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June 1964 (side D)
159 Plays5 months ago
We finish June of 1964. Sie Liebt Dich (Yah! Yah! Yah!), the Valentinos (formerly the Womack Brothers) with a song the stones will cover and make a classic, a not-so-great new one from the Everlys, a banger from Dusty and more from the "artists really were willing to listen to input" in 1964 files. #madeonZencastr
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Transcript
The Beatles' Early Optimism
00:00:00
Speaker
The Beatles had this charm, John Paul and George, and probably then Stuart and Pete had this charm 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 but have a bad night or the gig didn't work properly or the amps broke or whatever. 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 topper most of the popper most. And I say, right. Then we'd all sort of cheer up. Now then, boys, where are we going? To the top, right? Where's that? To the topper most of the popper most.
British Invasion's Impact on Billboard
00:00:47
Speaker
Welcome to side D. Yes, we have a side D of Papromos of the Papromos. I'm Ed Jyn. I'm Kid O'Toole. I'm Martin Quibbel. To quote Planet of the Apes, I'm back. I'm home. We finally really did it. You maniacs. So Ed is us. We are on to side D, the rest of the Billboard charts for June of 1964. We've got to get that Planet of the Apes in with the tag now, because that will get us the audience. We finally really did it. You maniacs! We are on to the second week of June, June the 13th on the Billboard charts. At number four is Love Me Do.
00:02:03
Speaker
Number 15 is PS I Love You.
00:02:37
Speaker
The Beatles songs have mostly fallen off. We're no longer dealing with 9, 10, and 11 Beatles songs ah on each weekly chart. That's right, but we'll be getting more soon, so don't you worry. ah Indeed, and we are also getting more British Invasion songs.
Lyric Borrowing in Pop Music
00:02:57
Speaker
That's right. Continuing at number 68, can't you see that she's mined by the Dave Clark Five, which we talked about on the British side, but just a little bit more. Turns out that they lifted the lyrics. People talk and try to break us up, but we know they don't understand. That comes directly from a Ray Charles song, Sticks and Stones. Yikes. Wow.
00:03:38
Speaker
I should have noticed that because I love Ray Charles. Me too. And then Cashbox described the song as being a sizzling rocker that should move up the charts in jet-speed fashion. I wouldn't exactly call it that, but I love Cashbox's writers. they just say They're just so flowery in their praise. I just love it. They were worth all the money they were paid for that sort of line.
Sam Cooke's Gospel Legacy
00:04:04
Speaker
ah We move on to number 74, Tennessee Waltz by Sam Cooke, which I love because it's a waltz that's not a waltz. It's in 4-4 time. Yes. Yeah. but I thought that as well. I thought I'm there and I'm counting. I'm going one, two, three, four. No, can't be. And I kept thinking, no, no, it doesn't work. Then I realized, oh, it's in 4-4, you idiot. Yeah.
00:04:41
Speaker
I was dancing with my baby
00:04:51
Speaker
I kind of like this. I like that he, yes, it's out of waltz. I completely agree. But I kind of like how he re-imagined it. It's not my all-time favorite Sam Cooke song, but you know, I like how he took the song and re-imagined it. It's because it's Sam Cooke. It's certainly, he gives it a gospel makeover, very gospel influence because it's Sam Cooke. What do you expect? I like the growl and, you know, gravelly kind of tone he gets on his voice here. I just really like how he took the standard and made it his own. And this, by the way, would be the last single that would be released during his lifetime. This is the B side, the original B side of Good Times, which I think we talked about previously. So yeah, last song.
00:05:39
Speaker
Great horns as well on this. Yes. Love the horns. <unk> Me too. There's an intro when Sam Cooke played this live. Patty Page did this not too long ago. She wouldn't recognize it now, believe me.
00:05:55
Speaker
Boy, is he right. Oh God, we lost this bloke too soon. That's for sure. Wow. Really nice description of this version. It's song beats swing band style, which ensures that the song still codes as Southern, but only in a very urbane way. I think that's a perfect description. I think so too. That's actually a nice summary. I don't need to do a summary now. There you go. Throw your notes away. And as Kit noted, basically everybody has done this. So we're going to have a supercut. Some of the people who have done versions of Tennessee Waltz, in addition to Patty Page, the Cowboy Copas, Pee Wee King, Elvis, there's a home recording of him doing it. Yes. Oh, wow. It's actually quite decent. That is a really cool version, a live version with Nora Jones and Bonnie rate. Ooh. Nice. hopefully
00:06:49
Speaker
Anne Murray, Patsy Cline, Connie Francis, Roy Acuff, Les Paul, and Mary Ford. Manford Man, Pat Boone, Jim Neighbors. but That's a banger.
00:07:04
Speaker
Gotta have Gomer in there again. Doc Severance and Herb Alpert both doing instrumental horn versions of it, although they're very much different. Doc Severance and Bobby knows. Yeah. Yeah. I wonder if Johnny Pena got a lesson in playing Tennessee Waltz from Doc. That would have been right about the same time. Oh, cool. Maybe, maybe not.
Beatles' Billboard Dominance Continues
00:07:52
Speaker
I was dancin' with my baby till the Tennessee war
00:08:16
Speaker
Oh, yes, I introduced him to my baby. And while they were dancing, my friend snowed my sweetheart away from me. Some friend I read.
00:08:41
Speaker
the Tennessee Waltz. Now I know just how much I have lost. Yes, I lost my little darling, the mind that we're playing, the beautiful Tennessee Waltz.
00:09:44
Speaker
Well I remember, remember tonight Ain't
Stevie Wonder's Early Career Struggles
00:09:49
Speaker
a tanny, tanny she was And only you know, how much, how much I have lost You know I lost my little darling And I remember playing a beauty on two sea walls.
00:10:17
Speaker
And I remember the night we were dinner.
00:11:46
Speaker
At number 78, the Stones cover of Not Fade Away, which we have already mentioned on the British side. At number 90, Hey Harmonica Man by Stevie Wonder. The little is now gone forever. You got to give Motown some credit for that. But this is yet another from Stevie at the beach. Stevie Wonder hates this song. ah He describes it as being embarrassing. And he has said that on more than one occasion. He's not wrong. No.
00:13:01
Speaker
While I wouldn't listen to it, it's actually not that bad, but it's not good. The the backing drowns out the lead and the harmonic is played well. I mean, it's TV, but the song just doesn't go anywhere. It's a fun jam with nothing much more to it. You guys, all of you listening, you know I love Stevie. But this was just such a down period in his career. As we've talked about, this was a time when Motown didn't know what to do with him. They first tried to make him the teenage version of Ray Charles. Then they tried to make him a singer of standards. They had that big hit with fingertips with him. And then it was like Motown just floundered. They didn't know what to do with him. So now they thought, hey, let's try to make him a teen idol.
00:13:46
Speaker
and cash in on the surf and sand craze. And this album just didn't work. And as you mentioned, Ed, Stevie hated this album and he didn't want to do it. And he made the best of it. And on Hey, Harmonica Man, he tries. Stupid lyrics written by Marty Cooper and Lou Josie, produced by Hal Davis and Mark Gordon. Hal Davis in particular was longtime producer at Motown. The song doesn't even showcase his harmonica talents that well, and of course we all know what an incredible harmonica player Stevie is. It's called Hey Harmonica Man. It doesn't showcase his singing abilities. It's not catchy. I can see why Stevie said he hated the song. It's not a good fit for him. It doesn't showcase his terrific abilities, and it's just a shame. It's just a shame. How on earth did this end up on a single?
00:14:36
Speaker
I know. this just It isn't a strong single. Thank God the right people finally got a hold of him not too long after this, a year or two later, and and he had the hit with uptight. yeah Paging Henry Cosby. Motown Junkies describes it very accurately. It's not that Motown were treating Stevie as some sort of freak show, but it's not too far off either. Yep, that's it. Exactly. At the time, Billboard said about this, Stevie has hung his harmonica on a strong beat and a hit sound. No.
