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

599) Keith Mansfield — “Powerhouse Pop”

We have all have heard his music — used by Quentin Tarantino, Danger Mouse, Gnarls Barkley, the NFL, and on and on — but few know his name. He wrote some of the “funkiest, grooviest and memorable orchestral themes” of the ’60’s (Gareth Bramley, https://www.robertfarnonsociety.org.uk/index.php/jim/jim-new-articles/2014/the-world-of-keith-mansfield) Here is one of his best!

Gareth Bramley writes that:

Keith Mansfield[‘s] . . . name may not be familiar at first mention. However, he was a key player in the 60s music scene arranging and conducting for many popular artists of the time . . . . He became [a] prolific composers in the 1960s and 1970s . . . used for Film & TV productions all over the world, and especially in the United States. US sports fans will recognise many of Mansfield’s tunes on NFL Films team highlights and Super Bowl documentaries. . . . [H]e compos[ed] the memorable ‘Grandstand’ theme used by the BBC . . . .

Mansfield loved jazz music . . . . [and at] 16 . . . formed a big band . . . . He . . . moved into professional jobs playing alto sax with big bands in and around London, getting to know band-leaders Joe Loss and Alan Moorhouse. . . . [B]y age 19 he was touring the country with a big band in the major cities . . . . [H]e secured professional arranging assignments that included . . . several ‘ghost’ arrangements for friends and fellow composer . . . Moorhouse . . . . In the mid 1960s he was working as ‘in-house arranger’ with Eddie Kassner’s Publishing Company [which] brought him to the attention of the musical director of CBS Records, Mike Smith, who offered him the job of arranging a batch of new signings to the label . . . . At the end of 1966 he became a staff arranger and producer at CBS . . . working with artists such as Dusty Springfield, Georgie Fame, Brotherhood of Man, Marmalade, Love Affair, Ken Dodd, Vince Hill, Gilbert O’Sullivan, Robert Plant (under the name ‘Listen’) and many others. . . . [H]e recorded two albums with Salena Jones, whom he later married . . . . He also recorded a series of albums for Maynard Ferguson. . . .

Mansfield contributed [“L-Dopa” for Maynard Ferguson in ‘70,] which was also issued as a single and previously recorded [by Mansfield] as ‘Powerhouse Pop’ the same year . . . . Mansfield [recalls]: “[A]t that point I had decided to give up arranging so I could concentrate on composing, in particular for the libraries. Then . . . CBS came along and offered me the job producing artists like Maynard . . . and these were opportunities I couldn’t possibly turn down. . . . Originally I was only supposed to be the producer on the sessions for Maynard’s albums but . . . we had a shortage of material – some people hadn’t come up with tunes as promised. That’s why I ended up re-working things like ‘Powerhouse Pop’ . . . . [which] Maynard . . . re-named . . . as ‘L-Dopa’ . . . the abbreviated name for . . . L-Dopamine. . . . [T]he ‘L-Dopa’ arrangement has sections in it that are funky and sections that are straight-ahead jazz and Maynard moved between these styles so effortlessly . . . . At the time the . . . Ferguson albums came out they didn’t exactly receive very favourable reviews from the British music press. . . . which was a shame as they’re great albums. The reason why some of the brassy, funky library music did much better in America than it did in the UK is that brassy, aggressive music has never really been a part of the UK’s culture like it is in America. People in the US are used to seeing and hearing marching bands everywhere . . . whereas in the UK we’re more likely to say this music sounds too busy or too brash.”

https://www.robertfarnonsociety.org.uk/index.php/jim/jim-new-articles/2014/the-world-of-keith-mansfield

Aneet Nijjar adds that:

Keith Mansfield was responsible for some of the most recognizable TV theme tunes and library music. Mansfield started his journey as a copyist at KPM (Keith Prowse Maurice) in 1964. It was under the guidance of Alan Moorhouse that he got his first break. Moorhouse . . . allowed Mansfield to ghost on several compositions for the label. During this period he also produced tracks for Dusty Springfield’s 1969 album Dusty . . . Definitely. It took the foresight of then KPM boss Robin Phillips to recognize the talent of the young composer. He commissioned Keith to record a selection of Christmas carols and after these were a success in America, Phillips allowed him to record his own compositions with a full orchestra. Composing up to three or four arrangements a day, the late ’60s and ’70s were a fertile period for Mansfield.

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/keith-mansfield-mn0000766010

And, as to his contribution to EDM and other genres, LastFM says:

Keith Mansfield . . . [also composed] “Light and Tuneful”(the opening theme for the BBC’s coverage of the Wibledon Tennis Championships), “World Champions” (the closing theme for NBC’s coverage of the same tournament) and “World Series” (used for the BBC’s athletics coverage).

[He] is probably best known by American audiences as the composer of the tune “Funky Fanfare” (sampled by Danger Mouse . . .) used for underscoring in the Astro Daters series of snipes produced by the National Screen Service in the late 1960s. . . . The Astro Daters “Our Next Attraction” was featured prominently in two films by Quentin Tarantino, Kill Bill and Grindhouse. . . . His work has been sampled by prominent hip-hop producers such as Danger Mouse (‘Funky Fanfare’ on the DANGERDOOM track ‘Old School Rules’ and on ‘Run’ by Gnarls Barkley . . .), Madlib and Fatboy Slim. Mansfield . . . acted as orchestral arranger on some huge hits for The Love Affair (Everlasting Love) and The Marmalade (Reflections of My Life) . . . among others.

https://www.last.fm/music/Keith+Mansfield/+wiki

Here is the shorter single version of Maynard Ferguson’s “L-Dopa”:

Here is the album version:

Here it is , transformed into “Party House Pop” in 2009:

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

598) Mars Bonfire — “Lady Moon Walker”

This ’68 album track and ’69 A-side is a tasty pop psych treat from the sole solo album by the writer of Steppenwolf’s “Born to Be Wild.” Let’s call it “Born to Be Mellow.” Richie Unterberger says that “in particular [“Lady Moon Walker”] is an overlooked psych-pop gem, with Bonfire’s best deployment of attractive melodies, spacy lyrics, and pleasing keyboard textures.” (https://www.allmusic.com/album/faster-than-the-speed-of-life-mw0000735341) The album, which was “originally released on the Uni label in 1968, [then] re-issued on Columbia” (Garwood Pickjon, http://rockasteria.blogspot.com/2019/04/mars-bonfire-faster-than-speed-of-life.html?m=1) is called by Fred Beldin “a lost masterpiece of introspective psych-pop full of great tunes”. (http://rockasteria.blogspot.com/2019/04/mars-bonfire-faster-than-speed-of-life.html?m=1)

Derek Hammond writes that:

Mars referred to his solo outing as “a publisher’s demo with artwork”, but it’s much better than that. [M]any of these tracks ended up on Steppenwolf LPs . . . but here they reflect a strong personal Warhol influence to end up sounding very Loaded, or like a less showy, laidback Doors. I’m sure he wouldn’t agree, but it’s a shame Mars didn’t need to work again beyond the mid 70s.

https://recordcollectormag.com/reviews/album/faster-than-the-speed-oflife

As to Mars, born Dennis Eugene McCrohan, Beldin says the he “has earned himself rock ‘n’ roll immortality, not to mention lifetime royalty checks, for penning Steppenwolf’s inescapable classic “Born to Be Wild,” that eternal anthem of would-be bikers and weekend hellraisers worldwide.”

