THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,869)The Lovinâ — âAll Youâve Gotâ
This, the Nottingham band’s second A-side, is an “appealing slice[] of pop psych” (Vernon Joynson, The Tapestry of Delights Revisited) that sounds just like an 80’s New Wave hit — in fact, it should have been a New Wave hit! The video on M-TV would have been so cool. After the Lovin’, the band was championed by the Troggs’ Reg Presley and became the Nerve (see #418, 1,387). Acolytes of the Troggs? Trogg-lod-ytes!
Discogs tells us:
F[irst] Mark Faine And The Fontains, the[n] . . . The Children . . . . In 1967 they signed to Page One Records. Label owner Larry Page insisted on a name change and liked The Lovinâ. Under this name they made their record debut with âKeep on Believinââ. One other record followed before they changed their name again, this time to The Nerve. Three records were released as The Nerve with âPiece By Pieceâ [see #1,387] their best known. The songs were produced by Reg Presley from The Troggs, after seeing them in action in a hotel where the Troggs stayed. He became their manager in 1968. Finally they issued their last single âYou Wrecked My Lifeâ as Duffy Taylor Blues, before returning home as virtual unknowns.
[They] being groomed for stardom by none other than legendary independent pop impressariio, Larry Page before being championed and produced by . . . Reg Presley. Presley was so impressed by the bandâs energy, look and original songwriting, he himself directed their infamous promo shot for the Fleet Street press!! . . . [The Nerve was] an everyday provincial rock band . . . thrust into the dazzling limelight of Londonâs pop circus at the height of the British pop phenomena in the 1960s!!
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THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,868)The Egyptians — âSuzanneâ
Don’t even think Leonard Cohen, think an anthemic love song with the singer desperately but blissfully urging the woman who changed his life to come back. “Before you came, I lived a lonely life, then you changed my ways, Suzanne” Oh, and this is certified authentic ’66 garage rock from Hot Springs, Arkansas! Well, the song worked. 2020catdaddy commented on YouTube 14 years ago that: “This is my older brother Bob singing about his girlfriend at the time and now his wife of 40 years Suzanne (Bayles). He still plays in a band at his church in Georgetown outside of Austin Texas. Mike.” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4K5CI0Bi8o) OMG, that is so sweet! And jocelynn62985 then added: “I service Bob and Suzanne’s house . . . . Have so for the past almost 5 years. Some of the absolute most wonderful people you could hope to meet!!!” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4K5CI0Bi8o) Sometimes garage rock can reaffirm one’s faith in humanity. This is one of those times. Also check out âCryin All Night Longâ (see #936) by the Invaders for similar uplift.
As to the Egyptians, MeArtist unearthed these antiquities:
Written & sung by Bob McFarland, vocals/lead guitar; Jack Atkinson, vocals/bass; Shelley Tackett, vocals/organ; Mike Jones, vocals/12 string guitar; James Gilford Scott, vocals/drums. . . . Bob left in 1967, the group disbanded in ’68 after remaining members graduated from high school and went their separate ways.
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THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,867)Dave Miller, Leith Corbett and Friends — âReflections of a Pioneerâ
The Dave Miller Set (see #1,010) set sail from New Zealand to Australia, and when the sun set on the band, Miller teamed up with former bandmate Leith Corbett to record an LP that included the exquisite, easy-going “country-tinged psychedelic pop” of the title tune/A-side (New Zealand Music of the 60âs, 70âs and a bit of 80âs, https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20090915214845/http://www.sergent.com.au/davemillerset.html), which ranks with Ola and the Janglers’ “La, La, La” (see #323) as having one of the great “la la la” refrains. It was “inspired by the life of his grandfather”, who had recently died at 98 years of age. (https://www.45cat.com/record/ek4002)
The definitive MILESAGO: Australasian Music & Popular Culture 1964-1975 tells us:
After the breakup [of the Dave Miller Set], Dave had a short holiday . . . and he began working on new songs. John [Robinson], Leith and Mike [McCormack] stayed together and in April 1970 they recruited Neale Johns as their new lead singer. . . . Renamed Blackfeather, they became (albeit briefly) one of the most successful and celebrated Aussie bands of the early 70s with their classic single “Seasons Of Change” . . . and their debut album At The Mountains Of Madness. . . . Leith and Mike both left Blackfeather shortly after it formed, but Leith and Dave had remained close. Leith was a regular visitor at the Miller home . . . and it wasn’t long before the pair had developed the idea for an album. Through the winter months of 1970 they wrote the songs — Dave wrote nine of the 11 tracks that ended up on the LP — and then recorded the backing tracks, playing all the instruments except the drums and producing themselves. It is surely the first duo project of its kind in Australian rock. It’s a very individual and innovative work, blending influences from heavy rock, folk, progressive, psychedelia and country. Even if it’s not entirely perfect, it still has a lot of value . . . their first venture into the album format . . . their first major outing as songwriters. . . . [and] self-produced . . . . Dave: “I enjoyed working with Leith. It was very concentrated, very tiring, very high energy, but the pair of us bounced off each other. To this day it’s one of the happiest musical projects I’ve ever been involved with, and for that I’m grateful to him … it was just fun to do!” The LP was released in around September 1970 with the evocative title Reflections Of A Pioneer . . . .
Dave recalled that “For the first time, in my musical life, I had the luxury of time! I set about writing with no pressures, and it become a fulfilling way to move on past The DMS.” (https://thestrangebrew.co.uk/interviews/dave-miller/)
As to Dave Miller and the Byrds and then the Dave Miller Set, New Zealand Music of the 60âs, 70âs and a bit of 80âs says:
Dave Miller and the Byrds came from Christchurch, before moving to Auckland in 1965. They were one of the best R&B cover acts to appear in the early sixties, faithfully reproducing all manner of Chuck Berry and Chicago blues originals on stage. . . . In 1962 Phil Garland formed the Playboys . . . . [a] later version of the Playboys consisted of Graeme Miller, John OâNeill, Kevin OâNeill, Brian Ringrose, Phil Garland and Dave Miller. Phil left the group and with Dave Miller as the lead singer, and a couple of more personnel changes, they very shortly afterwards renamed themselves Dave Miller and the Byrds. After arriving in Auckland, they soon became a top attraction on the club scene. The group came to the attention of Eldred Stebbing [owner of the Zodiac label] and he soon had them into his studio to do some recordings. âBright Lights, Big Cityâ, a cover from the Pretty Things [see #82, 153, 572, 1,327], was their first single on Zodiac in 1965 . . . and it performed quite well on the local charts. . . . In 1967, [two members departed and] the rest of the group renamed themselves the Dave Miller Setand moved to Australia.
Not long after their arrival, the band fell apart and Dave put together a new line-up with John Robinson on lead guitar. . . . A recording contract was negotiated with Spin Records . . . . In 1969 . . . John Robinson emerged as a fluid and inventive guitarist and the Dave Miller Set attained prominence as one of the first heavy rock bands on the local scene in the Led Zeppelin mould. Under the direction of Festivalâs in-house producer Pat Aulton, the band cut its fourth single, âMr Guy Fawkesâ [see #1,010] . . . in July 1969. . . . By 1970 the group was near its end. . . .
