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April 1965 (side B)
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Dylan and the Impressions roll on while Gary Lewis asks you to "count me in" (or is he asking for a coke?) while Sam the Sham and his buddies just want you to Wooly Bully. I guess it's better than Chubby begging you to "Do the Freddie!" The first few weeks of April 1965 on the Billboard Charts! Support this podcast at the $6/month level on patreon to get extra content! Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr . If you are looking for Beatles summer fun, join our friends at the Magical Mystery Camp!
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Transcript
Motivational Chant of The Beatles
00:00:00
Speaker
The Beatles had this chant, John, Paul and George and probably then Stuart and Pete, had this chant when things weren't going well, which in their world wasn't very often because mostly it was an upward trajectory, but nonetheless, sometimes they would have a bad night or the gig didn't work properly or the amps broke or whatever.
00:00:19
Speaker
i say, where are we going, fellas? And they go, to the top, Johnny. And I say, where's that, fellas? and they say, to the toppermost or the popermost. And I right. And we all sort of, Cheer up.
00:00:31
Speaker
Where are we going, Johnny? Straight to the top, boys. Oh, yeah? Where's that? The top of most of the poppermose.
Introduction to 'Toppermost of the Poppermost Side B'
00:00:59
Speaker
Welcome to Toppermost of the Poppermost Side B. I'm Ed Chin. I'm Kid O'Toole. And I'm Martin Quavelle.
Murray the K's Departure from WINS 1010
00:01:06
Speaker
We start out with a bit of news from 60 years ago, which is kind of weird, kind of amazing, kind of sad.
00:01:12
Speaker
You know, it was only February of 1964. From this point, we're talking about just over a year ago, WINS 1010 was the Beatles station. And of course, yeah we still look at the footage and we see Murray there and we see them on WINS 1010.
00:01:30
Speaker
All right out there, want to know that you're with me. So when I say to you, ah um this is Murray the kay on the swinging soiree with a blast.
00:01:46
Speaker
from the pack a big goalie for you right we got the gold for you baby and of course i even speak to ringo ringo loves the gold i was even asking him about a fellow by the name of frankie lyman i said to ringo frankie lyman you did yeah oh yeah yeah he was about the start of that whole jazz yeah Murray was with them in New York and he was their number one cheerleader.
00:02:15
Speaker
So in December of 1964, Murray announced his intention to resign from Wins 1010 on the air. And he broke the news that the station had been sold and would soon switch to an all news format.
00:02:30
Speaker
That is what happened this month. Wow. Murray did his last show on February the 27th before the format change in April of 1965. So right 60 years ago here is when winds would become a news station.
00:02:45
Speaker
And you listen to the folks who were in New York City at the time. They still talk about winds changing formats like it was a rock and roll station. Wow.
Murray's Transition to FM Radio
00:02:54
Speaker
A year later, in 1966, the Federal Communications Commission, the FCC, would rule that AM and FM radio stations could no longer simultaneously broadcast the same content, which allowed Murray to change over from the AM hit single DJ he'd been to his future over on the FM side. Hmm.
00:03:15
Speaker
He ended up becoming the programme director and primetime DJ on WOR FM 98.7, which was one of the first FM rock stations, soon airing such DJs as Roscoe and Scott Mooney in the new FM format.
00:03:33
Speaker
Murray played long album cuts rather than singles. That is so cool. That is definitely early FM rock because you'd hear about that more in like the late 60s and into the 70s, but he was ahead of the curve. Get Back is one of the things which really would drive the FM rock stations because that's where those bootlegs first came from was they got acetates and they played them on the air.
00:04:00
Speaker
Across the country, this tape circulated and they would just play whole sides of Get Back. who As a Brit, obviously we see Murray on all of these biographies of the Beatles and all these sorts of things, but it's cool to discover this sort of information and then realise that not only was he such a cool dude with all that he had in with the you know initial years of the Beatles, but this as well just adds to the cool factor to
Shift from AM to FM Radio
00:04:26
Speaker
us.
00:04:26
Speaker
Yep. And of course, none of that means anything to the kids listening today. If you really want to know about the difference between AM and FM, and that lasted for a good long time, well until almost 1980 is about when music on AM m more or less got stamped out.
00:04:42
Speaker
Would you agree with me, Kit? Yeah, I would say that's true, because I was listening to WLS AM here in Chicago in the early 80s, early 80s. But then I would say, yeah, most music switched to FM definitely by like the mid 80s.
00:04:57
Speaker
I would point you to an SNL skit from the original Saturday Night Live, Not Ready for Primetime Players, where Dan Aykroyd is going back and forth because you couldn't simulcast the AM and the FM. So he he's an AM jock on one mic and he's an FM jock on the other.
00:05:13
Speaker
try So yeah he's going back and forth between the big pattern. And here's now here's the next big hit single. And then then he flips the switch. Yeah. Now we're going on to some more deep purple, man.
00:05:34
Speaker
Good morning. Now radio station KLOG commences its programming day. KLOG is a division of Board Corps Communications. The policy of KLOG and KLOG FM is to give you, the listener, the best in both AM and FM entertainment.
00:05:49
Speaker
We wish you a good morning and a nice day. Coming or going on, just in the race, stay with me. K-L-O-G, cuz Casey's on the case.
00:06:03
Speaker
Hey, good morning. It's Kip Casey. Wake up time. Driving to work to school, having breakfast, or just doing some crazy morning things around the house. Casey's on the case. I'm Kip Casey. I'll be here to loom with a few words, a little music, and of course, the Pasternak Air Hammer giveaway day contest a little later on.
00:06:14
Speaker
Here's the two to get you moving and grooving on this sunny Friday morning. An old one from Tony Orlando and Don Candida. Some gold. It's all right.
00:06:26
Speaker
Okay.
00:06:31
Speaker
Yeah, that was the moody blues for our morning. Morning, as always, the first awakening. I'm Kenneth Wardell on KLOG-FM. Mellowing out your morning with some really good sound. We have music. I'm a little high right now.
00:06:43
Speaker
And I'm looking forward to an interview with Peter Criss, the drummer from KISS. He's going to tell us how he chose the cat makeup. Here's something new from Aerosmith.
00:06:56
Speaker
that really gives you a solid idea of what the difference between the two formats was for a long time for sure so we move on to the billboard charts for the first week of april 1965 the week ending april the third at number one is stopping the name of love by the supremes at number seven eight days a week by the beatles
00:07:39
Speaker
At number 30, Come and Stay With Me by Marianne Faithfull, which we covered on the UK side. At number 69, She's About a Mover by the Sir Douglas Quintet.
00:07:51
Speaker
So much like we had with the Bo Brummles, here's another band trying to deconstruct what made the British invasion sound so special. I've always liked this.
00:08:01
Speaker
This is good organ. I love the bluesy lead vocal on this. And I just think this is a banger. I can see why so many have covered this track, because it's just a great number.
00:08:15
Speaker
And of course, Ringo would later cover this himself on his album Old Wave. and ah And it's one of the best songs on the album. It's a solid 12-bar blues. On this version in particular, you can really hear the Cajun influence.
00:08:30
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. Fun, memorable, infectious. Not overly brandy, but that's okay. This is a hit for me, big time. A little bit She's a Woman at the beginning, did you think? Maybe just a touch.
00:08:42
Speaker
Mm-hmm.
Surprise at 'She's About a Mover' by Sir Douglas Quintet
00:09:26
Speaker
I'm probably going shock people now. I've never heard this song before listening to it for this. Oh, really? No, but I really enjoyed it. Like you said, you know, that 12-bar thing going on there, that was cool, and the organ was great, the guitar, the vocal, really good 12-bar rocker.
00:09:42
Speaker
Cool. And the Vox Continental. It's the same organ that John Lennon would use on the 65 tour. Do you think John saw this and thought, I'm having one of those? John had just a ah traditional, like, um English-made continental, and I'm not sure exactly, like, when it was built.
00:09:59
Speaker
There's one small difference I noticed. on In the Shea Stadium photos, if you if you have any of those, Ryan. Yeah, I can pull them up in a second. The... the logo on the the name badge here where says Vox Continental.
00:10:11
Speaker
um Most of them look like this where Vox is just like, you know, not italicized. But I think on John Lennon's one, and that's a giveaway that some of them were like from earlier in 1964, the Vox letters here are slanted, like italicized. Oh, you're right. Yeah.