Juliette Jagger gives us some history:

In the early 1960s, Bonfire had played in a moderately successful Canadian band called The Sparrow. Having gotten their start playing . . . in Toronto[] . . , the band eventually secured a deal with Capitol Records out of New York before making their way to the West Coast where they opened for popular acts of the day including The Doors and Steve Miller Band. Then in 1967, Bonfire decided to leave the group and strike out on his own. “Songwriting was really what I loved to do,” he says. “When I was growing up, my Dad operated a popular dance hall . . . so music was always around. I never really saw myself as a musician per say. I can’t play much on an instrument and I can’t sing very well, but writing songs always seemed to come naturally to me and I didn’t feel I needed to be a part of a group to do that.” When The Sparrow (then known only as Sparrow) dissolved a short while later, Bonfire’s former bandmates . . . approached him about songs for their new group, a hard rock band called Steppenwolf. “At that time, I had been walking the streets of Hollywood trying to get a deal as a songwriter . . . . I actually presented ‘Born To Be Wild’ to three or four publishers, but nobody showed any interest. Luckily the guys were interested. They’d initially approached me about rejoining them in their new band, but I declined. Then a few months later they asked me if had any songs I could contribute. That’s when I showed them ‘Born To Be Wild.’ They immediately liked it, and took it for their debut album.”

https://amplify.nmc.ca/origin-stories-mars-bonfire-on-steppenwolfs-born-to-be-wild/

Richie Unterberger adds:

Mars Bonfire’s late-’60s material occasionally bears some resemblance to Steppenwolf, particularly in the use of heavy organs. But in fact this is certainly on the lighter and more pop-flecked side than Steppenwolf, which might both disappointment Steppenwolf fans who seek this out on the basis of the “Born to Be Wild” connection, and make this LP a rather pleasant surprise to those fearing bombastic late-’60s hard rock on the order of Steppenwolf’s less impressive aspects. . . . [O]n about half the album Bonfire favors a pretty airy pop-psychedelic approach . . . to both his songwriting and arrangements. . . .

https://www.allmusic.com/album/faster-than-the-speed-of-life-mw0000735341

Lastly, Derek Hammond tells us that:

The story of Mars Bonfire . . . is a strange inversion of the usual “lost folk/psych-rock classic” trajectory of briefly burning talent and hope, frustration and failure. It just so happens that Mars was an early member of Canadian LA rock legends Steppenwolf, quitting the band just before they cut his Born To Be Wild, which 10 minutes’ work provided him with a tidy annual income in perpetuity. [He c]ontinu[ed] as a session man for Steppenwolf, Kim Fowley, The Seeds and even the Modern Lovers . . . .

https://recordcollectormag.com/reviews/album/faster-than-the-speed-oflife

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

596) Ben E. King — “It’s Amazing”

It’s amazing that “It’s Amazing”, sizzling ’68 single by the legendary BEK (see #85,254), unconscionably failed to chart. It’s one of the great “her love saved me” songs, beating Paul McCartney’s “Maybe I’m Amazed” to the punch. “It’s amazing what your love has done for me. Oh, baby now!”

Steve Huey tells us:

From the groundbreaking orchestrated productions of the Drifter’s to his own solo hits, Ben E. King was the definition of R&B elegance. King’s plaintive baritone had all the passion of gospel, but the settings in which it was displayed were tailored more for his honey smooth phrasing and crisp enunciation . . . . [His] approach influenced countless smooth soul singers in his wake, and his records were key forerunners of the Motown sound. . . . He . . . worked at his father’s restaurant as a singing waiter, which led to an invitation to become the baritone singer in a doo wop outfit called the Five Crowns in 1958. . . . [After the] Drifters[‘] manager George Treadwell . . . fired them all in the summer of 1958[, he] hired the Five Crowns to assume the name . . . . In early 1959, they went into the studio with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller to cut their first records. A song [King] Nelson (still performing under his given name) co-wrote called “There Goes My Baby” became his first lead vocal, and the lush backing arrangement made highly unorthodox (in fact, virtually unheard of) use of a string section. [It] became a massive hit, laying the groundwork for virtually every smooth/uptown soul production that followed. Over the next two years, Nelson sang lead on several other Drifters classics, including “Dance with Me,” “This Magic Moment,” “Save the Last Dance for Me,” and “I Count the Tears.” . . . [After he left the Drifters,] King scored his first solo hit with the stylish, Latin-tinged ballad “Spanish Harlem,” a Jerry Leiber/Phil Spector composition that hit the Top Ten in early 1961. The follow-up, “Stand by Me” became his signature song and an enduring R&B classic . . . . In the post-British Invasion years, King had a rough go of it on the pop charts but continued to score R&B hits.

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ben-e-king-mn0000164594

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Here is Ben on Germany’s Beatclub:

Johnnie Taylor released a great version of the song the following year:

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

596) Mike Furber — “Watch Me Burn”

From a ’69 double-A side, Ian Marks calls the incendiary “Watch Me Burn a “fiery” and “wild[]” song “with TWIN lead guitars (one fuzz and one wah-wah) wailing away beneath Furber’s excellent vocal performance.” (Tomorrow is Today: Australia in the Psychedelic Era, 1966-1970). However, in a macabre turn, the song’s lyrics — not written by Furber — foreshadow his sad end. Mike Furber — who Marks calls the “the pin-up boy of choice for many a young Aussie female in the mid-’60’s” — committed suicide at age 25.

Ian Marks explains:

With his long silky fringe, big brown puppy dog eyes and vulnerable ‘take me home and mother me’ poses, teenage pop star Mike Furber was the pin-up boy of choice for many a young Aussie female in the mid-’60’s. . . . [F]or a while there, it looked as if Furber would usurp Normie Rowe’s King of Australian Pop crown. However, it was not to be. . . . In 1969 Furber was signed to Columbia records and, desperately in need of a hit to put a spark back in his flagging career, he hooked up with Harry Vanda and George Young. Vanda and Young had written a fiery two song mini-suite, and it seemed that Mike Furber was the perfect artist to bring it to light. . . . Unfortunately, the single didn’t do a thing . . . .

Paul Culnane gives a commanding and sad overview of Furber’s life:

The story of Mike Furber is one of a star that shone brightly but briefly, and a tale which ultimately had a tragic ending for the shy, sensitive and naive young man who was chewed up and spat out by the frantic sixties Aussie pop music scene. Mike was born in London . . . and emigrated with his family to Brisbane at an early age. In mid-1965, at around age 16, he chanced to meet Paul Wade and Neville Peard on a suburban train journey . . . . A friendship and alliance soon grew among the lads. Wade and Peard had already formed a garage band . . . that evolved into the Bowery Boys, and upon meeting Mike they invited him join as lead singer. It must be stressed that in the beginning the band was definitely a single entity, The Bowery Boys, not “Mike Furber and …”. It was only after flamboyant impresario Ivan Dayman spotted Furber and offered the young outfit recording and performing opportunities . . , that attention became more firmly focused on the lead singer. Dayman’s intention was to establish Mike Furber as a pop idol in his own right along the lines of Normie Rowe, with whom Dayman had already achieved enormous national success. . . . [The] deep timbre [of Furber’s voice] belied the cute and appealing “little boy lost” look portrayed in his promo photos. Here, certainly, was Dayman’s future Rowe-style superstar in the making . . . . Furber and band for a short time stormed national stages to a general response of screaming hysteria. Beginning with the gritty and confident-sounding group-composed “Just A Poor Boy”, the band achieved moderate chart success . . . . [A]round August ’66 . . . Furber and the Bowery Boys parted ways. . . . Although Mike released three solo singles during 1967, he seemed to have retreated into obscurity. . . . [A]ll three discs stiffed on the charts. . . . In October ’67, Go-Set magazine plugged Furber’s next single, “Bring Your Love Back Home” with the banner headline “Mike Furber Back On The Scene” . . . . Despite this valuable coverage, and extraordinarily extensive promotion . . . it sank without a trace. This disappointment was possibly one prompter for the first of a series of nervous breakdowns that poor Mike was to suffer. . . . [I]t is probable that Mike’s career slump was brought about by the collapse of Sunshine [the record label] in 1967. . . . Mike disappeared from public view for 18 months or so, only to emerge in 1969 with a fresh EMI Columbia deal. . . . Specially composed for Mike by Harry Vanda and George Young (anticipating their hugely successful “Evie” in 1973) the innovative “I’m On Fire” / “Watch Me Burn” was an ambitious two-part suite spread across both sides of the 45. However it failed to ignite the imagination of punters and programmers alike and was apparently withdrawn soon after release. . . . [I]n the early seventies he did his stint of national service . . . [A]fter that, he returned to performing, and won good notices in the stage production of Godspell. In 1973 Mike won a role in the rock musical Nuclear . . . but he was sacked from the production soon afterwards. . . . Mike died in mysterious circumstances [later in] 1973, aged only 25. It is alleged that he hanged himself in the garage of his Sydney house, but there have been persistent claims that Mike was murdered as a result of underworld entaglement.

https://web.archive.org/web/20080112211047/http://www.milesago.com:80/Artists/furber.htm

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

595) Thomas and Richard Frost — “Open Up Your Heart”

