterward, this, their first single, would go to #1. The song is a jangly earworm about a soldier about to be sent to Vietnam calling his lover to ask her to come to him so they can spend a last night together before he ships out. People may question the "authenticity" of these guys, but there's no doubt that this is an absolute gem, one of several that they would produce in their heyday.
25 - "Psychotic Reaction," Count Five
The only major hit by these San Jose, California garage rockers was this swampy, spacey song that was inspired by a phrase guitarist Sean Byrne heard in a college health class that he thought would be a cool song title. Otherwise, it's just another song about a girl. But an excellent one. And it's the second song we've come across that's on the Nuggets compilation. You really ought to check it out.
24 - "Land of 1000 Dances," Wilson Pickett
Pickett's first pop Top Ten was a song originally written and recorded by New Orleans soul singer Chris Kenner in 1962, then taken to #30 by a Los Angeles rock band called Cannibal and the Headhunters three years later. That group added the "na, na na na," refrain to the original, and Pickett kept that addition for his breakneck celebration of a magical place where a large number of dances are performed. But Pickett only mentions five. No matter. You can come up with your own steps while enjoying this classic.
23 - "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted," Jimmy Ruffin
Mississippi-born Ruffin signed to Motown as a solo artist and session singer in 1961. Three years later, he was given a chance to join The Temptations, but lost out on the spot to none other than his younger brother, David. Finally, in '66, he scored his first and biggest hit with this immortal rumination on the "sadness and confusion" a breakup can cause. He may not have been one of Motown's most prolific hitmakers, but this is definitely an essential part in any discussion of the label's finest moments.
22 - "Turn-Down Day," The Cyrkle
Formed in Easton, Pennsylvania, this group's big break came in 1965 when Beatles' manager Brian Epstein discovered them and agreed to guide their career. The next year, they went to #2 with "Red Rubber Ball," a song co-written by Paul Simon. Their follow-up was this jaunty, piano-driven ode to a languid, lazy summer day at the beach. And I dig it. But there would be no more hits for these guys, and by the end of '67, they had broken up.
21 - "Sunny," Bobby Hebb
Born in Nashville to two blind musicians, Robert Von Hebb began his show business career at age 3, performing as a song-and-dance team with his nine-year-old brother Harold. Later, he performed with Roy Acuff, sang backup for Bo Diddley, and played trumpet in a Navy jazz band. In November of 1963, just one day after the assassination of President Kennedy, Harold Hebb was killed outside of a Nashville nightclub. Devastated by both of these events, Hebb decided to write an optimistic song in hopes of brighter days ahead, and 48 hours later, he composed this bright number that may be about a girl or the actual sun. Regardless, it became a #2 smash three years later, and is still a terrific slice of musical positivity. Great lyric, great melody, great stuff.
In Part 2: More sun, multiple transportation references, and a number of secretions from the lacrimal glands.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
August 21, 1965 Part Two
Closing the book on 1965.
20 - "I'm a Fool," Dino, Desi and Billy
14-year-old Dean Paul Martin, his 12-year-old friend and fellow celebrity namesake son Desi Arnaz, Jr., and their Beverly Hills schoolmate Billy Hinsche, put a band together, got signed by Frank Sinatra's Reprise label, and managed a couple of hits, the first and biggest being this limp attempt at garage rock. These guys would have never gotten farther than their block if not for their connections, but oh well, so is life. And Dean Paul died much too young.
19 - "Take Me Back," Little Anthony and The Imperials
Anthony Gourdine and his group of New York doo-woppers released a couple of hits in the late 50s, most notably "Tears on My Pillow." Gourdine left the Imperials in 1961, but upon his return three years later, they scored five more Top 40s, including this balladic statement from a guy who says he's not so jealous and possessive anymore and is thus ready to be a better boyfriend. It's pretty, orchestrated pop, but nothing that special.
18 - "Nothing But Heartaches," The Supremes
The artists formerly known as The Primettes were up an running as a hit machine. The previous year's "Where Did Our Love Go" began a run of five straigh #1 singles, a string broken when this song only climbed as high as #11. It's about not being able to stay away from a man that's nothing but trouble. Sonically and vocally, it's typical of their output, and it's certainly just as good a to these ears as many of their charttoppers. But the song's relative failure did not sit well with Motown head Berry Gordy, who then decided to withdraw the group's prospective follow-up single because he wanted his flagship act to only release Number One records. And for the record, the next single the Supremes did put out, "I Hear a Symphony," returned them to the top spot. The man knew his business, I guess.
17 - "You Were On My Mind," We Five
This four-man, one-woman combo from San Francisco had their biggest hit with this poppy treatment of a number originally recorded in 1964 by Canadian folk duo Ian and Sylvia. The original is grittier, and doesn't have that "I got troubles, I got worries, whoa-oh" chorus. I find this version annoying, frankly.
16 - "Like a Rolling Stone," Bob Dylan
Here he is, the man born Robert Zimmerman in Minnesota who became to many rock's Poet Laureate. Just three years into his career on the national scene, he had already written and released the folk standards "Blowin' In the Wind" and "The Times They Are A-Changin," and was firmly entrenched in popular culture. But it was the summer of 1965 that took him to another level. First, there was his controversial "electric" performance at the Newport Folk Festival that alientated many folk-music purists. Shortly afterward, he would release this single, a blast of guitar and organ and Dylan seemingly alternating between sneering at and being sympathetic towards a woman who once lived a privileged life but now faces an uncertain future. Despite clocking in at six minutes, the song's urgency and depth were undeniable to radio listeners, and it went all the way to #2. His transformation from intriguing intellectual curiosity to full-on rock star was complete, and this remains one of his signature statements.
15 - "All I Really Want to Do," Cher
The second, and most successful (in the U.S.) cover of this Dylan song was the first solo hit by the woman born Cherilyn Sarkisian. Her version is a bit poppier that The Byrds', and yet somehow she sounds more, shall we say, Dylanesque. Gotta say, this is the better of the two.
14 - "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," James Brown and The Famous Flames
The Godfather of Soul and his able backup band had been racking up R&B hits for nearly a decade when they finally cracked the the Top Ten with this tribute to an old man who's able to do the modern dances of the day without embarrassing himself. It's maybe been overplayed (though not to the degree of "I Got You (I Feel Good),"), but still, that beat, that scratch guitar, those horns, and Brother James being his bad self. How can you resist?
13 - "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me," Mel Carter
Cincinnatian Carter had his biggest hit with this cover of a romantic ballad that was first a hit in 1952 for Karen Chandler. It's nice, it's familiar, but I can't say it comes close to thrilling me.
12 - "What's New Pussycat," Tom Jones
Welshman Thomas Woodward was given a new name by the manager who brought him to London, one inspired by the title of the 1963 Best Picture Oscar winner. Earlier in the year, he'd hit the Top Ten in America with "It's Not Unusual," and later, this became his first Top Five. Written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for the comedy film of the same name (which was the first major film written by Woody Allen, who also co-starred), it's kind of a French waltz over which Jones croons his appreciation for his beloved's feline features. It may be the only major pop hit ever whose lyrics end with the word "nose," which I find fascinating for some reason. Cheesy, but charming.
