Surprise! To quote John Cleese, "And now for something...completely different!"
I thought before the year was over (2013, that is), I'd post a list of what I'd consider to be the most essential songs reviewed so far in chronological order. So here it is - The first three installments of Dr. Rock's Unavailable, Unlicensed, Mildly Biased, Greatest #1 Hits Box Set!
Disc 1 - 1958-1962 (From Malt Shops to Outer Space)
1 - The Kingston Trio - "Tom Dooley"
2 - Lloyd Price - "Stagger Lee"
3 - Elvis Presley - "A Big Hunk O' Love"
4 - Percy Faith - "Theme From A Summer Place"
5 - Elvis Presley - "Stuck On You"
6 - The Everly Brothers - "Cathy's Clown"
7 - Chubby Checker - "The Twist"
8 - The Drifters - "Save The Last Dance For Me"
9 - Ray Charles - "Georgia On My Mind"
10 - Maurice Williams And The Zodiacs - "Stay!"
11 - The Shirelles - "Will You Love Me Tomorrow"
12 - The Marcels - "Blue Moon"
13 - Del Shannon - "Runaway"
14 - Roy Orbison - "Running Scared"
15 - Ray Charles - "Hit The Road Jack"
16 - The Tokens - "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"
17 - The Crystals - "He's A Rebel"
18 - The Tornadoes - "Telstar"
Disc 2 - 1963-1965 (A Change Is Gonna Come)
1 - The Rooftop Singers - "Walk Right In"
2 - The Four Seasons - "Walk Like A Man"
3 - The Chiffons - "He's So Fine"
4 - Jan And Dean - "Surf City"
5 - Little Stevie Wonder - "Fingertips (Part 2)"
6 - The Beatles - "I Want To Hold Your Hand"
7 - The Beatles - "She Loves You"
8 - The Beach Boys - "I Get Around"
9 - The Four Seasons - "Rag Doll"
10 - The Beatles - "A Hard Day's Night"
11 - The Animals - "The House Of The Rising Sun"
12 - Roy Orbison - "Oh, Pretty Woman"
13 - Manfred Mann - "Doo Wah Diddy Diddy"
14 - The Supremes - "Baby Love"
15 - The Righteous Brothers - "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'"
16 - The Temptations - "My Girl"
17 - The Beatles - "Ticket To Ride"
18 - The Beach Boys - "Help Me Rhonda"
Disc 3 - 1965-1966 - (96 Miles High)
1 - The Byrds - "Mr. Tambourine Man"
2 - The Rolling Stones - "I Can't Get No Satisfaction"
3 - The Beatles - "Help"
4 - The Beatles - "Yesterday"
5 - The Rolling Stones - "Get Off Of My Cloud"
6 - The Byrds - "Turn! Turn! Turn!"
7 - Simon And Garfunkel - "The Sound Of Silence"
8 - The Young Rascals - "Good Lovin'"
9 - Percy Sledge - "When A Man Loves A Woman"
10 - The Rolling Stones - "Paint It Black"
11 - The Beatles - "Paperback Writer"
12 - The Troggs - "Wild Thing"
13 - The Lovin' Spoonful - "Summer In The City"
14 - The Association - "Cherish"
15 - The Four Tops - "Reach Out, I'll Be There"
16 - ? And The Mysterians - "96 Tears"
17 - The Supremes - "You Keep Me Hangin' On"
18 - The Beach Boys - "Good Vibrations"
There are still many favorites of mine I left out (I couldn't include every Beatles song), but this should give you an idea of what songs were well-deserved #1 hits. Many different genres, many different sounds, all 100% recommended by me.
Now, just for fun, here's another imaginary compilation, although this is one you'd never want to own! - Dr. Rock's worst and/or weakest #1 Songs Box Set - Insert these CD's directly into the toaster!
Disc 1 - 1958-1966 - "Unfunny Jokes and Schmaltzy Folks"
1 - The Chipmunks - "The Chipmunk Song"
2 - The Browns - "The Three Bells"
3 - Frankie Avalon - "Why"
4 - Mark Dinning - "Teen Angel"
5 - Brian Hyland - "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini"
6 - Larry Verne - "Mr. Custer"
7 - Lawrence Welk - "Calcutta"
8 - Joe Dowell - "Wooden Heart"
9 - Bobby Vinton - "Roses Are Red (My Love)"
10 - Steve Lawrence - "Go Away Little Girl"
11 - Little Peggy March - "I Will Follow Him"
12 - The Singing Nun - "Dominique"
13 - Barry Sadler - "The Ballad Of The Green Berets"
14 - The New Vaudeville Band - "Winchester Cathedral"
Notice how few outstandingly bad songs there are in comparison to the 54 outstandingly good ones? Well, unfortunately as we progress through the decades, that number is going to invert. For now though, prepare yourself for 1967!
Coming Up Next (For real this time) - 1967 Overview.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock saying, Have a very happy new year! -
Friday, December 27, 2013
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
1966 Reflection
Well, my prediction was correct: 1966 turned out to be one of the greatest years in terms of #1 pop hits. Aside from a few duds or slightly weaker tracks, the good far outweighed the bad. There was almost no reason for me to have to even nitpick as so many songs were nearly flawless.
There were a couple of notable songs and singles from 1966 that I feel were far superior than some of the #1's. However, we must again remember that just because a song reached #1 doesn't mean it's one of the best. Time has certainly shown that songs like "Eleanor Rigby", "Eight Miles High", and "God Only Knows" are among the finest songs ever recorded, yet none of those three hit #1.
This was also one of the easiest years to determine a best/worst #1 hit. This was primarily because the absolute best and worst song are so much outstandingly greater/worse than the remaining tunes from '66. So, without any further suspense...
Best #1 Hit Song Of 1966 - "Good Vibrations" - The Beach Boys.
"Big surprise", you're probably saying. Of course, the fact that I wrote a short story-sized review of it and examined each section of the song in great detail should also have given it away.
Honorable mention goes to "The Sound Of Silence", "Paint It, Black", "Paperback Writer" and "Reach Out I'll Be There". In fact, all but maybe three of the songs I reviewed from 1966 could be honorable mentions. However, "Good Vibrations" is considered the best in my opinion because it was so much more innovative and daring than any other pop song in 1966.
Worst #1 Hit Song Of 1966 - "Winchester Cathedral" - The New Vaudeville Band.
It was either going to be this or "The Ballad Of The Green Berets" that would be given the worst song of '66 award. When I re-listened to both songs, I found that I could tolerate "Green Berets" a little bit more than I could tolerate another listen of "Winchester Cathedral". "Green Berets" may be a way too easy-listening ballad that's also too warlike for my taste, but at least it has a decent melody and singer.
"Winchester Cathedral", on the other hand, is extremely easy-listening and also quite corny. The vocals are not appealing and the melody is rather trite. I'm still baffled that the 1967 Grammy awards committee chose this song as the best Rock and Roll number over "Good Vibrations". Well, it's almost 47 years later, but I feel the need to unofficially revoke the award give it to its rightful owner - Brian Wilson.
So brace yourself as we move out of the metamorphic melting pot of 1966, and into the technicolor dreamscape that is 1967. If you thought that the British Invasion changed the face of pop music, you ain't seen nuthin' yet. And if you thought that the quality of #1 singles couldn't get any better, prepare yourself to be pleasantly surprised...
Coming Up Next - 1967 Overview.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock, and I'll see you all not only in '67, but also in a brand new year - 2014. I'd like to thank everyone who has stuck with me since I've started this blog back in August. Have a happy holidays and a very happy new year. Until then, keep on rockin' -
There were a couple of notable songs and singles from 1966 that I feel were far superior than some of the #1's. However, we must again remember that just because a song reached #1 doesn't mean it's one of the best. Time has certainly shown that songs like "Eleanor Rigby", "Eight Miles High", and "God Only Knows" are among the finest songs ever recorded, yet none of those three hit #1.
This was also one of the easiest years to determine a best/worst #1 hit. This was primarily because the absolute best and worst song are so much outstandingly greater/worse than the remaining tunes from '66. So, without any further suspense...
Best #1 Hit Song Of 1966 - "Good Vibrations" - The Beach Boys.
"Big surprise", you're probably saying. Of course, the fact that I wrote a short story-sized review of it and examined each section of the song in great detail should also have given it away.
Honorable mention goes to "The Sound Of Silence", "Paint It, Black", "Paperback Writer" and "Reach Out I'll Be There". In fact, all but maybe three of the songs I reviewed from 1966 could be honorable mentions. However, "Good Vibrations" is considered the best in my opinion because it was so much more innovative and daring than any other pop song in 1966.
Worst #1 Hit Song Of 1966 - "Winchester Cathedral" - The New Vaudeville Band.
It was either going to be this or "The Ballad Of The Green Berets" that would be given the worst song of '66 award. When I re-listened to both songs, I found that I could tolerate "Green Berets" a little bit more than I could tolerate another listen of "Winchester Cathedral". "Green Berets" may be a way too easy-listening ballad that's also too warlike for my taste, but at least it has a decent melody and singer.
"Winchester Cathedral", on the other hand, is extremely easy-listening and also quite corny. The vocals are not appealing and the melody is rather trite. I'm still baffled that the 1967 Grammy awards committee chose this song as the best Rock and Roll number over "Good Vibrations". Well, it's almost 47 years later, but I feel the need to unofficially revoke the award give it to its rightful owner - Brian Wilson.
So brace yourself as we move out of the metamorphic melting pot of 1966, and into the technicolor dreamscape that is 1967. If you thought that the British Invasion changed the face of pop music, you ain't seen nuthin' yet. And if you thought that the quality of #1 singles couldn't get any better, prepare yourself to be pleasantly surprised...
Coming Up Next - 1967 Overview.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock, and I'll see you all not only in '67, but also in a brand new year - 2014. I'd like to thank everyone who has stuck with me since I've started this blog back in August. Have a happy holidays and a very happy new year. Until then, keep on rockin' -
Song #177 - I'm A Believer" - The Monkees
Recorded - October 15 and 23, 1966
Released - November 21, 1966
#1 for weeks of December 31, 1966, January 7, 14, 21 and 28 & February 4 and 11, 1967.
The final #1 of '66 just barely makes the cut as it was technically only #1 for one single day this year. Meanwhile, it spent a whopping 48 days at #1 in 1967! I'm not going toramble discuss my opinion on The Monkees again, (Read my review of "Last Train To Clarksville" for that). I will say though that "I'm A Believer" is usually one Monkees number even critics of the band will admit to liking. And do I like it? Yes I do.
"I'm A Believer" was written by none other than Neil Diamond. Neil had quite a successful 1966, with both "Solitary Man" and "Cherry Cherry" being recorded and released. All three of the above mentioned songs are roughly in the same tempo and are all light rockers. "I'm A Believer" may contain rather common love song lyrics, but again this was a song meant for a 1960's teen girl demographic so we can't expect a "Light My Fire".
Musically, I think the pre-choruses hit the biggest sweet spot, with some nicely placed wordless backing vocals. This aspect is sorely lacking in the subsequent Smash Mouth cover from 2001. Mickey Dolenz does a pretty good job vocally as well, and I've always recognized him as having a pretty unique singing voice. Also, whoever the session musicians are who played on this song, they do a good job, but it certainly isn't The Monkees playing the instruments. In fact...
The parent album of "I'm A Believer", More Of The Monkees, was released in January 1967 during the peak of The Monkees' popularity. This album featured near zilch involvement, (Lyrics and instrumentation), by the foursome. In fact, they had no idea it was even being released, and didn't even chose the album cover. This was the final straw for The Monkees and they demanded from this point on to have control over their music. We'll see how that worked out for them when we get to late 1967...
Final Verdict - "I'm A Believer" is quite a notable Monkees number that has managed to win approval by quite a vast demographic of music fans. It may be poppy, and it may not be the best of of '66 or '67, but it's good pop, and I give it my thumbs up.
