"When Liking Turns To Loving" #18 2/26/1966

Another of the twenty Hot 100 charting records for Ronnie Dove, this was a Top 10 easy listening tune for him as well. That would be twenty more than any of us will ever have. Ronnie still does a few gigs in and around his home in the Baltimore area.

Ronnie Dove - When Liking Turns To Loving

"Zorba The Greek" #11 2/26/1966

Adapted from the soundtrack of the movie starring Anthony Quinn, this version was a Top 5 easy listening hit for Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. How did he play notes that fast on a trumpet? Makes me want to smash plates on the floor. It's a Greek thing. You're welcome.

Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass - Zorba The Greek

"Don't Mess With Bill" #7 2/26/1966

The Marvelettes hadn't had a major hit since '62, when they were the top girl group in Motown's early days. The Supremes then assumed that lofty mantle in '64, mainly because of better promotion from the label and its founder Berry Gordy. This one was written and produced by Smokey Robinson, who said the "Bill" in the song wasn't him - that the name just fit the song's structure.

Marvelettes - Don't Mess With Bill

"These Boots Are Made For Walkin' " #1 2/26/1966

It's been said that Nancy Sinatra inspired a couple of generations of female rockers with this record. The defiant attitude, the Carnaby Street fashions, the go-go boots...it encapsulated the 60's in two and one-half minutes, with lots of help from the Wrecking Crew. Chuck Berghofer played the upright bass intro with the sliding notes. The Scopitone video for our song today has over 62,000,000 views on YouTube. Did I mention go-go boots?

Nancy Sinatra - These Boots Are Made For Walkin'

Happy Birthday, George Harrison!

Happy birthday in memoriam, George Harrison! Bob Dylan wrote this, Olivia Newton-John had the hit with it, but George's version is just fab. He was always my favorite Beatle. RIP, brother.

George Harrison - If Not For You

"In My Life" Album cut

From "Rubber Soul," this is without a doubt one of the prettiest and most profound records the Beatles ever made. John was asked by a journalist to write a song about his youth, so it started out as a Liverpool travelogue of sorts before he made the lyrics more wistful. Paul later used the same concept with "Penny Lane." Trivia: Their producer, George Martin, used a studio trick here! Sir George played a slow piano solo while the master tape ran at half-speed. When the master was then played back at normal speed, the pitch of the piano was raised by one full octave, creating a faux harpsichord effect. The same principle was used on those Alvin and the Chipmunks records. I bet this is one of the few times those two acts are mentioned in the same post.

Beatles - In My Life

"Michelle" (Bud Shank) #65 2/19/1966

Another cover version of a Beatles tune, this one by Bud Shank. He may have been the 60's prototype for Kenny G, as he recorded many saxophone-based instrumental albums. Bud was best known for the flute solo on "California Dreamin' " from the Mamas and the Papas, which will appear in this space in a few weeks.

Bud Shank - Michelle

"Night Time" #30 2/19/1966

The last hit from the Strangeloves, three producer/writers who pretended they were Australian sheepherder brothers. One of them later produced Blondie and other CBGB-based acts out of NYC, and one later hooked Eric Burdon up with the guys that became 70's group War. George Thorogood remade today's tune in the early 80's.

Strangeloves - Night Time

"A Hard Day's Night" (Ramsey Lewis Trio) #29 2/19/1966

More than a few people did OK in the 60's with remakes of Beatles tunes. The Ramsey Lewis Trio did quite well with jazz-tinged covers of pop songs, including this one originally by the Fab Four. It's from an album the trio recorded at the Lighthouse Café in Hermosa Beach, CA.

Ramsey Lewis Trio - A Hard Day's Night

"Crying Time" #6 2/19/1966

There is no denying the influence that country music had on The Genius, Ray Charles. At a time when black folks wanted nothing to do with that genre, Ray fully embraced it. This was his comeback hit on the pop charts after being busted a third time for heroin use and getting out of rehab. Today's tune was written and done first by Buck Owens, and you can't get much more country than that.

Ray Charles - Crying Time

"My World Is Empty Without You" #5 2/19/1966

It's a testament to the success of the Supremes that anything less than a #1 hit was deemed a relative disappointment. In the 60's alone, they had 19 Top 20 singles on the Billboard pop charts, 12 of which reached the top. This one only got to #5 but boy, virtually anyone else would've loved a track record like theirs. Well, unless your names were John, Paul, George or Ringo.

