Classic rock, pop, and soul songs from the '60s, '70s, and '80s
Classic rock, pop, and soul songs from the '60s, '70s, and '80s
Continuing our look at girl singers of the ’60s, we come to one of my favorite singers singing one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite songwriting teams. We’re talking about “Do You Know the Way to San Jose,” a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David and sung by the divine Dionne Warwick. While “Do You…
Over the past few days we’ve looked at a few British girl singers, including the extremely talented Petula Clark. The biggest of the ’60s Brit girls, however, was arguably Dusty Springfield. Dusty was a phenomenon, racking up fifteen Top 40 hits on the UK charts and ten in the U.S. With that in mind, today’s classic songs (plural) of the…
Yesteday’s classic song of the day was “Girl Don’t Come” by Pye Girl Sandie Shaw. While we’re on a Pye Records kick, let’s go to the biggest Pye Girl of them all, the legendary Petula Clark and her equally legendary hit, “Downtown.” This classic single was released in November of 1964 and hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 early…
Today’s classic song of the day is “Girl Don’t Come” by Sandie Shaw. This one sounds a little like a Burt Bacharach tune, but it isn’t. “Girl Don’t Come” was written not by Burt Bacharach but rather by a chap named Chris Andrews. Like Ms. Shaw, Mr. Andrews was a Brit; he wrote a bunch of songs for a bunch…
Today’s classic ’60s pop song that sounds like a Girl Group but isn’t of the day is “Dream Baby,” by an 18 year-old, not-yet-famous singer named Cher. This one was a flop when it was released but became a Girl Group classic, and deservedly so. “Dream Baby” was written and produced by Cher’s then-husband and singing partner, Sonny Bono. It…
Last week we took a look at the Girl Group sound of the early 1960s, but that sound wasn’t limited to girl groups. There were plenty of solo girl singers who put out records that mirrored that Girl Group sound, and we’re going to listen to some of them this week. Let’s start with a singer named Ellie Greenwich. Music…
Our last classic Girl Group song of the week is also the last Top 10 hit by the Shirelles, perhaps the most popular group of the Girl Group era. “Foolish Little Girl,” released in March of 1963, peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #9 on Billboard’s Hot R&B Singles chart. “Foolish Little Girl” was written by Helen…
Today’s classic Girl Group song of the day is “I Have a Boyfriend” by the Chiffons. This track was released in November of 1963 and peaked, the following January, at #36 on the Billboard Hot 100. “I Have a Boyfriend” was written by the same duo that penned “People Say” and “Chapel of Love” for the Dixie Cups, Jeff Barry…
Today’s classic Girl Group song of the day is “Give Him a Great Big Kiss” by the Shangra-Las. Released on Red Bird Records in December of 1964, it peaked at #18 early the next year on the Billboard Hot 100. “When I say I’m in love, you best believe I’m in love, L-U-V!” Like most of the Shangra-Las’ tracks, “Give…
Today’s classic Girl Group song of the day is another obscure one by another obscure group but one with a strong connection to a music legend. “The One You Can’t Have” was released in 1963 by a group called the Honeys. The Honeys were sisters Diane and Marilyn Rovell and cousin Ginger Blake. They formed, as the Rovell Sisters, when…