"I'm A Believer" #1 12/31/1966

The final #1 record of 1966 stayed at the top for seven weeks for the Monkees and put Neil Diamond firmly on the map as a songwriter. Even though he'd recorded the song first, Neil was very happy with the Monkees version, saying the writing royalties sure helped pay his rent. The whole group sang on the record but didn't play their own instruments, which soon became a heated point of contention between them and the TV show's musical director, Don Kirshner.

"If I Fell" #53 9/5/1964 Bonus

It's pretty amazing that the US B-side of "And I Love Her" was one of the finest Beatle songs ever. John said this was his first real attempt at a ballad. Not too shabby, IMHO. The mono and stereo mixes have a noticeable difference near the end of the second "...was in vain" as Paul's voice cracks on the stereo version. They fixed it here on the mono one. It appeared on the soundtrack of "A Hard Day's Night" where John serenades an unhappy Ringo in the movie to cheer him up.

"And I Love Her" #12 9/5/1964 Bonus

From the first week of September '64, we give you an acoustic selection from "A Hard Day's Night." This was one where perhaps the writing credit should've read Lennon-McCartney-Harrison, since George came up with the lovely guitar part. It started out as a straightforward electric arrangement, but they weren't happy and substituted George's acoustic guitar and Ringo on congas. Subtitles in Portuguese.

"Mustang Sally" #23 12/24/1966

More Muscle Shoals magic from "Wicked" Wilson Pickett, one of many he recorded at FAME Studios. Yet another tune I thought charted much higher at the time, given how it still gets so much radio airplay. It was first recorded by Mack Rice with the original title of "Mustang Mama" until Aretha Franklin suggested a change. The master tape of Wilson's version flew off the reel and onto the floor during playback and broke into pieces, but recording engineer Tom Dowd (who worked on the Manhattan Project that developed the atomic bomb) spliced it back together in under 30 minutes.

"Cry" (Ronnie Dove) #18 12/24/1966

The last Top 40 record for Ronnie Dove was a remake of Johnnie Ray's first hit from 1951. Ronnie got started in the clubs around Baltimore in the late 50's and early 60's doing covers of Elvis songs. He made a career of performing ballads and doing them well. You could say he was basically the poor man's Bobby Vinton, never deviating from a successful style.

"A Place In The Sun" #9 12/24/1966

A Top 5 R&B tune of social commentary for 16-year-old Stevie Wonder. His voice was changing, and some of the honchos at Motown had seriously considered dropping Stevie from the label. He changed their minds by coming up with some hits after a prolonged period of non-hits. Amazing how persuasive that can be.

"That's Life" #4 12/24/1966

If the Chairman Of The Board sounded a little PO'd on this #1 easy listening record, you'd be correct. The way I heard the story, Frank had finished the session...or so he thought. He and Dean Martin (who was hanging out at the studio) were in the car heading to Vegas for the weekend and Rat Pack debauchery when producer Jimmy Bowen had them flagged down in the parking garage. He called Ol' Blue Eyes back for one more take. A visibly angry Sinatra did so, giving Bowen just the sound he wanted.

Merry Christmas!

Taking today and tomorrow off for family stuff. Be back on 12/26. Merry Christmas!

"I'll Cry Instead" #25 8/29/1964 Bonus

One that was deleted from "A Hard Day's Night" movie but still appeared on the accompanying UK and US soundtrack albums, as well as the "Something New" LP in America. Definitely country-sounding, like one maybe Ringo should've sung. It was replaced in the movie by "Can't Buy Me Love" per request of director Richard Lester.

Beatles - I'll Cry Instead

"Help Me Girl" (Outsiders) #37 12/17/1966

Here's a situation where two competing versions of a record barely made the Top 40, one by the Animals and this version by the Outsiders. They sort of canceled out one another. It was the last thing approaching a hit for Sonny Geraci and the band. They broke up soon after, with Sonny forming the one-hit wonder group Climax in the 70's.

"It's Only Love" #31 12/17/1966

The third Top 40 effort for Tommy James and the Shondells. Tommy wrote a book about the head of their label (Roulette Records), Morris Levy, who was notorious for being a control freak and for not being totally forthcoming with royalties due to artists. Tommy estimated Levy owed him something like $30 million. Morris was waaay in deep with the wiseguys and was a basis for the Hesh character in "The Sopranos," but Levy once said the only thing he knew about organized crime was his five ex-wives. Uhhhhhh, yeah.

"It Tears Me Up" #20 12/17/1966

The third straight Top 20 pop hit and third straight Top 10 R&B hit for Percy Sledge was yet another product of the Muscle Shoals scene. The music that came out of that little corner of northwest Alabama is just astounding. In the 70's everybody from the Rolling Stones to Cher to Lynyrd Skynyrd to Donny Osmond recorded there.

"Mame" #19 12/17/1966

The title song to a famed Broadway comedy and musical (and later two movies) spawned many other versions, so we give you the Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass Top 5 easy listening take. One of those movies from the 70's starred Lucille Ball and Bea Arthur. What a combo, but it didn't get good reviews, ostensibly because Lucy couldn't sing very well.

"I Got The Feelin' (Oh No No)" #16 12/17/1966

The followup to "Cherry, Cherry" for Neil Diamond. Bert Berns, the guy who ran Neil's initial label, BANG Records, was quite the character in the history of rock music. Besides owning a record company, Bert co-wrote numerous songs ingrained in our collective memory like "Twist And Shout," "Piece Of My Heart," "Hang On Sloopy" and "Here Comes The Night," but he ticked off a lot of people (including some wiseguys) before he died at 38. One former business associate, Jerry Wexler, said he didn't know where Berns was buried but if he did, he would piss on Bert's grave. Wow.

"Born Free" #7 12/17/1966

Pianist Roger Williams only had three Top 10 singles, of which this movie theme was the third, but he released 38 albums between 1955 and 1972. This was one of numerous cover versions of the Oscar-winning title song from the flick, about an orphaned lion cub and the efforts to re-acclimate it to the African wild. It did NOT mean that daddy was an OB-GYN and charged nothing for the birth. "Born free..."

"Handy Man" (Del Shannon) #22 8/22/1964 Bonus

Originally a Top 5 tune in 1960 for Jimmy Jones, this remake from August '64 by Del Shannon is rather serviceable. A slower version by James Taylor did quite well in 1977. Del would have only two more Top 40 records until '81 and his version of "Sea Of Love." He had been rumored as a replacement for Roy Orbison in the Traveling Wilburys when Roy passed away, but Del committed suicide in 1990.

"Ain't She Sweet" #19 8/22/1964 Bonus

Hoo boy. At the height of Beatlemania, record labels looked for ANYTHING in their vaults that had a Fab Four connection. Polydor Records had rights to a few songs the boys recorded while they were in Hamburg in 1961 and calling themselves the Beat Brothers, and Polydor found a rocked-up 1927 Tin Pan Alley standard they did. Folks, it's just bad, as in not good, yet still made the Top 20 in August '64.

