Little Peggy March - I Will Follow Him (1963)

Peggy March was born March 8, 1948 in Lansdale, Pennsylvania. Her birth name was Margaret Annemarie Battavio and she was first discovered at the age of thirteen while singing at her cousin’s wedding. She was introduced to the record producing cousins, Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore. Given that the thirteen year old girl was only four feet nine inches (1.4478 meters), she was nicknamed “Little Peggy March.” In early January 1963, at the age of fourteen, March would record what would be her most famous song, which can be heard below. Although it would be her only Top Ten hit in the United States, March found continuing success in Germany, where she remained popular through the 1970s. March continues to sing to this day, having recently released a new album in 2010 titled Always and Forever.

This song was originally a French song titled “Chariot” with lyrics written by Jacques Plante and music written by Franck Pourcel and Paul Mauriat, who used the pseudonyms J.W. Stole and Del Roma, respectively). In early 1963, the song was adapted into English by Arthur Altman, using Norman Gimbel to translate the lyrics. Although Petula Clark had a number one hit with “Chariot” in France in 1962, it was Little Peggy March who took the English version to number one in the United States in April 1963. Having been fourteen years old when she recorded and released it, she had only just become fifteen by the time the song reached number one, making her the youngest female artist to this day to have a number one hit on the US charts.



Little Peggy March - I Will Follow Him (1963)

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Lyrics:

I love him
I love him
I love him
And where he goes
I'll follow
I'll follow
I'll follow

I will follow him
Follow him wherever he may go
There isn't an ocean too deep
A mountain so high it can keep
Me away

I must follow him
(Follow him)
Ever since he touched my hand, I knew
That near him I always must be
And nothing can keep him from me
He is my destiny
(Destiny)

I love him
I love him
I love him
And where he goes
I'll follow
I'll follow
I'll follow

He'll always be
My true love
My true love
My true love
From now until
Forever
Forever
Forever

I will follow him
(Follow him)
Follow him wherever he may go
There isn't an ocean too deep
A mountain so high it can keep
Keep me away
Away from my love

I love him
I love him
I love him
And where he goes
I'll follow
I'll follow
I'll follow

He'll always be
My true love
My true love
My true love
From now until
Forever
Forever
Forever

I will follow him
(Follow him)
Follow him wherever he may go
There isn't an ocean too deep
A mountain so high it can keep
Keep me away
Away from my love

(And where he goes)
I'll follow
I'll follow
I'll follow
I know I’ll always
Love him
I love him
I love him
And where he goes
I'll follow
I'll follow
I'll follow
I know I’ll always
Love him
I love him…

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!)

Pink Floyd - Pigs on the Wing (8-Track Version) (1977)

Pink Floyd’s tenth studio album, Animals, was recorded in London, 1976 at the band’s newly constructed recording studio, Britannia Row Studios. Akin to George Orwell’s Animal Farm, the album was a collection of songs named after animals satirizing different social classes in 1970s England. The categories people were lumped into included pigs, dogs, and sheep; or, those in power, those who do the bidding, and those who sit idly by, respectively. The album was also meant to steer in a slightly new direction for the band, as they had recently become the victim of many jokes in the newly thriving punk rock movement. Considered “dinosaur rock” by younger people, Pink Floyd wanted to create an album a little harsher sounding than their previous works. Having been certified four times platinum, the album was a huge success on both sides of the Atlantic.

Besides the animal-related songs which made up the majority of the album, Animals also began and ended with the front and back halves of a love song written by Roger Waters about his new wife, Carolyne Christie, the ex-wife of Grateful Dead manager Rock Scully. Christie had gained Waters affections by being one of the few, if not only, people who could win an argument with Waters. As it was arranged, royalties for the album were given to the songwriters based on the total number of songs written and not their total length. Since this “song” was split apart on the album as two completely separate tracks, it created a bigger piece of the royalty pie for their author, Roger Waters. This didn’t sit well with the band’s David Gilmour, who had contributed a seventeen minute song, “Dogs.” This, among other frictions during the recording of Animals, proved to be the starting point for the strife that would eventually split the band apart.

At one point during the recording of the album, Roger Waters and Nick Mason accidentally erased a guitar solo by David Gilmour, recorded as the link between “Pigs on the Wing (Part I)” and “Pigs on the Wing (Part II),” which was still being treated as one song. Thinking they needed to replace it, the band asked non-Pink Floyd-member Snowy White to record a replacement guitar solo. Ultimately, it was decided that the song would be split apart for the beginning and ending of the album, as it’s now known. Because of this separation, the guitar solo became superfluous, omitted, and never appeared on the final version of the vinyl release. However, for unknown reasons, the album’s 8-track release not only kept the songs together, appearing as the opening track, but also kept the guitar solo by Snowy White. Below, you will hear the alternate 8-track version of the songs, back to back as one, with the inclusion of Snowy White’s rare guitar solo.