00:10:29
Speaker
And i think I think those are like some of the more original ones. Because they, I'm going to guess Vox at the time saw the Beatles and they're like, we got we gotta to put one of these in in their hands as soon as possible.
00:10:41
Speaker
And that was probably how that happened. And we'll know we don't actually know when they got this thing. Yeah. I don't think it's been documented. If it has, someone let us know in the comments. We didn't see it in Beatles gear.
00:10:54
Speaker
I think it's neat that for the album on I'm Down, this is essentially a rewrite of the Coaster's 57 hit and you can hear that in the chord changes. Yeah.
00:11:29
Speaker
Well, not Charlie Chan, Simon Sleeve Got another child on me Sergeant Friday and Peter Gun, well I let him be Cause no matter where to the hideout He's gonna see me coming Gonna walk right down that street like a
00:11:54
Speaker
Yeah, cause I'm searching. Whoa, yeah, what'd I say? Hey, hey. Change your body, move on.
00:12:05
Speaker
Change your body, move on. Change your body, move on. Change your body, move on.
00:12:21
Speaker
love you, baby.
00:12:37
Speaker
As to lead singer Doug Somm. Doug Somm, as an 11-year-old, would play on stage with Hank Williams Sr. during Hank Williams Sr.'s final live performance. Wow. Wow.
00:12:54
Speaker
Very cool. Wow. That is cool. She's About a Mover was named to the list of the 2016 Grammy Hall of Fame recordings. What they said is that the Tex-Mex meets Mersey beat feel the tune, complete with Ray Charles' shout-out, has been selected along with tracks by Bob Dylan, The Zombies, Fleetwood Mac, The Andrews Sisters, John Coltrane, John Lee Hooker, Lead Belly, and more.
00:13:19
Speaker
That's quite a class to be a part of. And we've had this story before, but it is well worth repeating. The Sir Douglas Quintet was the brainchild of Houston bass producer Huey P. Moe. We've talked about Huey Moe on a number of occasions.
00:13:33
Speaker
And at the height of the British invasion, he took a stack of Beatles records into a hotel room and studied them while getting drunk on wine. to It was then that he realized that the beats often resembled those of Cajun dance songs and hit upon the idea of a group that could blend the two sounds well enough to fool Beatles fans into giving a local band a chance.
00:13:55
Speaker
Now, when the quintet went national, Huey Moe did nothing to dissuade the programmers from believing that this was actually a British band.
00:14:06
Speaker
However, they showed up on Shindig. You can see that clip. That clip is still there. It's a British band with two very clearly Hispanic members. The jig was up, but it didn't hurt the song too much.
00:14:18
Speaker
No. At number 74, the bees are for the birds. The birds are for the bees. Nothing to do with the Jewel Aikens songs. Kit's glad about that. Yes. Yeah. you know The act is our friends of the new beats once again.
00:14:33
Speaker
Remember, I'm the one who at least kind of liked Bread and Butter. I liked that new beats record. You two had some differences of opinion on it. Not this one.
00:14:43
Speaker
This is an awful disc as... Kit's mom says, this is torrible. There might have been some of it that was redeemable, but it's got a simple, repetitive guitar line.
00:14:57
Speaker
That falsetto is turned up to 11. The lyrics are completely cringeworthy. Miss, miss, miss. Take it off. Not off. Yeah.
00:15:08
Speaker
Oh, man. Well, I'm glad we agree on this one. i mean, because as you know, i'm not a fan of bread and butter. By the way, this was written by Jay Turnbaugh, who did write bread and butter.
00:15:19
Speaker
And this just doesn't work on any level. As you said, the falsetto, weed vocal and those lyrics.
00:15:40
Speaker
I literally laughed out loud.
00:15:50
Speaker
i literally laughed out loud At the line, there was a line that said, so birds chirp and bees buzz. That's deep. And despite that, it's not the worst record we're going to see in this show. Mm-hmm.
00:16:05
Speaker
Which is amazing, but true. Anyway, we'll we we'll come to that. Yes. But yeah, miss, miss, miss. Torrible? Torrible. Yes, Mom was right.
00:16:15
Speaker
ah Another Betty-ism. Torrible. Torrible. yeah I posted up a little clip of my opinion of this, but spoken by Hugh Grant from an interview where he just said, very boring.
00:16:30
Speaker
That's this song. Boring, formulaic, and ah smash that shellac. I don't want to hear this again. But did you know the birds chirp and bees buzz before this song?
00:16:43
Speaker
Never would have guessed that. No. let me tell you about the birds and the bees and the flowers and the trees. That's right. At number 76, Silhouettes by Herman's Hermits, which we've already covered.
00:16:55
Speaker
At number 77, It's Growing by The Temptations, which we have already covered. At number 78, And Roses and Roses by Andy Williams. It actually starts out promising. Is it just me or do those maracas and that beat almost sound a little bit like the Sympathy for the Devil opening?
00:17:13
Speaker
That's interesting. I never would have thought of that. Andy Williams inspired Sympathy for the Devil. That's great.
00:17:27
Speaker
Every day sent another present, just to let know how very much I care.
Criticism of Andy Williams' 'And Roses and Roses'
00:17:36
Speaker
I wrote a little love note with each present, but it didn't seem to get anywhere.
00:18:11
Speaker
Unfortunately from there, it all goes wrong. The piano break, the croon, the strings are just awful. And the backing singers just overpower Andy.
00:18:22
Speaker
If not for the first 30 seconds, it would be a race down to the bottom with that new beats track. It's still probably the bottom 10% of 1965, but still not the worst song we're going to have in this episode.
00:18:34
Speaker
Big miss. Yeah, it started out so promisingly with that kind of bossa nova beat. It's a bit of a different tone for Andy. This could be great. And then it switches to just a typical ballad with the strings and sappy backing singers. It just kind of went downhill from there.
00:18:52
Speaker
The rest of my life I will bring her roses
00:19:15
Speaker
Astrid Gilberto also covered this song on her 65 album, the Astrid Gilberto album, and her version pretty closely follows this.
00:19:26
Speaker
But I like the arrangement on Astrid's a little better because there's no backing singers and less overwhelming orchestration. But I'm not crazy about the song overall, but I would say listen to Astrid Gilberto's version.
00:19:41
Speaker
Yep. I like Astrid's version a lot better. Then he sent a dozen yellow roses and that somehow just turned a trick for me.
00:19:54
Speaker
Roses, roses, roses. I think of the roses that bloom in the spring.
00:20:07
Speaker
It's weird how we all picked up on that opening to this. It's open and I thought, oh, thank crikey, we're going to get back to a really good Andy Williams. And then it's like, ah.
00:20:19
Speaker
The arrangement by Robert Morley at the beginning was good. And then it just went to bad Robert Morley arrangement rather than some of the better stuff that he's done. But no, we need to stop speaking about this song and get to the next one that I prefer much more.
00:20:35
Speaker
At number 79, Woman's Got Soul by The Impressions. It's a good impressions record. However, it's a little bit more Broadway, particularly those horns, than you normally get from The Impressions.
00:20:48
Speaker
It's very well recorded, very well written and performed. The drums in particular are clear and distinct. While not absolute top level, it's a hit. I agree. I really like this.
00:21:04
Speaker
Now I'm just a regular fella, I don't need much I don't need a Cadillac car or diamonds and such But the woman that I hold, she's got to have soul
00:21:28
Speaker
Curtis's smooth vocals are just perfect for this. I love the horns. The horns are great. The backing harmonies, of course, and the other impressions. This is yet another example of how Curtis really knew how to write a hook.
00:21:42
Speaker
Don't love the sexist lyrics. She may not the best-looking woman I ever did see.
00:21:55
Speaker
A little sexism, a little misogyny here, but it's the time period. I get it. But great production, great arrangement, a hit for me.
00:22:09
Speaker
Yep, what stood out to me was those absolutely beautiful recordings that he's got going on there in the music and the the actual melody of the song.
00:22:19
Speaker
but Some of the lyrics are great, some of the lyrics are of the time, but yeah, I enjoyed this song. It just screamed classic, Curtis songwriting to me.
00:22:32
Speaker
yeah Well, we all like this song, but I think we may like the next one just that little bit better. at number 83, Subterranean Homesick Blues by Bob Dylan.
00:22:44
Speaker
This is the song which turned Bob Dylan from folk icon into Bob Dylan, capital B, capital D. The Dylan sneer, the wordplay,
00:22:55
Speaker
This is everything that John Lennon would come to hate about Bob Dylan. Although, you know, God is definitely a bastard child of this song. And conversely, the things that George Harrison would love about Bob Dylan, a big, strong hit.
