The great seventies countdown week 10

"I'm glad you could brave the snow to make it here, "  The Host tells the lighter-than-usual audience.  "They tell me that much will be melted off by the time we are done... but they told me less than an inch of accumulation and now they say 3 to 5.  They don't know about weather... but we know about good music."


150- Another Park Another Sunday, the Doobie Brothers, 1974, #32.  One of the saddest songs on the countdown- and originally the A-side to Black Water.  Took a hit apparently because radio stations didn't like the line "...and the radio just seems to bring me down..."  Oversensitive much?

149- The Grand Illusion, Styx, 1977, unreleased.  I always thought that this title track was the best on the album.

148- I Go Crazy, Paul Davis, 1977, #7.  So here are two of the regrets I have about the new Time Machine- these last two get missed.  This song set the then-record for slow climbing, staying on the Billboard charts for an incredible 40 weeks.

147- Summer And Lightning, Electric Light Orchestra, 1977, unreleased.  It was claimed that this lp was "full of singles".  This is one of the un released ones.  Great memories of our high school parties here.




146- 5-7-0-5, City Boy, 1978, #27.  Definitely one of my more obscure favorites.  A top ten in the UK, though.



145- No Matter What, Badfinger, 1971, #8.  Badfinger, the original hard-luck boys, were often aided by doing compositions by former Beatles, as they were the first act signed to their Apple Records.  This was the first single they wrote themselves- and to me, it sounds the most like the Beatles.

144- Let It Ride, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, 1974, #23.  How did this one not make top ten here?  It hit #3 in Canada.

143- Surf's Up, the Beach Boys, 1971, Non-charting.  The Brian Wilson/Van Dyke Parks composition was started on the unfinished Smile lp, finished up and put on the 1971 lp of the same name, which also featured the original verion of the Captain and Tenille's Disney Girls.  Not your typical Beach Boys song, but one of his best.  He finally finished it his way on his 2004 completion of Smile.

142- Radar Love, Golden Earring, 1973, #13.  Another one of the "cool" songs that everyone liked.  A very definitely underrated band.

141- Why Can't We Be Friends, War, 1975, #6.  My nephew had a little mini-bike when we were kids.  I remember lots of summer days tearing down the side of Lortie Road singing this at the top of our lungs.

140- 18 With A Bullet, Pete Wingfield, 1975, #15.  A great seventies doo-wop tune.



139- The Boys Are Back In Town, Thin Lizzie, 1976, #12.  "The nights are getting warmer and it won't be long... won't be long till summer comes..."

138- Oh, Girl, the Chi-Lites, 1972, #1.  Our first #1 of the day, and it's a classic.  Tell me this song doesn't get to you.

137- Love's Theme, Love Unlimited Orchestra, 1973, #1. This was Barry White's 40-piece backup orchestra.  What can I say, Mom watched a lot of golf. (You old timers will get that reference.)

136- Sing, the Carpenters, 1973, #3.  Just in case you haven't figured it out, you'll see a LOT of the Carpenters on this countdown.

135- I Write The Songs, Barry Manilow, 1976, #1. Just in case you hadn't... oh, I already said that?

134- Can't Get It Out Of My Head, Electric Light Orchestra, 1974, #9.  No, I won't use the same gag three times in a row.  I will tell you that if you've never listened to the lp Eldorado, treat yourself.  This album was meant to be heard in its entirety.  ".. Robin Hood and William Tell, Ivanhoe and Lancelot, they don't envy me.../Sitting till the sun goes down/ In dreams, the world keeps going 'round and 'round..."

133- Don't Cry Daddy, Elvis Presley, 1970, #6.  The ultimate crying song.  I heard this first sitting out in Dad's truck while he made an appearance at a funeral.  I hear it in that same spot every time.

132- Life In The Bloodstream, The Guess Who, 1971, unreleased. More fun with the eight tracks at the lake.


131- Hurts So Bad, Linda Ronstadt, 1979, #8.  That guitar solo always makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.  So emotional, just chills me.

"Shovels will be provided at the door for those who need them,"  The Host informs everyone as the lights go up.  "Here's a little something to warm you up, thoughts of summer days at the lake, as you head on home.  See you all next week!"

The Great Seventies Countdown week 9

"Good evening, " the Host says as the crowd settles, "Welcome back to where music and memory intertwine, where you're forever young and the feeling never fades.  Sometimes that feeling is love and happiness and springtime.  And sometimes it is pain and angst... and Rumours..."

170- Go Your Own Way, Fleetwood Mac, 1977, #10.  As 1976 turned to '77, much of the fun of music was already draining out of me.  Rumours and Hotel California stood out against the creeping mediocrity of the day.  Would have been a #1 on my own top ten except a) I had this thing about needing to see something on the chart, b) I was getting the chart from the News-Sentinel, which was only publishing the top 8 (if I was lucky), so c) it became "not worthy".  What a stooge I was.

169- Locomotive Breath, Jethro Tull, 1971 (on album) and 1976 (as single),# 62.  The bluesy piano lead into that powerful guitar beginning always gets the blood up.  The best song on the great lp Aqualung.

168- Heart Of The Night, Poco, 1979, #20.  "Ohh whoa down in New Orleans/ I'm so glad to be back in New Orleans/ Please don't wake me, don't shake me/if it's only/ if it's only just a dream..."

167- Turn To Stone, Electric Light Orchestra, 1978, #13.  I played Out Of The Blue incessantly.  An album I got on the cheap because my nephew was trying to dig himself out of one of those Columbia record club fiascos.
166- My Old School, Steely Dan, 1973, #63.  We sure like the sixties today, eh?  Always my best SD song, especially after becoming a William and Mary fan.



165- Rock On, David Essex, 1974, #5.  One of those slightly bizarre songs that everyone liked.  The James Dean tie in and "where do we go from here..."

164- Who'll Stop The Rain, Creedence Clearwater Revival, 1970, #2.  Love the legendary trip through history.  "Five year plans and New Deals/Wrapped in golden chains..."

163- Sweet Talkin' Woman, Electric Light Orchestra, 1978, #17.  Ironic because I just caught that I missed Turn To Stone, went up to fix that, and this was next.  When this came out I was listening a lot to CLKW, and they had an ad for some rock celebrity marathon that went:  "We all know Jeff Lynne can play a guitar (licks from Sweet Talkin' Woman in the background)... But can he run a marathon? (gutiar replaced by heavy breathing and "HUH?")

162- Fanny (Be Tender With My Love), Bee Gees, 1976, #12.  To this day, I don't understand what he sings in the second verse.  Didn't matter then, doesn't matter now.

161- Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me), Doobie Brothers,  1975, #11.  The last real Doobies song until they reformed and did The Doctor in 1989.  The Michael McDonald stuff was good, but that was another band to me.

160- Double Vision, Foreigner, 1978, #2.  I just wish Lou Gramm hadn't sung over the top of all the "oooooh double vision"s at the end.

159- Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling, The Fortunes, 1971, #15.  I said on the sixties countdown, this was a song I always thought was older.  The middle break gives me shivvers.



158- I Want You Back, Jackson Five, 1970, #1.  The beginning of stardom for Michael, and though teeny-bop and bubble gum, a powerful song.

157- Kodachrome, Paul Simon, 1973, #2. Raise your hands if you empathize with either "When I think back on all the crap I learned in High School" or "and everything looks worse in black and white."  Both hands up?  Me too.

156- Showdown, Electric Light Orchestra, 1973 (#53) and 1976 (#59).  Released once off On The Third Day and once off Ole' ELO.  Gets more play now than it did then.

155- Lying Eyes, The Eagles, 1975, #2.  What would have been their third straight #1, kept out by Island Girl.  My favorite part is how the "and your smile" in the chorus is sung different in each of the three choruses.

154- Smile A Little Smile, The Flying Machine, 1970, #5.  This song was one of those that had the "little kid mix up" legend for me.  I THOUGHT I heard my sister tell Mom that it was written by a soldier who was dying in Vietnam, and I THOUGHT it was refering to Rose Marie from the Dick van Dyke show.  Whenever I still hear it, a little of the "dying soldier" feel still creeps in for me, even though I ain't that stupid anymore.



153- Long Train Running, Doobie Brothers, 1973, #8.  "Without love, where would you be now..."

152- The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, Joan Baez, 1973, #3.  I love history songs- even if the history's a bit off.  And the choir in the chorus.

151- The Lion Sleeps Tonight, Robert John, 1971, #3. Call me crazy, but I still prefer his version to the Tokens' original.