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THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,866)Ike & Tina Turner — âWhat You Donât See (Is Better Yet)â
An absolute scorcher from Ike & Tina’s (see #212, 329, 837) underrated ‘Nuff Said LP. Tina “is a vocal BEAST!!!!! Good Lawd!!!!!” (ronaldwilliamson5696, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mC41K6lL6GY) and Ike and the band’s “speedy, flickering wah-wah guitar work, thrusting rhythm, and blustery horn section are rated XXXtraordinary. (The song foreshadows Lightninâ Rodâs ultra-funky, proto-rap classic ‘Sport.’)” (Buckley Mayfield, https://jivetimerecords.com/2023/05/ike-tina-nuff-said-united-artists-1971/) Well said, guys!
Buckley Mayfield LOVES ‘Nuff Said:
âNuff Said yielded no hits, an oddity for the Turners in the early â70s, but no matter. This albumâs stacked with raw and soulful funk rock that could enliven any DJ set. Ikeâwho was a very, very bad manâproduced and arranged with his usual commanding skill, and his band, the Vibs (formerly the Kings Of Rhythm), are tight as hell and funkier than a mosquitaâs tweeter. Drummer Soko Richardson, bassist Warren Dawson, and guitarist Jackie Clark are particularly on fire here. . . . Anyway, if you like filthy funk and gritty, soulful singing by a mega-talented married couple in the midst of a torrid creative streak, you need âNuff Said in your collection.
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THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,865)Thomas and Richard Frost — âThe Cityâ
Here is a folk rock gem from another contender for the greatest lost album of the 1960âs â Thomas and Richard Frostâs (actually Thomas and Richard Martin) psych pop classic Visualize (see #209, 211, 247, 385, 595, 775, 967, 1,733). Alec Palao says that â[t]he unreleased album Visualize . . . taken with its attendant singles . . . is a sparkling and heartwarming gem of late 1960s popâ. (http://rockasteria.blogspot.com/2013/12/thomas-and-richard-frost-visualize-1969.html?m=1)
Palao gives some background:
[T]he thundering mod sound of the Martins power trio Powder [see #789, 1,556]; whose own LP, recorded while the group was based in Los Angeles and employed as Sonny & Cherâs road band, remained frustratingly unissued, and indeed acted as a precursor to the creation of the masterpiece [Visualize]. [A]fter the Powder debacle, the Martins returned to northern California to lick their wounds and demo some more introspective material. . . . [Their] innate . . . pop sensibility lingered in new compositions like âSheâs Got Loveâ [see #211]. It was to be the latter tune that caught the ear of promo man John Antoon, who signed the Martins to his . . . publishing imprint, assumed managerial duties and got the duo signed to Imperial Records under the nom de disque Thomas & Richard Frost. As a single, the simple, catchy âSheâs Got Loveâ was to achieve a modicum of success as a turntable hit, reaching only the lower half of the Billboard Hot 100 in late 1969, but with strong regional airplay across the country, upon the back of which the Frosts were able to tour. Back in LA, Rich and Tom made the scene with their pals Rodney Bingenheimer and Frank Zinn, enjoying a brief but eye-opening spell as bona fide pop stars. Plans were big for the Frosts, with a full, lavishly orchestrated, album release, but it was all to fall apart as the follow-up singles stiffed and parent label Liberty/UA decided to wind down Imperial. . . . . The proceedings are imbued with the Zeitgeist of Los Angeles in its last throes of pop innocence, and the Martins heart-on-their-sleeve Anglophilic sensitivity is less derivative then remarkably refreshing, with superbly recorded arrangements that any late 1960s pop fan will cherish.
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Well, Jan Zarebaki found it too difficult not to go overboard, not that thereâs anything wrong with that:
[The LPâs] sophisticated jazzy undertow … and sparse, intelligent arrangements are bound together by a female vocal so delicious, it could be picked and eaten. Opener “Forget About You” could be a template â pure, sparkly guitar and wispy, shuffling drums underpin that voice”
Oh, and Sue Eakins herself commented on YouTube a few years ago: âHappy [âForget About Youâ] is still here. In 2023, amazing! — Sue Akins ⥠you all”. (@suenamifree, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M54vMqzD1c)
LPCD Reissues tells us:
Recorded to showcase the prodigious talents of teenage singer/songwriter Sue Eakins, the Hendrickson Road House album was issued in 1970 as a limited edition pressing by the Ojai-based Two:Dot studio/label. Widely regarded these days as one of the rarest vinyl artefacts to emerge from the late 60s Californian counterculture, the LP now sells for in excess of $1000 on the rare occasions that copies surface.â
Lost for more than 40 years and coveted by a handful of acolytes willing to exchange $1,000 for a copy, this is a rediscovered gem so pure it makes all previous claims to that title look like uneducated sycophancy. . . . [T]he coherence of the material belies its variety. Intense harmonising . . . prog-like time changes . . . and free-roaming jazz . . . the album is littered with unique and varied touches of class in all departments. . . . Whoever you are â or think you are â you need this record.
This rare, moody folkrock album is one of the few from the era in which the creative force is a woman, Sue Eakins. It isnât much like all of the Airplane- wannabe bands, either. [It] has a distinctive sound with mildly jazzy arrangements, subtle lead guitar, a tad of autoharp, smooth vocals and a definite late-night feel. The guitar playing has a bit of a westcoast influence, though itâs not the least bit heavy. The closest comparison would be the Serpent Power songs with Tina Meltzer on lead vocals [see #873]. . . . [L]ocal Ojai [California] 19 year-old Eakins (listed as âAkinsâ on the sleeve) sings all of the songs, and the album has a coherence not often felt in the genre.
The Acid Archives, 2nd Ed. (Patrick Lundborg, ed.)
Sea Eakins tells PHILL MOST CHILL aka SOULMAN:
About half of my songs were from personal experience, (like) âForget About Youâ. Of course, you figure when Iâm nineteen how experienced am I? I havenât had the great heartbreak of the century or anything. But âForget About You … very personal if you understand what the songâs about. . . . The funny thing is the better songs, at least the ones I like, almost literally wrote themselves. It was almost as if someone stepped into the room, or stepped into the brain and said âget a pencil and write this down as fast as you can- hereâs the melody, now go figure out the chords.â And literally, when a song would start to come to me the words would be coming and I wrote them down as fast as I could so I wouldnât forget them. The melody was there, it was coming right along with (the lyrics). âForget About Youâ was like that . . . a couple of others⊠very little changes made to those. And it really was like someone was in my head saying âhere, hereâs what you need to do.â
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THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,863) Ronnie Burns â “Easy Rider”
No, this is not the Byrdsâ âBallad of Easy Rider”! It is “Easy Rider”, performed by Ronnie Burns (see #1,657) , âone of [Australiaâs] truest pop heroesâ (Paul Culnane, http://www.milesago.com/artists/burns.htm), and written by his frequent collaborator Johnny Young. To be fair, Burns is headed to experience America livin’ like Easy Rider! But, given how things went down at the end of Easy Rider, I’m not sure he really wants to do that. Easy Rider is of course “the landmark American film” starring Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper and Jack Nicholson in which “[t]wo hippie bikers set out to discover ‘the real America’ and wind up taking the ultimate bad trip”. (https://www.amazon.com/Easy-Rider-Special-Peter-Fonda/dp/B000022TSY) You all owe it to yourselves to listen to Little Steven’s paean to the flick — https://www.undergroundgarage.com/shows-589-580/show-589-easy-rider (set #3).