11 - "Baby I'm Yours," Barbara Lewis
Lewis' biggest hit (after "Hello Stranger," which we encountered in '63) was this sultry declaration of everlasting devotion. Another good one for your romantic mixes. And it was written by Van McCoy, ten years before he helped teach the world to do "The Hustle."
Mommy, where does the Top Ten come from?
10 - "Down in the Boondocks," Billy Joe Royal
Royal, a Georgian, had his first and biggest pop hit with this shuffling lament o.f a poor boy hopelessly in love with his boss' daughter. A good oldies' staple.
9 - "I'm Henry VIII, I Am," Herman's Hermits
These Mancunians, fronted by former child actor Peter Noone, scored their second American #1 with their version of a song that originated in 1910 in British music halls (the U.K. equivalent of what was known in America as "vaudeville."). In an exaggerated accent, Noone declares that he married "the widow next door," and, like her previous seven husbands, his name is Henry. Silly, but catchy. And Uneasy Rider-y.
8 - "Don't Just Stand There," Patty Duke
Duke's real first name was Anna, but it was changed by John and Ethel Ross, who took her in at the age of eight and set about molding her into a child star in ways that weren't exactly healthy (this is detailed in her 1987 autobiography Call Me Anna.) In 1959, she began a two-year run portraying Helen Keller in the Broadway play The Miracle Worker, and when she reprised the role in the 1962 film version, she became, at 16, the youngest (at that time) winner of the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She then went on to star in a self-titled sitcom in which she played "identical cousins" Patty and Cathy, and it was at the height of that show's popularity that she released the first and biggest of her two hit singles. This is a ballad on which she asks her boyfriend why he's suddenly acting cold and indifferent toward her. There's a nice quality to her voice, but it's not as strong as it could be. Leslie Gore probably would have done better with it. Still, can't begrudge her the success, given all the shit she went through.
7 - "It's the Same Old Song," The Four Tops
Duke Fakir, Obie Benson, Lawrence Payton, and the one and only Levi Stubbs had topped the chart earlier in the year with "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)," and their follow-up, this number about how certain music doesn't sound the same after a breakup, became their second Top Five. More solid, reliable Motown.
6 - "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," The Rolling Stones
The band's first American #1 was this rock standard whose iconic riff Keith Richards originally came up with just before going to bed in a hotel room. Fortunately, he was able to put in on tape before drifting off to sleep. The lyrics are a (sadly) still relevant rail against a media that spouts "useless information" and manipulates people through advertising. With an added bit of sexual frustration in the last verse. A classic, plain and simple. And Devo's cover version is pretty awesome as well.
5 - "Unchained Melody," The Righteous Brothers
The first run of the single we first encountered during its Ghost-fuelled 1990 comeback. Still good.
4 - "California Girls," The Beach Boys
Arguably the most summery song of a catalogue filled with tunes evocative of the warmest season, the melody of this ode to the ladies of America's largest state was apparently written by Brian Wilson after his first experience with LSD. Come to think of it, it does sound pretty trippy. But I don't know that I'd recommended using that method to cure writer's block too often. Anyway, song's great, of course.
3 - "Help!" The Beatles
The lads topped the U.S. charts for the ninth time was the title song from their second movie, a caper about Ringo trying to avoid being sacrificed by a cult. The song, however, was apparently John Lennon writing about his feelings of insecurity and stress caused by the band's sudden and massive fame. Just a brilliant number about the need for companionship and validation. One of the best of the best.
2 - "Save Your Heart for Me," Gary Lewis and The Playboys
Jerry Lewis' career wasn't as hot as his old partner's at this time, but he was at least he was beating him in the battle of musical progeny. While Dean Jr. and his chums never even cracked the Top Ten, Jerry's boy Gary and his band went all the way to #1 with their debut, "This Diamond Ring," then scored six more Top Tens in '65 and '66. This, their second of two #2s, is a square pop song on which Lewis tells his girl she can flirt and go out with as many boys as she wants during the summer, as long as she comes back to him in the fall. That's nice of him. Anyway, this really isn't much. I actually like the Dino, Desi and Billy track better, and I never thought I'd say that.
And at Number One roughly 48 years ago, we find...
1 - "I Got You Babe," Sonny and Cher
Salvatore Bono was 27 and working for Phil Spector when he met 16-year-old Cherilyn Sarkisian at an L.A. coffee shop in 1962. The two fell in love and began performing together, first as Caesar and Cleo, then under their real names. They made their big breakthrough with this jangly ballad, written and produced by Sonny, on which the couple pledge their devotion to each other. That devotion would not last forever, but still, this to me is one of the greatest love songs ever written.
Next time, we get our kicks in '66.
20 - "I'm a Fool," Dino, Desi and Billy
14-year-old Dean Paul Martin, his 12-year-old friend and fellow celebrity namesake son Desi Arnaz, Jr., and their Beverly Hills schoolmate Billy Hinsche, put a band together, got signed by Frank Sinatra's Reprise label, and managed a couple of hits, the first and biggest being this limp attempt at garage rock. These guys would have never gotten farther than their block if not for their connections, but oh well, so is life. And Dean Paul died much too young.
19 - "Take Me Back," Little Anthony and The Imperials
Anthony Gourdine and his group of New York doo-woppers released a couple of hits in the late 50s, most notably "Tears on My Pillow." Gourdine left the Imperials in 1961, but upon his return three years later, they scored five more Top 40s, including this balladic statement from a guy who says he's not so jealous and possessive anymore and is thus ready to be a better boyfriend. It's pretty, orchestrated pop, but nothing that special.
18 - "Nothing But Heartaches," The Supremes
The artists formerly known as The Primettes were up an running as a hit machine. The previous year's "Where Did Our Love Go" began a run of five straigh #1 singles, a string broken when this song only climbed as high as #11. It's about not being able to stay away from a man that's nothing but trouble. Sonically and vocally, it's typical of their output, and it's certainly just as good a to these ears as many of their charttoppers. But the song's relative failure did not sit well with Motown head Berry Gordy, who then decided to withdraw the group's prospective follow-up single because he wanted his flagship act to only release Number One records. And for the record, the next single the Supremes did put out, "I Hear a Symphony," returned them to the top spot. The man knew his business, I guess.
17 - "You Were On My Mind," We Five
This four-man, one-woman combo from San Francisco had their biggest hit with this poppy treatment of a number originally recorded in 1964 by Canadian folk duo Ian and Sylvia. The original is grittier, and doesn't have that "I got troubles, I got worries, whoa-oh" chorus. I find this version annoying, frankly.
16 - "Like a Rolling Stone," Bob Dylan
Here he is, the man born Robert Zimmerman in Minnesota who became to many rock's Poet Laureate. Just three years into his career on the national scene, he had already written and released the folk standards "Blowin' In the Wind" and "The Times They Are A-Changin," and was firmly entrenched in popular culture. But it was the summer of 1965 that took him to another level. First, there was his controversial "electric" performance at the Newport Folk Festival that alientated many folk-music purists. Shortly afterward, he would release this single, a blast of guitar and organ and Dylan seemingly alternating between sneering at and being sympathetic towards a woman who once lived a privileged life but now faces an uncertain future. Despite clocking in at six minutes, the song's urgency and depth were undeniable to radio listeners, and it went all the way to #2. His transformation from intriguing intellectual curiosity to full-on rock star was complete, and this remains one of his signature statements.
