The Spencer Davis Group - Gimme Some Lovin' (1966)

Originally known as The Rhythm and Blues Quartette, this band first came together in Birmingham, England in 1963 when Spencer Davis (lead vocalist) met with brothers Steve (lead guitar) and Muff Winwood (bass). When they picked up Pete York on drums, the band’s first lineup was complete. Since none of the band members except Spencer Davis enjoyed doing interviews, Muff Winwood had the idea to name the band after him so that the other members “could stay in bed and let him” be in the spotlight. In 1964, with their new name, they were signed to their first record deal; and, by the end of 1965, they had released their first hit, “Keep On Running,” which was a cover of a Jackie Edwards song released previously that same year. After a large amount of success in the coming years, Steve Winwood blind-sided his bandmates by announcing he was quitting the band in early 1967. They later found out it was to co-create the band Traffic. His brother Muff soon left to become the A&R man at Island Records, but despite their recent losses, the band continued on. After a few failed singles leading up into 1968, Pete York left the band along with newer member Eddie Hardin to begin their own work under the name Hardin & York. By 1969, the group decided to call it quits. They reunited briefly in 1973, releasing a couple of lukewarm albums, but broke up again in 1974. Lately, as of 2006, Spencer Davis has been performing with an entirely new lineup, touring both Europe and the US.

Written by Spencer Davis and Steve and Muff Winwood, this song was one of the best-selling songs released by the band. The main guitar riff of the song was borrowed from “(Ain’t That) A Lot of Love,” a Homer Banks song. Two versions of the song were released: the UK version and the US version. The differences were that the UK version lacked backing vocals, was a bit slower, and didn’t appear to “sound as live.” The US version is the one predominately heard today, which is widely believe to be the better cut. Upon the songs release, it reached number seven in the US and number two in the UK. The song has been covered by numerous famous artists and has appeared in many popular television shows and films.



The Spencer Davis Group - Gimme Some Lovin' (1966)

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Lyrics:

(Hey!)

Well my temperature's rising
And my feet left the floor
Crazy people knockin’
'cause they wanted some more

Let me in, baby
I don't know what you got
But you better take it easy
This place is hot

And I’m
So glad you made it
So glad you made it
You got to
Gimme some lovin'
(Gimme- gimme some lovin')
Gimme some lovin'
(Gimme- gimme some lovin')
Gimme some lovin'
Every day

(Hey!)

Well, I feel so good
Everything is gettin' hot
You better take it easy
‘cause this place is on fire

It’s been a hard day
And I have so much to do
We made it, baby
And it happened to you

And I’m
So glad you made it
So glad you made it
You gotta
Gimme some lovin'
(Gimme- gimme some lovin')
Gimme some lovin'
(Gimme- gimme some lovin')
Gimme some lovin'
Every day

Yeah

(Hey!)

Well, I feel so good
Everything is gettin' hot
You better take it easy
‘cause the place is on fire

It’s been a hard day
And nothing went too good
Now I’m gonna relax
I think everybody should

And I’m
So glad you made it
Hey hey
So glad you made it
You got
Gimme some lovin'
(Gimme- gimme some lovin')
Gimme some lovin'
(Gimme- gimme some lovin')

Hey, hey
(Gimme some lovin')
I need ya to gimme- gimme some of your lovin’, babe
(Gimme- gimme some lovin')
You know I need it so bad
(Gimme- gimme some lovin')…

Jerry Butler & The Impressions - For Your Precious Love (1958)

