Classic rock, pop, and soul songs from the '60s, '70s, and '80s
Classic rock, pop, and soul songs from the '60s, '70s, and '80s
Regular followers of this blog know that I’m a big fan of power pop, and one of the foremost practitioners of that genre is Eric Carmen, both with the Raspberries and as a solo act. That brings us to today’s classic song of the day, one his best songs, “Make Me Lose Control.” Eric Carmen released “Make Me Lose Control”…
Merry Christmas, everybody! Today’s classic song of the day is a Christmas classic from singer/guitarist José Feliciano, “Feliz Navidad.” Released in November of 1970, just in time for the holidays, this one made it all the way to #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was a top forty hit in countries all around the world. “Feliz Navidad” (that’s “Merry…
Today is Christmas Eve and today’s classic song of the day is Joni Mitchell’s “River.” Many people consider this their favorite Christmas song, even though it isn’t technically a song about Christmas. It mentions Christmas in the lyrics and is obviously set in the season, but it isn’t about St. Nick or mistletoe or baby Jesus or any of that.…
Today’s classic song of the day is “I’ve Just Seen a Face” by the Beatles. It was a bit of a departure for the boys, an uptempo tune with a country/bluegrass feel. No drumset, no bass, just three acoustic guitars and Ringo playing brushes on the snare drum (and some maracas overdubbed). While credited to the Lennon-McCartney combine, as were…
Cat Stevens was a really big deal back in the early ’70s. His albums Tea for the Tillerman, Teaser and the Firecat, and Catch Bull at Four were on a lot of turntables back then, including mine. He released a large number of radio-friendly hits, including today’s classic song of the day, “Wild World.” Included on his Tea for the…
Here’s a late-60s tune I’m sure you can’t place but will probably remember when you hear it. The tune is “When I Die,” a one-hit wonder by a group called Motherlode, and it’s today’s classic song of the day. Not to be confused with Laura Nyro’s tune “And When I Die,” a big hit for Blood, Sweat & Tears, Motherlode’s…
Today’s classic song of the day was the B-side to an A-side by the Temptations. The A-side was a minor hit but the B-side proved longer-lasting. The song is “The Girl’s Alright with Me” and it was the B-side to “I’ll Be in Trouble.” Honestly, I don’t remember the A-side, which supposedly hit #33 on the Billboard Hot 100, a…
I was a huge fan of jazz-rock (what some called horn rock) back in the day. As a drummer, I liked the feel of playing big band-like hits with a rock groove. As an arranger, I appreciated all the harmonic options available from a small horn section. No surprise that I listened to a lot of Chicago and Lighthouse back…
For today’s classic song of the day, let’s get in the Wayback Machine and travel all the way back to the year 1967. Doesn’t matter what time it is, just turn on your handy AM radio and you’re likely to hear the latest tune from Herman’s Hermits, a catchy little ditty called “There’s a Kind of Hush.” Released as a…
The instrumental “Pick Up the Pieces” is today’s classic song of the day. Released by the Average White Band in July of 1974, this single went all the way to #1 (in early 1975) on the Billboard Hot 100 and #5 on Billboard’s R&B chart. It failed to chart in the band’s native UK, however. Even though they sounded funky,…