00:15:11
Speaker
Just no. Poor Stevie. Thank God, as I said, he finally connected with songwriters. Because I'll tell you, after this album, they were almost
Critiquing Roger Miller's 'Dang Me'
00:15:20
Speaker
on the verge of dropping it, believe it or not, because he wasn't scoring hit singles. And wow. It's amazing to think what he would be like for the next 20 years. Exactly. For Motown. Yep. Well, and part of it was when he finally was able to start writing his own material and taking more control over his career. But obviously, at this point, when he was finally able to drop the little, but he was still not in any control over choosing his material. This is Motown, you know, for goodness sake. I mean, Barry Gordy wasn't letting people choose their material unless you were smoky. You know, it was a different time.
00:16:02
Speaker
Well, Holland, Dozier, Holland, they got to write some of their own material. Yeah, well, true. But Barry, of course, finally had enough of them when they started writing their own material and getting their own, not big hits, but some hits and then decided they wanted to raise. At number 94, Dang Me by Roger Miller. It's another short song. We have the little boxes by the women folk. earlier ah it's It's a song we all know and it's supposed to be this kind of upbeat song with these kind of silly scatting lyrics but if you listen to the lyrics you read the lyrics, hang me from the highest tree?
00:16:39
Speaker
Yeah, um, roses are red and violets are purple, sugar is sweet and so is maple syrup. It doesn't even rhyme. It's simple. Oh, it's written wrongly in the, because I looked at the lyrics and I thought, what did he just say? And that's what it came up with in lyrics, I thought. I know, it's really simple. Which makes no sense. No.
Phil Spector's Production Influence
00:17:00
Speaker
This won the country Grammy for this year? It did. Oh my God, that must have been a bad year for country. They say a rose is red and a violet's purple Sugar sweet and so is maple syrup And I'm the seventh out of seven sons I bet it was a pistol, I'm a son of a gun I say dang me, dang me They ought to take a rope and hang me High from the highest tree A woman would you weep for me
00:17:32
Speaker
It was performed when he guest starred on The Muppet Show in 1979. He performed this on The Muppet Show. I don't remember this, but he did. Well, go on go on Disney Plus. You can see it. The entirety of The Muppet Show is available. I was just about to say you tempted me to go and look at that episode on Disney Plus when we finished. Yep, so I think we're going to have to do that. It might be more fun actually watching him doing it with the muppets around him. There have been lots of covers of this version. We're not doing a supercut of this one because, well, I don't like it that much. Some of the performers include Buck Owens, good old Buck Owens, Johnny Rivers, Sammy Davis Jr. The Hollies with Graham Nash.
00:18:16
Speaker
Buddy Miller, there's no relation to Roger Miller. And widespread panic. What? There you go. Someone had widespread panic picking, not so. Wow. I didn't know it by the title, but as I started listening to it, that scatting he does with the guitar notes, that I recognize. What everybody knows is that you hang me from the highest tree. you know If you heard that once, you heard it. It's that song. Nicely done Ed. It's kind of funny, not that part, but but you know. And didn't they use it for a commercial for like Decker or something? and This is Roger Miller and Friends for Decker.
00:19:00
Speaker
They got ham and bacon that's second to none and the best hot dog that ever made a bun. Just one bite of their lunch means make you smile from your head down to both your feet. Decker, Decker, you know they don't come any better. One bite and you'll agree. Decker is the brand of her meat. Decker is downright delicious. It could be, I don't know. The scatting he does over the guitar, and like, oh, okay, I think I've heard this before. Roger, you're not George Benson.
00:19:38
Speaker
Yeah, I think you need to go on the road. You want me want me to go as the tribute version of Roger Miller. har Yeah. like You know, you found your calling. You'll make a few dollars. Well, I would get to do yesterday because Roger Miller did cover yesterday. Oh, OK, there you go. And Paul McCartney knows Roger Miller very well because, well, we were just talking about him. out and Paul talks about Alan Dale in the Disney version of Robin Hood. The voice of Alan Dale was none other than Roger Miller. Oh, cool.
00:20:18
Speaker
o interesting at number 97 for by the Beatles which was new to the Billboard charts we covered this EP over on cashbox last month but here it is it hit the Billboard charts as well at number 98 the follow-up from the soul sisters good time tonight great horns great vocal the drums are pretty good it's well played but the bass is slightly repetitive Yeah, I love the horns. Was it me or did it sound a bit like the Sesame Street theme at the very beginning? Ever so slightly, yeah. Particularly the piano riff. I spotted that as well. Okay,
The Soul Sisters' Brief Success
00:20:55
Speaker
good. Wasn't just me.
00:21:04
Speaker
Sunny day, sweeping the towns away.
00:21:34
Speaker
love the vocals. They were the Soul Sisters. ah They really were so gospel influenced. Some nice little soul singles here. Good vibe, great vocals, the horns. I thought the drums were kicking. They only had a couple more hits that year, didn't they? I think that was it for them, wasn't it? no Very short-lived. But I think there's a group from Jamaica three years later called the Soul Sisters. and And they chartered as well eventually. One of the main singers was Rita Marley, Bob Marley's wife. Yeah. Oh,
Song Similarities in 1960s Pop
00:22:06
Speaker
wow. At number 99, the magic of our summer love by the times, it's a slight copy of Our Day Will Come. It's not recorded particularly well, but the vocals are good. The flip with all my heart is a much better song.
00:22:29
Speaker
A walk along the beach The world within our reach That is the magic of our summer long
00:22:53
Speaker
Oh, man, as soon as it started playing, I immediately thought of our day will come by Ruby and the Romantics. I mean, I thought, wow. At this time, and we talked about it on the last show, Bossa Nova was hot, girl from Ipanema. And even before that, we've talked about Bossa Nova. Didn't love the organ. noate You know, me and the organ. Didn't love that. yeah I take it, Marv, you felt the same way? Yeah, when I heard that, I suddenly thought, bad organ, bad, bad organ. The time sounded fine. yeah It's not their fault, it's the production. Just found it kind of a ripoff of the bossa nova trend and just not very distinctive.
00:23:33
Speaker
Yep, can't add any more to that. That's what I thought. I didn't mind it to a degree, but as soon as that organ came, I just, oh God, I had to stop soon after because I just thought, we're back to bad organ sounds again. Exactly. You just thought, oh no, it was going okay until then. We've got another bad organ later as well. Yes. Closing out the week of the 13th at number 100, Dreamlover by the Parris Sisters. It was produced by Phil Spector.
Ray Charles' Overproduction Woes
00:24:01
Speaker
It's a cover of a Bobby Darin song.
00:24:33
Speaker
It's another one of those really massively overdramatic tunes. Those pedal drums are just way, way too much. There's guitar buried in there, which is nice when you can hear it. The vocal is too slow and it becomes a little bit tiring after a while. Still, it manages to be at least a bit charming. The wall sound is a mismatch. Yeah, it's just a very li boring cover. of Dream it over. I just thought the harmonies are fine, but the backing is just kind of muffled. I thought it was just very music like. Just a very dull cover. I'm shocked. I thought I was going to be the only one who thought that this was actually quite bland. No, no, I agree. I thought this was absolutely boring. Yeah, Ed likes it more than we do. Yeah. Yeah, but I don't like it much. Yeah.
00:25:25
Speaker
the paris sisters it appeared in the british film it's trad dad this is where we add a little glama to our show i'd like to present and get a warm kick-clu welcome for those three charming young ladies the par
00:25:50
Speaker
The Paris Sisters appeared in the British film, It's Traddad.
