Charles Manson - Cease to Exist (1967)

Charles Manson (November 12, 1934 – November 19, 2017) was an infamous American cult leader, murderer, and the mastermind of the Tate-LaBianca murders, which notably resulted in the death of actress Sharon Tate who was eight and a half months pregnant at the time.

Prior to his national infamy, Manson was an unemployed ex-convict who had spent more than half of his life in correctional institutions. In 1967, he began gathering a cult following (named the Manson Family) in Los Angeles while attempting to break into the music scene as a singer-songwriter.

Through a chance association with Dennis Wilson of The Beach Boys, one of Manson’s songs, “Cease to Exist,” was tweaked, recorded, and released by The Beach Boys in 1968 under its new title, “Never Learn Not to Love.” Manson was never given credit. You can read more about that and hear The Beach Boys’ song here.

After the Tate-LaBianca murders in August 1969, Manson was to be put on trial. An associate Manson had met in prison, Phil Kaufman, hoped to capitalize on Manson’s national attention and worked with Manson to release a record of his recordings, titled Lie: The Love and Terror Cult, which was eventually released on March 6, 1970.

Although the album has always primarily been sought after by serial killer enthusiasts more than music aficionados, the album is most notable for the song heard below, “Cease to Exist,” which was the inspiration for The Beach Boys’ “Never Learn Not to Love.”



Charles Manson - Cease to Exist (1967)

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Lyrics:

Pretty girl
Pretty, pretty girl
Cease to exist
Just come and say you love me
Give up your world
Come on, you can be
I'm your kind- oh- your kind and I can see

You walk on, walk on
I love you, pretty girl
My life is yours
And you can have my world
Never had a lesson I ever learned
But I know we all get our turn
And I love you
Never learn not to love you

Submission is a gift
Go on, give it to your brother
Love and understanding
Is for one another
I'm your kind, I'm your kind
I'm your brother

I never had a lesson I ever learned
But I know we all get our turn
And I love you
Never learn not to love you
Never learn not to love you
Never learn not to love you

Paul Mauriat - Love Is Blue (1967)

Paul Mauriat (1925-2006) was born in Marseille, France. He began playing music at the age of four and, by his twenties, began a dance band that toured throughout Europe during World War II. In the 1950s, Mauriat was the musical director for Charles Aznavour and Maruice Chevalier, whom he toured with, separately. He released his first album in 1957 and would release well over one hundred more in his lifetime. Interestingly, depending on the motif of his most-current album, he would choose a pseudonym to release the album under which he felt most matched the music. Examples of pseudonyms he used include Richard Audrey, Nico Papadopoulos, Eduardo Ruo, and Willy Twist. Using the pseudonym “Del Roma,” Mauriat co-composed the song “Chariot” which would later be adapted to English and taken to number one spot on the charts in 1963 as “I Will Follow Him” by Little Peggy March.

Seeing another artist take one of his songs to the top of the charts wasn’t the only time Mauriat would find himself in the number one spot. In 1967, Mauriat recorded and released a cover of André Popp’s “L'amour est bleu,” heard below. The song spent five weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968, the first instrumental to achieve the number one spot since The Tornados' “Telstar” in 1962. The only instrumental to hold the top spot of the Hot 100 longer was Percy Faith’s “Theme from a Summer Place.”



Paul Mauriat - Love Is Blue (1967)

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Lyrics:

(instrumental)

The Hollies - Maker (1967)

The Butterfly album by The Hollies was the last album to feature Graham Nash as a member of the group. For some time, there was a growing divide between Nash and the other members of the band regarding the musical direction of the group. Nash, as he recounts in his autobiography Wild Tales, wanted to take the band in a more political and “enlightened” direction by writing lyrics that alluded to drug use, sex, and the issues he saw in the world around him. Conversely, his fellow bandmates (lead by Nash’s best friend growing up, Allan Clarke) wanted to keep the formula they had been successfully using: happy-go-lucky pop music. The straw that broke the camel’s back came when Nash learned that the group wanted their next album to be entirely made up of covers of Bob Dylan songs. (This would later be released, without Nash, as Hollies Sing Dylan and was disliked by fans and critics alike.)

The song heard below was written and composed entirely by Graham Nash. It was featured as the third track on the Butterfly album, released in November 1967, which coincidentally featured more tracks written and sang by Nash than any Hollies album had yet. In the United States, Butterfly was released under the title Dear Eloise / King Midas in Reverse. On that version of the album, the track below was found on the flip side as the tenth overall song.



The Hollies - Maker (1967)

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Lyrics:

Days of yellow saffron.
Nights with purple skies
Melting in the sunbeams
From my maker's eyes

Mountain-colored lilac
In the distant haze
I would like to lie here
Timing all my days

Move past my window
Sunshine is shimmering
Jack-o-lanterns glimmering
Giant moths are flickering around

See, the moon is hiding
Underneath the sea
Pretty soon he'll venture
To take a look at me

So I humbly stand here
Beneath his golden glow
Doesn't he remind me
Of somebody I know?

I must be leaving
Back to reality
Don't you just pity me?
I could so easily stay here

Country Joe and the Fish - Who Am I (1967)

In mid-1965, the publisher of the magazine Et Tu Brute, Country Joe McDonald, wanted to make a “talking issue” of his political, underground magazine. He recruited the talents of four other musicians, including Barry “The Fish” Melton, who had previously been in The Instant Jug Band with McDonald. Together, the outfit self-produced one-hundred copies of Talking Issue #1. It became popular enough that the duo of McDonald and Melton was able to pick up gigs performing it live at the ubiquitous coffee houses found throughout Berkeley, California.

By 1966, the duo expanded to a six-piece ensemble, relocated to San Francisco, and self-produced their second EP, the psychedelic Country Joe and the Fish, to great local acclaim. By December 1966, the group’s popularity had grown so vast, that they were signed to Vanguard Records, who they wound up releasing five albums for through 1970 (and one more album, Reunion, with Fantasy Records in 1977).

Alongside some of their San Francisco contemporaries, Country Joe and the Fish were at the forefront of the 1960s “hippie” ideologies: encouraging free-love, promoting the responsible use of LSD, and connecting your mind and spirit to nature.