Coming Up Next - 1966 Reflection.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock, and I'm a believer -
Released - November 21, 1966
#1 for weeks of December 31, 1966, January 7, 14, 21 and 28 & February 4 and 11, 1967.
The final #1 of '66 just barely makes the cut as it was technically only #1 for one single day this year. Meanwhile, it spent a whopping 48 days at #1 in 1967! I'm not going to
"I'm A Believer" was written by none other than Neil Diamond. Neil had quite a successful 1966, with both "Solitary Man" and "Cherry Cherry" being recorded and released. All three of the above mentioned songs are roughly in the same tempo and are all light rockers. "I'm A Believer" may contain rather common love song lyrics, but again this was a song meant for a 1960's teen girl demographic so we can't expect a "Light My Fire".
Musically, I think the pre-choruses hit the biggest sweet spot, with some nicely placed wordless backing vocals. This aspect is sorely lacking in the subsequent Smash Mouth cover from 2001. Mickey Dolenz does a pretty good job vocally as well, and I've always recognized him as having a pretty unique singing voice. Also, whoever the session musicians are who played on this song, they do a good job, but it certainly isn't The Monkees playing the instruments. In fact...
The parent album of "I'm A Believer", More Of The Monkees, was released in January 1967 during the peak of The Monkees' popularity. This album featured near zilch involvement, (Lyrics and instrumentation), by the foursome. In fact, they had no idea it was even being released, and didn't even chose the album cover. This was the final straw for The Monkees and they demanded from this point on to have control over their music. We'll see how that worked out for them when we get to late 1967...
Final Verdict - "I'm A Believer" is quite a notable Monkees number that has managed to win approval by quite a vast demographic of music fans. It may be poppy, and it may not be the best of of '66 or '67, but it's good pop, and I give it my thumbs up.
Coming Up Next - 1966 Reflection.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock, and I'm a believer -
Monday, December 16, 2013
Song #176 "Good Vibrations" - The Beach Boys
Recorded - February 17 - September 21, 1966
Released - October 10, 1966
#1 for week of December 10, 1966.
And now for the song that should have won rock and roll song of the year instead of that silly "Winchester Cathedral". The Beach Boys remain a beloved band to this very day, yet quite a few casual fans don't realize the full extent of Brian Wilson's genius. When I last left off on the "Semi-abridged history of The Beach Boys" during my "Help Me Rhonda" review, I mentioned how by the second half of 1965, Brian was starting to slowly write songs for a groundbreaking new album. This album, Pet Sounds, was released in May of 1966.
Although the album only reached #10 in the US, its influence would be massive. It is a phenomenal album with not a single bad song on it. From the happy and optimistic "Wouldn't It Be Nice" to the spine chilling "Don't Talk", from the classic "God Only Knows" to the melancholic closer "Caroline, No", this is miles more mature than say, "Fun Fun Fun". How could Brian possibly have topped this masterpiece? Well, he actually started to, during the middle of the Pet Sounds sessions in February of 1966, with a little number called "Good Vibrations". Grab your popcorn kids as this is going to be a mega-review!
After this initial February 1966 session, which received a test lead vocal about two weeks later, Brian decided to put the recording on hold and save it for his next project. You might be wondering why I didn't bother posting each individual recording date of "Good Vibrations". That's because there were nearly 20, and a good third of these sessions contained material that was unused. Brian recorded the song in a piece-by-piece format, using different recording studios as a way to get each recording to have its own unique vibe.
Much of the spring of 1966 was spent recording these numerous musical sections, after which the song was put on hold yet again. During this time period, Brian started working with lyricist Van Dyke Parks, and the two of them started brainstorming the next groundbreaking Beach Boys project - SMiLE. Sessions for SMiLE commenced in August of '66, and it was during this late summer period that "Good Vibrations" was finished musically, and the vocals were finally recorded.
Each of the five musical "Pieces" that were recorded and edited together to make "Good Vibrations" have their own unique sound. The first "Piece" is the quiet verses, which are musically full of suspense. A haunting organ and a tight and gentle bass-line are blended with several sudden snare drum hits. It is as if Brian is trying to get you through the door into this psychedelic realm he has created. All throughout this mysterious sounding music is Carl Wilson's absolutely wonderful-sounding lead vocal. We've already achieved musical perfection, and this is only the first verse of the song!
The chorus sounds downright otherworldly, with a ghostly theremin and numerous cellos playing sharp triplet notes. To add to this potpourri of sounds, you have a meticulously arranged Beach Boys vocal melody. Mike Love, starts off on his own and is soon joined by the other five Beach Boys with Brian capping off the harmonies on the high end. Then, just as soon as it started, we are swept out of the chorus and back to the verses, where the sequence repeats.
There's not one, not two, but three bridges in "Good Vibrations", all of which make up the remaining three "Pieces" of the song. The first of these, which most prominently features Mike singing the line "I don't know where but she sends me there", sends the listener on a journey upward. The most prominent instrumentation, a harpsichord and a mouth-harp, give me the impression that we are traveling through time and space. There is a blend of baroque and ancient musical sounds. And this is all in a less than four minute song, let's see today's chart toppers do something this thrilling.
After experiencing the uplifting first bridge, we get to what I like to call the "Spiritual" bridge. Containing a heavenly organ played by Dennis Wilson, a thumping bass played by brother Carl, and a serene harmonica part, it is as if Brian is offering us a glimpse of the heavens. While there are many progressive rock songs that achieve this level of music consciousness such as "Close To The Edge" by the band Yes, "Good Vibrations" was made in 1966, a full three years before prog became an official genre.
We are then swept away from the heavens and back to this psychedelic Earth, with the return of the chorus. This is swiftly followed by the final bridge, which repeats several of the instrumental motifs heard throughout the song. On top of this are wordless vocals by The Beach Boys. The song is capped off with the return of the theremin and cellos, which act as a wakeup call. The song, and the magical dream it took you on, is over.
The parent album of "Good Vibrations", SMiLE, was to consist mostly of songs recorded in this piece-by-piece format. Brian spent the summer of 1966 through the spring of 1967 working on these, way ahead of their time, recordings. Tragically, due to backlash from Capitol Records, Mike Love's dislike of this radical new direction, and Brian's own personal demons, the album was never properly finished and, by May of 1967, SMiLE was scrapped.
The Beach Boys spent 1966 being tied with The Beatles in terms of artistic genius. Sadly, due to the non-appearance of the SMiLE album and their withdrawal from the hip Monterrey Pop Festival, the pop market turned its back on The Beach Boys in '67. The Beach Boys would spend the next eight years releasing critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful albums. Many of these underrated gems would be augmented with SMiLE era material such as "Heroes And Villains", "Cabinessence", and "Surf's Up".
Then, in 2004, a now solo Brian Wilson re-recorded SMiLE, and finally put the tracks in a proper order. This was followed, with even greater fanfare seven years later, with the release of The SMiLE Sessions: A box set that included a re-constructed SMiLE from the original sessions, plus four discs of session tapes. It truly is a testament to Brian Wilson's musical genius, and it's a must own. It certainly will make you see the band in a different light, and not as "Those surfing guys".
Final Verdict - "Good Vibrations" is one of the finest compositions in music history. It was way ahead of its time, it is musically and lyrically pure nirvana, and it influenced millions of musicians and music styles over the years. Two spirited thumbs WAAAYY up for me.
Last Up For 1966 - "I'm A Believer" by The Monkees.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock and I'm picking up good vibrations -
Released - October 10, 1966
#1 for week of December 10, 1966.
And now for the song that should have won rock and roll song of the year instead of that silly "Winchester Cathedral". The Beach Boys remain a beloved band to this very day, yet quite a few casual fans don't realize the full extent of Brian Wilson's genius. When I last left off on the "Semi-abridged history of The Beach Boys" during my "Help Me Rhonda" review, I mentioned how by the second half of 1965, Brian was starting to slowly write songs for a groundbreaking new album. This album, Pet Sounds, was released in May of 1966.
Although the album only reached #10 in the US, its influence would be massive. It is a phenomenal album with not a single bad song on it. From the happy and optimistic "Wouldn't It Be Nice" to the spine chilling "Don't Talk", from the classic "God Only Knows" to the melancholic closer "Caroline, No", this is miles more mature than say, "Fun Fun Fun". How could Brian possibly have topped this masterpiece? Well, he actually started to, during the middle of the Pet Sounds sessions in February of 1966, with a little number called "Good Vibrations". Grab your popcorn kids as this is going to be a mega-review!
After this initial February 1966 session, which received a test lead vocal about two weeks later, Brian decided to put the recording on hold and save it for his next project. You might be wondering why I didn't bother posting each individual recording date of "Good Vibrations". That's because there were nearly 20, and a good third of these sessions contained material that was unused. Brian recorded the song in a piece-by-piece format, using different recording studios as a way to get each recording to have its own unique vibe.
Much of the spring of 1966 was spent recording these numerous musical sections, after which the song was put on hold yet again. During this time period, Brian started working with lyricist Van Dyke Parks, and the two of them started brainstorming the next groundbreaking Beach Boys project - SMiLE. Sessions for SMiLE commenced in August of '66, and it was during this late summer period that "Good Vibrations" was finished musically, and the vocals were finally recorded.
Each of the five musical "Pieces" that were recorded and edited together to make "Good Vibrations" have their own unique sound. The first "Piece" is the quiet verses, which are musically full of suspense. A haunting organ and a tight and gentle bass-line are blended with several sudden snare drum hits. It is as if Brian is trying to get you through the door into this psychedelic realm he has created. All throughout this mysterious sounding music is Carl Wilson's absolutely wonderful-sounding lead vocal. We've already achieved musical perfection, and this is only the first verse of the song!
The chorus sounds downright otherworldly, with a ghostly theremin and numerous cellos playing sharp triplet notes. To add to this potpourri of sounds, you have a meticulously arranged Beach Boys vocal melody. Mike Love, starts off on his own and is soon joined by the other five Beach Boys with Brian capping off the harmonies on the high end. Then, just as soon as it started, we are swept out of the chorus and back to the verses, where the sequence repeats.
There's not one, not two, but three bridges in "Good Vibrations", all of which make up the remaining three "Pieces" of the song. The first of these, which most prominently features Mike singing the line "I don't know where but she sends me there", sends the listener on a journey upward. The most prominent instrumentation, a harpsichord and a mouth-harp, give me the impression that we are traveling through time and space. There is a blend of baroque and ancient musical sounds. And this is all in a less than four minute song, let's see today's chart toppers do something this thrilling.
After experiencing the uplifting first bridge, we get to what I like to call the "Spiritual" bridge. Containing a heavenly organ played by Dennis Wilson, a thumping bass played by brother Carl, and a serene harmonica part, it is as if Brian is offering us a glimpse of the heavens. While there are many progressive rock songs that achieve this level of music consciousness such as "Close To The Edge" by the band Yes, "Good Vibrations" was made in 1966, a full three years before prog became an official genre.
We are then swept away from the heavens and back to this psychedelic Earth, with the return of the chorus. This is swiftly followed by the final bridge, which repeats several of the instrumental motifs heard throughout the song. On top of this are wordless vocals by The Beach Boys. The song is capped off with the return of the theremin and cellos, which act as a wakeup call. The song, and the magical dream it took you on, is over.
The parent album of "Good Vibrations", SMiLE, was to consist mostly of songs recorded in this piece-by-piece format. Brian spent the summer of 1966 through the spring of 1967 working on these, way ahead of their time, recordings. Tragically, due to backlash from Capitol Records, Mike Love's dislike of this radical new direction, and Brian's own personal demons, the album was never properly finished and, by May of 1967, SMiLE was scrapped.
The Beach Boys spent 1966 being tied with The Beatles in terms of artistic genius. Sadly, due to the non-appearance of the SMiLE album and their withdrawal from the hip Monterrey Pop Festival, the pop market turned its back on The Beach Boys in '67. The Beach Boys would spend the next eight years releasing critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful albums. Many of these underrated gems would be augmented with SMiLE era material such as "Heroes And Villains", "Cabinessence", and "Surf's Up".
