tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62693288613193712482024-03-05T06:45:39.091-08:00The '60s BeatTributes to the Artists of the Most Influential Decade in Pop Music HistoryLeahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01796230173425460817noreply@blogger.comBlogger157125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6269328861319371248.post-13249338205637070502017-06-28T20:34:00.000-07:002017-06-28T20:59:08.750-07:00Carolina Beach Music<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Guess what, folks?! I live on the East Coast again! I've had several posts in the 'draft' stage for months, but after our military move back to Virginia Beach, VA in May, I'm finally motivated to post something new! I've recently discovered a radio station on Sirius XM called Carolina Shag (Ch. 13, a temporary channel), and it's become the summer soundtrack as I drive through my new neighborhood.<br />
Not to be confused with Surf Music and the California Sound, "Beach Music" (also known as Carolina Beach Music) is a regional genre that developed from R&B and pop music in the 1950s and '60s along the East Coast from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to Virginia Beach, VA. Also associated with the style of swing dance known as the shag, or the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolina_shag" title="Carolina shag">Carolina shag</a> (the official state dance of both North Carolina and South Carolina), the Beach music/shag phenomenon developed right after WWII when vacationing white youth had the opportunity to hear this compelling R&B sound not always heard in their still-segregated hometowns in the South, and young people flocked to the beach clubs and pavilions of these East Coast beaches where this music was gaining popularity. The term "Beach Music" emerged in the mid-1960s, and keyed off of
the memorable experiences of dancing the shag to this music at venues by
the sea. <br />
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Having a life-long love for The Drifters, I was pleasantly surprised to learn this R&B vocal group has that quintessential Carolina beach music sound. Forming in New York City in 1953, the long-lasting Drifters have been through 60 vocalists, and enjoyed three Golden eras: the early 1950s, the 1960s, and the early 1970s (post-Atlantic Records period). In May of 1964 when the group was scheduled to record "Under the Boardwalk," then frontman Rudy Lewis unexpectedly died (don't do drugs, folks), so former Drifters lead vocalist Johnny Moore (whose previous departure was due to the military draft) was brought back to perform lead vocals for the recording. The last-minute move was a success that August of '64 when the single went to #4 on the <i>Billboard</i> Hot 100 charts and #1 for three non-consecutive weeks on Cashbox Magazine's R&B chart. Here is that classic magic of The Drifters.<br />
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The East Coast beach party really starts groovin' with this next tune. From Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the Esquires were an R&B group that first formed in 1957 around the Moorer family. After many lineup changes over their first decade, the group scored a major hit on their debut record with "Get On Up" in August of 1967. It reached #3 on the R&B chart and #11 on the Billboard chart that year; ten years later, the band released an updated version in 1976 entitled "Get on Up '76." Perfect groove for some Carolina shag dancing!<br />
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Next up, Chicago R&B singer Major Lance had a number of US hits in the 1960s, and later became an iconic figure in Britain in the 1970s among followers of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_soul" title="Northern soul">Northern soul</a>. Although he stopped making records in 1982, Major Lance continued to perform at concerts and on tours until his death in 1994. Written by Curtis Mayfield (record producer and friend of Lance), "Um Um Um Um Um, Um" was Major Lance's most successful hit with a #5 peak on the <i>Billboard</i> chart in February of 1964 and #1 on the <i>Cash Box</i> R&B chart<i>. </i>One of the leading figures of Chicago soul, here's the sweet voice of Major Lance featured on<i> Shivaree</i> (an L.A.-based music variety show).<br />
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This next classic soul music song seemed to play on heavy rotation on the oldies station during my childhood, yet it never got old. Raised in the Los Angeles area, Brenton Wood is a singer-songwriter and music entrepreneur with an iconic soulful voice and decent piano chops to boot. Released in August of 1967 on the album <i>Oogum Boogum </i>(also the title of another great hit single), "Gimme Little Sign" hit #9 on the pop chart, #19 on the R&B charts, #2 on KHJ (AM radio in LA), and #8 in the UK Singles Chart, selling over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. Oddly enough, the title is not actually sung in the song; the chorus instead repeats "Give me some kind of sign." Check out Brenton Wood performing on <i>Top of the Pops </i>in 1968.<br />
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This group hails from a city just down the road from me in Portsmouth, Virginia. Bill Deal began his musical career as a backup musician on studio recordings, including Jimmy Soul's 1963 hit "If You Wanna Be Happy" (written and produced by Norfolk’s Frank Guida). By
1965, Deal’s own band, The Rhondels, had made a name for itself
throughout Hampton Roads, VA and northeastern North Carolina, performing regularly at Virginia Beach’s Peppermint Lounge. Crossing blue-eyed soul and beach music, Bill Deal & The Rhondels had three hit singles in 1969, including renditions of The Tams' "What Kind of Fool (Do You Think I Am)?" (#23) and "I've Been Hurt" (#35). Beloved by fans from the Carolinas to the Chesapeake Bay, here's some footage of "I've Been Hurt" (never mind the Portuguese subtitles). <br />
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From Salem, Michigan, the talented Barbara Lewis began writing songs at 9 years old, then recording as a teenager with record producer/DJ Ollie McLaughlin. She wrote all of the songs on her debut LP, including the hit "Hello Stranger" which reached #3 on the<i> </i>Billboard chart in 1963. After a few moderate follow-up hits, her million-seller "Baby, I'm Yours" peaked at #11 summer of 1965, produced by Bert Berns and written for Lewis by Van McCoy (producer/songwriter known for "The Hustle" in 1975). . The "beach music" scene of the Carolinas remains a mainstay of
appreciation for Lewis' records, which continue to enjoy popularity and
airplay there decades after their original release. <br />
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There are so many stellar groups in this genre, I'll definitely need to make multiple Beach Music posts, but for now, we'll conclude with doo-wop/ R&B group The Jarmels who officially formed in 1959 in Richmond, Virginia. After meeting in high school and singing together at their local baptist church, the start of their big break came in 1960 when they met Ben E. King (of The Drifters) after his performance in Richmond, and he invited them to travel to New York and meet various recording companies. Their second single, "A Little Bit of Soap," reached # 12 on the Billboard chart in September 1961 and #7 on the R&B charts. While "Soap" proved to be the only hit single for The Jarmels, it was the first hit record for the song's writer Ben Berns (who went on to write hits like "Twist and Shout," "Under the Boardwalk," "Brown-Eyed Girl," "Hang On Sloopy," just to name a few). Time to get your Carolina shag on with this beach music classic by The Jarmels. <br />
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<br />Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01796230173425460817noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6269328861319371248.post-79146150091025006182016-11-16T22:08:00.000-08:002016-11-16T22:08:29.498-08:00Farewell to the 5th Beatle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtXy883A-qAe3LbFrw4CadJG151PbnDk5Mwi-XUAgVmhuXF4BJWcmAspuLLHcR7tU1PMacg6omIHfPxUv92Qa4aJiVhfrhvEE7Y_I3omg0iZxyFqLDDyWeI_v5sOJK97-4iOHH0VR4qlc/s1600/10-john-lennon-george-martin.w529.h352.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtXy883A-qAe3LbFrw4CadJG151PbnDk5Mwi-XUAgVmhuXF4BJWcmAspuLLHcR7tU1PMacg6omIHfPxUv92Qa4aJiVhfrhvEE7Y_I3omg0iZxyFqLDDyWeI_v5sOJK97-4iOHH0VR4qlc/s320/10-john-lennon-george-martin.w529.h352.jpg" width="320" /></a>Well, quite late to get this post up, but certainly not forgotten. Earlier this year on March 8th, the world lost 90-year-old Sir George Martin - English record producer, arranger, composer, conductor, audio engineer and musician. In a career that spanned seven decades, Martin was one of music's greatest talents, working with numerous artists including Gerry & The Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas, Cilla Black, Shirley Bassey, Peter Sellers, Jeff Beck, Neil Sedaka, Kenny Rogers, Cheap Trick, Elton John, Celine Dion, and more. However, he is most fondly remembered as The Fifth Beatle, as his greatest fame and influence comes from his seven years working with The Beatles.<br />
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Martin's more formal musical expertise helped fill the gaps between the Beatles'
unrefined talent, and the sound which distinguished them from other
groups and added in their success. Most of the
Beatles' orchestral arrangements and instrumentation (as well as
frequent keyboard parts) were written or performed
by Martin, in collaboration with the less musically experienced band. It was Martin's idea to put a string quartet on "Yesterday", against McCartney's initial reluctance.<sup> </sup>Martin played the song in the style of Bach to show McCartney the voicings that were available. Of course, Paul McCartney's songwriting is nothing to sneeze at either, but the collaboration not only led to a #1 US hit in 1965, but also has been voted the #1 pop songs of all time.<br />
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His work as an arranger was used for many Beatles recordings. For "Eleanor Rigby" (previously featured <a href="https://sixtiesbeat.blogspot.com/2011/02/baroque-pop.html" target="_blank">here</a>), he scored and conducted a string accompaniment inspired by Bernard Herrmann (composer for Hitchcock thriller, <i>Psycho)</i>.<sup> </sup>For "Strawberry Fields Forever" (featured <a href="https://sixtiesbeat.blogspot.com/2011/02/psychedelic-rock.html" target="_blank">here</a>), he and recording engineer Geoff Emerick turned two very different takes into a single master through careful use of vari-speed and editing. For "I Am the Walrus" (<a href="https://sixtiesbeat.blogspot.com/2011/07/those-darn-kids-and-their-music.html" target="_blank">here</a>), he provided a quirky and original arrangement for brass, violins, cellos, and the Mike Sammes Singers vocal ensemble.<sup> </sup>On "In My Life," he played a speeded-up baroque piano solo.<sup> </sup>He worked with McCartney to create the orchestral 'climax' in "A Day in the Life", and he and McCartney shared conducting duties the day it was recorded. (Sidenote: gotta love seeing Rolling Stone Mick Jagger, Monkee Mike Nesmith, and Donovan all in attendance during the recording and filming of this promo video!). <br />
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Martin contributed integral parts to other songs, including the piano in "Lovely Rita," the harpsichord in "Fixing a Hole," the old steam organ and tape loop arrangement that create the "Pablo Fanque" circus atmosphere John Lennon requested on "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!" (both Martin and Lennon played steam organ parts for this song). To create the circus-like atmosphere of the song, Martin made tapes
of old calliope records, then had the recording engineer
cut the tapes into short segments, throw them in the air, and splice
the pieces together at random. The result was a swirling sound collage
that creates the disorienting feeling of a whirligig at a fair. Mr.
