Transcript
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, know, they would have a bad night, or the gig would you know didn't work properly, or the amps broke, or whatever. I say, where are we going, fellas? And they'd go, to the top, Johnny. And I'd say, where's that, fellas? And they'd say, to the toppermost or the poppermost. I'd say, right. And we'd all sort cheer up.
Speaker: Where are we going, Johnny? Straight to the top, boys. Oh, yeah? Where's that? The toppermost of the poppermost.
Speaker: Welcome to Side D of Toppermost of the Poppermost for July of 1965. I'm Ed Chan. I'm Kit O'Toole. And I'm Martin Quibble.
Speaker: We jump in at the week of July 17th. Boy, oh boy, do we have some bangers this week and next. Yep, very important songs. Yep, so many songs that are in the list of greatest songs of all time.
Speaker: And indeed, if you count some of the ones which we've covered in the past, the months of June and July feature literally 20 of the 500 greatest songs of all time, according to Rolling Stone.
Speaker: Wow. Wow. Wow. This is an important year. Yes. I mean, not just this year, it's the summer of 65 in particular. Mm-hmm.
Speaker: So on to July the 17th, still at number one is I Can't Get No Satisfaction by the Rolling Stones. No arguments. Nope, no argument there.
Speaker: At number 72, Unchained Melody by the Righteous Brothers. We've mentioned the Righteous Brothers before, and this still has to be considered the iconic song of the Righteous Brothers. When you say the name, this is probably the first song that everybody thinks of.
Speaker: Everybody Thinks of This and that scene from Ghost that we're going to talk about later. Yes. What sells this song is the vocals. Both singers are in basically the best shape of their entire career.
Speaker: But I'm not for retirement
Speaker: The instrumentation is fine, and Spectre even manages to have the wall of sound somewhat under control. The individual instruments are still not distinct, but they do manage to offer the song the feel that it needs.
Speaker: Big hit. The song itself actually dates back to 1955. Music by Alex North and lyrics by Zarath. And it was from a film called Unchained.
Speaker: It was a prison film. That was something I was interested to learn because I always wondered why it was called Unchained Melody because, of course, you never even hear that title in the lyrics. What can you say?
Speaker: Classic, dramatic, romantic, With a searing vocal by Bobby Hatfield. I mean, he just absolutely nails the emotion of the lyrics. It's overplayed today, admittedly. But you can't deny it's become a standard. And as you mentioned, Phil Spector, his production on this is very tasteful.
Speaker: You know, he really doesn't overdo it. So absolutely major hits. Even i will admit that the wall of sound is pulled back in order to make this song shine.
Speaker: With this song, that production has a more dreamy, ethereal feeling to it that fits wonderfully with that superb Bobby Hatfield, lead vocal. Absolute banger.
Speaker: here So according to the Song's publishing administrator, there are over 1,500 recordings of Unchained Melody made by more than 670 artists in many different languages. Wow. So it really is a standard.
Speaker: Now, most of those are indeed covers of the Righteous Brothers version, and you can tell that because Bobby Hatfield changed the melody in the final verse, and that change carries over to most of the covers. The song would return in 1990 when it was featured in, well, that certain scene in Ghost, the Demi Moore film.
Speaker: Who knew pottery could be that sexy? I know. With a ghost that's technically in the body of Whoopi Goldberg, but we'll leave that there. Exactly. Exactly. In 2004, this song was ranked as number 27 on AFI's 100 Years 100 Song survey of the top tunes in American cinema. No argument. There's another one, and we've got a couple more coming this week.
Speaker: Oh, and by the way, this was not originally intended to be released as an A-side. It was the other side hung on you. That was supposed to be the A-side. Can you believe it?
Speaker: Now, one of the covers of this song, not of the Righteous Brothers song, because it comes from 1955, was a parody by Spike Milligan and Peter Sellers.
Speaker: <unk> The Goons, or half of the Goons at that time. 29th, 1955 with recording engineer George Martin.
Speaker: Wow. So the song was supposed to be a goon single, but EMI refused to release it, fearing there would be a lawsuit from the publisher. And by the way, Bill Medley played the Wurlitzer piano on this. And later he said, if I knew it was going to be a hit, I certainly would have brought in a better piano player.
Speaker: As I mentioned Marv, it's a shame that that single never made it out because, well, the Beatles might have gotten there before the Righteous Brothers did. who o I could almost see them kind of doing a Hamburg version of Unchained Melody. Yeah, I agree.
Speaker: yeah At number 78, I'll Always Love You by Spinners. You hear The Spinners. It's like, what? What? They were there in the 60s? Here they are 1965 on Motown, nonetheless.
Speaker: with two great Motown writers. The tune was written by Mickey Stevenson and Ivy Joe Hunter. It is a bit four tops, but I can very much hear the 70s sound of the spinners in this track. The chorus is the most earworm part of the tune. The Adantes are there in the backing, joining the other spinners.
Speaker: Funk Brothers on instruments. It's definitely a product of the Motown assembly line, but separate enough to be notable. A hit. First of all, I love the spinners. So as I saw there was going to be a spinners record, I thought, oh, awesome.
Speaker: Yeah, definitely. There are elements of the 70s spinner sound in here, but it's more of the patented Motown sound. And as you said, it's a little bit of the assembly line sound that we'd expect, but I would still rank this a hit. I love Bobby Smith's lead vocals on this. Really smooth and nice harmonies. This is kind of a sleeper Motown song. I enjoyed it.
Speaker: I'll go to hit. As soon as it started, I knew it was mon the five beat shuffle intro on the drums tells you that it's
Speaker: Oh, you're breaking my heart, taking my sunshine away Knowing that I'm the blame, darling, there's nothing that I can say Darling, I've got to try, cause in my heart I know that
Speaker: Those vocals are superb. Bobby Smith's lead vocal is great. The Andantes work nicely on backing vocals with spinners. Love it. And like Ed said, I can hear the shadow of what's to come in the 70s from Motown.
Speaker: but they's So the spinners would not have a big hit for Motown, and Barry Gordy would end up making them road managers, chaperones, and chauffeurs for other groups. Wow.
Speaker: One of them even ended up as a shipping clerk. At least he didn't drum them out of Motown. but Remember, Edgar Chico Edwards left in 1967 and was replaced by G.C. Cameron. And then the group would switch to the Motown-owned VIP imprint.
Speaker: And G.C. Cameron would really help them become the big hit group that they were. Yeah, definitely. Our friends at Motown Junkies like this record a lot, possibly more than we do, although we do all like it.
Speaker: what They describe this as the very definition of a golden age when even the supposed second string acts can turn in a record as amazing as this at any time without warning.
Speaker: Motown must have wondered where all these guys were coming from, and they rate it 9 out of 10. Yeah, I wouldn't go quite that far. It's a good record, but yeah, 9 out of 10. I'd go 8.
Speaker: Yeah, I was going to say 7 or 8. Yeah, I was going to say 7 and a half, 8, something around there. Yep. At number 80, another one of those all-time records, Papa's Got a Brand New Bag by James Brown and the Famous Flames.
Speaker: Woo! Starts with that wonderful sax, which goes into the James Brown vocal. The Jimmy Nolan guitar is amazing. This is frequently recognized as the breakthrough funk record.
Speaker: Put it simply, this is earth-shattering stuff. Now, the lyrics don't matter, although they do service the track well. James Brown has found himself. you know We've talked about many of the other James Brown records and how he's building, and he's building, he's building. He's here now.
Speaker: Everything works. It's another world-changing hit, a big banger. Absolutely. Absolutely.
Speaker: Papa's got a brand new bag. He's a running runner, and this is crazy to see.
Speaker: He ain't no drag, Papa's got a brand new bag.
Speaker: This is the beginning of funk. The tightest horns you can imagine. That guitar riff strummed to punctuate the title phrase. And, of course, on the one, the very definition of funk. Emphasis on the first beat. It's all over this song. As you said, the lyrics aren't anything earth-shattering. you know In someone else's hands, this could have been just a dance record. But James elevates it with that percussive vocal where he's not just singing, he's becoming the percussive instruments. Just a phenomenal record. I can't express how important it is. Major hit.
Speaker: James Brown takes a 12-bar progression and invents funk music. The lyrics are what is needed to keep that groove going, and it's a groove that moves you.