Pink Floyd - Pigs on the Wing (8-Track Version) (1977)

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Lyrics:

If you didn't care
What happened to me
And I didn't care
For you
We would zig zag our way
Through the boredom and pain
Occasionally glancing up through the rain
Wondering which of the buggers to blame
And watching for pigs on the wing

You know that I care
What happens to you
And I know that you care
For me, too
So, I don't feel alone
Or the weight of the stone
Now that I've found somewhere safe
To bury my bone
And any fool knows a dog needs a home
A shelter from pigs on the wing

The Monkees - Mommy and Daddy [Original Lyrics] (1969)

In early 1969, Peter Tork left The Monkees. He claimed his reason was exhaustion, but with rising tensions amongst the group members and his absence from the band lasting until 1986, it was probably much more than that. Continuing on without Tork, the remaining group members, Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz, and Michael Nesmith, created their seventh album, Instant Replay. In October 1969, their eighth studio album, The Monkees Present, was released. This eighth album would prove to be Nesmith’s last, as he had been working on creating a country-rock band called the First National Band. With The Monkees down to just Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz, they headed to New York in 1970 to create their ninth, and last, studio album. Titled Changes, the album was released in June 1970 to public indifference. Shortly after, the two remaining members lost the rights to the band’s name and their last single was credited to a (misspelled) “Mickey Dolenz and Davy Jones.” Although the band would reunite and record new albums in the years to come, this was the end of the initial incarnation of the band.

This song, written by Micky Dolenz, was considered far too edgy for 1969, let alone for the band’s innocuous appearance and reputation. The final version of the song, upon its initial release on the The Monkees Present album in 1969, had been stripped of numerous controversial verses which Dolenz had written. When the song was again released as the B-Side to the “Good Clean Fun” single, it was again only presented in its watered-down form. The particular version heard below is the demo recorded by Dolenz, Jones, and Nesmith, featuring all of the lyrics the author had initially written. Differences heard in this version that were missing on the album and single include references to the war in Vietnam, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, drug use, and sexual reproduction.



The Monkees - Mommy and Daddy [Original Lyrics] (1969)

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Lyrics:

Ask your mommy and daddy
“What happened to the Indian?”
Ask your mommy and daddy
To tell you where you really came from
Then mommy and daddy
Will probably quickly turn and walk away
Then ask your mommy and daddy
“Who really killed J.F.K.?”

Ask your mommy
If she really gets off on all her pills
Ask your daddy
“Why doesn't that soldier care who he kills?”
After they've put you to sleep
And tucked you safely down in your bed
Whisper, “Mommy and daddy”
“Would it matter if the bullet went through my head?”

“If it was my blood spilling on the kitchen floor?”
“If it was my blood, mommy, would you care a little more?”
Don't be surprised when they turn and start to cry

And tell your mommy and daddy
(Tell your mommy and daddy)
Scream it to your mommy and daddy
They're living in a lie, lie, lie
It's all a lie, it’s all a lie
Lie, lie, lie
It’s all- it’s all- it’s all
Lie, lie, lie
It’s all a lie
Lie, lie, lie
It’s all a lie, lie, lie
Lie, lie, lie…

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…

Cannibal & the Headhunters - Land of 1000 Dances (1965)

Founded in 1963, this East Los Angeles, California group was one of the first Mexican-American groups in the United States to have a hit record (heard below). Originally known as Bobby and the Classics, the band was formed by Richard “Scar” Lopez and Robert “Rabbit” Jaramillo. According to an interview with Lopez, everyone in East L.A. had nicknames. Eventually joining the group were Robert’s brother, Joe “Yo Yo” Jaramillo and Frankie “Cannibal” Garcia. Frankie had been given his nickname by the neighborhood after having been in a few neighborhood fights and biting his opponent. He was actually known by friends as “Little Cannibal,” whereas his older brother was “Big Cannibal.” After Garcia joined the band, they began to call themselves Cannibal and the Headhunters. 1965 saw the band release their one and only hit, heard below, which led to the band opening for The Beatles on their 1965 (last ever) tour that ended at Shea Stadium. Although the band had an opportunity to tour Europe with Motown Records, they chose to tour with the fab four and spent quite a lot of time with them on the plane. By 1967, with no other hits to their name, the band called it quits. “Cannibal” Garcia, who happened to be a homosexual, died of AIDS in 1996 at the age of 49. “Yo Yo” Jaramillio passed away in 2000 after his liver shutdown from a lifetime of too much drinking. Most, “Scar” Lopez passed away on July 30, 2010 from lung cancer.

Written by Chris Kenner, this song was first released by Kenner himself in 1962 as a slow blues song. To bring the song into the spotlight, Fats Domino was approached to record the song in 1963; and, he agreed under the stipulation that he would be given half of the writing credits (he didn’t actually write any of it). The song didn’t really take off, though, until the band above decided to record it in 1965. Lead singer Cannibal forgot some of the words and the very catchy “na, na na na na…” hook was inserted in their place. The version heard below was then covered in 1966 by Wilson Pickett, who decided to fashion his version of the song on Cannibal’s. Pickett’s version became the most successful version of the song, reaching number one on the R&B charts and number six on the pop charts. The version heard below reached number thirty in early 1965.



Cannibal & the Headhunters - Land of 1000 Dances (1965)

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Lyrics:

I said, “Na, na na na na, na na na na, na na na, na na na”
“Na na na na”

You gotta know how to Pony
Like Bony Moronie
You gotta know how to Twist
I said, “It goes like this”

I said, “Mashed Potato”
Do The Alligator
I said, “Billy, get your yo-yo”
Come on and let's go

And then clap your hands
(Come on)
Just clap your hands
(Come on)
And then move your feet
(Come on)
Get into that beat
(Come on)

I said, “Na, na na na na, na na na na, na na na, na na na”
“Na na na na”

Everybody, come on now
(Na, na na na na, na na na na, na na na, na na na)
(Na na na na)

Yes, and one more time
(Na, na na na na, na na na na, na na na, na na na)
(Na na na na)