Martin himself played the swirling organ runs that follow the line, “And
of course Henry the Horse dances the waltz,” recorded at half-speed. Pretty cool, if you ask me! Here's the song used the Beatles' "Love - Cirque du Soleil" show in Las Vegas (this part is actually a bit creepy for me and I had to look up the meaning behind some of the costumes. But that's for another day...). <br />
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Since the early 1960s. Martin composed, arranged, and produced film scores like the instrumental scores of <i>A Hard Day's Night</i> (1964, for which he won an Academy Award Nomination) the Bond classic <i>Live and Let Die</i> (1973), and many more. He also composed this awesome song below, "Theme One" which was used as the introduction on BBC Radio 1 for many years beginning in 1967. This composition makes great use of the pipe organ, heavy brass, and my favorite psychedelic effect of "flanging." Paul McCartney once commended Martin by saying: "George Martin [was] quite experimental for who he was, a grown-up." Check out the super-cool "Theme One:" </div>
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I could go on, but this could take all week. </div>
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The above is just a blip from the career of this legendary music producer. </div>
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Thank you to the Fifth Beatle for your outstanding contribution to the music industry.</div>
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Farewell, Sir George Martin. You shall be missed.</div>
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Disclaimer: As it has taken me so long to finally finish this post and I was lacking creativity, some content was taken directly from good ol' Wikipedia. </div>
Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01796230173425460817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6269328861319371248.post-69937391089475632802016-03-05T22:16:00.001-08:002016-03-05T22:17:33.154-08:00Farewell: Baby, It's You<br />
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This week on March 1st, American singer Gayle McCormick died of cancer at the age of 67. In 1969, the blues-based rock band Smith formed in L.A., and their first album, entitled "A
Group Called Smith," featured McCormick as the primary vocalist. Smith
mainly played and recorded covers of pop and soul songs, and made the Top-5 with a remake of the Burt Bacharach-penned tune "Baby It's You,"<sup> </sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-2"></sup>charting higher than the previous hit versions by The Shirelles and The Beatles. Selling over a million copies in the summer of '69, it received the gold record award. Smith's version was also featured in Quentin Tarantino's film <i>Death Proof</i>, introducing the tune to a new audience. After Smith disbanded, McCormick went on to record three solo albums in the early '70s. The single "It's a Cryin' Shame" from her eponymous first album was a minor hit for her, reaching #44 on the charts in 1971.<br />
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Here's classic footage of some great talent, "Baby It's You."</div>
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RIP beautiful Gayle. </div>
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Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01796230173425460817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6269328861319371248.post-67182828296476496552016-02-22T23:06:00.003-08:002016-02-22T23:09:33.575-08:00Farewell Bomb<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfirpkxULeno2Nsifys3PxA9h1b4H0hXM5aPy0P1O88RkE-QGMxUHmm3qE7s4_aebJ9YLlZzrQURHqzNx1GBnontuW6B4rG48F5TSjJ3b1PSQk2I1utytzpvYRZVSsiAvvzpzsr-VKZcs/s1600/jefferson_airplane_krla-beats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfirpkxULeno2Nsifys3PxA9h1b4H0hXM5aPy0P1O88RkE-QGMxUHmm3qE7s4_aebJ9YLlZzrQURHqzNx1GBnontuW6B4rG48F5TSjJ3b1PSQk2I1utytzpvYRZVSsiAvvzpzsr-VKZcs/s320/jefferson_airplane_krla-beats.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Whoa, barely two months into 2016 and the world has lost an incredible amount of musical talent. While you may not know of all these names, here are five more noteworthy artists who have recently passed away.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiUfU8XGy7pHSFKXpkuXl6LX4BiJy6DmW0PTVF8PD5rbVBvcaAF_bT5eolXu93mzdtqfwsBBi3DFUfIWsH8Wt05hyphenhyphen2iew5ZiGSGs4-jQD5eeM0qSvZ1JudEIM2FBlRyZZo7O2livXy5CU/s1600/Paul_Kantner_Jefferson_Starship_1975.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiUfU8XGy7pHSFKXpkuXl6LX4BiJy6DmW0PTVF8PD5rbVBvcaAF_bT5eolXu93mzdtqfwsBBi3DFUfIWsH8Wt05hyphenhyphen2iew5ZiGSGs4-jQD5eeM0qSvZ1JudEIM2FBlRyZZo7O2livXy5CU/s200/Paul_Kantner_Jefferson_Starship_1975.JPG" width="151" /></a>On January 28th, Jefferson Airplane's lead guitarist and songwriter, Paul Kantner, died at the age of 74 (pictured second from left with glasses). Jefferson Airplane's psychedelic sound and free-spirited mindset helped define the '60s counterculture in San Francisco. Kantner was a co-founder of the
group in 1965 with Marty Balin and the guiding spirit of its successor,
Jefferson Starship. With
hits like "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit" (both featured <a href="http://sixtiesbeat.blogspot.com/2011/02/psychedelic-rock.html" target="_blank">here</a>), Jefferson Airplane
wrote anthems for the hippie movement and the memorable Summer of Love in 1967. While vocalists Grace Slick and Balin were the public faces of Jefferson
Airplane, Kantner was often the creative force
of the band, bringing a freshness from his folk music scene background. From their historic album <i>Surrealistic Pillow</i> in 1967, listen for Kantner's vocal at 1:08 in "How Do You Feel?" <br />
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And what are the odds two members of Jefferson Airplane would pass away on the same day and at the same age? Also on January 28th, the band's original female vocalist, Signe Anderson, died at 74 (also pictured in the top photo). Initially a jazz and folk singer in Portland, OR, she joined Jefferson Airplane after a trip to San Francisco in 1965, and sang on their first album <i>Jefferson Airplane Takes Off. </i>Married to one of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merry_Pranksters" target="_blank">Merry Pranksters</a>, Jerry Anderson, and pregnant with her first child, Signe left the group in late 1966, and was replaced by rock 'n roll diva Grace Slick. Check out this footage of the band performing "It's No Secret" at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco in 1966; look for Signe at the 1:34 mark. <br />
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On January 16th, American singer and guitarist Gary Loizzo, best-known as the lead singer of The American Breed, passed away at the age of 70. From the greater Chicago area, The American Breed had several hit records, including the million-selling single
"Bend Me, Shape Me" in 1967/'68.
In the early '70s, Loizzo went on to start his own recording studio called 'Pumpkin Studios,' and became a two-time Grammy-nominated recording engineer. He worked with REO Speedwagon, Styx, Bad Company, Slash, Survivor, Liza Minnelli, Tenacious D, and many others. Since "Bend Me, Shape Me" was previously featured <a href="http://sixtiesbeat.blogspot.com/search/label/American%20Breed" target="_blank">here</a>, here's their first Top-40 hit in 1967, "Step Out of Your Mind" (gotta love that "trumpet-playing" drummer). <br />
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On February 6th, American singer-songwriter Dan Hicks passed away, also at the end of 74. Combining cowboy folk, jazz, country, swing, bluegrass, pop, and gypsy music in his sound, Hicks first became part of the San Francisco folk
music scene in 1959, performing at local coffeehouses. Later, he joined the San Francisco band The Charlatans in 1965 as drummer, and in 1967, formed Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks, contemporaries of Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane. From his first album<i> </i>released in 1969, "How Can I Miss You When You Won't Go Away?" features Hick's humor, frequently infused into his tunes. <br />
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Finally, American musician, songwriter, screenwriter, and voice actor Bill Martin passed away on January 27th at the age of 64. A friend of Monkee Michael Nesmith, Martin's first contribution to The Monkees came in the form of "All of Your Toys,"
recorded during the very first studio sessions that featured the group
supporting themselves instrumentally. Because of a publishing dispute
with Screen Gems, the song never saw the light of day until it was released
on the <i>Missing Links</i> compilation in 1987. He also composed "The Door Into Summer," which did see release on 1967's <i>Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.</i> album. Martin later collaborated with other artists, including Harry Nilsson ("Rainmaker," covered by Nesmith on his third solo effort, <i>Nevada Fighter</i>). Martin later co-starred with Nesmith in his Grammy-winning <i>Elephant Parts</i> in 1981, and in addition to screenwriting credits (1987's <i>Harry and the Hendersons), </i>his voice skills earned him roles in numerous animated series. Unfortunately, I could not find any photos of him! But these two songs are true gems and needed to be included. Here's the Bill Martin-penned could-have-been-a-hit Monkees' tune, <i>"</i>All of Your Toys," recorded in 1967.<br />
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From The Monkees' fourth studio album, here's "The Door Into Summer," officially written by Bill Martin and the Monkees' producer Chip Douglas (although Douglas denies any writing contribution). Another fantastic tune.<br />
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RIP and sincere farewell to all these talented legends. </div>
Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01796230173425460817noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6269328861319371248.post-54610979183089078042016-01-13T23:25:00.000-08:002016-01-13T23:25:03.903-08:00Farewell to an Innovator<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1DmmmRQFjd8fEpaIVzE0bwEFu4NYO5ROLRJoYtZ6mH9DYOEsU4DWjvZe-7L_ucZcp1QcnGSQBM_aKDjJJBNY_HUALKTbZjIX0Ugkf0oPmEmCBNn0xJ8wGhSju7vf1De2br_8VLkjkIzo/s1600/db.bmp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1DmmmRQFjd8fEpaIVzE0bwEFu4NYO5ROLRJoYtZ6mH9DYOEsU4DWjvZe-7L_ucZcp1QcnGSQBM_aKDjJJBNY_HUALKTbZjIX0Ugkf0oPmEmCBNn0xJ8wGhSju7vf1De2br_8VLkjkIzo/s320/db.bmp.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
On January 10th, the world mourned the loss of music innovator David Bowie, who lost the battle to liver cancer at the age of 69. Born and raised in Brixton, South London as David ("Davie") Jones, he changed his name to Bowie early in his career to avoid confusion with Davy Jones of The Monkees. From singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, arranger, painter and actor, Bowie was a trailblazing figure in pop culture for over four decades, and a pioneer of glam rock in the 1970s. While Bowie re-emerged in '72 with his alter-ego Ziggy Stardust, and achieved American crossover success in '75 with "Fame," we'll only touch on his first Top-5 UK hit in the late '60s, "Space Oddity." <br />
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Released as a single in July 1969, the title and subject matter were inspired by Stanley Kubrick's <i>2001: A Space Odyssey</i> and introduced the character of Major Tom. The United States' Apollo 11 mission would launch five days later, and would become the first manned moon landing another five days later. Written by Bowie for his promotional film <i>Love You Till Tuesday</i> (featured below), a longer
re-recorded version of the song was included as the opening song
for the 1969 album <i>David Bowie</i> (released that November). Upon its re-release as a single in 1973, the song reached #15 on the Billboard chart and became Bowie's first hit single in the US. Still one of his best-known songs, "Space Oddity" was a
largely acoustic number augmented by the eerie tones of the Stylophone, a pocket electronic organ played by Bowie. Love this classic footage from so early in his career.<br />
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So much more can be said about this influential musician; this quick tribute doesn't do him justice. Farewell, David Bowie.</div>
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Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01796230173425460817noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6269328861319371248.post-15139276677133883372015-10-08T22:45:00.001-07:002015-10-09T22:04:37.799-07:00Farewell: "I Knew You When"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This week on October 6th, we lost another voice of the '60s. American pop singer Billy Joe Royal passed away in his sleep at the age of 73 in his North Carolina home. His most successful record was "Down in the Boondocks" from 1965. After hearing a demo he recorded of the song (written by his friend, performer and songwriter <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_South" title="Joe South">Joe South)</a>, Columbia Records offered Royal a singing contract in 1965, and released his version of the song.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-allmusic_1-1"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Joe_Royal#cite_note-allmusic-1"></a></sup> "Down in the Boondocks" remained his best-known song, reaching # 9 on the Billboard chart<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-2"> </sup>and # 38 in the UK. He followed up with another hit single in '65 with "I Knew You When" (#14 in US, #1 in Canada), and later, "Cherry Hill Park," #15 in 1969. Royal became a regular performer in Vegas during the 1970s, and reinvented himself as a mainstream country star in the 1980s.<br />
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Here's a classic performance of his "wrong side of the tracks" theme, "Down In The Boondocks."<br />
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Here's another performance on <i>Shindig! </i>and some great vocals<i> </i>on "I Knew You When," also written by Joe South. (When I didn't know any better, I use to think this was a Tommy James song. My apologies, Mr. Royal). <br />
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And can't forget about this tune with its barely disguised double-entendre lyrics about Mary Hill in "Cherry Hill Park."<br />
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Gone, but NOT forgotten! RIP Billy Joe Royal!</div>
