Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! / Off the Charts: 60s Rock Revelations😊

Edwards Hand — “If I Thought You’d Ever Change Your Mind”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — July 20, 2026

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

2,042) Edwards Hand — “If I Thought You’d Ever Change Your Mind”

This classic song written by John Cameron was a #20 UK hit for Cilla Black in ’69 and a #11 UK hit in ’04 for Agnetha Fältskog (yes, ABBA’s Agnetha Fältskog), has been performed by Sweden’s Blond (formerly the Tages [see #286, 1,282, 1,353, 1,358]), and has been performed in Swedish, in Finnish, in Estonian, and as a jazz instrumental. (https://secondhandsongs.com/performance/295007/all) But Edwards Hands’ (see #151, 663, 813, 911) is Hands-down “[t]he best version ever period” (sevenantony7376, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZrZGB-xvR8), “[a] delicate, gentle, wistful George Martin-produced baroque/folk/psych pop jewel.” (Marios, https://rockasteria.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-edwards-hand-edwards-hand-1968-uk.html)

Marios writes that:

[It is] the only non-original composition on [Edwards Hands’ first LP] and is a beautiful song, written and arranged by John Cameron, who had previously produced [the band’s prior incarnation] The Picadilly Line [see #806]. The song has proven to be a particularly poignant footnote to Edward Hand’s musical history. Once again produced by George Martin it was to be a huge hit for Cilla Black in 1969 (and an even bigger one many years later for Agnetha Faltskog of Abba) yet the irony is that Cilla’s label EMI had an option to release the Edwards Hand album and the single but failed to do so, giving Cilia a clear run with her version. Despite the fact that lyrically it works better from the male perspective, EMI could see that Cilla had the advantage of previous hits and a well known UK TV show to propel her recording into the public ear. In retrospect it is evident that the Edwards Hand version is by far superior. Who knows what might have happened had it gained wider exposure?

https://rockasteria.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-edwards-hand-edwards-hand-1968-uk.html

Forced Exposure writes of the LP:

This is . . . a genuine lost UK ’60s gem that received glowing reviews upon its release in the U.S. . . . Recorded in late ’68, with Geoff Emerick and George Martin during a break in the sporadic White Album sessions, you can hear the benefits from Martin and Emerick’s vast experience, technical skills and orchestral arrangements. There is plenty of swinging London vibes and whimsical vocals here . . . . The Beatles connection is obviously strong, and much of this material is reminiscent of late ’60, early ’70s Paul McCartney [see #28, 132, 374, 521, 669, 779-81, 840] as well as Donovan [see #908, 1,036, 1,064] — with its chirpy, evocative lyrics, harmonies and warm arrangements — but there is also a late Small Faces [see #969, 1,024]/Kinks [see #100, 381, 417, 450, 508, 529, 606, 623, 753, 865, 978, 1,043, 1,108, 1,330, 1,451, 1,591, 1,697, 1,784, 1,907] vibe in their lyrical descriptions of old London Town.

https://www.forcedexposure.com/Catalog/edwards-hand-edwards-hand-cd/FLASH.005CD.html

Freak Emporium adds:

[The album is a] beautiful whimsical record of lush harmony pop rock with progressive/psych tinges. The music can perhaps be compared to the more orchestrated moments of Kaleidoscope [see #154, 336, 552] and Fairfield Parlour . . . . George [Martin] contributed some stunning string arrangements . . . . An undiscovered treasure of an album.

https://web.archive.org/web/20070927024719/http://www.freakemporium.com/site/artist/Edwards%20Hand/artistpage.html

Finally, Marios:

[The album has] an English cosy warmth and familiarity that breathes the fresh air of an earlier, innocent and more carefree musical age. Sweeping pastoral string arrangements perfectly counterbalance a pop sensibility adding a certain air of mystery and romanticism.

http://rockasteria.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-edwards-hand-edwards-hand-1968-uk.html

Richie Unterberger is a bit more skeptical:

[T]he harmonies, melodies, and orchestrations bear some similarity to those heard on the very most pop-oriented of the Beatles’ productions, though in truth there’s a stronger resemblance to the ornate pop-psychedelia of the late-’60s Bee Gees. [see #291, 353-54, 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]. . . It’s more something of a combination of Beatles/Bee Gees-lite with poppier, soaring, sometimes fruity orchestral arrangements — most likely Martin’s strongest contribution to the record — and more of a middle of the road/sunshine pop/toytown psychedelic influence . . . . Certainly some of the lyrics make one blanch a bit on the printed page, with their fey references to picture books, kings and queens, bringing flowers in the morning, walking down London’s Charing Cross Road, magic cars, and the like. . . . It has reasonably catchy though not stunning melodies, good duo vocal harmonies, and an ambience that captures something of the most innocuous side of the Swinging London/flower power era.

https://www.allmusic.com/album/edwards-hand-mw0000836925

Marios gives us some background:

In 1968 CBS abandoned the idea of a follow up album for the Picadilly Line and looked instead for commercial success through singles. When the singles also failed to hit the charts CBS started to lose interest in the band . . . . American manager Lennie Poncher . . . offered them a US management deal [and] secured a record contract with GRT records, a new operation set up by the tape manufacturing conglomerate. . . . [T]hrough the force of his personality [he] secured the services of George Martin to produce Rod and Roger’s new album. . . . [T]hey were to be the first group produced by George after the Beatles. . . . [A]s musical director George worked closely with the duo planning, pruning, orchestrating, recording and mixing the material. . . . [T]hey also attracted the cream of the UK session musicians. . . . The reviews were excellent and a buzz was in the air but GRT had moved too soon too fast and they lacked the depth of experience of a major label. They did not have the promotion, the organisation or quite simply the men hitting the radio stations. . . .[A]lthough Edwards Hand’s album garnered critical acclaim in the USA, the GRT label folded almost immediately after release of the album taking the band’s first steps at a career with it.

http://rockasteria.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-edwards-hand-edwards-hand-1968-uk.html

Here is Blonde (as “(I Will Bring You) Flowers in the Morning”):

Here is Cilla:

Here is Cilla on TV:

Here is Kathe Green:

Here is Agnetha Fältskog:

Here is Ann-Louise Hanson in Swedish: “Om Du Nånsin Skulle Ändra Dej”:

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Tony Rivers and the Castaways — “Pantomime”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — July 19, 2026

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

2,041) Tony Rivers and the Castaways — “Pantomime”

The band-written B-side of Tony Rivers and the Castaways’ (see #905) last single is “one of the closest approximations of the late-1960s Easybeats [see #201, 1,310, 1,359, 1,415, 1,683, 1,777, 1,877] that you’re likely to hear from a rival group.” (Richie Unterberger, https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-tony-rivers-collection-vol-2-harmony-grass-mw0000621713) I’d say it’s equal parts Easybeats and music hall — delightful.

Rivers recalled:

[It was a] quite original sounding song with some great vocal bits and double tracked bass guitar. . . . [The single] was another good record, but once again got no “airplay” and disappeared without trace. We did as we were told, but we still couldn’t get that elusive first hit.

http://www.craftweb.org/web/tony/cast_disc.html, http://www.craftweb.org/web/tony/cast.html

Bruce Eder tells us more about TR&C:

Led by Tony Rivers, this group started out doing R&B-based material in the early ’60s. Originally signed to EMI’s Columbia label, they covered songs by Jackie Wilson in their early days, and had a special penchant for recording songs from American artists, regardless of the idiom. As the decade progressed, they moved into more of a pop and harmony based sound, recording songs like “She” and, in 1966, a single of their version of the Beach Boys’ [see #667, 1,825] “God Only Knows.” They jumped to Parlophone later that year, and then Immediate, where they stayed for one single, “Girl Don’t Tell” b/w “Girl From Salt Lake City,” then released a single through Polydor. They split up in 1968 when Rivers, with Ray Brown and Kenny Rowe, formed Harmony Grass [see #1,631], a more overtly psychedelic outfit.

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/tony-rivers-the-castaways-mn0001341073/biography

Tim Sendra

As both a singer and vocal arranger, Tony Rivers had a part in two of the most overlooked bands of the 1960’s U.K. music scene — the beat group-turned surf aficionados Tony Rivers & the Castaways and the sunshine poppers Harmony Grass — then parlayed his skills into a long-running job with Cliff Richard . . . . No matter the project, Rivers’ bright vocals and knack for how to put voices together in a pleasing fashion always came through . . . . Rivers, born Douglas Anthony Thompson . . . , began singing professionally in 1961. . . . [I]n London . . . he took the stage occasionally at his local pub with the house band. His singing caught the attention of local group the Cutaways, who were looking for a lead vocalist. It was at this point that he started using Tony Rivers and Tony Rivers and the Cutaways as stage names. They began playing gigs around town in mid-1962 with a style indebted to early rock & roll icons like Ricky Nelson and Buddy Holly. The group soon changed their name to Tony Rivers & The Castaways and with the help of their manager, were able to score auditions at both EMI and Decca. The former decided to sign them, and the group . . . record[ed] their first single[], the excitable rockers “Shake, Shake Shake” and “Row, Row, Row.” . . . [It] was issued in October of 1963, starting a trend of artistically impressive records that failed to hit the top of the charts. By the middle of 1964, the group had begun to move away from the R&B-heavy sounds of the Beat scene in favor of the vocal harmony-heavy yet lighter approach of American bands like the Beach Boys. When that band visited the U.K. in late 1964, the two groups struck up a lasting friendship. The Castaways were dealt a cruel blow soon after, however, when a van crash took the life of drummer Brian Talbot and injured everyone else. Rivers regrouped the next year to release the “She”/”Til We Get Home” single; the B-side of which was a spot-on pastiche of the kind of surfy California pop the Beach Boys had perfected. Their new sound piqued the attention of Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein, who signed the band to his NEMS Enterprises agency, as well as Rolling Stones producer Andrew Loog Oldham, who inked them to his new label Immediate. He set them to work right away covering Beach Boys songs and their versions of “The Girl from New York City” and “Girl Don’t Tell Me’ — to which Rivers added a harmony vocal arrangement where one hadn’t previously existed — gave their idols a run for their money. Even with the powerful backing of two industry bigwigs, the band couldn’t buy a hit. . . . Rivers and the band grew tired of their slumping career and were unhappy to find themselves confined to the cabaret circuit. Part of the group split off to be a part of Grapefruit [see #894, 1,462], Rivers carried on with a new lineup and management, who rechristened the new group Rivers assembled Harmony Grass in late 1969. Their first song, the horn-and-strings filled “Move a Little Closer” was the hit Rivers had been hoping for, climbing steadily up various U.K. charts until an obscure rule change stalled it in its tracks. Further singles didn’t do as well, and by the time the group released their one and only album . . . in 1970, there wasn’t much of an audience for their sound . . . . After this disappointment, Rivers left the band in July of 1970. . . . mov[ing] into a production role at CBS Records, then began releasing singles under different names in the first half of the decade. . . . He also stayed busy working as a backing singer . . . and working as Cliff Richard’s musical director and chief backing vocalist from 1976 to 1985.

