#1 for weeks of April 21 and 28th, 1962.
Somehow this Elvis song slipped by me over the years. I am certainly familiar with his other 1962 hit "Return To Sender". Due to many of Elvis' previous hits being softer ballads, I thought that was what I was going to get with "Good Luck Charm". Not so much the case...
This song is a return to his more rocking side, although his dangerous rockabilly edge he had in the 1950's is gone. John Lennon once said that Elvis was never the same musically when he came back from the army and that is certainly a good point. Although he could still rock in the 1960's and he had already recorded soft ballads in the 1950's such as "Love Me Tender".
In some ways, "Good Luck Charm" is similar to "Sender" and even reminds me musically of "Stuck On You. All three songs have the same bouncy rock rhythm with occasional stops and starts in the music. There are also some deep bass backing vocals which occur in strategic places throughout the tune.
Lyrically the song deals with Elvis considering the girl he wants to be his good luck charm. It's all a bit teen-idol in terms of lyrical content, but sung by Elvis, the song is very likable. Like I said, it's hard to find a bad Elvis song and this one's actually a good one.
Final Verdict - Another good post-army Elvis song which showcases his trademark vocals in full force. Certainly worth a listen or more.
Coming Up Next - "Soldier Boy" by The Shirelles.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock and I'm looking for my own good luck charm.
Friday, October 4, 2013
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Song #68 - "Johnny Angel" - Shelley Fabares
#1 for weeks of April 7 and 14th, 1962.
In this day and age, there are way too many times when an actor/actress ends up fleshing out and becoming a pop star or starting an ill-advised music career. Nearly all of the time this turns out to be a disaster. Even back in the 1960's, there were TV stars who would take this fame bubble and carry it over into the recording studio. Case in point, Shelly Fabares.
This song is the epitome of the "Safe" pop culture time period from about 1959 til January 1964. Shelley Fabares was one of the leads on The Donna Reed Show which existed in roughly that time frame. I should mention though that both the show and Shelly's big hit single are not parts of music/pop culture I'm generally familiar with. So this review will certainly be from an outsider's perspective.
Lyrically, the song comes across as lyrically formulaic as your average 1960's teen idol pop song, although this time it is sung from the opposite point of view. This style of music never appealed to me due to its rather cookie cutter songwriting formula. It's all too naive and dated in the innocent early 1960's.
So needless to say I'm not a big fan of this song. It's just too innocent and cutesy sounding for my taste. While I can admit that Shelley was a good singer and has a pleasant singing voice, the song is extremely dated sounding with those angelic backing vocals and lightweight arrangement. Actually, the song is called "Johnny Angel" so maybe I should give them some credit on matching a song title with its music...
Final Verdict - "Johnny Angel" is musically and lyrically very lightweight. I can see why it was a hit in that time period but today, it hasn't aged well. If lighter pop music is your style, you'll appreciate Shelly's vocal performance. Otherwise, I'd pass on this one.
Coming Up Next - "Good Luck Charm" by Elvis.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock, reviewing forgotten songs just for you.
In this day and age, there are way too many times when an actor/actress ends up fleshing out and becoming a pop star or starting an ill-advised music career. Nearly all of the time this turns out to be a disaster. Even back in the 1960's, there were TV stars who would take this fame bubble and carry it over into the recording studio. Case in point, Shelly Fabares.
This song is the epitome of the "Safe" pop culture time period from about 1959 til January 1964. Shelley Fabares was one of the leads on The Donna Reed Show which existed in roughly that time frame. I should mention though that both the show and Shelly's big hit single are not parts of music/pop culture I'm generally familiar with. So this review will certainly be from an outsider's perspective.
Lyrically, the song comes across as lyrically formulaic as your average 1960's teen idol pop song, although this time it is sung from the opposite point of view. This style of music never appealed to me due to its rather cookie cutter songwriting formula. It's all too naive and dated in the innocent early 1960's.
So needless to say I'm not a big fan of this song. It's just too innocent and cutesy sounding for my taste. While I can admit that Shelley was a good singer and has a pleasant singing voice, the song is extremely dated sounding with those angelic backing vocals and lightweight arrangement. Actually, the song is called "Johnny Angel" so maybe I should give them some credit on matching a song title with its music...
Final Verdict - "Johnny Angel" is musically and lyrically very lightweight. I can see why it was a hit in that time period but today, it hasn't aged well. If lighter pop music is your style, you'll appreciate Shelly's vocal performance. Otherwise, I'd pass on this one.
Coming Up Next - "Good Luck Charm" by Elvis.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock, reviewing forgotten songs just for you.
