Author: Thomas Scovell

It’s only February, 1966 in our journey – 11 years before Thomas is born… When we get into the single digits this writer is going to start to feel very old! Let’s listen to the hits of the day,

Songs of the month

[new] “A Hard Day’s Night” – Ramsey Lewis Trio
“A Must To Avoid” – Herman’s Hermits
“A Well Respected Man” – Kinks
“As Tears Go By” – Rolling Stones
[new] “At The Scene” – Dave Clark Five
“Attack” – Toys
[new] “Ballad Of The Green Berets” – S/Sgt. Barry Sadler
“Barbara Ann” – Beach Boys
[new] “Batman Theme” – Marketts
[new] “California Dreamin’” – Mamas & Papas
[new] “Call Me” – Chris Montez
“Crying Time” – Ray Charles
“Day Tripper” – Beatles
[new] “Don’t Mess With Bill” – Marvellettes
[new] “Elusive Butterfly” – Bob Lind
“Five O’clock World” – Vogues
“Going To A Go-Go” – Miracles
[new] “I Fought The Law” – Bobby Fuller Four
[new] “I See The Light” – Five Americans
“It Was A Very Good Year” – Frank Sinatra
“Jenny Take A Ride” – Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels
[new] “Just Like Me” – Paul Revere & Raiders
“Just Like Me” – Paul Revere & The Raiders
“Lies” – Knickerbockers
“Lightnin’ Strikes” – Lou Christie
“Like A Baby” – Len Barry
[new] “Listen People” – Herman’s Hermits
[new] “Michelle” – David & Jonathan
[new] “My Baby Loves Me” – Martha & Vandellas
“My Love” – Petula Clark
“My World Is Empty Without You” – Supremes
[new] “Night Time” – Strangeloves
“No Matter What Shape” – T-Bones
“She’s Just My Style” – Gary Lewis & The Playboys
“Sounds Of Silence” – Simon & Garfunkel
“Spanish Eyes” – Al Martino
[new] “The Cheater” – Bob Kuban & In-Men
“The Duck” – Jackie Lee
“The Men In My Little Girl’s Life” – Mike Douglas
[new] “These Boots Are Made For Walkin’” – Nancy Sinatra
“Uptight” – Stevie Wonder
“We Can Work It Out” – Beatles
[new] “What Now My Love” – Sonny & Cher
[new] “When Liking Turns To Loving” – Ronnie Dove
[new] “Working My Way Back To You” – Four Seasons
[new] “You Baby” – Turtles
“You Didn’t Have To Be So Nice” – Lovin’ Spoonful
“Zorba The Greek” – Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass

[new] = New to the chart this week.

You can listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.

This month in history

On February 3rd the uncrewed Soviet Luna 9 became the first object to make a controlled landing on the Moon, touching down in the Oceanus Procellarum. It began transmitting signals four minutes later, and within 20 minutes of landing, sent back the first ground-level photographs of the Moon’s surface. The pictures would yield an important discovery, demonstrating that the surface of the Moon was solid rock, rather than the accumulation of eons of dust deposits, and therefore would be suitable for a human landing. Nor was it cheese as some had speculated…

On the 10th “Valley of the Dolls”, by author Jacqueline Susann, was released by publisher and quickly rose to become the number one best-selling novel. Susann had obtained a list of the bookstores, from a friend, upon which The New York Times relied on sales figures to determine its bestseller list. She then used her own money to buy large quantities of the book at these stores, resulting in her novel going to #1 on the list. Valley of the Dolls would go on to rank among the best selling novels of all time – mostly sold to actual readers eventually.

Then in a curious case of multiple media-frauds in a month – In an attempt to give an artificial boost to the Nielsen ratings, by cheating on the rating reports for a television presentation of “An Evening with Carol Channing”, Rex Sparger conspired with Channing’s husband, producer Charles Lowe, to pay viewers in 58 households in Ohio and Pennsylvania to watch the entire program. The Nielsen company’s screening procedures detected the unusual spike of viewers in those locations, and omitted the areas from its sample that evening.

What’d Sadie think?

Two weeks at the top for “My Love” by Petula Clark before a week for Lou Christie’s “Lightnin’ Strikes” and then Nancy Sinatra’s classic, “These Boots Are Made For Walkin’”.

Loved ’em

• “California Dreamin’” – Mamas & Papas
• “Don’t Mess With Bill” – Marvellettes
• “I Fought The Law” – Bobby Fuller Four
• “Just Like Me” – Paul Revere & Raiders
• “My Baby Loves Me” – Martha & Vandellas
• “These Boots Are Made For Walkin’” – Nancy Sinatra
• “What Now My Love” – Sonny & Cher
• “Working My Way Back To You” – Four Seasons
  

A classic of the california’ sound and countercultural era, “Califonia Dreamin’” was written by John Phillips and Michelle Phillips while they were living in New York City during a particularly cold winter. It took two years, and the evolution of a couple of bands into The Mama & Papas before it was released. Apparently Michelle Phillips wrote the lyrics, “Well, I got down on my knees, and I pretend to pray,” but Cass Elliot had sung “began” on the original recording and had continued doing so on tour until corrected by Phillips.

