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January 1965 (side C)
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What happens when Frankie Valli and his buddies go up against a Bob Crewe certified copy, and another, completely separate duplicate? Tune in and find out! More Trini. More Brenda. More Peter Paul and Mary, and Kit and I get into a knock-down drag-out over Jewel Aiken. We then make up and I acknowledge She's a Woman, and I Feel Fine! 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 Chants 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 poppermost. And right. And we'd all say it. Cheer up.
00:00:31
Speaker
I'd say, where are we going, fellas? And they go, to the top, Johnny. I'd say, where's that, fellas? And they say, to the top-a-most, to the pop-a-most. And I'd say, right. we'd all sort of cheer up.
Introduction to Side C: January 1965 Charts
00:00:57
Speaker
Welcome to Side C, Toppermost of the Paupermost for January 1965. I'm ed Chin. I'm Kid O'Toole. And I'm Martin Quibble. Well, we're going to jump right in This is the third week we're doing three episodes on the Billboard charts for this month because there are just that many darn songs.
00:01:16
Speaker
Five weeks worth. Wow. So
Supremes vs. The Beatles on the Charts
00:01:19
Speaker
the week of January 16th, I Feel Fine has been displaced. At number one is Come See About Me by the Supremes. We'll accept that. If it has to be displaced, that's a good song.
00:01:29
Speaker
Yeah. I'm okay with that. Yeah. I feel fine about that. I Feel Fine. It didn't go too far. It's at number two this week.
00:01:53
Speaker
At number 12 is She's a Woman. She's a woman who understands. She's a woman who loves a man.
Leon Russell and Gary Lewis' Connections
00:02:14
Speaker
At number 65, This Diamond Ring by Gary Lewis and the Playboys. I was familiar with this song, but for the longest time, I didn't really know that Gary Lewis was Jerry Lewis's son.
00:02:25
Speaker
Yes, indeed. Has he got his dad's skills at guitar? Yes.
00:02:31
Speaker
but Gary Lewis has a decent, if not overly impressive voice. The song is okay. It's not a great song. It's at least a pretty good one. The record works, however, because of the arrangement and to a certain extent, the playing.
00:02:46
Speaker
Leon Russell, who was the arranger, was definitely listening to A Hard Day's Night. As Gary Lewis says, Leon Russell was arranging everything for us. I let him have complete reign.
00:02:58
Speaker
As you should. We'll talk a little bit more about the song and about Gary Lewis in a bit. But before we move on, I will say you have to check out an episode of Hullabaloo from later in the year in 1965 when pop star Gary Lewis and his dad appear singing unique version of Hell.
00:03:20
Speaker
That's putting it charitably. Yes, it's kind of awkward. Kind of. Gary and Jerry Lewis! I need somebody help.
00:03:34
Speaker
Not just anybody help. You know I need someone help.
00:03:49
Speaker
you're expecting Jerry at at any moment to start saying, Hey lady.
In-depth Look at 'My Girl' by The Temptations
00:04:14
Speaker
This diamond ring can be something beautiful. And this diamond ring can be dreams that are coming true. This song is okay. It's not a favorite, but it's catchy and it's played well. And again, I attribute it entirely to Leon Russell.
00:04:31
Speaker
I like it a bit better than you do. I've always liked this. It's not groundbreaking or anything like that. It's good 60s pop. It's catchy. And yes, Leon Russell, much credit to him for the arrangement. you know, I like the reverb on the, I don't know if that's a keyboard or organ.
00:04:49
Speaker
I'm not a hundred percent sure. ah think it's interesting. It doesn't really have a bridge, which is a little different on pop record. Nice harmonies. As far as Gary Lewis's voice, he doesn't certainly have a technically wonderful voice, but it works for the song.
00:05:04
Speaker
It's interesting that the verses have a bit of a darker sound to them, different tone than the chorus. It was written by al Cooper, Bob Brass, and Irwin Levine, produced by Snuff Garrett.
00:05:19
Speaker
We've seen his name many times on our show. And I overall think it's a fun, catchy, memorable pop song. So I've always liked it. but The original version is catchy, but it is neither fun nor all that memorable.
00:05:33
Speaker
Yeah. First off, Al Cooper, he was an unknown at this point in time. Right. So what Gary Lewis said was, it was much slower. I had no idea what ours was going to sound like until I got into the studio and Leon played it on the piano for me.
00:05:48
Speaker
Right. Yeah, he was smart to let Leon Russell take over, you bet. But yeah, I've always liked it. think it's, you as I said, catchy, memorable. I've liked this track. And then Gary Lewis describes the first time he heard it, we'll let Kit read this because, well, there's a reason for that.
00:06:05
Speaker
Yes, he said, like all aspiring artists, Gary remembers vividly the first time he heard This Time in Ring on the radio. I was driving on Sunset Boulevard and I heard it on KRLA with DJ Dick Biondi.
00:06:18
Speaker
Oh God, I was so pumped up. This is what I've been shooting for. Then I thought, I better wait to get really excited. ah You know what I'd like for you to do? Because I was talking to the fellas in the group before we went out on air and I found out that Two of them are from Oklahoma and another from Alabama and another from somewhere else.
00:06:35
Speaker
Would you go out and introduce them for me tell us where they're from? I think the people are most... Let's start with Fish and the Man right here. Wait, just fix my pants, Jerry. Okay, right here. This is John West. He plays the Chord of Ox. It is not really an accordion like it appears to be. It's amplified.
00:06:56
Speaker
That's John West. Where's he from? Where's John West? Oh, John West is from a little town 97 miles from here called Eurexville, Ohio go um And this is our rhythm guitarist Dave Walker, he's from Shaker Heights um um And this is our lead guitarist Tommy Triplehorn, where are you from? tulsas Tulsa tusa um And our bass guitarist, Carl Radel, also from Tulsa.
00:07:33
Speaker
Now, if we can get Gary Lewis of Hollywood to go back and sit at the drums, we'll hear another number.
00:07:40
Speaker
Who wants to buy this dime?
00:08:05
Speaker
It's okay. Could be better. It's funny in a bit. I like the tone on the baritone guitar in the instrumental break. I thought that was a nice touch. It's okay. But there's something that stopped it from being more than okay to me, but I don't know what it was.
00:08:18
Speaker
So Gary Lewis continues. He was one of those guys. He was sitting there watching Sullivan. And what he says is when the Beatles came out, I looked and said, oh man, that's it.
00:08:29
Speaker
I've got to do this. So I got my drums out of storage where they'd been sitting for a while. I bought them to this theater arts college I was going to, Pasadena City College. And in January 1964, I formed the Playboys from Classmates.
00:08:44
Speaker
By December, we had this diamond ring out. So I guess I'm the one that liked it the best. so think it's a good pop tune. As I said, nothing groundbreaking or anything, but I've always liked it. It may sound like I dislike it, and I don't dislike it. I agree with you. It is a good pop tune.
00:08:59
Speaker
It's just that it's neither the song nor the performance. It's all about the arrangement to me. yeah Now a song where we cannot say that. One of the classics of all time.
