Last minute change of plan here. I was going to offer up 11 “old time” songs ( really, really “old time” in some cases) but on reflection I think that would be too much of a chore for many folks to listen to.
So, instead, I’ve gone for a selection of some of my favourite 1960s tunes. So no oriental stuff, no punk, no weirdoes just good, old fashioned “pop” music.
I was a bit young to appreciate them first time around , a few tunes stick in the memory from those days ( not always good ones !) but on the whole they are later discoveries.
You know the rules, one has to go…but which one….
So, what we have is
1. Kaleidoscope- Egyptian gardens ( S.F. Ethno-psych of the highest quality)
2. The Sunrays – I live for the sun ( weird surf)
3. Sagittarius- Song to the magic frog (will you ever) ( Amphibian friendly and just gorgeous)
4. The Beau Brummels – Just a little ( Beatley/Byrdisian)
5. 13th Floor Elevators – Dust ( Reflective mood of acid heroes)
6. West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band- Here’s where you belong ( Zingy !)
7. The Velvet Underground- She’s my best friend ( Touching and rather un-Velvety in sound, yet it’s still them !).
8. Marianne Faithful- Is this what I get for loving you , baby ? ( Betrayal song of Spectoresque grandure)
9. The Temptations – Psychedelic Shack ( Directions included, leave reality behind)
10. Hank Locklin – We’re gonna go fishin’ ( Recent discovery for me, delightfully stupid in execution)
11. Clyde McPhatter – Love please ( Glorious sax lead romp).
Intriguing and fun playlist – all the songs were new to me, though obviously not all the names. I think 13th Floor Elevators were my favourite discovery – sounding a bit like Bright Eyes or the Mountain Goats.
The last three tracks were less my kind of thing – still good stuff, but I’d probably ditch Hank Locklin, despite its delightful stupidity.
The Locklin song does stand out a bit, I think. Had to chuck it in though, I do like a bit of “stupid”.
Kaleidoscope: I think I might prefer to hear some authentic Middle Eastern music, but an interesting (and groovy) exercise in genre-splicing or something. Great build at the end. Keep.
The Sunrays: Sounds a bit too like The Beach Boys for me. And I’m afraid, with the odd notable exception (God Only Knows), they set my teeth on edge. Might be one for the heave-ho.
Sagittarius: Yes, this is a lovely, delicate thing. Is that really what it’s called? How daft. Keep.
The Beau Brummels: Can’t think of much to say about this. It’s OK. Not really grabbing me but not bad. Probably keep.
13th Floor Elevators: Favourite so far. Interesting (if rather baffling) lyric – and he sounds like he is thinking about what he’s singing rather than just waggling his head from side to side, grinning and chirping out whatever rhymes. I can imagine returning to this repeatedly and finding more each time. Keep.
WCPAEB: Couldn’t they have come up with a catchier band name? I guess there’s full disclosure there. (Or is there?!) Yeah, love the chiming guitar sound. Love this. Keep.
Velvet Underground: Not the strongest vocalist, is he? I’m finding it a bit nondescript, I’m afraid.
Marianne Faithfull: I know (and love) The Ronettes’ version of this song. Not sure Marianne’s take quite matches up. And it all sounds a bit sped up (because the Ronettes’ take is slower, I suppose), especially on the chorus. But I love her and I love the song, so keep.
The Temptations: Someone wants to oil that hinge… Great opening. What wouldn’t draw you in about that? First one I’ve properly heard before. Love it. The vocals are, like, 10 billion percent (to use the modern hyperbolic parlance) stronger and more distinctive than on any of the tracks that have preceded it. Keep.
Hank Locklin: Well, it’s catchy. I’ll give it that. Extraordinary that someone should have thought the subject matter worthy of recorded song, but it’s making me smile. And wince. Keep.
Clyde McPhatter: Ooh handclaps! I’m sold. Another vocalist who sounds ungeneric. Irresistible tempo. Great musical backing. Love it. Keep.
So I’m afraid I’m ditching The Sunrays. Maybe I’m just too uptight and British for surf music.
I’m British too and as uptight as they come but I love surf music !
The Sunrays track is an odd one, it’s surf but not surf too but I can see why an uptight Brit might reject it’s sunny charms on a cold January day.
Lots of new stuff for me on here too. I think I’d like to visit the Egyptian Gardens based on the song, I Live For the Sun is very bright and breezy, think I might be dead if I followed the song’s message though, not much sun about here.
Sagittarius were not for me, The Beau Brummels were indeed very early Beatles, I was very surprised by the 13th Floor Elevators! I have tried to listen to them before as they tend to come up in related artists lists with much of the music I listen to, but I don’t remember any of it sounding like this song. Thank you for exposing me to a song which makes me think it might be worth having another go.