Paul Culnane tells us Ronnie Burnsâ story in the definitive Milesago: Australasian Music & Popular Culture 1965-1975:
He began his musical career as a folk singer in Melbourne before catching the âBeatle bugâ in 1964, whereapon he became a founding member of The Flies . . . . one of the very first bands in Melbourne to catch on to the new âbeatâ style and gained attention as âVictoriaâs top Beatle-alikesâ . . . . achieved considerable popularity on the booming Melbourne dance circuit, with a repertoire of Brit-vasion standards from the catalogues of The Searchers, The Hollies and Hermanâs Hermits and others . . . . The Flies toured interstate during late 1964 and early 1965 . . . . supporting The Rolling Stones on their first Australian tour in January 1965. . . . Ronnie quit the band in August 1965 to go solo . . . . [He] clean-cut image, appealing, boyish, dimpled good looks and impeccable sartorial presentation immediately made him a favoured TV and pin-up star when he launched his solo career under the aegis of leading Melbourne impresario Jeff Joseph. . . . Ronnie could often be seen on pop TV shows including The Go!! Show and Uptight . . . . was extremely popular, and enjoyed a series of strong chart hits, many written and/or produced by the cream of Aussie pop composers and backed by some of our top musicians. And he was voted Australiaâs most popular male performer, or âKing Of Popâ, on more than one occasion. . . . [H]is popularity gradually spread thanks to regular TV and concert appearances. He signed a solo recording contract with the Spin label, and his debut solo single for them . . . âVery Last Dayâ . . . . made the Top 20 in Melbourne in June 1966, as did the follow-up, âTrue True Lovin’â . . . (#17 in September), and it also made the new Go-Set national Top 40, first published in the 5 October 1966 edition, coming in at #22 in the inaugural chart. . . . He scored major success on the singles chart by tapping into a rich vein of material written by his illustrious label-mates The Bee Gees . . . . The Bee Gees [see #291, 353, 354, 439, 466, 484, 497, 570, 594, 717, 861, 962, 1,065, 1,101, 1,125, 1,190, 1,321, 1,336, 1,343, 1,465, 1,584, 1,640, 1,685, 1,843] penned Ronnieâs third solo single âCoalmanâ . . . especially for him . . . . [It] became a national Top 10 hit . . . peaking at #6 . . . . [and] followed by another brisk, hard-beat Gibb number, âExit Stage Rightâ . . . peak[ing] at #19 at the end of July. . . . His growing popularity was certainly assisted by the fact that his biggest competitor, Normie Rowe, had been away from the local scene, first with trips to Europe and America in 1967, and then by his call up for National Service . . . . in early 1968. The Groopâs songwriting team of Brian Cadd and Max Ross, provided Ronnie with both sides of his next single, âWhen I Was 6 Years Oldâ, which charted briefly in Go-Set, reaching #28 (Mar. 1968) . . . . Ronnieâs next single â and one of his best â was the magnificent âAge Of Consentâ (#16, Jan. 1969), a lush, emotive ballad penned by The Twilightsâ [see #563] Terry Britten . . . . Britten wrote quite a few songs for Burns, as did Johnny Young. . . . Ronnie toured the land extensively over the next few years . . . . Johnny Young produced a full albumâs worth of solid material in 1969âs Smiley. The LPâs wistful title track was an enormous hit for Ronnie in December 1969, only just missing out on the #1 spot [with todayâs song on the B-side]. It was one of the few Australian hits of the â60s to directly address the issue of the Vietnam War, although it was not the first, as is sometimes claimed â that honour goes to The Masters Apprenticesâ âWars Or Hands Of Timeâ [see #297] . . . . Further introspective Young-penned songs for Burnsâ singles, like âThe Prophetâ and âIf I Dieâ helped to prolong Ronnieâs turn in the spotlight. After a couple more polished pop albums that featured well-chosen material from notable singer-songwriters of the day . . . . Burns retreated from the glare of the pop music spotlight for some time. . . .
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THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,862) The Velvet Underground â âPaleBlue Eyesâ
I hope you werenât expecting Metal Machine Music! ThĂs touch of velvet is “possibly one of [Lou] Reedâs finest love songs (that heâd been working on as early as â65 with [John] Cale), gentle, understated, propelled by the most unassuming tambourine in rock: the[ir third] albumâs first real masterpiece”. (Ian Fortnam, https://www.loudersound.com/features/velvet-underground-albums) Until Tomorrow Blog calls it “[t]he best of the bandâs more elegant and simplistic style songs” in which “[a] beautiful, yet complex message is conveyed through the lyrics and furthered by a tender and terse solo”. It “can bring you to tears or inspire you, but it still contains a quiet force.” (https://untiltomorrowblog.wordpress.com/2016/07/18/ranking-the-songs-of-the-velvet-underground/)
Joe Jatcko writes:
Appearing on the groupâs third albumâ the first not to feature co-founder John Caleâthis song is a study in understatement for a band previously known for their heavy, guitar driven sound. A bittersweet ballad penned by Lou Reed for his first love â who just happened to be married at the time â Reed trades in his usual sarcastic wit for earnestness in one of the bands most beautiful and haunting songs.
Backed by a depressive tambourine (how is that even possible?), muffled guitar and gentle Hammond organ drone, Reed sings about his boundless, and ultimately rebuffed, love for a married woman (which in real life was his first serious love, Shelley Albin, whose hazel eyes he took some poetic liberties with). Nearly every line is emotionally devastating . . . . This isnât romance; itâs melancholic acquiescence to letting your heart override your brain as you pledge fealty to a lover who, despite your own misgivings and the stringent judgment of the world, has complete power over you. . . . [A] gospel undercurrent runs beneath the temporal concerns, and somehow Reed makes an adulterous liaison seem like the holiest treasure of all.
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THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
Baby, baby, am I hooked on “Hello L.A., Bye Bye Birmingham”, which should have an exhibit at the songwriting hall of fame. Written by Mac Davis and Delaney (“Delaney & Bonnie”) Bramlett, many artists have recorded (Chris Richardson, https://www.zeroto180.org/hello-l-a-bye-bye-birmingham-the-other-johnny-marr/) this “terrific song about a cross-country ramble” (Gillian G. Gaar, https://rockandrollglobe.com/pop/these-boots-keep-a-walkin/) and yet it never became a hit. Larry writes that “[t]he popularity of the song doesnât surprise me, since it has the kind of funky framework that works well at just about any speed, as well as a fantastic lyric about a cat that bags his home turf and goes on the road to seek success as a songwriter.” (https://funky16corners.com/?p=4271) The song is uniquely pliable — letting diverse artists make it their own.
