Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.
Saturday night we had some guests over and we all played Yahtzee. It was the first time I’d played it since the 1980s at least. I had a good time and looked up the history of the game.
In 1954 a wealthy anonymous Canadian couple, who called it The Yacht Game invented the game to play aboard their yacht. They would invite friends and teach them. In 1956 they went to toy maker Edwin S. Lowe to make some games for their friends as Christmas gifts. Edwin liked the game so much that he wanted to buy the rights to it. The couple sold the rights for the amount of making them a 1000 games.
When Edwin released it on the market it did not do well in it’s first year. The game could not be explained easily in an ad. It had many nuances and interesting things about it and they can only be understood if the game was actually played.
Finally, Edwin tried a different approach. He started to have Yahtzee parties hoping to spread the news about the game by word of mouth. That started to work and Yahtzee got extremely popular. During Lowe’s ownership alone, over forty million copies of the game were sold in the United States of America as well as around the globe
In 1973 Milton Bradley Company bought the E.S. Lowe Company and in 1984 Hasbro, Inc. acquires the Milton Bradley Company and the game.
The origins of the game came from the Puerto Rican game Generala and the English games of Poker Dice and Cheerio. Another game, Yap, shows close similarities to Yahtzee.
In 1970, when Motown was riding high, it let the Spinners go. And that was after the band was coming off its biggest hit for the label, the Stevie Wonder-penned and -produced “It’s a Shame.”
The Spinners soon signed with Atlantic Records and were paired with producer Thom Bell, one of the founders of the early and mid-’70s Philadelphia sound. The combination reeled off hits “I’ll Be Around,” “One of a Kind (Love Affair),” “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love,” “The Rubberband Man.”
This song peaked at #3 in the Billboard 100 and #6 in Canada in 1972.
From Songfacts
This song of devotion is heartbreaking on a deeper level. The lyrics, written by the aptly named Phil Hurtt, find our hero unable to move on from a relationship that has ended. There is an air of desperation as he offers himself up to his lost love unconditionally. He might be bowing out gracefully, but he can’t leave her behind.
It was The Spinners’ producer Thom Bell who came up with the music and the title for the song. In our interview with Phil Hurtt, he explained: “When Thommy said ‘I’ll be around,’ I started thinking about a scenario and a story. Thommy was telling me, ‘Whenever you call me, I’ll be there.’ That’s one of the things he did give me. And I’m thinking, okay, great. So the guy broke up and he wants her back, whenever you call me I’ll be there, whenever you need me, I’ll be there. So, okay, great. And then the next thing I know, this is our fork in the road. And that’s the way it happens.
I’m just so proud and happy and blessed that that song has crossed over into that company of being referred to as ‘classic.’ You hear a great melody and a great idea for a song, and then all you’ve got to do is write the story. I mean, wow, what an opportunity.”
Phil Hurtt assured us he was not going through any personal trauma when he wrote the lyric. “That’s what part of the job requires you to do,” he said. “I was an early reader, so I read a lot of stories from the age of 3. I’m always on the edge of a new story, so if I hear a rhythm, sometimes I can hear lyrics.”
The Spinners were signed to Motown Records in 1963, but were never one of the top acts at the label. In 1972, they moved to Atlantic Records, and recorded some successful sessions with producer Jimmy Roach.
Atlantic recorded some of their top R&B acts, including Archie Bell & The Drells and Dusty Springfield, at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia. A top producer at Sigma was Thom Bell, so Atlantic sent him a list of their artists to see if there was one he would like to work with. The very last name on the list was The Spinners, which Bell had been listening to since the early ’60s. He took them on and wrote the music to “I’ll Be Around” for their first session at Sigma Sound. Bell needed lyrics for the song, but his usual writing partner, Linda Creed, was out of town. He tracked down a songwriter he had gone to high school with named Phil Hurtt, who agreed to compose the words, with instructions by Bell to fit them exactly to the melody. Hurtt delivered, and Bell recorded the song with the group for their first single. When Atlantic issued the single, “I’ll Be Around” was the B-side of another song they cut with Bell, “How Could I Let You Get Away.” When disc jockeys flipped it and played “I’ll Be Around,” Atlantic made it the A-side on future pressings, and The Spinners were off and running at their new label. The song was a #1 R&B hit, and led to many more hits, including “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love” and “Then Came You.”
The musicians on this track were the Sigma Sound Studios house band, MFSB, who scored a #1 hit with the Soul Train theme song. Some of the musicians on this track were Norman Harris on guitar, Ronnie Baker on bass, and Earl Young on drums. According to producer Thom Bell, the musicians laughed at the arrangement because it was so simple. He says they had the track recorded in 40 minutes.
The lead vocals on this one were by Bobby Smith, who was an original member of the group. Philippé Wynne, who sang lead on some of The Spinners hits, was with the group at the time, but he did tenor backing vocals on this track.
Cover versions made the US Hot 100 in the each of the three decades after The Spinners first charted with the song:
In 1985, the Todd Rundgren-produced group What Is This? took the song to #62.
In 1995, a rap version by Rappin’ 4-Tay with The Spinners hit #39.
In 2005, Hall & Oates’ cover went to #97.
