One of Neil Young’s most beautiful and graceful early compositions, “Expecting to Fly” was indeed a surprise to many listeners, especially juxtaposed along such scathing compositions as “Mr. Soul.” Young’s sense of craft and the ability to accurately convey the bittersweet emotions of the end of a relationship are positively spellbinding. Built around extremely simple and subtle chord changes, and a melody and feel that recall the early work of Tim Hardin (both Stills and Young were huge fans), it’s one of Young’s finest early works. Recorded with session arranger Jack Nitzsche during one of the periods when Young had temporarily left the Springfield, it was and is (for all intents and purposes) his first solo work. The recording and Nitzsche’s string arrangement (which has been described as “Phil Spector on acid”) fit the song’s grandeur and sense of grace perfectly. Young was to explore similar emotional avenues with orchestral arrangements down the road, but “Expecting to Fly” is possibly his finest work in this idiom.
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THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,554) The Artwoods — âGoodbye Sistersâ
“A great [’65] R&B Freakbeat rocker” (VinylAddict5, https://www.discogs.com/master/924706-The-Art-Woods-Goodbye-Sisters-) by the incredible Artwoods (see #58, 845, 1,241). Yes, they were founded by Art Wood — Ronnie Woodâs older brother — and were a top touring UK R&B band. Alas, their success never translated to record. As Andrew Darlington writes: âEvery sixties name-group started out with covers-based sets, from the Beatles and Rolling Stones through the Kinks and the Who. But by 1966 theyâd all evolved to a predominant reliance on original material. Despite the odd âBâ-side, the Artwoods found themselves stranded on the wrong side of the culture-shift.â (http://andrewdarlington.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-art-of-artwoods-story-of-cult-mod.html) And Len writes that â[i]n contrast to the commercially-successful but artistically-bankrupt pop sensations of the UKâs 1960s beat era there was a small hardcore of bands in the UK who couldnât get arrested record-sales-wise but whom other musicians would cross continents to catch playing live.â (https://therisingstorm.net/the-artwoods-art-gallery/)
Bruce Eder tells us more of the Artwoods:
The Artwoods[â] . . . . following was confined to the clubs they played, despite releasing a half-dozen singles and an LP during their four years together. Art Woods . . . had been involved with the London blues scene almost from the beginning, as an original member of Blues Incorporated . . . . He was the backup rhythm singer in the bandâs early lineup . . . [and] he also had a group of his own that he fronted on the side, called the Art Woods Combo. They later became the Artwoods in 1963 and Jon Lord later joined along . . . . [T]hey joined Decca Recordsâ roster in 1964. The Artwoodsâ early records are some of the most fondly remembered British R&B singles . . . . Their sound was as steeped in soul and funk as it was in blues, which set them apart from many of their rivals. . . . [T]hey had a virtuoso lineup . . . . [and] a top stage attraction. Club audiences always knew they were good for a great show and the band loved playing live. Ultimately, in fact, the groupâs success in touring and their love of playing live may have hurt them. They had no problem playing hundreds of gigs a year at venues like Klooks Kleek in Hampstead and dozens of lesser clubs for the sheer enjoyment of it, but they earned relatively little money doing it. At the same time, their singles never seemed to connect . . . . Their failure as a recording outfit is inexplicable upon hearing the singles â they werenât strong songwriters, to be sure, but when covering American-style R&B, their records were soulful, funky, and played not only well but inventively; close your eyes and it seems like they were the U.K. answer to Booker T. & the MGâs. And the vocals . . . were attractive and memorable and sounded authentically American. And, in contrast to a lot of other British bands of that period, they did manage to capture something of their live sound on those records, which made them very potent. . . . A series of label switches in 1967 to Parlophone and then Fontana gave them some furtive success on the continent (in Denmark, of all places) and after four years of hard work, the Artwoods called it quits after a brief foray under the name the St. Valentineâs Day Massacre. . . .
Oh, and Darlington reminds us that Deep Purpleâs Jon Lord cut his teeth with the Artwoods:
[A]lthough focused on R&B and Soul, [John Lordâs] virtuoso organ-flourishes were already nudging towards the beginnings of more ambitious prog-Rock projects. . . .
Lord was their strongest writer, but he still saw himself primarily as their keyboard-player. . . . After the demise of the Artwoods Jon admits âI had nothing to go to and for eight or nine months I did not work apart from a few sessions to pay the bills.â He was even touring-MD for the Flowerpot Men . . . . [who] hit no.4 on the chart with âLetâs Go To San Francisco[â] . . . . Bassist Nick Simper was also with the Flowerpot Men, and through him, around the end of 1967, Jon met Ritchie Blackmore, the core of the first Deep Purple . . . .
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THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,553) The Soul Explosion — âOh Baby Pleaseâ
Oh baby, “Oh Baby Please” should have been big, big, big! A Granadilla Music press release puts it well: “Detroit? Chicago? Well, no not at all. This 1968 [LP] comes from a German band playing some lush and dynamic soul pop with an emotionally exalted vocal style that reminds a bit of Tom Jones at times.” (Sonnenmensch, https://www.discogs.com/master/896386-The-Soul-Explosion-Soul-Fire)
Marios enthuses:
One of the great mysteries of late ’60s psychedelic soul music! Though only released on the German exploitation market in 1968, this exceptional album may very well be the work of an American studio outfit (or Americans living in Germany?), performing exclusive songs written by well known US composers s.a. Martin Siegel and Scott English. The material is rather diverse, but most of the music here is high quality soul music, often . . . with scorching psychedelic guitarwork and/or swirling organ parts. But there also are traces of pop and you even get a Dylan-esque slice of folk-rock. Odd, exciting and unique!Â
The Granadilla Music press release for distributors tells us that:
The songs range from powerfully onward grooving booty shakers to striking melodic tunes with great chorus lines that enlighten your spirit. When you take a listen you will realize these folks had a sense for the classic beat music of just a few years prior to this release and they really manage to lay down a steaming performance on this style actually already outdated back then. But since the Sould Explosion spice up everything with a dark and brooding back street club atmosphere at the right moment, they could do what they want and always sounded exciting and fresh. I could not have told the difference between these krauts and any popular British or North American act in their genre. There is passion, sheer lust, a wild and animalistic drive and an ongoing groove that will mesmerize you. Technically this is a really solid group that knows to let loose when it is time to but mostly keeps the energy flow under control. . . . It might be one of these typical exploito bands that were only studio projects done by the same musicians on several occasions for good money to be sold in the bargain bin to a willing audience. . . . [But] the music that appears on Soul Fire strikes your deepest inner self and sets your spirit aflame. The melodies are amazing and if you go and check the rhythms you will end up shaking without a chance to escape the everlasting pulse. This should have been enormously big. Think of later day Animals, the Four Tops and the Equals all thrown into a mixer on full throttle, you might get something of a similar quality. Oh, Baby, câmon shake it with me, yeah!
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Hairdresser Steven Gold met future singing partner Francis Aiello while cutting the latterâs hair. Taking their name from a favourite Ray Charlesâ song, âTell The Truthâ, the duo scored a UK Top 30 hit in 1966 with their debut single, an opportunistic cover of âGirlâ from the Beatlesâ Rubber Soul . . . . Although the Truth drew plaudits for âI Go To Sleepâ, written by Ray Davies of the Kinks, it emphasized the Truthâs inability to acquire exclusive material. Subsequent singles included âWalk Away Reneeâ and âSuenoâ, originally recorded, respectively, by the Left Banke and Rascals, but when such releases failed to chart the duo abandoned their brief pop career.
