"Good Lovin' " #1 4/30/1966

The first of six Top 10's for the Young Rascals including three #1's, such as today's tune. They would drop the "Young" from the band name by 1968. The original version was by a dude who called himself Lemme B. Good, and covered by the Olympics soon afterward in '65. Just some good ol' exuberant rock and roll here, nothing more. Sometimes simple works best.

Young Rascals - Good Lovin'

"Please Don't Stop Loving Me" #45 4/23/1966

The B-side of this Elvis single was from his then-current movie. We'll address that when the A-side appears in this space in a few days. For whatever reason, Colonel Parker thought the King didn't have to get on board with changing tastes in the 60's. He kept putting Elvis in those schlocky formula movies and kept having him crank out less than inspired records. In a couple of years Elvis would have an epiphany, and the entertainment world rejoiced. Thank ya very much.

Elvis Presley - Please Don't Stop Loving Me

"I Hear Trumpets Blow" #30 4/23/1966

This was the first Top 40 appearance for the Tokens since "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" from 1961. They would have two more records that barely cracked the Top 40, and that would be it for these Brooklyn guys. This group would have a place in rock history no matter what, based solely on the enduring success of "Lion." Neil Sedaka was an original member.

Tokens - I Hear Trumpets Blow

"What Now My Love" #24 4/23/1966

Here's one of about 200 known versions of this song that everyone from Sonny and Cher to Elvis has recorded over the years. The video today is from a TV special featuring Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass at various locales, like with the Seven Dwarfs (Dwarves?) at Disneyland, at the beach, at A&M Records HQ (located in Charlie Chaplin's old studios on LaBrea near Sunset Blvd. in LA), at a bullfight across the border, and even Herb up in a tree wearing a sombrero. Ahhh, the 60's...

Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass - What Now My Love

"This Old Heart Of Mine (Is Weak For You)" #12 4/23/1966

The Isley Brothers briefly recorded for Motown in the mid 60's. This was their biggest hit during that period. Prior to that, they had a guitarist in the band...named Jimi Hendrix. He left after a few months and moved to England, and the rest is history. Jimi was not on this single. Rod Stewart re-did today's song with Ronald Isley and took it to #1 on the adult contemporary chart for five weeks in 1990. Another Holland-Dozier-Holland tune.

Isley Brothers - This Old Heart Of Mine (Is Weak For You)

"A Sign Of The Times" #11 4/23/1966

One that just missed the American Top 10 for Petula Clark. She had already been quite successful in her native England and on the Continent, but after "Downtown" Pet almost always had bigger hits in the US than in Europe. The backing vocals on virtually all her songs were by the best British girl group you never heard of, the Breakaways. They sang backup on dozens of hit records over there.

Petula Clark - A Sign Of The Times

"Secret Agent Man" #3 4/23/1966

The British TV show "Danger Man" proved to be very popular worldwide in the early 60's. Eventually it aired here on CBS under the title "Secret Agent" with different opening music composed by P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri. The 15-second theme proved so popular they were asked to tack on a few verses. Their producer Lou Adler gave the extended version to another of his clients, Johnny Rivers, who took it to the Top 5 and added to the secret agent fad of the time.

Johnny Rivers - Secret Agent Man

"Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" #2 4/23/1966

These days, Sonny Bono could never write a song having this title. Political correctness would dictate otherwise. It was the first of twelve Top 10 solo hits over the decades for his then-wife Cher, and with its Greek-style structure, this one did quite well in Europe. Definitely a Wrecking Crew effort, given the connections they both had with those stellar musicians.

Cher - Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)

"Long Live Love" Bonus

Sandie Shaw was yet another British performer who never had that breakthrough hit in America. She had a few minor chart records here but scored three UK #1's, of which this was the second from May 1965. Her first in '64 was the Bacharach/David tune "(There's) Always Something There To Remind Me," a 80's hit for Naked Eyes and a signature song for Dionne Warwick, that for whatever reason kinda flopped for Dionne. Sandie's trademark was performing barefoot on stage.

Sandie Shaw - Long Live Love

"Where Are You Now (My Love)" Bonus

For our selection today, we present another British #1 record that, as far as I can tell, wasn't even released in the States. Jackie Trent reached the top over there in May of '65 with this one. Her manager and mentor was Tony Hatch, who did the same for Petula Clark, among many others. She and Tony eventually married, moved to Australia, and split up. Jackie passed away last year.

