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!
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 The Jack Benny Show, the ultimate "California Sound" from the 1960s.
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 Hullabaloo).
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!
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 filmApache 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!)
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.
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 American Bandstand. Can't say I've seen a garage band with an autoharp before. Gotta appreciate this kid's variety!
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.
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.
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 here with a bit of a baroque pop sound).
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 The Ed Sullivan Show.
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 The Monkees 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!
And finally, in honor of my Batgirl's birthday, here's the opening credits to the campy but classic Batman 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.
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' Odessey And Oracle 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 (here), here are the newest ones in her playlist.
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 Cash Box 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."
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 Pet Sounds 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.
Here's another surprising tune from Zoe's playlist: Harry Nilsson's "Mr. Tinker." While his 1968 album Aerial Ballet includes great songs like "Everybody's Talkin'" (a huge hit in '69) and "One" (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!
I guess I must play quite a bit of '60s Baroque Pop 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!
While it's appropriate that my kid has a
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.
This next gem comes from the wonderful 1968 album The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society. 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 Mellotron, 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 White Album. Now this Kinks album is ranked amongst Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
Another under-rated album now in that list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, The Zombies' Odessey and Oracle 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.
And seriously, what kid wouldn't like a song about an octopus's garden? From The Beatles' last recorded album, Abbey Road, 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 Abbey Road album and now course, the love of this childhood favorite of mine has been passed down in the family.
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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- An American orchestra leader and film composer, Hugo Montenegro is best known for his interpretations of the music from Spaghetti westerns, especially the cover version of the main theme from the 1966 film The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. 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.
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 Deliver, 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!
Three legendary artists have passed away in recent weeks. American actress and singer Annette Funicello passed away on April 8th, 2013 at the age of 70, due to complications from her multiple sclerosis. She began her career as a child performer at the age of 12 and rose to prominence as one of the most popular "Mouseketeers" on the original Mickey Mouse Club. She later established herself as a film actress, popularizing the successful "Beach Party" genre with co-star Frankie Avalon during the mid-1960s. From a typical, teenage movie, here's sweet Annette singing the title theme to 1965's "The Monkey's Uncle," backed by...wait for it...The Beach Boys? Yep. It's actually kind of cute.
On April 22nd, American singer-songwriter guitarist Richie Havens died of a heart attack at the age of 72. He is best known for his intense and rhythmic guitar style (often in open tunings), soulful covers of pop and folk songs, and his opening performance at the 1969 Woodstock Festival. During this infamous performance, Havens held the crowd for nearly three hours (in part because he was told to
perform a lengthy set because many artists were delayed in reaching the
festival location), and he was called back for several encores. Having
run out of tunes, he improvised a song based on the old spiritual,
"Motherless Child," that became "Freedom" (as seen in his video clip from the festival). Only a true musician can bring this much passion to an improvised song.
And today, April 26th, we lost American country music singer George Jones who passed away at 81 years old. Beginning his career in 1954, he is remembered for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to country singer Tammy Wynette. The flat-topped singer (also known for his hard-living lifestyle) placed multiple singles on the country charts each year during the '60s, including ballads like "Walk Through This World with Me." Released in January 1967, this single was his 57th release on the country chart and his fourth #1 hit.
Wrecking Crew Series: Part 1
Well, I think it's high time we look more into the awesomeness known as "The Wrecking Crew." A nickname given by drummer Hal Blaine for a group of L.A. session musicians, The Wrecking Crew played anonymously on dozens of hit records during the 1960s. Backed by numerous popular singers, they are one of the most successful groups of studio musicians in music history. These highly versatile musicians were "first call" players, used for nearly every style recording, including TV theme songs, film scores, commercial jingles, and almost every genre of American pop music. From The Beach Boys to Frank Sinatra, you'll be amazed at the variety of hits this group played on, and over the next several posts, we'll attempt to mention most of those hit albums.
And before we plow forward, I'd like to make a quick plug for the awesome documentary, "The Wrecking Crew," directed by Denny Tedesco, son of Wrecking Crew guitarist Tommy Tedesco. Completed in 2008, this film has been shown at several festivals and screenings, but is still trying to raise money to pay for the numerous song rights. Check out the website here to find out how you can help get this film released onto DVD.
