No group sets tonight. Instead, we have some mini-themes. Starting it off, we roll through the years with a set of tunes that prove that punk-rock was around while Sid Vicious and friends were all still in grade school.
Artist: ROLLING STONES
Song Title: "You Can't Catch Me"
Source: LP: THE ROLLING STONES NOW! (original mono vinyl)
Release Year: 1965
The early Rolling Stones are the original definition of punk. A bunch of street kids who would probably have all ended up in jail if they hadn't gotten into a band instead, the Stones recorded a lot of cover tunes in their early years, mainly songs by early rock & roll legends such as Chuck Berry. Tonight's show starts off with one that John Lennon "borrowed" a couple phrases from when he wrote "Come Together."
Artist: SHADOWS OF KNIGHT
Song Title: "Bad Little Woman"
Source: CD: NUGGETS BOX SET (originally released on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1966
Our 1966 entry is the Shadows' follow-up to their cover of Van Morrison's "Gloria" which was a huge hit for them earlier in the year. Although not a commercial success, "Bad Little Woman" goes a long way toward establishing the band's punk credentials.
Artist: VELVET UNDERGROUND
Song Title: "There She Goes Again"
Source: CD: THE VELVET UNDERGROUND & NICO (reissue of original LP)
Release Year: 1967
When the Velvet Underground first appeared, their fame was pretty much limited to the New York art crowd, of which their sponsor and primary financial backer Andy Warhol was a superstar in his own right. With talent like Lou Reed and John Cale in the band, however, the VU eventually attained legendary punk status of their own, albeit long after the band ceased to exist.
Next, we make a stopover in the year 1967 with a rather diverse set of non-single album tracks.
Artist: TIM HARDIN
Song Title: "Black Sheep Boys"
Source: LP: TIM HARDIN II (original vinyl)
Release Year: 1967
One of the forerunners of the singer-songwriter movement of the early 70s was Tim Hardin, who was probably best known for writing "If I Were a Carpenter", a hit for Bobby Darin on the pop charts and later for Johnny Cash and June Carter on the country charts.
Artist: ELECTRIC PRUNES
Song Title: "Big City"
Source: CD: UNDERGROUND (reissue of original LP)
Release Year: 1967
The second Electric Prunes album is the one that the band itself had the most creative influence over. That said, there were still a few songs that were obviously picked by the producer, David Hassinger. Of these, "Big City" is probably the most listenable.
Artist: LOVE
Song Title: "Maybe the People Would Be the Times or Between Clark and Hillsdale"
Source: CD: FOREVER CHANGES (reissue of original LP)
Release Year: 1967
Whatever else they may have been, Love was above all L.A.s hometown band. As the house band at the city's top club, the Whiskey-A-Go-Go (located on Sunset strip between Clark and Hillsdale), Love chose to immerse itself in the city's culture rather than to promote its records nationally. In a way that's a shame, as the band never achieved the iconic status of their label-mates (and former opening act) the Doors, despite leader Arthur Lee being hailed by critics as a musical genius on a par with Brian Wilson and Jimi Hendrix. "Maybe the People Would Be the Times or Between Clark and Hillsdale", from Love's third album, Forever Changes, is a highly personal song that somehow manages to be a reflection of the city itself.
Artist: DOORS
Song Title: "Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)"
Source: CD: THE DOORS (reissue of original LP)
Release Year: 1967
1967 was a breakthrough year for Elektra Records, which had only signed its first full-fledged rock band (Love) the previous year. Between Love's second and third albums and the first two Doors LPs, Elektra had by the end of the year established itself as a player. Although never released as a single, "Alabama Song" managed to make it onto the Best of the Doors album and has been a classic rock staple for years.
Artist: CIRCUS MAXIMUS
Song Title: "Chess Game"
Source: LP: CIRCUS MAXIMUS (original vinyl)
Release Year: 1967
Circus Maximus was driven by the dual creative talents of keyboardist Bob Bruno and guitarist Jerry Jeff Walker. Although Walker went on to have the greatest success, it was Bruno's more jazz-influenced songwriting that made Circus Maximus unique.
Next, we go on a road trip. And what better way to start a road trip than on a psychedelic bus?
Artist: WARLOCKS
Song Title: "Can't Come Down"
Source: CD: LOVE IS THE SONG WE SING: SAN FRANCISCO NUGGETS 1965-70 (originally released on LP vinyl)
Release Year: 1999
In 1965 Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters were travelling around conducting the Electric Kool-Aid Acid Tests, basically an excuse to turn on people to LSD. Part of Kesey's entourage was a group of young musicians calling themselves the Warlocks. Toward the end of the year, producer Sylvester Stewart (aka Sly Stone) brought the Warlocks into the studio to cut some songs. The songs themselves did not get released until 1999, when the Warlocks (now calling themselves the Grateful Dead) decided to include them on an anthology album. Vocalist/keyboardist Ron "Pig Pen" McKernon, the band's original front man, shines on "Can't Come Down".
Artist: WOOLIES
Song Title: "Who Do You Love"
Source: CD: EVEN MORE NUGGETS (originally released on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1967
The next stop on our tour is Lansing, MI., where we find local band The Woolies covering Bo Diddley and managing to hit the national charts with it, thanks in large part to the song being issued on Lou Adler's Dunhill Records, one of the hottest labels of the time.
Artist: OUTSIDERS
Song Title: "Time Won't Let Me"
Source: CD: NUGGETS BOX SET (originally issued on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1966
From Cleveland we have another local band signed to a major label, in this case Capitol Records, which at the time was having great success with both the Beatles and the Beach Boys. Lead vocalist Sonny Gerachi would reappear a few years later with the band Climax, singing a song called "Precious and Few", which is one of the greatest juxtapositions of artist names and song titles ever.
Artist: YOUNG RASCALS
Song Title: "Good Lovin'"
Source: CD: TIME/PEACE: THE RASCALS GREATEST HITS (originally released on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1966
We arrive on the east coast just in time to catch a band calling themselves the Rascals. Atlantic Records, for reasons now unknown, convinced the band to add the word "Young" to their name, which was how they were known until 1968 or so, when they went back to their original appellation.
Artist: BLOODROCK
Song Title: "Lucky In the Morning"
Source: CD: BLOODROCK 2 (reissue of original LP)
Release Year: 1970
Our final stop on the road trip is the Dallas-Fort Worth area, known at the time mostly as the home of guys with names like Landry and Staubach. Signed to Capitol by Grand Funk Railroad producer Terry Knight, Bloodrock became infamous for the song "D.O.A.", a first-person account of the aftermath of a plane crash as seen by one of the victims. Lucky in the morning, by the way, is a highly unusual occurrence, mostly due to a phenomenon known as morning breath.
To finish up the first hour we once again roll through the years, starting (again) in 1965.
Artist: JOAN BAEZ
Song Title: "There but for Fortune"
Source: 45 RPM VINYL (promo copy)
Release Year: 1965
When I was a kid I used to occasionally pick up something called a grab bag. It was literally a sealed brown paper bag with anywhere from four to six 45 rpm records in it. Usually these were "cut-outs", unsold copies of records that hadn't sold as well as expected. Often they were five or six years old (albeit unplayed). Once in a while, though, there would be a real gem among them. My original copy of this record was one such gem. I later found a promo copy while working at KUNM in Albuquerque, which is the one I use now, since my original is long since worn out. Not only was this record my first introduction to Joan Baez, it was also the first record I had ever seen on the Vanguard label and the first song written by Phil Ochs I had ever heard. Not bad for twelve and a half cents.
Artist: SIMON & GARFUNKEL
Song Title: "We've Got a Groovy Thing Going"
Source: 45 RPM VINYL
Release Year: 1966
In late 1965, producer Tom Wilson decided to preform an experiment. He took the original recording of a song from Simon & Garfunkel's 1964 album, Wednesday Morning 6AM, and added electric instruments to it (using the same musicians that had played on Bob Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited album), essentially creating a whole new version of the song and, for that matter, a whole new genre: folk-rock. "The Sound of Silence", backed by "We've Got a Groovy Thing Going", became a huge national hit, going all the way to #1 on the top 40 charts. The only problem was that by the time all this happened, Simon and Garfunkel had gone their separate ways, briefly reuniting to record "We've Got a Groovy Thing Going", but not releasing it at the time. Paul Simon, who was by then living in England, returned to the states in early 1966, got back together with Art Garfunkel and the rest is history.
Artist: KINKS
Song Title: "Harry Rag"
Source: CD: SOMETHING ELSE BY THE KINKS (reissue of original LP)
Release Year: 1967
By 1967 the Kinks had progressed way beyond their hard-rockin' roots. Their last major US hit had been "Sunny Afternoon" the previous summer, although they continued to have success in their native England. "Harry Rag" could easily be passed off as an English sea chanty; however, like everything else on the album, it is a Davies composition.
Artist: OCTOBER COUNTRY
Song Title: "My Girlfriend Is a Witch"
Source: CD: WHERE THE ACTION IS: L.A. NUGGETS 1965-68 (originally released on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1968
By 1968 the L.A. under-age club scene was winding down, and several now out of work bands were making last (and sometimes only) attempts at garnering hits in the studio. One such band was October Country, whose first release had gotten a fair amount of local airplay, but who had become bogged down trying to come up with lyrics for a follow-up single. Enter Michael Lloyd, recently split from the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band and looking to become a record producer. Lloyd not only produced and wrote the lyrics for "My Girlfriend Is a Witch", he also ended up playing on the record as well.
Artist: ROGER NICHOLS TRIO
Song Title: "Montage Mirror"
Source: CD: WHERE THE ACTION IS: L.A. NUGGETS 1965-68
Release Year: 2009
As a bonus track we have this tune, recorded in 1967 but not released until last year, when Rhino put out its long-awaited L.A.-themed entry in the Nuggets series.
Tonight's second hour is an eclectic one, made up mostly of tracks I've never played on the show before. But first...
Artist: ULTIMATE SPINACH
Song Title: "Ego Trip"
Source: LP: ULTIMATE SPINACH (original vinyl)
Release Year: 1967
There's something inherently funky about starting off the hour with a track that has a spoken intro. I did the same thing with this song a few weeks ago and will undoubtedly do it again sometime.
Artist: SUGARLOAF
Song Title: "Gold and the Blues"
Source: LP: SUGARLOAF (original vinyl)
Release Year: 1970
There don't seem to be very many instrumentals in rock radio these days, and virtually none in what passes for top 40. Perhaps that's just a natural consequence of the emergence of a "front" person as the center of attention in the 70s. There was a time, however, that every member of a band played an instrument, and many albums included at least one instrumental track. This one, from the debut Sugarloaf album, is basically a blues jam that shows that Jerry Corbetta was far more than just the guy who sang "Green-Eyed Lady" and "Don't Call Us, We'll Call You"; he was quite possibly the best rock organist ever.