You gotta know how to Jerk
(Oh, yeah)
Come on, baby, work
You gotta know how to Jangle
Make you do The Tango

I said, “Do The Watusi”
Come on and do The Watusi

I said, “Goodbye Lucy”
I said, “Goodbye child”
I said, “Wa-Watusi”…

John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers - Parchman Farm (1966)

Originally formed in 1963, this band’s name has been the general name given to the work of John Mayall and the musicians playing with him at any given time. It’s said that more than one hundred varying lineups have existed from 1963 to the present, 2013. Notable members of the band have included Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce (who later co-formed Cream together), Peter Green and John McVie (who later co-formed Fleetwood Mac with Mick Fleetwood), Mick Taylor (who would later join The Rolling Stones), and Hughie Flint (who later co-formed McGuinness Flint). When Eric Clapton left The Yardbirds in February 1965 to pursue the blues, it was this band in which he found an outlet. Clapton joined in April 1965, after the release of the band’s first album, but they were soon dropped by their label, Decca, later that same year. In 1966, the band was resigned to Decca and they released their second album, Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton, in July. The same month of the album’s release, Clapton went to a Buddy Guy concert and was influenced to try and form a power trio, what would eventually become Cream. Although Clapton would never rejoin this band, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers would continue on until their first official breakup in 1967. The band reformed in 1982 and lasted another twenty-four years before again calling it quits in 2008. As of 2009, the band still remains active.

Many traditional blues songs have been written about the Mississippi State Penitentiary, nicknamed Parchman Farm, under this song title. In 1957, inspired by all of those songs, Mose Allison wrote a song of the same name and theme using different lyrics. The version heard below is a cover of Allison’s song, released by John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers on their album, Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton, in July 1966. The song has also been covered by The Kingston Trio, Blue Cheer, Rick Derringer, Hot Tuna, and many others.



John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers - Parchman Farm (1966)

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Lyrics:

Well I'm sittin’ over here on Parchman Farm
I'm sittin’ over here on Parchman Farm
I'm sittin’ over here on Parchman Farm
Ain't ever done no man no harm

Well I'm puttin’ that cotton in an eleven foot sack
Well I'm puttin’ that cotton in an eleven foot sack
Well I'm puttin’ that cotton in an eleven foot sack
With a twelve-gauge shotgun at my back

I'm sittin’ over here on Parchman Farm
I'm sittin’ over here on Parchman Farm
Well I'm sittin’ over here on Parchman Farm
Ain't ever done no man no harm

Koobas - The First Cut Is the Deepest (1968)

As mentioned in our previous post featuring this band, the Koobas were signed by The Beatles’ manager, Brian Epstein, in 1964. The members had first gotten together in 1962, exiting from other Liverpool bands such as The Thunderbeats and The Midnighters. They originally used the spelling “Kubas,” but changed to the spelling seen above prior to their signing. The band filmed a scene as the losing band in a Battle of the Bands competition for the 1965 film Ferry Cross the Mersey, featuring Gerry & the Pacemakers, but the scene was cut from the final take. Despite playing popular live shows, getting great reviews in the papers, and opening for bands such as The Who, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, and The Beatles, the band never made a single dent in any charts. In one last ditch effort in late 1968, EMI-Columbia allowed the band to record a full length album, Koobas. It was made up of the group’s earlier R&B sound with their new-found penchant for psychedelia, but failed commercially when released in early 1969. Whatever chance the band had to promote the album with a tour was gone when the band broke up nearly as soon as the album was finished.

Written by Cat Stephens, this song was first recorded and released by P. P. Arnold in the spring of 1967. It was also recorded by Stephens himself and released in December of 1967. This band’s version, released in early 1968, was the closest thing the band ever had to making a dent in the charts. Unfortunately, their release of the song was completely overshadowed by the version put out by P. P. Arnold and it never made it to the charts. Since, the song has been covered by numerous artists, including Rod Stewart and, separately, Sheryl Crow.

If you like the track below, listen to "Where Are the Friends?" from the group's only album, Koobas.



Koobas - The First Cut Is the Deepest (1968)

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Lyrics:

I would have given you all of my heart
But somebody else has torn it apart
And they've taken almost all that I've got
But if you want, I'll try to love again
Baby, I'll try to love again 'cause I know

The first cut is the deepest
Baby, I know
The first cut is the deepest

And when it comes to bein’ lucky, she's first
When it comes to lovin' me, she's worst
But when it comes to bein' loved, she's first
That's how I know

The first cut is the deepest
Baby, I know
The first cut is the deepest

I still want you by my side
Just to help me dry the tears that I've cried
And I'm sure gonna give you a try
And if you want, I'll try to love again
Baby, I'll try to love again 'cause I know

The first cut is the deepest
Baby, I know
The first cut is the deepest

And when it comes to bein’ lucky, she's first
When it comes to lovin' me, she's worst
But when it comes to bein' loved, she's first
That's how I know

The first cut is the deepest
Baby, I know
The first cut is the deepest
Baby, I know, yeah

Donovan - Catch the Wind (1965)

Born Donovan Phillips Leitch on May 10th, 1946, this Scottish singer had already reached local fame around the British folk circles and pubs before getting his record deal with Pye in 1964. Although his demo tape revealed a style that resembled Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan, his first official release, What’s Bin Did and What’s Bin Hid, showed a style that was branching out and becoming his own. To his own dismay, Pye began to market him as “the Brittish answer to Bob Dylan,” which led to some believing he wasn’t much more than an imposter. Donovan was able to shed this image, however, becoming one of the first British artists to take on the flower power image. He also began releasing psychedelically-influenced songs like “Sunshine Superman” and “Hurdy Gurdy Man,” which we previously featured. The turn of the decade saw him end his long partnership with famed producer Mickie Most and take a self-imposed exile to Greece for six months. Attempting to redefine and rediscover himself, the music he made upon his return and thereafter began to lose popularity with the public. In more recent years, Donovan has been consistently touring around the UK, performing at festivals, and lending his music and his voice to cartoons such as The Simpsons and Futurama. Most recently, he was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 14th, 2012.