Jason Ankeny gives us Davis’ story:
At his commercial peak in the mid-’70s, Mac Davis was one of America’s most popular entertainers, a countrypolitan-styled singer and actor who found considerable success in both fields. First making his name in the music business as a label manager and a songwriter, he went on to become a star on the strength of his warm, smooth voice, engaging personality, and confident but self-effacing demeanor. . . . Born Scott Davis in . . . Lubbock, Texas, he began performing in local rock groups while still in his teens. After moving to Georgia, Davis first broke into the music business in 1962, when he was hired by the Chicago-based record label Vee-Jay as their Atlanta-based regional manager. After joining the Liberty label three years later, he moved to Los Angeles in 1967 to head the company’s publishing arm, Metric Music; in addition to running Metric’s day-to-day operations, he also began composing his own songs, with Glen Campbell, Bobby Goldsboro, Lou Rawls, and Kenny Rogers & the First Edition among the artists recording his work. In 1968, Elvis Presley [see #80, 879] recorded Davis’ “A Little Less Conversation,” and soon the King was requesting more of his work. After notching a Top 40 hit with Davis’ “Memories,” Presley reached the Top Five in 1969 with the songwriter’s “In the Ghetto[]” . . . Davis also arranged the music for Presley’s first television special before signing his own recording contract in 1970. That year, he released his first chart single, “Whoever Finds This, I Love You,” from his debut album, Song Painter [which also contains today’s song]. In 1972, Davis scored a number one pop hit with “Baby, Don’t Get Hooked on Me,” which also reached the country Top 20. His crossover success continued throughout the decade, with singles like 1974’s “Stop and Smell the Roses,” 1975’s “Burnin’ Thing,” and the following year’s “Forever Lovers” scoring with listeners in both camps. Between 1974 and 1976, Davis hosted a musical variety show for NBC television, followed by a string of specials; in 1979, he also starred in the film North Dallas Forty with Nick Nolte. Davis’ success continued in the early ’80s; “It’s Hard to Be Humble[]” . . . was the first of four consecutive Top Ten country hits that culminated with his biggest country single up to that point, “Hooked on Music,” the next year. . . . A co-starring role . . . in 1983’s disastrous The Sting II . . . seriously slowed the momentum of his film career . . . . In 1985, he had recorded his last Top Ten hit, “I Never Made Love (‘Til I Made Love with You).”
William Ruhlmann does the same for Delaney Bramlett:
Although his popularity was often eclipsed by the artists he mentored, Delaney Bramlett was an accomplished guitarist and singer/songwriter whose style influenced the likes of Eric Clapton [see #769], J.J. Cale, and Duane Allman. A native of Pontotoc, MS, he served time in the U.S. Navy before moving to Los Angeles in 1959. He soon became a member of the Shindogs, the resident band on the TV show Shindig. . . . allow[ing] Bramlett to rub shoulders with other notable musicians, and in 1967 he met Bonnie Lynn O’Farrell, a member of Ike & Tina Turner’s [see #212, 329, 837, ] backup group the Ikettes. The two were married within five days; they also formed a duo named Delaney & Bonnie. Delaney & Bonnie cut an album for Stax Records in Memphis, backed by Booker T. & the MG’s, but the record was not released at first. They then expanded the group (welcoming such musicians as Leon Russell into the fold) and adopted the modified name Delaney & Bonnie & Friends. This new lineup recorded Accept No Substitute in 1969, and although its sales were lukewarm, the album still endeared Delaney Bramlett’s music to a number of rock icons. Eric Clapton took particular interest and invited Delaney & Bonnie & Friends to tour alongside Blind Faith in mid-1969; he then left his band and joined Bramlett’s loose collective, along with such notables as George Harrison and Dave Mason. This resulted in the release of On Tour with Eric Clapton . . . . Delaney & Bonnie made several more albums before divorcing . . . . Delaney Bramlett then released his debut solo effort, Something’s Coming, in 1972, followed by Mobius Strip (1973), Giving Birth to a Song (1975), and Delaney Bramlett and Friends — Class Reunion (1977).
Harvey (see #440, 684) included his version — possibly the best recording of the song — on his â69 solo LP Roman Wall Blues.
William Ruhlmann tells us of the sensational Harvey that:
Alex Harvey was a British journeyman rocker who enjoyed a brief period of widespread popularity in the mid-’70s after decades of struggle. Growing up in Scotland, he turned to music in his late teens and was in a skiffle band by 1955. By 1959, it had evolved into the Alex Harvey Big Soul Band[, which he] took the group to Hamburg, West Germany in the early ’60s . . . . [They] made their London debut in February 1964 . . . . In 1965, Harvey dissolved the Big Soul Band and later returned to Glasgow. But he was back in London in 1967, assembling Giant Moth, a psychedelic group that existed only for a short time. He then accepted a job working in the pit band of the musical Hair . . . . In 1969, he released Roman Wall Blues, his first solo effort in five years. Up to this point, none of his musical efforts had attracted much attention. But in the early ’70s, he recruited the Scottish band Tear Gas . . . christening the resulting quintet the Sensational Alex Harvey Band. Their first two albums . . . didn’t sell, but in the fall of 1974 The Impossible Dream became Harvey’s first chart record in the U.K. . . . Tomorrow Belongs to Me followed in the spring of 1975, hitting the Top Ten along with the Top Ten singles placing of Harvey’s flamboyant cover of the Tom Jones [see #330, 380, 1,691] hit “Delilah.” With that, Next belatedly made the charts, and in September Sensational Alex Harvey Band Live came out and reached the Top 20 (also making the Top 100 in the U.S), as “Gamblin’ Bar Room Blues” became a Top 40 single. This commercial success continued into 1976, with Penthouse Tapes entering the LP charts in April and becoming a Top 20 hit, “Boston Tea Party” making the singles charts in June and making a Top 20 showing, and SAHB Stories following in July and just missing the Top Ten.
The glorious Nancy Sinatra “sound[s] coolly confident as she sets out on the road to fame and fortune”. (Gillian G. Gaar, https://rockandrollglobe.com/pop/these-boots-keep-a-walkin/) Her version “feel[s] like [a] remnant[] of Hollywood’s weirdest era, and . . . help[s] make for a convincing portrait of Nancy Sinatra as an idiosyncratic artist happily working within the confines of L.A.’s lushest studios.” (Stephen Thomas Erlewine, https://www.allmusic.com/album/start-walkin-1965-1976-mw0003442919)
Oh, and it was co-produced by Harry Nilsson (see #1,168, 1,298, 1,854) and Gary Osborne. Osborne reminisces:
I met Harry Nilsson in London in 1969 when I was working at his record company RCA. Harry produced the backing tracks for “1941” and “Pity The Man” but although Randy Marr had a terrific voice Harry found it impossible to get vocals out of him in the studio. I happened to be visiting LA at the time and Harry asked me to have a go at producing Randy’s vocals on those two tracks. Nilsson liked the result … and asked me to produce and mix the whole of the rest of the Album with him as Executive Producer. I was only 20 at the time and quite inexperienced … which probably shows, nevertheless it was a very happy 4 or 5 months. My fee for the album was $1000 so I went home to England and waited for Nilsson’s manager, Denny Bond, to send me the cheque… He never did! A dozen or so years later on a drunken night in London I mentioned to Harry in passing that I had never been paid. He wrote me a cheque there and then. At the time I was writing with Elton John [see #175, 1,598] and had just had a million seller called “Little Jeannie” so, not being short of money, I just pinned the cheque to the wall in my Kitchen where it stayed until it eventually expired … now Harry too has expired. So although you may not be mad about the album, at least I can claim that, having never been paid for my work, it was truly “a labor of love”.
[T]his album does indeed sound a bit like a Harry Nilssen record. But one can also hear touches of Ray Charles, Randy Newman and CCR in the mix. The music is heavily orchestrated. Horns and strings dominate over the more rocking aspects of the music. The tone of the record is one of celebration and jubilation. Its really happy! It almost reminds me of a circus or tent revival down in the bayou swamps with John Marr as the delirious ringmaster.
