Monday, October 31, 2011

Forgotten # 1's: US Edition (The 1970's)

If we couldn't include the fab four in the previous post, then there is definitely room for their solo success in the decadent decade that followed the tumultuous 60's. While people who lived through the period might remember this top ten fondly, those of us born in the post-70's era have had to discover these songs through our parent's record collection or the formerly prevalent 70's nostalgia merchants like 8-Track Flashback and newer dealers like the 70's on 7. Regardless, these tracks explain that for my money, the pop music charts were never more diverse, strange or terrible (depending on your taste) than they were during the decade that gave us Disney World, Jimmy Carter and The Godfather.

1.) Song Sung Blue - Neil Diamond (July 1, 1972)

Diamond would soon leave Uni Records for the greener pastures of Columbia, where he would go on to make soundtrack albums for films about Seagulls and songs about ET. But before that, he released the brilliant Moods album, which showed an artist who knew how to craft a perfect pop slab. Although the first single from the disc, "Play Me", is one of my favorite slow jams of all time, it's follow-up made it to the top of the US charts. You can't really blame the record buying public for this ascension. This song's kinda perfect in its way, thanks to the wordplay, melody and the Jewish Elvis' own inimitable voice.



2.) You're Sixteen - Ringo Starr (January 26, 1974)

Even after the messy breakup the Beatles experienced in 1970, you could always count on Billy Shears himself to bring the boys back together! Ringo's self-titled solo album featured all of The Beatles on the same disc again (just not on the same tracks!). It featured two number-one hits as well, the beautiful "Photograph" and a cover of Johnny Burnette's Sherman Brothers-penned oldies classic.

And Paul McCartney plays a kazoo solo!!!

And Harry Nilsson sings backing vocals!!!

And Princess Leia is in the video!!!

That Ringo knows how to have a good time!!!



3.) Rise - Herb Albert (October 20, 1979)

How thug is the Tijuana Brass? Well, Biggie and Diddy bounced to this jam so much, they included it in The Notorious One's posthumous number one "Hypnotize". And it's easy to see why: This slinky jam was made to be sampled in a 90's hip hop classic!



4.) Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) - George Harrison (June 30, 1973)

How hot were the early Beatles' solo discs? This Harrison tune from his second album Living In the Material World (one of the most underrated in his oeuvre) replaced McCartney and Wing's "My Love" at the top of the charts. In turn, it was replaced by Billy Preston's "Will It Go 'Round In Circles?", who of course played Keyboard on the Let It Be album and was referred to for a time as the TRUE "Fifth Beatle.

Oh, and this song is the essence of eastern philosophy wrapped up into a beautiful pop single (and I think Paul had it in mind almost 40 years later, mimicking the rhythm guitar intro on mandolin for his single "Dance Tonight"). BEST FORGOTTEN NUMBER ONE OF THE DECADE!!!!!!!


The solo fabs released some fabulous B-sides with their monumental hits. Check out "Miss O' Dell"!




5.) Sundown - Gordon Lightfoot  (June 29, 1974)

Mr. Lightfoot's ode to a treacherous love affair is made all the better by how sparse the instrumentation is is, with delicious multi-tracked harmony vocals provided by the man himself. It's a modern blues classic, often forgotten about like most of this songwriter's work. It's really time for a late-career reevaluation of Gordon. For starter's, pick up Gord's Gold, one of the finest greatest hits albums of all time (and get it on vinyl, it comes with an extra track!).



6.) Silly Love Songs - Wings (June 12, 1976)

As I've grown older, and the angry young man syndrome has subsided, my outlook on the Beatles has changed as well. When I was a teenager, no one spoke to me in popular music (besides Dylan) like John Lennon. His music still moves me, and my favorite solo album by Liverpool's finest is still Plastic Ono Band, but that catchy little Paul has taken over my top spot aboard the Flaming Pie. I don't think there has been anyone since Cole Porter who has written better pop songs than Mr. McCartney. His Wings years, much maligned until recently, are a gold mine of confection, with the album tracks reaching the heights of the singles. This number one, however, is pure fluffy goodness, a response to critics who said he'd gone soft. "You Want Soft?", Sir Paul said, "Here's the best soft you've ever heard!".