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Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01796230173425460817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6269328861319371248.post-78909244482974783662015-08-02T15:55:00.000-07:002015-08-02T16:41:03.085-07:00Happy Together Tour 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On July 22nd, my college buddy (music major too!) and I enjoyed a groovy night of The Happy Together Concert at a fantastic outdoor venue, Humphrey's-By-The-Bay, in San Diego. Back by popular demand, this year's tour featured regulars like Flo & Eddie of The Turtles and The Grass Roots, as well as The Buckinghams, The Association, Mark Lindsay (former lead singer of Paul Revere & The Raiders), and first-timers, The Cowsills. While I've had the opportunity to see The Turtles and The Grass Roots perform together three years ago, it was a real treat hearing these other great artists as well! The backing band was made up of stellar musicians who helped lock in the sound of the original recordings we all know and love. No doubt the crowd at this sold-out event was really diggin' the perfect weather and classic tunes!<br />
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Our view from the back of the relatively intimate venue. Loved the location right next to the harbor in Point Loma (photo during The Association's set).</div>
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The first act of the evening was The Buckinghams, and not only did they sound great, they looked pretty good too! Featuring original members Carl Giammarese and Nick Fortuna, I loved hearing all their hits from "Kind of a Drag," "Susan," "Mercy Mercy Mercy," "<a href="http://sixtiesbeat.blogspot.com/2011/05/songs-for-broken-hearted.html" target="_blank">Don't You Care</a>," and "<a href="http://sixtiesbeat.blogspot.com/2012/07/back-on-street-again.html" target="_blank">Hey Baby (They're Playing Our Song)</a>." It was a crack-up when lead singer Carl brought out an old, retro jacket he wore in concerts in the '60s; he claimed he had to buy it back on eBay! Did I mention his voice sounded superb?! Love this Sunshine pop from Chicago! Here's The Buckinghams' #1 hit from 1967, "Kind of a Drag."<br />
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On their debut year with The Happy Together Tour, the next act featured the wonderful Cowsill siblings,
Susan, Paul and Bob, whose hits include "<a href="http://sixtiesbeat.blogspot.com/2011/02/rain-park-and-other-harps.html" target="_blank">The Rain, the Park and the Other Things</a>," "<a href="http://sixtiesbeat.blogspot.com/2011/09/hair.html" target="_blank">Hair</a>," and "<a href="http://sixtiesbeat.blogspot.com/2012/08/hot-fun-in-summertime.html" target="_blank">Indian Lakes</a>," to name a few. They even performed "Love American Style," which was the theme they recorded for the 1970s show of the same name. The Cowsills proved they can still harmonize beautifully and were fantastic addition to the Tour. Since the other songs mentioned have already been featured on this blog, here's a classic promo video of The Cowsills' "We Can Fly," a #21 hit in 1967. <br />
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Before intermission, we rocked out to Mark Dawson and Dusty Hanvey who have returned to carry on the music of the The Grass Roots. As mentioned in my concert recap from three years ago (<a href="http://sixtiesbeat.blogspot.com/2012/05/live-and-up-close.html" target="_blank">here</a>), these guys never disappoint and covered all the great ones including "<a href="http://sixtiesbeat.blogspot.com/2011/03/lets-live-for-today.html" target="_blank">Let's Live For Today</a>," "<a href="http://sixtiesbeat.blogspot.com/2011/07/farewell.html" target="_blank">Temptation Eyes</a>," "Wait a Million Years," and "<a href="http://sixtiesbeat.blogspot.com/2011/06/midnight-confessions.html" target="_blank">Midnight Confessions</a>." I love their moving a cappella tribute to Vietnam vets, particularly to the ones who did not return home. Although it's been featured a few times before on this blog, here's rare footage of The Grass Roots performing their #5 hit "Midnight Confessions" from 1968 (Rob and Warren are enjoying themselves way too much, ha). Love this tune!<br />
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Kicking off the second half of the show, The Association continued with the talents of Del Ramos (brother of the late Larry Ramos), Jim Yester, and Jules Alexander (although a 4th member joined them this particular night and I can't remember who! Maybe Russ Giguere? Feel free to chime in if you were there too!). Performing their four big hits like "<a href="http://sixtiesbeat.blogspot.com/2011/09/time-of-season.html" target="_blank">Windy</a>," "<a href="http://sixtiesbeat.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-wrecking-continues.html" target="_blank">Along Comes Mary</a>," "<a href="http://sixtiesbeat.blogspot.com/2012/06/up-up-and-away.html" target="_blank">Cherish</a>," and "<a href="http://sixtiesbeat.blogspot.com/2011/06/association-and-other-peeps.html" target="_blank">Never My Love,</a>" the whole crowd was singing along, no matter that the vocal group didn't have the tightest of harmonies as they did in the '60s. It was a lot of fun and the guys looked cute in their matching white suits.<br />
Because you've got to check out this clever and classic opening from this live performance, here's The Association playing "Along Comes Mary" at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967.<br />
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For the next set, you could feel the crowd's love for Mark Lindsay, original lead singer for Paul Revere & The Raiders. While this guy not only sounds pretty good, he had incredible energy and can still kick higher than a Radio City Rockette. This Raider covered the hits like "<a href="http://sixtiesbeat.blogspot.com/2011/06/happy-together.html" target="_blank">Kicks</a>," "Hungry," and "Good Thing," as well as "Arizona" from his solo career in the early '70s. I couldn't <br />
help but laugh at the ecstatic audience when he performed "Indian Reservation." I get this was a #1 hit in 1971, but I have never liked that song for some reason. Sorry, guys! Still a well-done performance for a happy crowd. Considering how much these guys were on TV, it's surprisingly hard to find good quality footage, but here's Mark Lindsay performing the #6 US hit "Hungry" with Paul Revere & The Raiders in 1966. <br />
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The night concluded with the entertaining Flo & Eddie (Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan) of The Turtles, who are responsible for keeping this Happy Together Tour together each year. After beginning their set by poking fun at the "lousy" music of today (in this case, Flo wearing a snowman suit and lip-syncing a bit to a certain popular Disney song), the guys jumped into their early folk rock hits like "You Baby" and "It Ain't Me Babe," followed by "Elenore" from the late '60s. They also condensed snippets from their solo show including nods to Frank Zappa and Bruce Springsteen (which I likely would have missed if I hadn't seen their show 3 years ago). Of course, this wouldn't be the Happy Together Tour without their quintessential '60s hit of the same name. Finally, the concert was recapped when each group hopped back onstage and performed a quick segment from one of their top songs, concluding with an all-hands "<a href="http://sixtiesbeat.blogspot.com/2011/06/happy-together.html" target="_blank">Happy Together</a>" singalong (The Turtles' #1 hit in 1967). Also a great cover version by Johnny Cash, here's The Turtles performing the Bob Dylan-penned "It Ain't Me Babe" on <i>Shindig! </i>in 1965 (#8 in the US). <br />
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What a fun night hearing all the classics! Thanks to Humphrey's for hosting these great groups! </div>
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And thanks to my buddy, Jenny, for being a good sport as my concert buddy. :)</div>
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On a side night, this night holds the record for the most comments about my white go-go boots. I even had someone ask me if these were my original boots that I had kept all these years. Why, yes, thank you. I do look pretty good for 65!<br />
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Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01796230173425460817noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6269328861319371248.post-24527741530024675152015-08-02T13:56:00.001-07:002015-08-02T13:56:17.833-07:00Farewell to a British Star<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After 52 years in show business, English singer and actress Cilla Black passed away today at the age of 72. Born in Liverpool and championed by The Beatles, this talented lady scored eleven Top-10 hits on the British charts between 1964 and 1971, hosted her own BBC variety show for several seasons into the '70s, and continued as a prominent TV presenter during the 1980s and '90s. In 1964, "Anyone Who Had a Heart" and "You're My World" were #1 hits, the first single becoming the UK's biggest-selling single by a female artist in the 1960s.<br />
Despite the popularity of all-things British in America, Cilla did not find a huge following in the US, however, "You're My World" was a modest hit in the US, peaking at #26 on the <i>Billboard</i> Hot 100. Although the original Italian version by composer Umberto Bindi was not a
hit, even in Italy, the song came to the attention of The Beatles' producer George Martin, who commissioned an English version to be
recorded by his protégée Cilla Black.<br />
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No doubt that this fine lady had a fantastic voice! Here's a live performance of "Anyone Who Had a Heart" in the mid-60s. <br />
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Farewell, Ms. Black.</div>
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Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01796230173425460817noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6269328861319371248.post-38095840580886943652015-06-15T15:23:00.001-07:002017-06-15T21:25:06.663-07:00The Return of Novelty Songs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Novelty Songs: Part 2<br />
Since this blog is nearly turning into an obituary site for rockers, let's liven things up a bit with classic novelty songs! Last summer, I made a "Silly Songs" playlist for my kiddo and it was a huge hit. And in case you were wondering when Part 1 was posted, it was a special Father's Day post from my first year blogging <a href="http://sixtiesbeat.blogspot.com/2011/06/fathers-day-edition.html" target="_blank">here</a>, a real hoot. Now onto more hilarious tunes from the back of your memory banks!<br />
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Best remembered for originating the Harold Hill role in the musical <i>The Music Man</i>, American stage and film actor Robert Preston was asked to make a recording as part of a program by the President's Council on Physical Fitness in 1961 to get schoolkids to do more daily exercise. The song, "Chicken Fat" (also known as "The Youth Fitness Song"), which was written and composed by Meredith Willson
and performed by Preston with full orchestral accompaniment, was
distributed to schools across the nation for free and played for students in
calisthenics every morning. Willson and Preston volunteered their services on the project, while Capitol Records,
which produced and distributed three million copies of the LP, paid for the backup musicians, studio time, and production and
distribution. The song later became a surprise novelty hit was widely used in schools in the 1960s and 1970s. "Go, you chicken fat, go!" Can they please bring this back to gym class?!! <br />
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A trio of cousins from New Jersey, The Ran-Dells scored a one-hit wonder novelty song in 1963 with "Martian Hop," which reached #16 on the Billboard chart. At an era when pop culture was saturated with the beginning of the Space Age, the song is a product of impromptu beach jam sessions when the three band members joked around about Martians throwing a dance party for "all the human race." Though the Ran-Dells have been recognized for innovative and pioneering use of a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_oscillator" title="Electronic oscillator">sine wave generator</a>
(a first for the pop music genre), the 12-second introduction at the beginning of
the song is an uncredited sample from the first 30 seconds of "Moon
Maid" by Tom Dissevelt and Dick Raaymakers from their 1962 experimental album, one year before "Martian Hop" (check it out <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkVq4XZ2MOs" target="_blank">here</a>). <br />
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A successful pop singer and actor in the late 50s and early 60s, Pat Boone had 38 Top-40 hits and still holds the <i>Billboard </i>record for spending 220 consecutive weeks on the charts with one or more songs each week. In 1962, Boone found a hit with novelty tune with a cover of "Speedy Gonzales" about the "fastest mouse in all Mexico." The Boone version peaked at the #6 on the Billboard chart during a total chart run of 13 weeks, doing better in
many national charts in Europe, where it sold a million copies.The female voice ("La-la-la...") on this song was of session singer Robin Ward (Elton John stated that the "hook" in his best-selling single "Crocodile Rock" was inspired by his listening to Ward's vocal on "Speedy Gonzales"). <sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-euronet_3-1"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speedy_Gonzales_%28song%29#cite_note-euronet-3"></a></sup> This song also incorporated Mel Blanc voicing Speedy Gonzales as he did in the Warner Brothers cartoons. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrKXXmdWh5pX_H-rfeZ8nUSgZSUc4HmChD7F6WShGygKMI1wPjeg5EFXfyV_qVGlS9jpA280CeOoWI6k0S3Vd2NvDiE1wvtAujHq9keUCAGkERBYxcVTEpP6pxBjLEu-ZxrrhV4adBuH0/s1600/hqdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrKXXmdWh5pX_H-rfeZ8nUSgZSUc4HmChD7F6WShGygKMI1wPjeg5EFXfyV_qVGlS9jpA280CeOoWI6k0S3Vd2NvDiE1wvtAujHq9keUCAGkERBYxcVTEpP6pxBjLEu-ZxrrhV4adBuH0/s1600/hqdefault.jpg" width="200" /></a>American folk singer and songwriter Tom Glazer found his greatest commercial success with his original 1963 recording of the song parody "On Top of Spaghetti" based on the "On Top of Old Smoky," which he recorded with the Do-Re-Mi Children's Chorus. It is the tale of a meatball
that was lost when "somebody sneezed," and discusses what happened