Speaker: One of the greatest songs of all time. You're here. The record would win the Grammy for best R&B recording. Have you guys heard the original version of this from the Star Time box set?
Speaker: No, I haven't. No. It's on YouTube. You can go it and find it. The record as it is, is actually up a half step. So George Martin wasn't the only one who knew how to do that.
Speaker: I got to catch where can swing and I can't swing. There's a lot of wood here, man. That good, though. it's thing, though. I'm preaching, man. This is a hit!
Speaker: Papa's in the same He ain't too hip But that new breed's best He ain't no drag Papa's got a brand new bag
Speaker: You'll listen to that version. i mean, it's the same version. It's just a half step down. So you can definitely hear where James Brown's vocals are. But right before he starts, there's a little bit of studio chatter. And then James Brown just goes, this is a hit.
Speaker: damn straight it was which goes right into that drum and horn intro you know it's almost like we had george martin ah at the end there gentlemen you have your first number one exactly yeah this is james brown fully formed yeah the unedited six minute version which is also known as brand new bag parts one two and three are on the startime box set and like i say ah You can go and find them on your favorite streaming service or on YouTube. At number 81 was yet another one.
Speaker: Tracks of My Tears by the Miracles. Man. It's straight and we're going to roll. This is another song whose brilliance kind of goes a little bit unnoticed these days because of time and familiarity. It's a brilliant smoky lead vocal.
Speaker: Really good lyrics. Kind of an American sadder version of what John Lennon gave us in I'm a Loser. A great tune with a brilliant opening by Marv Tarplin and Pete Moore, which was created as a riff on the banana boat song.
Speaker: All hail the summer of 1965. Big hit a banger. My smile is my makeup I wear since my breakup with you Baby take a cool look at my face You see my smile looks like a face Yeah, just look closer It's easy to taste
Speaker: that guitar, the lyrics. How ingenious. Not talking about the tears themselves, the tracks of my tears. What an image. And it just doesn't get better than this. Perfect arrangement, gorgeous harmonies by the Miracles. And of course, the sublime vocals of Smokey.
Speaker: And the middle eight even changes the tempo and rhythm a bit. An interesting twist. The lyrics, the visual of this, that line where Smokey says, take a good look at my face. It's just so emotional. It's a bit like Tears of a Clown, you know, would later continue this, you know, hiding, you know, tears behind a smile. But I just think that image of The tear tracks is so original.
Speaker: It's not the tears themselves, and it's almost like water running through a canyon, like building the Grand Canyon or something. The erosion of his face because of the tears running down his cheeks. Exactly. yeah Just ingenious. Of course, highest hit possible.
Speaker: It's almost like he's saying that his tears are telling a story as well, and you follow the tracks, and it'll tell you the story of where it comes from. Oh, I like that. That's very good, Marv. Perfect song. Smokey's voice is sweet, soulful, cool, and the rest of the Miracles vocals are superb. I absolutely adore James Jameson's bass on this. The drumming as well is great. The horns wonderfully accentuate it all. It's a perfect production. And it's also a really good co-write between Smokey, Pete, and Marv from The Miracles.
Speaker: Yes. So our friends at Motown Junkies say for the second time in a row, the miracles are shafted out of a 10 simply because I've only got 50 to award and I'd run out of them. But again, oh that's why, because I thought, how could he not give this a 10 out of 10?
Speaker: I gotcha. But again, if you were to say this one was your favorite miracle single or even your favorite Motown single, I'd get it. Nine out of 10. But again, he's limited himself to 50 singles. So I see.
Speaker: I don't like that limit. This is a 10 out of 10. Absolutely. At number 83, it's going to take a miracle by the Royolettes. It starts out a little bit like Ooh Baby Baby.
Speaker: A nice lead vocal, although I don't really like Sheila Ross's voice. A decent tune, but it sounds like what it is. It was written for Lil' Anthony with girl group touches replacing the normal Imperials backing. Nothing too special, but it's still listenable. Very low hit.
Speaker: Loving
Speaker: Now that you set me free It's gonna take a miracle I was really interested to see this on the charts this week because I first heard the song covered by Denise Williams from the early 80s, and I always loved the song. So it was a treat to hear the original. I think the cover is a bit better. After you listen to the show, go look it up. You won't be disappointed.
Speaker: Oh, I was too blind to see you letting me go. But now that you've set me free, it's gonna take a miracle.
Speaker: It's less over-arranged than this. The strings are more subtle. It's a bit better recorded. So I still think that's the better version. I didn't love the horns here, but I'm still going to give it a low hit because it's such a good song. I've just always loved the lyrics to this. And yes, it does sound like Lil' Anthony and the Imperials. I can absolutely picture them singing this. the chord changes fit them perfectly they're a little jazzy but this is good it's it's worth hearing the original but go look up denise williams i would also say go look up laura nairo which on balance is probably the more popular version from 1971.
Speaker: Oh, didn't you know It wouldn't be so easy letting you go I could have told you that it's gonna take a miracle As soon as this started, I realized that I'd heard this song before and this version as well.
Speaker: I like the song. The production's a bit not perfect in places. Louise actually said that she got almost a stylistics vibe to this. Yeah, maybe a little early Philly soul.
Speaker: Low hit to me, of course, you know, the 1982 version by Denise Williams is the more well-known version. ah Although i will say, i wish Denise's version had kept the ooze that are on this, because that was interesting. That would have been nice in the 82 version. But we're going to talk about that in many years when we get to 1982. That's right.
Speaker: Just you wait. yeah At number 86, It's Too Late Baby, Too Late by Arthur Priceock, a 50s throwback song. Good sax, I don't love the strings.
Speaker: The piano is fine, but buried in the mix. I like that lead vocal, you know, deep and soulful. It's a low hit that could have maybe been more with better production and fewer instruments in that backing.
Speaker: I agree. I love the vocal on this. I mean, Arthur Preissock, just a wonderful baritone. You don't hear voices like that anymore. he was definitely influenced by Billy Eckstein.
Speaker: I didn't love the organ under bed. Yes. Yeah, really didn't like that. And the song itself is a typical blues progression. So the song itself is not all that special.
Speaker: And as you said, the production, not great. But his voice makes this a low hit. Great vocal, yearning, soulful vocal with strings that are a bit wobbly. The right bass is nice. The baritone sax is nice. The organ is far too upfront. The drums are too low in the mix. You can barely hear them.
Speaker: So low hit. Louis said that she thought that she could hear Tom Jones doing a cover of this. yeah Possibly. I could see that. Yes. could see that. Yeah. So just before.
Speaker: One thing you should know, that it's too late, baby, too late. At number 90, Hung On You by the Righteous Brothers. So as we mentioned, this was nominally the A-side of what we will now call the Unchained Melody single. Yep. A good performance, but it's a bad wall of sound.
Speaker: All the instruments are just completely swallowed up by that Phil Spector sludge. The vocals are great, but maybe a little bit too close to you. Lost that love and feeling territory. The backing is mediocre.
Speaker: There seems to be a good Goffin and King slash Spectre tune underneath, but the music is lost entirely. may I completely agree. I can't believe this was originally the A-side the action melody single.
Speaker: The wall of sound, as I said, almost swallows up The Righteous Brothers at times. It's too busy, overranged, just drowning in reverb. Oh,
Speaker: baby, why did
Speaker: The vocals are fine, but you fight to hear them. To me, it's just a muddled mess. Meh for me, maybe even dangerously close to a mess. Yeah. yeah We're back to the bad wall of sound on this. It'd be much better song otherwise, but with the production, it's a meh.
Speaker: With better production, it'd be a middling hit. Absolutely. Talking of bad wall of sound. At number 93, The Loser by The Skyliners.
Speaker: A good enough lead vocal, but bad backing made worse as it goes into a bad wall of sound sound alike. Now, in 1965, Jack Taylor, with manager Joe Rock's permission, formed a new Skyliner group. So there had been a band called the Skyliners who had had some hits earlier in the decade.
Speaker: They would record The Loser on Jubilee Records, a soulful ballad written by Taylor and Rock that was much played at slow dances in the Pittsburgh area, particularly at record hops, and would go on to chart in the top 40 both nationally on the pop and R&B charts. Proof that regional hits do not necessarily result in a quality record.
