The Wrecking Continues

The Wrecking Crew: Part 2

As we continue with more songs backed by the fabulous Wrecking Crew session musicians, this next one was a transatlantic hit and a signature song for singer/actress Nancy Sinatra (yes, daughter of that famous crooner Frankie). Written by Lee Hazelwood (who wrote and produced most of her hits), "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" reached #1 on the US and UK charts after its release in February 1966. Arranger and conductor (also WC guitarist) Billy Strange used two basses together, Carol Kaye on electric bass and Chuck Berghofer on double bass, to provide the notable bass line
(Ms. Kaye, pictured on the right, played on almost all hit records out of L.A. at that time and was the only woman in the Wrecking Crew). The session also included Hal Blaine on drums (as usual), and Al Casey, Tommy Tedesco, and Strange on guitars, along many others. During TV news coverage in '66/'67, this song was aired as soundtrack as a camera focused on US infantrymen on patrol in the Vietnam, and around that same time, Sinatra herself traveled to South Vietnam to perform for the troops. Here's the promo video featuring Nancy Sinatra's trademark look, synonymous with go-go boots. 

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Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass could have been named Herb Alpert & The Wrecking Crew. Yep, trumpeter Alpert needed a team of crack session musicians and used the WC members to record his music, including five #1 hit albums in the 1960s. Released the same year (and equally as popular) as Whipped Cream and Other Delights, their second 1965 album, Going Places, included enduring tunes like "Tijuana Taxi" and "Spanish Flea." Reaching #1 on the US chart, "Spanish Flea" was composed by Alpert's friend and mariachi band leader, Julius Wechter, who also played percussion and marimba with the Wrecking Crew musicians (he also went on to form the Baja Marimba Band, at Alpert's encouragement). Featuring Alpert's trumpeting over a Latin rhythm backing, this instrumental song was used as "The Bachelor's Theme" for the long-running TV show The Dating Game (my dad was on that show in the '70s!). Using his touring band, here's excellent TV footage of Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass performing "Spanish Flea."

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Popular singer, songwriter, and guitarist Johnny Rivers also used the talents of the Wrecking Crew during his peak success in the '60s. Breaking away from his "Go-Go sound," River moved into the pop-soul style with the release of "Poor Side of Town" in 1966. Written by Rivers with L.A producer Lou Adler (Mamas & the Papas), this #1 hit in the US and in Canada uses a soulful melody based on Californian pop with some strong folk elements and a lovely string arrangement. Along with WC session musicians, the backing vocals were provided by The Blossoms (singers for producer Phil Spector) including Darlene Love (more on her in a future WC post). Although Rivers had quite a string of hit songs in the mid- to late-'60s, this tune was his biggest success and only chart-topping record. Aside from Rivers' guitar playing, all WC musicians were used in the original recording heard in this TV footage.

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As a friend and apprentice to producer Phil Spector, Sonny Bono was no stranger to the recording studio, often hanging out and contributing to sessions with the Wrecking Crew. Writing and producing songs for his aspiring duo with 18-year-old backup singer Cher, Bono composed "Baby Don't Go" in 1964, and had to borrow and raise money to cover the cost of the recording session. According to Cher, pianist Leon Russell (yes, the same Leon Russell who later had a solo career), guitarist Barney Kessel, and keyboardist Don Randi participated in the recording at no cost. The single only became a local hit in L.A., but after the success of the duo's 1965 single, "I Got You Babe," "Baby Don't Go" was re-released in September of '65 and peaked at #8 in the US, #11 in the UK, and #1 in Canada. Featuring the Wrecking Crew's handy work of a rolling piano-and-bass line, harmonica-driven riff, and shimmering mandolin part,  here's Sonny & Cher on the TV show Hollywood-A-Go-Go.