00:23:10
Speaker
What a landmark track. I mean, it was one of his first electric recordings, first of all. It's got that incredible video, too. yeah I hate the word iconic, but it is.
00:23:22
Speaker
Dylan actually went out and had a new version of the video based on the original done in 2022. And you can find that on YouTube, Subtraining Homesick Blues 2022. The song is still the same version of the song, but it's a very cool, very interesting little art film.
00:23:40
Speaker
Interesting. The video, just to go off on a tangent, that would inspire Inexcess's Mediate music video. Yes, I remember that. I think you could do an entire podcast series just about the lyrics to this song alone.
00:23:56
Speaker
Oh, no doubt. Absolutely. It's just like that We Didn't Start the Fire podcast. yeah You could do the same thing, yes. Definitely. Let's do it. I have no time or interest in that, sorry, but...
00:24:08
Speaker
I would guess on it, but I wouldn't want to do that show. Yep. How would you do a show about subterranean homesick? Oh, no, no, no, no. no' Sorry. ra Wrong.
00:24:18
Speaker
The interesting thing about the 2022 version of the video, so they asked filmmakers and rock stars to commit to basically one card off of the original video.
00:24:30
Speaker
Some of the folks who contributed their visual ideas were Bruce Springsteen. Unfortunately, I could not find a cover with Bruce on it, but he did... contribute to the video project.
00:24:42
Speaker
Patti Smith, Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie, and filmmakers Jim Jarmusch and Jim Wenders. Pretty amazing stuff. Wow, I'm going to have to look this up after we're done.
00:24:54
Speaker
Yeah. And as you said, the lyrics, the lines in here, I've quoted them. I know George Harrison has quoted them in interviews.
00:25:05
Speaker
Look out, kid, it's something you did. God knows when, but you're doing it again. I mean, there are just so many great, great lines. Don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.
00:25:16
Speaker
It's almost proto-rap in a way. You're hinting at something I'm going to say. What's interesting is dolan later said of the song, he said it's from Chuck Berry, a bit of Too Much Monkey Business and some of the scat songs of the 40s.
00:25:30
Speaker
I can see the scat connection. Well, I can see the Too Much Monkey Business connection. For sure. I thought that was interesting that he compared it to Statt because he does kind of do that in this.
00:25:41
Speaker
Wow. Just masterpiece. I think this is one of the ah really important songs in the 1960s. And it's one of my favorite songs of all time.
00:25:52
Speaker
Definitely up there in Bob's catalogue.
00:25:58
Speaker
Get sick, get well, hang around the inkwell, hang the bell, hard to tell if anything is gonna tell. Fly hard, get bought, get back, ride rail, get jailed, jump bail, so join the army if you fail.
00:26:10
Speaker
Look out, kid, you're gonna get hit. Balloons, dirt cheaters, six-time users, hanging around the beaters. Girl by the whirlpools, looking for new fool, don't follow leaders, watch parking meter.
00:26:25
Speaker
I would say this is an early instance of rap in a sense, which is why what Ed said, I said, oh, that's hinting at something I'm going to say, because it's closer to a spoken rap style vocal approach to it as well in the way that he does it.
00:26:41
Speaker
And the rhymes work that way as well. And the lyrics, it's like studying the wasteland. There are so many references to current events of the day. And you can see why he won real surprise for Literature.
00:26:55
Speaker
yep I can see why the Red Hot Chili Peppers would cover the song years later. And I like their version of it as well. Very different. Love, love, love the song. Like said, it's one of my favourite songs.
00:27:06
Speaker
And I've covered this song in bands many times as well. And Marv, we're going to have a supercut. Oh, cool. But you won't hear one of my versions. We do have a Beatles connection.
00:27:18
Speaker
So this is the second cover involving a Beatle of one of these tunes this month. Nilsson would cover this song on Pussycats. John Lennon produced it. It featured both Keltner and Ringo on drums.
00:27:32
Speaker
That's cool. The pliers are some folks which Beetle people, who particularly Beetle people who've been paying attention of late, will recognize. So it was arranged by John. Harry played the Clavinet.
00:27:43
Speaker
We know that was hanging around the Mind Games era. Mm-hmm. The drums were Jim Keltner and Ringo Starr. The electric piano was Ken Asher. Oh, wow. The guitar players were Jesse Ed and Danny Cooch.
00:27:58
Speaker
Wow. The pedal steel guitar player was Sneaky Pete Kleinau. Cool. Bobby Keys and Trevor Lawrence on the saxophone. And Doug Heffer was on the snare.
00:28:09
Speaker
So a lot of people, a lot of people with very tight Beatles connections. A lot of people with mind game connections. There's the link between what George was doing and what John was doing at the time.
00:28:20
Speaker
So the super cut showing that this goes beyond the world of just rock and roll. Murphy Brown. You all remember Murphy Brown, the TV show, the iconic meeting between two of the reporters who would be hosts of the fictional show within a show in Murphy Brown was set to subterranean homesick blues. And so we're going to have a little bit of that version in here.
00:28:45
Speaker
Cool. ah The Nilsson version, which I mentioned that John Lennon produced. The Red Hot Chili Peppers version. The Mitch Ryder version. Greg Kinn of Conspiracy did a cover of it.
00:28:58
Speaker
Reckless Kelly. Ricky Lee Jones. The Stereophonics. The Lumineers. And Winston Apple with a Big Bandish version. Cool. Interesting.
00:29:08
Speaker
And just because I was in the Bay Area, we're going to include a bit of the Golden Gate Strings version in this supercut. Nice.
00:29:56
Speaker
Johnny's in the basement, mixing up the medicine. I'm on the pavement, thinking about the government. Man in the trench coat, badge out, laid off. Says he's got a bad cough, wants to get it paid off. Look out, kid, it's something you did.
00:30:06
Speaker
God knows when, but you're doing it again.
00:30:37
Speaker
I'm a man.
00:31:26
Speaker
I love it.
00:31:53
Speaker
Get sick, get well, hang around the inkwell, hang there Harder down if anything is gonna sell Try hard, get born, get back, ride bail Get jailed, jump bail, Tony on the air born, keep warm Hang around an inkwell Ring a bell, it's hard to tell Anything is gonna sell Please her, please him, buy tips, baby don't steal em.
00:32:25
Speaker
Twenty years of schooling and they put you on a nation. Look down, kid, keep it all in. Womp down a manhole, light yourself a candle.
00:32:35
Speaker
Throw it sandals, try to avoid the scandals. Don't wanna be a bum, you better chew on the bum. Don't worry cause the band has took the handle.
00:33:02
Speaker
At number 84, Goodbye My Lover Goodbye by The Searchers. Nice vocal opening. The guitar is a little bit lo-fi. It sounds almost like keys on a grate to me.
00:33:13
Speaker
The drawn-out syllables wear out their welcome fairly quickly. I don't love the break. The return to the verse is repetitive. The vocal and harmony keep the record from being a complete miss. Hi, meh. I like their harmonies a lot on this, but overall, though, it's such a mushy mix.
00:33:31
Speaker
I don't know if it's the recording or just the mix, but it it just sounded so muddy to me that it was hard to pick out individual instruments. and It's a catchy song, but I just think The Searcher's vocals definitely elevate the track. so
00:34:02
Speaker
It just had to be It lets me show it's time To say
00:34:15
Speaker
um I could see the Hollies recording this too, but it would need a lot of rearranging and better mixing. So I'd say maybe low, low hit.
00:34:29
Speaker
You like it slightly better than i Yeah, slightly better. Just slightly though, not yeah much. not money The Searcher's vocals are good, but the song doesn't... really go anywhere. It's just on the same level all the way through. There's no variation to me and I just find it meh. I think I actually like to even less than Ed.
00:34:50
Speaker
okay But again, it's you and I against Kit. Yep. Yep. I wouldn't say it's among their best, don't get me wrong, but I guess I like the harmonies on it, but bit better. That's the disappointing thing to me is it's The Searchers. I mean, you know. Yeah. And we love The Searchers.
00:35:07
Speaker
But here's a song which we don't love. Before we mention what it is, can we say this is quite possibly going to be already the worst song of 1965?
Chubby Checker's 'Let's Do the Freddy' as Worst Song of 1965?
00:35:17
Speaker
It's in the running. Oh, yeah.
00:35:20
Speaker
It's definitely making the compilation, and i will give it at least a 50% chance of being the absolute worst song we're going to cover in 1965. At number 85, Let's Do the Freddy by Chubby Checker.