Song #67 - "Don't Break The Heart That Loves You" - Connie Francis
#1 for week of March 31, 1962.
Connie goes full on symphonic country-pop for what would be her third #1 hit on Billboard's Hot 100. As mentioned many times before, I'm not partial to the genre for a number of reasons. With that being said, I would be doing the song an injustice to just write it off because it doesn't do anything for me. Let's see if there's a silver lining after all...
First off, I must say I'm not a fan of the very Hollywood-pop sounding orchestra and backing vocals which occasional make their presence very well known in the song. They sound like they belong in a record from the 1940's, not one recorded in 1961.
Yet there is some good in this song. For one, I like the twangy guitar that can be heard just beneath the vocals throughout the entire song. Second, I like the way Connie sings most of the song in a dual harmony. I'm a sucker for vocal harmonies so that certainly helps the song sound appealing to me. Even the spoken word section actually fits the song and doesn't come across as a cheesy out of place vocal aside.
So when all is said and done, if you took out the orchestra and backing vocals, this song would actually be nearly flawless. It's still not my style, but thanks to those harmonies, I have something to enjoy when listening to the tune.
Final Verdict - Not a song I would go out of my way to listen to. However, it has a nice vocal performance and if you are a fan of this genre, you will certainly appreciate a listen to it.
Coming Up Next - "Johnny Angel" by Shelley Fabares.
Until Next Time - Don't break the heart of Dr. Rock -
Connie goes full on symphonic country-pop for what would be her third #1 hit on Billboard's Hot 100. As mentioned many times before, I'm not partial to the genre for a number of reasons. With that being said, I would be doing the song an injustice to just write it off because it doesn't do anything for me. Let's see if there's a silver lining after all...
First off, I must say I'm not a fan of the very Hollywood-pop sounding orchestra and backing vocals which occasional make their presence very well known in the song. They sound like they belong in a record from the 1940's, not one recorded in 1961.
Yet there is some good in this song. For one, I like the twangy guitar that can be heard just beneath the vocals throughout the entire song. Second, I like the way Connie sings most of the song in a dual harmony. I'm a sucker for vocal harmonies so that certainly helps the song sound appealing to me. Even the spoken word section actually fits the song and doesn't come across as a cheesy out of place vocal aside.
So when all is said and done, if you took out the orchestra and backing vocals, this song would actually be nearly flawless. It's still not my style, but thanks to those harmonies, I have something to enjoy when listening to the tune.
Final Verdict - Not a song I would go out of my way to listen to. However, it has a nice vocal performance and if you are a fan of this genre, you will certainly appreciate a listen to it.
Coming Up Next - "Johnny Angel" by Shelley Fabares.
Until Next Time - Don't break the heart of Dr. Rock -
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Song #66 - "Hey! Baby" - Bruce Channel
#1 for weeks of March 10, 17 and 24th, 1962.
Harmonica never sounded finer than on Bruce Channel's deserved hit song "Hey Baby". Co-written by Channel himself, one could say that this is the song that launched harmonica-based rock. Prior to this song's success, the instrument was all over the place in blues music, but not as commonly in pop songs. That was certainly about to change...
This song has quite a few vocal and musical hooks. In terms of vocals, you have the instantly catchy chorus, not to mention a neat bridge section. As for musical hooks, it's all about the harmonica baby. In many rock songs, the harmonica acts only as a bit of musical garnish and tends to appear when there is no vocals. However, in "Hey! Baby", the harmonica is all over the tune, and it is because of this that the song stands out.
This tune was also very popular in the UK. John Lennon in particular started seriously playing the harmonica after hearing this song. He would first use harmonica on "Love Me Do", which clearly draws inspiration from "Hey! Baby". Lennon even kept the 45 of this tune as a permanent resident of his personal jukebox.
Today, there's still reason to enjoy this song. Due to "Hey! Baby" being a wholesomely catchy tune, and due to its iconic harmonica sound, it still can be played today without sounding outdated. Just do yourself a favor and ignore the abhorrently awful Crazy Frog techno cover, which has no reason to exist. After all, you can't fix what isn't broken!
Final Verdict - I can't find any negatives about this tune, and I don't even feel the need to nitpick. It's a catchy, hook-filled, early rock gem that fully deserves multiple listens!
Coming Up Next - "Don't Break The Heart That Loves You" by Connie Francis.
Until Next Time - Hey! I'm Dr. Rock -
Harmonica never sounded finer than on Bruce Channel's deserved hit song "Hey Baby". Co-written by Channel himself, one could say that this is the song that launched harmonica-based rock. Prior to this song's success, the instrument was all over the place in blues music, but not as commonly in pop songs. That was certainly about to change...