The song has also been liberally sampled. Examples included “Any Emcee” by Nine, “You Made Your Choice” by Papoose, and “Tru Homies” by TRU.
I’ll Be Around
This, is our fork in the road Love’s last episode There’s nowhere to go, oh no
You made your choice, now it’s up to me To bow out gracefully Though you hold the key, but baby
Whenever you call me, I’ll be there Whenever you want me, I’ll be there Whenever you need me, I’ll be there I’ll be around
I, knew just what to say Now I found out today That all the words had slipped away, but I know
There’s always a chance A tiny spark remains, yeah And sparks turn into flames And love can burn once again, but I know you know
Whenever you call me, I’ll be there Whenever you want me, I’ll be there Whenever you need me, I’ll be there I’ll be around yeah
Whenever you call me, I’ll be there Whenever you want me, I’ll be there Even if I have to call, I’ll be there I’ll be around
Just call me at home, I’ll be there I’ll never leave you alone, I’ll be there Just call out your name you know I know you know I’ll be around
Whenever you call me, I’ll be there Whenever you want me, I’ll be there Whenever you need me, I’ll be there I’ll be around
Betty really belts out this song. The song peaked at #6 in the Billboard 100 and #34 in the UK in 1964. I have heard this song most of my life but never knew who sang it.
This was written by Rudy Clark, whose credits include “Good Lovin'” and “Got My Mind Set On You.” Like “The Shoop Shoop Song,” the original artist didn’t fare very well on those, but cover versions were very successful “Good Lovin'” was first released by The Olympics in 1965, but it was The Young Rascals 1966 cover that went to #1. “Got My Mind Set On You” was originally by James Ray in 1962, but George Harrison’s 1987 cover was the hit, also going to #1.
Everett was reluctant to record this song at first and was urged by Calvin Carter, her producer to do so. She felt that the song would flop.
From Songfacts
How can you tell if a guy loves you? His eyes can deceive, and you certainly can’t trust what he says, so the only way to for sure is with his kiss, which acts as a kind of truth serum for love, according to this song.
Merry Clayton, a onetime Raelette who can be heard on the Rolling Stones song “Gimme Shelter,” was the first to release this song, issuing it in 1963. Ramona King from the doo-wop group The Fairlanes was the next to release it, but it wasn’t until Everett’s 1964 cover that the song finally hit.
The song has spanned decades with more successful cover versions. In 1975, Linda Lewis reached #107 US; James Taylor’s younger sister, Kate Taylor, hit #49 US in 1977; Cher took it to #33 US in 1991. Her version also hit #1 in the UK.
The song received its name on account of backup vocals that sing, “shoop shoop shoop…” These gibberish words are heard every time the line, “If you wanna know if he loves you so,” is sung.
Everett’s version stood out in large part because of the xylophone solo – something you don’t hear very often in a pop song.
This was Everett’s third single and her first Top 40 hit. Her first failed to chart and her second single (“You’re No Good,” later covered by Linda Ronstadt) climbed only to #51 on the Hot 100. Everett recorded for Vee Jay Records, a Motown competitor.
The backup vocals were provided by a local female group from Chicago called the Opals.
Cher recorded her version for the 1990 film Mermaids, which she starred in along with Winona Ryder and Christina Ricci. Both Cher’s version and Everett’s version are featured in the film, but Cher’s is the only version featured on the soundtrack. >>
Cher’s version was produced by Peter Asher, a longtime Beatles associate who produced most of James Taylor’s and Linda Ronstadt’s hits. In a Songfacts interview with Asher, he explained: “The song was already chosen. They were going to sing it in the movie anyway and they just wanted a proper record version for the end titles.
That one I cut without Cher’s input entirely. I just did it the way I thought she should do it. I had one conversation with Cher about the key, and that was it. And then she showed up and it was all done. She liked it, luckily.”
Salt-N-Pepa got their shoop on in 1993 for their song “Shoop.” In 1995, Whitney Houston appropriated the Shoop for her song “Exhale (Shoop Shoop),” which was a massive hit from the movie Waiting To Exhale.
Linda Rondstadt sometimes performed this song, and sang it on an episode of The Muppets, with Kermit the Frog the object of her affection.
Betty Everett – The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s In His Kiss)
Does he love me, I want to know How can I tell if he loves me so
(is it in his eyes) Oh no, you’ll be deceived (is it in his eyes) Oh no, he’ll make believe If you want to know if he loves you so It’s in his kiss (that’s where it is, oh yeah)
(or is it in his face) Oh no, it’s just his charm (in his one embrace) Oh no, that’s just his arm If you want to know if he loves you so It’s in his kiss (that’s where it is) Oh oh, it’s in his kiss (that’s where it is)
Oh oh oh, kiss him and squeeze him tight And find out what you want to know If it’s love, if it really is It’s there in his kiss
(how ’bout the way he acts) Oh no, that’s not the way And you’re not listenin’ to all I say If you want to know if he loves you so It’s in his kiss (that’s where it is) Oh yeah, it’s in his kiss (that’s where it is)
Whoa oh oh, kiss him and squeeze him tight And find out what you want to know If it’s love, if it really is It’s there in his kiss
(how ’bout the way he acts) Oh no, that’s not the way And you’re not listenin’ to all I say If you want to know if he loves you so It’s in his kiss (that’s where it is) Oh yeah, it’s in his kiss (that’s where it is) Oh oh, it’s in his kiss (that’s where it is)
ABBA dominated the charts in the seventies. Love them or hate them, Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson could write catchy and well-produced pop songs. This song charted at #3 in the Billboard 100 and #1 in the UK in 1978.
Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad sang lead on most of the songs. They had a total of 20 songs in the top 100, 4 top ten songs and 1 number one song which was Dancing Queen. They have sold over 375 million singles and albums as of 2010.
Bjorn Ulvaeus enjoyed jogging and as he ran he sang a “tck-a-ch”-style rhythm to himself. This evolved into the line “Take a Chance on Me,” around which he wrote the rest of the words.
From Songfacts
Ulvaeus in 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh: “I remember that Benny didn’t like the line, ‘We could go dancing, we could go walking,’ but in the end we went with it.”
This was also #1 in Austria, Belgium, Ireland and Mexico.
Although unlike “Dancing Queen” this didn’t top the US chart, it did sell more than the chart topper.
The working title was “Billy Boy.”
In 1992 Erasure recorded Abba-esque, an EP made up of 4 ABBA songs. It became their first UK #1 and kick-started an Abba revival. One of the songs on it was “Take A Chance On Me,” which they did Techno style spliced up with a Ragga section. Andy Bell in 1000 UK #1 Hits recalls: “The ABBA EP was commercial and fun, but a throwaway project for us to do because it was only 4 songs. And because they were written by the same writers it was easy for us to do. The ABBA stuff was originally going to be an album project, but then we were glad we didn’t do that, because we were pretty swamped by ABBA anyway.” >>
John McCain is a huge ABBA fan and after being elected as the Republican candidate for the 2008 presidential elections, he vowed to have ABBA songs played “in elevators all over the White House” if elected. McCain apparently pumps himself up by listening to this song at full volume before making a big speech and he contacted the Swedish group to get permission to use this number as his official campaign anthem. However it appears they priced him out of the market, as McCain was forced to admit to reporters: “It gets expensive in a big hurry.” It’s possible that ABBA just didn’t want to be associated with the Republican Party.
This song appeared, among others, in the Mamma Mia! soundtrack and musical starring Pierce Brosnan, Meryl Streep and Colin Firth. The song is performed in the movie by Julie Walters and Stellan Skargaard.
Take A Chance On Me
If you change your mind, I’m the first in line Honey I’m still free Take a chance on me If you need me, let me know, gonna be around If you’ve got no place to go, if you’re feeling down If you’re all alone when the pretty birds have flown Honey I’m still free Take a chance on me Gonna do my very best and it ain’t no lie If you put me to the test, if you let me try
Take a chance on me (That’s all I ask of you honey) Take a chance on me
We can go dancing, we can go walking, as long as we’re together Listen to some music, maybe just talking, get to know you better ‘Cos you know I’ve got So much that I wanna do, when I dream I’m alone with you It’s magic You want me to leave it there, afraid of a love affair But I think you know That I can’t let go
If you change your mind, I’m the first in line Honey I’m still free Take a chance on me If you need me, let me know, gonna be around If you’ve got no place to go, if you’re feeling down If you’re all alone when the pretty birds have flown Honey I’m still free Take a chance on me Gonna do my very best and it ain’t no lie If you put me to the test, if you let me try
Take a chance on me (Come on, give me a break will you?) Take a chance on me
Oh you can take your time baby, I’m in no hurry, know I’m gonna get you You don’t wanna hurt me, baby don’t worry, I ain’t gonna let you Let me tell you now My love is strong enough to last when things are rough It’s magic You say that I waste my time but I can’t get you off my mind No I can’t let go ‘Cos I love you so
If you change your mind, I’m the first in line Honey I’m still free Take a chance on me If you need me, let me know, gonna be around If you’ve got no place to go, if you’re feeling down If you’re all alone when the pretty birds have flown Honey I’m still free Take a chance on me Gonna do my very best, baby can’t you see Gotta put me to the test, take a chance on me (Take a chance, take a chance, take a chance on me)
Ba ba ba ba baa, ba ba ba ba baa Honey I’m still free Take a chance on me Gonna do my very best, baby can’t you see Gotta put me to the test, take a chance on me (Take a chance, take a chance, take a chance on me)
Ba ba ba ba baa, ba ba ba ba baa ba-ba Honey I’m still free Take a chance on me
A three-part documentary based on unseen footage from Charlie Chaplin. Chaplin ordered all of his outtakes burned but some did survive. This gives us a glimpse of how he constructed a story. He relied on inspiration and rarely had anything planned out in advance and that lead to classic scenes.
He would rearrange sets and actors and if a good mistake happened he would act on it and stretch it out. This was a good way to waste thousands of dollars worth of film but it also made him a comedy genius. Chaplin said he would build sets without an idea in his head but would be inspired.
Below is an outtake he never used in his feature “City Lights” which It would have been interesting if he would have kept it in. He takes the simplest prop…a piece of wood and works a scene around it in a grate.