So in no particular order, we begin with a popular girl group from New York City, The Ronettes, and their best-known/most enduring song of the era, "Be My Baby." Utilizing producer Phil Spector's "wall of sound" production technique (a layered and reverberant sound that came across well on AM radio and jukeboxes), this song is recognized as one of the most influential songs of all time, and is described as a "Rosetta stone for studio pioneers such as The Beatles and Brian Wilson [of The Beach Boys]." Using many Wrecking Crew musicians, Spector recorded a large range of instruments including guitars, saxophones, multiple pianos, horns, and a full orchestra with innovative studio mixing and dubbing. Featuring Hal Blaine's highly influential drum opening, as well as guitarists Tommy Tedesco and Bill Pitman, singer Sonny & Cher and Darlene Love were part of the group of guests that provided additional background vocals. This classic tune was also a commercial success, reaching #2 on the Billboard chart and #4 in the UK, selling over two million copies in 1963. It's now ranked #22 on Rolling Stone's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time."
Speaking of Brian Wilson, he tirelessly worked to recreate that "wall of sound" himself on Beach Boys albums, and didn't do too bad considering, in 1966, the group released one of the most influential records in the history of pop music and one of the best of the 1960s. Including songs like "Wouldn't It Be Nice" and "God Only Knows," Pet Sounds featured the elaborate layers of The Beach Boys' vocal harmonies on top of complicated backing tracks played by members of the Wrecking Crew, like jazz guitarist Barney Kessel and bassist Carol Kaye. Exploring the emerging psychedelic rock style and revolutionary baroque instrumentation, the backing tracks were recorded over a four-month period, using major L.A. studios, with Wilson (like Spector) becoming a pioneer of 'the studio as an instrument' concept. From the album, the single "Sloop John B." was the fastest Beach Boys seller to date, peaking at #3 in the US in May of '66, and even hit #1 in several countries including Germany, Norway, Ireland, South Africa, and New Zealand (to name a few). Originally a West Indies folk song (and introduced to Wilson by Al Jardine), here's another memorable tune from one of the greatest albums of all time (#2 according to Rolling Stone).
The top-notch Wrecking Crew also played on most Simon & Garfunkel songs, with Bridge Over Troubled Water being probably the greatest album credited to the folk rock duo. Featuring critically and commercially acclaimed songs like "The Boxer" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water," this final album topped the charts in over 10 countries and received two Grammy Awards, plus four more for the title song. Recorded in late 1969 and released as a single in January 1970, WC musicians included on this title song were Hal Blaine (who also played the memorable, heavily-reverbed drum on "The Boxer"), Joe Osborn on bass, and Larry Knetchel on piano, who won a Grammy for his "gospel sound" piano arrangement. Part of the song was first heard by a national audience in Nov. '69, when it was included in a one-hour special TV special by Simon & Garfunkel on CBS called"Songs of America." You can hear the studio recording here, however, the footage below is a studio rehearsal cut for that TV special and is a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the guys working their craft. Definitely one of the best duos out there!
Another album amongst the greatest of all time, The Mamas & The Papas' If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears featured the WC rhythm section on every track. Including fantastic folk rock and sunshine pop songs like "California Dreamin'" and "Monday, Monday," the magic of this 1966 debut album was a combination of the group's distinct vocal harmonies, John Phillips' excellent musical arrangements, and the tight backing by the WC, all creating this "genuinely new sound" at the time. Reaching #1 on the album pop charts after its release that March, this album (and the group's subsequent albums in the '60s) used those same 'first call' musicians as Bridge Over Troubled Water, including Larry Knetchel, Joe Osborn, and Hal Blaine (oh yeah, have we mentioned yet that Blaine in particular played on 50 #1 hits? Yeah, this guy is one of the most prolific drummers in history!). Since this album's hit singles were previously featured (see links above), here's another feel-good, classic Mamas & Papas' tune, "Go Where You Wanna Go." And random side note, this original album cover is a collector's item now, since some stores felt the toilet was indecent, and alternate covers were made to cover up that corner of the picture (I own the one with a scroll/box over the toilet listing the hit songs on the album, too funny).