00:26:09
Speaker
What did we do?
Dusty Springfield's Reluctant Hit
00:26:12
Speaker
Now then we are the Parris sisters would cover yesterday in 1967, so. Wow. And get this, one of the Parris sisters later served as a production assistant on the Price is Right. And as Bob Barker's personal assistant until 2000. She really did come on down.
00:26:39
Speaker
The things you find out ah We move on to the week of June the 20th at number seven is love me do.
00:27:15
Speaker
At number 22 is PS. I love you.
00:27:51
Speaker
At number 53 is Ragdoll. The Four Seasons featuring the sound of Frankie Valli.
The Four Seasons' Vocal Harmonies
00:27:57
Speaker
This is another great Four Seasons tune. The opening reminds me a lot of Be My Baby, but the stare doesn't come in until after the vocals.
00:28:44
Speaker
This is very much a sign that the American groups were at least upping their game. They're not quite catching up to the Beatles, but they are doing something interesting. And the other thing that it points to is that the American groups were trying to match Phil Spector, not just the Beach Boys, but kind of everyone was yeah adapting a bit of that style. Yeah, the American groups were starting to step it up a bit and definitely you hear the Phil Spector influence here. And boy, is this better than the last Four Seasons song we heard alone. Yeah, Ragdoll, obviously a classic. It's not my all time favorite Four Seasons song, but it's very good. Love the vocal harmonies and arrangement here. Wow. I mean, very intricate. Of course, Frankie Valley's lead vocal is excellent. I think for me, it's just always been the lyrics. I don't love the lyrics. It's a good enough story song. Uh, yeah, with regards to the production, tamarines and chimes and tremolo guitar all slathered in echo reverberate throughout the mix. Yeah, I do love the production. I do love the vocal arrangement. That's terrific. And to me, the production and the vocal arrangement, and of course the the execution, those are the stars of the show. I don't think any woman is going to like being called a rag doll. I wish you'd have come up with something slightly different because that could be seen as derogatory.
00:30:09
Speaker
Thank you. That's what I don't love about it. It is a song about a homeless woman, so I can kind of get it. Yeah, but still, I don't love it. But again, it's just not one of my all time favorites of theirs, but I definitely appreciate it. I mean, that vocal arrangement. Good Lord. And they just execute it so well. So complicated. The music's fab. At number 61, My Baby Don't Dig Me by Ray Charles and His Orchestra.
Percy Mayfield's Songwriting Shift
00:31:01
Speaker
Action fun! A great vocal, good horns, but there's way too much of the relets and the sax ends up going on too long. It has the bones of a classic, but it needed to be produced much better. Absolutely. I did not like the production and mix on this. The horns and the relets practically drowned him out at times. I know I've probably said this a thousand times. It's Ray Charles, folks. He doesn't need all the bells and whistles.
00:31:32
Speaker
It's a nice song. It's not one of his best. Typical blues progression. It's not like an outstanding song, but it could have been a lot better if they had just put his vocals in front. Simple arrangement. Okay. Off my soapbox. It's Ray Charles with a different mix. I think this could have actually been a better song, been received better and come out better. I do like it ah quite a bit. But another thing that's not mentioned a lot about Ray Charles, I mean, his voice is incredible because they're using that blues 12 bar style. When you do get it on there, his keyboard playing on this is amazing.
00:32:09
Speaker
Yeah, it is. And again, it's so drowned out, you don't really get to appreciate it. yeah That's the thing. Just one note here, the song was written by Percy Mayfield, R and&B vocalist and composer, best known for writing Hit the Road Jack. And more interesting, he had his own career for a time. He had a really smoky voice. He had a hit in 1950 with Please Send Me Someone to Love. and he was almost killed in a 1952 car accident. He survived, but it left his face severely scarred, and it may have had a limiting effect on his career as a performer, and so he ended up becoming more of a success later as a songwriter, and after the success with Ray Charles with his song, Hit the Road Jack, he was hired by Ray Charles' Tangerine Records as a songwriter, and so this is another one of his compositions for Ray Charles. so
00:33:03
Speaker
You know, it's sad that it sounds like he had a promising career as a singer but then got into that car accident. But yeah, same man who road hit the road jack. Just wait till we get to hit the road, Jack, and our opinions will be better about that. Yes, for sure.
Dusty and Martha Reeves' Duet
00:33:19
Speaker
At number 79, Wishin' and Hopin' by Dusty Springfield, the song was originally a B-side for Dionne Warwick, and Dusty recorded it in January 1964 at Olympic Studios with Bobby Graham and Big Jim Sullivan.
00:33:35
Speaker
Nice. Her voice. That range is amazing. yeah And it was Bacharach who suggested to her that she release it as a single. What he says is that apparently Springfield had some ambivalence about it. So, just despite that, Wishing and Hoping became one of the signature songs for Dusty. In an August the 8th, 1964 episode of Ready, Steady, Go, she performed it with our old friends, the Mersey Beats.
00:34:07
Speaker
if you
00:34:17
Speaker
April the 28th 1965. She performs it with Martha Reeves and the Vandalas. Oh wow. Wow. That'd be a cool version. Can you get that anywhere Ed? It is on YouTube. Oh nice. Look at that. Go to clip of it.
00:34:37
Speaker
a
00:34:41
Speaker
a
00:34:56
Speaker
We love those cash box reviews. We're going to love this one. They described it as a tantalizing cha cha beat ballot affair that dusty waxes in money in the bank for all concerned fashion with a superb orc coral arrangement. What does that mean? It means like I've said before, I think they're paid per word. Yes. I couldn't have said it better myself. At number 82, the follow up to Hello Dolly, I still get jealous by Louis Armstrong and the All Stars. It's got that Hello Dolly opening. Hey Dolly, I still get jealous when they look at you.
Louis Armstrong's Dixieland Sequel
00:35:45
Speaker
It's not quite a ripoff, but I would call it more than a sequel, horn and vocal. It only squeaks by on the personality. It's fun. I mean, it's got that Dixieland sound. You've got Louie. He's got his own vocal style. I mean, he's Louie Armstrong. What are you going to do? He's his own genre. His personality carries this. His trumpet, that saves the song really. That's what gives it that bit of something extra. yeah This was written by Frank Sinatra's Sammy Kahn and Julie Stein. That pair is best known for writing Let It Snow. Yeah. Is it from Hello
The Jelly Beans' Dated Sound
00:36:20
Speaker
Dolly?
00:36:20
Speaker
The original was from 1947. I think it's from the musical High Button Shoes. Opening October 9th, 1947 at Broadway's New Century Theatre, High Button Shoes, with music by Julie Stein, lyrics by Sammy Kahn, and a book by Stephen Longstreet, based on his novel The Sisters Like Them Handsome, was a return to straight-up musical comedy on the Broadway stage. Was the original Dixieland style as well, Ed? No.
00:36:57
Speaker
you winked at the guy and i got the punch in the
00:37:06
Speaker
fled with the guys who are small instead of the guys who are tall At number 88, I want to love him so bad by the jelly beans. ah That Ellie Greenwich song, it's good enough. It's kind of stereotypical girl group. It goes into wedding bells in the middle of it. Feels like a meme. Yep, exactly. This reached number nine? I was really surprised because it doesn't sound very distinctive, girl group sound. The kind of sound that is dying out early 60s.
00:38:05
Speaker
has a bit of doo-wop to it, has that real building of sound. I mean, nothing wrong with it, but it just sounds dated at this point. Well, like you said I just couldn't believe when it went into those wedding bells. That's early 60s stuff. You just think, this is still charting at this point. And this was written by Jeff Berry and Ellie Greenwich. Not a strong track. As you said, kind of cliched. To me, Greenwich and Barrie were part of the team of songwriters the what of this time. You can name so many songs that they've both written around this time and we've talked about them. This song has more of a late 50s and like you said, early 60s, 61 type sound of real building writers as opposed to the writers of 1964.
