October 1966 – Forty Years and Another Lifetime Ago

October 1966
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A lot sure has happened in the past forty years. In 1966, there were no cell phones, no internet, no home computers, no VCR’s, no CD’s – heck, the cassette tape wasn’t even in use yet. FM radio existed, but most people still listened to AM radio, usually on portable radios or in their cars. Fidelity wasn’t an issue, but the quality of the song sure was. Songs were mixed so they would sound good emanating from a tinny speaker, and it was imperative for a song to have a strong hook so that it would be enjoyable to the listener, even under the most compromising terms.
The songs from today’s show represent just how strong the quality of songwriting was forty years ago. It is easy to imagine each of these song selections blasting out of the dashboard speaker of a ’65 Chevy Impala. By today’s standards, the fidelity was ridiculously poor, but it didn’t matter, because the songs were good. Today, we will take you back to a much more innocent age, when you could hear Frank Sinatra and the Rolling Stones side by side on the same AM station. For a really authentic experience, turn down the bass, boost the treble, add lots of echo, and play it loud!!!!
Selections for today’s show include;
1) Walk Away Renee – The Left Banke
2) What Becomes of the Broken Hearted – Jimmy Ruffin
3) Summer Wind – Frank Sinatra
4) Good Vibrations – The Beach Boys
5) The Poor Side of Town – Johnny Rivers
6) Devil With the Blue Dress Medley – Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels
7) Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow – The Rolling Stones
8) I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself – Dionne Warwicke
9) Take a Giant Step – The Monkees (featured album track)
10) East West – Paul Butterfield Blues Band (featured album track)