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NAPOLEON XIV
They're Coming To Take Me Away Ha Ha (2:07) - This silly ditty, with a moderate swing tempo, is all spoken. Instruments and sound effects include a tambourine and a siren. Initially I thought a girlfriend was leaving the narrator despite his pleas not to; I thought this because of lines in the second verse about laughing. But other evidence points to a dog: the phrase "you mangy mutt" and a mention of the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). Anyway, the narrator has gone berserk and will soon be taken away to "the Funny Farm," or, alternately, "the Happy Home." In other words, he will die; the siren is that of an ambulance and the "men in their clean white coats" are paramedics.
JOHNNY NASH
I Can See Clearly Now (2:47) - This song, slightly faster than moderate, starts softly--bass guitar, drums, guitar, and piano. Whatever was making the narrator sad before, he is sad no more. His tears have dried, his clouds are gone, his sky is blue. Now he can face the world with confidence.
Tobacco Road (3:32) - This song has a fast 1-minute intro, which the radio bypasses. The rest of the song is moderately fast. The narrator was born in a junkyard. His mother died giving birth to him, and his father left him to die. The narrator grew up living in a shack and having constant backaches. He resolves that with divine assistance he'll get a job, save some of the money he makes, and go all the way from rags to riches. I also have a version by Paul Revere and the Raiders.
THE NEON PHILHARMONIC
Morning Girl (2:12) - This moderate-tempoed song opens with a 7-second, low-toned harpsichord solo. Other instruments include classical string instruments, horns, and an organ. Apparently the narrator is the girl's father, and she moved back home the previous day after a romantic relationship failed. He knocks on her bedroom door and tells her good morning. He tells her that love is more than just kissing and embracing; she should eat her breakfast, wash her face, and go out to search for Mr. Right. The song ends with a long hold of the organ.
NEW COLONY SIX
I Will Always Think About You (2:22) - This moderately slow song features horns, and the drums play loudly and clearly. The narrator will always think about his girlfriend, even if one day he must start living without her. But if she feels the same way about him that he does about her, she will know how true his love is.
THE NEWBEATS
Bread And Butter (1:58) - This moderately fast tune opens with a 2-measure piano solo. Other instruments include a tambourine. When I first heard this song on the radio and didn't listen closely to the lyrics, I thought the lead singer was female. But now I know it's a man singing falsetto. He plays the role of a guy whose girlfriend feeds him buttered bread and toast covered with jam, nothing else. Then one day he catches her with another man, so now his bread, butter, toast and jam are all gone.
HARRY NILSSON
Everybody's Talkin' (2:44) - The tempo is moderate, with a guitar picking at a rapid pace. The narrator knows people are talking, but he can't hear their words. He knows they stare at him, but he can't see their faces. He resolves to go a place where the sun stays bright through rainstorms, "where the weather suits my clothes."
1910 FRUITGUM CO.
Goody Goody Gumdrops (2:27) - The tempo is moderately fast. The narrator sings about his girlfriend in the verses, to her in the chorus. Whenever she's near him, his heart flips and she drives him wild.
THE OHIO EXPRESS
Yummy Yummy Yummy (2:19) - The tempo is somewhat faster than moderate. The key starts at G; near the 1:30 mark it rises a half-step. I like the voices of the guys, whose character tells his girlfriend just how yummy she is, how he wants to kiss and embrace her. The song fades out with repetition of "Sweet thing, yummy yummy."
Chewy Chewy (2:37) - This moderate-paced song features an organ and a tambourine. As in the previous song, the narrator wants to hold and kiss his girlfriend. She does to him everything he wants her to do. A little over halfway through the song, I hear guitar strums similar to those that start the Crystals' hit "Then He Kissed Me"; as those strums play the key rises half a step from C.
THE O'KAYSIONS
Girl Watcher (2:36) - This fast song features horns, an organ, and heavy use of cymbals. The narrator loves to observe girls walking past him, and has since even before he was a teenager. In the second verse he talks to the latest girl to walk near him, asking her to walk closer.
OLIVER
Good Morning Starshine (3:38) - The tempo is moderate. Instruments include bells, a tambourine, and violins. The narrator says good morning to the rising sun as he and his girlfriend go outside to sing their morning song, which is represented by scat singing. This song appeared in the musical Hair.
Wah Watusi (2:31) - This song is fast, featuring a sax during the middle instrumental, and bass vocals from the male Orlon in the last line of each verse. Other dances such as the fly and the mashed potato are not bad, but the watusi is the latest dance, so the narrator urges the listener to get out and learn how to do it.