This ’70 A-side is glorious pop/rock with a yummy bubblegum flavor, by Thomas and Richard Frost (actually Thomas and Richard Martin). The Frosts recorded one of the greatest “lost” album of the ’60’s, the psychedelic classic Visualize (see #209, 211, 247, 385). “Open Up Your Heart” was to be their final shot at ’60’s glory. Alec Palao says that “[l]istening to tracks like ‘Open Up Your Heart’ . . . recalls the simple joys of commercial pop at the dawn of the 1970s. Uncomplicated, fun, yet eminently memorable” and that “[t]he unreleased album Visualize . . . taken with its attendant singles “Hello Stranger” and “Open Up Your Heart”, is a sparkling and heartwarming gem of late 1960s pop”. (http://rockasteria.blogspot.com/2013/12/thomas-and-richard-frost-visualize-1969.html?m=1 Patrick says “I love [bubble]gummy tunes like Open Up Your Heart . . . . [with its] soaring strings and melody.” (https://johnkatsmc5.tumblr.com/post/163800724834/thomas-and-richard-frost-visualize-1969-70-us)

Richard Frost recalls that:

Tom and I didn’t write “Open Up Your Heart.” It was our last single for [Liberty/UA] . . . but we always felt that [it] was the best thing we recorded during our time there. . . . We had a meeting with A&R man Billy Roberts at . . . Liberty Records . . . . Our intention was to ask for release from our contract. At the time, Liberty/UA was shedding itself of the old Imperial label . . . . [and] restructuring and downsizing its artist roster. Before accepting our offer to leave, Billy asked if we would be interested in giving it one more shot. He asked us to listen to an acetate demo of a song he just received from England. As we listened, we were convinced that this was an exceptional song with the makings of a hit. So, we agreed to do the recording on the Liberty label. . . . We were very disappointed to learn that due to all of the changes going on within the company, the record was simply left to flounder. This forever closed the door to our relationship with Liberty/UA.

liner notes to the Visualize CD.

Palao gives some more background:

[T]he thundering mod sound of the Martins power trio Powder; whose own LP, recorded while the group was based in Los Angeles and employed as Sonny & Cher’s road band, remained frustratingly unissued, and indeed acted as a precursor to the creation of the masterpiece [Visualize]. [A]fter the Powder debacle, the Martins returned to northern California to lick their wounds and demo some more introspective material. . . . [Their] innate . . . pop sensibility lingered in new compositions like “She’s Got Love” [see #211]. It was to be the latter tune that caught the ear of promo man John Antoon, who signed the Martins to his . . . publishing imprint, assumed managerial duties and got the duo signed to Imperial Records under the nom de disque Thomas & Richard Frost. As a single, the simple, catchy “She’s Got Love” was to achieve a modicum of success as a turntable hit, reaching only the lower half of the Billboard Hot 100 in late 1969, but with strong regional airplay across the country, upon the back of which the Frosts were able to tour. Back in LA, Rich and Tom made the scene with their pals Rodney Bingenheimer and Frank Zinn, enjoying a brief but eye-opening spell as bona fide pop stars. Plans were big for the Frosts, with a full, lavishly orchestrated, album release, but it was all to fall apart as the follow-up singles stiffed and parent label Liberty/UA decided to wind down Imperial.

The proceedings are imbued with the Zeitgeist of Los Angeles in its last throes of pop innocence, and the Martins heart-on-their-sleeve Anglophilic sensitivity is less derivative then remarkably refreshing, with superbly recorded arrangements that any late 1960s pop fan will cherish.

http://rockasteria.blogspot.com/2013/12/thomas-and-richard-frost-visualize-1969.html?m=1

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

594) The Bee Gees — “I.O.I.O”

One of the great unsung Bee Gees songs (see #291, 353, 354, 439, 466, 484, 497, 570) — well it did reach #49 in U.K. and #94 in the U.S. (https://www.musicvf.com/Bee+Gees.art). To Bruce Eder, “I.O.I.O”, released when the Bee Gees were just Barry and Maurice, is “gorgeous”, “African-influenced” with a “luscious melody.” (https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bee-gees-mn0000043714/biography, https://www.allmusic.com/song/ioio-mt0007499452) Bruce, my thoughts exactly!

Eder goes deep:

In 1969, the trio split up in a dispute involving the Odessa album [and an inability] to agree on which song would be the single[. ] Robin walked out [and] Barry and Maurice held on to the Bee Gees name for one LP, Cucumber Castle . . . . [which] generated several successful singles in England and Germany, including the gorgeous, African-influenced “I.O.I.O.[]”.

I.O.I.O.” has one of the stranger histories of any song by the Bee Gees, in terms of both its origins and evolution as a recording, as well as the shape that it finally took in the recording studio. For starters, it marked the group’s first conscious delving into what is now called “world music” — according to Robin . . , it grew out of his brother Barry’s visit to Africa, and first appeared in 1968 on a rehearsal tape from the early part of the sessions for what became the Idea album. The song was put aside and wouldn’t get finished until two albums later, following the split of the sibling trio, when Barry and Maurice . . . — working as the Bee Gees duo — completed it at . . . during October of 1969. It was released as a single in March of 1970, and was also one of the highlights of the Cucumber Castle album. The record, which Maurice . . . claimed was never finished properly — and still featured Barry[‘s] guide vocal in place of a finished performance — was one of the most unusual in the group’s history. Opening with a flourish of distinctly African-sounding drums, the chorus overdubbed by Maurice . . . — in the most prominent placement of his voice on a Bee Gees single A-side — comes in followed by the acoustic guitar, and Barry[‘s] stunning lead lets the lyrics and the luscious melody flow out in leisurely, low-key fashion. The title chorus provides a break, followed by the second verse, telling of a lost love, and the chorus again provides a break — Maurice[‘s] overdubbed vocals swell out, with Barry[‘s] gentle “I sing” leading them, for a slow faded amid some falsetto vocal gymnastics. The song . . . was shunted aside when the three brothers began working together again. It was a cult favorite of fans . . . .

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bee-gees-mn0000043714/biography, https://www.allmusic.com/song/ioio-mt0007499452

As to Cucumber Castle, Michael Ofjord writes that:

An overlooked work in the Brothers Gibb catalog, Cucumber Castle is an excellent album that plays to the Bee Gees’ strengths of melody, arrangement, and craftsmanship. . . . Barry and Maurice carry on with 12 cuts that continue in the tradition of their distinctive pop sound. Orchestral arrangements and Mellotrons abound, and the sound tends toward full productions . . . . Barry’s vocals are particularly strong and heartfelt. . . . [A s]uperb eye for detail in the arrangements of the songs give them added life. . . . [T]his is a fine album that cements the Brothers Gibb’s reputation as superior pop songwriters and craftsmen.

https://www.allmusic.com/album/cucumber-castle-mw0000203147

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Here is a cover by B3 that was a hit in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland in 2002. As Bruce Eder explains, the group was “an *NSYNC-style ensemble, formed in New York City [whose members] recognized their shared appreciation of the Bee Gees’ music and worked up an act that encompassed the[ir] classic ’70s songs”.  (https://www.allmusic.com/artist/b3-mn0000632163/biography):

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

593) Dogfeet — “Armageddon” (demo)

With Putin in mind, today I play “Armageddon”, a haunting prog/psych/hard rock song.

Elenius65 says that the Shrewsbury, Shropshire, band “formed in the late sixties as a heavy blues band, but after bagging a record deal, changed to a sound considered more commercial. Their . . . LP is a highly unusual beast, with subdued duel guitaring, echoing vocals and atmospheric percussion and bass, sometimes reminiscent of early Fleetwood Mac.” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM3JUUUVDpk).

Marios adds:

[The band members] first came together as Chicago Max, followed by brief stints as Sopwith Camel (not to be confused with the San Francisco-based outfit), Malibou and Armageddon. Working in a blues-rock vein . . , they were signed by the small Reflection Records, though the label immediately demanded a new name – hence the change to the deplorable Dogfeet. . . . 1970’s . . . “Dogfeet” is surprisingly good. With [guitarist Trevor] Povey writing all of the material, the album’s varied and pleasingly understated. [Singer Alan] Pearse exhibited an attractive voice, while Povey’s slashing guitar was quite effective . . . . The album vanished without a trace, followed in short order by the band.

http://rockasteria.blogspot.com/2012/04/dogfeet-dogfeet-1970-us-fantastic-psych.html

If you are interested, it seems you can buy an original copy of the LP (“Among UK prog/psych collectors this album is a holy grail.”) for €925. (https://rareprogpsych.com/product/dogfeet/) Not bad at all — a copy sold for £1,600 in January. (https://www.popsike.com/DOGFEET-ST-UK-1st-PRESS-REFLECTION-COMPLETE/284521844078.html)

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Here is the demo, which I think is far better than the finished product:

Here is the album version:

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

592) The Dry Grins* — “She’s a Drag”

Chris Bishop calls this late ’65 A-side a “teen loser lament.” (https://garagehangover.com/rogues-dry-grins/) A girl makes fun of this guy in public and he knows she’s right, but has the presence of mind to tell her “baby, you’re a drag”, of course accompanied by a bouncy Al Kooper “Like a Rolling Stone”-ish organ. That’ll show her! Maybe the band should have been called the Dry Heaves.