Then, in 2004, a now solo Brian Wilson re-recorded SMiLE, and finally put the tracks in a proper order. This was followed, with even greater fanfare seven years later, with the release of The SMiLE Sessions: A box set that included a re-constructed SMiLE from the original sessions, plus four discs of session tapes. It truly is a testament to Brian Wilson's musical genius, and it's a must own. It certainly will make you see the band in a different light, and not as "Those surfing guys".
Final Verdict - "Good Vibrations" is one of the finest compositions in music history. It was way ahead of its time, it is musically and lyrically pure nirvana, and it influenced millions of musicians and music styles over the years. Two spirited thumbs WAAAYY up for me.
Last Up For 1966 - "I'm A Believer" by The Monkees.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock and I'm picking up good vibrations -
Song #175 - "Winchester Cathedral" - The New Vaudeville Band
Recorded - 1966
Released - August 1966 (UK), October 1966 (US)
#1 for weeks of December 3, 17 and 24, 1966.
Our next song on Dr. Rock's H.O.M. is an example of why the Grammy awards should never be taken that seriously. In many ways, The Grammy's are just like the Billboard Hot 100: They both feature a mix of deserved classics and mediocre and/or awful hits. The 1967 Grammy awards had six songs up for the nomination for "Best rock and roll song". This included "Good Vibrations" and "Eleanor Rigby", both of which are among the top songs ever recorded. There was also "Cherish", "Monday Monday", and "Last Train To Clarksville" which are all good, but not the best of '66. Then there was "Winchester Cathedral", a song that has been mostly forgotten in today's society and isn't even remotely rock and roll. Guess which song won?
The New Vaudeville Band weren't even an actual band. In fact, it was just a bunch of British session musicians put together by the song's composer and producer Geoff Stevens for the sole purpose of recording "Winchester Cathedral". The song features singer John Carter, who by coincidence was in numerous ersatz "Bands" over the 1960's and 1970's that were put together strictly to record a certain song. He was also in The Ivy League, a Beach Boys influenced British singing trio.
"Winchester Cathedral", done in a very vaudevillian style (Surprise surprise!), sounds woefully out of place in 1966. The song features a buildup of a very easy-listening sounding melody. It takes a whole minute for the lead vocals to come in. By that point, I'm downright bored, and unimpressed. Even the song's muted trumpet parts don't appeal to me due to the fact that they come across as extremely schmaltzy.
John Carter apparently sung the vocals with his hands cupped over his mouth, in order to imitate classic 1920's era singers such as Rudy Vallee. However, this "Imitation" sounds more like he is holding his nose while singing. The song reaches new levels of cheesiness when Carter starts singing some "Bo-De-Ho-Ho" lines towards the end. When you combine this with the nasally vocal, it sounds pretty bad. This is a shame as he has proven he can sing decently in several of his other vocal projects.
I feel that the real problem of "Winchester Cathedral" is that it takes itself too seriously. Compare this song to something like The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, a group that included future Monty Python actor Neil Innes. The Bonzo's specialized in this vaudeville style, yet with a comedic and often humorous touch. The New Vaudeville Band, on the other hand, is too serious and as a result, the song is rather un-enjoyable for me.
Final Verdict - "Winchester Cathedral" is a novelty song without the humor or biting satire that usually makes a novelty song enjoyable. It is extremely schmaltzy and I'm still baffled that this was considered the best "Rock and roll" song by the Grammy awards committee. Needless to say, this is a thumbs down for me.
Coming Up Next - "Good Vibrations" by The Beach Boys.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock, and I've heard enough vaudeville for one day -
Released - August 1966 (UK), October 1966 (US)
#1 for weeks of December 3, 17 and 24, 1966.
Our next song on Dr. Rock's H.O.M. is an example of why the Grammy awards should never be taken that seriously. In many ways, The Grammy's are just like the Billboard Hot 100: They both feature a mix of deserved classics and mediocre and/or awful hits. The 1967 Grammy awards had six songs up for the nomination for "Best rock and roll song". This included "Good Vibrations" and "Eleanor Rigby", both of which are among the top songs ever recorded. There was also "Cherish", "Monday Monday", and "Last Train To Clarksville" which are all good, but not the best of '66. Then there was "Winchester Cathedral", a song that has been mostly forgotten in today's society and isn't even remotely rock and roll. Guess which song won?
The New Vaudeville Band weren't even an actual band. In fact, it was just a bunch of British session musicians put together by the song's composer and producer Geoff Stevens for the sole purpose of recording "Winchester Cathedral". The song features singer John Carter, who by coincidence was in numerous ersatz "Bands" over the 1960's and 1970's that were put together strictly to record a certain song. He was also in The Ivy League, a Beach Boys influenced British singing trio.
"Winchester Cathedral", done in a very vaudevillian style (Surprise surprise!), sounds woefully out of place in 1966. The song features a buildup of a very easy-listening sounding melody. It takes a whole minute for the lead vocals to come in. By that point, I'm downright bored, and unimpressed. Even the song's muted trumpet parts don't appeal to me due to the fact that they come across as extremely schmaltzy.
John Carter apparently sung the vocals with his hands cupped over his mouth, in order to imitate classic 1920's era singers such as Rudy Vallee. However, this "Imitation" sounds more like he is holding his nose while singing. The song reaches new levels of cheesiness when Carter starts singing some "Bo-De-Ho-Ho" lines towards the end. When you combine this with the nasally vocal, it sounds pretty bad. This is a shame as he has proven he can sing decently in several of his other vocal projects.
I feel that the real problem of "Winchester Cathedral" is that it takes itself too seriously. Compare this song to something like The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, a group that included future Monty Python actor Neil Innes. The Bonzo's specialized in this vaudeville style, yet with a comedic and often humorous touch. The New Vaudeville Band, on the other hand, is too serious and as a result, the song is rather un-enjoyable for me.
Final Verdict - "Winchester Cathedral" is a novelty song without the humor or biting satire that usually makes a novelty song enjoyable. It is extremely schmaltzy and I'm still baffled that this was considered the best "Rock and roll" song by the Grammy awards committee. Needless to say, this is a thumbs down for me.
Coming Up Next - "Good Vibrations" by The Beach Boys.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock, and I've heard enough vaudeville for one day -
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Song #174 - "You Keep Me Hangin' On" - The Supremes
Recorded - June 30 & August 1, 1966
Released - October 12, 1966
#1 for weeks of November 19 and 26, 1966.
I already mentioned in my review of "Reach Out I'll Be There" that is my favorite Four Tops song. That's because it's a different and more mature sounding number compared to their earlier work. Well for much of those same reasons, The Supremes' "You Keep Me Hangin' On", is probably my favorite song of theirs. I've said it before and I'll say it again, 1966 was a great year for music.
If you're wondering if this is another Holland-Dozier-Holland composition, you only have to look at what album "You Keep Me Hangin' On" eventually appeared on in early 1967: The Supremes Sing Holland-Dozier-Holland. Of course, this is hardly a bad thing. Since H-G-H composed the bulk of The Supremes and Four Tops' hits, you could almost put together a juke box musical based on their catalog.
"You Keep Me Hangin' On" gets you hooked from the first few seconds. That repeating Morse Code-sounding guitar part is one of the most clever hooks in Motown history. Equally as memorable is the song's vocal melody. I love how the choruses are arranged, with a brief pause before each line. There are also quite a few key changes, from major to minor. It's quite an exciting song, and when you compare it to their earlier singles, it makes them pale in comparison.
Not only was this song a pop and R&B smash, rock musicians loved it as well. In fact, The Vanilla Fudge, a psychedelic rock band from New York, covered the song in 1967. Two years later, their cover even reached #6 on the pop charts. Their version is quite heavier with a much slower tempo and numerous guitar solos. As much as I love the Vanilla Fudge version, the original Motown version is the one I remember most fondly.
Final Verdict - One of my favorite Motown singles. Containing innumerable hooks, great vocals, and a beat you can't help but tap your feet to, "You Keep Me Hangin' On" was a deserved #1. I always look forward to hearing it.
Coming Up Next - "Winchester Cathedral" by The New Vaudeville Band.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock, and I'm going to keep you hangin' on...until my next review -
Released - October 12, 1966
#1 for weeks of November 19 and 26, 1966.
I already mentioned in my review of "Reach Out I'll Be There" that is my favorite Four Tops song. That's because it's a different and more mature sounding number compared to their earlier work. Well for much of those same reasons, The Supremes' "You Keep Me Hangin' On", is probably my favorite song of theirs. I've said it before and I'll say it again, 1966 was a great year for music.
If you're wondering if this is another Holland-Dozier-Holland composition, you only have to look at what album "You Keep Me Hangin' On" eventually appeared on in early 1967: The Supremes Sing Holland-Dozier-Holland. Of course, this is hardly a bad thing. Since H-G-H composed the bulk of The Supremes and Four Tops' hits, you could almost put together a juke box musical based on their catalog.
"You Keep Me Hangin' On" gets you hooked from the first few seconds. That repeating Morse Code-sounding guitar part is one of the most clever hooks in Motown history. Equally as memorable is the song's vocal melody. I love how the choruses are arranged, with a brief pause before each line. There are also quite a few key changes, from major to minor. It's quite an exciting song, and when you compare it to their earlier singles, it makes them pale in comparison.
Not only was this song a pop and R&B smash, rock musicians loved it as well. In fact, The Vanilla Fudge, a psychedelic rock band from New York, covered the song in 1967. Two years later, their cover even reached #6 on the pop charts. Their version is quite heavier with a much slower tempo and numerous guitar solos. As much as I love the Vanilla Fudge version, the original Motown version is the one I remember most fondly.
Final Verdict - One of my favorite Motown singles. Containing innumerable hooks, great vocals, and a beat you can't help but tap your feet to, "You Keep Me Hangin' On" was a deserved #1. I always look forward to hearing it.
Coming Up Next - "Winchester Cathedral" by The New Vaudeville Band.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock, and I'm going to keep you hangin' on...until my next review -
Song #173 - "Poor Side Of Town" - Johnny Rivers
Recorded - July 9, 19 and 22, 1966
Released - September 1966
#1 for week of November 12, 1966.
One of the most difficult things a singer can do is completely change their established sound. Some may say, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". However, this was 1966, a year when many bands and singers started to showcase a more mature and introspective side of themselves. Out of this maturity, we had Johnny Rivers, known for upbeat rock songs, record a self-composed ballad. The result was his first #1, "Poor Side Of Town".
Born John Ramistella, Johnny Rivers actually began his music career in the late 1950's. However, it wasn't until 1964 that he achieved massive success with his upbeat live album, Live At Whisky A Go-Go. For the next year and a half, he would record similar "Live" albums, many of which contained covers, and they were all most likely studio recorded with a live audience dubbed in. He also recorded my favorite song of his, "Secret Agent Man", in early 1966.
"Poor Side Of Town" completely exorcises his older "Go-Go" style and comes off as more of a soul and R&B influenced ballad. It was actually co-written by Rivers himself and producer Lou Adler. So already, any sincerity in the vocals is mostly coming from Rivers own emotions. Johnny also has quite a unique voice, so if you're hearing this song for the first time, it doesn't come off as a generic soul ballad sung by a generic singer.
Besides Johnny's vocals, which are surprisingly well-suited for this song, I really love the bridge, which includes a key change and sounds musically like one of Roy Orbison's hits. My only downside would be the backing vocals, courtesy of R&B group The Blossoms. These backing vocals can at times get a bit too angelic for my taste. However, this is a minor element and it doesn't spoil the whole song.
Following "Poor Side Of Town", Rivers spent quite a bit of time being a producer for other artists, most notably The 5th Dimension. He continued to record songs of his own in the 1970's and still performs to this very day. However, it is his music from 1964 through 1966 that remains his most memorable work.
