A Few More Great Singles From September 1968

PLAY THE SHOW

Last week, our program featured a few hit singles from September of 1968. For the first time since I can remember, there were more classic singles debuting in this one month that we were able to fit into our one-hour time slot. Today, we finish the job.

            Here’s a list of songs featured in today’s program;

1)    Midnight Confessions – The Grass Roots

2)    I’ve Gotta Get a Message to You – The Bee Gees

3)    Time Has Come Today – The Chambers Brothers

4)    Piece of My Heart – Big Brother & the Holding Co.

5)    All Along the Watchtower – Jimi Hendrix

6)    Harper Valley P.T.A. – Jeannie C. Riley

7)    Light My Fire – Jose Feliciano

8)    Gentle On My Mind – Glen Campbell

9)  In a Gadda Da Vida – Iron Butterfly

 

HOW MUSIC CHANGED, PART 137-17 – EVERY SINGLE MOTOWN A-SIDE, PART 17

PLAY THE SHOW

Our 17^th installment covering ‘Every Single Motown ‘A’ Side” is fascinating because of its reactionary characteristics more than its influential characteristics. For years, Motown had been influencing some of England’s best bands while completely avoiding the European charts. In 1964, both aspects of this scenario changed. For starters, it was the English bands that started to influence Motown – via the “British Invasion” – and second, Motown finally made inroads and found their songs charting in ‘Jolly Old England” – albeit years and/or months after The Beatle and the Rolling Stones already trapped into Motown’s hit list for their own material. Here, then, is Motown’s reaction to 1964’s British Invasion:

 

1)    Can You Do It – The Contours

2)    Set Me Free – Lee Alan

3)    Give Me a Kiss – The Hornets

4)    My Lady Bug Stay Away from That Beatle – R. Dean Taylor

5)    Like a Nightmare – The Andantes

6)    Midnight Johnny – Liz Lands

7)    My Guy – Mary Wells

8)    In My Lonely Room – Martha & the Vandellas

9)    Devil With the Blue Dress – Shorty Long

10)  Every Little Bit Hurts – Brenda Holloway

11)  Bringin’ In the Gold – Howard Crockett

12)  Satisfied Mind – Bruce Channel

HOW MUSIC CHANGED, PART 137-16, EVERY SINGLE MOTOWN “A” SIDE, PART 16

PLAY THE SHOW

From a musical perspective, 1964 was extremely significant for two specific reasons; 1) The British Invasion, led by the Beatles, and 2) Motown. This may be our 16^th show covering every Motown “A” – side, but it is our first show covering the music of Motown during the year 1964. This is the year that the label busted wide open, and started firing on all cylinders. Here is how the year began for  the recording artists on Motown, Gordy, Tamla, Soul, Melody and V.I. P. –

1)    Castles in the Sand – Little Stevie Wonder

2)    Live Wire – Martha & the Vandellas

3)    Shambles – Gene Henslee

4)    The Way You Do the Things You Do – The Temptations

5)    If Your Heart Says Yes – The Serenaders

6)    He’s a Good Guy (Yes He Is) -  The Marvelettes

7)    How Can We Tell Him – Bobby Breen

8)    Run, Run, Run – The Supremes

9)    After the Showers Came Flowers – Joanna & the Triangles

10)  (You Can’t Let the Boy Overpower) The Man In You – The Miracles

11)  Only You – Sammy Turner

12)  You’re a Wonderful One – Marvin Gaye

THE WONDER OF LATE SUMMER 1968

PLAY THE SHOW

Just this morning, I listened to the radio on the way to work. Rather than tune in the news, I played a music station that happened to play a few new releases. I’m always interested in hearing what’s new, but a certain indifference has begun to overcome my curiosity. With the first track (by Paul Weller, ex of the Jam), I found myself thinking “This sounds like about three thousand other songs I’ve already heard”. The next track (by Counting Crows) inspired me to complain that it was only half a song, with no unique characteristic whatsoever, and the third song (by Broken Social Scene) sounded like it took 30 minutes to write, a thought that was confounded when the disc jockey mentioned that the album took the band sixteen months to record.

Sigh. Is anything interesting happening anymore? So much of the new material I’m hearing is lacking, sounding derivative, dull, or uninspired. What ever happened to new music that excited listeners?