Artist: NEIL YOUNG
Song Title: "Soldier"
Source: CD: DECADE (originally released on LP: JOURNEY THROUGH THE PAST)
Release Year: 1972
The 1972 soundtrack album Journey Through the Past only featured one new track, a vocal with Young accompanying himself on the piano.
Artist: TEMPTATIONS
Song Title: "Cloud Nine"
Source: 45 RPM VINYL
Release Year: 1969
Motown's psychedelic soul producers were Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, whose song "Money (That's What I Want)" had provided the start up cash for Motown itself in the early 60s. Whitfield and Strong's crowning achievement was "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" in 1972. "Cloud Nine" with its strong anti-drug message, was one of the team's earliest efforts.
The entire last half hour of this week's show consists of album tracks. First, though, a set of tunes from 1967 that all appeared on 45 RPM vinyl singles that were not available in all US markets.
Artist: BUTCH ENGLE AND THE STYX
Song Title: "Hey, I'm Lost"
Source: CD: LOVE IS THE SONG WE SING: SAN FRANCISCO NUGGETS 1965-70 (originally released on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1967
In 1966 a local San Francisco department store held a battle of the bands at the Cow Palace. Unlike most events in the city that year, this one did not tie in to the emerging hippy culture. Rather, the event drew bands that were in their element when playing high school dances and teen clubs (although the Charlatans did make an appearance). The winners of that battle were Butch Engle and the Styx. Eighteen months later, their only single appeared on the Onyx label and was distributed throughout the bay area.
Artist: CREAM
Song Title: "Tales of Brave Ulysses"
Source: CD: DISRAELI GEARS (reissue of original LP)
Release Year: 1967
Random Listener: Wait a sec. You said this hour was all songs you hadn't played on the show before, and I know I heard this one just a few weeks ago.
The Hermit: Well, yes. But look again. I said the hour was *mostly* made up of tracks I've never played. This is one of the exceptions.
RL: OK, but what about it being a single that didn't get national distribution?
TH: Glad you asked. You see, although the song is well-known as an album cut, it was also released in the UK as the B side to "Strange Brew", although neither song ever got released in the US in that form. So you see, it was not available in all US markets, only those few that were able to get UK imports.
Artist: WHATT FOUR
Song Title: "You're Wishin' I Was Someone Else"
Source: CD: WHERE THE ACTION IS: L.A. NUGGETS 1965-68 (originally released on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1967
By 1967 Mercury Records had long since moved beyond its roots as a regional Chicago label. In fact, Mercury, along with Capitol, Columbia, M-G-M, Decca and RCA Victor, was one of the "Big Six" record labels of the time, so called because between them they owned all the commercial record pressing plants in the country. It was really no surprise, then, to see Mercury signing local acts and releasing the records regionally.
Artist: CYRKLE
Song Title: "Money To Burn"
Source: LP: RED RUBBER BALL (original vinyl)
Release Year: 1966
The Cyrkle was not exactly known as an album-oriented group. After all, their first two singles both hit the top 10, no easy feat in the crowded singles market of 1966, the peak year for top 40 radio. Still, they were able to write a good portion of their own material for their first album, including this track.
Artist: WEST COAST POP ART EXPERIMENTAL BAND
Song Title: "Not One Bummer"
Source: LP: WHERE'S MY DADDY? (original vinyl)
Release Year: 1969
After losing their record contract with Reprise, along with guitarist Michael Lloyd (see "My Girlfriend Is a Witch") the WCPAEB found itself a trio consisting of Bob Markley and the Harris brothers. Nonetheless, they soldiered on, cutting this, their fifth LP, for Amos Records
Artist: CHARLATANS
Song Title: "High Coin"
Source: CD: THE CHARLATANS (reissue of original LP)
Release Year: 1969
To finish the night off we have a set from 1969, the year the legendary San Francisco band the Charlatans finally put an album out. Unfortunately, by 1969 they were only a shadow of what they had once been, having lost all but two of their original members. The opening track on the album, "High Coin", was also released as a single. Both single and album flopped, and the group disbanded soon after.
Artist: LED ZEPPELIN
Song Title: "Thank You"
Source: CD: LED ZEPPELIN II (reissue of original LP)
Release Year: 1969
Not many people realize that the first two albums by the band that pretty much defined 70s rock actually came out in 1969. I mean, really, what can you say about the Zep that hasn't already been said a million times? Better just to kick back and enjoy one of their sweetest tunes.
Artist: WHO
Song Title: "Underture"
Source: CD: TOMMY
Release Year: 1969
When it comes to the Who, I tend to favor their first three albums and the many singles they released from 1965 through 1968. Still, when it comes right down to it, I have to say that even after more than 30 years "Underture" holds up as one of the greatest rock instrumentals ever recorded; all ten minutes of it.
Artist: JAMES GANG
Song Title: "The Bomber"
Source: LP: JAMES GANG GREATEST HITS featuring JOE WALSH. (song originally released on LP: JAMES GANG RIDES AGAIN)
Release Year: 1970
Usually I end the show with "Love Theme For the Apocalypse", an instrumental I don't have to worry about paying royalties on since I wrote it myself. I got thrown this week, though, by a misprint on the album cover stating that this was the shortened version of "The Bomber" that appeared on all but the earliest pressings of James Gang Rides Again. The shortening of the track was due to the Ravel estate's objection to the use of "Bolero" as part of the song's long instrumental break. The album was retracted and re-pressed (some would refer to this as repression) with the "Bolero" segment cut from the song. Anyway, it turns out that this particular copy of "The Bomber" has "Bolero" restored, inadvertently turning it into this week's closing theme.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
PLAYLIST 8/20-22/10
Artist: BIG BROTHER AND THE HOLDING COMPANY
Song Title: "Piece of My Heart"
Source: CD: CHEAP THRILLS (reissue of original LP)
Release Year: 1968
As I said last week, I like to start the show with a classic. It doesn't get much more classic than this one. Janis Joplin at the peak of her powers.
Artist: THEM
Song Title: "Nobody Loves You When You're Down and Out"
Source: LP: NOW AND THEM (original vinyl)
Release Year: 1968
The artist that comes to mind when I see the title of this Jimmy Cox tune is, of course, Eric Clapton, who included it on the Derek and the Dominos Layla album. This version, featuring vocalist Kenny McDowell, actually predates Clapton's by a couple years.
Artist: CREAM
Song Title: "Dreaming"
Source: CD: FRESH CREAM (reissue of UK version of LP with bonus tracks)
Release Year: 1966
Speaking of Eric Clapton, here he is trading off vocals with bandmate Jack Bruce. Interesting how, in 1966, even people who would become known for long extended jams managed to record a song that clocks in at less than two minutes.
Artist: COUNT FIVE
Song Title: "Psychotic Reaction"
Source: LP: NUGGETS VOLUME 1-THE HITS (originally released on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1966
San Jose, California had more than its share of psychedelic/garage bands with recording contracts, including the Chocolate Watchband, People, and this band, which featured five guys all dressed up like Bela Lugosi's Dracula. Classic one-hit wonders, Count Five had one of the biggest hits of 1966 with "Psychotic Reaction," which for three and a half minutes managed to sound more like the Yardbirds than the Yardbirds themselves.
Artist: ROLLING STONES
Song Title: "Sittin' On a Fence"
Source: CD: FLOWERS (reissue of original US LP)
Release Year: 1966
The Stones, as well as being as gritty a rock and roll band as there ever was, occassionally showed a streak of country with tunes like this one. The Flowers LP itself was a US-only release that featured a collection of songs that had been previously released in the UK, along with true stereo mixes of a couple of their then-recent hit singles.
Artist: BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD
Song Title: "Burned"
Source: LP: BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD (original vinyl)
Release Year: 1967
About half of Neil Young's songs on the first Springfield album were sung by Richie Furay, due to somebody in a suit deciding that Young's voice was "too weird" to be featured prominently on the album. Luckily for posterity, he did get to sing on a couple of them, including this one. "Burned" was the first song on Young's triple-LP "Decade" anthology album a few years later.
Artist: ELASTIK BAND
Song Title: "Spazz"
Source: LP: NUGGETS VOLUME 2-PUNK (originally released on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1970
Just plain weirdness.
Artist: NAZZ
Song Title: "Open My Eyes"
Source: CD: NUGGETS (single CD released in mid-90s)
Release Year: 1968
Todd Rundgren found success the old-fashioned way: through trial and error. The Nazz were an important step along the way, as they were the band of record for his first, uh, record. An early version of "Hello It's Me," the song that would become his biggest solo hit a few years later, was the original A side of the first Nazz single. This song was on the flip side.
Artist: JEFFERSON AIRPLANE
Song Title: "Don't Slip Away"
Source: LP: JEFFERSON AIRPLANE TAKES OFF (stereo vinyl reissue)
Release Year: 1966
There is a perfectly logical reason I play more sets from the Airplane than from any other artist: they put out more albums (five) from the years 1966-69 than any other core artist of the era (the Grateful Dead, for example, only released three), meaning they have more quality tracks to choose from. Tonight's set, for example, consists of five tunes that I haven't played on the show since going into syndication. This first one is a colloboration between Marty Balin and Skip Spence, who would leave the band shortly after this album came out to form Moby Grape.
Artist: JEFFERSON AIRPLANE
Song Title: "Embryonic Journey"
Source: CD: WORST OF JEFFERSON AIRPLANE (reissue of original LP) (track first released on LP: Surrealistic Pillow)
Release Year: 1967
Jorma Kaukonen's signature tune. I think the word that best fits this song is "elegant", although "beautiful" works as well.
Artist: JEFFERSON AIRPLANE
Song Title: "Run Around"
Source: LP: JEFFERSON AIRPLANE TAKES OFF (stereo vinyl reissue)
Release Year: 1966
The first Airplane album was dominated by the songwriting of the band's founder, Marty Balin, both as a solo writer and as a collaborator with other band members. This tune from Balin and rhythm guitarist Paul Kantner is typical of the early Jefferson Airplane sound.
Artist: JEFFERSON AIRPLANE
Song Title: "Good Shepherd"
Source: CD: WORST OF JEFFERSON AIRPLANE (reissue of original LP) (track originally released on LP:Volunteers)
Release Year: 1969
Jorma Kaukonen is given credit for arranging this traditional tune from the fifth Airplane album. The song is a good example of how much the group's sound had changed over a three year period, moving in several different directions at once.
Artist: JEFFERSON AIRPLANE
Song Title: "Bringing Me Down"
Source: LP: JEFFERSON AIRPLANE TAKES OFF (stereo vinyl reissue) (also released on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1968
One of the earliest singles the Airplane released was this Balin/Kantner collaboration from the first album.
Artist: SEEDS
Song Title: "Nobody Spoil My Fun"
Source: LP: THE SEEDS (original vinyl)
Release Year: 1966
Sky Saxon's band was a popular attraction on the L.A. club scene in 1966. They were also one of the first bands to feature all original material on their albums, such as this tune from their debut effort.