"And just like that, our time together is done for another week," the Host says.  " Here is one more to send you home on- if you don't mind really dumb videos to go with it."


The Lion Sleeps Tonight - Robert John by vthik

the great seventies countdown week 7

"Those of you that travel here by time machine, "  the host announces, "I have talked to Randy Price from Cashbox Time Machine Repair.  He tells me that the problem this week was server related and should be solved in time for next week's trip.  But for today, as we are gathered here, the show must go on."

210- Love Me, Yvonne Elliman, 1976, #14.  My #1 girl.  You should hear Robin Gibb on the Bee Gees version, too.

209-I'd Love You To Want Me, Lobo, 1972, #2.  Anyone out there that doesn't go silent to hear the "ooo-ooo-oooh" in the chorus?

208- Lucky Man, Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, 1971 (#48) and 1973(#51).  A classic AOR fairytale song, it was thrown in to fill out the debut lp by Greg Lake, who'd written it a decade before when he was 12.

207- Goodbye Stranger, Supertramp, 1979, #15.  The third single off the huge lp Breakfast In America.  Loved the chorus, put up with the verses.

206- Your Move/I've Seen All Good People, Yes, 1971, #40.  As you can see, progressive rock got less than deserved attention on the pop charts.  That's why I liked it.  "Don't surround yourself with yourself/ Move on back to squares..."

205- It's Too Late, Carole King, 1971, #1.  Half of a 2-sided #1 with I Feel The Earth Move.  My other #1 girl.  From the great all-time album Tapestry.

204- Ripples, Genesis, 1976, non-charting.  From (to me) the best of all Genesis lps, A Trick Of The Tail.  Listen to the lyrics and see if it doesn't capture you.


203- Oh What A Night (December 1963), the Four Seasons, 1975, #1.  C'mon, those of you that followed the sixties countdown KNEW you wouldn't get away without the Four Seasons!  Hard to believe that this song's original composition was about prohibition ("December 5th in 1933").

202- Cowgirl In The Sand, Neil Young, 1970, unreleased.  The great album Everyone Knows This Is Nowhere had the one single (Cinnamon Girl) which was far surpassed by the two long tracks- this one at 10:06 and Down By The River at 9:13.  "Old enough now to change your name/when so many love you, is it the same?/it's the woman in you that makes you want to play this game..."

201- Drift Away, Dobie Gray, 1973, #5.  This song's what it's all about for me in music.  "Beginning to think that I'm wasting time/ I don't understand the things I do/ the world outside seems so unkind/ and I'm counting on you to carry me through..."

200- Love Hurts, Nazareth, 1976, #8.  I knew Roy Orbison hit with this first.  What I didn't know is he got it from an Everly Brothers lp.

199- Dreadlock Holiday, 10cc, 1978, #44.  When they weren't overtly trying to be pop, few bands were as fun as 10cc.




198- Ships, Barry Manilow, 1979, #9.  This has become my favorite "post-big 4" song from Barry, the Sinatra of my generation.

197- Ruby Red Dress (Leave Me Alone), Helen Reddy, 1973, #3.  Another of Helen's crazy women.

196- Love Is Thicker Than Water, Andy Gibb, 1977, #1.  Yes, I have this higher than Shadow Dancing.  It was too much different than everything else to not get my attention.

195- Good Timin', Beach Boys, 1979, #40.  Paraphrase the comment for #203.



194- Kentucky Rain, Elvis Presley, 1970, #16.  Almost the best of "Fat Elvis" (See last week to figure out this isn't an insult to the King).

193- Feelin' Stronger Every Day, Chicago, 1973, #10.  Chicago with horns ALWAYS beats Chicago without horns.  Too bad Peter Cetera couldn't get that through his fat head.

192- Sour Suite, the Guess Who, 1971, #50.  Hey, it was #12 in Canada.  Still wonder what they had against Indianapolis.

191- Tangled Up In Blue, Bob Dylan, 1975, #31.  As Darius Rucker says, "Ain't Bobby so cool...?"


"That is our show for this week, " the Host says as the lights go up.  "Here's a little soft something to listen to on your way home.  Good night, everybody!"

The great sixties countdown- the Heart-breakin' finale

The first week of the sixties, Marty Robbins' El Paso ( a song we hear WAAAY too much at work) was #1.  The week that I (and Laurie for that matter) was conceived, the very appropriate #1 was Bobby Lewis' Tossin' And Turnin' (somebody "didn't sleep at all" THAT night...).  The week I (we) were born, it was the Shirelles doing Soldier Boy....
 And here we are, at the end of the road for my sixties countdown. Not a week has gone by that I haven't heard SOME song I thought worthy a mention that didn't get one, but none of those fit into the last four weeks.  And now, my top ten...

10- Surfer Girl, the Beach Boys, peak position # 7.  THE song that made me fall in love with the Beach Boys, thus skewing my entire outlook toward harmony.



Now why would that girl scream at the word "woody"?

9-Blue On Blue, Bobby Vinton, pp# 3.  Everything the Polish Prince did takes me back to mom- but some songs are just magic.



Those that know me well know that we haven't yet heard the last from Bobby.

8- Abraham, Martin, And John, Dion, pp # 4.  Two things I just read puzzle me.  The duo that wrote this song also gave us Snoopy And The Red Baron, if you can believe that.  And it hit #1 in Canada but not here. WTF, people!?!  I owned the 45 (years after the fact) and cry to it as much now as I did then.  "Didn't you love the things that they stood for..." these men cut down because of other men's dreams of hate.  "Didn't they try to find some good for (in) you and me... and we'll be free... someday..."



I'm not alone.  This was a comment on the youtube site...

"In 1968 I was a volunteer campaign worker for Bobbie Kennedy during the California primary. I was 20 and believed that Bobbie was our only hope for getting out of Vietnam. I stood outside the Ambassador Hotel in June, just after we had WON. Bobbie was coming outside, shortly, to thank us for our help when all hell broke out. By February '69 I was drafted and on 19 June I was in Vietnam. Bobbie was the 4th man mentioned in this song, it's been 43 years and I still cry..........."

7- Time Of The Season, the Zombies, pp# 3.  Man, I needed this after the intense emotion of the last two.  A song ahead of its time... and still ahead of the times, IMHO.



6- Blue Velvet, Bobby Vinton, pp #1.  Can you tell blue is my favorite color?  A great song by a great singer.



Wow.  I still can hear Blue Velvet through the years, as well as my tears. 

5- Angel Of The Morning, Merilee Rush and the Turnabouts, pp #7.  The song that stops me in my tracks every time.  Whether it be this version (which ALSO was #1 in Canada, a land with much better taste than our own, and no wonder my sister and I listened to CKLW all the time) or Juice Newton's #4 version in 1981 (which might well be my #1 of the 80's if I ever went there), my breath stops at note #1. As a wee one, I took the term "angel" and made the song about a nun.  Thankfully I had no real concept of what was going on at the time.



Sorry about the Portuguese lyrics, but MAN, was she beautiful!  I'm in love all over again.. (clears throat)

4- Love Is Blue, Paul Mauriat, pp # 1.  A good instrumental can make your soul soar better than any lyrics.  Only one song does it better than this- and we have three spots to go.



3- Incense And Peppermints, Strawberry Alarm Clock, pp # 1.  The ultimate hippie song; the ultimate dope smoking song (whattaya think the incense and peppermints were for?) ; the ultimate name for a sixties band.  And an ending I wish went on forever.



No matter how entertaining they are, whenever I watch the GOP debates, the line runs through my mind:  "Beatniks and Politics, nothing is new/ A yardstick for lunatics, one point of view..."

2- Theme To "A Summer Place", Percy Faith, pp#1.  This one used to stop my breathing when I was yet a wee one!  So good I read the book twice, and it wasn't all that good.



And now, what you've all been waiting for... and no surprise to those who know me (and probably not much of one to anyone who's followed this whole journey...

1- Sherry, the Four Seasons, pp# 1.  I've probably sang this song (not well, I might add) since I first spit a pacifier across a room.  Always, forever, my all time favorite.



And the sixties sadly draw to a close.  The new decade is greeted by the mournful notes of it's first #1, Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head, and the hope at the end of the rain that follows.  Thus I leave you with the equally appropriate last #1 of the sixties. Thanks for hanging around with me.

The great sixties countdown -the home stretch part one

Well, we're down to the top twenty.  Man, I'm gonna miss doing this!  Not to mention there are so many good songs that I just didn't fit in.  But every story has an end and this one is coming. Without further ado, #s 20-11.

