That has got to be the sexiest ending to a song ever

Can't argue with that, a sensuous , sultry track from April Stevens, Teach Me Tiger.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwlWo...eature=related

Chubby Checker - Pony Time (1961)
This was only a minor UK hit, so not as well known in this country as The Twist and Let’s Twist Again, although imho every bit as good as both. Love these early sixties dance records.

Major Lance - Um Um Um Um Um Um (1964)
Original version of a song that was a massive UK hit for Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders.

Wayne Fontana - Pamela Pamela (1967)
Of all the solo tracks recorded by the aforementioned Wayne Fontana after he parted company with the aforementioned Mindbenders, this is by far my favourite. A great little pop song written by Graham Gouldman (later of 10cc), who had previously written For Your Love, Heart Full Of Soul and Evil Hearted You (all Top Three hits for the Yardbirds), Look Through Any Window and Bus Stop (both Top Five hits for the Hollies) and No Milk Today (a Top Ten Hit for Herman’s Hermits). Pamela Pamela was nowhere near as successful as those other Gouldman compositions, but imho should have been.

indeed i love 'pamela pamela' too, and 'come on home' which for me might just edge pamela... gouldman wrote some cracking pop songs, but what happened in 10cc? i cant stand them! lol.

When I'm in the mood I love listening to 10cc, but most of the time I'm not in the mood and just find them too clever by half. Back in the sixties Graham Gouldman wasn't trying to be too clever by half, he just wanted to compose terrific pop songs ... and he succeeded in doing just that.

A couple of artists with songs that ought to have but failed to capitalise on their breakout hit.

Apparently number 1 in South Africa, this number by Chris 'Yesterday Man' Andrews failed to do anything in the UK charts.

Chris Andrews - Pretty Belinda

And this marvellous Skeeter Davis cover resoundingly failed to eclipse Twinkle Ripley's Golden Lights.

Twinkle - The End Of The World

Sam Cooke - That's It, I Quit, I'm Moving On (1961)
Considering that Sam Cooke is one my favourite male singers of all time, I’m just amazed that the first time I ever heard this gem was twenty five minutes ago. Fabulous track.

Jackie Edwards - Somebody Help Me (1965)
In 1966 the Spencer Davis Group had two UK chart-topping singles with songs written by the Jamaican artist Jackie Edwards, i.e. Keep On Running and Somebody Help Me. Here’s the composer’s own version of the latter.

The Yardbirds - Spanish Blood (1968)
I only discovered this (untypically acoustic) track recently and absolutely love it. It’s a Jimmy Page composition that was one of the last tracks the Yardbirds ever recorded before disbanding.

Adele's cover of this terrific song is surprisingly good, although it goes without saying that Sam's version is best!



I think this track is from 1969 and not from 1965. I may be wrong but I believe that after the Spencer Davis Group took his composition "Keep On Running" to the top of the charts Jackie Edwards then wrote "Somebody Help Me" specifically for them to be recorded as their follow-up single, and didn't record the song himself until 1969.

Napolean the XIV.
Comedy act from the late sixties. Most famous for his hit 'their coming to take me away ha ha!'.

Another song of his, where he invents rap music.

And here he does some nifty hip-hop, which wasnt officially invented for another 15 years or so.

This one defies description and is best heard through headphones to get the full insanity effect.

Did you know that Twinkle is the Aunt of the actress Fay Ripley!

No but I see the resemblance!

Tommy James & The Shondells - 'Crimson And Clover' 1968

just for you...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpGEeneO-t0

I rather like all of those four tracks, but if, as you suggest, Napoleon XIV did indeed invent rap and hip-hop he’s certainly got a lot to answer for!