The documentary was in three parts.
My Happiest Years – This part is mostly on his early Mutual shorts years in 1916-1917
The Great Director – Actresses and Actors talk about working on Chaplin’s films.
Hidden Treasures – A look at a variety of informal, private or salvaged pieces of film by or relating to Chaplin, including home movie footage, visitors to his studios, and several sequences that were edited out of his final films.
Like the Buster Keaton biography A Hard Act To Follow this was produced by Kevin Brownlow and David Gill. It’s worth chasing these down or click on this link in youtube.
This is one of my favorite pop songs of the 1960s. The vocals are reminiscent of the Beach Boys. It’s a sunny and bright song musically about a guy writing to his girl…in prison. The song doesn’t express or explain why she is in prison just that he will be with her when her stay is over.
The song is arranged beautifully. with the vocal only arrangements, You can hear Brian Wilson and Paul McCartney’s influence on this recording. Chris White’s (Zombies bass player) bass playing is phenomenal in this song.
It is on the album Odessey and Oracle, one of the best albums of the sixties. The hit song on the album is Time of the Season but it is full of great songs. It charted a year after it was released at #95 in the Billboard 200 album charts in 1969. The song/album would be on my desert island list.
Rod Argent (Zombies keyboard player) talks about recording the album: We didn’t think, “Oh, we have to do something like Pet Sounds,” but I think it did inspire us. There wasn’t any attempt to copy the elements that were in there so much as the creativity of it and the feeling of pushing pop music forward into different spaces than it had been before. I think Pet Sounds was an indirect influence, as it was on Sgt. Pepper. Since then, Paul McCartney’s said the same thing; they felt they had to do something similar.
This uptempo pop symphony is about a guy writing to his girlfriend, who is in prison. The group’s main songwriter Rod Argent recalled in Mojo Magazine February 2008: “It just appealed to me. That twist on a common scenario, I just can’t wait for you to come home to me again.”
This was released as the first single from the Odessey And Oracle album in the UK, but it didn’t make the charts, which surprised vocalist, Colin Blunstone. He said in his Songfacts interview, “It’s a wonderfully crafted song. I think it’s got an incredible lyric, wonderful chord sequence and a great melody – it’s just got everything.”
Blunstone was shocked by the song’s lack of popular appeal, as he thought it was a very commercial track. Soon after it stiffed, the band split up and Blunstone took a job in the Burglary Department of a London insurance office. Bassist Chris White admitted: “We tried to promote ‘Care Of Cell 44,’ but there was no positive reaction. It was downhill from then on.” However the band did have a surprise hit in America a year after their breakup when “Time Of The Season” peaked at #3.
Care of Cell 44
Good morning to you, I hope your feeling better baby Thinkin of me while you are far away Counting the days until they set you free again Writing this letter, hoping your okay Sent to the room you used to stay in every Sunday The one that is warmed by sunshine every day And we’ll get to know each other for a second time Then you can tell me about your prison stay
Feels so good your coming home soon
Its gonna be good to have you back again with me Watching the laughter play around your eyes Come up and getcha, saved up for the train fare money Kiss and make-up and it will be so nice
Feels so good your coming home soon
Walking the way we used to walk And it could be so nice Talkin the way we used to talk And it could be so nice
Its gonna be nice to have you back again with me Watching the laughter play around your eyes Come up and getcha, saved up for the train fare money Kiss and make-up and it will be so nice
I had forgotten about this song and band. The Knickerbockers were basically a Beatles knock-off band. This is not a great song by any means but at the time some people passed this off as a rare unheard Beatles track. For me and I’m sure many more, it is not too hard to tell this is not a Beatles track…but it’s a fun song.
The Knickerbockers were found Jerry Fuller in a bar in Albany, New York and he relocated them to Los Angeles and they soon became a popular club attraction.
This was their only top forty recording… it peaked at #20 in the Billboard 100 in 1966.
Lies
Lies, lies, you’re tellin’ me that you’ll be true Lies, lies That’s all I ever hear from you Tears, tears
I shed a million tears for you Tears, tears And now you’re lovin’ someone new Someday I’m gonna be happy
But I don’t know when just now Lies, lie-ies A-breakin’ my heart You think that you’re such a smart girl
And I’ll believe what you say But who do you think you are, girl To lead me on this way hey Lies, lies
I can’t believe a word you say Lies, lies Are gonna make you sad someday Some day you’re gonna be lonely
But you won’t find me around Lies, lie-ies A-breakin’ my heart Someday I’m gonna be happy
But I don’t know when just now Lies, lie-ies A-breakin’ my heart You think that you’re such a smart girl
And I’ll believe what you say But who do you think you are, girl To lead me on this way hey Lies (ah!), lies (yeah baby)
I can’t believe a word you say Lies, lies Are gonna make you sad someday Some day you’re gonna be lonely
But you won’t find me around Lies, lie-ies A-breakin’ my heart I said, baby, now (breakin’ my heart)
Oh, yeah, you’re still breakin’ my heart (breakin’ my heart)
The dynamic of the intro really works in this song. The wall of distortion and feedback starts and then it snaps into the song. It is incredibly catchy and bouncy for being a harder song. This song was on Steppenwolf’s “Second” album and the song peaked at #3 in the Billboard 100 in 1968. I’ve always liked John Kays voice and he also has a great stage presence.
