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May 1965 (side C)
122 Plays1 day ago
Len Barry and Shirley Ellis spout puzzles and tongue twisters. Thankfully, we are playing with fire and taking a ticket to ride with Mr. Tambourine Man! Support this podcast at the $6/month level on patreon to get extra content! Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr
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Transcript
The Beatles' Cheer-Up Chant
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 you 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 we say, to the toppermost of the poppermost. And say, right. And we all sort cheer up.
00:00:31
Speaker
Now then, boys, where are we going? To the top, bro. Where's that? To the toppermost of the poppermost.
Introduction to Toppermost of the Poppermost
00:00:47
Speaker
Welcome to Side C of Toppermost of the Poppermost as we're finishing up the billboard charts for the month of May 1965. I'm Ed Chin.
Billboard Chart Analysis: May 1965
00:00:58
Speaker
I'm Kid O'Toole. And I'm Martin Quibel. So we jump right in the week ending May the 15th. At number one still is Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter by Herman's Hermits.
00:01:10
Speaker
Wow, she must be really proud of that daughter. At number three, Ticket to Ride... She's got a ticket to ride and she yeah She would never be free when I was around
00:01:40
Speaker
She's got a ticket to ride
00:01:44
Speaker
He's got a ticket to ride.
Deep Dive: Beatles' 'Yes, it is'
00:01:49
Speaker
Cool. Number 57. Yes, it is by the Beatles. Yes, it is. That's what I say.
00:01:54
Speaker
Yes, it is. Take one. One.
00:02:04
Speaker
One.
00:02:07
Speaker
One. None. and no One, two, three, four...
00:02:29
Speaker
Number 65, Before and After by Chad and Jeremy. It's a really nice co-lead, and I like the two of them singing together. It's kind of reminiscent to me of what we're soon to get from Simon and Garfunkel.
00:02:42
Speaker
Otherwise, it's a slightly workmanlike acoustic ballad. It's got some interesting changes. It's a low hit. Yeah, I didn't love the lyrics to this. I thought they were a bit wordy and clunky.
00:02:54
Speaker
And the whole before and after metaphor, losing his love, didn't quite work
Critique: Chad and Jeremy's 'Before and After'
00:03:01
Speaker
for me. I mean, I just didn't think it was executed well lyrically. But I do love Chad and Jeremy's tight harmonies.
00:03:07
Speaker
They really elevate the song into something way more listenable. And I hated that flourishing piano part. sounded like Liberace or something. i thought that one And it fades out suddenly in the middle of singing.
00:03:23
Speaker
I used to be happy as he till I lost you somehow. Though I don't show it, you wouldn't know it till look at me now.
00:03:41
Speaker
He makes you happy when he's around. He wears smile, I wear a frown. He makes you happy when he's around.
00:03:59
Speaker
I agree, had interesting chord changes, but I would say that and their vocal performances are really the only thing. Yeah, it's the co-lead singing that raises it above meh for me. Exactly. Yeah, I can hear what you mean by where you see Simon and Garfunkel going soon, for sure, for the vocals.
00:04:20
Speaker
But other than that, yeah, I thought the words were convoluted. Very messy lyric writing. The vocals great. Some of the music bits are okay. Some of the music bits are most definitely not okay.
00:04:34
Speaker
So, lower hit. It was written by Van McCoy. All over the place. We ended last month with Van McCoy. yeah' know He's got his hustle going. That's right.
00:04:46
Speaker
I see what you did there. Mar, we got a cash box review. You want to read that? Yep. So the Cashbox Review says, Chad and Jeremy effectively kick off their new Columbia careers with a tip-top new release dubbed before and after.
00:05:02
Speaker
Side is a lyrical rhythmic ode about the chronology of a love affair with some interesting, rapidly changing melodic constructions.
00:05:13
Speaker
and That's a mouthful. Fare thee well, I must be gone, is a hauntingly lovely folk-oriented original.
00:05:24
Speaker
Cool. Well, they had to try and match Terpsichorian. Yeah. It's like two people wrote that actual review there because you've got the side is a lyrical and then all these of the moment, you know, TikTok and all these sort of things.
00:05:42
Speaker
But then you've got almost poetic, interesting, rapidly changing, melodic construction and all that word thing there. It's like two people have written that review.
00:05:53
Speaker
could be
Highlighting The Four Tops' 'I Can't Help Myself'
00:05:54
Speaker
at number 66 bring it on home to me by the animals which we covered on the uk side at number 67 i can't help myself sugar pie honey bunch by the four tops this is a great song even if it is more than a little reminiscent of where did our love go uh the tune is great the lead vocals are great the singing is great Big, big banger. It's a hit.
00:06:20
Speaker
Yep. Absolute banger. This is how to write and produce a hit song. Holland Dozier Holland strikes again. has everything. It's got a hook, catchy lyrics, and of course, a fantastic performance by the four tops, specifically Levi Stubbs. What a voice he had. And you know he and he reaches new heights with this.
00:06:44
Speaker
He's got those powerful, raspy vocals. He sings this with his heart. And the Funk Brothers, oh my gosh, I mean, they outdo themselves on this track. The piano, the drums, the bass line, the sax solo, which could have been brought up a bit more in the mix.
00:07:00
Speaker
But other than that, fantastic. The Andantes on backing vocals in addition to the Four Tops. Killer bass line from James Jamerson. What more can you say?
00:07:23
Speaker
Honey, but you know that I love you I can't help myself I love you and nobody
00:07:37
Speaker
This is how to create a memorable pop slash soul song. Yep, another classic song, musically and vocally perfect. The baritone saxophone solo in there is great as well.
00:07:53
Speaker
Yeah, perfect song. All right, we will go to our friends, the Motown Junkies, for the almost final
Motown's Chart Strategy
00:07:59
Speaker
award. We also have a cash box review. Kit can read the cash box review. What Motown Junkies say is, i don't know if a record can ever be magnificently adequate, but that sounds like veiled criticism, even though that's both exactly how I feel and not at all what I mean.
00:08:17
Speaker
So instead, I'll put it more positively. Everything about this record is just right. and they give it an 8 out of 10. That's not far off the rating I give it. I might go up to a 9. It's not a 10 out of 10 for sure.
00:08:29
Speaker
Oh, I'd go to 9, hands down. Absolutely. I'd go 9. I might be close to a 10. I might be really close to it. It's the fact that they have recycled the Where Did Our Love Go? facking
The Byrds' Folk Rock Influence
00:08:44
Speaker
a little bit, more than a little bit, that kind of takes it down a notch for me.
00:08:50
Speaker
Hmm. What? All right, Kit, we've got the Cashbox review. Why don't you read that one for us? Okay, so Cashbox says the four tops should score in both the pop and R&B locations with this excellent follow-up stanza to their recent hit of Ask Bull Only.
00:09:06
Speaker
The plug side here, I can't help myself, is a rollicking hand-clappin', not clapping, clapping, thumper, yep, about a fella who is delighted cause, that's apostrophe, C-A-U-S-E, he's head over heels with the gal of his dreams. Oh my goodness.
00:09:28
Speaker
he's Gal. Gal. The Four Tops have a lonely song, too. Bobby Vinton, he's got his lawyers in court, doesn't he? Yeah, that's right. lot loneliness during this period.
00:09:39
Speaker
What's going on here? All right. At number 84, For Your Love by the Yardbirds, which we covered on the UK side, in fact, had a supercut of... At number 85, Catch the Wind by Donovan, which we covered on the UK side.
00:09:55
Speaker
At number 87-1, I've been looking forward to getting Mr. Tambourine Man by The Birds. The Birds were introduced with a full-page trade ad telling us they were introducing The Birds.
00:10:10
Speaker
This is the birds taking a Dylan song and what they learned from a hard day's night and coming up with something brand new. This fusion would open up many doors and would influence both the Beatles and Dylan.
00:10:24
Speaker
We're going to have a bit more about the relationship between the birds and the Beatles. Before we move on to the next song, let me just close out by saying love the 12 string big hit.
00:10:35
Speaker
yeah Yeah, I don't think it can be overestimated just how influential this song is. you know, it helped popularize folk rock, that distinctive 12-string Rickenbacker opening.
00:10:48
Speaker
Just hearing that transports you back to that period. Just those opening notes. Roger McGuinn's vocal delivery on this really perfectly captures Bob Dylan's ah swirling, almost trippy kind of lyrics.
00:11:05
Speaker
I love them. The harmonies are definitely Beatles-inspired, but done extremely well. This is produced by Terry Melcher, who I think does an incredible job. It's queer. You can hear all the different guitars and and and instrumentation going on here.