Here’s another extremely bizarre ditty from this extremely bizarre gentleman:-

Napoleon XIV - I'm In Love With My Little Red Tricycle (1966)


If we remove one of the wheels from the aforementioned vehicle, paint it a different colour and transfer ownership from a weird American to a fine British psych band then perhaps we’d be left with this classic:-

Tomorrow - My White Bicycle (1967)


Finally, back in November I submitted a whole bunch of Motown classics (that were non-hits or minor hits in the UK) to the thread, including Heat Wave by Martha and the Vandellas and How Sweet It Is by Junior Walker and the All Stars. I’ve now discovered that the clips I supplied for these two tracks are no longer available on Youtube, so here are alternative clips:-

Martha and the Vandellas - Heat Wave (1963)

Junior Walker and The All Stars - How Sweet It Is (1966)

Another Girl group, This track from 1965

The Boys - Splendor In The Grass

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPnwdfxpRy8

A solo single from the Vashti Bunyan , from 1966 , backed by Twice As Much

Coldest Night Of The Year - Vashti Bunyan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3ckrDEBS2Q

Twice As Much with their cover of Sha La La La Lee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWCHK...eature=related

Three very good tracks in three very different styles.

Jay and the Americans - She Cried (1962)

Every Mother's Son - Come On Down To My Boat (1967)

Shorty Long - Here Comes The Judge (1968)

i remember 'here comes the judge'... didnt another version by 'pigmeat markham' also get released?..

they used it alot on the american tv comdey 'rowan and martins laugh in'...

Both tracks, I believe, were influenced by Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In.

I submitted Pigmeat Markham's version last year and suggested it was the first ever rap record (although in a post only a few days ago Hotelier was suggesting the first ever rap record was by Napoleon XIV!), and there was a discussion about whether or not it could be called rap as the term would not be in common use until several years later.

Shorty Long's version is funky soul rather than rap. I like both versions, but I think I prefer the one by Pigmeat Markham.

Rob, I know you're a big fan of Living Above Your Head by Jay and the Americans, as am I, so I just wonder what you think of their She Cried (please see my previous post). I only discovered it yesterday and think it's fantastic, and actually blows Living Above Your Head out of the water.

lol.. my memories poor for short term things. of course you posted pigmeats track...!

i often dont get chance to listen to all tracks listed (time is against me) .... well.... i like the voice, pure and clear... but what an upsetting song! i guess misery was hip in the early 60's with loads of death records, crying a close second...lol. but yeah, its a good track.

Two pieces of French oddity from 1969 linked by one person, Areski Belkacem, who sings in between Jacques Higelin's story of loss in this first song.

Higelin & Areski - Remember

In this next one Brigitte Fontaine works with him and the Art Ensemble of Chicago to create this free jazz masterpiece.

Brigitte Fontaine - Comme à la radio

A couple from Long Island, New York act The Vagrants:

The Vagrants - Oh Those Eyes (1965)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWLoTDrMFZU

Film clip taken from the 1966 film "Disk-O-Tek Holiday"

The Vagrants - I Can't Make A Friend (1966)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9YNM...eature=related

....and as a little bonus, here's it's B-side:
The Vagrants - Young Blues
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4C2-m...eature=related

Liked it - seems like a mix of The penguins Earth Angel and Sam Cooks - Send Me.

A strange "B" side from :-
The Tornados - "Do You Come Here Often"? (Columbia 1966)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6K6gxSKld8

I had heard this before but it didn't make sense until I read this
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2006...2/popandrock28

Here's some songs from The Leaves - garagey, a bit psychy, and very Byrds- influenced as you'll see from the first selection. All songs from 1965/66.

The Leaves - He Was A Friend Of Mine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4fxz1XgYxY

The Leaves - Dr Stone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cr9BVX7aysg
I think this might be about drugs, so y'know, just say no kids.

The Leaves - Back On The Avenue
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwee9M9Gs04
A really good instrumental.

The Leaves - Too Many People
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FPu4...eature=related
Probably their best-known song.

The Leaves - Words
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOSLf808gPY
Pre-Monkees version.

Good stuff. Love everything Joe Meek!

Here's another group who's best known work is a throwaway song that looks as if it was released just to get banned (That Acapulco Gold) but also released psych gems like this.

The Rainy Daze - In my mind lives a forest