Category: Sixties

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The Small Faces

At the start of 1965 The Small Faces was a band of unknowns, however, by the middle of that year they had been signed to Decca Records. They loved smart clothes and rhythm and blues. Such people were known as Mods.

Jimmy Winston was replaced by keyboardist, Ian McLagan, by the year’s end and the quartet now consisted of leading singer Steve Marriott, guitarist Ronnie Lane, drummer Kenney Jones, and McLagan. Marriott and Lane gelled as songwriters and this coupled with the group’s indisputable ability to perform musically, soon had critics labelling them as London’s answer to The Beatles.

Before The Small Faces and Decca parted company, the group had achieved its first hit, the classic “All Or Nothing”. Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love”, from 1969, is clearly based upon The Small Faces’ “You Need Loving”, recorded three years prior.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJzcF0v1eOE

Partaking in drugs, such as LSD, began to influence the quartet’s musical direction and the subject matter of its songs. Psychedelic recordings such as “Itchycoo Park”, “My Mind’s Eye” and “Here Comes The Nice” are examples of this. However, as if prove that its feet were still well and truly grounded, The Small Faces’ greatest triumph was still yet to come, in the form of “Tin Soldier”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcKZoFRpZCI

For the names of more tracks released by The Small Faces, please, refer to the suggested playlists.

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Sam and Dave

Sam Moore and Dave Prater first met in Miami, in 1961, at the King of Hearts nightclub. Each had come from a background of singing in church. This was the manner in which many performers from poor families honed the skills others, who could afford it, obtained from musical lessons and trainers, who would coach their voices.

The duo was influenced by such stellar performers as Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson. Sam and Dave’s music encouraged the pair to be animated on stage, and, as for their prowess as recording artists, they were second only to Otis Redding, at the famed Stax Studios, in Memphis.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fN4DHY_9gOs

There, the majority of their songs were written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter, and their recordings were backed by the likes of the instrumental soul group, Booker T. and The M.G.’s. Although Sam and Dave recorded their first tracks at Stax, in 1965, and followed these with such numbers as “Hold On! I’m Comin'” and “When Something Is Wrong With My Baby”, the duo could not make meaningful inroads on the lucrative pop charts.

However, this trend was to end, in late 1967, when “Soul Man” not only spent seven weeks at No.1 on the rhythm and blues chart but peaked at No.2 on the pop chart. This was to mark the zenith of the duo’s career.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7j2mzeyGZ8Y

The names of more tracks by Sam and Dave are listed in the suggested playlists.

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The Kinks

Unlike many groups at the forefront of the British Invasion, The Kinks enjoyed longevity. This can be put down to the undeniable talents of brothers, Ray and Dave Davies, who were born in London in the mid-1940s.

The pair, on vocals and guitar, was to be joined by bassist, Peter Quaife and drummer, Mick Avory. In August of 1964 the group was launched into the international spotlight when its initial hit, “You Really Got Me”, went to No.1 in Britain and entered the Top Ten in the United States. In fact, The Kinks’ first dozen singles to enter the British charts all reached the Top Twenty, with eleven of them peaking in the Top Ten; three of them at number one. All of this had been achieved in the space of just three years.

In 1970, two more recordings, “Lola” and “Apeman”, followed suit. However, a hiatus of almost a decade, from 1972, ensued and it seemed as if The Kinks’ knack of entering the charts had evaporated, when, suddenly, as if from out of the blue, the quartet resurfaced; most noticeably with the ditty, “Come Dancing”, in 1983.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ixqbc7X2NQY

Ray Davies’ ability to write songs on such an eclectic range of themes, such as the austerity in Britain at the time of “Dead End Street” or the world of transvestism, in “Lola”, ensured that the music of The Kinks contained the merit to survive and entertain future generations. “Waterloo Sunset”, is a personal favourite of mine.

For the names of other recordings by The Kinks, please, refer to the suggested playlist.

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Paul Revere And The Raiders

Through its many appearances on Dick Clark’s ‘Where The Action Is’, which was televised daily, as well as having its own show, ‘Happening ’68’, the group, Paul Revere And The Raiders, obtained unprecedented coverage in the U.S. Of course, there is no doubt that the colonial costumes its members wore, highlighting the Revolutionary War, played their part too.