Supremes - My World Is Empty Without You

"Lightnin' Strikes" #1 2/19/1966

Lou Christie hadn't had a major hit since 1963 with "Two Faces Have I" featuring his trademark falsetto. A contributing factor to his relative lack of success was him being in the Army during that time. I'd say he returned to the charts big time with this gold record. Great stuff. BTW today is his birthday!

Lou Christie - Lightnin' Strikes

"My Generation" #74 2/12/1966

One of the greatest rock songs ever - and it only got to #74 in America, although it was a Top 5 in the UK. Any YouTube clip that starts out with the Who smashing equipment on stage HAS to be great, right? Apparently Decca Records didn't promote this single very well over here at the time because some empty suits thought the feedback at the end was a manufacturing defect. Now, it's a fixture on album rock and oldies radio. I couldn't wait for this to show up in our feature!

Who - My Generation

"Snowflake" #66 (#2 Country) 2/12/1966

Here's a relatively minor pop entry, but it was a Top 5 country hit. Jim Reeves had twenty-five Top 20 country singles AFTER he passed away in a 1964 plane crash, plus another thirty Top 20's prior to that. RCA put out his recordings posthumously well into the 80's. Jim was undoubtedly possessed with one of the smoothest voices around.

Jim Reeves - Snowflake

"(You're Gonna) Hurt Yourself" #39 2/12/1966

Much like Buddy Holly with and without the Crickets, Frankie Valli released some "solo" singles in the 60's. In reality, those were Four Seasons records that were just marketed a tad differently. His first true solo efforts didn't happen until the 70's beginning with "My Eyes Adored You."

Frankie Valli - (You're Gonna) Hurt Yourself

"Michelle" (David and Jonathan) #18 2/12/1966

The Beatles never released any US singles from the American version of "Rubber Soul" but plenty of others covered those songs. There were three versions alone of "Michelle" on the Hot 100 this week. David and Jonathan were really Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway, who most notably co-wrote many hits, like "You've Got Your Troubles" (Fortunes), "Long Cool Woman" (Hollies), "Say You'll Stay Until Tomorrow" (Tom Jones) and even "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing," the famous Coca-Cola jingle from the 70's.

David and Jonathan - Michelle

"A Well Respected Man" #13 2/12/1966

A caustic record from the Kinks that addressed the arrogance of the English upper class in the 60's. Ray Davies said he wrote this after encountering some condescending attitudes from the high and mighty while staying at a UK resort, all because he was a rock and roller. Their label wouldn't even release it as a single over there.

Kinks - A Well Respected Man

"Going To A Go-Go" #11 2/12/1966

By now, Smokey Robinson had become a vice-president at Motown. In a few months he would receive billing above the Miracles on their records. They wrote most of their own material (primarily by Smokey), unlike a lot of acts on their label. Today's video, appropriately enough, is from the go-go club segment of "Hullabaloo."

Miracles - Going To A Go-Go

"Uptight (Everything's Alright)" #3 2/12/1966

As unlikely as it may sound, by now Motown was on the verge of dropping 15-year-old Stevie Wonder from the label. He'd had a #1 hit in '63 with "Fingertips" but not much else until this record. Coincidentally, this was the first release he co-wrote. In a few years he would put out "Songs In The Key Of Life," one of the most brilliant albums of the 70's.

Stevie Wonder - Uptight (Everything's Alright)

"I Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore" #52 2/5/1966

We present the first release by the Young Rascals - they would later shorten their name to just the Rascals. Their drummer, Eddie Brigati, had a brother (David) who was a member of Joey Dee and the Starliters of "Peppermint Twist" fame. Their next record would do much, much better. Video is from "Hullabaoo" guest hosted by show biz fossil Alan King.

Young Rascals - I Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore

"Spread It On Thick" #50 2/5/1966

After their one big hit "Keep On Dancing," the Gentrys went on tour with some of the biggest 60's stars like the Beach Boys and Sonny and Cher. They even showed up in one of the last beach blanket movies, "It's A Bikini World," where today's video comes from. One of the lead actors in that flick was Bob Pickett, better known as Bobby "Boris" Pickett of "Monster Mash" fame.