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THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s oTHAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,857)Flamengo — âZavraĆŸdil Jsem LĂĄskuâ/”I Murdered Loveâ
Here’s a groovy, spooky B-side from Prague, which “marked [Flamengo’s] turn toward fatalistic and psychologically driven lyrics”. (Jazz Rock Soul, https://jazzrocksoul.com/artists/flamengo/) The lyrics are a bit disturbing — if you know Czech (or use Google Translate)!
Czech Musical Dictionary of Persons and Institutions adds (courtesy of Google Translate):
[With KuĆe V HodinkĂĄch, p]revious stylistic escapades and professional downfalls were suddenly forgotten: Flamengo suddenly spoke in the current language of advanced rock, drawing on the best Anglo-Saxon traditions (Steve Winwood, Van Morrison, Roger Chapman) and Slavic singing. However, even this evident artistic success did not become a link in the group, which after the publication of its manifesto could not withstand the increasing pressure of political “normalization” and finally broke up.
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THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,856)The Choir — âItâs Cold Outsideâ
Warning: If you are from Cleveland, read no further, ’cause I’d be just singin’ to the choir — it hit number one there! “With its energetic delivery, melodic harmonies, and chiming guitars, the song was an instant [’66] smash in Cleveland. Roulette Records picked up the single for national distribution, and it became a minor national hit [#68] in mid-’67.” (Mike Stax, liner notes to the CD comp Nuggets (Original Artyfacts From The First Psychedelic Era 1965-1968))
Richie Unterberger tells us:
“It’s Cold Outside” is one of the best-known, and from certain angles more successful, ’60s garage rock singles. . . . [T]he song (though not at all to its detriment) was poppier and more Beatlesque than the rawer, bluesier records that have come to be associated with garage rock. . . . [It] was something like Merseybeat on amphetamines . . . . what can now be recognized as a sort of antecedent to power pop. . . . [A]lthough the lyrics . . . are a somewhat sad recounting of a failed love affair, the[y] are . . . delivered with such unrelenting sunny cheer that the effect is one of joyousness rather than mourning. . . . [It] was a mammoth hit in Cleveland, topping the local charts for several consecutive weeks in 1967, but made only number 68 in the national listings. Perhaps it was just a little too late, sounding more suitable for the innocent times of 1964 than for the increasingly complicated culture and music scene of 1967.
Stars in their Cleveland hometown . . . the Choir played an accomplished British Invasion-influenced pop/rock in the late ’60s. The group started off in 1964 under the name the Mods, then in 1966 changed their name . . . . [They] released two [further] singles . . . but neither charted[ and t]he Choir was dropped by [Roulette]. After disbanding for a short period in 1968, the band headed back to the studio, this time with . . . a sound that leaned in a more Baroque pop direction. They recorded enough songs for an album, but weren’t able to find a record label. After more personnel changes, they managed to release one more single, 1970’s “Gonna Have a Good Time Tonight,” before disbanding for good. . . . [Three] members of the band (guitarists Wally Bryson and Dave Smalley, as well as drummer Jim Bonfanti) were in the Raspberries . . . .
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[This is a] brand of late 60âs psych pop that exudes a vibe like footage on bleached out 16mm reels, full of duck ponds, rose gardens and wide-eyed wonder. . . . The album continues to jump through odd stylistic hoops that feel like a compilation gathered from a previously invisible 60âs dimension. . . . In an age where it seems many try to ration and drip feed creativity, careful to avoid giving up all of their ideas â[the band] delights in throwing everything they have at you, in one unwieldy 42-minute serving. A packed, spacious, moody, groovy and gloriously flanged elevator pitch in sound.
The Love Cycle was the brainchild of undergraduate John M. Hudson, an aspiring Brian Wilson-style pop auteur who wrote the entire set, co-produced it and also helped out on piano and harpsichord. Bearing in mind the limitations of the set up — the six-piece Forever Amber’s semi-professional status, their extreme youth, the fairly makeshift studio facilities and minuscule budget — [it] was a ludicrously ambitious work. A concept piece chronicling the development and ultimate break-up of an adolescent love affair, the album featured no less than five lead vocalists over its 16 cuts, which ranged from ornate, Left Banke-leaning harpsichord-based pop to full-blown psychedelic freak-out. . . . The overall effect is akin to a low-budget garage band version of the Zombies’ masterpiece Odessey And Oracle, and would have been a notable achievement for a major label act. For a bunch of provincial kids, it’s an absolutely staggering achievement.
Record Collector: 100 Greatest Psychedelic Records: High Times and Strange Tales from Rock’s Most Mind-Blowing Era
Keep in mind that clinikillz points out that while the “album features a collection of unique, well-written and catchy psychedelic pop songs. . . . it sounds like it was recorded on an Edison phonograph device. The audio leveling is atrocious and it sounds like they recorded the entire album in a giant tin can. (https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/forever-amber/the-love-cycle/) But Jerry Kessler notes that while “the music does suffer without a producer, but for my way of thinking, that element just makes it all the richer and enticing, being that the music is exactly what the lads heard in their heads.” (https://www.psychedelicbabymag.com/2018/06/from-vault-forever-amber-love-cycle-1969.html#google_vignette)
Lindsay Planer explains:
Love Cycle (1969) from the virtually unknown and short-lived sextet Forever Amber is practically the definition of an obscure sleeper album. . . . [T]he no-budget band only pressing up a mere 99 copies of the album to avoid having to pay a purchase tax . . . . In a decidedly unorthodox combining of talents, the author and arranger was not actually a member of the Cambridge-based combo. Prior to adopting the moniker of Kathleen Winsor’s racy novel Forever Amber, the group played the lucrative local cover band circuit of private parties and the like as “the Country Cousins”. The Cousins’ manager Derek Buxton became the liaison between the band and John M. Hudson. Made for around [ÂŁ200], the [LP] was documented in a mammoth 19-hour recording session in September of 196[8] at the D.I.Y. Studio Sound in Hitchin, England.
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THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,854)Harry Nilsson — âSnowâ
Given the positively awful versions of Randy Newman’s (see #174) song released at the time, it is beyond belief that Harry Nilsson’s (see #1,168, 1,298) “achingly beautiful”, “[q]uietly devastating” (acertainshape, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpVNtzdPIWU) version was left off his groundbreaking ’70 LP Nilsson Sings Newman. In Nilsson’s hands, it is “probably one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard in my life” (megadora1969 (courtesy of Google Translate), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7AdNpP1eKM)), with his âvoice match[ing] the emotion of th[e] song perfectly”. (@Shapelander, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7AdNpP1eKM). It “may be my favorite out of their entire catalogs combined. It’s the perfect warm, fuzzy, melancholic song to listen to while drinking hot tea and watching flakes fly out the window.” (silentm999, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrQjSrdvcTw)
âHarry Nilsson introduced Newman to the world through a stunning album of interpretations of his songs (with Newman himself playing piano!)â. (Elusive Disc, https://elusivedisc.com/harry-nilsson-nilsson-sings-newman-180g-lp-1/) Stephen Thomas Erlewine writes about the album:
[G]enerally regarded as the album that introduced Randy Newman the songwriter to a wide audience, Nilsson Sings Newman has gained a reputation of being an minor masterwork. . . . Itâs deliberately an album of subtle pleasures, crafted, as the liner notes state, line by line in the studio. As such, the preponderance of quiet piano-and-voice tracks . . . means the record can slip away upon the first few listens, especially for anyone expecting an undeniable masterpiece. Yet, a masterpiece is what this is, albeit a subtle, graceful masterpiece where the pleasure is in the grace notes, small gestures, and in-jokes. Not to say that this is devoid of emotion; itâs just that the emotion is subdued . . . . For an album that introduced a songwriter as idiosyncratic as Newman, itâs only appropriate that Nilssonâs interpretations are every bit as original as the songs. His clear intonation and sweet, high voice are more palatable than Randyâs slurred, bluesy growl . . . . Heâs created gentle, intricate arrangements of tuneful yet clever songs, and as such, the album may be as much an acquired taste as Newman. Once youâve acquired that taste, this is as sweet as honey.