            After my morning drive non-experience, I began to compile music for today’s show. I decided to cover the pop charts from 40 years ago, figuring I’d dig up a show’s worth of really good music. Instead, I found that I need AT LEAST two shows, and that is JUST TO COVER THE TOP 40 POP CHARTS FROM SEPTEMBER 1968! These days, it’s hard to imagine a time when pop music was endlessly inspirational, but here’s our proof – part one of a two-part series on pop music from 1968;

1)    Hush – Deep Purple

2)    Slip Away – Clarence Carter

3)    You’re All I Need to Get By – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

4)    I Say a Little Prayer – Aretha Franklin

5)    Tuesday Afternoon – The Moody Blues

6) Little Green Apples - O.C. Smith

7)   Revolution – The Beatles

8)    Hey Jude – The Beatles

HOW MUSIC CHANGED, PART 137-15 – EVERY SINGLE MOTOWN ‘A’ SIDE, PART 15

PLAY THE SHOW

Our Motown Mania Marathon continues with our 15^th installment, featuring every A-side released by Motown and its subsidiaries during the latter part of 1963. Hope you enjoy the show! Here's the list of songs;

1) As Long As I Know He's Mine - The Marvelettes

2) I'm On the Outside Looking In - Eddie Holland

3) Just Loving You - Kim Weston

4) Too Hurt to Cry, Too Much in Love to Say Goodbye - The Darnells

5) Big Wheel - Howard Crockett

6) Forget about Me - Carolyn Crawford

7) When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes - The Supremes

8) I Gotta Dance to Keep from Crying - The Miracles

9) Quicksand - Martha & the Vandellas

10) Christmas Song - The Miracles

11) Christmas Everyday - The Miracles

12) May What He Lived For Live - Liz Lands

13) Leaving Here - Eddie Holland

14) Stevie - Patrice Holloway

HOW MUSIC CHANGED, PART 137-14 – EVERY SINGLE MOTOWN ‘A’-SIDE, PART 14

PLAY THE SHOW  

Up until now, you may have been wondering why I’m covering every Motown A-side, especially since so many of them were a complete bust on the pop charts. Well, this show should amply justify our decision. From the beginning, we stated that the point of this series isn’t to point out the obvious hits (which most people already know anyway), but to point out the story within the story, and that often takes place between the lines (and between the hits). With this show, though, we can finally hear the Motown sound gel right before our ears. It’s a stunning development, and it took us fourteen shows to get here, but here it is; the ‘Motown’ Sound:

1)    Give God a Chance – The Gospel Stars

2)    Heat Wave – Martha & the Vandellas

3)    Mickey’s Monkey – The Miracles

4)    There He Goes – The Velvelettes

5)    Back to School Again – The Morrocco Muzik Makers

6)    Just Be Yourself – LaBrenda Ben

7)    You’re the Sweetest Boy – Mary Wells

8)    What’s Easy for Two Is Hard for One – Mary Wells

9)    Workout Stevie, Workout – Little Stevie Wonder

10) Can I Get a Witness – Marvin Gaye

11)  We Shall Overcome – Liz Lands & the Voices of Salvation

MUSIC FROM THE LATE SUMMER OF 1958

PLAY THE SHOW

Fifty years removed from the release dates, a lot of this material may sound ancient to modern ears, but many of these songs have been extraordinarily influential on subsequent artists. By late Summer of 1958, rock and roll had apparently won the battle for supremacy of the charts. Conservative (read ‘older’) listeners still thought rock and roll was too dumb to be taken seriously, but the some of the music they offered to combat the rock and roll attack could now be recognized as dumber still, and a LOT less influential. For example, when was the last time you heard a track from any of the “Sing Along with Mitch” records? A batch of these albums reached #1 in the late ‘50s, but it’s the rock and roll that lingers. Here’s a list of tracks from today’s show;

1)    Rebel Rouser – Duane Eddy

2)    It’s All in the Game – Tommy Edwards

3)    Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volare) – Domenico Modugno

4)    Tears on My Pillow – Little Anthony & the Imperials

5)    Chantilly Lace – The Big Bopper

6)    Ginger Bread – Frankie Avalon (as a ‘Bad Hit”)

7)    Stupid Cupid – Connie Francis (as a “Bad Hit”)

8)    The Freeze – Tony and Joe (as a “Bad Hit”)

9)    Devoted to You – The Everly Brothers

10)  Summertime Blues – Eddie Cochran

11)  Somethin’ Else – Cannonball Adderley (as an album track)