I would hesitate to claim all of these 30 songs were “classics,” but I would say that while I was listening to these three CDs I was frequently thinking: “I haven’t heard this song in 50 years!”
When is the last time you listened to Little Peggy March? Or Ronny and The Daytonas? Or heard those timeless words: “Yummy Yummy Yummy, I have Love in my Tummy!”
Sixties Classics also include a number of instrumentals–a form that never hits today’s Billboard charts–Santo & Johnny’s “Sleepwalk,” Floyd Cramers’s “Last Date,” The Viscounts’s “Harlem Nocturne,” and Mancini’s true classic “Moon River.”
How many of these songs do you remember? Any favorites? GRADE: B+
| 1-1 | The Isley Brothers– | Shout (Parts 1 & 2) Written-By – O. Isley*, R. Isley*, R. Isley* | 4:42 |
| 1-2 | Santo & Johnny– | Sleepwalk Written-By – Ann Farina, Johnny Farina*, Santo Farina | 2:22 |
| 1-3 | Ray Peterson– | Tell Laura I Love Her Written-By – B. Raleigh*, J. Barry | 2:57 |
| 1-4 | Floyd Cramer– | Last Date Written-By – Floyd Cramer | 2:29 |
| 1-5 | Lee Dorsey– | Ya Ya Written-By – B. Robinson*, C. Lewis*, L. Dorsey*, M. Levy | 2:28 |
| 1-6 | The Tokens– | The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh) Written-By – Weiss*, Peretti*, Creatore* | 2:43 |
| 1-7 | Henry Mancini And His Orchestra– | Moon River Written-By – Henry Mancini, Johnny Mercer | 2:44 |
| 1-8 | Ketty Lester– | Love Letters Written-By – Heyman*, Young* | 2:42 |
| 1-9 | Neil Sedaka– | Breaking Up Is Hard To Do Written-By – Greenfield*, Sedaka | 2:20 |
| 1-10 | Skeeter Davis– | The End Of The World Written-By – Arthur Kent, Sylvia Dee | 2:36 |
| 2-1 | The Viscounts– | Harlem Nocturne Written-By – Earle Hagen | 2:24 |
| 2-2 | Little Peggy March*– | I Will Follow Him (Chariot) Written-By – Altman*, Roma*, Stole*, Plante*, Gimbel | 2:29 |
| 2-3 | Gale Garnett– | We’ll Sing In The Sunshine Written-By – Gale Garnett | 2:59 |
| 2-4 | Ronny & The Daytonas– | GTO Written-By – John Wilkin | 2:29 |
| 2-5 | Glenn Yarbrough– | Baby The Rain Must Fall Written-By – Elmer Bernstein, Ernie Sheldon | 2:22 |
| 2-6 | Ssgt. Barry Sadler*– | The Ballad Of The Green Berets Written-By – Ssgt. Barry Sadler*, Robin Moore | 2:30 |
| 2-7 | The Lovin’ Spoonful– | Summer In The City Written-By – John Sebastian, Mark Sebastian, Steve Boone | 2:41 |
| 2-8 | The Box Tops*– | The Letter Written-By – Wayne Carson Thompson | 1:56 |
| 2-9 | The 5th Dimension*– | Up-Up And Away Written-By – Jim Webb | 2:39 |
| 2-10 | Jefferson Airplane– | Somebody To Love Written-By – Darby Slick | 2:58 |
| 3-1 | The Lemon Pipers– | Green Tambourine Written-By – Leka*, Pinz* | 2:27 |
| 3-2 | The Friends Of Distinction– | Grazing In The Grass Written-By – Harry Elston, H. Masekela*, Philemon Hou | 2:55 |
| 3-3 | Sopwith Camel– | Hello, Hello Written-By – T. Romeo*, W. Farrell | 2:27 |
| 3-4 | 1910 Fruitgum Co.*– | Yummy Yummy Yummy Written-By – A. Resnick*, J. Levine | 2:21 |
| 3-5 | Merilee Rush & the Turnabouts*– | Angel Of The Morning Written-By – Chip Taylor | 3:12 |
| 3-6 | Brooklyn Bridge*– | Worst That Could Happen Written-By – Jim Webb | 3:08 |
| 3-7 | The Guess Who– | These Eyes Written-By – Cummings*, Bachman | 3:43 |
| 3-8 | Harry Nilsson– | Everybody’s Talkin’ Written-By – Neil* | 2:46 |
| 3-9 | Zager & Evans– | In The Year 2525 (Exordius & Terminus) Written-By – Rick Evans | 3:15 |
| 3-10 | The Youngbloods– | Get Together Written-By – Chet Powers | 4:39 |
I know them all unfortunately This has a lot of songs i dislike-Mancini, The Lemon Pipers ( one of the stupidest songs ever), Sopwith Camel, Peggy March, Zager & Evans, Fifth Dimension, Barry Sadler, 1910 Fruitgum Company, Brooklyn Bridge. My favorites are Isley Brothers, Jefferson Airplane, Youngbloods, Lovin Spoonful, Boxtops, Harry Nilsson, Merilee Rush. I would give this a D+. You are way too kind.