As to Nilssonâs early years, Richie Unterberger tells us:
Although he synthesized disparate elements of both rock and pop traditions, singer/songwriter Harry Nilsson[âs] . . . allegiance belonged to neither. Heâs best-known for his versions of other peopleâs songs but he was a skilled composer . . . . Nilsson had been struggling to make inroads into the music business for . . . years . . . . He made demos, sang commercial jingles, and shopped songs, all the while keeping his job at a Los Angeles area bank. In the mid-â60s, he wrote a few songs with Phil Spector that were recorded by the Ronettes . . . . The Monkees [see #1,718] recorded his âCuddly Toy,â and the Yardbirds did âTen Little Indiansâ . . . . But Nilsson didnât quit his bank job until after the release of Pandemonium Shadow Show [in â67, which] caught the attention of the Beatles. . . . John Lennon and Paul McCartney named him as their favorite American singer at a press conference, an extraordinary accolade for an unknown. . . . Three Dog Night took his âOneâ into the Top Ten in 1969, and Nilssonâs second LP, Aerial Ballet, continued the ambitious pop/rock direction of his debut, marrying his slightly eccentric, bouncy (if sometimes precious) tunes to Baroque orchestral production. When one of its songs, âEverybodyâs Talkinâ,â was used as the theme for the Midnight Cowboy film, Nilsson had his first Top Ten hit. . . . It was another cover (of . . . Badfinger . . . ) that gave him . . . the number one smash âWithout You.â . . . [H]e never performed in concert . . . preferring to craft his artistry in the studio.
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Having tried his hand as a New York-based folk singer, touring and recording an album as a member of The Village Singers, and supporting the folk duo Len and Judy, by 1965 singer/guitarist George Edwards was back in his native Chicago. He started playing on the city’s club circuit, finding a mentor in the former of manager George Badonsky who brought the singer to the attention of his partner Bill Traut and helped him record a couple of sides for their Chicago-based Dunwich label . . . . Pulled from those sessions, in 1966 Dunwich released an Edwards solo 45. . . .
George Edwards[] . . . was a Chicago based folkie playing the local venues. He was in the right place at the right time and started working with Dunwich Records as a session musician and was involved in the early recordings of The Shadows Of Knight [see #184, 1,075]. That connection enabled him to record and release this 45 as a solo artist. “Norwegian Wood” is his version of The Beatles classic but I’ll highlight “Never Mind, I’m Freezing” . . . . The vocal delivery reminds me of Sal Valentino’s [lead singer of The Beau Brummels (see #713)] wavery takes and the folk rock backing is a highlight, especially the drums…pure greatness. George Edwards (now known as Ethan Kenning) would later form H.P. Lovecraft.
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THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,852) Vashti Bunyan — âGirlâs Song in Winterâ
Iâve recently featured Vashtiâs (see #204, 1,170, 1,821) âWinter Is Blueâ (see # 1,821). Today â âGirlâs Song in Winterâ. To expand on a beautiful insight of François Gorin (https://www.telerama.fr/musique/vashti-bunyan-3-la-fille-de-l-hiver,157777.php), Vashtiâs melancholy songs and soul are at home in these months.
D.M. Edwards writes that:
[This was] Bunyanâs first ever recording session from 1964. She paid for an hour in a studio to make a demo and ran through 11 songs. Iâm guessing the microphone was close to her mouth, as her guitar is sometimes so quiet that she seems to be singing unaccompanied. The material was mostly written when she was just 18 years old, and itâs impossible to know whether the gentleness in her quiet delivery or the assurance and sophistication of her lyrics reflects the real teenager. âGirlâs Song In Winterâ is especially intriguing, due in part to our not knowing for sure if she refers to a dead lover or to their child.
Vashti Bunyan is an English singer/songwriter whose 1970 debut album Just Another Diamond Day was an overlooked gem in its time that later grew to be a defining classic of acid folk. Sluggish record saless discouraged Bunyan enough to give up music entirely shortly after its release, but as the years went on, more new fans grew enamored with the albumâs hushed but surreal beauty. . . . Bunyan . . . first took up the guitar while a student at the Ruskin School of Fine Art and Drawing. She was ultimately expelled at age 18 for spending too much time writing songs and not enough time painting. A bit of a free spirit even then, she took a trip to New York and, while there, fell under the spell of Bob Dylanâs music . . . . Once back in London, Bunyan was committed to a career in music, and through theatrical agent Monte Mackay she soon met Rolling Stones manager/ producer Andrew Loog Oldham. . . . [H]e signed her to Decca Records and for her debut single brought her the Mick Jagger/Keith Richards-penned âSome Things Just Stick in Your Mind.â The record earned little attention, and Bunyan moved to Columbia for the follow-up, âTrain Song,â [see #204] released in May of 1966. She moved into the orbit of Oldhamâs Immediate Records after its founding that year and recorded a brace of sides, mostly of her own music, none of which was issued commercially. She also cut one side with the Twice as Much (Immediateâs answer to Simin & Garfunkel) entitled âThe Coldest Night of the Year.â The latter, with its Phil Spector-like production and beautiful harmonizing, showed off her singing at its most pop-oriented and commercial. Sometime after that, she left London in a horse-drawn wagon on a two-year journey into communal living in the Hebrides, with the ultimate goal of meeting folk icon Donovan [see #908, 1,036, 1,064] on the Isle of Skye. She later chanced to cross paths with American producer Joe Boyd, who had made his name in London recording acts such as Pink Floyd [see # 13, 38, 260] and Fairport Convention [see #1,199]. Throughout her travels Bunyan had continued writing songs, and in 1969 she teamed with Boyd to record her debut LP, the lovely Just Another Diamond Day, which included some assistance from such British folk notables as Simon Nicol and Dave Swarbrick from Fairport Convention and the Incredible String Bandâs Robin Williamson. After completing the album she left for Ireland, dropping out of music to raise a family.
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Stylistically, the[ Ro-d-Ys] favored, like many Dutch groups, a very British-influenced sound with a slightly raw and sardonic edge . . . . At various points, their songs (all written by lead singer and guitarist Harry Rijnbergen) incorporated prominent streaks of mod rock, soul, and late-â60s British pop-psychedelia, the lyrics often informed by archly phrased anti-establishment youth viewpoints. . . . When the Ro-d-Ys broke up at the end of the 1960s, some of the members, including Rijnbergen, were in another Dutch band, Zen.