This song has quite a few vocal and musical hooks. In terms of vocals, you have the instantly catchy chorus, not to mention a neat bridge section. As for musical hooks, it's all about the harmonica baby. In many rock songs, the harmonica acts only as a bit of musical garnish and tends to appear when there is no vocals. However, in "Hey! Baby", the harmonica is all over the tune, and it is because of this that the song stands out.
This tune was also very popular in the UK. John Lennon in particular started seriously playing the harmonica after hearing this song. He would first use harmonica on "Love Me Do", which clearly draws inspiration from "Hey! Baby". Lennon even kept the 45 of this tune as a permanent resident of his personal jukebox.
Today, there's still reason to enjoy this song. Due to "Hey! Baby" being a wholesomely catchy tune, and due to its iconic harmonica sound, it still can be played today without sounding outdated. Just do yourself a favor and ignore the abhorrently awful Crazy Frog techno cover, which has no reason to exist. After all, you can't fix what isn't broken!
Final Verdict - I can't find any negatives about this tune, and I don't even feel the need to nitpick. It's a catchy, hook-filled, early rock gem that fully deserves multiple listens!
Coming Up Next - "Don't Break The Heart That Loves You" by Connie Francis.
Until Next Time - Hey! I'm Dr. Rock -
Song #65 - "Duke Of Earl" - Gene Chandler
#1 for weeks of February 17, 24, and March 3rd, 1962.
Even in 1962, Doo-Wop still prospered and charted. In this case, we have a very catchy song that hit the top of the charts. Even if you haven't heard the full version of this song, you only need to hear the first few seconds of it and it will never leave your subconscious.
This song would later be parodied in an affectionate way by doo-wop fanatic Frank Zappa for his "Duke Of Prunes" suite, complete with Duke Of Earl's main vocal hook. If you're up for a laugh or two, go check that out first.
Musically, "Duke Of Earl" features a tight R&B rhythm section with plenty of saxophones and brass instruments. No doubt though what everybody concentrates on the most is the vocal arrangement.
There is actually quite a dynamic range of vocals with the low bass "Duke, duke..." backing vocals and Gene Chandler's mix of tenor and high falsetto vocals. The latter is especially prominent as the song fades out. I feel it is because of the dynamics of the arrangement that the tune holds its own today.
Gene Chandler may not be a one hit wonder, (He had a few songs chart on the Billboard Top 20). However, this is certainly his signature song, to the point that he has taken to dressing like a town Duke, complete with top hat, whenever this song is performed.
Final Verdict - This song has quite a catchy hook, and is nicely performed and sung. If you're unfamiliar with it, give it a spin, but take warning that it will never leave your head!
Coming Up Next - "Hey! Baby" by Bruce Channel.
Until Next Time - I'm the Duke Of Rock.
Even in 1962, Doo-Wop still prospered and charted. In this case, we have a very catchy song that hit the top of the charts. Even if you haven't heard the full version of this song, you only need to hear the first few seconds of it and it will never leave your subconscious.
This song would later be parodied in an affectionate way by doo-wop fanatic Frank Zappa for his "Duke Of Prunes" suite, complete with Duke Of Earl's main vocal hook. If you're up for a laugh or two, go check that out first.
Musically, "Duke Of Earl" features a tight R&B rhythm section with plenty of saxophones and brass instruments. No doubt though what everybody concentrates on the most is the vocal arrangement.
There is actually quite a dynamic range of vocals with the low bass "Duke, duke..." backing vocals and Gene Chandler's mix of tenor and high falsetto vocals. The latter is especially prominent as the song fades out. I feel it is because of the dynamics of the arrangement that the tune holds its own today.
Gene Chandler may not be a one hit wonder, (He had a few songs chart on the Billboard Top 20). However, this is certainly his signature song, to the point that he has taken to dressing like a town Duke, complete with top hat, whenever this song is performed.
Final Verdict - This song has quite a catchy hook, and is nicely performed and sung. If you're unfamiliar with it, give it a spin, but take warning that it will never leave your head!
Coming Up Next - "Hey! Baby" by Bruce Channel.
Until Next Time - I'm the Duke Of Rock.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Song #64 - "Peppermint Twist" - Joey Dee And The Starliters
#1 for weeks of January 27, and February 3 and 10th, 1962.
First off, if you are wondering what happened in the first weeks of 1962, those spots are taken up by one more week of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" and two weeks of "The Twist". Yep, the classic 1960 hit made a unique repeat entry to the chart over a year later. If you want to know how I feel about that song, check out review #35. So following "The Twist", we had the "Peppermint Twist". Hmm...
