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.
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