BIRMINGHAM RECORD COLLECTORS
DEDICATED TO THE COLLECTING OF MUSIC, ITS PRESERVATION AND LASTING FRIENDSHIP
THIS MONTH’S MEETING WILL BE THE SECOND SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9TH 2:00 PM
HOMEWOOD PUBLIC LIBRARY 1721 OXMOOR RD BIRMINGHAM, AL 35209
NEXT MEETING, MARCH 9TH 2:00 PM THE SECOND SUNDAY
THIS MONTH’S MEETING
BRC member Jeffrey Dixon was our speaker at last month’s meeting. He brought his Denon mixer and sound system and when hooked up to the library’s large TV we could watch as he showed us how he mixes songs for his podcasts and all the songs he has downloaded on his Denon that he uses when he works at reunions, weddings, parties, etc. Thanks, Jeffrey. Check his shows out at DJ Casanova. Check him out on his instagram or facebook pages at https://www.instagram.com/jeffrey.x.dixon/reel/C-TNVJbJd5g/ & https://www.facebook.com/205Lybrarians/videos/live-on-mixcloud/1321810361580225/?_rdr
This month our guest will be Jerry Wasley. Jerry played bass for Brenda Lee’s touring band during the 1980’s, served as the ‘lead’ roadie for a heavy metal band that toured Europe and opened for AC/DC. Make plans to come to our February meeting and hear Jerry’s stories.
POP TO ROCK
Where were you and what music were you listening to in February 1964, 61 years ago? Then jump ahead a relatively short period of time to 1966. What music were you listening to then? I have often thought about how much the music changed between February 1964 when the Beatles hit our shores and had Top 10 hit after Top 10 hit and the Hendrix, Doors, Zeppelin era shortly thereafter and the short period of time it took. Think about how much the music changed from ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’, P. S. I Love You’ and ‘She Loves You’ in 1964 to the heavy rock, psych, and guitar rock in 1969 including hits like Blue Cheer’s cover of ‘Summertime Blues, The Chambers Brothers’ ‘Time Has Come Today’ and Bubble Puppy’s ‘Hot Smoke And Sasafrass’.
When you consider it was just 4-5 years between the Beatles first pop hits and the sounds we were listening to on the radio then, it shows how much music can change in a short period of time. I would like to write what I have found but please keep in mind I am NOT a music historian. I get an idea or thought in my little mind and start writing with the help of a little research. What I am including in the chronological order of these songs are American groups only and songs that charted. I will explain why American groups only as I go.
Music has always gone through a evolution if you will. In the early 50’s the Billboard charts had Frank Sinatra, Doris Day, Patti Page, Perry Como and such. Then in 1953-54 Bill Haley and The Comets hit the charts with ‘Crazy Man, Crazy’ and ‘Shake, Rattle And Roll’. After that we had Elvis, Jerry Lee, Bo Diddley, Little Richard, Ricky Nelson, Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly. A big difference from 1950 to 1957. As I have written in the past, when Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper died in that infamous plane crash the music didn’t die but it sure changed. Even Buddy Holly made the statement that Rock & Roll was a fad and it would soon be gone. So after 4 years of fun, raw Rock & Roll music the music slowed down a little with more hits from Frankie Avalon, Connie Francis, Neil Sedaka, Brook Benton, Ray Charles, Dion & The Belmonts, Little Anthony & The Imperials and Brenda Lee. Not that artists like those were not on the charts pre-1960 but they filled the charts in the early 1960’s and Bo, Chuck, Jerry Lee and others were not as prevalent.
So let’s take a look at what music evolved into just a year or two after the Beatles were the pop kings. In January 1964, just one month before the Beatles arrived the Top 10 included Bobby Vinton, Lenny Welch, The Murmaids, Shirley Ellis, The Caravelles, Bobby Rydell, Martha & The Vandellas, Marvin Gaye and The Singing Nun. The only real rock song would be a garage band from the West coast called the Kingsmen. They gave us ‘Louie, Louie’. No sign of Presley, Berry, Diddley, Lewis and so on. By March 1964 three of the top 4 charted songs were by The Beatles but these were soft pop hits. The last chart of 1964 showed only one hit by The Beatles but still no American group or artist with a hit more than a soft pop hit other than the Beach Boys with ‘Dance, Dance, Dance’.
A different sound in my humble opinion started hitting the charts in January 1965 when the Beau Brummels hit with ‘Laugh, Laugh’. Maybe it was the hair, the clothes or the sounds the guitars were making and I didn’t think much about it then but the sound was different than what we were used to hearing on the radio. Still a little ‘soft’ but a change. They would hit the charts again in April with ‘Just A Little’ and July with ‘You Tell Me Why’. How about Bob Dylan’s first charted song. It came in April 1965 and it had a different sound that we were used to. ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’ only went to #39 but it was a forerunner of what Dylan had coming. In July 1965 he gave us ‘Like A Rolling Stone’ and in October ‘Positively 4th Street’ hit the charts. When you look at the other sounds we had on the radio you have to admit….. things, they were a changin’.