00:11:22
Speaker
This is not only just a great song, it's an important one as well. I knew that Terry Melcher produced a lot of stuff by the Byrds, and I've only just thought that explains the musicians that they've got on this song, Terry Melcher, because he's already worked with the Wrecking Crew on other productions and songs that he's been a part of himself already.
00:11:46
Speaker
And of course, we've discussed Terry Melcher before. We have, of course, yeah. So we've got that lovely distinctive 12-string Rickenbacker with Roger McGuinn's there that opens it up marvellously. Then all the other instruments come in and the superb vocals.
00:12:01
Speaker
It's a great song that I've hinted at just then. None of the birds are actually musicians on this other than Roger. It's the Wrecking Crew playing in the background. So you've got Bill Pittman and Jerry Cole on guitars, Larry Natchel on bass,
00:12:17
Speaker
Electric piano is Leon Russell again, drums by Hal Blink. Well, and while we love the Wrecking Crew, it is those vocals and that 12 string which drives this song. Yeah, it All right, so there are lots of Beatles relationships, and as we said with Donovan, we will cover them as we move along through the 60s, but we're going to start with the birds and how they came to the Beatles.
00:12:45
Speaker
Roger McGuinn says he saw and heard She Loves You on the Jack Parr Show in January 1964. And he was so knocked out, he went out and bought the Meet the Beatles album, listened to it repeatedly, learned all the songs, and started integrating their songs into his acoustic folk sets around Greenwich Village.
00:13:05
Speaker
That must have been something to see. Wow.
The Beatles and The Byrds' LSD Incident
00:13:07
Speaker
Yeah, no kidding. David Crosby, who was in Chicago in early 1964, was by the Meet the Beatles album and ate it for breakfast.
00:13:19
Speaker
Gene Clark was touring in Canada with the new Christy Mistral in the second half of 1963. Heard She Loves You, so Gene Clark heard it in Canada in 1963. For the first time.
00:13:32
Speaker
Then later in early 64 on a jukebox in Norfolk, Virginia, he only punched up. She loves you about 40 times over the two days he was playing there.
00:13:43
Speaker
Wow. clark Glader claimed right then. i knew, i knew that this was the future. wow It's amazing that all three of the birds had a New Christie's relationship.
00:13:55
Speaker
We will take just a brief timeout to mention that right about now is 60 years since John and George had their first trip with the dentist.
00:14:06
Speaker
Probably a little bit earlier in the year, but it may be as late as March or April of 1965. Oh, wow. sixty five oh wow We mention that because the birds are involved heavily in John and George's second trip.
00:14:22
Speaker
If you promise it'll just be this one time, okay. Let's go drop acid with the Beatles. It was in August of 1965 when the Beatles were in Hollywood and the birds came by and brought them some LSD at a party. The infamous, unknown Peter Fonda kept going around telling people that he knew what it's like to be dead. yes.
00:14:50
Speaker
Yes. What the birds said was that what impressed us most was the chemistry between the people rather than the drugs. John was more difficult, Paul was more distant, and George was more friendly and undefended. You know, that's not the way I would have described those three Beatles. No. No.
00:15:09
Speaker
No. David Crosby then continues. I introduced George to Ravi Shankar when I went to England, which led to George learning the sitar and meeting the Maharishi. So we inspired each other.
00:15:20
Speaker
We're going to get lots more Beatles and birds connections. And so we're going our super cut this episode out of the way real early right here. There have been 269 versions of Mr. Tambourine man. Some of the ones you will hear in this super cut, of course, the Dylan original. Cool.
00:15:40
Speaker
Dino, Desi, and Billy. yeah We got to have Dean Martin's son in here. Of course. ah yeah The Silky. We had one three-member group. Here's another. Alvin, Simon, and Theodore with David Seville.
00:15:53
Speaker
Oh, that'll be a banger. For sure. Simon and Garfunkel, who we just mentioned. Chad and Jeremy also did a copy of Mr. Tambourine Man. Yes.
00:16:04
Speaker
Stevie Wonder. Cool. The Bo Brummels. Yeah. Marv's favorite, William Shatner. That's a banger. It's on the same album as The Transform Man, I believe.
00:16:16
Speaker
Ooh. Hmm. Yeah, know where he does Lucy. Believe it or not, The Baron Knights did a cover of Mr. Tambourine Man. Oh, dear. they Did it straight? I believe so, yes. Wow.
00:16:28
Speaker
Teenage Fan Club. Cool. Different. Yeah. Our old friend George from Beatlemania, Les Fradkin. Patti LuPone. Oh, wow. Charlie Daniels Band.
00:16:39
Speaker
Charlie Daniels. And we can't leave out good old Timothy Chalamet. Oh, yes. Yep. Or as Adam Sunder says, Chalamet.
00:16:51
Speaker
And then the Village Stomper's also covered Mr. Tamarine Man. Of course. I'd like to bring Stevie Nicks out to help me on this one.
00:17:06
Speaker
All right, I'm looking forward to this. Well, this is, yeah, up there. This is Mr. Tambourine Man. been a long time.
00:17:26
Speaker
Play a song for me I'm not sleepy and there ain't no place I'm going to Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man Play a song for me
00:17:58
Speaker
On your magic swirling ship My senses have been stripped And my hands can't feel to grip And my toes too numb to step Wait only for my boot heels
The Byrds' 'Mr. Tambourine Man'
00:18:18
Speaker
to be wandering
00:18:45
Speaker
I miss the tambourine and fire songs one day I'm not sleeping
00:18:58
Speaker
Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me in the jingle jangle morning. I come following you.
00:19:58
Speaker
And take me disappearing through the smoke rings of my mind, through the foggy ruins of time.
00:20:12
Speaker
I've found the unreached our crazy sorrow.
00:20:19
Speaker
Just to dance beneath the diamond sky With one hand waving free Silhouetted by the sea Silhouetted by the circus Andy, write too many words about it I don't know, we will tomorrow, tomorrow we'll get right
00:21:05
Speaker
We have
00:21:55
Speaker
All right, so we move on. Number 90, Laurie, Strange Things Happen by Dickie Lee.
Critique: Dickie Lee's 'Laurie, Strange Things Happen'
00:22:02
Speaker
ah a vocal that sounds like overwarmed Bobby V. The melody is slightly Red River Valley.
00:22:10
Speaker
It's not quite a splatter platter, but it's definitely a teen tragedy tune. I saw her sweater lying there upon her grave. That makes i Want My Baby Back look like a normal lyric.
00:22:23
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, this is like teenage tragedy with a twist. He was really with a ghost. How can you be so cruel to come to me this way?
00:22:52
Speaker
Oh!
00:22:56
Speaker
In Chicago, there's an urban legend, Resurrection Mary. Resurrection Mary is a young female ghost who has appeared outside the gates Resurrection Cemetery and at local ballrooms for somewhere in the vicinity of 70 or 80 years. It's not sure exactly who she is, but she appears in the form of a young, blonde-haired girl in a white dress.
00:23:19
Speaker
generally only meets with males either on the street on Archer Avenue, outside of the cemetery or at local ballrooms. Anytime she meets with someone, she usually asks for a ride home somewhere on the south side of Chicago, at which time she jumps out of the car right at the gates of Resurrection Cemetery, never to be seen from again.
00:23:41
Speaker
Every place has a version of that story. So this is just another variation of that. Yeah, the sweater ending up on her grave. I just thought, oh, come on.
00:23:52
Speaker
The harpsichord, I think there's a harpsichord in there, and sappy background singers makes this even worse. And it's just overall creepy, particularly given that swoony, sappy kind of arrangement.
00:24:05
Speaker
A big old miss for me. Story song that I wasn't really bothered to find out the ending of. I didn't really care. Right. Lyrically and musically, it's like a song version of something that, say, a 10-year-old back in the day would have written in one of the little notebooks or something and then passed it to the friends and they've oh, that's so cool.
00:24:31
Speaker
And it would have been as a 10-year-old, but it's completely pointless for anybody above that age. yeah Yeah, it's very much the sitting around the campfire roasting marshmallows telling ghost stories kind of lyric.
00:24:45
Speaker
Probably better to listen to if you were stoned, maybe. At number 93, Before You Go by Buck Owens. I really like the first and last part of this song. Really nice rockabilly guitar.
00:25:01
Speaker
It could have been recorded better, but it's very entertaining.
00:25:11
Speaker
Oh, you say that you're going away and leave me, and you say you ain't never coming back, that you're sick and tired of how I'm doing, and you're gonna head off down the track.
00:25:30
Speaker
Buck gives you a great lead vocal there. But then there's the middle bits. It abruptly changes to a slower, almost classic country tempo. And then it spends the rest of the record alternating between the two.
