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.
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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.
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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.
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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....
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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.
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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...
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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.
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The Searchers

One of my favorite British Invasion bands, the Searchers released a bunch of records in the USA during the 60's.  Even though they were well received and considered a big part of the invasion, they only had three top twenty hits, all during 1964.  This song is my favorite Searchers tune, "Don't Throw Your Love Away", a cover of a very minor Orlons' hit from 1963.  To me the song is a great example of that smooth Searchers sound, with great vocals and tasty guitar.  Unfortunately a forgotten oldie today.
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Hey Joe

This is probably my favorite forgotten oldie of all time.  In 1966 the L.A. band The Leaves were the first to hit the charts with the song "Hey Joe".  The song reached the top 40 despite a barrage of versions recorded and released by other bands and artists.  The song is truly a garage band classic, back in the 60's if you went to a party with a band they did a version of "Hey Joe", everybody did the song.  The three bands I was in back in the 60's all did a version of the song... and yet today, mostly forgotten.
watch it here

 

This Guy's In Love...

In 1968 the leader of a big brass band scored a #1 hit with "This Guy's In Love With You".  Herb Alpert was well known for his instrumental records with the Tijuana Brass, but this time he sang the song, and it not only went to #1 on the Hot 100, but it went #1 on the Easy Listening chart as well!  Between the two charts, the song was #1 a total of 14 weeks!  And yet today the song is just another forgotten oldie...
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Another Bobby!

Rock and roll has seen it's share of Bobby's.  And it was 1969 when Bobby Sherman had his breakout hit with "Little Woman".  The song climbed to #3 on the hot 100 earning a gold record.  At the time, Bobby Sherman was a huge star with girls screaming at every concert.  He had a successful TV series, Here Come The Brides, many TV and even movie roles, several hit records, and a solid career.  But in the 70's he stepped away from it all, eventually becoming a paramedic and later a police officer. Interesting guy... unfortunately his music is largely forgotten today.
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Happy Birthday Donovan!

Today is Donovan's 71st birthday, so it's appropriate that our forgotten oldie is one of Donovan's many forgotten hits.  Released in 1966 on the Sunshine Superman album, "Season of the Witch" is Donovan's signature song, always asked for by fans at his concerts, and played more than his bigger hits.  The song was never released as a single, but has been covered by literally dozens of big name performers, and definitely fits the bill as a forgotten oldie!
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Shop Around

Today's forgotten oldie was requested by a listener... from 1976 "Shop Around" by the Captain and Tenille.  The song had been a huge hit for the Miracles 15 years before, reaching #1 on the R & B chart.  The Captain and Tenille did the song proud however, their version hitting #4 on the Hot 100 and selling a million records.  Today, like most of  Daryl and Toni's music, it's another forgotten oldie.
watch a live version here

Smith, of course...

Smith was a California rock band that roared to #5 in 1969 with a cover of a song that had already been a hit twice... the old Shirelles and Beatles tune "Baby It's You".  The Smith version out-charted it's predecessors and sold over a million copies.  Unfortunately, the band broke up not long after, and band members never repeated their one-hit wonder success story.  It's a shame, because the song deserves airplay but instead is a forgotten oldie.
watch it here

The amazing Janis...

When Janis Joplin burst on the scene in the late 60's it was obvious she was something special.  In 1967 singing lead for Big Brother and the Holding Company, she roared up the charts to #42 on the hot 100 with the song "Down on Me".  If you combine album sales with single sales, the record was a legitimate hit.  One of Joplin's signature songs, "Down on Me" shows the power of Janis vocals, but today her music is largely ignored, and mostly relegated to forgotten oldie status.
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Terry Stafford

When the Beatles owned the top five songs on the Billboard Hot 100 in April 1964, who was #6?  Who is the only singer to take a song written for Elvis Presley higher on the charts than the Elvis version?  The answer to both questions is today's forgotten oldie.... Terry Stafford's "Suspicion".  The song eventually climbed to #3 on the chart, nestled between Beatle songs.  Today the song is just a forgotten oldie.
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Who

Today's forgotten oldie is "Magic Bus" by the Who.  Though the song only reached #25 on the hot 100 in 1968, it has been a fan favorite since it's release and a staple of Who concerts, and was the closing song on the 2015-2016 "Who Hits 50 Tour", usually with a long instrumental jam pushing the song length to 15 minutes or more.  Great song, rarely heard anymore.
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Bee Gees... so many top ten songs!

