Blog Archives
FlinterFile: John Fred & His Playboy Bunny Band- Judy In Disguise (With Glasses)
In 1967, Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds was a hit for the Beatles. Read the rest of this entry
FlinterFile: Creedence Clearwater Revival- I Put A Spell On You
This song originally dates back to 1956. Read the rest of this entry
FlinterFile: Nilsson- Everybody’s Talkin’
This song by Nilsson was used in the movie Midnight Cowboy. Read the rest of this entry
FlinterFile: Boudewijn de Groot- Prikkebeen
Boudewijn de Groot had a big hit with the song Prikkebeen in the year 1968. Read the rest of this entry
FlinterFile: The Impressions- Fool For You
The Impressions were a soul group who released their album This Is My Country in 1968. Read the rest of this entry
FlinterFile: The Marmalade- Lovin’ Things
The Marmalade had their first hit in 1968. Read the rest of this entry
FlinterFile: Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart- I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight
Originally Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart were songwriters. Read the rest of this entry
FlinterFile: Love Affair- Everlasting Love
In 1968, the band The Love Affair recorded the song Everlasting Love. Read the rest of this entry
FlinterFile: Tammy Wynette- Stand By Your Man
In 1968, Tammy Wynette released one of her most successful songs. She wrote it together with Billy Sherrill, who offered her a contract on Epic. Read the rest of this entry
FlinterFile: Ten Years After- I’m Going Home
In 1971, Ten Years After officially released the single of the song I’m Going Home. This song was already on the album Undead from 1968, and in 1969, they played it on Woodstock. This ment their breakthrough, and it became a big hit. The name of the group refers to the years Elvis Presley had his first successes. Ten years later, the band established their name, resulting in Ten Years After (though they were already working in the bussiness for some years). Enjoy
Ten Years After- I’m Going Home
FlinterFile: The Move- Blackberry Way
In 1968, The Move released Blackberry Way. Though this was the time of the British invasion in America, the Move have actually never had success in America. This song was influenced by Penny Lane, but its lyrics are darker, and the mood is more melancholic. The bridge in the song was very much inspired by the intro of a song by Harry Nilsson, Good Old Desk. At the time of this song, Roy Wood was the frontman, and Richard Tandy and Trevor Burton played on the song, too. Trever left soon after the song, and Jeff Lynne would soon join, causing (you could guess it) that the Move stopped in 1972 and went on with the name Electric Light Orchestra. The song would end up in the UK chart at number 1. Enjoy
The Move- Blackberry Way
FlinterFile- The Band- The Weight
In 1968, the Band (previously the backup band of Bob Dylan) released The Weight, a rock classic. It’s the story of a man who visits Nazareth (Pennsylvania), and has to visit some friends from his friend Annie. He feels this as a weight on his shoulders. Robbie Robertson got the credit for the song, and says that he was inspired by surrealistic movies in which the good people do bad things. However, the other members of the band also claim to have co-written. The people in the song are for instance all friends from the Band. They were not sure about the song, but other people liked it. And so the song became a number 63 hit in the US and number 21 in the UK. Aretha Franklin had the biggest success with the song: she charted at number 19. However, it inspired others: the band Nazareth got their name from the song. Enjoy
The Band- The Weight
FlinterFile: The Union Gap featuring Gary Puckett- Young Girl
In 1968, there was an American band which sold more singles in the US than the Beatles. The writer of the song, Jerry Fuller, wrote Traveling Man for Ricky Nelson and had discovered the band, when they still played in bars. He wrote the song to warn a lover of an underage girl, to try to resist her charms. He had his inspiration from the touring, where he saw that you mostly could not tell a 14 year old from a 20 year old. The band recorded the song and had a number 1 hit with it in the UK and a number 2 hit in the US. Enjoy
The Union Gap featuring Gary Puckett- Young Girl
Song of the day: Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick & Tich- The Legend Of Xanadu
In 1968, the group Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich scored their biggest hit. Xanadu was an invented place by the poet Coleridge, which became the place where there was a paradise. Through the years the name was used for several purposes, maybe most famously by Olivia Newton-John for the title song of the movie Xanadu. Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich made their song innovative, with the sound of a whip as most distinctive feature. It brought them to number 1 in the UK. Enjoy
Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich- The Legend Of Xanadu
Song of the day: Georgie Fame- The Ballad Of Bonnie And Clyde