15 - "All I Really Want to Do," Cher
The second, and most successful (in the U.S.) cover of this Dylan song was the first solo hit by the woman born Cherilyn Sarkisian. Her version is a bit poppier that The Byrds', and yet somehow she sounds more, shall we say, Dylanesque. Gotta say, this is the better of the two.
14 - "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," James Brown and The Famous Flames
The Godfather of Soul and his able backup band had been racking up R&B hits for nearly a decade when they finally cracked the the Top Ten with this tribute to an old man who's able to do the modern dances of the day without embarrassing himself. It's maybe been overplayed (though not to the degree of "I Got You (I Feel Good),"), but still, that beat, that scratch guitar, those horns, and Brother James being his bad self. How can you resist?
13 - "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me," Mel Carter
Cincinnatian Carter had his biggest hit with this cover of a romantic ballad that was first a hit in 1952 for Karen Chandler. It's nice, it's familiar, but I can't say it comes close to thrilling me.
12 - "What's New Pussycat," Tom Jones
Welshman Thomas Woodward was given a new name by the manager who brought him to London, one inspired by the title of the 1963 Best Picture Oscar winner. Earlier in the year, he'd hit the Top Ten in America with "It's Not Unusual," and later, this became his first Top Five. Written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for the comedy film of the same name (which was the first major film written by Woody Allen, who also co-starred), it's kind of a French waltz over which Jones croons his appreciation for his beloved's feline features. It may be the only major pop hit ever whose lyrics end with the word "nose," which I find fascinating for some reason. Cheesy, but charming.
11 - "Baby I'm Yours," Barbara Lewis
Lewis' biggest hit (after "Hello Stranger," which we encountered in '63) was this sultry declaration of everlasting devotion. Another good one for your romantic mixes. And it was written by Van McCoy, ten years before he helped teach the world to do "The Hustle."
Mommy, where does the Top Ten come from?
10 - "Down in the Boondocks," Billy Joe Royal
Royal, a Georgian, had his first and biggest pop hit with this shuffling lament o.f a poor boy hopelessly in love with his boss' daughter. A good oldies' staple.
9 - "I'm Henry VIII, I Am," Herman's Hermits
These Mancunians, fronted by former child actor Peter Noone, scored their second American #1 with their version of a song that originated in 1910 in British music halls (the U.K. equivalent of what was known in America as "vaudeville."). In an exaggerated accent, Noone declares that he married "the widow next door," and, like her previous seven husbands, his name is Henry. Silly, but catchy. And Uneasy Rider-y.
8 - "Don't Just Stand There," Patty Duke
Duke's real first name was Anna, but it was changed by John and Ethel Ross, who took her in at the age of eight and set about molding her into a child star in ways that weren't exactly healthy (this is detailed in her 1987 autobiography Call Me Anna.) In 1959, she began a two-year run portraying Helen Keller in the Broadway play The Miracle Worker, and when she reprised the role in the 1962 film version, she became, at 16, the youngest (at that time) winner of the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She then went on to star in a self-titled sitcom in which she played "identical cousins" Patty and Cathy, and it was at the height of that show's popularity that she released the first and biggest of her two hit singles. This is a ballad on which she asks her boyfriend why he's suddenly acting cold and indifferent toward her. There's a nice quality to her voice, but it's not as strong as it could be. Leslie Gore probably would have done better with it. Still, can't begrudge her the success, given all the shit she went through.
7 - "It's the Same Old Song," The Four Tops
Duke Fakir, Obie Benson, Lawrence Payton, and the one and only Levi Stubbs had topped the chart earlier in the year with "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)," and their follow-up, this number about how certain music doesn't sound the same after a breakup, became their second Top Five. More solid, reliable Motown.
6 - "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," The Rolling Stones
The band's first American #1 was this rock standard whose iconic riff Keith Richards originally came up with just before going to bed in a hotel room. Fortunately, he was able to put in on tape before drifting off to sleep. The lyrics are a (sadly) still relevant rail against a media that spouts "useless information" and manipulates people through advertising. With an added bit of sexual frustration in the last verse. A classic, plain and simple. And Devo's cover version is pretty awesome as well.
5 - "Unchained Melody," The Righteous Brothers
The first run of the single we first encountered during its Ghost-fuelled 1990 comeback. Still good.
4 - "California Girls," The Beach Boys
Arguably the most summery song of a catalogue filled with tunes evocative of the warmest season, the melody of this ode to the ladies of America's largest state was apparently written by Brian Wilson after his first experience with LSD. Come to think of it, it does sound pretty trippy. But I don't know that I'd recommended using that method to cure writer's block too often. Anyway, song's great, of course.
3 - "Help!" The Beatles
The lads topped the U.S. charts for the ninth time was the title song from their second movie, a caper about Ringo trying to avoid being sacrificed by a cult. The song, however, was apparently John Lennon writing about his feelings of insecurity and stress caused by the band's sudden and massive fame. Just a brilliant number about the need for companionship and validation. One of the best of the best.
2 - "Save Your Heart for Me," Gary Lewis and The Playboys
Jerry Lewis' career wasn't as hot as his old partner's at this time, but he was at least he was beating him in the battle of musical progeny. While Dean Jr. and his chums never even cracked the Top Ten, Jerry's boy Gary and his band went all the way to #1 with their debut, "This Diamond Ring," then scored six more Top Tens in '65 and '66. This, their second of two #2s, is a square pop song on which Lewis tells his girl she can flirt and go out with as many boys as she wants during the summer, as long as she comes back to him in the fall. That's nice of him. Anyway, this really isn't much. I actually like the Dino, Desi and Billy track better, and I never thought I'd say that.
And at Number One roughly 48 years ago, we find...
1 - "I Got You Babe," Sonny and Cher
Salvatore Bono was 27 and working for Phil Spector when he met 16-year-old Cherilyn Sarkisian at an L.A. coffee shop in 1962. The two fell in love and began performing together, first as Caesar and Cleo, then under their real names. They made their big breakthrough with this jangly ballad, written and produced by Sonny, on which the couple pledge their devotion to each other. That devotion would not last forever, but still, this to me is one of the greatest love songs ever written.
Next time, we get our kicks in '66.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
August 21, 1965 Part One
Now we're in the late summer of '65. On the date of this chart, the United States launched Gemini 5, which would set a new record for the longest manned space mission at just under 8 days. Meanwhile, back on earth, the following sounds were orbiting American ears.
40 - "All I Really Want to Do," The Byrds
Formed a year earlier in Los Angeles, these folk-rockers who took the idea of having a misspelled animal name from The Beatles topped the charts with their debut single, a jangly cover of Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man." Their follow up was another Dylan cover, a similarly swirly version of a song on which the singer says his agenda is friendship rather than anything sinister, peaked only at the spot it's at now. Starting off with a #1 and then a #40. That's a neat trick.