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Like many of the popular L.A. groups, The Association also looked to the Wrecking Crew to cover some of the instrumental playing in their recordings. On one of the top-selling records of 1967 in the US, the sunshine pop band elected to use these top session musicians on Insight Out, including Hal Blaine on drums, Joe Osborn on bass, Larry Knechtel on keyboards, Al Casey on guitar, and Mike Deasy on guitar and sitar. Featuring the impressive vocals by The Association, this album produced two iconic US hits "Windy" and "Never My Love," which reached #1 and #2 on the charts respectively.
Since both of these tunes have been previously featured on this blog, I'm going back one year to the group's first hit with "Along Comes Mary" in 1966. Even in a group with talented musicians and multi- instrumentalists, the studio recording of this beat/baroque pop tune included prolific WC drummer Hal Blaine (seriously check out the list of songs he's played on here!). Performing on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, here's "Along Comes Mary" with a creative introduction (with exception of the intro, only the vocals are live in this performance).  

Happy 3rd Birthday!

Sorry for the lack of posts around here. Life has been busy and full of fun but has not allowed much time for the blogosphere. I have many posts planned but most them will have to wait until the new year. By the way, if you've been dying to hear some classic Christmas tunes, be sure to check out last year's Christmas posts here.

 So today is my daugher's birthday. Three years ago, Zoe arrived one week before Christmas, what a nice present! She is hilarious and loves music, especially the tunes from the 1960s (although this could have something do with the fact her mother usually plays the '60s station in the car!). In honor of her birthday (and while she's napping), I thought I'd post all of her favorite songs. She regularly requests these songs by name. I have no idea what drew her to this particular set of songs, but I think you'll appreciate them, too. (Since most of these tunes have been previously featured at The '60s Beat, I'll try to find different videos for each song).

Whenever Zoe thinks it's "the all-request hour" in the car, she'll first ask to hear "I Love the Flower Girl," also known as "The Rain, The Park, And Other Things" by The Cowsills. This multi-million selling single was #2 hit in 1967 for the popular family group, and it's no wonder why my kiddo loves this happy tune. This playful footage of the Cowsills family riding the miniature train looks like something my daughter would love to do. 

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 Every time Sonny & Cher's signature song plays on the radio, my daughter excitedly shouts, "It's 'I Got You, Babe!'" Written and produced by Sonny Bono, this tune became one of her first favorites nearly a year ago; I guess the repetitive chorus stood out to her. Back in the 1965, looks like the charts would agree with Zoe, as this song reached #1 in the US and UK. This performance of the husband and wife vocal duo comes from The Beat Club, a German music program.

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 The Turtles' "Happy Together" is a newer favorite for my daughter, and she can actually sing the chorus pretty well, the descending arpeggio and all ("I can't see me..."). I discovered that she liked this song when I noticed her singing it to her stuffed animals one day. Released on Valentine's Day in 1967, this quintessential '60s song was also a #1 hit, staying at the top of the US chart for 3 weeks. Zoe refers to this one as "Happy Dugeder." 

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Now this next favorite of Zoe's comes as quite a surprise. With a title like "I Love You," you'd expect this Zombies' song to have a cheery tune, however, it is actually in a minor key, giving it a darker sound. Written by bassist Christ White, this British single was released in 1965 but failed to make the US chart, although it was quite popular in the Philippines. Three years later, the Californian group People! scored a big hit with their cover version of "I Love You," making them a one-hit wonder. It was so random hearing my daughter as a young 2-year-old regularly requesting to hear this one!

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I recently let Zoe watch a few episode of The Monkees TV show and she was totally into it! Right now, her favorite Monkees' song is "Tomorrow's Gonna Be Another Day," from the group's debut, #1 hit album in 1966. Like another one of their infamous tunes, the chorus in this song includes a few "hey, hey, hey's," which has my daughter laughing every time; she actually thinks the name of this song is "Hey, Hey, Hey." Here's a typical Monkees romp from the first season of the show; Zoe loves it.

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 Finally, I'll end today's post with a final #1 hit, "Good Lovin'" by The Young Rascals. The backing vocals shouting "good lovin'" are what caught Zoe's attention, and she repeats the lyrics as "due lub!" Released in 1966, this high-energy tune is also great for dancing; what 3-year-old doesn't like dancing, anyway? Here's a great live performance by the blue-eyed soul group on The Ed Sullivan Show. 

Happy Birthday to my baby!

"Wanting to Be, to Hear, and to See..."

Flower Power: Part 6
Well, it's turning out that Flower Power means all kinds of things to different people. Sometimes it's psychedelic, hippie music, anything Summer of Love, or sometimes any late 1960s music that goes with images like smiley faces, peace symbols, lava lamps, and paisley prints. Well, here are some pop-ier sounds that go with all that retro groovy-ness.