to the meatball after it fell off of a pile of spaghetti and rolled
away. Call and response songs are always a hit with the kids!<br />
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Although definitely not a one-hit wonder, American soul music singer and songwriter Shirley Ellis capitalized on her novelty hits like "The Clapping Song" (previously featured <a href="http://sixtiesbeat.blogspot.com/2012/05/dance-crazes.html" target="_blank">here</a> during our Dance Craze post) and "The Name Game." Written by Ellis with Lincoln Chase and recorded in late 1964, this record went to #3 on the Billboard chart and #4 on the R&B charts in 1965. With lyrics featuring a rhyming game that creates variations on a person's name, Ellis performed this novelty hit on the major television programs of the day, including <i>Hullabaloo</i>, <i>American Bandstand</i> and <i>The Merv Griffin Show</i>. The song later became a popular children's singalong.<br />
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Known as the King of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skiffle" target="_blank">Skiffle</a>, Scottish singer-songwriter Lonnie Donegan was probably Britain's most successful and influential recording artist before The Beatles, with 31 Top-30 UK hits, 24 being successive and three at #1. He scored his biggest US hit with the novelty song, "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour (On the Bedpost Overnight)?" first hitting #3 on the UK chart in 1959 and then peaking #5 on the US chart in 1961. The song is a cover version of "Does The Spearmint Lose Its Flavor on the Bedpost Overnight?" first released in 1924 by The Happiness Boys. The title and lyrics of the Donegan version were changed in the UK because "Spearmint" is a registered trademark<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-5"> </sup>there, and the BBC would not play songs that mentioned trademarks. <br />
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American country music singer-songwriter Roger Miller is best-known for his chart-topping country pop hits and honky-tonk-influenced novelty songs. In fact, I enjoy this novelty tunes so much, I couldn't pick just one! From his classic 1965 album <i>The Return of Roger Miller</i>, two singles were released including his biggest hit "King of the Road" (previously featured during our Country Crossovers posts <a href="http://sixtiesbeat.blogspot.com/2012/03/country-crossovers.html" target="_blank">here</a>) and this novelty hit "(And You Had a) Do-Wacka-Do" (#15 on the country chart and #31 on the Billboard chart). The expression "do-wacka-do" is a funny way of saying "do-like-I-do," and the song itself expresses envy in a humorous way. Here's great live footage of this classic.<br />
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And the other novelty tune I couldn't leave out is this other Roger Miller gem that my kid adores too.<br />
From the same album, the track "You Can't Roller Skate in a Buffalo Herd" was later released as a single in 1966. This wacky tune was actually Miller's favorite song that he wrote. Here's a live performance for a bit later, Miller still sounding great. Not that the lyrics are meant to make sense,, but the part where "you can't change film with a kid on your back" is an especially mind-boggling line for the youngsters these days! Haha.<br />
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Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01796230173425460817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6269328861319371248.post-11957557968316253112015-05-19T19:12:00.001-07:002015-05-19T19:12:13.621-07:00Farewell to the King of the Blues<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On May 14th, the world lost one great artist, B.B. King, at the age of 89. Born Riley B. King and raised in Mississippi, he was American Hall of Fame blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist, and is regarded as one of the most influential blues guitarists of all time, inspiring countless other electric blues and blues rock guitarists. With his first recordings in 1949, King went on to have a successful career, performing in countless concerts with his famous guitar, Lucille. 1956 became a record-breaking year, with 342 concerts booked and three recording sessions.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE3DYjg6AAZmPWYDGlso7gUunl4b_p8cZeeEpoperO3MVmWhOmZETwTz14bE77fYynFjZKUyiURSNK5FLyqIUyFO9eHPfhUL18qJ0B8Fm_ZandXZRPVecZwrOKgbjKx1dePnqAeRVIXmU/s1600/sh68bbking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE3DYjg6AAZmPWYDGlso7gUunl4b_p8cZeeEpoperO3MVmWhOmZETwTz14bE77fYynFjZKUyiURSNK5FLyqIUyFO9eHPfhUL18qJ0B8Fm_ZandXZRPVecZwrOKgbjKx1dePnqAeRVIXmU/s200/sh68bbking.jpg" width="174" /></a>From the late '60s, new manager Sid Seidenberg pushed King into a
different type of venue as blues-rock performers like Eric Clapton and Paul
Butterfield were popularizing an appreciation of blues music among white
audiences.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-37"><span></span><span></span></sup> King gained further visibility among rock audiences as an opening act on the Rolling Stones' 1969 American Tour.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-38"><span> </span><span></span></sup>He won a 1970 Grammy Award for the song "The Thrill Is Gone," which became a hit on both the pop and R&B charts. It also gained the number 183 spot in <i>Rolling Stone</i> magazine's <i>500 Greatest Songs of All Time</i>. King was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, and the Official Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2014.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-halloffame_8-1"><span> </span><span></span></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-41"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B.B._King#cite_note-41"><span></span><span></span></a></sup>Until his death in 2015, he maintained a highly visible and
active career, appearing on numerous television shows and performing 300
nights a year.<br />
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Originally a Roy Hawkins' song from 1951, here's B.B. King's hit version of "The Thrill Is Gone," released in December 1969 and performed live on the Ed Sullivan Show in '70.<br />
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Another classic King tune, "Sweet Little Angel" was a #8 hit on the Billboard R&B chart in 1956, and is included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll."<br />
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RIP to the King of the Blues. For your numerous fans, the thrill will never be gone as long as your music lives on. </div>
Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01796230173425460817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6269328861319371248.post-65993821034673578672015-05-03T23:18:00.005-07:002015-05-03T23:22:20.138-07:00A Triple Farewell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last month, we sadly lost three iconic voices of the 1960s. On April 30th, American soul and R&B singer Ben E. King passed away at the age of 76. Growing up in Harlem, New York, King is best known as the singer and co-composer of "Stand By Me" (with Leiber and Stoller), which was a US Top-10 hit in 1961 and again in 1986. Just this year, King's original version was inducted into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant," just under five weeks before King's death. Who doesn't love this timeless classic?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgozsbwkyKNimE6C78oWzRhhDSK5bBl-cBc0lDw2RTiLZ87c5SGVRwouPbwIdEoMknHTRIy24DSD9rRtxcJFPjHpoLbxGY9LnlwmCc1mkjBFxgFbnjtQ2xyx5IY1ty1cAOu4Jqr9ADwFNA/s1600/the-drifters-thn_thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgozsbwkyKNimE6C78oWzRhhDSK5bBl-cBc0lDw2RTiLZ87c5SGVRwouPbwIdEoMknHTRIy24DSD9rRtxcJFPjHpoLbxGY9LnlwmCc1mkjBFxgFbnjtQ2xyx5IY1ty1cAOu4Jqr9ADwFNA/s1600/the-drifters-thn_thumb.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a>In 1958, King became one of the principal lead singers of the R&B vocal group The Drifters. He sang lead on a succession of hits including "There Goes My Baby," "Save the Last Dance," and "I Count the Tears." Although he only recorded 13 songs with The Drifters, this is the sound I know so well and have loved from childhood. Seriously, this sound really drew me in as a kid, and I love these tunes so much, especially "Up On the Roof" (featured <a href="http://sixtiesbeat.blogspot.com/2011/11/up-on-roof.html" target="_blank">here</a>), and "This Magic Moment," a Top-20 hit in 1960.</div>
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RIP, Mr. King! Your smooth voice is unforgettable.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/4V1p1dM3snQ/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4V1p1dM3snQ?feature=player_embedded" style="clear: left; float: left;" width="320"></iframe>Jack Ely was an American guitarist and singer, best known for singing The Kingsmen's version of "Louie Louie" (featured <a href="http://sixtiesbeat.blogspot.com/2011/07/those-darn-kids-and-their-music.html" target="_blank">here</a>). From Portland, Oregon, Ely was classically trained in piano and began playing guitar after seeing Elvis Presley on television. In 1959, he co-founded The Kingsmen and with them
recorded "Louie Louie" in 1963; Ely's famously incoherent vocals were
partly the result of his braces and the rudimentary recording method.
Before the record became a hit, Ely was forced out of the group and began
playing with his new band, The Courtmen. Ely passed away on April 28, 2015 at age 71. Often lip-synced by another band member, here's the original recording with Jack Ely's voice.
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Farewell to the voice of The Kingsmen.<br />
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On April 14th, R&B and soul singer Percy Sledge passed away at the age of 74. He was best known for the song "When a Man Loves a Woman," a #1 hit on both the Billboard chart and R&B singles charts in 1966. It was awarded a million-selling, Gold-certified disc from the RIAA.
Having previously worked as a hospital orderly in the early 1960s,
Sledge achieved his strongest success in the late 1960s and early 1970s
with a series of emotional soul songs. In later years, Sledge received
the Rhythm and Blues Foundation's Career Achievement Award, and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. Previously mentioned in this post <a href="http://sixtiesbeat.blogspot.com/search/label/Percy%20Sledge" target="_blank">here</a>, it's worth acknowledging again Sledge's impressive songwriting skills as he improvised the lyrics during the recording of this song with minimal planning. Here's a great live performance of Sledge's signature song (looks like an introduction by Otis Redding to boot).<br />
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And here's his second biggest US hit, "Take Time to Know Her," which reached #11 in the 1968. <br />
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Rest in peace to the soulful Mr. Sledge.<br />
<br />Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01796230173425460817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6269328861319371248.post-62757388565598672612015-02-20T22:31:00.000-08:002015-10-08T23:02:06.046-07:00Farewell to a Sweet Singer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This week on February 16th, New Jersey pop singer Lesley Gore died of cancer at the age of 68. In 1963 when she was 16 years old, Gore recorded the hit "It's My Party," and followed it up with other hits including "Judy's Turn to Cry" and "You Don't Own Me." She also worked as an actress and composed songs with her brother Michael Gore for the 1980 film <i>Fame</i>, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award. <br />
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Gore was a junior at an all-girls' school when "It's My Party" (produced by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quincy_Jones" title="Quincy Jones">Quincy Jones</a>) became a #1 hit. It was later nominated for a Grammy Award for rock and roll recording, s<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-5"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesley_Gore#cite_note-5"></a></sup>old over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. Here's a cute live performance of the tune that continues to have quite a legacy.<br />
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Gore's second most successful hit was "You Don't Own Me," released in late 1963 and reached #2 on the Billboard chart right behind The Beatles' "I Want To Hold Your Hand." The song's lyrics became an inspiration for younger women and played in a
major factor in the rise of the second wave feminist movement. Here's more live footage from the <i>T.A.M.I. Show </i>concert film in 1964. <br />
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Gore recorded composer Marvin Hamlisch's first hit composition, the Grammy-nominated "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows" (#13), and as well as other Hamlisch tunes like "California Nights," which reached #16 on the Billboard chart in 1967 (produced by Bob Crewe). A shorten version of the song was lip-synced by Gore on an episode of the TV series <i>Batman</i>.
She played Pussycat, the Catwoman's protégé, who also wanted to be a
singer. From the January 19, 1967 episode, "That Darn Catwoman," here's a clip of "California Nights."<br />
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Farewell to a sweet singer we will never forget!</div>
Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01796230173425460817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6269328861319371248.post-84030843501644502012015-02-11T21:52:00.000-08:002015-02-11T21:52:25.062-08:00Double Farewell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A little behind here, but better late than never in paying my respects.<br />
On December 22nd 2014, English rock and blues singer Joe Cocker lost his battle with cancer at the age of 70. Considered one of the greatest rock singers of all time, he began his career performing in pubs and clubs, propelling to stardom with his memorable cover of The Beatles' "With a Little Help From My Friends" (previously featured <a href="http://sixtiesbeat.blogspot.com/2011/05/heavy-second-wave.html" target="_blank">here</a>). Sir Paul McCartney said he would be "forever grateful" to Cocker for turning this tune into a "soul anthem." Reaching #1 in the UK and later becoming the theme of <i>The Wonder Years </i>TV series, here's his infamous performance at Woodstock in 1969.<br />