00:09:11
Speaker
At number 76, My Girl by The Temptations. Quite simply, perfection. There's nothing more to say. Amazing lead vocals. Great background vocals.
00:09:22
Speaker
The Funk Brothers are at the top of their game. James Jamerson. This is almost certainly the song that Paul McCartney would look to when he said, okay, I love the Hoffner,
00:09:35
Speaker
But for recording, I need a better sound. And the Rickenbacker is the one that's going to ah give me a tone that at least approximates what James Jamerson does. It was written by Smokey Robinson and Rommel White.
00:09:49
Speaker
Nothing more to say. Exactly. I just think Smokey just knew how to write. Incredible track. We talked on the previous episode about trying to cram too many words together.
00:10:02
Speaker
into a verse. Here's simplicity, but still clever, I've got so much honey, the bees envy me. I love that line. that and I've got a sweeter song than the birds and the trees.
00:10:16
Speaker
So you've got the great verses like that. Then of course, James Jamerson's bass. That stands out. The horn arrangement. I love the little touches of the horns, like those two lines I just mentioned.
00:10:34
Speaker
Bees envy me. And then you get that little horn fanfare. Da-da-da-da-da-da. The little touches like that.
00:10:53
Speaker
David Ruffin on lead vocals. Soft and romantic. And then at times you get that grit to his voice.
00:11:11
Speaker
To give it just that punch of emotion. Then, of course, the Temptations harmonies. You get that. Just perfect. Apparently, Otis Williams, of course, one of the original members recalled in an interview,
00:11:26
Speaker
He said, we were at the Apollo in New York and Smokey came and ran the track down and we rehearsed it. At the time when he ran the track down, I said, that sounds like it might be something.
00:11:37
Speaker
But it really didn't hit me until we came all the way home to Detroit, recorded it, and then Smokey put the strings on it. We sat there listening to the playback and it really sounded like a number one hit.
00:11:48
Speaker
But, you know, it's very seldom that you can predict a number one tune. But at that time, we really felt like it would be more of a record that would be a number one than the songs we'd recorded before then.
00:11:59
Speaker
And luckily enough, it was. And they were doing this on a three track. Yeah. How about that? It's very much the equal of anything that George Martin would do for Pepper. yeah And that's saying something.
00:12:13
Speaker
Absolutely. Marv? It's interesting that you mentioned the music kit.
Iconic Status of 'My Girl'
00:12:18
Speaker
There's even like little touches such as with the guitar figure where you've got the guitar almost mimicking the bass, so it does like a run, and then it does like a stab chord.
00:12:30
Speaker
to emphasize, so it would do a run to a stab chord. And there's those little things going on in the background as well that are really clever. And I could see why they would say that before the orchestration was added, that it sounded different because the orchestration adds so much to it.
00:12:48
Speaker
as well. It's he's a perfect song. Lyrics are perfect that Shakespeare would probably tip his hat to them and music so neatly written and arranged that Mozart and Beethoven would congratulate them.
00:12:59
Speaker
Every single singer and musician on this playing and performing absolutely the top of the game. Couldn't say it better. And what's amazing was at first they didn't want to record the song because, ah wait a minute. You had my guy. Now you have my girl.
00:13:16
Speaker
What's next? My kid? My great grandma. yeah
00:13:24
Speaker
And we have to give our friends over at Motown Junkies the last word on the song. We do have a Beatles connection, which will come afterwards, though. The beauty of My Girl is that it's a song made of highlights.
00:13:37
Speaker
What's the best thing about it? Everything. If there's no obvious high point, no moment where you, the listener, is moved to sit down and say, oh, wow. It's because the entire song is made out of them, and limiting yourself to just one favorite bit is a pointless waste.
00:13:53
Speaker
It's just wonderful. Something like those beautiful moments when you can actually feel the summer in the air after a rainstorm, shielding your eyes from the dazzling flashes on the wet ground, even as you taste the warmth on your neck.
00:14:06
Speaker
That's true. It's a song that is completely hook from beginning to end. Absolutely. And the more you listen to it, you'll pick up on little things. And while it sounds so great, it's actually not that difficult to play. This was the very first song I learned how to play on the bass.
00:14:24
Speaker
Oh, wow. Cool. You know, because I wanted to be able to play that riff and it's like, oh, I can actually play that riff. so Do you think that Paul got hold of the Fender Jazz because of this as well, that he never uses live, but does use in the studio every now and then?
00:14:38
Speaker
Entirely possible. The Rickenbacker won because, well, I mean, they gave it to him. young And yes, I would think that that's probably also a reason why he might've thought of using the Fender jazz. yeah And so the story, which we've told about this song, and if you go and watch the Motown documentary, what you will find is you will find a story about both Barry Gordy and the Beatles sending The Temptations, a telegram congratulating them on My Girl. But there's a little problem with that story.
00:15:10
Speaker
My Girl hit number one first. Eight days a week would replace My Girl in the top spot. And that would then in turn be replaced by Stop in the Name of Ooh. So Smokey told David Tedeschi that the the telegram was sent because of the Supremes. And well, maybe he actually believes that it's a little bit odd. you know, maybe they were just congratulating them because they were at the number one spot and they got replaced by the Beatles.
00:15:39
Speaker
Oh dear. But the Temptations have the telegram, and it was certainly sent. It's just why it was sent, I don't know. Yeah. And since this is one of those songs, we are going to do a supercut of it.
00:15:52
Speaker
Here we You have to. One of the most star-studded supercuts, although we are going to have another one in a little bit. Some of the artists you will find in the supercut include Otis Redding.
00:16:06
Speaker
Yes. Cannibal and the Headhunters. Okay. you Not quite star-studded, but we like them. yeah Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames. Cool. The Mamas and the Papas.
00:16:17
Speaker
The Stones. Stevie Wonder. Yeah. ah Bobby V. Okay. The Four Freshmen. Cool. yes ah Al Green. Mm-hmm.
00:16:28
Speaker
Johnny Tillotson. For Kit, Michael Jackson's version. All right. MJ. Yeah. Glenn Campbell. Al Campbell. Dolly Parton. Phil Collins. And, well, because we have to, Little Jimmy Osmond.
00:16:43
Speaker
Oh, man. Oh, dear. We have to get an Osmond in now, don't we? Yeah. They've done a lot of them, but they haven't quite done every song we want to do a super cut of.
00:16:53
Speaker
Oh, man. So, yeah. We Love My Girl. It's another one of those from Motown, which is just defines the 60s other than the Beatles stuff. Yep.
00:17:04
Speaker
Perfection.
00:17:15
Speaker
got function.
00:17:40
Speaker
Let me feel this way, girl
00:18:25
Speaker
My girl
00:18:51
Speaker
This way. My love. My love. My love. My love. My love.
00:19:54
Speaker
play.
00:20:22
Speaker
Did it
00:21:09
Speaker
my
00:21:13
Speaker
At number 83, Thanks A Lot by Brenda Lee.
Critique of Brenda Lee's 'Thanks A Lot'
00:21:18
Speaker
Another not great but not terrible song from Kit's Gal. Good drums, cliche sax, backing, and background vocals.