Jackie Trent - Where Are You Now (My Love)

"I Want To Go With You" #1 Country

Here's another of those records that was structured suspiciously like their immediate prior hit. This sounds an awful lot like "Make The World Go Away" and also made it to #1 on the country and easy listening charts for Eddy Arnold. It just snuck into the Top 40 as well, peaking at #36, and helped usher in a period where country music purposely tried to sound more poppish and uptown.

Eddy Arnold - I Want To Go With You

"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (Otis Redding) #31 4/16/1966

Otis Redding was one of those rare talents who not only wrote his own great material, but was able to take someone else's song and put his unique spin on it. Here's a Top 5 R&B version of the Stones classic as only he could do it. Otis lost his life in a small plane crash in 1968. No question he left us far too soon.

Otis Redding - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction

"Spanish Flea" #27 4/16/1966

Aaaaaand here come the bachelors! The B-side of the latest Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass single was used as the music cue on "The Dating Game" when the bachelorette began to interview the guys. Herb along with his business partner Jerry Moss ran A&M, one of the most successful independent record labels of the 60's and 70's. Today's video is from a TJB TV special from the mid-60's, and this segment was recorded at an actual bullfight in Tijuana.

Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass - Spanish Flea

"Somewhere" #26 4/16/1966

This "West Side Story" Sondheim/Bernstein tune was the final chart appearance for Mr. 1-2-3 Len Barry, ex-lead singer for early 60's band the Dovells, straight outta West Philadelphia. Len later produced a 1969 Top 20 instrumental titled "Keem-O-Sabe" by the Electric Indian, which is notable for a very early appearance from Daryl Hall as in Hall and Oates. Many members of that group became part of MFSB, responsible for backing those great Philly soul records of the 70's.

Len Barry - Somewhere

"Time Won't Let Me" #5 4/16/1966

Definitely a personal favorite today. It would be unfair to say the Outsiders were a one-hit wonder. This Cleveland outfit had three other Top 40 records, though our tune was their biggest hit before they disintegrated into different groups each using the Outsiders name. In a few years, lead singer Sonny Geraci would be threatened with legal action, so he then called his band Climax, who were true one-hit wonders in the early 70's with "Precious And Few."

Outsiders - Time Won't Let Me

"Run For Your Life" Album cut

John Lennon said that of all the material he'd written, this was his least favorite. He felt it was nothing more than album filler, though it was one that George most liked, however. John lifted the first line was straight out of an Elvis tune from the Sun Records days called "Baby, Let's Play House" and then later regretted the tone it set. Didn't stop them from including the track on "Rubber Soul."

Beatles - Run For Your Life

"The Minute You're Gone" Bonus

For a time, Cliff Richard sold more records in England than the Beatles, yet he couldn't buy a hit in America. Most of his material wasn't even released over here, including this UK #1 from April 1965. His label said his style didn't fit the US market, to which Cliff said, "How do you know when you won't even put out my records in the States?" Even though he had over 40 British Top 10 singles by 1976, nine of which reached the top of the pops, it wasn't until "Devil Woman" and "We Don't Talk Anymore" that he broke through in America.

Cliff Richard - The Minute You're Gone

"Little Latin Lupe Lu" #17 4/9/1966

Originally a Righteous Brothers tune and written by Bill Medley for a girlfriend named Lupe, several others recorded this as well but the hit version was from Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels. Mitch certainly had his style of uptempo, high energy, slam-bang rock and roll from which he rarely deviated. Hey, if something works, milk it for all you can.

Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels - Little Latin Lupe Lu

"Sure Gonna Miss Her" #9 4/9/1966

The sixth of seven straight Top 10 hits to begin the career of Gary Lewis and the Playboys. The flamenco-style guitar was done by Wrecking Crew member Tommy Tedesco, whose son Danny produced a fine documentary about those folks. I'm pretty sure Leon Russell played the organ here, too. What may sound like trumpets are actually trombones that were recorded at half-speed, then added to the master tape at normal speed, raising the pitch by one octave. The tell was how the notes slide - trumpets can't do that, but trombones can. Some inside baseball stuff.

Gary Lewis and the Playboys - Sure Gonna Miss Her

"I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" #8 4/9/1966

The first hit for B.J. Thomas, who came out of Houston and made his mark not just on the rock charts, but in country and then in gospel music. This Hank Williams classic wound up being part of Elvis's stage show. The King once said this may be the saddest song ever recorded. It's surely one of the greatest country songs of all time.