The song heard below was first seen on I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die, the band’s second album for Vanguard, released in 1967. It was also re-released as the A-Side of a single in 1968, backed with “Thursday.” Written by Country Joe McDonald, the song is a poignant, existential outpouring of McDonald’s thoughts at the time it was written, presumably sometime in early 1967.



Country Joe and the Fish - Who Am I (1967)

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Lyrics:

Who am I
To stand and wonder- to wait
While the wheels of fate
Slowly grind my life away?
Who am I?

There were some things that I loved one time
But the dreams are gone I thought were mine
And the hidden tears that once could fall
Now burn inside at the thought of all
The years of waste, the years of crime
Passions of a heart so blind
To think that, but even still
As I stand exposed, the feelings are felt
And I cry into the echo of my loneliness

Who am I
To stand and wonder- to wait
While the wheels of fate
Slowly grind my life away?
Who am I?

What a nothing I've made of life
The empty words, the coward's plight
To be pushed and passed from hand to hand
Never daring to speak, never daring to stand
And the emptiness of my family's eyes
Reminds me over and over of lies
And promises and deeds undone
And now, again, I want to run
But now there is nowhere to run to

Who am I
To stand and wonder- to wait
While the wheels of fate
Slowly grind my life away?
Who am I?

And now, my friend, we meet again
And we shall see which one will bend
Under the strain of Death's golden eyes
Which one of us shall win the prize
To live and which one will die
'tis I, my friend, yes 'tis I
Shall kill to live again and again
To clutch the throat of sweet revenge
For life is here only for the taking

Who am I
To stand and wonder- to wait
While the wheels of fate
Slowly grind my life away?
Who am I?

Who am I?

The Syn - 14 Hour Technicolour Dream (1967)

This English band was formed in 1965 by Steve Nardelli and John Painter from a band called High Court, as well as Chris Squire, Andrew Jackman, and Martyn Adelman from a band called The Selfs. The band primarily performed R&B covers but, like nearly everyone, transitioned into playing psychedelic-sounding songs in late 1966.

Notably, the group opened for Jimi Hendrix in 1967 when Hendrix performed at the Marquee Club in London that year. If you recall, that was the same performance that featured the members of The Beatles in attendance and introduced Hendrix to the world. Needless to say, The Syn were nervous about performing before such musical icons; and, after Hendrix’s legendary set, they must have been glad that they went on before him rather than after.

The group disbanded later in 1967. Both Chris Squire and Peter Banks (who replaced John Painter) went on to form Mabel Greer’s Toyshop, which was eventually renamed Yes.

The song below was recorded and released during the band’s psychedelic period in 1967. Written by Steve Nardelli and Andrew Jackman, the song was the B-Side of their second single that year and featured the A-Side “Flowerman.”



The Syn - 14 Hour Technicolour Dream (1967)

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Lyrics:

(Dream, dream)
Dreaming
(Dream, dream)
Dreaming

Reality is getting you down
Just can't seem to get your feet off the ground
Could it be that you're caught up in a gravitational pull?
Is it society making you out to be a fool?

Forget it, child, you can become a freak
The prettiest girl that the world has ever seen
At the fourteen hour Technicolor
Fourteen hour Technicolor dream

Shades of orange and shades of green
Shades of purple, yellow, and tangerine
Shades of blue, black, and even cream
It's a fourteen hour Technicolor dream

You got your freedom, do what you like
Shoot yourself, root yourself
That'll be alright
At the fourteen hour Technicolor
Fourteen hour Technicolor dream

(Fourteen hour Technicolor)
Dream
(Fourteen hour Technicolor)
Dream
(Fourteen hour Technicolor)
Dream
(Fourteen hour Technicolor)
(Fourteen hour Technicolor)
(Fourteen hour Technicolor)
Dream

Fourteen hour Technicolor dream, yeah
And it's groovy
‘cause they're showin' movies
Yes, they are
And everybody's gonna be there, yeah
Suzy Creamcheese gonna be there, yeah
Yes, and I said a’have a Havana
And smoke a banana if you want to
I said, I said do what you want to

(Dream, dream)
Dreaming
(Dream, dream)
Dreaming

The Searchers - Popcorn, Double Feature (1967)

The Searchers’ drummer since 1960, Chris Curtis, had convinced the band to record a cover of Bobby Darin’s “When I Come Home.” Curtis was the band’s chief songwriter, song selector, a figurehead member, often the band's main public relations representative, and the only member who could sing the high harmonies. Unfortunately for Curtis (and the band), their 1966 release of “When I Come Home” didn’t do as well on the charts as they were used to, and the band indirectly laid the blame on Curtis’s song choice. Consequently, some internal strife came about between Curtis and the other members, ending with Curtis leaving the band in April 1966 after the end of an Australian tour. Notably, Curtis would go on to form the band Roundabout, which eventually evolved into Deep Purple.

With Curtis’s departure, a man by the name of John Blunt became the group’s new drummer. This latest incarnation of the band- which now consisted of Frank Allen (lead vocals, bass), John McNally (guitar, backing vocals), Mike Pender (lead vocals, guitar), and now John Blunt- was responsible for the song heard below.

Don’t forget to check out the exclusive story we received from Frank Allen!

The song heard below was composed by the acclaimed duo of Larry Weiss and Scott English, who would later be individually renowned for writing “Rhinestone Cowboy” for Glen Campbell and “Mandy” for Barry Manilow, respectively. It was first recorded and released by Time Wilde on Tower Records, to very little acclaim. The Searchers’ version of the song was released in January 1967, backed with the B-Side “Lovers,” on the Pye label.



The Searchers - Popcorn, Double Feature (1967)

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Lyrics:

Everybody’s goin’ through changes
Everybody’s got a bag of his own
Everybody’s talkin’ about places
Can only be found in the greater unknown

People are flyin’
And babies are cryin’
Don’t nobody care at all
There’s love and there’s laughter
And good things come after
Just follow the bouncing ball

Popcorn, double feature
Whole world’s a funny farm
Blind man is your teacher
No need to be alarmed

Music’s coming out of the woodwork
Soundin’ so strange and nobody sleeps
Met a little man on the corner
He’s holdin’ a flag and makin’ a speech

Coffee each mornin’
“Don’t Park” is the warnin’
They tow your machine away
There’s so much confusion
That’s built on illusion
What’s making the music play?