00:21:27
Speaker
Organ. Enough said. Nice lead vocal from Brenda. It's more than a little bit repetitive. It's meh, but it would be a miss if anybody else were doing the lead vocal other than Brenda.
00:21:38
Speaker
again she deserves better than this it's just nothing remarkable it's got organ and it's not great organ and it goes into a weird double time gospel like tone at the end sort of out of nowhere and it's co-written by eddie miller who also wrote release me as i said it's just okay she deserves a lot better than this it's just nothing remarkable
00:22:16
Speaker
Thank God love you. You'll make me cry.
00:22:35
Speaker
Her vocal sells it. I don't mind the horns every now and then in the song. It's okay. Lyrics are not good. Lower middling. Even being really nice. Probably even lower.
00:22:46
Speaker
Lesser material. Again, I think we all basically agree at best it's meh, but the sassy vocal from Brenda raises it just ever so slightly much into the fully meh territory. Her voice is great, but it's just yeah the music doesn't match the greatness of her voice.
00:23:03
Speaker
Exactly. ah number 87, Bye Bye Baby Baby Goodbye by The Four Seasons featuring The Sound of Frankie Valli. This is one where the radio edit greatly improved the song.
00:23:17
Speaker
The opening is just terrible. It sounds like The Four Seasons are stealing the talkie bit from the Shangri-Las. The song really should have just opened with Frankie's vocal, and usually when I heard it on the radio, it did just open with Frankie's vocal.
00:23:46
Speaker
I just gotta tell you anyway
00:23:59
Speaker
From that point on, it's pretty good. Close harmony singing as expected. The strings are an interesting arrangement touch, but make the song more than a little bit too busy through the latter third to half.
00:24:12
Speaker
I'm pretty much in complete agreement. This is mid to lower tier four seasons. That spoken intro was strange. I agree that radio stations who cut that definitely improved the song.
00:24:26
Speaker
And I thought the drums were really overdone on it. Contributed to, as you said, at the busyness of the arrangement. Otherwise, know, the harmonies were fine. It's the four seasons. What do you expect? But other than that, I just thought definitely not up to the best four seasons tracks.
00:24:46
Speaker
I didn't really care for it Now, I've got an admission to make it. I actually thought that this was an original for the Bay City Rollers in 1972. The Bay City Rollers covered this?
00:24:57
Speaker
They did, and it was a top 10 hit. No way. It's one of their big hits in the 70s, one of their bigger hits, one of the call-out numbers. So, yeah, I feel stupid because I thought it was one of theirs originally.
00:25:10
Speaker
No kidding. kidding.
00:25:42
Speaker
Even that version was a bit sickly in places, and it does have that intro. Wow. Unfortunately. Which probably adds to that. And in a sense, this is sort of sickly in a sense as well. It's well produced to perform, but really not my cup tea.
00:25:59
Speaker
Yes. Again, we're all basically in agreement. It's slightly above meh. Slightly above me. Yeah. And now a song, which I'm betting we're all going to love. Yes. Number 90, the boy from New York city. This
The Ad Libs' Doo-Wop Charm
00:26:12
Speaker
is the original by the ad libs.
00:26:14
Speaker
Now ah growing up, Kit and I, I don't know. Martin's a little bit younger. So we were all familiar with the Manhattan transfer version, which was a big radio hit. during our era.
00:26:26
Speaker
Yes. The hand claps and drums on this version work very well. And the horns keep the tune from being completely acapella. The Manhattan Transfer did almost a complete Xerox of this version. And that's not a bad thing.
00:26:40
Speaker
Love it. Love it. Love it. Love it.
00:26:55
Speaker
He's
00:27:10
Speaker
This is a banger. Absolute banger. I love this song. This is classic doo-wop, fun lyrics. What can you say? It was produced Lieber and Stoller. And it's just a great classic. The group was from, i hope I'm pronouncing this correctly, Bayon, New Jersey.
00:27:28
Speaker
And you know I love the female lead vocals with the male doo-wop backing. Written by George Davis and John T. Taylor was the ad-lib's only major Billboard hit.
00:27:40
Speaker
Wow. What a hit. And as Ed said, Manhattan Transfer recorded it in 1981. It was a big hit for them. I've seen Manhattan Transfer a number of times live, and this was a staple of their live shows.
00:28:35
Speaker
They really didn't deviate from it very much, and why would they? They made it a little longer, I think, but other than that, they really didn't have to love it. I remember the Manhattan Transfer version as well, but my first introduction to this song, and I'm guessing that this band are not known outside of Europe, my first introduction to this song was in 1978 with a cover version by the group Darts.
00:29:01
Speaker
We had a bit of a thing going on in the mid to late 70s where we had some groups that were almost hearkening back to the 50s and 60s. So we had things like Shawadiwadi and groups like that, and they were among those sort of groups.
00:29:14
Speaker
I think I've heard the name.
00:29:49
Speaker
A few years later I came across this version, actually after hearing the Manhattan Transfer version. Great song and don't think I've heard a bad version of it and if Ed does a what's it of it he'll probably introduce me to a bad version of it probably.
00:30:04
Speaker
Tom Jones with Donny Osmond. Uh-oh. Hello. That might qualify as a bad version. That sounds like a television special. It does. Live, recorded sometime in 1987. Wow. yeah,
00:30:20
Speaker
and the way she talks...
00:30:37
Speaker
Cold cold sweat. She can dance, she can dance, she can dance. And she can dance, cold light. Cold light, cold light, she's a loca.
00:30:48
Speaker
I wonder if that's when Donnie had the comeback hits with like Sacred Emotion and what was that other one, Soldier of Love.
00:31:08
Speaker
At number 93, Fancy Pants by Al He's the King Hurt. Oh boy. ah I don't have much to say about this. Lots of horn acrobatics and that's the only thing which saves this song from being a big miss.
00:31:23
Speaker
So it's only a mild miss. You listen to it? What did I think? I thought this was the theme song for a game show called Fancy Pants. As Al Hurt plays out...
00:31:48
Speaker
And here's your host, Wink Martindale.
00:31:54
Speaker
The alternative universe of Ed. Yeah.
00:32:22
Speaker
Bye.
00:32:30
Speaker
on our show your la are Other than the trumpet playing, it's certainly not something I'd listen to repeatedly.
00:32:45
Speaker
Background music, maybe.
Al Hirt's 'Fancy Pants': A Mild Miss
00:32:48
Speaker
Interestingly, the album that this comes from, that honey horn sound, was produced by Chet Atkins. Wow. So, Marv, what would a game show called Fancy Pants be like?
00:33:01
Speaker
Remember, this is a family show. Exactly. I'm trying to think of something that would be family friendly or politically correct in this day and age. Exactly. Well, he's the fancy pants that's won the hand of that girl.
00:33:15
Speaker
Yeah. I've made it clean there. I like that, actually. Yeah. There you go. So, anyway, this song, Novelty in the Aftermath of Christmas, which is exactly when this sort of thing's prominent, if it would come out a few weeks earlier and put sleigh bells on it, it would have probably charted a lot higher and been called something ridiculous like Santa Pants.
00:33:37
Speaker
But the song, other than the horn doing its thing, is exactly that, Pants. Yeah. At number 97, It's All Right by Adam Faith with the roulettes, not the Sean Lennon song.
