Category Archives: Uncategorized

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,840) Steppeulvene/The Steppe Wolves — “Dunhammeraften”/”Dunhammer Evening” Something’s funky in the State of Denmark! And, no, I’m not talking about Operation Dunhammer! I’m talking about the Steppe Wolves’ very funky evocation of strange goings on during a Danish evening in the ’60s, asContinue reading “Steppeulvene/The Steppe Wolves — “Dunhammeraften”/”Dunhammer Evening”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 9, 2026″

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,839) Hyde — “Exit Hero Number One” Here is the hilarious Dylanesque lament of a put-upon Canadian farmer. “I’ve got the lower 40 left that I’ve gotta plow and I’m stuck behind a sacred cow.” Canadian Cult Classics (the blog of a CanadianContinue reading “Hyde — “Exit Hero Number One”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 8, 2026”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,838) Medicine Head — “His Guiding Hand” This haunting and sublime spiritual meditation was Medicine Head’s first A-side and a track off their first LP New Bottles Old Medicine. The album was produced by their champion John Peel, who had signed the (twoContinue reading “Medicine Head — “His Guiding Hand”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 7, 2026”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,837) The Merry-Go-Round — “You’re a Very Lovely Woman” From L.A. wunderkind Emitt Rhodes’ band the Merry-Go-Round (see #50, 156), here is a “sweeping orchestral pop gem” (Tim Sendra, https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-merry-go-round-mw0000862964), a “gorgeous, haunting string ballad” (Richie Unterberger, https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-best-of-the-merry-go-round-mw0000856619), “[a]n exciting showcase of Rhodes’Continue reading “The Merry-Go-Round — “You’re a Very Lovely Woman”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 6, 2026”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,836) The Four Tops —  “Wish I Didn’t Love You So” How was this romantic rave not a hit for the Four Tops (see #1,148, 1,429)?! Well, it wasn’t even released as a B-side, but appeared on their ’69 album Four Tops Now!Continue reading “The Four Tops —  “Wish I Didn’t Love You So”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 5, 2026”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,835) Timebox — “Walking Through the Streets of My Mind” England’s timeless Timebox (see #1,285, 1,355, 1,750) gives us a “soul-meets-Summer of Love ode” (Jon “Mojo” Mills, https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-deram-anthology-mw0000968588), “combin[ing] sharp blue-eyed soul harmonies with a psychedelic arrangement”. (Jon “Mojo” Mills, https://www.allmusic.com/artist/timebox-mn0000602690#biography)  As to Timebox,Continue reading “Timebox — “Walking Through the Streets of My Mind”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 4, 2026”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,834) The Strawberry Alarm Clock — “Barefoot in Baltimore” While I would not recommend walking barefoot in Baltimore, this ’68 A-side by the Strawberry Alarm Clock (see #127, 272, 901, 1,111, 1,700) is “truly magical”, which I “can imagine . . . beingContinue reading “The Strawberry Alarm Clock — “Barefoot in Baltimore”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 3, 2026”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,833) The Honeybus — “Scarlet Lady” Another spendid song by Honeybus, with “the Byrds [see #1,430, 1,605] shining through” (Jittery White Guy, https://www.jitterywhiteguymusic.com/2021/02/honeybus-story-1970.html?m=1) 45rpy writes: Colin Hare’s “Scarlet Lady” concerns a different kind of clod—namely, an infatuated one—though his plea to the listenerContinue reading “The Honeybus — “Scarlet Lady”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 2, 2026”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,832) The Peppermint Trolley Co.  — “Sunrise” A new sun rises over a new year. Take a ride on the Peppermint Trolley with this lustrous and consoling song by America’s greatest 60’s TV band, a song “about hope and finding strength to carryContinue reading “The Peppermint Trolley Co. — “Sunrise”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — January 1, 2026”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,831) Information — “Oh Strange Man” Here is “[o]ne of the rarest and best on the Beacon label released in 1969, [a] lovely mellotron soaked slice of psych pop” (happening45, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4zw3U0WXtc) Vernon Joynson says it “is reputed to be good”. (The Tapestry ofContinue reading “Information — “Oh Strange Man”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — December 31, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,830) Chris Britton — “That Was the Time” Troggs’ guitarist Chris Britton released a little-noticed but stunning solo album, As I Am (see #15, 980), including this little layover at the village green’s bandstand. Is that Chris playing the classical guitar? Dig that arrangement by TroggsContinue reading “Chris Britton — “That Was the Time”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — December 30, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,829) The British Lion Orchestra — “Big Bare Beat” From the movie Girl on a Motorcycle starring Marianne Faithfull (see #111, 430) and Alain Delon, here is a “[b]ig beaty and grooving to the max – fab!!!!” (narinderdhanjal221, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yap7FwYnQX4) orchestral number written andContinue reading “The British Lion Orchestra — “Big Bare Beat”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — December 29, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,828) Thoughts and Words — “Back in 1939” Oh so gorgeous UK baroque folk rock. 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 proceedContinue reading “Thoughts and Words — “Back in 1939”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — December 28, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,827) The Gang of Saints — “Yes, It’s Too Bad” Yes, it’s too badass groovy, with such a slinky badass groove it should have been in a David Lynch movie. Maybe it was! This garage great with “an outstanding bass and lead guitarContinue reading “The Gang of Saints — “Yes, It’s Too Bad”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — December 27, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,826) Billy Mitchel — “Electronic Dance” This jazz-rock/psych pocket symphony ended up on the soundtrack of Nicolas Roeg’s Australian new wave film Walkabout. It is “[j]azzy folky dreamy hippie goodness” (newarkpsych, https://rateyourmusic.com/account/login), “[a] forgotten slice of late 60s lysergic studio-psych”. (Soul Jazz Records,Continue reading “Billy Mitchel: “Electronic Dance”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — December 26, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,825) Brian Wilson — “Surf’s Up” Brian Wilson’s greatest achievement? Quite possibly. Rock music’s single greatest achievement? Quite possibly. “Absolutely perfect song. Sometimes I think it’s the best song ever written.” (Versionsound, https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/what-is-it-about-surfs-up-the-beach-boys-song.1228202/) “There is no better song in the history of theContinue reading “Brian Wilson — “Surf’s Up”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — December 25, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,824) Roberta Flack — “I Told Jesus” Here is Roberta Flack’s (see #61, 701) “quietly spine-tingling” (Richard Williams, https://thebluemoment.com/2025/02/24/roberta-flack-in-london/) “arrangement of the traditional ‘I Told Jesus'[, possessing a] simmering power”. (John Bush, https://www.allmusic.com/album/first-take-mw0000193572) Ethan Iverson writes: “A slow waltz with Flack’s piano andContinue reading “Roberta Flack — “I Told Jesus”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — December 24, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,823) Tina Charles — “Bo Bo’s Party” Warning: If you are from France, read no further. For a weird, irritating, and “engagingly unconventional” (Jonny Whiteside, https://www.latimes.com/socal/glendale-news-press/tn-gnp-me-melanie-safka-20161004-story.html) song by Melanie that somehow became a number one hit in France* (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanie_(singer)) is transformed into aContinue reading “Tina Charles — “Bo Bo’s Party”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — December 23, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,822) Blues Section — “End of a Poem” This “seminal and ground-breaking [Finnish] band” (Aleksi, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOdXm6rhtRM) with a British singer gives us a wistful and simply gorgeous breakup song in English. “Let me be Set me free” Wigwam tells us (Translation checked byContinue reading “Blues Section — “End of a Poem”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — December 22, 2025”

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,821) Vashti Bunyan — “Winter Is Blue” Winter is here, and winter is blue. Vashti’s (see #204, 1770) “haunting 1966 rendering . . . continues to inhabit the season existentially. Culled from an unreleased acetate . . . the track cuts right throughContinue reading “Vashti Bunyan — “Winter Is Blue”: Brace for the Obscure (60s rock)! — December 21, 2025”