B.J. Thomas - I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry

"Daydream" #2 4/9/1966

The only 60's acts to start their careers with seven straight Top 10 records were Gary Lewis and the Playboys and these guys, the Lovin' Spoonful. John Sebastian began writing this song based on the Supremes' "Baby Love" but things took a left turn somewhere along the way. It became a song about doing nothing, similar to how "Seinfeld" was about nothing. In both cases the premise worked.

Lovin' Spoonful - Daydream

"(You're My) Soul And Inspiration" #1 4/9/1966

Basically, this is a Phil Spector record without Phil Spector. He and the Righteous Brothers had an acrimonious split when they jumped labels and their new employer, MGM, had to pay Phil $600,000. Things soon got really wacky for Mr. Spector, but that's another story. Bill Medley of the Brothers took over the production duties and faithfully reproduced the Wall Of Sound. The duo soon dissolved for a while, and this was their last Top 10 record until 1974.

Righteous Brothers - (You're My) Soul And Inspiration

"Juliet" (The Four Pennies) Bonus

We present another of those British 60's acts that never had any success in America. Only two of their singles were even released over here, including this #1 UK hit from May of 1964. Neither of them charted in the US. The song was written by a group member about his two-year-old niece. Video is from the British TV show "Ready, Steady, Go!"

Four Pennies - Juliet

"Juanita Banana" #59 4/2/1966

This 45 could never be released today. It's a novelty record about the daughter of a Mexican banana farmer who wanted to be a singer, and contains just about every stereotype imaginable. The chorus is loosely - and I do mean loosely - based on an aria from "Rigoletto." The only time I even heard a piece of the song before putting this blog together was when Dickie Goodman used a snippet in his cut-in record "Batman And His Grandmother." Dickie could be considered the father of sampling.

The Peels - Juanita Banana

"Time" #47 4/2/1966

We give you a Top 5 easy listening hit from the Pozo-Seco Singers. I understand that "pozo seco" translates into "dry well," of which there are plenty of those around Corpus Christi, Texas, their home area. Their ranks included future country music star Don Williams, who had 17 #1's and 42 Top 10 singles in his career. He was one of the most successful country performers of the 70's and 80's.

Pozo-Seco Singers - Time

"Inside-Looking Out" #34 4/2/1966

As we've mentioned previously, not all British rock came out of London or Liverpool. The Animals were from Newcastle, a gritty industrial city - sort of the Pittsburgh of the UK. Dire Straits and Sting are also connected to that area. No idea why there's a hyphen in the song title. Grand Funk Railroad covered this on their second album in 1970, with some altered lyrics referring to pot usage. Now there's an original idea, combining rock music and weed...

Animals - Inside-Looking Out

"Get Ready" #29 4/2/1966

Here's another case where one of someone's signature songs didn't do as well as you may have thought. Even though it was a #1 R&B record, the relatively low Hot 100 chart position meant this was the last time Smokey Robinson (who wrote and produced this) worked with the Temptations. Eddie Kendricks handled the lead vocals this time around. It was a Top 5 in 1970 for Rare Earth, the first Caucasian act to have a hit for Motown.

Temptations - Get Ready

"Magic Town" #21 4/2/1966

One from the Vogues, written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. They wrote (together or with others) such chestnuts as "On Broadway," "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'," "(You're My) Soul And Inspiration," "Somewhere Out There," "Sometimes When We Touch" and lots more. Barry and Cynthia have been married for almost 55 years, quite an accomplishment in the show business world.

Vogues - Magic Town

"Woman" #14 4/2/1966

Peter and Gordon were recipients of several Lennon-McCartney songs, as Peter's sister Jane was Paul's girlfriend at the time. Paul wanted to see if he could come up with a hit record without trading on his fame, so the writing credit here was under the pseudonym of Bernard Webb. It didn't take long for people to figure out the ruse. This was another instance of a British record doing better in America than it did over there. Definitely not the same as the John Lennon song of the same title.

Peter and Gordon - Woman

"Secret Agent Man" (Ventures) #54 3/26/1966

This version charted a few weeks ahead of the more recognized one by Johnny Rivers. It's from the US TV show "Secret Agent" which was shown in Britain under the title "Danger Man." That led to "The Prisoner," one of the smartest shows ever and a cult classic. The Ventures made a career out of instrumental covers of current hits, and they became so popular in Japan that club DJ's had patrons up on stage to sing along. One could say these guys helped create karaoke.

Ventures - Secret Agent Man