00:35:34
Speaker
And as I just found out, one of the co-writers of this song was the marvelous, wonderful, incredible Doc Pomas. Oh, no.
00:35:45
Speaker
Just sad. So, okay. The Freddy and the Dreamers song where he introduced the Freddy was called Do the Freddy. This is Let's Do the Freddy. So it's a slightly different song. They changed up the melody and it's completely different lyrics.
00:36:01
Speaker
Go and look for an episode of Hullabaloo where you can see Chuck Berry and Trini Lopez doing the Freddy with Freddy. Not quite 60 years ago, May the 5th, 1965. So let's see, we've had Chuck Berry cooking with John Lennon and doing the Freddy.
00:36:38
Speaker
Great sensation. You lift your wings like a bird. I know it sounds crazy, but you get it.
00:36:47
Speaker
Why? Just absolutely pointless. ah It's not a good... i I have nothing good to say about the instrumentation, and Chubby's just doing what Chubby does, and the lyrics are just... yeah It wants to be a dance song.
00:37:07
Speaker
It's like if Ringo were to come up with a song about doing the jumping jacks he does on the stage. That's about what it would be like. Hmm. Yep. That's pretty good, yeah. This is just a cash-in. The Freddy was, thankfully, short-lived, but a dance trend.
00:37:21
Speaker
So, you know, he's cashing in on that. The whole thing just sounds so half-hearted. I think Chubby is even thinking, boy, this isn't good. and But he's doing what he can with it. It's just such an average to below average dance song.
00:37:38
Speaker
I don't think this would make anyone get up and out on the floor. Yuck. On every level. Yeah. Hey, Chubby, we've got another dance move for you to sing about. Is that okay?
00:37:51
Speaker
Yeah. Even Freddy was getting sick of doing this himself. Although he wasn't because it would soon hit in the States. You know, he'd be on Hullabaloo in a month's time doing the Freddy. We're not that far removed from that poor fella on PBS doing the Freddy.
00:38:05
Speaker
Oh no, of course. I forgot all about this. Now, when I listened to this, I was thinking, please tell me that Chubby gets better material soon because this is embarrassing for the king of the twist.
00:38:21
Speaker
However, we actually found out something that's not nice about this, didn't we, Ed? Yeah, this would basically tank Chubby's career.
00:38:32
Speaker
We will see him a couple more times in the 60s, but he's never going to reach the top 40 again. Wow. That's sad. It is. This is the end of his top 40 career.
00:38:44
Speaker
And what an awful ending for somebody who was much better than this absolute piece of... Beep. Yes. Are you ready?
00:38:58
Speaker
Yes.
00:39:08
Speaker
Now, Kit, as someone of the appropriate age, do you remember the film Troop Beverly Hills? Yes. That was Shelley Long post-Caveman and just barely post-Cheers, I think.
00:39:21
Speaker
The plot is unnecessary. She goes off and becomes the mistress of a Girl Scout troop, and so she has a bunch of Beverly Hills early to mid-teen girls, and one of the things she does to them is she teaches them 60s dance moves.
00:39:38
Speaker
Oh, okay. And hilarity ensues. It starts with chubby in the twist and it ends with Freddie doing the Freddie. Oh my gosh.
00:39:49
Speaker
So you look at some of the comments on YouTube and other places and there people going, oh yeah, I just watched this film or I just showed this film to my daughter or, and it made me think of this song.
00:40:02
Speaker
Although it's not this song that was in there, but you know, the original Do the Freddy or in some cases the, someone got confused with the chubby version as well. Yeah. but Wow. Yeah. ah Oh, boy.
00:40:14
Speaker
ah While i won't say it's borderline child abuse, it's definitely questionable. Oh, geez. So I'm guessing then, Kit, you're not going to go off and do a rewrite to this and cut and call it Do the Betty for your mom?
00:40:31
Speaker
ah Hey, I could do that. It'd be better than this. Couldn't be any worse.
00:40:38
Speaker
We don't have a Cashbox review, but we do have both a Billboard and a Record World review. Kit, why don't you read the Billboard review, and I will read the Record World review. Okay, so Billboard said there's a, the quote, New dance on the scene, and Checkers got it.
00:40:55
Speaker
Exciting number done in his familiar style. Pay off cashola. Ahem. yeah This is Billboard. Billboard has never been accused of that. Mm-mm.
00:41:06
Speaker
Mm-hmm. Now, Record World, I don't even understand this review necessarily. They said that Checker has a new Terp idea that will also do big business.
00:41:20
Speaker
The item pushes the Freddy and will get far Now, what is terp? That is my question. Now, ah there are a couple of definitions of terp that I know of.
00:41:31
Speaker
The one which seems applicable here, although I know that's not what they are talking about. Terpenoids known as terp, and those are some of the chemicals in THC.
00:41:47
Speaker
THC being the active ingredient in cannabis. but I don't think that's what they're talking about. I have no idea what record world is actually referring to. It's probably something related to, you know, orc or whatever.
00:41:59
Speaker
But you might have to be high to actually get through this song. So, you know, maybe that's it. At number 86, The Return of the Dixie Cups with a cover of Ico Ico.
00:42:13
Speaker
It's a good song. It's a girl group version. It is maybe a little bit less Cajun than, well, some of the other songs we've already seen this month, but it's fun. It's a happy, energetic song.
00:42:26
Speaker
I know this song from Dr. John and the virgin and and also from the version in Rain Man. Yeah, I heard this first from Dr. John and Bell Stars. ah For sure.
00:42:37
Speaker
I really enjoy this track. It's catchy, danceable. I mean, you just smile when you hear it.
00:42:49
Speaker
See that guy all dressed in green. Aiko, aiko, one day. He's not a man, he's a loving machine. Tagamo finane. Talking about him now, him now, him now, him now.
00:43:00
Speaker
Aiko, aiko. It's really just percussion and bass. And the sing-along is fun. And the sing-along is really fun. You can hear second-line drums in it, so you hear the New Orleans roots of it. And interestingly, this is the version that really popularized the song.
00:43:20
Speaker
It became an international hit. They really introduced the song to a wider audience, and it came about as a result of just a jam. in a New York City recording studio. And the women began an impromptu version of Ico Ico and accompanied themselves ah with drumsticks on an aluminum chair, a studio ashtray, and a Coke bottle.
00:43:43
Speaker
The producers they just cleaned up the track and added backing vocals, bass, and drums, and... The single was released and it's a classic. Just a great track.
00:43:53
Speaker
The song itself is actually an old Mardi Gras song. yeah So it's one of those that they sing at the Mardi Gras. The first recording of it came in 1953 by Sugar Boy and the Cane Cutters. And it was called Giacomo.
00:44:08
Speaker
OK, we were in the studio um doing our Chapel of Love album. and the band had gone on lunch break. So we thought we were the only ones in there.
00:44:22
Speaker
We didn't realize that Jerry and Mike were in the control room. So we said, well, why don't we sing the song we've been working on? Because it was a song that my grandmother used to sing for me. Giacomo Fina.
00:44:36
Speaker
well Yeah. That was an original version. if but You know, I had never heard it. Right. Only from my grandmother. Right. And ah so we there were no musicians. There was no music.
00:44:48
Speaker
So we looked around and we found a glass ashtray, a Coca-Cola bottle and the chair with aluminum. So each of us got a ah drumstick and started drumming on it and we sang it.
00:45:03
Speaker
And Jerry said, hey, can y'all do that again? And that's when we realized they were in the control room. So we said, yeah. So we did. and they came out and told us how great it was and buth blah, blah, blah.
00:45:17
Speaker
And they said, we're going to keep this one. Now, the only thing that was added was a calypso box for the bomb, bomb, bomb. But everything else was us and it was all natural.
00:45:30
Speaker
So. They put it in the can, so to speak. But somehow, and I don't know how, um England got a copy. And they started playing it in England.
00:45:42
Speaker
And it was burning up in England. So Jerry said, we're going to have to release it because it's a hit in England. So it was a hit there before it was here.
00:45:53
Speaker
and they didn't know much about the origin of the song. So originally authorship credit went to, you know, the members of the Dixie Cups, but obviously that changed when it was determined, nope, they didn't write it.
00:46:05
Speaker
That's so cool. Awesome. Love this. I love the drumstick clicking on this and the whole percussive feel of it. And then the addition of the bass and the drums. It's very spacious.
