Monthly Archives: February 2024

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,130) Passing Clouds — “Hawks and Doves” It’s almost as if the Clouds were passing over the studio where the Beach Boys were recording “Cabin Essence” during the “Smile” sessions! “Passing Clouds were a west coast outfit that released their lone album onContinue reading “Passing Clouds — “Hawks and Doves”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — February 29, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,128) Gene Vincent — “Bird Doggin’” This ’66 A-side is a “fierce garage rocker” (Bob Stanley, https://croydonmunicipal.blogspot.com/2012/04) that “captures the essence of rock ‘n’ roll”. (Ella Mack, https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-bird-doggin-by-gene-vincent/). It’s Vincent’s “best single in years” (Bob Stanley, https://croydonmunicipal.blogspot.com/2012/04), “stunning . . . [an] undisputedContinue reading “Gene Vincent Goes to the Birds Special Edition: “Bird Doggin’”, “Love Is a Bird”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — February 28, 2024″

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,127) Kusudo & Worth — “The Gull” I give you a song from a gorgeous, ethereal ’68 folk LP self-produced and recorded over a three hour span by two California high schoolers: Ken Kusudo and Jeff Worth. “This is about as good asContinue reading “Kusudo & Worth — “The Gull”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — February 27, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,126) The Concords — “Robin” Baroque pop complete with a horn fanfare! — a ’70 A-side from Ireland’s Concords, who “were from Kildare and enjoyed further releases on the showband scene and related labels . . . in the following decades.” (Piccadilly Sunshine:Continue reading “The Concords — “Robin”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — February 26, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,125) The Bee Gees — “Birdie Told Me” The Bee Gees’ (see #291, 353, 354, 439, 466, 484, 497, 570, 594, 717, 861, 962, 1,065, 1,101) “Birdie Told Me” is a wonderfully touching “tale of lost love that offers the variety of some leanerContinue reading “The Bee Gees — “Birdie Told Me”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — February 25, 2024″

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD From one of David Bowie’s (see #9, 75, 464) 25 favorite albums,* an LP full of “atmospheric, haunting and edgy folk-rock” (Joe Marchese, https://theseconddisc.com/2015/11/10/rpm-reissues-lost-album-by-david-bowie-favorite-tucker-zimmerman-collects-australian-dream-babes/) Joe Machese quipped that “[w]hen David Bowie placed Tucker Zimmerman’s 1969 album Ten Songs by Tucker Zimmerman on a list ofContinue reading “Tucker Zimmerman Goes to the Birds Special Edition: Tucker Zimmerman — “The Roadrunner”, “Blue Goose”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — February 24, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,122) Taos — “Space Bird” A famous Taos, NM commune gives us this genial, easygoing country rock gem from an LP of “mellow, unpretentious, good-natured rural rock. . . . catchy, with sweet vocal harmonies. . . . [b]lending acoustic and electric guitarsContinue reading “Taos — “Space Bird”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — February 23, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,121) Tin Tin — “Swans on the Canal” “‘Baroque pop’ is possibly the best description I can think of [to describe Tin Tin’s (see #355) first album], with tracks like Swans On The Canal . . . conjuring up images of lace cuffsContinue reading “Tin Tin — “Swans on the Canal”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — February 22, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,120) Nick Garrie — “Little Bird” Yet another gorgeous song from Nick Garrie’s (see #3, 19, 41, 65, 104, 137, 245, 362, 493, 871, 965, 1,088) The Nightmare of J.B. Stanislas, a top contender for the greatest lost album of the 60’s. If Nick’s FrenchContinue reading “Nick Garrie — “Little Bird”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — February 21, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,118) John Williams — “Early Bird of Morning” From John Williams’ (see #402, 784, 857, 858, 1,051) legendary Jimmy Page-infused Maureeny Wishfull album comes a gentle tribute to his wife to be. Lenny Helsing writes that the “rare 1968 Maureeny Wishfull album[ is] a shimmeringContinue reading “The Early Birds Catch the British Folkies’ Hearts Special Edition: John Williams/Mike Wallace: John Williams — “Early Bird of Morning”, Mike Wallace — “Early Morning Bird”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — February 20, 2024″