Here’s the story retold many years later:

Also of interest, Nancy Sinatra’s song (written by Lee Hazlewood) was inspired by a line spoken by her father, Frank Sinatra, in the comedy-western film 4 for Texas, “They tell me them boots ain’t built for walkin’.”

Liked ’em

• “At The Scene” – Dave Clark Five
• “Batman Theme” – Marketts
• “Call Me” – Chris Montez
• “Elusive Butterfly” – Bob Lind
• “I See The Light” – Five Americans
• “Listen People” – Herman’s Hermits
• “Michelle” – David & Jonathan
• “Night Time” – Strangeloves
• “The Cheater” – Bob Kuban & The In-Men
• “You Baby” – Turtles

Leave ’em

• “A Hard Day’s Night” – Ramsey Lewis Trio
• “Ballad Of The Green Berets” – S/Sgt. Barry Sadler

Now go listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.

It’s time to start including, relevant, potentially embarrassing anecdotes about Sadie in these updates so she has something to be mortified about when she reads them in a decade or two’s time. (Hello Sadie of the future, love you!)

She’s got an excellent ear for lyrics and will often say “why did they say [xyz]” when I don’t even think she’s listening. And has become adept at turning lyrics into other things. But she’s 3, so lots of these are scatalogical obviously.

This week for instance, she came out of the toilet while Sinatra’s “It was a Very Good Year” was playing and started singing, “It was a verrrrry good Pooooo”.

Sorry Sadie, but it was hilarious.

Songs of the month

[new] “A Must To Avoid” – Herman’s Hermits
[new] “A Sweet Woman Like You” – Joe Tex
[new] “A Well Respected Man” – Kinks
“As Tears Go By” – Rolling Stones
[new] “Attack” – Toys
[new] “Barbara Ann” – Beach Boys
[new] “Crying Time” – Ray Charles
[new] “Day Tripper” – Beatles
“Don’t Think Twice” – Wonder Who
“Ebb Tide” – Righteous Brothers
“England Swings” – Roger Miller
“Fever” – Mccoys
“Five O’clock World” – Vogues
“Flowers On The Wall” – Statler Brothers
“Going To A Go-Go” – Miracles
“Hang On Sloopy” – Ramsey Lewis Trio
“I Can Never Go Home Anymore” – Shangri-Las
“I Got You (I Feel Good)” – James Brown
“I Hear A Symphony” – Supremes
“It Was A Very Good Year” – Frank Sinatra
“It’s My Life” – Animals
“Jenny Take A Ride” – Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels
[new] “Just Like Me” – Paul Revere & The Raiders
“Let’s Hang On” – Four Seasons
[new] “Lies” – Knickerbockers
[new] “Lightnin’ Strikes” – Lou Christie
[new] “Like A Baby” – Len Barry
“Make The World Go Away” – Eddy Arnold
“My Love” – Petula Clark
[new] “My World Is Empty Without You” – Supremes
[new] “No Matter What Shape” – T-Bones
“One Has My Name” – Barry Young
“Over And Over” – Dave Clark Five
“Puppet On A String” – Elvis Presley
[new] “Sandy” – Ronny & The Daytonas
[new] “Satin Pillows” – Bobby Vinton
[new] “She’s Just My Style” – Gary Lewis & The Playboys
[new] “Sounds Of Silence” – Simon & Garfunkel
[new] “Spanish Eyes” – Al Martino
“Sunday And Me” – Jay & The Americans
[new] “The Duck” – Jackie Lee
“The Little Girl I Once Knew” – Beach Boys
“The Men In My Little Girl’s Life” – Mike Douglas
[new] “Thunderball” – Tom Jones
“Turn Turn Turn” – Byrds
[new] “Uptight” – Stevie Wonder
[new] “We Can Work It Out” – Beatles
“You Didn’t Have To Be So Nice” – Lovin’ Spoonful
“Zorba The Greek” – Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass

[new] = New to the chart this week.

You can listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.