00:46:19
Speaker
You've not got all the... instrumentation getting in the way of those great voices of this. I really enjoyed this and I like the production on it as well. Fun. Yeah. It's like a minimal arrangement production. Yeah.
00:46:30
Speaker
At number 87, Wooly Bully by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs. All you need is that beginning. Uno, dos, one, two, tres, cuatro. Fun, energetic.
00:46:43
Speaker
I love the 50s sax, which is admittedly a little bit retro in 1965, but it works well in this tune. Great fun. And it was actually recorded at the Sam Phillips Recording Studio in Memphis. Not Sun, but the successor to it.
00:46:59
Speaker
Cool. Uno, dos, one, two, tres, cuatro. One, two, tres, cuatro.
00:47:34
Speaker
I've always liked this song. I remember hearing it back in the day. Dick Biondi would play it. It's just a classic party track. Also an example of Chicano rock, an early version of it.
00:47:46
Speaker
Love the sax solo in the middle. Boy, you don't hear sax solos anymore, and this is just infectious energy here. The funky organ, this is a good organ. Domingo Samudio, better known as Sam the Sham.
00:48:00
Speaker
I am. Remember that name, Domingo Samudio? Yeah. Ladies and gentlemen, he was we were down at a club on Union Avenue called Smoochie Show Bar. Chip's moment was playing guitar.
00:48:12
Speaker
Sam was singing. I'm the disc jockey and all that jazz. And with a little break in the action, and we get a little game going on the floor in the back room. And the police come in, brought ready to dice game and all.
00:48:23
Speaker
They go downtown. Everybody put their real name down. Chip's ship's real name is Lincoln Wayne Moment. He put Chip's Lincoln Wayne Moment. Guy put Smoochie Jerry Lee Smith. That's his real name. Sam put Domingo Samudio.
00:48:35
Speaker
And the reason I'm bringing it up, he had just signed a million-dollar contract with MGM Records on Wooly Bully. And so nobody who knew Domingo Samudio got arrested in Memphis. Now they know. Now when I'm trying to live right, I never get away, do I? How you doing, Sam? I'm doing fantastic. Wooly Bully still kicking for you?
00:48:55
Speaker
Yes. You know, they say that Wooly Bully and Louie Louie were the two of the biggest party songs the kids loved, you know? Yeah. I saw it the other night in Happy Gilmore, I think it was.
00:49:09
Speaker
And I loved his performance on this he's sort of the ultimate hype man you know in addition to getting the audience going with air con your cons and just an absolutely fun record yep cool song get on your dancing shoes we're getting our groove on it's about the vibe but i'll make an admission that it's also one of those songs where I can't quite work out what the lyrics are, and I have issues, so is he saying something about having a cold addict?
00:49:38
Speaker
Had a cold addict with a wounded dog. Not a clue what he's talking about, but I make my own words up, a bit like John Goods with a going down to the penitentiary. yeah right It was the first American record to sell million copies during the British invasion. And it's a reworking of a song from 1962 called Holly Gully Now, um which was by Big Bo and the Arrows.
00:50:05
Speaker
And that was based on Junior Parker's Feeling Good. And this was given the green light after Sam rewrote the lyrics to replace Holly Gully. I like the name of that group you mentioned, Big Bow and the Arrows. I know, isn't that great? And the vocal was by its member, Little Smitty.
00:50:34
Speaker
Excellent. For the record, Marv, the lyrics in question. Maddie told Hattie about a thing she saw had two big horns and a woolly jaw.
00:50:49
Speaker
That is what you do not get. Ah, that explains everything. yeah The pound is sinking now.
00:51:00
Speaker
And Paul clearly understood the lyrics. He sang a version of this in soundcheck in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1990. It's not one of his regular soundcheck songs, but he has done it in soundcheck.
00:51:11
Speaker
Wow. no And the more obvious connection, this would be where the term L7 would come into popular use. It was fifty slang, but Paul clearly knows it from this song.
00:51:25
Speaker
Let's not be L7. What does it mean by L7? L7 means square. Square. yeah You put the L and the 7 together, you get kind of get a square. I still think that we need a Paul McCartney album that's made up of soundchecks.
00:51:41
Speaker
Absolutely. Yes, I would absolutely buy that. So the opposite of Seamoon, and well, we know somebody wrote a song about Seamoon, didn't they? Yes, indeed.
00:51:53
Speaker
We move on. At number 88, the follow-up by Gary Lewis and the Playboys, Count Me In. Now, we did have a note from David Hines who wanted us to mention that not in this version of Gary Lewis and the Playboys, but...
00:52:11
Speaker
Shortly thereafter, when the original Playboys would leave Gary Lewis, they would recruit Carl Radle to join Mark II of the Playboys. Oh, wow.
00:52:22
Speaker
Leon Russell brought in the new Playboys, and they included Carl Radle, and shortly thereafter, one of the earliest drumming gigs for Mr. Jim Keltner.
00:52:33
Speaker
So, there's a relationship to Gary Lewis and the Playboys that... It's a nice poppy tune. Again, nothing brainy, really placeholder lyrics. I like the piano and drums.
00:52:44
Speaker
But again, as I said with This Diamond Ring, it's the arrangement that saves this tune. Maybe a slightly lesser This Diamond Ring. a low to moderate hit for me. I kind of liked it. If you think of counting me, count me out.
00:52:59
Speaker
You count the ones that want you. me too and if i'm not first on your list
00:53:27
Speaker
I didn't know it immediately by the title, but then as soon as the toy piano sound came in, I'm like, oh, I remember this. They used to play this all these radio too.
00:53:39
Speaker
think for what it is, it's fun. It's kind of 60s sunshine pop with nice chord changes, memorable hook. I like the effect on the piano. It's a fun song. It was produced by a Snuff Garrett.
00:53:51
Speaker
Cool. Ranged by Leon Russell. And it was a hit. It ultimately peaked at number two on on the Billboard Hot 100. But I've always liked it. I wouldn't say it's a huge hit, but I would say a medium, medium hit. Again, you like it a little bit more than I do. yeah I like it. i I did say it was a low hit, so.
00:54:08
Speaker
Yeah. e I feel bad now because I'm going to give two people's opinions at the same time. I'm in agreement with Louise because we both heard this together earlier on. And Louise said it moves along nicely. It's positive and it's really well performed. Yeah, it's a positive song. You could almost smile to it, listen to it. Sort of medium kit. It's okay. Yeah.
00:54:28
Speaker
So yeah, enjoyed it. Cool. And for those who complain about the commercialization of pop and rock, Gary Lewis and the Playboys sold this to Coke at the time. So within six months of this song being on the charts, it was a Coke commercial.
00:54:45
Speaker
Oh, wow. That's fast. You can find the 1966 Coke commercial featuring the specially written version of this song on YouTube. Dig this, gang.
00:54:56
Speaker
Something very, very personal from Gary Lewis and the Playboys. You say you miss someone. Well, so do I. You want someone to jump with.
00:55:07
Speaker
Sit around and have a cup with funny things.
00:55:24
Speaker
Yeah. What are you doing? Want to have a Coke? Yeah, right now.
00:55:36
Speaker
So I'm guessing the money they made from that, they did have a Coke and a smile. Or some other kind of Coke. Okay. Now, now. This a family show. This a family show. Well, I'm...
00:55:49
Speaker
Once they had their issues with Carl Radle and Jim Keltner, the band would break up significantly for a time because Gary List would go off and get drafted into the army.
00:56:01
Speaker
That would do it. At number 90, Truly Truly True by Brenda Lee. I like Brenda Lee's vocal, but I don't really care for the arrangement. I don't really care for the rest of the record either.
00:56:13
Speaker
The really annoying backing singers just kind of tank it a little bit more. A high meh.
00:56:28
Speaker
Do you love me? Truly do.
00:56:45
Speaker
Yes, you have the answer somewhere in your heart. I love my girl's vocals on this. so She sings it beautifully with her motive style.
00:56:59
Speaker
But yeah, the song is not strong. It's sappy. Sounds like could have been released in the 50s. Just sounds dated. Sorry, Ken. It has kind of a Nashville sound with the strings, but not a good example of Brenda deserves better than this. Interesting that you should say Nashville sound because Brenda Lee...
00:57:20
Speaker
Almost trying to do a Patsy Cline vocally, but it's been destroyed by an arrangement that has far too much syrup going on. Yep. And I should add, the song was arranged by Owen Bradley, one of the architects of the Nashville sound. That explains why it sounds like Patsy Cline then and has that sort of feel to it.