Speaker: Loma. Yeah.
Speaker: It's another casualty of the wall of sound influence. The song itself was just kind of blah. I know I say overranged over and over. What can I say? It is almost drowning out the vocalist. Interesting chord changes, but other than that, it just really didn't go anywhere.
Speaker: Absolutely meh. I hate the wall of sound on this song. It's barely audible what's going on and what is there isn't worth listening to anyway. At number 94, It's Gonna Be Fine by Glenn Yarbrough.
Speaker: A bouncy tune, a nice pop country lead vocal, but I don't like the backing. And with the exception of the strings, the backing makes the record sound like something you might find behind the Partridge family.
Speaker: Hi, man. I wrote the same thing! wrote this sounds like something the Partridge family could have recorded. With the harpsichord sound, that relentlessly poppy, syrupy tone to it. That's hilarious. It's gonna be fine.
Speaker: It's gonna be fine. It's gonna be fine. It's gonna be fine.
Speaker: Nice vocal for Miraboro, but definitely not something I'd listen to on a regular basis. Meh. I can't believe I'm saying this I think I actually like this less than both of you, and that's saying something you said meh.
Speaker: Wow. Louise says this is another Jean Pickney wannabe, and she isn't wrong. To quote Mary from Three Men and a Little Lady. What crock.
Speaker: Hey, where did you hear that expression? What a crock. What a crock.
Speaker: What? What'd I do? yeah yeah At number 96, You've Never Been In Love Like This Before by Unit 4 Plus 2. It's an interesting song. I like the changes. simple but interesting use of the instruments.
Speaker: The backing is great. I particularly like the harmony. The song builds, and by the end, I found myself enjoying the track much more than I thought I would at the beginning. Moderate hit. Yeah, it didn't do anything for me. I didn't like the backing vocals repeating the key phrases after the late singer at times. i thought that got a little tired. Yeah, but that harmony section is so good. The harmonies are nice, but I just felt like they were desperately trying to create a hook with the hand clapping and the chorus. Like they're really trying to make this a near worm.
Speaker: But otherwise, I thought it was kind of a by the numbers British invasion
Speaker: The time I said I'd never fall in love again. Never fall in love. I was wrong, I should have said.
Speaker: Love will come, but who knows when. Baby, I've been biding my time to make me sure. But darling, it's there, and I know it's true.
Speaker: I'm in love again.
Speaker: was written by band members Brian William Parker and Tommy Mahler. I'm sorry, I have to give it a meh. Sorry. Ooh. Wow. That's a contrast between the verse and chorus. Interesting use of the piano. i like the lead vocal on this. And it's interesting with the experimentation that they're doing with syncopation.
Speaker: So I'm probably closer to Ed with a low hit. Okay. So, wow, we got mad low hit, moderate hit. Yep. Wow. The Cashbox review says, the crew established themselves with their still-selling concrete and clay, and this potent follow-up, you've never been in love like this before, also looms as a blockbuster.
Speaker: The side is an infectious, blues-tinged romancer all about a real lucky lad who's been on cloud nine since he's met the girl of his dreams. Tell Somebody You Know is a rhythmic, happy-go-lucky, teen-angled romancer. Two romancers in the same review.
Speaker: Sank the reviewer. Yes. And now on to a song that Ed loves. At number 98, my WTF record. Yakety Axe by Chet Atkins.
Speaker: Yes, this is what you think it is. It's Chet Atkins doing the Benny Hill theme. Despite that... Despite that, great guitar playing. The harmonica substitution in the middle actually works, but it's an embarrassing cover.
Speaker: It doesn't help matters by ending with shaving a haircut too much. I noticed that. It's only a so-so record. I like the playing enough to rate it a low to moderate meh. Yes, it's silly. No doubt about it. But I like this. His playing is so good. It's Jed Atkins. It's so good. Well done in terms of showing off his skills. The harmonica solo, I don't know if that was totally necessary. I mean, it was okay. And yes, the shave and a haircut two bits ending was a little corny. But for his pure skill on this record, I'd give it.
Speaker: a low, low hit. There is no denying that Chet Hattkins is an absolute legend of the guitar. The harmonica solo...
Speaker: there is no denying that chet hackkins is an absolute legend of the guitar the harmonica solo Yeah, is I suppose maybe a high mare. It's sort of interesting, but let's face it, Boots Randolph version is the one that everybody knows.
Speaker: Q Benny Hill chasing women around a park somewhere during the Ed Credits. Now, having said that, I think the reason Chet recorded this was he actually did ah version of the tune with Boots Randolph, and you can see that on YouTube.
Speaker: And that's worth a watch. That was fun. Absolutely. They both look like they were having a ball. Why didn't we get that? Again, probably rights and such, but that is definitely the better version. o At number 99, Buster Brown by Willie Mitchell. It's a somewhat forgotten record, but this is a really good Memphis soul sound.
Speaker: Great horn, good backing, organ, guitar, piano, and drums. I'm going to rate this a hit. Now, if you don't know who Willie Mitchell is, he's also known as Papa Willie. He was a producer, a musician, and he had his own studio just around the corner from Stacks. Stacks is on McLemore Avenue, and Willie Mitchell's studio was on South Lauderdale Street.
Speaker: And they both produced very similar sounding material, not to the point of them copying each other, but it's just the same vibe going on in both places. Yeah, I really like this. It has some grit, some soul and rock with some James Brown kind of horns. Just some good southern soul. I like the piano, guitar and sax solos throughout.
Speaker: Yeah, this was a hit. This is a very gem, I think. Really good. Soulful, cool, nice guitar work. The horns, bass and drums are superb. I could actually picture the Blues Brothers Band doing this as an instrumental piece in a transition section of a Blues Brothers film.
Speaker: okay And in fact, since we were talking about it, Willie Mitchell did a really cool cover of Papa's Got a Brand New Bag, by the way. Oh, I'll check that out. Nice. So before his death in 2010, some of the artists that Willie Mitchell produced at his own high studios included Ovi Wright, Bobby Blue Bland, Otis Clay, Ann Peebles, Syl Johnson, and Al Green. Wow, that's a roster of artists right there.
Speaker: And just around the corner from Stax. Yeah, amazing. Yeah. At number 100, I'm a Fool to Care by Ray Charles, written in the 1940s by ted Daffin. Piano and strings into a stinging exclamation of the title phrase from Ray. The strings don't quite work once the song begins, though.
Speaker: The backing singers are fine until their vocalization turned into lyrics. Still, it's interesting, and I like a lot of it, but this version still ends up only a low hit for me. Yeah, Ray sings the hell out of this song. What a vocal he turns in. Wonderful blues, gospel, piano. But the backing vocalist just sounded completely out of place.
Speaker: I don't know how else to put it. Very square. Completely. aired to Ray. Totally not necessary. I hated it when these Ray Charles records goop up the song with overly done strings and those backing vocalists because Ray's incomparable voice the star here. So I would give it a low hit because of that, but love Ray's vocal on this.
Speaker: I know I should laugh.
Speaker: I like how it starts instrumentally, but I'd probably say maybe the first half of the song, if it had stayed that way all the way through, it would be big, big, big hit on it.
Speaker: But the fact that they try to build until it goes close to bombast towards the end, that's what spoiled the song, really. Yeah, 100% agree. Now, I like the country and Ray's vocal, and we lose some of that as we move through the song.
Speaker: Absolutely. When those backing singers come in, it just completely changes the tone of the track. and Unnecessarily. yeah Louise actually thought that the song is similar to At Last by Etta James. When was At Last written? The song At Last was actually first recorded in 1941. Which is still after I'm a Fool to Care, though. Yeah. yeah The reason we probably know this song is Ringo covered it on Sentimental Journey.
Speaker: Oh, yeah, that's right. Forgot about that. You listen to that version.
Speaker: a fool to care When you treat me this way
Speaker: It's a very different arrangement. It's much more country, much more in keeping with the original version of the tune, the 40s styling. Laconic with great horns. Ringo's not Ray Charles on vocals, but his vocals serve his version of the song. I like that a lot, too. thank you So we move on to the next week, the week of July 24th.
