“Smiling Phases” Album cut

It’s a slow week on the Hot 100, so we’ll give you some cuts from Top 10 LP’s this week in 1969. From the self-titled second album by Blood, Sweat & Tears, this track was a radical rearrangement of the original by Traffic in late 1967. BS&T definitely went in a far more commercial direction here. It sold 4 million copies, so...

“I Can Hear Music” #24 4/26/1969

One written by Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry and Phil Spector and first recorded by the Ronettes in 1966, only reaching #100. The Beach Boys re-did the song minus Brian Wilson; he’d basically checked out by now (ref. the movie “Love & Mercy”). It was their last Top 40 entry until a 1976 remake of Chuck Berry’s “Rock And Roll Music.”

“Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show” #22 4/26/1969

If you’ve been to Mississippi in the summertime, you really can hear yourself sweat. Neil Diamond wrote this after seeing a tent revival in Jackson, Miss. one hot August night. The intensity of the preacher and audience left an impression on a Jewish college kid from Brooklyn. Diamond recorded this in Memphis; his sessions were bumped due to Elvis booking the studio at the last minute. The King repaid the inconvenience by cutting one of Neil’s songs, “And The Grass Won’t Pay No Mind.”

“Do Your Thing” #11 4/26/1969

The first hit for the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band. Front man Charles Wright was already a veteran of the L.A. music scene. He put together “Those Oldies But Goodies (Reminds Me Of You)” by a group with one of the best names ever, Little Caesar and the Romans. At one time Charles employed Daryl Dragon (as in the Captain and Tennille) in his band. This tune was in the flick “Boogie Nights.”

“Twenty-Five Miles” #6 4/26/1969

Feet don’t fail me now! Born Charles Edwin Hatcher, the re-christened Edwin Starr had several Top 10 R&B hits; one of those, “Agent Double-O-Soul,” just missed the pop Top 20. Berry Gordy bought out his label and this was Edwin’s first Motown success. He later moved to England, had a couple of disco hits over there and passed away in 2003. Video is from Cleveland’s “Upbeat” show.

“Carolina In My Mind” (1969) #118 4/19/1969

The first single from James Taylor, the first non-British artist signed to the Beatles’ brand-new Apple label. Indeed, Paul played bass and George had an uncredited backing vocal here. The record tanked because JT was dealing with drug addiction and mental health issues and couldn’t tour to promote it. After one album for Apple, he signed with Warner Brothers where his career took off with “Fire And Rain.” This was quickly reissued and did marginally better; this is more uptempo and NOT the slower, stripped down version we know from his 1976 greatest hits LP. JT re-did the song because (1) the original master couldn’t be located, and (2) Apple likely wouldn’t have licensed it anyway. The ‘76 version is now the recognized one.

“Baby Driver” #101 4/19/1969

The B-side of Simon and Garfunkel’s current single almost snuck into the Hot 100 on its own. It’s a bouncy little tune, one that had nothing to do with a 2017 action film with the same title other than its use over the closing credits. Much different than S&G’s musical contributions to “The Graduate.”