THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
877) The Truth — “Baby You’ve Got It”
Roger Dopson calls this ’66 B-side a “fearsomely good — if wholly uncharacteristic [for the band] — slice of Freakbeat” (liner notes to the CD comp Freakbeat Freakout) while Vernon Joynson calls it an “uncharacteristically [for the band] rough soul-rocker” (The Tapestry of Delights Revisited) and the liner notes to the CD comp English Freakbeat! Vol. 5 call it a “gruff soul-rocker”. OK, I get it, uncharacteristic, rough and gruff!
As All Music notes:
Hairdresser Steven Gold met future singing partner Francis Aiello while cutting the latter’s hair. Taking their name from a favourite Ray Charles’ song, “Tell The Truth”, the duo scored a UK Top 30 hit in 1966 with their debut single, an opportunistic cover of “Girl” from the Beatles’ Rubber Soul album. Although the Truth drew plaudits for “I Go To Sleep”, written by Ray Davies of the Kinks, it emphasized the Truth’s inability to acquire exclusive material. Subsequent singles included “Walk Away Renee” and “Sueno”, originally recorded, respectively, by the Left Banke and Rascals, but when such releases failed to chart the duo abandoned their brief pop career.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-truth-mn0000184718
Mark Deming adds that:
Aiello and [Gold, later] Jameson . . . . were faces on the mid-’60s U.K. mod scene, frequenting the right clothing stores and hitting the right nightspots. . . . [But t]he record industry didn’t put much stock in the Truth’s mod persona, and ended up treating them like any other pop group trying to make their way onto the charts. While [Aiello and Gold] wanted to model the Truth after Sam & Dave or the Righteous Brothers, the closest they got to a hit was a polished cover of the Beatles’ “Girl,” and though they could handle pop as well as blue-eyed soul (in some cases better), their belated reputation as mod heroes is the product of a few stray tracks rather than the entirety of their catalog. The Truth released just seven singles during their five-year lifespan . . . . “Baby You’ve Got It,” “She’s a Roller,” and “Baby Don’t You Know” suggest the Truth were not at their best trying to sound like soul shouters . . . . Meanwhile, Aiello and [Gold] sounded very much at home harmonizing on slicker pop productions, and their covers of “I Go to Sleep,” “Walk Away Renee,” and “I Can’t Make It Alone” are more than satisfying.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/whos-wrong-mod-bedlam-1965-1969-mw0002809900
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