Speaker: I Can't Get No Satisfaction is hanging in there still at number one by the Rolling Stones. Wow. wow We always hear that the Beatles and the Stones tried to alternate their singles. In this case, maybe they really did because there's a reason why there's no new Beatles single. Yes, Help is not until August, but they could have very easily put out another single in here.
Speaker: sure yeah At number 72, yet another one of these songs, R.I.P. Brian Wilson, California Girls by the Beach Boys. I started listening and it's like, you know, I forgot just how brilliant this record actually is.
Speaker: think about it, the first thing you're going to go to is the cute girls on the beach lyrics, that side of thing, what we will generously call the Mike Love component that undercuts the serious melodicism rolling underneath this tune. This was apparently written during Brian Wilson's first acid trip.
Speaker: So he wrote a song after the first time he got high on 420 and he wrote a song after the first time he got his mind expanded with LSD. wow Now, he has also claimed that it was the week after in other places, but most people seem to think that, yeah, it came to him during the trip itself. Yeah.
Speaker: The only thing which is not perfection is the Beach Boys harmonies. They're good, but they're probably not top-notch Beach Boys harmonies. Still, there's nothing that you can say wrong about this tune. I love the orchestral opening, and we're going to talk a little bit more about it and about the recording of it after you guys give your our opinion. Obviously, big hit. It's another one of those big bangers from July of 1965. Absolutely. Brian Wilson once called this a hymn to youth. I love that because I think it is like that. You really hear in this track the warm-up to pet sounds, the unusual string arrangements, you like sleigh bells in the background, really, for the time, offbeat instrumentation for a pop record, and almost symphonic in parts. Incidentally, this is the first song with Bruce Johnson. He was part of the touring group.
Speaker: for a while, replacing Brian Wilson when he decided he no longer wanted to tour. Replacing Glenn Campbell. Brian Wilson was replaced by Glenn Campbell, who was replaced by Bruce Johnson. That's true. So this is the first record with Bruce on there.
Speaker: I like the backing vocals. I mean, maybe it's not on a level of like In My Room or Surfer Girl or something, but for what the song is, I think it works. And of course, the lyrics are iconic.
Speaker: What can you say? this is a major hit. Yeah, there's nothing wrong with the backing vocals. It's just not quite top-notch Beach Boys. It's them experimenting with the multi-layered backing vocals, which they will perfect the following year with Pet Sounds.
Speaker: Yes. Always love that intro. The orchestrated intro is just beautiful. i actually love Mike's voice on this. and That organ, it sounds like you're at a fun fair at the beach. Yeah. The build in the first chorus is nice, ushering in those multi-layed vocals from verse two onwards. The staccato rhythm in the chorus is great.
Speaker: It's a song that's very quick, doesn't overstay its welcome. Although, to be quite honest, I would happily keep playing this song on repeat. no Yeah, as to your comment, I've always kind of thought that the Mr. Kite organ was kind of a twisted version of the organ from this. Yeah, I can hear that.
Speaker: ya can either that So not only was Brian on LSD when he wrote this song, he says that he was thinking of music from cowboy movies along with missing the girls on the West Coast. Yeah. The rhythm, you know, when it's got a do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do, almost harkens back to something like Rodeo by Copeland.
Speaker: Yeah, what I get is I get the Tumbling Tumbleweeds sort of melody. you Drifting along with the Tumbling Tumbleweeds. The music was recorded by the Wrecking crew, including Hal Blaine, Carol Kay, and Leon Russell.
Speaker: The vocals were recorded later on an 8-track recorder, one of the first 8-track recorders in the States. We also mentioned that Motown would get one, and that was at Columbia. Mm-hmm.
Speaker: like that. they're using the same language again hot on the heels of there help me rhonda smash a ru the beach boys come up with a potent follow-up stanza california girls which seems destined to become a strong link in the group's long chain of chart makers side is an easygoing shuffle which touts the many positive aspects of the golden state dis staffers i like that yeah Let Him Run Wild is an interesting weeper which blends in generous portions of Counterpoint and Harmony.
Speaker: Nice. Now, there aren't as many cover versions of this song as I thought there were, but we still decided we had to have a supercut of it. Of course. We got to have a supercut with David Lee Roth in there. Yeah, if for no other reason, then everybody wants to hear a little bit more of David Lee Roth doing California Girls. That's right. Yeah.
Speaker: Some of the other versions you will hear in here. Another one of our favorites for Supercuts, Alvin Simon and Theodore, along with David Seville, the chipmunks did a version of California Girl. And you haven't lived until you hear Alvin talking about the styles they wear. Yeah, I was just thinking about that. Like, I don't know if I want to hear Alvin talking about girls. and yeah That's a little weird.
Speaker: Others include Leif Garrett. Cool. As you might expect, Jan and Dean did a cover of it. Makes sense. Ricky Martin. Living his best life. That's right. We talked about Kit, not Kit O'Toole, Kit, the car from Knight Rider earlier.
Speaker: We have a cover version from the man that Germans love, David Hasselhoff. That's going to be a banger. That's got a turbo boost to it. Weezer did a version of it.
Speaker: Oh, that's fun. A band called the Moon Loungers who aren't particularly well known, but, well, we have to include it because the bass player is playing a Hoffner on it. Ah. Nice. And just a little bit from the 50th reunion tour the Beach Boys, a reason to include a version which is not this version.
Speaker: Ladies and gentlemen, Ricky Martin!
Speaker: Well, these close girls are hip-high, really dig those styles they wear. And the southern girls, with the way they talk, they knock me out.
Speaker: The Midwest farmers' daughters really make you feel alright.
Speaker: northern girls with the way they get, they keep their boyfriends warm that night. wish they could be California. wish they all could be California. wish they all could be California.
Speaker: The west coast has the sunshine and the girls all get so tan I take a bridge for the beauty, I'm wild I propose my upon dream in the sand I've been all around this great big world And I've seen all kind of girls Yeah, but I couldn't wait to get back to the stakes, back to the cutie
Speaker: I wish they all could be California girls. Here go.
Speaker: Yeah, I do the first time.
Speaker: Sounded good on that one!
Speaker: At number 78, You Were On My Mind by the Wee 5. Wee, W-E, w e not Wee, W-E-E, which is how I would think the name of the band would be.
Speaker: This is a cover of the 1961 Ian and Sylvia single. I like this version. It starts a little bit mid-tempo, but becomes pacey enough and builds as the track proceeds.
Speaker: A good lead vocal from Beverly Bivens. Nice arrangement, decently well-recorded low hit. I've always liked this song. It's got kind of a pop rock feel to it. I like how it gradually increases in intensity with each verse adding vocals, another member and then another member. And then as you mentioned, Beverly Bivens toward the end. really takes over and has a great voice. And then it briefly goes back to a lower volume, then back to the high intensity for the finish.
Speaker: And i think the production is slightly influenced by Phil Spector, particularly on the drums. You can really hear the echo. But overall, just think it's catchy, nice harmonies, just a lot of fun. This is a hit.
Speaker: for me i'm waiting for the tomatoes here um i have them ready i didn't like that the wall of sound attempt with this which put me off this version of the song i like their vocals but i just did not like the production on it
Speaker: You were on my mind, and you were on my mind. Hey, I got love, oh, oh, oh
Speaker: Low hit to me. If you are inclined to see it that way, it's slightly a low-rent Peter, Paul and Mary. Other versions of this, obviously Ian and Sylvia. Barry McGuire did an interesting version, and in a year or so we will get the version by Crispin St. Peter's, which is really nice.
Speaker: yeah Barry McGuire really shouldn't have covered this song. Yeah. Yeah, maybe not. yeah Now, We Five is interesting in their origin. They came out of the University of San Francisco, but the main reason they were created was because Michael Stewart, the brother of John Stewart, John Stewart, a member of the Kingston Trio, told his brother,
Speaker: he should start a singing group. well That would then lead to their eventual recording contract. Cool. Who were they with, recording-wise?
Speaker: A&M. Cool. Last month, we talked about Herb Albert and... his rise in the music industry. Part of that was him recruiting folk and rock acts to A&M.
Speaker: Ooh. Nice. So the Wii 5 came at the same time as Boys and Heart, Garden Club, The Merry-Go-Round, and... Chris Montez, we know him. yeah yes, old friend.
