Classic rock, pop, and soul songs from yesterday and today
Classic rock, pop, and soul songs from yesterday and today
Your forgotten early ’70s song of the day is “Pieces of April” by Three Dog Night. It was released in November of 1972 and peaked early the following year at #19 on the Billboard Hot 100. (It scored higher on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart, rising all the way to #6.) The song was included on the group’s 1972 album, Seven…
In honor of Mr. Shorter’s passing, here’s your standout Wayne Shorter sax solo on a classic Weather Report song of the day, “A Remark You Made” from 1977’s Heavy Weather album. Mr. Shorter plays a simply gorgeous solo on this tune, complementing Josef Zawinul’s beautiful melody and Jaco Pastorius’ emotive bass lines. It’s a lovely ballad that Mr. Shorter elevates…
Your overlooked ’70s song of the day is “When the Morning Comes,” from Daryl Hall and John Oates’ oft-overlooked album, Abandoned Luncheonette. This album, Hall & Oates’ second, came out in 1973, the fall of my 9th grade year. I listened to it all that year, into the spring and summer of ’74, and beyond. The sound was unique to…
Today’s forgotten Philly Soul song of the day is “Together” by the Intruders. It reached #48 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #9 on Billboard’s R&B chart. The track sounds like classic 70s soul even though it was released in April of 1967. That’s because it has that glossy Philly Soul sound we associate with 70s soul, not the more…
Your mournful ’70’s soul song of the day is Brook Benton’s “Rainy Night in Georgia.” This big hit went to #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, #1 on the Best Selling Soul Singles chart, and #2 on the Adult Contemporary chart in the spring of 1970. It was a big comeback for Mr. Benton, who had a string of hits…
Your long-lost power pop song of the day is “Whenever You’re On My Mind” by Marshall Crenshaw. Mr. Crenshaw released this one in April of 1983 and it went absolutely nowhere. While it was a hit on college radio at the time, it only hit #103 on the Billboard Hot 100, which technically isn’t actually in the Hot 100. (It…
Your ’90s power pop song of the day is “Til I Hear It From You” by Gin Blossoms. The song appeared on the soundtrack for the 1995 film Empire Records and, released as a single, went to #9 on the Billboard Hot 100, #4 on the Mainstream Rock chart, and #3 on the Adult Contemporary chart. It ended up as…
Your sappy early ’70s love song of the day is “Precious and Few” by Climax. Released in December of 1971, it rose to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 (and #1 on the Cashbox Hot 100) in March the following year. The song was written by Walter Nims, the band’s lead guitarist. “Precious and Few” is a powerful song with…
Your forgotten late-60s pop song of the day is “Something in the Air,” by the group called Thunderclap Newman. It was a minor hit during the summer months of 1969, hitting #37 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the UK Singles chart. It’s a dreamy little ditty, all about the revolution being here. (In fact, the song…
Today’s little-known 1980s remake of a little-known 1970s pop song of the day is “Jimmy Loves Maryann” by Josie Cotton. This is a New Wavish remake of the second single from the band Looking Glass, which wasn’t near as big a hit as their previous “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl),” which was my Classic Song of the Day yesterday. The…
Your everybody-knows-it-and-loves-it early ’70s pop song of the day is “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)” by Looking Glass. This one is a classic that stood out in a year full of terrific pop hits. The song was released in May of 1972 and went all the way to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Billboard ranked it the #12 song…
Your forgotten late-60s soul song of the day is “Can I Change My Mind” by Tyrone Davis. This one was released in November of 1968 and went to #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Hot R&B Singles list. It’s a stellar example of Chicago soul in an era otherwise dominated by the masters of Motown in…