20- This Guy's In Love With You, Herb Alpert, Peak position #1.  If you follow Time Machine, you saw the props this song got yesterday.  It was also the first song I (attempted to) dedicated to Laurie, many moons ago.  And the only song Herb sang on.



And for the uninitiated, that was karen and Richard Carpenter with the intro.  The man is smoooooth..

19- Scarborough Fair/Canticle, Simon and Garfunkel, pp #11.  A traditional ballad that may well go back to 1670 or beyond.  Like Hurdy Gurdy man, a Plague song as the herbs were carried to ward of the stench of the dead.  And the wedding song on The Graduate, for thosde old enough to remember.



18- Walk On By, Dionne Warwick, pp #6.  Last week, I talked about my "end of the world" songs.  Tied not by subject matter, but by a certain "feel" I knew no other way to describe.  This is the second-highest charting of those.  The horn in the chorus gives me chills.



17- Magic Town, the Vogues, pp #21.  This was a 45 we had, and maybe my favorite back then.  I can listen to this and feel the grooves it wore into my soul, wishing I too could find that place.



16. Caroline No, Brian Wilson, pp #32.  Did you not expect this one on MY chart?  Yet another, I think the fifth I've had, from Pet Sounds.



15- Last Kiss, J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers, pp# 2.  I think this has got to be on everybody's sixties list.  I remember the instant reaction when Pearl Jam covered it years later- you almost stopped in traffic the first time you heard it.



14- Love Child, the Supremes, pp#1.  I think I mentioned on TM once that when I was itty-bitty I thought when they sang "worn, torn" about her dress, I skipped over the dress part and turned it into 'war-torn" and thought it was a Vietnam song. 



13- Wichita Lineman, Glen Campbell, pp# 3.  I love soaring strings, and this song is so evocative of the subject.  "And I need you more than want you/ And I want you for all time..."



12- Rag Doll, the Four Seasons, pp #1.  I go into a near-reverent silence at the first beats of the drum at the beginning.  That first harmony  induces catatonia.



11- Georgy Girl, the Seekers, pp #2.  Could I really get by without another dance with Judith Durham? I think not!



Next week, we step through the veil into the holy of holies- the top ten, on our last installment.  See you then!

The great sixties countdown week 14

You feel like the "American Top Forty" jingle should be playing, and the next voice you hear should be Casey Kasem?  Well, it's that time in the countdown, and this has become to me like a really good novel- you want it to last, and want to race ahead to the end at the same time.  Which is a good seque for...

40- Paperback Writer, the Beatles, peak position #1. Somehow, this and Nowhere Man (along with a couple other songs we'll be hitting shortly) have never lost there newness for me.  Like having a car where the "new car smell" doesn't wear off.

39- In The Year 2525 (Exordium and Terminus), Zager And Evans, pp #1.  Time has only slightly tarnished the eerieness of this dystopian future.  There are a handful of songs that really made my childhood self wonder at if the world would last for me to get this old, and this is one.  Some of the others you might find odd to be on that list (such as What The World Needs Now from last week;  another one will be coming up in mere moments.

38- A Lover's Concerto, the Toys, pp #2.  Adapted from a work (Minuet In G Minor) that Bach gave to his wife and everyone thought he wrote, we have to put up with a prozac Spanish version at work which still isn't terrible.  No song crescendos better than this one.





37- Eve Of Destruction, Barry McGuire, pp #1.  There are those that think that this song is no longer pertinent, that it's meaning was overblown and couldn't have never happened.  Watch this well-put-together video and see if you still feel that way.



36- Good Vibrations, the Beach Boys, PP #1.  The ultimate expression of Brian Wilson's vision that he was able to force from the fog of all the drugs.  The most well-crafted song of all time.

35- Let's Hang On, the Four Seasons, pp #3.  See the Paperback Writer comment.  Just takes me back to a much more innocent and happier time.

34- Soldier Boy, the Shirelles, pp #1.  The ultimate girl-group song.

33- Working My Way Back To You, the Four Seasons, pp #9.  See me down and out, but I ain't about to go livin' my life without you...



32- Walk Away Renee, the Left Banke, pp # 5.  Can you believe that keyboardist Michael Brown wrote this at the age of 16? The single best example of Baroque pop.

31- Love Can Make You Happy, Mercy, pp #2.  Maybe the second most obscure song we have left to play, but these are the songs that I remember.  BTW, the lp cover you see was from an lp that had "the original single'- but the rest was fake, and the makers got sued out of existence.  Weird, wild stuff.



30- Badge, Cream, pp #60.  Gets its name from Ringo Starr walking in while George Harrison and Clapton are writing it, drunkenly reading the word "bridge"  written at the central part of the song, and wondering what they wrote "badge" for.  Another one of those songs I'll always scratch my head over how it charted no higher.

29- Downtown, Petula Clark, pp#1.  Fills me with visions of Christmas shopping at Wolff and Dessauers back before Fort Wayne let downtown go to rot.  The thought of this being a world we'll never see again puts it in that category of "end of the world" songs for me (see # 39).

28-Rubber Ball, Bobby Vee, pp #6.  Another of the 45's we played the grooves off of all through my childhood.



27- Duke Of Earl, Gene Chandler, pp # 1.  C'mon, you didn't think I would leave the Duke out, didja?

26- Shape Of Things To Come, Max Frost and the Troopers, pp # 22. Here is obscurity's poster child.  A fictional band from a movie called Wild In The Streets, in which Richard Pryor played the drums (but that's not him on the song), we had the 45 to this one too.  At 1:55, probably the shortest song on the countdown.



25- California Nights, Leslie Gore, pp #16.  A good song for her last big hit, and also an odd member of my "end of the world" club, which we have 5 members of on this week's countdown.

24- Runaway, Del Shannon, pp #1.  When I got here, I said, wow, hard to believe that this one ended up this low.  From 26 on, we have truly reached the top tier of my favorites.

23- Roses Are Red, Bobby Vinton, pp #1.  Bobby found this song in a reject pile at Epic records.  A&R men, whatcha gonna do?  Another of "Mom's greatest hits".

22- Red Rubber Ball, the Cyrkle, pp #2.  What's up with rubber balls all of a sudden?  Written by Paul Simon and Bruce Woodley (of the Seekers), we had this 45 too. Speaking of Paul Simon...

21- Mrs. Robinson, Simon and Garfunkel, pp#1.  So many good moments in this song.  The candidate's debate always puts me to the Nixon-Kennedy debates, though the timing's off.  The best part, Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio? Joltin' Joe has left and gone away...  I feel obligated (though they might not want me to) to mention that the Lemonheads did a great job on their cover.

Next week we do top 20, part one, and the next will be the final ten.  Prepare for surprises and great tunage.  To take us out, let's end it like Leslie did...

The great sixties countdown week 13

We are now inside the top sixty, and we are down to the songs that would stop me if I was passing a room and heard it playing.  Soon we'll be into songs that slow or stop my breathing.  Is that weird? But it's the effect on me.  As I get older my life becomes one big version of Dobie Gray's Drift Away. Anyway, as a friend said recently, it's time to "unravel (more of) the mystery that is Chris".

60- Sloop John B, the Beach Boys, peak position #3.  The lead of the second side of Pet Sounds, a fun adaptation of a West Indian folk song about a real ship that sank in 1900.  I think about the chorus at work a lot- "Well, I feel so broke up, I wanna go home!"

59- Raindrops, Dee Clark, pp #2.  One of the first songs I remember- "Raindrops/so many raindrops/it looks like raindrops/falling from my eyes..."

58-Blue Moon, the Marcels, pp #1.  For me, the capital city of doo-wop. I never even knew there was a ballad version.

57-Last Train To Clarksville, the Monkees, pp#1.  For me, I always remember when NBC was advertising the Apollo 17 launch, they would play this with the voice over, "Apollo 17.  If you miss this one, you've missed it." (Instant history lesson- the Apollo program ended at 17.)  Actually, a song about a guy getting ready to head off to Vietnam, which made it even cooler.

56- Both Sides Now, Judy Collins, pp #8.  I love about anything with the baroque-style piano, and the lyrics are dynamite.  Ironically, this has a connection to the song I named my personal theme song a few months back on Time Machine.  Both this and Counting Crows Rain King were inspired by the book Henderson The Rain King by Saul Bellow.  I may just have to read that book someday soon. 