Aiello and [Gold, later] Jameson . . . . were faces on the mid-â60s U.K. mod scene, frequenting the right clothing stores and hitting the right nightspots. . . . [But t]he record industry didnât put much stock in the Truthâs mod persona, and ended up treating them like any other pop group trying to make their way onto the charts. While [Aiello and Gold] wanted to model the Truth after Sam & Dave or the Righteous Brothers, the closest they got to a hit was a polished cover of the Beatlesâ âGirl,â and though they could handle pop as well as blue-eyed soul (in some cases better), their belated reputation as mod heroes is the product of a few stray tracks rather than the entirety of their catalog. The Truth released just seven singles during their five-year lifespan . . . . âBaby Youâve Got It,â âSheâs a Roller,â and âBaby Donât You Knowâ suggest the Truth were not at their best trying to sound like soul shouters . . . . Meanwhile, Aiello and [Gold] sounded very much at home harmonizing on slicker pop productions, and their covers of âI Go to Sleep,â âWalk Away Renee,â and âI Canât Make It Aloneâ are more than satisfying.
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[P]sychedelic popsters Jason Crest had actually first come together as R&B/beat act the Spurlyweeves. In early 1967 the group went with the flow to become The Good Thing Brigade: out went the regulation blue suits, matching shirts and neatly groomed hairstyles, replaced by the full flower power regalia of beads, bells and floral kaftans as well as a more hirsute appearance. . . . [F]aithful covers of British white pop and American black soul material gave way to the burgeoning songwriting partnership of vocalist Terry Clark and organist Terry Dobson. Signing with a London agent, [they] began to support the likes of the Who and the Moody Blues, and their increased public profile led to EMI A&R man Tim Rice offering them a recording test in November 1967. Before they could keep that appointment, however, the group received a less tentative approach from new Philips staff producer and former Four Pennies member David ‘Fritz’ Fryer. Less than a week after Fryer had chanced upon the band playing in a club, The Good Thing Brigade were recording their first single. . . . [They] decided to change their name to Jason Crest, inspired by a typically oddball . . . tribute . . . to an imaginary composer.
Record Collector 100 Greatest Psychedelic Records: High Times and Strange Tales from Rock’s Most Mind-Blowing Era
Richie Unterberger adds:
Jason Crest were one of many, many British groups who got to record a few psychedelic rock tracks in the late ’60s without having much sales or renown to show for it. . . . While not nearly as good or special as top-flight British psych bands like Procol Harum, whom they occasionally resembled, they were one of the better acts among the little-known U.K. psych groups who recorded a few rare releases. In Jason Crest’s case, these were limited to five non-hit singles, released on Philips in 1968 and 1969. . . . Part of Jason Crest’s problems commercially might have been that their style wasn’t easy to describe, nor especially well-suited to the singles market of the time. While it had much in common with the storytelling/fairytale whimsy of late-’60s British pop-psychedelia, it was moodier and more meditative than most such music, and often put hymnal organ to the fore.
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Iâll add hypnotic and intoxicating. More steel drum!
If 11:32 is too long for you, check out the 2:45 single version below!
As to the LP, Ashratom warns you to take it in small doses! â
While doing music research, I sure do run across some weirdo albums, and this has to rank among the top tier for that. At its core, New York City based Brady has created a seriously heavy psych album, with non stop fuzz and plenty of ranting ala Frankie Dymon or Gil Scott-Heron. Some of the material is more pop oriented, but still maintains the heavy fuzz throughout. But we haven’t got to the weird part yet. The lead instrument? Caribbean steel drums! Unfortunately after awhile, it begins to sound more like a gimmick rather than as accompaniment. Perhaps it’s the association of the instrument with island vacations, but it’s disorienting when compared with the rest of the instrumentation and atmosphere. I mean, I wouldn’t want to hear someone wailing on harmonica through a similar set of tunes either. One has to take on a different mindset to appreciate this album. It’s quite a find and definitely recommended. Take it in small doses though.
Brady’s band is really hot, and for a song or two this unlikely combination of sounds is exhilarating. A full listen to the LP, though, show’s that it doesn’t really work; it clashes and seems more like a novelty than a really good idea, especially on a few long jams. Recommended to the brave among you.
The Acid Archives, 2nd Ed.
Who was Victor Brady? Progarchives tells us:
Victor Brady hails from St. Croix in the United States Virgin Islands. He moved to mainland USA sometime in the 60’s, and established himself as a popular and influential performer of the steel drum, performing in Central Park on a regular basis. Brady himself doesn’t quite like the notion of coining his instrument of choice a steel drum – for him that is a cruder instrument consisting of a large 55 gallon steel barrel. Brady prefers to call the more refined instrument he plays a steel piano. Anyhow, his steel drum performances were popular, and he soon became something of a tutor of the instrument – many performers of steel drums today can thank Brady or one of his students from the 60’s and 70’s for their skills in performing on the instrument. Although mostly performing live outdoors or in special events, Brady got the chance to see his work issued on albums as well. . . . [A] talent scout from Polydor . . . offer[ed] him a record deal. The result was the album Brown Rain, released in 1970. On this effort his steel piano was blended with a psychedelic form of heavy progressive rock . . . . In 1976 he would release another album . . . . Classic Soul . . . . [His] take on the classical works covered on this album to be a fascinating sonic experience.
He was a sensation in Harlem, the Borscht Belt, The Village and on the streets of NYC during a period of more than 25 years. Many of you saw him playing everything from calypso to pop to rock to Gershwin to Mozart on his “steel piano” while he jingled the bells on his stamping boots around town. He knew a lot of the heavies from that whole period. He is often credited with having created the modern street music scene in the village and with having been responsible for Central Park’s being traffic free on weekends.
âSupermanâ Victor Brady, who was the main headliner at the Cafe Wha, is the one who got Jimi [Hendrix] on the stage, and it is through Bradyâs band that Chas Chandler eventually discovered Hendrix at the Wha. Additionally, there was no group called the âBlue Flamesâ at the time that Jimi went to the Cafe Wha as an unknown performer, begging for a chance at the stage.
Oh, and Victor himself (I think) wrote in 2009 that:
âI changed Central park and I changed the streets of NY, creating a cultural Renaissance that has continued to this day.” I was looking at the television this morning, and noticed they blocked off 42nd street and made it a pedestrian mall. It is all part of the great chain of events which has taken place since the first day I ventured into Central Park, and the streets of NY. My experience in Central Park, drew such large crowds that eventually, Mayor Lindsay turned Central Park on weekends, from automobile traffic to pedestrian mall.
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THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,549)Focal Point — âLove You Foreverâ
This lovely ballad was the only A-side, though not the bandâs choice, from one of the greatest coulda/shoulda-beens in the annals of British pop psych (see #4, 43, 198, 538, 747, 991, 1,094). âDespite . . . being given a high profile Soho launch party, the 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 dog Martha in Hyde Park . . . .âAsguitarist 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 â 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 didnât know what to do with them, could he help? . . . [H]e said to us âI could get you a recording contract just like thatâ and flicked his fingers. âBut why should I?â 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 . . . âBecause we are good, our songs are good.â It was just like that, Paul then wrote down . . . a phone number . . . . âPhone this guy and tell him I sent you[]â 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. . . . âJohn loves your songs, he is absolutely going mad over themâ said Terry. We were . . . gob smacked. He wants me to play them to Brianâ. . . . âBrian agrees with John, your songs are fantastic.â . . . Brian . . . suggested that we should form a band [and] call [it] Focal Point.
