Author Archives: georgefishman2

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,201) John Carter & Russ Alquist — “Laughing Man” Too weird to be a hit? Too irresistible not to be? To me, the latter, but in the UK unfortunately, this ‘68 A-side by one of the UK’s great songwriters was the former, “[n]iceContinue reading “John Carter & Russ Alquist— “Laughing Man”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — May 7, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,200) The New Wave — “Little Dreams” This gorgeous ‘67 B-side and track from the duo’s only album is “enchanting . . . such a Rare Gem full of BEAUTY & MAGIC which I have had the rare privilege to discover in this life”. (eleni930038, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hTOx3qfdM44&pp=ygUaVGhlIG5ldyB3YXZlIGxpdHRsZSBkcmVhbXM%3D)Continue reading “The New Wave — “Little Dreams”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — May 6, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD Stir together some old British folk tunes and an old Texas gambling song, recordings by early 20th Century luminaries such as Fiddlin’ Jack Carson and blues legend Blind Lemon Jefferson, Dylan musings from the back cover of Another Side of Bob Dylan, andContinue reading “You Don’t Know Jack About Diamonds Special Edition: Ben Carruthers and the Deep/The Daily Flash/Fairport Convention: Ben Carruthers and the Deep — “Jack O’ Diamonds”, The Daily Flash — “Jack of Diamonds”, Fairport Convention — “Jack O’ Diamonds”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — May 5, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,196) Joe Tex — “I’ll Never Do You Wrong” I love my Joe Tex (see #42, 455, 609, 732) — and not only the raucous, riotous and raunchy Joe Tex. Here is a beautiful and heartfelt ballad by JT at his sweetest. ItContinue reading “Joe Tex — “I’ll Never Do You Wrong”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — May 4, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,195) Jackie Lomax — “Sunset” This smoldering slow burner by the Beatles’ BFF (see #164, 425, 543) is a “strong psychedelic-pop song[]” (abel, https://psychedelicsight.com/9448-obit-jackie-lomax/) that “stands out for an unusual piano jazz interlude.” (Joe Marchese, https://theseconddisc.com/2010/11/18/review-the-apple-records-remasters-part-4-harrisons-soulful-trio/) Lomax he had “a fondness” for theContinue reading “Jackie Lomax — “Sunset”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — May 3, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,194) The New Mix — “Sun Down” This wonderful song appeared on the New Mix’s (see #1,184) sole LP, in ’68, and prior to that, when the band had been known as the Eighteenth Edition, was released as an A-side in ’67 (anContinue reading “The New Mix — “Sun Down”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — May 2, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,193) The Tremeloes — “Till the Sun Goes Down” This May Day, enjoy stunning “soft, acoustic-textured balladry” that “rates right alongside the[ Tremeloes’] best work of the 1960s”. (Bruce Eder (talking about the album as a whole, but I know he meant thisContinue reading “The Tremeloes — “Till the Sun Goes Down”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — May 1, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,192) Tangerine Zoo — “Wake Up Sun” New England heavy rock rollin’ in from somewhere between Bosstown and Rhode Island. “[T]he instrumental breaks strewn throughout the album are marvel to be behold . . . [like] the extended tribal dance in ‘Wake UpContinue reading “Tangerine Zoo — “Wake Up Sun”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 30, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,191) The Astral Projection — “Today I Saw the Sunrise” “[O]ne of those weirdly compelling pop albums that could have only emanated from the Age of Aquarius. . . . with moments of pure delight that bring the ’60s experience back in fullContinue reading “The Astral Projection — “Today I Saw the Sunrise”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 29, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,190) Robin Gibb — “Down Came the Sun” From Robin’s (see #497) solo album Robin’s Reign, released amidst the fleeting breakup of the Bee Gees (see #291, 353, 354, 439, 466, 484, 497, 570, 594, 717, 861, 962, 1,065, 1,101, 1,125), comes “vintageContinue reading “Robin Gibb — “Down Came the Sun”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 28, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,189) David Bixby — “Morning Sun” From Dave Bixby’s (see #531, 668) “definitive loner acid folk album” comes a song that has resonated with a lot of people, judging