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/tony-rivers-mn0000003754

Rivers recalled:

Things could have turned out quite differently had Brian Epstein, our new manager, not stopped us releasing our version of “Nowhere Man” . . . , which was scheduled for release, before being withdrawn. It’s not that Brian didn’t like it, he just thought that it wasn’t good for our career to cover a Beatles song! (Would the Overlanders ever have had a “hit” without “Michele”? Having just been signed by him, we were in no position to argue. How could you argue with the man who managed the Beatles, the biggest group of all time? . . . We’d toured all through the 60’s playing dance halls, clubs, including many gigs headlining at the Marquee in Wardour St, and even appeared at the Cavern in Liverpool in 1966. We were also playing the University circuit (and for two consecutive years, we were voted the most popular group), which is quite an accolade, when you realise that every major band in the U.K. played the University circuit, from Fleetwood Mac to any band you could name at that time!

http://www.craftweb.org/web/tony/cast2.html

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Alan Esdaile: https://ninebattles.com/tag/tony-rivers/

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The Red Squares — “You Can Be My Baby”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — July 18, 2026

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

2,040) The Red Squares — “You Can Be My Baby”

The British are coming . . . to Denmark — via “K-KILLERRRR” (stOOpid68, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEBbxWwPGas) “[d]ynamite pounding mod freakbeat” (happening45, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17KcOjo1g18), “a single worthy of the Who [see #119, 548, 833, 976, 1,912] . . . sound[ing] as majestically overamplified and punkishly chaotic as anything coming from Mssrs. Townshend, Entwistle, Daltrey, and Moon”. (Bruce Eder, https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-red-squares-mn0000417608) Mike Stax writes that the Squares “hitched their high-register harmonies to an electrifying Who-inspired arrangement with blazing power chords, zooming bass, and crazed drums”. (Mike Stax, liner notes to the CD comp Nuggets II (Original Artyfacts From The British Empire And Beyond 1964-1969)) Ironically, all this adulation is (rightly) in reference to the Swedish single version (above) — the Danish single version (below) is positively narcoleptic.

Baronvonrhubarbpostoffice surmises that “I doubt us brits would have made this a hit so thankfully Denmark 🇩🇰 had a bit more taste”. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zml21_-4FOk)

Bruce Eder tells us of the Squares:

A number of British bands, recognizing that there was demand for their sound and a living to be made outside of England, took the plunge — the Rokes [see #1,370] went off to Italy, the Liverpool Five headed for Asia and then the United States, and the Red Squares took off for Denmark. Formed in Boston, England, in 1964, the[y] were almost a retro outfit, emphasizing harmony vocals along the lines of the early Beach Boys [see #667, 1,825], the Four Seasons [see #1,454], and the Tokens [see #66, 923, 1,046], with falsetto leads and a strong emphasis on covers of early-’60s material. . . . Finding the competition in England a little too steep — what with better established groups like the Fortunes already laying claim to the audience for that brand of harmony vocal-based pop/rock — the group pulled up stakes and headed for Denmark in early 1966, where there was a good deal of demand for British bands, and where early-’60s American sounds weren’t considered as out-of-step as they were in England. They became stars there, hitting number one with their cover of the Four Seasons’ “Sherry” and cutting an entire LP. By the middle of the year, they’d also begun experimenting with harder sounds in the instrumental department[, resulting in “You Can Be My Baby”].

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-red-squares-mn0000417608

Vernon Joynson adds:

They . . . found work playing American bases in France. In July 1965 . . . Howie Gee [was] recruited as an extra lead singer . . . . In December 1965 . . . Gee temporarily left the group to join his girlfriend in Denmark, where he discovered a fertile market for British groups and persuaded his bandmates to join him. Within six months they had become a big name and were breaking in Sweden. At gigs there was hysteria, and at one Swedish concert the crowd completely wrecked the stage. . . . Despite constant personnel changes, from 1966-1967 they were among Denmark’s leading pop idols. . . . Few groups had the adulation they received wherever they went, and they were constantly in the press. The Red Squares split in December 1969 after a tour of Israel as they had permit problems and no hope of returning to Denmark.

The Tapestry of Delights Revisited

But something might have been rotten in the State of Denmark. Yoyomama1 writes: “Imagine a working-class band of English mods with attitude, a surly disposition and loads of potential being dropped into a market [in this case Denmark] that only wants to hear soft pop standards and this is what you get, and it’s fucking tragic.” (https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/the-red-squares/the-red-squares/)

Here is the more sedate “Danish” version:

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Emergency Exit — “Why Girl”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — July 17, 2026

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

2,03X) Emergency Exit — “Why Girl”

Here’s a “[k]iller beat pounder [B-side] from Seattle, Washington!! First released on Ru-Ro in late ’66, and then for national release on Dunhill in early ’67” (Glendoras // DJ Mean Mojo Mathias, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SOYxLHhrPo), it’s “[g]reat pounding fuzzed garage!!” (maximumrnb66, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SOYxLHhrPo) with “a throbbing beat with weird echo FX [on the drums] making it a ’way-out’ teen punk record. . . . [that’s] arguably [Dunhill’s] toughest ever release.”(https://monocledalchemist.com/2025/04/05/emergency-exit-maybe-too-late-dunhill-1967/ )

Girl, “why don’t you want me anymore?”

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John Martyn — “Fairy Tale Lullaby”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — July 16, 2026

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

2,038) John Martyn — “Fairy Tale Lullaby”

The Glasgow raised Scottish/Belgian folk legend John Martyn’s (see #1,400, 1,735) ‘67 debut LP London Conversation includes “the sweetest, most beautiful little song I’ve ever heard” (stevedorchester, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lV3s6_tDTWE&list=RDlV3s6_tDTWE&start_radio=1&pp=ygUeam9obiBtYXJ0eW4gZmFpcnkgdGFsZSBsdWxsYWJ5oAcB&ra=m), “[w]onderful beyond words” (quaich14, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lV3s6_tDTWE&list=RDlV3s6_tDTWE&start_radio=1&pp=ygUeam9obiBtYXJ0eW4gZmFpcnkgdGFsZSBsdWxsYWJ5oAcB&ra=m, with “a gorgeous acoustic refrain”. (bluehawaiian, https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/john-martyn/london-conversation/reviews/2/#google_vignette)

Is it too twee? Some think so. “[S]ickly twee . . . a saccharine word salad of hippie drippy fantasy cliches”. (KeeponChooglinBobby, https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/john-martyn/london-conversation.p/) “[T]he playful lyrics admittedly don’t sound too good now (references to flying rainbows, ‘sugar fish’, goblins, elves, pixies, a purple sea, dancing magic woods and other such ‘hip’ pseudo-psychedelic hogwash)”. (bluehawaiian, https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/john-martyn/london-conversation/reviews/2/#google_vignette)

I don’t. “Fairy Tale Lullaby” beautifully captures childhood innocence and wide-eyed wonder. It is a superlative fairy tale, and a superlative lullaby. What’s so funny about “flying rainbows, ‘sugar fish’, goblins, elves, pixies, a purple sea, dancing magic woods”?Mandykitson7039 writes that “i am now 63 and my sons are 33 – when they were little i sang this song every night – they still remember it”. (mandykitson7039, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wUIdRErFk1Y&list=RDwUIdRErFk1Y&start_radio=1&pp=ygUeam9obiBtYXJ0eW4gZmFpcnkgdGFsZSBsdWxsYWJ5oAcB&ra=m)

Ellie Rogers writes of the song and the album:

It’s lighthearted, whimsical and uplifting; full of life, optimism and has an endearing level of naivety – both for the wicked ways of the music industry and for life in general. After all, [Martyn] was just an 18 year-old kid whose dreams appeared to be well on the way to becoming reality when he cut this sweet little ditty. The whole album, which reportedly cost only £158 to record, is very much set in the folk tradition, with balladic storytelling and no-frills self-accompaniment being the order of the day. An all-acoustic effort, Martyn likely recorded his guitar parts with the same dreadnought he’s seen posing with amid the chimney pots of Chris Blackwell’s West London home on the album’s cover. Delicate, almost floral hammer-on flourishes give a nod to the folk baroque style that had become popular on the club scene, and the song [has a] bright, breezy and decidedly major key sheen . . . . Although rather simplistic compared with the calibre of songwriting and production that was yet to come, the remarkable thing about “Fairy Tale Lullaby”, and London Conversation at large, is that Martyn had only been playing the guitar for a short while – a matter of months by his own estimation – yet he’d already mastered plenty of the techniques he so admired in others. With left and right hand autonomy, fluid fingerpicking techniques and an innate sense for melody, rhythm and timing already under his command, the question was: what next?

https://www.musicradar.com/news/5-songs-guitarists-need-to-hear-by-john-martyn

Rafi Mercer says of the LP:

What’s striking, listening now, is how out of step this album must have felt at the time. 1967 was the year of amplified ideas and cultural declarations. London Conversation opts for greys instead of psychedelia, for reflection instead of proclamation. Island Records, still operating with an artist-first ethos, allowed Martyn that restraint. No singles were chased. No image was imposed. The album stands as a first document, not a manifesto. It didn’t make Martyn famous. It made him interesting. And that distinction matters. In hindsight, this record feels like a foundation stone — the place where Martyn learned to trust space, tone, and atmosphere. The later innovations — jazz phrasing, electric textures, echo-laden environments — all grow from this early commitment to listening closely. Nearly sixty years on, London Conversation feels quietly radical again. In a culture trained for speed and certainty, it reminds us that beginnings can be tentative, that meaning doesn’t need to be announced, and that sometimes the most enduring work starts with a voice lowered just enough to invite you closer.