Artist: MODERN FOLK QUINTET
Song Title: "Night Time Girl"
Source: CD: WHERE THE ACTION IS: LA NUGGETS 1965-68 (originally released on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1966
The Modern Folk Quintet can be seen two ways: either as a group that constantly strived to be on the cutting edge or simply as fad followers. Starting off in the early 60s, the MFQ found themselves working with Phil Spector in the middle of the decade, complete with Spector's trademark "wall of sound" production techniques. When that didn't work out they signed with Lou Adler's Dunhill Records, cutting this track that sounds like a psychedelicized version of the Mamas and the Papas.
Artist: MOUNTAIN
Song Title: "Blood of the Sun"
Source: CD: WOODSTOCK: 40 YEARS ON: BACK TO YASGUR'S FARM
Release Year: 2009
"Blood of the Sun" is one of two songs that Mountain re-recorded for the Woodstock 2 album. This is the previously unreleased recording of the actual live performance at the festival.
Artist: LOVIN' SPOONFUL
Song Title: "Priscilla Millionaira"
Source: LP: EVERYTHING PLAYING
Release Year: 1968
Back in the early years of Stuck In the Psychedelic Era as a live show on WEOS I used to occassional play a "bad song of the week." Although I have no intention of re-instituting that idea, this song would have qualified. John Sebastian's tenure as band leader was coming to an end when this LP came out. Maybe it was for the better.
Artist: ELECTRIC PRUNES
Song Title: "I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)"
Source: CD: I HAD TOO MUCH TO DREAM (LAST NIGHT) (reissue of original LP)
Release Year: 1967
Only a handful of tunes make everyone's list of "psychedelic" songs. This one so well defines the genre that Lenny Kaye himself chose it to be the opening track on the original Nuggets album.
Artist: BEACON STREET UNION
Song Title: "A Not Very August Afternoon"
Source: CD: THE CLOWN DIED IN MARVIN GARDENS (reissue of mono version of original LP)
Release Year: 1968
Although Ultimate Spinach is the usually the band most cited as being part of the infamous "Boss-Town Sound" promoted heavily by M-G-M Records, the Beacon Street Union were the actual architects of the style itself. Already well-established in Boston, the band had actually relocated to New York when they became the first psychedelic band to sign with M-G-M. It was their signing which led to Ultimate Spinach, Orpheus and Earth Opera also getting contracts with one of the stodgiest of the major labels of the era.
Artist: OTIS REDDING
Song Title: "Try a Little Tenderness"
Source: CD: ATLANTIC RHYTHM AND BLUES, VOL 6 (originally released on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1966
One of the defining events of the psychedelic era was the Monterey International Pop Festival in June of 1967. One of the greatest performances at that festival was put on by Otis Redding, with Booker T. and the MGs along with the Bar-Kays horn section backing him up onstage. The show stopper of that performance was "Try a Little Tenderness", heard here in its original 1966 studio version (with pretty much the same personnel).
Artist: FRUMIOUS BANDERSNATCH
Song Title: "Hearts To Cry"
Source: CD: LOVE IS THE SONG WE SING: SAN FRANCISCO NUGGETS 1965-1970 (originally released on Muggles Grammophone EP # 1)
Release Year: 1968
Rock music and the real estate business have something in common: location can make all the difference. Take the San Francisco Bay Area. You have one of the world's great Cosmopolitan cities at the north end of a peninsula. South of the city, along the peninsula itself you have mostly redwood forest land interspersed with fairly affluent communities along the way to Silicon Valley and the city of San Jose at the south end of the bay. The eastern side of the bay, on the other hand, spans am economic range from blue collar to ghetto and is politically conservative; not exactly the most receptive environment for a hippy band calling itself Frumious Bandersnatch, which is a shame, since they had at least as much talent as any other band in the area. Unable to develop much of a following, they are one of the great "should have beens" of the psychedelic era.
Artist: JIMI HENDRIX
Song Title: "Astro Man"
Source: CD: FIRST DAYS OF THE NEW RISING SUN (song originally released on LP: THE CRY OF LOVE)
Release Year: 1971
A little known fact about Jimi Hendrix is that he was a comic book fan. "Astro Man", recorded in 1970, reflects that aspect of the man.
Artist: JETHRO TULL
Song Title: "Driving Song"
Source: CD: STAND UP (bonus track originally released on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1969
By 1969 the presence of "underground" FM radio stations in most major US cities playing what would come to be called "album rock" was making it possible for an artist to be considered successful without having the benefit of a top 40 hit record. This was not the case in the UK, where top 40 itself was considered an "underground" format heard on illegal AM "pirate" stations broadcasting from offshore transmitters. This meant that British bands such as Jethro Tull were continuing to put out singles that were either only available as album cuts or not released at all in the US. "Driving Song" was originally released as the B side of "Living In the Past" in 1969; neither song appeared in the US until the Living In the Past LP was released in 1973.
Artist: DONOVAN
Song Title: "House of Jansch"
Source: LP: MELLOW YELLOW (original vinyl)
Release Year: 1967
One of the top names in British folk music in the 60s was Bert Jansch. This song was Donovan's way of acknowledging Jansch's influence on his own music.
Artist: LEFT BANKE
Song Title: "Pretty Ballerina"
Source: 45 RPM vinyl (original release)
Release Year: 1967
I played the stereo mix of this song a couple weeks ago. This is the mono mix.
Artist: MOTHERS
Song Title: "We're Only In It For the Money (side 1)
Source: CD: WE'RE ONLY IN IT FOR THE MONEY (reissue of original LP)
Release Year: 1968
The first Mothers album, Freak Out, had one side (of four) dedicated to a single concept. The second album, Absolutely Free, was essentially two concept sides, each with its own subtitle. The process was taken to its inevitable conclusion with the third album, in which both sides are part of the same concept. I could have gone ahead and played the entire album, but let's be honest here. When this album came out, most people had record players with long spindles for stacking records. That's why many people could recite the lyrics to an entire side of an album and yet have no clue as to what was on the other side. In keeping with the true spirit of the era, I'm only playing side one tonight. Maybe next time I'll play side two.
Artist: BLUES PROJECT
Song Title: "The Flute Thing"
Source: LP: PROJECTIONS (original vinyl)
Release Year: 1966
The Blues Project was one of the most influential bands in rock history, yet one of the least known. Perhaps the first of the "underground" rock bands, the Project made their name by playing small colleges across the country (including Hobart College, where Stuck in the Psychedelic Era is produced). "The Flute Thing" features bassist Andy Kuhlberg on flute, with rhythm guitarist Steve Katz taking over the bass playing, joining lead guitarist Danny Kalb and keyboardist Al Kooper for a tune that owes more to jazz artists like Roland Kirk than to anything top 40 rock had to offer at the time.
Song Title: "Piece of My Heart"
Source: CD: CHEAP THRILLS (reissue of original LP)
Release Year: 1968
As I said last week, I like to start the show with a classic. It doesn't get much more classic than this one. Janis Joplin at the peak of her powers.
Artist: THEM
Song Title: "Nobody Loves You When You're Down and Out"
Source: LP: NOW AND THEM (original vinyl)
Release Year: 1968
The artist that comes to mind when I see the title of this Jimmy Cox tune is, of course, Eric Clapton, who included it on the Derek and the Dominos Layla album. This version, featuring vocalist Kenny McDowell, actually predates Clapton's by a couple years.
Artist: CREAM
Song Title: "Dreaming"
Source: CD: FRESH CREAM (reissue of UK version of LP with bonus tracks)
Release Year: 1966
Speaking of Eric Clapton, here he is trading off vocals with bandmate Jack Bruce. Interesting how, in 1966, even people who would become known for long extended jams managed to record a song that clocks in at less than two minutes.
Artist: COUNT FIVE
Song Title: "Psychotic Reaction"
Source: LP: NUGGETS VOLUME 1-THE HITS (originally released on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1966
San Jose, California had more than its share of psychedelic/garage bands with recording contracts, including the Chocolate Watchband, People, and this band, which featured five guys all dressed up like Bela Lugosi's Dracula. Classic one-hit wonders, Count Five had one of the biggest hits of 1966 with "Psychotic Reaction," which for three and a half minutes managed to sound more like the Yardbirds than the Yardbirds themselves.
Artist: ROLLING STONES
Song Title: "Sittin' On a Fence"
Source: CD: FLOWERS (reissue of original US LP)
Release Year: 1966
The Stones, as well as being as gritty a rock and roll band as there ever was, occassionally showed a streak of country with tunes like this one. The Flowers LP itself was a US-only release that featured a collection of songs that had been previously released in the UK, along with true stereo mixes of a couple of their then-recent hit singles.
Artist: BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD
Song Title: "Burned"
Source: LP: BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD (original vinyl)
Release Year: 1967
About half of Neil Young's songs on the first Springfield album were sung by Richie Furay, due to somebody in a suit deciding that Young's voice was "too weird" to be featured prominently on the album. Luckily for posterity, he did get to sing on a couple of them, including this one. "Burned" was the first song on Young's triple-LP "Decade" anthology album a few years later.
Artist: ELASTIK BAND
Song Title: "Spazz"
Source: LP: NUGGETS VOLUME 2-PUNK (originally released on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1970
Just plain weirdness.
Artist: NAZZ
Song Title: "Open My Eyes"
Source: CD: NUGGETS (single CD released in mid-90s)
Release Year: 1968
Todd Rundgren found success the old-fashioned way: through trial and error. The Nazz were an important step along the way, as they were the band of record for his first, uh, record. An early version of "Hello It's Me," the song that would become his biggest solo hit a few years later, was the original A side of the first Nazz single. This song was on the flip side.
Artist: JEFFERSON AIRPLANE
Song Title: "Don't Slip Away"
Source: LP: JEFFERSON AIRPLANE TAKES OFF (stereo vinyl reissue)
Release Year: 1966
There is a perfectly logical reason I play more sets from the Airplane than from any other artist: they put out more albums (five) from the years 1966-69 than any other core artist of the era (the Grateful Dead, for example, only released three), meaning they have more quality tracks to choose from. Tonight's set, for example, consists of five tunes that I haven't played on the show since going into syndication. This first one is a colloboration between Marty Balin and Skip Spence, who would leave the band shortly after this album came out to form Moby Grape.
Artist: JEFFERSON AIRPLANE
Song Title: "Embryonic Journey"
Source: CD: WORST OF JEFFERSON AIRPLANE (reissue of original LP) (track first released on LP: Surrealistic Pillow)
Release Year: 1967
Jorma Kaukonen's signature tune. I think the word that best fits this song is "elegant", although "beautiful" works as well.