Speaker: At number 85, You Tell Me Why by the Bo Brummels. This is a bit more Dylan inspired than the other Bo Brummels tracks, particularly Laugh Laugh. As you get to the middle eight, there's a harmony section where the song does indeed turn more Beatles and Birdsy. It's a good record. This would be the final hit for this version of the Bo Brummels.
Speaker: You tell me she was not for me. It's just the way love has to be.
Speaker: Tell me why.
Speaker: Yeah
Speaker: I give it a low hit. The song was written by Ron Elliott and is credited to Sylvester Stewart, a.k.a. Sly Stone. Although, according to Elliott and lead vocalist Sal Valentino, Stewart was not around that much, and his contribution had diminished to the point that they don't recall any producer being in charge of this session. R.I.P. Sly Stone. Yes, R.I.P. Absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah, not as strong as Laugh Laugh, but nice harmonies. I like the acoustic guitar-driven rhythm um to it. The harmonica is a nice touch. i will Yeah, I like that.
Speaker: um But, yeah, I would probably give it a low hit, um only because, it's as I said, it's just not as memorable as as Laugh Laugh. But ah but it's ah it's a decent you know decent single, as I said, with the acoustic guitar and harmonica and the harmonica. You know, it's a pleasant listen.
Speaker: Yep. I'll go with that. A low hit. Vocals are great. I like the guitar on it. Other than that, Louise listened to this and she said that she could hear Orbison or Chris Isaac doing a version of this.
Speaker: Hmm. Interesting. At number 86, Looking Through the Eyes of Love by Gene Pitney, a Barryman and Cynthia Weill song. I don't care for this.
Speaker: Ugh.
Speaker: In the eyes of the crowd, I'm a do-nothing kind of a guy
Speaker: In the eyes of the crowd, I'm another poor Joe on the street.
Speaker: In the eyes of my woman, they're wrong. I'm a king and a lover, as strong and as brave as can be.
Speaker: Any fool can see.
Speaker: It's not a great record. I mean, there's too much Gene Pitney these days. These days being 1965. I'll give it a high, man. It's over everything. Overdramatic. And Gene Pitney's vocal is trying so hard to be sincerely emotional. And it's just over the top and and in parts. So man-wild composition, definitely not one of their best. Arrangement's okay.
Speaker: But overall, as I said, over everything. It's a meh for me. Yep, I'll give it a meh as well. It just irritated me. Gene's voice is too much. None of us like this tune very much, we? No, no, no, no. And considering it's Man and Wild, I actually think that this song would have been better for the Righteous Brothers.
Speaker: Maybe. Well, maybe that could have been the A-side of Unchained Melody. There you go. Or another A-side, but yes. Yeah. yeah Now, believe it or not, this song was covered by the Partridge family, since we were talking about the Partridge family earlier. Kelsipree.
Speaker: And that version would actually end up being relatively a hit. Wow. would reach the top 40 in Billboard, the UK, and Canada.
Speaker: But it's going to be better than this version. Mm-hmm. Their cover was produced by Wes Ferrell and released on Bell Records and on their 1972 album, The Partridge Family Notebook.
Speaker: wow Thankfully, we are now coming to another wonderful song. you know How many times have we sang that in this episode? At number 91, Like a Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan.
Speaker: Dylan emerged from the phone booth, going in as Clark Kent, coming out as Superman. The lyricism, emotion, verve, and feel of folk Bob is combined with an almost animals-like backing. And indeed, I can hear just traces of Ticket to Ride in there as well. An essential record.
Speaker: This would become Dylan's most commercial single, one of the biggest and most important song of the 60s. Dare I say it? Another banger. Yep. yeah Absolutely.
Speaker: The lyrics in this, few people were like Bob Dylan in that they could capture the 60s as well as he did. Pointing to Times there Are a Change in and others to say, you want a quick summary of of the 60s?
Speaker: Listen to this. Well, this is another one. There are various interpretations of this song, but... It's essentially saying to this fictional character who may have once come from high society, well, she's presumably lost money and fame and all. When he says that, does that how does it feel?
Speaker: Not only directed at her, but directed at you. the listener. How does it feel to be complete unknown like a Rolling Stone? Dropping out. Tune in. um Turn on, drop out. Turn on, drop out. That's right. That's kind of like what this is. Encapsulated in one song. And interestingly, it does have a twist and shout kind of chord progression. I mean, the chord progression... isn't anything revolutionary, but it's the lyrics. I love the organ in this, the almost gospel piano.
Speaker: It's just such an important step in the development of folk rock. Now, the interesting thing about that organ, that organ is played by Al Cooper and was not part of Dylan's original vision for the song. it was improvised during the recording session. Wow.
Speaker: Yep. What Kit said about the lyrics as well, he does something here that is really interesting as well with the chorus, where he does it a lot from now on.
Speaker: The chorus builds each time. Yes. So you've got, you know, how does it feel? does it feel to be without a home, like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone? In the next verse, you get an extra bit to be on your own with no direction home.
Speaker: So each time it builds and builds and builds and builds to the end of the crescendo. One of my favourite songs of all time, it's in my top 10 songs of all time. This is absolutely amazes me how songs like this come about.
Speaker: Because... When Bob records a lot of the time, the musicians have no idea what they're going to record until he comes in and then they have to fall in with him playing.
Speaker: He doesn't even play the songs to them beforehand. He just got the lyrics there in front of him and he just goes for it and expects them to be able to get a flow for it from that first sort of like run through of they've got to follow in. After that, it's a take. Can you imagine trying to learn this six and a half minute long song and then trying to get it on the first take?
Speaker: Amazing. It took two days, 15 takes on day one, and then another 15 takes on day two, and take four from the second one is the version that was released as a single.
Speaker: It felt that something was missing until Al Cooper just suddenly thought, oh, it needs a bit of organ. Not an instrument that is used to playing, but Bob liked the way that Al was just playing the organ slightly out of sync with the rest of the instruments. It was slightly after the beat.
Speaker: And he loved the fact that he almost gave it that sort of rolling feel that that matches the rolling stone in the lyrics. So a bit more on the creation of this song. Dylan came back from the UK tour in 1965 and was disillusioned with the whole idea of recording music and actually planned to quit the music business. wow Then one day he sat down and wrote a 10 page poem.
Speaker: In Dylan's words, he just vomited it up And that became the basis of the lyrics for the song. And that apparently changed his mind so much. it's like, I got to keep doing this. And so that's where the song came from. Could you imagine if he'd not edited it down?
Speaker: ah related to that a six minute single in 1965. Yeah. yeah That was highly unusual. Yeah. So Columbia was unhappy with both the songs length and the fact that Dylan was going electric on record.
Speaker: They didn't want to release it. The record was leaked to DJs and was played around in the clubs and became popular, which was why the song ended up getting released as a single. We'll hear that a lot through the years of record companies not being particularly enamoured with songs and then DJs playing the songs and almost like the record companies are then forced to release it because the songs are popular.
Speaker: Now, almost universally, this is going to be one of the top 10 songs of all time. In 2010 and 2024, Rolling Stone ranked this as the number one song in their 500 greatest songs of all time. Wow.
Speaker: In 2021, it fell back to number four. s So it went from number one down to number four, back to number one. Pitchfork Media in 2006 ranked this as the number four song in the 200 greatest songs of the 60s.
Speaker: wow In 2000, VH1 ranked this number four in the 100 Greatest Rock Songs. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ranked this as one of the 500 songs that shaped rock in 1995.
Speaker: Consequence of Sound rated this as number three in the 100 greatest songs of all time in 2012. Dave Marsh, in his book, ranked it number seven in 1989 in the 1001 greatest singles ever made.
Speaker: And this was also listed as one of the 40 most influential records of the 20th century 1999. Yeah, i mean, no question. So according to Clinton Halen, Paul McCartney heard this record and went to Weybridge and played it for John Lennon.
Speaker: According to McCartney, the record seemed to go on and on forever. It was just beautiful. He showed all of us that it was possible to go a little bit further. Yeah.
Speaker: The Beatles themselves did a tiny bit of this song before they went into the Twist and Shout with Heather Medley on a Saturday, January 26th, 1969. And I don't remember, did they start with the Twist and Shout? Did they cut out the bit of Like a Rolling Stone and get back? I don't remember. don't remember.