00:33:50
Speaker
I'm not sure why this song broke through here on the American charts. It's a third rate Do You Love Me? Adam Faith's vocal, the backing vocalist, the guitar, and the harmonica. They're all fine, but they're just so cliche as to not leave any impression on me at all.
00:34:07
Speaker
Yeah, I was at a loss as to why this would have broken through either. I thought it was kind of a chaotic arrangement in recording. I thought it just sounded really messy and just all over the place. ah The harmonica and guitar frenetic, frantic clapping. I mean, it's sort of trying to sound like Mersey beat, but just doesn't work.
00:34:30
Speaker
If you want me so right.
00:34:59
Speaker
very repetitive lyrics. Just thought it was a mess. I didn't care for this at all. Sounds like someone trying to sound like the still relevant and the relevant willing to move with the times, but with a dreadful arrangement that only comes together during an instrumental break.
00:35:15
Speaker
That's a lot better than the rest of the dang song. ah Dang it. Dang it. To bring back something that we had several months ago. That's right. Which is relevant to an artist we're going to have in a little bit here.
00:35:30
Speaker
Yes, that's true. At number 98, I Want You To Be My Boy by The Exciters. Okay, this is on Roulette Records. This was co-written by Richie Barrett of Some Other their Guy fame.
00:35:42
Speaker
But you look at this single. The writer of the song is one Morris Levy. Gee, I wonder why. yeah of course it is. Now, as to the record, the Exciters live up to their name. It's a hot record. There's a lot to like.
00:35:56
Speaker
It's nothing too groundbreaking, but it does go nicely up-tempo and completely recast the doo-wop of the original into something a bit more R&B. Yeah, I like this a lot. It was...
00:36:08
Speaker
Originally performed by Frankie Lyman and the Teenagers, and their version was good too, but theirs was more doo-wop, whereas this one, more of a soul kind of workout, which is great too.
00:36:22
Speaker
Danceable, up-tempo, love the horns and drums, particularly the rolls. I love that. Lead singer, you know, energetic, matches the tone of the track. Take me by my hand, tell me your lover, girl.
00:36:37
Speaker
You for me, me you, will fight? Come on, baby, come on, baby. Well, love you, baby, and I want you to
00:37:11
Speaker
I enjoyed this a lot. I don't think I'd ever heard this before, and I don't know why, because I think this is a really strong, fun, soulful record.
00:37:22
Speaker
Cool vibe, killer vocals, and great musicianship. If you want to pick me up that isn't fattening like a tiramisu, this is it in a musical form. Over to Ed for the Cashbox review.
00:37:35
Speaker
Yes, we have a cash box review for this song. And so I think we've cracked the code. The more hyperbolic they get, the more cracking language they put in, the more they actually like the tune.
00:37:47
Speaker
and What they say, exciters of tell him fame, although, as we know, they're not the exciters of tell him fame, only sort of. um make their debut on roulette and could climb the charts with this swinging, foot-thumping, frug revival of the old Frankie Lyman smash, I Want You To Be My Girl.
00:38:07
Speaker
Terrific Sammy Lowe orc, again, ORK support. just Yeah, good track. Cool. At number 99, I Want To Be Your Everything by the Manhattans.
00:38:19
Speaker
It's a nice bit of soul, good lead and backing vocals, low hit. a Yeah, I thought it was a pleasant soul record.
00:39:03
Speaker
Smooth Harmonies had a little bit of a Curtis Mayfield Impressions feel to it. was written by group member Winford Lovett. Now, here's the interesting thing. You might say, hmm, the Manhattans, where have i heard that name before?
00:39:18
Speaker
Yes, this is the Manhattan. It's not with the exact same members, but the Manhattans who would go on to have more success in the 70s with Kiss and Say Goodbye 1976.
00:39:31
Speaker
And then an even bigger hit in 1980 was Shining Star. Wow. So when I first saw this, I'm like, could it be the same Manhattan? Yes, it is. So they go back this far, 1965.
Al Martino vs. Hank Williams
00:39:44
Speaker
Wow. It's like very soon we're going to be talking about The Three Degrees. Yes, indeed. Which surprises me. Me too. But that's not this month.
00:39:54
Speaker
No. Great vocals, music and production on a song that I really enjoyed. It's not a song that makes me jump up and shout, dang, this is a masterpiece, but it is a song that makes me think this is good and I like to know At number 100 and closing out the third week of January 1965, My Heart Would Know by Al Martino. It's a cover of a yeah Hank Williams tune.
00:40:19
Speaker
The piano and the vocal almost managed to save this record, but everything else pulls it back down into Lawrence Welk territory. The slight bit of country in Al Martino's voice, an imitation of the original guitar,
00:40:32
Speaker
Makes it a little bit better, but not very good. It might be interesting to some, but a miss. Take it off. Yes, I agree. It was the tinkling piano that killed it for me.
00:40:45
Speaker
That's Lawrence Welk territory.
00:41:29
Speaker
Al Martino's vocal is way too smooth. Listen to the Hank Williams original with the steel pedal guitar and his voice evoking the pain that the song is about.
00:41:42
Speaker
The pain of the heartbreak that he's singing about.
00:42:36
Speaker
you know I love you so
00:43:03
Speaker
You don't get an ounce of heartbreak from this version. Skip this, go with the Hank Williams original. Yep. Al Martino takes a country song that was a great country song written by Hank Williams Sr. and turns it into Schmaltz.
00:43:20
Speaker
Yep. All right, so we go on to the fourth week of January 1965, the week of January the 23rd at number one, a new number one song, Downtown.
00:43:31
Speaker
We'll accept that one as well. Yes, that's an acceptable replacement as well. Yep, I'm fine with that one. I Feel Fine has moved down to number four. Thank you.
00:43:48
Speaker
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. The next song, next to Sleet, is called I Feel Fine.
00:44:00
Speaker
I Feel Fine.
00:44:26
Speaker
And at number 14 is She's a Woman. They're dropping. are they going to do? i hope they've got another song to follow it. That's right. Thank you very much. That's lovely.
00:44:37
Speaker
And hello. How are you? We'd like to carry on now when John changes the guitar. guitar With the song which is on the beat side of I Feel Fine.
00:44:52
Speaker
and this song's called, She's a Woman.
00:45:30
Speaker
At number 75, our old buddy Trini is back with what is quite possibly his biggest song, Lemon Tree. If I Had a Hammer, he's known for, but Lemon Tree is the one that everybody who are at least fans of him remember him for.
00:45:45
Speaker
This is Trini doing what Trini does. It's a popped up folk song. There are some great drums on here from our old buddy Mickey Jones, just about to leave to join the electric Dylan combo.
00:45:59
Speaker
Good guitar, fine vocals, but what's with that squeaking in the break? It's a fun song. Nothing and I'd really turn off, but also nothing I'd go searching for unless I were really on a Trini kick, which admittedly has never happened, but...
00:46:14
Speaker
I could see it possibly happening someday. Apologies to Trini Lopez fans. There's not many of them, Kit, you're fine. Okay, all right.
