Monthly Archives: January 2025

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,480) Turquoise — “Tales of Flossie Fillett” From neighbors and friends of the Kinks in Muswell Hills, here is a “Kinks-flavored . . . supremely commercial piece of vinyl” (Stefan Granados, liner notes to the CD comp Turquoise: The Further Adventures of FlossieContinue reading “Turquoise — “Tales of Flossie Fillett”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 31, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,479) Thoughts and Words — “And the Tears Fall Like Rain” From Looks Like Rain to “And the Tears Fall Like Rain”, beguiling UK folk rock by Thoughts and Words (see #237, 580). “Communication is my problem” They must have been watching CoolContinue reading “Thoughts and Words — “And the Tears Fall Like Rain”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 30, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,478) Mickey Newbury — “T Total Tommy” Call it folk rock or call it progressive country, but call it “a great song”, “[b]ouncy on the surface with some undeniably catchy lyrics”, “[t]oo low key to be a hit but ….” (Franco, https://whatfrankislisteningto.negstar.com/americana/mickey-newbury-looks-like-rain-mercury-1969/), “folky,Continue reading “Mickey Newbury — “T Total Tommy”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 29, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,477) The Sonics — “Strychnine” Aristotle’s favorite tune! “If you listen to what I say You’ll try strychnine some day Make you jump, it’ll make you shout It’ll even knock you out” The Sonics were “flame-throwing” (Cub Koda, https://www.allmusic.com/album/here-are-the-sonics-mw0000245191), as “Gerry Rosalie, theContinue reading “The Sonics — “Strychnine”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 28, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,476) The Perishers — “How Does It Feel?” “This obscure quartet’s uplifting 45 is one of the most instantly catchy songs of the era” (liner notes to the CD comp Chocolate Soup for Diabetics: 82 UK Psych Classics), “[a]bsolutely brilliant given it wasContinue reading “The Perishers — “How Does It Feel?”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 27, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,473) John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band — “God” While Lennon (see #29, 113, 520, 522 ) proclaims in “God” that he doesn’t believe in the Bible or Jesus, he says the same about Elvis, Dylan and the Beatles. Rather than anContinue reading “OMG Special Edition: John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band/David Peel and the Lower East Side/The Holy Ghost Reception Committee #9: John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band — “God”; David Peel and the Lower East Side — “God”, The Holy Ghost Reception Committee #9: “Hey Lord”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 26, 2025″

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD Here’s a tale of two singles: Brooks O’Dell’s powerful ’65 soul classic that somehow didn’t chart in the U.S. and the Koobas’ mod cover the following year which, you guessed it, somehow didn’t chart in the UK. 1,471) Brooks O’Dell — “You BetterContinue reading “Make Up Your Dang Mind! Special Edition: Brooks O’Dell/The Koobas — Brooks O’Dell — “You Better Make Up Your Mind” (65) (US) (soul), The Koobas — “Better Make Up Your Mind”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 25, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,470) Little Milton — “Can’t Hold Back the Tears” Legendary bluesman “turns his talent to Soul” (Stuart Ross, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzwJPrAzouA) with this B-side to his #1 R&B hit “We’re Gonna Make It”, giving us a “[c]racking mid tempo dancer” (Ross again), an “uptempo, blues-soulContinue reading “Little Milton — “Can’t Hold Back the Tears”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 24, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,469) Mario Molino – “Shake Psyco”/”Shake Psycho” The good, the bad, and the groovy! From an “[a]bsolute killer [Italian movie] score based on groovy beat and psychedelic cuts”, here is a number with “obsessive drumming & freaked out sound.” (https://www.popsike.com/Mario-Molino-Gli-Angeli-Del-2000-RARE-PSYCH-BEAT-OST-CAM-LIBRARY-LP-/280926957249.html) It is “[m]adContinue reading “Mario Molino – “Shake Psyco”/Shake Psycho”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 23, 2025″