https://www.tracksandtales.co/blogs/listening-bar-albums/london-conversation-john-martyn-1967?srsltid=AfmBOoq0jK8q9bJjDHmshaVWSNhnoocs8GIqxjdtsW7n0kjIu1p1-Uuj

Hucklesvinylproblem adds:

[It] is an understated gem in the folk music canon, where his raw talent is laid bare in its purest form. Released in 1967, the album captures the nascent brilliance of an artist who would later fuse folk, jazz, and blues with experimental virtuosity. Here, however, the charm lies in its simplicity, a sparse, acoustic landscape where Martyn’s deft guitar work and introspective vocals shine unadorned. His songs exude a quiet intimacy, revealing both lyrical depth and emotional resonance. This debut stands as a “must have” for connoisseurs of folk music, not only for its historical significance but for the profound sincerity it conveys. It invites the listener into a world of quiet reflection, where each note and phrase is meticulously crafted. . . .

https://www.discogs.com/master/134513-John-Martyn-London-Conversation?srsltid=AfmBOoqygm3jQDcv5S_HbTf62kuYNKZDpw7YdxeCQ7p6i6sGtPbylJcI

As to Martyn, Brett Hartenbach writes:

With his characteristic backslap acoustic guitar playing, his effects-driven experimental journeys, and his catalog of excellent songs as well as his jazz-inflected singing style, John Martyn is an important and influential figure in both British folk and rock. Martyn started out as a folk artist with jazzy leanings that were highly unusual for the mid-’60s. He made a couple of albums with then-wife Beverley that were very much of their time before embarking on a musical journey that combined folk, blues, jazz, and rock, with a tendency towards electronic and atmospheric experimentation. His early-’70s albums . . . are as distinctive and striking as anything in the singer/songwriter canon. Alcohol problems and commercial concerns found him adopting a slicker, more pop-oriented sound as he moved toward the ’80s, but Martyn came out on top again both personally and artistically with his ’90s releases and performances. . . . He began his innovative and expansive career at the age of 17 with a style influenced by American blues artists such as Robert Johnson and Skip James, the traditional music of his homeland, and the eclectic folk of Davey Graham . . . . With the aid of his mentor, traditional singer Hamish Imlach, Martyn began to make a name for himself and eventually moved to London, where he became a fixture at Cousins, the center for the local folk scene . . . . Soon after, he caught the attention of Island Records founder Chris Blackwell, who made him the first white solo act to join the roster of his reggae-based label. . . . [Following London Conversation] . . . . [h]is voice . . . started to take on a jazzier quality as he began to experiment musically. While on the road, Martyn continued to experiment with his sound, adding various effects to his electrified acoustic. One such effect, the Echoplex, allowed him to play off of the tape loops of his own guitar, enveloping himself in his own playing while continuing to play leads over the swelling sound. This would become an integral part of his recordings and stage performances in the coming years. He also met Beverley Kutner . . . who later became his wife and musical partner. The duo released two records in 1970 . . . . The next couple of years saw Martyn continuing to expand on his unique blend of folk music, drawing on folk, blues, rock, and jazz as well as music from the Middle East, South America, and Jamaica. His voice continued to transform with each album while his playing became more aggressive, yet without losing its gentler side. . . .

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/john-martyn-mn0000196969#biography

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Isaac Hayes: “Something”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — July 15, 2026

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

2,037) Isaac Hayes: “Something”

Something in the way Isaac Hayes reinvented George Harrison’s [see #423, 545, 872, 942, 1,437] acclaimed triumph attracts me like no other cover. Hayes gives us “a masterpiece! As soulful and brilliant a cover of a classic song that has ever been done.” (garywilliams8226, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_EHOy41nDXQ&list=RD_EHOy41nDXQ&start_radio=1&pp=ygUVSXNhYWMgaGF5ZXMgc29tZXRoaW5noAcB0gcJCU8LAYcqIYzv&ra=m) He “turns [“Something”] into a gritty, greasy soul sermon on the merits of love” (Steve Leggett, https://www.allmusic.com/album/stax-does-the-beatles-mw0000495301), his “lyrical orchestration totally reinvent[ing its] structure”. (Lindsay Planer, https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-isaac-hayes-movement-mw0000190261)

Richard Havers enthuses that:

No other version of Harrison’s beautiful song has come close to offering the originality of Isaac’s arrangement: the superb orchestration uses both the brilliance of Harrison’s melody along with some wonderful new flourishes entirely of Isaac’s own imagining. There’s also a wonderful set of violin solos from 27-year-old John Blair, giving the song an edge, while at no point losing its original intent.

https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/rediscover-isaac-hayes-movement/

Lesliecunnian6848 adds an insight of which I had not been aware:

The first time I heard this I was with a friend in Barbados, lying on a huge pillow and drinking champagne. My first reaction after listening to it was that with that electric violin there was no question it was an orgasm. I was lucky to have met Isaac Hayes when I booked him on a TV show in Toronto, and I asked him if his 12-minute version of “Something” was……. I didn’t get to finish when he said “yes”. I KNEW it!!!!!!!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BzSXyRXlqT4&list=RDBzSXyRXlqT4&start_radio=1&pp=ygUVSXNhYWMgaGF5ZXMgc29tZXRoaW5noAcB&ra=m

Lindsay Planer writes about The Isaac Hayes Movement:

Although this is Isaac Hayes’ third long-player, he had long been a staple of the Memphis R&B scene — primarily within the Stax coterie — where his multiple talents included instrumentalist, arranger, and composer of some of the most beloved soul music of the ’60s. Along with his primary collaborator, David Porter, Hayes was responsible for well over 200 sides — including the genre-defining “When Something Is Wrong With My Baby,” “Soul Man,” “B-A-B-Y,” “Hold On, I’m Comin’,” and “I Had a Dream.” As a solo artist however, Hayes redefined the role of the long-player with his inimitably smooth narrative style of covering classic pop and R&B tracks, many of which would spiral well over ten minutes. The Isaac Hayes Movement (1970) includes four extended cuts from several seemingly disparate sources, stylistically ranging from George Harrison’s “Something” to Jerry Butler’s [see #347, 1,921] “I Stand Accused” and even Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s “I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself.” These early Hayes recordings brilliantly showcase his indomitable skills as an arranger — as he places familiar themes into fresh contexts and perspectives. For example, his lengthy one-sided dialogue that prefaces “I Stand Accused” is halting in its candor as Hayes depicts an aching soul who longs for his best friend’s fiancée. . . . Both “I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself” and the comparatively short (at under six minutes) “One Big Unhappy Family” are more traditionally arranged ballads . . . . [that] tastefully incorporate[] both string and horn sections to augment the languid rhythm, providing contrasting textures rather than gaudy adornment. These sides offer a difference between the proverbial “Black Moses of Soul” persona that would be responsible for the aggressive no-nonsense funk of Shaft (1971) and Truck Turner (1974).

https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-isaac-hayes-movement-mw0000190261

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Smokey Robinson & the Miracles — “And I Love Her”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — July 14, 2026

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

2,036) Smokey Robinson & the Miracles — “And I Love Her”

“It’s as if Macca [see #28, 132, 374, 521, 669, 779-81, 840] wrote the [Beatles’ ‘And I Love Her’] to be sung by the GOAT Smokey Robinson [see #1,313].” (theoloniouscoltrane3778, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=L_Qyd-kSKPQ&list=RDL_Qyd-kSKPQ&start_radio=1&pp=ygU64oCcU21va2V5IFJvYmluc29uICYgdGhlIE1pcmFjbGVzIOKAlCDigJxBbmQgSSBMb3ZlIEhlcuKAnaAHAQ%3D%3D&ra=m) It is “[h]auntingly beautiful”. (Dion_Mustard, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dGWK2p6EQfc&list=RDdGWK2p6EQfc&start_radio=1&pp=ygU64oCcU21va2V5IFJvYmluc29uICYgdGhlIE1pcmFjbGVzIOKAlCDigJxBbmQgSSBMb3ZlIEhlcuKAnaAHAQ%3D%3D&ra=m)”Man, you can just hear the emotions pouring out.” (Paisleyjane1957, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dGWK2p6EQfc&list=RDdGWK2p6EQfc&start_radio=1&pp=ygU64oCcU21va2V5IFJvYmluc29uICYgdGhlIE1pcmFjbGVzIOKAlCDigJxBbmQgSSBMb3ZlIEhlcuKAnaAHAQ%3D%3D&ra=m) Indeed you can. Simply stunning. Simply Smokey.