00:25:44
Speaker
I like the fast part enough to rate it a low hit. But if they had rearranged it a bit or even better split it into two songs, it could have been a pretty strong hit.
00:25:56
Speaker
So low hit still. it sounds like two different songs sometimes. And as you said, i think if they split them up into two different songs, it would have worked out better. But darling, before you go, be sure you know.
00:26:15
Speaker
I like the first part, you know, that's faster and almost a bit of rockabilly. But then he goes into Darling Before You Go, and then that section you know slows down. And as you said, it sounds like more traditional country ballad.
00:26:31
Speaker
And i appreciate the different sound. that he's trying to accomplish here by going back and forth between these two styles. And I like his voice. I mean, it's Buck Owens.
00:26:42
Speaker
So he's always has great vocals, but I just feel like it's an experiment that doesn't quite work. And as you said, I think it would have rated higher if he had just recorded two different songs, traditional country ballad, and then sort of an up-tempo rockabilly thing. So yeah, low hit for me.
00:27:00
Speaker
Low. No offense to fans of Buck Owens, but i immediately did not like the song, and I don't know why. And then when the tempo changed, it tanked it even more for me.
00:27:15
Speaker
Please let it go. Just let it go. really didn't like it. Meh. Well, okay, so you like it less than Kit and I, and and we're both kind of on the low hit end. I might like it slightly better than she does.
00:27:28
Speaker
Yeah, it's a low, low hit for me. I mean, just above a man. so The three of us are ah stair steps, but not yeah huge stair steps. No. At number 96, I've Been Loving You Too Long to Stop Now by Otis Redding.
Otis Redding's Soulful Impact
00:27:43
Speaker
It's Otis. What can you say? an amazing lead vocal. Many people recognize this as one of Otis' best lead vocals ever. Add in that great, big, stinging Steve Cropper guitar, you get a real hit, a big banger, a top hit.
00:28:03
Speaker
Yep. I absolutely cannot disagree with any of that. This is the very definition of soul. Otis Redding was a singular vocalist. He really was, and it's on full display here.
00:28:14
Speaker
You feel every ounce of his emotion. He's begging. He is absolutely begging on this. You feel it. You know, he almost becomes a preacher toward the end.
00:28:34
Speaker
And your love is growing cold My love is growing stronger
00:28:43
Speaker
As I'm a fair, a fair go I've been loving you Oh, too long To stop now
00:29:00
Speaker
I mean, he's got blues, he's got gospel, he's got soul. It's all in one. As you mentioned, Steve Cropper's guitar adds to the song's iconic status.
00:29:11
Speaker
Just makes you miss a Otis even more. He was just one of a kind. I didn't look, and I don't know. Is this one of the ones that Otis has written with Steve? Yeah.
00:29:22
Speaker
No, it was with Jerry Butler. Right. Another perfect song this month. And if I was a writer writing a book about soul, this song would have to feature in that book to me. Right on.
00:29:36
Speaker
The vocal and the music push the emotion, showing how much that this person is in love. means to them. And my other half, Louise, said while we were listening to this, that it's like listening to melted chocolate. It's a voice that's just good for the soul to listen to.
00:29:54
Speaker
Mm-hmm. Read. Ed? And Marv, we've got a cash box review. You want to read it? Okay. So the cash box review says, Otis Redding can quickly get back in his chart-gracing ways with this top-notch new vault blues stand labeled, I've been loving you too long.
00:30:17
Speaker
The side is a tender, slow-moving, heartfelt lament that About fella whose love for his gal, Galligan, is growing cold. Watch it closely.
00:30:31
Speaker
I'm Depending On You, that's the B-side by the way, is an infectious, raunchy, traditional blues romancer. At number 97, Yes I'm Ready by Barbara Mason.
00:30:44
Speaker
This song had legs and to be honest, I'm not sure completely why. It is a great tune and it's really memorable, but I don't really love Barbara Mason's voice on the lead vocal.
00:30:56
Speaker
It's got that slightly weird affectation on it. The phrasing takes away from what would otherwise be a really good performance. I also don't love the strings and the backing vocals alternating between male and female.
00:31:09
Speaker
are better as an idea than an execution. Good guitar and drums, and I have been happy with that as a backbone. Objectively, it's a low hit, but I'm subject to it too.
00:31:21
Speaker
I remember this song, and it has become an earworm. And so because of that, it has a higher place in my memory than I really want it to. Oh boy, I'm going to completely disagree with you, Harris. I love this song.
00:31:34
Speaker
Let present it differently. What I like is she comes off here as maybe someone more inexperienced, who's... a little bit afraid of falling in love, a little bit of hesitation. But she then says, I'm ready to learn about love and, well, other things, I think it's implied.
00:31:56
Speaker
i like that kind of hesitancy in her voice. Now, the version you're referring to, which I think probably all of us heard first, was the Casey and Terry Desario version.
00:32:08
Speaker
That is a much more like smooth adult, okay, I'm ready to fall in love with you. And, you know, you don't sense any like inexperience there this one sounds like a little younger that's the application which i don't care for yeah but i think it works with the lyrics i don't even know how to hold your hand
00:32:42
Speaker
But I'm ready to learn. Yes, I'm ready to learn. To hold.
00:32:55
Speaker
I like the back and forth between the male and female backing vocalists. And I like the lush string arrangement. This is early Philly soul. And in fact, the key people who brought this recording to life became creators of the Philly sound. Kenny Gamble was a backing singer.
00:33:14
Speaker
Earl Young was on drums, Ronnie Baker on bass, and Bobby E. White and Norman Harris on guitar. They would all go on to form the Philly International House Band, MFSB.
00:33:27
Speaker
So this is early Philly soul here, and I love it. Both Kenny Gamble and Leon Hoff have been featured quite a lot of late. Many times, yes. Absolutely.
00:33:39
Speaker
I'm closer to Kit as well. ah like the harmonies. It's almost like a predecessor to what you'll get with the stylistics in years to come. Good point. get that sort of feel to it. I love the bass playing.
00:33:51
Speaker
I like a lot about this. You can hear what they would do eventually with the Philly sound in this. Like you, Kip, the first version I heard of this was the Casey and the Sunshine band with Terry DiSario.
00:34:04
Speaker
from 1979 because one of my aunts used to babysit and she was a huge fan of Casey and the Sunshine Band, Sheik, Rose Royce and all of those late 70s funk and soul groups. That's why I became a bass player probably is because of all that disco and soul music that she introduced me to.
00:34:29
Speaker
Nice. All right. So I am subconsciously in your camp, but I still don't consciously see what makes this a great record, but all right, I'll give it to you. At number 98, When the Ship Comes In by Peter, Paul, and Mary.
00:34:45
Speaker
Oh, the fishes will laugh as they swim out of the path, and the seagulls, they'll be smiling, and the rocks on the sand will proudly stand the hour that the ship comes in.
00:35:01
Speaker
And the words that are used for to get the ship confused will not be understood as they're spoken. For the chains of the sea will have busted in the night and be buried on the bottom of the ocean.
00:35:19
Speaker
This is energetic Peter, Paul, and Mary, but it's definitely a song you have to be in the mood to listen to. Guitar, shuffle rhythm, and great harmony vocals, but still no more than a low hit for me.
00:35:31
Speaker
I actually like this a little bit better. I think this is one of their better songs. Not top. We're not talking Puff the Magic Dragon. But I love the rhythmic acoustic guitar on this.
00:35:42
Speaker
They're close harmonies. Of course, this is a cover of Bob Dylan track, and they put their own spin on it. I liked it. I'd say... A load of middle hit. A little bit better than I liked it. Right.
00:35:54
Speaker
For Dylan's songs that they have covered, I think this is the best match for them because the other songs that they've done that are Dylan's songs...
00:36:05
Speaker
They've been a bit too syrupy for my ears and gone away from the meaning of the songs, whereas the way that they perform this works nicely to get the meaning of the song across. I love their vocal arrangement on this, and love Peter's guitar playing on this a lot.
00:36:21
Speaker
And we have a Cashbox review. They're telling us that the folk trio stand a good chance of having a hit on their hands with this power-packed Warner Brothers outing.
00:36:32
Speaker
The plug a lid here, Bob Dylan's When the Ship Comes In, is a rhythmic, fast-moving, blues ditty on warm-hearted, somewhat euphoric theme.
00:36:44
Speaker
On the flip, the artists dish up a moving version of Dylan's stirring the times they are a-changin'. o but I don't want their version of the times they are changing that I was just going to say, i like this one better.
00:36:58
Speaker
i think we all agree that that this is better than that. Yes. At number 99, I do by the Marvellos. If you want to go looking it up on YouTube, it is M-A-R-V-E-L-O-W-S.