39 - "Ride Your Pony," Lee Dorsey
New Orleans soul man Dorsey picked up his third pop hit with this funky tune about riding the titular beast of burden to several American cities for different reasons. Just something with a nice groove for the kids to dance to. And if I'm in earshot of this, I'll be among them.
38 - "Houston," Dean Martin
Still riding high on his pop comeback, Martin scored another hit with this country-flavored number about wanting return to his hometown and the woman he loves after a run of bad luck and misery out in the cold cruel world. Dino's world-weary delivery, and a great song written by future Nancy Sinatra duet partner Lee Hazlewood make this my favorite recording of his. And that pingy percussion sound at the beginning and end? That was Dean tapping a Coke bottle. Cool, huh?
37 - "Shake and Fingerpop," Junior Walker and the All-Stars
Born Autry Mixon, Walker and his band ended up on Motown when it bought out their old label, and earlier in '65 their first major hit "Shotgun," cracked the Top 5. Their third Top 40 was this similar funk track on which Walker tells his mate to "put on your wig, woman" so they can go out and dance. More groovin' fun.
36 - "To Know You is to Love You," Peter and Gordon
The Brit duo picked up another hit with this cover of "To Know Him is to Love Him," a 1958 #1 for The Teddy Bears, a vocal group that included this song's composer, Phil Spector. This is all right, but I'm not a fan of the one guy's solo vocals. I'm not sure if it's Peter or Gordon, and it doesn't matter enough for me to find out.
35 - "I'll Always Love You," The Spinners
While covering their many successes in the 70s, I'm sure I mentioned once or twice that these guys had an unsuccessful run with Motown the decade prior. Well, here they are with their only Top 40 of this decade, a dedication of devotion. It sounds a lot like other hits from the label, and to be honest, it isn't very distinctive. But I'm glad they got their chance to show what they could really do later on.
34 - "The 'In' Crowd," Ramsey Lewis
Chicago jazz pianist Lewis had his first major hit with a live instrumental cover of a song about hanging out with popular people that Dobie Gray had taken to #13 the year before. Lewis's take went to #5. I'm not sure which is better, but there ain't nothing at all wrong with this one.
33 - "Pretty Little Baby," Marvin Gaye
Marvin's string of hits continued with this pleading "please don't leave me" ballad. I like the arrangement on this, especially the piano. This one, I think, should be better known than it is.
32 - "It Ain't Me, Babe," The Turtles
Unlike The Byrds, these Californian's didn't change the spelling of their animal name. But like them, they picked up their first hit with a Bob Dylan cover, this one of a song about not being the right lover for someone. It's one of Bobby's more straight ahead songs, and The Turtles treat it as such. Solid stuff.
31 - "Looking Through the Eyes of Love," Gene Pitney
One of Pitney's last American hits was this dramatic ballad about how even thouth the world sees him as someone for whom "being born was my first mistake," his lady love sees him as a hero, a giant, and a king. Big, bold, beautiful.
30 - "Heart Full of Soul," The Yardbirds
This London band started out as a blues-based band, but they made their breakthrough with a more poppy track, "For Your Love." Unhappy with this new direction, guitarist Eric Clapton decided to leave the group, and he was replaced by another future six-string hero, Jeff Beck. Their first hit of the Beck Era, an Eastern-flavored "baby come back" rocker, followed its predecessor into the Top Ten on both sides of the Atlantic. More hits would follow, and just for good measure, they would eventually welcome another superstar-to-be to their lineup in the form of future Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page. Quite simply, a band that made great music and helped shape rock for years to come.
29 - "Ju Ju Hand," Sam the Sham and The Pharaohs
Dallas-born Domingo Zamudio named his band after seeing Yul Brynner in the movie The Ten Commandments, and they made their breakthrough earlier in the year with the novelty classic "Wooly Bully." Their third hit is another garage-rocker on which Sam seems to threaten to use some sort of black magic on those who would trespass against him. Silly fun.
28 - "Sunshine Lollipops and Rainbows," Lesley Gore
The pop starlet made one of her last U.S. Top 40 appearances with this insanely upbeat song about how good her love makes her feel. Good if you're in the right mood. And according to one Clancy Wiggum, this is ideal accompaniment for good old-fashioned car chases.
27 - "In the Midnight Hour," Wilson Pickett
Born in Alabama, then raised in Detroit, Pickett made his first major impression on the pop charts with this legendary promise to "take you, girl, and hold you, and do all the things I told you" during the period between 12 and 1 am. I'm sure you know it and love it. The only surprising thing is that although it topped the R&B charts, it didn't even crack the pop Top 20. What was up with that?
26 - "Cara Mia," Jay and the Americans
These New York popsters scored their third and last U.S. Top Five with this cover of a song that had originally been a hit for British singer David Whitfield in 1954. A frankly weird mashup of then-modern pop and old-school crooning. Jay even sounds like he's about to yodel in some parts. I'm not a fan of this.
25 - "I Like it Like That," The Dave Clark Five
Not even two years after their American breakthrough, Clark and co. were already on Top 40 hit number ten. This isn't a cover of the Miracles song we covered in '64: rather, it's a take on a 1961 #2 smash by New Orleans soul singer Chris Kenner. You know, the one where the singer promises to show you the unlikely-named place "where it's at." These guys do pretty well with it. Not a bad appropritation of soul shouting for a bunch of Englishmen.
24 - "Since I Lost My Baby," The Temptations
The fifth pop hit for these Motown stalwarts was this sad number about how even though the world is spinning happily around you, heartbreak makes you unaware that there could possibly be anything good in the world. David Ruffin's pain and desperation is palpable. Fantastic stuff.
23 - "The Tracks of My Tears," The Miracles
Smokey and the boys with one of their best. An amazing lyric about putting on a brave face after a devastating breakup. I never mention having a Top 100 of this decade, but if I did, I'm sure I'd find a place for this.
22 - "You'd Better Come Home," Petula Clark
Born in Surrey, England in 1932, Clark first found fame during the second half of World War II, when her singing performances on radio and appearances in films delighted her countrymen and earned her the nickname "Britain's Shirley Temple." Her career kept on into the fifties, but she was on a downward slide when in 1964 "Downtown" became an international smash, even hitting #1 in America, where she'd never had any success. Her third U.S. hit was this pop ballad on which she begs her true love to stop "running around." Personally, I would have liked to have heard Dusty Springfield take a crack at this, but still, "Pet" does very well with this, especially on the line "You'd better come home and see the damage you've done." I imagine I would have enjoyed having her voice as a frequent presence on the radio.
21 - "I Want Candy," The Strangeloves
New Yorkers Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein, and Richard Gottehrer were a team of songwriter/producers who'd created the 1963 hit "My Boyfriend's Back" for The Angels. As a lark, they began recording songs and crediting them to a fictional group of Australian brothers named Giles, Miles, and Niles Strange. Then one of those songs, this "Bo Diddley beat"-poweredode to a "soft and sweet" girl, became a hit, and the group actually found themselves having to tour and be an actual band. The group would have two more hits, but neither were as big as this. Of the three members, Gottehrer has had the most influential post-band career, producing many rock and punk acts in the 70s and 80s, and later helping found the pioneering digital music distribution company The Orchard. Oh, and I'm willing to bet that for many of you, the version of this song you're most familiar with is the one from 1982 by British New Wavers Bow Wow Wow.
