» 1960s
Monster Mash – Bobby Boris Pickett
Halloween is one of the greatest American holidays. “Monster Mash” is one of the greatest one-hit wonders. Except it’s not. “Monster Mash” actually charted on the Billboard Top 40 two separate times in two separate years. With eleven years between the hits. The first time is 1962 when the novelty song was first released and “Monster Mash” reached #1 on the Billboard Top 40. Listeners lapped up the Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi references and the song became … Read entire article »
In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida – Iron Butterfly
Iron Butterfly weren’t so much metal as hard psychedelia; sounding sort of like a heavy Doors. But the San Diego band’s signature song, the rambling, 17-minute “In-a-Gadda-da-Vida” (translation: “This Song Really is Much Too Long”) was heavy for the time (1968) and influential in the development of metal. The drum solo set thousands of teenage boys banging on school desks. DJs on the new “progressive” FM rock stations (the forerunner of today’s album- and classic-rock … Read entire article »
All Along the Watchtower – Jimi Hendrix
Editor’s note: Another post from Jim Barton, our resident rock and metal expert. Cue the “Twilight Zone” theme. What could be written about Jimi Hendrix that hasn’t already? Suffice to say that in his hands, the electric guitar became truly electric; his revolutionary playing style turned thousands of heads. Without Hendrix, the likes of Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Aerosmith, Metallica, AC/DC and boatloads of other metal bands would never have existed. Decades after his death, “Purple … Read entire article »
Journey to the Center of Your Mind – The Amboy Dukes
Editor’s note: Another post from our resident heavy metal one-hit wonder expert, Jim Barton. Just after Blue Cheer thrashed and bashed their way up the Hot 100 with “Summertime Blues,” The Amboy Dukes, featuring a young Ted Nugent, unleashed their own hit with the proto-metal “Journey to the Center of Your Mind,” which peaked at Number 16 in the summer of 1968. That makes The Amboy Dukes a one-hit wonder. Even this early in his career, … Read entire article »
Summertime Blues – Blue Cheer
Editor’s note: This is the first contribution from Jim Barton, a die-hard music fan and one-hit wonder watcher. What was the first heavy metal song? “Rock Around the Clock” kicked off the rock era with a bang in 1955 (of course, when “Rock Around the Clock” became a hit, nobody realized at the moment the new musical revolution that would quickly take the entire planet by storm), but of course metal didn’t burst onto the scene … Read entire article »
Judy in Disguise (With Glasses) – John Fred and his Playboy Band
Three minutes of pure poppy bliss. That’s what I hear in “Judy in Disguise (With Glasses) by John Fred and his Playboy Band.” I also hear a clear and obvious reference to “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” Try it yourself. Judy in disguise for Lucy in the Sky. Fits pretty well, right? That’s intentional. John Fred heard The Beatles’ hit song and was convinced John Lennon was singing “Judy in the Sky with Diamonds.” Since Fred … Read entire article »
More Today Than Yesterday Lyrics – Spiral Starecase
Click to read how More Today Than Tomorrow became a one-hit wonder More Today Than Tomorrow I don’t remember what day it was I didn’t notice what time it was All I know is that I fell in love with you And if all my dreams come true I’ll be spending time with you Every day’s a new day in love with you With each day comes a new way of loving you Every time I kiss your lips my mind starts to wander And … Read entire article »
Filed under: 1960s
More Today Than Yesterday – Spiral Starecase
Few songs are more joyous, more ebullient than “More Today Than Yesterday” by Spiral Starecase. You could be a cynic. You could be depressed. You could be a misanthrope. But I doubt you could hate “More Today Than Yesterday.” It’s too happy. It’s too innocent. It’s too, well, brilliant. And if you watch Spiral Starecase perform “More Today Than Yesterday” and keep your eyes focused on the shuffling feet of bass-playing Bobby Raymond, I’m certain you’ll fall … Read entire article »
Filed under: 1960s