Steve, listening to some of these songs 50 years after I first heard them jogged a lot of memories! Yes, many of them deserve to be forgotten, but all these decades later a few of these songs still ring true. The Isley Brothers’ “Shout” is played at the Bills Stadium every time the team scores a touchdown!
Of course I remember some, these songs were played every day on Radio Luxemburg eg – but I wasn’t a fan.
The only one I enjoyed as a SF fan was of course
In the year 2525 …
Wolf, I was a business consultant in 1970s and traveled around the U.S. quite a bit. One night I was staying at a Holiday Inn in rural Wisconsin when I saw a number of cars filling the parking lot. I looked at the marque in front of the hotel and it said ZAGER AND EVANS “IN THE YEAR 2525” PERFORMING TONIGHT. So the “One Hit Wonders” were still touring 10 years after their only hit.
I seem to have trouble counting from lists but I’d guess there are around 7 of these that I have no memory of at all, which doesn’t necessarily mean I’ve never heard them. Favorites are by Jefferson Airplane, the horribly underappreciated Nilsson, and Skeeter Davis, the only thing I’ve ever heard by her.
Michael Skeeter Davis was mainly country, but she had two big crossover hits – this one and “I Can’t Stay Mad At You.” The latter is what my wife calls a “doormat” song – cheat on me, going out with other women, treat me like crap, but I’ll never leave you anyway.
Jeff, I was going to guess “I Can’t Stay Mad At You” was written by a man…and I was right! It’s (surprisingly!) a Carole King / Gerry Goffin song!
Michael, Bill Crider was a big Skeeter Davis fan. Skeeter Davis mostly sang Country & Western songs, but she did have this crossover hit.
A lot of Gerry Goffin lyrics were like that!
Years ago (just checked, 1979) we saw a one woman shows called THE MADWOMAN OF CENTRAL PARK WEST starring Phyllis Newman. It was very entertaining. One of the things she did was a medley of songs where women were, shall we saw, less than respected. ( It was called “Women’s Medley” according to Wikipedia.)
“I am woman, you are man. I am smaller, so you can be taller than,” from FUNNY GIRL was one of them.
Jeff, I loved Phyllis Newman! Gerry Goffin was a talented lyricist, but he had a lot of problems. And sometimes, his lyrics revealed some Dark Stuff.
SIXTIES CLASSIC WE COULD AFFORD TO PUT ON THIS ALBUM should have titled SONGS THAT MADE YOU SWUITCH RADIO STATIONS. I didn’tcare for the songs that followed the 60s Dead Teenagers meme, nor for those that tried to be hip, current, or cool. Although this was Glenn Yarborough’s big hit, he deserved better. I prefer Fred Neil’s original to Harry Chapin’s cover, as well as The Weavers original to The Tokens. I liked The Youngbloods, The Lovin’ Spoonful, the 5th Dimension, and Jefferson Airplane but none of these examples show them at the top of their game. I do like Neil Sedaka and this one’s got a nice beat but it’s hard to dance to it, Dick.