Popcorn, double feature
Whole world’s a funny farm
Blind man is your teacher
No need to be alarmed
Not much

Coffee each mornin’
“Don’t Park” is the warnin’
They’ll tow your machine away
There’s so much confusion
That’s built on illusion
What’s making the music play?

Popcorn, double feature
Whole world’s a funny farm
Blind man is your teacher
No need to be alarmed
Not much

Popcorn, double feature
Whole world’s a funny farm
Blind man is your teacher…

Four Jacks and a Jill - Master Jack (1967)

This South African band first performed together in 1964 under the name The Nevadas. Later, when they were going by the name The Zombies (no, not those Zombies), they added a new lead singer, Glenys Lynne and changed their name to the one above, which is now most remembered. Besides Glenys, rounding out the band was Clive Harding on bass; Till Hanamann on guitar, trumpet, and organ; Bruce Bark on guitar, harmonica, and saxophone; and Tony Hughes on drums. The group performed together for eighteen years, sometimes recorded in the Afrikaans language, and reunited for a tour in 2000.

The band received their biggest hit to date in South Africa when their song “Timothy” rose to number eighteen in 1967. Later that same year, the band released the song heard below and topped the charts of South Africa with the number one spot. When it was released in the United States the following year, the song managed to reach number eighteen, where it would become their highest charting song stateside.



Four Jacks and a Jill - Master Jack (1967)

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Lyrics:

It's a strange, strange world we live in, Master Jack
You taught me all I know and I'll never look back
It's a very strange world and I thank you, Master Jack

You took a colored ribbon from out of the sky
And taught me how to use it as the years went by
To tie up all your problems and make them look neat
And then to sell them to the people in the street

It's a strange, strange world we live in, Master Jack
You taught me all I know and I'll never look back
It's a very strange world and I thank you, Master Jack

I saw right through the way you started teaching me now
So someday soon you could get to use me somehow
I thank you very much and though you've been very kind
But I'd better move along before you change my mind

It's a strange, strange world we live in, Master Jack
You know how I feel as if I'll never come back
It's a very strange world and I thank you, Master Jack

You taught me all the things the way you'd like them to be
But I'd like to see if other people agree
It's all very interesting the way you disguise
But I'd like to see the world through my own eyes

It's a strange, strange world we live in, Master Jack
No hard feelings if I never come back
You're a very strange man and I thank you, Master Jack

You're a very strange man and I thank you, Master Jack
You're a very strange man, aren't you, Master Jack

Dantalian's Chariot - Coffee Song (1968)

As mentioned previously, Zoot Money was a vocalist and keyboardist who attempted to make a name for himself in the world of jazz, soul, and R&B since 1961 with his backing band the Big Roll Band. Not reaching the success he aimed for, Zoot decided to split the group up in 1967 and try a more psychedelic approach, with some of the same members, since his previously preferred styles were falling out of fashion.

Together with Andy Summers (later of The Police), Zoot Money assembled this band, Dantalian’s Chariot. The name of the band was suggested by the band’s publicist, Jim Ramble, who was inspired from by The Lesser Key of Solomon, a medieval book about witchcraft, with Dantalion being a powerful Great Duke from hell.

The band released their first single, “Madman Running Through the Fields,” with the idea of creating a full-length album to encompass it after its release. Unfortunately, before the album could be finished, their label decided to drop them, not approving of their new psychedelic sound. Soon after, in April 1968, the group disbanded.

It wasn’t until 1996 that the unfinished album saw the light of day, when it was released by Wooden Hill. Although the album couldn’t be released exactly as it may have been in 1967/1968, the effort was made to have the album keep its originally intended psychedelic nature. The song below, written by Ray Smith and Tony Colton, was one of the lost tracks, buried for nearly thirty years.



Dantalian's Chariot - Coffee Song (1968)

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Lyrics:

There’s a full-time reservation
Made in the bar at the railroad station
And there’s a story, a kind of fable
On a card at the corner table

On it is a message, been there sometime
It starts off “The coffee tasted so fine”
It says, “One day this may find you
These few words may just remind you
We sat here together just to pass time
And you said how the coffee tasted so fine”

It goes on to say, “I love you
If you should find this, I must hear from you”
It gives a number, but the name has faded away
All that is left are just the words, “Maybe someday”

Well that’s the story and the fable
Never leave alone from a corner table

The Apollas - I'm Under the Influence of Love (1967)

In 1961, five young women brought their voices together and began calling themselves The Apollos. Over the next four years, the members in the group came and went as they released singles for the likes of Galaxy Records and Tiger Records, using group names like The Apollos, Leola & The Love Joys, and The Love Joys. None of their material during this time charted.

By 1965, the roster of the group had been solidified to include Leola Jiles, Ella Jamerson, and Billie Barnum. Leola Jiles and Ella Jamerson had come from Louisiana and Georgia, respectively, while Billie Barnum was the sister of pianist and child actor H. B. Barnum. The girls also made the final decision to use the name The Apollas.

The girls were signed to Loma Records, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Records, which had been opened the previous year in 1964 to combat with the success of Motown. Loma tried to promote the girls, but the general public didn’t seem to notice because record sales were quite poor. Despite having wonderful talent and vocal power, the girls never managed to chart a single one of their many songs.

In 1968, The Apollas made their last recording for Loma and folded soon after. In the same year, Loma was absorbed into their parent company, Warner Bros. Records. All three members of the group continued their careers by becoming back-up singers for acts such as Van Dyke Parks, Lionel Richie, and others. As of the date of this post, all three members still reside in California.

The song below was released by The Apollas in 1967. It was written primarily by Barry White, with help from Paul Leo Politi. The song was produced by Dick Glasser of Loma Records and notably arranged by Gene Page, who had been responsible for arranging songs for countless big acts of the 1960s, ‘70s, and ‘80s.



