Happy Birthday Harry

Today's forgotten oldie is in honor of Harry Nilsson, because today is his birthday.  Nilsson was a rarity in the music industry, he did what he wanted and was still able to be successful even though he never went on major tours as most artists must to be successful.  He had three huge hits as well as a couple of gold albums, a grammy, and a best vocalist of the year award.  He was also notorious for his drinking, especially his LA binges with John Lennon.  One of his big hits is today's forgotten oldies... "Coconut" which went to #8 on the hot 100 in 1972.  So in honor of Nilsson, here's "Coconut", and happy birthday Harry.
You'll love the video

The Hurdy Gurdy Man

Donovan was considered sort of a British Bob Dylan, his first two hits in 1965 "Catch the Wind" and Colours" were very folksy and un-electric.  But when he got things going in 1966 with the #1 smash "Sunshine Superman" he'd moved to the psychedelic sounds of Flower Power.  1968's "Hurdy Gurdy Man" was one of his Flower Power hits, climbing to #5.  Today it's just a strange forgotten oldie.
watch here

Lou Christie

Lou Christie is an American singer that had success in the 60's with several big hits.  Due to military service and a record company dispute, he successfully made two comebacks during his career.  I met him in 1977 when he was driving from radio station to radio station trying to make his third comeback.  Anyway, his first hit was in 1962 and climbed to #6 on the hot 100.  If you've never heard Lou sing, his falsetto is pretty amazing... here's "Two Faces Have I", today's forgotten oldie.
listen here

Beatles...

Today's forgotten oldie is really not a song, but to remember how things were back in the day.  June 1st was the 50th anniversary of the release of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and a week later the album is #1 in Britain, and #3 in the USA... fifty years later!!!  So today a song from the album, "When I'm 64" to remind everyone that back in 1967 every song on every Beatle album was played on the radio, every DJ did it, it was accepted.  Every song was treated like a hit. No other artist that I know of enjoyed that distinction, that privilege.  Only the Beatles....
listen here

.

Talk Talk

In 1966, a California band calling itself the Music Machine, cracked the top twenty with a truly unique sound.  The song "Talk Talk" featured fuzz-box guitar leads and a throaty vocal that stood out from the other songs on the radio.  The band had a second, lesser hit a year later but faded from the limelight, disbanding in 1969.  Today the band and song are considered pioneers in proto punk.... I agree, and Talk Talk is one of my favorite forgotten oldies.
watch here

A Well Respected Man

The British band The Kinks have four songs on the list of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 songs that shaped rock and roll, and today's forgotten oldie is one of them.  "A Well Respected Man" was an international smash, scoring big in Europe and reaching #13 in the USA.  It marked an expansion of styles for the Kinks and heavily influenced many bands and song writers of the time, bringing out subtle social unrest, and serving as a preview of things to come in rock and roll.  Today, other than appearing on several TV shows, it's a forgotten oldie...
listen here

Timothy

In 1971, a Pennsylvania band named the Buoys had a top twenty hit with a little song called "Timothy".  I remember playing the song on the radio, and slowly realizing it was about three miners trapped underground and how two of the miners survive by eating the third... poor Timothy.  The unusual theme made it tough for the Buoys to have a successful follow-up and they faded away.  But their #17 hit remains the only song I remember about cannibalism, and is a true forgotten oldie.
listen here