The Morning Glories - Love-In (1967)

Based on the west coast of the USA, this band only ever released one single, or, two songs. They featured Jimmy Griffin, Robb Royer, who were also the band’s songwriters, and other unknown musicians. Although the music released by the band was heavy in the sunshine pop-genre, it was unfortunately very short-lived. Having lasted only around one year, the group split when Griffin and Royer brought their musicianship and songwriting talents to their next joint band, Bread. Uniting with David Gates in 1968 to form the band Bread, Griffin and Royer would go on to reach great success as a “soft rock” outfit in the ‘70s. Although Bread came and went, Royer and Griffin continued to write songs together until 2005, when Jimmy Griffin passed away.

This song has writing credits attributed to Jimmy Griffin, “TS Farthingsworth XIV,” and “le Blanc.” Although there is no way to verify that Farthingsworth or le Blanc are pseudonyms, the ridiculousness of at least “Farthingsworth” seems that they would be. Given that Griffin and Royer usually wrote songs together, it raises the question if Royer felt the need to hide behind a pseudonym for the writing credits of this song. Perhaps le Blanc was another member of the band?

In any case, the song was released in 1967 and featured the B-Side “You’re So Young.” It never charted, but it did find new life when released on the 2004 compilation album Come to the Sunshine: Pop Nuggets from the WEA Vaults.

Update 01/22/2015: John Linquist, in the comments, informed us that the "TS Farthingsworth XIV" was actually "T.X. Farthingsworth XIV," and a pseudonym for Robb Royer. Also, the "le Blanc" was Eddie LeBlanc, who would go on to become an author under the name Tim Hallinan. For more, see John's comment below this post.



The Morning Glories - Love-In (1967)

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Lyrics:

Come along with me
And you’ll see
Such a fine display
Of paisley fantasy
Just like Piccadilly Square

Try to find your shades
Weave your braids
Paint a flower on ya
Come along with me
And we’ll go directly there

Just before we go
You should know
What’s expected of you
Lying on the grass
We can talk to the trees

Mellow-yellow dreams
Make it seem
Like a carousel
Revolving slowly
Let me show you
If you go

I’ll take you to the love-in
We’ll happen at the love-in
At the love-in

Let me show you
It’ll blow you
If you go
I’ll take you to the-

Sitting in the weeds
Wearing beads
Pass the pipe around
And share it with your friends
Who were strangers before

If I had my way
Every day
It would be just like the love-in

Sitting in the weeds
Wearing beads
Pass the pipe around
And share it with your friends
Who were strangers before

If I had my way
Every day
It would be just like the love-in

Love-in
(Loving you)
Love-in
(Loving you)

Love-in
Let me take you to the love-in
We’ll happen at the love-in

Love-in
Let me take you to the love-in
We’ll happen at the love-in…

Bread - Truckin' (1971)

One of the original “soft rock” bands, this Los Angeles, California group was first created when guitarist and vocalist James "Jimmy" Griffin hired David Gates to produce his next solo album. What developed instead was a band, dubbed “Bread,” in 1968. Adding guitarist and vocalist Robb Royer to the mix, the trio signed with Elektra Records and saw the release of their first album in September 1969. Although the album produced no hits, it gathered the group a following. Their highest charting single was “Make It With You,” released June 13, 1970, reaching number one in the United States and number five in the United Kingdom. None of their other hits would ever chart as highly, but other Top 10 singles released were “It Don’t Matter to Me,” “If,” “Baby I’m-a Want You,” “Everything I Own,” and “Lost Without Your Love.” Since Gates had written and sang lead on all eleven of the band’s charting singles, Elektra Records wanted to continue featuring Gates’ songs as A-Sides. Griffin felt that the favoritism was unfair and strife within the band began to grow. By 1973, the band had split up, but “best of” compilation albums released by their label put the band back in high demand. The demand was so high, in fact, that the band was coerced into getting back together to record one more album. Released in 1977, their final album, Lost Without Your Love, was backed with a nationwide tour. For the second leg of the tour, Gates didn’t invite Griffin, whom he still couldn’t get along with. At the end of the tour, the band broke up once more, not to be seen again until a “25th Anniversary” tour of the United States took place in 1996-’97.

Released on the band’s second album, 1971’s Manna, this song was written by band members James Griffin and Robb Royer. The album featured twelve tracks, six of which were penned by Gates and the other six by Griffin/Royer. The song “If” was the only successful single from the album, but the particular track below shows that the band didn’t always have to rock softly.



Bread - Truckin' (1971)

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Lyrics:

Truckin’ down the highway
Get out of my way
Always in a hurry
Always in between

That’s where you can find me
Truckin’ down the highway
Sittin’ in the cab of
A ten-ton machine

I’m gettin’ pretty tired of stoppin’
In old, run-down cafés
Someday I’m gonna find me a woman
Rich enough to pay my way

Gonna make some in-roads
Drivin’ home a payload
Truckin’ down the highway
The likes you’ve never seen

I’m gettin’ pretty tired of lookin’
In them truck-stop cabarets
Someday I’m gonna find me a woman
Rich enough to pay my way

Then you’re gonna find me
Truckin’ down the highway
Sittin’ in the back seat
Of a long limousine

Truckin’ down the highway
Get out of my way
Truckin’ down the highway…