Author Archives: georgefishman2

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,621) Paul Simon — “Flowers Never Bend with the Rainfall” Paul Simon gives us such a gorgeous and contemplative song with “an absolutely stellar melody” (NeonMadman, https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/american-tunes-paul-simon-song-by-song.1164065/page-154), “a beautiful and simple melody, and the harmonies are gorgeous”. (olneyce, https://www.heartachewithhardwork.com/2013/03/top-10-paul-simon-songs.html) “[T]here’s something so fragileContinue reading “Flowers Never Bend Special Edition: Paul Simon/Toast — “Flowers Never Bend with the Rainfall”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — June 15, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,620) Blonde on Blonde — “All Day, All Night” This Welsh band’s (see #227, 267, 1,089) debut A-side is a “densely atmospheric slice of neo-Eastern psychedelic hokum” (David Wells, liner notes to the CD comp Psychedelic Pstones: Volume 1: Hot Smoke and Sassafras) — andContinue reading “Blonde on Blonde — “All Day, All Night”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — June 14, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,619) Argosy — “Imagine” Blind Faith may have been the Supergroup of ’69, but Argosy was the BeforeTheyWereSuperandBeforeTheyWereSupertramp-Supergroup of ’69. Blind Faith had Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, Rick Grech and Steve Winwood. Well, Argosy had Roger Hodgson, Elton John (then Reginald Dwight) (see #175,Continue reading “Argosy — “Imagine”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — June 13, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,618) Lori Balmer — “Four Faces West” An 8 (or maybe 12) year old Australian girl sings a song written for her by Barry Gibb. The song is incredible, and so is she. “Normally I am not a fan of kids singing popContinue reading “Lori Balmer — “Four Faces West”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — June 12, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,617) The Alan Price Set — “She’s Got Another Pair of Shoes” While the majority of the songs on the Alan Price Set’s second LP were written by the then unknown Randy Newman (see #174), the album contained priceless Price originals, including “TheContinue reading “The Alan Price Set — “She’s Got Another Pair of Shoes”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — June 11, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,616) Turquoise — “Sister Saxophone” Turquoise’s (see #37, 1,480) unique music hall-inspired romp reminds Steve Elliott of a “Monkees/Beatles pop-baroque mash-up.” (https://somethingelsereviews.com/2012/10/20/forgotten-series-an-apple-a-day-more-pop-psych-sounds-from-the-apple-era-2006/) I could see the Monkees having fun with this one! Stephen Thomas Erlewine tells us about Turquoise: A quick listen toContinue reading “Turquoise — “Sister Saxophone”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — June 10, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,615) The WordD — “You’re Gonna Make Me” This garage rock gem from Dallas is so good, they’re gonna make me listen to it over and over and over. Word. I’m not sure whether it was the band’s only A-side or only B-side.Continue reading “The WordD — “You’re Gonna Make Me”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — June 9, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,614) The Boss Five — “You Cheat Too Much” ‘65 garage gold is the B-side of the band’s only single. I believe the message is that she cheats too much. I could find out absolutely nothing, say it again, about the band untilContinue reading “The Boss Five — “You Cheat Too Much”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — June 8, 2025”