from the hundreds of comments on YouTube (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ch5lOo5cL1U&pp=ygUXZGF2aWQgYml4YnkgbW9ybmluZyBzdW4%3D) Here are some heartfelt ones: “[o]neContinue reading “David Bixby — “Morning Sun”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 27, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,188) Jan & Lorraine — “Snow Roses”  “Hauntingly pretty” (PsyVen, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_dxXj4agzI) psych folk from a female dynamic duo (see #1,116). “When one considers that these ladies wrote, arranged, sang and played these tracks and then faded into obscurity, it boggles my mind”. (heyday2day, https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/jan-and-lorraine/gypsy-people/)Continue reading “Jan & Lorraine — “Snow Roses”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 26, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,187) Hardin & York — “Candlelight” This ’69 A-side and track from the keyboard/drum prog duo’s first album is “an organ driven psychedelic number, regal sounding with thundering bass”. (Kevin Rathert, https://www.psychedelicbabymag.com/2021/09/hardin-york-cant-keep-a-good-man-down-the-hardin-york-anthology-2021.html) Stuart Robinson tells us: [It is] cracker of a song .Continue reading “Hardin & York — “Candlelight”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 25, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,186) P.J. Proby — “Three Week Hero” Yesterday we heard from a rock star despairing over his fans wanting him to be God and bemoaning that the more he gave, the more people asked of him. Today we hear from a “three week”Continue reading “P.J. Proby — “Three Week Hero”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 24, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,185) Robert Charlebois — “Ordinaire”/”Ordinary” WARNING — If you are a Québécois or from France, read no further! Ne lis pas plus loin! This song is a francophone legend! “‘Ordinaire,’ the heart-breaking cry of a fading show business star . . . ha[s]Continue reading “Robert Charlebois — “Ordinaire”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 23, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,184) The New Mix — “Even Brighter” This absolutely gorgeous ’68 pop psych/sunshine pop confection (out of North Carolina!) is “a hidden gem” that “still reminds me of glimmering golden orange autumn sunsets”. (MoonChild-zg3gx, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7X_XhvZcyBU) Bad Cat Records says that “[i]n spite ofContinue reading “The New Mix — “Even Brighter”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 22, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,182) John Hartford — “The Six O’Clock Train and a Girl with Green Eyes” Country? Folk? Either way, this ’68 B-side by the legendary John Hartford is gentle on my mind, “bounc[ing] along like the happy ’60s pop song it is”; from TheContinue reading “John Hartford — “The Six O’Clock Train and a Girl with Green Eyes”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April , 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,162) Illés — “Történet M.-Ről/”The Story of M.” Here is a slice of “magnificent” (attilamarfi9018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WUfRo1ef64 (courtesy of Google Translate)) classic rock from Hungary’s Beatles. Zikkurat Stage Agency gives us a Hungarian rhapsody (courtesy of Google Translate): Illés was the Hungarian Beatles, “the”Continue reading “Illés — “Történet M.-Ről/”The Story of M.”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 20, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,181) Val McKenna — “You’ve Gotta Tell Me” Sweet pop-soul from the UK’s Val McKenna (see #988), whose songs “many of which she wrote herself, are . . . hard-driving, straight R&B pieces that the mod population allegedly found appealing.” (Paul Pearson, http://paul-pearson.blogspot.com/2015/05/song-20150507-val-mckenna.html)Continue reading “I Shall Be Released: Val McKenna — “You’ve Gotta Tell Me”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 19, 2024”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,180) Neal Ford and the Fanatics — “I Have Thoughts of You” This ‘67 A-side is a “sublime” (Lenny Helsing, https://www.psychedelicbabymag.com/2014/03/neal-ford-fanatics-good-men-2013-review.html) garage rock ballad, “absolutely beautiful . . . [a] masterpiece of pop psych”. (thomassmith8721, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKv0QeGkrxU) It “has a much more thoughtful, etherealContinue reading “Neal Ford and the Fanatics — “I Have Thoughts of You”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — April 18, 2024”