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,468) My Indole Ring — “Love People Everywhere” My Indole Ring* was “[a] local legend in Vancouver, Canada, back in 1967-1969” (François Couture, https://www.allmusic.com/album/my-indole-ring-mw0000662280), “one of the leading names” in Vancouver’s “remarkable head scene in the late ’60s, complete with poster artists, undergroundContinue reading “My Indole Ring — “Love People Everywhere”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 22, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,467) Jack Bedient & the Chessmen – “Glimmer Sunshine” Reno and Vegas lounge/showband “recorded some killer garage rock singles along the way” (Holly Thorpe, https://thecometmagazine.wordpress.com/2017/11/05/b-sides-issue2/), especially this A-side, “outstanding, fast-paced garage rock with . . . fine guitar . . . featuring throughoutContinue reading “Jack Bedient & the Chessmen – “Glimmer Sunshine”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 21, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,466) Gee Bros — “Let Me Find the Sun” I’ve just featured Barry Gibb, so let me turn to the Gee Bros — no, not the Bee Gees, the Dutch Gee Bros, with “[o]ne of the trippiest 45’s to come from the NederbeatContinue reading “Gee Bros — “Let Me Find the Sun”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 20, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,465) Barry Gibb — “What’s It All About” Barry’s yearning anti-war song from his solo album that was never to be — “very true bluesy and laidback folk rock”. (Jostein Hansen, https://www.roxboroghreport.com/2020/11/why-barry-gibb-recording-a-superstar-country-duets-album-makes-perfect-sense.html) Man, Barry even starts out the song sounding like Dylan! MattContinue reading “Barry Gibb — “What’s It All About”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 19, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,464) Roger Bunn – “Fantasy and Fiction” Here is a fleeting glimpse into Piece of Mind, an “[e]pic in scope” and “[f]ascinating LP of eccentric whimsy and symphonic psychedelia” (Bradx, https://www.discogs.com/master/235435-Roger-Bunn-Piece-Of-Mind?srsltid=AfmBOoo3mDfkXmzDyg2auqpDuiYa2qSaPvq9NF6x10G0tX5HzN-yRMhy), “an enjoyably bizarre mixture of funky pop, freedom poetry and orchestrated ballads”Continue reading “Roger Bunn – “Fantasy and Fiction”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 18, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,463) A. M. Gately — “Battle in the City” A back to nature call to arms with a to die for melody by a cherished friend of Al Kooper who left us too soon. “I’ve loved [“Battle”’s] sunlit melancholy tone, built around acousticContinue reading “A. M. Gately — “Battle in the City”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 17, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,462) Grapefruit — “Dear Delilah” Here is the greatest 60’s song about a gal named Delilah that wasn’t sung by Tom Jones. Rather, it is a glorious A-side, the first by the Beatles-backed band Grapefruit. Grapefruit was led by George Alexander (birth nameContinue reading “Grapefruit — “Dear Delilah”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 16, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,461) The Riot Squad —  “I Take It that We’re Through” “Great stomping Mod freakbeat” (Galactic-Ramble, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXOs9YA50Wk), with a “proto-Psychedelic” feel and a “proto-Raga groove”. (David Wells, liner notes to the CD comp Joe Meek Freakbeat: You’re Holding Me Down) Biffbampow writes: AbsolutelyContinue reading “The Riot Squad — “I Take It that We’re Through”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 15, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,460) Tony Ritchie — “Could You Really Live Without Her” This “superb” (MushroomMachineClub, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raXGDOtr8_k) ’68 B-side is a horn infused “fuzzy blue-eyed soul stomper” (The Sound of Vinyl, https://thesoundofvinyl.us/products/la-discoteque-psychedelique-various) sung by British songwriter Tony Ritchie, written by him and Miki Dallon and DerekContinue reading “Tony Ritchie — “Could You Really Live Without Her”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 14, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,459) Ben E. King — “If You’ve Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody”/“Come Together” Ben E. King’s (see #85, 254, 597) spectacular out of left field ’70 LP Rough Edges is “a curious work with a laid-back feel notable for its extended playContinue reading “Ben E. King — “If You’ve Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody”/“Come Together”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 13, 2025″

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,458) Cat Stevens — “Bring Another Bottle Baby” Swinging London “bossa nova . . . my favourite track”, says Mike Hurst, producer of Cat Stevens’ first album Matthew & Son (original sleeve notes, https://majicat.com/recordings/MatthewLP.htm), a “smooth Latin shuffle” (Andy Neill, liner notes toContinue reading “Cat Stevens — “Bring Another Bottle Baby”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 12, 2025”