Andrew Hamilton writes of Smokey Robinson & the Miracles’ LP, What Love Has…:

A stunning concept album by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles that should have fared better. Notables wrote the six songs, all love ballads: Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye [see #229, 940, 1,738], Berry Gordy, Frank Wilson, Bacharach & David, Lennon & McCartney, and Smokey himself. Every selection is a wedding song, and Smokey caresses the lyrics like they were newborns. The heavenly harmonies of the Miracles –Ronald White, Bobby Rogers, Pete Moore, and Claudette Robinson — touch the soul. When they sing Brenda Holloway’s [see #1,313] “You Made Me So Very Happy,” [see #182] you don’t just hear the words; for five minutes and four seconds you experience what lovers feel. The harmonies on What Love Has… are overwhelming, almost overkill. Smokey drenches more soul onto Marvin Gaye’s “If This World Was Mine” then the master himself. The lush arrangements by Smokey and Jerry Long will make you dizzy. Motown didn’t release any singles from What Love Has…

https://www.allmusic.com/album/what-love-hasjoined-together-mw0000654817

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Milt Matthews Inc. — “Hard Day’s Night”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — July 13, 2026

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

2,035) Milt Matthews Inc. — “Hard Day’s Night”

A most excellent cover of the Beatles’ [see #28-29, 113, 132, 374, 422-23, 520-22, 545, 669, 779-81, 840, 872, 942, 1,087, 1,256, 1,437, 1,473, 1,910] “A Hard Day’s Night” by the “interracial soul-rock band led by vocalist Milt Matthews” (Forced Exposure, https://www.forcedexposure.com/Catalog/milt-matthews-inc-for-the-people-lp/SOULG.015LP.html) Bill Kopp writes that:

[The classic is] reinterpret[ed] . . . in a manner stylistically related to some of what was coming out of Stax . . . . [with t]he fuzz . . . laid on more thickly than was the wont of, say, Steve Cropper. A string chart adds a lot here as well: there aren’t all that many successful examples of melding . . . soul and psych.

https://blog.musoscribe.com/index.php/2010/05/03/album-review-milt-matthews-inc-for-the-people/

Forced Exposure tells us of the LP — For the People:

A key funk release from 1971 . . . [was] the second album by [Milt Matthews, Inc] . . . . All the way from Wilson, North Carolina, Milton Ray Matthews was an inspired songwriter in the vein of master Curtis Mayfield [see #118, 285, 1,347, 1,544, 1,848, 1939] and follower Lou Bond. With a series of excellent cover version — BB King’s “The Thrill Is Gone,” The Beatles’ “A Hard Days’ Night,” and “Blind Faith’s “Presence Of The Lord” — the record is full of acid-blues chops and sensuous numbers. Filling the gap between modern psychedelia and Afro-American consciousness, For The People literally ascend to the title of black tinged rock opera.

https://www.forcedexposure.com/Catalog/milt-matthews-inc-for-the-people-lp/SOULG.015LP.html

Bill Kopp adds:

Originally released on the tiny Catalyst label in the USA, this second album by the group sank in the marketplace with nary a trace. For reasons having mostly to do with the uniqueness and quality of the sides therein, UK label Ember licensed the album for re-release in England. They slapped new cover artwork on it — nothing special, but superior to the original — and put it out in 1971. It sank without a trace. Again. Which was a shame, since it’s a pretty solid album. . . . At its core, the music on For the People is soul of the turn-of-the-decade variety, but the arrangements are richly informed by the best trends of the era. While that funk-jangle-chunka-chunk so popular on soul albums of the day is omnipresent, there is also an awful lot of fuzz guitar on the album. In fact there’s as much fuzz as you’d hear on a record by, say, Blue Cheer [see #1,020] or the Electric Prunes [see #893]. And said fuzz is well-integrated. Milt Matthews wrote some strong tunes, but in some ways the most interesting numbers on the disc are the covers.

https://blog.musoscribe.com/index.php/2010/05/03/album-review-milt-matthews-inc-for-the-people/

Finally, Dusty Groove:

A weird little soul album from singer Milt Matthews – one that mixes up a range of late 60s influences, including Hendrix [see #1,577, 1,776] guitar licks, southern soul vocals, and kind of a rootsy crossover feel that’s almost equal parts rock and soul! There’s a lot of wah wah and organ in the mix – and the lyrics are pretty righteous on most songs – almost in the sort of territory that other artists were using to cross over much bigger in the US market – a space that’s somewhere between Otis Redding [see #1,333, 1,385] and Joe Cocker, but nicely rough around the edges too.

https://www.dustygroove.com/item/517804/Milt-Matthews-Inc:For-The-People

Here is the B-side version:

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The Four Tops — “Eleanor Rigby”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — July 12, 2026

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

2,034) The Four Tops — “Eleanor Rigby”

A soul-stirring cover of the Beatles’ [see #28-29, 113, 132, 374, 422-23, 520-22, 545, 669, 779-81, 840, 872, 942, 1,087, 1,256, 1,437, 1,473, 1,910] “Eleanor Rigby”. Very possibly the greatest ever cover of the song. “Levi Stubbs is in great shape . . . transform[ing ‘Eleanor Rigby’ with] his beautiful voice and melodramatic elocution in[to a] miniature masterpiece[]”. (chrismass61, https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/four-tops/four-tops-now-3/)

“That bass player ‘stole the show’ in this song! Too funky!” (solesirching73, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vKmraYfEslk&list=RDvKmraYfEslk&start_radio=1&pp=ygUbdGhlIGZvdXIgdG9wcyBlbGVhbm9yIHJpZ2J5oAcB&ra=m) Indeed. “Wasn’t it James Jamerson?” (solesirching73 again) I think so (Funk Brothers).

Here the Tops perform “In the Still of the Night” and “Eleanor Rigby”:

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The Motions — “Everything (that’s Mine)”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — July 11, 2026

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

2,033) The Motions — “Everything (that’s Mine)”

The Netherlands’ Motions (see #1,224, 1,260) give us a “[s]uperb song, [a] real garagekiller” (Nederbeat, https://rateyourmusic.com/music-review/Nederbeat/the-motions/everything-thats-mine-theres-no-place-to-hide/49130142). It is “scorching . . . a mod masterpiece . . . just as exciting as the early Who [see #119, 548, 833, 976, 1,912] or Small Faces [see #969, 1,024] (Richie Unterberger, https://www.allmusic.com/album/introduction-to-the-motions-their-own-way-mw0001020112), a “positively ferocious mod stomper” (Richie Unterberger, https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-motions-mn0000479965) that “explod[es] into a destructive pop art bridge on which Robbie Van Leeuwen’s clanging power chords and moaning feeback pay raucous homage to Pete Townshend”. (Mike Stax, liner notes to the CD comp Nuggets II (Original Artyfacts From The British Empire And Beyond 1964-1969))

Richie Unterberger is dismissive of the Motions:

A pretty typical Dutch “beat” group of the 1960s, the Motions were pretty popular in their native land, releasing seven albums and over 27 singles in their eight-year career. Far from the best Dutch group, and far from the worst, most of their hits were fairly ordinary fare, ranging from dippy folkish ballads to tough mod rockers. . . . They’re really most remembered for their lead guitarist and songwriter, Robby van Leeuwen, who left in 1967 to form Shocking Blue [see #1,214, 1,292], and penned that group’s international smash, “Venus.”

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-motions-mn0000479965

I disagree. Had they been English, the Motions would have been huge in the UK and revered to this day.

Alex Gitlin goes through the Motions:

The Motions from The Hague were one of the bigger groups of the 1960s Dutch beat explosion. . . . formed in 1964 from the remnants of Richie Clark and the Ricochets . . . . The single, “Freedom” [see #1,260] reached the lower regions of the American charts in 1969. . . . From 1964 to 1967, the line-up was stable: Rudy Bennett (i.r.l. Ruud van de Berg – vocals . . . ), Robbie van Leeuwen (guitar . . . later the founder of both Shocking Blue and Galaxy Lin), Henk Smitskamp (bass . . . later to Livin’ Blues) & Sieb Warner (i.r.l. Siebolt Warntjes – drums . . . later to Golden Earring [see #63, 163, 319, 1,215, 1,504, 1,560, 1,572]). This line-up had a string of hits in The Netherlands during 1965 and 1966 . . . . Their first album, Introduction To The Motions, is considered one of the best albums of the era. Early 1967, Robbie left to form Shocking Blue and was replaced by Gerard Romeyn ( . . . later with Nico Haak, Image). Late 1967, Henk Smitskamp was ousted in favour of Leo Bennink . . . . A fifth member was found in multi-instrumentalist Jan Vennik (sax, flute & organ . . . later to Rob Hoeke & Ekseption). When in mid-1968 Gerard Romeyn and Jan Vennik were busted for posession of marijuana and incarcerated, the band took in Paul van Melzen (ex-Haigs [see #138], later in the Mailer McKenzie Band) on bass and Bobby Green, (i.r.l. Bob van der Vaart – organ . . . ). Bennink switched to guitar. This line up recorded the album Electric Baby for Decca in 1969. The band then suffered another setback by the departure of drummer Sieb Warner to rivals Golden Earring . . . . His replacement was Han Cooper (i.r.l. Han Gordinou de Gouberville). The last line-up of the group (up until 1971) was: Rudy, Leo, Paul, Bobby and Han. . . . They recorded one more album for the Simogram label of supermarket chain Simon de Wit, but split up soon afterwards. After the breakup, Rudy Bennett, Bobby Green and Gerard Romeyn all released solo singles. Bennett later joined Robbie van Leeuwen in Galaxy Lin.

https://www.alexgitlin.com/motions.htm

Here is Shocking Blue’s interpretation:

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I Shall Be Released: Powder — “Turn Another Page”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — July 10, 2026

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

2,032) Powder — “Turn Another Page”

Before Thomas and Richard Frost had a minor hit and created Visualize, one of the great lost albums of the 1960s (see #209, 211, 247, 385, 595, 775, 967, 1,733, 1,865), these Who-bsessed brothers ignited Powder (see #789, 1,556), the first and greatest American mod band, giving us this thrilling “Who [see #119, 548, 833, 976, 1,912]-influenced . . . splendid proto power pop” (Flipped Out Phil, https://flippedoutphil.substack.com/p/visualizing-the-california-superpop) from another of the great lost albums of the 1960s.

Mark Deming gives us the story:

After the Beatles broke big in America in 1964, plenty of young American rockers began following the lead of their peers in the U.K., and very few did so with greater enthusiasm than Powder, a California-based combo whose explosive style was rooted in their enthusiasm for the Who, the Small Faces [see #969, 1,024], the Creation [see #129, 165, 1,502, 1,643, 1,748, 1,950] . . . . [G]uitarist Richard Martin, aka Richard Frost, . . grew up in San Mateo, California, not far from San Francisco. Frost became a rock & roll fan at an early age, and had already played in a handful of local acts with his brother Thomas Martin (aka Tom Frost) when the British Invasion struck in 1964. The Frost Brothers formed a band called the Newcastle Five, whose jangly style was informed by the new British sounds and early folk-rock. The Newcastle Five were playing clubs in San Francisco when they were spotted by Ray Columbus, a rock & roll singer from New Zealand who had come to the United States in hopes of advancing his career. Colombus invited the Newcastle Five to be his backing band, and the new combo took on a new name, the Art Collection. . . . and released [with Columbus] a fine example of fuzztone proto-punk, “Kick Me,” [see #1,014] in 1966 . . . Columbus didn’t stay with the group long, and as the first waves of the San Francisco psychedelic sound began to appear, the Frost Brothers relocated to Los Angeles in search of an audience for their louder, wilder sounds. . . . [They] caught a lucky break in 1967 when they were hired to be Sonny & Cher’s [see #281-83, 1,021] backing group for a nationwide tour. In addition to a well-paying road gig, th[is] . . . gave the[m] connections with Sonny Bono, who had launched his own music production concern, Progress Production Company, with producer Denis Pregnolato. . . . Progress signed them to a deal, and the group cut an album . . . with Bono and Pregnolato as producers, that they planned to lease to Atco Records. However, the deal went sour when Progress demanded the publishing rights to the songs, and the album was shelved. Powder soon broke up . . . .