Speaker: They won't like muscle, but yeah, yeah, say little prayer.
Speaker: Cashbox says, Bob Dylan is back, and this time out, his distinctive folk blues perspective is showcased in an unprecedented six-minute-long original called Like a Rolling Stone.
Speaker: For DJs, the label has a special three-minute-and-two-second and two-minute-and-fifty-eight coupling featuring the two halves of the tune. Side is a funky, rhythmic ode which proclaims the artist's philosophy of rugged individualism. They didn't know how to describe it, did they?
Speaker: The rugged individualism part is fairly accurate, but funky? No. Flips a low-key, blues-drenched message song. Gates of Eden, yeah.
Speaker: In another, these two songs followed each other. at number 92 is Fly Me to the Moon, in other words, by Tony Bennett. Another great version of a tune by Tony Bennett. I actually prefer it to the much better known Frank Sinatra, Quincy Jones produced a version from 1964. Tony Bennett's vocal is better.
Speaker: Great piano, restrained, perfectly complementary strings. The only slight misstep might occasionally be those backing singers. yeah But still, big hit.
Speaker: Yeah, this is just the epitome of Tony Bennett. I mean, what a gorgeous vocal. As I've talked about before, Ralph Sharon doing some incredible playing in the background. Yeah, I did not like the background singers I think they could have been dispensed with. But his voice is sublime. i rate this a hit. And I love how he always sings the original introductions to the song.
Speaker: Oh, it's often used many words to say a simple thing It takes thought and time and rhyme to make a poem sing With music and words I've been playing
Speaker: as I go along Fly
Speaker: Fly me to the moon.
Speaker: So there's a lot of times, like Frank Sinatra's version, I think he just goes right into the meat of the song.
Speaker: Fly me to the moon. Let me swing among the stars.
Speaker: Tony always felt strongly about doing the original intros. And I have to say, i had the pleasure of seeing him do this in person, but he also did this on his MTV Unplugged show back in the early 90s, where he sings this without a microphone.
Speaker: Just say, turn the microphones off, and it would just be him and Ralph Sharon and he would just belt the song and me and not only were you impressed with of course his vocal power that he could do that and you could still hear him the back of the theater you know this is so terrific being unplugged
Speaker: like it let's really let's really get unplugged okay we're gonna get a Vance can we turn all the microphones off thanks Poets often use many words to say a simple thing.
Speaker: It takes thought and time and rhyme to make a poem sing. With music and words I've been playing.
Speaker: For you I have written a song to be sure that you know what I'm saying.
Speaker: He still was able to do that exquisite phrasing that he does. So look it up. It's part of his MTV Unplugged. Gorgeous, gorgeous version. Do you know another version to look up is the version where Lady Gaga asked him to sing it.
Speaker: Oh, yes. Tony, would you sing Fly Me to the Moon? Nobody in the world sings it like you. Fly Me to the Moon.
Speaker: And then he sings it in front of Lady Gaga. Fly me to the moon.
Speaker: Let me play among the stars
Speaker: And then she's looking over and he's actually singing it to his wife in the audience. Absolutely beautiful, that version. And just the fact that, you know, you can hear the emotion in it. And that is fabulous.
Speaker: This is a great version of the song. My favourite version of this song is Tony... Forgetting the backing singers, it's got a dreamy production, love the saxophone on this, which is only for a little bit, but it's really nice. And the tempo is great as well. I like the fact that the tempo is slower than the version that Sinatra and Jones did. I thought that Sinatra and Jones almost pushed it too fast in a sense. And this one just allows the song to breathe a lot more.
Speaker: You can really appreciate the beautiful lyrics. Yeah. So Fly Me to the Moon was originally titled In Other Words and was written in 1954 by Bart Howard.
Speaker: The first recording of the song was made in 1954 by Kay Ballard. As mentioned... Frank Sinatra's 1964 version is perhaps the better known, largely in part because it was closely associated with the Apollo missions to the moon.
Speaker: Oh, that's right. We have been given the scientific knowledge, the technical ability, and the materials to pursue the exploration of the universe. To ignore these great resources would be a corruption of a God-given ability.
Speaker: Ten, nine, ignition sequence start.
Speaker: In 1999, the Songwriters Hall of Fame honored Fly Me to the Moon by inducting it as a, quote, towering song, unquote. It is a towering song. At number 93, Around the Corner by the Duprees, a last gasp for a group whose era was over. The former doo-wop group had changed lead singers and this copycat record just doesn't work.
Speaker: The instrumentation and slight Spanish feel are nothing more than warmed over Jay and the Americans, a group which itself was not exactly on top of the world at this point, or possibly four seasons. Indeed, a contemporary review said, it sounds like a cross between the Drifters on Broadway and Jay and the Americans come a little bit closer. Miss. Yeah, I agree. It sounded ah a bit like on Broadway, particularly at the beginning.
Speaker: Lives four houses down, but if I go there, I'm a-gonna Cause there's a gang hanging round the corner They've got a leader that picks her too He waits for me cause he knows I want her On the street that I can't go through
Speaker: mean, the whole song seems like a drifter's ripoff. I just found it boring. And amazingly, two of the writers were Bobby Hart and someone we've also seen a lot of, Teddy Randazzo. They were some of the co-writers. I can't believe it took multiple songwriters to craft this song, but okay. And I would actually even give it a meh, maybe high meh.
Speaker: Written by five people and yet it still sounds ordinary. Yep. The voices are great, the musicians are doing okay. It's below a miss, it's not even worth it. Late in the day for the Dupreeze, with this being the eighth Billboard Hot 100 entry. The biggest hit was You Belong to Me in 1962 that got to number seven.
Speaker: Surprisingly, they would hit again in 1975, seeing them hit number three in the disco charts with Delicious. Really? I don't remember that song. Wow.
Speaker: As an aside, and Ed's going to go even more into this, this song was produced by Archie Rip, who has an incredibly long and um fascinating music career.
Speaker: What most people may know Artie Ripp for is Buddha Records. Oh, right. Started as an artist with his vocal group, who also backed up Paul Anker a few times, then graduated to an executive working for Morris Levy, these really nice people, Morris Levy, Don Kirshner, Al Nevins, Jeff Barry, and some other people. before starting up Family Productions.
Speaker: Now, through Family Productions, he signed Billy Joel to a recording and publishing contract. He produced Joel's first album, Cold Spring Arbor, which featured Denny Sywell on drums from Wings, that was mixed at too high a speed. And according to Joel, it wasn't corrected due to the fact that Rip ran out of funds for the production, allegedly.
Speaker: Joel would then not record again for Rip and became a lounge musician for a while before returning under contract with Columbia Records. However, every single release by Joel from then onwards had to have a majority royalty percentage sent to Rip because he still was under contract to Family Records until the end of River of Dreams.
Speaker: Wow, that long. So Artie Rip would also give us a couple of Beatles connections. Buddha Records was actually doing pretty well in 1966. Artie Rip had enough money that he went out and approached a pair of Rhode Island songwriters.
Speaker: Pete Anders and Vincent Vinnie Poncia. In the recent past, Anders and Poncia had written Bonnie Joe Mason's Ringo, I Love You, a.k.a. Cher's very first single.
Speaker: Yes. Anders and Poncia would go on to record an album on Buddha under the name The Innocents, but Artie Ripp insisted on being pictured as a third member of the group, both on stage and on all the promotional material.
Speaker: So shortly after that, Artie Rip would discover a single called Oh Happy Day, which was the effort of a group of singers known as the North California State Youth Choir. There's a name for you. Wow, that's a mouthful.
Speaker: Wow. They made this record because they wanted it to be sold at concerts. Makes sense. The record got into the hand of some disc jockeys in California who then started programming it as a lark.
Speaker: Other stations would pick up on it and soon they would come to the notice of Artie Rip and Buddha Records. Buddha Records would...
Speaker: issue the single nationally on their subsidiary label Pavilion and change the name of the group to the Edwin Hawkins Singers. So this so-called private recording would climb all the way to number four nationally and earn a Grammy as best soul gospel performance of the year.