In Part 2: the son of somebody from this half, a mint-condtion receptacle, and a future underwear magnet.
40 - "All I Really Want to Do," The Byrds
Formed a year earlier in Los Angeles, these folk-rockers who took the idea of having a misspelled animal name from The Beatles topped the charts with their debut single, a jangly cover of Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man." Their follow up was another Dylan cover, a similarly swirly version of a song on which the singer says his agenda is friendship rather than anything sinister, peaked only at the spot it's at now. Starting off with a #1 and then a #40. That's a neat trick.
39 - "Ride Your Pony," Lee Dorsey
New Orleans soul man Dorsey picked up his third pop hit with this funky tune about riding the titular beast of burden to several American cities for different reasons. Just something with a nice groove for the kids to dance to. And if I'm in earshot of this, I'll be among them.
38 - "Houston," Dean Martin
Still riding high on his pop comeback, Martin scored another hit with this country-flavored number about wanting return to his hometown and the woman he loves after a run of bad luck and misery out in the cold cruel world. Dino's world-weary delivery, and a great song written by future Nancy Sinatra duet partner Lee Hazlewood make this my favorite recording of his. And that pingy percussion sound at the beginning and end? That was Dean tapping a Coke bottle. Cool, huh?
37 - "Shake and Fingerpop," Junior Walker and the All-Stars
Born Autry Mixon, Walker and his band ended up on Motown when it bought out their old label, and earlier in '65 their first major hit "Shotgun," cracked the Top 5. Their third Top 40 was this similar funk track on which Walker tells his mate to "put on your wig, woman" so they can go out and dance. More groovin' fun.
36 - "To Know You is to Love You," Peter and Gordon
The Brit duo picked up another hit with this cover of "To Know Him is to Love Him," a 1958 #1 for The Teddy Bears, a vocal group that included this song's composer, Phil Spector. This is all right, but I'm not a fan of the one guy's solo vocals. I'm not sure if it's Peter or Gordon, and it doesn't matter enough for me to find out.
35 - "I'll Always Love You," The Spinners
While covering their many successes in the 70s, I'm sure I mentioned once or twice that these guys had an unsuccessful run with Motown the decade prior. Well, here they are with their only Top 40 of this decade, a dedication of devotion. It sounds a lot like other hits from the label, and to be honest, it isn't very distinctive. But I'm glad they got their chance to show what they could really do later on.
34 - "The 'In' Crowd," Ramsey Lewis
Chicago jazz pianist Lewis had his first major hit with a live instrumental cover of a song about hanging out with popular people that Dobie Gray had taken to #13 the year before. Lewis's take went to #5. I'm not sure which is better, but there ain't nothing at all wrong with this one.
33 - "Pretty Little Baby," Marvin Gaye
Marvin's string of hits continued with this pleading "please don't leave me" ballad. I like the arrangement on this, especially the piano. This one, I think, should be better known than it is.
32 - "It Ain't Me, Babe," The Turtles
Unlike The Byrds, these Californian's didn't change the spelling of their animal name. But like them, they picked up their first hit with a Bob Dylan cover, this one of a song about not being the right lover for someone. It's one of Bobby's more straight ahead songs, and The Turtles treat it as such. Solid stuff.
31 - "Looking Through the Eyes of Love," Gene Pitney
One of Pitney's last American hits was this dramatic ballad about how even thouth the world sees him as someone for whom "being born was my first mistake," his lady love sees him as a hero, a giant, and a king. Big, bold, beautiful.
30 - "Heart Full of Soul," The Yardbirds
This London band started out as a blues-based band, but they made their breakthrough with a more poppy track, "For Your Love." Unhappy with this new direction, guitarist Eric Clapton decided to leave the group, and he was replaced by another future six-string hero, Jeff Beck. Their first hit of the Beck Era, an Eastern-flavored "baby come back" rocker, followed its predecessor into the Top Ten on both sides of the Atlantic. More hits would follow, and just for good measure, they would eventually welcome another superstar-to-be to their lineup in the form of future Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page. Quite simply, a band that made great music and helped shape rock for years to come.
29 - "Ju Ju Hand," Sam the Sham and The Pharaohs
Dallas-born Domingo Zamudio named his band after seeing Yul Brynner in the movie The Ten Commandments, and they made their breakthrough earlier in the year with the novelty classic "Wooly Bully." Their third hit is another garage-rocker on which Sam seems to threaten to use some sort of black magic on those who would trespass against him. Silly fun.
28 - "Sunshine Lollipops and Rainbows," Lesley Gore
The pop starlet made one of her last U.S. Top 40 appearances with this insanely upbeat song about how good her love makes her feel. Good if you're in the right mood. And according to one Clancy Wiggum, this is ideal accompaniment for good old-fashioned car chases.
27 - "In the Midnight Hour," Wilson Pickett
Born in Alabama, then raised in Detroit, Pickett made his first major impression on the pop charts with this legendary promise to "take you, girl, and hold you, and do all the things I told you" during the period between 12 and 1 am. I'm sure you know it and love it. The only surprising thing is that although it topped the R&B charts, it didn't even crack the pop Top 20. What was up with that?
26 - "Cara Mia," Jay and the Americans
These New York popsters scored their third and last U.S. Top Five with this cover of a song that had originally been a hit for British singer David Whitfield in 1954. A frankly weird mashup of then-modern pop and old-school crooning. Jay even sounds like he's about to yodel in some parts. I'm not a fan of this.
25 - "I Like it Like That," The Dave Clark Five
Not even two years after their American breakthrough, Clark and co. were already on Top 40 hit number ten. This isn't a cover of the Miracles song we covered in '64: rather, it's a take on a 1961 #2 smash by New Orleans soul singer Chris Kenner. You know, the one where the singer promises to show you the unlikely-named place "where it's at." These guys do pretty well with it. Not a bad appropritation of soul shouting for a bunch of Englishmen.
24 - "Since I Lost My Baby," The Temptations
The fifth pop hit for these Motown stalwarts was this sad number about how even though the world is spinning happily around you, heartbreak makes you unaware that there could possibly be anything good in the world. David Ruffin's pain and desperation is palpable. Fantastic stuff.
23 - "The Tracks of My Tears," The Miracles
Smokey and the boys with one of their best. An amazing lyric about putting on a brave face after a devastating breakup. I never mention having a Top 100 of this decade, but if I did, I'm sure I'd find a place for this.