Continuing the folk/rock sound the Byrds charted in May 1965 with ‘Mr Tambourine Man’. And I feel their sound along with the Beau Brummels and Dylan was another part of the evolution of the 1964 music to what we will see in the next year. The Strangeloves can be put into this group of artists that had a ‘different’ sound than we were used to. Their recording of ‘I Want Candy’ hit the charts in June 1965 and made it to #11. Now don’t forget or discount Paul Revere & The Raiders. Probably not as different as the others but in September 1965 they came out with ‘Steppin’ Out’ , December 1965 gave us ‘Just Like Me’, March 1966 ‘Kicks’ and June 1966 we got ‘ Hungry’. And in ‘Kicks’, with lyrics by Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil we hear the term ‘magic carpet ride’. This was over two years before Steppenwolf recorded their hit, ‘Magic Carpet Ride’. The Raiders sound was different than the hits of the same time and I believe should be included here. One week after the Raiders first charted with ‘Steppin’ Out’, a song hit the charts that caught on because of the long hair, mod clothes fad that was happening. It was ‘Are You A Boy Or Are You A Girl’ by the Barbarians and it was definitely a different sound from just a year earlier.
More groups like the Sir Douglas Quintet, Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs, the McCoys and even Sonny & Cher brought a changing sound from that of just a year earlier. At this time, late 1965 the Bealtes were still on the charts but to me still doing mostly the same style songs although a little less raw and more polished. Songs like ‘Ticket To Ride, ‘Help!’, ‘Yesterday’ and ‘We Can Work It Out’. Now don’t get me wrong, the Beatles could rock with anyone but normally with cover songs of American 1050’s hits. “Slow Down’, Dizzy Miss Lizzy’, ‘Twist & Shout’ and ‘Roll Over Beethoven’ showed they could produce a rock sound. But it wasn’t until 1967-68 with the release of the Sgt Pepper’s LP and the song ‘Helter Skelter’ did they produce a really different sound than 1964.
1966 brought another bunch of artists and another step in the evolution to heavier rock. At the beginning of 1966 the Young Rascals hit the charts with songs like ‘I Ain’t Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore’, ‘Good Lovin”, ‘You Better Run’ and ‘Come on Up’. Following close behind them on the charts was the Five Americans. Their hit ‘I See The Light’ changed vocals, keyboards and guitar sounds and had a an early psych sound. We have come a ways from the soft rock and the Bobby era (Rydell, Vinton, Vee, Darin) of the early 60’s and the Beatles of the mid-sixities. But we are not there yet. One of my favorite songs of this ‘changing of the guard’ sound was ‘Dirty Water’ by the Standells. That one really made me stand up and take notice that something is going on here. The next week of April 1966 came the group Love with a song called ‘My Little Red Book’ and right after that came ‘7 And 7 Is’. This was followed quickly by the Leaves doing ‘Hey Joe’. In August the Thirteenth Floor Elevators hit the charts with ‘You’re Gonna Miss Me’. Now we are getting somewhere. A one-hit wonder song that is now in the Rock & Rock Hall Of Fame is ‘Psychotic Reaction’ by the Count Five hit the charts in September 1966. I think we are there. Goodbye to the early sounds of the Beatles and hello to the people they influenced to go a step further. Coming soon we will have the Beach Boys doing ‘Good Vibrations’, a major change in their sound, the Music Machine, the Electric Prunes, Blues Magoos, the Seeds and then the big changes came with the arrival of Jefferson Airplane, Doors, Hendrix, Amboy Dukes, Big Brother and on and on.
I didn’t include the British groups in this evolution of rock music because I feel like they were already pushing rock/pop to rock. While the Beatles had hits in 1964 like ‘Love Me Do’, ‘P.S. I Love You’ and “Do You Want To Know A Secret’ the Stones were on the charts with ‘Not Fade Away’ and ‘Time Is On My Side’. Those were covers of American hits but the Stones put their own rock version on them. And the Moody Blues cover of ‘Go Now!’ in 1964 was also ahead of the American evolution. And also in 1964 the Kinks gave us ‘You Really Got Me’. And in early 1965 when the Beatles were doing ‘Eight Days A Week’, ‘Ticket To Ride’ and ‘I Don’t Want To Spoil The Party’ we had ‘Heart Of Stone’ and ‘The Last Time’ by the Stones, ‘Gloria’ and ‘Baby, Please Don’t Go’ by Them, ‘I Can’t Explain’ by The Who, ‘Do Wah Diddy Diddy’ by Manfred Mann and ‘For Your Love’ by the Yardbirds. I feel like the Brits were hungrier for something different than the Americans because we were spoiled by having all this music at our fingertips and they didn’t have it that way. But hey, I enjoyed being spoiled by the ability to hear any kind of music by pushing the radio button or changing the dial. There was always something different on another station.
I know I left some stuff out and many may not agree with my assessment of this change in music but I hope you enjoyed this little journey of music evolution from 1964-1969 and how fast and furious it was. If you were there you know what I am talking about.
BRC RADIO
And don’t forget that BRC radio is still on the BRC website. Our 3 hosts play all kinds of music including hit songs from the 1950’s – present, LP cuts, songs that received little or no air-play, and all genres. Just go the birminghamrecord.com and click on the ‘RADIO’ icon and chose a show.
See ya,
Charlie