00:38:57
Speaker
And it's very cliched and lyrically, it sounds almost simple like the late 50s and 1960, 61, Brill type songwriters. Exactly. It may have been trying to cash in on Chapel of Love. The wedding bells were there as well. Yeah, that's a good point. With Chapel of Love, as much as that harks to that sort of thing, it's got something slightly different. So it's looking at nostalgia, but it's also got something about it that makes it fitting with what's going on in 1964 as well. Yeah, it seems to have a more sophisticated arrangement or something. I agree. At number 89, a little toy balloon by Danny Williams.
00:39:42
Speaker
Oh, nothing but Bad Paul Anchor. ah Go ahead, Marv. Bad Paul Anchor. Bad, Bad Paul Anchor. Even though it's not Paul Anchor. It is a barely acceptable song. It's definitely one for the parents. It's in that smooth, slightly croony Danny Williams style, but White on White, which is the song that we have encountered from him before and Moon River, which is going to be his big hit on the UK side are both much better records. Ugh, I mean, this is really schmaltzy. The melody sounds almost childlike, which I guess due to the song's title that was on purpose. And Danny Williams, I think, is trying to sound like Johnny Mathis here. Just doesn't work. And it's like the lyrics are trying to sound deep. Well, I mean, as I said, I don't think Johnny Mathis, I think Paul Anka. Yeah, I guess so. I don't know. It sounded a little more Johnny Mathis-ish to me. Perhaps, yeah. I don't know. But a little toy balloon was floating in the breeze just as hard to reach a star. A little toy balloon reminding me of you so near and yet so far. So I go my lonely way.
00:40:56
Speaker
Feeling like a child was heartbroken too When these toy balloons sailed away A little toy balloon was floating in the breeze Just as hard to reach as it started Oh, bad poetry.
Critiquing Schmaltzy Lyrics
00:41:16
Speaker
Bad, bad poetry. a betty-ism here. Have to get one every episode. My mother, Betty said, when I played this, that's a horrible song and he sounds like a dork. The whole thing's a flop.
00:41:34
Speaker
And it's something when an octogenarian calls you a dork. Yeah, exactly. ah Somebody give me a pin so I can pop it. Just to remind you, Danny Williams was indeed on the Beatles Helen Shapiro tour of 1963. The lyrics to his 1962 album were written by Alma Kogan. Alma Kogan, the girl with the giggle in her voice, was not just a household name in the UK for her music and her flamboyant fashion sense, but she was also a central figure in the social circles of the showbiz world. Her Kensington High Street flat, shared with her mother and sister Sandra, became a hub for celebrities including Michael Caine, Frankie Vaughn, Tommy Steele, and even Cary Grant. It was in this vibrant setting that Alma's path crossed with the Beatles.
00:42:26
Speaker
particularly with John Lennon marking the beginning of a unique and close friendship. Danny Williams, you would have two more hits, Genie and the Wonderful World of the Young, but as it says here, the future belonged to the Beatles, who once cited his lifestyle as an inspiration for the album Revolver. Oh yes, I have read that. Really? Interesting. Yeah. That we will leave as research for you to do, but they did indeed say that. I'm glad I'm sat down for that one. I won't fall over now. Yeah, don't do that. Don't fall over. At number 90, Do I Love You by the Ronettes, Spector Poncea and Andrioli.
The Ronettes' Wall of Sound
00:43:07
Speaker
This is a really good record. I like it a lot. It's a great vocal. It's the wall of sound used properly. It's a shame that nobody really knows this record.
00:43:32
Speaker
and doesn't mean so much to you we
00:43:44
Speaker
I wasn't quite as enamored with it as you, but it's good. I definitely liked it better than the best part of breaking up. That's for sure. This is a much stronger record. I'll range by our buddy Jack Nietzsche. He's back. I just felt like he didn't have quite the sizzle or catchiness. I'll be my baby. But it's good. Of course, you've got the Ronettes and the strong wall sound production. But I just didn't didn't have quite the power of those previous songs. But Cashbox, I love this, describes it as a pulsating, big sounding romancer that the gals and the Jack Nietzsche instrumentalist wax with money making enthusiasm.
00:44:27
Speaker
And the dollars again. Exactly. That's what it comes down to in the music biz. At number 92, Peg of My Heart by Robert Maxwell, his harp and orchestra.
Burlesque in Music Covers
00:44:39
Speaker
ah You know, it's a classic song, but this is another one that's arranged for burlesque. It's the kind of thing that Janice the stripper was asking the Beatles to play in 1960 behind her. But it's not bad, but it is very much a cliche.
00:45:19
Speaker
You know, I know this is a family show, but I did put WTF in my notes because this is a classic. It's not like a big favorite, but this wasn't meant to be done like this. The overplayed harp, the organ, the stripper drums. What the hell? Music to strip by? What a crazy version. I did not like this, although I found out this was also covered by the Dropkick Murphys. Wow. Years later, so with Bruce Springsteen guesting on it. No way. Yeah.
00:46:00
Speaker
Yeah, like in 2011 or something. Hey, so you always seem to be talking about my grandmother up in the balcony, right? I gotta say, I got the two coolest grandmothers in the world. My grandmother, hey, Casey, who's not here tonight? My grandmother, Peg Kelly. And with two grandmothers named Peg, we had to do this song called Peg in My Heart, right? My grandmother, Peg Casey, taught me anyway. They thought it was pretty cool, but not cool enough, so I had to call this guy from Jersey. You want to hear a song, Grandma?
00:46:34
Speaker
one
00:47:10
Speaker
So I guess there have been weirder covers, but I don't know. I don't think even that could be weirder than this. There's nothing going on on this at all. When you hear all the other versions of it, and it's a song, this is like what Lenny used to call muzak. All you need are the horns to be there to give it a bit more of a burlesque feel to it. and It's just absolutely strange. I mean, at first I thought, okay, that harp is pretty overplayed, but when the drums come in and all, it's just like, what? What's with the music to strip by? The stripper is better.
00:47:46
Speaker
Yeah, exactly. At number 94, a song we all know, although maybe we shouldn't.
Rufus and Carla Thomas' Fun Duet
00:47:52
Speaker
Nighttime is the right time. This is the Rufus and Carla version. The version we know is the Ray Charles version because, well, it is one of the clips you always see from the Cosby Show. We got Little Rudy in there singing the baby line. This version, lots of stacks of fun. Great horns, but I do think the Ray Charles and the james brown versions are better i agree this is fun though of course rufus and carla thomas father and daughter they have fun with it but boy booker and t and the mgs is always killing it in the background steve cropper's guitar was subtle but really good the horns floyd newman wayne jackson and andrew love
00:48:34
Speaker
I mean, the horns were just delicious on this cut. But I do think I prefer Ray Charles on this. But Rufus and Carla sounded like they were having a good time doing this. Carla in particular, I liked her voice. Sulfur goodness with great instrumentation. Nice, although probably a bit in the back, organ from Booker T in there. But if they moved it up further, then it would have been too busy an arrangement, I think. That's true. Yeah, maybe. Yeah. And I found myself thinking, oh, I wonder what Carla did afterwards. As soon as this song finished, my AI device that starts with the letter A, because I'm not going to say it out loud,
00:49:13
Speaker
suddenly started playing B-A-B-Y by Carla Thomas, and I thought, well, I know what she did
George Harrison's Blues Influence
00:49:19
Speaker
afterwards, no? Yes, that's right. She had a hit with that. That answers that question, yeah. yeahp And so the history of this song, the first version, which is a bit different, was from 1937 by Roosevelt Sykes, then that was evolved by Big Bill Brunzi, which we mentioned because, well, it's an opportunity for us to mention Big Bill Broonzy. George Harrison brings him up in Wreck of the Hesperus. oh ah So as far as a quote from George talking about why he says that name, by the end of it, I'm saying I'm not the Wreck of the Hesperus, more like Big Bill Broonzy.