In fact, the band is remembered more for its appearance and frivolous antics of its heyday, than for the reality it actually had fourteen hits enter the Top Forty in the United States. No mean feat, at a time when musical artistry was both voluminous and superb.

The band had undergone many changes in its personnel, since its original formation in Boise, Idaho, in 1959. It relocated to Portland, Oregon, in 1961, and changed its name from The Downbeats to Paul Revere And The Raiders. Its mainstays were singer, songwriter and producer Mark Lindsay — who also enjoyed a career as a solo artist, with hits such as “Arizona” and “Silver Bird” — and organist, Paul Revere.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtOE3Cy-FJI

Under the highly influential guidance of Terry Melcher, who was also involved in producing The Byrds, the band experienced its first national hit, “Steppin’ Out”, in October of 1965. Paul Revere And The Raiders was also affected by the music of the British Invasion, however, it was to be a song written by an American, John D. Loudermilk, that was to provide the group with its only No.1 hit, “Indian Reservation (The Lament Of The Cherokee Reservation Indian)”, in 1971. By this time the group had dispensed with the first three words of its name; simply calling itself The Raiders.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOlaPBfmNa0

To obtain the names of more hits by Paul Revere and The Raiders refer to the suggested playlist.

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Lesley Gore

While “It’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to…” are lyrics known to some of today’s generation, back in 1963 they were on the lips, or in the ears, of nearly everyone. I can make this sweeping statement because it took only a handful of weeks for Lesley Gore’s initial release, “It’s My Party”, to reach number one on the singles’ charts. Lesley, from New Jersey, was just sixteen and still at school.

Her recording company, Mercury, decided to strike while the iron was hot and quickly released “Judy’s Turn To Cry”. It was a follow-up both lyrically (as Johnny returns to her, having deserted her, for Judy, at the party) and literally.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_v468ptuXw

In fact, Lesley’s first four releases — rounded out by “She’s A Fool” and “You Don’t Own Me” — were all entrants to the Top Five. Yet, while her recordings continued to evolve, none was to achieve the heady heights of her first four and it was in 1967 that her last entry to the Top Twenty came, in the form of “California Nights”.

For the names of more releases by Lesley Gore refer to the suggested playlist.

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Joe Cocker

John Robert Cocker was born in May of 1944, in Sheffield, England. He began his musical career under the name of Vance Arnold, however, by 1964 this had been changed again, to that of Joe Cocker.

Initially, Joe worked as a gas fitter but once he was signed to Decca Records he resigned from this job and embarked on a tour that featured the group, Manfred Mann. He joined the soul combination, Grease Band, but it was to be his own interpretation of The Beatles’ song, “With A Little Help From My Friends”, that even made the ‘Fab Four’ sit up and take notice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEdV-zK8UOQ

The single went to N0.1 in Britain, towards the end of 1968, and entered the American charts, albeit in a minor capacity. Joe, with his distinctive bodily movements, was popularly received when he appeared at Woodstock, where he met Leon Russell.

Joe covered Leon’s “Delta Lady”, and the pair combined to lead a rock ‘n’ roll tour called ‘Mad Dogs and Englishmen’, across America, at an exhaustive pace. A cover of The Boxtops’ “The Letter”, afforded Joe his first entry to the American Top 10.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qd8B90ccfFU

Los Angeles became Joe Cocker’s place of residence in 1974 and, in the following year, he entered the American Top 10 for a second time with “You Are So Beautiful”, a song written by Billy Preston. Nevertheless, it was to be 1982 before Joe would experience what it was like to have a No.1 hit in the United States, when “Up Where We Belong”, the theme from the film, ‘An Officer And A Gentleman’ — and recorded in duet with Jennifer Warnes — allowed Joe to experience the euphoria associated with such an achievement. A feat, perhaps, made even more special in knowing that he had lived a life in which his personal problems had almost brought him as much notoriety as his recordings.

For the names of more recordings by Joe Cocker please refer to the suggested playlists.