Bishop further tells us that “Cyril Vetter of the Greek Fountains saw the Rogues [from Lafayette, Louisiana] and produced a release for them on the Montel-Michelle label, though he changed the band’s name temporarily to the Dry Grins.”

* It seems that a dry grin is a smile caused by embarassment.

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

591) The Peppermint Rainbow — “Pink Lemonade”

Sunshine pop from Charm City by a band originally named the New York Times?! Yes, a wonderful ‘68 sunshine single from Baltimore protégés of Mama Cass. Wow, could they sing.

J. Scott McClintock says that:

Baltimore’s Peppermint Rainbow . . . . excelled at soaring vocal harmony work, with Bonnie Lamdin (later Phipps) helming most of the leads . . . . [I]ts first single, “Walking in Different Circles” b/w “Pink Lemonade,” . . . failed to chart but their next single . . . “Will You Be Staying After Sunday,” was a hit. Overnight, the bandmembers went from sharing bologna sandwiches to playing alongside acts like the 5th Dimension and Sly & the Family Stone as well as appearing on numerous television shows. Subsequent singles charted admirably, but their only LP release . . . never cracked the Billboard Top 100. By 1970, the group had dissolved . . . .

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-peppermint-rainbow-mn0000893662/biography

Mark Deming adds that:

Paul Leka, the producer responsible for the Lemon Pipers’ “Green Tambourine,” was the man behind the controls for the Peppermint Rainbow’s recordings, and his talent for top-shelf sunshine pop with just a hint of psychedelia is very much in evidence here; the group’s two hit singles, “Will You Be Staying After Sunday” and “Don’t Wake Me Up in the Morning, Michael,” boast splendid harmonies and rich, dynamic arrangements that buoy the arrangements with strings, horns, and well-punctuated drumming. . . . “Pink Lemonade” was the group’s first single and should have enjoyed the same success as its siblings . . . .

https://www.allmusic.com/album/will-you-be-staying-after-sunday-mw0000260045

Bonnie Landon reminisces:

I used to sing at hootenannies with my brother and sister at our church . . . . About that time, we ran across a group of guys who had their own band. They said they needed a female voice or two, so we formed a group that our first manager named The New York Times. I’m not sure why he chose that name . . . . We were in DC one night, playing at a place across the street from where Cass Elliott was performing with The Mugwumps – her band before she joined the Mamas & the Papas. Cass came over and joined us onstage for a medley of Mamas & Papas songs. After we were done, she said, ‘I’m going to get you a contract.’ Twenty-four hours later, we were contacted by Decca Records. A few days later, we did a gig in New York and within a week or two we got signed. We also got a new agent, who said The New York Times wasn’t gonna work, so she came up with the name The Peppermint Rainbow because Bubblegum music was so big at the time. We really didn’t sound like a Bubblegum band, though, when we performed. We did funky music and had one guy who was great doing soul, so we did a little bit of everything. . . . Our record label hooked us up with our producer, Paul Leka. . . . [who] was classically trained and . . . wonderful. If you listen closely to the music, you can hear that we had a full orchestra behind us on nearly every song. Our first song, “Walking in Different Circles”, did relatively well. Then came “Will You Be Staying After Sunday”. . . . That was the song that really took off. [It would sell more than one million records and allowed them to tour for two years. Then w]e had a difficult situation where we found out our manager wasn’t paying us our entire share, so we became disillusioned. Then I got married, and that was the final nail in the coffin.

https://baltimorepostexaminer.com/peppermint-rainbow-singer-bonnie-lamdin-phipps-remembers-will-you-be-staying-after-sunday/2019/01/18

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

590) Tom Parrott — “Autumn Time in Grenada”

In honor of the fall equinox — it couldn’t have come soon enough! Tom Parrott (see #202) was a frequent contributor to Broadside (a key publication of the folk revival, founded in ‘62 — the year I was born, and published on a mimeograph machine). Michael says that Parrott “recorded two fantastic folk albums in the late 60s that are must-haves for fans of folk and psychedelic folk” and “this soft and melodious album [Many Windowed Night, from which “Autumn Time” is drawn] enchants.” “Autumn” is indeed enchanting, fantastic folk, with an emphasis on psychedelic.

[Tom Parrott] got his start . . . after moving to New York City where Broadside Magazine published his politically inspired folk music in the mid-1960s. After appearing onstage at a 1967 Carnegie Hall concert at the invite of Pete Seeger he was signed by . . . Folkways . . . . He recorded troubadour tales in the distinct, if not derivative, soft folk 60’s style using guitar, and harmonica with an electrictrified backing band. Parrott sang topical tales of the Vietnam war, psychedelicized disillusionment, drug addiction, child labor, slums, homelessness, and hard-travelin’ backed by an oft stellar backup band . . . . After building a reputation on the Greenwich Village coffeehouse circuit and through touring, the Folkways label released 2 acclaimed, but obscure, full length solo albums in 1968.

Since the 1960’s Parrott has taught music at the University of New Mexico, and been in an assortment of loosely defined rock, country, folk, reggae, jug and blues bands including backing Allen Ginsberg on guitar, and as an early member of the Southwest regional fave Watermelon Mountain Jug Band. . . . In regards to his style of playing, Thom likes to quote Big Bill Broonzy who, when asked to define “folk songs” replied “I reckon all songs are folk songs, I never heard no horses singing any.”

https://www.last.fm/music/Tom+Parrott/+wiki

I reckon that in the ‘60’s, all songs were psychedelic folk songs, since all the folks were psychedelic. On the other hand, if someone slipped something into the horse’s sugar cube . . .

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

589) Led Zeppelin — “That’s the Way”

Off the acoustic side of Led Zeppelin III comes the band’s gorgeous Pastoral Symphony written at the Bron-Yr-Aur (hill of the gold) cottage in Wales. It features the best, most timeless lyrics (to my mind) that Robert Plant has ever written. Stephen Thomas Erlewine says that “That’s the Way” is a “shimmering song[] with graceful country flourishes.” (https://www.allmusic.com/album/led-zeppelin-iii-mw0000650405). Denise Sullivan calls the song “one of Led Zeppelin’s most beautiful ballads (in the true tradition of the folk ballad)” and calls “Plant’s vocal . . . all old-English ballad, but delivered in his best restrained, unique hard rocker’s wail.” (https://www.allmusic.com/song/thats-the-way-mt0046467044) It is “delicate” (Brad Tolinski, https://www.guitarworld.com/gw-archive/jimmy-page-discusses-led-zeppelin-iii), yes, delicate!!!

Sullivan goes on to say that it is “among the songs [Zeppelin] claim composed itself. Jimmy Page riffed fluently while Robert Plant sang along on the spot — the legend says it was as simple as that”. What is the real story? Well, Brad Tolinski and Jimmy Page dive into the song in an interview in Guitar World:

It was Plant’s idea that he and Page might benefit from a vacation. Plant recalled a cottage in Wales that he had visited as a child with his family. Named Bron-Yr-Aur, the 18th century dwelling was situated in the Cambrian Mountains. . . . He invited Page to join him there in the spring of 1970, and the two men and their families packed up guitars and supplies and headed off . . . . The absence of electricity . . . guaranteed that any music created . . . would be acoustic in nature. : . . [T]he quiet came as a welcome relief for the musicians who had just spent months playing music at top volumes. . . . “The original plan was to just go there, hang out and really appreciate the countryside [says Page]. The only song we really finished up there was ‘That’s the Way,’ but being in the country set a tone, and it established a standard of traveling for inspiration.” Page had always intended Zeppelin “to be a marriage of blues, hard rock and acoustic music, topped with heavy choruses.” But while Led Zeppelin II was primarily a snapshot of a touring band caught in the heat of battle—ferocious and filled with testosterone—III would introduce a new sensitivity to their overall sound.