00:49:57
Speaker
You know, I don't know. That to me is, I mean, as far back as I can remember, there was Big Bill Broonzy with his big old guitar playing. It was really pretty groovy. I suppose now it's like, really all of us are turning into, well, like Eric Clapton and such. I keep telling my boy, when you get older, he's going to be like, that was Big Bill Broonzy, man, hanging around at our house. We're all getting old as my mother. Well, which brings us back around to Betty, even though we don't have a Betty-ism now. Yeah, that's right. No, none here. That's George Harrison telling everybody to go and listen to some big Bill Brumsey. Which is a good idea. Yeah. At number 85. Oh, baby, we got a thing going on.
00:50:39
Speaker
by Barbara Lynn, which was written by Barbara Lynn as Barbara Lynn Ozen.
Barbara Lynn's Vocal Strength
00:50:44
Speaker
This is another underappreciated song, I think. It moves along at a very nice pace. Good minus, but better than average lead vocal. Horns and guitar driven. I would define this as the definition of a potboiler.
00:51:09
Speaker
I stand all at my name But deep down this side, baby I know you're my only man. Love the vocal. I did love the lyrics. Baby is repeated way too many times, but ah her performance makes up for it. Vocals are really strong. ah You can hear her electric guitar in the background. I know the reason she's so cool at a time when not many women were playing electric guitar. There she is. Love the horns on this too. So I think that despite the lyrics being ah not the strongest,
00:51:45
Speaker
her vocals and the arrangement on this make-up for it. Yeah, I really like this song a lot. I like her vocals. I like the music as well. But I did find with the production, it sounded like the music was recorded in one place and then the vocal was recorded somewhere else because but you can hear the room with the instrumentation and it's almost like she's singing in a booth in a sense because it's like a completely different sound to her vocal, to the music. It might just be how I heard it. It could have been a better recording. I can see that. It's not the best. I like the production on the Stones cover better, although I don't like the Stones version better. The Stones cover is slightly more dirty. I mean, you got mixed lead vocal there. It's actually feels a bit more country, but the one notable thing about the Stones version, they've got a guitar break in there, which is very much the give me some money. Spinal tap guitar break.
00:52:50
Speaker
It goes to 11.
Johnny Mathis' Lackluster Ballad
00:53:13
Speaker
At number 96, Taste of Tears by Johnny Mathis, brushes in the expected Johnny Mathis lead vocal. It's a good enough record. It's actually quite lovely, but really not one I would actually have much reason to listen to. It aims for that leaning back in the car lover spot, but never really quite gets there. We've talked about some other Johnny Mathis records like this. Definitely not among his strongest, like, you know, wonderful, wonderful, or misty, or chances are. This was kind of a period where he was doing commercial, right by numbers songs. You know, he sang this well, but it's just the material. I mean, the song just isn't all that strong. This was just, I thought, kind of depressing with no story, no point. I been think it was about two minutes and 46 seconds, and it seemed longer than that to me. yeah
00:54:06
Speaker
I just did not care for this. And it was arranged by Don Costa, who is the legendary arranger, and it was performed by the Don Costa Orchestra. But even they couldn't save this. It's got a lovely melody to it, but the lyrics are not the best. I find the lyrics a bit second rate. yes But yeah, the the melody, and especially on the verses, funny enough, I think the verses have a nicer melody than the chorus does. To be honest, it flows more. And the fact that Costa's using a ah smaller orchestra, or part of it rather than in a big orchestra, gives it that sort of like laid back feel, which I think is right. But it just doesn't
00:54:49
Speaker
reach where it could reach. It probably needed a bit more instrumentation or I don't really know if they could have made it any better than it is really. Yeah, it just doesn't go anywhere. No. At number 98, Ferris Wheel by the Everly Brothers, another song which doesn't go anywhere.
The Everly Brothers' Low Impact
00:55:05
Speaker
It's decent. The Everly Brothers try and pick it up with their harmonies, but that's not enough to save the record. It's really too slight to be of any significance. Yeah, I didn't care for this. Life is where I lost her On the fairest wheel Pretty first wheel By your good heart lies I saw someone steal A kiss from her that night
00:55:51
Speaker
It just didn't work at all, didn't show off their harmonies enough, which of course, that's the Everly Brothers trademark. And I thought the lyrics were just repeating on the Ferris wheel. I mean, it just sounded like a dirge after a while. And this was written and I think produced by Robert Alexander Bump's Blackwell. Best known for his work with Sand the Sham and the Pharaohs, he wrote Little Red Riding Hood. And he co-wrote One Tall Sally, Red and Teddy, Rip It Up, Good Golly, Miss Molly. I mean, wow, he wrote that and this. I mean, nobody can be perfect, but I just thought, wow, he wrote that and this. When you said his name, I went straight to the Little Richard songs that I know so well.
00:56:38
Speaker
I was listening to this and I was thinking, so the Everly Brothers are this type of act. They're trying to fit something in musically, in a musical direction that it shouldn't go into because the music, it doesn't work for the Everlys. They're trying the best with the voices and the voices are lovely. You can't put down the voices of Phil and Don because they're just amazing. but It is it's like they're trying to fit them into a style that doesn't work for them. As much as yes, okay, you might need to update. Update doesn't mean taking them away from what is innately the Everly Brothers and throwing them into something else that just doesn't work. I think that's very well put because that's fine to update their sound and make it fit the modern landscape. But exactly, you don't want to take away what makes them the Everly Brothers, which is those harmonies, those tight harmonies. Well, and to take it much further into the future, on the wings of a Nightingale, there's a good update of the Everlys. Exactly. At number 100, Steal Away by Jimmy
Jimmy Hughes' Muscle Shoals Influence
00:57:40
Speaker
Hughes. It's a good song. It feels like the gospel song. I wish it was evolved out of.
00:57:45
Speaker
The piano and vocal are well played and they work well together.
00:58:21
Speaker
I like this a lot. Jimmy Hughes is a cousin of Percy Sledge, actually. correct So it certainly comes from a great lineage and he was important in the early development of the Muscle Shoals music industry. And this record has been cited as sort of a prototype, not only for the Muscle Shoals sound, but also for other great soul singers like Johnny Taylor and Al Green. And I think you can definitely hear the Al Green in this song. I really, really like this. The piano by David Briggs is incredible. You can hear that gospel. influence hugh And of course, in
00:59:02
Speaker
he uses vocals. and The inflections are right from gospel. But I can hear modern R and&B in this as well. As I said, Al Green, you can definitely hear where Al got his falsetto. And really, my main complaint, the song was too short. I would have loved to heard a bit more. and He's an emotionally powerful singer. Yeah, that's my complaint. Too darn short. He's got a hell of a range. doesn't he? Wow! He does this trick where a lot of soul singers will eventually do it but this is early in this sort of thing to my mind anyway where he's got different sections so he'll do one in one voice and then when he comes to the next verse
00:59:45
Speaker
it'll bring out an almost falsetto, almost, in the next verse and then go back to a lower tone. And he sort of like differentiated between each and while he was doing that each time I kept thinking Otis could have done a great cover of this and even Etta James could have done a great cover of this and I just kept thinking when you've got a good soul song like that and you can marry it to such good artists such as Reading and James, then you think that is when a soul song is really good. Yep, I agree. Jimmy Hughes toured with a number of names which come up this month. He went out on the road with Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson and Bobby Womack. Wow.