Released on Pye Records and written by Donovan himself, this song was Donovan’s first single and first national success. The single version of the song, released first, contained an echo over the singing and a string section in the background that would later be omitted when the song was re-recorded for his What’s Bin Did and What’s Bin Hid album (that album was later renamed Catch the Wind). As a single, the song was backed with the B-Side “Why Do You Treat Me Like You Do?,” released on March 12th, 1965, and reached number twenty-three in the US and number four in the UK. The lesser-known album version, heard below, features a harmonica solo near the end that is not found on the single version.



Donovan - Catch the Wind (1965)

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Lyrics:

In the chilly hours and minutes
Of uncertainty
I want to be
In the warm hold of your lovin' mind

To feel you all around me
And to take your hand
Along the sand
Ah, but I may as well try and catch the wind

When sundown pales the sky
I want to hide a while
Behind your smile
And everywhere I'd look, your eyes I'd find

For me to love you now
Would be the sweetest thing
t’would make me sing
Ah, but I may as well try and catch the wind

When rain has hung the leaves with tears
I want you near
To kill my fears
To help me to leave all my blues behind

Standin' in your heart
Is where I want to be
And long to be
Ah, but I may as well try and catch the wind

Ah, but I may as well try and catch the wind

John Denver - Babe, I Hate to Go [Demo] (1966)

Born Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. in 1943, this American singer and songwriter began his musical career by singing folk music in the late 1960s. With a penchant for nature, the acoustic guitar, and his adopted home of Colorado, he wrote and sang his way toward four platinum albums and twelve gold albums with signature songs such as “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” “Annie’s Song,” “Sunshine on My Shoulders,” “Rocky Mountain High,” and more. Later, in the ‘70s and ‘80s, he branched out into small television acting roles and fighting for charitable causes. An avid pilot, his life ended prematurely at the age of fifty-three after crashing an experimental plane he was flying on October 12, 1997. As one of the most popular artists in the 1970s, he had released a total of thirty studio albums, eight live albums, and numerous singles.

Although this song is most associated with Peter, Paul and Mary for their version released as a single in 1969, it was originally written and recorded in 1966 by today’s artist. Back in ‘66, a few years before becoming famous, John Denver recorded a long list of folk songs on a demo, many of which were covers and some of which were originals, such as this one. That same year, he took the songs and used his own money to have 250 records pressed onto vinyl for distribution to his friends and family, naming it John Denver Sings. Later renamed “Leaving on a Jet Plane,” this song made such a large impression on Peter, Paul and Mary, that they recorded the song for their 1967 album, Album 1700. In the same month, the song was re-recorded and released by Denver for his debut 1969 album Rhymes & Reasons. This version is the earliest known recording.



John Denver - Babe, I Hate to Go [Demo] (1966)

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Lyrics:

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go
I'm standing here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
But the dawn is breaking, it's early morn'
The taxi's waiting, he's blowin' his horn
Already I'm so lonesome I could die

So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
'cause I'm leavin’ on a jet plane
Don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go

There's so many times I've let you down
So many times I've played around
I tell you now, they don't mean a thing
Every place I go, I'll think of you
Every song I sing, I'll sing for you
When I come back, I'll bring your wedding ring

So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
'cause I'm leavin’ on a jet plane
Don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go

Now the time has come to leave you
One more time, let me kiss you
Then close your eyes and I'll be on my way
Dream about the days to come
When I won't have to leave alone
About the times I won't have to say

Kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
'cause I'm leavin’ on a jet plane
Don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go

Well, I'm leavin' on a jet plane
Don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go

The Ventures - Walk, Don't Run (1960)

In 1958, Bob Bogle went looking for a new car in Seattle, Washington. At a local car lot, he met the son of an auto-dealer, Don Wilson. The two found a mutual interest in guitars and music and soon began playing at parties, in clubs, and in bars as The Versatones. Eventually renaming themselves to the moniker seen above, the group only performed instrumental songs, more often than not of the surf variety. All in all, thirty-eight of their albums charted in the US; fourteen of their singles charted (with six of them being in the Top 40); and three of their singles made it into the Top 10. They were number six in the 1960s for total number of albums sold and have the distinct honor of being the best-selling instrumental group of all time. Bob Bogle passed away in 2009 at the age of seventy-five.

Inspired by the traditional song “Softly, As in the Morning Sunrise,” this song was originally written and recorded by jazz guitarist Johnny Smith in 1954. When recorded by this band in the fall of 1960 as a surf tune, it quickly became a hit in both the US and the UK. It reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and was later revisited by the group in 1964, calling the later version “Walk, Don’t Run ’64.” Despite more than a dozen artists covering this song, this version remains the mostly widely known.