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Cocker also enjoyed other big hits like "You Are So Beautiful" in 1974 (#5 in the US), and the chart-topping, Grammy Award-winning duet with Jennifer Warnes, "Up Where We Belong" in 1982. Another great live performance by the iconic singer, here's Cocker's cover of Leon Russel's "Delta Lady" in 1969.<br />
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Rest in peace, Joe. Your fans are missing you.</div>
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On January 13th, Trevor Ward-Davies (aka Dozy) passed away, also at the age of 70, after a short illness. He was the bassist for the British pop/rock group Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick, & Tich, who enjoyed successful UK hits including the chart-topping single, "The Legend of Xanadu" in 1968. The distinctive name (their actual nicknames), coupled with well produced and catchy songs by songwriters Howard and Blaikley, quickly caught the UK public's</div>
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imagination and their records started to sell in abundance. Although the group failed to break out in the US, they were big sellers elsewhere in the world, particularly in British commonwealth countries like Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Ward-Davies had acquired his nickname "Dozy" when he unwrapped a chocolate bar before
absent-mindedly discarding the bar and attempting to eat the wrapper. With novelty elements like many of their songs, here's Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick, & Tich performing "The Legend of Xanadu," featuring a trumpet section and the distinctive sound of a whip cracking in the chorus. </div>
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Farewell, dear Dozy. </div>
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Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01796230173425460817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6269328861319371248.post-10842672578654839992015-01-06T12:55:00.003-08:002017-06-15T21:16:38.128-07:00Batgirl's Playlist<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last month, we celebrated my 5-year-old's birthday with a Batgirl party! Continuing with the tradition, here's another full post of Zoe's current favorite tune. Like her mama, my little Batgirl loves the classic stuff, and I'm sure you will appreciate her selection as well! <br />
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So most of you guys know we moved to Virginia last year, but I don't think I've mentioned that we're already back in Southern California (thanks to military life)! During our East Coast stint, this Batgirl enjoyed identifying with her roots as a California Girl and regularly requested this Beach Boys standard. A #3 summer hit in 1965, gotta love The Beach Boys performing "California Girls" on <i>The Jack Benny Show</i>, the ultimate "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Sound" target="_blank">California Sound</a>" from the 1960s.<br />
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And while on the subject of California, she (and me too) also found a whole new appreciation for this classic, especially after experiencing a chilly winter in Virginia. The Mamas & The Papas convey that feeling of longing for the California warmth all too well in this beauty, and my kid perked up every time it came on the radio. Peaking at #4 on the US chart in '65, "California Dreamin'" is truly one of the greatest songs of all time (classic performance on <i>Hullabaloo)</i>.<br />
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While there are quite a few Manfred Mann tunes that Zoe loves like the hilarious "My Name Is Jack" and the catchy "Do Wah Diddy Diddy," this minor US hit really caught her attention. Released in spring of 1966, "Pretty Flamingo" reached #1 in the UK (#29 in the US) and features future Cream bassist Jack Bruce, who briefly joined the band in '65. Thank goodness for satellite radio (the '60s on 6 channel) which introduced us to this gem!<br />
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And now for something completely different, here's a
little something from American country music singer Sonny James. Originally an instrumental by British guitarist Bert Weedon, the 1954 American western film<i> </i>Apache was the inspiration for this tune. Referred to as the "Indian song" by my kiddo (yeah, sorry, not political correct), here's Sonny James' 1961 version of "Apache." (Love The Ventures' cover too!)<br />
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Well, here's a cute ditty that Zoe loves to bop around to. Seriously, what youngster wouldn't like a gum-smacking tune like "Sweet Pea?" Written and performed by American pop music singer-songwriter Tommy Roe, "Sweet Pea" reached #8 on the Billboard chart and #1 in Canada in 1966. Singing with a young girl from Santa Monica in '67, here's a cute video of the innocent days of yesteryear.<br />
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Now here's a real hoot: a little psychedelic made this playlist! I'll never forget hearing this tune come on the radio while driving in the car and Zoe was immediately interested, asking to hear it again. Reaching #11 in 1967, here's The Electric Prunes performing their psychedelic rocker "I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)" on <i>American Bandstand. </i>Can't say I've seen a garage band with an autoharp before. Gotta appreciate this kid's variety!<br />
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Here's another catchy tune that Zoe loved belting out in the car this past year (notice we're always listening to music in the car?!). British sweetheart Petula Clark had a huge international hit in 1964 when "Downtown" reached in #1 in the US and #2 in the UK. What a classic song by a lovely singer. Enough said.<br />
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Being familiar with fairy tales, this Batgirl loves this garage rock song by Sam the Sham & The Pharaohs. "Lil' Red Riding Hood" was the group's second Top-10 hit, reaching #2 on the Billboard chart and in Canada. It might be the wolf howls, but I was a sucker for this classic tune at her age too. Excited I finally found footage of a performance but too bad the audio is out of sync.<br />
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Next up is an English beat group that always sounds like they're having a great time. Written by Cat Stevens (ya learn something new every day!), The Tremeloes' cover version of "Here Comes My Baby" reached #4 in the US and #13 in the US in 1967. Zoe insists that her dad and his Marine buddies sang this song to her as a baby. Cute story, but we'll give all the credit to this spunky group. Love their energy in this live performance! (And check out Cat Stevens' original version <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGlR6oFjC3A" target="_blank">here</a> with a bit of a baroque pop sound).<br />
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Now can't forgot this totally groovy tune: "Crimson and Clover" by Tommy James & The Shondells. Written by frontman James and drummer Peter Lucia Jr, this psychedelic pop tune reached #1 on the charts after its release in late 1969, selling 5 million copies. Batgirl can't get enough of the super-cool tremolo effect on the vocals at the end of the song, however, I haven't shown her this little creepy performance from <i>The Ed Sullivan Show. </i><br />
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And the most recent song added to Batgirl's playist is The Monkees' garage rock tune "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone." Written by Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart, it was first recorded by Paul Revere & The Raiders, but with the help of <i>The Monkees </i>TV series, this B-side single made it to #20 the charts in 1966. Sometimes all it takes is a simple lyric like "I-I-I-I-I'm not your steppin' stone" to get a kid bouncing. Such a blast from the past getting to watch this groovy show with my kiddo!<br />
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And finally, in honor of my Batgirl's birthday, here's the opening credits to the campy but classic <i>Batman</i> TV series, which included Yvonne Craig as Batgirl in Season 3 in 1967/'68. We totally had this footage playing in the background at Zoe's party, what a blast! Composed by Neal Hefti and using a guitar hook similar to spy film scores and surf music, this classic tune continues to be one of the most recognizable of TV themes.<br />
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Happy Birthday to my groovy, 5-year-old Batgirl!</div>
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<br />Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01796230173425460817noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6269328861319371248.post-48363436932960536362014-12-06T23:13:00.002-08:002014-12-06T23:13:39.743-08:00Doubling the Goodbyes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-4FRvNYb5De04QSsZ8fOk2YcC-z1BLHVLK0O8RjYj6un_WvZ0Ow5hFDdoC1gSMOBbUuukqGgVkuOR6AIR3kQ-_-FNMzvaicjuCt13u4qXbzD2aLRezb1Miy_GkH4-mrTTbUiTL_Iq3k/s1600/Jimmy-Ruffin-photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-4FRvNYb5De04QSsZ8fOk2YcC-z1BLHVLK0O8RjYj6un_WvZ0Ow5hFDdoC1gSMOBbUuukqGgVkuOR6AIR3kQ-_-FNMzvaicjuCt13u4qXbzD2aLRezb1Miy_GkH4-mrTTbUiTL_Iq3k/s1600/Jimmy-Ruffin-photo.jpg" height="166" width="320" /></a></div>
Last month on November 17th, American soul singer Jimmy Ruffin passed away at the age of 78 in Las Vegas, NV. Older brother of David Ruffin of The Temptations, this Motown legend had several hit records between the 1960s and 1980s, the most successful being the Top 10 hits "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" and "Hold On (To My Love)." Remaining one of the most-revived of Motown hits, the "What Becomes..." ballad reached #7 on the Billboard chart and #6 on the R&B chart in 1966. Jimmy Ruffin will be truly missed but his amazing voice will never be forgotten. Love this one.<br />
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This week on December 3rd, keyboardist for the rock bands Small Faces and Faces, Ian "Mac" McLagan, died of a stroke in Austin, Texas. The English musician (in yellow on the left), who <span id="pst_1204570_c_10_18">also collaborated with The Rolling Stones</span>, was 69 years old. With memorable songs like "Itchychoo Park" and "Tin Soldier," Small Faces' music output from the mid to late sixties remains among the most acclaimed British mod and psychedelic music of that era. Released in December of 1967 and peaking at #9 on the UK chart, here's a live performance of "Tin Soldier" with American singer P. P. Arnold on backing vocals and the iconic sound of Mac's keyboard.<br />
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And because it's a great tune, here's their best-known song, "Itchychoo Park," a #3 UK hit in 1967. <br />
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Farewell to these great musicians.</div>
Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01796230173425460817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6269328861319371248.post-25461998073739363212014-10-28T23:32:00.001-07:002014-10-28T23:32:08.290-07:00Farewell to THE Bassist<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9L_vzLd14l0jyvwz5N8jyWlfwk5LM3f0ORi_Bb5bm2fxr4G8B0_DlX-8Vfx0E5DjcwV4E_oVddrWuUWH3jBPMtzSzK6qdLCFb2xBi4cqCm77l3j_5C5yYTvFd124gJzwqBxbzfjIfLmI/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9L_vzLd14l0jyvwz5N8jyWlfwk5LM3f0ORi_Bb5bm2fxr4G8B0_DlX-8Vfx0E5DjcwV4E_oVddrWuUWH3jBPMtzSzK6qdLCFb2xBi4cqCm77l3j_5C5yYTvFd124gJzwqBxbzfjIfLmI/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></div>
This week, we lost one of the greatest bassists of all time: Jack Bruce. Known primarily as a member of the British power trio Cream, Bruce was an innovative multi-instrumentalist, combining blues, rock, and jazz music. A classically trained cellist (with a scholarship to the Royal Scottish Academy of Music) who learned jazz as a teenager, he performed with several bands including John Mayall & The Bluesbreaker (where he met Eric Clapton) and Manfred Mann, eventually forming Cream with Clapton and drummer Ginger Baker. Gaining international recognition playing blues-rock and jazz-inflected rock music, Bruce sang most of the lead vocals, with Clapton backing him up (who eventually sang lead himself). Before breaking up in 1968, Bruce co-wrote most of Cream's single releases with lyricist Pete Brown, including the hits "Sunshine of Your Love," "White Room" (previously featured <a href="http://sixtiesbeat.blogspot.com/2011/05/heavy-second-wave.html" target="_blank">here</a>) and "I Feel Free." In addition to solo albums, collaborative efforts with musicians continued as a theme of Bruce's career. The Scottish musician died of liver disease on October 25th at the age of 71.<br />
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Released in December 1966, "I Feel Free" was the first song recorded by Cream and their second hit single, reaching #11 in the UK. Written by Bruce (with lyrics by Pete Brown), this classic tune showcases the band's musical diversity, effectively combining blues rock with psychedelic pop. <br />
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Written by Bruce and Brown with Clapton, "Sunshine of Your Love" was released as a single in January 1968, becoming Cream's only gold-selling single in the US. Featuring Bruce's distinctive bass riff and Clapton's iconic guitar solo, it reached #5 in the America and #25 in the UK. After Bruce and Clapton attended a Jimi Hendrix Experience concert in London, Bruce returned home and wrote the riff that runs throughout the song. Clapton later wrote the song's refrain (which also yielded the song's title) and drummer Ginger Baker came up with the song's temp, which was based on African drumming. Ranked among <i>Rolling Stones' </i>500 Greatest Songs of All Time, be sure to also check out the famous live performance of Cream's Farewell concert at the Royal Albert Hall in 1968 (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwDo0JUeKqM" target="_blank">here</a>). <br />
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Farewell to incomparable Jack Bruce. </div>
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Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01796230173425460817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6269328861319371248.post-80703816048651574072014-10-10T23:44:00.002-07:002014-10-10T23:47:36.144-07:00Farewell to the Madman of Rock 'n' Roll<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Paul Revere, leader of Paul Revere & The Raiders, passed away last Saturday in his Idaho home at the age of 76. As rock organist and founder of The Raiders, Revere (the blond on the left) teamed up with singer Mark Lindsay in 1958, and found their biggest success in the mid-'60s and early '70s with hits like "Kicks" (featured <a href="http://sixtiesbeat.blogspot.com/search/label/Paul%20Revere%20and%20the%20Raiders" target="_blank">here</a>), "Hungry," and the Platinum-certified #1 single<br />