The Apollas - I'm Under the Influence of Love (1967)

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Lyrics:

Walking on a cloud
Feeling high
It happens every time
Whenever I’m with my guy

I’m tripping on love
And it feels so good
I can’t help myself
And I wouldn’t if I could

‘cause he’s got that certain touch
That I’m a addicted to
Love’s really got a hold on me
And there ain’t nothing I can do

I’m under the influence of love
And I know there ain’t no doubt about it
I’m under the influence of love
And I know I just can’t live without it

I need another dose
Can’t get enough
I’ve just got to have
All of my baby’s love

And when I’m alone
Feeling sad and blue
He gives me a shot of love
And I’m as good as new

Helpless as I am
Ask me if I don’t care
His tenderness is what I miss
Whenever he’s not here

I’m under the influence of love
And I know there ain’t no doubt about it
(Yeah, yeah)
I’m under the influence of love
And I know I just can’t live without it

There ain’t no other guy
Who can bring out the love in me
So many guys have divine
He’s the only one I see

I’m under the influence of love
And I know there ain’t no doubt about it
(Yeah, yeah)
I’m under the influence of love
And I know I just can’t live without it
(Baby, yeah)

I’m under the influence of love
And I know there ain’t no doubt about it
I’m under the influence of love
And I know I just can’t live without it
(Yeah, yeah)

I’m under the influence of love
And I know there ain’t no doubt about it
(Yeah, yeah)
I’m under the influence of love…

The Atlantics - Come On (1967)

This long-tenured band was formed in the southern side of Sydney, Australia in 1961. Located near Sydney’s beaches, the group gravitated toward the sounds of surf rock and would later go on to become among the first in their genre, in Australia, to write their own songs. They took their name from a local gas station company and had their most popular lineup finalized by 1962. There was Theo Penglis on lead and rhythm guitar; Jim Skaithitis on guitar; Bosco Bosanac on bass; and Peter Hood on drums.

The band was unique from other Australian instrumental acts in the sense that they were heavily influenced by European sounds. Each of the members had moved to Australia from Europe as youths, and their music reflected their families’ heritages (Greece, Yugoslavia, and Hungary). The band was signed to CBS Records in 1963 and released nine successful singles and three albums, the most notable single being “Bombora” in 1963.

In 1965, the band added vocalist and ‘50s rocker Johnny Rebb. A few singles and albums later, in March 1967, the band released the song heard below. It was written by the band’s drummer, Peter Hood, and sang by the latest addition to the band, Johnny Rebb. It was featured as the B-Side of a single which had “You Tell Me Why,” a cover of a song made popular by The Beau Brummels, as the A-Side.



The Atlantics - Come On (1967)

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Lyrics:

Work all day- get an aching back
I work so hard, my blisters turn black
I got to buy you everything
Should I buy you a golden ring?

Without your lovin’
I couldn't carry on
Without your kissin’
How could my life go on?
Without you baby
My dreams would never come true

So come on!
And love me
Come on!
And kiss me
Come on!
And give me all of your charms
Because I love you baby
You know I need you baby
And I give you all the loving a woman can want

I'm gonna slave until the day
When I know that I can say
“Girl, I love you, will you wear my ring?”
“I'm gonna buy you everything”

Without your lovin’
I couldn't carry on
Without your kissin’
How could my life go on?
Without you baby
My dreams would never come true

So come on!
And love me
Come on!
And kiss me
Come on!
And give me all of your charms
Because I love you baby
You know I need you baby
And I give you all the loving a woman can want

Group 1850 - Mother No-Head (1967)

In November 1964, Hugo Gordijn went to the basement of a bowling alley in Scheveningen, in The Hague, in the Netherlands to see a band called The Klits. Led by Peter Sjardin, the Dutch band hired Gordijn to be their manager. On New Year’s Day in 1966, the band renamed themselves Groep 1850, or, “Group 1850” if you prefer it in English. They consisted of Peter Sjardin on vocals, flute, and organ; Daniel van Bergen on guitar and piano; Ruud van Buuren and Rob de Rijke on bass; and Beer Klaasse on drums.

The band released six singles and two full-length albums in what remained of the 1960s, sans a year-long break-up beginning somewhere in 1968. They didn’t get a ton of exposure and predominately remained a “garage” type band, so it’s presumable that a career highlight for them may have been getting to open for The Mothers of Invention in September 1967 at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw.

Written by Hans van Hemert and Peter Sjardin, this song was the A-Side of a single released by the band in late December 1967. Like the rest of the world, the band was heavily into psychedelic rock and fell into the more “acid” rock genre of the period. They sounded a bit like the earlier Pink Floyd, even featuring some progressive rock aspects which were far ahead of their time.



Group 1850 - Mother No-Head (1967)

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Lyrics:

Who is crying?
Who is dying?
She is mad
She is sad
It is Mother No-Head
It is Mother No-Head
She is dead
She is dead

Who is crying?
Who is dying?
She is mad
She is sad today
It is Mother No-Head
It is Mother No-Head
But she is dead
She is dead
Yes

Who is crying?
Who is dying?
She is mad and
She is sad today
It is Mother No-Head
It is Mother No-Head
She is dead
She is dead today

She is dead today
She is dead today…

Conlon & The Crawlers - I Won't Tell (1967)

If you’re a fan of ’60s garage classics, there’s a good chance you’ve heard The Nightcrawlers’ “The Little Black Egg” from 1965. If you haven’t, you can listen to the song in our previous post. And while we’re on the subject, you can also read what The Nightcrawlers’ Sylvan Wells had to say about the band and the song in an exclusive story he provided to us.

As mentioned in our previous post, Charlie Conlon (the group’s principal singer, songwriter, and bass player) was asked to leave The Nightcrawlers in late 1966/early 1967. The remaining members of the band attempted to go on without him, but folded after a few months. In the meantime, Charlie Conlon moved from where The Nightcrawlers were based (Daytona, Florida), and relocated to Miami, Florida. Once in Miami, Charlie started a new band: Conlon & The Crawlers. They released two singles on the Marlin label, based in Miami, in 1967, but neither of the songs made much of an impact.

Written by Charlie Conlon, this song was released in March 1967 and accompanied by the B-Side “You’re Comin’ On.” If you’re familiar with “The Little Black Egg,” you’ll definitely hear Conlon attempting to recreate its style in this track. Although it didn’t become a garage classic like his “The Little Black Egg,” it did manage to reach number nineteen on the nearby Orlando, Florida charts.