Artist: JEFFERSON AIRPLANE
Song Title: "Run Around"
Source: LP: JEFFERSON AIRPLANE TAKES OFF (stereo vinyl reissue)
Release Year: 1966
The first Airplane album was dominated by the songwriting of the band's founder, Marty Balin, both as a solo writer and as a collaborator with other band members. This tune from Balin and rhythm guitarist Paul Kantner is typical of the early Jefferson Airplane sound.
Artist: JEFFERSON AIRPLANE
Song Title: "Good Shepherd"
Source: CD: WORST OF JEFFERSON AIRPLANE (reissue of original LP) (track originally released on LP:Volunteers)
Release Year: 1969
Jorma Kaukonen is given credit for arranging this traditional tune from the fifth Airplane album. The song is a good example of how much the group's sound had changed over a three year period, moving in several different directions at once.
Artist: JEFFERSON AIRPLANE
Song Title: "Bringing Me Down"
Source: LP: JEFFERSON AIRPLANE TAKES OFF (stereo vinyl reissue) (also released on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1968
One of the earliest singles the Airplane released was this Balin/Kantner collaboration from the first album.
Artist: SEEDS
Song Title: "Nobody Spoil My Fun"
Source: LP: THE SEEDS (original vinyl)
Release Year: 1966
Sky Saxon's band was a popular attraction on the L.A. club scene in 1966. They were also one of the first bands to feature all original material on their albums, such as this tune from their debut effort.
Artist: MODERN FOLK QUINTET
Song Title: "Night Time Girl"
Source: CD: WHERE THE ACTION IS: LA NUGGETS 1965-68 (originally released on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1966
The Modern Folk Quintet can be seen two ways: either as a group that constantly strived to be on the cutting edge or simply as fad followers. Starting off in the early 60s, the MFQ found themselves working with Phil Spector in the middle of the decade, complete with Spector's trademark "wall of sound" production techniques. When that didn't work out they signed with Lou Adler's Dunhill Records, cutting this track that sounds like a psychedelicized version of the Mamas and the Papas.
Artist: MOUNTAIN
Song Title: "Blood of the Sun"
Source: CD: WOODSTOCK: 40 YEARS ON: BACK TO YASGUR'S FARM
Release Year: 2009
"Blood of the Sun" is one of two songs that Mountain re-recorded for the Woodstock 2 album. This is the previously unreleased recording of the actual live performance at the festival.
Artist: LOVIN' SPOONFUL
Song Title: "Priscilla Millionaira"
Source: LP: EVERYTHING PLAYING
Release Year: 1968
Back in the early years of Stuck In the Psychedelic Era as a live show on WEOS I used to occassional play a "bad song of the week." Although I have no intention of re-instituting that idea, this song would have qualified. John Sebastian's tenure as band leader was coming to an end when this LP came out. Maybe it was for the better.
Artist: ELECTRIC PRUNES
Song Title: "I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)"
Source: CD: I HAD TOO MUCH TO DREAM (LAST NIGHT) (reissue of original LP)
Release Year: 1967
Only a handful of tunes make everyone's list of "psychedelic" songs. This one so well defines the genre that Lenny Kaye himself chose it to be the opening track on the original Nuggets album.
Artist: BEACON STREET UNION
Song Title: "A Not Very August Afternoon"
Source: CD: THE CLOWN DIED IN MARVIN GARDENS (reissue of mono version of original LP)
Release Year: 1968
Although Ultimate Spinach is the usually the band most cited as being part of the infamous "Boss-Town Sound" promoted heavily by M-G-M Records, the Beacon Street Union were the actual architects of the style itself. Already well-established in Boston, the band had actually relocated to New York when they became the first psychedelic band to sign with M-G-M. It was their signing which led to Ultimate Spinach, Orpheus and Earth Opera also getting contracts with one of the stodgiest of the major labels of the era.
Artist: OTIS REDDING
Song Title: "Try a Little Tenderness"
Source: CD: ATLANTIC RHYTHM AND BLUES, VOL 6 (originally released on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1966
One of the defining events of the psychedelic era was the Monterey International Pop Festival in June of 1967. One of the greatest performances at that festival was put on by Otis Redding, with Booker T. and the MGs along with the Bar-Kays horn section backing him up onstage. The show stopper of that performance was "Try a Little Tenderness", heard here in its original 1966 studio version (with pretty much the same personnel).
Artist: FRUMIOUS BANDERSNATCH
Song Title: "Hearts To Cry"
Source: CD: LOVE IS THE SONG WE SING: SAN FRANCISCO NUGGETS 1965-1970 (originally released on Muggles Grammophone EP # 1)
Release Year: 1968
Rock music and the real estate business have something in common: location can make all the difference. Take the San Francisco Bay Area. You have one of the world's great Cosmopolitan cities at the north end of a peninsula. South of the city, along the peninsula itself you have mostly redwood forest land interspersed with fairly affluent communities along the way to Silicon Valley and the city of San Jose at the south end of the bay. The eastern side of the bay, on the other hand, spans am economic range from blue collar to ghetto and is politically conservative; not exactly the most receptive environment for a hippy band calling itself Frumious Bandersnatch, which is a shame, since they had at least as much talent as any other band in the area. Unable to develop much of a following, they are one of the great "should have beens" of the psychedelic era.
Artist: JIMI HENDRIX
Song Title: "Astro Man"
Source: CD: FIRST DAYS OF THE NEW RISING SUN (song originally released on LP: THE CRY OF LOVE)
Release Year: 1971
A little known fact about Jimi Hendrix is that he was a comic book fan. "Astro Man", recorded in 1970, reflects that aspect of the man.
Artist: JETHRO TULL
Song Title: "Driving Song"
Source: CD: STAND UP (bonus track originally released on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1969
By 1969 the presence of "underground" FM radio stations in most major US cities playing what would come to be called "album rock" was making it possible for an artist to be considered successful without having the benefit of a top 40 hit record. This was not the case in the UK, where top 40 itself was considered an "underground" format heard on illegal AM "pirate" stations broadcasting from offshore transmitters. This meant that British bands such as Jethro Tull were continuing to put out singles that were either only available as album cuts or not released at all in the US. "Driving Song" was originally released as the B side of "Living In the Past" in 1969; neither song appeared in the US until the Living In the Past LP was released in 1973.
Artist: DONOVAN
Song Title: "House of Jansch"
Source: LP: MELLOW YELLOW (original vinyl)
Release Year: 1967
One of the top names in British folk music in the 60s was Bert Jansch. This song was Donovan's way of acknowledging Jansch's influence on his own music.
Artist: LEFT BANKE
Song Title: "Pretty Ballerina"
Source: 45 RPM vinyl (original release)
Release Year: 1967
I played the stereo mix of this song a couple weeks ago. This is the mono mix.
Artist: MOTHERS
Song Title: "We're Only In It For the Money (side 1)
Source: CD: WE'RE ONLY IN IT FOR THE MONEY (reissue of original LP)
Release Year: 1968
The first Mothers album, Freak Out, had one side (of four) dedicated to a single concept. The second album, Absolutely Free, was essentially two concept sides, each with its own subtitle. The process was taken to its inevitable conclusion with the third album, in which both sides are part of the same concept. I could have gone ahead and played the entire album, but let's be honest here. When this album came out, most people had record players with long spindles for stacking records. That's why many people could recite the lyrics to an entire side of an album and yet have no clue as to what was on the other side. In keeping with the true spirit of the era, I'm only playing side one tonight. Maybe next time I'll play side two.
Artist: BLUES PROJECT
Song Title: "The Flute Thing"
Source: LP: PROJECTIONS (original vinyl)
Release Year: 1966
The Blues Project was one of the most influential bands in rock history, yet one of the least known. Perhaps the first of the "underground" rock bands, the Project made their name by playing small colleges across the country (including Hobart College, where Stuck in the Psychedelic Era is produced). "The Flute Thing" features bassist Andy Kuhlberg on flute, with rhythm guitarist Steve Katz taking over the bass playing, joining lead guitarist Danny Kalb and keyboardist Al Kooper for a tune that owes more to jazz artists like Roland Kirk than to anything top 40 rock had to offer at the time.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
WITT now streaming
Hey, congrats to WITT-FM, community radio for Zionsville-Indianapolis. They are now streaming live on the web, which means that you can now hear Stuck in the Psychedelic Era Friday nights from 10-midnight (Eastern) by going to http://www.919witt.org/ and following the links.
Also, sorry about the techical flub on WEOS this past Saturday night. Geneva listeners missed a handful of great songs in the first half hour. As soon as I can figure out a way to make it up to you, I will.
This week we have a set of Airplane tunes that I haven't played before and a whole side of the Mothers. And that accounts for less than half the show! I'll talk to you then.
Also, sorry about the techical flub on WEOS this past Saturday night. Geneva listeners missed a handful of great songs in the first half hour. As soon as I can figure out a way to make it up to you, I will.
This week we have a set of Airplane tunes that I haven't played before and a whole side of the Mothers. And that accounts for less than half the show! I'll talk to you then.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Playlist 8/13-15/10
Artist: BLUE CHEER
Song Title: "Summertime Blues"
Source: LP: NUGGETS, VOL 1-THE HITS (originally appeared on LP:VINCEBUS ERUPTUM, also released on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1968
Whenever possible, I like to start the show with a classic. Seeing as we're in the middle of a heat wave, this seemed like an approriate choice.
Artist: ROLLING STONES
Song Title: "We Love You"
Source: 45 RPM vinyl (stereo reissue)
Release Year: 1967
After the less than stellar chart performance of the LP Their Satanic Majesties Request, the Stones decided to pull out all the stops with a double 'A' sided single. "We Love You" was their most expensive production ever, and included a promotional film that is considered a forerunner of the modern music video. Oddly enough, the other side of the record, "Dandelion," ended up getting more airplay, at least in the US.
Artist: PROCOL HARUM
Song Title: "Shine On Brightly"
Source: LP: SHINE ON BRIGHTLY (US pressing)
Release Year: 1968
The original Procol lineup hit their artistic peak with the Shine On Brightly album, considered one of the first "progressive rock" albums.
Artist: BYRDS
Song Title: "The World Turns All Around Her"
Source: LP: TURN! TURN! TURN! (vinyl)
Release Year: 1965
In the early days, the Byrds were known more for their reworking of other writers' material, such as Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man" and Pete Seeger's "Turn! Turn! Turn!" than for tunes they wrote themselves. Eventually, McGuinn, Crosby and Hillman would all develop into outstanding songwriters, but before they did, Gene Clark was considered the band's top composer. This track from their second album shows why.
Artist: BEE GEES
Song Title: "Birdie Told Me"
Source: 45 RPM PROMO EP
Release Year: 1968
The Extended Play 45 RPM record was a popular format in the 50s that by the late 60s had all but disappeared in the US. In the UK, however, the format was still economically viable (The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour had been originally released exclusively in that format, for example). Generally the songs on British EPs were either included on standard LPs in the US or not issued in the states at all. In 1968 Atco Records decided to take a chance and send out a promo in the EP format to various radio stations. To my knowledge it was never released to the public.