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/powder-mn0001251845/biography

Kieron Tyler talks more of their sound:

Crescendo follows crescendo, and power chord follows power chord. For The Who, “I Can see for Miles” was the apex of this style. But this is not The Who. Instead, it is a band from California called Powder whose shelved album from 1968 was crammed with thrilling, British-influenced gems. . . . [that] filtered a British sensibility through an American outlook. . . . Martin confirms that “we were Who fanatics and got hold of the My Generation album before it was released in the States. People used to think we were from Britain because of our stage attire.”

https://theartsdesk.com/new-music/reissue-cds-weekly-powder

And Alec Palao provides a vivid description: “Rich and Tom read the British mags like Rave, dressed in dandified threads brought directly from Carnaby Street . . . dug the latest hip UK sounds on import-only singles and albums . . . . and were forever being asked by fans whether or not they were from England.” (liner notes to the Biff! Bang! Powder CD comp)

Oh, what could have been. Derek Anderson:

Sonny Bono pitched the potential album to the wrong man. Sonny choose to take Powder’s recording to Atlantic Records’ Ahmet Erteugen. However, he was better known for jazz, R&B and soul. Only later, would Atlantic Records become a rock label. . . . So, it’s no wonder . . . Erteugen didn’t show any interest . . . . Following the disappointment of the recording sessions, Sonny and Cher’s management team decided to concentrate on Chastity, a film starring Cher. Powder were meant to contribute some of the music. However, in early 1969, drummer Bill Schoppe quit . . . . decid[ing] to wander down the spiritual path that was proving popular in San Francisco. . . . Powder’s biggest mistake was turning down Mercury Records to sign for Sonny and Cher’s management team. That must have seemed like an opportunity of a lifetime. It proved not to be the case.

https://dereksmusicblog.com/2014/12/10/powder-ka-pow-an-explosive-collection-1967-1968/

And Kieron Tyler:

All it’s possible to think is “how did a band this great, this melodic and this potent escape attention at the time?” . . . After looking at their contemporary context, it becomes clear why Powder didn’t attract widespread attention. They simply didn’t fit in. . . . Rich Martin (later Frost) declares “we revelled in not conforming to the San Francisco sound – it was a badge of honour and a bit of rebellion against what was popular.” . . . Powder played San Francisco but weren’t part of the ballroom scene. They were suburban and definitely not hippies. . . . Musically, the San Francisco narrative for 1967 was . . . dominated by lengthy songs, jamming and a general looseness. . . . The kinetic, sharp-edged Powder were something else. Their heads were filled with neon visions of a concise mod-pop rather than notions of soundtracking journeys to inner space.

https://theartsdesk.com/new-music/reissue-cds-weekly-powder

Here’s an alternate version:

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I Shall Be Released: Focal Point — “McKinley Morgan the Deep Sea Diver”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — July 9, 2026

“McKinley Morgan the Deep Sea Diver” is available here: https://s-the-deep-sea-diver.mp3.pm/.

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

2,031) Focal Point — “McKinley Morgan the Deep Sea Diver”

From one of the greatest coulda/shoulda-beens in the annals of British pop psych (see #4, 43, 198, 538, 747, 991, 1,094, 1,549, 1,732) here is a rousing ode to a deep-sea diver, a “Swinging Sixties third-party pen-portrait[] . . . an enjoyable singalong that could have come from The Teenage Opera via ‘Yellow Submarine.'” (Len, https://therisingstorm.net/focal-point-first-bite-of-the-apple/) In fact, guitarist Paul Tennant recalled:

This is sort of our answer to “Yellow Submarine”. Dave [Rhodes] and I were reading a newspaper and saw this story about McKinley Morgan the deep-sea diver and before you could say McKinley Morgan we had a song. . . . You have to agree once you start singing this one you can’t stop!”

liner notes to the CD comp Focal Point: First Bite of the Apple: The Complete Recordings 1967-68

“Despite . . . being given a high profile Soho launch party, the[ir only] single sold only modestly, and . . . [the Beatles-backed] Focal Point returned to Liverpool soon after, never to return to London.” (Stefan Granados, liner notes to the CD comp Focal Point: First Bite of the Apple: The Complete Recordings 1967-68)

It all started out like a fairy tale when two guys cornered Paul McCartney walking his sheepdog Martha in Hyde Park . . . . As Paul Tennant recalled:

It was . . . the summer of 1967 . . . . We knew which house Paul lived in due to the large amount of girls hanging about outside. . . . Then all of a sudden the gates opened and a mini shoots out and away. Without a second thought we were on his tail, and there in the back of the car was a large sheepdog . . . . I never let it out of my sight . . . [W]e were at Hyde Park, the mini stopped and out stepped Paul, let the dog out and waved to the driver – Jane Asher and he was away walking the dog. . . . [W]e shouted to [Paul] and he turned around. We then told him . . . we were writing songs and didn’t know what to do with them, could he help? . . . [H]e said to us “I could get you a recording contract just like that” and flicked his fingers. “But why should I?” It was then that he proved to be human by planting a finger up his nostril. Dave [Rhodes] laughed and he laughed. Dave then said . . . “Because we are good, our songs are good.” It was just like that, Paul then wrote down . . . a phone number . . . . “Phone this guy and tell him I sent you[]” and he was then gone . . . . [W]hen we got back to Liverpool, Dave and I phoned . . . . Terry [Doran] listened and told us Paul had told him we were going to ring and when could we go down to London. . . . Out came the guitars and we sang four of our best songs . . . . He said he liked our songs and would like to get acetate done of them. . . . “John loves your songs, he is absolutely going mad over them” said Terry. We were . . . gob smacked. He wants me to play them to Brian”. . . . “Brian agrees with John, your songs are fantastic.” . . . Brian . . . suggested that we should form a band [and] call [it] Focal Point.

http://www.marmalade-skies.co.uk/focalpoint.htm

Then it all came crashing down. I often talk about the singer/songwriters and bands that became collateral damage in the collapse of Andrew Loog Oldham’s Immediate Records. Focal Point, however, fell victims to the demise of Apple and the Beatles.

To read about it all, check out Paul Tennant’s fabulous interviews at Marmalade Skies and in Beatles Unlimited (http://www.meetthebeatlesforreal.com/2022/07/focal-point.html?m=1) and bassist Dave Slater’s great interview at the Strange Brew: https://thestrangebrew.co.uk/interviews/dave-slater-focal-point-apple-the-beatles-pt1; https://thestrangebrew.co.uk/interviews/dave-slater-focal-point-apple-the-beatles-pt2/.

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I Shall Be Released: Val McKenna and Lesley Duncan — “Something’s Coming Along”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — July 8, 2026

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

2,030) Val McKenna and Lesley Duncan — “Something’s Coming Along”

This joyful “funky soulful sweet tune” (Patrick, https://www.gullbuy.com/buy/2005/8_16/dreambabe6sassy.php) by Val McKenna (see #988, 1,181, 1,258) and Leslie Duncan just sweeps me away. Whenever you need a little push in life, just remember “You don’t have to knock, life is like a clock So wind it, wind it”

The song was written by Val and Leslie along with John Carter (see #1,201, 1,304, 1,632) Micky Keen, and Robin Shaw (see #1,258). Carter recalls that “[T]here are five writers involved. It was a case of all finding ourselves in the same room . . . at the same time and saying ‘let’s write a song’.” (liner notes to the CD comp Dreambabes Volume Six: Sassy and Stonefree) I guess it was recorded as a demo and recorded and released by the Swinging Blue Jeans and the Sceptres — in versions that pale by comparison to Val and Lesley’s take.

Val McKenna was a double threat — a terrific singer and songwriter who never achieved the success and recognition she deserved. Her 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) Bruce Eder says about Val that:

A singer whose career was managed by Ivy League members John Carter and Ken Lewis, Val McKenna was one of the better white female pop soul-style singers to come out of early- to mid-’60s England. Apart from a convincing delivery on numbers like “Mixed Up, Shook Up Girl,” she also benefited from the presence of Jimmy Page on lead guitar on her records, which also included “Baby Do It” and “Now That You’ve Made Up Your Mind,” the latter her own composition and very good indeed.

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/val-mckenna-mn0000303369

Carter further explains that:

The Ministry of Sound was really a substitute venture for me when I left The Ivy League[.] I got together with [bassist/singer] Robin Shaw and [guitarist] Micky Keen and we started writing together and recording tracks in Southern Music’s studio. . . . Val McKenna was signed to Southern as an artist and Lesley Duncan was a friend and always around the studio, so it seemed natural that when we needed girl vocals on tracks they would be brought in to guest.

liner notes to the CD comp Dreambabes Volume Six: Sassy and Stonefree

Kieron Tyler tells us that “Val later attracted attention from the Northern Soul brigade with her 1970 Spark A-side ‘Love Feeling’ and then went into session singing, and was featured on Rick Wakeman’s 1984 single ‘Glory Boys’ and Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzaneras’s 1990 solo album Southern Cross.” (liner notes to Dreambabes Volume Six: Sassy and Stonefree)

Here are the Sceptres:

Here are the Swinging Blue Jeans:

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The Eighth Day — “Building with a Steeple”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — July 7, 2026

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

2,029) The Eighth Day — “Building with a Steeple”

Sugar, this is a sweet sunshine pop B-side written by the Archies’ Ron Dante (and Gene Allan). Yes, the building is a church.