Steppenwolf had 13 songs in the Billboard 100 and 3 top ten hits. This was the second big hit for Steppenwolf. “Born To Be Wild” was released a few months earlier. They were on different albums, with “Born To Be Wild” on their first and this on their second, although this was released well before their second album came out.
From Songfacts
The group wrote this based on the bass line their bass player, Rushton Moreve, came up with. The only words he had written for it were, “I like my job, I like my baby.” Lead singer John Kay wrote the rest of the lyrics. He got inspired when he put the demo tape in a home stereo system he bought with the royalties from their first album. That’s where he came up with the line, “I like to dream, right between my sound machine.”
John Kay of Steppenwolf teamed up with Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five to do a 1988 rap-rock remake of this song. It was similar to the Run-D.M.C./Aerosmith mash-up of “Walk This Way,” which was released in 1986.
This song first appeared in a 1968 movie called Candy by the French director Christian Marquand. It starred Ewa Aulin, Marlon Brando, Richard Burton, Ringo Starr and Charles Aznavour. It’s an extremely strange movie, definitely of it’s time and kind of gives context to the song, intended or not. The movie was based on a popular counterculture novel.
In 2004, this was used in the “America Revolution” series of Chevy car commercials.
Magic Carpet Ride
I like to dream, yes, yes Right between the sound machine On a cloud of sound I drift in the night Any place it goes is right Goes far, flies near To the stars away from here
Well, you don’t know what We can find Why don’t you come with me little girl On a magic carpet ride
Well, you don’t know what We can see Why don’t you tell your dreams to me Fantasy will set you free
Close your eyes now Look inside now Let the sound Take you away
Last night I hold Aladdin’s lamp So I wished that I could stay Before the thing could answer me Well, someone came and took the lamp away
I looked Around A lousy candle’s all I found
Well, you don’t know what We can find Why don’t you come with me little girl On a magic carpet ride
Well, you don’t know what We can see Why don’t you tell your dreams to me Fantasy will set you free
Close your eyes now Look inside now Let the sound Take you away
This 1921 movie by Charlie Chaplin teamed him up with young Jackie Coogan. You may remember the adult Coogan as Uncle Fester on the Addams Family. It’s a great film with some classic scenes between Chaplin and Coogan. This was Chaplin’s first feature film. He was finishing up his First National contract as he co-founded United Artists with Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and D.W. Griffith.
The Jackie Coogan and Chaplin…Jackie Coogan as Uncle Fester
The story starts off with a woman (Edna Purviance) that abandons her baby in the back of an expensive car hoping that the owners will give her baby a life that she can not. The car is then stolen and the baby is left on the street. The Tramp (Chaplin) finds the baby and takes it home and raises him. Five years pass and he loves the kid and together they have a great scheme going on.
The kid goes around throwing rocks through windows and out of nowhere later on comes The Tramp who would just so happen to have glass and materials with him to fix the window for a price.
The authorities soon find out that the Tramp is not the kid’s father. While this is going on the mother who is doing really well now is looking for her child. The Tramp and Kid are pursued and in this film, Chaplin had some serious and tender moments combining comedy with pathos which at the time was a turning point. The movie was considered a masterpiece when it was released.
One scene that jumps out is the scene where social services are physically taking the child away and Chaplin fights…not comically but really fights to keep the Kid.
The film was written, directed, produced and starred… Charlie Chaplin. Edna Purviance makes her last appearance acting with Chaplin. She would be directed by him one more time in a drama as a leading lady. This movie kicked off Coogan’s very successful child acting career.
Jackie Coogan would become a star in the twenties. He earned 3-4 million dollars acting and when he turned 21 in 1935 he thought he was set for life only to find out the money was gone. His mother and step-father spent all of his money on furs, jewelry, and cars. His mom said that Jackie enjoyed himself acting and no promises were ever made to give him any of the money. Jackie sued his mom in 1938 and only received 125,000 dollars of his money.
Coogan had financial problems for a long while and even went to Chaplin for help which Chaplin gladly gave him money.
One good thing came out of it. The “Coogan Act” which made parents set aside at least 15 percent of their child’s earnings to a trust fund.
If you get a chance this is a great short entertaining movie.
Wednesday I covered their other song Baby Now That I’ve Found You and this is their other big hit…Build Me Up Buttercup that was the biggest hit of their career. It’s one of those 60’s pop hits that I can’t help but like. The song peaked at #3 in the Billboard 100 in 1969.
The Foundations sounded like they were straight out of Motown but they were actually formed in London and consisted of members from the West Indies, Britain, and even Sri Lanka.
From Songfacts
This was written by Mike D’Abo and Tony Macaulay. D’Abo was lead singer of Manfred Mann, and Macaulay was a successful songwriter who also wrote The Foundations hit “Baby Now That I’ve Found You” as well as songs by The Hollies, Andy Williams and The New Seekers.
