The Honeycombs - Have I the Right? (1964)

Originally but briefly known as The Sheratons, this English beat group was founded by a hairdresser, Martin Murray (rhythm guitar) and his salon assistant, Honey Lantree (drums). On the drums, Honey Lantree was one of the few female drummers to be in a band. It was her name (Honey) and profession (salon assistant) which led to the inspiration for the group’s name, as in, “Honey combs hair for a living."

Rounding out the original lineup of the group were Honey’s brother, John Lantree (bass), and two of the trio’s friends: Denis D’Ell (lead singer) and Alan Ward (lead guitar).

Although the group charted multiple times in the UK (and twice in the US), it’s primarily the song below for which they are remembered. Written by Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley at the beginning of their eventually prolific careers, the song was released in June 1964, steadily climbed the charts, and ultimately peaked at number one in the UK, Australia, and Canada by August that same year. Eventually, sales reached over one million.



The Honeycombs - Have I the Right? (1964)

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Lyrics:

Have I the right to hold you?
You know I've always told you
That we must never, ever part

Have I the right to kiss you?
You know I'll always miss you
I've loved you from the very start

Come right back, I just can't bear it
I've got some love and I long to share it
Come right back, I'll show my love is strong
Oh yeah

Have I the right to touch you?
If I could, you'd see how much you
Send those shivers runnin’ down my spine

Have I the right to thrill you?
You know I'll wait until you
Give me the right to make you mine

Well, come right back I just can't bear it
I've got some love and I long to share it
Come right back, I'll show my love is strong
Oh yeah
Alright

Have I the right to hold you?
You know I've always told you
That we must never, ever part
No, no, no, no, no

Have I the right to kiss you?
You know I'll always miss you
I've loved you from the very start

Come right back, I just can't bear it
I've got some love and I long to share it
Come right back, I'll show my love is strong
Oh yeah
Yeah

Come right back, I just can't bear it
I've got some love and I long to share it
Come right back, right back where you belong
Oh yeah
You belong
Oh yeah
You belong

Bob Dylan - Boots of Spanish Leather (1964)

Lyrically, the song below is rumored to have been inspired by the separation of Bob Dylan and his girlfriend of the time, Suze Rotolo. In June 1962, Rotolo left New York and traveled to Perugia, Italy with her mother to study art for six months at the University of Perugia. Besides the song below, the separation of the two is also said to have inspired the songs “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright,” “One Too Many Mornings,” and “Tomorrow Is a Long Time.”

Later in 1962, Dylan traveled to England to fulfill contractual obligations. Once his obligations had been completed, Dylan traveled to Italy, hoping to find Rotolo. Unfortunately, she had already returned to New York- to the apartment they shared together- around the same time that Dylan had left New York bound for England. It was in Italy, alone, where Dylan wrote the song below.

And although Dylan and Rotolo would be reunited in 1963, fate was not kind to their union. In 1963, Rotolo became pregnant, but had an abortion. Between this, Dylan’s affair with Joan Baez, and Dylan not getting along with Rotolo’s family (whom she was quite close with), the couple ended their relationship. The breakup resulted in Dylan’s bitter song “Ballad in Plain D.”

Musically, the song below borrows its melody from English folk singer Martin Carthy's arrangement of the traditional ballad “Scarborough Fair.” Lyrically, it tells a tale loosely inspired by the events above, in which a woman is leaving her lover; and, in an effort to cheer him up, offers to purchase him a gift from where she’s going. Her lover responds by telling her that all he’d like is for her to return to him. But, as time goes on, she informs him that she may not return. And, presumably becoming bitter, he asks her for the expensive “Spanish boots of Spanish leather.”

The first six verses of the song alternate between the dialogue of the man and the woman, beginning with the woman leaving. The last alternating verse (the sixth), as well as the seventh, eighth, and ninth verses, are all from the man who has been left.



Bob Dylan - Boots of Spanish Leather (1964)

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Lyrics:

Oh, I’m sailing away, my own true love
I’m sailing away in the morning
Is there something I can send you from across the sea
From the place that I’ll be landing?

No, there’s nothing you can send me, my own true love
There’s nothing I’m wishing to be owning
Just carry yourself back to me unspoiled
From across that lonesome ocean

Oh, but I just thought you might want something fine
Made of silver or of golden
Either from the mountains of Madrid
Or from the coast of Barcelona

But if I had the stars of the darkest night
And the diamonds from the deepest ocean
I’d forsake them all for your sweet kiss
For that’s all I’m wishing to be owning

That I might be gone a long, old time
And it’s only that I’m asking
Is there something I can send you to remember me by?
To make your time more easy passing

Oh, how can- how can you ask me again?
It only brings me sorrow
The same thing I would want today
I would want again tomorrow

Oh, I got a letter on a lonesome day
It was from her ship a’sailing
Saying, “I don’t know when I’ll be coming back again”
“It depends on how I’m feeling”

If you, my love, must think that a’way
I’m sure your mind is roaming
I’m sure your thoughts are not with me
But with the country to where you’re going

So take heed- take heed of the western winds
Take heed of the stormy weather
And yes, there’s something you can send back to me
Spanish boots of Spanish leather

The Puddin' Heads - Now You Say We're Through (1964)

At the forefront of this band was Denny Reed, the teenage performer who released innocent pop songs such as “A Teenager Feels It, Too,” “No One Cares,” and “I’m Comin’ Home” in 1960-1961. Reed was a big fan of Johnny Mathis and Bing Crosby in his youth, receiving much ridicule from his friends because of it. Although he predominately released material as a solo artist, he was briefly in the band The Puddin’ Heads.

I’m uncertain as to when this group was formed, but it was composed of members Denny Reed, John Greek, and Buddy Wayne. The song heard below, released in 1964, was the B-Side to the only single the band ever released. It was co-written by John Greek and “D. Russell,” backed with the A-Side “You Don’t Have to Be Lonely” on Catch Records, and never reached any success on the national charts. It's a polar opposite style which Reed had normally been heard singing. It's also quite unique for it's edgy sound, having been recorded in 1964.



