Classic rock, pop, and soul songs from the '60s, '70s, and '80s
Classic rock, pop, and soul songs from the '60s, '70s, and '80s
For today’s classic song of the day we go back to 1964 and Phil Spector’s favorite girl group, the Ronettes. The tune is “Do I Love You” and, when it was released in June of 1964, it went to #34 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #36 on the Cash Box 100. It did a bit better north of the…
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 I Met) The Boy I’m Gonna Marry” was the first solo single for vocalist extraordinaire Darlene Love, and it’s today’s classic song of the day. Released in March of 1963, this single peaked at #39 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #38 on the Cash Box Top 100 in 1963. This Wall of Sound spectacular, produced by troubled genius…
Today’s classic song of the day is that Wall of Sound classic, “Then He Kissed Me” by the Crystals. Released on Philles Records in July of 1963, this one peaked at #6 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100. “Then He Kissed Me” was written by the Brill Building songwriting team of Ellie Greenwich and Jeff…
Today’s classic song that was so nice it was a hit twice of the day is “Baby, I Love You.” This one was a hit originally for the Ronettes and, about a half-dozen years later, for singer Andy Kim. “Baby, I Love You” was written by the team of Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, with the typical-for-that-era addition of Phil…
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 Christmas song of the day is “Winter Wonderland.” It was written in 1934 by Felix Bernard and lyricist Richard “Dick” Smith. The original lyrics were about a winter love affair; in 1947, new lyrics were written that made it more about children playing in the snow. Later versions tended to combine the two versions, so that you hear…
Today’s classic Christmas song of the day is “Frosty the Snowman,” all about that jolly happy soul who came to life one winter’s day. The song was written by Walter “Jack” Rollins and Steve Nelson way back in 1950. Rollins had previously written “Here Comes Peter Cottontail” and other songs, primarily for country artists like Gene Autry, Hank Snow, George…
Today’s classic song of the day is one of Phil Spector’s last Wall of Sound productions, “Black Pearl” by Sonny Charles and the Checkmates. Released in April of 1969, the song hit #13 on the Billboard Hot 100, #10 on the Cash Box Top 100, and #8 on Billboard’s R&B chart. “Black Pearl” was written by Toni Wine and Irwin…