[Page says the song] was very exciting to record because it gave us a chance to work with some new acoustic textures. John Paul Jones plays the mandolin on it, and the main breaks . . . are taken up with the pedal steel. I couldn’t really play a pedal steel like a pedal steel player, but I could play it like me. . . . And right at the end . . . I played a dulcimer. . . . John Paul Jones went home, so I put the bass part on it as well! That didn’t happen often, believe me! The open tuning gave the track a lot of space, so we had a great time filling it up. And Robert’s lyrics were superb.

https://www.guitarworld.com/gw-archive/jimmy-page-discusses-led-zeppelin-iii

And Robert Hughes, excuse me, Robert Plant has this to say:

Of the writing sessions, singer Robert Plant recalls it as “a fantastic place in the middle of nowhere with no facilities at all-and it was a fantastic test of what we could do in that environment. Because by that time we’d become obsessed with change, and the great thing was that we were also able to create a pastoral side of Led Zep”.

https://thiskindofthinginterestsme.wordpress.com/2014/04/08/led-zeppelin-bron-y-aur-stomp-bron-yr-aur/

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Here is Zep playing the song live in ‘71:

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

587) Puff — “Go With You”

The Rockin’ Ramrods — one third of Boston’s garage rock trinity — transform into Puff. They show off their sensitive side with a touching love song from an exquisite album of what Ritchie Unterberger calls “light, sophisticated pop/rock with lots of harmonies and slight psychedelic touches”. (https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-best-of-the-rockin-ramrods-mw0000613200).

“The sound of the group changed dramatically. It was softer, more experimental, and for the first time introduced jazz, blues, and classical themes into the music.” (http://www.therockinramrods.com/The_Rockin_Ramrods/The_Rockin_Ramrods_History.html). They must have been drinking too much dirty water!

If you are from Bosstown, you know that, as Mark Deming tells us:

One of the leading acts on the Boston rock & roll scene in the 1960s, the Rockin’ Ramrods never broke through to nationwide popularity but they were a potent draw in New England, playing a steady stream of gigs both as headliners and opening for many of the leading acts of the day, as well as releasing a handful of regional singles. The . . . Ramrods were formed by Ronn Campisi, who played bass, sang lead, and wrote the group’s original material; Vin Campisi, Ronn’s older brother, on guitar; and drummer Bob Henderson, who also sang backing vocals. . . . The group started out as an instrumental combo, but as acts without singers fell out of favor, Ronn . . . took on vocal duties, and the group wrote and recorded a number of strong pop/rock tunes. The[y] were managed by Bill Spence, owner of the Surf Ballroom chain in Massachusetts, and they were frequent headliners at Spence’s venues as well as other New England clubs, social events, and teen dances. In 1965, Spence helped book a short tour of New England for the Rolling Stones, and the Rockin’ Ramrods opened the shows as well as backing up two vocal groups on the bill, [including] the Bluebelles (featuring Patti LaBelle) . . . . As the ’60s wore on, the Rockin’ Ramrods became the Ramrods . . . . In 1968, they evolved into Puff, who recorded an album for MGM Records[.]. Ronn . . . wrote all the songs for Puff but didn’t appear on the album[, which] proved unsuccessful . . . .

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-rockin-ramrods-mn0000487930/biography

Stephen Haag adds that:

Along with The Remains and The Lost, The Rockin’ Ramrods formed Boston’s Garage Rock trinity in the mid ’60s. Although they never approached a level of notoriety like that of The Remains, they were very popular in Massachusetts, playing regularly at Bill Spence’s Surf Ballrooms at Nantasket, Hyannis and Salisbury beaches and, during their run, sharing the stage with such luminaries as The Ventures, The Rascals, The Swingin’ Medallions, The Lovin’ Spoonful, The Left Banke, The Tremeloes, The Doors, and Tommy James and The Shondells. Their eight singles [including] the Lennon/McCartney numbers “I Wanna Be Your Man” and “I’ll Be On My Way” earned them an opening slot on the Rolling Stones’ first stateside tour in 1965, where the band was often called upon to serve as decoys to allow the Stones to escape their throngs of excited fans. . . . Unable to capitalize on momentum from the Stones tour, The Rockin’ Ramrods disbanded, with chief songwriter Ronn Campisi unveiling his new psychedelic act, Puff, in 1968.

https://www.mmone.org/the-rockin-ramrods/

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“Go With You” starts at 32:38:

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

587) The Downliners Sect*— “Glendora”

UK mod/freakbeat revival of a Perry Como chestnut about a guy’s infatuation with a . . . mannequin turns it into a “pounding, proto-psychedelic” stunner (Bruce Eder, https://www.allmusic.com/album/sectuality-mw0000465479) Mike Stax says:

The band’s rough-handed delivery and perverse sense of fun are well to the fore on “Glendora,” a song about a doomed love obsession with a shopwindow mannequin. [The] snarling fuzz guitar leads the song over a relentless smashing beat . . . [and] lyrics [delivered] with delicious facetiousness. . . . [I]t failed to sell in the same numbers as Perry Como’s . . . tamer 1956 original.

(liner notes to the Nuggets II comp)

Who were the Sect? Stax tells us that “[f]rom the beginning [1964], they were outcasts — too young, too uncouth, and just a tad too eccentric for mass consumption. However, their raw, irreverent approach to R&B, often laced with a strong streak of black humor, won them a cult following”. (liner notes to the Nuggets II comp) Bruce Eder expands and inflates:

[They gave us] some of the most delightfully raw and unaffected, downright affectionate British renditions of American rock & roll and R&B, so unstylish that they achieve a kind of beguiling, offhanded stylishness all their own . . . [The] Sect thump away with more enthusiasm than distinctive talent or personalities, or inventiveness. . . . [but] there’s just something so real and honest about the way these guys plunked and plodded their way through their music, running on sheer bravado and a genuine affection at their core — it didn’t propel them to stardom (except maybe in Scandinavia), but it makes their stuff worth hearing . . . .

https://www.allmusic.com/album/sectuality-mw0000465479

Richie Unterberger deflates:

Of all the British R&B bands to follow the Rolling Stones’ footsteps, the Downliners Sect were arguably the rawest. The Sect didn’t as much interpret the sound of Chess Records as attack it, with a finesse that made the Pretty Things seem positively suave in comparison. Long on crude energy and hoarse vocals but short on originality and songwriting talent, the Sect never had a British hit, although they had some sizable singles in other European countries.

Good? No, not really. As performers the Sect didn’t only verge on inept, they were at times downright careless, as if they couldn’t be bothered to polish things a bit in the studio. [T]hey were really a pedestrian British R&B band with a propensity toward parched humor and odd novelty tunes that hasn’t aged well.

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-downliners-sect-mn0000117803/biography; https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-definitive-downliners-sect-singles-as-bs-mw0000080001

And Angelfire.com adds that:

The band started to play frequent gigs at the many rock clubs in London and soon got a reputation to be one of the best rhythm ’n’ blues bands in town, comparable with Rolling Stones and Yardbirds. [They] played . . . tough no-compromising rhythm ’n’ blues but . . . also put in some humorous stints in their live-act. . . . . Don Craine started to wear his famous Sherlock Holmes-hat . . . . “Little Egypt” . . . . reached the charts in Sweden in the spring of 1965 where it was no. 2 at the Top ten list in April.

https://www.angelfire.com/rock3/yardbird_sect/secthistory1.html

*Angelfire.com explains that the band was originally named the Downliners after Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Down The Line”. In a later incarnation, the band became the Downliners Sect, “a name which the band members found more exciting, with a touch of mystery.” (https://www.angelfire.com/rock3/yardbird_sect/secthistory1.html)

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Here is Perry Como. Actually, this is a pretty great version!

Here is the original by Jack Lewis:

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

586) The Millennium — “It Won’t Always Be the Same”

Sunshine pop went supernova with the Millennium (see #397, 506), a 60’s sunshine supergroup that created Begin, the greatest sunshine pop album ever recorded. As to the sublime “It Won’t Always Be the Same”, Jittery White Guy — point of clarification, NOT ME! — says:

There are plenty of disarmingly sweet pop tunes with ringing guitars and sweeping harmonies [on Begin], most notably “It Won’t Always Be The Same” . . . . Given [Curt] Boettcher’s studio chops, it’s no surprise that the album sounds absolutely wonderful . . . .

https://www.jitterywhiteguymusic.com/2019/07/the-millennium-begin-1968.html?m=1

Begin cost more to make than any other album from ’68 other than The Beatles (the White Album)— and no one buys it (at least until era of CD reissues). As Richie Unterberger writes, it was “at once too unabashedly commercial for underground FM radio and too weird for the AM dial.” (https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-millennium-mn0000814312) For more on the Millennium and Curt Boettcher, see #396.