A quote I saw on Youtube with this song: "Fifty years ago it brought aspirations.  Now it brings regrets".  Amen.
55- The Weight, The Band, pp #63.  The part that always gets me is, "Go down, Miss Moses, there's nothin' you can say/It's just ol' Luke, and Luke's waitin' on the Judgement Day./"Well, Luke, my friend, what about young Anna Lee?"/He said, "Do me a favor, son, woncha stay an' keep Anna Lee company?" "  Low charting because the Band was treated like the grateful Dead, and it's a damn shame neither one got the mainstream success they deserved.



54- You Don't Own Me, Leslie Gore, pp #2.  Even the constant use by the NFL for advertising their "women's fit jerseys" doesn't ruin this for me.  Have I mentioned I love Leslie Gore?

53- Those Were The Days, Mary Hopkin, pp #2.  An old Russian song re-written with English lyrics, and produced by Paul McCartney. A very melancholy feel.

52- We'll Sing In The Sunshine, Gale Garnett, pp #4.  Not surprising to find this here, because I've always linked this song and Those Were The Days in my mind.  Kind of like the before to Mary Hopkin's after.

51-Come Back When You Grow Up, Bobby Vee and the Strangers, pp #3.  I never realized how many great songs Bobby Vee did until I started this list.  This was one of those that we had on 45, and my first young attempt at "modifying " lyrics- "Peeing ain't easy, pooping's twice as tough, come back, baby, when you throw up."  Did I mention I was about 8 at the time?



Man, if you guys could see my eyes right now...

50- Telstar, the Tornadoes, pp #1.  The first single to EVER hit the #1 spot on the US chart by a British band, and showing my love for instrumentals yet again.  Somehow, I feel this should be playing in that far-future day when man launches the Starship Enterprise.



49- Leaving On A Jet Plane, Peter, Paul, and Mary, pp #1.  Already I'm so lonesome, I could cry...

48- Sealed With A Kiss, Bryan Hyland, pp #3.  It is so hard to believe that the same man that came up with spellbinders like this and later Gypsy Woman, also gave us Itty Bitty Teeny Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini.

47- Mr. Lonely, Bobby Vinton, pp #1.  What can I say that I haven't about the Polish Prince?

46- Keep Searching (Follow The Sun), Del Shannon, pp #9.  His last big hit, and my favorite.

45- Wonderland By Night, Bert Kaempfert Orchestra, pp #1.  Another instrumental, one of my mom's faves that she passed down.



44- Only The Lonely, Roy Orbison, pp #2.  As much as I heard this as a kid, it seems incredible to me that it came out two years before I was born, and not when I was five or six.  Mom loved Roy, too, especially this one.

43- This Diamond Ring, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, pp #1.  Despite the fact that "the Playboys " were about as real as the first versions of "the Monkees", despite the fact the the writer was unhappy with it because he wanted the Drifters to do it, this is one of those songs that has never grown old- even though it's on the CD player at work.

42- Tired Of Waiting For You, the Kinks, pp #6.  I had forgotten about this one for many years until one day I heard it on an oldies station, feeling perfectly preserved from the time it was new as if a paleontologist discovering a fossil.  Transports me instantly to Saturday afternoons with my sister out in the backyard with our little blue transistor that sounded so good...



41- Wouldn't It Be Nice, the Beach Boys, pp #8.  How ironic we end this week where we began, on Pet Sounds- specifically the lead of the first side.  The 12-string mandolin in the last verse melts me every time, as does the line that goes with it- "You know it seems the more we talk about it/ it only makes it worse to live without it/ but let's talk about it..."

Wow.  This week, I am just spent emotionally at this point.  I'll need my walk with Scrappy to recover my eyesight!  And there are forty more to go!  So tune in next time for the start of the Final Forty.  I'm playing with the idea of splitting the top twenty into two weeks- and if next week's like this, I might do the forty in four, haven't decided yet.  Anyway, there's only one song on this list appropriate to close with this time, I'm sure you'll agree...

The great sixties countdown week 12

Here we are again, delving ever deeper into the songs that built my childhood.  Starting with:

80- Poor Side Of Town, Johnny Rivers.  "To me, you were the greatest thing this boy had ever found/ and girl, it's hard to find nice things on the poor side of town".  And the guitar chords that come next.

79- It's My Party, Leslie Gore.  Be it ever so maligned and parodied, I still love Leslie Gore.

78- Whiter Shade Of Pale, Procol Harum.  Always reminds me of a end-of-the-world party, as the life oozes out of civilization.  Did you know this is the most-played song in British broadcasting for the last 75 years?

77- Popsicles And Icicles, the Murmaids.  Written by David Gates, soon to be of Bread.  My ex tried to sing this once, got it mixed with the Raindrops On Roses song, and it came out, "These are a few of my favorite slugs."  What was I thinking???



76- A Sign Of The Times, Petula Clark.  What can I say about Ms. Clark I haven't already?

75- Homeward Bound, Simon And Garfunkel.  Nothing describes my poetic talents better than "All my words come back to me in shades of mediocraty, like emptiness in harmony."

74- The Sounds Of Silence, Simon And Garfunkel.  "And the sign says, 'the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls, and tenement halls..."  Say what you want about Rhymin' Simon, the boy could write.

73- A World Of Our Own, the Seekers.  Any excuse to listen to Judith Durham again.



72- Tuesday Afternoon, the Moody Blues.  Maybe my all time favorite of theirs from the excellent Days Of Future Past lp.

71- Silence Is Golden, the Tremoloes.  Also like the Four Seasons original, but this was the hit, and the harmony is more distinctive here.



70- He's So Fine, the Chiffons.  Another can't-have-a-sixties-countdown-without song.  Even worked for George.

69- A Hard Day's Night, the Beatles.  Paul's "when I'm home.." part is the best.

68-Love Is All Around, the Troggs.  Man, how memories come back of seeing her face before you, as you lay in your bed, thinking over all the things she said?



67- What The World Needs Now Is Love, Jackie  DeShannon.  Brings to mind a time when you thought man might end the world at any minute, and musicians were trying to sing us back from the brink.

66-Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon, Neil Diamond.  Always loved this song.  Loved it again when Urge Overkill redid it for Pulp Fiction.  The strings make this for me.

65- My Special Angel, the Vogues.  The most powerful vocal-group song of all time, to me.

64- Positively Fourth Street, Bob Dylan.  I think this is his best vocal performance ever.  So much power to it.

63- Nowhere Man, the Beatles.  I remember being in the shipping office with the lead and the supervisor.  Supervisor, bitching about plant manager, said "He's as blind as he can be."  We replied, "Just sees what he wants to see/ Nowhere man, can you see me at all?"  Super, 26 years old, says, "What the hell are you two talking about?" Laughed our asses off at him.

62- Kind Of A Drag, the Buckinghams.  Just love the rocking, "roller skating" tempo of this tune.  And the horns.

61- The Lion Sleeps Tonight, the Tokens.  Another can't-have- without pick.

And that's a wrap for another week- and just three more to go.  To close out, let's do as Hootie says, and listen to a little Dylan.  Ain't Bobby so cool?

The great sixties countdown week 11- into the 100!

Remove your sandals, we walk on hallowed ground now- the top 100!

100- Solitary Man, Neil Diamond.  Despite the fact my brain keeps wanting to switch out "solitary" for "sailor" and turn it into a Popeye rag.

99- One Fine Day, the Chiffons.  Carole King never wrote a bad song, and this is another "invulnerable" song that virtually no one can screw up.  Excepting William Hung, of course, and my ex-wife.

98- Help!, the Beatles.  This is beyond a doubt the Beatles song that has never stopped growing on me.  Sing the background part every time.  And I retain vestigal memories of watching the movie a generation ago.

97- Strawberry Fields Forever, the Beatles.  I mentioned before my fondness for the later Fab Four, when they really started to put distance creatively between themselves and virtually everyone else (Except perhaps Brian Wilson).

96- Lady Willpower, Gary Puckett and the Union Gap.  Don't have anything more I can add about a heavilly underrated act.



95- Cathy's Clown, Everly Brothers.  Her name wasn't Cathy, but I can relate.  "I die each time/ I hear this sound..."

94- Gentle On My Mind, Glen Campbell.  I can't help wishing I'd been a hobo when this song comes on.
"I dip my cup of soup back from a gurglin' cracklin' cauldron In some train yard/My beard a rustlin' coal pile
And a dirty hat pulled low across my face
Through cupped hands 'round a tin can/I pretend to hold you to my breast and find
That you're waitin' from the back roads
By the rivers of my memory
Ever smilin', ever gentle on my mind ."