The Bee Gees scored another international hit in 1969 with "I Started A Joke".  The song was #1 in several countries, reaching #6 on the hot 100 in the USA.  Sung by Robin Gibb, the song has an eerie quality, and Barry Gibb said later that it really has no meaning, the lyrics just sounded cool.  Today, it's another forgotten oldie.
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Bee Gees... again

With a Bee Gees tribute band scheduled to play at the La Crosse Center on April 29th, today's forgotten oldie is another forgotten Bee Gees tune.  "Massachusetts" went to #11 on the hot 100 in 1967, but it was #1 in 12 other countries. The song sold 5 million copies worldwide, and was voted by fans as the third most popular Bee Gees song.  Another mystery... such a great song, mostly forgotten today.
watch it here

Paper Lace

"The Night Chicago Died" is a song by the British Group Paper Lace, that reached #1 on the hot 100 in 1974.  The song is totally fictional, about a gun battle between Al Capone's mob and the police on the East side of Chicago.  Not only did the battle never happen, there is no East Side of Chicago...  just Lake Michigan.  Anyway, it's a very cool song, a former #1, now mostly forgotten.
watch it here

First Number One

I occasionally get asked by oldie fans if I know the first #1 song their favorite band had back in the day.  Yesterday someone asked the question about the Beach Boys... I replied "I Get Around".  They couldn't believe me but it is true.  The Beach Boys song "I Get Around" went to #1 on the Hot 100 in May of 1964 and stayed for two weeks.  And yes, the first song that took the Beach Boys to the top is a forgotten oldie.  Another great song... ignored today.
watch and listen here

What Should Have Been... Paul Revere

I get frustrated talking about Paul Revere and the Raiders. This American band reminded us during the British Invasion, the USA had some pretty talented musicians as well.  Unfortunately, instead of viewing the Raiders as an answer to Great Britain, their record company (Columbia) forced them to maintain almost a bubble gum music direction.  Despite this, and many other issues, Paul Revere and the Raiders maintained a steady stream of mild hits in the 60's and 70's.  Today's forgotten oldie is a great example... "Too Much Talk", a top twenty hit from 1968 (#19).
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True Love Ways

Yesterday I presented a Chuck Berry remake as my forgotten oldie.  It seemed like a good idea for today as well, but today I chose a Buddy Holly song, re-recorded by Peter & Gordon, and a hit for the British Duo in 1965.  The song was a million seller, reaching #14 on the hot 100.  It's also been covered by many, many artists from Joan Jett to Jackson Browne.  The song is also a favorite first song at weddings... perhaps the only venue where it's not a forgotten oldie.
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Maybellene

With the death of Chuck Berry last week, a lot of the songs he wrote have been getting airplay.  But one song seems to be ignored, or forgotten.  "Maybellene" was Berry's first hit record in 1955 reaching #5 on the hot 100.  The song has been covered by several artists even on the country charts.  My favorite version was a hit in 1964 for Johnny Rivers.  The Johnny Rivers version climbed to #12 on the charts and would have been bigger except for the British Invasion.  Today, it's another forgotten oldie.
watch Johnny do the song on American Bandstand here.

Bee Gees

In 1967 the Bee Gees broke onto the American scene with two top twenty hits in a row, a month apart.  The first song was "the New York Mining Disaster", the second was "To Love Somebody". I remember when I first heard To Love Somebody, and what a great song it was.  I thought another British act had arrived, but of course they're Australian.  I also thought it was their first USA hit, because I totally missed the first song.  Anyway, to me it's what started them rolling, but today just another forgotten oldie.
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Keith Relf and the Yardbirds

Today is Keith Relf's birthday.  The talented member of the British band The Yardbirds was lead singer on all the great Yardbirds' hits and contributed in many other ways.  Born 3/22/43, Relf added a number of tasty licks on harmonica to many Yardbirds' songs.  The 1965 song "I'm A Man", a 1965 remake of a Bo Diddley hit, reached the top 20 and features Keith Relf harmonica work throughout the song.  Relf died in an accident at home in 1976, but in tribute today's forgotten oldie is I'm A Man... by Keith and the Yardbirds.
Watch the song performed here

Gene Pitney

A huge star in the USA, Gene Pitney was an even bigger star in the UK.  He scored 16 top 40 hits in America, but had 22 in Britain.  He was huge before the British Invasion, and was able to continue making hits during and after the Beatles.  An interesting guy, Pitney played piano on several Rolling Stones records and never accepted credit or made a penny for it, he just liked hanging with the Stones.  In 1962, Pitney went to #4 on the hot 100 with "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" a song about a John Wayne/Jimmy Stewart movie.  And amazingly, the song never appeared in the movie.  Anyway, it's a great song... forgotten today.
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Sky Pilot