This month in history

On Jan 5th, Because of the poor quality of the sound recording of their August 15 concert at Shea Stadium, The Beatles went into a studio and re-recorded most of their songs for dubbing in a TV documentary; crowd noises were dubbed in as well to make the film seem like the original performance. “But what you see in the film,” an author would later write, “is what happened that night, and the thrill of the event is clear.”. Probably wouldn’t get away with that today…

On the 12th a childhood favourite television series, Batman, produced by William Dozier and starring Adam West and Burt Ward as Batman and Robin, was first broadcast. Each weekly episode was a two-part cliffhanger, following a formula of the heroes facing their demise from the villain on Wednesday evening, and the duo’s escape and triumph on the Thursday instalment.

And on the 17th, three hydrogen bombs were dropped on Spain near the coastal town of Palomares, and a fourth one fell into the deep ocean, after the B-52 bomber carrying them collided with a KC-135 refueling airplane. Fortunately, none of the bombs detonated, though each of the four Mark 28 thermonuclear warheads had a 70-kiloton yield. Tthe B-52 was flying at 9,400 m and preparing for a refueling in midair, but accidentally pitched upward and rammed the tanker plane, spilling jet fuel that ignited on both aircraft. One of the H-bombs parachuted to the ground unscathed; two more fell at high speed, and the conventional explosives in their casing scattered radioactive plutonium over 558 acres (almost one square mile) of countryside.

When I started reading that story I was like “why have I never heard of this?!” until the second sentence in…

What’d Sadie think?

It’s a battle for the top spot between “Sounds Of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel and “We Can Work It Out” by the Beatles as they trade places at the top multiple times across the month.

Loved ’em

• “A Sweet Woman Like You” – Joe Tex
• “A Well Respected Man” – Kinks
• “Barbara Ann” – Beach Boys
• “Day Tripper” – Beatles
• “Spanish Eyes” – Al Martino
• “Thunderball” – Tom Jones
• “Uptight” – Stevie Wonder
• “We Can Work It Out” – Beatles

Liked ’em

• “A Must To Avoid” – Herman’s Hermits
• “Attack” – Toys
• “Crying Time” – Ray Charles
• “Just Like Me” – Paul Revere & The Raiders
• “Lies” – Knickerbockers
• “Lightnin’ Strikes” – Lou Christie
• “Like A Baby” – Len Barry
• “My World Is Empty Without You” – Supremes
• “No Matter What Shape” – T-Bones
• “Sandy” – Ronny & The Daytonas
• “Satin Pillows” – Bobby Vinton
• “She’s Just My Style” – Gary Lewis & The Playboys
• “The Duck” – Jackie Lee

Now go listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.

And here we are at the end of another year in our journey, December 1965!

Songs of the month

“A Lover’s Concerto” – Toys
“A Taste Of Honey” – Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
[new] “A Time To Love A Time To Cry” – Lou Johnson
“Ain’t That Peculiar” – Marvin Gaye
[new] “All Or Nothing” – Patti Labelle & The Blue Belles
[new] “As Tears Go By” – Rolling Stones
[new] “Broomstick Cowboy” – Bobby Goldsboro
[new] “C.C. Rider” – Bobby Powell
[new] “Don’t Fight It” – Wilson Pickett
[new] “Don’t Think Twice” – Wonder Who
[new] “Ebb Tide” – Righteous Brothers
“England Swings” – Roger Miller
[new] “Everybody Do The Sloopy” – Johnny Thunder
[new] “Fever” – Mccoys
[new] “Five O’clock World” – Vogues
[new] “Flowers On The Wall” – Statler Brothers
“Get Off My Cloud” – Rolling Stones
[new] “Go Away From My World” – Marianne Faithfull
[new] “Going To A Go-Go” – Miracles
[new] “Hang On Sloopy” – Ramsey Lewis
“Hang On Sloopy” – Ramsey Lewis Trio
[new] “Here It Comes Again” – Fortunes
“I Can Never Go Home Anymore” – Shangri-Las
[new] “I Can’t Go Home Anymore” – Shangri-Las
“I Got You (I Feel Good)” – James Brown
“I Hear A Symphony” – Supremes
“I Will” – Dean Martin
“I’m A Man” – Yardbirds
[new] “If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody” – Maxine Brown
[new] “It Was A Very Good Year” – Frank Sinatra
[new] “It’s Good News Week” – Hedgehoppers Anonymous
[new] “It’s My Life” – Animals
[new] “Jenny Take A Ride” – Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels
[new] “Just One More Day” – Otis Redding
[new] “Kiss Away” – Ronnie Dove
“Let Me Be” – Turtles
“Let’s Hang On” – Four Seasons
[new] “Little Boy” – Four Seasons
[new] “Love Bug” – Jack Jones
[new] “Love Makes Me Do Foolish Things” – Martha & The Vandellas
“Make It Easy On Yourself” – Walker Brothers
“Make The World Go Away” – Eddy Arnold
“May The Bird Of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose” – Jimmy Dickens
[new] “Michael” – C.O.D.S
[new] “Mother Nature Father Time” – Brook Benton
“My Baby” – Temptations
“My Girl Has Gone” – Miracles
[new] “My Love” – Petula Clark
[new] “One Has My Name” – Barry Young
[new] “Our World” – Johnny Tillotson
“Over And Over” – Dave Clark Five
[new] “Please Don’t Fight It” – “Dino Desi & Billy”
[new] “Puppet On A String” – Elvis Presley
[new] “Recovery” – Fontella Bass
“Rescue Me” – Fontella Bass
“Run Baby Run” – Newbeats
[new] “Second Hand Rose” – Barbra Streisand
“Something About You” – Four Tops
[new] “Sunday And Me” – Jay & The Americans
[new] “The Little Girl I Once Knew” – Beach Boys
[new] “The Men In My Little Girl’s Life” – Mike Douglas
[new] “The Sounds Of Silence” – Simon & Garfunkel
[new] “Tijuana Taxi” – Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
[new] “Try Me” – James Brown
“Turn Turn Turn” – Byrds
[new] “Under Your Spell Again” – Johnny Rivers
[new] “You Didn’t Have To Be So Nice” – Lovin’ Spoonful
“You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away” – Silkie
[new] “Zorba The Greek” – Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass

[new] = New to the chart this week.

You can listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.

This month in history

On the 4th, cult hippie band, “The Grateful Dead” played their first show under their new name, after originally billing themselves as “The Warlocks”, as promoter Ken Kesey held the second Acid Test concert. The event took place in San Jose, California, after a Rolling Stones show nearby.

“A Charlie Brown Christmas”, the first Peanuts television special, debuted on CBS in the USA on the 9th, and would become an Christmas annual tradition, still screening to this day.

Then on the 20th “The Dating Game”, made its debut, on the ABC in the USA. The cassic show’s format presented “two girls with a choice of ‘mystery’ bachelors from whom to pick a date for a night on the town. Although introduced to the home audience, the three ‘possibilities’ are unseen by the lass in question, and are chosen – or eliminated – by a series of questions.” Love these flower power credits!

What’d Sadie think?

It’s three weeks at number 1 for “Turn Turn Turn” by the Byrds before a week for “Over And Over” by the Dave Clark Five.

And wow…a bumper list of new songs on the charts. Not a Christmas song amongst them, but clearly a lot of new music released for the season.

Loved ’em

Maybe quantity over quality this month, but still some great classics. Particularly a fan of Frank Sinatra’s “It Was a Very Good Year”.

• “A Time To Love A Time To Cry” – Lou Johnson
• “Flowers On The Wall” – Statler Brothers
• “It Was A Very Good Year” – Frank Sinatra
• “It’s My Life” – Animals
• “Just One More Day” – Otis Redding
• “The Men In My Little Girl’s Life” – Mike Douglas
• “The Sounds Of Silence” – Simon & Garfunkel

And then of course there’s Simon & Garfunkel’s classic , “The Sound of Silence” which the former wrote when he was 21 years old, later explaining that the song was written in his bathroom, where he turned off the lights to better concentrate. “The main thing about playing the guitar, though, was that I was able to sit by myself and play and dream. And I was always happy doing that. I used to go off in the bathroom, because the bathroom had tiles, so it was a slight echo chamber. I’d turn on the faucet so that water would run (I like that sound, it’s very soothing to me) and I’d play. In the dark. ‘Hello darkness, my old friend / I’ve come to talk with you again.’”

Liked ’em

• “All Or Nothing” – Patti Labelle & The Blue Belles
• “As Tears Go By” – Rolling Stones
• “Broomstick Cowboy” – Bobby Goldsboro
• “C.C. Rider” – Bobby Powell
• “Don’t Fight It” – Wilson Pickett
• “Ebb Tide” – Righteous Brothers
• “Fever” – Mccoys
• “Five O’clock World” – Vogues
• “Go Away From My World” – Marianne Faithfull
• “Going To A Go-Go” – Miracles
• “Hang On Sloopy” – Ramsey Lewis
• “Here It Comes Again” – Fortunes
• “I Can’t Go Home Anymore” – Shangri-Las
• “If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody” – Maxine Brown
• “It’s Good News Week” – Hedgehoppers Anonymous
• “Jenny Take A Ride” – Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels
• “Kiss Away” – Ronnie Dove
• “Little Boy” – Four Seasons
• “Love Bug” – Jack Jones
• “Love Makes Me Do Foolish Things” – Martha & The Vandellas
• “Michael” – C.O.D.S
• “Mother Nature Father Time” – Brook Benton
• “My Love” – Petula Clark
• “One Has My Name” – Barry Young
• “Our World” – Johnny Tillotson
• “Please Don’t Fight It” – “Dino Desi & Billy”
• “Puppet On A String” – Elvis Presley
• “Recovery” – Fontella Bass
• “Second Hand Rose” – Barbra Streisand
• “Sunday And Me” – Jay & The Americans
• “The Little Girl I Once Knew” – Beach Boys
• “Tijuana Taxi” – Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
• “Try Me” – James Brown
• “Under Your Spell Again” – Johnny Rivers
• “You Didn’t Have To Be So Nice” – Lovin’ Spoonful
• “Zorba The Greek” – Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass

Leave ’em

• “Don’t Think Twice” – Wonder Who
• “Everybody Do The Sloopy” – Johnny Thunder

Now go listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.