"Games That Lovers Play" #45 12/10/1966

Eddie Fisher had 25 Top 10 pop hits between 1950-1956, and then rock and roll happened. Eddie may be best known today as the father of Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and of actress Joely Fisher. He was no stranger to Hollywood scandal in the 50's as he had a very public affair with Elizabeth Taylor while married to one of her best friends, Carrie's mom, Debbie Reynolds. Carrie later co-wrote a TV movie called "These Old Broads" where Debbie and Elizabeth played characters making fun of a common ex-husband. Art imitating life.

"Knock On Wood" #28 12/10/1966

Another record that I thought charted much better on the pop side than it did, given how it turned into a staple of oldies radio. It did become a #1 R&B hit for Eddie Floyd, who co-wrote the song with Booker T. & the MG's guitarist Steve Cropper. Eddie said the "thunder and lightning" line stemmed from his memory of bad storms as a child in Montgomery, Alabama.

"Run, Run, Look And See" #25 12/10/1966

Here's the last Top 40 record for Brian Hyland until 1970 and his version of the Impressions' "Gypsy Woman." This is one that I didn't remember from its initial go-around, but then, I was 10 years old at the time. Last I heard, Brian is still touring from time to time and staying involved with his music.

"Holy Cow" #23 12/10/1966

The last hit record for Lee Dorsey. He was one of the relatively few performers that saw success both before and after the British Invasion altered the American music landscape. When the hits dried up, Lee went back to running his auto repair business in New Orleans until he passed away in 1986. He once said he wasn't sure if he was a better vocalist or body and fender guy.

"But It's Alright" #22 12/10/1966

A Top 5 R&B record and the only pop hit for J.J. Jackson. I was kind of surprised this one missed the Top 20 on the pop charts, because with as much airplay as it's gotten on oldies radio over the years, I thought the record had done much better on the Hot 100 at the time. To quote Roseanne Roseannadanna, "It's always something."

"A Hazy Shade Of Winter" #13 12/10/1966

One of my very favorite Simon and Garfunkel songs. Definitely one of Paul Simon's better writing efforts, it could be considered a companion piece to "California Dreamin' " as it deals with the transition from fall to winter. This didn't show up on any of their albums until "Bookends" in 1968. The Bangles did a somewhat harder-edged version in the late 80's that left out the final verse.

"Whispers (Gettin' Louder)" #11 12/10/1966

A comeback record for the legendary Jackie Wilson, one of the top R&B singers of the late 50's and early 60's. He hadn't had a hit since "Baby Workout" in 1963. Backing was provided by Motown's Funk Brothers studio musicians, who were moonlighting since this was on a competing label. They appeared uncredited here out of respect for Jackie...and to not offend their boss, Berry Gordy.

"I'm Ready For Love" #9 12/10/1966

Another hit for Martha and the Vandellas from the great songwriting team of Holland-Dozier-Holland. Here, the ladies had some help from Motown's top female backup vocal group, the Andantes. They were unsung (no pun intended) heroines of so many fine tunes that came from Berry Gordy's label.

"Stop Stop Stop" #7 12/10/1966

Another British music hall based tune, this one from the Hollies was their followup to "Bus Stop." It's about a fellow who keeps getting tossed out of a club because he can't restrain himself from going up on stage after a belly dancer. The video is from a BBC show. Gotta love those haircuts in the band! And check out the audience - definitely a stiff upper lip bunch of older Brits rocking out to a banjo!

"Lady Godiva" #6 12/10/1966

The first Top 10 appearance for Peter and Gordon in almost two years was a music hall styled ditty about the mythical naked horseback ride by an English noblewoman to relieve the tax burden imposed on the citizenry by her husband. It was updated by including a Hollywood movie director who signed the fair lady to a contract, making her the star of a porn flick. Hey, it was the 60's...

"Mellow Yellow" #2 12/10/1966

The 60's were a time where pretty much anything went as far as music, or anything else. Donovan certainly had an oddball arrangement here. I'd always heard Paul McCartney did the whispered part in the choruses, but that's just urban myth as he apparently was part of the background and whooping it up heard in the middle. The term "electrical banana" refers to some type of, uhhhh, ladies toy. Hmmmmm...

"Good Vibrations" #1 12/10/1966

A true masterpiece of rock, and maybe one of the greatest musical compositions ever of any genre. It was part of the mad, drug-fueled genius of Brian Wilson, from the greatest album never released, "Smile," and was documented in the movie "Love And Mercy." (The backstory of "Smile" is simply astounding.) This was probably the first hit record that used a modular structure, where disjointed song fragments are tied together. The most distinctive instrument on the record was an electro-theremin, usually heard in low budget horror movies. It cost between $50,000-$75,000 to make and was the most expensive single ever recorded up until then. The Beach Boys used four different studios over a six-month period with at least 17 recording sessions and more than 20 musicians, including many members of the Wrecking Crew, and had 90+ hours of tape - for a three and a half minute single! Nobody is 100% sure who appears on the finished record, however. There were something like 20 different mixes floating around, and the final version that was released...was in mono. An absolutely brilliant, iconic song of the 60's, and one of my Desert Island selections.

"I Should Have Known Better" #53 8/15/1964 Bonus

The B-side of "A Hard Day's Night," there's a definite Bob Dylan influence here. During filming of that movie, George met Pattie Boyd, whom he later married (inspiring him to compose "Something," one of the best love songs ever) and then divorced. Patti eventually hooked up with Eric Clapton and became the inspiration for "Layla." Today's clip is subtitled in Portuguese. Oh, well...with this feature sometimes you gotta take what you can get.

"She's The One" #33 8/15/1964 Bonus

A true one-hit wonder from August of '64, this group was said to be a source for Tom Hanks and "That Thing You Do." The Chartbusters came from the Washington, DC area. This one is certainly a hard-driving Beatle-type rocker, full speed ahead. These guys later became the house band at the late, great Crazy Horse, right there on M Street in the Georgetown section of DC.

"Sugar Lips" #30 8/15/1964 Bonus

The third and last Top 40 pop hit from late summer '64 for New Orleans jazz trumpeter Al Hirt. He was a French Quarter mainstay for decades and even owned his own club down there in the Vieux Carré. He was in countless Mardi Gras parades as well. Al became an original part-owner of the NFL's New Orleans Saints in 1967. This was used as the theme for the Bill Cullen-hosted 60's game show "Eye Guess."

"(You Don't Know) How Glad I Am" #11 8/15/64 Bonus

Here's the only real pop hit for jazz singer Nancy Wilson. She did have success on the easy listening charts, though, with a total of 11 records that made the Top 40 on that side. Nancy was a protégée of the legendary jazzman "Cannonball" Adderley.

"Shout" (Lulu) #94 8/8/1964 Bonus

The first American release from the summer of 1964 for the Scottish-born Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie, better known as Lulu. She was 15 when her version of this Isley Brothers tune made it into the British Top 10, billed as Lulu and the Luvvers. She was quite successful in the UK, even hosting several TV series, but wouldn't break through in the States until 1967. Later, she was married for several years to Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees. And yes, she was a mentor on "American Idol" in 2007.

"I'm Into Something Good" (Earl-Jean) #38 8/8/1964 Bonus

The debut single in America and Britain for Herman's Hermits became their first UK #1 hit. This Gerry Goffin-Carole King song was done originally, however, by Earl-Jean, lead singer of the Cookies. Her version (or is it the Cookies? Hard to tell - the billing was kinda interchangeable) just barely cracked the Top 40 in August '64. The Hermits took it to #13 here shortly thereafter.