And he was right.

And it holds up like gangbusters (and it's even slightly proggy in composition and length!)!!! 



Look how mad Paul Shaffer gets when Dave Pirner picks up a trumpet to play "Silly Love Songs" at the end of "Misery" on Letterman back in '95!



7.) McArthur Park - Donna Summer (November 11, 1978)

How do you bring a freak hit performed by Professor Dumbledore back to the charts, ascend it to the top and let it sit there comfortably during the height of disco?

Simple.

Let the queen have a go at it.

Originally part of an 18-minute "McArthur Park Suite", it really should be appreciated in its original form!



8.) Whatever Gets You Through The Night - John Lennon & Elton John (November 16, 1974)

Boy meets girl.
Boy loves girl.
Boy marries girl.
Boy leaves most successful band of all time.
Boy goes off the deep end with pal Harry Nilsson.
Boy loses girl.
Boy makes song with huge pop star.
Boy promises to perform live with pop star if song hits number one.
Boy fulfills his promise when song does just that.

Girl is in the audience.
Boy spends the rest of his short life in harmony with his muse.

The power of pop music.



9.) Star Wars Theme/ Cantina Band - Meco (October 1, 1977)

Let's just say for tie-in pop hits, it's way better than "Pac Man Fever"!



10.) Black Water - The Doobie Brothers (March 15, 1975)

My favorite track by these AOR giants, it's been bringing rock fans to Bluegrass and A Cappella singing since 1975.

And Michael McDonald doesn't sing it, which is both sad and awesome at the same time! It covers the emotions spectrum!!!



All classic music videos next week, as the US exposes it's 80's pop hits that might have slipped into a slight bit of a nostalgia based nation's idea of obscurity! See ya then!

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Forgotten # 1's: US Edition (The 1960's)

In a decade where the music of its time still resonates so strongly in our collective consciousness, it is extremely difficult to find songs that may be deemed "forgotten", especially when they spent time nestled at the top of the pop charts. Therefore, with this edition of our series, I will simply try to find tunes that might have faded into the recesses of nostalgia. With that being said, I regret to inform you that this edition features no Beatles songs. Then again, the fact that none of their hits have slipped back into the evanescent ether they ascended from speaks more for their power than being placed on a blog list of past popular tastes.

BUT I DIGRESS!!!!

Regardless of all that psychobabble, today's list has been one of my favorite to compile. This is the music from which springs everything I love about the medium. 60's US pop set the standard by which all US pop has followed. There's R&B, Adult Contemporary, Country and good old Rock & Roll all sitting on the same list, much like the hot 100 of today. Let's listen, shall we?

And might I add, The Spotify playlist for the Forgotten series is up and running on that wonderful, fluffy cloud jukebox, so hit it up whenever you want!

1.) The Happening - The Supremes (May 13, 1967)

Less than a month away from the Summer Of Love , The Supremes released their last single before placing Diana Ross' name in front of their moniker. It's a Swinging London blast of horns, strings and harpsichord, which showed that Motown was just about ready to go "Psychedelic" with the rest of the music world, and we as listeners were in for some heady ear candy.



Apparently this was the theme song for a film of the same name that TANKED worse than Freddie Got Fingered. I can see why, even if it does feature a young Faye Dunaway. Here's the trailer:



2.) He's A Rebel - The Crystals (November 3, 1962)

Ladies and gentleman, may I present to you Phil Spector. Ignore the whole convicted murderer bit for a moment, and just listen to this sound he produced. Written by Gene Pitney of Liberty Valance fame, "He's A Rebel" is  a perfect example of "The Wall Of Sound", Spector's groundbreaking recording technique. It also features the recently inducted vocals of Darlene Love, who wasn't even a member of The Crystals (The group found out their names had been used when they heard the song on the radio while out on tour). Newly nationalized citizens of our country should here this as an example of what America is all about.