93- Puff The Magic Dragon, Peter, Paul, and Mary.  I imagine there was a long ago time this was in my top ten, before I knew what such things were.  Still gets me at "A dragon lives forever/but not so, little boys..."



92- I Know A Place, Petula Clark.  Her songs remind me of the Fort Wayne of my childhood, with Wolf and Dessaurs and all.  It was magic at Christmas time.  All the things they want to do to downtown and revitalize it now, and it's a damn shame that they didn't think about this when the suburban malls sprang up and the city leaders left W&D and Hutner's Paris to die.

91- Master Jack, Four Jacks and a Jill.  A tad obscure to most, but this song (which we had on 45) I never quite figured out how to listen to without getting a queer feeling in my stomach.



Man, that Glennis Lynne was a doll, wasn't she?

90- Crystal Blue Persuasion, Tommy James and the Shondels.  Boy, it sure is hard to believe the same garage band that did Hanky Panky could come up with something as intricately crafted as this.  A great, positive, hopeful song.

89- Do You Know The Way To San Jose, Dionne Warwick.  "L.A. is a great big freeway/ put a hundred down and buy a car..."  Yeah, good luck with that now...

88- Big Bad John, Jimmy Dean.  It's a wonder this 45 made it through our childhood with any grooves left.  Of course, foe me it helpd that Jimmy was part of the cast of Daniel Boone.  Helped out my appreciation of the Ames Brothers, too.  BTW, if you saw yesterday's Time Machine, you saw that this song turned 50 this week.

87- The Unicorn, the Irish Rovers.  See what I mean about all the great kids songs?  Here's one of the best. Making me cry as I write.



86- Five O'clock World, the Vogues.  Yes, this did have a life before Drew Carey, and a good one.  Kinda in the vein of another of my seventies favorites, Summer Breeze.

85- California Dreaming, the Mamas and the Papas.  Another sing-along song every time it comes on.  Is there any better imagry of a winter's day?

84- The In Crowd, Dobie Gray.  Definately no affinity to this song, I just like it.

83- She's Not There, the Zombies.  The fun thing with the Zombies is their sense of disconnect from the rest of society, which is put in focus in, "Well no one told me about her.. though they all knew.."

82- Rain Rain Go Away, Bobby Vinton.  Just a voice that stood out.



God, I hadn't heard that in years!

81- Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow, the Shirelles.   Damn near where we started, with another great Carole King tune.

Man, the time has flown again.  To close out this weekend's trip, let's listen to the "birthday boy":

The great sixties countdown week 10

We stand at the threshold of Armageddon er, I mean the top 100, this week, and the songs are getting nearer and dearer to my little heart.  Let's see what we have this week!

120- Elusive Butterfly, Bob Lind.  I grew up playing the grooves off this 45.  To my young ears, it had the seeming of a massive #1 hit- and still does.  However, I think it might be on a lot of peoples' "I forgot about this one" list.



119- Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, Neil Sedaka.  Believe it or not, I didn't know that there was a fast version of this until I saw the Partridge Family do it on their show.  MUCH better than the 70s Prozac redeux.

118- Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder), the Beach Boys.  From Pet Sounds, to me this is the most romantic song of all time.

117- Summer In The City, the Loving Spoonful.  They did so many laid back, even-tempoed singles, this one is the one that stands out.  Makes you wish you could still do all that without getting mugged.

116- Hurdy-Gurdy Man, Donovan.  This song is like Ring Around The Rosie to me, in that Ring was built around the actions of children during the Black Death (when a pocket full of posies was intended to keep the death stench from one's nostrils).  The hurdy gurdy man was a minstrel who travelled town to town during this very real Armageddon almost as a harbinger of doom- or rebirth.  In fact, George Harrison wrote a verse for this song that got cut because of the "three minute limit" that went like this: 

When the truth gets buried deep

Beneath the thousand years of sleep

Time demands a turn-around

And once again the truth is found

Awakening the Hurdy Gurdy Man

Who comes singing songs of love

Thus, this song always gives me goosebumps.

115- Dawn (Go Away), the Four Seasons.  This and Rag Doll are my favorite Four Seasons sing-alongs.  My part is the "Think... think.." while Frankie sings "What a big man he'll be/ of the places you'll see..."

114- Sweet Caroline, Neil Diamond.  Despite the unpleasant (to me) connections to the New York Yankees, this is one of those songs you can't help sing the chorus to.  "Good times never seemed so good..."  And, at least for a moment, they don't.

113- Help Me Rhonda, the Beach Boys.  I also have the Johnny Rivers version burned, and the big diff for me is how much better the original "shattered our plans " works than Johnny's "ruined".

112- Chain Gang, Sam Cooke.  You can really appreciate the talent of this man in that stretch in the middle when he sings, "I'm coming home one of these days..."

111- Be My Baby, the Ronnettes.  When you can take one vocal line fro m a song and build a great song from it like Eddie Money did with this on Take Me Home Tonight, you know the original had to be a classic.  And it was.

110- Little Deuce Coupe, The Beach Boys.  Yes, we're getting a lot of Beach Boys today.  And, there's still four of theirs left on the countdown!

109- Revolution, the Beatles.  It always struck me a little odd that John could sing, "But if you've been carrying pictures of Chairman Mao/ You ain't gonna make it with anyone anyhow" with a straight face, but whatever.  I know I could, and that's sufficient.

108- Have You Heard, the Duprees.  The song that HAD to be on the doo-wop cd I bought.



107- Hot Fun In The Summertime, Sly And The Family Stone.  Don't it make you want to go back to summer vacations? "I "cloud nine" when I want to/Out of school, yeah/ County fair in the country sun/And everything, it's true, ooh yeah..."

106- That's The Way Boys Are, Leslie Gore.  Yep, I have it bad for Leslie.

105- I Saw Her Again Last Night, the Mamas And The Papas.  The layered chorus, "it makes me want to cry..."

104- Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood, the Animals.  The story of my life.

103- It's Not Unusual, Tom Jones.  My award winner for "best use of horns in a pop song".  Now I'm not going to throw any bras at him, (for obvious reasons) but there's no doubt Tom Jones is one of the coolest dudes on the planet.

102- Lodi, Credence Clearwater Revival.  I'll never understand how this charted so low.  If I get to hear one CCR song, this is my pick.



101-  Laughing, the Guess Who.  When I was little and this song was new, I thought the verse "after losing at the game" meant that, on top of losing the girl, he got beat in a football game.  Back then you took every song from the perspective of an American high-schooler.  For me, it added just the right touch of desperation.

Next week, we enter the top 100 at last.  And more than likely I'll be linking more videos (as I did this week) as the songs come to mean more and more.  Till then, here's our closer, one you might not otherwise know.

The great sixties countdown week 9

All right, we're going to try blueberry juice (in lieu of a banana) and get rolling on the latest installment of my favorite songs of the decade of my childhood.

140- Carrie-Anne, the Hollies.  Gotta love Graham Nash.

139- Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In, the 5th Dimension.  The ultimate hippie song, even if you're not into the astrology end of it.  I'll tell you an embarrassing story here.  You may or may not know that I was the baby of my family- by 10 years.  My closest sibling in age was a sister that not only exposed me to all this good music, but taught me the basics of being  a smartass.  Being that much older, she always had me at a disadvantage (and sometimes still does).  For instance the day I was singing this song and she changed the words to "the age of a-queery-Chris".  I've always took comfort in that karma evened us up when she got married to Joe.;)

138- When I Grow Up To Be A Man, the Beach Boys.  The verse that catches me is the pleading, "Will I love my wife/ the rest of my life?"  Me and Brian both blew that one.

137- Go Now, the Moody Blues.  There's not many things I don't love about the Moodies.  Or this song- the pounding piano, the rich background vocals, the rushed lead that gives you a chance to catch your breath at, "We've already said..."




136- Unchained Melody, the Righteous Brothers.  Many of you knew this song from its revival in Ghost.  Some of us remember its first run.  Another great Phil Spector wall-of-sound production, especially the strings at the very end.

135- Message To Michael, Dionne Warwick.  As I've said before, Dionne was one of my girls from an early age.

134- Yes I'm Ready, Barbara Mason.  We used to have this 45, and I loved it when KC (of the Sunshine Band) and Terri DiSario redid it in the 80's.  Love the soaring strings!  She was 17 when she wrote and recorded this.



133- Johnny Angel, Shelley Fabres.  I never could watch Coach without this song playing in the back of my mind.

