Classic rock, pop, and soul songs from the '60s, '70s, and '80s
Classic rock, pop, and soul songs from the '60s, '70s, and '80s
You probably remember today’s classic song of the day, “Black and White,” from the 1972 single by Three Dog Night. But the song is a lot older than that and has a storied history. “Black and White” was written by David Arkin (words) and Earl Robinson (music) back in 1954. Mr. Arkin was the father to actor Alan Arkin; Mr.…
Burt Bacharach and Hal David bring us today’s classic song of the day, “Make It Easy on Yourself.” Like most Bacharach/David tunes, this one was recorded by multiple artists over the years. It was a hit in 1962 for Jerry Butler. And in 1965 for the Walker Brothers. And in 1966 for Cilla Black. And in 1970 for Dionne Warwick.…
Here’s an obscure little tune from the early ’70s that you might remember when you hear it. The song is “Fallin’ Lady” by Punch and it’s today’s classic song of the day. Punch was a sunshine pop band out of California that consisted of four vocalists: Charles Merriam (who also wrote most of their songs), Steve Adler (who sang lead),…
The Four Tops were my favorite Motown group and today’s classic song of the day was one of their best. The song is “Standing in the Shadows of Love” and, when it was released in late November, 1966, and peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on Billboard’s R&B chart early in 1967. “Standing in the Shadows…
The singer known as Meat Loaf brings us today’s classic song of the day, “You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night).” I know this song is pure trash but it’s great trash and I love it. “You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth” was the first single from Meat Loaf’s iconic Bat Out…
Here’s a song that does a great job capturing the Laurel Canyon folk-rock vibe of the mid-60s. The song is “Twelve-Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon)” by the Mamas & the Papas, and it’s today’s classic song of the day. “Twelve-Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon)” was written by Papa John Phillips shortly after he and…
One of the neat things about Fleetwood Mac is that, during their most popular period, they had three strong singers and songwriters in Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, and Christine McVie. While Stevie Nicks and her songs seemed to get the most attention, Christine McVie’s contributions are not to be slighted. Case is point is today’s classic song of the day,…
The Supremes’ single, “The Happening,” is today’s classic song of the day, and its one of their more unique offerings, for a number of reasons. First off, “The Happening” is actually the theme song for a movie called, unsurprisingly, The Happening. That movie, released in 1967, was a supposed comedy about four hippies who kidnap a retired Mafia mob boss.…
Today’s classic song of the day is an overlooked ’70s soul track from an overlooked soul singer. The track is “It Ain’t Easy” and the singer is Claudia Lennear. Claudia Lennear was a background singer, one of the ladies featured in the 20 Feet From Stardom documentary. She made her bones as an Ikette with Ike & Tina Turner, and…
“Knock on Wood” is today’s classic song of the day and it was a hit in two different decades by two very different artists. “Knock on Wood” was a soul tune written by singer Eddie Floyd and guitarist Steve Cropper, both stalwarts of Memphis’ Stax Records. They wrote it in 1966 at the Lorraine Motel, where Dr. Martin Luther King…