It’s 55 years and 10 months before Sadie is born and 12 years and 4 months before Thomas is… let’s hear what October, 1964 sounds like!

Songs of the month

“A Hard Day’s Night” – Beatles
“A Summer Song” – Chad Stuart And Jeremy Clyde
[new] “Ain’t That Loving You Baby” – Elvis Presley
[new] “Baby Don’t You Do It” – Marvin Gaye
“Baby I Need Your Loving” – Four Tops
[new] “Baby Love” – Supremes
“Bread And Butter” – Newbeats
[new] “Chug-A-Lug” – Roger Miller
[new] “Come A Little Bit Closer” – Jay And The Americans
“Dancing In The Street” – Martha And The Vandellas
“Do Wah Diddy Diddy” – Manfred Mann
[new] “Do Wah Diddy Diddy” – Manfredmann
[new] “Everybody Knows” – Dave Clark Five
“Everybody Loves Somebody” – Dean Martin
[new] “From A Window” – Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas
“Funny” – Joe Hinton
“G.T.O.” – Ronny And The Daytonas
[new] “Girl” – Temptations
“Haunted House” – Gene Simmons
[new] “Have I The Right” – Honeycombs
[new] “I Don’t Want To See You Again” – Peter & Gordon
[new] “I Like It” – Gerry And The Pacemakers
[new] “I’m Crying” – Animals
“I’m On The Outside” – Little Anthony And The Imperials
[new] “I’m Standing On The Outside” – Little Anthony And The Imperials
[new] “Is It True” – Brenda Lee
“It Hurts To Be In Love” – Gene Pitney
“Last Kiss” – J. Frank Wilson
[new] “Leader Of The Pack” – Shangri-Las
“Let It Be Me” – Betty Everett And Jerry Butler
[new] “Little Honda” – Hondells
“Matchbox” – Beatles
“Maybelline” – Johnny Rivers
“Oh Pretty Woman” – Roy Orbison
[new] “On The Street Where You Live” – Andy Williams
“Out Of Sight” – James Brown
“Remember Walkin’ In The Sand” – Shangri-Las
“Rhythm” – Major Lance
[new] “Ride The Wild Surf” – Jan & Dean
“Save It For Me” – Four Seasons
[new] “Slow Down” – Beatles
[new] “Softly As I Leave You” – Frank Sinatra
[new] “The Door Is Still Open To My Heart” – Dean Martin
“The House Of The Rising Sun” – Animals
[new] “Tobacco Road” – Nashville Teens
“We’ll Sing In The Sunshine” – Gale Garnett
“When I Grow Up” – Beach Boys
“When I Grow Up” – Beach Boys
“Where Did Our Love Go” – Supremes
“You Must Believe Me” – Impressions

[new] = New to the chart this week.

You can listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.

This month in history

On the 7th “See How They Run” was broadcast on the NBC television network as the first “made-for-television movie”, a feature-length motion picture designed to accommodate commercial breaks in its two hours. NBC ads in American newspapers announced it with the phrase “First Time on any Screen Anywhere!” and celebrated the “world premiere” of the suspense thriller. Critics praised the “experiment” as a solution for the shortage of good quality motion pictures available for TV, though one noted, “You can call it a movie if you wish. A more accurate description, despite the sumptuous and expensive production, might be that it was really more or less a two-hour television show.”

On the 20th, the new Soviet government announced, by way of the official newspaper “Izvestia”, its approval of an experimental profit-based economic system that had been recommended by economist Yevsei Liberman of Kharkov State University. On September 20, Liberman had noted in the Communist Party newspaper Pravda that two textile factories had increased productivity by allowing factory managers to depart from government-mandated production quotas and had relied instead on direct communication from retail stores and distributors concerning consumer need. The beginning of the end…

On the 25th The Rolling Stones made their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. While the studio audience was enthusiastic, television viewers had a different reaction. Unlike The Beatles, who had appeared in February dressed in jackets and ties, Mick Jagger wore a sweatshirt, prompting the show’s producers to tell the Stones’ manager later, “We were deluged with mail protesting the untidy appearance—clothes and hair of your Rolling Stones. Before even discussing the possibility of a contract, I would like to learn from you, whether your young men have reformed in the matter of dress and shampoo.”