132- Hello, Mary Lou, Rick Nelson.  I loved anything by Rick- except Lonesome Town.  If there was ever a song to encourage suicide back then, that was it (Not saying I didn't like it- I just couldn't handle LISTENING to it).  Thank God most of his stuff was more upbeat.

131- Dock Of The Bay, Otis Redding.   I don't think any song ever captured the isolation of its own lyrics like this one.  A classic even if he hadn't had to die to push it to #1.

130- Denise, Randy and the Rainbows.  Another one from my doo-wop CD.  Don't you love when music was innocent and corny was okay?

129- Save It For Me, the Four Seasons.  This one was buried deep in my subconscious until I got that Gold Vault of Hits lp at the rummage sale.  Frankie's vocals on the fade-out do it for me.

128- Navy Blue, Diane Renay.  Perhaps the dumbest song I ever loved.  Can't help it, I fell in love with the vocals, not the lyrics.

127- The End Of The World, Skeeter Davis.  A song you can't help singing along with.

126- Penny Lane, the Beatles.  We've started the turn into the homestretch for me with these last two songs.  There was always something about 1966-67 Beatles for me.  Glad I didn't know what "four of fish and finger pie in summer" was back then.

125- In My Room, the Beach Boys.  Practically the theme song for unpopular guys like me in the teenage years- kind of my version of At Seventeen.  One of my favorite high school teacher's favorite song.

124- Can't Find The Time, Orpheus.  A gem I found in route to looking for other things, and a cult classic. Can't help but tear up anytime I play it.



123- Don't Worry Baby, the Beach Boys.  First remember BJ Thomas' version, then heard the original on Endless Summer.  My all time favorite headphone song.

122- Wear Your Love Like Heaven, Donovan.  This was the music to a commercial for a perfume called Love's Baby Soft, and I fell in love with the girl in the ad.  Took me years to finally track it down (and a copy of Joel Whitburn's Billboard book).

121- Rhythm Of The Rain, the Cascades.  Another one of those you can't help but sing along to.  I love when he pleads with the rain, does that seem fair?

Well here we are at the end again, and you can see that it isn't just mainstream hits that will weave their way into the upper reaches.  So until next time, here's one of those off the beaten path tunes.

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!

the great sixties countdown week seven

I'm a bit behind today- I've had issues with blogger (someone I was following changed their blog so my links said it didn't exist, but when I went there through an e-mail link and hit follow, it said I was following!), with youtube (couldn't get full-screen to work), and getting up this morning (birthday party for Laurie's bro-in-law last night), and had about 50 blogs to read (well at least 10).  But now we are ready, and here we go!

180- Don't Hang Up, the Orlons.  A very underrated girl group.  I remember an old commercial for some telephone company that used this 45- which, to make whatever their point was, would skip on the final "do it now" at the end.  For whatever reason, I've always remembered commercials more than shows.

179- Ronnie, the Four Seasons.  I will warn you, if you aren't a Frankie Valli fan, this may not be the countdown for you.  If it sniffed the top ten, I'll have it on here.

178- Can't Buy Me Love, the Beatles.  This was my favorite Beatles song, until Paperback Writer came out, which was my new favorite until The Long And Winding Road came out.  This, for me, is the song you play for an Alien from Planet Granite who wants to know what the Beatles were.

177- Watch Her Ride, Jefferson Airplane.  This is one of those songs I stumbled upon in researching other stuff.  Was a mid-sixties charter in 1968.




176- Dead Man's Curve, Jan and Dean.  Not only their best musically, but a chilling prophecy as it turned out.

175- Heroes And Villains, the Beach Boys.  This tune has had to grow on me to get up here and it has done just that in the last few years, especially since listening to Surf's Up, which gave me a better feel for Brian's more progressive-rock side.

174- Ride My See-Saw, the Moody Blues.  The singing, the orchestration, and of course the line, "School taught one and one is two/But right now, that answer just ain't true."


173- Next Door To An Angel, Neil Sedaka.  The part that always sticks with me here is the way he sings the line, "it used to be such a pl-ain street"... A lot of songs have that one relatively insignificant moment (like this or, for another example, the horns on MacArthur Park just before Richard Harris sings, "...and wondering, why...", or the bell at the end of How Can You Mend A Broken Heart) that really hooks me.

172- Put Your Head On My Shoulder, the Lettermen.  I'd heard this song a million times by other acts (notably Anson Williams on Happy Days), but when I saw this done by the Lettermen on TV one night, I was hooked.  From then on, they went from, "I think they're some "grandma group" to one of my favorites.  Amazing what actually listening to something can do!

171- Creeque Alley, the Mamas And the Papas.  Great fun biographical song.  Cass was probably my third favorite female voice, after Judith Durham of the Seekers and either Dionne Warwick or Marilyn McCoo of the Fifth Dimension, depending on the mood.





170- One, Three Dog Night.  Tell me you can get through the line, "It's just no good anymore since you went away/ I spend my time just making rhymes of yesterday.." without it tugging at you.

169- Mr. Tambourine Man, the Byrds.  I once heard them do this song with an extra verse, I wish I could find that again.  Given this song and All Along The Watchtower, I don't see why more people didn't cover Dylan.

168- What Am Doing Hanging 'Round, the Monkees.  Normally I wouldn't stick two videos so close together, but if you don't know this one, you need to give it a listen. Not to mention the big ass clue from Mickey that the video was lip-synched.



167- I Will Follow Him, Little Peggy March.  I told you I loved the girl singers.

166- There's A Moon Out Tonight, the Capris.  I think doing this countdown was what finally got me around to buying that doo-wop cd I keep mentioning.  Now that was when America had talent.

165- Hair, the Cowsills.  One of Laurie's favorites.  I just can't imagine how you bring so many disparate elements into one song and make it work- especially something like the "oh say can you see" part.

164- Turn Down Day, the Cyrkle.  We had the 45 of Red Rubber Ball (which is coming up later).  I just always thought these guys were cool.

163- My Back Pages, the Byrds.  I have on a CD a live performance of this song with Roger McGuinn, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Eric Clapton,Tom Petty, and Neil Young each doing a verse.  What would you pay to see THAT concert? Always my best Byrds song. And another Dylan cover!

162- Don't Let The Rain Come Down (The Crooked Little Man), the Sernedipity Singers.  Another of those kid-friendly hits from a somewhat more innocent (at least in terms of what made it to the radio) time.  And you didn't need no damn teletubbies or bubble guppies to sing it!

161- God Only Knows, the Beach Boys.  Pet Sounds was so full of great songs, it is hard not to just put this album on the list en masse.

That's it for another week.  And of course, I had to get one more problem from blogger, so I am re-typing the farewell section here that it just couldn't seem to publish the first time.  I guess the first clue should have been when spell check caught many things and gave no suggestions to any of them! At any rate, I'm sending you off with the live of My Back Pages I told you about.  It rolls on into a long, massive group jam of Knocking On Heaven's Door, so if you want to bail at the 4 minute mark, I understand.  But the song was full of so many great moments (especially for me the Neil Guitar solo at the end) that I had to post it. See you next time (if blogger doesn't cut some other damn thing off)!

The great sixties countdown week 6

Good morning, and welcome to the countdown of my 300 favorite sixties tunes.  The first 100 (300-201) are in the books and we enter the next level today.

200- Little Town Flirt, Del Shannon.  I loved anything by this guy.  He's the only one who could make the high notes sound like they came from a tough guy.

199- Bobby's Girl, Marcy Blaine.  Though usually my memories of my toddlerhood are prodigious, I do not remember running around the house singing this when I was little.  But my big sister says it's true, so I guess I did.  The admonition "You're not a kid anymore" seems to run counter to where she wants to go in life, and not only adds a neat contrast to the song, but firmly puts her on my side timewise.




198- Hello Stranger, Barbara Lewis.  This song, great in its own right, gets a big benefit from having been expertly redone by Yvonne Elliman, whom I have had a huge crush on.

197- Where The Boys Are, Connie Francis.  Seriously?  Yes, the ladies are very popular on my countdown and I love Connie's soaring vocals- even if the subject matter isn't on my mind.

196- What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted, Jimmy Ruffin.  The power of the emotion in this song, the background vocals that lend eeriness to the heartbreak, the strength of Jimmy's vocal, and the title question that we all ask at one point or another. Simply a classic.

195- Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye, the Casinos.  I actually heard this first as a Toby Beau (My Angel Baby) cover in the late 70's, then heard the original on American Graffiti.