"Al di Lá" #29 8/8/1964 Bonus

The August '64 followup to "Love Me With All Your Heart" by the Ray Charles Singers. Lots of folks have covered this song as first done by Betty Curtis, which was the Italian entry in the 1961 Eurovision contest where each country submits one song voted on across the continent. ABBA and Céline Dion are probably the two most recognized acts who got their start via this competition, which has taken place each year since 1956. Follow the bouncing ball with the video!

"Tell Me (You're Coming Back)" #24 8/8/1964 Bonus

From August 1964, the first Top 40 record in America for the Rolling Stones. Oddly, it was not released as a single in the UK. This wasn't quite as rowdy as their first few records and was the first A-side written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. It certainly wouldn't be their last composition to reach hit status, either.

"I Wanna Love Him So Bad" #9 8/8/1964 Bonus

A one-hit wonder from Jersey City, the Jelly Beans recorded this Jeff Barry/Ellie Greenwich song and had a Top 10 in August 1964. Unfortunately, they got lost in the shuffle at their label, as company management paid more attention to groups like the Shangri-Las and the Dixie Cups. The Jelly Beans broke up the next year.

"You're My World" #26 8/1/1964 Bonus

The only US Top 40 hit for Cilla Black, but she was extremely successful in her native UK. Cilla was discovered by Beatles manager Brian Epstein while working as a coat check girl at the legendary Cavern Club in Liverpool. She went on to have a total of 14 Top 20 hits over there and became a mainstay on British TV for decades as a hostess and star of several shows. (They call the host or hostess a presenter over there.) Backing vocals by the Breakaways, from August '64.

"Farmer John" #19 8/1/1964 Bonus

The only hit for the Premiers, a garage band composed of Latino guys from East L.A. who came from the area that also produced Chris Montez and Ritchie Valens, among many others. This record from August '64 contains overdubbed party noises and backing vocals by female members of a car club.

"Coming On Strong" #11 12/3/1966

Radio's playing some forgotten song, Brenda Lee "Coming On Strong." Rest assured "Radar Love" has forever immortalized this tune, the last of 18 Top 20 records on the pop charts for Little Miss Dynamite. Like many other 60's rockers, Brenda turned to country music in the 70's and early 80's. Her last big country hit was a collaboration with the Oak Ridge Boys called "Broken Trust."

"Nobody I Know" #12 8/1/1964 Bonus

The second release in America and in their native UK for Peter and Gordon was another Lennon-McCartney song, as was their first single "A World Without Love." It seemed only natural, as Paul was dating Peter Asher's sister Jane, that he would feed songs to the duo. It wasn't quite the success the first one was, but still did very well over here in August of '64.

"Dang Me" #7 8/1/1964 Bonus

From the first week of August 1964, the first Top 10 pop record for Roger Miller was also his first #1 country record. He claimed to have written it in four minutes while sitting in a Phoenix hotel room. For the song, Roger pictured himself in a booth at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge in Nashville getting hammered. It featured his sometimes squirrely delivery, which became something of a trademark.

"Wishin' And Hopin' " #6 8/1/1964 Bonus

The first US Top 10 for Dusty Springfield from August '64 was originally a B-side for Dionne Warwick. Like so many of Dionne's songs, it was a Burt Bacharach/Hal David tune. Burt and Hal strongly encouraged Dusty to release this as a single. I think everyone was happy she did...except Ms. Warwick.

"Winchester Cathedral" #1 12/3/1966

One of the most unusual one-hit wonders ever on the Billboard pop chart, this song was the brainchild of Geoff Stephens and was issued under the name of the New Vaudeville Band. It definitely has an American vaudeville/British music hall vibe, and is one of the few pop records to prominently feature a bassoon. It purposely had a Rudy Vallee 1920's style vocal delivery. Rudy later recorded this himself. Geoff got the idea while looking at a picture of the real Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire, England.

"The Mexican Shuffle" #85 7/18/1964 Bonus

A Top 20 easy listening tune from July '64 by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, it became the music used for a series of TV commercials selling chewing gum, retitled "The Teaberry Shuffle." My dad worked for another company with the same corporate parent as the gum folks. As a kid I really did like the product. The ad music was kind of incidental to me, but then, I was 8 years old.

"Not Fade Away" #48 7/18/1964 Bonus

This remake of a Buddy Holly classic was the first UK Top 10 for the Rolling Stones, and also their first charting record in America from July of 1964. What set this one apart was the Bo Diddley beat and arrangement, definitely radical for the times as done by a bunch of white kids from England.

"Alone" #28 7/18/1964 Bonus

One of the few songs from the '60s that featured a whistling refrain. This one, from the summer of 1964, was the last Top 40 record by the Four Seasons on the late, lamented Vee-Jay label. The group had already signed elsewhere due to a royalty dispute, yet Vee-Jay continued to milk their previously recorded material.

"Good Times" #11 7/18/1964 Bonus

Sam Cooke had a #1 R&B record with this one from July 1964. A remake by Dan Seals also reached #1 on the country charts in 1990. Goes to show that a great song can cross all the boundaries.

"Keep On Pushing" #10 7/18/1964 Bonus

From July 1964, an anthem of the civil rights movement by the Impressions. Front man Curtis Mayfield knew he'd need to keep the message low-key but still powerful to get any kind of airplay. It took on a whole new meaning to keep striving when Curtis became wheelchair-bound after a stage accident in 1990. He was certainly one of the most admired people in soul music of the 60's.

"The Girl From Ipanema" #5 7/18/1964 Bonus

From July '64, probably the best selling Brazilian bossa nova song ever, written about a girl who would walk past a bar each day along the Ipanema beachfront in Rio. Our female protagonist claimed to be the first to wear a bikini on that stretch of sand, and said she was just buying cigarettes daily for her mother. The sax of Stan Getz and vocals of Astrud Gilberto are superb.

"Louie, Louie" (Sandpipers) #30 11/26/1966

The followup to "Guantanaméra" for the Sandpipers was perhaps the most laid-back version of "Louie, Louie" ever recorded. It's probably closer to the original as done by Richard Berry in the 50's than any of the thousands of other covers. They combined English and Spanish lyrics, as was done on their previous single.

"Look Through My Window" #24 11/26/1966

The first three singles from the Mamas and the Papas all made the Top 5. This one didn't do nearly as well. Papa John Phillips wrote it during a brief separation from his young bride Michelle after her affair with bandmate Denny Doherty (reference "I Saw Her Again"). He'd returned to Greenwich Village and thought she was still in California, but in reality she was staying just a few blocks away in NYC.

"Who Am I?" #21 11/26/1966

Posting this one the night before we usually would, since I have a very full day tomorrow. Surprisingly, this didn't do well at all in England for Petula Clark. It just missed the Top 20 in America, but missed the charts completely back home. Pet's next single also failed to chart in the UK. After being a child star on BBC Radio during WWII, achieving success in movies and recording for years and then becoming a worldwide star with "Downtown," her career was at a crossroads. Video gets a tad out of sync in the middle, but just enjoy the tune!