Then it all came crashing down.âI often talk about the singer/songwriters and bands that became collateral damage in the collapse of Andrew Loog Oldhamâs Immediate Records. Focal Point, however, fell victims to the demise of Apple and the Beatles.
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THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,548)The Humblebums — âSaturday Round About Sundayâ
Here is a Billy Connolly-written song off the first Gerry Rafferty/Billy Connolly Humblebums (see #556, 847) LP — The New Humblebums— pondering why a relationship went bad. “Instead of all those endless plans we should have been holding hands just walking.” Exquisite. A longer single version was also released, in which the song became a cello-driven dirge. WTF? The single version was longer and a cello-driven dirge?!
“Billy was actually a very good singer songwriter. But listening to him you still get a strong feeling that he’s suppressing the need to giggle and tell fart jokes all the way through it. :)” (regmunday8354, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LloxUc6No_c) No fart-driven dirge here!
Stewart Mason notes regarding the LP:
Rafferty . . . turned the duoâs original trad folk aesthetic into a prettier, poppier sound. . . . That dichotomy continues throughout, with Raffertyâs unapologetically pop songs and [Billy] Connollyâs folk- and blues-based tunes alternating. Truthfully, Raffertyâs songs are better, with their lightly psychedelic arrangements suiting his whimsical lyrics. . . .
Whoa there, I think “Saturday” is the equal of any other song on the album.
Steve Huey provides some history of the clan:
Scottish folk outfit the Humblebums arenât perhaps as well known as their two main individual members: Gerry Rafferty, who later scored hits with Stealers Wheel and as a solo artist, and Billy Connolly, who left music to become an internationally successful stand-up comedian. Connolly actually founded the group in 1965, along with guitarist Tam Harvey; both had been regulars on the Glasgow folk circuit, and Connolly had previously been playing old-time country music in a group called the Skillet Lickers. The duo quickly became a popular attraction in Glasgow’s folk clubs, particularly as Connolly honed his humorous between-song patter, which became an increasingly large part of their already whimsical act. After a few years of local celebrity, the Humblebums recorded their debut album, First Collection of Merrie Melodies . . . . [T]he repertoire was split between traditional folk songs and Connolly originals. Not long after[,] . . budding singer/songwriter . . . Rafferty approached the duo after one of their gigs for feedback on his original songs. He wound up being invited to join . . . . Raffertyâs songs soon took a prominent place in their repertoire, which led to friction with Tam Harvey; he departed around half a year [later]. Toward the end of 1969, [Rafferty and Connolly] entered the studio together and cut the second Humblebums LP . . . . With Raffertyâs pop instincts, the Humblebums grew more popular on the live circuit than ever, and they recorded another album in a similar vein . . . . However, there was growing dissension . . . Raffertyâs material had a more serious bent than Connollyâs lighthearted, dryly witty offerings, and Connellyâs comedy bits were taking up a large portion of the Humblebumsâ stage show, to the point where Rafferty wanted him to cut the comedy altogether. . . . [T]he Humblebums broke up in 1971. Rafferty moved on to Stealers Wheel, best known for their hit âStuck in the Middle With You,â and later went solo, scoring a huge hit with âBaker Street.â Connolly . . . in a few short years became one of the most popular comedians not only in Scotland, but the whole U.K. . . .
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Hopes were high for th[eir first] single . . . and a slot was arranged on “Ready Steady Go” to promote the disc, but it failed to sell well. Their follow-up records “I Lost My Girl”, “I Remember Baby” and “Creation” received less publicity and subsequently were more ignored still. The final 45 “Creation” was penned and produced by the (then) rising music industry wunderkind Jonathan King, but this wasn’t enough to reverse their fortunes and turned out to be their final release. Sandy . . . and Rick (Tyekiff) went their separate ways, with Sandy going off to become a highly successful record producer . . . .
Roberton was born in Edinburgh . . . and moved to Kenya with his parents when he was just six . . . . [He] returned to London in 1963, when he was 21, intent on a career in music. He formed a duo called Rick & Sandy. They found a manager in Tom Springfield, the brother of Dusty Springfield, who got them signed to Fontana, for which they record several singles. The duo then moved to Decca, and enjoyed some success with the single âI Lost My Girl[.]â Roberton also released two singles as a solo artist, a cover of Neil Diamondâs Solitary Man, on Columbia, under the name Sandy, and under the name Lucien Alexander a cover of the Bob Dylan song âBaby, Youâve Been On My Mind,â on Polydor. Despite TV and radio appearances, Rick & Sandy and Robertonâs solo singles failed to get much traction . . . .
As a producer, artist manager, and record company owner, Roberton played a central part in the birth of the British folk movement. As a publisher he helped shape some of the most seminal albums ever made. And more than forty years ago, he was the first person to set up a major producer management company. . . . Roberton changed the way the contracts and the careers of engineers, mixers and producers are shaped. . . . the first to negotiate points. He masterminded long-term careers for a large number of top studio professionals . . . . [After the demise of Rick and Sandy,] he decided to get involved in the business side of the music industry. He went to work for Arc Music, which was Chess Recordsâ London operation . . . . The writers he was representing included legends like John Lee Hooker, Willie Dixon, Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, and many others. Robertonâs job consisted mostly of convincing UK artists to record songs from the catalogues of these companies. . . . Towards the end of the sixties, Sandy started producing, working with acts like the Chocolate Watch Band, Liverpool Scene and the Ian Anderson Country Blues Band. He formed his own company and via RCA released albums by Shelagh McDonald, Keith Christmas and Liverpool Scene. Roberton had a keen interest in the bourgeoning folk-rock scene in the UK, and discovered Steeleye Span . . . . produc[ing its] first three . . . records . . . . By the early seventies, Roberton had become one of the leading producers of the British folk-rock scene. He co-produced the famous debut album of the Albion Country Band and Shirley Collins, No Roses (1971), and produced the highly-rated debut album by the band Plainsong, In Search of Amelia Erhart (1972). Plainsong was founded by Iain Matthews, who had been in Fairport Convention and Andy Roberts, who came from The Liverpool Scene. Roberton formed long-standing working relationships with Matthews and Roberts, and he produced many solo albums by both artists. . . . By the mid-seventies he had moved into artist management . . . and together with Matthews . . . set up Rockburgh Records, on which they released records by the artists managed by Robertson, as well as by Iain Matthews . . . and others. . . . Roberton set up Worlds End Producer Management in 1980 . . . . the aim was to improve the contracts, working conditions, and careers of engineers and producers. Worlds End called itself âprobably the first full-service company to ever solely represent producers, mixers and engineers,â and one of its early clients was Tim Palmer, in the early eighties an assistant engineer . . . . Working together with Roberton, Palmer went on to produce albums for Robert Plant, David Bowie, and U2. . . . Palmer recalled, â. . . . Sandy pushed for better deals and royalties for his producers and succeeded in getting them ⌠even for mixers which was pretty unknown at that time. He basically created the genre of producer management.â
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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 familiar 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 1,000 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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Wichita Falls Texas USA 1967. A mystery group for quite a while, but it’s the same group who did a half a dozen singles for Major Bill Smith in Fort Worth (most notably “Society”) only they spelt the name “wrong” on this. Damn fine two-sider. The core of the group became hard rockers Baby later on.