Ptah.
Jerry, SIXTIES CLASSICS includes a lot of marginal songs. I was drawn to it because of all the songs that seldom (if ever) get played anymore included on these three CDs. It was a real walk down Memory Lane listening to these obscure songs!
Jerry and Jeff, as you probably will remember as soon as you read this, the Weavers’ version was Not the original, but their cover of “Mbube” by the Solomon Linda Quartet (or SL’s Original Evening Birds, depending perhaps on who was citing them or when) of South Africa. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WH0BrpCK0Cc
George, I remember all of these, at very least vaguely, though the one I’d have the most trouble trying to sing or hum (among the the instrumentals) from unrefreshed memory would be K. Lester’s. I don’t hate any of them as intensely as Jerry or Steve, but they almost certainly have had the Sedaka and Sadler played in their presence more than I…even the Guess Who song is one of their least obnoxious. “Moon River”‘s alternately deft and cloying lyrics are better by me along- with than hearing the melody alone–“There’s such a lot of world to see” almost makes up for “My Huckleberry friend”…
Apologies, Wolf. but if I was to pick a single worst, it would be the Zager and Evans…
When I saw the packaging I was going to say that I have that exact collection! But no, it is another one by the same company, only mine is all one hit wonders, like “Let Me In” by The Sensations and “Party Lights” by Claudine Clark.
In this one, of course I know them all. And unlike you, it hasn’t been 50 years since I’ve heard them as we have them all on various collections and listen to them regularly. Favorites include Brooklyn’s own Santo & Johnny Farina’s “Sleepwalk,” a great record to slow dance to back in the day. “Shout” (both parts) by The Isley Brothers is a definite classic. “Moon River” is another, and I have always loved “Get Together” by The Youngbloods.
Other trivia tidbits: Jackie is a big fan of “Tell Laura I Love Her.” Lee Dorsey’s “Ya Ya,” like so many other New Orleans-based hits, was produced by Allen Toussaint. Every time I hear “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” I think of Bill Crider’s barbershop quartet doing the original “Wimoweh.” I didn’t like Little Peggy March when she had a hit but appreciate it much more now. “Summer in the City” always brings back that time to me – the very hot summer of 1966. “The Letter” is a great song, but I really love Joe Cocker’s live version. Was never a fan of “The Worst That Could Happen” – another annoying theme. “I’ll never get married, you know that’s not my scene,” but you getting married to someone else is the worst that could happen to me? Nice. Jerry, when Fred Neil died, Jimmy Buffett talked about him in concerts and did a cover of “Everybody’s Talking.”
Jeff, I think I have that collection of “One Hit Wonders” somewhere around here. No radio station in this area would play most of these songs. In fact, the Oldie radio station advertisement says “Hits from the Seventies, Eighties, and Nineties.” They aren’t even playing Sixties music here anymore! I think Sirius/XM Radio has a Sixties channel, but I’m not sure many of the songs on SIXTIES CLASSICS would be played.
I remember all of these – more’s the pity.
Some of these are REALLY cringe-worthy – In the Year 2525 (which I’ve always hated), Tell Laura I Love Here (sorry, Jackie), and The End of the World.
I Will Follow Him by Little Peggy March is indeed a classic. Whenever I hear it now, I think of its use in Drop Dead Gorgeous and smile.
Beth, “I Will Follow Him” was also used in SISTER ACT.
I can’t speak to musical value, since I’m a terrible judge in that respect, but based solely on nostalgia, this is an A+ collection. I can place each and every one of these tunes along the timeline of my life, from third grade to sophomore year of college. Sometimes, that’s all I want from a song.
Fred, you and I are on the same page! Just hearing some of these songs jogged my memory and took me back to the Sixties. Some of these songs are NOT classics, but they warm my heart when I remember what I was doing decades ago when I heard them.
i don’t remember all of these, and few were my favorites. Many I openly detest, and figure watching scotty grow was a hideous one that was in a later collection. I
can’t imagine who decided Yummy yummy yummy was worth a recording contract.