The Ventures - Walk, Don't Run (1960)

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Lyrics:

(instrumental)

Jerry Garcia and David Grisman - Friend of the Devil [Live] (1991)

Although he would never concede that the Grateful Dead had an official leader, Jerry Garcia was definitely the frontman leading the band. As the group’s lead guitarist and primary singer/songwriter, he led the Dead through thirteen studio albums, nine live albums, and over thirty years of successful music making. He’s been featured as a guest artist on a “who’s who” list of famous names, formed numerous successful side bands, and even put out an extensive solo library. His life was cut short by a heart attack related to years of drug abuse, but his legacy left an imprint far larger than anything that could be summarized here.

Given the nickname “Dawg” by Garcia in 1970, David Grisman has been in numerous groups since the age of eighteen. From the Even Dozen Jug Band in the Greenwich Village folk scene to the psychedelic rock group known as Earth Opera, he has always dabbled in various musical endeavors. In 1990, he founded a record label, Acoustic Disc, in an attempt to widen the popularity of folk, bluegrass, and acoustic music.

Originally released on the Grateful Dead’s 1970 album, American Beauty, this song’s music was written by Jerry Garcia and John Dawson, while the lyrics were written by Robert Hunter. After laying the original down, Robert Hunter was quoted as stating, “that was the closest we've come to what may be a classic song.” And as it turns out, it’s one of the Dead’s most covered songs, being performed by artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Elvis Costello, and many more. This version is from a soundtrack based on a documentary, Grateful Dawg, about the friendship between Jerry Garcia and David Grisman. The actual recording of the song was taken at the Warfield Theater in San Francisco, California on December 7th, 1991.



Jerry Garcia and David Grisman - Friend of the Devil [Live] (1991)

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Lyrics:

I let out from Reno
I was trailed by twenty hounds
Didn’t get to sleep that night
‘til the morning came around
Set out runnin’
But I take my time
A friend of the devil is a friend of mine
If I get home before daylight
I just might get some sleep tonight

Ran into the devil, babe
He loaned twenty bills
Spent the night in Utah
In a cave up in the hills
Set out runnin’
But I take my time
A friend of the devil is a friend of mine
If I get home before daylight
I just might get some sleep tonight

Ran into the levee
But the devil caught me there
Took my twenty dollar bill
And vanished in the air
Set out runnin’
But I take my time
A friend of the devil is a friend of mine
If I get home before daylight
I just might get some sleep tonight

Got two reasons why I cry
Away each lonely night
The first ones named sweet Anne Marie
And she's my hearts delight
The second one is prison, babe
The sheriff’s on my trail
And if he catches up with me
You know I'll spend my life in jail

Got a wife in Chino, babe
And one in Cherokee
First one says she got my child
But it don't look like me
Set out runnin’
But I take my time
A friend of the devil is a friend of mine
If I get home before daylight
I just might get some sleep tonight

Got two reasons why I cry
Away each lonely night
The first ones named sweet Anne Marie
And she's my hearts delight
The second one is prison, babe
The sheriff’s on my trail
And if he catches up with me
You know I'll spend my life in jail

Got a wife in Chino, babe
And one in Cherokee
First one says she got my child
But it don't look like me
Set out runnin’
But I take my time
A friend of the devil is a friend of mine
If I get home before daylight
I just might get some sleep tonight

Dale Hawkins - Susie Q (1957)

Born Delmar Allen Hawkins in Louisiana 1936, this pioneering rock and roll artist is credited with creating the blueprints for what would become swamp rock, as popularized by bands such as Creedence Clearwater Revival. He himself was said to be influenced by Elvis Presley and the guitar arrangements of Scotty Moore. Although he created music for much of his life, he was also a record producer, notably producing The Five American’s “Western Union”. His cousin, equally famed for pioneering swamp rock, is Ronnie Hawkins of Ronnie Hawkins & The Hawks.

Chosen by The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the “500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll,” this song was completely written and first recorded by today’s artist. Upon release, however, writing credits were split between Hawkins, Stan Lewis (the owner of the Jewel/Paula Records label), and Eleanor Broadwater (the wife of Nashville DJ Gene Nobles) for the purpose of sharing royalties. The guitarist on the song was James Burton, who is famed for working with some of rock and rolls biggest names. The song was perhaps most famously covered by Creedence Clearwater Revival for their self-titled debut album in 1968.



Dale Hawkins - Susie Q (1957)

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Lyrics:

Oh, Susie Q
Oh, Susie Q
Oh, Susie Q
How I love you
My Susie Q

I like the way you walk
I like the way you talk
I like the way you walk
I like the way you talk
My Susie Q

Oh, Susie Q
Oh, Susie Q
Oh, Susie Q
Baby, I love you
My Susie Q

Well, say that you'll be true
Well, say that you'll be true
Well, say that you'll be true
And never leave me blue
My Susie Q

Oh, Susie Q
Oh, Susie Q
Oh, Susie Q
How I love you
My Susie Q

Blue Cheer - Summertime Blues (1968)

The origin of this band is rather messy. Three friends from Davis, California, who desired to be a part of the 1960s music scene, moved to San Francisco where it was "all happening." Once there, they got together with other artists and intended to create a blues rock band. However, after seeing Jimi Hendrix perform at the Monterey Pop Festival in the summer of 1967, there was a desire to become a power trio. What eventually resulted was Dickie Peterson, Leigh Stephens, and Paul Whaley naming themselves after a street brand of LSD created by Owsley Stanley, called Blue Cheer. (You can hear a song about Stanley by the Grateful Dead here).