00:57:41
Speaker
Yep, exactly. Exactly. And we will once again mention Brenda Lee had a really nice spotlight interview in the Ringo Starr special. And she is just there beaming on stage with Ringo for Yellow Submarine and little help ah at the end of the Ringo at the Ryman TV special.
00:57:58
Speaker
Yeah, it was so great to see her there. At number 94, Why Did I Choose You by Barbra Streisand. A soaring lead vocal as only Babs can do.
00:58:09
Speaker
However, the strings feel more than a little bit Disney Princess-esque to me, but it's Babs! I like it, but probably wouldn't put it on. Despite that, I'll still rank it a medium hit.
00:58:21
Speaker
She's Babs. She sings in that wonderful, bombastic theatrical style. But the song i just wasn't crazy about. It's from Broadway. Interesting story.
00:58:33
Speaker
It was from a Broadway version of The Yearling. It played only three performances. But she would end up recording four songs from the show.
00:58:44
Speaker
In addition to this, she recorded I'm All Smiles, The Kind of Man a Woman Needs, and My Paugh. So it was definitely not as a successful show. And I can kind of see why, if this is an example of of the kind of music from it. I just thought the melody went all over the place, rangy and not in a great way. She had such a great voice, but just not a strong song.
00:59:06
Speaker
Hmm. Wow. And they had one out here.
00:59:16
Speaker
What did I see?
00:59:35
Speaker
I liked her vocal on this. I didn't mind the song too much. Mid-tier, low mid-tier for me, for Babs, if you'll let me off with this one. I'm going to give you my top five Babs songs, which are Evergreen, You Don't Give Me Flowers, The Way You Were, Memories and Guilty.
00:59:52
Speaker
Hmm. Interesting. Yeah, I would take at least three of those for sure. Me too. Possibly with Enough is Enough to go in there as well. Oh, yes. The Donna Summer duet. Yeah, that's fun. At number 95, See You at the Go-Go by Dobie Gray.
01:00:09
Speaker
This is mostly a copy of The In Crowd, but it still has some charms. An energetic chorus, which keeps the record to better than mediocre. Maybe not a big hit, but definitely a lower tier one.
01:00:21
Speaker
I love Dobie Gray, but I just thought this song didn't do him a lot of favors, particularly the arrangement. I thought it was so overranged with the backing singers and the horns. i mean he's fighting to be heard at times over the bus.
01:00:34
Speaker
And, you know, he has such a great voice and and he tries valiantly here, but it's just not a memorable song. And interestingly, it was written by Billy Page, who also wrote The In Crowd.
01:00:45
Speaker
Interesting. Interesting.
01:01:08
Speaker
This is actually a huge Northern Soul classic from the pubs and clubs of England in the 70s. Oh, wow. Is it bigger than Going to the
Nostalgia for Dobie Gray's 'See You at the Go-Go'
01:01:20
Speaker
Go-Go?
01:01:20
Speaker
I don't know. it was played a heck of a lot. And that's why I remember this song. Wow. Because I remember it being played in the early 80s when I was a kid and it was still being played at school discos or youth club discos.
01:01:36
Speaker
So... That's why I was sort of a yes with that, because the music was always something that grabbed me, because obviously it's the music in these sort of places that does that. I think his voice is good when you can distinguish what's going on there. I'll admit to that. But yeah, I think I'm just probably nostalgic because of the fact that as soon as it started, I thought, oh yeah, I remember this from way back in my distant memory.
01:02:02
Speaker
Kit and I both kind of said at most a low hit, and you'll give it ah more or less a medium hit. Yeah. At number 96, Out in the Streets by the Shangri-Las, a Greenwich Berry tune, fairly standard girl group stuff, nice reverb.
01:02:18
Speaker
Fab musical director Jay Young Kim wanted me to mention that he found the transition back into the verse the second time more than a little bit clunky. It's an okay song, a good hook, a low hit.
01:02:50
Speaker
We'll be getting no more. She doesn't smile like you did before. I wish I didn't care. I wish I never met him.
01:03:02
Speaker
They're waiting out there. know I gotta set him free.
01:03:12
Speaker
Yeah, I wasn't crazy about it. I thought the bridge speeds up out of nowhere. Just awkward. But what's interesting is that Blondie would later cover it in 1975, but the cover wasn't released until 94, when it was included on a compilation called The Platinum Collection.
01:03:32
Speaker
And they covered it again 99 their album No I just thought it was okay. I wasn't that Would you go so far as low hit? i You'll leave it at meh. Yeah, a little more meh, but maybe wo low, low, low, low hit.
01:03:49
Speaker
It's an attempt at song. a It's not a very good attempt at a song. And on the No Exit album, Blondie fixed a lot of the problems that there were.
01:04:01
Speaker
They took it and they worked it. right But this is I'm almost tempted to say dreadful. Oh! You like it less than either of us do, and and I like it a little more than Kit does, so okay. Yeah. yeah But the Blondie version does fix the inerrant problems with what Jay was on about, the clunkiness that was really awful with it.
01:04:23
Speaker
They fixed all that, and it it works, and it flows a lot better on their version of it. His heart is out in the streets.
01:04:35
Speaker
He grew up on the sidewalk, streetlight shining above He grew up with no one to love He grew up on the sidewalk, he grew up running free He grew up and then he met me
01:04:54
Speaker
He don't hang around
01:05:00
Speaker
At number 98, the record Baby I Love You by Benny King. A great Benny King vocal, but the backing is almost a ripoff of Baby I Need Your Loving.
01:05:11
Speaker
A pretty standard arrangement. At best, a low hit. Maybe a high meh. Yeah, I would agree with that. He sings the hell out of it. Great vocal, but the overranger threatens to drown him out at times. I don't think the lyrics were very memorable.
01:05:26
Speaker
Just don't hear a hook here.
01:05:54
Speaker
a
01:05:57
Speaker
Benny King deserved better than this. Doesn't stand out other than Ben's voice. Let's listen to something better. We've got two more songs for this week. One of them is better and one of them is not.
01:06:09
Speaker
Yeah. at number 99, Hawaii Honeymoon by the Waikikis. It opens with an archival recording of the wedding march on Oregon that then leads into 90 seconds of chirpy faux Hawaiian music.
01:06:22
Speaker
I want to send Jason Momoa back in time to take out the Waikikis. Miss.
01:06:28
Speaker
Oh, that's great. Well, of course, we've talked about the Waikikis before. They're mainly known for a single before this, Hawaii Tattoo, which was a huge hit in Germany and some other countries.
01:06:43
Speaker
And we've speculated that the Beatles may very well have heard it when they were performing in Hamburg. But it was funny how you said it was like fake Hawaiian. Exactly. ah It's like a parody of Hawaiian music in a way with the silly percussion. And it's just a corny entry into this Hawaiian music trend.
01:07:17
Speaker
you
01:07:26
Speaker
So let's see, we've had a Hawaiian tattoo, a Hawaiian wedding, and a Hawaiian honeymoon. Not from the same artist, but three separate songs covering the entirety of the relationship. Maybe a Hawaiian divorce. They were just waiting for a few years, but they didn't.
01:07:41
Speaker
So it's not them doing that. And this isn't that either. ah So let's get on with Chuck. Chuck. Yes. At number 100, Dear Dad by Chuck Berry.
01:07:53
Speaker
a really great stinging guitar from Chuck. However, it's a little bit too similar to Nadine. Chuck had no problems with ripping himself off. The lyrics, great Chuck Berry-style teenage poetry, but it does cue completely to the formula.
01:08:10
Speaker
It is good stuff, but it... can't compete with some of his other material, and it's just too close to the era to win kids over as a blast from the past.
01:08:22
Speaker
Yep, I agree. This is a lot of fun. It's not one of his best.
01:08:35
Speaker
I get another car. This one here is sickening on a wide new road. I might as well be walking as to drive this old foe. Almost every time I try to go and pass a truck.
01:08:46
Speaker
If I ain't going downhill, dad, I'm out of luck. And even if I get by, it's still a rugged risk. The way this old foe keeps hitting that road. talking about ripping himself off. The riff sounded like Johnny B. Goode, but great guitar solos, as you would expect, and the lyrics were really funny. And you've got to give someone credit for working in the word perforate in a rock song. Props to him for doing that.
01:09:13
Speaker
perforate the hood. A lot of fun. i would say this is maybe middle to low Chuck Berry. It deserved to be a bigger hit than it was. Yeah, exactly.