Artist: MOUNTAIN
Song Title: "Theme From An Imaginary Western"
Source: CD: WOODSTOCK-40 YEARS ON-BACK TO YASGUR'S FARM
Release Year: 2009 (recorded 1969)
Following the success of the original Woodstock soundtrack album, Cotillion decided to release a second double LP collection of songs recorded at the festival (but not included in the movie). Among those were two songs by the band Mountain, which, partially based on their performance at the festival itself, was slowly gaining popularity among rock afficionados. The band, however, was unsatisfied with the quality of the original recordings and perfomances, and insisted on re-recording both songs that were to be included on the Woodstock 2 album. The actual live recording of this Jack Bruce/Pete Brown tune was not released until Rhino's 2009 anniversary collection, which set out to present the music exactly as the audience heard it, flaws and all. Although there is a bit of a vocal gaff early on, Leslie West's guitar solo has a certain energy that is missing from the Woodstock 2 version.
Artist: FRATERNITY OF MAN
Song Title: "Don't Bogart Me"
Source: LP: EASY RIDER SOUNDTRACK (original vinyl)
Release Year: 1970
In the late 60s there was a certain disconnect between rock musicians and their audience on the subject of country music. Whereas the youth culture of the time associated it with rednecks and conservative attitudes, their musical heroes often held the country music tradition in high regard. One of the first songs to bridge the gap was this classic from former members of the Factory (see the next to last song for more on them) and the Mothers of Invention, made famous by its inclusion in the movie Easy Rider.
Artist: DEL-VETTS
Song Title: "Last Time Around"
Source: LP: NUGGETS-VOLUME 2: PUNK (originally released on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1966
Starting off a set from 1966 we have the The Del-Vetts, a band from Chicago's affluent North Side. True to their name, they reportedly showed up for a high school dance they were playing at in matching white Corvettes. Musically, they rocked out as only upper-middle class kids with a fair amount of talent and the ability to afford above-average guitars and amps could.
Artist: BEES
Song Title: "Voices Deep and Purple"
Source: CD: NUGGETS BOX SET (originally released on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1966
Not much is known about this L.A. band other than the obvious fact that they had a generous amount of attitude.
Artist: SHADOWS OF KNIGHT
Song Title: "Dark Side"
Source: CD: BEST OF THE SHADOWS OF KNIGHT (originally released on 45 RPM vinyl and included on LP: GLORIA)
Release Year: 1966
From the Chicago suburbs, the Shadows of Knight had a reputation for rowdyness (the lead singer was reportedly banned from several area high schools for causing the pregnancy rate to go up) and a brand of punk highly influenced by the blues of the nearby Big City. The Shadows scored one of the biggest hits of the year with their cover of Van Morrison's "Gloria," but the B side of that single was far more indicative of what these guys were all about.
Artist: COUNTRY JOE AND THE FISH
Song Title: "Section 43"
Source: CD: LOVE IS THE SONG WE SING-SAN FRANCISCO NUGGETS 1965-70 (originally released on RAG BABY EP #1002)
Release Year: 1966
The original mono recording of this classic was just the first taste of what was to come the following summer in the San Francisco Bay area.
Artist: WHO
Song Title: "Someone's Coming"
Source: 45 RPM vinyl
Release Year: 1967/68
Some songs just get no respect. First released in 1967 in the UK as the B side of "I Can See For Miles," John Alec Entwistle's "Someone's Coming" got left off the US release entirely. It wasn't until the release of the "Magic Bus" single in 1968 that the tune appeared on US vinyl, and then, once again as a B side. Finally, in 1995 the song found a home on CD as a bonus track on The Who Sell Out.
Artist: LEMON PIPERS
Song Title: "Green Tambourine"
Source: CD: BEST OF 60S PYSCHEDELIC ROCK (originally released on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1968
Continuing our 1968 set is a song that is best described as "psychedelic bubble gum." Yum.
Artist: CREAM
Song Title: "White Room"
Source: LP: UNDERGROUND GOLD (single version originally released on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1968
In order to get songs played on top 40 radio, record companies made it a practice to shorten album cuts by cutting out extended instrumental breaks and extra verses. This version of "White Room," clocking in at just over three minutes, is a typical example.
Artist: STATUS QUO
Song Title: "Pictures of Matchstick Men"
Source: CD: PSYCHEDELIC POP (originally appeared on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1968
Our final entry in the 1968 set comes from the band that is probably the closest thing to a real life version of Spinal Tap in existence. Still performing and still popular in the Scandanavian countries, these guys are the typical 70s arena rock band that refuses to die. At last count they had well over 20 albums out, the most recent of which was released in 2007 or so. "Pictures of Matchstick Men" was their only US hit, despite the fact that they actually hold the record for most charted singles in the UK.
Artist: MITCH RYDER AND THE DETROIT WHEELS
Song Title: "Devil With a Blue Dress/Good Golly Miss Molly"
Source: 45 RPM VINYL (Eric reissue)
Release Year: 1966
One of the great party songs from the peak year for top 40 radio.
Artist: URIAH HEEP
Song Title: "Tales"
Source: LP: THE MAGICIAN'S BIRTHDAY (original vinyl pressing)
Release Year: 1972
Uriah Heep is generally remembered for two albums that appeared in 1972: Demons and Wizards and The Magicians's Birthday. Although Demons and Wizards had the hit single "Easy Livin," The Magician's Birthday overall had a stronger lineup of songs.
Artist: JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE
Song Title: "One Rainy Wish"
Source: CD: ARE YOU EXPERIENCED? (reissue of original LP)
Release Year: 1967
An odd thing happened when I went to put this song up on Sound Exchange, the system that some stations use for reporting the music they play. Every instance I found of "One Rainy Wish" I found in their database listed the song as being from Axis: Bold As Love. As I spent many nights falling asleep to the Are You Experienced album with the headphones on, I can assure you that the Sound Exchange database is wrong.
Artist: JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE
Song Title: "Burning Of The Midnight Lamp"
Source: LP: ELECTRIC LADYLAND (original vinyl issue)
Release Year: 1968
The year 1968 started for Hendrix with a release of a new single. At that point, he still considered the UK his primary market, as his singles had failed to make any significant progress in the states. "The Burning of the Midnight Lamp," was the most complex piece of production yet attempted by the band, and their first using state of the art eight-track recording equipment. The song was not released as a single in the US, however. Instead, Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" was selected (and became the band's biggest US hit).
Artist: JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE
Song Title: "Manic Depression"
Source: CD: ARE YOU EXPERIENCED? (reissue of original LP)
Release Year: 1967
One of the songs that established the Hendrix legend.
Artist: JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE
Song Title: "Rainy Day, Dream Away"
Source: LP: ELECTRIC LADYLAND (original vinyl issue)
Release Year: 1968
Although credited to the Experience, this song has several guest musicians appearing on it, including Electric Flag drummer Buddy Miles, who would later be a member of Hendrix's short-lived Band of Gypsys and then have some success as leader of his own band.
Artist: JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE
Song Title: "Foxy Lady"
Source: CD: ARE YOU EXPERIENCED? (reissue of original LP)
Release Year: 1967
The first track on the original release of Are You Experienced was "Foxy Lady." The British custom of the time was to not include any songs on albums that had been previously released as singles. When Reprise Records got the rights to release the album in the US, it was decided to include three songs that had all been top 40 hits in the UK. One of those songs, "Purple Haze," took over the opening spot on the album, and "Foxy Lady" was moved to the middle of side 2.
Artist: JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE
Song Title: COME ON-PT. 1
Source: LP: ELECTRIC LADYLAND (original vinyl issue)
Release Year: 1968
Unlike the previous Experience albums, Electric Ladyland had a couple cover songs on it. This one makes the original Earl King version sound pretty tame in comparison.
Artist: FIRST EDITION
Song Title: "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)"
Source: CD: EVEN MORE NUGGETS (originally released on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1968
I was feeling a little guilty about having to cut the strange coda out of this song last week (due to a time miscalculation on my part), so I decided to play it again this week in its entirety. Besides, I've heard that Kenny Rogers cringes every time this song gets played on the radio, and that has to be a good thing.
Artist: BLUES MAGOOS
Song Title: "Life Is Just A Cher O' Bowlies
Source: LP: ELECTRIC COMIC BOOK (original vinyl)
Release Year: 1967
Around 1968 or so, LPs starting carrying the words "Stereo-also playable mono" on the cover. This was one of the last LPs to actually be issued in both stereo and mono versions. This is the mono version that I've somehow managed to hang onto since I bought it new in 1967.
Artist: IRON BUTTERFLY
Song Title: "My Mirage"
Source: CD: IN-A-GADDA-DA-VIDA (reissue of original LP)
Release Year: 1968
One thing about the In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida album is that almost nobody remembers any of the songs from the other side of the album. Too bad, because there are a couple of really good tunes on there (such as this one).
Artist: DOORS
Song Title: "Shaman's Blues"
Source: CD: THE SOFT PARADE (reissue of original LP)
Release Year: 1969
Often dismissed as the weakest entry in the Doors catalogue, The Soft Parade nonetheless is significant in that for the first time songwriting credits were given to individual band members. This one is Jim Morrison's.
Artist: LOVIN' SPOONFUL
Song Title: "4 Eyes"
Source: LP: HUMS OF THE LOVIN' SPOONFUL (original vinyl)
Release Year: 1966
The Spoonful were at the top of their game in 1966 when they decided to put out an album of songs done in a variety of musical styles. From the hard-rockin' "Summer In the City," to the countrified "Nashville Cats," the album produced no less than four hit singles. The album track "4 Eyes" defies easy classification.
Artist: THE FACTORY
Song Title: "Candy Cane Madness"
Source: CD: WHERE THE ACTION IS: L.A. NUGGETS 1965-68
Release Year: 2009
Toward the end of 1966 a band called the Factory appeared on the L.A. club scene. They managed to book studio time, but were never able to find a label willing to release the tracks they recorded. Band member Lowell George would later go on to produce other artists such as the GTOs (Girls Together Outrageously) for Frank Zappa's Bizarre Productions and finally become famous as the founder of the band Little Feat.
Artist: MONKEES
Song Title: "You Told Me"
Source: CD: HEADQUARTERS (reissue of original LP)
Release Year: 1967
After Don Kirschner got himself fired from Colgems for issuing the album More of the Monkees without the band's knowledge or permission (as well as a subsequent single that was sent out in promo form to radio stations and almost immediately rescinded), the band members insisted on having greater artistic control over what was being issued with their names on it. The end result was the Headquarters album, the only Monkees LP to feature the band members playing virtually all the instruments (with a few exceptions, notably producer Chip Douglas playing bass guitar).
Song Title: "Summertime Blues"
Source: LP: NUGGETS, VOL 1-THE HITS (originally appeared on LP:VINCEBUS ERUPTUM, also released on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1968
Whenever possible, I like to start the show with a classic. Seeing as we're in the middle of a heat wave, this seemed like an approriate choice.