Speaker: Wow. Then would pave the way for the best-selling album Let Us Go Into the House of the Lord. Mm-hmm. Beetlewise, the Edwin Hawkins Singers version of Oh Happy Day is George Harrison's other inspiration for My Sweet Lord. Yes. That's kind of cool, actually. So the North California State Youth Choir to Edwin Hawkins and Buda Records, turning them into the Edwin Hawkins Singers, a name which is decidedly more African-American than their original, I would say. Yes. Mm-hmm.
Speaker: To George Harrison over in England on the Delaney and Bonnie tour. It's like, oh, let's do something like that. Mm-hmm. of cool. At number 94, Sugar Dumpling by Sam Cooke.
Speaker: A teen love song which was first recorded in 1962. Lightweight pop, average backing singers. Good playing and arrangement, though. Low hit. Okay. Yeah, I'd probably say low hit mainly for his smooth vocals. I mean, of course, we're talking Sam Cooke, so the vocals are going to be smooth as butter. But I didn't love the lyrics. I think they could have used a rewrite if he had adds a chance.
Speaker: They're a bit repetitive at the beginning. And also, maybe we should have a special feature about the misogynistic moments of the week. Yes. These lines made me cringe. Whenever I tell honey I'm hungry, now go and fix me something to eat. The girl rushes in the kitchen and fixes me a dinner with seven different kinds of meat.
Speaker: Seven. If I call her up at two o'clock in the morning and come over if you can, before I hang up to telephone, she's sitting beside me with a cup of coffee in her hand.
Speaker: Booty call. Yeah, exactly. Yep. That's the early version of booty call. Absolutely. But I love that, you know, fix me something, eight runs in the kitchen and whips up a seven meat dinner.
Speaker: Yeah, and then when he comes home from work, she's got a cup of tea ready for him and everything as well. Yeah, not the most enlightened lyrics. but But for the voice alone, I guess I'd say low hit.
Speaker: If I call her up at two o'clock in the morning And say, come on over if you can Before I hang up the telephone She's sitting beside me With a cup of coffee in her
Speaker: Unmistakably the voice of Sam Cooke. Probably not the best nickname for somebody. His lady is a homegirl, for sure. a lyric that's not complimentary.
Speaker: Good vibe and performance. Low hit. Now, there are three separate versions of this song from Sam Cooke out there. The original can be found on his album Twisting the Night Away. You listen to it, it's a much busier version. it was what he considered the initial finished version of this tune.
Speaker: This single was an outtake from that session. Okay. Oh, okay. That makes sense. Although, to my mind, this is the better version. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And then I guess Sam just wasn't happy with it because he would go on to re-record it in 1963 with heavier strings and backing.
Speaker: That version belongs to Alan B. Klein and Abco and can be found on the Abco Sam Cooke reissues. No comment. No comment. At number 100, Only Those in Love by Baby Washington.
Speaker: Ech. Screaming girl backing vocals, sickly sweet and overbearingly upfront strings, husky nicotine stained lead vocal, which almost but doesn't quite raise this record to a meh. High miss.
Speaker: Yeah, have to agree with you there. This was co-written by Burt Kempfert, and it's a pretty much by-the-numbers soul ballad. Sounds like it should have been released in the 50s or maybe early 60s. Hate the background singers and does not showcase her voice properly. I mean, it's just a mismatch of a song for her. So, yep, miss.
Speaker: to you.
Speaker: It does actually sound like the sort of 50s throwback sort of thing that Bert Kampfert would make a career out of anyway. Low hit. So we go to the final week, the week ending July the 31st. I Can't Get No Satisfaction by The Stones is still at number one. Again?
Speaker: Through the whole month. so Wow. At number 80, Juju Hand by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs. It's another novelty song. It's a good enough performance. You know, lots of the sax redux, nonsensical lyrics rehashed from I Put a Spell on You, or even better, let's go to Billy Shakespeare himself, Double Double Toil and Trouble.
Speaker: Go listen to Wooly Bully. Meh. Musically, it was a Wooly Bully knockoff. I mean, you know, with the sax and guitars. It has a bit of fun to it. It's kind of a novelty record. But absolutely, skip this and listen to Wooly Bully. Meh.
Speaker: Musically similar to Woolly Bully, it's not good. Well, who else could get away with lyrics like, I got a yoka mata huba bakwa juju hand.
Speaker: This yoka mata huba bakwa sure is grand. Very few people. Poetry. Do you think that Dr. John was influenced by this with the juju?
Speaker: Maybe. Maybe, ever so slightly. Maybe. And then, of course, you've got, you know, the juju eyeballs as well with John. ah Juju is a West African spiritual belief system involving objects and spells. Of course. So, I mean, that's probably where all of them got it from. Ah.
Speaker: No doubt. No different band. Sorry. At number 81, Shaken Finger Pop by Junior Walker and the All-Stars. Yeah, they're running into a bit of diminishing returns. In isolation, this song is okay. It's good but not great.
Speaker: It's not a direct copy of Shotgun, but it does feel a bit samey. Kind of the syndrome that Martha Reeves and the Vandellas were falling into. Great but not brilliant sax.
Speaker: Fun asides in the vocal. Hot playing, but ultimately it feels like you've heard it before. Low hit.
Speaker: I liked it a bit better. i thought this was a banger, right? Full disclosure, i wrote a soul column years ago for a site called Blinded by Sound, and I wrote about this song as a deep soul cut. but I love Junior Walker's sax, the organ, the classic Motown drum and tambourine sound. It's almost as good as Shotgun, not quite, but I love how the rhythm changes after They sing Shake and Finger Pop, that da-da-da-da-da, you know, just great stuff.
Speaker: Lyrics not original, but it's a jam. i like It's an R&B, a gospel mixture, gets the party going. It's a hit for me. Team Marvin Kent.
Speaker: This got my feet moving. It had a groove to it. Nice saxophone, well performed. And I actually thought that the understated production helped it to sound even cooler.
Speaker: Hit. Well, Motown Junkies is actually between us. What they say is, before doing this blog, hand on heart, I'd have been hard pressed to tell you which of the 10, there were 10 singles from the Junior Walker and the All Stars album. Wow. lifted from the LP we were just listening to.
Speaker: It's a splendid little record, and I can readily understand how it's so many people's favorite mid-60s walker cut. 7 out of 10 they give it, so I agree. I can see why you might like it, and I can say in isolation it's probably better than I rate it, but we've been listening to these songs. Yeah.
Speaker: At number 86, Heartful of Soul by the Yardbirds, which we covered on the UK side. At number 88, Nothing But Heartaches by The Supremes. The intro is brief, but it is catchy. It's ultimately very on Motown-like.
Speaker: Kind of an interesting comparison to the James Brown record, Papa's Got a Brand New Bag. Similar drive, the wonderful sax keeps the record moving along. I particularly like the Diana Ross song chorus, but the song is maybe not the strongest.
Speaker: Hit, but not an all-time classic, and it's understandable why this would break the Supremes' run of number one singles.
Speaker: It's another Holland-Dozier-Holland composition and production. Definitely not among their best. I thought at times it sounded a bit too much like Back in My Arms Again. Diana Ross's vocal, though, is very strong on this. She just had that really seductive voice and perfect for these sort of pop records. But it's not the strongest song. It's not the most memorable. So I'll give it a low hit.
Speaker: Lower tier Motown fare. Everyone does their bit well, but it just comes and goes without doing very much of anything. And those lyrics are not the best. No.
Speaker: So Motown Junkies actually agrees with us this time. What they say is there's just not enough song going on underneath the stylistic trappings, threading the hooks together. As a result, while I think it's good, it well, it's definitely good. It's also my least favorite Supremes A-side for almost two years October. either direction a genuinely thrilling album track and that's where it should have stayed they give it six out of ten i actually might even go seven maybe i'd get lower yeah well so we average out to the six so yeah at number 90 a little you by freddie and the dreamers which we covered in the uk in april
Speaker: At number 92, Canadian Sunset by, our friends, Sounds Orchestral. Pretty and smooth, piano-dominated song. A good enough record, but that's about it.
Speaker: Jaime. Yeah, it's pleasant, but the epitome of easy listening.
Speaker: Strings I thought were a bit sappy and dated, which makes the sound even more like elevator music. Lee piano is decent, but otherwise I found it pretty dull. Meh.
