Zero to 180 – Three Minute Magic
How sad to learn of Phil Everly‘s passing – he and his brother Don (who left us in August, 2021) were once knocking at Paul McCartney’s door, you know. Looking at The Everly Brothers‘ chart history, I’m impressed by the broadness of their appeal in the early years of their
The Johnny Mann Singers channel their inner child to optimal effect in “Hello Yellow Bug” from 1968’s Love is Blue album on the Liberty label. Somewhat surprisingly, this song did not enjoy single release: Hello Yellow Bug – Johnny Mann Singers [Pssst: Click the triangle above to play “Hello Yellow
One of the lesser-known practitioners of West Coast sunshine pop is Yellow Balloon, a group formed after-the-fact as a performing and touring vehicle for songwriter/producer, Gary Zekley, who released his own version (#25) of debut single, “Yellow Balloon,” in direct competition with Jan & Dean [celebrated here in 2013], whose
From David Bianculli‘s history of the Smothers Brothers’ groundbreaking television variety show, I discovered that Mason Williams was much more than the guy who wrote the million-selling instrumental, “Classical Gas.” Williams not only recorded albums for Warner Brothers (and Mercury & Vee Jay) but also wrote incisive and edgy sketches for
One year after Stu Phillips recorded a spectacularly soporific reading of “Tired of Waiting for You,” The Sandpipers released a similarly sluggish take on the garage rock classic, “Louie Louie” — it, too, makes me laugh: “Louie Louie“ The Sandpipers (1966) 45Cat’s BeatleJohn likewise warns listeners that this recording is
This track sounds like a collaboration between Burt Bacharach and Brian Wilson – only it isn’t. Although it wants to be: “South American Getaway“ Burt Bacharach Just like The 5th Dimension‘s “Dimension 5ive,” this is technically a vocal tune yet one without lyrics. It also has that sunny Southern California
Paul Tanner, who just recently passed, lived to the ripe old age of 95. I was delighted to learn that this one-time trombonist for The Glenn Miller Orchestra went on to play the pivotal theremin part on the Beach Boys’ worldwide 1966 hit, “Good Vibrations” – as well as on
There’s something special about the song, “Dimension 5ive” by The 5th Dimension. Lush vocals from start to finish — and yet it’s technically not a “vocal” tune, as there are no lyrics. Yet, neither is it an instrumental. This song is the closing track on the 5th Dimension’s 1970 album,
I picked up this album primarily due to its cover art — which suggests a Peter Max/Yellow Submarine sensibility that really captivated me as a kid — but also due to this project being associated with the legendary singer, songwriter, and musician who famously signed with Atlantic Records in the
Last year in Philadelphia I picked up a 2-LP various artists compilation (of “previously released material”) called California U.S.A. – originally issued in 1981 on Columbia: Surprisingly, my buddy, Tom Avazian – a gifted record collector – had never heard of it. This hodgepodge of 60s and 70s singles/rarities that
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