Author Archives: georgefishman2

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,436) John Fitch & Associates — “Stoned Out of It” “[J]uggernaut funk” (Sounds of the Universe, https://soundsoftheuniverse.com/product/john-fitch-associates-romantic-attitude-stoned-out-of-it), so funky and groovy, you’ll be stoned out of it just by giving this B-side a spin. An American in London “blends rock and soul withContinue reading “John Fitch & Associates — “Stoned Out of It”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — December 21, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,435) The Chocolate Watch Band — “Requiem” This UK “pop sike orchestrated masterpiece” (Wilthomer66, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Fkvl8VoAxbE&pp=ygUgVGhlIGNob2NvbGF0ZSB3YXRjaCBiYW5kIHJlcXVpZW0%3D), a “pop gem with . . . strings, mournful vocals, an addictive melody reminiscent of the early Walker Brothers and moderate studio effects” (sound studio snob (courtesy of Google Translate),Continue reading “The Chocolate Watch Band — “Requiem”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — December 20, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,434) The Rebels — “Šípková Růženka”/”Sleeping Beauty” A gorgeous baroque pop masterpiece by the Rebels (see #1,324), the title song of “one of the most famous records of Czech big beat” (https://www.blackpoint.cz/rebels-sipkova-ruzenka-lp-cd/ (courtesy of Google Translate)). But, be warned, this is not your uncleContinue reading “The Rebels — “Šípková Růženka”/”Sleeping Beauty”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — December 19, 2024″

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,433) Tempus Fugit — “Come Alive” A soaring, anthemic, feel-good ’69 UK pop rock delight. How was this “light poppy number” (Vernon Joynson, The Tapestry of Delights Revisited) not a hit? Joynson tells us that bassist “Brian Howe and the Horne brothers [actually,Continue reading “Tempus Fugit — “Come Alive”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — December 18, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,432) Hamilton Camp — “Lonely Place” This otherworldly and “[h]auntingly beautiful [’67 folk number] with psychedelic undertones” (Folk Funk & Trippy Troubadours, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7wf9_MB7WA) transports me to places unknown, with “period reverb and . . . eerie, swirling flute”. (Richie Unterberger, https://www.allmusic.com/album/heres-to-you-mw0000864692) As toContinue reading “Hamilton Camp — “Lonely Place”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — December 17, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,431) American Express — “When the City Sleeps” A late (’69) garage rock/”psychedelic ode to street walkers!” (Chris Bishop, https://garagehangover.com/americanexpress/) But who was Amex, to whom does the credit belong for this killer 45? Max Waller partially uncovers the mystery: Mani-Fournier [the songwriters]Continue reading “American Express — “When the City Sleeps”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — December 16, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,430) The Byrds — Everybody’s Been Burned” This ’67 B-side (to “So You Want to Be a Rock and Roll Star”) and track on Younger Than Yesterday is David Crosby’s “ravishing ballad[]” (David Fricke, liner notes to the CD reissue of Younger ThanContinue reading “The Byrds — Everybody’s Been Burned”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — December 15, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,429) The Four Tops — “Something’s Tearing at the Edges of Time” The Four Tops “go psychedelic”. (Radiognome322, https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/four-tops/changing-times/) Fabulous! “Something’s tearing at the edges of time (Bits and pieces of my soul and my mind)” I have added a Facebook page forContinue reading “The Four Tops — “Something’s Tearing at the Edges of Time”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — December 14, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,428) Hate — “Corridors” There may be a thin line between love and hate, but I definitely love this prog/hard rock delight from Scotland. Why has no one covered it?! The band has a small but devoted following: Israbox: How is it possibleContinue reading “Hate — “Corridors”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — December 13, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,427) The Spencer Davis Group — “Time Seller” This was the band’s first A-side post-Steve Winwood, and reached #30 in the UK and #100 in the U.S. It is a “stunningly beautiful song” (783nata, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_zgi91D5Ow) and “was quite innovative and progressive sounding forContinue reading “The Spencer Davis Group — “Time Seller”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — December 12, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,426) Os Vips — “A Volta”/”The Return” WARNING: If you are from Brazil, read no further! This song was “the second most-requested song for two weeks in the national hit parade, ahead of the Rolling Stones’ ‘Satisfaction’ and the Beatles’ ‘Day Tripper’ .Continue reading “Os Vips — “A Volta”/”The Return”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — December 11, 2024″