Well, I initially did not have high standards for this song. I was expecting a "Twist" ripoff musically, with the usual lyrical cliches of early 1960's dance songs. Well, it turns out I was half right. Lyrically, this song is just as banal as "Pony Time" or any other similar songs from the time period. There's the tried and tired "Well we got a new dance and it goes like this", and the chorus is entirely devoted to how exactly you do the dance.
So much for good lyrics, (Not that I was expecting a masterpiece), the real surprise is the music. This isn't a twist ripoff at all, but a fast rock and roll number complete with organ and saxophone. Even better, there's a killer guitar solo in it! Finally, the lead vocalist was David Brigati who is none other than future Rascal Eddie Brigati's brother. In fact, this song has a few similarities to the latter group's 1966 hit "Good Lovin'", so the brotherly connection is more than just a coincidence.
However, when all is said in done, this is neither a masterpiece which deserves critical acclaim, nor a total dud which can be forgotten. I found during my first listen when I only concentrated on the lyrics I didn't enjoy the tune. However, when I paid attention to just the music, I found myself entertained. The song's a product of its time, but it certainly is one of the more well done examples of an early 1960's dance-specific song.
Final Verdict - A great rock and roll music melody, which is marred by run-of-the-mill lyrics and subject matter. Still, it's worth the price of admission for that guitar solo alone so give it a whirl...er...a twist.
Coming Up Next - "Duke Of Earl" by Gene Chandler.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock, and I'm always in mint condition.
First off, if you are wondering what happened in the first weeks of 1962, those spots are taken up by one more week of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" and two weeks of "The Twist". Yep, the classic 1960 hit made a unique repeat entry to the chart over a year later. If you want to know how I feel about that song, check out review #35. So following "The Twist", we had the "Peppermint Twist". Hmm...
Well, I initially did not have high standards for this song. I was expecting a "Twist" ripoff musically, with the usual lyrical cliches of early 1960's dance songs. Well, it turns out I was half right. Lyrically, this song is just as banal as "Pony Time" or any other similar songs from the time period. There's the tried and tired "Well we got a new dance and it goes like this", and the chorus is entirely devoted to how exactly you do the dance.
So much for good lyrics, (Not that I was expecting a masterpiece), the real surprise is the music. This isn't a twist ripoff at all, but a fast rock and roll number complete with organ and saxophone. Even better, there's a killer guitar solo in it! Finally, the lead vocalist was David Brigati who is none other than future Rascal Eddie Brigati's brother. In fact, this song has a few similarities to the latter group's 1966 hit "Good Lovin'", so the brotherly connection is more than just a coincidence.
However, when all is said in done, this is neither a masterpiece which deserves critical acclaim, nor a total dud which can be forgotten. I found during my first listen when I only concentrated on the lyrics I didn't enjoy the tune. However, when I paid attention to just the music, I found myself entertained. The song's a product of its time, but it certainly is one of the more well done examples of an early 1960's dance-specific song.
Final Verdict - A great rock and roll music melody, which is marred by run-of-the-mill lyrics and subject matter. Still, it's worth the price of admission for that guitar solo alone so give it a whirl...er...a twist.
Coming Up Next - "Duke Of Earl" by Gene Chandler.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock, and I'm always in mint condition.
1962 Overview
If 1961 was the year when many of the newer styles and genres of music just started to enjoy chart success, then 1962 was when those styles became fully established in the popular music conscious.
Motown was now riding a new-found wave of success with longtime session musician Marvin Gaye going solo and recording such classic songs as, "Stubborn Kind Of Fellow" and "Pride And Joy". Other great Motown tunes recorded this year included "Do You Love Me" by The Contours, "You Beat Me To The Punch" by Mary Wells, and Smokey Robinson And The Miracles' "You Really Got A Hold On Me". In Memphis Tennessee, Stax Records gave us "Green Onions" by Booker T. And The MG's.
Surf Rock was in its first big year of popularity with many of the genre's classic songs being recorded this year such as: Dick Dale's "Miserlou", The Surfari's "Wipe Out", and The Chantays' "Pipeline". This early in the game, it seemed that the genre was here to stay.
In terms of vocal surf music, The Beach Boys released their first album "Surfin' Safari" in the autumn of 1962. While the album is mostly campy and dated, it does contain three classics such as the title track, "409", and the year old "Surfin'". Plus, the boys were mostly teenagers during recording so we can't expect a "Good Vibrations" in 1962.