The group’s first album, Vincebus Eruptum, featured a hard psychedelic rock fused with blues, which would later be noted as one of the first-ever heavy metal albums. Although personnel in the band began to shift as early as 1969, the band didn’t officially break up until 1971, only to regroup in multiple incarnations since. Now, the band is historically remembered as being pioneers of the heavy metal genre as well as influencing the grunge genre of the early ‘90s.

Co-written and originally recorded by rock and roll pioneer Eddie Cochran in 1958, this song has been notably covered by The Who, Alan Jackson, The Beach Boys, and others. The version by this band, recorded in 1967 and released in January 1968, has been argued as the very first heavy metal song, beating Iron Butterfly’s “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” and Steppenwolf’s "Born to Be Wild" by six months. It’s also remembered as being the first heavy metal song to ever make the pop charts, reaching number fourteen in the US, three in Canada, and two in the Netherlands. It appeared on the band's first album, Vincebus Eruptum and omitted the "response" lyrics found in the original for solos.



Blue Cheer - Summertime Blues (1968)

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Lyrics:

Well, Lord, I got to raise a fuss, Lord, I got to raise a holler
About a'workin' on Sunday just to try to earn a dollar
Well, Lord, I try to call my baby 'bout tryin' to get a date

Sometimes I wonder what I'm a'gonna do
Lord, there ain't no cure for the summertime blues

Well, my mom my poppa told me, "Son, you gotta make some money"
Well, "If you wanna use the car to go ridin' next Sunday"
Well, Lord I didn't go to work, I told the boss I was sick
He said

Sometimes I wonder what I'm a'gonna do
Lord, there ain't no cure for the summertime blues

I've got to take three weeks, I've got to have a fine vacation
I've got to take my problem to the United Nation
I done told my Congressmen and he said, quote
Dig this, boy

Sometimes I wonder what I'm a'gonna do
Lord, there ain't no cure for the summertime blues

I've got to take three weeks, I've got to have a fine vacation
I've got to take my problem to the United Nation
I done told my Congressmen and he said, quote
Dig this, boy

Sometimes I wonder what I'm a'gonna do
Lord, there ain't no cure for the summertime blues

Woah! Ain't no cure

The Byrds - Goin' Back (1967)

Originally known as The Jet Set, this band was eventually inspired to use an unconventional spelling for their finalized name by The Beatles. From their cover songs, such as Pete Seeger’s “Turn! Turn! Turn! (to Everything There is a Season)” and Bob Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man,” to the tracks they penned themselves, they put together some of the most memorable songs to come out of the 1960s. Becoming one of the top selling acts for a brief period, they also saw their individual members go on to continue great things after the end of the band. David Crosby, for instance, went on to co-create Crosby, Stills & Nash, while nearly all of the other members had successful solo careers. An attempt to summarize the intricate history of this band, their music, and its members in this small space would more than likely not be possible. Their work has inspired countless other artists and their music continues to help define the 1960s.

This is the song that split The Byrds apart. Written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King in 1966, it was a bit slower and a slightly bit more country than what the band had normally been putting out. David Crosby didn’t like it at all. He disliked it even more after finding out that it was considered over “Triad,” a song he had written, for their upcoming album. With tensions getting high, Crosby was fired from the group and this song was released as a single (in 1967). It also later appeared on the band’s 1968 album The Notorious Byrd Brothers. The song has been recorded and released by man artists, including Dusty Springfield, Nils Lofgren, The Move, Diana Ross, Bon Jovi, Phil Collins, The Pretenders, and many others.



The Byrds - Goin' Back (1967)

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Lyrics:

I think I'm goin' back
To the things I learned so well in my youth
I think I'm returning to
Those days when I was young enough to know the truth
Now there are no games
To only pass the time
No more electric trains
No more trees to climb
But thinking young and growing older is no sin
And I can play the game of life to win

I can recall a time
When I wasn't ashamed to reach out to a friend
Now I think I've got
A lot more than just my toys to lend
Now there's more to do
Than watch my sailboat glide
But every day can be
A magic carpet ride
A little bit of courage is all we lack
So catch me if you can
I'm goin' back

Now there's more to do
Than watch my sailboat glide
But every day can be
A magic carpet ride
A little bit of courage is all we lack
So catch me if you can
I'm goin' back

The Golliwogs - Walking on the Water (1966)

A concise, summarized history of this group can be found on the page “The Blue Velvets – Oh My Love (1961),” as The Blue Velvets was this group’s initial name as early as 1959.

While using the name featured in this post, the band released seven singles for Fantasy Records. One of the co-owners of Fantasy, Max Weiss, had originally renamed them from The Blue Velvets to The Visions, but just before their single was released for Fantasy in November 1964, he had changed it to The Golliwogs, referencing a rather politically incorrect (and popular) doll from the late 19th century. Although none of the singles did well in San Francisco (where they had been released), one of them did rather well in Miami, FL.

In December 1967, the group changed their name yet again, this final time to Creedence Clearwater Revival, which, coincidentally can be read about and heard at our previous post, “Creedence Clearwater Revival – Penthouse Pauper (1969)”.

This song, coming from their Golliwogs era, was recorded in August 1966 and released in September 1966 on the Scorpio label. It was later rerecorded and released on their first album under the CCR name and renamed to “Walk on the Water.” Personally, I prefer this earlier version. Comparatively, this version is roughly a minute and a half shorter.