"I'm Your Puppet" #6 11/26/1966

The first hit for James Purify and Bobby Dickey (who used his cousin's last name as a stage name). Like so many Southern R&B records of the 60's and 70's, this was recorded at the FAME studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. One of a few tunes of that genre to prominently feature a glockenspiel!!

"Devil With A Blue Dress On/Good Golly Miss Molly" #4 11/26/1966

The biggest hit for Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels was another medley containing a Little Richard song. Mitch was born William Levise, Jr. and took his stage name at random from a phone book. He and the band were signed to a deal by Four Seasons producer Bob Crewe. After several hits with the group Mitch went solo, with less than stellar results.

"Don't Throw Your Love Away" #16 7/11/1964 Bonus

The third #1 in the UK for the Searchers and their second Top 20 record in the States at the height of the British Invasion in July '64. It was originally the B-side of a 1963 single by the Orlons. The Searchers played the infamous Star Club in Hamburg, Germany at the start of their career. Some other Liverpool group played there, too. One called the Beatles...

"No Particular Place To Go" #10 7/11/1964 Bonus

We just spoke of Chuck Berry and "Memphis." Here's the second record from Chuck after getting out of prison for violating the Mann Act - google it, boys and girls. He would have one more Top 40 record in 1964, then the hits dried up until "My Ding-A-Ling" came out of nowhere to reach #1 in 1972.

"Memphis" (Johnny Rivers) #2 7/11/1964 Bonus

The first hit for Johnny Rivers was his remake of a Chuck Berry rock standard. Johnny had just been hired as the debut act to play L.A.'s Whisky a Go Go when it opened on the Sunset Strip in early 1964. He recorded several live albums there with great success. This one owes more to Lonnie Mack's instrumental version than to Chuck's.

"Got To Get You Into My Life" Album cut

Paul admitted this one from "Revolver" was an ode to pot. The lyrics kind of bear that out - think about it. This was the first time they used a full horn section in a song, and was issued as a single long after they broke up. It made the Top 10 in 1976, ten years after it was recorded. A very jazzy, very good version by Earth, Wind & Fire from the disastrous "Sgt. Pepper" movie also became a hit in 1978. Picture quality isn't the best on this clip. Oh, well.

Beatles - Got To Get You Into My Life

"Don't Worry Baby" #24 7/4/1964 Bonus

The B-side of "I Get Around," this did rather well on its own. By now, the Beach Boys were relying more and more on the Wrecking Crew to augment their music, but this track was done all by themselves. B.J. Thomas had a remake in the 70's that made the Top 20. However, it doesn't get much better than the Beach Boys' version here. Truly a personal favorite.

"Yesterday's Gone" #21 7/4/1964 Bonus

From the 4th of July, 1964, the first chart record for Chad and Jeremy. Although it was their only entry in England, barely cracking their Top 40 and only doing slightly better in America, nonetheless it remains a prime early example of the British Invasion sound. They would have six other Top 40 songs in the US.

"I Want To Tell You" Album cut

Here's one of three George Harrison songs from "Revolver." He'd also written "Isn't It A Pity" but couldn't convince John and Paul to record it, so he saved it for his 1970 "All Things Must Pass" solo album. This is admittedly LSD-fueled with a jarring chord of E7b9 - an E7 with a top note of F. It's also the first time Paul's bass was recorded after the other music. BTW, 50 years ago (11/24/1966) the Beatles started work on the followup to "Revolver" with the first session for "Strawberry Fields Forever" which in the end didn't make it onto that LP.

Beatles - I Want To Tell You

"Tell Me Why" (Bobby Vinton) #13 6/20/1964 Bonus

Not to be confused with the similarly titled Beatles song. Originally a hit for the Four Aces in 1951, Bobby Vinton's version from June of 1964 also did very well. He started out as a bandleader around the Pittsburgh area, following in his dad's footsteps. Bobby would purposely double-book himself, starting out the night with his big band and then leaving for a later gig as a solo singer while the guys played on. As long as they all got paid, I guess it worked itself out.

"Diane" #10 6/20/1964 Bonus

The roots of this one go back to a 1927 silent movie titled "Seventh Heaven." Music would be written to accompany the action on screen and was sent to theaters on records to be synced in-house with the movie. This version from June '64 is by an Irish group called the Bachelors and was their biggest US hit, plus their only UK #1.

"All That I Am" #41 11/19/1966

Here's the B-side of the title song from the current Elvis movie "Spinout" in late '66. This was a rarity in that both sides of the 45 were actually from a soundtrack of his. Most of the time, the King's movie songs in the 60's were so not single-worthy they would need to dredge up material recorded years earlier just to assemble a release.

"Rain On The Roof" #10 11/19/1966

The first seven singles by the Lovin' Spoonful each made the Top 10 - this was the sixth of those. At one time they were considered for the leads in casting "The Monkees" but that fell apart because the show's producers wanted them to sign over their music publishing rights. John Sebastian and the group smartly refused to do so. Beautiful guitar intro here.

"You Keep Me Hangin' On" #1 11/19/1966

The eighth #1 on the pop charts for the Supremes. Lamont Dozier of the Holland-Dozier-Holland songwriting team came up with the guitar intro after hearing a news flash sounder on the radio, as if to convey a sense of urgency. A much slower version came out in '67 by Vanilla Fudge, and in the 80's this was redone by Kim Wilde who also took it to #1. Reba McEntire did a dance version in the 90's which was decidedly NOT country.

"Sugar And Spice" (Searchers) #44 6/13/1964 Bonus

The first release in America for the Searchers, one of so many bands from Liverpool that formed the backbone of the British Invasion, from June 1964 and written by Tony Hatch under the pseudonym Fred Nightingale. Tony had quite a hand in the development of British rock and pop music of the 60's, and was known mostly for his work with Petula Clark. The vintage of the recording equipment is a hoot. Clip is a tad out of sync. This was re-done by Chicago's Cryan' Shames in 1966.

"Viva Las Vegas" #29 6/13/1964 Bonus

Here's the B-side title track from the Elvis movie of the same name. It's odd that a signature song of the King was a flip side, but even more odd is that according to Wikipedia, he never performed it in concert. Wrecking Crew guitarist Billy Strange played the lead guitar and also arranged much of E's soundtrack music over the years. Billy's son says the royalty checks are still coming in from the song's licensed use on Elvis slot machines in Vegas and around the world.

"What'd I Say?" (Elvis) #21 6/13/1964

Today and tomorrow we give you both sides of a single from the current Elvis flick in the late spring of 1964. The A-side, a remake of the Ray Charles classic, was featured in an extended dance sequence with the King and co-star Ann-Margaret. As always, the plot was sort of lame, but this was actually one of his highest earning movies.

"Tell Me Why" Album cut

From "A Hard Day's Night" soundtrack and the "Something New" US LP, John wrote this as a throwaway for the movie. Most people would give their eye teeth for a song this great, yet the Fab Four regarded it as mere filler. As usual, it's almost impossible to find unadulterated versions of Beatles music on YouTube or elsewhere. The best I could get was most of the song (1:45) from the movie, part of a medley from a faux TV appearance. Disregard the fact it's out of sync. The song is just that good.

"Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand" Album cut

When Beatlemania took hold in early '64, EMI, corporate parent of the Beatles' UK label, was asked by their German affiliate that the band re-record a few of their hits in that language. Though it wasn't really necessary, they agreed to do so while in Paris for a series of shows. Here, the boys re-did "I Want To Hold Your Hand" by dubbing vocals in German over the original backing track. "Sie Liebt Dich" or "She Loves You" had to be done from scratch, as the master tape had been erased in a cost-cutting move. At the same session, BTW, they knocked out "Can't Buy Me Love" - in English.

Beatles - Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand (I Want To Hold Your Hand in German)

"I Can't Control Myself" #43 11/12/1966

There were a couple of reasons this one from the Troggs didn't do better in America, although it was a Top 5 in Britain. Never mind the lyrics were very suggestive for the time. Their first few records were distributed by two different labels in the US, diluting their effectiveness on the charts, notwithstanding the success of "Wild Thing." Today's tune sounds rather primal, but shouldn't rock music be just that?

"Poor Side Of Town" #1 11/12/1966

The only #1 record for Johnny Rivers. Most of his earlier hits had been recorded live at the famed Whisky a Go Go on the Sunset Strip as he christened the place when it opened in 1964. This one was a complete style change. Johnny is still out there on the road a-rockin'. My wife and I caught his show recently in Gulfport, Miss. and he's as good as ever. This song is probably in my all-time personal Top 10. Ever.

"Bad To Me" #9 6/27/1964 Bonus

Two from Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas that they recorded after Billy turned down a Lennon-McCartney song called "One And One Is Two." In America "Little Children" was paired with "Bad To Me," another Lennon-McCartney composition. Those songs were separately UK #1's, and both sides of that single made the Top 10 in the States in June '64.

"Little Children" #7 6/13/1964 Bonus

Two from Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas that they recorded after Billy turned down a Lennon-McCartney song called "One And One Is Two." In America "Little Children" was paired with "Bad To Me," another Lennon-McCartney composition. Those songs were separately UK #1's, and both sides of that single made the Top 10 in the States in June '64.

"Love Me With All Your Heart" #3 6/13/1964 Bonus

No, this isn't by THAT Ray. It's the OTHER one, the conductor and arranger who led the Ray Charles Singers. He and his group worked with Perry Como for over 35 years on countless radio and TV shows. Later on, this Ray sang the male part to the "Three's Company" theme. From June '64.

"Do You Love Me" (Dave Clark Five) #11 6/6/1964 Bonus

In 1962, Berry Gordy wrote this song with the Temptations in mind, but they couldn't be found (they didn't know he was looking for them) so he gave it to the Contours. Later it was #1 in England for Brian Poole and the Tremeloes and then became the first UK chart entry for the Dave Clark Five. In early June '64, it became the DC5's third hit in America, just missing the Top 10.

"Kiss Me Quick" #34 5/23/1964 Bonus

From May 1964, another Elvis single recorded several years previously. "Kiss Me Quick" was the flip but did much better than the A-side, which didn't even make the Hot 100. Both were on The King's 1962 "Pot Luck" LP. That A-side, "Suspicion," was covered by Terry Stafford and made the Top 5 in early '64. BTW, Terry also wrote and first recorded "Amarillo By Morning" which became a signature song for country superstar George Strait. A connection between Elvis and George Strait!

"I'll Get You" Album cut

The B-side of "She Loves You" in the UK (we'll call it SLY for the sake of brevity), "I'll Get You" served in that capacity three times in America. The first was in late 1963 as SLY flopped badly. The second was when SLY was re-released a few months later at the height of Beatlemania and became their second #1 in the States. The third was as the B-side of a US release of SLY in German titled "Sie Liebt Dich" which only reached #97. It was on "The Beatles' Second Album" here as well.

"I Call Your Name" Album cut

One of John Lennon's early attempts at songwriting, he gave it to Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas - then the Beatles decided to try and record the tune themselves. The tempo change in the middle was what they said was an attempt at Jamaican ska, a predecessor of reggae. Audio is from one of their many BBC Radio appearances.

"Thank You Girl" #35 5/9/1964 Bonus

Originally released in the spring of 1963, this was to be a UK A-side until John and Paul wrote "From Me To You" so it became the B-side of that single. In America it was the flip of "Do You Want To Know A Secret" and charted on its own in May '64, even though there was far too much reverb added after the fact by an empty suit at Capitol Records. That made the original US issue of "Thank You Girl" almost unintelligible, much as Capitol did back in the day with "I Feel Fine" and "She's A Woman." Thus, those became some of the first Beatles tracks to be cleaned up and remastered for compact disc re-release in the 80's.

Beatles - Thank You Girl

"The Pink Panther" Theme #31 5/9/1964 Bonus

One of the most recognizable instrumentals ever was the theme from a movie that was supposed to feature an ensemble cast, but Peter Sellers became the breakout star playing the bumbling Inspector Clouseau. The score was composed by the one and only Henry Mancini with the indelible sax solo by Wrecking Crew member Plas Johnson, who reprises his part in this video clip.

"Nadine" #23 5/2/1964 Bonus

From May of '64, the first single for Chuck Berry after he did 20 months in prison for taking a 14-year-old girl across state lines and...well, you know. It wasn't his first incarceration nor his last. He sort of adapted the premise of "Maybelline" for this one. Chuck recently turned 90 and is still out on the road. Anyone on your personal Mt. Rushmore of rock needs to say hi to Chuck Berry, because he's already there.

"Spinout" #40 11/5/1966

Even though pop music tastes had markedly changed by 1966, Elvis and Colonel Parker stuck to the same formula of listless movies and even more listless soundtrack songs. The title tune to his latest flick didn't deviate from that. The racing scenes were partly filmed in the parking lots behind the outfield pavilions at Dodger Stadium. They even used the Union 76 gas station there in a scene. If you look close you'll see light poles with baseballs mounted on them. The movie was titled "California Holiday" in some countries, presumably because they didn't know what a spinout was.

"(You Don't Have To) Paint Me A Picture" #15 11/5/1966

The next to last Top 20 hit for Gary Lewis and the Playboys. He took up percussion because his famous dad, Jerry Lewis, owned a set of drums. When Gary was 5, a family friend would drop by and give him some pointers. Turned out the family friend was Buddy Rich, maybe the best drummer alive at the time. Nothing like getting lessons from a pro-fessional. I got to see Buddy in the 1970's at a small venue and he even took the time to explain some music theory to the crowd. Great stuff.

"B-A-B-Y" #14 11/5/1966

A Top 5 R&B record of Memphis tuneage from Carla Thomas, daughter of Rufus "Walking The Dog" Thomas. Rufus was the MC at a music theater on Beale Street and got his little girl a good start in show biz. This was her first pop hit since "Gee Whiz" in 1960, although she'd had a few R&B hits. Carla later teamed up with the great Otis Redding for a series of successful duets.

"Love Is A Hurtin' Thing" #13 11/5/1966

The first hit and a #1 R&B record for Lou Rawls, possessor of one of the finest voices anywhere. He grew up singing gospel music on the West Side of Chicago and crossed paths with Curtis Mayfield and Sam Cooke, providing a great call-and-response part on Sam's "Bring It On Home To Me." Lou did considerable charity work over the years and even provided the animated singing voice of Garfield. In the 80's he was heard in a popular station promo for WGN-TV. Congrats, Cubs!