David Essex, who was unknown at the time but went on to success with “Rock On,” was offered this song, but he turned it down as he didn’t like the title.
This was featured in the 1998 film There’s Something About Mary.
This was featured in the 2001 pilot episode of the spy drama Alias, “Truth Be Told,” when Sydney Bristow’s (Jennifer Garner) ill-fated boyfriend sings it on the campus lawn before he proposes to her.
Build Me Up Buttercup
Why do you build me up (build me up) Buttercup, baby Just to let me down (let me down) and mess me around And then worst of all (worst of all) you never call, baby When you say you will (say you will) but I love you still I need you (I need you) more than anyone, darlin’ You know that I have from the start So build me up (build me up) Buttercup, don’t break my heart
“I’ll be over at ten”, you told me time and again But you’re late, I wait around and then (bah-dah-dah) I went to the door, I can’t take any more It’s not you, you let me down again
(Hey, hey, hey!) Baby, baby, try to find (Hey, hey, hey!) A little time and I’ll make you mine (Hey, hey, hey!) I’ll be home I’ll be beside the phone waiting for you Ooo-oo-ooo, ooo-oo-ooo
Why do you build me up (build me up) Buttercup, baby Just to let me down (let me down) and mess me around And then worst of all (worst of all) you never call, baby When you say you will (say you will) but I love you still I need you (I need you) more than anyone, darlin’ You know that I have from the start So build me up (build me up) Buttercup, don’t break my heart
You were my toy but I could be the boy you adore If you’d just let me know (bah-dah-dah) Although you’re untrue, I’m attracted to you all the more Why do I need you so
(Hey, hey, hey!) Baby, baby, try to find (Hey, hey, hey!) A little time and I’ll make you mine (Hey, hey, hey!) I’ll be home I’ll be beside the phone waiting for you Ooo-oo-ooo, ooo-oo-ooo
Why do you build me up (build me up) Buttercup, baby Just to let me down (let me down) and mess me around And then worst of all (worst of all) you never call, baby When you say you will (say you will) but I love you still I need you (I need you) more than anyone, darlin’ You know that I have from the start So build me up (build me up) Buttercup, don’t break my heart
I-I-I need you-oo-oo more than anyone, baby You know that I have from the start So build me up (build me up) Buttercup, don’t break my heart
This song was written by Allen A. Jones and Willie David Young. The Gentrys were from Memphis and best known for this 1965 hit which rose to the Top 10 and became a million seller. It’s not a great song but it’s a fun one.
The song is interesting for the fact that it is actually one short recording repeated, to stretch the record out to the length of the typical pop single of its day. The second half of the song, after the false fade, beginning with Wall’s drum fill, is the same as the first. Many modern recordings today more or less use the same trick on songs.
Keep on Dancing peaked at #4 in the Billboard 100 in 1965. The Gentrys did manage an appearance in the 1965 movie It’s a Bikini World and kept releasing singles up to 1971 but they had no other top 40 single and the Gentrys disbanded.
I owned a Gentrys single before…they did a cover of Neil Young’s Cinnamon Girl which I placed below the Keep On Dancing video. It’s odd that its the same group that did Keep On Dancing.
I’m not a wrestling fan at all but this band included Jimmy Hart who would make his name as a bad guy wrestling manager.
Keep On Dancing
I keep on dancin’ (keep on) Keep on doin’ the jerk right now Shake it, shake it, baby Come on & show me how you work
Yellin’ in motion Keep on doin’ the locomotion, yeah Don’t worry, little babe Shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it, yes!
[Chorus:] Keep on dancin’ & a-prancin’ (ah) Keep on dancin’ & a-prancin’ (ah) Keep on dancin’ & a-prancin’ (ah)
[Organ Solo]
I keep on dancin’ (keep on) Keep on doin’ the jerk Shake it, shake it, baby Come on & show me how you work
Yellin’ in motion Keep on doin’ the locomotion, yeah Don’t worry, little babe Shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it, yes!
[Chorus:] Keep on dancin’ & a-prancin’ (ah) Keep on dancin’ & a-prancin’ (ah) Keep on dancin’ & a-prancin’ (ah)
[Organ solo, temporarily fadin]
I keep on dancin’ (keep on) Keep on doin’ the jerk right now Shake it, shake it, baby Come on & show me how you work
[Chorus:] Keep on dancin’ & a-prancin’ (ah) Keep on dancin’ & a-prancin’ (ah) Keep on dancin’ & a-prancin’ (ah)
Simply a beautiful song written by Brian Wilson and Tony Asher. Carl Wilson sings lead on this song and it is an incredible vocal performance…one of the best in my opinion. The song peaked at #39 in the Billboard 100 and #2 in the UK in 1966. I still have a hard time believing it only made it to #39.
The Beatles’ “Here, There And Everywhere” was inspired by this song. John Lennon and Paul McCartney heard Pet Sounds at a party and went back to Lennon’s house to write it. Paul McCartney once called “God Only Knows” “The greatest song ever written.”