The Golliwogs - Walking on the Water (1966)

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Lyrics:

Late last night, I went for a walk
Down by the river near my home
Couldn't believe- with my own eyes
And I swear I'll never leave my home again

I saw a man walking on the water
Coming right at me from the other side
Calling out my name, "Do not be afraid"
Feet begin to run, pounding in my brain

I don't want to go, I don't want to go
No, no, no, no, no, I don't want to go

Late last night, I saw a man
Comin’ right at me
Comin’ right at me
I saw him walk, walk, walk
I saw him walk, walk, walk
I saw him walk, walk, walk, walk, walk

The Great Society - White Rabbit [Live] (1966)

Formed in 1965, this band was named after a set of domestic programs initiated by President Lyndon B. Johnson in the fall of the same year. Inspired by The Beatles and newly emerging Jefferson Airplane, the group was initially composed of Grace Slick, her then-husband Darby Slick, and Darby’s brother, Jerry Slick. The group debuted at the Coffee Gallery on October 15th, 1966 in San Francisco, and released one single on Autumn Records. That single featured the A-Side “Someone to Love” and the B-Side “Free Advice.” “Free Advice” reportedly took over fifty attempts before getting a decent take and caused their producer, the then-unknown Sly Stone, to walk out on them. The A-Side, “Someone to Love,” written by Darby Slick, was taken by Grace when she parted with the group to join Jefferson Airplane. Renamed to “Somebody to Love,” the song propelled Grace and her new band to international stardom. Quite oppositely, Grace’s decision to join Jefferson Airplane directly resulted in this group’s demise.

Written in only one hour in either late 1965 or early 1966 by Grace, this song is widely remembered for its rendition performed by Jefferson Airplane. However, it too, was written when Grace was still a member of The Great Society. Later in 1966, when Jefferson Airplane’s first singer, Signe Toly Anderson, decided to leave the music business to raise a family, Jefferson Airplane approached Grace and asked her to join their band. Admiring how professional the group was in comparison to her current gig, Slick agreed and took this song with her. Although this early version of the song wasn’t released as a single or on a full-length album by The Great Society, it was recorded by the band at The Matrix club in 1966, along with eight other tracks. All of these tracks were later released on a 1968 live album, titled Conspicuous Only in Its Absence, which was Columbia Records’ attempt to cash in on Grace’s international stardom with Jefferson Airplane after their 1967 album, Surrealistic Pillow, which featured new versions of both “Someone to Love” and this song.

This early version of the song has a great, long instrumental in the beginning. If you're only familiar with the Jefferson Airplane version, it probably won't sound familiar until you reach the 4:22 mark. The song features Grace Slick playing an oboe.



The Great Society - White Rabbit [Live] (1966)

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Lyrics:

One pill makes you larger
And one pill makes you small
And the ones that mother gives you
Don't do anything at all
Go ask Alice
When she's ten feet tall

And if you go chasing rabbits
And you know you're going to fall
Tell 'em a hookah smoking caterpillar
Has given you the call
To call Alice
When she was just small

When the men on the chessboard
Get up and tell you where to go
And you've just had some kind of mushroom
And your mind is moving slow
Go ask Alice
I think she'll know

When logic and proportion
Have fallen sloppy dead
And the White Knight’s talking backwards
And the Red Queen's “Off with her head!”
Remember what the doormouse said
“Feed your head!”
“Feed your head!”

Thank you, be back later.

Big Brother and the Holding Company - Down On Me (1967)

Peter Albin had been playing with future Grateful Dead members Jerry Garcia and Ron McKerman through whom he met Sam Andrew. The pair decided to start a band and picked up guitarist James Gurley and eventually drummer David Getz (who had replaced their first drummer, Chuck Jones). After achieving a decent amount of successs in the Haight-Ashbury section of San Francisco, the group’s manager, Chet Helms, suggested they try a singer he knew of in Texas: Janis Joplin. After arriving, the group wasn’t thrilled with Joplin’s singing style compared to the direction they wanted to take their music, but Joplin’s style eventually won out and the group’s popularity skyrocketed.

A traditional song from the 1920s, this song was first recorded by Deacon Leon Davis and His Congregation in 1926 under the title, “Everybody’s Down On Me”. This particular recording by today’s artist was rearranged by Joplin and first released during the Summer of Love on the group’s debut self-titled album. Joplin also added new lyrics, essentially making the song her own. A live version would later be released in 1973 on the album titled Janis Joplin’s Greatest Hits.



Big Brother and the Holding Company - Down On Me (1967)

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Lyrics:

Down on me
Down on me
Looks like everybody in this whole round world
They're down on me

Love in this world is so hard to find
When you've got yours and I got mine
That's why it looks like everybody in this whole round world
They're down on me

Saying they're down on me
Down on me
Looks like everybody in this whole round world
Down on me

When you see a hand that's held out toward you
Give it some love, someday it may be you
That's why it looks like everybody in this whole round world
They're down on me, yeah

Oh, Lord, they're down on me
Down on me, oh
Looks like everybody in this whole round world
Is down on me

Believe in your brother, have faith in man
Help each other, honey, if you can
Because it looks like everybody in this whole round world
Is down on me

I'm saying they're down on me
All down on me, oh
It looks like everybody in this whole round world
Down on me

The Wild Vybrashons - A Place in the Sun (1969)

Having only released one single, this band from Birmingham, Alabama was lucky enough to have two local radio DJs arrange their songs for them. Naturally, the record received heavy local airplay from the DJs and the group’s A-Side, heard below, rose to number one on the local station, WSGN. Band members included Chuck Terpo, Vern Reeves, Harford Capps, Mark Papsian, and Al Lovoy. Lovoy had replaced the group’s previous original singer, an unidentified female. The B-Side to their single was a cover of “One Track Mind,” which had previously been released by Gary Lewis & The Playboys, The Knickerbockers, and The Gants, possibly among others.