Ro-d-Ys.com (courtesy of Google Translate) goes on:
The Ro-d-Ys started their musical journey in 1965 as the Popular Pipers Boys Band at the ULO school in Oude Pekela, Groningen. With Harry Rijnbergen, Joop Hulzebos, Wiechert Kenter and Berend Groen as their core, they mainly played covers of bands such as The Rolling Stones and The Kinks. In 1966, Harry Rijnbergen, from De Sputniks, joined the trio and changed the band name to The Rowdies. When it turned out that another band with that name already existed, it eventually became Ro-d-Ys. With manager Wim Zomer at the helm, the band quickly began to gain national fame through frequent performances and efficient promotion. Harry Rijnbergen distinguished himself as a composer and singer, attracting the attention of record company Phonogram. Their first single âYou Better Take Care of Yourselfâ [see #1,226] was released in late 1966, followed by the hit âTake Her Homeâ in May 1967. The Ro-d-Ys rapidly released singles and toured Europe, but kept their home base in Oude Pekela, where they wrote new material in a farm. Their first album Just Fancy was critically acclaimed upon its release in September 1967. Despite line-up changes and an experimental album in 1968 called Earnest Vocation, the bandâs popularity began to decline. After a series of less successful singles, the band split up in 1969. Harry Rijnbergen and Bennie Groen joined the Amsterdam band Zen.
They were discovered by Wim Zomer, who attended drama school in Arnhem . . . . In the summer the band broke away from their then manager . . . who was a hotel, theater and cinema owner and mainly saw them as a suitable backing band for his son . . . . Zomer organized pop concerts in Arnhem under the Mod a gogo label, thus giving the band their first performances outside the region. He also managed to interest Hans van Hemert, who worked for Phonogram, in the group. Van Hemert . . . took the group under his wing . . . . The group toured Italy and England, and the records also sold well in Germany and Belgium. The first LP Just Fancy received good reviews. 1968 was supposed to be the big year for Ro-d-Ys. A concept album was planned under the title Earnest Vocation , which was based on the novel De kleine Johannes by Frederik van Eeden. Producer Van Hemert approached Bert Paige, who took care of the orchestration of the songs. The result of this production method was that only Rijnbergen could be heard as a band member on the recordings. The album, which fit into the psychedelic era of that moment, was well received, but the singles that were released from the album had little success.
And, the coda, from Ro-d-Ys.com (courtesy of Google Translate):
In January [1969], the Ro-d-Ys attempted a comeback with the single “Winter Woman”/”Looking for Something Better”. . . . with singer Annet Hesterman, an idea of their new manager, Krijn Torringa. The song’s fame was limited to a single tip. The group then disbanded . . . .
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The playlist includes all the âgreatest songs of the 1960âs that no one has ever heardâ 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.
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THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,850) John Hartford — âLandscape Grown Coldâ
This stalk, haunting â67 B-side by the legendary John Hartford (see #1,183) puts the woe in winter. It is one of the “highlights of his RCA period”. (Richie Unterberger, https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-love-album-mw0000860236), coming from The Love Album.
Hartfordâs website tells us:
John Hartford won Grammy awards in three different decades . . . and wrote one of the most popular songs of all time, âGentle On My Mindâ. . . . He added music and narration to Ken Burnsâ landmark Civil War series, and was an integral part of the hugely popular O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack and Down From The Mountain concert tour. But that hardly explains John Hartford [â] an American original [who] was a musician, songwriter, steamboat pilot, author, artist, disc jockey, calligrapher, dancer, folklorist, father, and historian. At an early age, John fell in love with two things: music and the Mississippi River. In 1965 he moved to Nashville. The following year he was signed to RCA Records by the legendary Chet Atkins. It was Atkins who convinced John to add a âtâ to his last name, becoming John Hartford. In 1967 his second RCA release âEarthwords & Musicâ featured the single âGentle on My Mindâ, a song Hartford wrote after seeing the movie Dr. Zhivago. That year, the song earned four Grammy awards. Hartford would take home two awards, one as the writer and one for his own recording of the song. The other two went to Glen Campbell who had heard Hartfordâs version on the radio and decided to record it. Campbellâs rendition became an instant classic, and the song became one of the most recorded and performed songs of all time . . . . Hartford often said that âGentle On My Mindâ bought his freedom. . . . to explore his various creative curiosities . . . . In 1968 John Hartford left Nashville for Los Angeles, where he played on the Byrdsâ [see #1,430, 1,605] classic album, Sweethearts of the Rodeo. He became a regular guest and contributor on CBSâs Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and later on The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour. He would also earn his riverboat pilotâs license by the end of the decade. John Hartford became mentor and mystic for a generation of pickers, singers, and songwriters. His landmark record, Aereo-plain (1971) . . . bridged a musical gap between traditional bluegrass and a progressive new audience . . . . In 1976, John won another Grammy award for his contemporary folk masterpiece, Mark Twang [which] featured a set of quirky river-centric original songs, presented in stripped down arrangements, typically featuring only Hartford accompanying himself on banjo, fiddle, or guitar while tapping his feet on an amplified sheet of plywood. . . . becom[ing] his trademark sound for many years as a solo act. . . . He died on June 4, 2001, after a long battle with non-hodgkinâs lymphoma.
Hartford was a multi-talented old-time musician, a riverboat captain, a satirical songwriter, a one-man showman of exceptional talents, and one of the founders of both progressive country music and old-time string music revivalism. He was a prolific recording artist who issued no fewer than 33 albums during his lifetime that ranged across old-timey fiddle music, bluegrass and newgrass, folk, blues, jazz, and country . . . . While he never again attained the success of âGentle on My Mind,â he was quite successful . . . . [He] grew up in St. Louis near the Mississippi River he would always love. His took his first job on a riverboat at age ten. As a boy he liked the traditional country music he heard on the Grand Ole Opry radio broadcast from Nashville, and by age 13 he was an accomplished fiddler and five-string banjo player . . . . Soon he added guitar and mandolin to his repertoire. He founded his first bluegrass band in high school . . . . Hartford made a few singles for small local labels in the early â60s. In 1965 he moved with his [family] to Nashville, taking a DJ job at . . . . It didnât take him long to meet the other architects of the cityâs songwriting renaissance â Kris Kristofferson, Mickey Newbury [see #1,478], and the Glaser Brothers [see #76], who . . . began promoting Hartford and his songs around Music Row. . . . In 1968 Hartford moved to Los Angeles . . . . By the end of the decade, Hartford also earned his riverboat pilotâs license. Financially secure thanks to âGentle on My Mind,â he decided to spend the rest of his life pursuing an artistic vision rooted in country music traditions. In 1971, Hartford returned to Nashville and founded a bluegrass band . . . . The all-acoustic Aereo-Plain album . . . featured a free bluegrass feel often cited as seminal both by progressive bluegrass musicians and by adherents of the modern jam band movement. In the mid-â70s Hartford worked out a solo act in which he appeared in a trademark bowler hat and black vest.
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âDane Stephens recorded under the pseudonym ‘Zion De Gallier’â. He was âone of the R&B Group The Fairies … the Vocalist on their Decca 45â. (Vintage Vinyl Via Valves, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q)
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! (ârelating 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 entertainmentâ â dictionary.com).
The playlist includes all the âgreatest songs of the 1960âs that no one has ever heardâ that are available on Spotify — now over 1,200 songs. The playlist will expand each time I feature an available song.
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THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,848)The Impressions — âLong, Long Winterâ
I hope the Impressions’ (see #118, 285, 1,347, 1,544) meteorological forecast is way off base, or itâs gonna be a long, long, winter. “My girl is gone from me And my hearts in misery And it’s a long long a winter for me”
This wonderful â64 B-side and track off of Keep on Pushing peaked at #35 on the R&B chart.
