The Original version of My Way called Comme d'habitude by Claude François.
A quote from a great friend of mine who worked at Abbey Road studios,
He says, "Sinatra did it and made CF a very rich man. Silly sod electrocuted himself in his bath, that's Rock 'N Roll eh!"

The Incredible String Band. Yum.
Pearls Before Swine. Yum.
The Misunderstood. Yum.
The Mandrake Memorial. Yum.
Dr. Strangely Strange. Yum.

Love all of their music!!

The Supremes - Dr Goldfoot & The Bikini Machine (1965)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRbhEGk5coY

Theme song to the film of the same name, starring Vincent Price.

I really like both of these tracks ^^, but it's difficult to believe they're by the same band - what a major change in musical direction!




I really like this track ^^ too, but the problem is that listening to this version of the song when you've heard the one by Jimi Hendrix is a bit like listening to Cilla Black's version of "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" when you've heard the one by the Righteous Brothers!




I can't really see this track ^^ ever being included on a "Best of Diana Ross and the Supremes" compilation album, which is a pity because I prefer it to most tracks that would!




In 1969 Paul Anka wrote the lyrics to "My Way" and put them to the tune of "Comme D'Habitude". Anka wrote those lyrics specifically for Frank Sinatra, so they bear little resemblance to a straight translation of the original French lyrics.

Anka was not the first to write English lyrics for "Comme D'Habitude" - a year earlier David Bowie wrote a set of lyrics for it entitled "Even A Fool Learns To Love". Bowie intended to record it, but then abandoned the idea, and only this outtake of him performing it exists:-

David Bowie - Even A Fool Learns To Love (1968)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUObjN3ODvE

Apart from Save The Last Dance For Me, which was a UK Number Two single, the Drifters had very little chart success over here in the sixties, which is a great pity because I like their output during that decade a great deal. In the seventies the Drifters had quite a lot of UK chart success, which again is a great pity because I absolutely detest their output during that decade!

The following tracks are some of my favourite sixties UK non-hit singles by the Drifters.

The Drifters - Some Kind Of Wonderful (1961)
Excellent Goffin and King composition. Marvin Gaye famously covered the song later in the decade.

The Drifters - Please Stay (1961)
Original version of a Burt Bacharach composition that was a minor UK hit single for the Cryin' Shames five years later.

The Drifters - Sweet For My Sweet (1961)
You'll certainly know the song, but perhaps not this version.

The Drifters - Up On The Roof (1962)
Another Goffin and King composition. Kenny Lynch's cover version was a UK top ten hit single, but imho the Drifters' original is far better.

The Drifters - On Broadway (1963)
A fabulous song composed by the songwriting team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller (who also wrote Jailhouse Rock) in collaboration with the songwriting team of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil (who also wrote You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling). I absolutely love this track.

The Drifters - One Way Love (1964)
I actually prefer Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers' UK hit cover version, but this post is all about the Drifters and their version is definitely worth a listen.

Fairport Convention with their cover of Suzanne by Leonard Cohen , have to say I prefer this version .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4-VZ9goUAM

Judy Collins - Bird On A Wire . Good cover, but this time Leonard gets the vote .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfAjvq8ZH-w

Here are three very good British instrumentals:-

Bert Weedon - Sorry Robbie (1960)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3FkKWDV_gs

The Shadows - Rhythm And Greens (1964)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpxGfzgMzcA

Sounds Incorporated - I'm Comin' Through (1965)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLp4vPIQZhQ

Art - What's That Sound (For What It's Worth) (1967)
A decent hard rock cover of the classic Buffalo Springfield song.

Buffalo Springfield - For What It's Worth (1966)
As much as I like the previous track, imho it can't hold a candle to the original.

Buffalo Springfield - Expecting To Fly (1967)
Love this one, an absolutely beautiful song! My second favourite Buffalo Springfield track after the aforementioned For What It's Worth.

Two tracks from Northwest Battle Of The Bands Vol.3.

The Moguls - Ski Bum (1966)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCuEUtqPQck

The Dimensions - Penny (1965)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rioivc87gA

Just been covered by Mick Hucknell which is really good,
But you can't beat the 1967 original click here to be blown away.

A big thank you to Terrence Chant, who is a regular poster on the Music Games sub-forum. In a thread in which each poster is supposed to name their favourite track by a given artist, he stated that his favourite by Tommy James and the Shondells was one entitled "Say I Am (What I Am)". I'd never heard of this track before, so I've just listened to it on Youtube, and I loved it!