What’d Sadie think?

Two weeks at the top for “Oh Pretty Woman” by Roy Orbison, then two weeks for “Do Wah Diddy Diddy” by Manfred Mann before newcomer “Baby Love” – Supremes takes it for the last week.

Loved ’em

• “Baby Love” – Supremes
• “Come A Little Bit Closer” – Jay And The Americans
• “Girl” – Temptations
• “Have I The Right” – Honeycombs
• “Leader Of The Pack” – Shangri-Las

Liked ’em

• “Baby Don’t You Do It” – Marvin Gaye
• “Do Wah Diddy Diddy” – Manfredmann
• “From A Window” – Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas
• “I Don’t Want To See You Again” – Peter & Gordon
• “I Like It” – Gerry And The Pacemakers
• “I’m Crying” – Animals
• “I’m Standing On The Outside” – Little Anthony And The Imperials
• “Is It True” – Brenda Lee
• “Little Honda” – Hondells
• “On The Street Where You Live” – Andy Williams
• “Ride The Wild Surf” – Jan & Dean
• “Slow Down” – Beatles
• “Softly As I Leave You” – Frank Sinatra
• “The Door Is Still Open To My Heart” – Dean Martin
• “Tobacco Road” – Nashville Teens

Leave ’em

• “Chug-A-Lug” – Roger Miller
• “Everybody Knows” – Dave Clark Five

Now go listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.

Well! This newsletter nearly didn’t make it to press… I somehow managed to deleted the “4xlife” directory on my desktop without noticing and emptied the virtual trash ‘n’ all. That folder holds all the data and code that generates the playlists and this blog post template. Luckily I had 95% of it backed up so it was only the work of an hour to recreate the rest. But, lesson learnt (for the umpteenth time in this life).

Anyway, all fixed so now we can hear from November, 1965 sounded like!

Songs of the month

“A Lover’s Concerto” – Toys
[new] “A Taste Of Honey” – Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
“Ain’t That Peculiar” – Marvin Gaye
“But You’re Mine” – Sonny & Cher
“Do You Believe In Magic” – Lovin’ Spoonful
[new] “England Swings” – Roger Miller
“Everybody Loves A Clown” – Gary Lewis & The Playboys
“Everyone’s Gone To The Moon” – Jonathan King
“Get Off My Cloud” – Rolling Stones
“Hang On Sloopy” – Mccoys
[new] “Hang On Sloopy” – Ramsey Lewis Trio
“Hungry For Love” – San Remo Golden Strings
[new] “I Can Never Go Home Anymore” – Shangri-Las
[new] “I Found A Girl” – Jan & Dean
[new] “I Got You (I Feel Good)” – James Brown
[new] “I Hear A Symphony” – Supremes
“I Knew You When” – Billy Joe Royal
“I Want To” – Joe Tex
[new] “I Will” – Dean Martin
[new] “I’m A Man” – Yardbirds
“Just A Little Bit Better” – Herman’s Hermits
“Keep On Dancing” – Gentrys
[new] “Let Me Be” – Turtles
“Let’s Hang On” – Four Seasons
“Liar Liar” – Castaways
[new] “Make It Easy On Yourself” – Walker Brothers
“Make Me Your Baby” – Barbara Lewis
[new] “Make The World Go Away” – Eddy Arnold
[new] “May The Bird Of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose” – Jimmy Dickens
[new] “My Baby” – Temptations
[new] “My Girl Has Gone” – Miracles
[new] “Not The Lovin’ King” – “Dino Desi & Billy”
[new] “Over And Over” – Dave Clark Five
“Positively 4Th Street” – Bob Dylan
“Rescue Me” – Fontella Bass
[new] “Round Every Corner” – Petula Clark
[new] “Run Baby Run” – Newbeats
“Say Something Funny” – Patty Duke
[new] “Something About You” – Four Tops
“The ‘in’ Crowd” – Ramsey Lewis
“Treat Her Right” – Roy Head
[new] “Turn Turn Turn” – Byrds
[new] “Where Do You Go” – Cher
[new] “Where Have All The Flowers Gone” – Johnny Rivers
“Yesterday” – Beatles
“You’re The One” – Vogues
[new] “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away” – Silkie

[new] = New to the chart this week.

You can listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.

This month in history

Choosing what to include in this history section is often a conundrum, there’s some quite significant stuff happening historically, but to be honest I tend towards the pop-culture and tech stuff that gives more a flavour of what it was like to live at the time. One thing I definitely avoid, but always note as I scroll through a month’s history, is the ongoing number of plane crashes!