"Indian Reservation" (1971). With Revere's hyperactive, enthusiastic stage presence, the band's fame grew as The Raiders appeared on shows like <i>American Bandstand </i>and <i>Where the Action Is</i>, with thanks to Dick Clark.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4FOPeODKo9GOuSw-VG5Ih4ycdywKctQctilZp3cZD8py2hVI_oAyzDwNxlfp1bsaKiWFOtxNJ-zRzf95XV9hiSqdhPm3B4sTqiQVkdT3vcdr9QEXByKpFKfX8mU9K_A7Idop9-oCOHgM/s1600/Raiders3-498x640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4FOPeODKo9GOuSw-VG5Ih4ycdywKctQctilZp3cZD8py2hVI_oAyzDwNxlfp1bsaKiWFOtxNJ-zRzf95XV9hiSqdhPm3B4sTqiQVkdT3vcdr9QEXByKpFKfX8mU9K_A7Idop9-oCOHgM/s1600/Raiders3-498x640.jpg" height="200" width="155" /></a>Paul Revere remained active with The Raiders for decades, becoming a fixture on the oldies circuit in recent years.<br />
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From their 1967 album <i>Revolution!</i>, "Him or Me - What's It Gonna Be?" was written by Mark Lindsay with the band's producer Terry Melcher, and became a #5 hit on the Billboard chart. Although they're missing their three-cornered hats in this video, here are The Raiders in their signature, Revolutionary attire. Gotta love the dance moves.<br />
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Here's some great footage of Paul Revere & The Raiders on <i>Hollywood Palace</i> in late 1966 with host Ray Bolger (the famous
scarecrow from <i>The Wizard of Oz</i>). A #20 hit, "The Great Airplane
Strike" was based on an instance when all planes were grounded and The Raiders were forced to bus their way to their next gig. Oh yeah, forgot to mention: The Raiders hold the title of having more television airings in
the decade of the 60's then any other rock band in history, over 750
airings!<br />
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And as a bonus video, this is another great quality one from NBC's <i>Hullabaloo</i>! Introduced by guest host Michael Landon, Paul Revere & The Raider serve up another rockin' performance of "Steppin' Out." (And where can I find a Mondrian dress like these dancers'!). <br />
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Farewell to this vivacious rock organist, lovingly referred to as the "Madman of Rock 'n' Roll."</div>
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Paul Revere will be greatly missed!</div>
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Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01796230173425460817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6269328861319371248.post-19252882751725106982014-09-30T12:33:00.001-07:002014-09-30T12:33:34.110-07:00British Invasion Tour!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, it's been awhile since I've attended a concert, but looks like I picked a good one to get back into the swing of things! Last week at Harrah's Resort in Southern California, I witnessed the return of rock royalty on the British Invasion's 50th Anniversary Tour! Featuring iconic singers of the '60s rock revolution, the legendary lineup included Billy J. Kramer (&The Dakotas), <span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">Chad & Jeremy<span class="text_exposed_show">, Mike Pender (of The Searchers), Denny Laine (of The Moody Blues & Wings)</span></span></span><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><span class="text_exposed_show"><span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">, and Terry Sylvester (of The Hollies and The Swinging Blue Jeans). What a treat seeing these musicians share the stage for the first time ever! Originally, Gerry & The Pacemakers were a prominent part of this tour, but after Gerry Marsden's forced pull-out due to illness, </span></span></span></span></span><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><span class="text_exposed_show"><span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show"><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><span class="text_exposed_show"><span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">The Hollies' Terry Sylvester was a great addition to the ongoing tour</span></span></span></span></span>. While I know many fans were disappointed to miss out on classic songs like "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Cryin'" and "Ferry Cross the Mersey," it was an enjoyable night of fine music!</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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All ready to go in my Union Jack attire, complete with vinyl record purse (which drew quite a bit of attention; a few people even asked to take a picture of it!). </div>
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The night was really enhanced by the great mix of classic footage and live feed of each musician projected on the large screens on both sides of the stage. My seat was initially much further back but I was upgraded when a nice lady handed me an extra ticket!</div>
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Although The Hollies' Terry Sylvester started off the show with a tune that most of the audience seemed unfamiliar with ("I Can't Let <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHWRn3SbsQzvzwtnoNwM6UWDYN7Tk8HVtUjoGIKsmjdra90t0ilaeVmj1z65tsUxXbjkqeokAnc-gMFY5DK96PhtKIzLjgY06ycwXlqa4yfask9_w6ia_98zQ5jr66Xcgbmtk0O9_5zhs/s1600/terry_sylvester.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHWRn3SbsQzvzwtnoNwM6UWDYN7Tk8HVtUjoGIKsmjdra90t0ilaeVmj1z65tsUxXbjkqeokAnc-gMFY5DK96PhtKIzLjgY06ycwXlqa4yfask9_w6ia_98zQ5jr66Xcgbmtk0O9_5zhs/s1600/terry_sylvester.jpg" height="140" width="200" /></a>Go"), he really got the crowd going with the hit "Bus Stop," followed by "Carrie Anne." Before he joined The Hollies in 1968 (replacing Graham Nash on the higher harmonies), Sylvester was a guitarist/vocalist with another British Invasion group, The Swinging Blue Jeans. It was great hearing him wail their hit single, "Hippy Hippy Shake" (#2 in the UK in late '63). He was a pleasant surprise and sounded really great! Here's classic footage of The Hollies performing "Carrie Anne," with Terry Sylvester playing guitar on the left.<br />
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Next in the lineup was another famous Liverpool musician, Mike Pender of The Searchers, and this guy was adorable! OK, maybe that's the wrong description because he really rocked <br />
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The third act of the night was the folk rock duo Chad & Jeremy, and these <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW81kzJ-idzM2HVEorikkFsXnQmmhN4NGdxnRXmqZv4SWeChr_hCkLP-X-F2E2wfgGL0ldlNisOLM6glLhpcHbAUq6CC-Hk05fXfqqGdaMyUpII1mYP4QLXsjT2mn4Cv0TvWV4Woof9xQ/s1600/Chad-Jeremy-21-588.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW81kzJ-idzM2HVEorikkFsXnQmmhN4NGdxnRXmqZv4SWeChr_hCkLP-X-F2E2wfgGL0ldlNisOLM6glLhpcHbAUq6CC-Hk05fXfqqGdaMyUpII1mYP4QLXsjT2mn4Cv0TvWV4Woof9xQ/s1600/Chad-Jeremy-21-588.jpg" height="200" width="191" /></a>talented blokes were hilarious!. They opened with the a cappella "You Are She," their last hit single from the '60s (or "we're going to sing this Acapulco for you," as Chad called it), but I can't for the life of me find the original recording (no thanks to YouTube and iTunes). But I was very impressed with their tight harmonies, and throughout the night, they even proved "they've still got it" with their guitar skills. They had the audience rolling with laughter as they told entertaining stories, even making fun of their appearances on American TV shows like <i>Batman </i>and <i>The Dick Van Dyke Show. </i>The backing band did join them on a few numbers like "Yesterdays Gone," "Willow Weep For Me," and "A Summer Song." I thoroughly enjoyed this guys. Here's classic footage of the duo's first hit single, 1964's "Yesterday's Gone" (arranged by film composer John Barry).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNLswL6zvxzznr6PnuIt1OT2T-m4LhiUyVGMLIQuwUQ9TzfcpW06QJdgMWAHjgQ6FlrXU1YeM1SXqFT2m_fIy0wsLp_k06DbW8KTwz4u_kVnfr8rG_A1xvDTJdOXwxuBRAihtk0-Y1N20/s1600/34afc33628f92ab0c108997b610ec5ca.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNLswL6zvxzznr6PnuIt1OT2T-m4LhiUyVGMLIQuwUQ9TzfcpW06QJdgMWAHjgQ6FlrXU1YeM1SXqFT2m_fIy0wsLp_k06DbW8KTwz4u_kVnfr8rG_A1xvDTJdOXwxuBRAihtk0-Y1N20/s1600/34afc33628f92ab0c108997b610ec5ca.jpg" height="161" width="200" /></a>After a brief intermission, another Liverpool lad was up next, Billy J. Kramer (originally with The Dakotas). While I most enjoyed the first half of the show, this part wasn't bad, but just not what I was expecting. Billy J. was a stud during the British Invasion, but I think he may of been having an off-night, plus I wasn't a fan of his current long hair. In the '60s, his manager was Brian Epstein (who also managed The Beatles), so Billy J. did give a nice tribute to Brian Epstein with his performance of a newer song called "To Liverpool With Love," and mentioned how he fought for Epstein to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Billy J. was friends with The Beatles, and he performed several of his hit songs written by Lennon-McCartney, including, "Bad To Me," I'll Keep You Satisfied," "From a Window," and "Do You Want to Know a Secret?" Here's a delightful 1964 performance of "Little Children," produced by George Martin; wasn't Billy J. a absolute doll back then?!<br />
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For the final act of the night, Denny Laine of The Moody Blues concluded the show on a high note, killing on guitar and sounding great on vocals. Although likely unfamiliar to much of the audience, I was<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6xmOWIuYd2ujzRZuKt6MrLmT_ixO9OlCS-Cr9VJ5zM7L71LRVBHQQorFYCOIyDv0vn9lQjneXaKji0thA_giunpdhunDha1ocgKwtTGa68KDUvMMBx5q29nJ_hpqOqAyvb1iwGNv34_E/s1600/Denny+Laine+Quicksilver+Guitar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6xmOWIuYd2ujzRZuKt6MrLmT_ixO9OlCS-Cr9VJ5zM7L71LRVBHQQorFYCOIyDv0vn9lQjneXaKji0thA_giunpdhunDha1ocgKwtTGa68KDUvMMBx5q29nJ_hpqOqAyvb1iwGNv34_E/s1600/Denny+Laine+Quicksilver+Guitar.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a>pleasantly surprised by one his songs, "Say You Don't Mind," which became a hit when recorded in 1972 by Colin Blunstone (lead singer of The Zombies). Denny's set was surprisingly short but definitely sweet, finishing with The Moody Blues' first hit in 1964, "Go Now." After a standing ovation, the encore was a great "all hands on deck" rendition of Paul McCartney's "Band On The Run" (as Denny Laine was also a member of Wings with McCartney from '71-'81, this seems totally appropriate). So fun seeing all the musicians of the British Invasion tour having a blast together. Here's more great footage of Denny Laine leading The Moody Blues on "Go Now." <br />
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Thanks again to all these talented Brits for treating us to a great night!</div>
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Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01796230173425460817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6269328861319371248.post-30569495202944161632014-09-16T23:06:00.000-07:002015-02-03T18:50:09.490-08:00Farewell to a Songwriter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This month on the 11th, we lost 83-year-old Bob Crewe, a New Jersey-born songwriter, dancer, singer, manager, and record producer. He was known for producing, and co-writing with Bob Gaudio, a string of Top 10 singles for The Four Seasons. He was also known for his hit recordings with Freddy Cannon, Lesley Gore, Oliver, Michael Jackson, Bobby Darin, Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels, and Roberta Flack. <br />
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Here are just a few of those hit records Crewe co-wrote and produced. Written with Bob Gaudio (keyboardist/backing vocalists of The Four Seasons), "Big Girls Don't Cry" was the second #1 hit for The Four Seasons in 1962, spending 5 weeks topping the charts, like its predecessor "Sherry." Sung mostly in falsetto by Frankie Valli, this song helped The Four Seasons become the first rock-era act to hit the top spot on the Hot 100 with their first two chart entries. <br />
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First made famous by The Rays in 1957, Bob Crewe's "Silhouettes" appeared on the charts again in the mid-'60s with Herman's Hermits. Crewe saw a couple embracing through a window shade as he passed on a train and quickly set about turning the image into a song. From 1965, this Hermits' version reached #5 in the US and #3 in the UK. <br />
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Another Crewe and Gaudio collaboration, "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore)" was originally released as a single by Frankie Valli in 1965, however, was more successful when recorded by The Walker Brothers in 1966. A #1 hit in the UK and #13 in the US, this version was an imitation of Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" style, including a wordless chorus, strings, and echo effect, with the Walker Brothers even sounding like the Righteous Brothers.<br />
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"Music to Watch Girls By" was the first Top 40 hit by Bob Crewe using his own name, recorded by his group The Bob Crewe Generation. Crewe first heard the song performed in a "jingle demo" for a Diet Pepsi commercial, composed by Sidney "Sid" Ramin. The big-band, horn-driven recording went to #15 on the pop chart and #2 on the Easy Listening chart. According to Greg Adams, writing for <i>All Music Guide</i>, the song "exemplified the groovy state of instrumental music at that time."
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And finally, we'll conclude with a 1967 single by Frankie Valli, the Crewe/Gaudio tune "Can't Take My Eyes Off You." Reaching #2 and becoming one of Valli's biggest solo hits, this song has had a major cultural impact, with hundreds of cover versions, many
of which have been on the charts themselves in different countries. The
song is a staple of television and film soundtracks, even being featured
as part of the plot of some films, such as when the lead characters
sing or arrange their own version of the song.<br />
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Farewell to the talented Bob Crewe. Your numerous hits will continue to play on.