Like many songs in the “sunshine” genre, the lyrics are much darker than the music. Is “The Same” a civil rights song or a “she done me wrong” song? “Blowing in the Wind” or “Idiot Wind”? What do you think?

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Here is a demo. John Pruett says that “[t]racks like . . . ‘It Won’t Always Be the Same’ may lose their colorful, produced luster [in their demos], but it’s also apparent how strong the tracks are at the core. (https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-second-millennium-mw0000544012):

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

585) Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Schwartz— “God Said”

Bernstein created mass hysteria in ‘71 with his MASS, a “theater piece for singers, players and dancers,” that Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis asked him to compose for the opening of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. This weekend, MASS is again being performed at the Center.

In “God Said”, “a Preacher and the Street Chorus parody the Creation story and contemporary human beings who distort God’s commands to justify their own selfish needs and desires.” (https://leonardbernstein.com/works/view/12/mass-a-theatre-piece-for-singers-players-and-dancers). And it is goddamn good!

Michael Andor Brodeur writes:

At first glance, it might be easy to mistake “Mass” for other hippie-adjacent blurs of music, theater and spirituality from the period — “Hair,” “Jesus Christ Superstar” and the like. Stephen Schwartz, whom Bernstein enlisted six months before the premiere to help freshen the liturgical libretto (which mixes Latin, Hebrew and English) with contemporary lines, had only months earlier staged the off-Broadway premiere of his own breakthrough blend of the sacred and the secular, “Godspell.” But, groovy vibes aside, “Mass” endures as a rich and complex work in Bernstein’s oeuvre, and a vessel for some of his most personal revelations. . . . Bernstein fully believed that music — maybe even his — could repair the cracks in the world around him.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/music/2022/09/08/resurrecting-bernsteins-epic-kennedy-center-opener/

John Palmer adds that:

The text of Mass consists of the Roman Catholic mass with additional material written by Bernstein and Stephen Schwartz . . . . [O]n the stage are a blues combo and rock band with a “Street Chorus.” Bertstein wanted to appeal to young people, and his inclusion of rock and blues elements and the abundance of young performers on stage in Mass were certainly influenced by the recent successes of Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar, as well as Schwartz’s own Godspell. . . . [An] amalgam of church chorales, show-tune melodies, folk song, rock, and blues, requiring over 200 performers, irritated some critics and pleased others. . . . Among the 31 numbers in Mass are rock and blues solos and a gospel-style, revivalist segment for the Preacher. . . .

[A]s Bernstein notes, “It . . . remains for each individual on the stage to find a new seed of faith within himself through painful Meditation.” Once it is found, the participants pass peace to one another and into the audience, “and hopefully into the world outside.”

https://www.allmusic.com/composition/mass-theatre-piece-for-singers-players-amp-dancers-mc0002376317

Bernstein’s official website states that:

[He] created a broadly eclectic theatrical event by placing the 400-year-old religious rite into a tense, dramatic dialog with music and lyrics of the 20th century vernacular, using this dialectic to explore the crisis in faith and cultural breakdown of the post-Kennedy era. . . . Six months before the scheduled premiere, MASS was far from completion. Needing a collaborator, Bernstein decided to ask the young composer-lyricist Stephen Schwartz to work with him on the text. . . . Bernstein and Schwartz envisioned MASS . . . as a fully staged, dramatic pageant. They mixed sacred and secular texts . . . inserting tropes in contemporary English that question and challenge the prescribed service . . . . The result was a piece that powerfully communicated the confusion and cultural malaise of the early 1970s, questioning authority and advocating for peace.

[T]he ceremony is performed by a Celebrant accompanied by a formal choir, a boys’ choir, acolytes, and musicians. His congregation of disaffected youth (the “Street Chorus”) sings the tropes that challenge the formal ecclesiastic dogma of the Church. As the tension grows and the Celebrant becomes more and more vested, the cynical congregants turn to him as the healer of all their ills, violently demanding peace. In a climactic moment, overwhelmed by the burden of his authority, the Celebrant hurls the sacraments to the floor and has a complete spiritual breakdown. The catharsis creates an opening for a return to the simple, pure faith with which he had begun the ritual . . . Though MASS challenges divine authority [and] question[s] religion’s relevance to contemporary life, it ultimately serves as a reaffirmation of faith and hope for universal peace. . . .

Bernstein [had] consulted with Father Dan Berrigan, a Catholic priest and anti-war activist who had been on the FBI’s “10 Most-Wanted” list before being apprehended and imprisoned. In the summer of 1971, as MASS approached its premiere, the FBI warned the White House that the piece’s Latin text might contain coded anti-war messages and that Bernstein was mounting a plot “to embarrass the United States government.” President Nixon was strongly advised not to attend and was conspicuously absent at the premiere. Responses to the premiere of MASS covered the spectrum. The Roman Catholic Church did not approve—some cities cancelled performances under pressure from their local Catholic churches—while other prominent clergy declared their support for the piece. Certain music critics disapproved of the mixing of genres, while others found the work to be inspired. For the most part, the audiences were deeply moved, experiencing firsthand the shared, communal journey of the composition.

https://leonardbernstein.com/works/view/12/mass-a-theatre-piece-for-singers-players-and-dancers

Brodeur adds that:

The FBI had been keeping tabs on Bernstein, his leftist politics and his alleged ties to Communist organizations since his graduation from Harvard . . . . Internal memos reveal a flurry of “Mass” hysteria. . . . Robert Mardian, then head of the U.S. Justice Department’s internal security division, in a memo to the White House [wrote that “]The fact that two such controversial figures as Bernstein and Father Berrigan are collaborating on the dedication program would appear to offer sufficient reason for inquiries as to just what mischief they are up to.[“] . . . G. Gordon Liddy [wrote in a] memo . . . [“]To avoid embarrassing the President or the Administration, neither the President nor any high Administration official will be present for the opening . . .”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/music/2022/09/08/resurrecting-bernsteins-epic-kennedy-center-opener/

New York Times critic Harold Shonberg wrote after the premier that:

[MASS] was a combination of superficiality and pretentiousness, and the greatest mélange of styles since the ladies’ magazine recipe for steak fried in peanut butler and Marshmallow sauce.

Elsewhere, there is a wild melange of everything. One can hear rock, Broadway tunes that echo “West Side Story” and “Fancy Free,” raga, Beatles, ballads, Copland, chorales, revival‐meeting tunes, hymns and marching bands. . . . Musicalls, it is a stylistic phantasmagoria that uses the fashionable techniques. Amplification, for instance. Everything is amplified, as at a rock concert—the singers, the orchestra, and there also is lavish use of four‐track pre‐recorded tape. The result can be ear‐splitting. . . . At times the Mass is little more than fashionable kitsch. It is a pseudo‐serious effort at rethinking the Mass that basically is, I think, cheap and vulgar. It is a show‐biz Mass, the work of a musician who desperately wants to be with it.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/music/2022/09/08/resurrecting-bernsteins-epic-kennedy-center-opener/; https://www.nytimes.com/1971/09/09/archives/bernsteins-new-work-reflects-his-background-on-broadway.html

Jamie Bernstein, the composer’s daughter, recalls that:

[My father] was devastated [by the critical reception]. He had really exposed himself in this piece in so many ways. . . . It has more of him in it than anything else he ever wrote. And because of that, because he rendered himself so vulnerable, it hurt doubly to have the work be so criticized. I . . . think he was half hoping that . . . the scales would fall from everyone’s eyes and they would realize we all have to get along, war is terrible, and let’s change our ways. I really think that there was a part of my dad that felt like if he could just write that good enough piece, he could change the world. . . . I only wish my dad had lived long enough to see “Mass” being invited to be performed in the Vatican by Pope John Paul II [in 2000]. He would have felt so vindicated!

https://www.washingtonpost.com/music/2022/09/08/resurrecting-bernsteins-epic-kennedy-center-opener/

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

584) The Main Ingredient — “Magic Shoes”

Glorious B-side and track from the MI’s second LP. Don’t play the fool, put on your magic shoes and listen to this one! Phyl Garland got it exactly right in Ebony:

