FlinterFile: Desmond Dekker & the Aces- It Miek

After his big hit Israelites, Desmond Dekker released a new hit.

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FlinterFile: Adriano Celentano- Azzurro

In the Italian music, Paolo Conte is not unknown.

Song of the day: The Who- Overture From Tommy

The Who released their big rock opera Tommy in 1969.

FlinterFile: The Kinks- Plastic Man

For the Kinks, the year 1968 wasn’t that good. They hadn’t had any big hits in that year.

FlinterFile: The Hollies- He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother

In 1969, Graham Nash left the Hollies to form the group Crosby, Stills & Nash.

FlinterFile: The Cats- Marian

In 1969, the Dutch band the Cats released their first compilation album.

FlinterFile: Mary Hopkin- Goodbye

The record label Apple, owned by the Beatles, found in Mary Hopkin one of their first hit artists.

FlinterFile: Crosby, Stills & Nash- Long Time Gone

Crosby, Stills & Nash released their first album in 1969.

FlinterFile: The Rolling Stones- Gimme Shelter

This Stones song never was a single, but has become a classic.

FlinterFile: Crosby, Stills & Nash- Marrakesh Express

Graham Nash made a trip from Casablanca to Marrakesh in 1966.

FlinterFile: Brainbox- Sea Of Delight

Brainbox released their second single in 1969.

FlinterFile: Santana- Jin-Go-Lo-Ba

Santana started in 1966 as the Santana Blues Band. They soon shortened their name to Santana.

FlinterFile: Archie Bell & The Drells- There’s Gonna Be A Showdown

Archie Bell & the Drells were a funk band, releasing three records on the Atlantic label.

FlinterFile: The Marbles- I Can’t See Nobody

The song I Can’t See Nobody is a cover of a song by the Bee Gees. They released it as the B-Side to New York Mining Disaster 1941.

FlinterFile: Tommy Roe- Dizzy

In 1969, Tommy Roe had his second number 1 hit.

FlinterFile: B.J. Thomas- Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head

In 1969, Burt Bacharach and Hal David wrote a song for a movie. They gave it to Ray Stevens, who turned it down, and Bob Dylan, who did the same. At the time, Dionne Warwick was recording songs on the same label as B.J. Thomas. She took one of his tapes and gave it to Bacharach, who then offered him the song. He recorded it when he just had been ill, which made his voice sound raspy. A few weeks later he recorded the single version. The raspy version was good for the movie, the other version (made from three different takes) was good for the number 1 position in the US. Enjoy

B.J. Thomas- Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head

Song of the day: Johnny Cash- A Boy Named Sue

In 1969, Shel Silverstein (later he wrote Sylvia’s Mother) wrote A Boy Named Sue, inspired by a friend who was called Jean, a name for a woman. The song came to Johnny Cash through his wife, June Carter, who attended a guitar grab event (musicians are in a circle, one guitar, and they play their new songs when they have the guitar). Shel was there, played his song, and when Johnny Cash was off to San Quentin Prison, his wife suggested playing the song. It was recorded live, and hit the US chart at number 2 and the UK chart at number 4. Enjoy

Johnny Cash- A Boy Named Sue

Song of the day: Joe South- Games People Play

In 1969, Joe South did a step to the foreground. He had worked as a musician on songs like The Sound Of Silence, but now he wrote a song about people who lead their life when they are occupied with negative thoughts. They destroy other lifes for their own good. After this song, he did not have more hits, but he did write Rose Garden. This song was number 6 in the UK and number 12 in the US. Enjoy

Joe South- Games People Play

Song of the day: Don Fardon- I’m Alive

In 1969, Don Fardon released his new song I’m Alive. Well, his… actually this was a cover of a song by Tommy James & the Shondells. Most of his songs were covers, since he also recorded Lola (the Kinks), but his biggest hit was a cover of Indian Reservation. Nice detail: he was first a draughtsman… Enjoy

Don Fardon- I’m Alive

Song of the day: Blood, Sweat & Tears- Spinning Wheel

In 1969, Blood, Sweat & Tears actually wanted to calm people down. Everyone was talking about communism and the spreading of it, and the singer said: eventually the circle will be round. Joni Mitchell, especially her song The Circle Game, inspired the imagery of the caroussel. The song brought them fame, a place at Woodstock, and it would have brought them a lot of money from that gig, but nobody paid… still, they had a number 2 hit in the US. Enjoy

Blood, Sweat & Tears- Spinning Wheel

Song of the day: B.B. King- The Thrill Is Gone

In 1969, B.B. King released one of his biggest hits. However, it was not his song, because it was written by Roy Hawkins and Rick Darnell. Roy had a hit with it in 1951. B.B. King recorded the song as a blues song. Apart from a number 15 position in the US hit chart, it brought King a Grammy award for best male R&B vocal performance. Enjoy

B.B. King- The Thrill Is Gone

R.I.P B.B. King, he died on 14 May 2015 (yesterday) at the age of 89.

Song of the day: Ekseption- The Fifth

In 1969, Ekseption (Dutch band with Dutch spelling) decided to change their music style. They first had been playing quite some jazz, R&B and rock ‘n roll, but after seeing the English band the Nice they decided to make a mix of classical music and rock. The first hit that they made in this new style was The 5th, which was a different take on the fifth symphony from Beethoven. The song made it to the third place in the charts. Enjoy

Ekseption- The Fifth

Song of the day: The Fifth Dimension- Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In

Back in the sixties, there was a very popular musical: Hair. The Fifth Dimension took two songs from the musical and made a medley out of it. The musical was made in 1967, but this medley appeared two years later, in 1969. It would be a number one hit in the US, staying for six weeks at the highest position! Aquarius is actually the era of love and happiness, which we would enter in the sixties… now they think it will happen after 2062… enjoy

The 5th Dimension- Aquarius/ Let The Sunshine In

Song of the day: Creedence Clearwater Revival- Bad Moon Rising

A bit of the good old sixties rock. Very good and decent, actually. It seems strange that so many people don’t like hearing Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR). On the other hand, I can understand: the voice of John Fogerty is one which doesn’t sound very smooth, and he can scream sometimes (to get over the music tapes in the studio, which made such an awfull sound that he couldn’t hear himself singing…). The song featured today was a hit, reaching number 2 in the US and number 1 in the UK! Since CCR, at least twenty artists had a go on the song, never reaching the same quality… Enjoy

Creedence Clearwater Revival- Bad Moon Rising

Song of the day: Neil Diamond- Sweet Caroline

Actually just an awesome sixties classic. Simple, some nice people blowing horns, and a good text about the daughter of John F. Kennedy, Caroline, who was eleven years at the time. The nice thing is that the inspiration already started five years before the song appeared, but that the song just came together at that time. So in 1969 the song was published and it became a big hit. And now it’s a song of the day! Enjoy

Neil Diamond- Sweet Caroline

Song of the day: The Archies- Sugar Sugar

We’re leaving the sixties tomorrow, but not before we’ve had this nice record. I had totally forgotten about it, since I’ve only heard it one or two times, but when I saw it, I thought: that’s a good song! So they actually got lucky. A great song by

The Archies- Sugar Sugar