Them - Mystic Eyes (1965)

Formed in Northern Ireland in April 1964, this short-lived band is primarily remembered as the group that launched the career of Van Morrison. Their classic garage song “Gloria,” which was covered by countless bands after them, was their first taste of success, released in November 1964 (initially as a B-Side). After scoring a few more hits in the UK in 1965, the band was marketed in the United States and thus became a part of the first British Invasion. While touring America, the group had residency at famous Whisky a Go Go club in Los Angeles from the end of May until the middle of June 1966. In their final week at The Whisky, they were being opened by a group which they had been heavily influencing, The Doors. After finishing up in L.A., the band played The Fillmore in San Francisco before leaving to tour Hawaii. While in the Aloha state, the band argued over money and broke up on the spot. Morrison went on to great solo success, while the rest of the band regrouped through 1972 until finally calling it quits after a lack of the public’s interest in their new material.

This song, which featured session guitarist Jimmy Page, came about when members of the band were just messing around in the studio. While jamming, their producer Tommy Scott thought what they were doing was going to make for a great instrumental track. But seven minutes into the jam, Morrison started singing impromptu lyrics to a song he had recently been inspired to write from a trip past a cemetery where some children were playing. The ten-minute track, with its long instrumental intro, was reduced to a little less than three minutes and the song was complete. It became the opening track to the band’s first album, The Angry Young Them, released in November 1965; and, in the same month, it was released as a single in the US and UK, only charting in the US, reaching number thirty-three.



Them - Mystic Eyes (1965)

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Lyrics:

One Sunday mornin'
We went walkin'
Down by the old graveyard
The mornin' fog
I looked into, yeah
Those mystic eyes

Her mystic eyes
Mystic eyes
Mystic eyes
Mystic eyes
Mystic eyes
Mystic eyes
Oh, the mystic eyes
Oh!

The E-Types - Put the Clock Back on the Wall (1967)

In Salinas, California 1964, brothers Bob and Jody Wence were using their connections in England to get up-and-coming albums from the UK sent to them in the US before their official US debuts. Learning to play what they heard, they picked up their lead guitarist, Don Shephard, and began practicing their three-part harmonies. From there, the group picked up Danny Monigold and Reggie Shaffer and began practicing seven days a week. On April 10th, 1965, the still relatively new band needed a name so that they could participate in a local battle of the bands competition at Hartnell College. Looking toward their British Invastion influences, they decided on “The English Types” and changed it to “The E-Types” for short. According to Bob Wence, they didn’t find out that there was a car by Jaguar of the same name until at least a year later. All in all, they won first place at the battle of the bands. From there, the band was a hot commodity and soon found itself touring with names like Paul Revere & The Raiders, The Yardbirds (Jimmy Page-era), The Lovin’ Spoonful, and Jefferson Airplane. The group eventually called it quits when a member of their band became ill with hepatitis and, simultaneously, their British Invasion-influenced style of music began to give way to the local uprising of psychedelia.

Although the group released four successful regional singles, they are perhaps best remembered for this particular song, written by Alan Gordon and Gary Bonner, released in 1967. Gordon and Bonner, who frequently worked together, had also written The Turtles' "Happy Together" and Three Dog Night's "Celebrate."



The E-Types - Put the Clock Back on the Wall (1967)

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Lyrics:

Hey!

When the local population starts to worry about your mood
Starts to wonder why the clouds are in your eyes
You can tell them it's the flowers or the cinder in the air
But don't let on what's under your disguise

Hey!

I can't reveal what's inside or behind me and
Thoughts that are real, I can't feel
They won't find me and

Hey!
Put the clock back on the wall

I've been away where the night meets the morning and
Flashes of gray bring the day and it's warning me

Hey!
Put the clock black on the wall

When the local population starts to act a little strange
Starts to make you giggle to yourself inside
And he'll ask you why you're laughing as he laughs along with you
You don't know but you both laughed so hard you cried

Hey!