Artist: ROLLING STONES
Song Title: "We Love You"
Source: 45 RPM vinyl (stereo reissue)
Release Year: 1967
After the less than stellar chart performance of the LP Their Satanic Majesties Request, the Stones decided to pull out all the stops with a double 'A' sided single. "We Love You" was their most expensive production ever, and included a promotional film that is considered a forerunner of the modern music video. Oddly enough, the other side of the record, "Dandelion," ended up getting more airplay, at least in the US.
Artist: PROCOL HARUM
Song Title: "Shine On Brightly"
Source: LP: SHINE ON BRIGHTLY (US pressing)
Release Year: 1968
The original Procol lineup hit their artistic peak with the Shine On Brightly album, considered one of the first "progressive rock" albums.
Artist: BYRDS
Song Title: "The World Turns All Around Her"
Source: LP: TURN! TURN! TURN! (vinyl)
Release Year: 1965
In the early days, the Byrds were known more for their reworking of other writers' material, such as Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man" and Pete Seeger's "Turn! Turn! Turn!" than for tunes they wrote themselves. Eventually, McGuinn, Crosby and Hillman would all develop into outstanding songwriters, but before they did, Gene Clark was considered the band's top composer. This track from their second album shows why.
Artist: BEE GEES
Song Title: "Birdie Told Me"
Source: 45 RPM PROMO EP
Release Year: 1968
The Extended Play 45 RPM record was a popular format in the 50s that by the late 60s had all but disappeared in the US. In the UK, however, the format was still economically viable (The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour had been originally released exclusively in that format, for example). Generally the songs on British EPs were either included on standard LPs in the US or not issued in the states at all. In 1968 Atco Records decided to take a chance and send out a promo in the EP format to various radio stations. To my knowledge it was never released to the public.
Artist: MOUNTAIN
Song Title: "Theme From An Imaginary Western"
Source: CD: WOODSTOCK-40 YEARS ON-BACK TO YASGUR'S FARM
Release Year: 2009 (recorded 1969)
Following the success of the original Woodstock soundtrack album, Cotillion decided to release a second double LP collection of songs recorded at the festival (but not included in the movie). Among those were two songs by the band Mountain, which, partially based on their performance at the festival itself, was slowly gaining popularity among rock afficionados. The band, however, was unsatisfied with the quality of the original recordings and perfomances, and insisted on re-recording both songs that were to be included on the Woodstock 2 album. The actual live recording of this Jack Bruce/Pete Brown tune was not released until Rhino's 2009 anniversary collection, which set out to present the music exactly as the audience heard it, flaws and all. Although there is a bit of a vocal gaff early on, Leslie West's guitar solo has a certain energy that is missing from the Woodstock 2 version.
Artist: FRATERNITY OF MAN
Song Title: "Don't Bogart Me"
Source: LP: EASY RIDER SOUNDTRACK (original vinyl)
Release Year: 1970
In the late 60s there was a certain disconnect between rock musicians and their audience on the subject of country music. Whereas the youth culture of the time associated it with rednecks and conservative attitudes, their musical heroes often held the country music tradition in high regard. One of the first songs to bridge the gap was this classic from former members of the Factory (see the next to last song for more on them) and the Mothers of Invention, made famous by its inclusion in the movie Easy Rider.
Artist: DEL-VETTS
Song Title: "Last Time Around"
Source: LP: NUGGETS-VOLUME 2: PUNK (originally released on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1966
Starting off a set from 1966 we have the The Del-Vetts, a band from Chicago's affluent North Side. True to their name, they reportedly showed up for a high school dance they were playing at in matching white Corvettes. Musically, they rocked out as only upper-middle class kids with a fair amount of talent and the ability to afford above-average guitars and amps could.
Artist: BEES
Song Title: "Voices Deep and Purple"
Source: CD: NUGGETS BOX SET (originally released on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1966
Not much is known about this L.A. band other than the obvious fact that they had a generous amount of attitude.
Artist: SHADOWS OF KNIGHT
Song Title: "Dark Side"
Source: CD: BEST OF THE SHADOWS OF KNIGHT (originally released on 45 RPM vinyl and included on LP: GLORIA)
Release Year: 1966
From the Chicago suburbs, the Shadows of Knight had a reputation for rowdyness (the lead singer was reportedly banned from several area high schools for causing the pregnancy rate to go up) and a brand of punk highly influenced by the blues of the nearby Big City. The Shadows scored one of the biggest hits of the year with their cover of Van Morrison's "Gloria," but the B side of that single was far more indicative of what these guys were all about.
Artist: COUNTRY JOE AND THE FISH
Song Title: "Section 43"
Source: CD: LOVE IS THE SONG WE SING-SAN FRANCISCO NUGGETS 1965-70 (originally released on RAG BABY EP #1002)
Release Year: 1966
The original mono recording of this classic was just the first taste of what was to come the following summer in the San Francisco Bay area.
Artist: WHO
Song Title: "Someone's Coming"
Source: 45 RPM vinyl
Release Year: 1967/68
Some songs just get no respect. First released in 1967 in the UK as the B side of "I Can See For Miles," John Alec Entwistle's "Someone's Coming" got left off the US release entirely. It wasn't until the release of the "Magic Bus" single in 1968 that the tune appeared on US vinyl, and then, once again as a B side. Finally, in 1995 the song found a home on CD as a bonus track on The Who Sell Out.
Artist: LEMON PIPERS
Song Title: "Green Tambourine"
Source: CD: BEST OF 60S PYSCHEDELIC ROCK (originally released on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1968
Continuing our 1968 set is a song that is best described as "psychedelic bubble gum." Yum.
Artist: CREAM
Song Title: "White Room"
Source: LP: UNDERGROUND GOLD (single version originally released on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1968
In order to get songs played on top 40 radio, record companies made it a practice to shorten album cuts by cutting out extended instrumental breaks and extra verses. This version of "White Room," clocking in at just over three minutes, is a typical example.
Artist: STATUS QUO
Song Title: "Pictures of Matchstick Men"
Source: CD: PSYCHEDELIC POP (originally appeared on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1968
Our final entry in the 1968 set comes from the band that is probably the closest thing to a real life version of Spinal Tap in existence. Still performing and still popular in the Scandanavian countries, these guys are the typical 70s arena rock band that refuses to die. At last count they had well over 20 albums out, the most recent of which was released in 2007 or so. "Pictures of Matchstick Men" was their only US hit, despite the fact that they actually hold the record for most charted singles in the UK.
Artist: MITCH RYDER AND THE DETROIT WHEELS
Song Title: "Devil With a Blue Dress/Good Golly Miss Molly"
Source: 45 RPM VINYL (Eric reissue)
Release Year: 1966
One of the great party songs from the peak year for top 40 radio.
Artist: URIAH HEEP
Song Title: "Tales"
Source: LP: THE MAGICIAN'S BIRTHDAY (original vinyl pressing)
Release Year: 1972
Uriah Heep is generally remembered for two albums that appeared in 1972: Demons and Wizards and The Magicians's Birthday. Although Demons and Wizards had the hit single "Easy Livin," The Magician's Birthday overall had a stronger lineup of songs.
Artist: JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE
Song Title: "One Rainy Wish"
Source: CD: ARE YOU EXPERIENCED? (reissue of original LP)
Release Year: 1967
An odd thing happened when I went to put this song up on Sound Exchange, the system that some stations use for reporting the music they play. Every instance I found of "One Rainy Wish" I found in their database listed the song as being from Axis: Bold As Love. As I spent many nights falling asleep to the Are You Experienced album with the headphones on, I can assure you that the Sound Exchange database is wrong.
Artist: JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE
Song Title: "Burning Of The Midnight Lamp"
Source: LP: ELECTRIC LADYLAND (original vinyl issue)
Release Year: 1968
The year 1968 started for Hendrix with a release of a new single. At that point, he still considered the UK his primary market, as his singles had failed to make any significant progress in the states. "The Burning of the Midnight Lamp," was the most complex piece of production yet attempted by the band, and their first using state of the art eight-track recording equipment. The song was not released as a single in the US, however. Instead, Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" was selected (and became the band's biggest US hit).
Artist: JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE
Song Title: "Manic Depression"
Source: CD: ARE YOU EXPERIENCED? (reissue of original LP)
Release Year: 1967
One of the songs that established the Hendrix legend.
Artist: JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE
Song Title: "Rainy Day, Dream Away"
Source: LP: ELECTRIC LADYLAND (original vinyl issue)
Release Year: 1968
Although credited to the Experience, this song has several guest musicians appearing on it, including Electric Flag drummer Buddy Miles, who would later be a member of Hendrix's short-lived Band of Gypsys and then have some success as leader of his own band.
Artist: JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE
Song Title: "Foxy Lady"
Source: CD: ARE YOU EXPERIENCED? (reissue of original LP)
Release Year: 1967
The first track on the original release of Are You Experienced was "Foxy Lady." The British custom of the time was to not include any songs on albums that had been previously released as singles. When Reprise Records got the rights to release the album in the US, it was decided to include three songs that had all been top 40 hits in the UK. One of those songs, "Purple Haze," took over the opening spot on the album, and "Foxy Lady" was moved to the middle of side 2.
Artist: JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE
Song Title: COME ON-PT. 1
Source: LP: ELECTRIC LADYLAND (original vinyl issue)
Release Year: 1968
Unlike the previous Experience albums, Electric Ladyland had a couple cover songs on it. This one makes the original Earl King version sound pretty tame in comparison.
Artist: FIRST EDITION
Song Title: "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)"
Source: CD: EVEN MORE NUGGETS (originally released on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1968
I was feeling a little guilty about having to cut the strange coda out of this song last week (due to a time miscalculation on my part), so I decided to play it again this week in its entirety. Besides, I've heard that Kenny Rogers cringes every time this song gets played on the radio, and that has to be a good thing.
Artist: BLUES MAGOOS
Song Title: "Life Is Just A Cher O' Bowlies
Source: LP: ELECTRIC COMIC BOOK (original vinyl)
Release Year: 1967
Around 1968 or so, LPs starting carrying the words "Stereo-also playable mono" on the cover. This was one of the last LPs to actually be issued in both stereo and mono versions. This is the mono version that I've somehow managed to hang onto since I bought it new in 1967.
Artist: IRON BUTTERFLY
Song Title: "My Mirage"
Source: CD: IN-A-GADDA-DA-VIDA (reissue of original LP)
Release Year: 1968
One thing about the In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida album is that almost nobody remembers any of the songs from the other side of the album. Too bad, because there are a couple of really good tunes on there (such as this one).
Artist: DOORS
Song Title: "Shaman's Blues"
Source: CD: THE SOFT PARADE (reissue of original LP)
Release Year: 1969
Often dismissed as the weakest entry in the Doors catalogue, The Soft Parade nonetheless is significant in that for the first time songwriting credits were given to individual band members. This one is Jim Morrison's.