Final Verdict - Surprisingly good lyrics and a great vocal performance makes "Poor Side Of Town" one of Johnny Rivers' best songs. Despite a few blemishes in the piece, I'd give it my thumbs up.
Coming Up Next - "You Keep Me Hangin' On" - The Supremes.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock and I'm from the poor side of town -
Released - September 1966
#1 for week of November 12, 1966.
One of the most difficult things a singer can do is completely change their established sound. Some may say, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". However, this was 1966, a year when many bands and singers started to showcase a more mature and introspective side of themselves. Out of this maturity, we had Johnny Rivers, known for upbeat rock songs, record a self-composed ballad. The result was his first #1, "Poor Side Of Town".
Born John Ramistella, Johnny Rivers actually began his music career in the late 1950's. However, it wasn't until 1964 that he achieved massive success with his upbeat live album, Live At Whisky A Go-Go. For the next year and a half, he would record similar "Live" albums, many of which contained covers, and they were all most likely studio recorded with a live audience dubbed in. He also recorded my favorite song of his, "Secret Agent Man", in early 1966.
"Poor Side Of Town" completely exorcises his older "Go-Go" style and comes off as more of a soul and R&B influenced ballad. It was actually co-written by Rivers himself and producer Lou Adler. So already, any sincerity in the vocals is mostly coming from Rivers own emotions. Johnny also has quite a unique voice, so if you're hearing this song for the first time, it doesn't come off as a generic soul ballad sung by a generic singer.
Besides Johnny's vocals, which are surprisingly well-suited for this song, I really love the bridge, which includes a key change and sounds musically like one of Roy Orbison's hits. My only downside would be the backing vocals, courtesy of R&B group The Blossoms. These backing vocals can at times get a bit too angelic for my taste. However, this is a minor element and it doesn't spoil the whole song.
Following "Poor Side Of Town", Rivers spent quite a bit of time being a producer for other artists, most notably The 5th Dimension. He continued to record songs of his own in the 1970's and still performs to this very day. However, it is his music from 1964 through 1966 that remains his most memorable work.
Final Verdict - Surprisingly good lyrics and a great vocal performance makes "Poor Side Of Town" one of Johnny Rivers' best songs. Despite a few blemishes in the piece, I'd give it my thumbs up.
Coming Up Next - "You Keep Me Hangin' On" - The Supremes.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock and I'm from the poor side of town -
Friday, December 13, 2013
Song #172 - "Last Train To Clarksville" - The Monkees
Recorded - July 25, 1966
Released - August 16, 1966
#1 for week of November 5, 1966.
...Well, here we go...The Monkees, A group that has been vilified and scorned nearly mercilessly by rock critics since 1967.
If you were a rock music critic during that time period and as much as mentioned The Monkees in the same breath as The Beatles or Stones, you'd probably get stoned, (and I don't mean in the groovy way!) The initial impression that has been stamped on The Monkees is that they were a prefabricated group who didn't write their own songs or play their own instruments. In the minds of many rock elitists, they're the bottom of the barrel. And all I got to say about that is...That's just wrong.
Yes, The Monkees were a pre-fabricated group that were initially formed to star in their own television series. Yet did you know that Stephen Stills auditioned? In fact it was Stephen who recommended that his friend Pete Tork try auditioning. Also, all four of The Monkees had unique personalities and singing styles, and these personalities weren't pre-fabricated.
And yes, The Monkees initially didn't play their own instruments or write their own songs. At least this was the case for most of what was produced in 1966. That all changed in 1967 with their third album Headquarters where they demanded the right to play their own instruments and write the songs. I give them credit for rebelling against the pop status quo and taking their career into their own hands.
Finally, despite many of the non-teenyboppers disliking The Monkees, many of Rock's elite at the time befriended the "Pre-Fab Four". This included The Beatles and The Who. Even Jerry Garcia has nice things to say about the early Monkees albums, recognizing them for what they were - "Good albums, and they should be since they have good musicians playing on them." Besides, if Frank Zappa befriended them, and appeared in some of their films, they can't be all that bad.
Sure, there are some truly sappy songs of theirs, but then again, you have to remember who they were originally appealing to. If you dig deeper into The Monkees catalog, you'll find some really good songs. Their first #1, "Last Train To Clarksville", is one of those. Written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart and featuring talented session musicians on instrumentation, "Last Train To Clarksville" was one of The Monkees first recorded numbers and thus, does not yet feature the group fully in control of their direction/music.
Regardless, "Last Train To Clarksville" features some very Beatles-esque instrumentation, and some very tasty guitar. Vocally, The Monkees aren't bad at all. If it wasn't for the band's unjust reputation, Mickey Dolenz would be considered one of the most recognizable voices of the 1960's. The song is even lyrically topical, dealing with the fact that many boys being shipped off to war were fearing that they would never return home again. How is this not relevant in today's society? Actually, the fact that it is still relevant is pretty sad.
So yeah, this song may be a fully prefabricated pop number, yet, look at all of the songs reviewed on this blog so far... Almost all of the Motown songs reviewed were written by outside writers and had a session band playing. Classics like "Wild Thing" and "When A Man Loves A Woman" were not written by their singers. Heck, even The Byrds' version of "Mr. Tambourine Man" uses mostly session musicians. So cut The Monkees some slack.
Final Verdict - "Last Train To Clarksville" features a memorable music arrangement and surprisingly mature lyrics. If you've never been a fan of The Monkees, open your mind, clear your bias, and give it a fair listen. It may not be among the very best of 1966, but it's certainly a good song.
Coming Up Next - "Poor Side Of Town" by Johnny Rivers.
Until Next Time - Hey Hey I'm Dr. Rock, some people say I rumble around, but I'm too busy grooving, to bring any mountain down -
Released - August 16, 1966
#1 for week of November 5, 1966.
...Well, here we go...The Monkees, A group that has been vilified and scorned nearly mercilessly by rock critics since 1967.
If you were a rock music critic during that time period and as much as mentioned The Monkees in the same breath as The Beatles or Stones, you'd probably get stoned, (and I don't mean in the groovy way!) The initial impression that has been stamped on The Monkees is that they were a prefabricated group who didn't write their own songs or play their own instruments. In the minds of many rock elitists, they're the bottom of the barrel. And all I got to say about that is...That's just wrong.
Yes, The Monkees were a pre-fabricated group that were initially formed to star in their own television series. Yet did you know that Stephen Stills auditioned? In fact it was Stephen who recommended that his friend Pete Tork try auditioning. Also, all four of The Monkees had unique personalities and singing styles, and these personalities weren't pre-fabricated.
And yes, The Monkees initially didn't play their own instruments or write their own songs. At least this was the case for most of what was produced in 1966. That all changed in 1967 with their third album Headquarters where they demanded the right to play their own instruments and write the songs. I give them credit for rebelling against the pop status quo and taking their career into their own hands.
Finally, despite many of the non-teenyboppers disliking The Monkees, many of Rock's elite at the time befriended the "Pre-Fab Four". This included The Beatles and The Who. Even Jerry Garcia has nice things to say about the early Monkees albums, recognizing them for what they were - "Good albums, and they should be since they have good musicians playing on them." Besides, if Frank Zappa befriended them, and appeared in some of their films, they can't be all that bad.
Sure, there are some truly sappy songs of theirs, but then again, you have to remember who they were originally appealing to. If you dig deeper into The Monkees catalog, you'll find some really good songs. Their first #1, "Last Train To Clarksville", is one of those. Written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart and featuring talented session musicians on instrumentation, "Last Train To Clarksville" was one of The Monkees first recorded numbers and thus, does not yet feature the group fully in control of their direction/music.
Regardless, "Last Train To Clarksville" features some very Beatles-esque instrumentation, and some very tasty guitar. Vocally, The Monkees aren't bad at all. If it wasn't for the band's unjust reputation, Mickey Dolenz would be considered one of the most recognizable voices of the 1960's. The song is even lyrically topical, dealing with the fact that many boys being shipped off to war were fearing that they would never return home again. How is this not relevant in today's society? Actually, the fact that it is still relevant is pretty sad.
So yeah, this song may be a fully prefabricated pop number, yet, look at all of the songs reviewed on this blog so far... Almost all of the Motown songs reviewed were written by outside writers and had a session band playing. Classics like "Wild Thing" and "When A Man Loves A Woman" were not written by their singers. Heck, even The Byrds' version of "Mr. Tambourine Man" uses mostly session musicians. So cut The Monkees some slack.
Final Verdict - "Last Train To Clarksville" features a memorable music arrangement and surprisingly mature lyrics. If you've never been a fan of The Monkees, open your mind, clear your bias, and give it a fair listen. It may not be among the very best of 1966, but it's certainly a good song.
Coming Up Next - "Poor Side Of Town" by Johnny Rivers.
Until Next Time - Hey Hey I'm Dr. Rock, some people say I rumble around, but I'm too busy grooving, to bring any mountain down -
Song #171 - "96 Tears" - ? And The Mysterians
Recorded - March 13, 1966
Independently Released - circa Spring 1966
Re-released on major label - August 1966
#1 for week of October 29, 1966.
1966 really was the year for garage rock. Numerous independent bands and artists were looking to have that one big hit. If you want a good overview of this highly fertile period from about 1965 til 1967, I'd highly recommend checking out the various artists compilation Nuggets: Original Artyfacts Of The First Psychedelic Era. Originally compiled in 1972 by Patti Smith group member Lenny Kaye, the set was later expanded into a 4 CD box set with a whopping 118 songs. However, there is one key track from this genre missing from Nuggets and that is "96 Tears" by Question Mark and the Mysterians.
The "?" of The Mysterians was singer Rudy Martinez. The group were all based in Michigan and were all of Mexican-American heritage. The Mysterians were heavily inspired by surf rock, and began in the early '60's as an instrumental group. Just like many of other amateur bands from the time period, they had a revolving lineup of musicians, and even lost several to the Vietnam War draft.
In 1966, The Mysterians recorded a song of Rudy's called "96 Tears". The song was cheaply recorded, not in a studio, but on the porch of someone's house. It was released first on an independent label, and made some local chart action. However, it was not until it got released by big label Cameo-Parkway Records that the song became a nationwide smash hit.
Part of the charm of "96 Tears" is its simplicity. There are primarily two chords in the song, and an iconic riff repeated over and over on a Vox-organ. The only time this changes is in the song's bridge which drones on an "E minor" chord. The song is also very lyrically sparse with very straight to the point lyrics. Vocally, Rudy (?) Martinez has an edgy voice that suits the song perfectly.
"96 Years" is one of the many songs referred to as an example of "Protopunk". This refers to any music made in the 1960's that inspired the "Return to simplicity" approach of 1970's Punk and New Wave music. Plus, as someone who has been in several independent bands over the years, I consider The Mysterians fellow underdogs. Of course, these underdogs just so happened to reach #1. So what happened after "96 Tears?"...Well, to be honest, not much.
Many of these garage rock bands that appear on compilations have whole albums in their catalog. The problem is many of these albums contain weak material, or failed attempts to copy their biggest hit. Question Mark And The Mysterians unfortunately fall into this category.
For example, one of their subsequent singles, "Can't Get Enough Of You Baby" has many of the same musical ideas used in "96 Tears" and even is in the same key and tempo. It's certainly not a bad song, in fact it would be later covered by the band Smash Mouth in the late '90's. It's just that you can clearly hear the band trying to recapture their past success. After 1967, The Mysterians vanished from the pop music charts.
Final Verdict - Despite The Mysterians being a bit of a one hit wonder, they certainly inspired many bands over the years. Sometimes, less is more, and in the case of "96 Tears", its minimalist approach helped ensure that the song remains a classic garage rock nugget.
Coming Up Next - "Last Train To Clarksville" by The Monkees.
Until Next Time - I'm the mysterious Dr. Rock -
Independently Released - circa Spring 1966
Re-released on major label - August 1966
#1 for week of October 29, 1966.