“God Only Knows” was voted 25th in Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time,
Brian Wilson wrote this song with Tony Asher, who was an advertising copyrighter and lyricist that Wilson worked with on songs for Pet Sounds. This song reflects Wilson’s interest in spirituality, and it was a big departure from previous Beach Boys songs that dealt with girls, cars and surfing. Wilson explained to Goldmine in 2011: “Tony Asher and I tried to write something very spiritually. It’s got a melody similar to the song (recites lyric to ‘The Sound Of Music’), ‘I hear the sound of music…’ (Sings lyrics to ‘God Only Knows’) ‘I may not always love you…’ It was similar to it. Tony came up with the title ‘God Only Knows.’ I was scared they’d ban playing it on the radio because of the title but they didn’t.”
This song is considered a Beach Boys classic, but it only managed to scrape the Top 40 in the United States. That’s because it was released as a B-side, partly because of fear that radio stations would refuse to play a song with “God” in the title. In the liner notes to the reissued Pet Sounds album, Tony Asher explained, “I really thought it was going to be everything it was, and yet we were taking some real chances with it. First of all, the lyric opens by saying, ‘I may not always love you,’ which is a very unusual way to start a love song.”
Carl Wilson handled lead vocals on this track. Not long after the song was released, he said, “At present our influences are of a religious nature. Not any specific religion but an idea based upon that of Universal Consciousness. The concept of spreading goodwill, good thoughts and happiness is nothing new. It is an idea which religious teachers and philosophers have been handing down for centuries, but it is also our hope. The spiritual concept of happiness and doing good to others is extremely important to the lyric of our songs, and the religious element of some of the better church music is also contained within some of our new work.”
The famous French horn on this song was played by Alan Robinson, who appeared on the scores for many films, including The Sound of Music and The Ten Commandments. He got the call for the session because he could play without music written out. Brian Wilson sang him the horn line he had in mind, and Robinson played it by ear using a glissando technique suggested by Wilson.
Brian Wilson would sometimes introduce this as “the first song in the world to have God in the title.” God is common in hymns and standards (“God Bless America,” “Nearer, My God, to Thee”), and was rare in pop songs, but not unprecedented; in 1961 Johnny Burnette made #18 US with “God, Country And My Baby.”
Brian Wilson planned to sing the lead vocal himself, but decided that his brother Carl was better suited for the track. “I was looking for a tenderness and a sweetness which I knew Carl had in himself as well as in his voice,” said Brian.
This was featured at the end of the 2003 romantic comedy Love Actually. It was also used in the films Boogie Nights (P.T. Anderson’s drama about the porn industry) and Saved (a 2004 drama about a Christian high school, where there are two versions, both covers). >>
This was the theme song for the first three seasons of the HBO television series Big Love, which ran 2006-2011.
Asked by The Guardian which Beach Boys song took the least effort to write, Brian Wilson replied: “I wrote ‘God Only Knows’ in 45 minutes. Me and Tony Asher.”
In Al Kooper’s tell-all autobiography Backstage Passes and Backstabbing Bastards, Kooper talks about his evening visiting Brian Wilson only a week before Pet Soundshit the streets: “Brian played a test-pressing of the record, jumping up and stopping cuts in the middle and starting them over to emphasize his points. He was very proud of his accomplishment, maybe even a little show-offish, but I wasn’t about to argue. Do you remember the first time you heard ‘God Only Knows’?”
A cover version of the song was broadcast simultaneously across BBC television and radio channels on October 7, 2014 to launch BBC Music. The new adaptation featured Brian Wilson himself as well as various guest stars including Pharrell Williams, Sir Elton John, Lorde, Chris Martin, Stevie Wonder, One Direction and Dave Grohl.
Brian Wilson first toyed with the idea of titling this “Fred Only Knows” before settling on “God Only Knows.”
John Legend and Cynthia Erivo played this to bookend the “In Memorium” segment at the Grammy Awards in 2017. There were an extraordinary number of musical passings that year, David Bowie, Prince and George Michael among them.
God Only Knows
I may not always love you But long as there are stars above you You never need to doubt it I’ll make you so sure about it God only knows what I’d be without you
If you should ever leave me Though life would still go on, believe me The world could show nothing to me So what good would livin’ do me God only knows what I’d be without you
God only knows what I’d be without you
If you should ever leave me Though life would still go on, believe me The world could show nothing to me So what good would livin’ do me God only knows what I’d be without you
This great pop song was written by Woody Guthrie in 1939. Billy Bragg and Wilco recorded their version of the song on the album Mermaid Avenue, Volume II (#88) in 2000. The album contained lyrics by Guthrie and music by Bragg and Wilco. On this song, the music was by Jay Bennett and Jeff Tweedy from Wilco.
I heard this song many times on an alternative station in Nashville…Lightning 100 in the early 2000s. This project was conceived by Guthrie’s daughter, Nora Guthrie and Mermaid Avenue (#90) came out in 1996. It has everything I like in a song. Catchy chorus and jangly guitars.
Secret of the Sea
Who can guess the secret of the sea?
Who can guess the secret of the sea?
If you can guess the secret of my love for you
Then we both could know the secret of the sea
Tell me could you ever tell the secret of the sea?
These high rolling waves along the shore
The footprints of the lovers that come here to love
By the tides washed away forever more
Who can guess the secret of the sea?