194- Please Mr. Postman, the Marvellettes.  For a change, this one I actually remembered before the Carpenters hit #1 with their remake.  A classic either way.

193- Travellin' Man, Rick Nelson.  Mom loved his smooth sound, and passed that onto me.

192- Sky Pilot pt 1, the Animals.  Could there be a more effective (or eerie) way to protest the war than the sounds of the jet crash followed by the bagpipes at the end of the song?  The concept of seeing things through the eyes of the chaplain was an original twist.




191- The Loco-Motion, Little Eva.  Just like Postman a few songs ago, this is great whether its Little Eva, Grand Funk Railroad, or anyone else who's covered it.

190- To Sir With Love, Lulu.  This one grew on me over the years.  Never saw the movie, though.

189- Hat's Off To Larry, Del Shannon.  Did I mention I love this guy?  A very nice karma song.

188- I Am A Rock, Simon and Garfunkel.  Words we all say after a broken heart- but in the end we know the irony (and the lie) in the last lines.

187- Crosstown Traffic, Jimi Hendrix Experience.  My favorite Hendrix riff.

186- Mr. Dieingly Sad, the Critters.  So soft, so sad. So usually forgotten.





185- Western Union, the 5 Americans.  Just a fun song, despite the "Dear John" telegram. Doo do do do do doo doo dodo do....

184- Calendar Girl, Neil Sedaka.  I remember hating Sedaka because I couldn't stand Bad Blood when it came out, and really didn't care much for the slow version of Breaking Up Is Hard To Do.  Then I heard the original, and learned to my surprise that he did some pretty good stuff in the sixties.  Now I even kinda like Bad Blood (though the slow Breaking Up still doesn't do much for me). Which has little to do with this song, so I'll just mention remembering the old Purina Cat Chow commercial that did its "Chow chow chow chow chow" to the whoa whoa whoas in this song.

183- White Rabbit, Jefferson Airplane.  Yet another one of those "you can't do a sixties countdown without it" songs.  Remember wondering why mom gave you the pills that didn't do anything at all.

182- White Room, Cream.  Like I said before, Cream managed to lend an air of importance and power to songs that (on the surface) didn't really merit it.  Always kinda wondered if this white room was a place where police inspectors took spies they caught at train stations.  Looking at it that way, it could be a good TSA theme song.

181- Bristol Stomp, the Dovells.  Just a fun dance song. Kind of a bridge between doo-wop and the dance songs of the late fifties and early sixties.

Good grief, that's twenty already!  Tune in next week for another round.  And to send you home, here's some of that one guy I like.

the great sixties countdown week five

Okay, I've fully updated myself on Irene- she's a bit pokier than I expected- and I'm ready to give y'all another twenty of my favorites.  And this week, the girls are going to start making their presence known.

220- Over You, Gary Puckett and the Union Gap.  The Gap had a talent for powerful choruses, and this might have been the strongest.  I miss real horns in music.  Of course, I've been saying that since Chicago hit their first #1 with If You Leave Me Now (currently on Time Machine).

219- Lightning Strikes, Lou Christie.  I used to love the high vocals like this, although a lot of songs like this one have slid for me over the years.  Probably as I started listening to the lyrics- Lou was such a male slut.

218- All Along The Watchtower, the Jimi Hendrix Experience.  How do you beat Dylan's words and Hendrix's guitar?  I loved the way this song was woven through the last season or so of Battlestar Galactica- I have the version played when Kara returned from her trip to Earth burned on CD.  Frackin' cool!

217- You're The One, the Vogues.  This is one of those bands that I didn't know how much I liked until I got their greatest hits (on tape) and saw how many of their songs I really loved.  It's a real shame that most people only know 5 O'Clock World, and that thanks to Drew Carey.

216- I Dig Rock And Roll Music, Peter Paul and Mary.  It took me a long time to realize this was just PPM trying to sound like the Mamas And The Papas instead of the real thing.  Of course, then you realize that it's kind of a backhand slap against the genre, but I get back at their "snobbery" by just digging the song.



215- Monday, Monday, The Mamas And The Papas.  Unintentional irony here, I assure you.  Anyone out there remember watching the Groovy Ghoulies, and having a song from the Mummies and the Puppies?

214- How Can I Be Sure?, The Turtles.  I wasn't much into Flo and Eddie, but this was a great song for rocking back and forth.

213- You Were On My Mind, We Five.  "And I got a feeling/ way down in my shoes, and/ way down in my shoo-oo-ooes" gives me a chill way up in the back of my neck.

212- Summer Rain, Johnny Rivers.  This was his last big hit for quite a while, and one of a handful that seemed appropriate for the occasion (I can think of at least two more songs farther on that fit this bill as well).  A wistful, sad-with-a-smile song.



211- Kicks, Paul Revere And The Raiders.  I kinda surprised myself that the raiders never got any higher on my list.  Of course, Indian Reservation and Mark Lindsay's solo stuff were all on the other side of the decade.

210- The Boxer, Simon And Garfunkel.  An underrated, oft-forgotten song from the Bridge Over Troubled Water lp, just on this side of the decade.  Frank and cold.  "Well, I'm laying out my winter clothes/ And wishing I was gone /Going home/ Where the New York City winters aren't bleeding me/ Bleeding me, going home..."

209- Dance To The Music, Sly And The Family Stone.  What a neat way to give everyone their props.  At the beginning, the Family did a lot of just fun music.


208- You Keep Me Hanging On, the Supremes.  As I may have mentioned  before, despite a semi-crush (toddler version) on Diana Ross, the Supremes weren't my biggest cup o' tea.  But I did have a weakness for "whoo-whoo" songs, and this was a good one.  One of the songs with the most good covers in history(#1 here and by Kim Wilde, and the psychedelic version by Vanilla Fudge that just misses the countdown).

207- Catch Us If You Can, Dave Clark Five.  I liked a lot of DC5 songs, but this is the one that stands out.



206- A Must To Avoid, Herman's Hermits.  I really liked the harmony.

205- A Boy Named Sue, Johnny Cash.  The biggest pop hit of a ton of great songs Johnny did in this era.  First song I ever heard with a bleep-out.  Rolling around in the mud and the blood and the beer.

204- I'll Say A Little Prayer, Dionne Warwick.  I can't say she was a crush, but she was definitely my first favorite girl.  First of four for Dionne.

203- It's the Same Old Song, The Four Tops.  This was the opening theme of some movie they showed us in grade school.  The first time I remembered hearing it, and I don't think I payed much attention to the movie thereafter.  What a heartbreaker.

202-  Teen Angel, Mark Dinning.  Another can't-be-the-sixties-without song.  If you listen to it sentimentally, it's a tearjerker.  If you listen with your head, it's downright silly- which I think is what Dinning was aiming at.

201- I Started A Joke, the Bee Gees.  This is really a strange song, when you get down to it.  Somehow, though, in listening it becomes a classic.

Wow, another twenty in the books.  Hope you enjoyed it, and until next week, here's a little fun from the countdown.

The great 1960's countdown, week four

Once again time for my new favorite time of the week- when I share with y'all another twenty songs off the mega-list of my top sixties tunes.  Last week, I had to break Bob G's heart and tell him that Pleasant Valley Sunday didn't make the cut.  When you only (!) pick 300 songs out of a decade, you're going to break a LOT of hearts, including your own.  Let's see who gets it this week, shall we?

240- Get Together, The Youngbloods.  Lyrically, one of the best of all time.  "Some will come and some will go /We shall surely pass /When the one that left us here /Returns for us at last/ We are but a moments sunlight /Fading in the grass "...  Somehow I got this in my 4-yr-old mind mixed in with a Jan-Michael Vincent movie where he played somebody named Youngblood Hawke- my memory hears the announcer grumbling the name as if it was a piece of poop sandwich.  Nothing to do with the song, I guess, but you know how kids are. (Note- it was James Franciscus who played Youngblood Hawke- I just always THOUGHT it was JMV.  Aren't you glad I factcheck?)

239- House Of The Rising Sun, the Animals.  The Animals, I think I mentioned before, grew on me over time.  This one especially after I heard Amazing Grace sung to this tune.  Awesome!

238- Wedding Bell Blues, Fifth Dimension.  If the radio stations we listened to would have played more 5D than Up Up And Away, I'd have probably had the crush on Marilyn McCoo that I did on Diana Ross.  My dad always said that our old bartender/shopkeeper in Zulu, Bill Riley, was convinced to marry the widow Yvonne Kneuve by her playing this song.  Apocryphal? Maybe, but it worked.