Conlon & The Crawlers - I Won't Tell (1967)

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Lyrics:

A teaspoon holds more than the fork does
A long snail eats more than a short one
Let the people find out for themselves
I won’t tell; I won’t tell
I won’t tell them ‘bout it

A three-legged horse won’t beat a fourth one
My ice box cools more than a hot one
Let the flowers find out for themselves
I won’t tell; I won’t tell
I won’t tell

And on the way, I’ll stop by the bay
Because black and green won’t fade away

A teaspoon holds more than the fork does
A long snail eats more than a short one
Let the people find out for themselves
I won’t tell; I won’t tell
I won’t tell
I won’t tell
I won’t tell
I won’t tell
No, I won’t tell
I won’t tell…

The Twilights - Cathy, Come Home (1967)

In the 1960s, a town just north of Adelaide in South Australia, called Elizabeth, was largely populated by British emigrants. It was also the hometown of this band and its members, all of whom had been born in Britain but relocated with their families to Elizabeth, Australia. Glenn Shorrock, Mike Sykes, and Clem “Paddy” McCartney came together because of these similar roots and formed an a capella trio in 1965, calling themselves The Twilights. They were often backed by local bands like The Vector Men and The Hurricanes when putting on performances. Eventually, the members of The Twilights and The Hurricanes merged, creating a six man lineup and adopting The Twilights’ name. After a bit of shuffling- still in early 1965- the final group solidified and consisted of Glenn Shorrock, Laurie Pryor, Clem “Paddy” McCartney, John Bywaters, Terry Britten, and Peter Brideoake. Those members remained together until the band dissolved in 1969. Shorrock would go on to participate in other bands, most notably the Little River Band, and Terry Britten became an internationally successful producer and songwriter, writing hits for Tina Turner, Cliff Richard, Olivia Newton-John, Status Quo, Michael Jackson, and many others.

By 1967, the group had relocated to London, donning mod styles and Beatles-inspired mustaches. Glenn Shorrock was quoted as stating that London was very difficult to work in because of all of the extremely talented musicians. He claimed that even bands you had never heard of were incredibly selective.

This song, written by band member Terry Britten, was recorded and released in November 1967. It steadily climbed the charts and plateaued at number four in January 1968. It was written by Britten after having been inspired by the one-off television drama of the same name, Cathy, Come Home, which had been released in November 1966. It was one of the last successful songs released by the band.



The Twilights - Cathy, Come Home (1967)

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Lyrics:

(Cathy, come home)
(Come)
(Come)
(Come)

Cathy, come home
Can't you see that I need it?
Cathy, come home
You must see it to believe it
Cathy, come home

I found someone to comfort me
Someone who finally let me be myself
My mind, I think, is much too small
To see the writing on the wall is here

Cathy, come home
Can't you see that I need it?
Cathy, come home
You must see it to believe it
Cathy, come home

If seeing is believing, then I see the truth
With you on my mind, I just can't seem to lose
(Lose)

My mind's made up; that's all I see
The writing's plain- as plain can be to me

Cathy's back, now she's all mine
Now everything's just turned out fine for me

Cathy, come home
Can't you see that I need it?
Cathy, come home
You must see it to believe it
Cathy, come home

Cathy, come home
(Cathy, come home)
Cathy, come home
(Cathy, come home)
(Home)
(Home)
(Home)
(Home)
(Home…)

The Standells - Try It (1967)

Formed in 1962, The Standells are often cold-heartedly labeled as a one-hit wonder. Although it’s true that their only majorly successful song was 1966’s “Dirty Water,” the band and its members still had quite an impact on the pop culture of the 1960s.

Band member Larry Tamblyn was and is the brother of Hollywood actor Russ Tamblyn (and thus the uncle of actress Amber Tamblyn). He was also a classmate and acquaintance of Ritchie Valens. The band's drummer Dick Dodd was an ex-Mouseketeer on The Mickey Mouse Club. He was also an ex-member of the surf bands The Bel-Airs (previously featured) and Eddie & The Showmen.

At one point, the band featured backing vocals by Cher while being produced by Sonny Bono. They also appeared in the movie Get Yourself a College Girl, as well as the television shows The Munsters, That Regis Philbin Show, American Bandstand, and Shindig!. And all of this was prior to “Dirty Water” in 1966. After “Dirty Water,” the band continued their success with “Sometimes Good Guys Don’t Wear White” and “Why Pick On Me” before hitting a brick wall in early 1967. The name of the brick wall was Gordon McLendon.

After the major success of “Dirty Water” and minor success of “Sometimes Good Guys Don’t Wear White” (which you can hear on our site) and “Why Pick On Me” in late 1966, the band had released “Try It,” and watched it grow in popularity. Unfortunately for the group, a radio mogul named Gordon McLendon had chosen this song, written by Marc Bellack and J. Levine, as his prime target in a national campaign to rid the music industry of “filth” and “dirty lyrics.” Our featured story below extrapolates more on the story, straight from the mouth of The Standells’ Larry Tamblyn himself. After reading what Larry had to say, you can listen to “Try It” below and come to your own conclusions.

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A Special Edition post with Larry Tamblyn of The Standells!
Today's exclusive story comes from Larry Tamblyn, the organist of the garage rock legends, The Standells. Larry chose to share an interesting history regarding his band's song "Try It" from 1967.

A Bit Like You And Me and readers,

The song “Try It” was The Standells’ third single after “Dirty Water.” It was also featured on the album Try It – The Standells. We thought it would be our next hit. Billboard magazine agreed; they deemed the song as our next number one hit for The Standells, and I feel it would have been had it not been for Gordon McLendon.

McLendon was a very powerful man back then- the owner of the radio station KLIF in Dallas, TX. He also had many ties to right-wing politicians and was known to have been a friend of Jack Ruby, the man who killed Lee Harvey Oswald. Many people were frightened of McLendon. He had formed a committee for decency in record lyrics and felt the lyrics to “Try It” encouraged young girls to try sex. Conversely, the song actually had some of the tamest lyrics of many rock songs in those days, like "Let's Spend the Night Together" by The Rolling Stones.

But, McLendon decided to pick on The Standells (because we weren't as big as The Stones). He embarked on a national campaign, visiting major television news stations, and showing our record as an example of filthy record lyrics. Even though the record was the number one seller in many markets, including Los Angeles, most of the radio stations actually listened to McLendon and refused to play it. We investigated McLendon and, of course, discovered he was a major hypocrite. We even debated him on Art Linkletter's House Party, by most accounts defeating him handily; but, to no avail. The song died - and so did the group's popularity and hopes of another hit record.