00:37:10
Speaker
s This is a slightly updated doo-wop. Nothing particularly brainy or interesting, but it's fun. And sometimes that's all you really need. This is the sort of upbeat pop that to my ears would become a staple in things like Schoolhouse Rock.
00:37:25
Speaker
Low hit.
00:37:45
Speaker
I thought this was fun, and you reminded me, Ed, because I thought, where have I heard this? The Jay Giles band covered it in the early 80s. And I'm like, holy cow, I totally forgot about that. Wow, the Centifold group.
00:37:58
Speaker
Exactly. yeah And I can see why they cover it. It's a lot of fun. So upbeat. Not to sound like, you know, it's got a good beat and you can dance to it, but it's true. I love the horns.
00:38:09
Speaker
Love the doo-wop. Although the vocal mix could be a little better, but I think this is a hidden gem. And the Marvelos are from Chicago. Hey! Hey! hey
00:38:22
Speaker
Yes, like Ed said, if you're looking this song up, you've got to remember the W because there's also a group in America called the Marvelos without the W. Be careful with that. Yeah, I enjoyed this.
00:38:34
Speaker
And this song was created in soundcheck, apparently. Paul McCartney connection tenuously there with one of his songs off his last album that was created in a soundcheck as well.
00:38:48
Speaker
But for a song that's created in a soundcheck, it's not bad. It's fun. But the lyrics are nothing to write home about. I'll say that. But I think that probably wasn't the ultimate point. I think it was just to get people up and moving, and probably they were thinking, hey, we don't need brainy lyrics here. This is about rhythm and just creating this party kind of vibe. And on those levels, it works.
00:39:11
Speaker
It works. And thankfully we have this upbeat pop tune here because, well, we've got several in a row which do not classify as that.
00:39:22
Speaker
Mm-hmm. That's for sure. At number 100, What's He Doing In My World by Eddie Arnold. Bad Eddie Arnold. Go ahead, Marv.
00:39:32
Speaker
Bad, bad, bad Eddie Arnold. Go and stand in the corner. Put that dunce hat on. Terrible lead vocal. Terrible backing vocals.
00:39:43
Speaker
The only thing i even kind of like about this record is the piano. The slide guitar might have been interesting and worth listening to in another song. But not here.
00:39:53
Speaker
Miss.
00:40:01
Speaker
We don't need him in our world.
00:40:08
Speaker
So if it's true he's just a friend Explain those kisses you gave him
00:40:16
Speaker
And what's he doing? and I cannot believe that this song went to number one on the country charts for a couple weeks and spent a total of 24 weeks on the charts in general.
00:40:32
Speaker
I don't get it. I thought this was by numbers, Nashville sound, country pop ballad, but not nearly as good as some of the others we've talked about on this show.
00:40:42
Speaker
I just found it bland, except for i think there were vibes in there at various points. And I thought, oh, that's kind of interesting. But other than that, not a strong vocal from Eddie Arnold at all.
00:40:55
Speaker
Missed for me. Boring, saccharine strings and terrible backing r vocals. a Every single song that we've had from Jim Reeves is better than this.
00:41:09
Speaker
Yep. Agreed. We move on to the week of May the 22nd. And Ticket to Ride has moved to number one. Woo!
00:41:42
Speaker
Yeah. Hey, was that it? Well, it's one very... It was pretty close. it was one very interesting thing, which... The second downbeat... Yeah. And I think it's because of the shoulder. I play with my shoulder, you see, there's like...
00:42:03
Speaker
Exactly. Mrs. Brown has fallen out of the top spot. Yeah, but she's got a lovely daughter. At number 54 is Yes It Is, also by the Beatles.
00:42:14
Speaker
Yeah. You bet she'll be handsome. One, two, three, bread.
00:42:27
Speaker
Oh, sorry, I went wrong. One, two, three, four. Yes?
00:42:38
Speaker
Five. One, two, three, three four. That was wrong. Seven. One, two, three, four
00:42:56
Speaker
So those don't count in our easy listening parade here. That's for sure. No, they're good listening. Now this isn't. No. At number 77, remember me, I'm the one who loves you by Dean Martin.
00:43:11
Speaker
ah Could someone please take away Dean's rusty nail? I'm going show you how to make a rusty nail. It's probably the simplest of recipes that I've i've made today. Two ingredients. so we've got a Scotch whiskey and we've got a Scotch whiskey liqueur.
00:43:26
Speaker
Most of you are probably familiar with Jambiui. It's got spices and honey as well. Considering everything else that we've had this month, a bit of ganja might have done Dean some good.
00:43:37
Speaker
Slurry, drunk Dean lead vocal. Bad backing, awful backup singers. Big miss.
00:43:51
Speaker
When this world has turned you down, and all the truth then can be found, remember I'm the one who will love you.
00:44:07
Speaker
Not the worst. Some of those are coming up, but yeah, this was originally written and sung by Stuart Hamblin, who was one of radio's first singing cowboys.
00:44:18
Speaker
And it was released in 1950. Ernest Tubb covered it then and then. And Johnny Cash would cover it as well on his 1957 album. why You got me.
00:44:30
Speaker
I did not care for this at all. It was just another typical Dean Martin production. Overranged. semi-drunk vocal, almost sing-along quality with the background singers and not sing-along in a good way. Very simplistic, big miss for me.
00:44:47
Speaker
Yeah. You know, this could go for this and for the song that follows. Buy the book's song that doesn't do a thing we haven't heard before many, many, many times.
00:45:00
Speaker
Bingo. And i did actually write many three times. At number 82, Tell Her You Love Her Every Day by Frank Sinatra.
00:45:11
Speaker
big drums, overwrought backing vocals. It's well recorded, but the tune is overdone and the strings are annoying. This would be the definition of grown-up music. In 1965, this is a nice but not top-notch Sinatra vocal, and even that cannot save this record.
00:45:32
Speaker
A low meh. And by the way, this is not the superior song Tell Her You Love Her, which Sinatra recorded in 1957. Indeed. indeed
00:46:09
Speaker
weird beginning with that drumming. You know, almost like an African kind of drumming. I mean, it was really strange. And then you're expecting this then to be really up-tempo.
00:46:20
Speaker
And then it launches into this mid-tempo, really typical of the period. Yeah. Spring-filled overrangement with the goopy background singers. it's like all them. And that highest female voice is really cringy.
00:46:34
Speaker
A couple of times she wrote like sings a little bit with them. And, oh,
00:46:46
Speaker
And as far as his vocal goes, Frank's, I mean, it's fine. Definitely not up to its top standards. I mean, to me, this sounds like something he could have done in like the 40s when he had that croonier style and musicals and that by the 50s and 60s, he changed up his style for that little bit tougher sound. But this is kind of a throwback to his earlier period.
00:47:09
Speaker
and not in a good way. Laid Back, that's been nice. Nelson Riddle arrangement that is actually my least favourite song off the album that it came off.
00:47:21
Speaker
Because the album that it came off is called That's Life. which features not just the song That's Life, which is ah great song by Frank, but it also features Frank's superb rendition of Night and Day.
00:47:36
Speaker
What the heck is this doing on an album with those two on? And I forgot Nelson Riddle arranged this. Not one of his best. At number 84, It's Wonderful to Be in Love by The Ovations featuring Lewis Williams.
00:47:53
Speaker
A nice soulful lead vocal, good guitar, and I really like the answer playing of the guitar to some of the lyrics. Gospel-inspired backing vocals. I don't love it when they go into that It's Wonderful to Be in Love bit in the last verse.
00:48:08
Speaker
Nothing great, but it is a pleasant listen. Low hit. I agree, low head. Hey, do you guys think that Lewis Williams may have been influenced by Sam Cooke? I mean, holy cow.
00:48:20
Speaker
Take your hand And I know I want to be I want to be your lover man Cause I need you so And I'll never let you
00:48:43
Speaker
It's a wall.
00:48:52
Speaker
It's an impressive imitation of Sam Cooke, but a little too derivative there. I wish he had put more of himself into that. I like the guitar as well, but otherwise, low hit. Louise made a joke with the fact that the group's called the Ovations, and she said, did they stand up to sing every time? Ba-da-boom.
00:49:11
Speaker
Ba-da-boom. It's okay, but I prefer this with a musical backing that's closer to an Otis Redding feel than what it's got, personally. And by the way, Williams mentioned that he indeed wrote this to sound like Sam Cooke, that he had a tune called Wonderful, which was a spiritual. And he later said, I started writing a couple of lines, some lines on it's wonderful to be in love.
00:49:36
Speaker
And so it was definitely based on a Sam Cooke song. So there you go. Wow. So we get a brief respite from the parade of, ah well, stuff.