And we'll conclude today's "tip of the iceberg" post with another fantastic vocal group, The 5th Dimension and their Grammy Award-winning Record of the Year. Released in May 1969, The Age of Aquarius was the quintet's fourth album, and as usual for the group, the WC played all the instruments, including the musicians just previously mentioned as well as guitarist Tommy Tedesco (you may remember his fabulous Flamenco guitar-picking in the group's '67 hit "Up, Up And Away"). After the success of the "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" single, a San Diego DJ began playing "Wedding Bell Blues" from the album, and upon the seeing its potential, their record label put it out as a single as well. Featuring the lead vocals of Marilyn McCoo (who would sing parts of the song to group member and fiance' Billy Davis, Jr. during TV performances like this), this Laura Nyro-penned tune soared to #1 on the pop charts and easy listening charts, even becoming a hit in Canada and the UK. Gotta love the pure talent from all these superb singers and musicians in this entire post!
And stay tuned for many more posts featuring the Wrecking Crew!
NOTE: I started this post awhile ago, but I've taken so long that summer has almost passed me by! I heard kids were already going back to school this week, crazy!
Well, I've been caught up in all the fun things that a Californian summer has to offer. I suppose, before summer is truly over, we should do a little two-part series on Summer Music. In this next batch of songs, each of the lyrics mention those footloose and fancy-free activities of summer.
As a kid, I remember my mom having this Best of Nat King Cole LP, and my sister and I particularly loved the song "Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer." Reaching #6 on the pop charts in 1963, this was one of his last big hits, two years before his death in '65 (while smoking three packs of cigarettes a day may have continued to his golden baritone, it unfortunately shortened his life as well). Being one of the first black Americans to host a TV variety show, Cole's distinct, mellow voice continues to maintain worldwide popularity. Here's some excellent color footage from a BBC TV special in that summer of '63.
Becoming an international star in the late 1950s thanks to Dick Clark, American rock and roll singer Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon found his biggest success with the 1962 hit "Palisades Park." Released as a B-side, this song broke in when a Michigan radio DJ played it by mistake, and by March of '62, it peaked at #3 on the charts. Written by Chuck Barris, this up-tempo tune was a tribute to New Jersey's Palisades Amusement Park, which later closed in 1971. Complete with the distinctive organ part and amusement park sound effects, this is likely a performance from America Bandstand, a show where he made a record 110 appearances!
A popular recording artist and teen idol of the early 1960s, New York-based Brian Hyland is known for his "puppy-love pop" and pre-Bubblegum sound. In August of 1960, he scored his first and biggest single at the age of 16 with "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini," written by Brill Building duo Vance and Pockriss. This novelty song about a shy girl wearing a revealing bikini at the beach was a #1 hit in the US and was popular in other countries, reaching #8 in the UK. At a time when these bathing suits were too risque' to be mainstream, bikini sales took off after the release of this song, and it is considered to be one of the earliest contributors to the acceptance of the suit in society. More from Brian Hyland in our next post.
Although the life of this next artist was tragically cut short at 21 in 1960, his guitar playing had quite a lasting influence on rock music, so I figured I'd include his summer-related tune. Being one of the first rock and roll artists to write his own songs and overdub his tracks, Eddie Cochran was known for capturing teenage frustration and desire in the late '50s and early '60s with rockabilly songs like "Summertime Blues." Originally a B-side single, this classic tune peaked at #8 on the US charts in September of 1958 and #18 in the UK. It has been covered by many artists including The Beach Boys, The Who (a staple at their concerts in the early years), and Brian Setzer, who portrayed Cochran in the 1987 film La Bamba (great soundtrack, by the way). Here's a great live performance by one of the first true rock and rollers!
And since that last tune was technically not from the '60s decade, here's another cover version that was. The San Franciscan psychedelic blues-rock band Blue Cheer recorded their version of "Summertime Blues" in 1967, which peaked at #14 on the Billboard charts. Although it is not as widely recognized as The Who's version, it was more distorted with a more intense guitar sound and is ranked among the 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time. It is the actually the first heavy metal song to make the pop charts, well before "Born to Be Wild" and "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida." Here's a great intro by the late Dick Clark who didn't shy away from any type of music.
To complete this rather varied post, I absolutely must include the band that epitomizes the sounds of summer, our good ol' Beach Boys. Released in March 1963, "Surfin' USA" was their first big hit, peaking at #3 on the Billboard, while taking its parent album to gold record status. At this time, Brian Wilson began using double tracking to achieve fuller-sounding vocals, thus creating The Beach Boys' own unique sound. Set to melody of Chuck Berry's "Sweet Little Sixteen" (which he does receive co-writing credit for),
"Surfin' USA" mentions nearly every hot surfing spot at the time, mostly in California including the local beach I grew up going to, San Onofre. From the 1964 concert film known as the T.A.M.I. Show, here's a classic live performance where the girls just can't get enough of these guys. Surf's up!