On their second album release they are mature, polished and ready. . . . Here is a truly beautiful sound. Not since The Impressions have three male voices been combined to create such a smooth and intimate total effect. . . . Their roots are as firmly planted in contemporary pop ballads as R&B while their offerings are rounded off with the special touch of their own style . . . They sing with such ease and unity that music seems to flow through them as they become one with it.

https://books.google.com/books?id=qdsDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA28&lpg=PA28&dq=the+main+ingredient+tasteful+soul&source=bl&ots=sUKjWMgP6b&sig=ACfU3U0qowQxPA8iolrmVidrbm48c4QflA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjssqWizJr6AhWRD1kFHQf8AHU4RhDoAXoECAsQAg#v=onepage&q=the%20main%20ingredient%20tasteful%20soul&f=false

And Funk My Soul nailed it too:

What can I say about one of the most soulful records I’ve ever heard? . . . Overall a great set of Bert DeCoteaux arrangements and a totally sweet soul harmony sound. The arrangements are nice and airy, with lots of smooth sweeping passages that let the vocals float around effortlessly. One of the greatest Sweet Soul groups ever.

https://www.funkmysoul.gr/the-main-ingredient-1970-tasteful-soul/

Steve Huey tells the story:

The Main Ingredient toiled in obscurity for the better part of the ’60s before making it big as a sweet, romantic soul outfit with a particular flair for ballads. . . . The group was formed in Harlem in 1964 as a trio called the Poets, composed of lead singer Donald McPherson, Luther Simmons, Jr., and Panama-born Tony Silvester. They . . . soon changed their name to the Insiders . . . . After a couple of singles, they changed their name once again in 1968, this time permanently, to the Main Ingredient. Nothing much happened until the[y] hooked up with producer Bert DeCoteaux, who had an excellent sense of the lush, orchestrated direction soul music would take in the early ’70s. Under his direction, the Main Ingredient reached the R&B Top 30 for the first time in 1970 with “You’ve Been My Inspiration.” Things grew steadily from there; a cover of the Impressions’ “I’m So Proud” broke the Top 20, and “Spinning Around (I Must Be Falling in Love)” went Top Ten. They scored again with the McPherson-penned Black power anthem “Black Seeds Keep on Growing,” but tragedy struck in 1971: McPherson, who had suddenly taken ill with leukemia, passed away unexpectedly. Stunned, Silvester and Simmons regrouped with new lead singer, Cuba Gooding, Sr., who’d served as a backing vocalist on some of their previous recordings and had filled in on tour during McPherson’s brief illness. The Gooding era began auspiciously enough with the million-selling smash “Everybody Plays the Fool,” which hit number two R&B and number three pop to become the group’s biggest hit ever.

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-main-ingredient-mn0000057827

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

583) Susan Christie — “Rainy Day”

Scandalously unissued in its day, “Rainy Day” is one of an album’s-worth “exquisitely beautiful examples of what could only be called acid folk.” (Bruce Eder, https://www.allmusic.com/artist/susan-christie-mn0001215020/biography). Jeanette Leech calls the album that never was (until 2006!) “one of the heaviest and most haunting acid-folk albums to date” and “one of the most intense of all acid-folk records.” (Jeanette Leech, Seasons They Change: The Story of Acid and Psychedelic Folk). Will Hermes says the songs are “[b]rilliantly original” and “[f]unky freak folk?” and that Christie’s “dark, strange songbird flights stoke a fluid groove.” (https://books.google.com/books?id=dhpEiwR_cZAC&dq=%22susan+christie%22+singer+-ecosystem%22+-meteorological&pg=PA96#v=onepage&q=%22susan%20christie%22%20singer%20-ecosystem%22%20-meteorological&f=false) Richie Unterberger calls them “nicely dreamy and varied folk-rock for the most part that shows a lot of sadly unfulfilled potential” (https://www.allmusic.com/album/paint-a-lady-mw0000473999) and the heroes at Finders Keepers Records call them “hand crafted tales of inner-city solitude backed by a break heavy folk funk rhythm section”. (http://www.finderskeepersrecords.com/shop/susan-christie-paint-a-lady/)

Who is Susan Christie? Bruce Eder explains:

Susan Christie was a Philadelphia-based folksinger . . . [who] attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, and took easily to the new requirements of the booming folk-rock field in the mid-’60s. She was cheerful and sufficiently accessible as a singer to lend her voice to the song “I Love Onions” (popularized on the Captain Kangaroo show) in 1966. That was enough to get her a chance to cut a brace of demos . . . . Her prospective record label was unimpressed with (or, more likely, unprepared for) Christie’s melodic yet thoroughly downbeat creations, mostly her unique takes on traditional country and folk material . . . .

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/susan-christie-mn0001215020/biography

Jeanette Leech gives us more history:

Christie’s musical and romantic partner was John Hill, whom she had met in high school. “I always swear that he only dated me because we had a piano in our house. . . . We were in the junior play; we met, and we’ve been hanging out ever since.” . . . “And then this wonderful opportunity came for us to do things the ways we would like to do them”: an album offer from ABC-Paramount. The pair handpicked songs that they admired, mainly in a country-folk vein . . . . Hill created innovative new arrangements of songs . . . Christie sang with her crystal-tipped voice. . . . Hill and Christie were convinced they had done something unique with the album, and were very proud of it. ABC- Paramount was not so pleased. “We’re still not entirely sure why it wasn’t released,” Hill says with a sigh. “I guess the label didn’t like it.” An acetate was pressed up, and Hill retained the master tapes . . . . Christie buried her disappointment and largely gave up on front-line singing. “I think I just dismissed it and said, that’s it, I’ll go back to making rhubarb pie[.]”

Jeanette Leech, Seasons They Change: The Story of Acid and Psychedelic Folk

Christie says that:

I’d always been proud of it – it was a new sound, sort of “folky-funk”. [Afterwards,] I had decided against being a normal singer because jingle work was easier to fit around the children. I sang about bladder control, detergents, diet Pepsi and Maxwell House coffee.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/jan/02/folk.features11

I guess no antacid commercials! Then came the 21st Century. Christie explains:

I was working as a jingle singer when Keith D’Arcy, a record company executive and avid collector of the weird and unusual, asked if I had anything in my basement. . . . [O]nly three copies had been pressed [but] I gave one to him, and he contacted [English DJ Andy] Votel [owner and founder of Finders Keepers Records].

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/jan/02/folk.features11

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68hL87sJ74E

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

582) Winston’s Fumbs — “Real Crazy Apartment”

The greatest ever freakbeat ode to a Swinging London bachelor’s pad. OK, maybe the only one. No Norwegian wood here!

Joynson says that “Apartment” is “a manic rocker”. (The Tapestry of Delights Revisited) Mike Stax calls it “superb freakbeat” with “a great, driving Hammond riff” that “conjures up images of the ultimate Chelsea swinger’s pad, all pop art murals, pot smoke, and Space Age gadgetry.” (liner notes to the Nuggets II comp) Richie Unterberger says it is “a hybrid of hard mod pop and soul-influenced high backup harmonies . . . . [T]he single’s one of the better 1967 British psych obscurities”. (https://www.allmusic.com/artist/winstons-fumbs-mn0000670445/biography)

Dave Furgess adores it:

[T]his thing . . . just tore my face off. This number comes at you from the opening bars and never lets up. Jimmy Winston plays an effects laden guitar against Tony Kaye’s dynamic Hammond organ and unleashes a vocal that sounds almost exactly like Steve Marriott during the song’s raveup. It’s a song about a typical “Swinging London” crash-pad and this song has teeth like razor blades. “Real Crazy Apartment” is easily as potent as anything his former group The Small Faces ever cooked up.

https://www.headheritage.co.uk/unsung/review/1739/

Left and to the Back:

So far as I’m aware, there are only two sixties singles whose lyrics are heavily focussed on interior design . . . . [including] this, which is also surely the only rock record to heavily feature the repeated proclamation “Furn-i-ture! WOOO!” I’m not the right age to understand whether this line sounded as absurd at the time of this record’s release as it does now, but it perhaps signifies how much design and lifestyle became a focus for many British sixties bands . . . . [“]Apartment” [is] an excitable piece of work, so much so than the line “Take it easy now” could well be Winston addressing himself, shortly before he rattles off a list of things in his friend’s apartment he particularly enjoys, including the Shakespeare volumes and the wallpaper. It’s almost like Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen* on uppers, combined with such a high-tempo, rattling backing that it feels almost beyond gleeful.