1966 really was the year for garage rock. Numerous independent bands and artists were looking to have that one big hit. If you want a good overview of this highly fertile period from about 1965 til 1967, I'd highly recommend checking out the various artists compilation Nuggets: Original Artyfacts Of The First Psychedelic Era. Originally compiled in 1972 by Patti Smith group member Lenny Kaye, the set was later expanded into a 4 CD box set with a whopping 118 songs. However, there is one key track from this genre missing from Nuggets and that is "96 Tears" by Question Mark and the Mysterians.
The "?" of The Mysterians was singer Rudy Martinez. The group were all based in Michigan and were all of Mexican-American heritage. The Mysterians were heavily inspired by surf rock, and began in the early '60's as an instrumental group. Just like many of other amateur bands from the time period, they had a revolving lineup of musicians, and even lost several to the Vietnam War draft.
In 1966, The Mysterians recorded a song of Rudy's called "96 Tears". The song was cheaply recorded, not in a studio, but on the porch of someone's house. It was released first on an independent label, and made some local chart action. However, it was not until it got released by big label Cameo-Parkway Records that the song became a nationwide smash hit.
Part of the charm of "96 Tears" is its simplicity. There are primarily two chords in the song, and an iconic riff repeated over and over on a Vox-organ. The only time this changes is in the song's bridge which drones on an "E minor" chord. The song is also very lyrically sparse with very straight to the point lyrics. Vocally, Rudy (?) Martinez has an edgy voice that suits the song perfectly.
"96 Years" is one of the many songs referred to as an example of "Protopunk". This refers to any music made in the 1960's that inspired the "Return to simplicity" approach of 1970's Punk and New Wave music. Plus, as someone who has been in several independent bands over the years, I consider The Mysterians fellow underdogs. Of course, these underdogs just so happened to reach #1. So what happened after "96 Tears?"...Well, to be honest, not much.
Many of these garage rock bands that appear on compilations have whole albums in their catalog. The problem is many of these albums contain weak material, or failed attempts to copy their biggest hit. Question Mark And The Mysterians unfortunately fall into this category.
For example, one of their subsequent singles, "Can't Get Enough Of You Baby" has many of the same musical ideas used in "96 Tears" and even is in the same key and tempo. It's certainly not a bad song, in fact it would be later covered by the band Smash Mouth in the late '90's. It's just that you can clearly hear the band trying to recapture their past success. After 1967, The Mysterians vanished from the pop music charts.
Final Verdict - Despite The Mysterians being a bit of a one hit wonder, they certainly inspired many bands over the years. Sometimes, less is more, and in the case of "96 Tears", its minimalist approach helped ensure that the song remains a classic garage rock nugget.
Coming Up Next - "Last Train To Clarksville" by The Monkees.
Until Next Time - I'm the mysterious Dr. Rock -
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Song #170 - "Reach Out I'll Be There" - The Four Tops
Recorded - July 6, 1966
Released - August 18, 1966
#1 for weeks of October 15 and 22, 1966.
Time to review not only my favorite Four Tops song, but one of my favorite Motown songs, period. What happens when you take a haunting melody, combine it with one of the best bass hooks ever recorded, and have The Four Tops on lead vocals? You get "Reach Out I'll Be There", the second and last #1 by the vocal quartet.
"Reach Out I'll Be There" is already light years ahead of songs such as "I Can't Help Myself" and "It's The Same Old Song". As much as I love both of those songs, yet they both share stylistic similarities with the material being put out under the Supremes' name in 1965. "Reach Out..." may have been written by the same Holland-Dozier-Holland team, yet this time, you really get the feeling that this song was tailor made to stand out on its own.
Well, enough suspense, I'll get straight to the point. The main reason I love this song so much is its pre-chorus hook. We have The Four Tops singing "Reach Ouuuuuut" with lead vocalist Levi Stubbs singing a counter melody and getting gradually more intense. Then they all suddenly drop out...while the bassist (Presumably James Jamerson), plays an absolutely thunderous fill. This breathtaking moment is then over just as soon as it arrived with the song's singalong chorus re-entering immediately. Wow!
Not that the rest of the song is any slouch. I love the song's intro, with flutes and clip-clop percussion. There are also numerous changes between major and minor keys during this brief 3 minute song. Levi's vocal performance again remains one of his finest, and this song remains a testament to his vocal legacy.
The Four Tops may not have hit #1 again on any of the charts, but they did record several classic followups. These include "Standing In The Shadows Of Love" and "Bernadette". Interestingly enough, they even collaborated with The Moody Blues in 1971 for a cover of the Moodies' "A Simple Game". I'd highly recommend checking that collaboration out as it's not often you hear one of Motown's top groups singing with such a renowned progressive rock band.
Final Verdict - "Reach Out I'll Be There" takes everything I love about Motown music, (Soulful vocals, stellar instrumentation, and lots of hooks), and manages to fire on all cylinders, and then some! A well deserved #1 hit, one of the best of 1966, and one that certainly belongs in your record collection.
Coming Up Next - "96 Tears" by ? And The Mysterians.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock, and you can always reach out to me for music history -
Released - August 18, 1966
#1 for weeks of October 15 and 22, 1966.
Time to review not only my favorite Four Tops song, but one of my favorite Motown songs, period. What happens when you take a haunting melody, combine it with one of the best bass hooks ever recorded, and have The Four Tops on lead vocals? You get "Reach Out I'll Be There", the second and last #1 by the vocal quartet.
"Reach Out I'll Be There" is already light years ahead of songs such as "I Can't Help Myself" and "It's The Same Old Song". As much as I love both of those songs, yet they both share stylistic similarities with the material being put out under the Supremes' name in 1965. "Reach Out..." may have been written by the same Holland-Dozier-Holland team, yet this time, you really get the feeling that this song was tailor made to stand out on its own.
Well, enough suspense, I'll get straight to the point. The main reason I love this song so much is its pre-chorus hook. We have The Four Tops singing "Reach Ouuuuuut" with lead vocalist Levi Stubbs singing a counter melody and getting gradually more intense. Then they all suddenly drop out...while the bassist (Presumably James Jamerson), plays an absolutely thunderous fill. This breathtaking moment is then over just as soon as it arrived with the song's singalong chorus re-entering immediately. Wow!
Not that the rest of the song is any slouch. I love the song's intro, with flutes and clip-clop percussion. There are also numerous changes between major and minor keys during this brief 3 minute song. Levi's vocal performance again remains one of his finest, and this song remains a testament to his vocal legacy.
The Four Tops may not have hit #1 again on any of the charts, but they did record several classic followups. These include "Standing In The Shadows Of Love" and "Bernadette". Interestingly enough, they even collaborated with The Moody Blues in 1971 for a cover of the Moodies' "A Simple Game". I'd highly recommend checking that collaboration out as it's not often you hear one of Motown's top groups singing with such a renowned progressive rock band.
Final Verdict - "Reach Out I'll Be There" takes everything I love about Motown music, (Soulful vocals, stellar instrumentation, and lots of hooks), and manages to fire on all cylinders, and then some! A well deserved #1 hit, one of the best of 1966, and one that certainly belongs in your record collection.
Coming Up Next - "96 Tears" by ? And The Mysterians.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock, and you can always reach out to me for music history -
Song #169 - "Cherish" - The Association
Recorded - June 1966
Released - July 1966
#1 for weeks of September 24, October 1 and 8, 1966.
Looks can be deceiving. It's easy to merely glance upon the career of The Association and assume they were an easy-listening soft pop group. Take a closer look and you'll realize that the group were grounded in folk music, with some members actually sowing their seeds in the scene. Nevertheless, The Association managed to have quite a decent success on the pop charts during 1966-1968.
The Association was initially formed with six members, some of whom were multi-instrumentalists, and all of whom were strong vocalists. Interestingly, all six members were originally from different States in the US, although by 1965, they all had settled down in California. If you want an example of their more rocking sound, check out their 1965 cover of Bob Dylan's "One Too Many Mornings". Their first hit single from 1966, "Along Comes Mary", could even be considered an early psychedelic-pop song. However, it was the more tender "Cherish" that gave The Association their first #1.
Written entirely by member Terry Kirkman, who also sings lead vocals, "Cherish" is a very mellow offering. In fact, it may turn off some of the more hard rock fans just in its first few seconds. However, if you turn it off, then you are truly missing out. First of all, "Cherish" is lyrically one of the best love songs ever written, period. With one exception, the word "Love" is hardly used at all, and all of the usual romantic lyric cliches are absent. In fact, the words are far more intellectual and thought provoking. This was 1966 after all.
The music may be in a gentle soft-pop style, yet by 1966, the genre had changed quite a bit. Soft pop from the period of 1966-1970 often utilized rich arrangements and often had psychedelic leanings. Producer Curt Boettcher could be considered to this genre what George Martin was to The Beatles. Curt creates a rich musical arrangement that shows how softer music can be just as complex and interesting as harder edged rock.
The real strength of "Cherish" is its vocal arrangement. On top of the previously mentioned strong lyrics, you have six equally gifted vocalists singing a lush harmony arrangement. At the group's best, The Association could rival many of their contemporaries. This vocal arrangement gradually builds and peaks towards the end with a nicely timed key change.
The Association had several other great songs on their first album, And Then...Along Comes The Association, of which "Cherish" originated from. If soft pop isn't your cup of tea, check out "Enter The Young" or "Your Own Love". The Association are certainly an overlooked and underrated band.
Final Verdict - "Cherish" is a great example of how to take a simple softer pop song and turn it into a smarter and more sophisticated number. Was this one of the absolute best songs of 1966? Probably not. However, I certainly give it my thumbs up and recognize it as an often overlooked gem.
Coming Up Next - "Reach Out I'll Be There" by The Four Tops.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock and I do cherish rock and roll -
Released - July 1966
#1 for weeks of September 24, October 1 and 8, 1966.
Looks can be deceiving. It's easy to merely glance upon the career of The Association and assume they were an easy-listening soft pop group. Take a closer look and you'll realize that the group were grounded in folk music, with some members actually sowing their seeds in the scene. Nevertheless, The Association managed to have quite a decent success on the pop charts during 1966-1968.
The Association was initially formed with six members, some of whom were multi-instrumentalists, and all of whom were strong vocalists. Interestingly, all six members were originally from different States in the US, although by 1965, they all had settled down in California. If you want an example of their more rocking sound, check out their 1965 cover of Bob Dylan's "One Too Many Mornings". Their first hit single from 1966, "Along Comes Mary", could even be considered an early psychedelic-pop song. However, it was the more tender "Cherish" that gave The Association their first #1.
Written entirely by member Terry Kirkman, who also sings lead vocals, "Cherish" is a very mellow offering. In fact, it may turn off some of the more hard rock fans just in its first few seconds. However, if you turn it off, then you are truly missing out. First of all, "Cherish" is lyrically one of the best love songs ever written, period. With one exception, the word "Love" is hardly used at all, and all of the usual romantic lyric cliches are absent. In fact, the words are far more intellectual and thought provoking. This was 1966 after all.
The music may be in a gentle soft-pop style, yet by 1966, the genre had changed quite a bit. Soft pop from the period of 1966-1970 often utilized rich arrangements and often had psychedelic leanings. Producer Curt Boettcher could be considered to this genre what George Martin was to The Beatles. Curt creates a rich musical arrangement that shows how softer music can be just as complex and interesting as harder edged rock.
The real strength of "Cherish" is its vocal arrangement. On top of the previously mentioned strong lyrics, you have six equally gifted vocalists singing a lush harmony arrangement. At the group's best, The Association could rival many of their contemporaries. This vocal arrangement gradually builds and peaks towards the end with a nicely timed key change.
The Association had several other great songs on their first album, And Then...Along Comes The Association, of which "Cherish" originated from. If soft pop isn't your cup of tea, check out "Enter The Young" or "Your Own Love". The Association are certainly an overlooked and underrated band.