The Puddin' Heads - Now You Say We're Through (1964)

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Lyrics:

Let me kiss you
Let me please you
You made me love you
Oh, how I miss you

And now you say we’re through
And now you say we’re through

You whisper sweet things
Life’s complete things
Now we’re parted
I’m broken-hearted

And now you say we’re through
And now you say we’re through

I never wanted you to leave me, darling
I cried a lot since you went away
I think about you every night
And I think of you every day

Let me kiss you
Let me please you
You made me love you
Oh, how I miss you

And now you say we’re through
And now you say we’re through

The Beefeaters - Please Let Me Love You (1964)

As mentioned in yesterday's post, the roots of the iconic folk rock band, The Byrds, can be traced back to the solo folk days of its original members playing around coffeehouses in Los Angeles, California during the early '60s. When they first came together, Jim McGuinn, Gene Clark, and David Crosby chose the name The Jet Set. It was mentioned that David Crosby brought The Jet Set in to record at World Pacific Studios in Los Angeles, California. As mentioned, the band recorded a lot of demo material, but only one single, released under the name The Beefeaters. That single, “Please Let Me Love You” / “Don’t Be Long” was put out under the name “The Beefeaters” because the group wanted to cash in on the British Invasion and use a name that “sounded British.” The single, which was released on Elektra Records in October 1964, featured session musicians Ray Pohlman and Earl Palmer, members of the “Wrecking Crew” session musicians.

The song was released in October 1964, but failed to chart. It was written by Gene Clark, Jim McGuinn, and Harvey Gerst (a friend of McGuinn's from his early solo folk years). The song’s flip-side, “Don’t Be Long,” was later rewritten, rerecorded, and renamed “It Won’t Be Wrong” by the band (then going by the moniker The Byrds) for their Turn! Turn! Turn! album in 1965.



The Beefeaters - Please Let Me Love You (1964)

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Lyrics:

Please let me love you a while
Let me live in the warmth of your smile
Let them see you with me
Let them wish they could be
As lucky as me
To have you here
To hold you oh-so near
Oh yeah, oh yeah

Please let me love you today
Let me give you my heart right away
And we’ll walk in the sun
And we’ll tell everyone
Our new love has begun
Just you and me
Always
Oh yeah, oh yeah

And when I hold you, I feel- feel so high
And when I kiss you I could fly

Please let me love you a while
Let me live in the warmth of your smile
Let them see you with me
Let them wish they could be
As lucky as me
To have you here
To hold you oh-so near
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah

The Jet Set - The Only Girl I Adore [Demo] (1964)

Jim McGuinn had been performing acoustic versions of The Beatles’ songs in coffeehouses around Los Angeles, California when he was approached by Gene Clark to form a duo in the style of Peter & Gordon. After performing together around town for a while, according to Clark, one night he and McGuinn went into a stairway at The Folk Den (later renamed The Troubadour) to find some good acoustics for playing their guitars. As they began picking away and harmonizing, David Crosby approached them out of nowhere, “singing away” uninvited. The duo had now become a trio and they named themselves The Jet Set after McGuinn’s love for aeronautics.

Crosby’s admittance into the group proved valuable, as he had been recording demos at World Pacific Studios with Jim Dickson. Dickson heard Crosby’s new trio and was impressed enough to allot The Jet Set with their own studio recording time. Although they recorded dozens of demo songs, they only ever released one single, using an entirely different name (The Beefeaters). To put it simply, the band never released any singles under The Jet Set name. The song heard below, written by Jim McGuinn and Gene Clark, was recorded by the band at World Pacific Studios sometime during their studio time in mid- through November 1964. As an unreleased demo, the song had no impact on the music world.

The Jet Set soon expanded their lineup with drummer Michael Clarke and bassist Chris Hillman. On November 10, 1964 the band stopped recording at World Pacific Studios, as they had signed a record deal with Columbia Records under their newly adopted name, The Byrds. As a result of their immense popularity in the years to come, this song as well as all of the other demos by The Jet Set were released by The Byrds on an album titled Preflyte.



The Jet Set - The Only Girl I Adore [Demo] (1964)

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Lyrics:

Don’t you know-
What you are-
What you are, darling, to me?
You’re the first evening star
And the only star I see

You’re my life through the day
And you’re so much- so much more
Don’t you know
You’re the only girl I adore?
Yeah, yeah

Don’t you know-
What I could mean-
What I could mean, darling, to you?
I could be your everything
And the only love for you

And I could be the only one
To hold you ever more
Don’t you know
You’re the only girl I adore?
Yeah, yeah

So won’t you hold me?
You know how I feel
We’re right for each other
Our love- our love can be real
Can be real

I think you know
What I mean
What I’m trying, dear, to say
You’re the finest girl I’ve seen
And I want you right away

I think you know you’re the love
That I’ve been looking for
Don’t you know
You’re the only girl I adore?
Yeah, yeah
I adore
Yeah, yeah
I adore
Yeah, yeah
Oh

Jay and the Americans - Come a Little Bit Closer (1964)

Born David Blatt November 2, 1938, the second man to be called “Jay” and sing lead for Jay and the Americans, had originally been in a doo-wop group called The Empires. In those early years, Blatt adopted the stage name “David Black” and used it when The Empires recorded their lone single, 1962’s “Time and a Place” / “Punch Your Nose.” In 1963, The Empires’ guitarist Marty Sanders was invited to join Jay and the Americans. At nearly the same time, Jay and the Americans’ original lead singer, Jay Traynor, decided to quit the band, having been disappointed with their recent failure to chart. The band’s new guitarist, Sanders, suggested David Black as a replacement. Black accepted the invitation, but had to be persuaded to adopt the name “Jay” to fit with the name of the band. David Blatt, who had chosen the stage name David Black, had now become Jay Black.