I can't reveal what's inside or behind me and
Thoughts that are real, I can't feel
They won't find me and

Hey!
Put the clock back on the wall

Hey!
Put the clock back on the wall

Hey!
Put the clock back on the wall

Hey!
Put the clock back on the wall…

Merrilee Rush and The Turnabouts - Angel of the Morning (1968)

Born in 1944 and raised in Seattle, Washington, this American vocalist met her first husband, Neil Rush, when auditioning to be the singer of a local band, the Amazing Aztecs, in 1960. Neil was the band’s leader and saxophonist and the couple would soon branch off to create Merrilee Rush and The Turnabouts in 1965, touring the Pacific Northwest as a teen/pop act in dancehalls. In 1967, a member of the road crew for their band connected them with Paul Revere and the Raiders, another band he frequently worked for. This led to Merrilee and her band getting invited to be the opening act for Paul Revere and The Raiders during their 1967 tour of the southern United States. While touring through Tennessee, the Raiders had stopped in Memphis to record their upcoming album, Going to Memphis, and Rush was introduced to music producers Chips Moman and Tommy Cogbill. Cogbill had been looking for months for an artist to record a song by Chip Taylor he had been keeping in his pocket and was thrilled to hear Merrilee Rush’s voice.

Written by Chip Taylor (writer of The Troggs’ “Wild Thing” and uncle to actress Angelia Jolie), this song was originally intended to be recorded by Connie Francis, who turned it down because of its risqué lyrics, referring to a torrid love affair gone wrong. Although it was recorded by Evie Sands, Danny Michaels, and Billie Davis in 1967, it wasn’t until music producer Tommy Cogbill discovered Merrilee Rush and had her record it that the song really took off. Although the song was credited to Merrilee Rush and The Turnabouts, Rush was actually backed by a house band, American Sound, who had been known for backing up Elvis Presley during his famous Memphis recordings. Released in February 1968, this song reached number seven in the US; number four in the Netherlands; and number one in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. It has since been recorded numerous times by artists such as Juice Newton, P.P. Arnold, Olivia Newton-John, and many others. It was also successfully sampled by Shaggy, featuring Rayvon, for the 2001 hit-song “Angel.”



Merrilee Rush and The Turnabouts - Angel of the Morning (1968)

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Lyrics:

There’ll be no strings to bind your hands
Not if my love can’t bind your heart
And there’s no need to take a stand
For it was I who chose to start

I see no reason to take me home
I’m old enough to face the dawn

Just call me “Angel of the Morning-” “Angel”
Just touch my cheek before you leave me, baby
Just call me “Angel of the Morning-” “Angel”
Then slowly turn away from me

Maybe the sun’s light will be dim
And it won’t matter anyhow
If morning’s echo says we’ve sinned
Well, it was what I wanted now

And if we’re victims of the night
I won’t be blinded by light

Just call me “Angel of the Morning-” “Angel”
Just touch my cheek before you leave me, baby
Just call me “Angel of the Morning-” “Angel”
Then slowly turn away
I won’t beg you to stay with me
Through the tears
Of the day
Of the years
Baby, baby

Just call me “Angel of the Morning-” “Angel”
Just touch my cheek before you leave me, baby
Just call me “Angel of the Morning-” “Angel”
Just touch my cheek before you leave me, baby…

Canned Heat - Going Up the Country (1968)

Although this band has had over forty members from their beginnings in 1965 until the present day, the most notable members of the band were the ones present in 1968. Of them was the guitarist known as Henry “Sunflower” Vestine, who had previously been a member of Frank Zappa’s The Mothers of Invention until he was kicked out for his penchant for drug use. Also in the band were Larry “The Mole” Taylor, a former session bassist for The Monkees and Jerry Lee Lewis; Adolfo “Fito” de la Parra, a Mexican drummer who had previously been in Bluesberry Jam; and finally Bob “The Bear” Hite and Alan “Blind Owl” Wilson, who were the only members to have been in each incarnation of the band since its official formation in 1965. The band's name came from a 1928 song, "Canned Heat Blues," by Tommy Johnson, about an alcoholic so desperate to get drunk that he begins to drink Sterno, colloquially known as "canned heat." The band had two of their songs reach international success: the first, “On the Road Again,” released in April 1968 and the second being heard below.

Coming from their third album, Living the Blues, this song was written by Blind Owl, Alan Wilson, who also sang lead on the track. The song’s music is accented with memorable flute playing, played by Jim Horn. The song’s melody was a cover of a blues number by Henry Thomas in the late 1920s, “Bull Doze Blues.” Officially released in September 1969, the song reached number eleven in the US, nineteen in the UK, and number one in twenty-five other countries around the world. It would also go on to become the unofficial anthem of Woodstock, as it was featured during the opening credits of the Woodstock documentary.