01:00:25
Speaker
Get back to Bobby later. yes Wikipedia describes the decline of Jimmy Hughes. He was on VJ. Hughes' next few singles were unsuccessful as VJ records diverted their attention to the Beatles in the four seasons and then folded. Yep, they sure did. On to the last week of June. We're finally reaching the end of side D. Hey!
Peter and Gordon's Chart-Topping Hit
01:00:52
Speaker
Okay, June 27th, at number one on the Billboard chart, A World Without Love by Peter and Gordon. Yay! Classic. And it's not the Bobby Rydell version. God, no. Sank the maker. Peter and Gordon!
01:01:23
Speaker
Where I hide in my loneliness I don't care what you say No, stay in a world without love
01:01:36
Speaker
I'm here to sing out of tune And raindrops hide in the moon I'm okay Here I'll stay with my lonely hair I don't care what they say I will stay in a world without love So I'll wait and in a while I will see my chin love smile He may come, I know not when When he does, I'll know So baby, until then, love me away And don't allow the day here inside where I am
01:02:32
Speaker
I don't care what they say I won't stay in a world without love
01:03:10
Speaker
She may come, I know not when When she does, I'll know So baby until then, lock me away
01:03:23
Speaker
Without a day here inside Where I hide with my loneliness I don't care what they say I won't stay in a world without love I don't care what they say I won't stay in a world without love are
01:03:55
Speaker
at number eleven is let me do
01:04:18
Speaker
at number 11 is Love Me Do.
01:04:31
Speaker
It's interesting that, you know, Love Me Do is just hanging around. I wonder if this is the Canadian thing again. That's the fact that they were selling copies from both the United States and Canada. Good day. Granted, it was a little bit later than some of the other singles, but not that much later. But these are the ones that are holding on. Love Me Do and PS I Love You. Love Me Do at number 11 and PS I Love You at number 37. PS I Love You.
01:05:00
Speaker
At number 60, the little old lady from Pasadena by Jan and Dean, Roger Christian strikes again, quite possibly the best known of the non Beach Boys surf
Jan and Dean's Surf Rock Success
01:05:12
Speaker
songs. To me, this is more or less everything you want out of a tune like this. The working crew played on it, including Leon Russell on piano. and Hell Blaine on drums, of course. Funny lyrics. When I first heard this, when I was learning about the quotes all these back in the 80s, I thought this was the Beach Boys. and Well, the Beach Boys did cover it live. Yes. Great guitar on the Beach Boys version. exactly, and of course the harmonies are very Beach Boys like. One thing I found out, there are a lot of theories as to where this whole phrase, a little way from Pasadena, comes from, and one of this is sort of a folk archetype in Southern California in the mid-20th century, and part of this is that
01:05:58
Speaker
Many an elderly man who died in Pasadena would leave his widow with a powerful car that she rarely, if ever, drove, such as an old Buick Roadmaster or vintage 1950s Cadillac, Ford, Packard, Sudebanker, different cars. And according to the story, the used car salesman would tell prospective buyers that the previous owner of a vehicle was a little away from Pasadena, who only drove it to church on Sundays, thus suggesting the car had little wear. That's one of the many stories they claim that that phrase may have come from. Who knows? All I know is it's a fun, fun song. And everybody's saying that there's nobody leaner than the little old lady from Pasadena. Cause she cries very fast and she tries real hard. She's the terror of Colorado full of fog. It's the little old lady from Pasadena.
01:07:00
Speaker
One of the other believed origins for the song was a Dodge car ad campaign that aired in Southern California starting in early 1964. Starring actress Catherine Miner, the commercial showed a white haired elderly lady speeding down the street and sometimes a drag strip driving a modified Dodge. She would stop, look out the window and say, put a Dodge in your garage, honey. Yeah, there are a lot of theories. At number 66, you don't know how glad I am by Nancy Wilson.
Nancy Wilson's Genre Crossover
01:07:36
Speaker
No, not hearts, Nancy Wilson. And I love you.
01:07:56
Speaker
And you don't know, you don't know, you don't know, you don't know. A earthy kit. It may be ever so slightly too smooth for its own good. Although it's popular at the time, it has aged a little bit more toward the average side of things, I think. Yeah, I prefer her jazz recordings. I prefer straight jazz. yeah I found these lyrics repetitive. I just wasn't crazy about it. As you said, this was popular. And in fact, this was her first top 40 hit. And she wanted to record a pop hit.
01:08:36
Speaker
She said she went into the studio with the idea of recording a Top 40 pad. Although she said she didn't really sing any differently, it was just the material itself along with the arrangement. And it did win a Grammy in 65, but that's rhythm and blues recording. And she said she was shocked because she said she would not have classified this as an R and&B record. that she thought it was a pop record and so she's like okay i mean i'll take the grammy but it's kind of odd that they thought it was an r and&b i don't think this is an r and&b recording either as i said i prefer her jazz recordings this was neither fish nor fowl she's too good for this
01:09:14
Speaker
Exactly. In relation to this record, Time magazine described Wilson as being the greatest pretender to Ella Fitzgerald's crown to come along. She is all at once both cool and sweet, both singer and storyteller. She would also have her own show on NBC, The Nancy Wilson Show, which ran from 1967 to 1968 and won an Emmy. All she needed was the Oscar and the Tony. Yeah, I mean, we mentioned on a previous episode, she sold a lot of records for Capitol. I mean, she was big. I don't like that they've compared it to Ella. I don't either. I think they're very different. They're very different, yeah. May have just been the African-American female singer thing. Yeah, probably. That's an unfair comparison. At number 72, Everybody Loves Somebody by Dean Martin
01:10:04
Speaker
Dean Martins sings it really well, but you can see how it fits right next to Hello Dolly.
01:10:33
Speaker
Boy would find what I found in your heart Everybody loves somebody sometimes
01:10:46
Speaker
I'm not the only one who hears him sliding into that drunk Dino routine and it does seem intentional. Yeah. I thought that too. I mean, you definitely hear that drunk Dean routine. now This is Ken Lane and he doesn't mind no matter how often we do this song because he wrote it. He wrote everybody loves him.
Dean Martin's Signature Song
01:11:17
Speaker
no everybody
01:11:27
Speaker
It actually goes back to 1947, but Dean Martin made it famous and it became his signature. Of course, before that, his signature song was that of Moray, and he's still known for that, but this kind of replaced that as his signature. And in 1999, this recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. And believe it or not, this title appears on Martin's grave marker. I mean, that's how much this song is identified with him. You know, I've just never particularly cared for this. I mean, I'm just not a huge Dean Martin fan, I have to admit. So I'm a Frank and Sammy girl. So.
01:12:11
Speaker
although this is better than frank's version of the tune i'll admit that but for you three d martin fans out there more power too I like this. It sort of falls within the wheelhouse of my love for old MGM musical. It's Gene Kelly and all that sort of era and even going back as far as the stairs and that sort of feel with the orchestration and the vocals. I could see that. In essence. So and Dean's voice is good and and also like Ed says, it's a lot better than Frank's.
01:12:44
Speaker
and That tempo change is great. Yeah. When it goes double time, and you know, everybody loves somebody sometimes. Absolutely. This is totally personal preference for me. I know it's a classic. And we have a Beatles connection here. Are we ready for it? You ready? So Dean Martin had not had a hit since 1958. They came to him with this record. Dean Martin was not a fan of rock and roll. He resented it and his attitude created conflict at home with his 12 year old son, Dean Paul Martin. Do you know Desi and Billy? Deano was a fan of the Beatles. Dean Martin went to him and said, Hey, Pally, I'm going to knock your idols off the top of the charts.