Gentrys - Spread It On Thick

"Tijuana Taxi" #38 2/5/1966

Herb Alpert said this Top 10 easy listening hit was based on an actual wild cab ride he and a friend took through Tijuana to attend a bullfight. Our clip today is one of those Scopitone films that were a precursor to music videos. Seriously, they were made for jukeboxes with little projectors inside. Not sure, but I believe it was filmed at Knott's Berry Farm in Southern California. On a 1-10 scale this video is around a 12 on the Cheez-O-Meter.

Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass - Tijuana Taxi

"Like A Baby" #27 2/5/1966

Here's the follow-up to "1-2-3" from Len Barry, straight outta West Philadelphia. Len fronted the Dovells in the early 60's with hits like "The Bristol Stomp" and "You Can't Sit Down." He often appeared on fellow Philly icon Dick Clark's weekday show "Where The Action Is." Future Philly soul legend Leon Huff played keyboards on this record.

Len Barry - Like A Baby

"The Men In My Little Girl's Life" #6 2/5/1966

Probably one of the most unlikely Top 10 records ever on the rock charts came from Mike Douglas. Yeah, him. He started out as a big-band singer with Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge in the 40's and wound up defining the daytime TV show genre, based out of Philadelphia. He had a guest host for the entire week, ranging from John and Yoko to Moe Howard of the Three Stooges. They sure don't do that any more. Trivia: Gloria Baker, co-writer of this song, also co-wrote the Christmas standard "Do You Hear What I Hear?"

Mike Douglas - The Men In My Little Girl's Life

"No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach Is In)" #3 2/5/1966

An Alka-Seltzer ad jingle was so popular it became a hit for the Wrecking Crew, recording as the T-Bones. The usual suspects here - Hal Blaine on drums, Carol Kaye on bass, Tommy Tedesco on lead guitar, and even Tijuana Brass member Julius Waechter on glockenspiel. They made too much money in the studio, so a road band was assembled. Members of that version stayed together and had a few 70's hits as Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds.

T-Bones - No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach Is In)

"My Love" #1 2/5/1966

One of the great backstories of 60's music here. Petula Clark was in L.A. doing the press junket thing in late '65. She was brought in for a quick session with the Wrecking Crew to record three songs. Two she liked - the third she loathed but did it anyway. An executive from her label said of the one she didn't care for, "We have a hit." Petula grabbed him by the lapels and said, "Don't you dare release that as a single!" Long story short...she relented, and wound up with her second #1 in America.

Petula Clark - My Love

"Tell Me Why" (Elvis) #33 1/29/1966

By this point, it was clear Elvis was just phoning it in. Other than movie soundtracks he recorded virtually no new material, and if those songs weren't worthy of being singles, they'd pull something out of the vaults. For example, today's selection was taken from a 1957 album, and not to be confused with a Beatles song with the same title. His career was on the downswing until the famed comeback TV special in December of '68.

Elvis Presley - Tell Me Why

"It Was A Very Good Year" #28 1/29/1966

Frank Sinatra had a way of taking someone else's song and making it his own. Today's tune was originally done by the Kingston Trio in '61, but the Chairman Of The Board certainly put his imprint on it. The arrangement by Gordon Jenkins is impeccable. Of course, this was an MOR chart-topper. You can't go wrong with a Sinatra record...

Frank Sinatra - It Was A Very Good Year

"Attack!" #18 1/29/1966

The follow-up to "A Lover's Concerto" was the second and final Top 40 record for the Toys, a girl group from Queens who were with Bob Crewe's label, he of Four Seasons and "Jersey Boys" notoriety. Their two major hits each had a basis in classical music. The girls later appeared in some oddball movie called "It's A Bikini World." Go figure.

Toys - Attack!

"Spanish Eyes" #15 1/29/1966

We present a Top 20 pop tune and #1 MOR hit from Al Martino, originally composed by Bert Kaempfert as an instrumental called "Moon Over Naples." If I remember, Homer Simpson even did a version of this. Al was one of the more unlikely singers to show up on the rock charts since Sinatra, whom we will hear from in a few days...

Al Martino - Spanish Eyes