"If I Were A Carpenter" #8 11/5/1966

Bobby Darin certainly had a varied career in show business, starting out (with help from his pal Don Kirschner) as a rock and roller in the 50's with songs like "Splish Splash." He then did show tunes such as "Mack The Knife" and even moved toward country sounds. After the British Invasion derailed his career for a few years, this one was his last big hit on the pop charts, later re-done by the Four Tops and the duet of Johnny Cash and June Carter. Darin was there when Robert Kennedy was assassinated, which pushed him into seclusion at Big Sur. He returned to become a leading Vegas act, even landing his own TV show, until his untimely death at age 37. Bobby always had a bad heart and other medical issues and didn't take antibiotics before a dental procedure, leading to sepsis and heart valve problems. He required major open-heart surgery and died without regaining consciousness.

"Hooray For Hazel" #6 11/5/1966

Tommy Roe could be called one of the inventors of bubblegum music. He had a total of 11 Top 40 records, probably none of which dealt with terribly heavy subject matter, but all in all he did quite well. He and Chris Montez toured England with the Beatles right as the boys were taking off in '63, and the response was nuts. Tommy returned the favor by opening for their very first American concert, held in Washington, DC, where the atmosphere was even nuttier.

"Dandy" #5 11/5/1966

A Top 5 from Herman's Hermits written by Ray Davies and done first by the Kinks, who only released this as a single in several European countries. The version by the Hermits filled the void in Britain and America. Ray wrote the song about the carousing, hedonistic rock and roll lifestyle of his brother Dave, lead guitarist of the Kinks.

"Last Train To Clarksville" #1 11/5/1966

In the 50's Ricky Nelson showed how a tie-in between rock and roll and TV could succeed. The debut single by the Monkees certainly proved that. "Oh no no no" was a response by songwriters Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart to the Beatles and "yeah yeah yeah." It contained some oblique references to a soldier headed off to Vietnam, like "I don't know if I'm ever comin' home." Clarksville, Tennessee is home to Ft. Campbell and the Army's 101st Airborne, but Phoenix native Hart said it was a nod to the town of Clarkdale, Arizona, near Sedona. The famous opening guitar riff by Wrecking Crew member Louie Shelton was sort of based on "Paperback Writer." Lead vocals were by Micky Dolenz, the only Monkee actually on the record. Micky said the "doo-doo-doo-doo" part in the middle happened because production of songs for the show was so rushed he didn't have time to learn the lyrics.

"Money (That's What I Want)" (Beatles) Album cut

Yet another Motown tune covered by the Beatles on their second albums in England and America. The original of our featured selection was the first release by Berry Gordy and his famed label in 1959, as done by Barrett Strong and featured in "Animal House." There's also a party version by the Kingsmen which got to #16 the first week of May '64 as their followup to "Louie, Louie." The Beatles video is from the British TV show "Thank Your Lucky Stars."

"Long Tall Sally" (Beatles) Album cut

A blowout showstopper from the Fab Four. They closed their concerts for years with Paul shouting this Little Richard rocker, including their last-ever live paying gig at Candlestick Park. Video is from a '64 Dutch TV show, but there aren't any closeups of Ringo - because he wasn't there! He developed tonsillitis less than 24 hours before the boys kicked off their first world tour, which included this TV appearance. Brian Epstein and George Martin brought in Jimmie Nicol as a substitute on one day's notice. Jimmie was a Beatle for 10 days, doing shows in Denmark, the Netherlands, Hong Kong and Australia until Ringo rejoined the band in Melbourne.

Beatles - Long Tall Sally

"I Can Hear Music" (Ronettes) #100 10/29/1966

Normally I wouldn't care about a record that only got to #100, but this has a very compelling backstory. The remake by the Beach Boys did much better a few years later than the original here by the Ronettes, one of the legendary girl groups of the Sixties. In the mid 60's the girls made records, but producer Phil Spector wouldn't release them, fearing the group would become too popular and eclipse him in the music world. They were still a great live act, even opening for the Beatles on their final tour, but things soured to where the group broke up for a while. Lead singer Veronica (Ronnie) Bennett then married Phil (huh?!?!) and basically wound up as a prisoner in her own house. She eventually got away, Phil is now doing time for the murder of another woman, and the girls made it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Of course, in the 80's Ronnie Spector appeared on Eddie Money's "Take Me Home Tonight."

"Mas Que Nada" #47 10/29/1966

Sérgio Mendes came to America in 1964, named his group Brasil '65, then renamed the band Brasil '66. His greatest pop success came when he brought a couple of female vocalists on board, one of whom (Lani Hall) eventually married Sérgio's label head, Herb Alpert. Our video has wonderful aerial views of Rio, complimenting what we saw in the recent Olympics, especially the statue of Christ the Redeemer.

"Mr. Spaceman" #36 10/29/1966

Yep, the Sixties had some spacey songs, including this one from the Byrds. Band member Gene Clark left the group partly because he had a fear of being in airplanes. He later said, "You can't be a Byrd if you can't fly." NASA used this song at least once as a wake-up call to the space shuttle astronauts. When this record came out, their co-manager took out a $1,000,000 insurance policy against the band being abducted by aliens. Bill Lee, former MLB pitcher for Boston and Montreal, had the nickname "Spaceman" due to his out-there personality.

"The Hair On My Chinny Chin Chin" #22 10/29/1966

Another in a series of novelty songs from Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs. They just couldn't seem to get away from those after "Wooly Bully" and "Li'l Red Riding Hood" were so successful. I suppose their label felt if something worked once, then let's do it a dozen more times. That would be called a formula, boys and girls.

"Little Man" #21 10/29/1966

You'll recognize this one from those Amazon TV ads with the miniature horse. While it just missed the Top 20 in America, Sonny and Cher took the song to #1 in a number of European countries, likely due to the Greek/gypsy arrangement. He was 5'5" and she was 5'9" so maybe Sonny had a Napoleonic little man complex. Video is from German TV.

"The Great Airplane Strike" #20 10/29/1966

Topical songs usually don't hold up all that well. This one is about a 1966 strike against most of the major US airlines, and the resulting travails Paul Revere and the Raiders encountered in trying to make it to their shows. Strike or no strike, air travel is just as difficult today, if not more so. In other words, it can really suck.

"Go Away Little Girl" (Happenings) #12 10/29/1966

This Gerry Goffin-Carole King tune was #1 twice - but neither time involved this act. It reached the top in 1963 for Vegas mainstay Steve Lawrence and again in 1971 for 13-year-old Donny Osmond. In between, and with a slightly altered arrangement, the Happenings almost took it into the Top 10. In '63 it was originally meant for Bobby Vee (RIP, Bobby), but music mogul Don Kirschner gave it instead to Mr. Lawrence.

"Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadow?" #9 10/29/1966

With one of the longest song titles around, this was the first Rolling Stones single to be released simultaneously in the UK and US. The ending sort of drifts off into the ether with lots of feedback, still a relatively new technique in 1966. It wasn't the last use of that effect. Jimi Hendrix certainly made sure of that.