Who can guess the secret of the sea?
If you can guess the secret of my love for you
Then we both could know the secret of the sea
You claim to know the secret of a kiss and a hug
The secret of the grass and of the trees
If you can tell the secret of a warm friend’s hand
Then we all would feel the secrets of the sea
Who can guess the secret of the sea?
Who can guess the secret of the sea?
If you can guess the secret of my love for you
Then we both could know the secret of the sea
We both could know the secret of the sea
This was a fictitious band playing the title song to the Tom Hanks movie “That Thing You Do.” It was a nice song with an early sixties feel. The song peaked at #41 in the Billboard 100 in 1996. I really liked the movie when it came out and couldn’t help but like the song also.
Adam Schlesinger, the bass player for Fountains Of Wayne, wrote this song. He said “That was a very long time ago. That was 1995 I think I first heard about it, or ’96, and I was just starting out. I had a publishing deal as a writer and they told me about this movie – they said that they were looking for something that sounds like early Beatles. And they knew that that was an era that I liked a lot. So I just took a shot at it and got very lucky and they used the song.” Schlesinger said he found he was more known for this song than Fountains of Wayne’s hit single “Stacy’s Mom.”
The Knack later covered this song.
From Songfacts
This was featured in the movie That Thing You Do, starring Tom Hanks as the manager of the fictional ’60s Pop band The Wonders. In the movie, the song becomes their breakout hit and makes the band a huge success with legions of teenage fans.
The song is about heartbreak and chasing after lost love – cliché ’60s songwriting topics. The track also has a chipper sound, complete with bright guitars and harmonies, reminiscent of early Beatles.
Mike Viola, from the band The Candy Butchers, sang lead on this track. Adam Schlesinger was friends with Viola, and had him sing on the demo. The movie’s producers liked his sound and kept him for the film version. None of the actors in the movie actually played on the song.
In 1997, this was nominated for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards and Best Original Song at the Golden Globe Awards, but lost to Madonna’s “You Must Love Me” from the film Evita on both occasions.
NSYNC, New Found Glory and The Knack have all covered this song.
That Thing You Do
You, doin’ that thing you do
Breaking my heart into a million pieces, like you always do
And you, don’t mean to be cruel
You never even knew about the heartache
I’ve been goin’ through
Well, I try and try to forget you girl
But it’s just so hard to do
Every time you do that thing you do
And I, know all the games you play
And I’m gonna find a way to let you know that
You’ll be mine someday
Cause we, could be happy, can’t you see
If you’d only let me be the one to hold you,
And keep you here with me
‘Cause I try and try to forget you girl
But it’s just so hard to do
Every time you do that thing you do
I don’t ask a lot girl but I know one thing’s for sure
It’s the love I haven’t got girl
And I just can’t take it anymore (whoa!)
Cause we, could be happy, can’t you see
If you’d only let me be the one to hold you,
And keep you here with me
‘Cause it hurts me so just to see you go
Around with someone new
And if I know you, you’re doin’ that thing
Every day, just doin’ that thing
I can’t take you doin’ that thing you do
I first heard this song on an oldies station in the 80s. This song peaked at #11 in the Billboard 100 and #1 in the UK in 1968. The Foundations were a British Soul band that was active between 1967 to 1970.
When this was first released there appeared to be little enthusiasm for the single until BBC’s newly founded Radio 1 began to play it. The song got onto the station’s playlist mainly because they wanted to avoid any records being played by the pirate radio broadcasters, so they looked back at recent releases that the pirates had missed.
From Songfacts
The song’s co-writer Tony Macaulay recalls in 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh: “I woke up that morning with a stinking headache and when I got to the studio and heard The Foundations, I thought they were pretty terrible. I decided my hangover was to blame, and so I gave them the benefit of the doubt. The only song I could think of was something John McLeod and I had had for some time, ‘Baby Now That I’ve Found You.’ I didn’t have a lot of faith in the song but they recorded it with a lot of energy and I learned a lot from making that record.” It went on to become an international hit.
Clem Curtis, the lead vocalist of The Foundations recalls in the same book “Tony Macaulay gave us 2 songs. One was ‘Let The Heartaches Begin’ and the other was ‘Baby Now That I’ve Found You’ and we chose ‘Baby Now That I’ve Found You.’ Long John Baldry recorded the other one and that knocked us off the top.”
This was used in the 2001 film Shallow Hal.
This was the first song by a multiracial band to top the UK singles chart.
A cover version by Alison Krauss was featured in the 1997 Australian comedy, The Castle.
Baby Now That I’ve Found You
[Chorus] Baby, now that I’ve found you I can’t let you go I’ll build my world around you
I need you so Baby, even though you don’t need me You don’t need me.
[Chorus]
Baby, baby, since first we met (doot-doot) I knew in this heart of mine (I want to tell you, doot-doot) The love we had could not be bad (doot-doot) Play it right and bide my time
Spent a lifetime looking for somebody To give me love like you Now you’ve told me that you want to leave me Darling, I just can’t let you.
[Chorus: x2]
Spent a lifetime looking for somebody To give me love like you Now you’ve told me that you want to leave me Darling, I just can’t let you.
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