Category Archives: Uncategorized

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 702) Lee Hazlewood — “Cold Hard Times” I’ve never understood France’s love affair with Jerry Lewis. Sweden’s affair with Lee Hazlewood — that I understand. This is my third selection from my favorite album of Lee’s — his ‘70 soundtrack to his SwedishContinue reading “Lee Hazlewood — “Cold Hard Times”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 15, 2023”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 701) Roberta Flack — “Tryin’ Times” Times like these need a song like “Tryin’ Times” (written by Donny Hathaway (see #573) and Leroy Hutson (the Impressions)). Elizabeth Nelson says it “depict[s] a Phil Ochs-worthy tableau of a society unraveling at the seams fromContinue reading “Roberta Flack — “Tryin’ Times”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 14, 2023”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 700) The Hardy Boys — “Carnival Time” Feel-good sunshiny pop from The Archie Show rivals The Hardy Boys’ ‘70 sophomore album (see #436). Yes, the Hardy Boys! Greg Ehrbar writes that: Everyone connected with Saturday morning television and the recording industry sat upContinue reading “The Hardy Boys — “Carnival Time”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 13, 2023”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 699) Paul Jones — “High Time” Speaking of Manfred Mann, this fun, effervescent crowd pleaser was Paul’s (see #170) biggest post-Mann hit (get it?!), reaching #4 in the UK. But nobody in the U.S. heard it, so I’m playing it! Richie Unterberger tellsContinue reading “Paul Jones — “ High Time”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 12, 2023”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 698) Manfred Mann Chapter Three — “Sometimes” Mann, oh Mann, do I love my Manfred Mann Chapter III (see #79, 146), including this “dreamy jazz inflected gem[]”. (Jason, http://therisingstorm.net/manfred-mann-chapter-three-volume-1/) As the Active Listener says: For a band who’s previous release only a yearContinue reading “Manfred Mann Chapter Three — “Sometimes”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 11, 2023”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 694) 49th Parallel — “Goodtime Baby” You’ve heard of a fair weather fan. Well, here is an ode to a fair weather girl, all the way from Calgary. This sneering rocker is the B-side on the 49th’s (see #367, 481) final single. MichaelContinue reading “49th Parallel — Good Time Baby”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 9, 2023”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 695) The Noblemen — “Short Time” When one thinks of alumni of the University of Chicago, Milton Friedman, Philip Glass and Saul Bellow might come to mind. The members of a raw, fuzz-crazy garage rock band, not so much. Well, start rethinking, courtesyContinue reading “The Noblemen — “Short Time”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 9, 2023”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 695) Georgie Fame — “In the Meantime” I like to think I was named in honor of Georgie Fame (see #103, 169, 634). Hey, my mother used to call me Georgie, and we share the same initials (along with gluten-free items!). If onlyContinue reading “Georgie Fame — “In the Meantime”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — February 8, 2023”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 694) The Lamp of Childhood — “First Time, Last Time” ’67 A-side is a gorgeous song of longing by an L.A. folk-rock group with a big connection to big rock royalty. As Jason Ankeny tells us: Folk-rock combo the Lamp of Childhood wasContinue reading “The Lamp of Childhood — “First Time, Last Time”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 7, 2023”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 693) Edwin Starr — “Time Is Passing By” Super soul song from the SuperStarr’s first album, telling a girl who got hurt in love to dust herself off, get up and try again, ‘cause the clock is tickin’. I like Starr better whenContinue reading “Edwin Starr — “Time Is Passing By”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 6, 2023”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 692) Mark LeVine — “21 Years Older than Yesterday” Today I will let my freak flag fly and spin a: Of the album — Pilgrim’s Progress — from which it comes, Steve Simels says: Despite the stellar personnel, the album was originally releasedContinue reading “Mark LeVine — “21 Years Older than Yesterday”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 5, 2023”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 691) The Sunshine Company — “A Year of Jaine Time” False advertising — a beautiful, laid back, sad song from the first album by southern California’s Sunshine Company! J Rodger says that: [Q]uite a few tunes on the record contain moments of beautifulContinue reading “The Sunshine Company — “A Year of Jaine Time”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 4, 2023”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 690) Pisces — “A Flower for All Seasons” This delicate, wistful, and magnificent pop psych/folk rock floret was finally allowed to bloom four decades after it was recorded. It is at once both timeless and seemingly of Civil War vintage. The band shouldContinue reading “Pisces — “A Flower for All Seasons”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 3, 2023”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 689) Ted Neeley — “Autumn Afternoon” This ’67 and ’68 B-side (https://www.45cat.com/artist/ted-neeley) by the future Christ figure is “simply one of the best blends of Association-styled harmony pop and lysergic influences you’re liable to ever hear” (http://badcatrecords.com/NEELEY.htm) and “sounds like a long-lost follow-upContinue reading “Ted Neeley — “Autumn Afternoon”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 2, 2022”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 688) Elmer Gantry’s Velvet Opera — “Long Nights of Summer” Happy New Year everyone, and I hope I bring you Peace on Ear! Here is a glorious and timeless cut from the Opera’s ’68 “minor masterpiece” of an album. (Jan Zarebski, https://recordcollectormag.com/reviews/album/elmer-gantrys-velvet-opera) (seeContinue reading “Elmer Gantry’s Velvet Opera — “Long Nights of Summer”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 1, 2023″

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 687) The Canterbury Music Festival — “First Spring Rain” Call this ’68 A-side baroque pop, call it soft pop, call it sunshine pop, call it pop psych, but call it a masterpiece by the CMF (see #358). If you are looking for ultra-rareContinue reading “The Canterbury Music Festival — “First Spring Rain”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — December 31, 2022”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 686) Faine Jade — “Cold Winter Sun (Symphony in D Major)” Here is stunning psych from Long Island’s Syd Barrett (see #314). Cosmic Minds at Play calls it a “bona fide psychedelic wonder[]” (https://cosmicmindatplay.wordpress.com/2013/08/05/classic-singles-51-the-bohemian-vendetta-enough-half-the-time-1967/) and Antonio Mendez says it’s “an excellent lysergic, laxContinue reading “Faine Jade — “Cold Winter Sun”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — December 30, 2022”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 685) Head West — “Some Day” A sinuous/funky/jazzy rock song by a future member of Fleetwood Mac. Vernon Joynson says the song’s “vocals have a haunting quality and the song . . . has a certain charm”. (The Tapestry of Delights Revisited) It’sContinue reading “Head West — “Some Day”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — December 29, 2022”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 683) Alex Harvey — “Midnight Moses” Here is another magical selection from Alex Harvey’s ’69 solo LP Roman Wall Blues (see #440). Harvey redid the song with the Sensational Alex Harvey Band in ’72 and its hard rock core became apparent. Eric KamauContinue reading “Alex Harvey — “Midnight Moses”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — December 28, 2022”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 683) The Human Expression — “Every Night” Mesmerizing and haunting ‘66 B-side by a hugely talented L.A. band whose music, as Mark Deming says, “lurked somewhere in between garage rock and psychedelia” and who had “imaginative songwriters with a clever, slightly bent approach,Continue reading “The Human Expression — “Every Night”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — December 27, 2022”