Canned Heat - Going Up the Country (1968)

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Lyrics:

I'm going up the country
Baby, don't you wanna go?
I'm going up the country
Baby, don't you wanna go?
I'm going to some place where I've never been before

I'm going, I'm going
Where the water tastes like wine
I'm going where the water tastes like wine
We can jump in the water, stay drunk all the time

I'm gonna leave this city
Got to get away
I'm gonna leave this city
Got to get away
All this fussing and fighting, man
You know I sure can't stay

Now baby, pack your leaving trunk
You know we've got to leave today
Just exactly where we're going I cannot say
But, we might even leave the USA
‘cause there's a brand new game that I want to play

No use of you running or screaming and crying
‘cause you've got a home as long as I've got mine

The Fentones - Simla Beat Theme (1971)

In 1970, India’s oldest cigarette company, Simla, decided to host a battle of the bands competition to gain the favor of young people in the country. The contest, which ran annually through 1972, awarded the winner of the contest with a recording session overseen by India’s veteran record producer V. P. Vendraswamiran (VPV, for short), who’s studio was an ex-British Navy minesweeper ship that had been moored in Bombay.

Many of the participants in the competition used flour to give themselves a more Western appearance, as all of them had chosen to sing in English. Many of the bands sang pop songs from the West or traditional Indian songs reinvented with electric guitars and power chords.

This band was one of the participants in the competition that took place in 1971. Their song heard below sounds like a surf song from the early ‘60s, but was apparently recorded in 1971. It was included on a compilation album put out by the cigarette company each year after the conclusion of the show.



The Fentones - Simla Beat Theme (1971)

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Lyrics:

(instrumental)

Roger Waters - 4:30 AM (Apparently They Were Travelling Abroad) & 4:33 AM (Running Shoes) (1984)

Born in Surrey, England in 1943, this rock legend was a founding member of the band Pink Floyd, in which he primarily played bass and shared the lead vocals with bandmate David Gilmour (who had joined the band later). Although the band had initially been under the psychedelic leadership of Syd Barrett, 1968 saw the departure of Barrett from the band due to mental illness and the rise of this man as the band’s leader and primary lyricist. Waters went on to write the lyrics and lead the band musically on albums The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals, The Wall, and The Final Cut, with each of them reaching the number one spot in multiple countries around the world. In the mid-1980s, spawning from creative differences and a power struggle with David Gilmour over direction, Waters left Pink Floyd and sued to keep them from using the "Pink Floyd" name. An out-of-court settlement was finally achieved in 1987, but Waters didn’t play with the band again for another eighteen years. In September 2010, Waters began to take The Wall album on the road and backed it with a sixty-million dollar stage act to feature on tour. Currently, although the tour has periodic breaks, it is scheduled to continue throughout 2013.

In 1977, Waters came up with two ideas for concept albums. The first idea was titled Bricks in the Wall and the second was called The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking. Waters recorded some demos and played them for the other members of Pink Floyd, telling them that they could choose which one they could record as a band. He also informed them that whichever one they didn’t choose, he would release as a solo album. The band’s manager at the time, Steve O’Rourke, thought that Pros and Cons was a better concept; David Gilmour thought that Pros and Cons was better musically-speaking, too; but the band eventually decided that they would record Bricks in the Wall, eventually having it renamed to The Wall and released it in 1979.

Finally, in 1983, after Waters’ departure from Pink Floyd, he had the time to record his other visualized concept album, The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking. Featuring the conductor Michael Kamen on piano and legendary guitarist Eric Clapton, the album was stylistically reminiscent of The Wall, but failed to achieve the same commercial success. The titles of the tracks on the album are noted for being named after a particular time of day, with two songs heard below, "4:30 AM" and "4:33 AM," being the opening tracks. If you were to start the album at exactly 4:30 AM, real-time, the titles of each passing song would correspond with the actual time of day. There were even a few extra seconds added after the last song of the first side, so to allow the listener time to flip the record (or cassette) over.

If you enjoy The Wall and these two opening tracks of Pros and Cons, I highly recommend you purchase the album so that you can hear the album in its entirety.



Roger Waters - 4:30 AM (Apparently They Were Travelling Abroad) & 4:33 AM (Running Shoes) (1984)

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"4:30 AM" Lyrics:

Apparently they were travelling abroad and they picked up some hitchhikers.

Drill.

Jade: "Oh God!"
Wife: "Wake up, you're dreaming."
Jade: "What?"
Wife: "You're dreaming."
Jade: "We were moving away from the border."
Wife: "Huh, what border?"

Jade: "Have a nice day."
Wife: "Huh?"
Jade: "Have a nice day."

We were moving away from the border
Looking for somewhere to sleep
The two of us sharing the driving
Two hitchhikers slumped in the back seat

Woman: "Hello."