He may be crazier than a frog hangin' out in a french restaurant, but Phil's Spector's story is definitely worth seeing. Here's the first part:



3.) Get Off Of My Cloud - The Rolling Stones ( November 6, 1965)

Jagger may be getting his moves on today with the likes of Damian Marley and Joss Stone, but in the fall of 1965, he was following Dylan's lead, writing a wordy protest song about being asked to make a followup to the monster hit "Satisfaction". In doing so, the Stones had their second number one in the states, and we have this fantastic song, which is not often remembered in the pantheon of their canon.



Dean Martin and Desi Arnez's kids took this song to their four car garage and made a nice little blast of "Nuggets"-style rock.

 

4.) Running Bear - Johnny Preston (January 8, 1960)

This ballad of lost love in the Native American world was written by none other than The Big Bopper himself, JP Richardson, and features backing vocals by a young George Jones. Well color me surprised!!!



George could make any song his own, much like Johnny Cash. What is about country artists of the 50's and 60's and their impeccable cover choices?



5.) In the Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus) - Zager & Evans (July 12, 1969)

Science fiction hits the US charts with this anti-technology ballad, which probably didn't feel like fiction when man landed on the moon on July 20 during its six week reign at the top of the charts. It's hard to wonder why a song this good didn't spell out a long career for Msrrs. Zager & Evans. It might be because their follow up was about a rapist who nails his fist to his jail cell....creepy! Regardless, BEST FORGOTTEN NUMBER ONE OF THE DECADE!!!!!!


This one came back to me in a big way from the oldies stations of my youth while watching the delightful cult classic Gentleman Broncos, which may be the funniest oddity of a film I've ever seen.




6.) Running Scared - Roy Orbison (June 5, 1961)

This is what building to an emotional climax is all about. Writers of stories could learn a lifetime of lessons from this song's 2 minutes and 10 seconds. Often overlooked because of other song's prevalence, this number one by Orbison deserves to be spoken of in the same breath as "In Dreams" and "Crying". Listen to his vocal range exhibited here... God... chills.


Brilliant cover by a brilliant man.



7.) Judy In Disguise (With Glasses) - John Fred & His Playboy Band (January 20, 1968)

This parody of "Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds" actually knocked "Hello Goodbye" by The Beatles out of the top spot on the charts. I don't if that's considered another success by the Fabs, but it should be. Weird Al never topped the pops with his Michael reworkings.



I gotta check more of John Fred. This is some perfect psych pop off of the same album as "Judy"!



8.) Rag Doll - The Four Seasons (July 18, 1964)

Sandwiched in-between "I Get Around" by The Beach Boys and "A Hard Day's Night" by The Beatles in their respective runs at the top of Billboard's Hot 100 is this song by the group who ruled America's airwaves before either of them. they wouldn't have another number one single until 1976, but the fact that they were able to during the stranglehold of Beatlemania helps to understand why WCBS in New York's listeners recently voted this the number one song of all time on their 1001 song Labor Day Countdown.



Their B-Side is nothing to shake a stick at either!



9. Poor Side Of Town - Johnny Rivers (November 12, 1966)

Class consciousness must have been on songwriter's minds during the mid-sixties. Here is the male equivalent to "Rag Doll", with lush strings and Johnny River's unforgettable voice. I don't think any vocalist is more underrated than this guy. Check out "Mountain Of Love" too if you don't believe me.




 Eels and a string section with this song equals magic!



10.) Fingertips (Pt. 2) - Little Stevie Wonder (August 10, 1963)

Here is "Fingertips"



Now, here is a two part live version of the song released as a single a year later.



The B-side became the hit, and the rest is history. The evolution of Stevie Wonder and the maturity of Motown starts right here. It's even got Marvin Gaye on drums, giving you both of the greatest album artists the label ever produced in one place.



Let's finish off the list with a moody synthesized cover by the genre  jumping band Sparks.