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,425) One in a Million* — “Double Sight” I’ve featured the A-side, “Fredereek Hernando” (see #1,171), here is the Scottish band’s ’67 Christmastime B-side, “simply one of the greatest Who-circa-1966-1967 soundalike songs ever . . . killer” (Richie Unterberger, https://www.allmusic.com/album/double-sight-mw0001743746), with the 45 beingContinue reading “One in a Million — “Double Sight”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — December 9, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,424) Barry Goldberg Reunion — “Hole in My Pocket” This ’68 A-side and track on the BGR’s only LP reached #103 on Billboard’ Hot 100 chart (for the week ending October 12, 1968 (Joel Whitburn, Joel Whitburn Presents the Billboard Hot 100 Charts:Continue reading “Barry Goldberg Reunion — “Hole in My Pocket”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — December 8, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,423) Focus — “Black Beauty” Gorgeous Dutch B-side and track from the band’s debut LP — In and Out of Focus — very reminiscent of Boudewijn de Groot (see #107, 161, 305, 989, 1,216). “Before giving shape to the peculiar fusion of rock,Continue reading “Focus — “Black Beauty”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — December 7, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,422) Los Shain’s– “Ella No Está Allí”/“She’s Not There” Straight outta Lima and as cool as the Peruvian Andes, here is a hypnotic surfy instrumental version of the Zombies’ (see #1,138) big hit “She’s Not There” (which had reached #2 in the U.S.Continue reading “Los Shain’s — “Ella No Está Allí”/“She’s Not There”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — December 6, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,421) Damon — “Oh What a Good Boy Am I” “Good Boy” is “great”, a “45-only [B-side] from the time of” (Patrick Lundborg, The Acid Archives, 2nd ed.), and really a part of, Damon’s (see #1,166) legendary privately-pressed LP Song of a Gypsy.Continue reading “Damon — “Oh What a Good Boy Am I”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — December 5, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,420) The Montage — “I Shall Call Her Mary” This “wistful” baroque pop wonder is a “highlight” (Richie Unterberger, liner notes to the CD reissue of Montage) of a “damn fine album, the real Left Banke follow up album”. (BrooklynAvenue, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzY73l1I7MY) Like Walk AwayContinue reading “The Montage — “I Shall Call Her Mary”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — December 4, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,419) Barbara Acklin — “Seven Days of Night” A soulful Chicago strut with a “fingersnappin’, infectious groove . . . perfectly suited to [the] soft, whispering vocal”. (Soulmakossa, https://www.funkmysoul.gr/barbara-acklin-seven-days-of-night/) Jason Ankeny tells us about the album: Brunswick rarely did right by Barbara Acklin.Continue reading “Barbara Acklin — “Seven Days of Night”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — December 3, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,418) Clifford T. Ward — “Path Through the Forest” The fifth song I ever featured in this thing I do was the Factory’s [see #5, 460, 761] “pulverising cover version”, for which “Path Through the Forest” is now “revered in psych circles”. (MarcoContinue reading “I Shall Be Released: Clifford T. Ward — “Path Through the Forest”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — December 2, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,417) The Secrets — “She’s Dangerous” Cliff Ward, 70s singer-songwriter extraordinaire and writer of the defining UK pop-psych masterwork “Path Through the Forest” (see #5), wrote this ‘67 B-side for the Ward-led Secrets. It’s a dangerously good song, “Tamla influenced pop” with anContinue reading “The Secrets — “She’s Dangerous”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — December 1, 2024”