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Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01796230173425460817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6269328861319371248.post-50001965608336942402014-07-23T07:38:00.001-07:002014-07-23T07:40:57.862-07:00Movie Themes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Movie Themes: Part 1</b><br />
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I love classic movies. And one of the best parts of these films from the 1960s is their iconic theme songs. So looks like it's high time we had a new post featuring the music that lives beyond the silver screen. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnv3QlzRtHPTZVcI4V04E4jUY5LG2Wh3sAkXTq6e5CZ7VnYzcjiivJzFR3l7vn72epueQd6GtVfdvVIo9Ew08HrHxhBCdGaz_XBEKHLkng8C6UYqTd4gfEcs3B3aQXRi7cOAt7uIV_11U/s1600/263829_det.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnv3QlzRtHPTZVcI4V04E4jUY5LG2Wh3sAkXTq6e5CZ7VnYzcjiivJzFR3l7vn72epueQd6GtVfdvVIo9Ew08HrHxhBCdGaz_XBEKHLkng8C6UYqTd4gfEcs3B3aQXRi7cOAt7uIV_11U/s1600/263829_det.jpg" height="200" width="135" /></a>From the quintessential episode in the <i>James Bond</i> series, "Goldfinger" was the title song of 1964 film of the same name. Composed by John Barry, the song was performed by Welsh singer Shirley Bassey for the film's opening and closing credits. In 1965, Bassey enjoyed her only Top-40 Billboard hit with this title song, which peaked #8, while the original soundtrack of <i>Goldfinger </i>hit #1 in the US the same year. While technically a one-hit wonder, Bassey always sold out concerts in Las Vegas, and was a bigger star in her native Britain. Don't think anyone will ever forget this classic Bond number! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEq3oANZ92BmebUiVVJYuf9yyEME2WHrD1noN0r2ZW2U2YYCI5fRgoHdf6OdRyipPBsl0LC8OWcu4bmzDN3gjilB5dy0HCccaDqX471luq7O1sG1sqvoo6_9wdCa_a91qqNwhwYkipQX0/s1600/Henry+Mancini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEq3oANZ92BmebUiVVJYuf9yyEME2WHrD1noN0r2ZW2U2YYCI5fRgoHdf6OdRyipPBsl0LC8OWcu4bmzDN3gjilB5dy0HCccaDqX471luq7O1sG1sqvoo6_9wdCa_a91qqNwhwYkipQX0/s1600/Henry+Mancini.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a>American composer, conductor, and arranger Henry Mancini
is cited as one of the greatest composers in the history of film, having earned 4 Academy Awards, a Golden Globe, 10 Grammy Awards, and a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4T2AUwt939wt0aGHl6d8XVSxhyphenhyphenl5tZhUy3zoOHeRDH1SlzKQRRr8EHaygEXQdCTub6-b_cwwx-0fYmCDfHoQUM77qSu5siGfQ1y3PVEU-aHqvfpOKJ2Ml-h4SVcaprBHt-u9hfPUI-ag/s1600/The_Pink_Panther_Theme_cover.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4T2AUwt939wt0aGHl6d8XVSxhyphenhyphenl5tZhUy3zoOHeRDH1SlzKQRRr8EHaygEXQdCTub6-b_cwwx-0fYmCDfHoQUM77qSu5siGfQ1y3PVEU-aHqvfpOKJ2Ml-h4SVcaprBHt-u9hfPUI-ag/s1600/The_Pink_Panther_Theme_cover.jpg" height="196" width="200" /></a> Remembered for so many movies and TV scores, he is best known for the jazz-idiom theme to the <i>The Pink Panther </i>film series, the first film in 1963. The tune was issued as a single in 1964, reaching the Top 10 on the Billboard adult contemporary chart and won three Grammy Awards.With the tenor sax solo played by Plas Johnson (a Wrecking Crew session musician!), "The Pink Panther Theme" is noted for its quirky, unusual use of chromaticism which is derived from the Hungarian minor scale (gypsy/romani scale) with raised 4th and 7th degrees (that's for all your music theory nerds). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAIn2k5i1kNsVFQ0jKQwk26mIbMigwyP9JI1el1lYkpt5aLxLEymbD6guTYMfqFJrMvYyhbKp1THYuN8nZWNPIwwfk8k1LL818UB58PxRdFLOiUzkC_-MSKBHT53g07g2OVyvJx_vk8Lg/s1600/moon+river.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAIn2k5i1kNsVFQ0jKQwk26mIbMigwyP9JI1el1lYkpt5aLxLEymbD6guTYMfqFJrMvYyhbKp1THYuN8nZWNPIwwfk8k1LL818UB58PxRdFLOiUzkC_-MSKBHT53g07g2OVyvJx_vk8Lg/s1600/moon+river.jpg" height="200" width="149" /></a>Speaking of Henry Mancini, he also composed the classic tune "Moon River" with lyricist John Mercer. It received an Oscar for Best Original Song for its first performance by Audrey Hepburn in the 1961 movie <i>Breakfast at Tiffany's</i>. It also won Mancini the 1962 Grammy Award for Record of the Year and Mercer the Grammy Award for Song of the Year. Covered by many artists, it became the theme song for Andy Williams, who first recorded it in 1961 and performed it at the Academy Awards ceremonies in 1962, going on to sing the first eight bars at the beginning of his eponymous television show. Although his version never charted and Hepburn's version was not even included in the original soundtrack, an album version recorded by Mancini and his chorus was released as a single and became a number 11 hit. Here's the most famous version today by the late Andy Williams. <br />
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Next, we have the 1967 spy comedy film <i>Casino Royale, </i>loosely based on Ian Fleming's first James Bond novel. <br />
The original music is by Burt Bacharach, an American singer-songwriter, composer, record producer, and pianist known for his 73 Top-40 hits in the US. Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass
performed some of the songs with Mike Redway singing the lyrics to the
title song as the end credits rolled (a version of the song was also
sung by Peter Sellers). The title theme was Alpert's second #1
on the Easy Listening chart where it spent two weeks at the top in June 1967 and peaked at #27 on the Billboard Hot 100. I tried to like this movie, but even with actors like Peter Sellers, David Niven, Ursula Andress, and Orson Welles, it was still an odd debacle. <br />
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Now here's a movie I do love, and with another big Burt Bacharach song as well (also written with his lyricist buddy Hal David). The 1969 American Western <i>Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid</i> featured pop singer B. J. Thomas performing "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," which won the Oscar for Best Original Song<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Award_for_Best_Original_Song" title="Academy Award for Best Original Song"></a> that year and hit #1 on the US chart in January 1970. Sales of also exceeded one million copies, with Thomas being awarded his third gold record.<br />
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It was recorded in seven takes, after Bacharach expressed
dissatisfaction with the first six. In the film version of the song, B.
J. Thomas had been recovering from laryngitis, which made his voice
sound hoarser than in the 7-inch release. The film version featured a separate instrumental break when Paul Newman undertook stunts on a bicycle (clip of from the scene <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITqE9PwD1Gg" target="_blank">here</a>). Here's a TV performance by the distinctive B. J. Thomas (I think he may have inspired Han Solo's wardrobe in <i>Star Wars</i>). <br />
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Today, we lost American lyricist Gerry Goffin, known for his successful songwriting career with first wife Carole King. Goffin was born in Brooklyn in 1939. Twenty years later, he married
King, whom he'd met while both were attending Queens College, when he
was 20 and she was 17. During his career, Goffin co-wrote seven #1 Billboard hits and a total of 59 Top-40 hits, including The Monkees' "Pleasant Valley Sunday," The Everly Brothers' "Crying in the Rain," Bobby Vee's "Take Good Care of My Baby" and James Taylor's "You've Got a Friend."<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmCyXNLwg3dZsIFW_VfsPJSF8uDPred42wGGBJgahy19tzFq4x0TJBgXxfGMizEz4mDH04K4_fZmgxIhj_1YUBhuw7M83rt_NGIMYKhmTh4oA8Xekm989zXvyPpyqGzV3NbIjs1LygQbs/s1600/gerry-goffin-and-carole-king.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmCyXNLwg3dZsIFW_VfsPJSF8uDPred42wGGBJgahy19tzFq4x0TJBgXxfGMizEz4mDH04K4_fZmgxIhj_1YUBhuw7M83rt_NGIMYKhmTh4oA8Xekm989zXvyPpyqGzV3NbIjs1LygQbs/s1600/gerry-goffin-and-carole-king.jpg" height="193" width="200" /></a>In 1990, Goffin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with King. He passed away of natural causes at the age of 75, but leaves quite the musical legacy.<br />
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The husband-wife songwriting team found their breakthrough hit with "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow," which was recorded by The Shirelles and went to #1 on the Billboard chart in January 1961.<br />
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In 1962, Goffin and King gave a huge hit to Little Eva with 'The Loco-Motion," a song notable for appearing in the American Top-5 three times, each time in a different decade with a different artist: Little Eva (1962, #1), Grand Funk Railroad (1974, #1), and Kylie Minogue (1988, #3). Eva Boyd was initially the babysitter for Goffin children before the couple discovered she had a good voice. There was no dance when the song was originally written and Boyd ended up having to create a dance to go along with it.<br />
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Originally recorded by Earl-Jean of The Cookies in 1964, England's Herman's Hermits turned the Goffin/King tune "I'm Into Something Good" into a #1 UK hit and US Top-20 hit that same year. <br />
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Goffin co-wrote rock hits for other British Invasion bands like The Animals, who reached #6 in the UK with "Don't Bring Me Down" in 1965.<i> Rolling Stone </i>magazine would later write that "Don't Bring Me Down" represented one side of
the Goffin-King "boy-girl, loneliness-togetherness" duality<br />
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In 1967, powerhouse soul singer Aretha Franklin scored a bit hit and standard for her with Goffin/King's "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman." Carole King also recorded this classic on her landmark 1971 album <i>Tapestry, </i>and has been covered by many other artists<i>.</i> <br />
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This isn't even the tip of the musical iceberg that came from this celebrated writing-producing team but demonstrates the great variety of tunes that have touched millions of people over the decades. Farewell, Mr. Goffin!<br />
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<br />Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01796230173425460817noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6269328861319371248.post-76505289457942155492014-02-27T20:17:00.001-08:002015-02-02T19:06:29.623-08:00Out of Limits<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Wrecking Crew: Part 6 <br />
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OK, so my lack of posting over the last few months (well, this last year, really) is annoying, but what can I say? We recently uprooted our life in Southern California and relocated to Virginia! Gotta love the military. Since it's <i>only </i>taken a whole year to get through my cute Wrecking Crew series, it's about time we wrap things up. <br />
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In case you're just jumping into this blog for the first time and haven't heard of the Wrecking Crew, they were a top-notch session musicians in L.A. that played on dozens of hit records in the 1960s and '70s. This impressive group played wide of variety of styles including pop, jazz, and even easy listening, like this next Rat Pack tune. Released in 1964, Dean Martin's recording of "Everybody Loves Somebody" surprised everyone and topped the Billboard and Easy Listening charts. The middle aged Italian crooner had not had a Top 40 hit since 1958, and despite the British Invasion ruling the charts, Martin defied the odds and knocked The Beatles "A Hard Days Night" off the #1 slot on Billboard. It ultimately replaced "That's Amore" as his signature song, and he sang it as the theme of weekly TV variety show from 1965 until 1974. Written in 1947 by Sam Coslow, Irving Taylor, and Ken Lane, here's Dino's laid-back live version of this classic (song starts after 2 minutes in).<br />
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Another classic song featuring the Wrecking Crew musicians was Shelley Fabares' debut pop single, "Johnny Angel" in 1962. This million-selling record first premiered on an episode of Fabares' sitcom <i>The Donna Reed Show</i>, and reached #1 on the Billboard chart, Best Sellers chart (<i>Cashbox</i>), as well as Canada and New Zealand. While Darlene Love and her group, The Blossoms, sang backup vocals on the track, Fabares felt intimidated by their beautiful voices since she did not consider herself a singer. An echo chamber was also featured, where the intro of the repeated title words ("Johnny Angel, Johnny Angel") was used by Fabares and the backup singers. Earning her a gold disc, here's Shelley Fabares' premiere performance on <i>The Donna Reed Show.</i><br />
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Formed in Hollywood, CA, The Marketts were an American instrumental pop group featuring Michael Z. Gordon and various session musicians including members of the Wrecking Crew. They are best known for the 1963 million-seller "Out of Limits," a surf rock instrumental piece written by Gordon. First pressings were issued as "Outer Limits," named after the TV program of the same name, however, Rod Sterling sued The Marketts for quoting the four note motif from his TV show, <i>The Twilight Show, </i>without his approval (which resulted in the change of title to "Out of Limits"). In February 1964, the song peaked at #3 on the Billboard chart, as well as the <i>Cashbox. </i><br />
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Written in 1940, this next song was a popular one covered by numerous artists including Glenn Miller, Frank Sinatra with Tommy Dorsey, Etta James, Brenda Lee, Doris Day, and Elvis Presley, to name a few. However, Ricky Nelson's version of "Fools Rush In" was an enormous hit in 1963, reaching #12 on the Billboard pop charts and became the most famous version of the song. From 1957 to 1962, Nelson had 30 Top-40 hits, more than any other artist (except Elvis and Pat Boone), but this was one of his last big hits before his career came to a dramatic halt in the wake of the British Invasion. Also recorded with Wrecking Crew musicians, here's Ricky Nelson performing on his family's TV show, <i>The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. </i><br />
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Written by producer Phil Spector with songwriting team Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, "River Deep - Mountain High" was among the first recordings that Ike & Tina Turner did for Phil Spector's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philles_Records" title="Philles Records">Philles Records</a>. Spector was well aware of Ike's controlling attitude in the studio, and drew up an unusual contract: this album and single would be credited to "Ike & Tina Turner," but Ike was paid $20,000 to stay away from the studio, and only Tina's vocals would be used on record. The track was recorded using Spector's "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wall_of_Sound" title="Wall of Sound">Wall of Sound</a>"
production technique, cost a then-unheard-of $22,000, and required 21
session musicians (the Wrecking Crew, of course!) and 21 background vocalists. Due to Spector's
perfectionism in the studio, he made Turner sing the song over and over
for several hours until he felt he had the perfect vocal take for the
song. Although the single reached #3 in the UK in 1966, its original release flopped in the US, but was re-released in '69 after Eric Burdon & The Animals covered the song in '68. It has since become one of Tina Turner's signature songs.<br />