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Billy Joe Royal

Valdosta, Georgia, was where Billy Joe Royal was born, in March, 1942 and his home town, that is, until he moved to the outskirts of Atlanta, by the age of eight. It was his good fortune to met singer, songwriter and guitarist, Joe South, at a relatively young age, for it was to be South who would pen Billy Joe’s biggest hit, “Down In The Boondocks”, in 1965.

Nevertheless, “Down In The Boondocks” was far from being Billy Joe Royal’s first recording, for he had been painstakingly struggling to achieve such success since 1961. Joe South’s band The Believers backed Billy Joe on most of his recordings and “I Knew You When”, released in the wake of his initial hit, was no exception. Although it performed almost as well, it was to be another long four years before Billy Joe would experience having another hit in the Top Twenty.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVPJvk4t6SQ

“Cherry Hill Park” was to be this hit and it revived Billy Joe’s flagging status as a recording artist in the process. However, this time it was to be sixteen years and many recording companies later before he was to once again to make a meaningful impact upon the charts — the country charts.

Having virtually exhausted every other available opportunity at his disposal Billy Joe had begun recording in Nashville and, in 1985, his first hit in country music, “Burned Like A Rocket”, entered the charts. His biggest hit came, in 1989, when “Tell It Like It Is” peaked at No.2. Ironically, this song had been a hit — which had also reached its zenith at No.2 — on the pop charts, for Aaron Neville, in 1967. The very charts Billy Joe had tried so hard to conquer, all those years ago.

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Traffic

Before heavy metal and punk rock there was Traffic. Vocalist, songwriter and organist, Steve Winwood, had already tasted success on the charts, as a teenager, with The Spencer Davis Group. Traffic was to allow him the opportunity to break away from his roots in blues, soul and rhythm and blues and experiment with something completely different. Drummer, Jim Capaldi, and Chris Wood, on alto sax and flute, had already been exposed to acid rock, when they had been members of the band, Deep Feeling, in Birmingham, England, in the middle of the 1960s. Added to this was the fact that Traffic was always open to new ideas.

Steve was still only eighteen when he joined Traffic, while Jim was twenty-two, as was Dave Mason, who could not only play guitar and bass but several other strange instruments.

Strangely enough, not all of the members in the group approved of its first two hits, “Paper Sun” and “Hole In My Shoe”, in 1967. Prior to his departure from the group, Dave Mason was to write “Feeling Alright”, which was later to be covered by Joe Cocker.

Traffic broke up in January, 1969 when Steve left to join Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker — both formerly with Cream — in Blind Faith. However, the band was to reform in February, 1970 with Rick Grech having replaced Dave Mason. Under multiple changes in personnel it cotinued to release albums for years to come. Steve Winwood enjoyed a solo career in the 1980s, which not only included the release of albums but singles such as “While You See A Chance” (I’ve always loved its instrumental introduction) and “Valerie”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56QSczF231Q

For a further track refer to the suggested playlist.

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Jefferson Airplane

Jefferson Airplane was formed by Paul Kantner and Marty Balin and made its public debut in San Francisco, in 1965. The band was musically symbolic of the neighbourhood, within this city, known as Haight-Ashbury, which, at that time, was a haven for those living in accommodation that required the payment of low rents — students, artists and the like.

As with other groups of that time, its members sought a freedom to express themselves and to explore musical boundaries. However, as with so many experimental bands in the mid-to-late 1960s Jefferson Airplane’s success was to be relatively ephemeral, with it managing to produce just two singles of quality, namely “Somebody To Love” and “White Rabbit”; both of which were hits in 1967.

Singer, Grace Slick, moved on to join the similarly named Jefferson Starship which posted entries on singles’ charts, extending  from 1974 into the next decade.

As if proof was needed that good music can span generations, “Somebody To Love” enjoyed popularity in the Noughties, when it was covered by The Boogie Pimps.

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The Sensations

The Sensations was a doo wop group from Philadelphia. Its only major success came with the recording of “Let Me In” in 1961. Yvonne Mills Baker,bassist Alphonso Howell, tenor Richard Curtain and baritone Sam Armstrong comprised the group at the time of this success.