Final Verdict - "Cherish" is a great example of how to take a simple softer pop song and turn it into a smarter and more sophisticated number. Was this one of the absolute best songs of 1966? Probably not. However, I certainly give it my thumbs up and recognize it as an often overlooked gem.
Coming Up Next - "Reach Out I'll Be There" by The Four Tops.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock and I do cherish rock and roll -
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Song #168 - "You Can't Hurry Love" - The Supremes
Recorded - June 11 & July 5, 1966
Released - July 25, 1966
#1 for weeks of September 10 and 17, 1966.
Once again, we are graced with the presence of The Supremes on this blog. "You Can't Hurry Love" was written by the usual Holland-Dozier-Holland team, and also features Motown session musicians as the backing band. Yet, things are different this time around...
I mentioned how in 1965, The Supremes music was starting to get a bit samey. Many songs dealt with similar themes, and some of their #1 hits such as "I Hear A Symphony" were musically derivative of their earlier hits. However, by 1966, Motown managed to nip this issue in the bud completely and recorded some very different sounding Supremes songs. The first of those that hit #1 was "You Can't Hurry Love".
Many earlier Supremes hits were very grounded in Brill Building pop music. With "You Can't Hurry Love", the sound is more grounded in southern gospel. From the rhythm, which accents the 2nd and 4th notes of each measure, to the very uplifting instrumentation, it's easy to compare these sounds to the energetic feeling of gospel music.
The lyrics of "You Can't Hurry Love" may once again be grounded in pop-romance, yet this time there is a growing maturity in the words sung. "You Can't Hurry Love" deals with a mother encouraging her daughter to not hurry the relationship of her lover. In a modern era where people get married way too soon, and tie the knot before they fully know their partner, perhaps this song needs to be made famous again. It is certainly a topic that still holds relevance today.
The Supremes chart success still continued throughout 1966. Not only was there one other #1 of theirs from this year, but it just so happens to be my favorite Supremes song. Stay tuned...
Final Verdict - "You Can't Hurry Love" manages to sound different enough from the early Supremes chart toppers, while still maintaining some of the classic themes and sounds that made America love the trio so much. If you love Motown, you're sure to love "You Can't Hurry Love".
Coming Up Next - "Cherish" by The Association.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock, and you can't hurry these reviews! -
Released - July 25, 1966
#1 for weeks of September 10 and 17, 1966.
Once again, we are graced with the presence of The Supremes on this blog. "You Can't Hurry Love" was written by the usual Holland-Dozier-Holland team, and also features Motown session musicians as the backing band. Yet, things are different this time around...
I mentioned how in 1965, The Supremes music was starting to get a bit samey. Many songs dealt with similar themes, and some of their #1 hits such as "I Hear A Symphony" were musically derivative of their earlier hits. However, by 1966, Motown managed to nip this issue in the bud completely and recorded some very different sounding Supremes songs. The first of those that hit #1 was "You Can't Hurry Love".
Many earlier Supremes hits were very grounded in Brill Building pop music. With "You Can't Hurry Love", the sound is more grounded in southern gospel. From the rhythm, which accents the 2nd and 4th notes of each measure, to the very uplifting instrumentation, it's easy to compare these sounds to the energetic feeling of gospel music.
The lyrics of "You Can't Hurry Love" may once again be grounded in pop-romance, yet this time there is a growing maturity in the words sung. "You Can't Hurry Love" deals with a mother encouraging her daughter to not hurry the relationship of her lover. In a modern era where people get married way too soon, and tie the knot before they fully know their partner, perhaps this song needs to be made famous again. It is certainly a topic that still holds relevance today.
The Supremes chart success still continued throughout 1966. Not only was there one other #1 of theirs from this year, but it just so happens to be my favorite Supremes song. Stay tuned...
Final Verdict - "You Can't Hurry Love" manages to sound different enough from the early Supremes chart toppers, while still maintaining some of the classic themes and sounds that made America love the trio so much. If you love Motown, you're sure to love "You Can't Hurry Love".
Coming Up Next - "Cherish" by The Association.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock, and you can't hurry these reviews! -
Song #167 - "Sunshine Superman" - Donovan
Recorded - December 19, 1965
Released - July 1, 1966 (US), December 2, 1966 (UK)
#1 for week of September 3, 1966.
In the US, folk music was continuing its increase in popularity. Overseas in Britain, there already had been several prominent groups who blended folk music with a rock sound. This includes The Searchers and Peter And Gordon. However, both of these groups failed to make an impact in the subsequent psychedelic era. That's not the case with Donovan, who managed to strike gold in 1966 with his song "Sunshine Superman".
Donovan Leitch, originally from Scotland, started off his career in 1965. If you want some good examples of his early sound, check out "Catch The Wind" and "Hey Gyp (Dig The Slowness)". Both of these songs are very much in the same style as early Bob Dylan with just acoustic guitar and vocals. Near the end of '65, Donovan not only recorded an electric song, but it was one that sounded like nothing that had come before or after.
If you have never heard "Sunshine Superman" before, it may throw you off a bit. With a very raga-rock influenced sound and some of the trippiest lyrics to appear on this blog so far, it is a far cry from some of the easy listening pop songs I reviewed from '59 to '63. Keep in mind though that very few people were writing and singing such colorful lyrics in late 1965. Even in the summer of '66, psychedelic music was not quite mainstream yet. Donovan was ahead of his time.
Instrumentally, there's quite a few players on this record. One of the guitarists is none other than Jimmy Page, and we even have John Paul Jones as one of the two bass players. For those who don't know, before becoming half of Led Zeppelin, those two musicians were prominent British session men, playing on countless British pop songs. Vocally, Donovan has one of the most unique voices of the time period. Sounding like a cross between a beat poet and a mystical folk singer, he gives "Sunshine Superman" a very otherworldly quality.
Donovan would continue to record several classics in 1966 including "Season Of The Witch" and "Mellow Yellow". He would spend early 1968 in India with the Maharishi alongside The Beatles. He was also recently, and deservedly, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Final Verdict - A refreshingly unique and different #1. If psychedelia isn't your thing, just understand how ahead of its time this song was, and its massive subsequent influence. I certainly always enjoy listening to it any chance I get.
Coming Up Next - "You Can't Hurry Love" by The Supremes.
Until Next Time - They call me Dr. Rock (Quite right-ly) -
Released - July 1, 1966 (US), December 2, 1966 (UK)
#1 for week of September 3, 1966.
In the US, folk music was continuing its increase in popularity. Overseas in Britain, there already had been several prominent groups who blended folk music with a rock sound. This includes The Searchers and Peter And Gordon. However, both of these groups failed to make an impact in the subsequent psychedelic era. That's not the case with Donovan, who managed to strike gold in 1966 with his song "Sunshine Superman".
Donovan Leitch, originally from Scotland, started off his career in 1965. If you want some good examples of his early sound, check out "Catch The Wind" and "Hey Gyp (Dig The Slowness)". Both of these songs are very much in the same style as early Bob Dylan with just acoustic guitar and vocals. Near the end of '65, Donovan not only recorded an electric song, but it was one that sounded like nothing that had come before or after.
If you have never heard "Sunshine Superman" before, it may throw you off a bit. With a very raga-rock influenced sound and some of the trippiest lyrics to appear on this blog so far, it is a far cry from some of the easy listening pop songs I reviewed from '59 to '63. Keep in mind though that very few people were writing and singing such colorful lyrics in late 1965. Even in the summer of '66, psychedelic music was not quite mainstream yet. Donovan was ahead of his time.
Instrumentally, there's quite a few players on this record. One of the guitarists is none other than Jimmy Page, and we even have John Paul Jones as one of the two bass players. For those who don't know, before becoming half of Led Zeppelin, those two musicians were prominent British session men, playing on countless British pop songs. Vocally, Donovan has one of the most unique voices of the time period. Sounding like a cross between a beat poet and a mystical folk singer, he gives "Sunshine Superman" a very otherworldly quality.
Donovan would continue to record several classics in 1966 including "Season Of The Witch" and "Mellow Yellow". He would spend early 1968 in India with the Maharishi alongside The Beatles. He was also recently, and deservedly, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Final Verdict - A refreshingly unique and different #1. If psychedelia isn't your thing, just understand how ahead of its time this song was, and its massive subsequent influence. I certainly always enjoy listening to it any chance I get.
Coming Up Next - "You Can't Hurry Love" by The Supremes.
Until Next Time - They call me Dr. Rock (Quite right-ly) -
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Song #166 - "Summer In The City" - The Lovin' Spoonful
Recorded - June 9, 1966
Released - July 4, 1966
#1 for weeks of August 13, 20 and 27, 1966.
1965 was certainly the big year for Folk Rock. While I have already covered The Byrds and have given mention to folk artists such as Bob Dylan who went electric that year, there was another band who further helped folk rock achieve its widespread popularity. That band of course being The Lovin' Spoonful.
Originally based in New York City and fronted by John Sebastian, the group broke onto the scene in 1965 with "Do You Believe In Magic". Several other hits followed both that year and the next, including "Daydream" and "Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind". All of these early Lovin' Spoonful songs are very grounded in folk music and often feature John Sebastian on autoharp. However, it was their first #1 hit in the summer of 1966 that gave way to a more pure rock sound - "Summer In The City".
Sure, there are elements of "Summer In The City" which maintain the original Lovin' Spoonful aesthetic. There's autoharp, courtesy of John Sebastian, and the same poetic and clever lyrics present in their earlier hits. Yet that's where the similarities end. In fact, I'd say "Summer..." owes a lot more to the sound of Motown, and even predates the funkier sounds of Sly And The Family Stone.
"Summer In The City" gets you hooked right away with its stop/start introduction. Due to the rapid pace that John Sebastian sings the vocals and the frantic minor keyed melody, the listener is reminded of a hustling and bustling hot day in the city. I always love songs like this which manage to tie the music in with the lyrics.
The Lovin' Spoonful would have minimal success following 1967 after original member Zal Yanovsky departed from the lineup. The band would ultimately end up splitting in 1969. John Sebastian continued to have success in the next decade with a #1 hit, "Welcome Back". He continues to this very day to perform live and has even put together a documentary on the history of folk music. Yet, he and The Lovin' Spoonful will be remembered most for the wonderful classics they gave us from 1965-1966.
Final Verdict - "Summer In The City" is a hot, energetic, and even funky rock number. It doesn't matter if you've heard it yet or you know it by heart, I'd still recommend giving it another spin.
Coming Up Next - "Sunshine Superman" by Donovan.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock, and "Don't you know it's a pity" that 1966 will soon be over -
Released - July 4, 1966
#1 for weeks of August 13, 20 and 27, 1966.
1965 was certainly the big year for Folk Rock. While I have already covered The Byrds and have given mention to folk artists such as Bob Dylan who went electric that year, there was another band who further helped folk rock achieve its widespread popularity. That band of course being The Lovin' Spoonful.
Originally based in New York City and fronted by John Sebastian, the group broke onto the scene in 1965 with "Do You Believe In Magic". Several other hits followed both that year and the next, including "Daydream" and "Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind". All of these early Lovin' Spoonful songs are very grounded in folk music and often feature John Sebastian on autoharp. However, it was their first #1 hit in the summer of 1966 that gave way to a more pure rock sound - "Summer In The City".
Sure, there are elements of "Summer In The City" which maintain the original Lovin' Spoonful aesthetic. There's autoharp, courtesy of John Sebastian, and the same poetic and clever lyrics present in their earlier hits. Yet that's where the similarities end. In fact, I'd say "Summer..." owes a lot more to the sound of Motown, and even predates the funkier sounds of Sly And The Family Stone.
"Summer In The City" gets you hooked right away with its stop/start introduction. Due to the rapid pace that John Sebastian sings the vocals and the frantic minor keyed melody, the listener is reminded of a hustling and bustling hot day in the city. I always love songs like this which manage to tie the music in with the lyrics.
