Zero to 180 – Three Minute Magic

Discoveries of a Pop Music Archaeologist

Nashville Teens: 60s Internet Advocates

Yesterday’s piece about The Nashville All-Stars inspired me to take a closer look at a 1960s beat group that has generated positive buzz among the musical cognoscenti — The Nashville Teens.  Taking a peek at their 45 releases quickly revealed a startling discovery:  The Nashville Teens were musical clairvoyants who foresaw the digital age decades before the rest of us with their prescient piece of pop prognostication, “Google Eye“:

The Nashville Teens

Google Eye” (1964)

The Teens were not actually from Nashville, USA (and no relation to The Nashville All-Stars) but rather a bunch of blokes from Britain (Weybridge, Surrey).  “Google Eye” would be their second 45 release in a string of singles spanning the 1960s that would include a mix of covers – “Tobacco Road“; “All Along the Watchtower“; “The Lament of the Cherokee Indian Reservation” – as well as originals.  How interesting to learn that “Google Eye” (1) was actually written by a Yank, John D. Loudermilk, and that (2) the song was so far ahead of its time that the record label would consequently misspell the title as “Goggle Eye” on a number of 45 releases:

Musical misspellings

Goggle Eye 45

(45 picture sleevesfrom top to bottom)

Italy; Germany; somewhere

Nashville Teens 45-aaaNashville Teens 45-cccNashville Teens 45-bbb

The Nashville Teens would also release a musical roll call in tribute to the rock ‘n’ roll pioneers who came before — “Revived 45 Time” — as well as a lament to the “Tennessee Woman” who would ultimately turn her back on them and break their collective heart.

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LINK to Musical Roll Calls on Zero to 180

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Bonus Bit!

Music Business

Jan. 31, 1965

LINK to “Learning The Hard Way

The Nashville Teens received an education on their first tour of the U.S.

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