00:49:49
Speaker
At number 88, with What the World Needs Now is Love by Jackie DeShannon.
Jackie DeShannon's Timeless Hit
00:49:54
Speaker
It's a beautiful tune. This is, to my mind, one of Bacharach and David's best.
00:50:00
Speaker
I'm going to be a little bit sacrilegious here. I think I slightly prefer this version to the much better known Dionne Warwick version. Hmm. The song has all the hallmarks of Bacharach, David, that you would expect.
00:50:12
Speaker
Interesting changes, nice horns, beautiful lyricism, and a top-notch Jackie DeShannon vocal, possibly her best vocal of all time.
00:50:23
Speaker
Maybe all that time with Jimmy Page ah practicing helped her out, huh?
00:50:30
Speaker
Big, big, big hit for me. I think Jimmy was for her as well, a big hit. But yeah. yeah oh Oh, no. Okay. So, yeah, I mean, what can you say? This is classic Bacharach David.
00:50:44
Speaker
Impeccably arranged, particularly the horns. I love the delicate melodies that they play. As you said, Ed, Jackie Deschan's best vocal, in my opinion, hands down.
00:50:56
Speaker
Gorgeous piano. And the really moving lyrics. Tasteful. There's a lot going on instrumentally. After all, this is a Bacharach and David tune.
00:51:06
Speaker
But it's never overdone. It's just the perfect arrangement. And they actually had been working on this song,
00:51:17
Speaker
back in 1962, that they had the main melody and chorus written back then, and it was centered on a waltz tempo. And then it took another two years for Hal David to come up with the lyric, you know, like, Lord, we don't need another mountain. Bacharach said, once David worked out the verses, ah the song essentially wrote itself and they finished it in a day or two.
00:51:41
Speaker
wow amazing can
00:52:06
Speaker
Great version of the song. Do I prefer this over Dionne Warwick? I'm not really sure. version of the song dr fair this over dion morrick i'm not really sure Dead hate for me, yeah.
00:52:25
Speaker
I'll take a stand, but I agree. They're pretty close, just like we it was with the Guess Who tune. Yeah, I really like this a lot. I think it's to Shannon's best vocal performance by quite bit, actually.
00:52:36
Speaker
Ironically, the first person that Bacharach offered it to was actually Dionne Warwick, who originally turned it down because she said that it sounded too country and preachy. I don't hear country in there.
00:52:49
Speaker
I don't either. I hear that it could have gone country. Yeah. Neither this nor Dionne's eventual version are country, but I could see how with a very slight change it could have been country. Yeah.
00:53:00
Speaker
I'm not sure if I agree with it being preachy either. I think it's more positivity than preachy. Mm-hmm. So she turned it down. Then Jean Pickney turned it down.
00:53:10
Speaker
Thank goodness. A Gene Pitney version of this would have been a disaster. Yeah. Louise agrees with you on that. When I was looking into it, she said, oh, that would have been awful. So this is the third attempt at getting somebody to say yes to it. So DeShannon did it. And then is it a year later in 66 when Dion would do her version of it then?
00:53:29
Speaker
Yeah. And now some definitive WTF songs. ah At number 90, I'll Be With You in Apple Blossom Time by Wayne Newton.
00:53:42
Speaker
Oh boy, the grownups were really demonstrating that they bought records too, weren't they? Well, Wayne Newton can sing, but there is absolutely no power in this lead vocal, and the record just doesn't work.
00:53:55
Speaker
I would recommend, if you want to hear this song, look for the original Andrew Sisters version. And there's a kind of cool version done not too long ago by actress Emmy Rossum. I will give an almost Beatles reference because the Emmy Rossum album that this song appears on is entitled Sentimental Journey.
00:54:18
Speaker
So to quote the Tiny Toons, no relation. Yes. The Wayne Newton version, miss. Yes, absolutely.
00:54:50
Speaker
Way over range, particularly toward the end when the key modulates. And then it's just like, okay, we've got to bring this to a big finish. And wow, is that overdone? I mean, the only thing that I can say that's positive about this version is the bass line.
00:55:05
Speaker
I like the bass line, but otherwise, Wayne Newton sings it fine. I mean, it's his typical style. Skip this and listen to the Andrews sisters. Miss. I certainly wouldn't listen to this on purpose.
00:55:18
Speaker
A better way Newton is just to go and watch the film Licensed to Kill. His performance in that is better than his performance in this song. Go to your phones. Please help us.
00:55:30
Speaker
At number 91, a song that I think we're all going to nominate for worst of 1965. You Really Know How to Hurt a Guy by Jan and Dean.
00:55:41
Speaker
Written by Jan Barry, Jill Gibson, and Roger Christian. Produced by Jan Barry. What is this? Bad song. Awful, confusing record that keeps wanting to become You've Lost That Love and Feeling.
00:55:55
Speaker
The production is Janbury just trying badly to copy the wall of sound. Fail. Take it off. Torrible.
00:56:15
Speaker
The ones that you like are really not your kind I know their type and what's
00:56:29
Speaker
Yes, this is horrible. Jan Berry trying to be like Phil Spector and really misses the mark. The booming drums, the strings, the horns are overdone to the point of drowning out him and Dean. It's ridiculous.
00:56:44
Speaker
And they definitely, as you mentioned, must have heard you've lost that love feeling, at least Jan did, when he was writing this, particularly that descending piano line. And I think the bass was with that.
00:57:05
Speaker
Every time you hurt me It's just cribbed from you've lost that long feeling. It's overdone with no hook miss. I'm almost angry about it.
00:57:18
Speaker
Ugh. I don't know if this word is known in America, but forgettable tosh. Okay, tosh is a very informal British word meaning a load of old rubbish.
00:57:33
Speaker
So stop talking such tosh. You don't know what you're talking about. It's absolute rubbish. who Yeah, absolute rubbish.
00:57:44
Speaker
At number 93, Gloria by Them, which we have briefly covered because it was the B-side, which did not chart, but we talked about it a little bit over on the UK side.
00:57:54
Speaker
And in fact, we have a supercut from that episode, which is going out sooner or later on our Patreon channel.
00:58:03
Speaker
Ladies and gentlemen, your host is, Ronald O. Eric Crofton! She comes around here,
00:58:35
Speaker
Just about midnight This was the B-side of Baby Please Don't Go. The reason it is charting now, between March and June of 1965, both sides of the single appeared on weekly top 40 playlists for Los Angeles radio station, KRLA, and reached number one in Los Angeles for three weeks in April. So there you go.
00:58:59
Speaker
Good song. I mean, it's more just a little a riff than anything else, but it's enough of a riff to keep you happy. And Van Morrison's vocal on it is just pure blue-eyed soul and and blues.
00:59:12
Speaker
Love it. Yep. Any comment, Marv? Yep, great song, and i love Bobby Graham's drums on this. Brilliant. I like it.
00:59:41
Speaker
At number 96, The Rolling Stones with Play With Fire, which was also half covered since this was the B-side of The Last Time. Good song. The track is credited to Nanker Felge, which was a pseudonym that the Stones used when songs were composed by the entire band.
01:00:01
Speaker
Although Mick and Keith are the only Stones on this track. The song was recorded late one night in January 1965 while the Stones were in Los Angeles recording with Phil Spector at RCA Studios.
01:00:15
Speaker
Richards performed the song's acoustic guitar opening while Jagger handled vocals and tambourine. Enhanced using an echo chamber, Spector played bass and Jack Nishi provided these songs distinctive harpsichord arrangement and tam-tams.
01:00:29
Speaker
The Stones would then leave for a tour of Australia the following day.
01:00:35
Speaker
Well, you've got your dice and you've got your pretty clothes And the chauffeur drives the car, let everybody know But don't play with me, cause you're playing with fire
01:01:01
Speaker
I thought this was really unusual sounding for them. had that kind of ominous, foreboding sound, and the harpsichord certainly added to that. I like the storytelling and the haunting vocal from Mick Jagger. I think it's a great vocal performance.
01:01:18
Speaker
It's not one of my favorite songs of theirs, but it has such an unusual, ominous, dark feel. I give them credit for experimenting a bit more and low-medium hit. Low-medium hit, yeah. yeah I like this song a lot.
01:01:31
Speaker
I like the vibe of it. And I can see in this where they would go in a couple of years with something like the Satanic Majesties and the work that they do on there. Mick likes the song.
01:01:43
Speaker
What he told Jan Wenner of Rolling Stone in 1995 was, Play With Fire sounds amazing. When I heard it last, I mean, it's a very in-your-face kind of sound and very cleanly done.