You can find more details about McLendon on The Standells’ Facebook page. If you visit the photo library “Standells 1962-1969,” you’ll find an L.A. Free Press interview done with me.

Best,
Larry Tamblyn

As I told Larry, it's a real shame that guys like McLendon were out to make a name for themselves at the expense of bands like The Standells. Who knows what could have success could have sprung from the popularity of "Try It"? In my own personal research, I've read that the debate between The Standells and Gordon McLendon on Art Linkletter's Let's Talk segment of his show House Party was severely edited. The band supposedly defeated McLendon so badly in the debate, that the producers of the show heavily edited it to prevent the argument from being too one-sided when it aired.

To visit The Standells' webpage, click here.
To visit The Standells' Facebook page, click here.
To visit The Standells' Twitter page, click 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 Standells - Try It (1967)

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Lyrics:

Alright, baby
It’s alright
I’m gonna tell you somethin’ and you better listen

By the way you look I can tell that you want some action
“Action” is my middle name
Come over here, pretty girl
I’ll give you satisfaction
But two are needed for this game
I’ll give you sweet love you never had before, yeah
You think you’ve seen it all
But you don’t know what’s in store

Come on, try it (Yeah)
Try it (Yeah)
Try it (Yeah)
Try it (Yeah)

You look excited and you figure that it’s just a bluff
Don’t you dare walk away
I’ll get you, tough little chick, before you fall in love
Come here, girl, what do you say?
Just give the word and my good lovin’ will start
I’ll serve a feverish pitch that’s headed straight for your heart, yeah

Come on, try it (Yeah)
Try it (Yeah)
Try it (Yeah)
Try it, baby (Yeah)

Alright
You got me
Aw, you got me
Aw, come on

Girl, once you’ve made up your mind
You’re gonna see that I’m not lyin’

Come on, try it (Yeah)
Try it (Yeah)
Try it (Yeah)
Try it, baby (Yeah)
Try it (Yeah)
Aw, come on, try it (Yeah)
Oh, try it (Yeah)
Oh, try it (Yeah)
Come on, come on, come on (Yeah)
Come on, come on, come on

Procol Harum - A Whiter Shade of Pale (1967)

From the ashes of The Paramounts, Gary Brooker and Robin Trower created The Pinewoods. They received an offer from Chris Blackwell’s new Island Records (later known for working with Bob Marley & The Wailers), but the group declined to sign with them. Instead, they signed with EMI, the same company The Paramounts had briefly been signed to, and changed their name to Procol Harum. Their first single, heard below, was their most successful, and was followed up by a tour in which they opened for Jimi Hendrix. Their subsequent singles sold well, but didn’t chart as high as their original. Their albums remained somewhat popular, especially 1969’s A Salty Dog, but with a vastly rotating lineup, their sound from album to album was too inconsistent for a solid fan base.

This song was written by Gary Brooker and Keith Reid, with some assistance from Matthew Fisher. Brooker, who wrote the music, was inspired to create the melody after being influenced by Johann Sebastian Bach’s Orchestral Suite N° 3 in D Major. Keith Reid, who wrote the song’s lyrics, had been inspired after overhearing a man tell a woman at a party, “You’ve turned a whiter shade of pale.” Reid took the comment and turned it into a title, and worked the rest of the lyrics in the song around that statement. After the song’s success, Reid was made a permanent member of the band, despite not playing any instruments or ever singing. He was responsible for 100% of the band’s lyrics until their break-up in 1977.

When the song’s lyrics were originally written by Keith Reid, there were four verses, each followed by the chorus. When it came time to record the song, it was reduced to two verses to be more radio-friendly. The band never recorded all four verses in the studio. Sometimes, when the band performed the song live, they would include the third verse. Even more rarely, they would include the fourth verse. If you’d like to hear the third and fourth verses performed live, check this YouTube video.

The song was released on May 12, 1967 and began its climb of the charts on May 25. Although it stalled at number five in the US, it reached number one in the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Ireland, and Australia. John Lennon of The Beatles was a big fan of the song. It's rumored that he and his friends erroneously thought that the vocals (performed by Gary Brooker) were being sung by Steve Winwood of The Spencer Davis Group.



Procol Harum - A Whiter Shade of Pale (1967)

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Lyrics:

We skipped the light fandango
Turned cartwheels ‘cross the floor
I was feeling kind of seasick
The crowd called out for more
The room was humming harder
As the ceiling flew away
When we called out for another drink
The waiter brought a tray

And so it was, that later
As The Miller told his tale
That her face, at first just ghostly
Turned a whiter shade of pale

She said, “There is no reason”
“And the truth is plain to see”
But I wandered through my playing cards
Would not let her be
One of sixteen Vestal Virgins
Who were leaving for the coast
And although my eyes were open
They might just as well have been closed

And so it was, that later
As The Miller told his tale
That her face, at first just ghostly
Turned a whiter shade of pale

And so it was, that later...

The Lovin' Spoonful - Younger Generation (1967)

For the story of the birth of this band (and an exclusive story from icon John Sebastian), you’ll want to check out our previous post to feature The Lovin' Spoonful.

After numerous successful albums and popularity, 1967 saw a shift in the lineup of The Lovin’ Spoonful. The group’s lead guitarist and co-founder Zal Yanovsky had been arrested on a marijuana-related drug charges. Having been born in Canada and now living in the United States, Yanovsky was forced to either give up his drug dealer’s name or face deportation. After Yanovsky rolled over on his drug dealer to save his own skin, he was ostracized by the local San Francisco music community. Ironically, this led him to choose quitting The Lovin’ Spoonful and moving back to Canada.

The song heard below comes from the band’s sixth album, Everything Playing, which was the band’s first album without Yanovsky. Yanovsky’s permanent replacement was Jerry Yester, formerly of the Modern Folk Quartet. The album would also be the last to feature John Sebastian, as the following year Sebastian would part ways to forge his own solo career. As with most of the songs on the album, the song below was written by John Sebastian. It was definitely one of the highlights on Everything Playing.