In 1968, Eric Burdon and the New Animals scored their last top twenty hit with the song Sky Pilot.  Because the song was nearly eight minutes long, side A was Part One, side B was Part Two.  The song climbed to #14 on the hot 100 and is a classic... and extremely unusual, a great example of psychedelic rock.  Today the song is a forgotten oldie.
watch the whole song here

Something In The Air

Thunderclap Newman was a one hit wonder from England, formed by Pete Townsend of The Who.  Even though their great song "Something In The Air" only peaked at #37 in the USA in 1969, it was a #1 hit in England, a top 20 cover hit for Tom Petty, and has been on dozens of TV shows and commercials, as well as movies.  But the song is forgotten as a record... so we only hear it when it comes out on another commercial and we all say "Oh Yeah, I love this song!"
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Kinky... kinda.

Today's forgotten oldie deserves far more than it received.  The Kinks "Who'll Be The Next In Line" climbed to #34 on the Hot 100 in 1965 but at the time the Kinks were on tour in the USA and receiving very bad press.  All of the bad events from that tour began when the band skipped a union fee payment for an appearance on Dick Clark's Bandstand, and led to a four year ban from performing in the USA.  Bummer.  Regardless, to me this is one of the Kinks best songs, today a forgotten oldie.
watch it here

Rhinestone Cowboy

Sometimes it doesn't matter much what style a song is, When one of these songs hits it big, they call it a crossover.  This was the case in 1975 when Glen Campbell released "Rhinestone Cowboy".  The song went to #1 on both the Hot 100 and the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and made Glen Campbell a superstar.  Amazingly in 1975 six other songs went to #1 on both the country and rock charts.  But Rhinestone Cowboy was the biggest, and today mostly forgotten.
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Pure Bubble Gum

In the 1960's the American band that paved the way for bubblegum pop was the 1910 Fruitgum Company.  Strangely, their serious rock music fizzled while their bubblegum stuff made them stars.  In the 60's they scored seven Hot 100 hits, and this song was their biggest.... "Simon Says" climbed all the way to #4 in 1967 and today it's a forgotten oldie.
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Blue Bayou

Today a song that was a big hit for it's writer, Roy Orbison, and an even bigger hit for Linda Ronstadt.  Linda's version of "Blue Bayou" went to #3 on the Hot 100 in 1977.  It was also #2 on Cashbox. It became Linda's signature song, her favorite from a long list... but today it's just a forgotten oldie.
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FAM FEST 2017!

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It's this Sunday, my favorite event of the year!  Bring the whole family, even the little guys have lots of stuff to do.  The Big Event bounce houses, bowling with PlaMor Lanes, bikes for the tykes at Bikes Ltd., they'll have a blast!  The food is great so stay for lunch!  Family Fest, for the Eagle and La Crosse Media Group!

People!

People! was a one-hit wonder rock band from California that scored a top twenty hit in 1968 with "I Love You".  The band released several more 45's and albums, but never found national success again.  The story goes that the band broke up because several members had joined Scientology, and were pressuring other members to also join... they refused and the band collapsed. Whether the story is true or not, People! was a very talented band that I've always thought were better than most one-hitters.  Their song is a classic, but mostly forgotten.
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When I Was Young

I've always thought "When I Was Young" by Eric Burdon and the Animals was a seriously interesting song.  The biographical lyrics give tremendous insight into growing up in Britain during tough times. The song was an international hit in 1967 climbing as high as #2 in Australia and reaching #15 in the USA. It was also just before the Animals disbanded and Eric moved to California to form the new Animals,  I love the song, but today it's another forgotten oldie.
Watch the song performed here

Beatles

Today's forgotten oldie rarely gets played anymore... "All My Loving" by the Beatles. This is the Beatle song that most Americans heard first by the group, because it was the first song they performed on the Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964.  And the song only made it to #45 on the Hot 100 in '64, but that's not bad since it was never released on a 45 in the USA.  However, it was released in Canada, and so many copies made it across the border to the USA, that the song made it on the charts!  Amazing... and it IS a great song, mostly forgotten.
here's an exerpt

The Springfields

Since tomorrow is "Beatle Day", the anniversary of the Beatles' first appearance on Ed Sullivan in 1964, I thought I'd play the first song by a pop group from Great Britain to make the top twenty on the Hot 100.  The group was "The Springfields" with a very young Dusty Springfield.  Their song "Silver Threads and Golden Needles" hit #20 in 1962, beating the Tornados "Telstar" by two months, and the Beatles by 15 months.  You got it, the first Brit group... the Springfields, forgotten today.
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Time Has Come Today