Buckeyebeat tells us about the Eighth Day:

The story of the Eighth Day involves two bands, the Sons Of Liberty and the Opus IV, and two girls from SW Ohio, Nancy Pettit . . . and Melanie Ross . . . . According to former members of the Sons of Liberty, they were playing at Club 22 and owner Joe Gorlock called up one of his musical connection in NYC – Bob Feldman – and held the phone as they played so Feldman could hear them. Feldman was one third of the Feldman/Goldstein/Goteherer team that were the Strangeloves and produdced the McCoys. He . . . requested the band come to NYC to audition. The Sons of Liberty played their songs but Feldman had a different idea. Gorlock knew Nancy and Melanie and between Gorlock and Feldman they wanted to make a ‘soft rock’ style group with male/female vocals. The producers brought a couple of their ‘go-to’ songwriters, Gene Allen and Ron Dante, who pushed their songs onto the band. They auditioned for several record companies and signed with Kapp Records. Over the summer of 1967 they all spent time at Mayfair Recording Studio in NYC working on a album’s worth of songs. Eventually, the lack of control got to the young and eager SOL and they quit, leaving only drummer Jim Brandolino. Gorlock went right to Plan B, which was Club 22 favorite, the Opus IV. The Opus IV completed the album recording and took over the identity. With two drummers among the 7 members, Bill Gunion and Jim Brandolino took turns. The other members were Bob Parissi (guitar), Vito D’Aurora (keyboards), and John (Dale) Lesnansky (bass). Finally, late in 1967, the first Eighth Day 45 “Hey Boy! (This Girls In Love With You) was issued in pic sleeve that showed the SOL version – with the Opus IV recording! The 45 took off and reached the charts in a few markets with Nashville really getting behind the record . . . . When the LP was released, the cover photos and promo material had the Opus IV version with the SOL version written off. According to the SOL webpage, they played/sang on 6 of the LP songs . . . [including] “Building With A Steeple” . . . and the Opus IV on the other five. After the initial promo push with the first 45 and LP, Kapp seemd to lose interest. There were two more 45s released, and the band lasted until the fall of 1968.

https://www.buckeyebeat.com/eighthday.html

“Building with a Steeple” was also released by the Village East, as 23 Daves relates:

Some collectors assumed that this one never made it past the promo stage, for example, but here’s the stock copy as living proof . . . . “Building With A Steeple” . . . [lost] any edgy credibility it might have with a Christian message and yet sounding so downright lovely it’s hard to understand how anyone could resist. There’s not much originality present here as the vocal harmonies and arrangements echo the likes of The Mamas and Papas [see #1,734] but crucially it’s not inferior to their work in any way and was clearly extremely unlucky not to have sold in greater quantities. There’s a yearning to the vocals and an intricacy to the delicately strummed and plucked arrangements which would soothe the most troubled soul, and like all the best West Coast sounds from the period it sounds simultaneously lush and sincere. . . . Sadly, The Village East didn’t release any singles after this one effort, as apparently the lead singer . . . immediately left to pursue an unsuccessful career as a solo artist after this flopped. . . . As for the song, it was also recorded by The Eighth Day (with a near-identical arrangement) and Frank Sinatra Jr.

https://left-and-to-the-back.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-village-east-building-with-steeple.html?m=1

Tim Sendra writes of Ron Dante:

[Ron Dante’s] voice featured on a couple of the biggest pop hits of the late ’60s (the Archies’ “Sugar, Sugar” and the Cuff Links’ “Tracy”), he worked as musical director for Barry Manilow in the ’70s, and he sang on some of the most ubiquitous commercials of the era, including the iconic “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing” for Coke. . . . The Elvis-loving preteen . . . was playing and singing in a neighborhood doo wop band called the Persuaders. At the age of 15, the youngster, now known professionally as Ron Dante, headed to Manhattan to break into the music business. After a few false starts, he ended up working as a demo singer for Don Kirshner’s Aldon Music. He released “Little Lollipop,” his first single under the name Ronnie Dante, in 1964 on the Almot label, but it didn’t go anywhere. Neither did his next, the novelty song “Don’t Stand Up in a Canoe.” In a twist that foreshadowed his future career path, Dante did have a hit in 1964 as the anonymous singer of the “Leader of the Pack” parody “Leader of the Laundromat” by the invented group the Detergents. He spent the next few years writing songs for Bobby Darin’s company and releasing singles that didn’t worry the charts much. In 1968, his life changed when he auditioned for a new project Don Kirshner and producer Jeff Barry were working on and got the gig as lead singer. The band was the Archies and the first record to come out was “Bang-Shang-A-Lang.” It was a hit, but the next song they released defined an era. “Sugar, Sugar” launched the bubblegum sound and reached number one on the singles chart. The Archies project continued for a few more years, with the hits drying up and Dante learning the ins and outs of record production, eventually helming their final album, 1971’s This Is Love. During that time, he was free to work with other producers and he teamed with Paul Vane and Lee Pockriss on the smash 1969 song “Tracy,” credited to the Cuff Links. Dante released his first solo album, Ron Dante Brings You Up in 1970, with Jeff Barry producing and Dante co-writing most of the songs. It didn’t take off the way anyone hoped and Dante went back to releasing one-off singles under his own and other names . . . . He also did plenty of work singing commercial jingles . . . . At one of these sessions he met Barry Manilow, who was working as Bette Midler’s piano player and as a composer of jingles. The two hit it off and began recording demos of Manilow’s songs. Their hard work paid off in 1974 when “Mandy” became a huge hit and launched the singer’s career. Dante became Manilow’s musical director and producer throughout the 1970s. At the same time, Dante released singles under his own name and under pseudonyms . . . , even cutting a disco remake of “Sugar, Sugar” in 1975. He also rode the disco wave with Dante’s Inferno, a late-’70s group . . . . Around this time Dante began to branch out from music, becoming a Broadway producer and winning Tonys for 1978’s Ain’t Misbehavin’ and 1980’s Children of a Lesser God.

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ron-dante-mn0000274796

Here is Frank Sinatra Jr.:

Here is the Village East:

Surprise, here is Gnarls Barkley:

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Chuck Jackson & Maxine Brown — “We Find Him Guilty”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — July 6, 2026

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

2,028) Chuck Jackson & Maxine Brown — “We Find Him Guilty”

Chuck Jackson (see #405, 1,174) and Maxine Brown (see #1,047, 1,360) team up for one of soul’s great “jury of love” songs, up there with O.V. Wright’s “Eight Men, Four Women” (see #1,028). “Guilty” is an early Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson composition (along with Joshie Armstead).

“you’re a heartbrеaker and a troublemaker And there’s no mistake you’re a fake”

“Guilty” is off Jackson’s and Brown’s Saying Something album of duets. Mark Deming tells us:

In 1966, Chuck Jackson was Wand Records’ leading soul star, and Maxine Brown was a promising vocalist who had scored a handful of minor hits for the label before making the Top 40 with “It’s Gonna Be Alright.” Figuring that two hitmakers are better than one, Wand got the bright idea of putting Jackson & Brown together for an album of duets, and 1966’s Saying Something demonstrated they made as fine a combination as bacon and eggs. Most of the cuts . . . found the two vocalists trading lines as if the songs were romantic dialogue, and they were certainly up to the task, as Jackson’s powerful baritone meshed beautifully with Brown’s clear, dramatic tenor on a set of 12 fine songs . . . . Along with some well-chosen covers from Chris Kenner and Ivory Joe Hunter, Saying Something also featured some early copyrights from Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, and “Don’t Go” and “Never Had It So Good” show they already had the goods that would make them songwriting royalty. And Stan Green’s production is polished New York soul at its most effective; Jackson & Brown were at the top of their game when they recorded Saying Something, and they sound superb together on this LP.

https://www.allmusic.com/album/saying-something-mw0000890036

Richard Williams writes of Chuck Jackson:

Chuck Jackson was a matinee idol among his generation of soul singers in the early 1960s, displaying the looks and the bearing to match the elegance of his singing. He shared . . . an understated masculinity that would be lost in the subsequent decade . . . . Jackson . . . infused the songs he recorded with deep emotions made all the more powerful by the restraint of his delivery.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/feb/23/chuck-jackson-obituary

Richard Williams tells us that “[s]teeped in gospel music from an early age, [Jackson] made his first radio broadcast at six years old and was a choir leader by the age of 11.” (https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/feb/23/chuck-jackson-obituary) Pittsburgh Music History adds that:

At 14 he began sneaking into jazz clubs to watch drummer Art Blakey and pianist Horace Silver. They always kicked him out, but he said in an interview that it was worth it. “Thank God I did it, Because today I incorporate jazz and pop into my rhythm-and-blues performance. It’s a wonderful mix; I picked it up from sneaking in and listening.”

https://web.archive.org/web/20190321210631/https://sites.google.com/site/pittsburghmusichistory/pittsburgh-music-story/r-b–funk/chuck-jackson

Williams continues the story of Jackson’s early years:

[Jackson] served in the US Navy before moving in 1957 to Pittsburgh, where he sang The Lord’s Prayer to Joe Aberbach, a local music promoter. Aberbach had little use for gospel music, but secured Jackson a place in the Del-Vikings, a mixed-race vocal group whose national hits included “Come Go With Me” (1957) and whose baritone singer was leaving. While on tour with the group a few months later, Jackson met the singer Jackie Wilson, already an established star, who encouraged him to follow his own example and strike out as a solo artist. Jackson toured as Wilson’s support act, performing for the first time at the Apollo theatre in Harlem, and made his first recordings for small labels such as Clock and Beltone before being signed in 1961 by the producer and songwriter Luther Dixon to Florence Greenberg’s Scepter/Wand company . . . .