“L.A. (Los Angeles)” starts at 21:46 THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,613) Orange Colored Sky — “L.A. (Los Angeles)” They love L.A. No, they really love L.A. This sunshine pop supernova is a “[p]ersonal favorite”: “[T]he glistening homage to their adopted hometown . . . [is] a breezy, slightlyContinue reading “Orange Colored Sky — “L.A. (Los Angeles)”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — June 7, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,611) Roger Earl Okin — “Stop and You Will Become Aware” After playing a selection from Fading Yellow Volume 1, here is one from the latest in the superlative series — Volume 21 — which came out late last year. Roger Earl OkinContinue reading “Become Aware! Special Edition: Roger Earl Okin/Helen Shapiro — “Stop and You Will Become Aware”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — June 6, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,610) Mike Batt — “Fading Yellow” From Volume 1 of Jörgen Johansson’s “legendary pop-sike compilation series” (The Strange Brew, https://thestrangebrew.co.uk/fading-yellow/), here is, appropriately enough, “Fading Yellow” by Mike Batt. The song is “a beautiful, melancholy ballad, with atmospheric instrumentation” (Martin Crookall, https://mbc1955.wordpress.com/2025/02/24/the-infinite-jukebox-mike-batts-fading-yellow/) includingContinue reading “Mike Batt — “Fading Yellow”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — June 5, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,609) The Attack — “Magic in the Air” One of Swinging London’s greatest psych/freakbeat A-sides . . . was never released by Decca “on the grounds of it being too heavy”! (Jon “JoJo” Mills, https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-attack-mn0000759243) Well, it was definitely way too “[t]remendously insane…cool!”Continue reading “I Shall Be Released: The Attack — “Magic in the Air”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — June 4, 2025″

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD Oklahoma’s Ted Taylor gave us a stunning ’64 R&B A-side romp, and then the UK’s Ted “King Size” Taylor gave us an equally stunning cover the same year. They were not related — this was just meant to be! 1,607) Ted Taylor —Continue reading “Somebody’s Always Trying Special Edition: Ted Taylor — “Somebody’s Always Trying”, King Size Taylor — “Somebody’s Always Trying”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — June 3, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,606) Sheridan/Price — “Tracy Smith” Two Brumbeat Move-rs and shakers (see #1,299) take us on a “baroque pop ride” (Garwood Pickjon, https://popdiggers.com/rick-price-mike-sheridan-this-is-to-certify/) to very ratified heights. The song is from the LP This Is To Certify. Bruce Eder writes: [The album is] an astonishinglyContinue reading “Sheridan/Price — “Tracy Smith”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — June 2, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,605) The Byrds — “I Knew I’d Want You” This ineffable B-side to ‘65’s “Mr. Tambourine Man” “gave many listeners their first taste of Gene Clark’s [see #655] songwriting talent. A classic in [his] early canon, the mid-tempo folk-rocker is a great exampleContinue reading “The Byrds — “I Knew I’d Want You”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — June 1, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,604) Jane Birkin — “Jane B.” “How could Gainsbourg better prove his love for Birkin than by giving her Chopin [fourth prelude from opus. 28 in E minor]? How could he better prove his love for Chopin than by giving him Birkin?” (francoishugloContinue reading “Jane Birkin — “Jane B.”: Brace for the Obscure 60s rock)! — May 31, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,603) The Soul Survivors — “Can’t Stand to Be in Love with You” Warning: If you are from Denver, read no further! This song reached #1 on KIMN on November 15th, 1965, and stayed at the top for four straight weeks! (https://kimsloans.wordpress.com/pop-bop-rock-honoree-soul-survivors/) ItContinue reading “The Soul Survivors — “Can’t Stand to Be in Love with You”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — May 30, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,602) New Dawn — “Last Morning” More haunting and hypnotizing psych from the Pacific Northwest. Yeah, there’s a New Dawn (see #986, 1,295), but it’s still raining outside. Ron Moore writes about the Dawn’s sole album: Dreamy downer LP with rhythm-centered (monotonous?) drums, organ,Continue reading “New Dawn — “Last Morning”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — May 29, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,601) Eddie Floyd — “I’ve Just Been Feeling Bad” This ’67 B-side co-written with Steve Cropper is an expression of sincere regret over how a man has treated his love. It is sooooooooo good. “Ohhh My My MY!!!” (CherylJ7501, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWCGZF4QUrk) Indeed! Steve HueyContinue reading “Eddie Floyd — “I’ve Just Been Feeling Bad”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — May 28, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,600) The Liverpool Five — “She’s (Got Plenty of Love)“ These British invaders decided to stay in the States, where they gave us two sterling LPs, a song that reached #98, and this unforgettable and definitive version of a Coventry band’s ’65 B-side.Continue reading “The Liverpool Five — “She’s (Got Plenty of Love)”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — May 27, 2025”