See you next week when we head to the 70's! I'll polish my Pet Rock if you bring the Billy Beer!

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Forgotten # 1's: US Edition (The 1950's)

And we are back in the USA!!!

This week we are going to pay tribute to the decade that gave us The Rosenbergs, The Cleavers and The Nixons... well, at least the music was cool! I'm going to try to get a playlist for all of the Forgotten series up on Spotify soon, so you'll have these musical treasures in one place, if record company deals allow.

Now, off to the charts!

1.) Sh-Boom - The Crew Cuts (August 7, 1954)

This whiter than Wonder Bread cover can't hold a candle to the definitive version by legendary vocal group The Chords. Still, if it helped introduce Whitey McWhiterson to Doo Wop, then it can't be all bad.

Fun Fact : The Crew Cuts were the first pop band to tie-in their hairstyle with their image, paving the way for The Mop Tops and  Flock Of Seagulls!



2.) Party Doll - Buddy Knox (March 30, 1957)

It sounds just like Ricky Nelson, but it is actually Mr. Knox, whose only other top ten hit was a number 9 smash entitled "Hula Love".

Fun Fact: The people of the 1950's loved their hits so much that they often sent multiple versions of the same song up the charts in the same year. Here's Steve Lawrence tackling rockabilly, which made it to number 5.



3. Chattanooga Shoe Shine Boy - Red Foley (February 18, 1950)

Isn't this a fun little ditty with a tap dancing rag solo? Red Foley had other crossover country hits, but none rocked the charts like this one.

Fun Fact: Bing Crosby took a turn at this one, and made it all the way to number 9..



4.) Tom  Dooley - The Kingston Trio ( November 17, 1958)

Although it is hard for me to listen to The Kingston Trio without thinking of A Mighty Wind, this song is one of my father's favorites, and it instilled in me at an early age a love for folk music. So thank you, murder ballad, for your cultural awakening!

Fun fact: This tale is based on a true story about a murder that happened in North Carolina in 1928. You can learn more about it here!



5.) Come On-A My House - Rosemary Clooney (July 28, 1951)

George Clooney's aunt sure loved singing in fabricated accents. So did America, I guess! This chart topper is about an Armenian family inviting people over for dinner.

Fun Fact: This song was co-written by Ross Bagdasarian, who would go on to create Alvin And The  Chipmunks.



6.) My Prayer/ Heaven On Earth - The Platters (August 4, 1956)

Double A-Sides were huge in England, but I had no idea they were as successful in the US. I guess when presented with two classics from the finest vocal group of the decade, you're gonna play both over the airwaves.

Fun Fact: Before his death, Glenn Miller took "My Prayer" all the way to number 2.





7.) Auf Wiedersheh'n. Sweetheart - Vera Lynn ( July 12, 1952)

Does anybody here remember Vera Lynn? She was the queen of World War II ballads, which carried on into the early years of the 50's and this chart topper.

Fun Fact: Vera first heard the song while hanging out in a beer hall in Germany...saucy ol' Vera!



8.) Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing - The Four Aces (October 8, 1955)

The song playing over the opening scene of Grease is this huge hit for the Four Aces, who rode its popularity from being the theme of a popular film all the way to the bank.

Fun Fact: RINGO COVERED IT!!!!!!!!!




9.) Don't/ I Beg Of You - Elvis Presley (February 10, 1958)

The finest ballad Leiber and Stoller ever wrote, the first part of this double A-Side captures one of the King's most subtle and beautiful moments. BEST FORGOTTEN NUMBER ONE OF THE DECADE!!!!!!

Fun Fact:  Elvis now had 11 number one hits at this point...no matter who tops his records over the years, no one amassed such a string in so short a time.





10.) The Ballad Of Davey Crockett - Bill Hayes (March 26, 1955)

Come on, how could this not be on here? Put your coonskin cap on and sing along, cause you know you know the words!!!

Fun Fact: Years before The Monkees, this was the first number one single generated by a television show.



Good times, now let's head to the 60's! Gems abound in just a week (for realsies)!!!