The Lovin' Spoonful - Younger Generation (1967)

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Lyrics:

Why must every generation think their folks are square?
And no matter where their heads are, they know moms ain’t there
‘cause I swore when I was small that I’d remember when
I knew what’s wrong with them that I was smaller than

Determined to remember all the cardinal rules
Like sun showers are legal grounds for cutting school
I know I have forgotten maybe one or two
And I hope that I recall them all before the baby’s due
And I know he’ll have a question or two

Like, “Hey, pop, can I go ride my zoom?”
“It goes two hundred miles an hour suspended on balloons”
And, “Can I put a droplet of this new stuff on my tongue?”
“And imagine frothing dragons while you sit and wreck your lungs?”
And I must be permissive, understanding of the younger generation

And then, I’ll know that all I’ve learned, my kid assumes
And all my deepest worries must be his cartoons
And still, I’ll try to tell him all the things I’ve done
Relating to what he can do when he becomes a man
And still, he’ll stick his fingers in the fan

And, Hey, pop, my girlfriend’s only three
She’s got her own videophone and she’s taking LSD
And now that we’re best friends she wants to give a bit to me
But what’s the matter, daddy? How come you’re turning green?
Can it be that you can’t live up to your dreams?

The Kare Takers - Have You Seen My Baby? (1967)

This band was made up of five local high school kids from Youngstown, Ohio. Most of the band’s members were in the tenth grade, or around fifteen years old, when they recorded their first and only single heard below. It was recorded on the WAM record label, which was a local outfit that charged a bargain fee for studio time and getting records pressed.

Backed with the B-Side “My Jane,” this song was released on the WAM label in either 1966 or 1967, with various claims. The lyrics and music were written by George Fecko, a member of the band who had been born November 20, 1948 (which makes him a bit older than most members of the band) and passed away in June 1982, at the age of thirty-three.

Update (11/21/2016): According to some sources in the comments below, George Fecko was indeed a member of the band. The narrative above has been edited to remove any confusion about his relation to the group.

Update (06/01/2020): According to George Fecko's niece (in the comments below), George Fecko not only wrote the song, but also sang lead. Thanks, Mary!



The Kare Takers - Have You Seen My Baby? (1967)

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Lyrics:

Have you seen my baby?
Have you seen my girl?
Ever since she left me
My heart’s been in a whirl

She said she’d be mine
‘til the end of time
But time hasn’t ended yet
And she ran out on me

Oh, why did I have to lose
When I was so far ahead?
If she don’t come back to me
Please have some sympathy
On me

Have you seen my baby?
Have you seen my girl?
Ever since she left me
It’s been the end of the world
For me

She’s out runnin’ ‘round
With every man in town
Since she put me down
Way down on the ground

Oh, why did I have to lose
When I was so far ahead?
If she don’t come back to me
Please have some sympathy
On me

Have you seen my baby?
Have you seen my baby?
Have you seen my baby?

The Peanut Butter Conspiracy - Why Did I Get So High (1967)

John Merrill, Barbara “Sandi” Robison, Alan Brackett, Spencer Dryden, and Jim Cherniss first got together as a band in the mid-‘60s calling themselves The Young Swingers. Although they changed their name to The Ashes and released a few singles, the band was short-lived, disbanding when Dryden joined Jefferson Airplane and Robison took a leave of absence to give birth. In the meantime, Alan Brackett began playing with Lance Baker Fent and Jim Voigt, calling themselves The Crossing Guards. In mid-1966, Robison and Merill reunited with Brackett’s new outfit, and the new five-piece band called themselves The Peanut Butter Controversy. Drummer Jim Voigt had been the one to come up with the name, but according to Alan Brackett, the band “changed it to Conspiracy right away.”

The band’s first album, The Peanut Butter Conspiracy is Spreading, which this song appeared on, was recorded with Gary Usher at the forefront. With ties to The Beach Boys, it’s no wonder that Usher borrowed the talents of Glen Campbell (and James Burton) to improve the PBC’s album. The band, on the other hand, wasn’t pleased with the unwanted personnel additions, and would later disavow the album because of their contributions.

The song heard below, written by John Merrill and Alan Brackett*, appeared as the sixth track on the album. It never charted, but the album itself squeezed itself into the bottom of Billboard’s Top 200. It was never released as a single, most likely because the drug-related lyrics would have surely been banned instantaneously.

*[Update 05/21/2014: Alan Brackett was kind enough to stop by and clear up some of the details about this song. You can read them in the comments below. He also included a link to check out a new album of rare and unreleased material from The Peanut Butter Conspiracy. Definitely check it out in the comments below!]

[Update 01/08/2015: A submission from Alan Brackett has been added to the end of this article.]

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A Special Edition post with Alan Brackett of The Peanut Butter Conspiracy!

These are exerpts from the new book I’m writing and cover a couple of songs I wrote that had drug overtones lyrically and, I guess musically, too.

“Why Did I Get So High” was inspired by The Fugs’ song “I Couldn’t Get High” that Frank Zappa played for us at our Frenchy’s gig in Hayward. I think they were very honest about what they said in their song, but they also didn’t seem to care about being commercial at all or getting airplay. We didn’t care that much, but we were signed to Columbia and I did know that they would not be ready for lyrics like that; so when I wrote “Why Did I Get So High,” I did it about love, with a double meaning. It was fun singing about getting high at gigs. And the audiences loved to sing along with that one; and I’m sure they knew the double meaning. It was all about having great- high- expectations and getting totally carried away, only to ultimately crash and burn. The very last word, “stoned,” instead of “high” is the give-away that the song is not just a cute little love song; and I thought we were lucky to get away with even saying that. Of course, the song didn’t get much airplay because the radio waves weren’t ready yet, either. Boy, have things changed. You can say pretty much anything these days it seems.

Musically, I based the song on classical structure with a different chord for almost every word, instead of the melody, and words floating over chords that are holding for a bar or more. John’s song, “You Took Too Much,” was filled with lines like “you tripped out on the trees” and “you’re trippin’ all the time.” So, I was not alone; that’s for sure.

The opening song from Great Conspiracy was “Turn On A Friend” to which Columbia added the next line in the song to the title in parenthesis (To The Good Life). I knew something like that would happen, and that’s why I wrote the song with that line after “turn on a friend” in the lyrics. Like “Why Did I Get So High” in the first album, I wanted to use double-meaning because I saw it as a way of getting away with saying what I wanted to say. The lyrics were all positive, about helping a friend to have a good trip through their life.