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/feb/23/chuck-jackson-obituary

Pittsburgh Music History takes it up:

Working with talented Brill Building writers and arrangers Jackson had 21 hits records on the Scepter/Wand label through most of the sixties. His first single on Wand, “I Don’t Want to Cry”, that he co-wrote with Luther Dixen was arranged by Carol King. It reached number 5 on the R&B charts and broke into the Top 40 in 1961. Scepter/Wand paired Jackson with the budding song writing team of Hal David and Burt Bacharach who wrote his next hit single “I Wake Up Crying” which peaked at No. 13 on the R&B Charts. Jackson, Bacharach, and David hit pay dirt with the next single “Any Day Now’. which hit number 2 R&B and No. 23 on the Top 40 in 1962. Scepter paired Jackson in duets with Doris Taylor and Maxine Brown. Jackson and Taylor scored a number 5 R&B hit with the energetic song “Beg Me” in 1964. Working together Maxine Brown and Jackson recorded the classic tunes “Baby Take Me” and the 1965 number 10 R&B hit “Something You Got”. . . .

https://web.archive.org/web/20190321210631/https://sites.google.com/site/pittsburghmusichistory/pittsburgh-music-story/r-b–funk/chuck-jackson

Michael Jack Kirby tells the story of Maxine Brown:

Sweet soul songstress Maxine Ella Brown established herself quite easily through a right place-right time set of events, only to discover how challenging it would be to maintain anything close to the level of what she achieved in 1961, her first full year in music’s major leagues. Though “All in My Mind” and “Funny,” both of which she had a hand in writing, made for a high-profile introduction to music fans, subsequent single releases were usually composed by more seasoned songwriters but were oddly more of a hard sell. The end result was a full decade of performing for sizeable audiences in different (not always top-billed) situations while occasionally showing up on the national charts. . . . [B]y the age of nine she and her mother had moved to Queens, New York (a better way of putting it would be they fled from her father, who was abusive past the point of tolerance) . . . . Maxine was 17 when her mother died in 1957 at just 34 years of age. She had already begun singing gospel music with three close friends and as The Angelaires they performed at area churches and backed well-known gospel singer and minister Professor Charles Taylor. At 18 Maxine moved to Manhattan and, with little experience, managed to talk her way into a job as a medical stenographer at Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn . . . . She joined a Manhattan-based gospel group with the too-obvious name The Manhattans . . . [who] later . . . went secular and with only two male singers and Maxine, [becoming] The Treys. Leader Fred Johnson suggested a lyric, “Maybe it’s all in my mind,” which Maxine expanded into a full song; after some time had passed, she made a demonstration recording and Fred sent it around, hoping someone might make a “real” recording of it. In the fall of 1960, Tony Bruno, who’d started the Nomar label with financial help from mob members, heard the demo and released it as-is. WABC in N.Y. jumped on Maxine’s not-so-unpolished demo and competing stations quickly followed suit. By early 1961, “All in My Mind” . . . was going strong nationally, reached the top 20 on the pop charts and got as high as number two R&B . . . . “Funny” . . . made her two-for-two in the hit department when it climbed into the pop top 30 in April 1961 and R&B top ten in May. After a third Nomar single, “Heaven in Your Arms,” strangely failed to generate any interest, she sensibly accepted an offer from ABC-Paramount . . . releasing eight singles there over the next year and a half. . . . [but] nothing made much impact. . . . . Florence Greenberg and Luther Dixon of New York’s Scepter Records had been fans of the “Funny” girl and, in the wake of Dionne Warwick’s early ’63 “Don’t Make Me Over” breakthrough, figured they could work a similar spell with Maxine. She signed with the company and appeared on its Wand subsidiary, hitting the charts right off with “Ask Me,” a well-produced vocal tour-de-force. Yet where sales and airplay were concerned, she seemed to hit a barrier not unlike the one that plagued her at ABC. The situation improved in the fall of 1964 when an opportunity to do vocals on a track The Shirelles had struggled with presented itself; “Oh No Not My Baby[]” . . . by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. . . . returned her to the top 40 after more than three years and sent her back to number two R&B . . . . Carole lent her personal touch on another Goffin-King track, “It’s Gonna Be Alright,” a mid-chart effort in early ’65. . . . Flo G. matched Maxine with Wand star Chuck Jackson on . . . “Something You Got[]” . . . . land[ing] in the R&B top ten, which jump-started a three-year partnership between Chuck and Maxine. . . . 1967 found Miss Brown at the end of her association with Scepter/Wand; when Marvin Gaye’s most popular duet partner Tammi Terrell collapsed onstage in October, Maxine filled in for her during a week’s engagement with Gaye at Harlem’s Apollo Theater. Several sessions that year under Otis Redding‘s direction at the FAME studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama seemed to be leading her towards a contract with Stax/Volt and some southern-infused material, but with Redding’s tragic death in December, those recordings were shelved. . . . In 1969, Maxine gave one of her strongest emotional performances on “We’ll Cry Together,” a top 20 R&B hit . . . [T]he midtempo “I Can Get Along Without You” was her chart swan song in April 1970. . . . Eventually Maxine left the business . . . [until f]ans in England discovered her brilliance as a vocalist . . . . Maxine Brown resumed performing and just kept on going.

https://waybackattack.com/brownmaxine.html

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Spirit — “Nature’s Way”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — July 5, 2026

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

2,027) Spirit — “Nature’s Way”

Here’s a Spirit (see #1,092) song that wasn’t nicked by Zeppelin, but probably should have been — “lilting”, a “most endearing FM standard” (Richie Unterberger, https://www.allmusic.com/album/twelve-dreams-of-dr-sardonicus-mw0000651040), “driven by a positively gorgeous folk-jazz melody; its bittersweet beauty is easily apparent upon first listen”. (Matthew Greenwald, https://www.allmusic.com/song/natures-way-mt0033489611)

It was one of the first environmentally-driven rock songs. Matthew Greenwald writes that it was “[i]nspired by a conversation that writer Randy California had with a San Francisco musician, it takes aim at the fact that Northern California was certainly not immune to ecological nightmares.” (https://www.allmusic.com/song/natures-way-mt0033489611)

Greg Cahill adds:

Spirit guitarist and boy genius Randy California penned “Nature’s Way” in San Francisco one afternoon while the band waited to perform at the Fillmore Auditorium. That stark environmental anthem coincided with the inaugural Earth Day celebration, becoming the first pop song to seriously address concerns about pollution and ecological disaster. The album continues to have an impact: Walter Becker of Steely Dan, who lived in the same apartment building as Randy California, reportedly has credited the Spirit guitarist’s bluesy style as a major influence and has noted that Spirit’s jazz-inflected prog-rock paved the way for Steely Dan’s distinct 1970s pop sound . . . .

https://acousticguitar.com/natures-way-became-a-1970s-rock-anthem-and-classic-rock-radio-staple/

As to Spirit, Sean Trane says:

Spirit created a product of its time: an inventive psychedelic rock hovering between Syd Barrett-Floyd [see #13, 38, 87, 315, 360, 922, 1,949], early The Who [see #119, 548, 833, 976, 1,912], but also developed some highly original sounds of their own. Spirit was not just another garage rock band: they had two jazz players John Locke . . . and drummer Ed Cassidy . . . . [who] was the step father of teenage [ax] wonder Randy California . . . .

https://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=13042

SiLLypuPPy tells us:

Rising out of the ashes of a prior band called The Rising Sons centered around The Ash Grove venue in mid-1960s Los Angeles, a new band emerged . . . . includ[ing] percussionist Ed Cassidy, lead vocalist Jay Ferguson, bassist Mark Andes and guitarist Randy [Wolfe to later become Randy] California. The like minded musical misfits started a folk rock band called Red Roosters where they managed to score the odd high school dances and small venues around L.A. but after taking a hiatus and a cross-country trip to New York City Randy California had the chance to briefly play with Jimi Hendrix [see #1,577, 1,776] . . . but ultimately was denied moving with the band to London by his parents due to his tender young age of 15. Slightly dismayed he had to head back to California to reform his prior band and with the addition of keyboardist John Locke, he and the other Red Roosters team opted to change their name to Spirits Rebellious and that’s when the true magic started to gel. Joining in on the “Summer Of Love” hippie scene after a trip to Griffith Park, the members of the band rented an entire house in Topanga Canyon and lived together with significant others, children, pets and pretty much everything else. This is the time where the inspiration for SPIRIT’s eponymously titled debut album came from. After truncating their name to simply SPIRIT, the band started to make waves by having an utterly unique sound that took the disparate styles of 60s folk and psychedelic rock and married them with the more progressive jazz-fusion styles that were emerging.

https://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=13042

William Ruhlmann tells us more:

Founded in Los Angeles in 1967 by musicians who had a mixture of rock, pop, folk, blues, classical, and jazz backgrounds, and who ranged in age from 16 to 44, the group had an eclectic musical style in keeping with the early days of progressive rock . . . . The diverse tastes of the original quintet produced a hybrid style that delighted a core audience of fans but proved too wide-ranging to attract a mass following, and at the same time the musicians’ acknowledged talents brought them other opportunities that led to the breakup of the original lineup after four years and four albums . . . . In early 1965, the Rising Sons, a folk-blues group featuring Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder, played the Ash Grove; the band’s drummer was Ed Cassidy . . . who met and married [Randy] California’s recently divorced mother, becoming his stepfather. Cassidy had been drumming professionally since his teens in almost every conceivable style, though lately largely in jazz groups before he joined the Rising Sons. . . . In September 1965 . . . [Randy and Cassidy] formed a band called the Red Roosters [with Jay Ferguson and Mark Andes] that . . . . broke up when Cassidy moved his family to New York . . . in the spring of 1966. There [Randy] had a fateful encounter . . . at a music store in Manhattan; he met the then-unknown Jimi Hendrix . . . who invited him to join his band . . . . Since there was already a musician named Randy in the band . . . Hendrix distinguished the two by their home states, calling . . . Randy Wolfe “Randy California.” California played with Hendrix that summer . . . . [who] asked [him] to go to England with him, but at 15 he was too young. Instead, California moved back to [California where he and] Cassidy formed a band called Spirits Rebellious, after a book by the religious mystic Kahlil Gibran, also featuring pianist John Locke [and the returning Ferguson and Andes]. . . . By June [1967], they were playing gigs and . . . . auditioned for record executive and producer Lou Adler. . . . [who] signed Spirit . . . in August 1967, Adler produced the self-titled debut album . . . . [which] entered the Billboard chart in April and . . . peak[ed] in the Top 40 in September. . . . In October 1968, they issued a single, “I Got a Line on You,” a driving rocker written by California. Peaking at number 25 in the Hot 100 in March 1969, it was the group’s only Top 40 single.