Together, Jay Black and his new band released over a dozen singles and a dozen albums in the coming decade. They charted numerous times throughout the 1960s and avoided splitting up until 1973. In ’73, Jay Black was the only member of the group wanting to continue the band, so when all other members went their separate ways, he recruited a rotating lineup of musicians to continue the “Jay and the Americans” name. Among the many temporary musicians to have backed Jay Black were Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, the future co-founders of Steely Dan. The original members of the band (featuring Jay Black and not Jay Traynor) didn’t reunite again until the 1990s. These days, Jay Black performs under “Jay Black and the Alley Cats,” having sold the “Jay and the Americans” name to his former bandmates in order to pay off a severe debt to the IRS, brought on by a gambling addiction.

This song, released as a single in 1964, was the band’s highest charting single. It reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100, number four on Cashbox, and number one on RPM’s singles chart. The song was written by iconic songwriting team of Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, becoming the writing duo’s first top-ten hit of many. If you enjoy the lyrics of this song, listen to Buddy Holly’s “Smokey Joe’s Café.” The stories in the lyrics are somewhat similar, leading one to wonder if Boyce and Hart were inspired by the Buddy Holly song.



Jay and the Americans - Come a Little Bit Closer (1964)

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Lyrics:

In a little café
Just the other side of the border
She was just sitting there giving me looks
That made my mouth water
So I started walking her way
She belonged to Bad Man Jose
And I knew, yes, I knew I should leave
When I heard her say, yeah

“Come a little bit closer”
“You’re my kind of man”
“So big and so strong”
“Come a little bit closer”
“I’m all alone”
“And the night is so long”

So we started to dance
In my arms, she felt so inviting
That I just couldn’t resist
Just one little kiss, so exciting
Then I heard the guitar player say
“Vamoose! Jose’s on his way”
Then I knew, yes, I knew I should run
But then I heard her say, yeah

“Come a little bit closer”
“You’re my kind of man”
“So big and so strong”
“Come a little bit closer”
“I’m all alone”
“And the night is so long”

Then the music stopped
When I looked, the café was empty
Then I heard Jose say
“Man, you know you’re in trouble plenty”
So I dropped my drink from my hand
And through the window I ran
And as I rode away
I could hear her say to Jose, yeah

“Come a little bit closer”
“You’re my kind of man”
“So big and so strong”
“Come a little bit closer”
“I’m all alone”
“And the night is so long”

The New Christy Minstrels - Today (1964)

Formed in 1961 by Kansas native Randy Sparks, this American folk band was at the forefront of the folk revival movement taking place in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Sparks had initially been a solo performer in the 1950s before forming The Randy Sparks Trio with is wife Jackie Miller in 1960. Wanting a larger group, Sparks merged his outfit with The Inn Group, The Fairmount Singers, and four solo artists to create a fourteen-member lineup. They named themselves after Christy’s Minstrels, a blackface group of performers founded by Edwin Pearce Christy in 1843. The Fairmount Singers splintered apart from the rest of the band before recording their first album, and thus began the ever-changing lineup of members that has now included nearly three hundred total members. Although some members never got the opportunity to record or perform with the band, there were notable names to have been part of the group in varying degrees: Jim McGuinn and Gene Clarke (of The Byrds), Barry McGuire, Jerry Yester (of The Lovin’ Spoonful), Kenny Rogers and Mike Settle (of The First Edition), Larry Ramos (of The Association), and many others.

The band is notable for having never conformed to the “activist” folk music of the 1960s. Randy Sparks believed that folk music should bring about pleasant feelings and help people forget about their problems, not worry them. As the most popular folk music of the time was primarily politically driven, this band slowly lost their relevance as the sixties progressed.

This song was released on the band’s 1964 album, titled Today and Other Songs from ‘Advance to the Rear’. The album was initially intended to be a simple soundtrack to the 1964 film Advance to the Rear, but when the song heard below was released in the spring of 1964, it became so popular that they wanted to name their upcoming album after it. Not able to abandon their soundtrack association with the film, the album was given the aforementioned name. The film was notable for inspiring the television show F-Troop, and the album was notable for featuring this particular song, written and composed by The New Christy Minstrels’ (NCM’s) leader Randy Sparks.



The New Christy Minstrels - Today (1964)

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Lyrics:

Today, while the blossoms still cling to the vine
I'll taste your strawberries, I'll drink your sweet wine
A million tomorrows shall all pass away
‘ere I forget all the joy that is mine today

I'll be a dandy and I'll be a rover
You'll know who I am by the song that I sing
I'll feast at your table, I'll sleep in your clover
Who cares what the ‘morrow shall bring?

Today while the blossoms still cling to the vine
I'll taste your strawberries, I'll drink your sweet wine

I can't be contented with yesterday's glory
I can't live on promises winter to spring
(Winter to spring)
Today is my moment and now is my story
I'll laugh and I'll cry and I'll sing

Today while the blossoms still cling to the vine
I'll taste your strawberries, I'll drink your sweet wine
A million tomorrows shall all pass away
‘ere I forget all the joy that is mine today

The Dixie Cups - People Say (1964)

This singing trio was originally composed of the Hawkins sisters, Barbara Ann and Rosa Lee, as well as their cousin Joan Marie Johnson. Having sung together since elementary school, the trio was trying to make a name for themselves in their hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana, performing as The Meltones. When they performed at a local talent show, they were discovered by Joe Jones, a singer who had recorded a few hits of his own. Impressed with the girls’ vocals, he brought them to New York and presented them to a pair of producers and songwriters, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Convinced that the act had star potential, a new label, Red Bird Records, was formed around the girls, attracting songwriters Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich.

Barry and Greenwich brought with them a song they had written with Phil Spector, titled “Chapel of Love.” Having been recorded but not released by The Ronettes and The Crystals, the girls of this trio recorded the song in early 1964 and released it to nationwide success. They were almost known as Little Miss and the Muffets, but they chose a group name that was more associated with their Southern roots. The song reached the number one spot in the charts, knocking off The Beatles’ “Love Me Do,” and thus becoming the first American act to reach number one amongst the British Invasion. “Chapel of Love” remained in the top spot for three weeks.