01:09:24
Speaker
I don't think it deserved top 10, but top 40 for sure. Absolutely. Cause it's a lot of fun and it just shows what a great songwriter Chuck was. It's Virgin on Chuck by Numbers, i agree, but it's Fun Chuck with, like you said, some absolutely fantastic guitar soloing in there as well.
01:09:46
Speaker
he So we move on to the second week in April. We're going to go through where some of our favorites from past months are. Marv, don't you start us out with the number one song for the week of April 10th on the Billboard Charts?
01:10:00
Speaker
We're doing the Freddy at number one with Freddy and the Dreamers song I'm Telling You Now. ah Freddy would do the Freddy to I'm Telling You Now. He did indeed do the Freddy with this song.
01:10:11
Speaker
At number four, The Shotgun by Junior Walker and the All-Stars. Fabulous song. Banger. number five, Birds and the Bees by Jewel Akin.
01:10:22
Speaker
number six, King of the Road, and Ed's Favourite by Roger Miller of this year, I think. At number 11, Eight Days a Week by, well, The Beatles. At number five,
01:10:58
Speaker
And number 12, Do You Want to Dance by the Beach Boys. At number 13 is Tired of Waiting for You by the Kinks. 14, Goldfinger by Shirley Bassey. 15, Go Now by the Moody Blues. 18, Fairy Cross the Mersey by Jerry and the Pacemakers. 29, My Girl by the Temptations. And rounding it out, number 41, Mr. Pitiful. Boy, that's a great,
01:11:25
Speaker
great number of songs there that's a great lp we've got here yes yeah and even if it does have birds and the bees in it exactly at number 56 just once in my life by the righteous brothers listen to half of this tune and guess the producer guess the producer in 10 notes or less as they used to say There's a lot of things I want, a lot of things that I'd like to be But girl, I don't foresee a rags to riches story for me
01:12:09
Speaker
This song, a great vocal from Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield. I mean, we expect no less. Unfortunately, there is just a little bit too much, maybe more than a little bit too much recycling from You've Lost That Love and Feeling.
01:12:22
Speaker
The backing singers here don't work nearly as well as they worked on that song. The break is unique. It's possibly my favorite part of this song. Enough to give it a low hit, but just a low hit.
01:12:34
Speaker
Yep, I agree. I don't like this nearly as much as You've Lost That Love and Feeling. The wall of sound is a bit much here. I mean, the instruments really fight with each other, particularly in the chorus.
01:12:45
Speaker
Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield do turn in great vocal performances here. Really powerful, soulful. Some nice chord changes, but the production is just swimming in reverb, so it's hard to hear everything clearly.
01:12:59
Speaker
I'd like to hear this stripped down. I think it would have been improved greatly if that had happened. But Phil Spector didn't know the word restraint. Guess the producer. So it isn't Phil Spector?
01:13:11
Speaker
There's no bell for you. like the song, and if their previous hit hadn't have existed, then I think people would probably think that this is a better song than they probably think it is.
01:13:25
Speaker
Yeah, if Love and Feeling didn't exist, then I would say about this, what you said about Love and Feeling. It's a great song, except for the wall of sound. yeah Yeah. Now, here we go with that.
01:13:36
Speaker
Does the production irritate me again? Of course it does. If only we could stick this thing through a dishwasher, clean it up, and bring it back out without the mush so we can hear what would be, going to say it again, ah dang fine song.
01:13:52
Speaker
Mm-hmm. Agree. I think Mal would throw up his hands at trying to do that, though. At number 63, It's Gonna Be Alright by Jerry and the Pacemakers, which we covered on the UK side all the way back in September of 1964. At number 72, It's Got the Whole World Shaken by Sam Cooke, Bighorns, good vocal, but the song is a little bit lukewarm, both in tune and lyrics. Yeah.
01:14:19
Speaker
It feels kind of like you got the whole world in his hands to me. ah It eventually works into a good enough groove, but it's not top-notch. High meh, low hit. Kit, do you know why he recorded this?
01:14:31
Speaker
I don't. Obviously, he was not around to record it as a follow-up, so it was part of the album. From New York to Rome Oh, what I say
01:14:48
Speaker
You can't be
01:15:03
Speaker
kind of a standard 12-bar blues construction. Love the horns. Those tight horns really make the track. And of course, it's Sam Cooke. He's got that smooth voice. Definitely not one of his most memorable songs.
01:15:16
Speaker
I agree with that. But I think I enjoyed it a bit more. i' I'd give it a low-medium hit. I'll agree with that. Low medium hit. It's got almost a high heel sneakers feel to it musically.
01:15:29
Speaker
Loved the horns and I loved Sam's voice. Lower medium hit. At number 84, Toy Soldiers. The Four Seasons featuring The Sound of Frankie Valli. They need to make the name of the band longer, don't you think?
01:15:43
Speaker
Absolutely. Can't beat you on. Yeah. The Sound of Frankie Valli, who's in a valley.
01:15:50
Speaker
The four seasons featuring the sound of How Green Is My Frankie Valli. That's right. All right. The song, Ick, is a return to the bad four seasons. Frankie is whiny.
01:16:02
Speaker
The lyrics are cliche. And they don't even make it all the way through the song. And the beat is almost drum machine repetitive. Miss. Yep, I agree. The beginning almost sounded like they were trying to imitate the Beach Boys and their harmonies.
01:16:16
Speaker
This was written by Bob Radio and Bob Crew. Wordy and the bridge. Interesting Johnny Cash-like guitar riff at points.
01:16:27
Speaker
But it's not enough. I mean, I think even the group sounds bored. Singing this. I think the four seasons were like, wow, we know this is not great. And the drummer unnecessarily really hits hard at times with these fills.
01:17:10
Speaker
Why are you giving it that much power? It's not that kind of a song. So, yeah, definitely low meh. As if the song wasn't uninteresting enough already, you've got that flipping clinking going on there as well, which is another irritating thing. If there is something we've got so far this month, there's a lot of irritating noises around.
01:17:34
Speaker
Yeah. yeah Telephones and yeah. Please give this song to Eddie who lives next door to Andy on Toy Story so he can just destroy the toy soldier.
01:17:50
Speaker
At number 85, she's coming home by the zombies. Interesting chord changes with Rod Argent described as being bluesy. I don't know if I'd necessarily agree with that. Baby, come on home.
01:18:24
Speaker
It's a good but not great recording. You can tell that this record was dashed off fairly quickly. I find it interesting that the zombies recorded this specifically as something for the American market because they felt that their British presence had already fallen off.
01:18:42
Speaker
The song had its origins in Argent's life as a choir boy. he lifted segments from the 1946 song Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis, which he had heard as a boy in the choir.
01:18:56
Speaker
Hmm. Interesting. At times, this felt like a cross between... The Four Seasons and and The Stones. and It gets a bit more interesting in the chorus, you know where you have those trademark jazzy chord changes that Rod Argent likes so much.
01:19:11
Speaker
But otherwise, I just found it pretty average compared to some of their other great songs. Kind of a muddy mix on the vocals and just no clear hook. So I'm surprised that They recorded this specifically for the American market, thinking this would be, you know, a huge single. And I just thought, compared to the zombies' other incredible work, this was low-ranking.
01:19:37
Speaker
It's almost like a failed attempt at trying to get a spectre-esque sound to it. But it's not really Wall of Sound. No. No. But it's muddy.
01:19:48
Speaker
Yeah, it's got the muddiness to go with it of that, which is a shame because the chorus has got those really nice chord progressions in there. Colin's voice is fabulous in that section. it's just the It's almost like a song that was rushed off without completing it almost.
01:20:10
Speaker
Yeah, I agree with that. At number 86, Dream On, Little Dreamer by Perry Como with the Anita Kerr Quartet. One of two acts which actually surprised me because I kind of like the song.
01:20:25
Speaker
It's not enough to completely change my mind on Perry Como, but this is a surprisingly pleasant record. It's more than a little bit country. It's even a little bit blues.
01:20:36
Speaker
Admittedly, very, very white blues. a Nice guitar, nice piano, and even the harmonica works. Low hit. Yeah, it was a really interesting record for Perry. I mean, fascinating sound, because it was a little more modern for him with the harmonica.
01:20:54
Speaker
And as you said, a little blues in there, a little blues guitar, and a bit of boogie-woogie kind of piano. Yeah.