01:01:55
Speaker
You can hear all the vocal stuff on it. And I'm playing the tambourine, the vocal on you. It's very pity. Just a little bit of the impression there. And we had mentioned the Cashbox review where they described it as a tender, lyrical, hauntingly plaintive weeper.
01:02:11
Speaker
who fears At number 97, Breakup by Del Shannon. It's a slightly different sound for Del. It's got a somewhat dirty guitar.
01:02:22
Speaker
It almost sounds a little bit like the Animals. It's not a great song, and it's not much of a tune, but it is interesting. The organ has a similar dirty production and tone that keeps the break away from runaway territory.
01:02:36
Speaker
Low hit. are friend a The end part there where they're just singing breakup...
01:03:09
Speaker
the end part there where they're just seeing breakup
01:03:19
Speaker
We'll be right back.
01:03:23
Speaker
Sounds like it would influence the Flintstones way out in the next year. Oh, man. I didn't like this quite as well.
01:03:33
Speaker
I had some hopes at the beginning with the drums and bass. oh man like this quite as well i and hopes at the beginning with the drums and bass
01:03:59
Speaker
I thought, oh, this is interesting. And then the song just went all over the place with guitars, organ. And then, you know, it goes from that rock edgier sound for Del Shannon to a poppier pre-chorus.
01:04:15
Speaker
It's like it didn't know what it wanted to be. I also thought it sounded like it was recorded in a tin can. I mean, it just sounded very muddy. Well, meh at best for me. I like Del Shannon's guitar sound on this, but other than that, the backing vocals are not great and at times are really strained to the point of being quite painful. I noticed that the organist has returned to top up his social security check, and the nicest way to put this is it's Del in transition and trying to get with the times, trying. Yep.
01:04:52
Speaker
Well, at least it's better than the next three songs. Yes. Yeah. At number 98, Bring a Little Sunshine to My Heart by Vic Dana. No thank you. No thank you.
01:05:04
Speaker
Sunshine
01:05:23
Speaker
It's not actively bad, but it does give easy listening a bad name. It's cheesier than the pickup lines at a singles bar. Sub-elevator music. Miss.
01:05:34
Speaker
Yeah, it was funny. i had written cheesy, and when I looked at your notes, said, you're like, cheesy. make hear monster's name, no matter you are.
01:05:52
Speaker
co-written by the Banana Splits guy, Mark Barkin. And it sounds like you could sing along to this at a bar. People half drunk around the piano or something, singing this with the backing singers.
01:06:07
Speaker
I'm just picturing Norman Cliff from Cheers just singing along to it at the bar. Good afternoon, everybody. No! No!
01:06:18
Speaker
Beloved Cheers actor and comedian George Wendt has died at 76. He brought a smile to so many people's faces. He died on May 20th. That is the same day the series finale of Cheers aired back in 1993.
01:06:42
Speaker
The song. Yeah, it was not enjoyable. And I tried to listen to it intently and I just could not. And then we got sidetracked. Me and Louise were chatting away and then the song finished and we were like, it's all right in the background.
01:06:56
Speaker
If you have to listen to it for study, it's boring to study. It's just corny, cheesy, overdone production. Doesn't allow Vic Dana to showcase his voice at all.
01:07:08
Speaker
Miss. At number 99, You Turn Me On. I didn't. The Turn On Song by Ian Whitcomb in Bluesville. Sesame Street intro for falsetto.
01:07:21
Speaker
Yoko would do a much better job at faking orgasm on record than Kiss, Kiss, Kiss. Uh... And the lyrics, yes, kids, there is a reason they chose the jerk as the dance to mention ah rubber band guitar solo.
01:07:38
Speaker
It's almost interesting, but not quite mis- miss
01:08:07
Speaker
The guitar and piano in the instrumental section are okay, but otherwise, know, it's just a typical rock chord progression. Ian's voice, let's just say that's an acquired taste.
01:08:20
Speaker
I wonder if that heavy panting caused any controversy at the time. Look at when Donna Summer came out with Love to Love You Baby and people freaked out over that record. What about this?
01:08:32
Speaker
I wonder who was on the piano because that is the only positive thing about this record. Other than that, take it off. This didn't turn me on.
01:08:43
Speaker
No. No. In no way. We're not the only ones. Ian Whitcomb did not want this song released as a single. What he said was, I tried to stop the record.
01:08:54
Speaker
I thought it was disgusting. I had a protest song called No Tears for Johnny, an anti-war song. The bloody record company, they said, oh no, man, this is a stone fox smash.
01:09:06
Speaker
Don't knock success. But I said, this is going to ruin me culturally. And indeed, it has. stone fox hit? Oh, dear.
01:09:19
Speaker
that That's what happens when people in charge of record companies know nothing about what they're selling. Yep. At number 100, tears keep on falling from Jerry.
01:09:33
Speaker
Jerry. Jerry. jerryry jerryry jerry harry for terry vale what ah Oh, it's it's another one of those. Next. Miss. So boring.
01:09:46
Speaker
It's almost trying to imitate the Nashville sound, but definitely leans way more on the bad, easy listening side. Strings right out of Muzak.
01:09:56
Speaker
Love was a fun thing.
01:10:09
Speaker
I'll always love you and hope someday you'll find that this school will be the best.
01:10:27
Speaker
Jerry Vale does his best, but it's just a corny, snoozy, valid miss. Yeah. What decade are we in? Because even one or two decades before this, it should not have been in the charts then, never mind in 1965.
01:10:43
Speaker
Awful. We move on to the final week, the week ending May the 29th. Ticket to Ride has been displaced at number one by Help Me Rhonda by the Beach Boys.
Beach Boys' 'Help Me Rhonda' Tops the Charts
01:10:53
Speaker
Again, we'll we'll say that's okay. That's all right. It's fine. yeah At number two is Ticket to Ride.
01:11:04
Speaker
think I'm gonna be sad.
01:11:33
Speaker
She don't care. At number three is Back In My Arms Again by The Supremes. At number 50, Wonderful World by Herman's Hermits, which we covered on the UK side.
01:11:45
Speaker
At number 73, Here Comes the Night by Them, which we covered on the UK side. At number 80, Tonight's the Night by Solomon Burke.
01:11:56
Speaker
Great vocal. I love the guitar here. The drums are almost jazzy. The horns are smooth and not overdone. And I love the lyrics.
01:12:07
Speaker
Cut off the stereo. Forget about the late, late show. Hit. I'll tell you guys, when I was listening to this, I think the smoke started coming out of the speakers.
01:12:19
Speaker
I had to fan myself. This is one of the sexiest songs. Seductive. when the lights are low,
01:12:31
Speaker
I'm gonna lock all the doors And throw away the key, baby And then I wanna talk to you some more Because tonight I got something wanna say to you, honey, tonight
01:12:53
Speaker
Salmon Burke, what a singer. i mean, he was truly rhythm and blues. A wonderful lead vocal here. but You can hear the gospel in there, of course, the cross which between religious and secular.
01:13:06
Speaker
Love the backing singers, love the guitar. I even like how Salmon Burke hits lower ranges in this than we've heard. This is like early Barry White, before Barry White was doing what he did in the 70s. It was written by Don Covey, who we've discussed before. I love this.
01:13:25
Speaker
This is a big hit for me. ah So do you think that Solomon Burke knew Jimi Hendrix then? Because, of course, Don Covey was the one who bought Jimi Hendrix to the fore. Could Don't know.
01:13:37
Speaker
Is that Steve Krupp from the guitar? Don't know. I'm wondering if this is the MGs backing him up. who And the flip of this is ah pretty cool reinvention of Maggie's farm. Marvy, I believe you said you liked it as well.
01:13:52
Speaker
Yeah, I enjoyed it. I know Kit likes his vocal, but you don't like the musical treatment of it, Kit. No, I wasn't crazy about the arrangement, but I loved his voice. mean, he sang the hell out of it.
01:14:04
Speaker
At number 85, I'll Keep Holding On by The Marvelettes. There's a lot to like about this record. It is not great, but it is good. It borrows bits and pieces from various other Motown discs, a problem they seem to be having at this point in time.
01:14:21
Speaker
But it also loans elements to future ones, the I'll Be Gone section feels a lot like the Four Tops I'll Be There that we're going to get in a year or two. Great backing and lead vocal.
01:14:34
Speaker
Above average, but not top-notch tune. Hit. Yeah, it was written by Motown songwriting stalwarts Mickey Stevenson and Ivy Joe Hunter. And definitely this is not you know on the level Please, Mr. Postman. It just isn't in terms of having that hook.
01:14:57
Speaker
Oh, yes I will. I'll be born holding on. I know that you're the kind of guy. You're the kind of guy.
01:15:08
Speaker
You got too much to cry. You're scared to love someone. Love someone running high.