00:46:24
Speaker
Lemon tree, very pretty. And the lemon flowery sweet.
00:46:54
Speaker
it's catchy it's focused upbe but it's just not my cup of tea Trinidad Lopez III was born and grew up in a vario of Dallas, Texas.
00:47:05
Speaker
From this humble beginning, he went on to achieve international stardom. Now, your third album, which was your first studio album, was called The Folk Album. The Folk Album. And that had a song called Lemon Tree that made quite a big splash.
00:47:19
Speaker
What's the story behind that song in recording? In the days that I was recording ah in Hollywood and all that in the 60s, folk music was very prevalent, you know really, really popular.
00:47:30
Speaker
And I was into folk music, but I was never into recording it or singing it the way everybody was recording those kind of songs. So again, I put my Latin beat to it and my own style.
00:47:42
Speaker
And um there was so my first hit... in a recording studio when I went into the studio to record the folk album. It was a big hit for me all over the world. People ask about Lemon Tree all the time. It's one of my most favorite requested songs. It's a very catchy tune.
00:47:59
Speaker
I just happened to like the chorus. And it's based on um Brazilian folk song, which I don't think I'm going to attempt. Miu Limão, Miu Limorio.
00:48:11
Speaker
Thank you. Okay. Arranged by José Carlos Burl in 1937, comparing love to a lemon tree. Roughly translated, lemon tree, very pretty, and the lemon flower is sweet, but the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat.
00:48:28
Speaker
Which a lot of people would also disagree with. There are a number people who will enjoy biting into a lemon. That's right. I'm not one of them, but cool. You do you. They absolutely exist. Yep, that's true.
00:48:39
Speaker
Again, not my cup of tea, but I know it's a very popular song. If I Had a Hammer is my favorite. That was the best that he did. Yeah. I thought it was bouncy, well-produced.
00:48:51
Speaker
The drums kicked. They were really good. And dare I say fun in an almost children's television way. yeah Yeah, I could see this appealing to kids in a way. Yeah.
00:49:04
Speaker
As a sing-along quality. Yep. And Trini continues his enunciation thing. Yes. Very much. You can understand every single word he sings in this song. That's true.
00:49:16
Speaker
At number 80, break away from that boy. The next song by the new beats. I'm sure we're all looking forward to that. Kit has her comments on that. It hurts me so to see you when you're
00:49:38
Speaker
And in you are
00:49:55
Speaker
Well, the falsetto's almost under control. The lyrics are okay, but they are dumpster diving from the Great American Songbook. Castle's in your skies, but he's out with a new girl every night.
00:50:08
Speaker
Simple guitar, it's got a good enough beat. At best, it's not terrible, but it is just about catchy enough to be a high meh. I like your term, being at best not terrible. That's a resounding...
00:50:23
Speaker
compliment there. The harmonies sort of mimic Twist and Shout. I thought it sounded, you know, sort of like a Four Seasons rip-off. I was trying to pinpoint what precisely sounded like, like Cherry Baby or something. Derivative, no matter what. Very repetitive. We've all got the same notes. Exactly. Someone wants to be Frankie Valli in the Four Seasons. They're not.
00:50:47
Speaker
well someone else also wants to be Frankie Valli in the Four Seasons a little bit later. Yeah. Oh yes, they do. Incredibly cliched, but not terrible, but only just not terrible.
00:50:58
Speaker
We love this track. We all thought exactly the same. Number 81, For Love and Me by Peter, Paul and Mary. First off, RIP to Peter, who just passed away.
00:51:11
Speaker
we end tonight by remembering a pillar of American folk music. Peter Yarrow of the legendary group Peter, Paul and Mary has died. and brought him strings and sealing wax and other fancy stuff.
00:51:24
Speaker
Sing it with us, Puff the Magic Dragon. In 1963, Puff the Magic Dragon, a song some believed to be about drugs, became one of their earliest hits.
00:51:35
Speaker
Yaro said it was actually about outgrowing the playthings of childhood. The inspiration for the song came from a college acquaintance who fell out of Yaro's life. After searching for many years, Yarrow finally tracked him down and shared half the songwriting credit with him.
00:51:50
Speaker
Peter Yarrow is 86 years old. This song was an early song written by Gordon Lightfoot, which is kind of insane to me. The song itself...
00:52:01
Speaker
It's a fairly standard Peter, Paul, and Mary sound. ah Acoustic guitar and close harmony singing. The lyrics are a little bit Dylan inspired. I've got a hundred more like you. I'll have a thousand more before I'm through.
00:52:16
Speaker
It's okay. The changes are slightly similar to Goodbye, but not enough that Paul copied them. Well, that's interesting. And also that lyric, ouch. but Moving on. um Yeah, very fascinating that this was written by Gordon Whitefoot.
00:52:33
Speaker
Obviously, he greatly improved by his solo career. But you can kind of hear the the seeds of Gordon Lightfoot here. The guitar sounds a bit Gordon Lightfoot-ish, along with the lead vocal in terms of little bit of mannerisms. I could absolutely hear Gordon Lightfoot doing this, which in fact he would. Later on, he would record it for his debut album, Lightfoot.
00:52:59
Speaker
You know, there's, of course, the Peter, Paul, Mary harmonies, which, of course, are beautiful, as always. And it's very personal. It predicts the singer-songwriter movement of the 70s. But it's not a favorite for me. It's not a standout for Peter, Paul, Mary or Gordon Lightfoot.
00:53:18
Speaker
But you can see the seeds of Gordon's composition development. I think it's noteworthy for that. But otherwise, it's not really a standout song for me.
00:53:32
Speaker
I won't think of you when I'm gone.
00:53:41
Speaker
I ain't the loving.
00:53:58
Speaker
It's pleasant. The harmonies are lovely, as to be expected. Beautiful guitar work and the actual picking that I think Peter is doing on this is very reminiscent of what Lightfoot would do on songs like If I Could Read Your Mind. Right.
00:54:13
Speaker
Very much so. It's got almost that same picking technique that Gordon will use there. If it had been cleaned up a bit more, the lyrics are probably a bit, could have done with a rewrite, and then it would have been a better song. Otherwise, the tune's nice, the guitar works lovely, and the harmonies are decent.
00:54:30
Speaker
And Paul has mentioned Gordon Lightfoot exactly once that I could find. He was talking to Q Magazine about his recent collaboration. They were apparently dogging him little bit. And his response was, oh, come on.
00:54:43
Speaker
It's Kanye, not Gordon Lightfoot. Ouch. Ouch. I like Gordon Lightfoot. What the heck? like Gordon. You can't foot more than I do Kanye. Yeah.
00:54:56
Speaker
It's in part to the question which was being asked him. But still. At number 85, I've Got a Tiger by the Tail by Buck Owens.
Buck Owens and the Bakersfield Sound
00:55:05
Speaker
Written by Harlan Howard and Buck Owens.
00:55:07
Speaker
It's a good song. It's nothing too terribly unexpected. But there are some really great, fun, thought-out lyrics. Well, I thought the day I met you, you were meek as a lamb. Just the kind to fit my dreams and plans.
