Mungo Jerry: In the Summertime
This may have been the last single I acquired, a gift for my 21st birthday in June 1970. It reached No 1 in Britain and 3 in the States.
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Espers: Cruel Storm
Good stuff from the Philadelphia band who have clearly listened to a great deal of late-sixties English folk. This is on their third album, Espers II (sic)
The Crystals: He’s a Rebel
Written by Gene Pitney and produced by Phil Spector, no wonder this is one of the all-time great pop songs. It topped the US chart in November 1962, beating Pitney’s … Continue readingThe Crystals: He’s a Rebel
Happy Slappy
LAST week we examined the career of Blondie, who sold forty million albums worldwide. Today we have another female-fronted band, but this lot would have been chuffed to sell forty thousand. … Continue readingHappy Slappy
John Cale: Walking the Dog
Cover of the Rufus Thomas song from the idiosyncratic (how’s that for canine vocabulary?) Welshman’s 2007 epic Circus Live.
Michael Nesmith: Some of Shelly’s Blues
Terrific song by the ex-Monkee from his 1973 album Pretty Much Your Standard Ranch Stash.
The Byrds: My Back Pages
I’m afraid I am one of those who think Dylan’s songs were nearly always better performed by other artistes. Alan disagrees. Most of the lyrics of this song are impenetrable … Continue readingThe Byrds: My Back Pages
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds: Brompton Oratory
I’m not usually a fan of the lugubrious Melburnian but was won over by this mystical beauty from the 1997 album The Boatman’s Call. A good one for a Sunday … Continue readingNick Cave & the Bad Seeds: Brompton Oratory
Cat Stevens: The First Cut Is the Deepest
The first recording of this song by Cat Stevens was released by P P Arnold in May 1967, reaching 18 in the British chart. Much better is the singer’s own … Continue readingCat Stevens: The First Cut Is the Deepest
Humble Pie: Thirty Days in the Hole
Magnificent rocker from Steve Marriott’s lot, who began to sound a lot dirtier after Clem Clempson replaced Peter Frampton in 1971. This is from the 1972 album Smokin’.