01:21:29
Speaker
Nice vocal from Perry with some impressive runs. We really did have a great voice. But, yeah, I would say maybe low, low hit. I'll go along with that. Low hit.
01:21:41
Speaker
It's an update for Perry. Where did you go from here? To lead better life.
01:22:32
Speaker
Something in the way she moves me I don't want to leave her now You know I believe it now Don't want to leave her now
01:23:05
Speaker
At number 88, the re-entry of Dionne Warwick's You Can Have Him. At number 89, the middle-of-the-road artist coming up with a song that I kind of like, Lawrence Welk and his orchestra are doing Apples and Bananas.
01:23:21
Speaker
No, it's not a banger. But for what it is, the pieces work. Good guitar, good organ from... Jerry Welk, who was Lawrence Welk's organist at the time, who would shortly pass away and be replaced by Bob Ralston, who's the one that those of us who remember seeing Lawrence Welk as a kid, that was Bob Ralston, who was always being introduced as the organ player.
01:23:44
Speaker
right The song would later be a hit for Rafi with lyrics and beloved by kids, the country, quite possibly the world over.
01:23:55
Speaker
And for Kit, Apples and Bananas was most successful in Chicago, where it reached number 11 on WLS's Silver Dollar Survey. Yay us.
01:24:07
Speaker
Low hit. Yes. It was written by Francis Scott, who was the harpsichord player, thus that harpsichord solo, which I thought was kind of interesting.
01:24:18
Speaker
More electric guitar than I would expect. You know, it's an innocuous instrumental. You know, I wouldn't exactly jam to it or anything. It's better than some of the other stuff I've heard. It's above the tank you tank you thing.
01:24:31
Speaker
Exactly. It's a little above that. I agree. you
01:25:06
Speaker
It's sort of lower level. Something you could listen to while you're going out for a whelk. But I've seen that one.
01:25:15
Speaker
At number 90, It's Not Unusual by Tom Jones, which we covered in the UK side. At number 95, the first of both sides of the new Joe Tex record, Don't Let Your Left Hand Know. This is the B-side, and it feels like a B-side.
01:25:32
Speaker
A nice lead vocal, but the backing and the boop-boop-de-doop singing are just trying way too hard. Not completely disposable, but it is close. Still, I can see how this would be more radio TV friendly than some of Joe Tex's other material.
01:25:50
Speaker
See the post Nelson Riddle, Nat King Cole, but this is taken to an extreme. Loma. That's interesting that you say that because it sounded like Joe Tex's attempted pop.
01:26:00
Speaker
And, you know, that's not what makes him so great. He's a soul, really, R&B singer. Music
01:26:15
Speaker
Don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Take it from somebody who knows. Don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.
01:26:29
Speaker
The guitar on this to me sounded straight out of Mersey beat. Muddy mix, so you can't really hear what he's saying. Can't appreciate how great his voice is. And incidentally, Joe Tex wrote this.
01:26:41
Speaker
I like the A-side a lot better, which we'll get to in a few minutes. I'm not going to give him any awards for his lyrics. o Sorry. The lyrics were... Awkward?
01:26:53
Speaker
Awkward, yeah. Pre-teen, maybe. I like the A side much better. Yes. At number 96, the re-entry of Comeback Baby by Roddy Joy.
01:27:04
Speaker
at number 97, What Do You Want With Me by Chad and Jeremy. Original, slightly Latin. It starts out with great acoustic guitar and harmony singing, then it goes somewhat wrong.
01:27:16
Speaker
The horns and the strings and the big drums are just too much. This song begs for a simple acoustic treatment all the way through. As is, it's a high mare. Maybe if you're being generous, a low hit.
01:27:29
Speaker
I wouldn't be that generous. so It was written by Chad and Jeremy. I love a country to see What do you want with me?
01:27:40
Speaker
What do you want with me? Oh, baby, I can see You only want to break us up And use me for time Then you'll leave me crying I've heard it all before
01:28:07
Speaker
the horns almost sounded like mariachi or something like they were trying to imitate johnny cash's uh sound on ring of fire or something a little bit and then at one point they started singing a love like ours and i was almost finishing could never die i mean but but like you know trying to borrow from the Beatles little bit too
01:28:34
Speaker
Nice harmonies, but pretty derivative. I think it borrows from the Beatles, Johnny Cash, and just trying to sound trendy. Blah. Right. Marv's occasional dalliance into alternative universe take this production completely away and give it a feel like the first Simon and Garfunkel album where it's just the two of them including the guitars and have nothing else on this song at all.
01:29:05
Speaker
That would work much better. Kit likes the song a little bit less than you and I do. you know i think there's a good song underneath there, or at least a pretty good song underneath there. And we got a cash box review. You want to read it, Marv?
01:29:18
Speaker
Ooh. So the cash box review says, the lads are still scoring with the If I Loved You stand, and this top draw follow-up stanza named What Do You Want With Me should develop into a top tenner, a top tenner,
01:29:38
Speaker
T-E-N apostrophe E-R, not tenor as in Pavarotti, in short order. The tune is a rhythmic romantic ode about a confused guy who can't make up his mind if he should be true to his girlfriend.
01:29:55
Speaker
Bottom lids, a pretty folk-styled heartfelt romancer. They must be talking about the B-side there with the bottom lid. Oh, oh, right, we're right, yeah. You love that top tenor thing.
01:30:06
Speaker
Yeah, that top ten, and that's just fan-dabby-dozy, that is. And at least they didn't say gal. I was waiting for gal. Well, but it's a confused guy in this case. Yeah, exactly.
01:30:18
Speaker
Before we finish out the charts, a shout-out to the bar that I went to in San Francisco, California, which was playing a great blues, and I asked for some Jotex, and unfortunately, he did not have any. He had a lot of other great blues, but...
01:30:34
Speaker
He said that the management of the club had asked him to switch out his records and he had taken out his two Joe Tex albums and the three singles he had in his box. Oh, bummer.
01:30:45
Speaker
I bet he was impressed to ask though. He was indeed. Yep. So at number 100, A Woman Can Change a Man by Joe Tex, the A-side of the single we mentioned previously.
01:30:57
Speaker
A really great vocal from Joe Tex. You can see him just standing up at the pulpit and shaking his hand during that talkie break. He does it for woman.
01:31:23
Speaker
Now I'm not saying that this is true with all men.
01:31:28
Speaker
Cause as you know there exceptions to all rules. But oh if you'd ask the average man what is he living and working for from day to day. I bet nine out of ten of those men would say.
01:31:44
Speaker
They would say that I'm living and working for my little woman. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. The organ works pretty well.
01:31:55
Speaker
The horns are okay. They could have been better recorded, but they're played pretty well. It's a moderate hit, I think. I would say low hit. Sounds a bit like Bring It On Home To Me in terms of the chord changes, but nice soulful lead vocal from Joe.
01:32:09
Speaker
As you mentioned, that preaching in the bridge, it's a little Solomon Burke-ish, but it works. He does a great job. I could actually see Solomon Burke singing this, by the way.
01:32:20
Speaker
But I definitely like this better than the B-side. So this is a low hit. Yep. All in agreement here. A better song than the earlier song by him. Nice, smooth, soulful number.
01:32:31
Speaker
And a good bit of preaching in there about being equal with your other half. It's all about equality, peeps. All right, so that closes out the first two weeks of April on the Billboard charts. We've got two more weeks to go, and it looks like we're going to get away with doing only three sides this month. D-side's going to be blank this month.
01:32:53
Speaker
Wow! Well, we might have our own version of an Apple gem, maybe. but Yeah, there you go.
Conclusion and Transition to Side C
01:33:00
Speaker
Well, we're endeavoring on several different things, so we will let you know when we get to them. But yes, indeed, this is the end of Side B. Stay tuned. We'll be back with Side C and the rest of April 1965 real soon.
01:33:16
Speaker
See you next time. Take care.
01:33:35
Speaker
There was a piece in the NME, a news piece that said the top rank records, remember when top rank had a record label? and They introduced an LP series next week that will be called Toppermost.
01:33:47
Speaker
And it's coinciding with their current advertising slogan, Toppermost of the Poppermost. They got it from somewhere. They saw that, they must have seen that in either the NME or Record Mirror or Disc, Record and Show Mirror as it was then.
01:34:03
Speaker
And they've taken it from there. They've obviously thought how stupid that is. How stupid is is one of those phrases that someone, an older person who doesn't understand teenagers comes up with a slogan that they think is going to be the hip slogan of the month.
01:34:18
Speaker
Toppermost of the poppermost.