"What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted" #7 10/29/1966

The first hit for Jimmy Ruffin, born in Collinsville, Miss. near Meridian, and the older brother of Temptations lead singer David Ruffin. This was originally intended for the Spinners (a fellow Motown act at the time), but Jimmy talked the writers into giving him the song. The intro is long because a spoken part was written but later removed for this version, but it appears in others.

"Walk Away Reneé" #5 10/29/1966

An example of baroque rock by the Left Banke, with pseudo-classical chamber music instrumentation which owed everything to "Yesterday" and "Eleanor Rigby." The Four Tops did a pretty decent cover version a few months later. Keyboardist Michael Brown supposedly wrote the song about the bass player's girlfriend Reneé, whom he was infatuated with. The lead singer was Steve Martin - no, not him. The group's second LP had background vocals by Steven Tyler - yes, HIM, pre-Aerosmith. Brown went on to form the group Stories, but departed before their one hit "Brother Louie" in 1973.

"96 Tears" #1 10/29/1966

One of the best garage rock tunes of the 60's. Question Mark and the Mysterians were Latino guys whose migrant worker families had settled in the Bay City, Michigan area. Lead singer Rudy Martinez legally changed his name to ? when this record took off, thanks to a lot of airplay from CKLW in Windsor, Ontario (Detroit). The song was once called "69 Tears" - yeah, like THAT was going to get played on the radio at the time, so they changed the title.

"Forever" #25 4/25/1964 Bonus

Pete Drake was one of the top session pickers in Nashville during the 60's and 70's. He developed a device where he put a piece of plastic tubing in his mouth hooked to a steel guitar and amp, which allowed him to voice the notes he played. The "talk box" was later refined by Joe Walsh, Peter Frampton, and other rockers, i.e., "Rocky Mountain Way," "Do You Feel Like We Do," "Show Me The Way," etc. This one from late April '64 was originally done in 1960 by the Little Dippers, who were actually the Anita Kerr Singers, one of Nashville's top background vocal groups of the day.

RIP, Bobby Vee

2016 claims another one. Bobby Vee got his break in rock and roll because of the Day the Music Died, February 3, 1959. He was 15 when the call went out for Fargo-area acts to fill in for Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson (the Big Bopper) when their small plane crashed on the way to a show in nearby Moorhead, Minnesota. His band called into a local radio station and got the gig. By 1961 Bobby started having numerous hits, until the British Invasion sidetracked his career. He briefly employed a piano player who called himself Elston Gunnn (with three n's), who later changed his stage name to Bob Dylan. Alzheimer's - it's so insidious - took Bobby Vee. Here's one of his major hits, "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes." RIP, dude.

"That's The Way Boys Are" #12 4/25/1964 Bonus

From late April of '64, we present the complete opposite of Lesley Gore's previous single. "You Don't Own Me" (you hear it all over TV these days) was a feminist anthem, but this returned her to the notion of "oh, well, boys will be boys and us girls really can't change them." The British Invasion kept this from charting much higher. Produced by Quincy Jones, who later produced Michael Jackson's "Thriller."

"For No One" Album cut

If there's such a thing as an underrated Beatles song, this may be it. Paul wrote this one from "Revolver" while on vacation in the Swiss Alps with his then-girlfriend Jane Asher. It's about the end of a relationship - maybe he knew what was coming. The beautiful French horn part was by Alan Civil of the Royal Philharmonic. Paul and Ringo were the only band members on this track - neither John or George appear here.

"Devil In Her Heart" Album cut

A very obscure non-hit by a girl group called the Donays (recorded as "Devil In His Heart") that was re-done on the Beatles' second albums in both the UK and US with George on lead vocals. Brian Epstein's family ran a record store in Liverpool and would try to obtain a copy of every American pop record out there, which was how the group found this tune. The Fabs did a fair amount of cover songs on their first few LP's. That would certainly change as time went on.

"You Really Got A Hold On Me" Album cut

Another Motown song covered by the Beatles, originally done by the Miracles. Smokey Robinson later said he really liked the Fabs' version. He wrote it based on Sam Cooke's "Bring It On Home To Me." It's been recorded dozens of times since, by acts ranging from the Supremes to Mickey Gilley to Cyndi Lauper. Clip is from a BBC Radio appearance.

"There's A Place" #74 4/11/1964 Bonus

Again from the week of 4/11/64, this was the B-side of "Twist And Shout" in the US for the Beatles. John and Paul loosely based the song's premise on "Somewhere" from "West Side Story." I suppose one could do worse than to lift musical ideas from Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim. Just ignore the false start on this clip. It's all a part of the recording process.

Beatles - There's A Place

"You Can't Do That" #48 4/11/1964 Bonus

Here's a strong Beatles track (one of 14 they had on the Hot 100 the week of 4/11/64) that was going to be in "A Hard Day's Night" but was left on the cutting room floor. It was planned as an A-side until Paul came up with "Can't Buy Me Love" so this was relegated to the B-side of that single. A rarity in that John played lead guitar.

"All I See Is You" #20 10/22/1966

Another song that I wasn't familiar with from back in the day - a UK Top 10 that might be the very definition of a torch song. Dusty Springfield just absolutely belts this one out. It was her last American Top 20 effort until "Son Of A Preacher Man" a few years later. She overcame some addiction issues early on in her career. Video is apparently from her British TV show.

"See See Rider" (Animals) #10 10/22/1966

More proof the Brits had a better handle on American blues music than the Yanks did. Here's the Animals' take on a song by Ma Rainey that dates from at least 1924 and probably much earlier. The term "see see rider" or "C.C. Rider" has mixed meanings. It could refer to a prostitute, a gigolo, or even a circuit rider preacher. Chuck Willis had maybe the most well-known version in the 50's. Elvis opened his shows for many years with this tune, before he left the building for good in 1977.

"The Way You Do The Things You Do" #11 4/11/1964 Bonus

From April '64, a #1 R&B tune for the mighty Temptations and their first hit on the pop charts as well, after their first seven singles flopped. Smokey Robinson wrote the song with bandmate Bobby Rogers while the Miracles were on tour by stringing together one pickup line after another. Boredom on the road can be put to good use.

"Not A Second Time" Album cut

A John song from "With The Beatles" over there and "Meet The Beatles!" in America where he was trying to channel Smokey Robinson. Definitely dark, but yet it has a poppy feel. Not a standard eight-to-the-bar song structure, that's for sure. One of those quirky Lennon tunes that the boys were able to pull off quite nicely. George Martin played piano here, as he occasionally did in addition to being their producer. It doesn't look like George Harrison was on this track, however. No idea why not.

Beatles - Not A Second Time

"I Wanna Be Your Man" Album cut

A Beatles song that was a UK hit...for the Rolling Stones. John and Paul gave it to Mick and Keith, where it became the Stones' second single and first Top 20 record on the British charts. The Fab Four eventually recorded it themselves for their second album. It was Ringo's featured vocal spot in their stage shows for years, such as in this clip from their first American concert held in Washington in '64.