I sneaked a quick look in the mirror
She gave me a smile
I said, “Is anyone hungry?”
“Should we stop for a while?”

So we pulled off into a layby
Her dress blew up over her head
I said, “Would you like to come with me?”
She said something foreign under her breath
And the sun shone down on her lovely young limbs
I thought to myself, “She's much too good for you”
I lay down beside her with tears in my eyes
She said

"4:33 AM" Lyrics:

So I stood by the roadside
The soles of my running shoes gripping
The tarmac like gunmetal magnets

Fixed on the front of her Fassbinder face
Was the kind of a smile
That only a rather dull child could have drawn

While attempting a graveyard in the moonlight
But she was impressed
You could see that she thought I looked fine

And when she turned sweeter
The reason, between you and me, was
She'd just seen my green Lamborghini

I think it was the Lamborghini

So we went for a spin in the country
To feel the wind in our hair
To feel the power of my engine
To feel the thrill of desire

And then in the trees, I heard a twig snap
Warning lights flashed on my map
I opened my eyes and to my surprise
There were Arabs with knives at the front of the bed
Right at the front of the bed

Oh, my God, how did they get in here?
I thought we were safe, home in England
She said, “Come on now, kid, it was wrong what ya did”
“You've got to admit it was wrong what ya did”
“You've got to admit it was wrong”

Jade: "Oh god! Jesus..."

Unrelated Segments - Story of My Life (1967)

High school students Ron Stults and Rory Mack were separately in a handful of local bands, and briefly together in the Village Beaus, before finally combining their talents in this band, starting in November 1966. Rory, the band’s eventual lead guitarist, was forming a new group with rhythm guitarist and business college student John Torock when he called up Ron to see if he’d want to be their singer. Torock at the time had been taking a course in micro-economics that was teaching a lecture on unrelated segments. He took the idea to his bandmates and they all agreed to use it as their band’s name. Based in Taylor, Michigan, the group released three singles, the first of which, heard below, was the most successful. Their second single, released in September 1967 had the unfortunate outcome of being overshadowed by the aftermath of the 12th street riots and other race riots occurring in Detroit, Michigan at the time. Bad fortune struck again as their third and final release received very little help in the promotional department, because their label, Liberty Records, was in the process of being sold to United Artists Corp. Soon after, Rory gave his band the ultimatum to drop the drug use during practices and rehearsals or he’d walk. He walked and the band soon folded behind him.

This song, the group’s most successful song, was released in February 1967. As with all of the band’s songs, the music was written by Rory Mack and the lyrics were written by Ron Stults. Locally, it reached number nine on the charts and led to the creation of fan clubs in the area. Impressively, the song was completed after only the second band practice. Equally impressive was that the track was finalized after only three and a half hours in the studio.



Unrelated Segments - Story of My Life (1967)

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Lyrics:

Hey!

Well now let me tell you, yes
The story of my life
I met this girl- this lovely girl
That I asked to be my wife

She said she would, but first of all
She’d want a shiny ring
Well, I got that girl that diamond ring
Well money never brings-

Well I said
No (no)
No (no)
You can’t buy love (no)

Well I said (no)
No (no)
No (no)
You can’t buy love (no)

No!

Well, she took my love and fought her own
And she took my money, too
When it was all but over
I was broke and feelin’ blue

Now, hear me friends, to which I say
Ask true and you will find
Some girl that’ll take your money
But she’ll never need your time

Well I said
No (no)
No (no)
You can’t buy love (no)

Well I said (no)
No (no)
No (no)
You can’t buy love (no)

Alright!
No!

Hey!

Now, hear me out and take advice
The words I’m gonna say
For if you don’t, you never know
Someday she’ll come your way

She’ll come to you with eyes of love
But still, you’ll never tell
For money can buy many things
But love, you just can’t sell

Well I said
No (no)
No (no)
You can’t buy love (no)

Well I said (no)
No (no)
No (no)
You can’t buy love (no)

No!