01:15:22
Speaker
This is some nice R&B. In fact, even a little more R&B slanted than is usual for Motown. You know, we're used to a poppier sound. And Benny Benjamin's drums just resound throughout.
01:15:34
Speaker
James Jamerson plays a subtle but throbbing bass line. I like the back and forth between Wanda Young and the other girls. Motown Junkie said it sounds a bit like Nowhere to Run, and you can kind of hear that.
01:15:46
Speaker
That's true. But yeah, I would say moderate hit. there's so much to like about the song. I enjoyed it. I'd say it's sort of mid, maybe lower mid tier Motown for me, but I do like about it that it's almost got an earlier Motown feel to it when there were less pop and there were more of the R&B almost soul side, if that makes sense.
01:16:13
Speaker
Absolutely. First off, Motown Junkies rated an 8 out of 10, which actually might even be a little bit high. I might go a little bit lower than that, 7.5. Yeah, I would go 7. They do present some interesting information about this track.
01:16:27
Speaker
I'll Keep Holding On was originally recorded in a totally different demo version. The song was completely redone in the more direct, physical, but intricately constructed style of Nowhere to Run and Lonely, Lonely Girl Am I More Lonely songs.
01:16:43
Speaker
Once writer-producers Mickey Stevenson and Ivy Joe Hunter heard what their rivals were doing via the acetates floating around the corridors of Hitsville. Stevenson went so far as to travel to New York, where the Marvelettes were on tour, and get the group to lay down a brand new vocal track in an emergency recording session so as to have the record ready for that next week's QC meeting.
01:17:07
Speaker
At number 88, is this what I get for loving you by what is now titled the Ronettes featuring Veronica. I guess they're learning from Frankie Valley or something. Yeah.
01:17:19
Speaker
Yikes. The wall of sound has been turned to 11 right from the start. It's a good vocal from Ronnie, although it is pulled down by the sludge that is the backing. The reverb on that don't leave me baby is just dreadful.
01:17:42
Speaker
Don't leave me, baby. Don't tell me it's over. I knew I trusted you and did my best.
01:17:58
Speaker
are um
01:18:07
Speaker
The rest of the Ronettes are about as visible as Nessie on most days in the Scottish Highlands. I want to like it, but cannot. Hi, miss. Oh, man. I really didn't like this.
01:18:21
Speaker
The wall of sound has just gone wrong. and It's too, too much. Ronnie and and the others are almost drowned out. yeah I hate the reverb on the lead vocals, particularly in the pre-chorus.
01:18:34
Speaker
The drums are too much. Sounds like it was recorded with all of this in a wind tunnel. Here's a Betty-ism. She said, there was no part of this that I liked.
01:18:45
Speaker
No reason for its existence. Torrible. I don't know if I'd go quite Torrible, but... Yeah. There's that wall of sound again.
01:18:59
Speaker
And boy, is it there. I don't like the low piano either in the bits where it drops down. That's really low. Yep. That's not good. When you can hear Ronnie sounds great.
01:19:11
Speaker
You can't hear the rest of them at all. And it's just dreadful. I think you can hear Phil falling apart as we move through these records. He was okay with the Stones record, but you had the Stones keeping him in check.
01:19:25
Speaker
If this is Phil Spector in all of his glory, question mark, you can hear his downfall. Yep, true. At number 89, Little Longly won by Tom Jones.
01:19:38
Speaker
This is Tom Jones imitating Frankie Valli. And what's with those backing vocals? The girl singers aren't great. I know what you've been through.
01:19:49
Speaker
Your heart's been broken too. He kept you on a string while you gave your everything.
01:20:12
Speaker
Medium to high miss. It's a good tune, though. Even the part which is not repurposed Santa Lucia. ah Go find the Jarmel's version, which Tom Jones based much of the better parts of this record on.
01:20:27
Speaker
Yeah, I like the original much better than this, and even then I'm not crazy about the song. But at least the Jarmels, it has that soulful slant, even a little bit of a Latin arrangement. But this is just kind of a weird combination of Frankie Valli with touches of the British Invasion sound, particularly in the guitars and drums. I felt like they were trying to imitate kind of a Mersey Beat sound. Tom does what he can with lesser material, but It was a meh for me.
01:20:59
Speaker
Yeah. Tom has elements of greatness in his voice in this, but this version of the song is, to me, pretty much meh. So I'm the only one who ranked it a miss, but again, we're basically in agreement. Yeah. Yeah. Low meh.
01:21:14
Speaker
Low meh. At number 90, Lip Sync to the Tongue Twisters by Lynn Barry. The drum opening is catchy. It's a good but not great lead vocal. Unfortunately, that's all this track really has going for it.
01:21:28
Speaker
Lip Sync! Be the pipe of pickle, peck of pickle peppers. Be the pipe of pickle, peck of pickle peppers. She sells seashells down by the sea shore.
01:21:40
Speaker
She sells seashells down by the sea shore. Be the pipe of pickle.
01:21:53
Speaker
I don't know. i mean, Len Berry was known for dance records and novelty records, but it still sounds to me like he's trying to cash in on Shirley Ellis. Yes. I never would have guessed that a pop song would include the lyrics Fuzzy Wuzzy.
01:22:07
Speaker
Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't very fuzzy wuzzy.
01:22:14
Speaker
Just enough to scoot by at the lowest of the low hits. It very easily could have been meh. Listening this song kind of gave me hope because I thought, hey, I can write a song like this.
01:22:26
Speaker
All you have to so is throw in a bunch of the tongue twisters and you've got a song. So in that way, the song is inspirational. And Len Berry sings with gusto. He's doing his best, but those tongue twisters got on my nerves.
01:22:40
Speaker
As you said, Ed, I thought trying to replicate the success of the name game. was kind of surprised that it was issued on DECA because I thought it sounded like it could have been on Cameo Parkway because of the throwaway novelty aspects. Not all their songs were like that, but some.
01:22:56
Speaker
And this was co-written, yes, somebody wrote this, by David White, who wrote You Don't Own Me. And he wrote this, Miss. yeah Yep.
01:23:07
Speaker
So David White, then, is the one who, in my little bit of a story here, was sat down thinking, I've got this music. I don't know what I'm going to do with it. And then he hears all these kids outside doing all these tongue twister things and things.
01:23:23
Speaker
There you go. I'll just nick all of those, rip those tongue twisters off, and I'll make an entire song based on those. And it's got all of them. It's got the Peter Piper. It's got the Fuzzy Wuzzy. It's got all of it.
01:23:37
Speaker
Louis said, you know, that sounds just like something that you'd be forced to sing in a primary school hall. And she's not wrong.
01:23:48
Speaker
I like it a little bit better, but just a little bit. It's still not like any of us really care for this song all that much. No. Lynn Barry is best remembered for his novelty dance records, including The Bristol Stomp and One, Two, Three.
01:24:03
Speaker
At number 92, Ooey Baby, I Love You by Fred Hughes. I think I've heard this song before, but I'm not sure. It's a great track.
01:24:35
Speaker
Nice use of the horns.
01:24:43
Speaker
pounding drums in the piano going too smooth but not too smoothbacking vocal nice use of the horns The woo-hoos from the female backing singers are a little bit Supremes alike.
01:24:56
Speaker
There's a little bit of Baby I Need You Lovin' in the I Need You bit. It's not a smash-a-roo, but it a big hit that didn't really get its due. Yeah, very interesting chord changes. Love the piano on it.
01:25:09
Speaker
Sounds a little more sophisticated than some of the other records we've heard, which I found interesting. I agree, parts of it did remind me of Baby I Need You Lovin'. and Apparently in Britain, this was a bigger hit. It became a soul classic and was later reissued in 1976, Northern Soul.
01:25:30
Speaker
So once again, marv you guys know how to find the great soul records that for some reason get slept on here. I'm not saying it's my all-time favorite, but I would say maybe medium hit.
01:25:44
Speaker
Yep, which leads into me saying, nice vibe with the music that you could easily dance to. which would be why it was in the Northern Soul Clubs in the 70s. who I noticed sort of reminded me in parts also of Do I Love You Indeed I Do.
01:26:00
Speaker
ah really enjoyed it. It's got a good vibe to it and cool. yeah And Fred Hughes was featured in the 2014 film Northern Soul. So, yes. Now, to answer your question, why did it not get any real attention over here?
01:26:15
Speaker
Well, we're looking at the end of VJ. Oh, that's right. VJ being Fred Hughes' label. VJ was off signing folks like Jimmy Boyd, the man behind I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.
01:26:28
Speaker
Banger. Hoyt Axton, the New Wine Singers, and Little Richard. While they weren't necessarily signing bad artists, Don Covey, Bernard Purdy, Ronnie Miller, Billy Preston, and Jimi Hendrix all had runs through a VJ, but there was no financial support for any of them.