Speaker: How am I the one who likes this the least? oh ah ah When Kit and I don't like something, you like it less. Yeah. Boring, and it sounds like somebody who's gone for a piano lesson.
Speaker: but I might not even give it the meh. Oh my goodness. We'd like it slightly better than you do. yeah but Sort of thing I'd hear when I'm passing somebody's house when the kids are getting a piano lesson in the front room.
Speaker: Oh! At number 93, Ain't That Love by The Four Tops. What is this record?
Speaker: what is this record Recorded in 1960 and released to cash in on the success that the Tops were having at the time. Calling the contrasting vocals uneven is being kind.
Speaker: It sounds old and unpolished because, well, it is miss but one with an asterisk by it. This is definitely early Four Tops, and boy, do you really see how going to Motown changed their sound for the better. This just sounds like a doo-wop group from the 50s. I hated that wah-wah backing vocal part. It was really annoying. It's a cash-in song.
Speaker: for sure, from Columbia, their former label, but it does show how much The Four Tops improved in just a few years, really, under Motown's guidance. So I can't decide if I'm giving this a miss or a low meh, low meh being just for, like, significance. The same reason that I elevate I Got You Babe from a hit to an all-time classic. Yeah.
Speaker: That answers a lot of questions I had with this. I just thought, what the heck is this? The tempo is far too fast.
Speaker: It's wasting great vocalist with the four tops. And now I know why. It's because it's not even Motown. Interesting because they will become one of the great soul groups of all time.
Speaker: But if they hadn't become something, I might not have even given it a mess. Yeah, it's not very good, that's for sure. Very unpolished. Okay, Marv, I like this least.
Speaker: Okay. No, I like it least. on I'm Spartacus.
Speaker: At number 95, He's Got No Love by The Searchers, which we covered on the UK side. At number 96, Uwe Uwe by Perry Como.
Speaker: And people thought Paul McCartney's Deliver Your Children was twee. This is a children's song without any of the energy or charm. Our love will be rocking. Well, maybe if you're in the middle of a bed while an eight on the Richter scale is going on.
Speaker: Ooey, ooey, ooey, ooey. That's how I hold my nose. Big miss. Ew, ew, ew, it should have been called. Thank you. Thank you very much. Don't forget to tip your waitress.
Speaker: Produced, you believe it or not, by Chet Atkins. He produced this. Ooey, ooey, ooey, ooey. That's how my love sings. It sounds like the magic of a church now when it rains.
Speaker: So annoying, terrible lyrics. Here, you're my baby and I show it. I want all my friends to know it. So when everyone comes knocking, our love song will be rocking. It's like hearing your grandpa trying to keep up with the slang that the kids use. It's just awful. I will quote my first Betty-ism. Meanwhile, she said, it sounds like an amateur hour song. Beyond horrible.
Speaker: Yeah. Miss. Is it tolerable? I don't know if it's quite tourable, but it's close. Guys, this has got top Nashville musicians on it.
Speaker: I know There are no magic moments in this at all. Boring. At number 98, you better go by Derek Martin to preempt Martin Quibble. You better go and turn off this record.
Speaker: A good vocal from Derek Martin, but sleepy backing singers and not much of a track. Lomé. I mean, he can really sing. He's got a great voice. But the song is just so odd, particularly in the middle eight. The weird chord changes and the rhythm change. I mean, it' kind of coming out of nowhere. I thought that was completely unnecessary. The background singers were cheesy.
Speaker: know they're singing.
Speaker: Very average soul ballad, only rescued by his vocals. So yes, low meh. Yeah, good vocalist, but the music is bland and the song is dreadful.
Speaker: Yes. I could say exactly the same about the next song as well. Mm-hmm. Now, if you wonder where you know the name Derek Martin from, Derek Martin came to prominence in a group called the Top Notes. We've heard of the Top Notes. Mm-hmm.
Speaker: The Top Notes were the act which would first release Twist and Shout in 1961. Oh, that's right. oh Yes. Also, Dionne Warwick would periodically be a member of the Top Notes before her own solo success. Mm-hmm. Wow.
Speaker: At number 99, After Loving You by Della Reese, cover of a 1962 record written by Eddie Miller and recorded by Eddie Arnold. Della Reese has a bit of soul and a bit of gospel in her voice in this tune, and although she tries, this tune just cannot be bent out of its adult contemporary shape.
Speaker: Mediocre backing, poor backing vocals, thoroughly meh. Yeah, she deserved a lot better than this. but know She has a great voice.
Speaker: sort of a country ballad and that just doesn't fit her style. I like her better on jazz and blues tracks. Dated production with strings and the syrupy background singers.
Speaker: Yes, low low meh. Once more, good vocalist, but they're not doing a good song. Meh. Now in a nominal Beatles connection, Della Reese would record a cover of The song, Don't You Know, which would end up in Ringo Starr's record collection.
Speaker: Oh, wow. Cool. At number 100, a song which we've mentioned before, and I'm sure Kid is going to expound on a little bit. The In Crowd by the Ramsey Lewis Trio.
Speaker: We had the original from Dobie Gray in late 1964. This is a nice jazzy interpretation of the pop hit. Piano, hand claps, bass, and drums all locked together. Great playing and a great groove. It's live and forgivable because of that, but the ending does just kind of peter out before it comes back to the audience response. Hit.
Speaker: Yep. Absolutely. This is a classic, and before I mention a few things about I just want to say this is one of my mother's favorite songs, so shout out to Betty. And she and my father would see Ramsey Lewis several times when they were dating.
Speaker: High hit. High hit. classic. His piano playing nicely duplicates the original lead vocal line. The beat is infectious. Drums are almost as important as the piano. I mean, they really set the tone. I think it's great that they recorded it live, even though the ending may have not been the best. It still adds to the energy of the song. It's jazz, but with a soulful twist. And this was recorded in May 1965 at the Bohemian Caverns nightclub in Washington, D.C. And apparently their waitress suggested a current pop hit, The Inn Crowd by Dobie Gray. Ramsey didn't know the song offhand, so they said, okay, let's play it in the jukebox and see if we can do this. And Ramsey ended up really liking the song. So then they transformed it into this absolute banger hit. Yeah, the name of the waitress was Nettie Gray. Yes, right.
Speaker: Hopefully they left her a very good tip. I hope so. They were a lot. Yep. Great version considering that it's performed live in a club and I would have absolutely loved to have been in that club while they were recording this.
Speaker: That's for sure. Hit. The interesting thing about their arrangement was that the bassist wanted to play some open strings and so they transposed it into D major.
Speaker: Which is not a very jazz kind of chord and that is part of the reason why the record sounds as great as it does true all right so that is the end of the billboard charts and boy did we have a difficult time choosing our songs the uk side was easy the two songs that we chose from the uk side are catch us if you can great song and we got to get out of this place Yes.
Speaker: On the U.S. side, after going back and forth and writing and rewriting several times, the two we settled on, and it is settled because I think we're still in disagreement about which one should be the two main choices here. Papa's got a brand new bag.
Speaker: James Brown, as we said. Possibly the greatest James Brown single. Earth of Funk. And i Got You Babe, largely because of Cher and the significance of Sonny and Cher, but also because it is a really good record.
Speaker: As far as our individual choices, I got to go with California Girls, just because it's such a pop standard. Brian Wilson, enough said.
Speaker: And my pick is Tracks of My Tears. This is Motown at its finest. Truly original songwriting and s Smokey's peerless voice. I had a tough one because I was down to a couple of choices here. i almost chose Like a Rolling Stone for this month. And because I'd picked Subterranean Omsick Blues recently, i chose In the Midnight Hour by Wilson Pickett because I think that it's a really important song in the world of soul and it would inspire what i think soul will become and it's one of the great yearning vocals as well in my opinion absolutely yeah i think we'd all probably pick like a rolling stone is the one that comes after these yes yeah for sure so there you go set up that playlist and enjoy
Speaker: We will be back real soon with August of 1965. nineteen sixty five We probably won't have quite as many all-time great songs, but guess what? The next Beatles song is coming along real soon. Yay! Excellent. All right. See you then. see you soon.
Speaker: Take care.
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.
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 Disc, Record and Show Mirror as it was then.
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.
Speaker: Toppermost of the poppermost.