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/spirit-mn0000746010

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Dr. John — “The Patriotic Flag-Waiver”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — July 4, 2026

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

2,026) Dr. John — “The Patriotic Flag-Waiver”*

Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. (see #177) was a true American original, but here he borrowed the “Let It All Hang Out” riff and Dylan’s “Talkin’ John Birch Paranoid Blues” rap and stirred them up into a bayou funk gumbo that “in keeping with the mood of the late ’60s . . . damns social ills and hypocrisy of all sorts. An FM underground radio favorite at the time, its ambitious structure remains admirable, though its musical imperfections haven’t worn well.” (Richie Unterberger, https://www.allmusic.com/album/babylon-mw0000221012) What? I love its musical imperfections!

Derek writes of Dr. John’s second album, Babylon, from which PFW is drawn:

Babylon was released on January the ’17th’ 1969 was a powerful, cerebral and innovative genre-melting album which socially had much in common with Dr John’s debut album Gris Gris. However, critics didn’t ‘get’ Babylon and the album which failed commercially. However, just like Gris Gris, Babylon was later reappraised by critics and nowadays is regarded as one of his finest albums and a minor classic.

https://dereksmusicblog.com/2019/03/26/dr-john-the-atco-years-1968-1974/

Tcarterw25 gets down to the LP’s essence:

murky brown, orange and purple – this is an incredibly trippy record. it takes the weird drugginess of gris-gris and dials it to 11. . . . all these songs are in super weird time signatures which make you slightly uncomfy and all these weird murky instruments. gris gris felt like swamp music and this feels like you’re drowning in a swamp. it’s so so so weird but i also really really like it.

https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/dr-john/babylon/reviews/1/

Talia Boettinger adds:

Standing out as one of Dr. John’s most overtly political albums, Babylon rings just as true as it did when it was first released in 1969, and it hasn’t lost any of its voodoo magic either. Originally cut in late ‘68, the album was influenced by dark themes such as the assassinations of Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., the Tet offensive, and the Vietnam War. While the lyrics can be clumsy at times, there are moments that shine through with a weight it still holds to this day, as on the album’s title track “No politicians/No higher religions/To guide you from the dark.” While the lyrics can be heavy, the music is weightless and the brand of Weird that Dr. John specialized in. Loaded with electronic effects and unthinkable, otherworldly rhythms, the remastering further draws out and amplifies Dr. John’s legendary New Orleans sound of voodoo-funk with the occasional jazz influence; a smoky and sexy groove with the sharp edge of something sinister. A darkness in the almost trance-like chant of Dr. John’s delivery. What falls a bit short is the music itself. There are times where it fades a bit too much into the background, gives up a bit too much of its power to the lyrics. As a result, some of the mysticism is lost and it’s difficult to establish a connection from one song to the next. Even so, Babylon still carries enough magic to make goose bumps crawl across your skin when the rhythm slows on a song like “Twilight Zone” and the lyrics “In the outer limits of a land unknown/In the twilight zone,” mumbled like a spell.

https://therockasteria.blogspot.com/2024/03/dr-john-babylon-1969-us-extraordinary.html?m=1

* Yes, that is how it’s spelled!

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Buffalo Springfield — “Flying on the Ground Is Wrong”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — July 3, 2026

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

2,025) Buffalo Springfield — “Flying on the Ground Is Wrong”

“Flying” is an impossibly gorgeous song written by Neil Young and sung by Richie Furay on Buffalo Springfield’s (see #1,555) first LP. “Although Neil Young has only two lead vocals on the record . . . he’s already a songwriter of great talent and enigmatic lyricism, particularly on . . . [‘Flying’].” (Richie Unterberger, https://www.allmusic.com/album/buffalo-springfield-mw0000053741) “I come back to this song a lot its one of the few songs that genuinely gives me chills every time I hear it” (montreal1974, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxYFZIDoCdI) The song was a #36 hit in Canada . . . for the Guess Who (see #758, 1,140, 1,335, 1,367).

Stewart Mason writes:

One of the lesser-known gems of Neil Young’s Buffalo Springfield days . . . arguably slighter than either “Mr. Soul” or “Broken Arrow,” but its wistful melody and evocative lyrics make it one of the prettier songs of Young’s entire career. Richie Furay takes the lead vocal, his much sweeter voice emphasizing the winsome tune instead of the inscrutability of the lyrics (what on earth does the title mean, anyway?*). Young himself contributes a lovely lead guitar part heavy on the sort of ringing sustain that proves that Buffalo Springfield was a big influence on later jangle pop bands. Although [it] was never released as a single and never attracted much attention at the time of its release, it has since become a favorite of latter-day Neil Young fans.

https://www.allmusic.com/song/flying-on-the-ground-is-wrong-mt0006423773

* Rolling Stone Australia explains: “’It’s about what happens when you start getting high,’ [Young] says on 1970’s Live at the Cellar Door. ‘And you find out that people you thought you knew, you don’t anymore — because they don’t get high, and you do.'” (https://au.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/100-greatest-neil-young-songs-35283/flying-on-the-ground-is-wrong-35315/) Others say that it is about what an epileptic seizure feels like to Neil.

Here is Neil Young live:

Here is the Guess Who:

Here is Summer Snow:

Here are the Cascades:

Here is Angel Pavement:

Here is Suburban 9 to 5:

Here is Thomas Edisun’s Electric Light Bulb Band:

If you’ve gotten this far, check out the Replacements’ “Swingin’ Party” — compare and contrast:

I have added a Facebook page for Brace for the Obscure 60s Rock! If you like what you read and hear and feel so inclined, please visit and “like” my Facebook page by clicking here.

Pay to Play! The Off the Charts Spotify Playlist! + Brace for the Obscure 60s Rock Merchandise

The playlist includes all the “greatest songs of the 1960’s that no one has ever heard” that are available on Spotify — now over 1,400 songs. The playlist will expand each time I feature an available song.

Just click on the first blue block for a month to month subscription or the second blue block for a yearly subscription.

The Six Deep — “Girl, It’s Over”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — July 2, 2026

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

2,024) The Six Deep — “Girl, It’s Over”

Boy does boy tell girl it’s over — a classic snarling garage kiss off song. “I like how he tells her off! Teen love at its best!” (HemiVic, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=d9-jPRjM8kc&list=RDd9-jPRjM8kc&start_radio=1&pp=ygUcVGhlIHNpeCBkZWVwIGdpcmwsIGl0J3Mgb3ZlcqAHAQ%3D%3D&ra=m) Indeed. From Beaumont, here is “one of my favorite Texas records of all time . . . . [with] a cutting quality to the vocals and guitars that epitomizes the best in garage music.” (Chris Bishop, https://garagehangover.com/sixdeep/)

In 2007, Bassist Bob Welch recalled the times fondly:

[Singer and guitarist] Ken [Hitchcock, who wrote “Girl, It’s Over”,] and [guitarist] David [Everett] are still two of my dearest friends. . . our time as bandmates was too brief, but the friendships have endured, in part due to the intensity of the experience we had together and the joy we shared performing and drafting on the magic that was the mid-60’s.

https://garagehangover.com/sixdeep/

I have added a Facebook page for Brace for the Obscure 60s Rock! If you like what you read and hear and feel so inclined, please visit and “like” my Facebook page by clicking here.

Pay to Play! The Off the Charts Spotify Playlist! + Brace for the Obscure 60s Rock Merchandise

Just click on the first blue block for a month to month subscription or the second blue block for a yearly subscription.

Aphrodite’s Child — “It’s Five O’Clock”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — July 1, 2026

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD

2,023) Aphrodite’s Child — “It’s Five O’Clock”

Warning: If you are from France, Italy or Belgium, read no further — for this psych/proto-prog epic reached #1. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It%27s_Five_O%27Clock_(song)) Richie Unterberger writes that it is a “grandiose keyboard-based sub-British psychedelic track[ ] . . . . [whose] celestial organ . . . is much like that on heard on U.K. psychedelic records of the period such as Rupert’s People’s [see #370, 1,594] “Reflections of Charlie Brown,” though . . . more sentimentally romantic than virtually anything a British band would have released, especially in its vocal delivery.” (https://www.allmusic.com/album/its-five-oclock-mw0000470080) Yes, Vangelis Papathanassiou is that Vangelis!

ZowieZiggy is enthralled:

In May 1970 . . . . I was really in love with this beautiful song (fully Fab four oriented). I can’t tell how many spins I may have given [it]. Such a beautiful melody . . . great and symphonic keys. A jewel of a pop song and a major commercial success for the band. Almost forty years later, I can’t have enough of it . . . .

https://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=5957&__cf_chl_f_tk=MbPPbvfssHUtstuqmOWUSIG93Zhh3T5i9vGUyz2tLYM-1782825802-1.0.1.1-jRS7gMk4rRlXZRihw.jxF6Tybg88NfgH1TPuiAxyL7k

Paul Simpson tells us of the Child:

Greek progressive rock band Aphrodite’s Child were active for five years during the late ’60s and early ’70s, scoring a number one album in France and several international hits before keyboardist angelis began his highly successful and groundbreaking solo career. The 1968 single “Rain and Tears” was their biggest worldwide hit, while the 1972 double LP 666 is hailed as one of the greatest art rock albums of all time. Vangelis Papathanassiou and guitarist/vocalist Demis Roussos, who respectively played in the Forminx and Idols formed Aphrodite’s Child with drummer Loukas Sideras and guitarist Silver Koulouris. The musicians first played on George Romanos’ 1968 album In Concert and in Studio . . . . They attempted to move to London, but ended up stuck in Paris partly because they didn’t have work permits at the time. There, they signed to Mercury as Aphrodite’s Child, releasing the major hit “Rain and Tears” and their first album, End of the World. Successfully traveling to London, the group recorded their second album, It’s Five O’Clock which appeared in late 1969 and reached number one in France. The band toured, though Vangelis stayed in Paris and wrote the soundtrack to the film Sex Power. Harris Halkitis replaced Vangelis on tour, and the group released the single “Spring, Summer, Winter, and Fall” in 1970. “Such a Funny Night,” another non-album single, appeared in 1971. The band spent a considerably long time working on 666, a musical adaptation of the Book of Revelation. They split up by the time it was released in 1972, and though it was not a commercial success, the album gradually gained a cult following . . . .

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/aphrodites-child-mn0000495954

Here

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