On the east coast, we had Brill Building pop music still making significant chart headway with many girl group hits such as "The Loco-Motion". Even actual Brill Building songwriters were having hits such as Neil Sedaka with "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do". Nearby in New Jersey, Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons emerged with two smash hit singles. Many more would follow...
Folk music also continued to prosper with Peter, Paul & Mary releasing their debut album. Later in the year, they would record one of their signature tunes, "Puff The Magic Dragon". Bob Dylan also began work on what would become one of his greatest albums "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan", and among the songs completed this year was his classic "Blowin' In The Wind".
Finally, overseas in Britain, The Beatles started the year off on day 1 (literally), by taping a 15 song demo for Decca records which was rejected. Months later, the tapes fell into the hands of EMI who arranged a more successful audition at Abbey Road Studios. In August, drummer Pete Best was replaced by Ringo Starr, and thus the classic Beatles lineup was born.
In September, The Beatles recorded their first single - "Love Me Do/P.S. I Love You" which got to #17 on the UK charts. In November, they recorded "Please Please Me/Ask Me Why", the former of which prompted George Martin to exclaim, "Gentlemen, you've just recorded your first #1 record!". It would still be over a year before that chart success reached the States. Finally, another important British band emerged on the scene - the blues influenced Rolling Stones.
Now, with all of these great songs and great genres of music presented above, it will be interesting if the Billboard charts correspond to those names and artists. Since many of the pop artists of the time still had a foot in the door of 1950's pop music, I am still expecting a lot of soft pop hits. I am also expecting more dance-specific songs, even though this was the last huge year for the genre. Let's find out just how 1962 played out, right here on Dr. Rock's Hit Or Miss -
First Up For 1962 - "Peppermint Twist" by Joey Dee And The Starliters.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock -
Motown was now riding a new-found wave of success with longtime session musician Marvin Gaye going solo and recording such classic songs as, "Stubborn Kind Of Fellow" and "Pride And Joy". Other great Motown tunes recorded this year included "Do You Love Me" by The Contours, "You Beat Me To The Punch" by Mary Wells, and Smokey Robinson And The Miracles' "You Really Got A Hold On Me". In Memphis Tennessee, Stax Records gave us "Green Onions" by Booker T. And The MG's.
Surf Rock was in its first big year of popularity with many of the genre's classic songs being recorded this year such as: Dick Dale's "Miserlou", The Surfari's "Wipe Out", and The Chantays' "Pipeline". This early in the game, it seemed that the genre was here to stay.
In terms of vocal surf music, The Beach Boys released their first album "Surfin' Safari" in the autumn of 1962. While the album is mostly campy and dated, it does contain three classics such as the title track, "409", and the year old "Surfin'". Plus, the boys were mostly teenagers during recording so we can't expect a "Good Vibrations" in 1962.
On the east coast, we had Brill Building pop music still making significant chart headway with many girl group hits such as "The Loco-Motion". Even actual Brill Building songwriters were having hits such as Neil Sedaka with "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do". Nearby in New Jersey, Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons emerged with two smash hit singles. Many more would follow...
Folk music also continued to prosper with Peter, Paul & Mary releasing their debut album. Later in the year, they would record one of their signature tunes, "Puff The Magic Dragon". Bob Dylan also began work on what would become one of his greatest albums "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan", and among the songs completed this year was his classic "Blowin' In The Wind".
Finally, overseas in Britain, The Beatles started the year off on day 1 (literally), by taping a 15 song demo for Decca records which was rejected. Months later, the tapes fell into the hands of EMI who arranged a more successful audition at Abbey Road Studios. In August, drummer Pete Best was replaced by Ringo Starr, and thus the classic Beatles lineup was born.
In September, The Beatles recorded their first single - "Love Me Do/P.S. I Love You" which got to #17 on the UK charts. In November, they recorded "Please Please Me/Ask Me Why", the former of which prompted George Martin to exclaim, "Gentlemen, you've just recorded your first #1 record!". It would still be over a year before that chart success reached the States. Finally, another important British band emerged on the scene - the blues influenced Rolling Stones.
Now, with all of these great songs and great genres of music presented above, it will be interesting if the Billboard charts correspond to those names and artists. Since many of the pop artists of the time still had a foot in the door of 1950's pop music, I am still expecting a lot of soft pop hits. I am also expecting more dance-specific songs, even though this was the last huge year for the genre. Let's find out just how 1962 played out, right here on Dr. Rock's Hit Or Miss -
First Up For 1962 - "Peppermint Twist" by Joey Dee And The Starliters.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock -
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