22 - "You'd Better Come Home," Petula Clark
Born in Surrey, England in 1932, Clark first found fame during the second half of World War II, when her singing performances on radio and appearances in films delighted her countrymen and earned her the nickname "Britain's Shirley Temple." Her career kept on into the fifties, but she was on a downward slide when in 1964 "Downtown" became an international smash, even hitting #1 in America, where she'd never had any success. Her third U.S. hit was this pop ballad on which she begs her true love to stop "running around." Personally, I would have liked to have heard Dusty Springfield take a crack at this, but still, "Pet" does very well with this, especially on the line "You'd better come home and see the damage you've done." I imagine I would have enjoyed having her voice as a frequent presence on the radio.
21 - "I Want Candy," The Strangeloves
New Yorkers Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein, and Richard Gottehrer were a team of songwriter/producers who'd created the 1963 hit "My Boyfriend's Back" for The Angels. As a lark, they began recording songs and crediting them to a fictional group of Australian brothers named Giles, Miles, and Niles Strange. Then one of those songs, this "Bo Diddley beat"-poweredode to a "soft and sweet" girl, became a hit, and the group actually found themselves having to tour and be an actual band. The group would have two more hits, but neither were as big as this. Of the three members, Gottehrer has had the most influential post-band career, producing many rock and punk acts in the 70s and 80s, and later helping found the pioneering digital music distribution company The Orchard. Oh, and I'm willing to bet that for many of you, the version of this song you're most familiar with is the one from 1982 by British New Wavers Bow Wow Wow.
In Part 2: the son of somebody from this half, a mint-condtion receptacle, and a future underwear magnet.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
August 1, 1964 Part Two
Closing the door on '64.
20 - "Steal Away," Jimmy Hughes
One of the first major hits to come out of the future Southern soul hotbed of Muscle Shoals, Alabama was this ballad asking his lover to sneak out of her parents' house and come away with him. All the grit and passion that would come to be associated with that town are present here. This song's success allowed Hughes to quit his day job at a rubber factory, but by 1970, he tired of the music industry and took a job making parts for nuclear power plants, only singing in church on Sundays. Some people would just rather live a "normal" life. Nothing wrong with that.
19 - "Farmer John," The Premiers
Formed by brothers Lawrence and John Perez and two of their San Gabriel, California neighbors, this "garage rock" band hit the charts with this cover of a song by 50s L.A. duo Don and Dewey. The song is an ode to the daughter of the title agriculturalist, but for some reason, the record opens with a request for the whereabouts of one "Kosher Pickle Harry." No idea what that's about. Oh, and though it was purported to have been recorded live in a club, it was actually laid down in a studio with girls from a local car club providing the crowd noise. Anyway, cool number, and it's available on the classic, recently reissued 1972 garage compilation Nuggets, which is well worth picking up, or downloading, or whatever you kids do these days.
18 - "Try It Baby," Marvin Gaye
Mighty Marvin's seventh pop Top 40 was this ballad on which he asks a formerly poor lady who now runs in wealthy, popular circles to drop her fancy accoutrements and return back to the other side of the tracks for a bit, where she'll learn that "nobody loves you but me." I don't know if I were in such a position I would do so, but being Marvin, he makes a compelling case.
17 - "(You Don't Know) How Glad I Am," Nancy Wilson
This is not the future Heart guitarist (who would have been just 10 at the time), but rather one of the great female jazz vocalists of the second half of the 20th century. Her first, and biggest, pop hit was this lush ballad about the limitnessless of her love. I love the way she sings some of the actual lyrics as if she were scatting, and to my ears her voice comes off as a smokier version of Blossom Dearie, whom I adore. Fantastic.
16 - "Good Times," Sam Cooke
One of his last hits before his death in December of this year, this is a stylish, laid back R&B song about enjoying oneself with friends at night. Perfect for chilling on a summer night.
15 - "I Wanna Love Him So Bad," The Jelly Beans
Another vocal group on Lieber and Stoller's Red Bird label, this four woman, one man New Jersey quintet's only major hit was this bit of Brill Building pop-soul about jonesing for a guy named Jim. Just good, solid pop of the era.
14 - "Keep On Pushing," The Impressions
This Chicago R&B group, who at the time were led by soul legend Curtis Mayfield, earned their second pop Top Ten with this funky ode to persistence that became an anthem of the civil rights movement. Curtis' voice is always soothing to the soul, and the song really does make you believe you can take on the world. Brilliant.
13 - "Can't You See That She's Mine," The Dave Clark Five
These Londoners, named for their drummer/manager/chief songwriter, were the second of the "British Invasion" bands to appear on Ed Sullivan's stage, and they went on to appear on that "really big shew" more than any of their peers. From 1964 to 1967, they scored 17 U.S. Top 40s, the fouth of which was this upbeat declaration of love. Even though they weren't from Liverpool, I would argue that this is the most Beatle-sounding non-Beatle song on this chart. And that's fine with me.
12 - "Nobody I Know," Peter and Gordon
London born ex-child actor Peter Asher and Scotland native Gordon Waller met while attending school, began playing music in coffee bars, and then scored a recording contract. Earlier in 1964, they had topped the pops on both sides of the Atlantic with "A World Without Love," a song written by the boyfriend of Asher's sister Jane, Paul McCartney. Their second hit was another McCartney compostion, a sprightly bit of folk-pop about how much a guy can love a girl. Not as good as their first hit, but nice. After the duo split in 1968, Asher had a successful career behind the mixing boards, producing records for artists including James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, and 10,000 Maniacs. Waller, meanwhile, started a music publishing company after a brief solo career. The two would reunite a few times in the 2000s before Gordon's death in 2009.e
11 - "Under the Boardwalk," The Drifters
This classic vocal group, which dates back to 1953 and has featured more than 60 different vocalists over the years, peaked in popularity between 1959 and 1964, a period during which they hit the pop Top 40 16 times. Their fifth and final Top Ten was this timeless number about cuddling up "on a blanket with my baby" beneath a beachfront walkway, with the sounds of happy revellers and the smell of food vendors' wares in the background. What can you say? It's great, and as long as people are playing recorded music, someone's going to put this on somewhere.
Oh boy, it's swell to say Good Morning Top Ten.
10 - "The Girl From Ipanema," Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto
New York saxman Getz had been a big name in jazz since the 40s when he began dabbling in the Brazilian jazz/samba hybrid known as bossa nova in the early 60s. In 1962, his recording of "Desafinado," a song by bossa nova star Antonio Carlos Jobim, hit the Top Twenty. Two years later, Getz recorded this Jobim composition with the man himself on piano, Joao Gilberto on guitar, and Gilberto's wife Astrud on vocals. The result was this gently swaying ode to a lady from a certain part of Rio who, shall we say, turns heads. It's become a bit of a cliche, and the song is reportedly the second most recorded pop number of all time (behind "Yesterday"), but Gilberto's languid vocal strikes the right effortlessly sexy tone, and the musicianship is impossible to argue with. Some songs get played a lot simply because they're that good.
9 - "Memphis," Johnny Rivers
A year after Lonnie Mack took an instrumental take on this Chuck Berry song about trying to get in touch with a girl named Marie by way of telephone into the Top Ten, Louisianan Rivers scored his first major hit with a sung version, recorded live at the then-new Los Angeles nightclub the Whisky a Go Go. Quite honestly, a lot of Rivers' stuff leaves me cold, but this one I have a lot of time for. Oh yes, and if you've never listened to this closely enough to get the twist at the end....pay attention next time.