Well, this has been the story
Yes, the story of my life
You’ll never know the pain I feel
But I know it’s just not right

So wait until the right girl comes
The girl who needs just you
For if she needs your money
Then you tell that girl you’re through

Well I said
No (no)
No (no)
You can’t buy love (no)

Well I said (no)
No (no)
No (no)
You can’t buy love (no)

I’m sayin’
No (no)
No (no)
You can’t buy love (no)

I’m cryin’
No (no)
No (no)
You can’t buy love (no)

I’m tryin’
No (no)
No (no)
You can’t buy love (no)…

The Majority - One Third (1966)

Formed in Hull, England in 1964, this English band was originally known as The Mustangs. Emulating the sounds of the British Invasion, the group moved to London in 1965 and renamed themselves to that which is seen above. They were able to get their hands on material written by The Kinks’ Ray Davies and material written by members of The Bee Gees that neither group wanted to record themselves. Combined with the famous names who wrote some of their songs, the band also released some songs of their own. In total, they released eight singles for Decca, each one sounding stylistically different than the last. Unfortunately, none of them managed to make a dent on any local charts. With their lineup shifting constantly and being resorted to pop-star Barry Ryan’s backing group, the band decided they needed a dramatic change. In 1968, the band renamed itself The Majority One and eventually got their small hit with the 1971 song “Because I Love.”

This song, written by the group’s lead singer Barry Graham, was one of the many failed singles released by the band. Although it seems to have been inspired by The Zombies, it didn’t quite have what it took to break into the local scene. Years later, the song found its largest reaches of success when it was released on the ‘60s compilation album Nuggets, Vol. 2.



The Majority - One Third (1966)

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Lyrics:

(One third of your life)

(Spend one third) Spend one third
(Spend one third) Of your life in bed
(Spend one third) Why don’t you work?
(Spend one third) You might as well be dead
(Spend one third) “Life’s a drag”
(Spend one third) That is what you said
(Spend one third) You’d rather sleep
(Spend one third) Instead of earning bread

You said your life was easy living
That you just take and don’t do any giving
Giving, giving, giving, giving giving
Giving, giving, giving, giving giving

(One third of your life)

You said your life was easy living
That you just take and don’t do any giving
Giving, giving, giving, giving giving
Giving, giving, giving, giving giving

(One third of your life)

(Spend one third) Spend one third
(Spend one third) Don’t you know it’s a bed?
(Spend one third) Get out of bed
(Spend one third) No one lives in their bed
(Spend one third) No one lives in their bed...

The Pyramids - Penetration (1963)

Formed in Long Beach, California in 1961, this surf group had one big hit from their second single, heard below. In July 1964, the group landed a collective role as a band for the teen beach movie, Bikini Beach, starring Frankie Avalon. In the film, the band appeared getting onstage wearing Beatles wigs and then removed them to reveal shaven heads. Although they released five singles and one full-length album, the group never matched the success of their second single. The band was composed of lead guitarist Skip Mercier, rhythm guitarist Willie Glover, bassist Steve Leonard, saxophonist Tom Pitman, and drummer Ron McMullen. The band called it quits in 1965.

Released in the US and the UK in 1963, this song was written by the group’s bassist, Steve Leonard, and was the A-Side to the group’s second single. It reached the Billboard Hot 100’s Top 20 in early 1964 and was backed by the B-Side “Here Comes Marsha.”



The Pyramids - Penetration (1963)

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Lyrics:

(instrumental)

Mary Hopkin - Those Were the Days (1968)

Born in 1950, Mary Hopkin was raisede in Pontardawe, Wales by her Welsh-speaking family. She had been in a local group called Selby Set and Mary prior to releasing a Welsh-language EP for the local Cambrian record label. Soon, she was appearing on the British ITV television network on Opportunity Knocks, a British talent show. When she won, it was witnessed by the famed model Twiggy, who contacted Paul McCartney of The Beatles and newly-formed Apple record label to suggest getting her signed. Hopkin became one of the first acts signed by the Apple record label and released numerous singles for them, reaching the number one spot in the UK once, and the number two spot twice. In 1971 she married music-producer Tony Visconti and briefly retired to raise a family, appearing only as a guest singer over the next few years for artists such as Thin Lizzy, David Bowie, Tom Paxton, and others. She touched on brief success again after her comeback in 1976 with the song “If You Love Me (I Won’t Care),” reaching number thirty-two in the UK.

This song, Hopkin’s first single, was released in 1968 and reached number one in the UK, Germany, and Switzerland. In the US, it reached number two. It had been recorded in four languages other than English (Spanish, German, Italian, and French), for its release in other countries. The melody of the song is from a Russian romance song composed by Boris Fomin, titled “Dorogoi dlinnoyu” (translated to “By the Long Road”). It had English lyrics written for it by American musician and playwright Gene Raskin, which were based on the Russian poet Konstantin Podrevskii’s original words. This version of the song, both the melody and the singing, was produced by Paul McCartney.



Mary Hopkin - Those Were the Days (1968)

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Lyrics:

Once upon a time, there was a tavern
Where we used to raise a glass or two
Remember how we laughed away the hours
And think of all the great things we would do?