In 1968, Georgie Fame released a song which was inspired by a movie. This was the movie Bonnie & Clyde, which was about the real duo Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, both gangsters, who led a gang in the thirties. They robbed banks and small stores, and killed several civilians and police officers. All together they became the most famous gangster duo, and the movie inspired Mitch Murray and Pete Callender to write a song about them. Georgie Fame was signed to CBS and looking for a hit. This song became the hit, but during the recordings, it was the question if the song would ever be released: there were many problems with the sound effects and the recorded tracks. Eventually all problems were solved and a number 1 hit in the UK was created. Enjoy
Georgie Fame- The Ballad Of Bonnie & Clyde
Song of the day: Zen- Hair
In 1968, a Dutch group covered the title song of the musical Hair. The original, by the Cowsills, was in the first minutes of the musical. The version of the Cowsills was a big hit in the US, but in the Netherlands, teh Dutch band Zen covered the song and had a number 1 hit with it. Enjoy
Zen- Hair
Song of the day: Percy Sledge- Take Time To Know Her
In 1968, Steve Davis wrote the song Take Time To Know Her for Percy Sledge. He recorded the song, which ended up in the US chart at number 11. Today the message came across Percy Sledge died at the age of 73. May he rest in peace, and may we never forget the wonderful music he brought us. Enjoy
Percy Sledge- Take Time To Know Her
Song of the day: The Small Faces- Lazy Sunday
Some singles become hits while the band doesn’t want the song to be released. This single is part of a concept album, Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake, and was released in 1968, preceding the album. The Small Faces didn’t want this, but the song became a number 2 hit in the UK. The backing melody has parts of Satisfaction by the Rolling Stones, played on kazoo. The largest part is sung in a cockney accent, due to an argument with the Hollies, who said Marriott (the singer) had never sung in his own accent. Enjoy
The Small Faces- Lazy Sunday
Song of the day: Mama Cass- Dream A Little Dream Of Me
This song has a long history, starting in 1931, when it was written. It then was recorded for the first time, by Ozzie Nelson. Success in these years was not noted down, so no-one knows if it has been successful: the fifties brought lots of recordings, by Frankie Laine, Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald and many others. In 1968 the song was recorded again, this time by Mama Cass, who was a member of the Mamas and the Papas. They had already sung the song a few times, but now they would put it on record. Since the band was on the point of breaking up, the song was not credited to the Mamas and the Papas, but to Mama Cass with the Mamas and the Papas. It would make number 12 in the US and number 11 in the UK. Enjoy
Mama Cass- Dream A Little Dream Of Me
Song of the day: Cream- White Room
In 1968, psychedelica was reaching its heights. Cream released a song which can’t be missed when discussing this genre, White Room. It was written by Pete Brown (a poet) and Jack Bruce (the bassist). The recording took place in London in 1967, though they did not know how to name the song: it would be on their album Wheels of Fire, that was sure. Jack Bruce sang and played the bass, Eric Clapton would play the overdubbed guitars, Ginger Baker played the drums and their producer would contribute by playing violas. Together it made a hit, reaching 6 in the US and 26 in the UK. Enjoy
Cream- White Room
Song of the day: Otis Redding- Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay
In 1968, Otis Redding wrote a song together with his guitarist, Steve Cropper. It was recorded in December 1967, in the days before Otis Redding sat in a plane that would crash. Everyone in the plane died, except the trumpetter of the band, Ben Cauley. Stax (the label) released the song posthumous, and it would be the first posthumous single that would reach number one in the US and number 3 in the UK. It features a lot of sea sounds, and there is also a whistle in the song. It would later be replaced by an instrument, but because of Redding’s death, it could never happen. Since the first recording, it has been covered numerous times, including versions of Bob Dylan, Percy Sledge, but also Pearl Jam and Michael Bolton. Enjoy the original
Otis Redding- The Dock Of The Bay
Song of the day: Barry Ryan- Eloise
A great man with a great voice! Especially this song is sung with a great passion for the person Eloise. The ahahahahah, followed by the desperate singing, and then the revival. Great, all in a song. Enjoy a hit in 1968:
Barry Ryan- Eloise
Song of the day: Richard Harris- MacArthur Park
Remember I was writing about Donna Summer yesterday? I mentioned MacArthur Park, but actually I think the version by Richard Harris is better.
It’s a version from 1968, and I know what you are thinking now! You think: Richard Harris?
I know the name! An actor, right? And that is completely true! He was the one who played Dumbledore in the first two Harry Potter movies.
But now we are listening to the great song MacArthur Park, performed by Richard Harris!
Song of the day: Lionel Richie- Dancing On The Ceiling
Hello there,
Today we will be dancing, but not in the discotheque… in house, yes.
Not on the floor, but on the ceiling…
The song of the day is made in 1986, and the man who made the record is already busy since 1968.
You already know that I’m talking about Lionel Richie with Dancing On The Ceiling.
Tomorrow there is a new song, dancing somewhere else…
The FlinterFiles 