Two minutes of music! Whatcha got?

[JOv2]

EDIT: Yep, I know that one! I had the instrumental version on one of my other playlists (perhaps on Qobuz?) but should add it to this large Oldies playlist. Very familiar melody!

I never knew there was a vocal version until I picked up the Acklin 2-fer (UK) last year; when I first heard it I was pleasantly surprised.

Don't know much about this band other than they were deeply Beatles influenced -- and all the more were recorded at Abbey Road by the Beatles' engineers (Norman Smith, Geoff Emerick). [1969]


Liz Anderson had a successful career as a Nashville songwriter -- to the point that she began cutting her own LPs. (She is Liz I'll-Never-Promise-You-a-Rose-Garden Anderson's mother). [1968]


Like the 5th Dimension, The Association's vocal acumen is immediately recognizable -- partly due to sharing the same vocal arranger, Bob Alcivar, 1968-70 (Bob also arranged the Sandpiper's Come Saturday Morning LP). [1967]

 

[Harry]

The group Chicago (Transit Authority) weren't known for their brevity, but Columbia Records took it upon themselves to whittle an 8 minute track down to 2:45. Here's "Beginnings" in all its edited glory:

 

[Mr Bill]

Having watched a couple pof Stewart Copeland interviews two night ago, here are a few from The Police.


A track from Reggatta de Blanc, AKA "a day in the life of Stewart Copeland."




This was always one of my favorites from Zenyatta.




A deep album cut from Ghost.

It was hearing the Copeland-penned Police tunes that led me to realize who Klark Kent was... "Bombs Away" is pure Clark Kent!

 

[Mr Bill]

Seeing the Banana Splits "Tra La La" above reminded me of The Dickies cover version.



The Dickies were one of A&M's first "punk" signings, even though the band didn't take themselves seriously as punks -- they saw the movement more as something funny and they just took it to the next level by humorously covering classics in punk style... Or doing silly originals like "Stuck in a Pagoda With Tricia Toyota" (Tricia Toyota was a local, attractive L.A. newswoman and anchor in the 70s and 80s).

Interesting foot note -- In the 90's when I was in the middle Naval Reserve portion of my Navy photo/video career, I worked with two of The Dickies at my first post-Navy video job (I returned to active duty after 9-11 for 13 years then retired). Stan Lee (guitar) and Billy Club (bass; real name Bill Remar). Billy Club was no longer in the band at that point but DID continue to manage their financials; that's how found out who he was -- there were envelopes from A&M and Almo/Irving on his desk and being an A&M fan I asked about it. Royalty checks he had to divvy up between band members and (and the estate of the one who'd died).

--Mr Bill

 

[Michael Hagerty]

Or doing silly originals like "Stuck in a Pagoda With Tricia Toyota" (Tricia Toyota was a local, attractive L.A. newswoman and anchor in the 70s and 80s).

Which was a great big hit on the one L.A. station willing to play it----KROQ.

Here's Tritia at the time:



And here's the record:




And if you're wondering---this was a full year before The Vapors' "Turning Japanese".

 

[GDBY2LV]

I used to watch her often until the laws changed and most Los Angeles Channels were dropped by the cable company as satellite stations took over.

 

[Rudy]

It was hearing the Copeland-penned Police tunes that led me to realize who Klark Kent was... "Bombs Away" is pure Clark Kent!

And likewise, "Ritch in a Ditch" was so Police-like that it was quite evident. There was also a hint in the I.R.S. Greatest Hits Vol. 2 & 3.

Police drummer Stewart Copeland knows who Klark Kent is. Percussive element on these tunes provides a great clue.

One of the interviews I watched mentioned Klark Kent and it turns out Sting and Andy Summers both played behind masks in that band when they performed a live gig. Back in the early days when they could stand to be in the same room with each other.

I have a sealed promo Electrosound pressing of Ghost coming my way...now I just need to find a Zenyatta and Reggatta to rectify my stupidity of selling/trading those when CDs came out.

 

[Michael Hagerty]

I used to watch her often until the laws changed and most Los Angeles Channels were dropped by the cable company as satellite stations took over.

It wasn't so much laws as a business arrangement between stations and cable companies,

The Bakersfield NBC affiliate couldn't charge as much money for ads in, say, "Little House on the Prairie" if the folks had left the channel unchanged after watching Tritia and were seeing the show on KNBC instead of KERO. The CBS and ABC affiliates had the same issue.

It was nationwide and what happened was that owners of network affiliates in smaller markets banded together and demanded geofencing of the larger market stations that duplicated their programming.

When I got to Reno in 1977, you could watch three affiliates of each network (Reno, Sacramento and San Francisco) on the cable system, as well as all the Sacramento and San Francisco independents.

Sacramento cable didn't carry Reno, but did carry the SF stations and SF carried the Sacramento independents.

 

[Mr Bill]

This is proving to be a fun and educational thread... The most fun since JOv2 started (and later stopped) his "comparison/who did it better" threads a while back!