Those were the days, my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
For we were young and sure to have our way

Then the busy years went rushing by us
We lost our starry notions on the way
If by chance I'd see you in the tavern
We'd smile at one another and we'd say

“Those were the days my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
Those were the days, oh yes, those were the days”

Just tonight I stood before the tavern
Nothing seemed the way it used to be
In the glass, I saw a strange reflection
Was that lonely woman really me?

Those were the days my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
Those were the days, oh yes, those were the days

Through the door, there came familiar laughter
I saw your face and heard you call my name
Oh, my friend, we're older but no wiser
For in our hearts, the dreams are still the same

Those were the days my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
Those were the days, oh yes, those were the days

The Doobie Brothers - Nobody (1971)

John Hartman, a drummer from Virginia, went to California in 1969 hoping to convince Skip Spence to reform Moby Grape with him in the band. Although it didn’t pan out, Spence introduced Hartman to Tom Johnston, a guitarist and vocalist who had been playing in bands around San Jose while finishing college. Together, known as Pud, the duo played around San Jose with rotating members playing with them and, by 1970, a band with a new name had started to solidify. Their biggest fans at the time were local members of the Hells Angels which led to the group performing regularly at the Angels’ preferred bar, the Chateau Liberté. The band’s music, mimicking their surroundings, was hard rock accentuated with leather jackets and motorcycles. But when the group released their debut album in 1971, their hard rock, biker sound had been replaced with acoustic guitars and country influences.

The group’s first album, self-titled and released in April of 1971, failed to chart. The band’s first ever single release, heard below, also failed to chart upon its initial release. Written by Tom Johnston, the song was re-released in 1974 after the group had become nationally successful, and then reached number fifty-eight. In 2010, the latest incarnation of the band re-recorded the song for their latest album, World Gone Crazy. This song, as well as the rest of their debut album, was produced by Ted Templeman, the former guitarist and vocalist for Harpers Bizarre.



The Doobie Brothers - Nobody (1971)

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Lyrics:

Evil ways of practice may surround you
Callin’ on your inner core of life
But your father was just a complex man of business
And your mother merely portioned out your fright

But run the risk of a sudden loss
You got no mama to bear your cross beside you
As midnight angels shine their wings
And time begins just to build a wall all around you

(Nobody)
Nobody gonna take my love away from me
(Nobody)
Nobody gonna take my love away from me

Setting out on a voyage down to Jenner
I've given all I've got to help the cause
Need a place just to settle out my pressures
A place where you and I can sit and pause

So I can see the sky at night
Without a fear of hidden light to blind me
And so you see the path is clear
And changes will be swayed around me

(Nobody)
Nobody gonna take my love away from me
(Nobody)
Nobody gonna take my love away from me

The Rolling Stones - We Love You (1967)

In February 1967, Keith Richard’s chauffeur tipped off reporters, who, in turn tipped off police about a party in Sussex The Rolling Stones’ members were having that “involved drugs.” Although no arrests were made in the ensuing police raid, both Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were subsequently charged with drug offenses. On the day of their arrangement, police stormed the home of Brian Jones, arrested him, and pressed him, too, with drug charges. Although Jagger and Richards were imprisoned for their crimes, they were back out on the streets the next morning after making bail, pending an appeal. In the meantime, the public, some branches of the media, and fellow musicians had shown an outpouring of support for the band’s targeted members, feeling that their punishments for first-time offenses were far too harsh, unfair, and attributed to their celebrity-statuses.

While awaiting their appeal hearings, the band recorded this song as a means of thanking its fans for their loyal support. Although uncredited, both Paul McCartney and John Lennon appeared on the track to provide backing vocals. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, the song’s opening features the sound of prison doors slamming closed, referencing the recent charges against the members. Released as an A-Side in Britain, the song reached number eight. Having been flipped to the B-Side for the US release, the song reached number fifty. “Dandelion” was the flip side for each release.