00:55:20
Speaker
Now the pace we're living takes the wind from my sails, and it looks like I've got a tiger by the tail. When describing the Bakersfield sound, Buck Owens said, i found a sound that people really liked.
00:55:33
Speaker
I found this basic concept, and all I did was change the lyrics and the melody a little bit. My songs, if you listen to them, they're actually quite a lot alike, kind of like Chuck Berry. Hmm. Interestingly, compared to Chuck
00:56:03
Speaker
Looks like I've got a tiger by the tail.
00:56:15
Speaker
I like this. I've really gotten to like Buck Owens. This is the perfect example the Bakersfield sound. That was a signature sound that he helped create. The antithesis of the Nashville sound. There's no strings here. It's not pop. It's not smooth. This is more honky-tonk country.
00:56:34
Speaker
Funny lyrics. Rockin' guitar solo. love it Which is more than a bit George Harrison-esque. You can actually hear the influence going the other way here. Yeah, that's true. it Yeah, you can definitely hear that.
00:57:06
Speaker
I really like it. It's a classic. This became one of Buck Owen's signature songs. He and Harlan Howard had gotten together to write songs, but things were going slowly. And then Buck Owen saw an Esso gas station sign with the company slogan at the time, which was put a tiger in your tank and got the idea for this song.
00:57:28
Speaker
This is Rex Marshall speaking for Humboldt. You know, some people have been coming into our SO stations expecting to see a real live tiger. Well, of course, we can't guarantee that.
00:57:40
Speaker
But we can promise to put a tiger in your tank with our new high-energy SO Extra Gasoline. So when you stop in at your SO station, don't expect to see a real live tiger.
00:57:51
Speaker
But do expect a three-way power boost from new high-energy SO Extra Gasoline. Stop in
00:58:02
Speaker
Put a tiger in your tank. Happy motoring. Esso became Exxon for you kids out there. Yes, that's right. This was a huge country hit for him. And as I said, good reason. It's clever and it's just good old fashioned country.
00:58:18
Speaker
Love it. There's still Esso in this country. Oh, really? um Oh, I see the tiger is a girl. Yes. There's a change. Hmm.
00:58:29
Speaker
Yeah. music is very book owens it's got that style to it going all the way through it like ed said cool guitar so over there also what book had said with the chuck berry actually in a sense it's almost got that lyrical quality of cho where he uses words very specifically to get a story across Yeah, good point. So we all agree it's a hit.
00:58:54
Speaker
It's a hit. It's a banger. At number 86, Red Roses for a Blue Lady by Burt Kempford and his orchestra. It's a 1948 song by ah Tepper and Bennett. was covered by Guy Lombardo.
00:59:06
Speaker
This version... It's smooth, but it does border on Lawrence Welk territory. In places, it sounds a little bit like Moon River. I do like the Camford instrumental trumpet there with a trumpet solo by Fred Mock.
00:59:21
Speaker
And we will see this song again in 1965. Andy Williams, Vic Dana, and Wayne Newton would do versions, and some of them will chart. I just thought pleasant background music, definitely veering the Lawrence Welk territory, kind of the epitome of easy listening. Just the background singers, horn solos, didn't really do anything for me.
01:00:20
Speaker
I can't say any more than you've both already said. Just background and... Yeah. I'd probably skip it if it was on a playlist or something. I think you summarized it, Marv, with...
01:00:31
Speaker
yeah At number 90, Try to Remember by Ed Ames. This is a song from the musical The Fantastics, written by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones, but not that Tom Jones. No. Ed Ames would cover Michelle and Yesterday, and he would actually get nominated for three Grammys. He didn't win any of them, but he did get nominated for three Grammys.
01:00:59
Speaker
This tune, it's reasonably well recorded, but I don't really like the song very much. Nope. The... Reason we're talking about it is there's a very iconic moment with Ed Ames and Johnny Carson on the very early Tonight Show, and we're fortunate that it still exists.
01:01:19
Speaker
Ed Ames was showing Johnny how to throw tomahawks. but yes Okay. That sounds very um um um safe. They had a little figure they were throwing tomahawks at, and Johnny heads hands Ed Ames this first tomahawk, and they talk a little bit about how do you throw it, and you go underhand, you go overhand, and he finally throws it, and, well, the end of the tomahawk ends in a very uncomfortable place for the figure that it hits.
01:01:50
Speaker
It lands in the crotch area, and the audience just starts laughing and laughing. And Ed starts to remove the hatchet, and Johnny stops him, because of course Johnny Carson knew, hey, this is too good.
01:02:07
Speaker
Don't ruin the moment here. And I think it ended up being like one of the longest laughs recorded in television history. Years ago when Ed was playing in the Daniel Boone show, the Mingo the Indian, he came on in New York to give us a demonstration in the art of tomahawk throwing briefly. And we had a target set up, outline of a cowboy.
01:02:26
Speaker
Ed picked up first shot, couldn't rehearse it, let go of the tomahawk and zonk right in the very embarrassing region. And the audience absolutely collapsed and laughed for two or three minutes straight. It looked like something we had done electronically and you couldn't have done it again if you'd have stood there for a century trying to do it true. and And then Johnny's line was, I didn't even know you were Jewish.
01:02:49
Speaker
That's slightly in poor taste, but you know the loyal thing, we'll take that. Yeah. Even today, that would be an acceptable joke, I think. Yeah, it yeah was really funny.
01:02:59
Speaker
And that Ames at first kind of looked like he wanted to s sink through the floor. But I think he then realized, no this is comedy gold. You know, I'm going to look up to the skies now and say to Johnny Carson up there, that is a great punchline.
01:03:16
Speaker
Yep, he was a master. far as the song goes, I think it's a beautiful song. It's just this isn't a great version.
01:03:35
Speaker
And fall.
01:03:57
Speaker
If you look it up on YouTube, it was originally sung by, of all people, Jerry Orbach. yeah He was in the original off-Broadway production of The Fantastics.
01:04:09
Speaker
And there's a version of him singing it. It was not from the original show, but I think it must have been from like a Tony Awards or something sometime later. And his version is lovely.
01:04:22
Speaker
I mean, you know, he's not a conventionally, you know, a a technically beautiful singer, but he really sings it with emotion, and then it's really a lovely, lovely song. So don't judge it by this version.
01:04:36
Speaker
It really is a lovely song. It's just this just isn't a great version. And Ed Ames used to sing it with... his brothers in their group called the Ames brothers, which was a fairly popular act, I think in the fifties and early sixties. And they would perform on the Ed Sullivan show. And um you can find that on YouTube as well.
01:04:56
Speaker
ah You also can't judge Michelle or yesterday by the Ed Ames version. Neither which are very good, but I will give him credit. He gets the, I said something wrong lyric.
01:05:07
Speaker
Correct. So Paul has no complaint there. Oh, that's good. At least he got that right. That's good. ah wish I wish I'd heard the version that he did with his brothers. Mm-hmm. Yep. um Yeah, you can find some of their stuff on YouTube. I didn't like this version. I love the Jerry Orbach version.
01:05:22
Speaker
But I think possibly I like the Jerry Orbach version because he was a theatrical person anyway, Jerry. So it sort of fits better, in a sense. Exactly. Because it's a very theatrical song for the Gen Zs.