As to Keep on Pushing, John Bush writes:
Already a celebrated songwriter by the time of the third Impressions album, Curtis Mayfield introduced a political element to his material with the Top Ten hit “Keep on Pushing.” An anthem of the burgeoning civil-rights movement . . . [it] cemented his blend of gospel optimism with a relentless spirit of self-improvement. Though it was the only message song present, the album featured all the hallmarks of an Impressions set: impeccably smooth harmonies, the dynamic horn charts of Johnny Pate, and many more of Mayfield’s irresistible songs (each with a clever spin on the usual love lyric as well as a strong sense of melody). “Talking About My Baby,” the album’s other big hit, was an adoring love song driven by a simple chorus and delivered by soul music’s greatest harmonists. The simple ballad “I’ve Been Trying” was one of the most delicate and powerful the group had ever delivered, and the gospel march “Amen” [A-side to “Winter] became a Top Ten pop hit in early 1965 after its use in the Sidney Poitier film Lilies of the Field (for which Poitier became the first African-American to receive an Academy award). Keep on Pushing was the Impressions’ first Top Ten album hit, and an excellent introduction for pop audiences just waking up to the inspirational power of soul music’s finest group.
Oh, and Bob Marley recorded a cool cover in ’70. David Hopper tells us:
As a reggae fan, I was aware of the major influence that American soul music had on the development of the Jamaican genre. But I did not realize what a direct impact Curtis Mayfield had on the king of reggae. In the [2025] film [The Makings of Curtis Mayfield], Bob Marley, in an archival clip, and his son, Stephen . . . both discuss how the Impressions and R&B music were what was playing on the radio in Jamaica in the 1960s. The three-part harmony utilized by the Impressions inspired the sound of rocksteady music, which evolved into reggae. Marleyâs band the Wailers covered a bunch of Impressions tracks, including âIâm Still Waiting,â âLong Long Winter,â and âI Made a Mistake.â His signature song, âOne Love,â was originally written in 1965 as a ska tune. Then, in the mid-â70s during a tumultuous election in Jamaica, Marley revised the lyrics, inserting a message of peace. Because âOne Loveâ contains an interpolation of the Impressionsâ âPeople Get Ready,â the new version was titled âOne Love/People Get Readyâ and Mayfield was given a writing credit by Island Records to avoid a lawsuit.
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THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,847)Wendy & Bonnie — âThe Winter Is Coldâ
Baby, itâs cold outside, and Wendy & Bonnie (see #1,774) know that the winter is cold! âWell it might be cold but that ripping ass [guitar] solo [in âThe Winter Is Coldâ] just warmed things upâ! (Turkeytoad1972, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oavtoIrjFv4)
This remarkable sibling duo of (17 year old) Wendy and (13 year old) Bonnie gave us Genesis, âone of the most remarkable unheard albums of 1969[, w]ith melodic confections laced with radiant sisterly harmony”. (Sundazed Records, https://sundazed.com/c/279-Wendy-Bonnie.aspx)
Jive Time Records says of âWinter Is Coldâ:
Genesis ends with perhaps its strongest cut . . . a rocker with chill-inducing, contrapuntal vocal harmonies. The song has moments of seriously groovy psychedelia, with [guitarist Larry] Carlton unleashing distorted solos that recall Howard Robertsâ work with Electric Prunes [see #893] circa Release Of An Oath.
[It] closes [the LP] with assurance, and is notably the releaseâs most fully realized uptempo number. Reminiscent of mainstream coffeehouse folk after a few rounds of strong espresso, the cut shows them capable of a well-mannered bluesy turn, and itâs also the one track on the platter that cozies right up to a full-blown rock temperament, featuring a nicely done psych guitar solo.
âWinterâ was originally to be the B-side of WBâs first (and only) single, but was replaced by âItâs Whatâs Really Happeningâ”. (Jeanette Leach, Shindig Magazine, https://wendyandbonnie.com/articles.html) I guess I get it, as the single was released in July. Nonetheless, âWinterâ should have been the A-side â I think it could have been a hit!
Jive Time Records writes of Genesis that:
Genesis likely wouldnât have ascended to its burnished status without contributions from a cast of stellar session musicians such as drummer Jim Keltner, keyboardist Mike Melvoin, and guitarist Larry Carlton. They all play their asses off for these gifted upstarts, and itâs goddamn precious to witness. Production from bossa-nova/jazz vibraphonist [Gary] McFarland and label support from Skye co-owner and Latin-jazz percussionist Cal Tjader, whoâd heard and loved the duoâs early demos, further bolstered the recording sessions.
Irwin Chusidâs liner notes to the CD reissue of Genesis tell the Flower sistersâ story:
The were influenced by the groundbreaking pop-psych ferment of the late â60s, without having been much a part of it. The girls absorbed rock from the radio, sultry tropical strains from Latin jazz legend Cal Tjader (their godfather and a devoted family friend), and a love of jazz and classical from their parents. . . . In 1967, Wendy co-founded a local band, Crystal Fountain, for whom she was the featured vocalist; Bonnie later joined the group on drums. They recorded a few garage-psych originals, one of which, âThe Night Behind Us,â received airplay on fabled station KSAN. âCal heard some of the things we did with Crystal Fountain and some duo compositions,â recalled Bonnie, âSo he connected us with Skye Records.â Skye was a jazz imprint whose roster boased Tjader, vibraphonist Gary McFarland, [and] guitarist Gabor Szabo [see #185] (all co-owners of the label) . . . . Wendy and Bonnie were . . . Skyeâs only fling with rock . . . . [They] had been writing songs for years, and were now afforded a chance to record a 45 . . . . Bonnie had written âPaisley [Window Paneâ (see #1,774)] in the seventh grade and performed it solo in French class for final exam credit. . . . The initial session proved promising, and Skye asked the sisters if they could generate an albumâs worth of material. Within weeks theyâd conjured up eight tunes. . . . McFarland agreed to produce the project. . . . [He] was an arranger, composer, and bandleader whoâd worked with [many jazz greats]. . . . Thanks to McFarland and Skyeâs connections in the West Coast jazz world, the Flower sisters were graced with top-notch sidemen. . . . [including] Larry Carlton on guitar, veteran drummer Jim Keltner . . . . Then, in 1970, just as the sisterâs promising singing careers were being launched, Skye eclardd bankruptcy. . . . [Wendy recalls] âOne day we were . . . scheduled to appear on The Merv Griffin Show. Next day, our label was no more. . . . We were totally devastated[.] . . . We were looking forward to doing other projects with Gary. . . . We were shattered to hear he passed away[.]â McFarland suffered a fatal heart attack on November 2, 1971, after being poisoned by liquid methadone slipped into his cocktail at a New York bar. . . . â The opportunities were [still] there,â said Wendy. âHowever, life was pulling Bonnie and me in different directions. I wanted to record with Fantasy, but they wanted a sister act or nothing.[â]
Richie Unterberger notes that:
Although they did sing backup vocals on a couple of Tjader albums and some jingles and background vocals at Fantasy Records, they never recorded their own material again . . . . They did perform music separately in the subsequent decades, Wendy Flower issuing a childrenâs music cassette, and Bonnie Flower once rejecting an invitation to join the Bangles.
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The playlist includes all the âgreatest songs of the 1960âs that no one has ever heardâ 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.
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Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! / Off the Charts: 60s Rock Revelationsđ 