On the 8th the soap opera “Days of Our Lives” was broadcast for the first time, on NBC television in the United States. Starring Macdonald Carey as “Dr. Thomas Horton, well-known and respected cardiologist and leading citizen in the small community of Salem”, the daytime serial would continue to this day through nearly 15 thousand episodes! I used to enjoy watching it when off sick from school – not a lot of other options in New Zealand back then.

On the 13th British theatre critic Kenneth Tynan broke a taboo by saying “fuck” on a live television broadcast, touching off a debate in the British press about morality, censorship and social mores. Tynan was a guest on the late night show on BBC-3 when moderator Robert Robinson asked him whether, if theatrical censorship were abolished, he would allow a play depicting sexual intercourse. Tynan replied, “Oh, I think so, certainly. I doubt if there are very many rational people in this world to whom the word ‘fuck’ is particularly diabolical or revolting or totally forbidden.” Telephone calls to BBC tied up its switchboards, four resolutions were introduced in the House of Commons condemning Tynan and the BBC, and most of the British press responded with outrage. Still a little 1950s-esque then, 1965!

Relevant to today’s economy, on thr 17th the term “stagflation” was used for the first time, by British MP Iain Macleod, as a portmanteau of the words “stagnation” and “inflation”. Macleod was speaking to the House of Commons about the British economy, noting that “We now have the worst of both worlds— not just inflation on the one side or stagnation on the other side, but both of them together. We have a sort of ‘stagflation’ problem.”

What’d Sadie think?

Two weeks at the top for “Get Off My Cloud” by the Rolling Stones then two for “I Hear A Symphony” by the Supremes.

Loved ’em

• “I Can Never Go Home Anymore” – Shangri-Las
• “I Got You (I Feel Good)” – James Brown
• “Let Me Be” – Turtles
• “I’m A Man” – Yardbirds
• “Something About You” – Four Tops
• “Turn Turn Turn” – Byrds

It’s looking, sounding and feeling very hippy ’60s as we get into the second half of the decade. Check this video of The Byrds performing their classic song in December, 1965:

I’ll admit total ignorance to the fact that most of the lyrics are are taken almost verbatim from the book of Ecclesiastes (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8) by the original song-writer Pete Seeger. He apparently composed “Turn! Turn! Turn!” in 1959 in response to a letter from his publisher,

“Pete,” it read, “can’t you write another song like ‘Goodnight, Irene’? I can’t sell or promote these protest songs.”

Now, there’s a protest!

Liked ’em

• “A Taste Of Honey” – Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
• “England Swings” – Roger Miller
• “Hang On Sloopy” – Ramsey Lewis Trio
• “I Found A Girl” – Jan & Dean
• “I Hear A Symphony” – Supremes
• “I Will” – Dean Martin
• “Make It Easy On Yourself” – Walker Brothers
• “May The Bird Of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose” – Jimmy Dickens
• “My Baby” – Temptations
• “My Girl Has Gone” – Miracles
• “Not The Lovin’ King” – “Dino Desi & Billy”
• “Over And Over” – Dave Clark Five
• “Round Every Corner” – Petula Clark
• “Run Baby Run” – Newbeats
• “Where Do You Go” – Cher
• “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away” – Silkie
  

Leave ’em

• “Make The World Go Away” – Eddy Arnold
• “Where Have All The Flowers Gone” – Johnny Rivers

Now go listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.