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 familiar 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 1,000 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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Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame tells us that:
In order to get the record distributed nationally, the band signed and the master tape was leased to U.S.A., a small Chicago label that had a # 1 hit in 1967 with âKind Of A Dragâ by The Buckinghams. âI Cannot Stop Youâ also had all the signs of also being a national hit upon its release. It got airplay in major markets, was a pick hit in both Billboard and Cash Box magazines, and entered Record World magazine as #93 in the nation. Quite unexpectedly, however, the record stalled and failed to reach the Billboard Hot 100 [reaching #119]. The Cherry Slush would go on to record one more single for the U.S.A. label before the company filed for bankruptcy.
Saginaw, Michigan garage band the Cherry Slush formed in mid-1965, teaming singer Danny Parsons, guitarist Mark Burdick, bassist Art Hauffe, keyboardist Brian Bennett, and drummer Dick Coughlin. Originally known as the Wayfarers and later the Captives, in late 1966 the group tapped local legend Dick Wagner — of Detroit sensations the Bossmen and the Frost, and later a sought-after session player — to produce their debut single, “She’ll Be Back.” The record earned regional attention, and the Cherry Slush next traveled to Cleveland to cut the follow-up, 1967’s “I Cannot Stop You.” The single was a smash throughout southeast Michigan, reportedly selling in excess of 75,000 copies. With guitarist Gene Bruce replacing Burdick, the band recorded its third single, “Day Don’t Come,” at Chicago’s famed Chess Studios; though another local blockbuster, it failed to garner attention outside of the Detroit scene. In late 1968, the Cherry Slush recorded their final single, a cover of the Beatles’ “Birthday.” The following year, the band dissolved.
As one of renowned producer Bob Ezrinâs hired guns throughout much of the ’70s, guitarist Dick Wagner lent his playing (and in some cases, songwriting) talents to some of the decade’s biggest hard rock albums, including Lou Reedâs Rock Nâ Roll Animal, Alice Cooperâs Welcome to My Nightmare, and Kissâ Destroyer.
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 familiar 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 1,000 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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THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,544) The Impressions â âRidinâ Highâ
The title track from the Impressionsâ (see #118, 285, 1,347) â66 LP Ridinâ High tells truth to power â a man who has everything but not love has nothing. Iâd add that the man who has everything but doesnât have this album has nothing!
Ah, the Impressions. Steve Huey puts it well:
The quintessential Chicago soul group . . . . the Impressions recorded some of the most distinctive vocal-group R&B of the â60s under [Curtis] Mayfieldâs guidance. . . . If their sound was sweet and lilting, it remained richly soulful thanks to the groupâs firm grounding in gospel tradition; they popularized the three-part vocal trade-offs common in gospel but rare in R&B at the time, and recorded their fair share of songs with spiritual themes . . . . Mayfieldâs interest in the Civil Rights movement led to some of the first socially conscious R&B songs ever recorded . . . culminating in the streak of brilliance that was his early-â70s solo work.
The Impressions were formed in Chicago in 1957 as a doo wop group called the Roosters. . . . Lead singer Jerry Butler joined up and soon brought in his friend Curtis Mayfield as guitarist; the two had previously sung together in a church choir and a couple of local gospel groups as youths. Renamed the Impressions by their manager, the group scored a major hit in 1958 with the classic ballad “For Your Precious Love[.]â . . . [Following Butlerâs] quick exit for a solo career . . . . Mayfield took over the lead tenor role, eventually becoming the group’s chief composer as well. . . . [He] brought them to New York to record for ABC-Paramount in 1961. Their first single, the Latin-inflected “Gypsy Woman,” was a number two R&B smash . . . . Several follow-ups failed to duplicate its chart success, and the Brooks brothers left the group in 1962; . . . the Impressions . . . . struck gold in 1963 with “It’s All Right,” whose gospel-style lead-swapping helped make it not only their first R&B number one, but their biggest pop hit as well, with a peak of number four.. . . . 1964 brought the hit single “Keep on Pushing,” the first of Mayfieldâs numerous Black pride anthems . . . . [T]he best-known Impressions hit, 1965’s “People Get Ready” . . . . became an anthem of transcendence for the civil rights movement . . . . The group recorded prolifically in 1965, but their commercial fortunes dropped off over the next couple of years. When the Impressions returned to the upper reaches of the R&B charts, it was with 1968’s “We’re a Winner,” the most straightforward celebration of Black pride Mayfield had yet composed.
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 familiar 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 1,000 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
1,543) Iron Butterfly — âBan Roll Onâ
Iron Butterflyâs (see #1,040) most important lyrical statement might not have been about the Garden of Eden or even the nuclear test ban, but about Ban Roll On deodorant â âBan wonât wear off as the day wears onâ. As Wario7793 says, âThis is so epic! I wanna call Iron Butterfly a sell-out for doing this, but ya know? I like it so much!!!!â (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4nFCQo8tje0&pp=ygUaaXJvbiBidXR0ZXJmbHkgYmFuIHJvbGwgb24%3D)
âThe heavier drench of psychedelic rock may not come to mind when thinking of deodorant, but Ban had other ideas when they enlisted Iron Butterfly to record a [radio] ad for their roll-on and spray in 1968.â (Tina Benitez-Eves, https://americansongwriter.com/7-long-lost-classic-rock-commercial-jingles-from-the-late-1960s/) âThe mere concept of using Iron Butterfly’s thudding, heavy psych rhythms to sell deodorant certainly ranks up there as one of Madison Avenue’s greatest WTF? moments. We doubt Don Draper would have approved.â (Dave Swanson, https://ultimateclassicrock.com/rock-star-commercial-jingles/) Hey, I think Don Draper would have loved it!
How did this come about? Freefuture444 tells us:
Itâs a fact the Iron Butterfly đŚ was majorly pissed off and absolutely didnât want to do this commercial. Their snake of a manager had no vision or concern for the bands credibility or its longevity and did a backroom deal unbeknownst to the band committing them to contract under threat of being sued if they didnât deliver.
The music for the jingle is derived from âSo-Loâ [see #1,040] from their 1st album Heavy. Andrija Babovic writes:
When Iron butterfly started playing the club circuit in â66, there had never been anything that sounded like them. Dubbed âheavy metalâ, Butterfly both directly and indirectly influenced more bands than arguably anyone else. . . . Heavy is essentially revolutionary . . . and it reflects the roots of hard rock. This album is definitely the âmust haveâ LP for . . . those who just want to hear how heavy music started its development 45 years ago.