This song, the group’s A-Side, was written by Ronald Miller and Bryan Wells, and originally performed by Stevie Wonder in 1966. Besides this version recorded by today's group, it has also been covered by such famous names as The Supremes, The Temptations, The Young Rascals, and others.



The Wild Vybrashons - A Place in the Sun (1969)

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Lyrics:

Like a long lonely stream
I keep on runnin' towards a dream
Movin' on, movin' on
Like a branch on a tree
I keep reachin' to be free
Movin' on (Movin’ on)
Movin' on (Movin’ on)

'cause there's a place in the sun
Where there's hope for everyone
Where my poor restless heart's gotta run
There's a place in the sun
And before my life is done
I got to find me a place in the sun

Like an old dusty road
I get weary from the load
Movin' on (Movin’ on)
Movin' on (Movin’ on)
The child, child troubled
I've been rollin' since my birth
Movin' on (Movin’ on)
Movin' on (Movin’ on)

‘cause there's a place in the sun
Where there's hope for everyone
Where my poor restless heart gotta run
There's a place in the sun
And before my life is done
I’ve got to find me a place in the sun

You know, when times are bad
And you're feeling sad
I want you to always remember that

There's a place
It’s up in the sun, yeah
Where you know there’s hope- hope for everyone
Where my poor restless heart gotta run
There's a place in the sun
And before my life is done
I’ve just got to find me a place
In the sun

Whoa, I, oh, I, oh, I
Oh, I, aww
Yes, there’s a place
In the sun
And before my life is done
I’ve just got to find me a place
In the sun

The Wailers - No Woman, No Cry [Demo] (1973)

In 1973, The Wailers were gathering increasingly larger crowds during a tour across England. The main members, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer, received no money for their “promotional” tour and were soon expected to do the same in the seedy nightclubs of the United States. Bunny refused. Hoping his friends would join him in his refusal, he was disappointed to find that Tosh and Marley were going to carry on with the group’s tutor, Joe Higgs, in his place. Shortly after the tour ended, Tosh parted ways with the group as well. He felt Chris Blackwell, the group’s producer, was ripping them off. He also felt that after twelve years of primarily being a backing vocalist, he wasn’t able to materialize the lyrics, music, and emotion that had built up inside of him. Bob Marley continued the group as Bob Marley & The Wailers with his new backing vocalists, The I-Threes.

The original version of this song was released on the 1974 album, Natty Dread. Although it was the first record to be released without Tosh and Bunny, this demo version of this particular song still features Peter Tosh on piano. The female backing vocalists are unknown. Written by Bob Marley, the writing credits were officially given to Vincent Ford, a soup kitchen owner in the Kingston ghetto known as Trenchtown. Marley gave rights to Ford so that he could collect the song’s royalties and continue to feed the starving people in Kingston, Jamaica.

The title is often misinterpreted as meaning “no woman equals no crying;” but, in actuality, the singer is telling a woman, “no, woman, don’t cry”. The confusion arises from the Jamaican slang for “don’t,” pronounced “nuh”. So when the title was being listed, “no, woman, nuh cry,” it was confusingly written as “No Woman, No Cry”.



The Wailers - No Woman, No Cry [Demo] (1973)

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Lyrics:

No, woman, no cry
No, woman, no cry
No, woman, no cry
No, woman, no cry

‘cause, ‘cause
‘cause I remember when we used to sit
In a government yard in Trenchtown
Oba- observing the hypocrites
Yeah
Mingle with the good people we meet
Yeah
Good friends we have, oh, good friends we have lost
Along the way
(Yeah) Yeah
In this great future, you can’t forget your past
So dry your tears, I say
Yeah

No, woman, no cry
No, woman, no cry
Hey, yeah
A’little darlin’, don’t shed no tears
No, woman, no cry

Hey, said, said
Said I remember when we used to sit
In the government yard in Trenchtown
Yeah
And then Georgie would make the fire lights
I say, a’log wood burnin' through the night
Yeah
Then we would cook corn meal porridge
I say, of which I'll share with you
Yeah
My feet is my only carriage
And so I've got to push on through
But while I'm gone

Everything's gonna be alright
Everything's gonna be alright
Everything's gonna be alright
Everything's gonna be alright
Everything's gonna be alright
Everything's gonna be alright
Everything's gonna be alright
Everything's gonna be alright

So, no, woman, no cry
No, woman, no cry
I say, oh little- oh little darlin’, don't shed no tears
No, woman, no cry
Hey

No, woman- no, woman- no, woman, no cry
No, woman, no cry
One more time, I’ve got to say
Oh, little- little darling, please don’t shed no tears
No, woman, no cry

(Hey, little sister) No, woman
It’s his voice
No, woman, no cry
(No, woman, no cry)

I promise you
(Hey, little sister)
Everything’s gonna be alright
(Don’t shed no tears)
Everything’s gonna be alright
Everything’s gonna be alright
(No, woman, no cry)
Everything’s gonna be alright
Everything’s gonna be alright
Everything’s gonna be alright
Everything’s gonna be alright, hey
(Everything’s) gonna be alright
Everything’s gonna be alright
Everything’s gonna be alright
(Everything’s…)