Determined to continue the success of “Chapel of Love,” the girls continued to release songs in 1964 and 1965, including the hit song heard below, “You Should Have Seen the Way He Looked At Me,” “Little Bell,” “Iko Iko,” and others. This particular track was backed with the B-Side “Girls Can Tell” and reached number twelve in 1964.



The Dixie Cups - People Say (1964)

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Lyrics:

Don’t you ever leave me sad and blue
Don’t you ever tell me we are through
Don’t you ever hurt me; if you do
Everything they’re saying will be true

People say it’s just a summer romance
People say our love won’t last for long
They’re so sure we will part
But I know deep in my heart
That they are wrong
(I don’t care what the people say)
So wrong
(I don’t really care what the-)

People say it’s just the way the stars shine
And it really isn’t love at all
But each time that we kiss
I just know we’ll be like this
Summer, winter, and fall

(I don’t care what the people say)
(I don’t really care what the people say)

Well, don’t you ever leave me sad and blue
Don’t you ever tell me we are through
Don’t you ever hurt me; if you do
Everything they’re saying will be true

And people say it’s just a summer romance
But I know our love is here to stay
Let’s go strolling by the sea
‘cause it doesn’t bother me
What the people say

(I don’t care what the people say)
What the people say
(I don’t really care about the people)

(I don’t care what the people say)
What the people say
(I don’t really care about the people)
Yeah, yeah, yeah

(I don’t care what the people say)
What the people say
(I don’t really care about the people)
Yeah, yeah, yeah

(I don’t care what the people say)
What the people say
(I don’t really)…

The Premiers - Farmer John (1964)

When brothers John and Lawrence Perez decided to start playing music in 1962, they recruited neighborhood friends George Delgado and Frank Zuniga and formed this band. All of them came from East Los Angeles, specifically San Gabriel, and their band started out by holding rehearsals in the Perez brothers’ backyard. After a short period, neighbors and friends began forming crowds at their rehearsals, liking what they heard, and the group got the attention of a popular East L.A. manager, Billy Cardenas. Cardenas remade the still-teenaged boys’ attire by dressing them in matching suits. He also got them some gigs at local venues, opening for names like Chris Montez. When it came time to record, Cardenas wanted to capture to spirit of “Louie Louie,” which had recently become a huge hit for The Kingsmen.

He presented them with this song, written and first recorded by rock and roll duo Don and Dewey. Although the band was hesitant to record the song, they eventually warmed up to it and released it on Faro Records in the summer of 1964. It was misleadingly labeled as having been recorded “live” at the Rhythm Room in Fullerton, California, but was actually recorded at Stereo Masters in Hollywood, California. Much like the Beach Boys’ Party! album that would be recorded in 1965, this song had the “live audience” qualities overdubbed. In this case, the girls heard on the song had come into the studio from The Chevelles car club. The song reached number nineteen on the US charts and led to the band touring with acts such as The Supremes, The Crystals, Cannibal & the Headhunters, The Dave Clark Five, and many others. They even opened for The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, and The Zombies in Alabama and the Southeast United States.

When the band toured the racially segregated Southern USA, they were never really sure if they were supposed to use the “Whites Only” or “Blacks Only” bathrooms, as they were of Mexican heritage. Unfortunately, the war in Vietnam prematurely ended the band when Frank Zuniga was drafted during their second tour and later Lawrence Perez was drafted into the conflict, as well. Luckily, both members survived the war.



The Premiers - Farmer John (1964)

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Lyrics:

Has anybody seen Kosher Pickle Harry?
(No!)

If you see him, tell him that Herbert is looking for him.
(Who’s Herbert?!)
(Herbert who?!)

Okay, ladies and gentlemen, here we go: The Premiers!
(Yeah!)

Farmer John
I'm in love with your daughter
The one
With the champagne eyes
She knows that I love her
Ever since she showed me those eyes

Farmer John
Someday I will marry
The one
With the champagne eyes
She won't accept my hand
She won't wear my wedding band

One more time

I dig the way she walks
(Yeah!)
The way she talks
(Yeah!)
She really knocks me out
(Yeah!)
When she starts moving slow

Now let me hear ya

Farmer John
I'm in love with your daughter
The one
With the champagne eyes
With the champagne eyes
With the champagne eyes
With the champagne eyes…

The Fender IV - Mar Gaya (1964)

Formed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1962 by school friends, this surf rock band was the brainchild of Randy Holden (born 1945), a future guitarist in Blue Cheer. Besides Holden on lead guitar and vocals, the band also featured Joe Kooken on guitar, Mike Port on bass, and Bruce Miller on drums. Holden decided to move the band out to Los Angeles, California in 1963 where they were hoping to find an audience more receptive to their surf-styled music. Ironically, shortly after they got there, the surf genre was quickly losing popularity to the rise of the British Invasion; so, the band attempted to create songs that either fit one or both of the surf and Merseybeat genres. After the release of the band’s second single, Holden and the guys gave in to shift with the times and renamed themselves the Sons of Adam, focusing on a harder genre of rock. Their drummer Bruce Miller was the only member not to carry on under their new name.

This song was written by Randy Holden at the band’s beach house in Topanga Canyon in California. According to an interview with Holden in 2002, the title is Swahili for “crocodile.” Featured as the A-Side on the band's first single, it was an instrumental track inspired by the surf music of Dick Dale and other big names in surf of the time. The song was backed with the B-Side “You Better Tell Me Now,” a surf/Merseybeat hybrid that attempted to adjust to the British Invasion without losing their surf essence, as mentioned above.

[Update: Randy Holden of The Fender IV submitted an exclusive story to us. Click here to read it.]