Similar to the Flower Pot Men (just featured a few weeks ago here), British pop group Edison Lighthouse was originally a studio-only band that existed solely for session vocalist Tony Burrows, who has sung the lead vocals on hit singles for more groups than any other recording artist (including Flower Pot Men, as well as White Plains' "My Baby Loves Lovin'" and The First Class' "Beach Baby" to name a few). Released in January 1970, "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" became the fastest climbing UK #1 hit record in history and peaked at #5 on the U.S. charts. After the single's success, Burrows went on to record other projects, so a group was assembled to mime a performance of this million-seller on Top of the Pops (not the featured clip below). For several years to follow, many members would come and go from the group, but since they didn't score any further chart activity, they became known as a transatlantic one-hit wonder.

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Starting out in the mid-1960s in Los Angeles as R&B back-up singers, Sonny & Cher (Bono) were an American pop music duo and husband and wife team that even became media personalities with the success of their TV shows in the mid-'70s. In their ten years together, they sold over 80 million records worldwide, after which Cher went on to have a highly successful career as a singer and actress and Sonny became an elected Congressman. A defining record of the early counterculture movement, "I Got You Babe" was released in July 1965, becoming the duo's biggest hit and signature song. Written by Sonny Bono for himself and his wife late at night in their basement, he wanted to capitalize on the popularity of the word 'babe,' as heard in Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe" (a hit for The Turtles). Spending three weeks at #1 on the Billboard charts, as well as hitting #1 in the UK and Canada, this song even made the list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (Rolling Stone magazine). Just at the beginning of their career, here's a live performance by the comic relief duo Sonny & Cher.

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Known for their vocal harmonies, Spanky & Our Gang was an American folk rock/sunshine pop group that formed in Bloomington, Illinois in 1966. Led by Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane, the band's name comes from the popular Our Gang comedies of 1930s (also known as The Little Rascals), and Elaine was nicknamed "Spanky" by one of the band members (possibly influenced by her last name) who said she resembled the character George "Spanky" McFarland. Released on their self-titled debut album in 1967, "Sunday Will Never Be the Same" was their biggest hit, which reached #9 on the Billboard charts during the Summer of Love. However, during the fall of 1968, an upsetting blow came to the group when their lead guitarist (and trombonist and vocalist) Malcolm Hale died of carbon monoxide poisoning in his home at the age of 27. He had done most of the music arrangements and pretty much had kept the group together, so after his death, deciding they were satisfied with their musical output, the group disbanded in early 1969. McFarland went on to have some success as a solo artist and even toured with The Mamas & The Papas in '80s, singing Cass Elliot's vocal parts. Originally written as a ballad until the group changed the feel, here's Spanky & Our Gang in a rare live performance of "Sunday Will Never Be the Same" for a Murray the K Special.

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While nearly every Flower Power CD set out there includes The Monkees' "Daydream Believer" (which we'll save for Bubblegum Week instead), I've decided to post another song that seems to relate more with the psychedelic sounds of the counterculture movement. Written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King as the title song for The Monkees' 1968 feature film Head, the ethereal and psychedelic "Porpoise Song" is a great mix of distorted, echo-y vocals with organs riffs, strings, woodwinds, and horns floating in and out of the song, complete with lyrics that call into question one's place in the world (and as seen below, visually paired with the lava lamp-like solarization effects). Becoming a cult classic in recent years, Head itself is a 'head trip' that plays mind-games on the audience where each scene abstractly connects to the next. When my sister and I first saw this film as young teenagers, we were slightly disturbed that our beloved Monkees had made such a confusing and strange movie, nothing like their TV series, but years later, I've made sense of the symbolism and it's fascinating. In fact, it's all symbolic of how The Monkees were themselves manipulated by the greatest of manipulators, Hollywood, and how they fought their made-for-TV image (i.e. in this clip, Micky Dolenz is not committing suicide but "breaking free," which by the end of the film [or is it the beginning?], the others follow suit). OK, this film's analysis and music should be featured on its own separate post, so for now, here's the haunting yet beautiful "Porpoise Song" that only managed to reach #62 on the charts in the fall of '68.