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Our last featured song is the commercially successful yet often parodied "MacArthur Park" performed by Richard Harris. Originally composed as part of an intended cantata by Jimmy Webb, he first brought the song to The Association but the group rejected it. British actor Richard Harris approached Webb about releasing a record and selected this song for his pop music debut. It'was one of the longest singles at the time (7:21) and includes four distinct sections (or movements) with great instrumental features. Several Wrecking Crew musicians played on this original recording including Hal Blaine on drums, Larry Knechtel on keyboards, Joe Osborn on bass, and Mike Deasy on guitar, along with Webb himself on harpsichord. Despite some cheesy lyrics (something about leaving the cake out in the rain), the 1968 single reached #2 on the Billboard chart, #4 in the UK, and #1 in Australia, and even received the Grammy Award for Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) in '69. No offense to Richard Harris, but I think this song could been amazing if it had been recorded by a vocal group like The Association or The 5th Dimension. Here's a video by Music Mike who gives a little more insight. <br />
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<br />Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01796230173425460817noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6269328861319371248.post-14059798849704007172014-01-31T20:28:00.000-08:002014-01-31T20:28:13.970-08:00Farewell to a Folk Legend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This week on January 27th, we lost American folk singer and activist Pete Seeger at the age of 94. A prolific songwriter, Seeger was first heard on national radio in the 1940s and released a string of hit records in the 1950s as a member of the folk quartet <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Weavers" target="_blank">The Weavers</a>. After being blacklisted during the McCarthy Era, Seeger re-emerged in the 1960s as a prominent singer of protest music in support of civil rights and counterculture causes. His best-known songs include "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" (with Joe Hickerson), "If I Had a Hammer (The Hammer Song)" (with Lee Hays of The Weavers), and "Turn! Turn! Turn!" (lyrics adapted from Ecclesiastes),
which have been recorded by many artists both in and outside the folk
revival movement and are sung throughout the world. "Flowers" was a hit
recording for The Kingston Trio in 1962 (previously featured on The '60s Beat <a href="http://sixtiesbeat.blogspot.com/2012/09/if-i-had-hammer.html" target="_blank">here</a>) and Johnny Rivers in 1965. "If I Had a Hammer" was a hit for Peter, Paul & Mary in 1962 (also featured <a href="http://sixtiesbeat.blogspot.com/2012/09/if-i-had-hammer.html" target="_blank">here</a>), while The Byrds had a number one hit with "Turn! Turn! Turn!" in 1965 (featured <a href="http://sixtiesbeat.blogspot.com/2011/05/american-sound-off.html" target="_blank">here</a>).<br />
<br />Here's Pete Seeger performing "If I Had a Hammer" live in Australia in 1963. It was first written in 1949 in support of the progressive movement and recorded by The Weavers. <br />
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From a controversial episode on <i>The Smothers Brothers, </i>Seeger performs the South African folk song "Wimomeh" <i> </i>(also known as <a href="http://sixtiesbeat.blogspot.com/2012/03/those-were-days.html" target="_blank">"The Lion Sleeps Tonight"</a>) and "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" Originally, Pete sang his song "Waist Deep In The Big Muddy" in between
these two songs but CBS deemed it too political to air and deleted it
from the broadcast. However, he did perform the song on a subsequent
broadcast and this time CBS allowed it to air.<br />
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Farewell to a folk legend!</div>
Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01796230173425460817noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6269328861319371248.post-5825989929692928302014-01-23T16:32:00.000-08:002014-01-23T16:32:15.902-08:00Farewell to a Brother<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm a bit late in the game but wanted to make sure this legend received his due respect. Phil Everly of The Everly Brothers passed away a few weeks ago on January 4th due to acomplications of emphysema and bronchitis. The duo were American country-influenced rock and roll singers, known for their close vocal harmonies and steel-string guitar playing. Together with his older brother Don, The Everlys found early success in 1957 with the release of "Bye Bye Love," a rockabilly/country/rock 'n' roll tune that reached #2 on the US pop chart, #1 on the country chart, and even #5 on the R&B chart. Touring extensively with Buddy Holly & The Crickets during 1957 and 1958, the brothers continued to score several US and UK hits including "Wake Up, Little Susie," "All I have to Do is Dream," and "Bird Dog." Their distinct harmony singing influenced many successful rock groups in the 1960s like The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel, The Bee Gees, and The Hollies, many of which developed their early singing style by performing covers of Everly songs. The Everly Brothers had 35 Billboard Top-100 singles (more than any other duo) with 26 in the top 40, and they were among the first 10 artists to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Written by Don and Phil, here's a performance of "Cathy's Clown," their biggest-selling record in 1960. <br />
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Farewell, Phil Everly. Your music will always stand the test of time! </div>
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<br />Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01796230173425460817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6269328861319371248.post-51392300769464731472013-12-18T08:00:00.000-08:002015-02-02T18:41:49.205-08:00Another Birthday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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To celebrate my baby girl's 4th birthday today, we're posting some of her favorite songs this year. Before you leave this page and think "oh brother...," Zoe has impressive taste in music, which all you '60s fans will surely approve. Yes, that's my girl listening to The Zombies' <i>Odessey And Oracle</i> album on our turntable. She requested it, so I had to document the evidence, of course! While she still enjoys the songs that were in her birthday feature last year (<a href="http://sixtiesbeat.blogspot.com/search/label/Young%20Rascals" target="_blank">here</a>), here are the newest ones in her playlist.<br />
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Before I even knew what "the birds and the bees" really meant, I loved to sing along to this Jewel Akens' song. Now it cracks me up to see Zoe enjoying the same catchy tune. Reminiscent of 1950s honky tonk-style hits (like Fats Domino's "Blueberry Hill"), this international hit was released in 1964 and reached #2 on the US <i>Cash Box </i>singles chart and #3 on the Billboard chart. Although considered a one-hit wonder, Akens did have other minor hits and even toured with The Monkees. He just passed away this past March at the age of 79. Here's a classic TV performance of "The Birds & the Bees."<br />
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It's not surprising that my daughter loves one of the most influential records in pop music history, but her favorite selection from The Beach Boys' 1966 <i>Pet Sounds</i> is not one of the popular ones. Written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love with Brian as the producer, "I'm Waiting for the Day" is considered art rock and is very experimental as a combination of an orchestral ballad and a modern rock song. Using our beloved "Wrecking Crew" studio musicians, this positive song features a very exciting instrumentation such as timpani, bongos, strings, flute, English horn, ukelele, organ, bass, and drums. Nothing like driving in your car and hearing your child singing all the lyrics.<br />
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Here's another surprising tune from Zoe's playlist: Harry Nilsson's "Mr. Tinker." While his 1968 album <i>Aerial Ballet</i> includes great songs like "Everybody's Talkin'" (a huge hit in '69) and "<a href="http://sixtiesbeat.blogspot.com/2011/10/song-of-day-one.html" target="_blank">One</a>" (later covered by Three Dog Night), my daughter is drawn to this beautiful and melancholy number. The arrangement and instrumentation is excellent and so moving as the lyrics tell a story of Mr. Tinker the tailor. Nilsson is such a unique songwriter and I love his variety; even cooler that my kid enjoys the deep tracks like this. And we're in good company: he was the favorite artist of The Beatles!<br />
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</xml><![endif]--><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I guess I must play quite a bit of '60s <a href="http://sixtiesbeat.blogspot.com/search/label/Baroque%20Pop" target="_blank">Baroque Pop</a> around the house because Zoe has caught on to
how great it is! While she does love the well-known "Walk Away Renee"
by The Left Banke, she really enjoys their second hit single, "Pretty
Ballerina." Released in December of 1966 and reaching #15 on the Billboard
chart, this haunting tune is not your typical pop song of the era, featuring
beautiful string/oboe accompaniment and the soaring vocals of Steve Martin
(Caro). Definitely an under-rated band!</span></span><br />
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Bubblegum pop tune amongst her favorites, I think the underlying reason she
loves this song may be due to the fact that she thinks it's about a large,
furry Star Wars character of the same name. In March of 1969, Ohio Express's
"Chewy Chewy"became their second million seller and reached #15 in
the US, #6 in Australia, and #2 in Canada. While Ohio Express was a studio
creation by Super K Productions, they had their biggest success during this time
with singer Joey Levine, however, the touring group included a completely
different of musicians. Nothing like a little Bubblegum to get the happy juices flowing.</span></span><br />
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This next gem comes from the wonderful 1968 album <i>The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society. </i>A collection of thematic vignettes of English town and hamlet life, written by The Kinks' own Ray Davies, "Animal Farm" is wonderful, 'pastoral escape' that makes excellent use of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mellotron" target="_blank">Mellotron, </a>simulating string and woodwind backing tracks. Although the record is widely considered one of the most influential and
important works by the Kinks, it failed to chart upon release, and only
sold about 100,000 copies; it was released November 22, 1968, the same day The Beatles released their <i>White Album. </i>Now this Kinks album is ranked amongst <i>Rolling Stone's </i>500 Greatest Albums of All Time.<br />
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Another under-rated album now in that list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, The Zombies' <i>Odessey and Oracle </i>definitely caught my daughter's attention but with the most unexpected song. Recorded at Abbey Road Studio in 1967, "Beechwood Park" has a smooth groove complete with a mellow guitar intro, dreamy lyrics, and the breathy vocals of the talented Colin Blunstone. Although one of the biggest songs of the '60s came from this album ("Time of the Season"), Zoe is fascinated by this extraordinary beauty by my beloved Zombies.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz5ycQ5jWgyy9YBhXlZ39IXKeq3dky41QtKWnXAgdcN2wYxX_L5rVPWgzwvoUJHdJdcNUivNbcMdqvNbwWTkJiu0TGjAiaL867FIEg_Mo0tCFRJjRsNNucZsdkxr32EtBT1zaR3H9sk0U/s1600/Beatles-001.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz5ycQ5jWgyy9YBhXlZ39IXKeq3dky41QtKWnXAgdcN2wYxX_L5rVPWgzwvoUJHdJdcNUivNbcMdqvNbwWTkJiu0TGjAiaL867FIEg_Mo0tCFRJjRsNNucZsdkxr32EtBT1zaR3H9sk0U/s320/Beatles-001.jpg" height="192" width="320" /></a>And seriously, what kid wouldn't like a song about an octopus's garden? From The Beatles' last recorded album, <i>Abbey Road</i>, released in 1969, "Octopus's Garden" was drummer Ringo Starr's most successful songwriting effort, and was inspired by a trip to Sardinia aboard Peter Sellers' yacht (yes, the hilarious British actor, long story). I still have my parents' original <i>Abbey Road </i>album and now course, the love of this childhood favorite of mine has been passed down in the family. </div>
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Zoe has a dear friend named Caroline, so as soon as she caught the lyrics of this Neil Diamond classic, she requested to hear "Sweet Caroline" every time we drove in the car (where we do most of our music-listening). Released in September of 1969, this soft rock song reached #4 on the Billboard chart and eventually went platinum for sales of one million singles. In recent years, Diamond revealed that he was inspired by a picture of President JFK's daughter, Caroline, riding a horse as a young child. In recent years, the song has become popular at sporting events, especially at the Boston Red Sox home games.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWye0TatnEEWvTJZsKaUD1qzoE26FPCK5q-aJOCBE0tQgXP-ugqYEyHSO7WWviFvemEhTodDLPnkw2E5TUEzZpCqo1ktuVHnCE5tLm-z8QlW29xBAb9nZVVjroRYUnqnSOq36exSNtsqY/s1600/Hugo+Montenegro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWye0TatnEEWvTJZsKaUD1qzoE26FPCK5q-aJOCBE0tQgXP-ugqYEyHSO7WWviFvemEhTodDLPnkw2E5TUEzZpCqo1ktuVHnCE5tLm-z8QlW29xBAb9nZVVjroRYUnqnSOq36exSNtsqY/s200/Hugo+Montenegro.jpg" height="196" width="200" /></a>An American orchestra leader and film composer, Hugo Montenegro is best known for his interpretations of the music from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaghetti_western" target="_blank">Spaghetti westerns</a>, especially the cover version of the main theme from the 1966 film <i>The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. </i>Originally composed by Ennio Morricone, Montenegro's version was his biggest pop hit in 1968, reaching #2 on the Billboard chart, #3 in Canada, and four weeks at #1 in the UK. Zoe loves this song, especially the whistling, and refers to it as "the cowboy song." This was also a favorite of my dad's, and our family had a joke about the lyrics, or what I suppose are lyrics. We called this song "Egg roll," because it sounded like a bunch of cowboys attempting to talk while eating a hot egg-roll. Seriously, what are they saying/grunting? Here's one of the most iconic scores in film history with clips from the classic movie. <br />
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While Zoe does enjoy The Temptations' "My Girl," she is even more interested in the lesser-known cover version of the same song by The Mamas & The Papas. Originally written by Smokey Robinson and Ronald White, this tender interpretation was first heard on the group's 1967 album <i>Deliver</i>, and was later released as the B-side of "Do You Wanna Dance" in 1968, although it charted rather poorly. With a new, ascending vocal intro, this version is a textbook-example of The Mamas & The Papas' harmonious sound that can surely put a smile on anyone's face. Gotta love my kiddo's variety!<br />
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Happy Birthday to my sweet 4-year-old!</div>
Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01796230173425460817noreply@blogger.com1