The Fender IV - Mar Gaya (1964)

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Lyrics:

(instrumental)

J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers - Last Kiss (1964)

Created around San Angelo, Texas in 1955, this band is primarily remembered as a one-hit wonder. Originally, the band consisted of of Alton Baird on lead vocals, Sid Holmes on lead guitar, Lewis Elliott on bass, Rob Zeller on the sax, and Ray Smith on the drums. The band found themselves in a bit of a rut in 1962 when Baird was drafted, but luckily they were able to recruit the singing talents of J. Frank Wilson, who had just recently been discharged from the local Air Force base. Although their first hit, heard below, was their biggest, it caused J. Frank Wilson to become a superstar in his own mind. After only a handful of shows together, he was exiled by his bandmates for excessive drinking, drugs, and irresponsibility. Both Wilson and his former band continued using the "Cavaliers" name separately. Wilson and his Cavaliers were able to grasp the charts once more with the song “Hey, Little One” peaking at number eighty-five, but Wilson eventually went solo and continued to record, unsuccessfully, through the '70s, eventually having to settle for a day job. As for the other Cavaliers, by late 1964, the only remaining original member was their bassist Lewis Elliott, who assumed the leadership position. He and his new lineup of Cavaliers, featuring James Thomas on vocals, attempted to keep the band going and performed together up through 1987 on various "oldies" tours.

Written by Wayne Cochran, Joe Carpenter, Randall Hoyal, and Bobby McGlon, this song was first released by Wayne Cochran himself in 1961. Not only was it a commercial flop upon its initial release, but the song flopped again when Cochran attempted to re-release it in 1963. The first successful version of the song was when it was released by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers in 1964. Unavailable for recording, the band’s drummer Ray Smith was replaced with Cochran’s drummer Denny Jewell. The recording of the song also resulted in lead guitarist Sid Holmes, who already had been alienating himself from the band, to having a mental breakdown and quitting the band after the recording session. Selling over a million copies, reaching number two on the charts, and being certified gold, the song was quite an accomplishment considering that The Beatles and the British Invasion were in full swing.

As one of the many “teen tragedy” songs that were popular in years past, the song had lyrics narrating a car crash and subsequent death of a teen boy’s sweetheart. Ironically, when Wilson was touring through Ohio with his manager Sonley Roush just a few months later, Roush fell asleep at the wheel with Wilson in the passenger seat. Their vehicle swerved into oncoming traffic, collided with a truck, and resulted in Roush’s death. Wilson survived, but needed crutches for a period of time. It wasn’t until October 4, 1991 that J. Frank Wilson died at the age of forty-nine, just a few months shy of his fiftieth birthday. His death, a result of alcoholism and drug addiction, was reported with the information that he had been a bit of a recluse in his last remaining years, having been married eight times and never fully coping with his loss of stardom.



J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers - Last Kiss (1964)

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Lyrics:

Well, where- oh, where can my baby be?
The Lord took her away from me
She’s gone to heaven
So I got to be good
So I can see my baby
When I leave this world

We were out on a date in my daddy’s car
We hadn’t driven very far
There in the road, straight ahead
The car was stalled, the engine was dead
I couldn’t stop, so I swerved to the right
I’ll never forget the sound that night
The crying tires, the bustin’ glass
The painful scream that I heard last

Well, where- oh, where can my baby be?
The Lord took her away from me
She’s gone to heaven
So I got to be good
So I can see my baby
When I leave this world

Well, when I woke up
The rain was pourin’ down
There were people standing all around
Something warm a’running in my eyes
But I found my baby somehow that night
I raised her head and when she smiled and said
“Hold me darling for a little while”
I held her close
I kissed her- our last kiss
I found the love that I knew I would miss
But now she’s gone, even though I hold her tight
I lost my love, my life, that night

Well, where- oh, where can my baby be?
The Lord took her away from me
She’s gone to heaven
So I got to be good
So I can see my baby
When I leave this world

The Zombies - Tell Her No (1964)

According to founding members Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone, this band’s name nearly became Chatterley and the Gamekeepers before choosing what eventually won out, seen above. Formed in St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England in the early ‘60s, the group won a battle of the bands type of competition held by the London Evening News and was soon signed by Decca Records. Their first hit song, “She’s Not There,” was written by Argent (rumored to only be his second attempt at writing a song) and reached number twelve when released in mid-1964. The band became a part of the British Invasion, touring the United States in the mid-‘60s and, like many other bands, turned toward a more psychedelic sound around 1966/67. Their most acclaimed work would be their 1968 album Odessey and Oracle [sic], which was released four months after the band had already broken up.

Before any psychedelic notions had entered the band’s collective mind, they were focusing on singles much like many other acts of the time. Also like other acts of the time, the band was attempting to hone in on the wildly successful style of The Beatles. This song, written by Rod Argent, was the second-highest charting song by the band, reaching number six in the United States in early 1965 (having been released in December 1964). As mentioned in our previous post featuring this band, the group generally didn’t do as well on the charts in their native United Kingdom as they did in the United States. Backing up that fact, this song only reached number forty-two in the UK.



The Zombies - Tell Her No (1964)

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Lyrics:

And if she should tell you, “Come closer”
And if she tempts you with her charms
(Tell her no, no, no, no)
(No-no-no-no, no, no, no, no)
(No-no-no-no, no, no, no, no, no)
Don't hurt me now, for her love belongs to me

And if she should tell you, “I love you”
And if she tempts you with her charms
(Tell her no, no, no, no)
(No-no-no-no, no, no, no, no)
Oh, don’t let her go from your arms
(No-no-no-no, no, no, no, no, no)
Oh, don't hurt me now, for her love belongs to me

I know she's the kind of girl
Who’d throw my love away
But I still love her so
Don't hurt me now, don't hurt me now

If she tells you, “I love you”
Just remember she said that to me
(Tell her no, no, no, no)
Oh, yeah
(No-no-no-no, no, no, no, no)
Oh, don't take her love from my arms
(No-no-no-no, no, no, no, no, no)
Oh, don't leave me now, for her love belongs to me

The High Numbers - Zoot Suit (1964)

With roots as far back as 1961, this band was originally known as The Detours. In February 1964, when another group of the same name was discovered on television, they changed their name to “something simpler.” The group failed an audition with Fontana Records in April of the same year and consequently fired their drummer, Doug Sandom. The band soon replaced Doug with a talented drummer found in another local band known as The Beachcombers.