Sunshine Pop: Part 1
Lately, we've had our fair share of foggy days out here on the West Coast,
so I thought I'd lighten up the place with some Sunshine Pop.
Originating in the mid-'60s in California, this subgenre of pop music is
naturally upbeat and cheerful, characterized by warm sounds, rich vocal
harmonies, and sophisticated sound productions. It is similar to baroque pop (my first featured series!) in its use of classical elements and instruments, although much less melancholic and dramatic. As this is a retroactive term, it's sometimes hard to pinpoint which songs actually fit this mood, especially since sunshine pop is influenced by easy-listening, has hook-like jingles, and sometimes contains psychedelia (minus the mind-altering aspect), drawing from other genres like folk rock, bubblegum, garage rock, and surf rock as well. Like I said, it's hard to describe, so hopefully the sounds of the next few posts will clarify the mystery of Sunshine Pop.
As an excellent composer and vocal arranger, Papa John Phillips perfected this sound of sunshine pop with the help of producer Lou Adler. While still embracing a hippie-like persona, The Mamas & The Papas brought this sunny yet apolitical sound to the airwaves and enjoyed great success in this genre. Released in June 1966, "I Saw Her Again" hit #5 in US, #1 in Canada, and #11 in the UK. Compared to the ultimate sunshine pop tunes "Monday Monday" and "California Dreamin'" (both previously featured), the lyrics may not be as light-hearted as the mood implies; written by Phillips and lead singer Denny Doherty, it was inspired by Doherty's brief affair with Michelle Phillips, who was then married to John, and it resulted in Michelle's temporary expulsion from the group (until fans complained!). In the recording, Doherty sings the first line of the third chorus a few beats early ("I saw her..."), but since it was left in the final mix, no one's quite sure if it was a mistake or not. Having a little too much fun in a clothing store, here's a cheerful music video that the group made to promote the single.
From 1965 through 1969, The Beach Boys (specifically Brian Wilson) began shifting gears from their usual surfing and hot rod racing tunes to musical experimentation in the recording studio. While their sunny vocal surf pop was a precursor to sunshine pop, it was at this time in the mid-'60s when their sophisticated music, with its warm sounds and prominent vocal harmonies, perfectly embodied this new genre. While predominantly a psychedelic rock/pop and baroque pop album, their '66 Pet Sounds is recognized as one of the most influential records in pop music history and one of the best from 1960s, including songs "God Only Knows" and "Wouldn't It Be Nice." Released as single in July 1966, "Wouldn't It Be Nice" reached #8 in the US and #2 both the UK and Australia, and has become one of the most widely recognized song by The Beach Boys. Written by Brian Wilson with lyrics by Tony Asher, this beautifully-produced tune features a wide variety of instruments including accordions, mandolins, saxophones, trumpet, and ethereal-sounding guitars in the introduction. Here's a cute promo video of this brilliant song.
Although sunshine pop is strongly associated with California, the genre did expand across the nation with groups like Spanky & Our Gang from Illinois. Although this folk rock/sunshine pop group was only together for under 2 years, their memorable vocal harmonies and well-produced music captured the essence of this upbeat genre. From their 1967 debut album, their most popular songs are "Sunday Will Never Be the Same" (featured during the Flower Power series) and "Lazy Day." Referred to as "a giddy joy no matter what" (Allmusic), the purely sunshine pop "Lazy Day" reached #14 on the charts and sold over a million copies. Since their Ed Sullivan Show performance is not available on YouTube, here's a video someone's original 45 recording by Spanky & Our Gang.
This next song is a fascinating one as it seems to combine those angelic harmonies of The Mamas & The Papas with the sophisticated productions of The Beach Boys, while throwing in the sounds of psychedelic pop and classical music. However, Sagittarius was not actually a band but a studio group devised by songwriter/producer Gary Usher (known for co-writing some Beach Boys tunes with Brian Wilson). Using LA studio musicians, Usher drafted friends like guitarist Glen Campbell (before his solo country career), as well as Beach Boy Bruce Johnston and record producer Terry Melcher (who produced The Byrds' biggest hits), and threw in some musique concrète(hey, so I do remember something from college!) in the middle. "My World Fell Down" was presented to Columbia executives under the group name Sagittarius, but when the song managed to reach #70 on the Billboard chart and there was pressure from the record label to tour, it was revealed that there was no group. Usher went on to complete the album with Curt Boettcher (a big influence on Brian Wilson just before Pet Sounds), but it was an expensive flop. With Glen Campbell singing lead vocals, here's the mysterious yet sunshine pop-ish "My World Fell Down" (and you'll know the musique concrete part when you hear it; it's the random noises in the bridge section).
