THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,899) Jeremiah — “Sweet Rebecca“
This insidiously catchy throwaway tune from ex-New Mix [see #1,184, 1,194] frontman David Brown “recall[s] those insidiously catchy throwaway tunes that McCartney [see #28, 132, 374, 521, 669, 779-81, 840] effortless[ly] churned out in the mid-1970s (complete with pounding keyboard stylings)”. (RDTEN1, https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/jeremiah/jeremiah/) Yes, it “sound[s] like some McCartney could have done in his sleep”. (Odds and Sods, https://jhendrix110.tripod.com/OandS.html) Hey, I’d kill to be able to do something that McCartney could have done in the womb! The LP contains “[i]mpressive pastoral styled pop . . . . [t]erribly underrated [and] filled with earnest pop nuggets.” (universaltongue, https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/jeremiah/jeremiah/)
RDTEN1 tells us:
Based on the liner notes for their 1971 album, the short-lived Jeremiah featured a line-up of singer/multi-instrumentalist David Brown, bassist Karl Jarvi, drummer Denny Seiwell and lead guitarist Pat Walters. All four members has extensive musical backgrounds before pooling their talents. Jarvi and Walters played in a number of North Carolina-based outfits including The Barons and the Paragons. Jarvi and David Brown had been members of The 18th Edition and The New Mix. . . . Jeremiah offered up a very likeable set of orchestrated power-pop. Singer/ guitarist Brown was credited with penning all eleven songs and displayed a gift for writing Paul McCartney-styled pop. . . . [H]e had a highly commercial voice that occasionally recalled Eric Carmen doing his best Paul McCartney imitation. Emitt Rhodes [see #50, 156, 1837] would be another good point of comparison. That was good news if you were a fan of McCartney’s commercial leanings. Virtually every one of these songs would have sounded good on top-40 radio. . . . The downside was that like McCartney, these guys occasionally got too clever and soppy for their own good. Too many ballads gave the album a ‘sounds-the-same feel’. The album would have earned another star had they shaken up the tempo with a couple more straight-ahead rockers. Elsewhere the unsung hero was guitarist Walters. His tasteful solos managed to salvage even the most sentimental schlock . . . . Even with those criticisms this one was worth scoring. It’s an album I keep coming back to . . . .
Odds and Sods is less enthusiastic:
[Jeremiah is b]asically a solo album from . . . David Brown, in a pop singer-songwriter mode. (Tellingly, it was recorded with some of the musicians which Paul McCartney used for Ram and later comprised Wings. Drummer Denny Seiwell is even credited as a member of Jeremiah.) . . . The A side is largely gentle pop songs, but a few have a pulse . . . . Brown had the voice for his material, but light pop from this period is more pleasant than memorable. McCartney is an exception because he infused most everything with a goofy sense of humor . . . . The B side is better, with more a band feel, closer to The New Mix without the psychedelic lyrics or production. . . . Brown had such a good voice, and some strong pop instincts that I really wonder what happened to him after this. I guess he released another album, I Want to Be With You, as “David Brown and Jeremiah” the next year, then disappeared.
Pay to Play! The Off the Charts Spotify Playlist! + Brace for the Obscure 60s Rock Merchandise
Please consider helping to support my website/blog by contributing $6 a month for access to the Off the Charts Spotify Playlist. Using a term Like Thisfamiliar to denizens of Capitol Hill, you pay to play! (“relating to or denoting an unethical or illicit arrangement in which payment is made by those who want certain privileges or advantages in such arenas as business, politics, sports, and entertainment” — dictionary.com).
The playlist includes all the “greatest songs of the 1960’s that no one has ever heard” that are available on Spotify — now over 1,200 songs. The playlist will expand each time I feature an available song.
All new subscribers will receive a Brace for the Obscure 60s Rock magnet. New subscribers who sign up for a year will also receive a Brace for the Obscure 60s Rock t-shirt or baseball cap. See pictures on the Pay to Play page.
When subscribing, please send me an e-mail (GMFtma1@gmail.com) or a comment on this site letting me know an e-mail address/phone number/Facebook address, etc. to which I can send instructions on accessing the playlist and a physical address to which I can sent a magnet/t-shirt/baseball cap. If choosing a t-shirt, please let me know the gender and size you prefer.
Just click on the first blue block for a month to month subscription or the second blue block for a yearly subscription.
Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! / Off the Charts: 60s Rock Revelations😊 