01:13:29
Speaker
And on August the 15th, 1964, he would do just that as everybody loves somebody would knock Hard Day's Night out of the number one slot. Tally, I can just hear him say that. Yeah. There's our Beatles connection and there's Dino, Desi and Billy for those interested. There you go. At number 73, Nobody I Know, the next Peter and Gordon record, which we've already covered in the UK. At number 80, Girls by Major Lance, written by Curtis Mayfield, a really smooth lead in backing. This is another one of those good underrated songs. I like the horns, I like the guitar, I like the drums, everything is balanced real well.
01:14:28
Speaker
Tell me the truth, was I that bad? What made you change, did I go straight? And though you don't know me
01:14:40
Speaker
I completely agree and Marv, I'm sure you'll agree as soon as but particularly the chord changes in the pre-chorus started, I'm like, that's Curtis Mayfield. You just could tell immediately that was a Curtis Mayfield composition. His stamp is right there. I really enjoyed this. Love the percussion on this particularly. I know if those are congas or what, but they just love that. The horns and Major Lance's vocal. is nice on this nice soulful vocal upbeat smooth soul leaning a bit more toward pop this is kind of a buried gem i i think yeah you can hear kurtis in the backing vocals as well here for sure
01:15:24
Speaker
um yeah The song was arranged by Johnny Pate, who was also the bass player of the song and that's really fine bass playing on there as well. If you looked into some other recordings, you'll also find him continuing in the 60s and into the 70s. He would appear on bass sometimes on Curtis songs as well. And he recorded bass sometimes and did arrangements for Isaac Hayes. One of the lovely things is that I looked him up today when we were getting ready to do this recording. And this past December, so December 2023, he celebrated his 100th birthday. So he's still with us and kicking. Wow. That is really wonderful.
01:16:06
Speaker
I've got a little bit to share as well. The record was produced by Carl Davis, who was born in Chicago. So there I got my Chicago mention here. ding dang You can mark that on your card. And he has produced produced an enormous number of famous and important records, including Duke of Earl. We mentioned in our last show, for Gene Chandler, he also produced Jackie Wilson's big hit, Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher and Higher, just on and on. I mean, a number of ah big hits. I worked, I guess, on a number of songs with Curtis Mayfield. Great, great record. And we mentioned the Long John Baldry connection, but it turns out that in the mid 60s, Major Lance would tour the UK and his backing man would be Bluezology featuring one Reggie Dwight.
The Drifters' Storytelling Classic
01:16:59
Speaker
Wow. Oh.
01:17:03
Speaker
There's another word Elton come from artists. So, okay. At number 81 under the boardwalk by the drifters. Once again, this shows you how the British invasion and particularly the coming of the Beatles was really forcing everybody to up their game. This is another classic record. This would find its way into the Grammy hall of fame in 2014. What can you say? It is just pure brilliance. Would you say it's one of the 100 best songs of all time? 500 for sure. Oh, no question. You put that against Up on the Roof, I don't know. This might be number two in Drifter songs, After Up on the Roof. We've heard some other Drifter songs in recent episodes that we've kind of said, eh, you know, we know that they're capable of greatness. Here we go. from
01:17:56
Speaker
Don't you hear the happy sounds of a carousel?
01:18:02
Speaker
You can almost taste the hot dogs and french fries they sell. I'm not alone. Down by the sea, yeah. On a blanket with my babies. Where I'll be.
01:18:29
Speaker
This song is one of my favorites. First of all, the lyrics written by ah Kenny Young and Arthur Resnick, they tell a story in vivid detail. You can just see the summer scene. They paint this vivid picture of the sea and being on the boardwalk or under the boardwalk. I mean, you can smell the scents. That is first-class songwriting. the arrangement. You hear, I mean, if you listen on headphones or on just a really good speaker system, you can hear all the detail that's going on in the background. And you can hear sounds in the background trying to duplicate the different noises you hear as you're walking on the boardwalk and all the sounds on the site. Incredible. And then of course the drifters themselves. I mean, those incredible, incredible vocals. What's interesting is
01:19:20
Speaker
The song was supposed to be recorded on may twenty first nineteen sixty four but the band's lead singer rudy louis died of a suspected heroin overdose while the night before he had sung lead on most of their hits since. Benny King departed in 1960. And so rather than reschedule the session, the lead on Under the Boardwalk was given to the other lead vocalist, Johnny Moore, who had returned to the group in April 1963. And boy, did he nail this. Just the way he sings this with that gentle tone, and with the romantic kind of sound, but also that kind of wistful nostalgia.
01:20:02
Speaker
it's Perfect. It's perfect. What can you say? This is the best version, but there are some really interesting cover versions of this. The Stones did it. Billy Jay, our friend Billy Jay Kramer and the Dakotas did it. Wow. I didn't know that. Skeeter Davis did it Wow Salmon Dave Los Lobos John Cougar Mellencamp Bruce Willis on the Bruce Willis album yeah i help Classic Bette Midler and the Beach Boys Yes, so stay tuned. You'll hear a little bit of some of those. We got another supercut coming here. All right. Nice We're gonna do
01:20:43
Speaker
One of our favorites from way back when it's on our new album, which is called Summer in Paradise. We're doing a song originally done by the Drifters. This is the Beach Boys version of Under the Boardwalk.
01:21:16
Speaker
When the sun beats down, there's a tire up on the roof. And your shoes get so hot, you wish your tired feet were fireproof.
01:21:33
Speaker
Unbelievable. Down by the sea. On a blanket with my baby is the work I'll be.
01:21:50
Speaker
Out of the sun We'll be having some fun People walking above We were falling in love A warmer part you can hear The happy sound of the carousel
01:22:17
Speaker
You can almost taste the hot dogs and french fries they sell
01:22:44
Speaker
We'll be having some fun People walking above We'll be making love
01:23:24
Speaker
my baby
01:24:05
Speaker
Ladies and gentlemen, the Temptations!
01:24:13
Speaker
Anything more you want to say about this, Martin, before we move on? I like the sections where it's not straightforward what they're doing with the vocals. It's another thing where occasionally they'll add little bits. So you'll have two things going on in the harmonies. And sometimes you can have too much going on in instrumentation that drowns a really good vocal group like this, especially when they're doing all these things with the harmonies. But in this case, it's sort of like pulled back. And there's a lot of space in the arrangement, in the instrumentation there. So they all complement each other perfectly. I think it's one of the most perfectly produced songs ever. Well said. I mean, because it's all about painting this picture and this scene. And with their voices, with the instrumentation, nails it. Yeah.
01:25:01
Speaker
And so before we move on, two other songs from Arthur Resnick, which are about as far from each other as you can imagine. Good Lovin', which was co-written with Rudy Clark. And Yummy, Yummy, Yummy, which was co-written with Joey Levine. Both very popular songs, but both very different. Excuse me. Yummy, Yummy. What? what Is that the one, yummy, yummy, yummy, I've got something in my tummy. That is that song, yes indeed. Oh. Okay, I'm sorry, that's an abomination, I'm sorry. Well, but it is a very popular song. Apologies to all the listeners now who've got that stuck in their heads like an earworm. Off you go Ed, put that in there.
01:25:57
Speaker
The Ohio express is the act who gave us yummy, yummy, yummy. Oh boy. Thank you. At number 82.
Smokey Robinson's Catchy Tune
01:26:07
Speaker
I like it like that by the miracles. It's smoky. This is not the song you're thinking of. Right? Very different.
01:26:29
Speaker
It's good enough. It's kind of a bit ordinary. I like the guitar on it. Yeah, I'd say this is like second tier or so miracles. It's catchy. I like the calm response and Smokey's lead vocal. It's Smokey. It's a smooth, great vocal. It has kind of a party atmosphere to it. Shouting and clapping in the background. The melody is catchy and of course Fun Brothers. I like the bass and drums on this. So it's a danceable record, you know, you could put this on at a party. But would you really sit and listen to this intensely? No.