The Lovin' Spoonful would have minimal success following 1967 after original member Zal Yanovsky departed from the lineup. The band would ultimately end up splitting in 1969. John Sebastian continued to have success in the next decade with a #1 hit, "Welcome Back". He continues to this very day to perform live and has even put together a documentary on the history of folk music. Yet, he and The Lovin' Spoonful will be remembered most for the wonderful classics they gave us from 1965-1966.
Final Verdict - "Summer In The City" is a hot, energetic, and even funky rock number. It doesn't matter if you've heard it yet or you know it by heart, I'd still recommend giving it another spin.
Coming Up Next - "Sunshine Superman" by Donovan.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock, and "Don't you know it's a pity" that 1966 will soon be over -
Song #165 - "Wild Thing" - The Troggs
Recorded - April 1, 1966
Released - April 1966 (UK), May 1966 (US)
#1 for weeks of July 30 and August 6, 1966.
This is what I love most about the 1960's - Garage rock actually stood a chance at reaching the top of the pop chart! This would almost never happen in today's pop scene and that's a shame. This is also our second garage rock #1 in a row yet this time, we have a band from the UK.
The UK equivalent of "Garage Rock" was called "Freakbeat". If you think American garage rock rarities are esoteric, then Freakbeat is even more unknown to the casual music listener. Regardless, it is a genre that is well worth checking out, especially when we have such songs as "Making Time" by The Creation, "Take A Heart" by The Sorrows, and of course, "Wild Thing".
The Troggs were led by the late Reg Presley, who had a unique voice that inspired countless proto-punk and classic punk bands. "Wild Thing" epitomizes the punk ethos: It is "Three chords and the truth". On top of that, there is an abundance of distorted guitar, which gives "Wild Thing" a much heavier feel than most songs from the time period. There is also an unexpected and awesome ocarina solo. Seriously, who could have expected to hear an ocarina solo on a garage rock record?
The Troggs are often incorrectly referred to as one hit wonders due to the massive success of "Wild Thing". However, since several of their singles such as "I Can't Control Myself" and "Love Is All Around" charted rather high in both the US and UK, that one hit wonder theory is debunked. The Troggs would actually continue well into the 1970's, something that many of these garage/freakbeat bands failed to accomplish.
Final Verdict - Its subsequent influence combined with the song's near-universal likability makes me rate "Wild Thing" pretty high up on the list of top songs from 1966. It is a classic that doesn't show any sign of aging.
Coming Up Next - "Summer In The City" by The Loving Spoonful".
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock and I make everything...groovy -
Released - April 1966 (UK), May 1966 (US)
#1 for weeks of July 30 and August 6, 1966.
This is what I love most about the 1960's - Garage rock actually stood a chance at reaching the top of the pop chart! This would almost never happen in today's pop scene and that's a shame. This is also our second garage rock #1 in a row yet this time, we have a band from the UK.
The UK equivalent of "Garage Rock" was called "Freakbeat". If you think American garage rock rarities are esoteric, then Freakbeat is even more unknown to the casual music listener. Regardless, it is a genre that is well worth checking out, especially when we have such songs as "Making Time" by The Creation, "Take A Heart" by The Sorrows, and of course, "Wild Thing".
The Troggs were led by the late Reg Presley, who had a unique voice that inspired countless proto-punk and classic punk bands. "Wild Thing" epitomizes the punk ethos: It is "Three chords and the truth". On top of that, there is an abundance of distorted guitar, which gives "Wild Thing" a much heavier feel than most songs from the time period. There is also an unexpected and awesome ocarina solo. Seriously, who could have expected to hear an ocarina solo on a garage rock record?
The Troggs are often incorrectly referred to as one hit wonders due to the massive success of "Wild Thing". However, since several of their singles such as "I Can't Control Myself" and "Love Is All Around" charted rather high in both the US and UK, that one hit wonder theory is debunked. The Troggs would actually continue well into the 1970's, something that many of these garage/freakbeat bands failed to accomplish.
Final Verdict - Its subsequent influence combined with the song's near-universal likability makes me rate "Wild Thing" pretty high up on the list of top songs from 1966. It is a classic that doesn't show any sign of aging.
Coming Up Next - "Summer In The City" by The Loving Spoonful".
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock and I make everything...groovy -
Monday, December 9, 2013
Song #164 - "Hanky Panky" - Tommy James And The Shondells
Recorded - circa December, 1963
Originally released - December 1963
Re-released - May 1966
#1 for weeks of July 16 and 23, 1966.
Now for a bit of Deja Vu. If you recall my review of Simon And Garfunkel's "Sound Of Silence", it was an older song of theirs that had been re-released much later, became a smash hit, and reignited their careers. Well, that's exactly what also happened with Tommy James And The Shondells and their version of "Hanky Panky".
Originally written and recorded by The Raindrops (a pseudonym for Brill Building songwriting team Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich), the song soon caught the ear of numerous amateur garage rock bands. One of them was Tommy James and his band The Shondells. Their version was cheaply recorded at a radio station and released on an independent label. Aside from local airplay, the single didn't have any nationwide success and thus, Tommy James folded his band.
Two years later, several radio stations expressed an interest in "Hanky Panky". So Tommy James reformed the group with all new members to promote the song, and the record was re-released by the Roulette records label in 1966. Within a few months, the once unemployed James had his first number one hit record, and a newly reformed band as well. The biggest appeal of "Hanky Panky" is the very crude and even amateur way it sounds. This is not at all meant as an insult, in fact it's quite the opposite.
One of the reasons rare '60's garage rock has become such a collector's item is the discovery of these unknown bands, many of whom recorded their singles with all of their money, and many of whom have hidden gems in their brief catalog. With "Hanky Panky" the guitar part may not be on the same level of technicality as many other hits reviewed thus far, and the sound quality of the recording is a bit crackly. Yet that's what makes the song for me, you're hearing a group of friends giving it their all, and going out of their way to get their sound on wax. Plus, the song is extremely catchy and once you hear the melody, it is quite hard to get it out of your head.
The reformed version of Tommy James And The Shondells would continue to have success throughout the 1960's with songs like "I Think We're Alone Now" and "Mony Mony". In 1968, they recorded a certain "Crimson" tune that just so happened to reach #1, and the following year, some of their best work was recorded. More on that when we get to 1969...
Final Verdict - Sometimes you don't need studio polish or have to be a guitar virtuoso to produce a great tune. "Hanky Panky" no doubt inspired hundreds of garage rock and punk bands throughout history, and it certainly inspired me.
P.S. - I would normally say go check the original studio version of "Hanky Panky out on youtube if you don't have a copy already. Unfortunately, this version of the song seems to not exist at the moment among their database. If you don't own the song yet or want to hear how it sounds, go to allmusic.com or any online music store to hear a 30-90 second sample instead. Plus, if you really love it, you can buy a copy of your own!
Coming Up Next - "Wild Thing" by The Troggs.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock and I need some "mony" -
Originally released - December 1963
Re-released - May 1966
#1 for weeks of July 16 and 23, 1966.
Now for a bit of Deja Vu. If you recall my review of Simon And Garfunkel's "Sound Of Silence", it was an older song of theirs that had been re-released much later, became a smash hit, and reignited their careers. Well, that's exactly what also happened with Tommy James And The Shondells and their version of "Hanky Panky".
Originally written and recorded by The Raindrops (a pseudonym for Brill Building songwriting team Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich), the song soon caught the ear of numerous amateur garage rock bands. One of them was Tommy James and his band The Shondells. Their version was cheaply recorded at a radio station and released on an independent label. Aside from local airplay, the single didn't have any nationwide success and thus, Tommy James folded his band.
Two years later, several radio stations expressed an interest in "Hanky Panky". So Tommy James reformed the group with all new members to promote the song, and the record was re-released by the Roulette records label in 1966. Within a few months, the once unemployed James had his first number one hit record, and a newly reformed band as well. The biggest appeal of "Hanky Panky" is the very crude and even amateur way it sounds. This is not at all meant as an insult, in fact it's quite the opposite.
One of the reasons rare '60's garage rock has become such a collector's item is the discovery of these unknown bands, many of whom recorded their singles with all of their money, and many of whom have hidden gems in their brief catalog. With "Hanky Panky" the guitar part may not be on the same level of technicality as many other hits reviewed thus far, and the sound quality of the recording is a bit crackly. Yet that's what makes the song for me, you're hearing a group of friends giving it their all, and going out of their way to get their sound on wax. Plus, the song is extremely catchy and once you hear the melody, it is quite hard to get it out of your head.
The reformed version of Tommy James And The Shondells would continue to have success throughout the 1960's with songs like "I Think We're Alone Now" and "Mony Mony". In 1968, they recorded a certain "Crimson" tune that just so happened to reach #1, and the following year, some of their best work was recorded. More on that when we get to 1969...
Final Verdict - Sometimes you don't need studio polish or have to be a guitar virtuoso to produce a great tune. "Hanky Panky" no doubt inspired hundreds of garage rock and punk bands throughout history, and it certainly inspired me.
P.S. - I would normally say go check the original studio version of "Hanky Panky out on youtube if you don't have a copy already. Unfortunately, this version of the song seems to not exist at the moment among their database. If you don't own the song yet or want to hear how it sounds, go to allmusic.com or any online music store to hear a 30-90 second sample instead. Plus, if you really love it, you can buy a copy of your own!
Coming Up Next - "Wild Thing" by The Troggs.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock and I need some "mony" -
Song #163 "Strangers In The Night" - Frank Sinatra
Recorded - April 11, 1966
Released - May 1966
#1 for week of July 2, 1966.
For the second time in music history, we have a singer associated with the "Rat Pack" era replacing The Beatles at the top of the charts. Frank Sinatra needs no introduction as his voice and catalog are widely known and loved. Sinatra's career managed to survive multiple pop culture fads and styles. Despite Sinatra's legacy, it wouldn't be until 1966 that he would have a number one single on the Billboard Hot 100. That #1 single was the title track to his 1966 album, Strangers In The Night, co-written by one time chart topper Bert Kaempfert.
I was a bit surprised to read up on how much Sinatra hated this song. In fact, he hated it to the point where he'd use several expletives when describing it, and even complained to his audience about having to sing it on stage. I'm truly surprised as if "Strangers In The Night" is Frank Sinatra's idea of a bad song, then he must be the greatest singer of all time.
It may be the spring of 1966, a season that saw the birth of such progressive albums as Revolver, and The Velvet Underground & Nico. Yet here is proof that traditional pop recorded during that same time period could still sound great and timeless. All of the hallmarks of Sinatra's sound are present: A string and brass arrangement, piano, and of course, Ol' Blue eyes' irreplaceable voice. Accept no substitutes.
Fun fact, that rather brief wordless jazz soloing that Sinatra does during the fadeout, with its "Doobie-doobie-doo" vocal line, would later inspire the name of a certain talking dog and his mystery solving friends three years later. Jinkies!
There would be a number of other classic Sinatra songs recorded during the decade. These include "Summer Wind", from the Strangers In The Night album, and "My Way", released in 1969. Even though it has been 15 years since his passing, the music, sound, and legacy of Frank Sinatra lives on.
Final Verdict - A classic Frank Sinatra ballad that still sounds fresh and enjoyable to this very day.
Coming Up Next - "Hanky Panky" by Tommy James And The Shondells.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock and I reviewed this song myyyyyyy waaaayyy -
Released - May 1966
#1 for week of July 2, 1966.
For the second time in music history, we have a singer associated with the "Rat Pack" era replacing The Beatles at the top of the charts. Frank Sinatra needs no introduction as his voice and catalog are widely known and loved. Sinatra's career managed to survive multiple pop culture fads and styles. Despite Sinatra's legacy, it wouldn't be until 1966 that he would have a number one single on the Billboard Hot 100. That #1 single was the title track to his 1966 album, Strangers In The Night, co-written by one time chart topper Bert Kaempfert.