[Heavy] introduced the bandâs dense sound fusing hard rock and psychedelia with a set of original songs plus a reimagining of Allen Toussaintâs âGet Out of My Life Woman.â While three-fifths of the band left after that debut, Heavy nonetheless began Iron Butterfly on a journey
Heavy makes good as a mighty impressive introduction to the band. As the title of the album so openly announces, Iron Butterfly was keen on targeting their music at the burgeoning underground audience of the day. Playing sweet pop little tunes geared for commercial radio was not the bandâs motive . . . . Iron Butterfly really had their act together on this album, with each and every entry sporting memorable qualities. . . . Ambitious and enterprising, Heavy is regularly cited as one of the first authentic heavy metal albums. . . . Unified songwriting, strengthened by crack arrangements and some pretty fierce melodies, cause the record to be a brash and brain-twisting collection of sounds that flip back to a time when rules were meant to be broken in rock and roll. And in most instances, as is the case with âHeavy,â in the end a stunning piece of music was created.
The heavy, psychedelic acid rock of Iron Butterfly may seem dated to some today, but the group was one of the first hard rock bands to receive extensive radio airplay, and their best-known song, the 17-minute epic âIn-A-Gadda-Da-Vida,â established that more extended compositions were viable entries in the radio marketplace, paving the way for progressive AOR. The track was written by vocalist, organist, and bandleader Doug Ingle who formed thefirst incarnation of Iron Butterfly in 1966 in San Diego with drummer Ron Bushy. After the group moved to Los Angeles and played the club scene, they secured a recording contract and got national exposure through tours with the Doors and Jefferson Airplane. Following the release of their 1968 debut album, Heavy, original members Jerry Penrod (bass), Darryl DeLoach (vocals), and Danny Weis (guitar) left the band and were replaced by guitarist Erik Braunn and bassist Lee Dorman. Weis went on to join Rhinoceros. The new lineup recorded In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida later that year, which sold four million copies and spent over a year in the Top Ten. . . . A shortened version of the title track, which contained extended instrumental passages with loud guitars and classical/Eastern-influenced organ, plus a two-and-a-half-minute drum solo, reached number 30 on the singles charts. The follow-up album, Ball, showed greater musical variety and went gold, but it also marked the beginning of the bandâs decline. Braunn left the group and was replaced by guitarists Mike Pinera and Larry âRhinoâ Reinhardt, but the bandâs success was largely over. Iron Butterfly broke up in 1971 . . . .
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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 familiar 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 1,000 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
1,542) Kathy and Larry — âTimeâ
Former teen idol and ace songwriter Keith Colley, three of whose compositions I have featured [see #718, 862, 1,128], wrote this “great . . . 1967 b-side [by an obscure group that] veers into some pretty flutey Jim Valley territory” (liner notes to Soft Sounds for Gentle People Presents . . . He & She) The flute is groovy, the groove is groovy, the whole song is groovy!
Soft Sounds also tells us that “[l]ooks like the ‘Larry’ of Kathy and Larry might’ve been Keith’s brother, as this tune was co-written by one ‘L. Colley.'”
Jim Valley? Jason Ankeny tells us that:
Best known to garage rock aficionados for his stint playing guitar with Paul Revere & the Raiders [see #109], Jim “Harpo” Valley later enjoyed a flourishing career making music for children. . . . Valley was raised in the Seattle area. At age ten, he picked up the trumpet, but the arrival of rock & roll prompted a move to guitar, and in high school he joined the popular local band the Viceroys, which cut the 1963 regional hit “Granny’s Pad.” In early 1965 Valley joined the Portland beat combo Don & the Goodtimes, sharing lead vocal duties . . . and writing their hit “Little Sally Tease.” A year later, he signed on with the Raiders, replacing lead guitarist Drake Levin. [He was n]icknamed “Harpo” per his physical resemblance to the legendary Marx Brother . . . . He . . . befriended the group’s producer, Terry Melcher, and members of the Melcher-produced folk-rock group the Gentle Soul, who encouraged Valley to write his own songs. When promises that the Raiders would record those songs never materialized, Valley left the group in 1967, writing and singing with folkies the Lamp of Childhood [see #694] while pursuing a solo career. With producer Curt Boettcher, he recorded the Dunhill label single “Try, Try, Try” to little commercial notice, and in the fall of 1968 completed a solo LP, Walking Through the Quiet. When Dunhill declined to release the record, Valley returned to his native Washington, working a railroad job and in 1971 issuing the Christian-themed Family on the Light label.
While attending the University of Washington, Colley recorded a version of Dion’s 1959 hit “A Teenager in Love” at a local radio station, and the station promptly put the song in regular rotation. Jerry Dennon, owner of Jerden Records, heard Colley’s version of the song and signed him to the label. Colley’s contract was converted to Era Records, and Colley cut three singles for Era before signing with Unical Records. Legend has it that a song of Colley’s with a pretty melody but rather bland lyrics was translated into Spanish to disguise the song’s lyrical thinness and released as “Enamorado” in 1963 with Colley handling the vocal chores, even though his knowledge of Spanish was sketchy at best. The song was a regional hit in several U.S. markets, and Unical, anxious to follow up on the song’s success, had Colley track a couple more singles in Spanish, but history didn’t repeat itself . . . . Colley next hooked up with Vee-Jay Records, releasing a fine two-sided single, “Billy Girl” b/w “Welcome Home Baby,” a song Colley had written with P.F. Sloan . . . . Colley also signed on with Four Star Music Publishing around this time as a house writer, eventually releasing a pair of singles on Challenge Records, the publisher’s label. Increasingly, though, Colley began shifting his emphasis to songwriting, and in the early ’60s he cut countless demos of his songs, backed by some of L.A.’s finest session musicians, which resulted in his songs being recorded by an impressive list of artists, including the Newbeats, the Knickerbockers [see #718, 862], the Sandpipers, Jackie DeShannon, the New Christy Minstrels, Gene Vincent [see #1,128], and jazz great Chet Baker, who recorded a version of “Enamorado.” . . . Colley turned increasingly to the business side of the music scene as the 1960s waned, becoming an A&R man for Four Star, and eventually became a part of the administrative side of the publishing company.
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 familiar 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 1,000 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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Swinging London was not just a powerful and groovy beacon that reaches all the way to Lebanon [see #951, 1,535] â it even reached back in time to ancient Egypt. For after his reincarnation, the pharaoh Ramases came to shop on Carnaby Street and lucky for us left this super cool B-side, âa psychedelic love song with cinematic, eastern-exoticism instrumentation and a wonderfully hypnotic romantic violin riffâ. (SwedxSimon, https://rateyourmusic.com/release/single/ramases-and-selket/crazy-one-minds-eye/)
Acid Drops, Space Dust & Flying Saucers tells us that:
According to press releases of the era, [Ramases and Selket] were the reincarnation of a 3,000-year-old Egyptian pharaoh and one of his 1,200 wives/concubines. However, Ramases was better known in his hometown of Sheffield as central heating salesman and former Army PT instructor Michael Raphael. After a chance meeting with local pop star Dave Berry he decided that the music industry was the most natural medium in which to gain publicity for his claims. With his wife rechristened Selket, he released [a single] shamelessly built around Ram’s exotic, pseudo-Arabian image.
Liner notes to the CD comp Acid Drops, Spacedust & Flying Saucers: Psychedelic Confectionery from the UK Underground 1965-1969
Nigel Camilleri adds that:
[Raphael] claimed to have had a vision from . . . Ramases, who informed him . . . that his duty on earth was to inform the world the truth about the universe. . . . The next step . . . was to . . . try to get himself a recording contract . . . . Incredibly so, he managed to obtain [one] with CBS . . . .