In the summer of 1964, after developing a reputation for being loud and destructive with their instruments, their manager, Helmut Gorden, hired an adviser, Pete Meaden, hoping to create a new image for the band. A few haircuts later and Pete recreated the group’s image to being the quintessential mod band, “mod” being a counter-culture group in the UK that appeared alongside the rockers in the ‘60s.

Also credited to Meaden was the band’s first opportunity to record a single at Fontana Records. In July 1964, the band released a single which featured lyrics written by Meaden and melodies “borrowed” from other songs. It didn’t sell well. Wanting to undo everything Meaden had done, the band fired both Gorden and Meaden and went back to their original R&B roots. They also changed their band’s name back to what it was between The Detours and Meaden’s High Numbers. From then on, the group would only be known as The Who.

Coming from the only single released by The Who while using The High Numbers name, this song was featured on the B-Side. As mentioned above, both this side and the A-Side, “I’m the Face,” had lyrics written by Pete Meaden. While “I’m the Face” featured a melody strongly inspired by Slim Harpo’s “Got Love If You Want It,” this song’s melody was almost an exact recreation of melody from The Dynamics’ “Misery.”

[Note: Also, if you haven't heard, Pete Townshend just released an autobiography titled 'Who I Am', which you can pick up at Amazon. (I'm not an affiliate to Amazon, but I did just buy a copy!) You can also see an interview Townshend did on the TODAY show over on their website.]



The High Numbers - Zoot Suit (1964)

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Lyrics:

I'm the hippiest number in town and I'll tell you why
(I’ll tell you why)
I'm the snappiest dresser right down to my inch-wide tie
(To my inch-wide tie)
And to get you wise, I'll explain it to you
You are the things that a face is supposed to do

I wear zoot suit jacket with side vents five inches long
(Five inches long)
I have two-tone brogues, all a rest, yeah, you know this is wrong
(Know this is wrong)
But the main thing is, unless you're a fool
Ah, you know, you gotta know, yeah, you know, yeah, you gotta be cool

So all you tickets, I just want you to dig me
(You to dig me)
With my striped zoot jacket that the salts can plainly see
(Plainly see)
So the action lies with all of you guys
Is how you look in the other- the other, yeah, the other cat's eye

Well don't you see? (Oh, yeah)
Well don't you see? (Oh, yeah)
Well don't you see now? (Oh, yeah)
Well don't you see now? (Oh, yeah)
Come on, baby (Oh, yeah)
'cause don't you see now?
Oh yeah, babe
Well don't you see now?
You drive me wild
You're crazy looking now

The D-Men - You Just Don't Care (1964)

Note: This is the early ‘60s Australian group known as The D-Men.
For the American band also known as The D-Men, click here.

As with so many other groups around the world, this Australian group was profoundly influenced by The Beatles and Beatlemania. Formed in 1963 in Sydney, Australia, this group featured two rhythm guitarists and three total guitarists at all times. Their popularity was most prominent in New South Wales due to extensive touring with acts such as Ray Brown & The Whispers and Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs.

Released in 1964, this song was the B-side of the single that featured the A-side “I Don’t Know What to Do”. The three guitarists were Frank Collimore, Freddie Cooke, and Vic Sacco. The band also featured George Robertson on bass and Ross Rignold on drums.



The D-Men - You Just Don't Care (1964)

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Lyrics:

I’ve been tryin’ to figure out a way
To make you mine, but I don’t know what to say
Once you stop playin’ hard to get
True, it’s only been once we met
It seems to me you just don’t care

Every time you’re seen with someone new
Is there anyone per that I’m blue?
I’m just sitting here by myself
Like a lonely pool on a shelf
It seems to me you just don’t care

I’ve never felt this way before
I only wish I’d see you more

If you ever need a love that’s true
Call on me and I will come to you
Maybe one day you’ll meet a guy
Whom you’ll love, and he’ll say ‘goodbye’
And tells you that he doesn’t care

I’ve never felt this way before
I only wish I’d see you more

If you ever need a love that’s true
Call on me and I will come to you
Maybe one day you’ll meet a guy
Whom you’ll love and he’ll say ‘goodbye’
And tells you that he doesn’t care
And tells you that he doesn’t care
And tells you that he doesn’t care

Jimi Hendrix & Curtis Knight and The Squires - I'm A Man [Live] (1964)

Curtis Knight, born in 1929, is often credited with the aid of helping “discover” Jimi Hendrix. It was Knight who acquainted Hendrix with record producer Ed Chalpin, whom Hendrix signed his first contract with. Unfortunately for Chalpin, Hendrix soon forgot that he had signed it and left for England to form The Jimi Hendrix Experience. After The Experience hit it big, Chalpin sued Hendrix and his management/record companies to no avail. But as the legal action was playing out, Chalpin released jam session material that he claimed Hendrix had been a part of, using Knight as his main witness. After Hendrix’s death in 1974, Knight would use his connection with Hendrix to write a book, Jimi: An Intimate Biography of Jimi Hendrix, and to keep his musical career alive for many years.

Inspired by Muddy Waters' 1954 song “Hoochie Coochie Man,” Bo Diddley wrote and released the original version of this song in 1955. This rare cover version featuring Hendrix and Knight was recorded in Hackensack, New Jersey, at Club 20 on December 26th, 1964. It's worth noting that Hendrix strays from the original lyrics and that some sources claim the recording took place in 1965 rather than '64.



Jimi Hendrix & Curtis Knight and The Squires - I'm A Man [Live] (1964)

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Lyrics:

Yeah!
Down in Louisiana a way, baby
Yeah, I’m gonna tell you somethin’
I’m gonna tell you how big and bad I am

Hey
When I was a little boy
At the age of five
I had somethin’ in my pocket, baby, woo
Keep a whole lot of folks alive

Now I’m a man
Age twenty-one
You know, baby
We can have us a whole lot of fun

‘cause I’m a man
Spelt with a capital “m”
“a,” child
“n,” boy
Mannish boy
What’d I say, baby?

