"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.