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 familiar 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 1,000 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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Soul Strut says of the Ambassador’s soul, sorry sole, album:
Quintessential album for fans of the 70s “sweet soul” genre. The Ambassadors released quite a few 45s on Atlantic and the cult Philly R&B label, ARTIC. . . . The harmonies . . . could melt butter and the production is the prototypical Gamble and Huff Philly sound. It was recorded in 1969, so the drums are nice and crisp which made it a favorite for hip hop production.
The Ambassadors had but one small R&B hit in 1969, “I Really Love You,” a dramatic ballad in the Philadelphia soul style . . . co-written by Kenny Gamble. They did stay together long enough to do an album, Soul Summit, which featured several musicians — including Leon Huff (on piano) and Earl Young (drums) — who were instrumental to the Gamble-Huff productions that epitomized the peak of Philadelphia soul in the early ’70s.
The Ambassadors are an incredible Philly soul harmony group â of the sort that never made it out of the city in the pre-Philly International years, but who had a polish and quality that was every bit as great as bigger-name acts from Chicago or New York. The harmonies on the record are mindblowing â the kind of raw and sweet at the same time that was the Philly calling card on the group soul scene â and arrangements are by a young Bobby Martin, with help from Philly studio legends like Vince Montana, Norman Harris, Leon Huff, and Bobby Eli. Formed in the mid-1960âs and soon came to the attention of Arctic Record Company co-owner and Philly radio star Jimmy Bishop. Following limited success with their three singles on Atlantic between the end of 1967 and the summer of 1968, they signed to Arctic Record Company. They are best remembered for their one hit, âI Really Love Youâ which was released in 1969, as well as their sole, highly sought-after album, that have a built a myth of holy grail among the northern soul circles. Three of the Ambassadors . . . later formed Creme D’Cocoa.
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THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
Once upon a time in Australia, Harry Vanda and George Young of the Easybeats (see #201, 1,310, 1,359, 1,415) wrote this “incredibly catchy” (Matt Singer, https://screencrush.com/what-are-the-songs-in-the-once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood-trailer/) song for Spain’s Los Bravos. Thank you, Quentin Tarantino, for reminding us of the genius of the song and of Mike Kennedy and Los Bravos. Katty Line, your yĂŠ-yĂŠ version takes my breath away.
In 1966, this Spanish quintet became one of the very few rock groups from a non-English-speaking country to have an international smash with “Black Is Black,” which got to number four in the U.S. and number two in the U.K. Lead singer Mike [Kennedy, real name Michael Volker] Kogel’s overwrought, pinched vocals sounded so much like Gene Pitney [see #382] that many listeners assumed [it] was a Pitney single, and the strong resemblance remained intact throughout Los Bravos’ career, both in the singing and arrangements. Indeed, with their brassy pop/rock songs and production — which sounded about halfway between New York mid-’60s pop-soul and Jay & the Americans — Los Bravos sounded far more like a mainstream American pop/rock group than a Spanish or British one. Most of their records were sung in English, and although they never made the American Top 20 again, they were far more popular in Europe, even placing another single in the British Top 20 in late 1966 with “I Don’t Care.”
Michael [Kennedy] was Spainâs first rock star . . . . As a teenager, he rose to fame as the lead singer of Los Bravos. He became known for his wild attitude, his carefree way of living, his persistent rebelliousness and his inevitable decadence. âHe was a force of nature. He sang as well as Gene Pitney or Del Shannon, in the same register, but with more volume in his voice. [Nobody had ever heard] such a peculiar voice,â asserts Miguel RĂos, one of the pioneers of rock and roll in Spain . . . . In the 1960s, Kennedy â who was born in Germany â landed in Spain. He brought with him his outlandish character, his hypochondria and an anarchist attitude to a frightened, conservative country living under the dictatorship of Francisco Franco. . . . He was born in a dreary Berlin in the 1940s. When he finished school, he moved to Cologne to live with his mother and stepfather. There, he worked serving beer in pubs and performing nightly in the clubs. âI learned to sing because I was a big fan of Elvis Presley. I imitated his voice, his gestures, his makeup. Pat Boone, Eddie Cochran and Ricky Nelson also fascinated me,â he explains. He learned English by listening to the American Forces Network (AFN), the broadcaster for U.S. troops stationed in Germany. His life was transformed when, while performing at a club in Cologne, he ran into some Spanish musicians from Mallorca, who were touring in Germany. They were called the Runaways. And when the groupâs singer returned to Spain because his vocal chords were destroyed after working eight-hour-long days, Kennedy was left to occupy the position . . . . And thatâs how Mike and the Runaways were born. After their German experience, the band returned to Mallorca, and he went with them. . . . While he was in Spain, Los Sonor, an established ensemble, signed Mike and some of the Runaways. And this is when composer Manolo DĂaz comes into play. He had years of experience as the president of CBS Records in Spain and EMI Music in Latin America. âLos Sonor told me that they had gone to see this new singer, who was very good⌠but he was completely crazy and was a kleptomaniac and an anarchist. [He was] very punk ⌠and weâre talking about the 1960s in Spain. But when he started singing, it was impressive. I recommended that [the members of] Los Sonor bear with him and support him, because his voice and his way of singing were among the best in global pop-rock. I told them: âYou canât miss out on this, youâre going to make millions.ââ DĂaz contacted Alain Milhaud, a Frenchman based in Barcelona who was responsible for getting 1960s Spanish pop to the global market. And then, there was TomĂĄs MartĂn Blanco, a radio giant in Spain. The plan got quickly underway: with DĂaz composing, Milhaud acting as producer and manager . . . and MartĂn Blanco pushing the songs on the airwaves, a new band was born. â[Los Bravos] became the most successful and international Spanish band of all time,â says Salvador DomĂnguez . . . . The album Black is Black was composed by a group of writers from Decca Records, based in London. . . . âI didnât like Black is Black⌠I followed along without liking it. It seemed to me like an easy melody, [with lyrics] that didnât say much,â Kennedy shrugs . . . . [He] gave the group a cosmopolitan air: he sang in fluent English and, despite lacking in Spanish, displayed a charismatic, uninhibited character. His songs in Spanish are tinged with the peculiar accent of an outsider. On top of that, at the time, the songs offered subtle messages that managed to get past the formal censorship. In the background, Manolo DĂaz composed odes to youth, to fun and to freedom. The success of Los Bravos was ephemeral, lasting only two years, from 1966 until 1968, but intense. . . . Every song that they put out that took advantage of Kennedyâs aggressive and powerful voice â “Black is Black”, “Los chicos con las chicas“, “Bring a Little Lovinâ“â had a huge impact, both in English and Spanish. . . . Kennedy assumes that, to a great extent, his own difficult nature caused the band to break up. The singer was spending a lot of time with a doctor, who was basically stuck to him. He explains: âI was a [total] hypochondriac. Everything started before a concert in Istanbul, in 1967. I wanted to try [some hashish] and it was mixed with alcohol and amphetamines. We took amphetamines like candy to hang in there, because we played for eight hours straight. Then, with that cocktail, I went to perform and felt terrible. I had arrhythmias, it felt like my heart was stopping, I had to hold myself up against a wallâŚâ ” [That incident] became an obsession,â he notes. â. . . . I always brought the doctor with me, to be able to calm down.[“] Another incident marked the end of Los Bravos. In April 1968, Manolo FernĂĄndez, the keyboardist, had a car accident in which his wife was killed. A month later, FernĂĄndez, heartbroken, wrote a farewell note and shot himself in front of an altar in his house, which was covered with photos of his deceased wife. At the time, suicide was a taboo subject. This tragedy â along with the troubles that Kennedy was having with the rest of the group â put an end to the original band. Kennedy published 70 good songs over the course of his solo career, but he never reached the level of success that he had when he was with the band. He also refused to follow the rules, something that also didnât help. . . . Manolo DĂaz adds: âMike didnât have the business sense or discipline to move his career along. Milhaud and I took advantage of his enormous ability as a singer, but we werenât able to help him establish himself. He continued to be an anarchist.â
Here is a beyond cool TV appearance by Los Bravos:
Here is Los Bravos in the ’68 Spanish movie ÂĄDame un poco de amooor…!/Give Me Some Loooove…! Of the film, FlixOlĂŠ (courtesy of Google Translate) tells us:
Mike, the lead singer of the famous group Los Bravos, is kidnapped by Chou-Fang, a follower of the doctrines of the fearsome Fu Manchu. Chou-Fang’s goal is to dominate the world through a chemical formula whose secret is known to a retired scientist. The professor’s daughter, the beautiful Sao-Ling, believes Mike is a superhero and involves him in the dangerous story.