And we'll conclude this first post of Sunshine Pop with the popular family group The Cowsills from Rhode Island. Like The Beach Boys, this family was known for their ability to achieve 4-and 5-part harmonies with impressive accuracy and relative pitch. Although their music ranges from bubblegum to rock and roll, one of their most popular hits, "The Rain, The Park, and Other Things," is a prime example of this sunny genre as it features their warm vocals and a elaborate arrangement. However, since this #2 hit song was already featured last year (here), I'll post their cover version of another quintessential Sunshine Pop song, originally by The Mamas & The Papas. Performing live on The Johnny Cash Show in 1969, here are The Cowsills singing "Monday Monday" (as well as "Children, How Do I Send Thee" with Johnny Cash; very different genre, of course, but cute nonetheless). Little Susan Cowsill sure seems to enjoy groovin' in their performances.
Last night, my friend and I attended The Beach Boys 50th Anniversary
Reunion Tour at the Verizon Wireless Ampitheater (formerly Irvine Meadows) in
Orange County, CA. Being one of those California Girls,
the music of The Beach Boys was a big part of my childhood as the
actual soundtrack for our summer days down at San Onofre State Beach, so
it was nostalgic and such a special treat to actually see "America's
Band" live! The current band includes the still-living, founding members
Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, and David Marks (active with the
BB in the early years), as well as Bruce Johnston who joined the group
in the mid-'60s, and not to mention, a stellar group of supporting
musicians who helped give these classic songs that "Wrecking Crew"
studio quality. With the exception of select appearances, this is the
first time since 1965 that Brian Wilson has toured with The Beach Boys,
so it was extra meaningful for the fans to see the mastermind behind The
Boys' sound. The evening was broken up into two parts: the first set
consisted of The Beach Boys' early years of and the second featured
their music released after 1965. As Wilson has mentioned this world tour
is dedicated to the memory of his two brothers (and founding members)
the late Dennis and Carl Wilson, there were two, touching moments when
the band sang harmonies along with a video of Dennis on "Forever" and
one with Carl on "God Only Knows"
(a personal favorite). Performing over 40 songs, most of the hits were
heard as well as some less known tunes, beauties from their influential Pet Sounds, and even their brand-new single, "That's Why God Made the Radio." Even 50 years after their debut, their performance still holds that
distinct sound with those rich vocals harmonies and beautiful melodies.
Although the audience was surprisingly mellow (maybe because of that
smelly, smokey substance that apparently was making the rounds), the
biggest crowd-pleasers were "Surfin' Sufari," "Be True to Your School,"
"Sloop John B," "Wouldn't It Be Nice," "California Girls," "Help Me,
Rhonda," "Surfin' USA," "I Get Around," as well as a fun medley of their hot rod-related
tunes, and an encore including "Kokomo," "Barbara Ann," and "Fun, Fun,
Fun." Here's the current touring lineup:
I was particularly looking forward to hearing "Good Vibrations"
and it definitely lived up to my expectations; such an amazing
composition. Another stand-out moment of the show was Bruce Johnston's
impressive performance of "Disney Girls," a beautiful tune we wrote for the 1971 Surf's Up
album. Also, an interesting surprise was the unannounced pre-show
performance that featured several of the grown children of The Beach
Boys including Carnie and Wendy Wilson (Brian Wilson's daughters) of the
'90s female vocal group Wilson Phillips.
Performing a few Beach Boys songs, their lovely vocal harmonies
definitely carried the essence of their fathers' unique sound.
Here's my friend, Janay, and I posing by one of those beach cruisin' Woodies. And yes, I wear white boots to all my concerts.
And of course, keeping true to this blog, we've got to throw in a few tunes from back in their heyday. Live in 1964, here's that memorable ballad "Surfer Girl" (you know, that song I thought was written for 7-year-old me).
And another from that same TV appearance, here's some more "Fun Fun Fun!"
Thank you to The Beach Boys for a special night of music we'll never forget!
