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 is Veteran’s Day here in the U.S. and, in honor of our vets, today’s classic song of the day is the Shirelles’ “Soldier Boy.” Released in March of 1962, this single hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. (And in Canada, too!) “Soldier Boy” was written by producer Luther Dixon and Scepter Records owner Florence Greenburg. Actually, Flo did…
Unless you’re a Girl Group aficionado, you’ve probably never heard today’s classic song of the day. The song is “When the Boy’s Happy (The Girl’s Happy Too)” and it is a perfect piece of Wall of Soundish Girl Group pop. The single of “When the Boy’s Happy (The Girl’s Happy Too)” was released on the Rust Records label (a subsidiary…
Today’s somewhat obscure classic song of the day comes from a group of siblings called the Paris Sisters. The song is a forgotten Girl Group classic called “My Good Friend.” “My Good Friend” was written by Paris sister Priscilla Paris. The legendary Jack Nitszche, who did a lot of work with producer Phil Spector, did the arrangement and also, with…
Today is Mother’s Day, so it’s only fitting that today’s classic song of the day is “Mama Said” by the Shirelles. Released as a single in April of 1961, this girl group classic peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on Billboard’s R&B chart. “Mama Said” was written by Luther Dixon and Willie Densen. Dixon and Denson…
Today’s classic song of the day was recorded by one group but released under another group’s name. The song is that Wall of Sound classic, “He’s a Rebel,” and there’s an interesting story behind it. To start out, “He’s a Rebel” was written by Gene Pitney for the Shirelles, but that group, which was really hot at the time, turned…
Today’s classic song of the day is “It’s Gonna Take a Miracle.” This song was a hit for the Royalettes in 1965 and Deniece Williams in 1982; it was also featured on Laura Nyro’s 1971 album of covers with Labelle, Gonna Take a Miracle. First things first. “It’s Gonna Take a Miracle” was written by Teddy Randazzo, Bobby Weinstein, and…
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…