I was a bit surprised to read up on how much Sinatra hated this song. In fact, he hated it to the point where he'd use several expletives when describing it, and even complained to his audience about having to sing it on stage. I'm truly surprised as if "Strangers In The Night" is Frank Sinatra's idea of a bad song, then he must be the greatest singer of all time.
It may be the spring of 1966, a season that saw the birth of such progressive albums as Revolver, and The Velvet Underground & Nico. Yet here is proof that traditional pop recorded during that same time period could still sound great and timeless. All of the hallmarks of Sinatra's sound are present: A string and brass arrangement, piano, and of course, Ol' Blue eyes' irreplaceable voice. Accept no substitutes.
Fun fact, that rather brief wordless jazz soloing that Sinatra does during the fadeout, with its "Doobie-doobie-doo" vocal line, would later inspire the name of a certain talking dog and his mystery solving friends three years later. Jinkies!
There would be a number of other classic Sinatra songs recorded during the decade. These include "Summer Wind", from the Strangers In The Night album, and "My Way", released in 1969. Even though it has been 15 years since his passing, the music, sound, and legacy of Frank Sinatra lives on.
Final Verdict - A classic Frank Sinatra ballad that still sounds fresh and enjoyable to this very day.
Coming Up Next - "Hanky Panky" by Tommy James And The Shondells.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock and I reviewed this song myyyyyyy waaaayyy -
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Song #162 - "Paperback Writer" - The Beatles
Recorded - April 13 and 14, 1966
Released - May 30, 1966 (US), June 10, 1966 (UK)
#1 for weeks of June 25 and July 9, 1966.
The Beatles spent the first three months of 1966 taking a much needed break from touring, interviews, and recording. It was a good thing they finally had a breather as they would spend much of the following three months working on sixteen monumental new songs. Fourteen of those sixteen went on their groundbreaking classic album, Revolver. The other two, "Paperback Writer" and "Rain", were released as standalone singles, and it was the former which went to number one in both countries. Yet, "Paperback Writer" isn't merely the next step in the Beatles songwriting, in fact, it's more of a quantum leap.
The Revolver album was The Beatles first truly psychedelic LP, with songs like "Tomorrow Never Knows" and "She Said She Said" sounding light years ahead of "She Loves You" or "I Want To Hold Your Hand". "Paperback Writer" continues this more artistically progressive aesthetic by featuring some of the heaviest rock The Beatles ever put on record.
One of the more subtle differences between "Paperback Writer" and all of The Beatles' previous songs is that Paul started using a Rickenbacker bass as opposed to his classic Hofner violin bass. The more obvious differences would be the aforementioned heavier tone. There are a number of guitar parts that John and George added onto the recording and all of these guitars are loud, distorted, and add extra power to the song.
Even the vocals sound much more progressive and "Hip". Prior to each time the song's name is sung acapella, the preceding vocals have a very psychedelic and trippy effect. It is as if the listener is getting sucked in and out of this dreamworld which is created in the instrumentation and vocal arrangement. Finally, Paul's lead vocal performance is of course top notch.
In the UK, the following single release, the double A-sided "Yellow Submarine" and "Eleanor Rigby", reached #1. However, perhaps due to the ridiculous overreaction in the US to one of John's, taken out of context, statements, the singles only reached numbers 2 and 11 respectively. "Eleanor Rigby" in particular shows such an even more groundbreaking maturation in the group's sound, and I could write a whole essay about how good that song is.
The Beatles summer '66 tour was a disaster. From being attacked in the Philippines, to fearing for their lives in the American South, all four finally agreed to cease touring. After playing at Candlestick Park in San Francisco on August 29, 1966, The Beatles, as a touring band, were no more. They would spend three months pursuing other activities alone amidst speculation of a breakup. Nobody, not even The Beatles themselves, could have predicted the massive success that would follow...
Final Verdict - "Paperback Writer" displays a much heavier side of The Beatles. It has a strong riff, a great vocal arrangement, and enough rock power to appeal to all rock music fans. I, for one, always enjoy a listen.
Coming Up Next - "Strangers In The Night" by Frank Sinatra.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock saying, Dear sirs or madams, won't you read my blog?
Released - May 30, 1966 (US), June 10, 1966 (UK)
#1 for weeks of June 25 and July 9, 1966.
The Beatles spent the first three months of 1966 taking a much needed break from touring, interviews, and recording. It was a good thing they finally had a breather as they would spend much of the following three months working on sixteen monumental new songs. Fourteen of those sixteen went on their groundbreaking classic album, Revolver. The other two, "Paperback Writer" and "Rain", were released as standalone singles, and it was the former which went to number one in both countries. Yet, "Paperback Writer" isn't merely the next step in the Beatles songwriting, in fact, it's more of a quantum leap.
The Revolver album was The Beatles first truly psychedelic LP, with songs like "Tomorrow Never Knows" and "She Said She Said" sounding light years ahead of "She Loves You" or "I Want To Hold Your Hand". "Paperback Writer" continues this more artistically progressive aesthetic by featuring some of the heaviest rock The Beatles ever put on record.
One of the more subtle differences between "Paperback Writer" and all of The Beatles' previous songs is that Paul started using a Rickenbacker bass as opposed to his classic Hofner violin bass. The more obvious differences would be the aforementioned heavier tone. There are a number of guitar parts that John and George added onto the recording and all of these guitars are loud, distorted, and add extra power to the song.
Even the vocals sound much more progressive and "Hip". Prior to each time the song's name is sung acapella, the preceding vocals have a very psychedelic and trippy effect. It is as if the listener is getting sucked in and out of this dreamworld which is created in the instrumentation and vocal arrangement. Finally, Paul's lead vocal performance is of course top notch.
In the UK, the following single release, the double A-sided "Yellow Submarine" and "Eleanor Rigby", reached #1. However, perhaps due to the ridiculous overreaction in the US to one of John's, taken out of context, statements, the singles only reached numbers 2 and 11 respectively. "Eleanor Rigby" in particular shows such an even more groundbreaking maturation in the group's sound, and I could write a whole essay about how good that song is.
The Beatles summer '66 tour was a disaster. From being attacked in the Philippines, to fearing for their lives in the American South, all four finally agreed to cease touring. After playing at Candlestick Park in San Francisco on August 29, 1966, The Beatles, as a touring band, were no more. They would spend three months pursuing other activities alone amidst speculation of a breakup. Nobody, not even The Beatles themselves, could have predicted the massive success that would follow...
Final Verdict - "Paperback Writer" displays a much heavier side of The Beatles. It has a strong riff, a great vocal arrangement, and enough rock power to appeal to all rock music fans. I, for one, always enjoy a listen.
Coming Up Next - "Strangers In The Night" by Frank Sinatra.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock saying, Dear sirs or madams, won't you read my blog?
Song #161 - Paint It Black - "The Rolling Stones"
Recorded - Between March 6 and 9, 1966
Released - May 7, 1966 (US), May 13, 1966 (UK)
#1 for weeks of June 11 and 18, 1966.
Now we're getting somewhere...While there had been several proto-psychedelic and/or radically different rock songs that had charted high in '66, it was "Paint It Black" by The Rolling Stones that became the first psychedelic number one. Recorded during the sessions for their Aftermath album, the song sounds unlike any Stones song recorded so far. With a dark haunting tone, and rather poetic lyrics, "Paint It Black" shows the Stones on the cusp of the ever-growing Psychedelic music scene.
The funny thing is, "Paint It Black" isn't that psychedelic. Instead, it's a great example of raga rock. Raga rock combined Indian droning music patterns, which were traditionally played on sitars and tamburas, and replicated it with rock and roll instruments. Early examples include The Kinks' "See My Friend", and the Yardbirds' "Still I'm Sad". However, it wasn't until George Harrison used a sitar on "Norwegian Wood" that other rock musicians decided to follow suit. And thus, "Paint It Black", with a sitar played by Brian Jones, was the most authentic example of raga rock so far.
"Paint It Black" shows a growing maturity in the Stones' writing, with the biggest example being Mick Jagger's very dark, almost Gothic, lyrics. His vocal performance in this song is one of his finest moments. He sings the verses with a more hurt and delicate voice and takes on an angry tone for the chorus and the final verses. As the song fades out, we have a whole potpourri of humming backing vocals which act as a backdrop to Mick's most powerful lyrics in the piece such as, "I wanna see the sun, blotted out from the sky".
Of course, the vocals and lyrics are only half of the picture, as there is quite a bit happening in the music track. Keith Richards' haunting guitar part opens the song, and is soon duplicated and eventually overpowered by Brian Jones' even more haunting sitar part. Underneath these two, we have Charlie Watts providing a thunderous drum part. Finally, bassist Bill Wyman provides some really thrilling "Zooming" bass notes as the song fades out, courtesy of the bass pedals of an organ.
I'd go as far as to call "Paint It Black" the finest song The Stones released in 1966. It shows the group maturing and progressing, without entirely losing their blues roots. The Stones would spend the summer and autumn of 1966 working on another even more progressive album, which would ultimately be released in 1967. One of the songs from those sessions even hit #1, so I think you know what that means. I'll see all you fellow Stones fans in '67!
Final Verdict - "Paint It Black" remains one of the finest early Stones songs. With lyrics as black as night, and with a music track equally as haunting, it is another song I have no hesitation calling one of the best of '66.
Coming Up Next - "Paperback Writer" by The Beatles.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock and I've painted this page black...with text -
Released - May 7, 1966 (US), May 13, 1966 (UK)
#1 for weeks of June 11 and 18, 1966.
Now we're getting somewhere...While there had been several proto-psychedelic and/or radically different rock songs that had charted high in '66, it was "Paint It Black" by The Rolling Stones that became the first psychedelic number one. Recorded during the sessions for their Aftermath album, the song sounds unlike any Stones song recorded so far. With a dark haunting tone, and rather poetic lyrics, "Paint It Black" shows the Stones on the cusp of the ever-growing Psychedelic music scene.
The funny thing is, "Paint It Black" isn't that psychedelic. Instead, it's a great example of raga rock. Raga rock combined Indian droning music patterns, which were traditionally played on sitars and tamburas, and replicated it with rock and roll instruments. Early examples include The Kinks' "See My Friend", and the Yardbirds' "Still I'm Sad". However, it wasn't until George Harrison used a sitar on "Norwegian Wood" that other rock musicians decided to follow suit. And thus, "Paint It Black", with a sitar played by Brian Jones, was the most authentic example of raga rock so far.
"Paint It Black" shows a growing maturity in the Stones' writing, with the biggest example being Mick Jagger's very dark, almost Gothic, lyrics. His vocal performance in this song is one of his finest moments. He sings the verses with a more hurt and delicate voice and takes on an angry tone for the chorus and the final verses. As the song fades out, we have a whole potpourri of humming backing vocals which act as a backdrop to Mick's most powerful lyrics in the piece such as, "I wanna see the sun, blotted out from the sky".
Of course, the vocals and lyrics are only half of the picture, as there is quite a bit happening in the music track. Keith Richards' haunting guitar part opens the song, and is soon duplicated and eventually overpowered by Brian Jones' even more haunting sitar part. Underneath these two, we have Charlie Watts providing a thunderous drum part. Finally, bassist Bill Wyman provides some really thrilling "Zooming" bass notes as the song fades out, courtesy of the bass pedals of an organ.
I'd go as far as to call "Paint It Black" the finest song The Stones released in 1966. It shows the group maturing and progressing, without entirely losing their blues roots. The Stones would spend the summer and autumn of 1966 working on another even more progressive album, which would ultimately be released in 1967. One of the songs from those sessions even hit #1, so I think you know what that means. I'll see all you fellow Stones fans in '67!
Final Verdict - "Paint It Black" remains one of the finest early Stones songs. With lyrics as black as night, and with a music track equally as haunting, it is another song I have no hesitation calling one of the best of '66.
Coming Up Next - "Paperback Writer" by The Beatles.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock and I've painted this page black...with text -
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