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,117) July — “A Bird Lived” Classic British pop psych from July (see #937) gently propositioning an English “bird”. It comes from “one of the most sought-after British psychedelic sixties albums” (Vernon Joynson, The Tapestry of Delights Revisited), “[v]ery good psychedelia, for the mostContinue reading “July — “A Bird Lived”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — February 19, 2024″

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,116) Jan & Lorraine — “Bird of Passage” Utterly ravishing paych folk from a female dynamic duo, “a great folkrock/pop/semi-psych number” which “it’s real easy to imagine . . . in the pop charts back in 69/70.m” (moondoggieferg, https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/jan-and-lorraine/gypsy-people/) , “[b]eautiful psych folkContinue reading “Jan & Lorraine — “ Bird of Passage”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — February 18, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,115) B.B. Blunder* (The Blossom Toes) — “Black Crow’s Nest” The former UK psychmeisters give us a joyous rock singalong with a country feel. Man, the times were a changin’! Bill Whitten and James Beaudreau write that the song is from Workers’ Playtime,Continue reading “B.B. Blunder (The Blossom Toes) — “Black Crow’s Nest”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — February 17, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD From Detroit’s Donovan comes two avian classic folk rock stunners with psychedelic touches . . . with a little help from the Funk Brothers and a future Motown producer . . . WTF? Man, it works. Paul Parrish’s (see #791) album The Forest of MyContinue reading “Paul Parrish Goes to the Birds Special Edition: Paul Parrish — “English Sparrows”, Paul Parrish — “The White Birds (Return to Warm Seas)”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — February 16, 2024″

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,112) Shades of Morley Brown — “Pretty Blue Bird” From “a nice, very obscure [’68 UK] psych/pop single”, here is the “particularly nice [B-side] with touches of wah-wah, and a good psychy feel.” (Popsike.com, https://www.popsike.com/SHADES-OF-MORLEY-BROWN-Silly-Girl-UNKNOWN-UK-PSYCH/4014924238.html) This song has a timeless slinkiness to it — itContinue reading “Shades of Morley Brown — “Pretty Blue Bird”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — February 15, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,111) Strawberry Alarm Clock — “Birdman of Alkatrash” Would you believe me if I told you that the Strawberry Alarm Clock’s (see #127, 272, 901) groovy and era-defining #1 “Incense and Peppermints” was originally the B-side and the loony, “sneering[, ] punkish” (BruceContinue reading “Strawberry Alarm Clock — “Birdman of Alkatrash”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — February 14, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,110) The Piece Kor – “Words Of The ‘Raven’” This ’68 “legendary 45” (Chris Bishop, http://therockasteria.blogspot.com/2022/05/the-hangmen-bitter-sweet-1966-us-fine.html?m=1) from Bel-Air, Maryland’s Piece Kor is “one of the 1960s deadliest platters . . . . a Byrds-like psych-garage lament driven by Mick Ball’s desperate crooning andContinue reading “The Piece Kor– “Words Of The Raven”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — February 13, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,109) The Lewis and Clarke Expedition — “Freedom Bird” Here is the promo video for the Expedition’s second single from their only album. I first thought it must have been a classic 60’s Clairol commercial turned into an earnest yet infectious pop rockContinue reading “The Lewis and Clarke Expedition — “Freedom Bird”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — February 12, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,108) The Kinks — “Mr. Songbird” Left off all but the initial Scandinavian versions of The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society, this track is “blissfully infectious”, “beguilingly sweet”, and “you are just in the palm of it’s hand and may justContinue reading “The Kinks — “Mr. Songbird”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — February 11, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,106) Ora — “The Seagull and the Sailor” On the road to Byzantium, ravishing UK folk-rock, “[s]o beautiful” (purrr88, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvWW3QOzWgY), yes, so beautiful. From an album of the same, “nominally a psych-folk set but . . . actually quite more. . . . anContinue reading “Ora — “The Seagull and the Sailor”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — February 9, 2024”