01:27:04
Speaker
Now, you know what is nice about this th though Kit? Claudette's voice. Yes. I could really hear Claudette Robinson in this. She had a beautiful voice. She really did. And another one of those great cash box reviews, they describe it as an infectious rhythmic shuffle bumper that sports a live audience cheer and hand clap support live in quotes. Thumper. So there you go. Not a banger, a thumper. Do they have to give good reviews for everything that they write about Well, everything that makes the charts, I think. At number 83, I believe by The Bachelors, which we have previously covered on the UK side. At number 90, I'm Into Something Good by Earl Jean Rivas. It's better known by the Herman's Hermit's version. Uh, interesting. It's not a bad version. If you're going to go twee like this, I think Herman's Hermit's do it better.
01:28:00
Speaker
Rivas's older sister, Darlene McCray, was one of the original members of the cookies. Mmm. group we all know well. I like this version. It's different. Although you really hear it from this boy, the Herman's Herman's version didn't really differ that much from this very similar arrangement. But this one has a bit more of a Motown slash girl group kind of feel. And the instrumental section is piano and sax. But I like her range on this Earl Jean's range. You know, she gets kind of a lower range. It obviously has a bit more of an R and&B
01:28:38
Speaker
feel to it, but I liked it. And it's a great comparison to of the Hermit Hermit's hermits ah version. I enjoyed it. I liked her take on it.
01:29:05
Speaker
Yeah, it may just be that the harm is harm. It's version is so ingrained. right It's supposed to be this tweet song. And yeah while there's a significant chunk of that here, it is not the entirety of their cover or their original. Yep, exactly. So I like this. I will admit I love the Herman Zermatt's version more in some ways, but the way that I see it is this song is sort of like nice to have in the background if you want to relax and have a good song in the background. Whereas the Herman Zermatt's version is the version that you put on if you want to get your dancing shoes out and just bop.
01:29:44
Speaker
Yeah, I could see that, but this is good too. They're both so similar and so different. Yeah, exactly. The vocal arrangements on me there are exactly like this, but in other ways, sounds very different too. At number 96, Oh, Rock My Soul, part one by Peter, Paul, and Mary.
Peter, Paul and Mary's Live Sing-Along
01:30:03
Speaker
This is an actual spiritual. It's a slightly odd record to be in the charts. It's fairly hardcore folk, the clap long, the live field, Everybody on this side to the right is in the in-group. Everybody to the left. You're in the out-group.
01:30:26
Speaker
The part that the in-group sings is very simple. The reason for that is that the in-group itself is very simple.
01:30:40
Speaker
The business of the in-group and the out-group is kind of funny, although it does remind me of Paul and the Hey Jude. Just the boys now, just the girls.
01:30:57
Speaker
counter
01:31:05
Speaker
Is it Peter, Paul and Mary or just Peter on his own? It's primarily Peter, obviously. but I think they're all there. Yeah, I think they're all there. But maybe Peter is the leader in this. I thought it was an odd song to release as a single. It was meant to promote an upcoming double LP Peter, Paul and Mary in concert. And so this was meant to be kind of a teaser for that album. But, you know, why would they release this as the teaser? If you were there in person participating in the sing-along and all, that's great. But to listen to this and just say, okay, now this section, now that section, you know, it was a bit repetitive.
01:31:47
Speaker
to just listen to. I mean, I think they should have picked something different to whet the appetite for the upcoming album. And there had to have been another song to hear a live version of the this. And I suppose the fact that it was live is part of the reason why they didn't lean so much on the harmony singing. Yeah, exactly. I mean, that's what you want to hear from them is the harmonies and just very odd choice. There's an interesting background behind this. The song is traditional from Africa that somehow or another, Peter had actually learnt. The interesting thing to me about this is, as much as it's repetitive and I get that with it, Peter was wanting to push something about Africa and probably get some sort of political thing about Africa in there, but the executives were saying, don't push the African thing.
01:32:40
Speaker
o So that is why Peter was so much into the song, but the executives were saying to him, yeah, do it, but you can't mention anything to do with Africa. So essentially, it's almost like Peter was doing a Paul Simon 20 years before Graceland. Interesting. Yeah, not being able to mention it, you lose a lot of the context. Yeah. There were other covers of it right around the same time, including Louis Armstrong, Lonnie Donegan. Wow. At number 97, she leap deek. Good old, she loves you. More swan having fun. Don't drop out as they tell you. It's cool that it's here at the bottom of the charts.
01:33:23
Speaker
As I remember, they were not super thrilled to have to record this because during a day off, they had to go and record these German language versions of their hits. They, of course, had to do it phonetically. So, yes, we have one of those singles right here. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And of course, because the master had been destroyed, this was the only stereo version of the backing for She Loves You. Oh, that's right. yeah Until we got mal-technology, all of those fake stereo versions of She Loves You always featured the Ceeley Deak backing. That's right. Thank you, Peter Jackson.
The Valentinos vs. Rolling Stones
01:34:04
Speaker
All right, we close out our four episode month with It's All Over Now by The Valentinos, a song which is probably better known for the Rolling Stones version. The Stones first heard the song when Murray the K played it for them. He also played them Kingby at the same time. So after hearing It's All Over Now on the wins show,
01:34:30
Speaker
The band recorded their version nine days later at Chess Studios in Chicago. Second Chicago mention. There you go. and But it's me who's mentioning it, not you. That's right. Bobby Womack told Sam Cooke that he did not want the Stones to record their version until he started getting the royalty checks. After that, he said, well, Mick Jagger can have any song of mine he wants.
01:35:27
Speaker
Why are they not called the Womaks? It's the Brothers Womak, essentially, isn't it? Right. I was very excited to see this because I'm a fan of the Womack family members. Of course, Bobby Womack became a talent all on his own. And then Cecil Womack went on to form an act along with his wife, Linda, which became Womack and Womack. Quick aside, they did a great album and I think it was 84 called Love Wars. Fantastic R and&B album. So they did this, Cecil and and Bobby, as the Valentinos and I enjoyed this version. Sounds almost a bit like garage rockish because it's a bit sloppy, yeah um you know which I kind of like that.
01:36:11
Speaker
The Stones version is better. Yeah, it is. No no doubt about that. It's good enough, yes. But I like this on its own. I like that it's a bit sloppy. Little country tinged. You can definitely hear Bobby Womack's distinctively vocals on this. I like the percussion. I love the Stones version. It's definitely cleaner sounding and, and you know, it's more professional. But I like this version too. I like Bobby's guitar. Yes. It is all five of them are Womack's. Curtis, Bobby, Harry, Cecil and, here's an interesting name for somebody, Friendly Womack. Nice. There you go. Must have run out of names by then. o And none of them are named Kenneth. na No, none of them.
01:37:01
Speaker
I think we agree it is at least a good enough version. It's fun. It is a very listenable version, but the Stones is the more artistic record if we're going to put a word to it. Yeah, but this is definitely worth a listen. it's Oh, absolutely. really I enjoyed it for what it was. And and of course, Bobby Womack would go on. He had a complicated life, fought drug addiction for many years, unfortunately. but went on to have a career with songs like Looking for a Love and many other great R&B songs. The relationship between the Womax and Sam Cooke and Sam Cooke's wife, we won't go there. That's a podcast in itself.
01:37:47
Speaker
Yeah. So how would you get? No, no. don't get yeah ah All right. We have done it. We have completed size ABC and D and that is the month of June of 1964. Tune in next time and we'll let you know whether we're going to have three sides or four sides for July or triple. A triple album, who knows? and Well, I don't think we're going to have six sides. No, and we won't go that far. and Unless we're putting out 30 minute episodes, we're not going to have six sides. No, absolutely not. See you then. Take care.
01:38:47
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 Toppermost. And it's coinciding with their current advertising slogan, Toppermost of the Poppermost. They got it from someone. 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. 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.