Classic rock, pop, and soul songs from the '60s, '70s, and '80s
Classic rock, pop, and soul songs from the '60s, '70s, and '80s
Today’s classic Girl Group song of the day is the rather obscure “Please Don’t Wake Me” by an equally obscure group called the Cinderellas. Released in 1964 on the Dimension label, this one didn’t chart, although it should have; it’s a perfect example of the 1960s Girl Group sound. “Please Don’t Wake Me” was written by Cynthia Weil and Russ…
This week we’re taking a tour back in time to focus on the Girl Group sound of the 1960s. Our first classic Girl Group song of the week is a little-known tune called “My One and Only Jimmy Boy” by the Girlfriends. This one only hit #49 on the Billboard Hot 100 but it should have been a lot bigger.…
Here’s a bonus classic song of the day for you, Steely Dan’s “lost” track from the Gaucho album, “The Second Arrangement.” There’s a long story behind this one, and it’s worth telling. First, though, the song. This is a terrific Dan song. It was written and recorded in 1979, after the success of their legendary Aja album, as the first…
Our final classic summer song of the day this week is “Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina and the Waves. Does anybody know of a happier, peppier, summerier song than this one? “Walking on Sunshine” is a refreshing, upbeat brew of pure joy, guaranteed to pick you up on even the dreariest of days. It’s a really simple song, just A,…
Your classic summer song of the day is “Saturday in the Park,” by a little horn rock band called Chicago. The track was released in July of 1972, right in the middle of summer, and peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. That made “Saturday in the Park” the group’s highest-charting single up to that time. “Saturday in the…
Today’s classic summer song of the day is “Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer,” as recorded by the great Nat King Cole. This single was released in May of 1963, just in time for summertime that year, and peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #3 on what was then called the Middle-Road Singles Chart. “Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of…
Today’s classic summer song of the day is “Hot Fun in the Summertime” by Sly and the Family Stone. This track, released in July of 1969, peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #3 on the Best Selling Soul Singles chart. As with most of his group’s songs, Sly Stone wrote and produced this one. The Family Stone…
Our classic summer song of the day moves from “Up on the Roof” (yesterday’s classic song) to “Under the Boardwalk.” Like yesterday’s song, “Under the Boardwalk” was recorded by the Drifters; released in June of 1964, it rose to #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, one spot higher than their 1962 single. Unlike “Up on the Roof,” which was written…
Today’s classic summer-themed song of the day is “Up on the Roof” by the Drifters. This true classic was released in September of 1962 and hit #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 (and #4 on the R&B chart) early the next year. Rudy Lewis sang lead on the record, accompanied by fellow Drifters Tommy Evans, Gene Pearson, and Charlie Thomas.…
Since we’re in the sticky thick of summer here in the northern hemisphere, how about a week of summer-themed classic songs? With that in mind, let’s start with a literal summer song, “A Summer Song” by Chad & Jeremy. The duo released this one right in the middle of summer, in July 1964, and it went to #7 on the…