01:05:36
Speaker
Jerry Orbach was the guy that was in Law and Order. Yes. But also... And Dirty Dancing. Yes, yes, Dirty Dancing, because he was the father of Baby. That's right. But before that, he had an extensive musical theatre background. to Absolutely. was in Chicago and many other things. He was also one of the voices in Beauty and the Beast alongside Angela Lansbury.
01:06:00
Speaker
And there is a fantastic duet that they both did together on that. I love their songs on that film. I think it's brilliant. Oh. Go on, unfold your men. You take a glance and then you'll be our guest.
01:06:13
Speaker
We are guests. Be our guests. Beef, ragout, cheese souffle. Pie and pudding on flambé. We'll prepare and serve with flair a culinary cabaret.
01:06:25
Speaker
That's all much better than this version of this song. Yes. At number 91, Little Things by Bobby Goldsboro. It's a Bobby Goldsboro song. Thankfully, it's a much better song than one of the last times we saw Bobby Goldsboro.
01:06:40
Speaker
It was arranged by Bill Justice and produced by Jack Gold. Slightly B-lesque. It's a good lead vocal. I like the guitar on there. The backing girl singers are only okay.
01:06:51
Speaker
Still, I mark it as a hit. yeah I definitely liked it better than the previous song. Now, what's interesting... is Goldsboro originally intended this to be in 2-4 time, but after hearing a copy of Oh Pretty Woman that his friend Roy Orbison had sent him, he changed the beat to 4-4.
01:07:12
Speaker
And I think when you hear this, the tempo and drumming style sounds similar to Pretty Woman. Interesting, and which yeah also explains the B-Less connection. Exactly. When I read that tidbit, I thought, ah, okay, I hear the similarity.
01:07:27
Speaker
I like the repeating acoustic guitar riff. I think yeah that's very catchy. Yeah. I like how Bobby's voice glides over that riff. It's trying to imitate the Mersey beat sound, thus the Beatles, Beatle-esque kind of sound.
01:07:43
Speaker
And when I'm down, you always understand, you know I love the world.
01:08:00
Speaker
Little things that you do. Let me know that your love is true. When we walk, you like to hold my hand.
01:08:16
Speaker
It's a catchy, decent pop song. It's a hit. It's not a favorite, but it's better than I've heard from him. Yep. That guitar riff is fantastic. Love the guitar Yeah, very catchy. I like Bobby's vocal on this a lot.
01:08:30
Speaker
You were right, guys. When you say it to me, oh, you'll remember this as soon as it starts. You're right. I did. I liked the song. Upper middling song. Enjoyed it. At number 92, Whose Heart Are You Breaking Tonight by Connie Francis, a Murray Davis song. Very pretty. It's slightly country, but it's also draggy and more than occasionally a little bit sleepy.
01:08:52
Speaker
I would call this a much lesser crazy. The strings are fine. The backing singers are dull and ordinary. The lead vocal is the best part of this record, but overall, I think it is only so-so.
01:09:04
Speaker
I would absolutely agree. Ooh.
01:09:39
Speaker
I felt like it was just sort of a copy of the Nashville sound, the strings, you know, a little bit of a country sound, just doesn't have a particularly memorable hook. Connie Francis sings it competently, but it doesn't stick in the memory at all. I mean, I just didn't really hear a hook.
01:09:57
Speaker
Great vocal and overwrought production. Yep. And we have a Billboard review of it. They called it Big Beautiful Country Flavored Ballad with a Top Performance by Connie.
01:10:09
Speaker
Wow. Class and commercialism combined, I think that's overstating it more than a little bit. Yeah. ah That was not my reaction to it at all. Well, if it had been a cash box one, it could have been a yee-haw cha-cha.
01:10:22
Speaker
I love it. At number 94, it's the return of our good friends, the Ragdolls. And this song is entitled Dusty. It's Bob Crew writing yet another four seasons alike. And the lead singer, Gene Thomas, trying even harder to sound like Frankie Valli.
01:10:44
Speaker
The arrangement is also a copy of the four seasons. I believe Marv will tell us exactly which four seasons song he thinks it sounds like. I will indeed. That sounds exactly like the song Dawn Go Away. That's exactly what I wrote.
01:11:00
Speaker
I won't get in your way. Oh, please don't say that the
01:11:33
Speaker
I listened to it and I thought, I've heard this darn song before. And then it suddenly jumped out at me. Bob crew was getting lazy. Yes. Just little recycling here. Yeah. It's the same old song. Sorry.
01:11:45
Speaker
And not even a different beat.
01:11:49
Speaker
Yeah, not nearly as good, of course. i mean, this is a poor copy. and The harmonies are fine, you know, your best. But now, I like this better than Society Girl.
01:12:00
Speaker
That's true. But that's not hard, is it? Yeah, that's right. The bar is pretty low. couldn't get much worse. That's right. But otherwise, yeah, this is absolutely bad rewrite of Don Go Away.
01:12:15
Speaker
yeah But there is something interesting about this song. Denny Randell told us that we recorded this session at Atlantic Records' Columbus Circle Studio. They had a brand new eight-track machine, one of only two in existence at that time, the other being in Motown.
01:12:33
Speaker
It was such a trip to have that many tracks to work with. The other studios had at most four track setups and the additional four tracks at Atlantic offered a whole new technique for recording and mixing.
01:12:43
Speaker
Maybe that's why they thought it was okay to redo Dawn. Maybe track one was Dawn and then they just re-recorded everything with that as the guide. Maybe. But you know, we're looking at you know the end of 1964 when they recorded this.
01:12:56
Speaker
So we're talking about four years before eight tracks were available in England. It was well into 1968 before the Beatles got their eight track machine in EMI. At number 96, The Race is On by George Jones. It's George Jones doing the Bakersfield sound. It's very definitely Buck Owens alike.
Enduring Appeal of George Jones
01:13:15
Speaker
It's good. It's not great. I actually like this. This was his only top 40 hit. He continued playing this in concert for, I think, pretty much his whole career. I like that it has the kind of Bakersfield sound. It's, you know, because obviously it's not the Nashville sound. It's little more old-fashioned country. It a little rockabilly twang in that six-string bass guitar solo.
01:13:38
Speaker
It's heavily rhythmic. I like the racing metaphor. It's kind of humorous. It even has a little bit of zydeco. The race
01:14:14
Speaker
I like this track. I enjoyed it. He must have enjoyed it too because he played it much of his career. He recorded it numerous times, even in 1994 as a duet with Travis Tritt and performed it live in concert many, many times.
01:14:28
Speaker
ye I thought that was a baritone guitar doing that solo kit. but Yeah, I looked it up and apparently it was a six-string bass guitar solo. Okay, probably the Fender Six then. maybe Probably. Well, I mean, how many six-string basses are there?
01:14:41
Speaker
Yeah. In the 60s, absolutely. Yeah, right. Yep, country song. My knowledge of country is limited, so the song is sort of okay ah for that type of music.
01:14:53
Speaker
And I'm going to repeat this same joke again. At least there's nothing about a dog dying, the gal dying, or their truck dying. Yeah, exactly. Dang it!