There are some I like, somebody to love probably my favorite
“Yummy, Yummy, Yummy” was one of the singles recorded by sub-Wrecking Crew (and perhaps some overlapping) session musicians (including singers) and a few intermeshed, briefly successful “organic” bands, many signed to Buddah Records…https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubblegum_music
Todd, the Wrecking Crew, in many of its configurations, generated a lot of hits including “Yummy Yummy Yummy”!
Maggie, I fell in love with Grace Slick when I saw the video of “Someone to Love”! Believe it or not, “Yummy Yummy Yummy” made a lot of money!
Late to the party, but I think this is a so-so compilation. A few classics, like “Shout”, “Sleepwalk”, and “Summer in the City”; some fair-to-middling, like “These Eyes” and “Up, Up and Away”; and some utter drek like “Yummy Yummy” and “Tell Laura I Love Her”. Coincidentally, the other day I heard “Hello Hello” on the Sirius Sixties channel—that really is one of the more obscure songs from the era.
Deb, I remember “Hello Hello” and I think I have it on one of my many CD complications.
When is the last time you…heard those timeless words: “Yummy Yummy Yummy, I have Love in my Tummy!”
That would be yesterday, when they played that line on the episode of Q I that we were watching.
Jeff, wow! I don’t think I’ve heard the lyrics to “Yummy Yummy Yummy” for 50 years…at least! It’s good to know Q / likes it.
One of my daughters actually subscribed to Brit Box so she could watch all the episodes of QI! Alan Davies also played a trivia quiz game host caught up in a murder on an episode of Lewis called “Your Sudden Death Question”.
I counted 22. Here in Winnipeg we don’t think of The Guess Who as one-hit wonders as the local boys still get plenty of radio play. Hard to believe, but Burton Cimmings just celebrated his 75th birthday. Never was a fan of the group.
We once saw Burton Cummings – in his post-Guess Who solo days – do a concert in Central Park. He was actually pretty good back then, but it is over 45 years ago.
Update: Jackie says she is NOT a fan of Tell Laura I Love Her, just puts it in the “death on the highway” song list, along with Last Kiss, Leader of the Pack, Teen Angel, etc.
Kent, sorry the Buffalo Sabres beat the Jets last night, but they’re on a four-game winning streak. I live on the Border with Canada so I hear plenty of Canadian radio stations playing The Guess Who songs.
Again, if you don’t have Sirius (which we don’t) and want to hear the best of the ’60s and ’70s (plus even some ’50s), try Scott Shannon’s True Oldies Channel.
Down here I listen to it on the car radio, and I have it on the computer.
Here are the songs they just played:
Hot Chocolate, You Sexy Thing
Spencer Davis Group, Gimme Some Lovin’
Carly Simon, Nobody Does It Better
The Honeycombs, Have I the Right? (a Joe Meek production, done in his apartment in Islington, North London, as was previous #1 Telstar)
Johnny Nash, Stir It Up
Martha & the Vandellas, Jimmy Mack
But over the last few days I’ve heard some things I really rarely hear:
Wiggle Wobble by Les Cooper
Gimme Gimme Good Lovin’ by Crazy Elephant
Since I Don’t Have You by The Skyliners (1958)
I can’t remember the others, but yesterday he was playing a bunch of obscure stuff.
Jeff, that’s a nice mix of seldom played songs!
I like The Worst That Can Happen! How can you not like a Johnny Cymbal song?! In Tell Laura I Love Her, the punk died on a race track! Not to split hairs or anything! I would have sworn Sleep Walk was from the fifties! It’s weird having Neil Sedaka on an album with the Jefferson Airplane! I hated Bubblegum Rock then and I hate it now!
Bob, I agree with you. I don’t think I have another compilation CD with Neil Sedaka and the Jefferson Airplane both on it!