The Rolling Stones - We Love You (1967)

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Lyrics:

(We don't care if you only love “we”)
(We don't care if you only love “we”)

We love you
We love you
And we hope that you will love “we,” too

We love “they”
We love “they”
And we want you to love “they,” too

We don't care if you hound “we”
And love is all around “we”
Love can't get our minds off
We love you (We love you)

You will never win “we”
Your uniforms don’t fit “we”
We forget the place we're in
‘cause we love you
(We love you) Of course we do

(I love you, I love you)
And I hope that you won’t prove wrong, too
(We love you) We do
(We love you) We do

The House of Nimrod - Slighty-Delic (1967)

Formed in Auckland, New Zealand in late 1967, this band was composed of Bryce Peterson, Tony Pilcher, John Breslin, Billy Lawton, and Larry Latimer. Their first single was released in October 1967 and quickly began to climb the local Auckland charts. The success brought about the demand for a tour, but as the group only had two songs to their name, they weren’t quite prepared to go on the road. A lack of ideas quickly put the idea into an early retirement, but they made a comeback in 1968 when they composed two more songs for their second single, “Psychothartic” and “Ragged Patch.” The single wasn’t as successful as the first and thus there was no demand for a tour. From here, most of the band members quit, leaving only Pilcher and Lawton left. They attempted to continue on with some other new members, but the new group never recorded anything and the group finally folded for the last time in 1969.

This song, sung by Latimer and featured as the A-Side to the group’s first single, was probably the band’s largest claim to fame. It was accompanied by the B-Side track “Reflection of Our Time” and sold rather well. Personally, I think this song and “Psychothartic” are the band’s best songs, with this track slightly getting the edge over “Psychothartic.”



The House of Nimrod - Slighty-Delic (1967)

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Lyrics:

Slighty-delic
Slighty-delic

I live in a castle with fairies and things
Got lots of gold pieces and diamonds and rings
Last night I had tea with the man in the moon
Aladdin is coming to visit me soon

Slighty-delic
Slighty-delic

Playing hide-and-go-seek with Snow White and the dwarfs
I’ve been for a ride on the Lone Ranger’s horse
Got a big golden coach with six horses to drive
But I’m not supposed to, ‘cause I’m only five

Slighty-delic
Slighty-delic

The hippies all know me as “Chief Sitting Bull”
I knew baa baa black sheep when he had no wool
Whatever you’ve done, I’ve done it before
And I’m just full of love for my mother-in-law

Slighty-delic
Slighty-delic

The Beatles - Watching Rainbows [Demo] (1969)

Although Ringo Starr was the first member of The Beatles to temporarily quit in 1968, George Harrison, too, quit the band for a brief period starting on January 10th, 1969. At the time, The Beatles were practicing at a film studio, Twickenham, so that their rehearsals could be filmed. After a morning filed with verbal altercations between George and Paul, a quiet George Harrison eventually met up with the group and crew for lunch a bit late. Rather than joining them, he simply stated, “See you ’round the clubs” and disappeared. The three remaining Beatles went back to the recording room not knowing what to do and unleashed an angry improvisational ruckus with John Lennon sarcastically leading the group to play The Who’s “A Quick One, While He's Away.” Days later, word got back to Harrison that Lennon had mentioned bringing in Eric Clapton as a replacement, which Lennon had probably said as a ploy to get George back rather than a real solution. After a five hour meeting, Harrison rejoined the group on January 15th, 1969.

This song, recorded on January 14th, 1969 was nothing more than the result of a loose jamming session during Harrison’s five day absence. The song features no bass, as Paul McCartney had to abandon the instrument to fill in for George’s lead guitar as Lennon sang. Although the song was never officially released, the melody evolved into their future song “Two of Us”* "I've Got a Feeling." The reason these lyrics didn’t survive, perhaps, could have been because they were too reminiscent of “I Am the Walrus.”

*Update from the Editor 10/16/2014: Putting "Two of Us" was a typo which was not discovered until now, thanks to Twitter. It was incorrectly here for nearly two years - sorry!



The Beatles - Watching Rainbows [Demo] (1969)

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Lyrics:

Standin' in the garden
Waitin' for the sun to shine
Hand on my umbrella, with his girl
I wish she was mine
Everybody knows to think a thing
It didn't come

Instead of watchin' rainbows
I'm gonna make me some
Instead of watchin' rainbows
I'm gonna make me some

Standin' in the garden
Waitin' for the English sun to come
And make me brown so I can be someone

Lookin' at the fancy next-door neighbors
Cryin' to their mom, "I'm dyin' to set sail there"
Everybody's got to have somethin' hard to hold

Well, instead of watching rainbows under the sun
You gotta get out, son, and make you one
You gotta get out, son, and make your run
Because you're not gonna make it if you don't try, no

Shoot big
Shoot big
Whatever you do you gotta kill somebody to get what you wanna get
You gotta shoot big
You gotta shoot big
Until you shoot big
I can't stand no more

The Beach Boys - You've Got to Hide Your Love Away (1965)