01:15:03
Speaker
Dang it. Dang it. Now, George Jones is actually probably better known by most people for the songs he did with his third wife, Tammy Wynette.
01:15:14
Speaker
Although he did one of the best country songs. Great ballad called He Stopped Loving Her Today. Wonderful song, if you want to look that up. There's lots and lots of drama going on in the George Jones and Tammy Wynette story, and Showtime actually did a series, which is pretty good. If you have Showtime available to you or Paramount Plus and want to go looking for it. Oh yeah, they had a very tumultuous relationship. They were known as Mr. and Mrs. Country music, though.
01:15:44
Speaker
And for our Beatles reference, George Jones never covered yesterday, but Tammy Wynette did. Did she stand by her, man?
01:15:52
Speaker
They got divorced, so she couldn't have stood too close to him. Yeah, because she then did the song D-I-V-O-R-C-E. You go, girl. Go, pal. Yep.
01:16:02
Speaker
At number 97, You're the Only World I Know by Sonny James. Country meets Barbershop. Lead vocals nice. Backing guitar and bass are okay.
01:16:13
Speaker
It's more than a little bit corny, but it is eminently listenable and probably worth a spin or two. I didn't love this. It's just not to my taste. I liked his other hit, Young Love, a bit more. Found that a bit more memorable and catchy. I just didn't hear a hook. The lyrics were a bit cliched. You're the only one for me. Just didn't do it for me. but But I did like the guitar. or Nice finger picking on the guitar from Sonny.
01:16:35
Speaker
I did like that a lot. Did I send my notes to you, Kit? Standard country, cliched, and lyrics by numbers. Wow! i'm I'm sending you a virtual high five.
01:16:52
Speaker
When a singer like Sonny James has so many popular hits from which to choose, it's sometimes hard to decide which song would be most appreciated by Grand Ole Opry audience.
01:17:05
Speaker
Well, I guess after Young Love, one of Sonny's biggest tunes has been the one that he's about to do for us now. This is Sonny James and his very wonderful rendition of one of his all-time top tunes, You're the Only World I Know.
01:17:32
Speaker
my pain. You're
01:18:03
Speaker
At number 98, Goldfinger by Billy Strange, or should I say Goldfinger? Marvelous that? marvel do love that one.
01:18:14
Speaker
ah Not here, though. This is a guitar-driven cover. It's, once again, Billy Strange trying to cash in on his previous success with his copy of the James Bond theme.
01:18:28
Speaker
Some nice playing, although I actually really like the walking bass as much as I like the guitar. But overall, though, it's really just kind of pointless. Yeah, really hard to get that original Shirley Bassey version out of your head.
01:18:44
Speaker
um um
01:19:15
Speaker
There was a low note. I don't know if it was a tuba or what it was. really got on my nerves throughout that song. There was this bump, bump, bump. That just really irritated me. um You know, the guitar sounded good, but otherwise, why?
01:19:32
Speaker
Why? I think we all agree, Marv, miss, right? Yes, very strange. Strange. Strange. All right, we close out the week with a song that I know we're going to have some disagreement on. We're going to have to let Marv settle this score here.
01:19:51
Speaker
At number 100, The Birds and the Bees by Jewel Akins. This is a well-known song. It's maybe just a little bit sing-song, but I like the lead, I like the guitar, and I think it's a nice recording. Let me tell you about the birds and the bees.
01:20:32
Speaker
Now, the song was said to have been written by the 12-year-old son of Era Records owner Barry Stewart. Kit? I hate this song. I hate it. This used to play all the time on Magic 104.
01:20:49
Speaker
When I was working at that jewelry store, it is right up there was Sugar Shack and bread and butter for me. I hate the sing-song quality. When you said the lyrics were written by a 12-year-old, I thought, yeah, that makes perfect sense. The lyrics are so...
01:21:07
Speaker
simplistic and annoying. I always hated this song. When I saw this, this was going to be on the list. I thought, don't tell me it's that song. Please don't tell me. And when it started, the PTSD came back immediately. i just, oh, I hate it.
01:21:24
Speaker
Okay, Marv.
01:21:27
Speaker
What's your take? Shall I pause for dramatic effect here to make Ed wait a bit longer? Yeah, sure. hu Uncomfortable. And do not go to this song if you want to learn all about the birds and the bees because it doesn't make any sense at all.
01:21:46
Speaker
And that organ is dreadful. Isn't it? That I would agree with. Yes. The the organ is not good. Yep. No. and But ah yes, uncomfortable. And thank crikey, I don't have to listen to this song again.
01:22:01
Speaker
yeah Okay. So the official top of most ranking is a miss. Although I will say it's a strong miss from both of you. And I mark it as a low to medium hit. So we'll take that.
01:22:13
Speaker
Thank you, Marv. I can feel the daggers now, Ed. A bit of background on the artist. Jewel Akins kind of had the Billy Preston thing. He was born September the 12th, 1940 in Houston, Texas. yeah And began singing at the Zion Hill Baptist Church, which which happens to still exist.
01:22:34
Speaker
And it happens to be just down the street from where Lonnie Pena lives. Oh, no kidding. Cool. So the other thing that Jewel Akins tells us is that he was not only inspired by the work he did singing in the church.
01:22:48
Speaker
He was influenced by the blues joint in his neighborhood. Now the blues joint no longer exists. In the late forties, Jewel Akins family moved to Los Angeles and Jewel Akins would become a musician.
01:23:00
Speaker
His earliest recordings as Akins and Daniels featured Eddie Cochran on guitar. Hey, wow. Cool. What Jewel Akins would say of this song is I knew it was a hit.
01:23:13
Speaker
Just knew it. I sang it for my wife and anybody I could find. All they'd say was it's cute. you You would agree with that. um You don't like it, but it's cute. Um, um, no, I worked on the melody and the four or five different arrangements we went through.
01:23:31
Speaker
We even tried bird whistles, but none of that worked. oh heard whistles the lyrics were pre-teen no debate but there was an underlining thrusting hypnotic rhythm that was definitely post pimples yeah yeah well you see i was getting ticked off by the 27th take that's why there are those heavy accents in parts of the song like on let me tell you about that is what he has to say 27 takes and the whistles would have been a way to make a take a bad song and make it worse
01:24:03
Speaker
Yeah. If I had to do 27 takes of this song, if I were playing drums, I'd be like drumming on someone's head at that point. I'd be like, get me out of the studio now.
01:24:15
Speaker
ah so that ends the week of January 23rd.
Episode Wrap-Up and Future Discussions
01:24:20
Speaker
We've got a bunch of songs. So the last week is going to take up our entire side of January, 1965. See then. Take care.
01:24:27
Speaker
see ya then take care
01:24:51
Speaker
There was a piece in the NME, a news piece, that said that Top Rank records, remember when Top Rank had a record label? and They introduced an LP series next week that will be called Toppamos and it's coinciding with their current advertising slogan Toppermost of the poppermost.
01:25:10
Speaker
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. And they've taken it from there. They've obviously thought how stupid that is.
01:25:24
Speaker
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. Toppermost of the poppermost.