Artist: LOVIN' SPOONFUL
Song Title: "4 Eyes"
Source: LP: HUMS OF THE LOVIN' SPOONFUL (original vinyl)
Release Year: 1966
The Spoonful were at the top of their game in 1966 when they decided to put out an album of songs done in a variety of musical styles. From the hard-rockin' "Summer In the City," to the countrified "Nashville Cats," the album produced no less than four hit singles. The album track "4 Eyes" defies easy classification.
Artist: THE FACTORY
Song Title: "Candy Cane Madness"
Source: CD: WHERE THE ACTION IS: L.A. NUGGETS 1965-68
Release Year: 2009
Toward the end of 1966 a band called the Factory appeared on the L.A. club scene. They managed to book studio time, but were never able to find a label willing to release the tracks they recorded. Band member Lowell George would later go on to produce other artists such as the GTOs (Girls Together Outrageously) for Frank Zappa's Bizarre Productions and finally become famous as the founder of the band Little Feat.
Artist: MONKEES
Song Title: "You Told Me"
Source: CD: HEADQUARTERS (reissue of original LP)
Release Year: 1967
After Don Kirschner got himself fired from Colgems for issuing the album More of the Monkees without the band's knowledge or permission (as well as a subsequent single that was sent out in promo form to radio stations and almost immediately rescinded), the band members insisted on having greater artistic control over what was being issued with their names on it. The end result was the Headquarters album, the only Monkees LP to feature the band members playing virtually all the instruments (with a few exceptions, notably producer Chip Douglas playing bass guitar).
Friday, August 6, 2010
Playlist 8/6-8/10
Artist: SEEDS
Song Title: "Pushin' Too Hard"
Source: LP: NUGGETS-VOL 1 (The Hits) (originally released on 45 RPM vinyl and on LP:THE SEEDS)
Release Year: 1966 (charted 1967)
One of the defining songs of the psychedelic era.
Artist: BOB DYLAN
Song Title: "Like a Rolling Stone"
Source: 45 RPM VINYL (Stereo reissue) (also appeared on LP: HIGHWAY 61 REVISITED)
Release Year: 1965
Bob Dylan literally rocked the world of folk music with this one, and managed to score a top 10 hit with it despite its six-minute length (convention dictating that anything over 3 1/2 minutes would never get played on top 40 radio.)
Artist: BOB DYLAN
Song Title: "Positively 4th Street"
Source: CD: NEW GOLD ON CD (90s radio series) (originally released on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1965
This track, recorded at the same time as the Highway 61 Revisited album, was held back for single release later the same year. The tactic worked, scoring Dylan his second top 10 hit.
Artist: BOB DYLAN
Song Title: "Rainy Day Women # 12 & 35"
Source: 45 RPM VINYL (stereo reissue) (also released on LP:BLONDE ON BLONDE)
Release Year: 1966
Dylan's third top 10 hit, making it all the way to the #2 spot.
Artist: PINK FLOYD
Song Title: "Astronomy Domine"
Source: CD: PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN (reissue of original LP)
Release Year: 1967
Sid Barrett reached his zenith with the recording of the first Floyd album. This is the opening track from that album.
Artist: COUNTRY JOE AND THE FISH
Song Title: "The Masked Marauder"
Source: LP: ELECTRIC MUSIC FOR THE MIND AND BODY (original vinyl)
Release Year: 1967
Perhaps more than any other band, Country Joe and the Fish capture the essence of the San Francisco scene in the late 60s. Their first two releases were floppy inserts included in the "Rag Baby" underground newspaper. In 1967 they were signed to Vanguard Records, a primarily folk-oriented prestige label that also had Joan Baez on its roster. Their first LP, Electric Music For the Mind and Body had such classic cuts as "Section 43" "Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine" and the political parody "Superbird" on it, as well as this mostly-instrumental tune. Not for the unenlightened.
Artist: CHOCOLATE WATCHBAND
Song Title: "I Ain't No Miracle Worker"
Source: CD: THE INNTER MYSTIQUE (reissue of original LP)
Release Year: 1967
Finishing up the 1967 set is one of the few tracks on The Inner Mystique to actually feature the band itself (the majority of the album being done by studio musicians). The song was written by the songwriting team of Annette Tucker and Nancy Mantz, who were also responsible for penning the Electric Prunes classic "I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)."
Artist: WHO
Song Title: "I Need You"
Source: CD: A QUICK ONE (reissue of British LP)
Release Year: 1966
The Who have said that they were not happy with the My Generation album. So they decided to do an album that they could be proud of. Released in December of 1966, A Quick One boasted a genuine pop-art cover and included original tunes from all of the band members, including "A Quick One While He's Away," their first attempt at what would come to be called rock opera. The LP was not released in the US until the song "Happy Jack" (which was not on the album) had established itself on US top 40 radio. When the album finally did come out in early 67 the album title was changed to Happy Jack, with the running order of the tracks modified to include the hit song.
Artist: WHO
Song Title: "Early Morning Cold Taxi"
Source: CD: THE WHO SELL OUT (reissue of LP with bonus tracks)
Release Year: 1995 (recorded 1967)
This outtake from the Sell Out sessions was not released until the reissue of the album with bonus tracks in the 1990s. The Who were making money on the side recording jingles, and the Coca-Cola commercial heard here is one of them.
Artist: WHO
Song Title: "Cobwebs and Strange"
Source: CD: A QUICK ONE (reissue of British LP)
Release Year: 1966
One of the features of A Quick One was that every band member was given a chance to write at least one song on it. This is one of Keith Moon's.
Artist: WHO
Song Title: "Odorono"
Source: CD: THE WHO SELL OUT (reissue of LP)
Release Year: 1967
The Who Sell Out was released just in time for Christmas 1967. It was a huge success in England, where Radio London was the most popular pirate station on the air at the time. Incidentally, the inclusion of the various jingles on the album reportedly resulted in a flurry of lawsuits against the Who.
Artist: WHO
Song Title: "Batman"
Source: CD: A QUICK ONE (reissue of British LP) (originally released on British EP: READY STEADY WHO)
Release Year: 1966
Ready Steady Go was Britain's answer to American Bandstand. A hugely popular one-shot special edition of the show called Ready Steady Who aired in 1966. The EP (a 45 RPM extended play record with five songs instead of the usual two) had an entirely different set of songs than the TV special. This version of the Batman TV show theme was credited on the EP to Dean Torrance (Jan & Dean had included a version of their Little Old Lady From Pasedena LP), instead of actual composer Neal Hefti. The entire EP was included in the 1990s CD reissue of A Quick One, with the erroneous song credit fixed.
Artist: CREAM
Song Title: "Sitting On Top Of The World"
Source: LP: WHEELS OF FIRE (original vinyl)
Release Year: 1968
Probably the best-known version of this blues classic, which in its earliest form was written by Walter Vinson and Lonnie Chatmon and recorded by the Mississippi Shieks in 1930. Cream's cover uses the lyrics from the 1957 version of the song recorded by Chester Burnett, better know as Howlin' Wolf.
Artist: TEN YEARS AFTER
Song Title: "Sugar The Road"
Source: CD: CRICKLEWOOD GREEN (reissue of original LP)
Release Year: 1970
TYA's most successful album led off with this tune.
Artist: BEATLES
Song Title: "Why Don't We Do It in the Road?"
Source: CD: THE BEATLES (reissue of original LP)
Release Year: 1968
Another road song! What's this world coming to?
Artist: BEATLES
Song Title: "I Will"
Source: THE BEATLES (reissue of original LP)
Release Year: 1968
The answer to the previous song.
Artist: IRON BUTTERFLY
Song Title: "In the Time of Our Lives"
Source: LP: BALL (original vinyl)
Release Year: 1969
The opening track of the third Butterfly album is also the opening track of this week's second hour.
Artist: GRATEFUL DEAD
Song Title: "Dark Star"
Source: LOVE IS THE SONG WE SING: SAN FRANCISCO NUGGETS 1965-70 (originally released on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1968
Studio recording. Single version. Shortest Dark Star ever.
Artist: JEFFERSON AIRPLANE
Song Title: D.C.B.A.-25
Source: LP: SURREALISTIC PILLOW (original vinyl)
Release Year: 1967
Named for the chords used in the song. As for the "25"...it was 1967. In San Francisco. Paul Kantner wrote it. Figure it out.
Artist: VANILLA FUDGE
Song Title: "People Get Ready"
Source: LP: VANILLA FUDGE (original vinyl)
Release Year: 1967
The first Fudge LP was all cover songs, done in the slowed-down Vanilla Fudge style. This Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions tune was one of the better ones.
Artist: TOMMY JAMES AND THE SHONDELLS
Song Title: "Travelin'"
Source: LP: TRAVELIN' (original vinyl)
Release Year: 1970
I bet you didn't see this one coming. An instrumental from the founders of bubble gum music, trying desperately to remain relevant in an increasingly progressive environment. The situation was undoubtedly made more tense by the fact that by 1970 Tommy James was the only successful artist left on the once-great Roulette label.
Artist: STEPPENWOLF
Song Title: "Magic Carpet Ride"
Source: LP: NUGGETS VOL 9 (ACID ROCK) (originally released on 45 RPM vinyl and on LP: STEPPENWOLF THE SECOND)
Release Year: 1968
I sure have been playing this one a lot lately. I wonder why.
Artist: J. GEILS BAND
Song Title: "Whammer Jammer"
Source: 45 RPM VINYL (original pressing)
Release Year: 1971
First they were a Boston bar band called Snoopy and the Sopwith Camel. Then they became the J. Geils Blues Band. Finally they dropped the "blues" from the name and became famous. This early B side shows why the "blues" part was there in the first place. "Whammer Jammer" showcases "Magic Dick" Salwitz on lead harmonica.
Artist: OTIS REDDING
Song Title: My Lovers' Prayer
Source: 45 RPM VINYL (Atlantic Oldies Series reissue)
Release Year: 1966
Is this song psychedelic? Nope. Is it worth giving a listen to anyway? You betcha!
Artist: IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY
Song Title: "White Bird"
Source: LP: IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY (original vinyl)
Release Year: 1968
One of the many LPs rescued from the WEOS archives, this copy has obviously seen a lot of play over the years.
Artist: BYRDS
Song Title: "Hey Joe"
Source: LP: 5D (original vinyl)
Release Year: 1966
David Crosby has been saying for years that he was the one who first discovered and popularized this tune on the LA club scene, but that resistance from other band members kept the Byrds from recording the song until after versions by the Leaves, Love, Tim Rose and the Music Machine, among others, had already been released.
