Monthly Archives: October 2024

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,384) Otis Redding — “Trick or Treat” The girl, maybe she’s offering a trick or maybe a treat, but this unreleased ‘66 song is a pure treat from Otis Redding (see #1,333), a “stomper” that is “as good as almost anything that everContinue reading “Halloween R.I.P. (I Shall Be Released in Peace) Special Edition: Otis Redding/Anthony Dares Progress — Otis Redding — “Trick or Treat”, Anthony Dares Progress — “Devil”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 31, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,384) The Redwoods — “Tell Me” “Tell me do you want my love?” This ‘66 A-side, a heartfelt and tender plea for a lover not to leave, is a haunting garage ballad that displays emotions not normally associated with “snotty” and “juvenile” garageContinue reading “The Redwoods — “Tell Me”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 30, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,383) Jon Gunn — “I Just Made Up My Mind”  ’67 UK A-side has a “thundering beat” and “startling arrangement comprising beefy brass, dancing strings and fugal [not fungal!] influences”. (Derek Johnson, New Music Express, https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/New-Musical-Express/1967/NME-1967-07-01.pdf) It’s almost anthemic, has a hint ofContinue reading “Jon Gunn — “I Just Made Up My Mind”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 29, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,382) Christie Laume — “Rouge Rouge”/“Red Red” Chryssanti Lambroukas, I mean Christie Laume, gave us “fabulous fuzz-guitar-heavy” (Gordon Skeen, https://pastdaily.com/2018/05/13/4-by-christie-laume-past-daily-nights-at-the-round-table-rock-without-borders/#google_vignette) yé-yé about a girl who blushes when boys come to talk to her. “Music will never again convey this spirit, this carefreeness, thisContinue reading “Christie Laume — “Rouge Rouge”/“Red Red”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 28, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD Bobby Jameson’s (see #219, 1,255, 1,303) story is tragic and enthralling, one of bad luck, bad people, bad decisions, and mental illness — see the end of this blog for some history. But the story for today is Jameson flying to London toContinue reading “Mick, Keith, ALO & Bobby Special Edition: Bobby Jameson — “All I Want Is My Baby”, “Each and Every Day”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 27, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,379) The Humane Society — “Knock, Knock” This sleazy, sinister garage über-classic by Simi Valley, California’s Humane Society (see #958) is “a savage, disarmingly visceral slab of proto-punk genius” (Jason Ankeny, https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-humane-society-mn0000766521/biography), a creation of “BONE CHILLING BRILLIANCE” (shelleyganz9095, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcoyH_iOMJo). Mike Stax givesContinue reading “The Humane Society — “Knock, Knock”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 26, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,378) Red Dirt — “Memories” A timeless song and so ahead of its time, this jewel really gets under your skin. “Memories I have inside me driving me insane” Jim Carroll Band anybody? Ian Shirley writes that from “a lost classic” LP, theContinue reading “Red Dirt — “Memories”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 25, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,377) Paradise Hammer — “She Is Love” Right off the bat, Noel Gallagher did not plagiarize this ’70 B-side. Maybe he should have, though the crescendo/climax part is a bit too Queenishly silly. Co-written by lead singer and former Unit Four Plus TwoerContinue reading “Paradise Hammer — “She Is Love”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 24, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,376) SST — “Soft Soul Transition” Bossa nova meets laid-back California pop and leaves a smile on your face as wide as San Francisco Bay. From a privately pressed LP of “[b]reezy sunshine-pop, soft-rock, psych-pop from California . . . . [with] awesomeContinue reading “SST — “Soft Soul Transition”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 23, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,375) Doug Ashdown — “He’s All These Things to Me” Delirium-inducing acid folk by Australia’s Doug Ashdown. I think the song is about God. It was written by Dave Gard, and according to Discogs it Gard’s only credit, writing or otherwise. (https://www.discogs.com/artist/2852589-Dave-Gard) CouldContinue reading “Doug Ashdown — “He’s