8 - "I Get Around," The Beach Boys
The A-side of "Don't Worry Baby," this ever-popular celebration of cars, girls, and "makin' real good bread," was the group's first #1. Nothing to say except "Wah wa oo."
7 - "Dang Me," Roger Miller
Oklahoman Miller had been a successful Nashville songwriter for a decade, but he had had only minimal recording success until he recorded this jaunty number about a charmingly incorrigible man who goes out and parties while his wife stays home with their baby. It topped the country chart, reached the pop Top Ten, and launched Miller as a major star. I love this one, and a lot of his other stuff. He did a lot of silly tunes, including this one, but the man was a genuine genius, and one of my favorite country singers of all time.
6 - "Wishin' and Hopin'," Dusty Springfield
Born Mary O'Brien in London in 1939, Springfield sang in a couple groups before scoring a hit on her own in 1963 with "I Only Want to Be With You." Her first American Top Ten came with this version of a Bacharach/David composition originally recorded by Dionne Warwick. It's a song about how you can't get the one you love just by longing really hard. You need to take action. Good advice, but not always easlily acted upon. As for the song, it's just great, and Dusty shows off one of the great sets of pipes in all of pop history.
5 - "Where Did Our Love Go," The Supremes
The first of these ladies' 12 Number Ones was this lament over a lost love that leaves a "burning, yearning feeling inside me." For some reason "snappy" is the adjective that this is bringing to mind right now. And I mean that in a wonderful way.
4 - "Everybody Loves Somebody," Dean Martin
Born Dino Crocetti in Steubenville, Ohio in 1917, Martin boxed and worked in illegal casinos before catching on as a nightclub singer. He did well, but his career didn't really take off until he met a comic named Jerry Lewis and they worked up an act that made them America's hottest nightclub attraction, and eventually led them to Hollywood, where they made a string of successful films. While teaming with Lewis on screen, Martin's recording career began to flourish, and he picked up a number of hits, including "That's Amore," and the #1 "Memories are Made of This." But as rock began to pick up steam in the mid-50s, Martin's chart hits came fewer and farther between. Also around this time, Dean's partnership with Jerry ended. But he was still successful, establishing himself as a movie star in his own right, and performing frequently in Las Vegas with Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., and the rest of what came to be known as "The Rat Pack." But then, out of seemingly nowhere, during the height of the British Invasion, Martin's recording of an obscure 1947 song about finding love at long last went all the way to #1. Which certainly must have pleased ol' Dino to no end, given that he hadn't been exactly shy about his disdain for these foreign newcomers (two moths earlier, he had called The Rolling Stones "singing frauds" on national TV after their performance on a variety show he was hosting). But I gotta say, I'm a fan of this song's smooth, old school charms, and I'm an even bigger fan of Dean. The man just radiated cool..Sinatra's great and all, but it always seemed like he was trying to impress everyone. Dean, however, just did his thing, and the fact that you were going to be impressed was a given.
3 - "The Little Old Lady From Pasadena," Jan and Dean
The surf duo's second and last Top Five was this ode to a sweet-looking grandmother who leads a double life as the speed-demon driver of "a brand new, shiny red Super Stock Dodge." A silly pleausre that can't help but bring a smile to your face.
2 - "Rag Doll," The Four Seasons
The fourth and final #1 of the decade for Frankie Valli and his Jersey Boy friends was this tune about having a secret crush on a girl whose been mocked all her life for her poverty. One of their better efforts, and it shows them to be kind of the bridge between doo-wop and the "beat groups."
And at #1 49 years ago was...
1 - "A Hard Day's Night," The Beatles
It's only right that The Fab Four are on top during our visit to '64, isn't it. Anyway, even though they'd only been famous for a short time, the group was offered the chance to do a movie in the spring of 1964. The resulting film was a massive hit and a movie that is held in high regard by critics to this day, and the title song, a driving rocker about coming home to an appreciative companion after a long workday, became the band's fifth American #1 of 1964 alone. All I can say is, from that distinctive opening chord to the closing fadeout, this is pure pop perfection, something these guys would achieve so often it boggles the mind.
Next up: a bit of a break for me, then on to 1965.
20 - "Steal Away," Jimmy Hughes
One of the first major hits to come out of the future Southern soul hotbed of Muscle Shoals, Alabama was this ballad asking his lover to sneak out of her parents' house and come away with him. All the grit and passion that would come to be associated with that town are present here. This song's success allowed Hughes to quit his day job at a rubber factory, but by 1970, he tired of the music industry and took a job making parts for nuclear power plants, only singing in church on Sundays. Some people would just rather live a "normal" life. Nothing wrong with that.
19 - "Farmer John," The Premiers
Formed by brothers Lawrence and John Perez and two of their San Gabriel, California neighbors, this "garage rock" band hit the charts with this cover of a song by 50s L.A. duo Don and Dewey. The song is an ode to the daughter of the title agriculturalist, but for some reason, the record opens with a request for the whereabouts of one "Kosher Pickle Harry." No idea what that's about. Oh, and though it was purported to have been recorded live in a club, it was actually laid down in a studio with girls from a local car club providing the crowd noise. Anyway, cool number, and it's available on the classic, recently reissued 1972 garage compilation Nuggets, which is well worth picking up, or downloading, or whatever you kids do these days.
18 - "Try It Baby," Marvin Gaye
Mighty Marvin's seventh pop Top 40 was this ballad on which he asks a formerly poor lady who now runs in wealthy, popular circles to drop her fancy accoutrements and return back to the other side of the tracks for a bit, where she'll learn that "nobody loves you but me." I don't know if I were in such a position I would do so, but being Marvin, he makes a compelling case.
17 - "(You Don't Know) How Glad I Am," Nancy Wilson
This is not the future Heart guitarist (who would have been just 10 at the time), but rather one of the great female jazz vocalists of the second half of the 20th century. Her first, and biggest, pop hit was this lush ballad about the limitnessless of her love. I love the way she sings some of the actual lyrics as if she were scatting, and to my ears her voice comes off as a smokier version of Blossom Dearie, whom I adore. Fantastic.
16 - "Good Times," Sam Cooke
One of his last hits before his death in December of this year, this is a stylish, laid back R&B song about enjoying oneself with friends at night. Perfect for chilling on a summer night.
15 - "I Wanna Love Him So Bad," The Jelly Beans
Another vocal group on Lieber and Stoller's Red Bird label, this four woman, one man New Jersey quintet's only major hit was this bit of Brill Building pop-soul about jonesing for a guy named Jim. Just good, solid pop of the era.
14 - "Keep On Pushing," The Impressions
This Chicago R&B group, who at the time were led by soul legend Curtis Mayfield, earned their second pop Top Ten with this funky ode to persistence that became an anthem of the civil rights movement. Curtis' voice is always soothing to the soul, and the song really does make you believe you can take on the world. Brilliant.