The Beach Boys were primarily composed of the three Wilson brothers (Brian, Dennis, and Carl) and their cousin Mike Love. Dennis, the middle child, was the band’s drummer from their formation in 1961 until his untimely death in 1983. The Beach Boys’ early music surrounding a surfing lifestyle was usually written by Brian, but it was inspired by Dennis, as he was the only member of the group who actually surfed. He was the first member of the band to release a solo album, Pacific Ocean Blue, which was released in 1977. Comparatively, his role in The Beach Boys was much like that of George Harrison’s in The Beatles; Dennis was considered to be the dark horse of The Beach Boys, growing from a quiet figure in the background to a prominent member who reached critical acclaim. On December 28th, 1983, a little over three weeks after his thirty-ninth birthday, Dennis became intoxicated and drowned at Marina Del Ray in Los Angeles while attempting to retrieve items from under the sea that he had thrown overboard from his yacht three years prior.

Written by John Lennon and first recorded by The Beatles for their August 1965 album Help!, this song was allegedly written about The Beatles’ manager, Brian Epstein, regarding his closeted homosexuality. In the opening lines, Lennon sang “two foot small” instead of the intended “two foot tall” and decided to keep it that way, stating that the “psueds will really love it.”

This particular version of the song, performed solely by Dennis Wilson, was released on The Beach Boys’ album Beach Boys’ Party! in November 1965. Although it sounds live, the laughter and background chatter was in fact mixed in during post production, making this a studio track. It was recorded in haste to meet the demands of Capitol Records who wanted something to release for the holiday season. The band had just released a Christmas album the year prior, had not yet finished their upcoming masterpiece Pet Sounds, and so this album promoting “togetherness” was the result.



The Beach Boys - You've Got to Hide Your Love Away (1965)

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Lyrics:

Here I stand, head in hand
Turn my face to the wall
If she's gone, I can't go on
Feeling two-foot small

Everywhere, people stare
Each and every day
I can see them laugh at me
And I hear them say

“Hey! You've got to hide your love away”
“Hey! You've got to hide your love away”

How can I even try?
I can never win
Hearing them, seeing them
In the state I'm in

How could she say to me
“Love will find a way”?
Gather ‘round all you clowns
Let me hear you say

“Hey! You've got to hide your love away”
“Hey! You've got to hide your love away”

The Creation - Making Time (1966)

Most remembered for their 1966 song “Painter Man,” this English band got their name from a Russian book of poetry, which was chosen by their lead singer, Kenny Pickett. Officially formed in early 1966, their beginnings could be traced back to The Mark Four, formed in 1963, where most of its members had played in. After making the change to this name, the “new” band’s early years were described as being similar to the early music of The Who, who was then briefly going by The High Numbers name. In live concerts, the band would sometimes spray-paint canvases as a form of art, only to have one of the roadies set it on fire and be burned to ashes. The band saw many members come and go in their few years as an entity, but finally called it quits in June 1968 after a failed reunion failed after their initial February 1968 breakup. Kenny Pickett went on to become Jimmy Page’s guitar technician and died in 1997; Jack Jones, the band’s original drummer, went on to become a cabaret singer; Bob Garner, the band’s original bassist, left the music business entirely; and Eddie Phillips, the band’s original guitarist, became the bass player for P.P. Arnold and later co-wrote Rockpile’s hit “Teacher Teacher” with Kenny Pickett.

This song, also written by Pickett and Phillips, was pretty clearly influenced by The Who. It was the band’s first single ever released and was produced by Shel Talmy, who produced the hits "You Really Got Me" by The Kinks, "My Generation" by The Who, and "Friday on My Mind" by The Easybeats. It was released on Planet Records, also owned by Talmy, in June 1966 and reached number forty-nine on the UK charts. It would be followed by the group’s biggest hit “Painter Man”.



The Creation - Making Time (1966)

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Lyrics:

Makin’ time
Shootin’ lines
For people to believe in
Things you say
Gone in a day
Everybody leavin’
Everybody leavin’

Why do we have to carry on?
Always singing the same old song
Same old song
The same old song

Tellin’ lies
Closin’ your eyes
Makin’ more excuses
Pullin’ the wool
Actin’ the fool
People have their uses
People have their uses

Why do we have to carry on?
Always singing the same old song
Same old song
The same old song

Lookin’ for
An open door
Never takin’ chances
Take your pick
Makes you sick
Seekin’ new advances
Seekin’ new advances

Why do we have to carry on?
Always singing the same old song
Same old song
The same old song