01:26:50
Speaker
Wow. VJ had also moved to Los Angeles. Then, well, they ran out of money in Los Angeles and got into trouble with Pi Records.
01:27:01
Speaker
They were sued for non-payment of royalties. They went back to Chicago in 1965 and filed for bankruptcy in August of 1966. So well this is the end of VJ. This is also the time that the masters would have escaped and the world would be inundated with all of the counterfeit copies of introducing the Beatles at number 93 you'll miss me when I'm gone by Fontella Bass and Bobby McClure funky guitar nice doing vocals although Fontella Bass wins what's good for the gander is good for the goose nothing too terribly original but it's a goodness song with a great performance hit
01:27:44
Speaker
Yep, yeah I agree. Really enjoyed this. Oh, let me tell you now, I might cry because I feel sad. These are tears of happiness.
01:28:05
Speaker
Don't you try to phone me cause there ain't no E. Oh, what's good propaganda is good for the goose, but you are missing me. Bobby McClure was sort of trying to imitate Marvin Gaye times in vocal style, I think. But i love Fontella Bass' sassy vocal, which is a shake my tree. I mean, just great stuff.
01:28:27
Speaker
Their chemistry was just off the charts. Fun sax solo, very catchy chorus. Big hit for me. Yep, I love Fontella and Bobby's very playful vocals with each other and I love the music as well.
01:28:40
Speaker
but My only question, I'm going to say this again, why is it on Chekka Records and not on Chess Records? I'm not sure. That's a good question. Radio stations at the time would only play so many songs by one artist because they were afraid of like the payola kind of stuff. So Chess Records started checker records.
01:28:59
Speaker
so So you had chess and checkers so they could be like, oh, well you can play this. whole other yeah' all ever company At number 96, Kit's gal, Brenda Lee with Too Many Rivers.
01:29:10
Speaker
This record is a bit twee. I love the sound of Brenda Lee's vocal. The backing is good, but the repetition of too many rivers in that ah-hoo bit just don't work.
01:29:22
Speaker
ah So it ends up being a high meh. I would say definitely Brenda's voice rescues the song. She actually turns in a very good performance here. But I agree it's not her best song by far.
01:29:35
Speaker
could come back to you, dear.
01:29:42
Speaker
Cause I know That you want me to
01:30:11
Speaker
You know, again, has a bit of that Nashville sound. And the backing singers are too much. That did get on my nerves. Annoying. Yep. But other than that, it was nicely recorded, mixed, very clear. So I would say yeah maybe I'd upgrade it to a low hit.
01:30:30
Speaker
um do the same low hit. Is she about 16? No, she's actually 21. Brenda Lee was born December 11th, 1944. Your voice is aging nicely. There's almost a hint of a Patsy Cline in her voice at this point.
01:30:46
Speaker
Hmm. o At number 97, I Love You So by Bobby Martin. Overbearing backing. Decent but unimpressive lead vocal, which again gets better during the song but never manages to soar above average.
01:31:01
Speaker
Mediocre piano. Miss.
01:31:16
Speaker
The need for you will be
01:31:30
Speaker
Yawn for me, it's a typical Nashville sound ballad. To me, the piano was the only part that I kind of liked that gave it a country twang. But other than that, sappy backing singers, overdone strings, not a very inspired vocal from Bobby Martin.
01:31:46
Speaker
Miss. I had this memory of a song that it reminded me of, and I'm not sure if I remember it correctly or not. Is there a song called I Can't Stop Loving You?
01:31:58
Speaker
Yes. Is it something like, I can't stop loving you. Like that. This sounded like an absolute rip of that melody. I can't stop loving you is a Ray Charles song. Yeah.
01:32:10
Speaker
Yes. That's the one. It reminds me of the melody to that, but not in a good way because this doesn't hold a candle to that song. I didn't like this at all.
01:32:21
Speaker
Awful. Really saccharine and overwrought and Yeah, just boring. At number 98, the flip from Brenda Lee. No one.
01:32:33
Speaker
It's a bit poppier than Too Many Rivers, but is that necessarily a good thing? This would have been a better song if they'd gone with the steel guitar. The same backing singers is on the A-side, and they work even less well here.
01:33:19
Speaker
The instrumentation is incessant. It hurts the final record. It's a nice song, but it's arranged and produced all wrong. Meh. I agree. Overdone backing singers from the very start, they come in right away.
01:33:34
Speaker
I like the arpeggiated guitar and Brenda sings it well, but Many Rivers to Cross is way better than this. I mean, I think that was for sure ah the hit.
01:33:46
Speaker
ah This was originally recorded by Connie Francis and written by Two people we know well on this show, Doc Pomas and Mort Schumann. I didn't enjoy this. um ah ah i've ah I've heard better versions of this, I think.
01:34:02
Speaker
Is this the version that Ray Charles did in 1963? Is it the same song? Yes, it's the same song. Yep, that's a much better version of this. um So, yep, I would say go on to something better, but that's questionable for the next song.
01:34:18
Speaker
ah I thought you liked the next song, Marv. I don't mind it, actually. So, you know, we talked about Shirley Ellis earlier, and Shirley Ellis is back at number 100 with the Puzzle Song, a puzzle in song. long yeah What is this?
01:34:34
Speaker
It's got a mouthful of lyrics. It's got a cheerful backing, which, well, makes the bubbles in Octopus's garden feel subtle.
01:35:00
Speaker
We're trying to figure out the puzzle
01:35:06
Speaker
It's not bad, but it is very ephemeral, and then the lyrics just make it worse. It's childish without the joy of being childlike. Miss? Yep, this was another WTF song for me. The weird guitar effect from the very start. I think that's guitar.
01:35:22
Speaker
The lyrics are a mouthful. I mean, make no sense. More tongue twisters. Were tongue twisters a craze or something? Here's another Betty-ism. The puzzle is that this was ever written.
01:35:35
Speaker
miss. I was being sarcastic, by the way, when I said that. So here we go. There's the name game song. There's the clapping song. And now we've got this. Peter Piper is pickling his peppers again.
01:35:49
Speaker
That's the second time we've had Peter Piper's Pickling Peppers this month as well. Shirley is doing better with that, though. But unfortunately, she's a few years ahead for the career that she could have had if she'd have been around, say, six, seven years later to have been a part of Sesame Street.
01:36:07
Speaker
Now picture this with Big Bird, Elmo and all the others joining in with her. Alright, we're going to have a little bit of a battle here, but we've changed up the way we're doing our selections for our playlist just slightly. We're going to agree on two US songs and two UK songs, and then we're each going to have our own wildcard, which may or may not be the same song.
01:36:30
Speaker
For the UK, this was not a great month for the UK. No. Hard to pick. The two we decided and agreed on are the Joan Baez version of We Shall Overcome.
01:36:43
Speaker
Yeah. And Billy
Kramer's Decent Hit and US Playlist Challenges
01:36:45
Speaker
J. Kramer's Trains and Boats and Planes, which, while not a great song, is probably a decent one. It's probably the best of a thin crop, slightly. Yes.
01:36:56
Speaker
Now, the US side was much harder for us to decide, which is why I think we're probably going to have some different wild cards here. The two that we did agree on as definites for our playlist, Mr. Tambourine Man by The Birds, and I Can't Help Myself, Sugar Pie Honey Bunch by The Four Tops.
01:37:15
Speaker
No question.
Wild Card Song Picks
01:37:16
Speaker
now let's see what our wild cards are. Mine is going to be Shaken All Over by the Guess Who. All right. Mine's Tonight's the Night by Salmon Burke. And mine is I've Been Loving You Too Long to Stop Now by Otis Redding.
01:37:32
Speaker
Very definitely all seven of those songs are worth listening to. if you're going to make a
May 1965 Playlist Recommendations
01:37:37
Speaker
playlist of the seven songs to pick from this month, those are the seven we recommend. Mm-hmm.
01:37:43
Speaker
And yes, in some months, there will be no question and we will at least only have six or even just five songs. I bet there are going to be months where we all pick the same wild card.
01:37:55
Speaker
Yes. Probably. All right. So that is the month of May of 1965. And we got it in in three sides. They're long sides, but we got it in in three sides. Wow.
01:38:08
Speaker
Wow. We will be back with June of 1965 real soon now. Talk to you then. See you soon. Take care, everybody.
Critique of 'Toppermost' LP Series
01:38:34
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.
01:38:46
Speaker
And it's coinciding with their current advertising slogan, Toppermost of the Poppermost. I thought, 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.
01:39:02
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.
01:39:17
Speaker
Toppermost of the poppermost.