Line was âa superb, sexy girl. She FLEW to Italy. Where she found fame. Too bad for us.” (Denis-yc6qe (courtesy of Google Translate), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtSOfyhakpw) 35whirlpools writes:
âA sexy pop icon in Op-Art miniskirtsâ is how Jean-Emmanuel Deluxe ascribes and positions Katty Line in his wonderful and now nearly mythic book, YĂŠ-YĂŠ Girls of ’60s French Pop. Painting the French music scene in 1965 with a coruscating splash of colour in her debut cover of the Supremes hit ‘Back In My Arms Again’ [âN’HĂŠsite Pas Quand L’Amour T’Appelleâ] Katty went on to have a brief but dazzling display upon the canvas and galleries of European music.
Wikipedia tells us of Katty Line (courtesy of Google Translate):
Catherine Denise FrĂŠdĂŠrique Boloban known as Katty Line . . . is a French singer active mainly in Italy, where she is a member of the Clan Celentano [record label]. She published 26 songs in French between 1965 and 1969. . . . Discovered by RenĂŠ Porchet . . . she began her singing career in France in the mid-1960s and achieved success in 1965 with “N’hesite pas quand l’amour t’appelle” . . . and in 1966 with “Ne fais pas la tĂŞte”, a cover of “How Does That Grab You, Darlin'” by Lee Hazlewood (launched by Nancy Sinatra), then also performed in Belgium and Switzerland. In 1968, she married Porchet, her producer. In Italy she became famous after participating in the TV show Stasera con Adriano Celentano, where she stood out for her beauty and the miniskirts she wore: the Molleggiato himself released her records with his record company; moreover, following her TV success, Katty Line was hired by Dufour for the show Carosello. She participated in the 1969 Festivalbar [an Italian song festival] with “La Rivale” . . . and in the same year she recorded “Tu vinci sempre”, an Italian cover of “Touch Me” by the Doors . . . . The following year, with In direzione del sole, she participated in the Cantagiro 1970 [an Italian traveling summer variety show]. In 1971 she participated in the television show Incontri d’estate, but in December 1971 she was the victim of a terrible car accident while traveling with her husband: Porchet lost his life and Katty Line was hospitalized for 18 months, after which she decided to return to France.
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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 familiar 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).
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Shmulik Kraus was already recognized as a known composer in his own right when he returned from the US, heavily influenced by the American psychedelic rock scene. Together with Arik Einstein, probably Israel ‘s most beloved singer, and Josie Katz, they created what to my opinion became the most perfect pop album in the history of Israeli music. Vocal harmonies Ă la the Mamas and Papas and spectacular arrangements and lyrics by the finest songwriters combined to create an album in which every track became a hit song. This album signaled the beginning of an era in which Israeli culture became more and more engrossed by international culture and music.
Only album by the Israeli vocal trio, which included Arik Einstein, Shmulik Kraus and Josie Katz, and which is considered as the first original Israeli Pop album ever recorded. Strongly influenced by the Beatles and other (then) contemporary Pop and Rock groups, the High Windows recorded a superb set of songs in Hebrew (all written by Kraus), using vocal harmonies and instrumental arrangements, which were completely revolutionary at the time. Israeli music up to that point was based mainly on East-European melodies and folksy approach and this was the first attempt to create a local scene modeled after Western Pop. The musical âestablishmentâ at the time received this music with harsh criticism (The Beatles were not allowed to play in Israel to avoid the âbadâ influence on local youth) and some of the songs were banned by the censor from being played on the radio. But the public loved the songs and the album soon became one of the most popular Israeli albums of all times. It had a crucial influence on the local scene and soon after an entire new generation of local musicians would start to create original Israeli Pop and Rock, including Progressive Rock. It is interesting to notice that the instrumental work and arrangements on this album were done by a brilliant piano player Ziggy Skarbnik, a legendary figure of the early days of both Israeli Rock and Jazz, who unfortunately died of cancer at an incredibly young age. The drummer was no other than Zohar Levy, another legendary figure. Listening to this album 40 years after it was recorded can be quite revealing and the realization of how brilliant this stuff was and still is becomes inevitable.
It is the album that revolutionized the entire Israeli Rock and Pop scene, much like Rubber Soul did globally. The lyrics were so controversial, criticizing both the religious population and the military, that some of the songs were labeled offensive and banned to play on radio. Nonetheless, some of the songs became Israeli classics, and are loved to this day. The High Windows was also revolutionary musically. Taking a lot from many British acts, and especially The Beatles, the album utilizes vocal harmonies and fresh instrumental arrangements. The dreamy guitar lines . . . are executed perfectly, and fit just right. The sad ballads . . . are extremely gloomy and bleak, marking another high point of the album. . . . The band was firstly named The Windows, as a tribute to The Doors . . . . The High Windows was both musically amazing and very influential on the music scene, starting a Pop, Rock and even Progressive Rock culture in Israel. The album led to the forming of other great Israeli bands like Tamouz and Churchill’s [see #975]. It is an essential piece of history, and a fun album to listen to on its own.
Wikipedia tells us of the High Windows (courtesy of Google Translate):
In 1966, Shmulik Kraus and Josie Katzâ then a married couple â used to perform as a duo. One day, Kraus invited Arik Einstein to their home to play him songs they were working on at the time and melodies he had written. Einstein heard and spontaneously joined them in singing, the three voices matched, and about a week later, Arik’s wife Alona . . . suggested that they become a band. . . . In April 1967, the band’s only album . . . was released. . . . Many of the songs on the album became hits. Ziggy Skrebnik is responsible for the musical arrangements on the album and also played piano and organ on it. The collaboration came about after Kraus and Einstein were enthusiastic about his playing in one of the nightclubs in Tel Aviv. The band’s style was characterized by unique, innovative and harmonious production and arrangement experiments, unusual in the musical landscape of that time . . . . After the album’s release . . . the band enjoyed great success and was invited to perform in Israel and abroad. The three recorded several more songs . . . . Professional disagreements, mainly between Einstein and Kraus, over the continued activity and promotion of the band internationally, led Einstein back to Israel. In 1968, after about two years of activity, the band 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 1,000 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
1,536)Grupa Skifflowa No To Co I Piotr Janczerski (Skiffle Group No To Co and Piotr Janczerski) â âZ Soboty Na NiedzielÄ”/âSaturday to Sundayâ
From the â69 album W Murowanej Piwnicy/ In the Brick Cellar, here is classic Polish melodic hard rock, along with an equally good version in English. This definitely would have been a hit in the States had it been released by an American band.