--Mr Bill

 

[Rudy]

The group Chicago (Transit Authority) weren't known for their brevity, but Columbia Records took it upon themselves to whittle an 8 minute track down to 2:45. Here's "Beginnings" in all its edited glory:

Quite a tidy edit. Chicago could get long-winded on those early records.

 

[Michael Hagerty]

Quite a tidy edit. Chicago could get long-winded on those early records.

I agree, though I think it worked on "Beginnings." The single wasn't an embarrassing chop-job, but at all the stations I programmed, the jocks had the option of playing the LP version if time allowed.

 

[Rudy]

I'm just not a fan of early Chicago. 2/3 of their first greatest hits album is about all I can handle.

 

[Michael Hagerty]

I'm just not a fan of early Chicago. 2/3 of their first greatest hits album is about all I can handle.

Loved them at the time---I was 13, 14 and 15, but I grew out of them.

I can't sit all the way through the first five albums since (I probably could have managed Chicago V, but "Dialogue" kills it for me). VI is good, VII is surprisingly listenable for a double LP and, after that, they really kind of became a singles band to me.

 

[Rudy]

A lot of classmates liked them, and any time a band would form in school, they'd end up playing some of the earlier Chicago songs. I do like the singles, but really can't count on being an album listener. I love rubbing it into Chicago fans that "Street Player" is one of my favorite tracks. The horn charts on the second half are killer. And I don't think many realized Maynard Ferguson solos on that track. (And arguably, it was better than any of his albums at the time.)

 

[JOv2]

The most fun since JOv2 started (and later stopped) his "comparison/who did it better" threads a while back!

Hey, Mr. Bill -- I'm actually putting something together for later this summer (my job the past 18 months has, unfortunately, burnt my tail clean off!)

I'm just not a fan of early Chicago. 2/3 of their first greatest hits album is about all I can handle.

For me: CTA (1/2), self-titled (3/4), III (5/8), V (3/4), VII (7/8).


Ernie Andrews. A new singer for my ears. I like his voice a great deal. [1964]


Post-"surf-beach-fun" Beach Boys. Sans Brian Wilson's direction, they're actually not too bad, 1969-73. [1969]


The Band. Their rock/gospel/country amalgam is Americana with a capital "A". [1967]

 

[Rudy]

Ernie Andrews. A new singer for my ears. I like his voice a great deal. [1964]

One recent singer whose style I like, Leon Bridges, throws back to early-/mid-60s soul on his album Coming Home. I'd have to violate my two-minute rule to post the song "Smooth Sailin'" though (but only by a few seconds).

Spoiler

 

[Mark-T]

I never knew words were put to this one (which may be on one of Rudy's playlists...). [1969]


I've always liked this cover; a pleasant surprise from Nancy Ames. [1967]


The Harmonies of the 5th Dimension are unmistakable. (I like the timbre when Marilyn and Florence achieve when they double up in unison). [1969]

I just love every version of "Am I the Same Girl?". Vocal, instrumental. It doesn't matter. Just an incredible song.

 

[Michael Hagerty]

I'll give this one a listen later--I'm spinning Chick Corea's Elektric Band at the moment (Eye of the Beholder) which I picked up at the wrecka stow a couple of hours ago.

EDIT: Yep, I know that one! I had the instrumental version on one of my other playlists (perhaps on Qobuz?) but should add it to this large Oldies playlist. Very familiar melody!

The Young-Holt Unlimited hit ("Soulful Strut") was used as the backing track for the Barbara Acklin "Am I The Same Girl". Both were on Brunswick, so no issues and an easy way to save on the production costs for Barbara's single.

 

[Rudy]

The Young-Holt Unlimited hit ("Soulful Strut")

Yep, that's what I couldn't remember.

 

[Harry]

Bought the Young-Holt Unlimited single the moment I heard it on the radio. A favorite to this day.

Swing Out Sister did a vocal version of the song that's also fantastic, but it's longer than 3 minutes.

 

[Rudy]

"1-2-3". I like the Ramsey Lewis version but it clocks in over three minutes. The Tamiko Jones/Herbie Mann version is a good one.

 

[JOv2]

The Beatles: John and Paul were surely gifted in terms of developing accessible yet detailed melodies.

Here's the lead-off number from their debut. Paul delivers a solid lead. Harrison's guitar solo with the cool-sounding reverb is totally in-the-pocket. (I recently read that Paul tended to favour Little Richard while John leaned toward Chuck Berry -- which surely shows in their vocal deliveries.) [1963]


Harrison's Taxman with Paul on lead guitar. [1966]


Paul had George Martin orchestrate this piece (apparently written about his sheepdog, Martha). [1968]

 

[AM Matt]

"Wild Honey Pie" by The Beatles is the worst song from the 1968 "White" album!!

 

[Michael Hagerty]

"Wild Honey Pie" by The Beatles is the worst song from the 1968 "White" album!!

Worse than "Revolution #9"?

 

[Jorge]