Woo! I feel so suspicious
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah
Oh, aw!

All you big healthy women
Stand in line
I’m gonna make love to ya, baby
In an hour’s time

The line I shoot
Will never miss
The way I make love to ya, baby
Aw, you just can’t resist

Goin’ down south
To Kansas, do
Bring back my second cousin
Little Willie John the conqueroo

‘cause I’m a man
Spelled with a capital “a”
“n”
Man

A’like a rollin’ stone
Ain’t gonna gather no cannon moss
Oh, oh, oh, yeah!
Look out, baby
Woo! Woo!

All you pretty women
Like I said before
Stand in line
I’m gonna make love to ya, baby
In about an hour’s time

Goin’ down South
To Caroline
I’ve got a big ol’ fat pig down there
She’s lookin’ almost fine
Woah, hey, woah, yeah!

I got a girl
Named ‘Louise’
She’s out of sight, mama
She was goin’ to please

I got a little booga-bear
Her name is ‘Sue’
She ain’t all that handsome, but, uh
She know just what to do

There was two old maids
Layin’ in a bed
One say to the other one, brother
He looked up and said
“Wake up, old maid
You’ll just sleep so damn sound
You know whatcha promised
When you first laid down”

‘cause I’m a man
Spelled “m”
“a,” child
“n,” boy
What I’m sayin?

Mannish boy
Oh, oh, oh, stop! Oh
It’s alright, baby
To do it tonight
The snow is comin’ down
Still had no reason for bein’ around

What I say?

Chad & Jeremy - A Summer Song (1964)

Composed of Chad Stuart and Jeremy Clyde, this English folk rock duo began in 1960 and had seven hit songs reach the Top 40 from 1964 to 1966. At one point, they applied for American citizenship, but canceled the process after being informed citizenship would make them eligible for getting drafted into America’s Vietnam Conflict. The duo released psychedelic albums in 1967 and ’68, but they sold poorly and they split up. After a reunion in the ‘80s, they got together again in 2003 and continue to perform to this day.

This song was the duo’s second hit song, released ten months after their first and most well-known hit “Yesterday’s Gone”. There were two versions of the song: the UK version and the US version. The UK version opened with only Chad singing, while the US version featured both artists singing at the same time throughout the song. Although not a hit in the UK, it reached number seven in the US, the duo’s best ranking of any release they put out.



Chad & Jeremy - A Summer Song (1964)

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Lyrics:

Trees swayin' in the summer breeze
Showin' off their silver leaves
As we walked by
Soft kisses on a summer's day
Laughing all our cares away
Just you and I

Sweet, sleepy warmth of summer nights
Gazing at the distant lights
In the starry sky

They say that all good things must end someday
Autumn leaves must fall
But don't you know that it hurts me so
To say goodbye to you
Wish you didn't have to go
No, no, no, no

And when the rain
Beats against my window pane
I'll think of summer days again
And dream of you

They say that all good things must end someday
Autumn leaves must fall
But don't you know that it hurts me so
To say goodbye to you
Wish you didn't have to go
No, no, no, no

And when the rain
Beats against my window pane
I'll think of summer days again
And dream of you
And dream of you

Buffy Sainte-Marie - Universal Soldier (1964)

Born Beverly Sainte-Marie in 1941, this singer and songwriter was a part of the folk movement in the 1960s. As part Cree Indian, her songs (as well as her social activism) largely dealt with the indigenous people of the Americas. Secretly, much of her work was blacklisted by the Lyndon B. Johnson administration, which had been attempting to silence the protest movements of the time. Her songs have been covered by Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Donovan, Neil Diamond, and many others.

In 1963, this artist witnesses wounded soldiers coming home from Vietnam at a time when the United States government was denying any involvement in the conflict. Inspired by what she had seen, she wrote this song. It was released on her first album, titled It’s My Way!, released in 1964. It wasn’t a popular hit, but would later become one when it was covered by Donovan in 1965.



Buffy Sainte-Marie - Universal Soldier (1964)

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Lyrics:

He's five feet two and he's six feet four
He fights with missiles and with spears
He's all of thirty-one and he's only seventeen
He's been a soldier for a thousand years

He's a Catholic, a Hindu, an atheist, a Jain
A Buddhist and a Baptist and a Jew
And he knows he shouldn't kill
And he knows he always will
Kill you for me, my friend, and me for you

And he's fighting for Canada
He's fighting for France
He's fighting for the USA
And he's fighting for the Russians
And he's fighting for Japan
And he thinks we'll put an end to war this way

And he's fighting for democracy
He’s fighting for the Reds
He says it's for the peace of all
He's the one who must decide
Who's to live and who's to die
And he never sees the writing on the walls

But without him how would Hitler have
Condemned him at Dachau?
Without him Caesar would have stood alone
He's the one who gives his body
As a weapon to the war
And without him all this killing can't go on

He's the universal soldier and he
Really is to blame
But his orders come from far away no more
They come from him, and you, and me
And brothers can't you see?
This is not the way we put an end to war

The Searchers - What Have They Done to the Rain (1964)

Feeling the success of stardom, bassist Tony Jackson left this group in the summer of 1964 to start his own band, The Vibrations. After releasing hits such as “Sweets for My Sweet,” “Sugar and Spice,” and their most famous song, “Needles and Pins,” things were looking pretty grim for the future of the group. Luckily, they were able to add Frank Allen from Cliff Bennett and The Rebel Rousers as their new bassist and continue their success with hits like "Take Me For What I'm Worth," the song heard below, and "Goodbye My Love".

This song was originally written and performed by the political activist and folk/blues singer, Malvina Reynolds, in 1962. First called “Rain Song,” it was written as a protest about the nuclear testing in the atmosphere that was causing fall-out. For this group, it reached number twenty-nine in the US and number thirteen in the UK. It was later covered, separately, by Marianne Faithfull and Joan Baez.

