the great sixties countdown week eight

Ready for another trip down memory lane?  I know I am!  It's almost as fun as reporting small animals to AttackWatch!  We pick up my countdown of my 300 top sixties tunes with:

160- Chapel Of Love, Dixie Cups.  The classic wedding song.  Who can resist the rich harmonies?

159- Stoned Soul Picnic, the 5th Dimension.  Fun and slightly surreal.  "Down from the sky comes the Lord and the lightning, lightning..." 'Surry!

158- I'll Never Find Another You, the Seekers.  Have I not told you how in love I am with Judith Durham?  She could sing Happy Birthday and bring a tear to my eye.



157- All You Need Is Love, the Beatles.  What gets me is the ending, complete with Paul throwing in "she loves you, yeah yeah yeah".

156- Society's Child, Janis Ian.  Great vocal, chilling in the chorus. The contrast of railing against prejudice but not willing to begin the changes herself.  And the contrast between living beyond society's dictates to "spread my wings and fly" and being chained to conformity.

155- The Twist, Chubby Checker.  Did you remember that this hit #1 in 1960, and again in 1962?  Probably the ultimate dance song.  (Which statement will make #152 a bit ironic.)

154- Classical Gas, Mason Williams.  I love instrumentals, and my Aunt Cleo used to have this album on vinyl.



153- The Letter, The Box Tops.  Forget Joe Cocker's mauling of this song, the original is the one that makes your neck hairs stands up.

152- Let's Twist Again, Chubby Checker.  I've been on a roll with the English this weekend.  This sequel, that came out between the original's two chart runs in 1961, charted higher than either run in the UK .  I liked it better too.  You know nostalgic me- any time you can throw the phrase, "Do you remember when" into the song, I'm there.

151- Big Girls Don't Cry, the Four Seasons.  Hard to say anything I haven't said- or am planning to say later- about Frankie and the boys.

150- Hawaii 5-0, the Ventures.  Did I mention I love instrumentals?  The Ventures' work stands up well even today.  In researching this chart, I came upon a video of them doing Love Is Blue that was dynamite.

149- I've Got To Get A Message To You, the Bee Gees.  I've heard this a lot of late, and If I had during the plotting of this chart, it might well have placed higher.  The back melodies, Barry's background behind Robin's vocals, and the desperation of the lyrics all combine to make this easily the brothers' most powerful song.

148- I'd Like To Get To Know You, Spanky and Our Gang.  Just a pleasant, dreamy song.

147.  Like A Rolling Stone, Bob Dylan.  "Go to him now, he calls you, you can't refuse/ when you ain't got nothing, you got nothing to lose/ You're invisible now, you got no secrets to conceal/ How does it feel?"  Wow.

146.  The Rain, The Park, And Other Things, the Cowsills.  The most inexplicable title on a non-Dylan song in music history.  It amazes me how on every record, the Cowsills can sound so much like just a bunch of singers doing their own thing and yet it comes together so well.



145- Crazy, Patsy Cline.  William Hung couldn't f 'up this song.  Ms. Cline, however, does it the best.

144- Heatwave, Martha and the Vandellas.  Even though I'll admit I like Linda Ronstadt's version better.

143- Stop In The Name Of Love, the Supremes.  Like Crazy, I've never heard a bad version of this.

142- Turn Around, Look At Me, the Vogues.  Didn't you say that, too, a few times in your youth?  It was practically my mantra.

141- La La Means I Love You, the Delfonics.  Probably what started me on the Stylistics a few years later.  Gotta love the "Philly sound", right, Bob?

And just like that, we are done again.  And we're that much closer to the top 100 where hairs' breadth separates the tunes.  So, be back next week, and be ready to twist!