Musically, I wrote the song around some big open chords on the guitar and bass. The half step up from the A in the third chord gives an Eastern sound along with blues chords in the rest of the song. On the double-time instrumental break, Mikael Kollandar played some fast-fingered raga style runs that added to the Eastern flavor. This song was released as a single prior to the album in October of 1967.

Paranoid about the lyric content of the song, Columbia made Billy send out postcards to the DJs and promotion people.

A huge thanks to Alan Brackett for sharing excerpts from his book. It was very kind.

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 Peanut Butter Conspiracy - Why Did I Get So High (1967)

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Lyrics:

Why did I get so high
Just to fall from the sky?
Why did I get so high
Just to see our love die?
Oh, why did I get so high?

There was a time
I thought you were mine
And the world was new
Filled with thoughts of you

In this state of mind
My love was blind
And the world closed in
On my heart, on my mind
And my love, oh no

Why did I get so high
Just to fall from the sky?
Why did I get so high
Just to see our love die?

Now I'm gone, I can't go on
'cause my heart is dead
And so is my head
But I live on to spite the world
'cause there was a time
I thought you were mine
And the world was new
Filled with thoughts of you

Why did I get so high
Just to fall from the sky?
Why did I get so high
Just to see our love die?
Oh, why did I get so high?

Why did I get so stoned?

Vanilla Fudge - You Keep Me Hangin' On (1967)

Mark Stein and Tim Bogert were both in the local Long Island, New York band called Rick Martin & The Showmen. Influenced by the blue-eyed soul of The Rascals, the pair decided to splinter off in 1966 and form their own group, called The Pigeons. Joined by Vince Martell and Carmine Appice, the new band changed their name in 1966 to that which is read above, reasoning that they were mixing “vanilla” psychedelic music made popular by bands such as The Doors, with “fudge” blues music made popular by black artists. Playing locally, the band was discovered by Phillip Basile, a local club owner who also allegedly was a member of the Lucchese crime family. Their debut, self-titled album reached number six in the US charts and was mostly composed of cover songs originally made famous by bands such as The Beatles, The Supremes, The Zombies, and others. In late 1968 and early 1969, the band toured the United States with Iron Butterfly, Country Joe & the Fish, and a very young/new Led Zeppelin. Although Vanilla Fudge was the official headliner of the tour, it was Zeppelin who instantly stole the show and intimidated Iron Butterfly and Country Joe from completing the tour with them. Although this band’s subsequent albums continuously charted, they failed to reach the same success as their debut release. In early 1970, the band broke up for the first time. Stein was the sole remaining member and attempted to continue the band, unsuccessfully, with replacement band members. Having officially folded altogether in 1970, the original members would reunite numerous times in the ‘80s until permanently reforming in 1999, minus Tim Bogert.

Written by Lamont Dozier and brothers Brian and Eddie Holland (Holland-Dozier-Holland), this song was originally recorded in 1966 by The Supremes for the Motown label. This band’s version of the song was recorded in 1967 and can be heard in two different versions. The first version, the single version, was released at a length just under three minutes and was the band’s first single. The other version, the album version heard below, appeared on the band’s debut album, Vanilla Fudge, in 1967, and came in at around seven minutes in length. The single reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100, five places shy of The Supremes' number one when they had first released it.



Vanilla Fudge - You Keep Me Hangin' On (1967)

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Lyrics:

One, two, three, four

Set me free, why don’t ya babe?
Get out my life, why don’t ya babe?
You really don’t want me
You just keep me hangin’ on
You really don’t need me
You just keep me hangin’ on

Why do you keep comin’ around
Playing a’with my heart?
Why don’t ya get out of my life
And let me try to make a new start?
Let me get over you
The way you’ve gotten over me

Set me free, why don’t ya babe?
Get out my life, why don’t ya now?
You really don’t want me
You just keep me hangin’ on
You really don’t need me
You just keep me hangin’ on

You sayin’ that we broke up
That you just wanna be friends
But how can we still be friends
When seeing you only breaks my heart again?
There ain’t nothin’ I can do about it

Ya know I need love
(Set me free, why don’t ya babe?)
Talkin’ ‘bout love
(Get out my life, why don’t ya babe?)
You really don’t want me
You just keep me hangin’ on
You really don’t need me
You just keep me hangin’ on

Get out my life, why don’t ya babe?
Get out my life, why don’t ya babe?
Get out my life, why don’t ya babe?
Get out my life, why don’t ya babe?

(Come on to me!)

The Mystic Moods Orchestra - Maria Elena (1967)

Brad Miller’s passion in life was recording sounds as accurately as possible. In the 1950s, he recorded some of the USA’s last steam locomotives, as well as thunderstorms, crowds of people, and other various sounds he thought were unique or pleasant. In an effort to sell his work, Miller created Mobile Fidelity and experienced a moderate level of success. One night, in the mid-‘60s, a disc-jockey in the San Francisco, California area took one of Miller’s recordings and thought it would be interesting to play it on top of some easy listening music. Listeners loved it. The DJ told Miller about his discovery, and soon, Miller was working with musical arranger and composer Don Ralke to create their own version of the DJ’s idea. What resulted was the first Mystic Moods Orchestra album, One Stormy Night, in 1965. Usually, original music tracks such as the ones on One Stormy Night continued throughout the ‘60s until the orchestra moved to the Warner Bros. label in the ‘70s. Then, rather than original music, the sounds of nature and people were generally put over contemporary pop instrumentals. Around this same time, the albums began to feature erotic pictures of couples on the cover, marketing them to adults as “mood music.” Unfortunately for Miller, the societal switch from vinyl albums to CDs didn’t work out in his favor. Miller himself passed away in 1998 and his business, which had been struggling for years, collapsed the following year.

This track comes from the Mystic Moods Orchestra’s fourth album, titled Mexican Trip. Released in 1967, each song on the album was laid on top of sounds of the ocean, children playing, trains, people cheering, etc. in the usual Mystic Mood fashion. This song in particular appears as the album’s seventh track. The original song was written in 1932 by Lorenzo Barcelata, who dedicated the song to the wife of Mexican President Emilio Portes Gil, María Elena. Although the song had accompanying words available in both Spanish and English, this particular version replaced the words with sounds of the ocean.



The Mystic Moods Orchestra - Maria Elena (1967)

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Lyrics:

(instrumental)