Of No To Co, Christian Reder tells us (courtesy of Google Translate):
The band . . . was founded in July 1967 by Piotr Janczerski and Jerzy Krzemiski in Lodz, Poland. Janczerski had previously been the singer of the band Niebiesko-Czarni. Musically, the band combined Polish folk music with skiffle and big beat, later turning to beat and rock music. The band initially had no name when they made their first appearance on the TV show “Po szĂłstej” on December 5, 1967. Only after this TV show and several thousand letters from enthusiastic viewers did the group call itself NO TO CO. The first songs were then recorded under this name. The band’s first two records (two singles/EPs) were released in the same year . . . . The band began touring in 1968, playing first in Poland, but then abroad, including in France, Great Britain, West Germany, Canada, the USA, and almost all socialist countries. The band’s first full-length album, “NO TO CO,” was also released in 1968. In its early years, it won various awards, including a prize at the Opole Festival in 1968. The band also successfully participated in festivals in Sopot, Rome . . . and Cannes . . . . The start of the new decade saw the first personnel changes within the band. Jerzy Grunwald [left] in 1970, and was followed by band founder Piotr Janczerski that same year. Over the course of the 1970s, the band’s musical style also increasingly changed. The folkloric elements faded into the background, and the band began to focus more on rock music. Between 1970 and 1973, NO TO CO managed to release some records abroad. In [East Germany] a song by the group appeared for the first time in 1970 on a sampler by the record label AMIGA. The album “No To Co,” named after the band, was also released by AMIGA. While the songs initially released in [East Germany] were still in their native language . . . from 1973 onwards, NO TO CO also sang their songs in German. These songs were created during their stay in [East Germany], where they re-recorded the songs for their audience [their] in the AMIGA studios. . . . The band also enjoyed great popularity in the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia, where they successfully sold records . . . . NO TO CO records were also available in Western countries, including the 1970 single “Flowers” in England and the 1970 album “So What,” produced on the Polish label Polskie Nagrania Muza, featuring songs sung in English [including âSaturday to Sundayâ]. The latter record was pressed as an export version and sold abroad (including in West Germany).
The band, still without a name, debuted on December 5, 1967 in the television program “Po siÄj”. In the competition announced at that time, the name “Grupa Skiffowa No To Co” (since 1970 – “No To Co i Piotr Janczerski”) was chosen from several thousand submitted proposals. . . . The years 1968â1970 were the best period in the history of No To Co. The band won major awards, including at the 6th KFPP [ National Festival of Polish Song] . . . in 1968 for the song “Po ten kwiat czerwony”. At this festival, the song “Te opolskie dziouchy” caused a sensation, although without an award. Further awards came a year later – at the 3rd FPZ [Soldiersâ Song Festival] . . , the 5th BratysĹawska Lira Festival and the Folk Country Festival . . . .
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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 familiar 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 1,000 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
1,535)The Sea-Ders — âI Donât Know Whyâ
’68 British Invasion gold from the land of the Cedars. Lebanonâs mixed Christian/Muslim Sea-Ders (see #951) made it as far as Swinging London. Anything was possible in the 60’s!
Linda Abi Assi and Bernard Batrouni bring us the Sea-Ders:
[T]he Sea-Dersâ drummer, Zouhair Tourmoche, better known by his stage name, Zad Tarmush. . . . met the other band members in 1961. âBack then, in the late 1950s, early 1960s, there were no radio stations playing rock & roll in Lebanon.â Instead, he eagerly waited to listen to Radio Cairo on Friday nights, hoping to catch . . . Cliff Richard and the Shadows. âI was hanging in a music store one afternoon and in came these two short guys, Raymond Azouri and Joe Shehade. Fats Dominoâs âBlueberry Hillâ was playing and I started drumming along to it on a wooden bench. Ray and Joe were impressed that I could keep up with the rhythm, and they asked me to join their band. . . . I knew these guys, they were talented. . . . [T]hey used to sing songs by the Everly Brothers with perfect pitch and harmony. They sounded exactly like the original artists. So at the age of 16, I stopped going to the mosque to pray to Allah and rock & roll entered my head in a very big way.â
By 1962, the guys went by the name âTop 5â . . . became the first ever rock band to appear on stage in Lebanon. . . . [and] developed a following, performing in hotels and universities in Beirut and, on weekends, in special clubs where there were no drugs and alcohol allowed . . . . âWhile people were talking about politics and religion, we didnât get involved. All we wanted to do was play music . . . . If you were born Christian, youâd tend to suffer little or no hassle if you followed a musical career inspired by European influences. However, as I was the only Muslim in the band, I had to endure a great deal of insults, verbal abuse, and all other forms of stupid prejudices, all of which were hinged on one idea: that a decent Muslim boy would never abandon his culture and follow decadent Western behaviour.â . . .
[A]s Beatlemania swept across the world . . . . [âl]uckily, I had a nose like Ringo Starr . . . . We decided to grow our hair long and we looked just like them[â]. . . . [T]hey made a name for themselves in Lebanon . . . capable of replicating the Fab Fourâs sound (and looks) down to a T. âThey even called us âthe Beatles of Lebanon,’â Zad recalls.
In 1966, the band started to write their own stuff. . . . [Their] first [single], âThanks a Lot,â went on to sell well in the country. . . . [and] ended up on the desk of . . . Dick Rowe at Londonâs Decca Records, who promptly offered to sign them. . . . Raoul Hajj and Joe Samaha left before the big move and in came lead guitarist Albert Haddad to replace them, with Ray taking up the bass. Albert Haddad also happened to be a good buzuq player, an instrument that soon became ubiquitous to the bandâs sound. âIt wasnât intentional[] . . . . We wanted to be a true rock band and never once thought of adding an Oriental twist to our music. . . . We were young, we were hippies and we felt like we belonged to the entire world culture. . . . [The producers at Decca] told us: look, youâre Lebanese so play Oriental music. . . . One of the Decca producers suggested we use the buzuq in our songs, so we did[.]â . . . During a 3-month gig at the PickWick . . . in Leicester Square, actors Victor Spinetti and John Hurt . . . came down to hear them . . . . Paul McCartney and George Harrison stopped by to see the band playing âthis weird instrument.â The Sea-Ders released âFor Your Information,â their first single in the UK, in 1967. But the record never made it to the charts. Still, Decca followed it up with the release of an EP, which included 8 original songs. âIt was a complete and utter failure[â] . . . . In 1969, with their visa coming to an end, Ray, Joe and Albert returned to Lebanon but Zad decided to stay in the UK. . . . He became a British citizen in 1974, and made a living working as a schoolteacher.
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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 familiar 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 1,000 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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Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! / Off the Charts: 60s Rock Revelationsđ 