‘Here’s Where You Belong’ is very sweet, did WCPAEB have a shortened version of their name? I think quite a lot of the VU doesn’t sound like the VU, they did a lot of fairly straight forward little pop songs, didn’t they? The Marianne song is great, I love soaring strings in a chorus.
The Temptations didn’t do much for me, Hank sounds like a fun guy, but I think he’s misleading about how interesting fishing actually is. Love the handclaps in Clyde’s song, a long way from my usual listening style, but I enjoyed it.
So Sagittarius would go and I was most impressed by 13th Floor Elevators, mostly because it challenged my expectations. Good fun list.
Alas ! Poor Froggy ! It is a tad sappy, coming, as it does, from the time when young men were inclined to be all foppish and fey and write songs about fairy tales ( happy days !).
The Elevators song is one of 2 on Easter Everywhere that are more “ballad like” than their usual fare and it’s long been a favourite of mine.
Oh, I just read bish’s comments, I wasn’t copying, honest!
Ha! Don’t worry, I don’t think our comments overlapped that much.
Kaleidoscope – love this. It’s David Lindley in there somewhere, isn’t it? Used to have “World Out Of Time” by David Lindley & Henry Kaiser, think I must have deleted it in a fit of absent mindedness but it was very good. Anyway, love this. Did I say that already?
The Sunrays – Oooof. Too Beach Boysie for me but bearable. My son said “What ARE you listening to? It’s crap.”
Sagittarius – No. Much too something. Not sure what.
The Beau Brummels – sounds like TOTP circa 1965 with Chris Isaak on backing guitar.
13th Floor Elevators; WCPAEB; Velvet Underground and Marianne Faithful – not keen on any of these but don’t feel violently towards them.
Temptations – Much better, I like this.
Hank Locklin – suitably daft.
Clyde McPhatter – like this too.
SO … it’s Sagittarius to go, for me,and the Sunrays to go for young Munday.
Thanks Pairubu for a suitably toned down list!
Yes,that’s David Lindley. Excellent band , Kaleidoscope ( US version UK version were pretty good too !).
I usually take a “That’s crap” from the younger generation ( I keep one myself) as a good sign , actually.
Ok, so i probably dropped way too much pyramid-eye blotter back in the day, but i loved this list. Or else i snuck into Fintan’s room too much when we were kids. Was almost a real toughie to choose which to axe, but Hank Loughlin made it easy. With Clyde McPhatter a runner up. Like Barbryn, i had heard of many of these bands before. Discovery for me was WCPAEB. Dond of the set goes to the Temptations, which i’ve probably heard before, but was still so awesome.
Nice set for post-holiday mid-winter blues too!
Thanks, Ubu.
Locklin was always a front runner for the chop, I think.
WCPAEB are a rather frustrating band, they should have been huge but sabotaged themselves pretty well. career wise.
Their last album , issued as “Markley , a group” is one of my fave slices of pop-psych oddness.
Updated schedule -
Jan 22 – Barbryn
Jan 29 – Bish
Feb 5 – DsD
Feb 12 – Amy
Feb 19 – Panther
Feb 26 – Ali
March 5 – Severin
March 12 – Punky
March 19 – Fintan
March 26 – Beltway
April 2 – SHA
April 9 -
April 16 -
April 23 -
April 30 -
Hi Mr P ! ! !
Sorry I am so late commenting
I think it is a wonderful playlist and I really enjoyed listening to it ! ! !
I liked all the tracks and it flows from one to the other song really nicely so it is hard to think of one to take out ! ! !
Maybe the 13th Floor Elevators would be the one to take out as his voice sounded rather strange to me but I liked them all ! ! !
I’m even later. Liked the whole set and hard put to ditch any of them
The 13th Floor Elevators was Roky Erickson’s group, right? Enjoyed that a lot.
Sagitarius was, I thought, rather beautiful and l loved Hank Locklin.
You know, if push came to shove, I’d ditch the Velvets although I’m surprising myself by saying that.
The others were all new to me and I liked them a lot. That one I knew and I’m not so bothered by it compared to their other stuff.
I thought I had left a comment a couple of days ago when my anti-virus programme finally let me onto The Spill, but it’s not here. WP also going wobbyly.
I am not going to try to re-create what I wrote. Loved everything, West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band a big favourite. I’ve never taken to Marianne Faithful I’m afraid. Sorry.
A great playlist as usual, Rev.
I had the same problem with the Spill for a while.
Update Bitdefender and that’s cured it for some reason.
Glad you liked the songs. WCPAEB are , indeed, an ace outfit ( most of the time).
And their drummer always plays in the nude, right?
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