237- Ticket To Ride, the Beatles.  This one gets me at the "OHHH..." before the later choruses.  Laurie told me that she never knew the Beatles did this, she had only known the Carpenters' version.  As steeped in music listening as I've been since a fetus, that one really tripped me out.

236- For Pete's Sake, The Monkees.  The closing theme for the TV show, which was usually my favorite part.




235- Stormy, Classics IV.  A moody, sad tune. "Yesterday's love was like a warm summer breeze/But, like the weather you changed..."  Santana did a great remake on this mid-seventies.

234- Don't Bring Me Down, the Animals.  You know, I think its just Burdon's gravelly voice that draws me to the Animals.  I'm not as drawn to the down-and-struggling lyrics, but as they say, "It's not what he said, it's how he said it."
 
233- Gimme Little Sign, Brenton Wood.  This one had me going because the title is NOT in the song, but as soon as he started, I said, "Oh, yeah!"  Kinda like trying to hunt down For Pete's Sake up there.



232- Turn Turn Turn, the Byrds.  The Byrds at one point WERE the sixties.  The jangling guitars and tight harmonies just conjure up incense , lava lamps, and bead doors.  Not bad for a song basically wrote by King Solomon 3,000 years ago.

231- Sugar Sugar, the Archies.  Admit it, you dug the tunes that the gang used to play on the old cartoon.  It was happy, innocent fun.  The way music should be.

230- Secret Agent Man, Johnny Rivers.  How cool was Johnny's live at Whiskey-a-go-go stuff?  One of those songs to get you moving at note #1.  I remember Saturday afternoons watching shows like Secret Agent Man and 77 Sunset Strip with my sister when I was a wee one.  Not much past the theme music, mind you, but I watched.

229.  Opus 17 (Don't You Worry 'Bout Me), the Four Seasons.  I guarantee you, we'll be hearing a LOT of these guys on my countdown.  For years, one of my prized possessions was a vinyl Four Seasons Second Gold Vault Of Hits (which, curiously enough, had the earlier hits like Sherry and Rag Doll) that I got at our church garage sale at St. Louis Besancon.

228- (I Want To Take You) Higher, Sly And The Family Stone.  C'mon, who can resist "BOOM-chacalakalaka-BOOM-chacalakalaka"?

227- Sunshine, Lollipops, and Rainbows, Leslie Gore.  Another of my crushes.

226- Ding Dong, The Witch Is Dead, the Fifth Estate.  Great Wizard of Oz inspired tune; a lot of kid-friendly tunes hit the charts back then.  Not like today, with Hannah Montana et al.

225- A Wednesday In Your Garden, The Guess Who.  An album cut from Wheatfield Soul, if not for No Time would be my favorite from these guys, who are one of my Hall Of Famers.  Always chokes me up.  Even though I never knew it until about a year ago, when I stumbled across it on Frostwire.



224- Ruby Tuesday, The Rolling Stones.  The highest charter for Mick and the boys on my chart.

223- Eight Miles High, the Byrds.  I got this on the flip side of Turn Turn Turn at Zulu when the aforementioned Mr. Riley was selling old jukebox 45s for like 50 cents a pop at the general store.  I didn't know it then, but ended up getting played more than Turn.

222- Different Drum, the Stone Poneys featuring Linda Ronstadt.  A Mike Nesmith (Monkees) composition.  What a turn down!  Started my lifelong love of Linda.

221- Ruby (Don't Take Your Love To Town), Kenny Rogers and the First Edition.  The First Edition were a highly underrated band, over shadowed by what Kenny would become.  I could listen just to the guitars on this for hours.  One of my mom's tunes, as well.

And that wraps (ALREADY???!??) another week on the countdown.  I'll leave you with a bit of harmless fun from earlier in the countdown, and if you're my age, feel free to skip around the room as you listen.  Next time!

The great 1960's countdown, week three

After a nice, pleasant walk with Mr. Beagle, and a jug of kool-aid (since pop is getting expensive), I darn near forgot it's Saturday and time to count off another twenty of my favorite sixties tunes! Perhaps the next one on the list will shed some light on the phenomenon.

260.  Friday On My Mind, the Easybeats.  I've got to admit, the line for Tuesday puzzles me (Coming Tuesday I feel better,/Even my old man looks good). But the chorus (Gonna have fun in the city,/Be with my girl she's so pretty) makes it worth it.

259. Questions 67 & 68, Chicago.  From their first album, when they were still the Chicago Transit Authority (before the CTA threatened legal action and stupidly cost themselves a ton of free PR). This was always my sister Sue's band.  Since it's not a song you might know by name (or number), here's a peek:





258. I'm A Believer, the Monkees.  The first of 5 times the boys make it onto my chart, this is another one of those ubiquitous tunes that (I think) you just can't have a sixties countdown without.  A Neil Diamond composition.  Just think how great he'd be if he'd just stayed away from Barbara Streisand!

257.  Young Girl, Gary Puckett and the Union Gap.  Second time for Mr. Puckett and the Gap so far.  One of my top ten all time voices.

256. Batman, Jan and Dean.  Say you don't know this? Here's a treat for you.   We wore the grooves off this forty-five, which rose to a lowly #67 on the Billboard charts.



255. Valleri, the Monkees.  I told you we'd be seeing  a lot of the Monkees.  Unlike Laurie, who liked more of their album cuts, I like- no surprise- the hooky pop tunes.

254. Somebody To Love, Jefferson Airplane.  Darn near put "Starship" instead!  To me, Airplane wasted a lot of good vocal talent in Grace Slick by trying so hard to sound like the band down the street.  But sometimes- like here- it worked.

253. Bad Moon Rising, Creedence Clearwater Revival.  Though you gotta love CCR for their whole body of work (in such a short period), I put just three of them on my chart, and one's coming up real soon.  Of course, they are a crossover  band, and if you care to leaf through old Time Machines, you'll find Who'll Stop The Rain in my seventies list.  The other day I did the famous word change "There's a bathroom on the right" and my son (born 1989) said, "Is that really the words?"  God love the kids.

252. And When I Die, Blood, Sweat, And Tears.  Here also we'll see this group twice today, and that will be both their times on the list.  Love Horns!  Especially the soft rise in the last chorus.

251. Black Is Black, Los Bravos.  Hey, you just had a birthday! 45 years ago this week this song hit the hot 100.  Not a song I ever associated with the sixties though- I had always though that it was early seventies.

250.  On A Carousel, the Hollies.  A third band we'll get twice today, with the sweet vocals of Graham Nash.

249.  I'm Henry The Eighth, I Am, Herman's Hermits.  Can you handle a fourth band we'll have on twice?  This is really starting to add up!  I believe that this still holds the record for the shortest #1 song.

248.  I Can See For Miles, the Who.  I'd really be in trouble with my friend Rex if I didn't get the Who in here, though how I didn't squeeze I Can't Explain in here, I, uh, can't explain.

247.  Mirage, Tommy James and the Shondells.  Did you know that this song is the music track for I Think We're Alone Now played backwards?  Unlike most of the world, I like this a LOT better.



246. Darlin', Beach Boys.  The first of 13 Beach Boys entries on this chart.  This is the best American band. Period.

245. Look Through Any Window, the Hollies.  Sometimes I see this song as if I'm inside a dollhouse scene. "You can see the little ladies in their gowns, when you..."

244. Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter, Herman's Hermits.  The best thing about Peter Noone for me was the pronounced accent he sang with.  This song is kinda like Sylvia's Mother without the tears.

243. Devil With The Blue Dress On/ Good Golly Miss Molly, Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels.  Did anyone ever put as much energy into a song as these guys did?  I really wish I'd had room to cram Jenny Take A Ride! in too.  Plus another of the coolest names in rock'n'roll.  Hard to believe Mitch picked his name out of a phone book.  I wonder what THAT Mitch Ryder thought of them?

242. Proud Mary, Creedence Clearwater Revival.  I just mentioned on Time Machine that this is a song that got played at every wedding reception I can remember when I was a kid.  And don't mention Ike and Tina to me. BLASPHEMY!

241. Spinning Wheel, Blood, Sweat, and Tears.  For me, their very best.  And for some reason I always linked this song and Three Dog Night's Black And White.  It was years before I knew that was TDN and not BST.

Crap, we're at the end of this again!  This always goes way too fast for me.  As we sign out till next Saturday, here's another of the "ones that got away."  Enjoy!