Let’s get straight to the music and hear the sounds of October, 1965…

Songs of the month

[new] “A Lover’s Concerto” – The Toys
[new] “A Taste Of Honey” – Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
“Agent Oo Soul” – Edwin Starr
[new] “Ain’t That Peculiar” – Marvin Gaye
“Baby Don’t Go” – Sonny & Cher
[new] “But You’re Mine” – Sonny & Cher
“Catch Us If You Can” – Dave Clark Five
“Do You Believe In Magic” – Lovin’ Spoonful
“Eve Of Destruction” – Barry Mcguire
[new] “Everybody Loves A Clown” – Gary Lewis & The Playboys
[new] “Everyone’s Gone To The Moon” – Jonathan King
[new] “Get Off My Cloud” – Rolling Stones
“Hang On Sloopy” – Mccoys
“Heart Full Of Soul” – Yardbirds
“Help” – Beatles
[new] “Home Of The Brave” – Jody Miller
[new] “Hungry For Love” – San Remo Golden Strings
“I Got You Babe” – Sonny & Cher
[new] “I Knew You When” – Billy Joe Royal
[new] “I Want To” – Joe Tex
“I’ll Make All Your Dreams Come True” – Ronnie Dove
“I’m Yours” – Elvis Presley
“It Ain’t Me Babe” – Turtles
[new] “Just A Little Bit Better” – Herman’s Hermits
[new] “Just You” – Sonny & Cher
[new] “Keep On Dancing” – Gentrys
“Laugh At Me” – Sonny
[new] “Let’s Hang On” – Four Seasons
“Liar Liar” – Castaways
“Like A Rolling Stone” – Bob Dylan
[new] “Make Me Your Baby” – Barbara Lewis
[new] “Mohair Sam” – Charlie Rich
[new] “Not The Lovin’ Kind” – “Dino Desi & Billy”
[new] “Positively 4Th Street” – Bob Dylan
[new] “Rescue Me” – Fontella Bass
“Ride Away” – Roy Orbison
[new] “Say Something Funny” – Patty Duke
“Some Enchanted Evening” – Jay & The Americans
“The ‘in’ Crowd” – Ramsey Lewis
[new] “The ‘in’ Crowd” – Ramsey Lewis Trio
“Treat Her Right” – Roy Head
“Unchained Melody” – Righteous Brothers
“We Gotta Get Out Of This Place” – Animals
“With These Hands” – Tom Jones
[new] “Yesterday” – Beatles
“You Were On My Mind” – We Five
[new] “You’re The One” – Vogues
“You’ve Got Your Troubles” – Fortunes

[new] = New to the chart this week.

You can listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.

This month in history

On the 16th at Longshoreman’s Hall in San Francisco, “A Tribute to Dr. Strange”, described as “the first psychedelic rock concert”,was performed, with the groups Jefferson Airplane, The Marbles, and The Great Society performing.

The on the 19th “Die Ermittlung (The Investigation)”, a play by Peter Weiss about the Frankfurt Auschwitz trials, premiered simultaneously in 14 cities in both West Germany and East Germany, as well as in London. Weiss’s drama was seen that evening in East Berlin and West Berlin, as well as the West German cities of Cologne, Essen, and Munich, and the East German cities of Cottbus, Dresden, Gera, Leuna, London, Meiningen, Neustrelitz, Potsdam, and Weimar.

And in the USA on the 25th burglars in downtown Syracuse, New York used a 20-millimetre cannon to get into a vault at Brink’s Inc., blasting a large hole through steel walls 2 feet thick. According to police, the thieves used mattresses to muffle the sound of the weapon during the early morning hours, and made off with $400,000 in loot.

What’d Sadie think?

“Hang On Sloopy” by the Mccoys hangs on for one more week at the top before The Beatles hit “Yesterday” dominates for the next four weeks.

Loved ’em

Sadie is very good at picking out lyrics these days. This week she was most intrigued by, “why is he saying everyone has gone to the moon?”. I’m not sure if my explanation about how no one had gone to the moon yet and the space programme was that interesting to her though.

• “Get Off My Cloud” – Rolling Stones
• “Yesterday” – Beatles
• “Let’s Hang On” – Four Seasons
• “Everyone’s Gone To The Moon” – Jonathan King
• “Positively 4Th Street” – Bob Dylan

The biggest song of the month is the chart topping “Yesterday” which was so different from other works by the Beatles that the band members vetoed the song’s release as a single in the United Kingdom (fearing its style would damage their reputation) so it didn’t chart in their home country. Amusing anecdote,

The entire melody came to McCartney in a dream one night in his room at the Wimpole Street home of his then-girlfriend Jane Asher and her family. Upon waking, he hurried to a piano and played the tune to avoid forgetting it. Initially concerned though that he had subconsciously plagiarised someone else’s work, as he put it: “For about a month I went round to people in the music business and asked them whether they had ever heard it before. Eventually it became like handing something in to the police. I thought if no one claimed it after a few weeks then I could have it.”

Liked ’em

• “A Taste Of Honey” – Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
• “Ain’t That Peculiar” – Marvin Gaye
• “But You’re Mine” – Sonny & Cher
• “Everybody Loves A Clown” – Gary Lewis & The Playboys
• “Home Of The Brave” – Jody Miller
• “Hungry For Love” – San Remo Golden Strings
• “I Knew You When” – Billy Joe Royal
• “Just A Little Bit Better” – Herman’s Hermits
• “Keep On Dancing” – Gentrys
• “Make Me Your Baby” – Barbara Lewis
• “Mohair Sam” – Charlie Rich
• “A Lover’s Concerto” – The Toys
• “Not The Lovin’ Kind” – “Dino Desi & Billy”
• “Rescue Me” – Fontella Bass
• “Say Something Funny” – Patty Duke
• “The ‘in’ Crowd” – Ramsey Lewis Trio
• “You’re The One” – Vogues
  

Leave ’em

• “Just You” – Sonny & Cher

Now go listen to the full playlist on Youtube via this link.