Born in Chicago, Illinois on December 8, 1939, Jerry Butler, Jr.’s family had very little money but attended church regularly. It was in a local housing community and the church choir that Butler would meet Curtis Mayfield, born June 3, 1942 in the mid-1950s. Together, the two boys sang in a gospel quartet known as the Northern Jubilee Gospel Singers. Inspired by artists such as Sam Cooke, Butler and Mayfield united with Arthur and Richard Brooks, brothers, to develop a vocal group of their own known as The Roosters. What they eventually became, with the addition of Sam Gooden, was The Impressions. After signing with Vee-Jay Records, the band released their first hit, heard below, in 1958. After their next hit, “Come Back My Love,” Jerry Butler left the band to embark on a solo career. Mayfield wrote most of his successful songs. Mayfield also became The Impressions’ new primary singer and songwriter as the group welcomed Fred Cash to the lineup, a member who had previously been with them for a short while when they were still known as The Roosters. The new Impressions soared to new heights, reaching number two with “Gypsy Woman,” number one with “It’s All Right,” number three with the famous “People Get Ready” (previously featured), and numerous others. Mayfield would eventually leave the group in 1970 to have a successful solo career of his own, but the group continued on. Although their last hit song, “Loving Power,” was released in 1976, the group is still together today featuring original member Sam Gooden and Roosters-era member Fred Cash.

Written by Jerry Butler with help from Arthur and Richard Brooks, this song was The Impressions first big hit. Released in 1958, it was put out with the credit being given to “Jerry Butler & The Impressions,” as the group was known before Butler parted ways. The song peaked at number eleven and has since been covered by Jerry Butler (as a solo artist in 1966), Otis Redding (in 1965), The Rolling Stones (in 1989), and various others.



Jerry Butler & The Impressions - For Your Precious Love (1958)

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Lyrics:

Your precious love
Means more to me
Than any love could ever be
For when I wanted you
I was so lonely and so blue
For that's what love will do

And darling, I'm-
(I'm so surprised)
Oh, when I first realized
That you were fooling me

And darling
They say that our love won’t grow
But I just wanna tell them
That they don't know

For as long
As you're in love with me
Our love will grow wider
Deeper than any sea

And of all the things that I want
In this whole wide world
Is just for you to say
That you’ll be my girl

And oh
(Wanting you)
Wanting you
(Oh, I'm lonely and blue)
I'm so lonely
(That's what love will do)

The Third Rail - Run, Run, Run (1967)

Formed in either 1966 or 1967, this band was composed of three studio musicians: married couple Arthur and Kris Resnick and a young Joey Levine. The band was very short lived, releasing only one full length album, Id Music, and a handful of singles. Artie Resnick had made a bit of a name for himself from co-writing “Under the Boardwalk” by The Drifters and “Good Lovin’” by The Rascals. The band had one semi-successful single, heard below, and called it quits shortly after releasing their last single in 1968. After the band ended, Artie Resnick and Levine would write the bubblegum pop standard “Yummy Yummy Yummy” together. Shortly after that success, all three members of this band secured jobs as songwriters for Kasenetz & Katz.

Not to be confused with the other song we featured of the same name, this song was a bit of satirical work that the band wrote to poke fun at adults living their lives by bustling to and from work. It was a bit more sardonic than any of their later, light-hearted, bubblegum work and is notable for reaching number fifty-three on the charts in 1967.



The Third Rail - Run, Run, Run (1967)

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Lyrics:

Up in the morning at half past eight
You can’t have your breakfast ‘cause you’ll be late
You tie your tie like a hangman’s noose
Ain’t no time to drink your juice

So you run, run, run, run
Yeah, you run, run, run, run

Stand on the corner and wait for the bus
It’s late again, you start to cuss
The paper’s filled with all bad news
Fat lady stands on your polished shoes

So you run, run, run, run
Yeah, you run, run, run, run

Of the latest quotations from the New York Stock Exchange:
Heart attacks up two and three quarters
Mental illness split three for one
Ulcers up one
General chaos- that’s general chaos is up one quarter
The great society, unfortunately, is down five points

Down at the office all is still
The boss is at a funeral
A note on the door, “No work today”
“Our chief competitor passed away”

So you run, run, run, run
Yeah, you run, run, run, run

Up in the morning at half past eight
You can’t have your breakfast ‘cause you’ll be late
Tie your tie like a hangman’s noose
Ain’t no time to drink your juice

So you run, run, run, run
Yeah, you run, run, run, run

Oh, you run, run, run, run...