13 - "Can't You See That She's Mine," The Dave Clark Five
These Londoners, named for their drummer/manager/chief songwriter, were the second of the "British Invasion" bands to appear on Ed Sullivan's stage, and they went on to appear on that "really big shew" more than any of their peers. From 1964 to 1967, they scored 17 U.S. Top 40s, the fouth of which was this upbeat declaration of love. Even though they weren't from Liverpool, I would argue that this is the most Beatle-sounding non-Beatle song on this chart. And that's fine with me.
12 - "Nobody I Know," Peter and Gordon
London born ex-child actor Peter Asher and Scotland native Gordon Waller met while attending school, began playing music in coffee bars, and then scored a recording contract. Earlier in 1964, they had topped the pops on both sides of the Atlantic with "A World Without Love," a song written by the boyfriend of Asher's sister Jane, Paul McCartney. Their second hit was another McCartney compostion, a sprightly bit of folk-pop about how much a guy can love a girl. Not as good as their first hit, but nice. After the duo split in 1968, Asher had a successful career behind the mixing boards, producing records for artists including James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, and 10,000 Maniacs. Waller, meanwhile, started a music publishing company after a brief solo career. The two would reunite a few times in the 2000s before Gordon's death in 2009.e
11 - "Under the Boardwalk," The Drifters
This classic vocal group, which dates back to 1953 and has featured more than 60 different vocalists over the years, peaked in popularity between 1959 and 1964, a period during which they hit the pop Top 40 16 times. Their fifth and final Top Ten was this timeless number about cuddling up "on a blanket with my baby" beneath a beachfront walkway, with the sounds of happy revellers and the smell of food vendors' wares in the background. What can you say? It's great, and as long as people are playing recorded music, someone's going to put this on somewhere.
Oh boy, it's swell to say Good Morning Top Ten.
10 - "The Girl From Ipanema," Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto
New York saxman Getz had been a big name in jazz since the 40s when he began dabbling in the Brazilian jazz/samba hybrid known as bossa nova in the early 60s. In 1962, his recording of "Desafinado," a song by bossa nova star Antonio Carlos Jobim, hit the Top Twenty. Two years later, Getz recorded this Jobim composition with the man himself on piano, Joao Gilberto on guitar, and Gilberto's wife Astrud on vocals. The result was this gently swaying ode to a lady from a certain part of Rio who, shall we say, turns heads. It's become a bit of a cliche, and the song is reportedly the second most recorded pop number of all time (behind "Yesterday"), but Gilberto's languid vocal strikes the right effortlessly sexy tone, and the musicianship is impossible to argue with. Some songs get played a lot simply because they're that good.
9 - "Memphis," Johnny Rivers
A year after Lonnie Mack took an instrumental take on this Chuck Berry song about trying to get in touch with a girl named Marie by way of telephone into the Top Ten, Louisianan Rivers scored his first major hit with a sung version, recorded live at the then-new Los Angeles nightclub the Whisky a Go Go. Quite honestly, a lot of Rivers' stuff leaves me cold, but this one I have a lot of time for. Oh yes, and if you've never listened to this closely enough to get the twist at the end....pay attention next time.
8 - "I Get Around," The Beach Boys
The A-side of "Don't Worry Baby," this ever-popular celebration of cars, girls, and "makin' real good bread," was the group's first #1. Nothing to say except "Wah wa oo."
7 - "Dang Me," Roger Miller
Oklahoman Miller had been a successful Nashville songwriter for a decade, but he had had only minimal recording success until he recorded this jaunty number about a charmingly incorrigible man who goes out and parties while his wife stays home with their baby. It topped the country chart, reached the pop Top Ten, and launched Miller as a major star. I love this one, and a lot of his other stuff. He did a lot of silly tunes, including this one, but the man was a genuine genius, and one of my favorite country singers of all time.
6 - "Wishin' and Hopin'," Dusty Springfield
Born Mary O'Brien in London in 1939, Springfield sang in a couple groups before scoring a hit on her own in 1963 with "I Only Want to Be With You." Her first American Top Ten came with this version of a Bacharach/David composition originally recorded by Dionne Warwick. It's a song about how you can't get the one you love just by longing really hard. You need to take action. Good advice, but not always easlily acted upon. As for the song, it's just great, and Dusty shows off one of the great sets of pipes in all of pop history.
5 - "Where Did Our Love Go," The Supremes
The first of these ladies' 12 Number Ones was this lament over a lost love that leaves a "burning, yearning feeling inside me." For some reason "snappy" is the adjective that this is bringing to mind right now. And I mean that in a wonderful way.
4 - "Everybody Loves Somebody," Dean Martin
Born Dino Crocetti in Steubenville, Ohio in 1917, Martin boxed and worked in illegal casinos before catching on as a nightclub singer. He did well, but his career didn't really take off until he met a comic named Jerry Lewis and they worked up an act that made them America's hottest nightclub attraction, and eventually led them to Hollywood, where they made a string of successful films. While teaming with Lewis on screen, Martin's recording career began to flourish, and he picked up a number of hits, including "That's Amore," and the #1 "Memories are Made of This." But as rock began to pick up steam in the mid-50s, Martin's chart hits came fewer and farther between. Also around this time, Dean's partnership with Jerry ended. But he was still successful, establishing himself as a movie star in his own right, and performing frequently in Las Vegas with Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., and the rest of what came to be known as "The Rat Pack." But then, out of seemingly nowhere, during the height of the British Invasion, Martin's recording of an obscure 1947 song about finding love at long last went all the way to #1. Which certainly must have pleased ol' Dino to no end, given that he hadn't been exactly shy about his disdain for these foreign newcomers (two moths earlier, he had called The Rolling Stones "singing frauds" on national TV after their performance on a variety show he was hosting). But I gotta say, I'm a fan of this song's smooth, old school charms, and I'm an even bigger fan of Dean. The man just radiated cool..Sinatra's great and all, but it always seemed like he was trying to impress everyone. Dean, however, just did his thing, and the fact that you were going to be impressed was a given.
3 - "The Little Old Lady From Pasadena," Jan and Dean
The surf duo's second and last Top Five was this ode to a sweet-looking grandmother who leads a double life as the speed-demon driver of "a brand new, shiny red Super Stock Dodge." A silly pleausre that can't help but bring a smile to your face.
2 - "Rag Doll," The Four Seasons
The fourth and final #1 of the decade for Frankie Valli and his Jersey Boy friends was this tune about having a secret crush on a girl whose been mocked all her life for her poverty. One of their better efforts, and it shows them to be kind of the bridge between doo-wop and the "beat groups."
And at #1 49 years ago was...
1 - "A Hard Day's Night," The Beatles
It's only right that The Fab Four are on top during our visit to '64, isn't it. Anyway, even though they'd only been famous for a short time, the group was offered the chance to do a movie in the spring of 1964. The resulting film was a massive hit and a movie that is held in high regard by critics to this day, and the title song, a driving rocker about coming home to an appreciative companion after a long workday, became the band's fifth American #1 of 1964 alone. All I can say is, from that distinctive opening chord to the closing fadeout, this is pure pop perfection, something these guys would achieve so often it boggles the mind.
Next up: a bit of a break for me, then on to 1965.
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