Monthly Archives: January 2026

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,842) The Cortinas*/Octopus — “Phoebe’s Flower Shop” Brighten your Sunday with a “happy-go-lucky . . . Vaudeville-ian ditty” (Garwood Pickjon, https://rockasteria.blogspot.com/2018/11/), a “[t]oytown classic that seldom gets mentioned. A jaunty piano rave carries the tune, and the falsetto vocals and soaring strings keepContinue reading “The Cortinas/Octopus — “Phoebe’s Flower Shop”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 11, 2026”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,841) The Joyfull Noise — “Wrapped in the Hide of a Yellow Cow“ Mellow pop psych/baroque pop inspired by the I Ching.* Some question whether the Noise’s LP is psych, but as one wag put it, “from the first song it’s clear it’sContinue reading “The Joyfull Noise — “Wrapped in the Hide of a Yellow Cow”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 10, 2026”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,840) Steppeulvene/The Steppe Wolves — “Dunhammeraften”/”Dunhammer Evening” Something’s funky in the State of Denmark! And, no, I’m not talking about Operation Dunhammer! I’m talking about the Steppe Wolves’ very funky evocation of strange goings on during a Danish evening in the ’60s, asContinue reading “Steppeulvene/The Steppe Wolves — “Dunhammeraften”/”Dunhammer Evening”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 9, 2026″

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,839) Hyde — “Exit Hero Number One” Here is the hilarious Dylanesque lament of a put-upon Canadian farmer. “I’ve got the lower 40 left that I’ve gotta plow and I’m stuck behind a sacred cow.” Canadian Cult Classics (the blog of a CanadianContinue reading “Hyde — “Exit Hero Number One”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 8, 2026”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,838) Medicine Head — “His Guiding Hand” This haunting and sublime spiritual meditation was Medicine Head’s first A-side and a track off their first LP New Bottles Old Medicine. The album was produced by their champion John Peel, who had signed the (twoContinue reading “Medicine Head — “His Guiding Hand”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 7, 2026”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,837) The Merry-Go-Round — “You’re a Very Lovely Woman” From L.A. wunderkind Emitt Rhodes’ band the Merry-Go-Round (see #50, 156), here is a “sweeping orchestral pop gem” (Tim Sendra, https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-merry-go-round-mw0000862964), a “gorgeous, haunting string ballad” (Richie Unterberger, https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-best-of-the-merry-go-round-mw0000856619), “[a]n exciting showcase of Rhodes’Continue reading “The Merry-Go-Round — “You’re a Very Lovely Woman”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 6, 2026”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,836) The Four Tops —  “Wish I Didn’t Love You So” How was this romantic rave not a hit for the Four Tops (see #1,148, 1,429)?! Well, it wasn’t even released as a B-side, but appeared on their ’69 album Four Tops Now!Continue reading “The Four Tops —  “Wish I Didn’t Love You So”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 5, 2026”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,835) Timebox — “Walking Through the Streets of My Mind” England’s timeless Timebox (see #1,285, 1,355, 1,750) gives us a “soul-meets-Summer of Love ode” (Jon “Mojo” Mills, https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-deram-anthology-mw0000968588), “combin[ing] sharp blue-eyed soul harmonies with a psychedelic arrangement”. (Jon “Mojo” Mills, https://www.allmusic.com/artist/timebox-mn0000602690#biography)  As to Timebox,Continue reading “Timebox — “Walking Through the Streets of My Mind”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 4, 2026”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,834) The Strawberry Alarm Clock — “Barefoot in Baltimore” While I would not recommend walking barefoot in Baltimore, this ’68 A-side by the Strawberry Alarm Clock (see #127, 272, 901, 1,111, 1,700) is “truly magical”, which I “can imagine . . . beingContinue reading “The Strawberry Alarm Clock — “Barefoot in Baltimore”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 3, 2026”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,833) The Honeybus — “Scarlet Lady” Another spendid song by Honeybus, with “the Byrds [see #1,430, 1,605] shining through” (Jittery White Guy, https://www.jitterywhiteguymusic.com/2021/02/honeybus-story-1970.html?m=1) 45rpy writes: Colin Hare’s “Scarlet Lady” concerns a different kind of clod—namely, an infatuated one—though his plea to the listenerContinue reading “The Honeybus — “Scarlet Lady”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 2, 2026”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,832) The Peppermint Trolley Co.  — “Sunrise” A new sun rises over a new year. Take a ride on the Peppermint Trolley with this lustrous and consoling song by America’s greatest 60’s TV band, a song “about hope and finding strength to carryContinue reading “The Peppermint Trolley Co. — “Sunrise”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 1, 2026”