http://left-and-to-the-back.blogspot.com/2011/10/winstons-fumbs-real-crazy-apartment.html?m=1

Richie Unterberger notes that Winston “played on the first couple of singles by the Small Faces before getting kicked out and replaced by Ian McLagan. . . .” (https://www.allmusic.com/artist/winstons-fumbs-mn0000670445/biography) Dave Furgess has this to say:

Rumor has it that original Small Faces keyboardist Jimmy Winston was booted out of that group because he was too tall (in comparison to the other 3 pint-size Small Faces) and that his prescence made press photos look awkward. That may very well be true, as in the mid 60’s having the right look was sometimes more important than the music, look what happened to The Rolling Stones keyboardist Ian Stewart. Whatever the reason for Winston leaving the Small Faces, he wasted no time starting his own group Jimmy Winston & The Reflections who issued the “Sorry She’s Mine” . . . 45 for Decca in 1966. However when [it] failed to set the world on fire, Winston decided a name change was in order and his next group effort was dubbed the more exotic Winston’s Fumbs. Remember this was 1967 in the UK where dozens of other unsuccessful Tamla/Motown flavored groups changed names overnight when the psychedelic craze hit. . . . Winston switched to guitar leaving the keyboard slot open for future Yes organist Tony Kaye (who really shines on both sides of this 45.) . . .

https://www.headheritage.co.uk/unsung/review/1739/

* He is apparently (according to Wikipedia) “an English interior designer and television personality best known for appearing on the BBC programme Changing Rooms.”

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

581) The United Travel Service — “Wind and Stone”

Before Portland was hip Portlandia, it was this college band’s mission to bring the sounds of San Francisco to the stodgy Northwest! Vernon Joynson and Max Waller call “Wind and Stone” “excellent soft psych-rock . . . a classic ‘back to the wilds’ theme song with a glorious spirit-lifting raga-esque break, and lyrics reflecting the rejection of ‘the plastic society’.” (https://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/4368823) Learyfan says the “lyrics are as hippified as you can get”. (https://www.shroomery.org/forums/show flat.php/Number/4368823)

As to the band, whose name is sort of a twist on Quicksilver Messenger Service, 60sgaragebands.com writes that:

Guitarist and vocalist John Reeves formed The United Travel Service with the intention of starting a rock group that would bring the sound of San Francisco to the college he was attending, Oregon State University. Although the band was primarily Northwest–based, they recorded two singles that have kept them well known to ‘60’s music fans and collectors worldwide.

https://web.archive.org/web/20081231085720/http://www.60sgaragebands.com/unitedtravelservice.html

Reeves himself reminisces:

We formed in . . . 1966, the beginning of my sophomore year at Oregon State University. We were together through college until I entered active duty with the Air Force in July 1969. . . . I grew up in the Bay Area in the ‘60s and was a regular patron at the Fillmore and Avalon. It was a magic time for music. Heading up to Oregon State University for school, I was discouraged by the music, or lack thereof, in Oregon. Save for The Sonics and a couple others, the music up there was a bit disappointing so I set my aim on starting a band and bringing a more San Francisco sound to the Northwest. I placed an ad on the school bulletin boards–Wanted: Drummer–knowing I was the only bandmember and owned a guitar but not even an amp at the time. Dale Sweetland answered the ad and was at first skeptical but agreed to listen to my musical interests. He came to my dorm room and I had him lay on the floor between the speakers bellowing out The Grateful Dead’s ‘Viola Lee Blues’. Dale sat up, totally bought in and agreed we had a band to create. . . . Dale and I pulled in Ben Hoff who . . . . brought his incredible songwriting into the picture . . . .

[As to the Portland music scene,] it was all Sonics and Kingsmen. Other than that, you had Gary Lewis and The Playboys and the like. I recall the first time I heard The Jefferson Airplane . . . on the radio up there. The DJ said they should fly back home. I was committed to changing that attitude. By the time we started recording and playing regularly, things had quickly changed. Quicksilver headed a card which we were also on at the Portland Masonic Temple . . . . We also opened for The Doors at OSU . . . so the music in the Northwest was changing rapidly. . . .

We managed ourselves entirely. . . . [which] was one reason (perhaps) we never really made any big moves with our recordings or touring. We had no money, as we were all starving students. Had we had some money behind us, I think, we could have made a reasonably good-sized splash, even on the national scene. . . . At one point, ‘Wind and Stone’ was #3 on the KFLY charts in Portland. I think we were reasonably well known at the university but beyond that . . . . “Wind and Stone” . . . was national but they did not print a lot of records and so when folks looked to buy them they couldn’t find them. So the record hit the charts and quickly fell. Because the first release was less than a hit because of this, they were very reluctant on the second release. We mutually voided the contract with Laurie Records . . . .

https://web.archive.org/web/20081231085720/http://www.60sgaragebands.com/unitedtravelservice.html

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

580) Thoughts and Words — “Go Out and Find the Sun”

From Pandamonium comes . . . deep, calming Thoughts and Words and a bewitching song of affirmation and encouragement that should have been as ubiquitous in the early ‘70’s as the happy face! 😀

As Vernon Joynson says, “[Martin] Curtis and [Bob] Ponton had been the founders and mainstays of Pandamonium [see #115] but, tired of record company inteference, resolved in 1969 to proceed as a stripped-down duo.” (The Tapestry of Delights Revisited) Bob Ponton himself recollects (in the liner notes to the CD reissue of Thoughts and Words’ eponymous ’69 album from which today’s song is drawn):

It got me down. I went to bed and couldn’t get up for a month. 

We were furious at the way we’d been treated, so decided to ditch the production-heavy approach and make more simple, straightforward music together instead.

We were getting more and more into acoustic sounds and absolutely loved the Incredible String Band. 

As to the album, Ponton calls it “‘classical folk’ — many of [the] chord progressions are straight out of Bach.” Joynson calls it “a dainty collection of earnest folk-pop.”

Team Rock gives some backstory:

Bob Ponton and Martin Curtis met at primary school where they formed the first band and later played around the youth clubs in Gravesend, until they met Ray Jenns and Dennis Jenns. . . . [and] joined [their] band which later turned into the Pandas. . . . [then] Pandamonium[. A]fter the demise of Pandamonium they formed the duo Thoughts and Words. In mid-’68, five years and three singles into their career as Pandamonium, Bob Ponton and Martin Curtis . . . [were] at the epicentre of London’s psychedelic folk scene and hanging out with the likes of Davy Graham and Sandy Denny and the other Fairport members. The duo, fed up with the way they had been treated and supported by Denny and producer Joe Boyd, decided to go it alone. They’d built up songs and confidence, so Ponton decided to contact his old work mate, Andrew Lauder who was in charge at Liberty. After hearing the material, Lauder placed the duo in the tender care of rising producer and head of A&R, Mike Batt. The duo’s delicate, wistful songs gave Batt an ideal opportunity to hone his talents as an arranger and producer, as well as the album’s pianist. Thoughts and Words is a largely upbeat collection of melodic, pensive songs, so unlike the psychedelic rock vibe that had prevailed in their late ‘60s output. The duo decided to name the album after a track on the Byrd’s album Younger Than Yesterday, but were surprised to learn that they had been given the name too! The sound is warm and soft – and so is the music. A great folk album.

http://therockasteria.blogspot.com/2016/09/thoughts-and-words-thoughts-and-words.html

Richie Unterberger adds:

Thoughts and Words itself is by and large pleasant folk-rock, but lacked either the identity or strong material necessary to make a strong impression on the late-’60s British rock scene. Certainly they were a versatile group, as “Morning Sky” [see #237] was about as close as any U.K. act came to approximating the sounds of the Byrds circa 1967. . . . [T]he album . . . find[s] its most pleasant groove on dreamy acoustic songs with fingerpicked guitar in the style of Donovan and Paul McCartney at his lightest.

https://www.allmusic.com/album/thoughts-words-mw0000766611

I have never disagreed more with Richie Unterberger than with his first sentence. The album is stellar. Unfortunately, as the CD reissue’s liner notes note: “Despite the LP receiving enthusiastic notices in IT, Melody Maker and elsewhere, Liberty [the record label] did little to promote it and sales were sluggish.”

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The playlist includes all the “greatest songs of the 1960’s that no one has ever heard” that are available on Spotify. 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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