All These Things to Me”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 22, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,374) Petticoat and Vine — “Riding a Carousel” ’70 UK A-side is a delightful, “wonderful sunshine pop gem!” (David Arrigotti, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY_14r2XOOU) Spice Girls style . . . or at least Mel C’s mother’s style! The band’s website tells us: At the end ofContinue reading “Petticoat and Vine — “Riding a Carousel”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 21, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,373) Marisol — “Corazón Contento”/“Happy Heart” I’ve already featured what I called “surely the greatest of all pre-MTV videos” — all by Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & the Trinity (see #1,031-33). Well, here is a challenger worthy of the title. At the veryContinue reading “Marisol — “Corazón Contento”/ “Happy Heart”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 20, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,372) Carla Thomas — “He’s Beating Your Time” Carla’s (see #432) ‘69 A-side is a soulful warning to wayward men from her ‘69 album Memphis Queen: “If you want to keep me, you better learn how to treat me”, “You’re making a big mistake,Continue reading “Carla Thomas — “He’s Beating Your Time”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 19, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,371) The Ones — “Lady Greengrass” Before he had a tangerine dream, Edgar Froese and the Ones gave us a “psych-pop delight” (Stephen Troussé, https://www.uncut.co.uk/reviews/film-reviews/nostalgia-2-141731/), “[a] splendid slice of German psyche”, (Baronrhubarbpostoffice, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jHKKjjn5FDw&pp=ygUYVGhlIG9uZXMgbGFkeSBncmVlbmdyYXNz), “an excellent slice of the Psychedelic Rock movement . .Continue reading “The Ones — “Lady Greengrass”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 18, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,370) The Rokes — “When the Wind Arises” This ’68 B-side, by a British group that made it big in Italy, is a dramatic, brooding and “splendid example of early psychedelic pop” (Mark Deming, https://www.allmusic.com/album/lets-live-for-today-the-rokes-in-english-1966-1968-mw0000800756), and the group’s “most impressive recording”. (David Wells,Continue reading “The Rokes — “When the Wind Arises”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 17, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,369) George & Beathovens — “Víc než nic”/”More than Nothing” From the ’70 LP Kolotoč Svět/Carousel World, a grand Czech pop rock pocket symphony that would have made Brian Wilson proud — by a band persecuted by the secret police for expressing sympathyContinue reading “George & Beathovens — “Víc než nic”/“More Than Nothing”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 15, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,368) St. Davids Road — “Strange Loves Of Gwyneth” A delightful ’70 UK pop psych B-side — I guess about a prostitute. As Dr. Doom says, “A fun bit of Welshsploitation Pop-Sike. How on earth this ended up with a US only releaseContinue reading “St. Davids Road — “Strange Loves Of Gwyneth”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 15, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,367) The Guess Who — “Silver Bird” One of the last songs recorded by the Guess Who (see #758, 1,140, 1,335) before Randy Bachman left, this “beautiful folk-rock ballad that has ‘hit’ written all over it” wasn’t released until ‘76. (Riron63, https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/the-guess-who/the-way-they-were/) BeautifulContinue reading “The Guess Who — “Silver Bird”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 14, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,366) Serge Gainsbourg/Brigitte Bardot — “Ford Mustang” ‘68 B-side and track from the Initials B.B. (that’s Brigette Bardot) LP, this classic Serge Gainsbourg/Brigitte Bardot duet is a sly, sultry and sexy paean to the Ford Mustang . . . well, that and otherContinue reading “Serge Gainsbourg/Brigitte Bardot — “Ford Mustang”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 13, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,365) Elli — “Never Mind” This ‘67 A-side is “a wonderful commercial effort marrying jazz time changes with Summer of Love harmonies. Why it was not properly promoted is criminal.” (Jon “Mojo” Mills, https://www.allmusic.com/album/elli-mw0001005297) One of the many crimes against Swinging London. JonContinue reading “Elli — “Never Mind”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — October 12, 2024”