Artist: NEIL YOUNG
Song Title: "When You Dance I Can Really Love"
Source: CD: AFTER THE GOLD RUSH (reissue of original album)
Release Year: 1970
This track from Neil Young's first solo album after the release of Deja Vu shows the influence of his new bandmates while still retaining the distinctive Young sound. As solid as it gets.
Artist: CHICAGO
Song Title: "Listen"
Source: LP: CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY
Release Year: 1969
By all accounts, one of the tightest road bands of 1968 was a group called the Chicago Transit Authority. Featuring a solid horn section and three quaality lead vocalists, it was no surprise to anyone who had heard them perform that their first LP was an immediate success. Getting two long-playing discs for the price of one didn't hurt either. "Listen" is a typical track from that album, featuring a memorable bass line from Peter Cetera as well as Terry Kath's distinctive guitar sound.
Artist: FIRST EDITION
Song Title: "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)"
Source: CD: EVEN MORE NUGGETS (originally released on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1967
The song that Kenny Rogers is still trying to live down.
Song Title: "Pushin' Too Hard"
Source: LP: NUGGETS-VOL 1 (The Hits) (originally released on 45 RPM vinyl and on LP:THE SEEDS)
Release Year: 1966 (charted 1967)
One of the defining songs of the psychedelic era.
Artist: BOB DYLAN
Song Title: "Like a Rolling Stone"
Source: 45 RPM VINYL (Stereo reissue) (also appeared on LP: HIGHWAY 61 REVISITED)
Release Year: 1965
Bob Dylan literally rocked the world of folk music with this one, and managed to score a top 10 hit with it despite its six-minute length (convention dictating that anything over 3 1/2 minutes would never get played on top 40 radio.)
Artist: BOB DYLAN
Song Title: "Positively 4th Street"
Source: CD: NEW GOLD ON CD (90s radio series) (originally released on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1965
This track, recorded at the same time as the Highway 61 Revisited album, was held back for single release later the same year. The tactic worked, scoring Dylan his second top 10 hit.
Artist: BOB DYLAN
Song Title: "Rainy Day Women # 12 & 35"
Source: 45 RPM VINYL (stereo reissue) (also released on LP:BLONDE ON BLONDE)
Release Year: 1966
Dylan's third top 10 hit, making it all the way to the #2 spot.
Artist: PINK FLOYD
Song Title: "Astronomy Domine"
Source: CD: PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN (reissue of original LP)
Release Year: 1967
Sid Barrett reached his zenith with the recording of the first Floyd album. This is the opening track from that album.
Artist: COUNTRY JOE AND THE FISH
Song Title: "The Masked Marauder"
Source: LP: ELECTRIC MUSIC FOR THE MIND AND BODY (original vinyl)
Release Year: 1967
Perhaps more than any other band, Country Joe and the Fish capture the essence of the San Francisco scene in the late 60s. Their first two releases were floppy inserts included in the "Rag Baby" underground newspaper. In 1967 they were signed to Vanguard Records, a primarily folk-oriented prestige label that also had Joan Baez on its roster. Their first LP, Electric Music For the Mind and Body had such classic cuts as "Section 43" "Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine" and the political parody "Superbird" on it, as well as this mostly-instrumental tune. Not for the unenlightened.
Artist: CHOCOLATE WATCHBAND
Song Title: "I Ain't No Miracle Worker"
Source: CD: THE INNTER MYSTIQUE (reissue of original LP)
Release Year: 1967
Finishing up the 1967 set is one of the few tracks on The Inner Mystique to actually feature the band itself (the majority of the album being done by studio musicians). The song was written by the songwriting team of Annette Tucker and Nancy Mantz, who were also responsible for penning the Electric Prunes classic "I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)."
Artist: WHO
Song Title: "I Need You"
Source: CD: A QUICK ONE (reissue of British LP)
Release Year: 1966
The Who have said that they were not happy with the My Generation album. So they decided to do an album that they could be proud of. Released in December of 1966, A Quick One boasted a genuine pop-art cover and included original tunes from all of the band members, including "A Quick One While He's Away," their first attempt at what would come to be called rock opera. The LP was not released in the US until the song "Happy Jack" (which was not on the album) had established itself on US top 40 radio. When the album finally did come out in early 67 the album title was changed to Happy Jack, with the running order of the tracks modified to include the hit song.
Artist: WHO
Song Title: "Early Morning Cold Taxi"
Source: CD: THE WHO SELL OUT (reissue of LP with bonus tracks)
Release Year: 1995 (recorded 1967)
This outtake from the Sell Out sessions was not released until the reissue of the album with bonus tracks in the 1990s. The Who were making money on the side recording jingles, and the Coca-Cola commercial heard here is one of them.
Artist: WHO
Song Title: "Cobwebs and Strange"
Source: CD: A QUICK ONE (reissue of British LP)
Release Year: 1966
One of the features of A Quick One was that every band member was given a chance to write at least one song on it. This is one of Keith Moon's.
Artist: WHO
Song Title: "Odorono"
Source: CD: THE WHO SELL OUT (reissue of LP)
Release Year: 1967
The Who Sell Out was released just in time for Christmas 1967. It was a huge success in England, where Radio London was the most popular pirate station on the air at the time. Incidentally, the inclusion of the various jingles on the album reportedly resulted in a flurry of lawsuits against the Who.
Artist: WHO
Song Title: "Batman"
Source: CD: A QUICK ONE (reissue of British LP) (originally released on British EP: READY STEADY WHO)
Release Year: 1966
Ready Steady Go was Britain's answer to American Bandstand. A hugely popular one-shot special edition of the show called Ready Steady Who aired in 1966. The EP (a 45 RPM extended play record with five songs instead of the usual two) had an entirely different set of songs than the TV special. This version of the Batman TV show theme was credited on the EP to Dean Torrance (Jan & Dean had included a version of their Little Old Lady From Pasedena LP), instead of actual composer Neal Hefti. The entire EP was included in the 1990s CD reissue of A Quick One, with the erroneous song credit fixed.
Artist: CREAM
Song Title: "Sitting On Top Of The World"
Source: LP: WHEELS OF FIRE (original vinyl)
Release Year: 1968
Probably the best-known version of this blues classic, which in its earliest form was written by Walter Vinson and Lonnie Chatmon and recorded by the Mississippi Shieks in 1930. Cream's cover uses the lyrics from the 1957 version of the song recorded by Chester Burnett, better know as Howlin' Wolf.
Artist: TEN YEARS AFTER
Song Title: "Sugar The Road"
Source: CD: CRICKLEWOOD GREEN (reissue of original LP)
Release Year: 1970
TYA's most successful album led off with this tune.
Artist: BEATLES
Song Title: "Why Don't We Do It in the Road?"
Source: CD: THE BEATLES (reissue of original LP)
Release Year: 1968
Another road song! What's this world coming to?
Artist: BEATLES
Song Title: "I Will"
Source: THE BEATLES (reissue of original LP)
Release Year: 1968
The answer to the previous song.
Artist: IRON BUTTERFLY
Song Title: "In the Time of Our Lives"
Source: LP: BALL (original vinyl)
Release Year: 1969
The opening track of the third Butterfly album is also the opening track of this week's second hour.
Artist: GRATEFUL DEAD
Song Title: "Dark Star"
Source: LOVE IS THE SONG WE SING: SAN FRANCISCO NUGGETS 1965-70 (originally released on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1968
Studio recording. Single version. Shortest Dark Star ever.
Artist: JEFFERSON AIRPLANE
Song Title: D.C.B.A.-25
Source: LP: SURREALISTIC PILLOW (original vinyl)
Release Year: 1967
Named for the chords used in the song. As for the "25"...it was 1967. In San Francisco. Paul Kantner wrote it. Figure it out.
Artist: VANILLA FUDGE
Song Title: "People Get Ready"
Source: LP: VANILLA FUDGE (original vinyl)
Release Year: 1967
The first Fudge LP was all cover songs, done in the slowed-down Vanilla Fudge style. This Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions tune was one of the better ones.
Artist: TOMMY JAMES AND THE SHONDELLS
Song Title: "Travelin'"
Source: LP: TRAVELIN' (original vinyl)
Release Year: 1970
I bet you didn't see this one coming. An instrumental from the founders of bubble gum music, trying desperately to remain relevant in an increasingly progressive environment. The situation was undoubtedly made more tense by the fact that by 1970 Tommy James was the only successful artist left on the once-great Roulette label.
Artist: STEPPENWOLF
Song Title: "Magic Carpet Ride"
Source: LP: NUGGETS VOL 9 (ACID ROCK) (originally released on 45 RPM vinyl and on LP: STEPPENWOLF THE SECOND)
Release Year: 1968
I sure have been playing this one a lot lately. I wonder why.
Artist: J. GEILS BAND
Song Title: "Whammer Jammer"
Source: 45 RPM VINYL (original pressing)
Release Year: 1971
First they were a Boston bar band called Snoopy and the Sopwith Camel. Then they became the J. Geils Blues Band. Finally they dropped the "blues" from the name and became famous. This early B side shows why the "blues" part was there in the first place. "Whammer Jammer" showcases "Magic Dick" Salwitz on lead harmonica.
Artist: OTIS REDDING
Song Title: My Lovers' Prayer
Source: 45 RPM VINYL (Atlantic Oldies Series reissue)
Release Year: 1966
Is this song psychedelic? Nope. Is it worth giving a listen to anyway? You betcha!
Artist: IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY
Song Title: "White Bird"
Source: LP: IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY (original vinyl)
Release Year: 1968
One of the many LPs rescued from the WEOS archives, this copy has obviously seen a lot of play over the years.
Artist: BYRDS
Song Title: "Hey Joe"
Source: LP: 5D (original vinyl)
Release Year: 1966
David Crosby has been saying for years that he was the one who first discovered and popularized this tune on the LA club scene, but that resistance from other band members kept the Byrds from recording the song until after versions by the Leaves, Love, Tim Rose and the Music Machine, among others, had already been released.
Artist: NEIL YOUNG
Song Title: "When You Dance I Can Really Love"
Source: CD: AFTER THE GOLD RUSH (reissue of original album)
Release Year: 1970
This track from Neil Young's first solo album after the release of Deja Vu shows the influence of his new bandmates while still retaining the distinctive Young sound. As solid as it gets.
Artist: CHICAGO
Song Title: "Listen"
Source: LP: CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY
Release Year: 1969
By all accounts, one of the tightest road bands of 1968 was a group called the Chicago Transit Authority. Featuring a solid horn section and three quaality lead vocalists, it was no surprise to anyone who had heard them perform that their first LP was an immediate success. Getting two long-playing discs for the price of one didn't hurt either. "Listen" is a typical track from that album, featuring a memorable bass line from Peter Cetera as well as Terry Kath's distinctive guitar sound.
Artist: FIRST EDITION
Song Title: "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)"
Source: CD: EVEN MORE NUGGETS (originally released on 45 RPM vinyl)
Release Year: 1967
The song that Kenny Rogers is still trying to live down.
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