Here it is:-

Tommy James and the Shondells - Say I Am (What I Am) (1966)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdlwWGpn2ho

i too have never heard it before, not my fav though, it reminds me of 'louie louie'.

i cant imagine mick hucknall being anywhere close to this version. pure soul.

Played this morning on SOTS , Tom Rush - No Regrets ,
always thought it was a Walker Brothers original song .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXJjsx3twzo

A rather eclectic mix of tracks from me today.

Gene Pitney - True Love Never Runs Smooth (1963)
I have a strange relationship with Gene Pitney’s sixties singles. Those I like I absolutely love, and those I dislike I absolutely hate. This single is a recent discovery, and it's the one to disprove my previous statement, as I neither love it nor hate it, I just find it rather pleasant.

The Walker Brothers - Hurting Each Others (1966)
Superb track, but it's the Walker Brothers, so how could it be anything else?

Country Joe and the Fish - Pat's Song (1967)
I once heard the recordings of Country Joe and the Fish described as being music drenched in LSD. A good description methinks. They certainly had a unique sound, which appeals to me but may not be to everyone's taste. Is it to yours? There's only one way to find out.

Cat Mother and the All Night Newsboys - Good Old Rock 'n' Roll (1969)
The version by the Dave Clark Five was in the UK charts in December 1969 and January 1970, which means that as the sixties became the seventies one of the most popular singles around was one celebrating the music of the fifties! I've not included the DC5 version in this post, partly because it was a big hit and is therefore not eligible for the thread, but mainly because imho the Cat Mother version is vastly superior.

Way back on post #345 of this thread I posted a couple of Sugar & The Spices tracks - Have Faith In Me and Do The Dog. The one I really liked wasn't on youtube at the time but now it is, so I'll post it for you along with one more.

Sugar & The Spices - Boys Can Be Mean (1964)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxB6CblBTsw

Sugar & The Spices - Teardrops (1965 maybe? Possibly the B-side to the previously posted Have Faith In Me)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cf-gNuPfvIc

Described as a French Psych funk groover

Claude Bolling - Strange Magic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPTd9...feature=relmfu

"Mama Told Me Not To Come" was a big hit twice, first for Three Dog NIght in 1970 and then for Tom Jones and the Stereophonics in 2000.

Randy Newman wrote the song in 1966, but didn't record it himself until 1970, which means that these two very good versions preceded his:-

Eric Burdon and the Animals - Mama Told Me Not To Come (1966)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5XE-qJCBg4

P.J. Proby - Mama Told Me Not To Come (1967)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9E13eB4QNOU

A new name for you, Eva Pilarova from Czechoslovakia singing in english in 1968 (export 4 track EP on Supraphon label with Dalibor Brazda & His orchestra).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9S2cKBArYk

she even had a single released in the USA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieBuYhmL4Xo

Here she is spanish TV in 1969 singing
" I'm beginning to see the light"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a021z7M9-uo

and giving The Beatles a big band arrangement in 1966 (sung in czech).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuw48x_9c6w
(Karel Vlach orchestra)

Don't think that can be the original as I had it on a Stones LP which came out in 1965..........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVjzf5WwPiU

Beautiful, I love it!

It's a cover of a 1964 US hit for OV Wright. His was the original and it was written by his manager.

Wow!
I'm amazed, any more info on O.V.Wright apart from this Wiki Entry.

And here was me thinking I knew a thing about Soul music Always learning, always learning.
Now if anyone could MP3 me a copy of said track I would be much obliged
as I could include it in my Mid-Morning Radio Show,
You can E-Mail Me direct. Many Thanks.

A couple of little known gems by the Hollies.

The Hollies - Fifi The Flea (1966)
This is a very atypical Hollies track, inasmuch as there are none of their trademark harmonies as it's essentially Graham Nash and an acoustic guitar. A fine track nonetheless.

The Hollies - Wings (1968)
Gorgeous song that was allegedly inspired by an equally gorgeous song, Expecting To Fly by Buffalo Springfield (see Post #1783 above).

Another song later covered by Manfred Mann

Come Tomorrow - Marie Knight

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edq7afci-B8

Sister Rosetta Tharpe - Up Against My Head

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y04wFV-k6is