To read (a little bit) more and hear "Take Me For What I'm Worth," check out our previous post here.

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A Special Edition post with Frank Allen of The Searchers!
We've been hitting a lucky streak with these exclusive stories lately. Today's generous contribution comes from Frank Allen of The Searchers who was kind enough to share a tale from '60s music history with A Bit Like You And Me. Enjoy!

A Bit Like You And Me and readers,

One of our most amusing stories was of a concert secretary from a small social club who was very impressed with The Searchers while visiting another venue. This was in the ‘80s, or so, when we had transformed from teen idols into stalwarts of the adult cabaret/concert circuit.

The man rang our guitarist, John McNally, a few days later to enquire about booking us. When he was told the fee, the amount obviously shocked him and he replied that his establishment was a very small club and they could not afford such an amount. John gently explained that it was the price we went out for and there was nothing he could do about it.

After a short pause for thought the man replied, “We don`t actually need the four of you. How much for three?”

To this day I have not forgiven John McNally for asking him which three he wanted!

Frank Allen

Warmest thanks goes out to Frank and The Searchers for sharing this story with us.

To visit The Searchers' website, click here.
To see if they'll be coming to a city near you, check their touring schedule here!

And now that you've enjoyed this exclusive story, why not check out what other exclusive stories we've received?

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The Searchers - What Have They Done to the Rain (1964)

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Lyrics:

Just a little rain
Falling all around
The grass lifts its head
To the heavenly sound
Just a little rain
Just a little rain
What have they done to the rain?

Just a little boy
Standing in the rain
The gentle rain that falls
For years
And the grass is gone
The boy disappears
And rain keeps falling
Like helpless tears
And what have they done to the rain?

Just a little breeze
Out of the sky
The leaves nod their head
As the breeze blows by
Just a little breeze
With some smoke in its eye
What have they done to the rain?

Just a little boy
Standing in the rain
The gentle rain that falls
For years
And the grass is gone
The boy disappears
And rain keeps falling
Like helpless tears
And what have they done to the rain?

What have they done to the rain?

Sonny & Cher - Baby Don't Go (1964)

Originally signed with Reprise Records under the name Caesar and Cleo, this couple (Salvatore “Sonny” Bono and Cherilyn “Cher” Sarkisian) had trouble releasing a hit song. In 1964, Sonny decided that they should change their name to Sonny & Cher and they again signed with Reprise Records, who unknowingly signed the pair with whom they already had a contract. The couple soon found the stardom they were seeking by releasing their signature song, “I Got You Babe”. They continued to have success with their songs, and a television variety program, before divorcing in 1975. There’s a lot more history regarding this duo than this small paragraph would have you believe!

Lacking paper to write on, Sonny wrote this song in the middle of the night on a piece of cardboard that came from inside of a shirt. Originally released in September 1964, it was a regional success for the couple. After the success of “I Got You Babe,” Reprise Records re-released the single (in 1965) and it became another big hit.



Sonny & Cher - Baby Don't Go (1964)

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Lyrics:

(Baby don't go)
(Pretty baby, please don't go)

I never had a mother
I hardly knew my dad
I've been in town for eighteen years
You're the only boy I've had
I can't stay
Maybe I'll be back someday

(Baby don't go)
(Pretty baby, please don't go)
(I love you so)
(Pretty baby, please don't go)

I never had no money
I bought at the second-hand store
The way this old town laughs at me
I just can't take it no more
I can't stay
I'm gonna be a lady someday

(Baby don't go)
(Pretty baby, please don't go)
(I love you so)
(Pretty baby, please don't go)

When I get to the city
My tears will all be dry
My eyes will look so pretty
No one's gonna know I cried
Yes I'm goin' away
Maybe I'll be back someday

(Baby don't go)
Maybe I'll be back someday
(Baby don't go)
Maybe I'll be back someday…

The Beau Brummels - Laugh, Laugh (1964)

Helping to create the emerging San Francisco music scene that was arising in response to the British Invasion, this American group was originally produced by Sly Stone. Formed in 1964, the group had multiple members swapped due to illnesses and being drafted for the war in Vietnam. In the mid-60s, their drummer John Petersen left to help form Harpers Bizarre.

When The Beatles cartoon was released in 1965 and became an instant success, other animation studios decided that they wanted to cash in on the ‘60s music craze. Hanna-Barbera chose this group to feature on their legendary cartoon, The Flintstones, where an animated version of the group, renamed The Beau Brummelstones, performed this song at Bedrock’s Shinrock teen dance show (a parody of the ‘60s show, Shindig!). (Watch the clip here.)



The Beau Brummels - Laugh, Laugh (1964)

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Lyrics:

I hate to say it
But I told you so
Don't mind my preaching to you
I said don't trust him
Baby, now you know
You don't learn everything
There is to know in school

Wouldn't believe me
When I gave advice
I said that he was a tease
If you want help
You better ask me nice
So be sincere, convince me
With a “pretty please”

Laugh, laugh, I thought I'd die
It seemed so funny to me
Laugh, laugh, you met a guy
Who taught you how it feels to be

Lonely, oh, so lonely

Don't think I'm bein’ funny
When I say
You got just what you deserve
I can't help feeling
You found out today
You thought you were too good
You had a lot of nerve

Won't say I'm sorry
For the things I've said
I'm glad he packed up to go
You kept on bragging
He was yours instead
Found you don't know everything
There is to know

Laugh, laugh, I thought I'd die
It seemed so funny to me
Laugh, laugh, you met a guy
Who taught you how it feels to be

Lonely, oh, so lonely

Before I go
I got to say one thing
Don't close your ears to me
Take my advice and
You'll find out that being
Just another girl
Won't cause you misery

Don't say you can't
Get any boy to call
Don't be so smug or else
You'll find you can't
Get any boy at all
You'll wind up an old lady
Sitting on the shelf

Laugh, laugh, I thought I'd die
It seemed so funny to me
Laugh, laugh, you met a guy
Who taught you how it feels to be

Lonely, oh, so lonely…