"Time Has Come Today" by the Chambers Brothers, has been described as psychedelic rock, acid rock, and psychedelic soul.  Whichever you prefer, the song is recognized as a landmark of the psychedelic era. In 1967 the song climbed to #11 on the Hot 100, but stayed there five weeks, and on the charts for that many months.  Today it's mostly a forgotten oldie.
watch it here

Fever

In 1965, a band from Indiana called The McCoys, scored two top ten hits... the #1 "Hang On Sloopy" and the #7 follow-up, "Fever".  The song "Fever" had already been a top ten hit, rising to #8 in 1958 and sung by Peggy Lee.  The McCoys broke up sortly after, and lead singer Rick Derringer went on to a solid solo career as well as runs with Steely Dan and the Edgar Winter Group.  Fever meanwhile, has largely become a forgotten oldie.
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Malo

One of the interesting things that the San Francisco area produced in the late 60's and early 70's was  some good latin-tinged rock bands.  War, Santana, and another band named simply Malo, led by Carlos Santana's brother Jorge, that was to me the most interesting because they also featured a full horn section similar to Chicago and Blood, Sweat and Tears.  In 1972, Malo had their only national hit, "Suavecito", which went to #18 on the hot 100.  It turned out to be their only hit, and today it's our forgotten oldie.
watch it here

Unchained Melody

In 1965 the Righteous Brothers took a song that had already been a hit several times all the way to #4 on the Hot 100.  "Unchained Melody" with a vocal solo by Bobby Hatfield became one of those prom anthems like "Colour My World" and "Wonderful Tonight".  It's one of those songs that makes you fall in love during a slow dance... and yet today it's mostly a forgotten oldie.
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My favorite lady singer...

Today's forgotten oldie is "Muskrat Love" by the Captain & Tennille, which climbed to #4 on the hot 100 in 1976.  Vocals on the song are handled by Toni Tennille, who is my favorite lady singer of all time.  Right now you're thinking Toni Tennille???  Well, not only did she have her own list of hits recorded with husband Daryl Dragon, but she also sang and toured with the Beach Boys (she's fondly known as their only Beach Girl), and sang backup for Elton John, Art Garfunkel, and even Pink Floyd (that's her singing backup on Floyd's "The Wall").  Yes, she is my favorite lady singer of all time!
Watch the song live here

Georgie Fame

Georgie Fame was huge in Great Britain....  several #1 songs and many more hits, but for some reason he struggled in the USA.  A legitimate part of the British Invasion, his first hit here only made it to #21 on the Hot 100, but what a memorable song.  "Yeh yeh" from Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames is today's Forgotten Oldie.
watch it here

Little Children

Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas were a big part of the British Invasion in 1964.  Managed by Brian Epstein, produced by George Martin, and with music written by Lennon and McCartney, the band just seemed like a clone of the Beatles.  Happily, Billy was smart enough to realize a Beatle clone wasn't best and released a non-Beatle song called "Little Children".  A good move because it became his biggest hit, #1 in England and #7 in the USA.  A very solid song, today it's just a forgotten oldie.
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Seeds

The Seeds were a LA rock band that gets credit for paving the way for 70's punk, even though they only had one top 40 hit. They were also pioneers in garage band rock and acid rock, plus they coined the phrase "flower power".  And they were the first band to use keyboards for the bass parts, paving the way for bands like the Doors.  Anyway, their 1966 smash was "Pushin' Too Hard" but today it's just a forgotten oldie.
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Sonny Solo

Are you kidding me?  Sonny Bono had a hit record without Cher?  Really?  The guy is a terrible singer!  And yet in 1965, without Cher, Sonny went to #10 in the USA, #9 in England, and #1 in Canada with "Laugh At Me".  Aha, that's why it was a success... because Sonny had a message!  Whatever the reason. Sonny Bono had a solo hit well before his talented wife, and yet today (unless you watch Dancing With The Stars and remember Chaz Bono dancing to it) it's very much a forgotten oldie.

It's My Life

The Animals were riding a wave of hit records in 1965 when they scored again with "It's My Life".  The song was a top ten smash all over the world including #2 in Canada.  The song has also been covered by an impressive list of artists including Bon Jovi. The song also appears in several movies and TV shows.  It's one of those songs you recognize instantly, yet today it's a forgotten oldie.