"Summer Samba" #26 10/15/1966

One of those instrumentals you'd hear when the TV station would lose its signal and Don Pardo or some staff announcer would offer apologies for technical difficulties. It's a definitive bossa nova tune from Walter Wanderley that reached the Top 5 on the easy listening chart for the Brazilian organist. Some US radio stations played this three or four times an hour. Tony Bennett talked him into moving to America, where Walter established himself on the San Francisco area club music scene for years.

"I've Got You Under My Skin" (Four Seasons) #9 10/15/1966

In rare instances, a tune will become a signature song for more than one artist. Cole Porter wrote this in 1936 for a MGM movie musical titled "Born To Dance" starring Eleanor Powell, known as one of the best dancers ever on screen. It's been recorded hundreds of times since, but the most well-known version was by Frank Sinatra in 1956 with that famous out-of-control trombone solo. This take by the Four Seasons has to be one of their most recognized songs as well. Frankie Valli is in rare form here.

"Solitary Man" Bonus

I missed this one a few weeks back - my apologies. It became Neil Diamond's first chart single, but only got to #55 in July 1966. Still, it helped him get a foot in the show biz door, as his songs began to be picked up by other artists. Neil's next single, "Cherry, Cherry" knocked down the door for good. This one did better when it was reissued a few years later, reaching #21 in September 1970.

"Cherry Cherry" #6 10/15/1966

The first Top 10 hit for Neil Diamond. He had been a pre-med major at NYU, but dropped out ten credits short of graduating to pursue songwriting at $50 a week. After six years of being broke, he became an overnight success. And he could've been a doctor! Neil landed at the famed Brill Building and hooked up with fellow writers Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, who produced this record as Ellie prominently sang backup vocals. Notice there are no drums - it was a three-chord demo that wound up being released as a single.

"Psychotic Reaction" #5 10/15/1966

Count Five was an ultimate one-hit wonder group. They wore Dracula-style capes on stage in their early days around the San José area. (Get it? COUNT Five?) The band was unable to capitalize on their sole hit, however, as they concentrated on staying in college (and keeping their draft deferments) and broke up within a year of this Top 5 effort. It has a definite Jeff Beck Yardbirds-style guitar solo and double-time raveup in the middle, which was copied and dubbed onto the end to make the 45 a little longer.

"Reach Out I'll Be There" #1 10/15/1966

One of the bedrock songs of Motown. Holland-Dozier-Holland scored again by writing the Four Tops' second #1 hit, but at the recording session the Tops regarded this as a throwaway. H-D-H might have subconsciously borrowed from "What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted" by Jimmy Ruffin (which they didn't write) by rhyming "confusion" and "illusion" and other stuff. The way they were cranking out material, it's hard to say.

"Good Day Sunshine" Album cut

Another "Revolver" track featuring Paul's sense of vaudeville-type songwriting, which became a cause of major friction between him and John over their next few albums. John would derisively call this "granny music" but it's still quite the bouncy, catchy tune. Their producer George Martin played the ragtime-like piano solo. Paul said he was influenced to an extent by the Lovin' Spoonful's "Daydream." Great song!

"She Said She Said" Album cut

One of the more curious cuts from "Revolver," the final track recorded for that album developed from a break in the Beatles' 1965 US concert tour. They rented a house in the Benedict Canyon area above Beverly Hills prior to two Hollywood Bowl shows. The LSD was flowing freely, and Peter Fonda (pre-"Easy Rider") kept telling John and George about a childhood gun accident where he was brought back to life by the doctors three times, saying he knew what it's like to be dead. This bummed everybody out, but it gave the boys a song idea. Paul didn't even play here (George played bass), probably because of an argument in the studio; he also hadn't taken LSD yet and couldn't relate. It shifts back and forth between 3/4 and 4/4 time, and Ringo's drum part is really quite good.

Beatles - She Said She Said

"Please Mister Postman" (Beatles) Bonus

The b-side of the aforementioned Canadian "Roll Over Beethoven" single was also a remake, being a cover of the Marvelettes' first Motown hit. It was on "With The Beatles" in the UK and "The Beatles Second Album" (yes, that's what Capitol called it) in America. The audio is from a 1963 BBC Radio appearance on the "Pop Go The Beatles" programme. (Ya dig that British spelling?)

"Roll Over Beethoven" (Beatles) #68 4/4/1964 Bonus

Yet another Beatles entry from the week of April 4, 1964, and the single was only available in the States as an import! Capitol Records issued the remake of this Chuck Berry classic as a 45 in Canada. It went to #1 there, but charted in America solely on the strength of radio airplay and sales in border cities like Buffalo and Detroit. In the 70's it became the first US chart record for Electric Light Orchestra. The video is from the legendary Washington Coliseum concert on February 11, 1964 where they opened the show with this song. George had some microphone issues, unfortunately.

"Hold Me Tight" Album cut

One from "Meet The Beatles!" that both John and Paul basically considered album filler. The bass is almost nonexistent in the mix and the vocals are a little off-key, but it was still better than 99% of whatever else was out there at the time. It was initially attempted during the marathon 13-hour recording session that produced ten songs for their first album, but was scrapped and tried again for their second British LP.

Beatles - Hold Me Tight

"From Me To You" #41 4/4/1964 Bonus

The week of April 4, 1964 saw the Beatles holding 12 spots on the Billboard Hot 100, including the entire Top 5. The next week that number would increase to 14, with three of the Top 5. This was their first across-the-board British #1, yet when Vee-Jay Records re-released it here after flopping badly in 1963 (only getting to #116) they foolishly put it on the B-side of "Please Please Me." Vee-Jay would've been far better off reissuing this separately, as it only reached #41 this time around. Side note: Del Shannon did a London concert in '63 with the Fab Four and asked John and Paul if he could record this song. Wanting to gain any foothold in the States, they agreed, so Del was the first US artist to record a Lennon-McCartney tune a good six months ahead of Beatlemania in America. However, his version only got to #77.

"Hippy Hippy Shake" #24 4/4/1964 Bonus

A good ol' rock and roller straight outta Liverpool from April '64 by the Swinging Blue Jeans. It was originally done in 1959 by Chan Romero, who had contacted Ritchie Valens' manager after The Day The Music Died and asked if he'd like to sign another teen Latino rocker. It was Chan's only thing remotely approaching a hit, but it became a fixture on the early 60's English club scene. You may have heard of another group from Liverpool who did this early on, calling themselves the Beatles.

"Just Like A Woman" (Take 1) #33 10/8/1966

Bob Dylan received a fair amount of flak for this song's lyrics, as they seemed to bash women and promote stereotypes, which he denied. It's almost impossible to locate the final issued versions of his material on YouTube or other sites. The best I could do here was take 1 of today's song, which clearly displays a work in progress as they needed 18 takes to finish the track. This first mix was nowhere close to complete, as there's a lot of near-gibberish going on. It sounded like Dylan made up the words on the fly.

"Mr. Dieingly Sad" #17 10/8/1966

Here's the biggest hit by the Critters. The band's core members honed their musical chops while attending Villanova University, until several of them joined the military. Vocalist and lead guitarist Don Ciccone volunteered for the Air Force, then was part of the 70's incarnation of the Four Seasons in their "Who Loves You" and "December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night)" days. He also toured with Tommy James and the Shondells. Video is from "Where The Action Is."