Don't Hang Up (2:16) - This fast song features handclaps and a saxophone. It's not about hanging up a telephone, but rather about ending a romantic relationship. The narrator begs her boyfriend not to walk out on her over infidelities (real or imagined) on either of their parts. Instead they should stay together and talk their problems out. She loves him too much to find someone new. I like how the male Orlon sings "no no" after the title.
GILBERT O'SULLIVAN
Alone Again (Naturally) (3:37) - This moderately slow song features a tambourine on every other beat. The narrator is suicidal after his girlfriend dumped him. He wonders what can or should be done for others who are left heartbroken just like him. In the last verse he remembers his father's death long ago and his mother's death more recently. But I wonder which parent died at age 65. Apparently, his parents' deaths happened first, then the loss of love--hence the title. The singer's name is interesting; it reminds me of playwrights Gilbert AND Sullivan. Even so, Gilbert O'Sullivan is the guy's real name.
THE OUTSIDERS
Time Won't Let Me (2:48) - The tempo is fast. Horns and an organ play in the right speaker, a tambourine plays in the left, and a guitar plays in both. All vocals are in the left speaker only. The narrator wants to know right now whether the girl will be faithful to him. She insists that he wait forever, but he can't--the title says why!
THE PARADONS
Diamonds And Pearls (2:15) - This song has a slow, 12/8 tempo. Diamonds, pearls, emeralds, gold, and other material objects mean nothing to the narrator; instead he wants the love of the girl to whom he sings. Those riches can't ignite his hormones the way her eyes and lips do.
THE PARIS SISTERS
I Love How You Love Me (2:06) - This slow, 12/8 song features orchestral string instruments. The third verse consists of the first 4 lines of the first verse (spoken) and the last three lines of the second verse (sung). The narrator loves the closing of her boyfriend's eyes, the beating of his heart, his missing her when they're apart, and various other specific sweet things. But the title sums it all up. Now there's a relationship that stands a chance of lasting; people like to be told that they're appreciated.
FESS PARKER
Ballad Of Davy Crockett (1:40) - The tempo is moderately fast. The only instruments I hear are a guitar and a fiddle. Fess double-tracks his voice, first in a baritone, then somewhat higher-pitched and comic. Five verses are sung here. The first summarizes Davy Crockett's childhood; he supposedly killed his first bear at age 3. The second mentions his service in the War of 1812. The third chronicles his service in Congress, when he supposedly "patched up a crack in the Liberty Bell." In the fourth verse, he jumped on the "Go West" bandwagon. Though the last verse doesn't explicitly mention his death at the Alamo, it does mention that he participated in a battle there. Actually, this is an edited version of the song; more verses are found in the page to which the link in this paragraph leads.
PATIENCE AND PRUDENCE
Tonight You Belong To Me (1:52) - This song has a swing tempo slightly slower than moderate. The narrator realizes that her guy has found someone new, but she wants to hold onto him one last night.
PAUL AND PAULA
Hey Paula (2:30) - The tempo is slow. Actually, "Paul" was Ray and "Paula" was Jill. In fact, the single was originally released in 1962 under the artist name Jill and Ray. But re-release as Paul and Paula led the single to #1 the following year. Anyway, the duo play a pair of high-school seniors who can't wait to graduate so they can marry each other. After all, "true love means planning a life for two."
Young Lovers (2:32) - The duo's other hit has a slow 12/8 tempo. Their characters are about to get married, optimistic that their union will last forever. They wish good luck to all other young couples with similar plans.
Band Of Gold (2:53) - This song has a moderate pace. While drums play in the left speaker, a tambourine shakes in the right. It's odd for a couple to get married, then for the groom to suddenly stop loving the bride. But this couple end up sleeping in different rooms on their honeymoon. The poor bride anxiously waits for her husband to come to her room and return his love to her. I also have a later version by country singer Charly McClain.
PHIL PHILLIPS WITH THE TWILIGHTS
Sea Of Love (2:21) - This song has a moderate, 12/8 tempo. Drums beat on every second and fourth quarter beat; a piano is the other featured instrument. Backed by bass scat singing from the Twilights, Phil plays a young man who invites his girlfriend to the Sea of Love so he can reminisce about the night they met and tell her how much he loves her.
BOBBY "BORIS" PICKETT AND THE CRYPT KICKERS
The Monster Mash (3:12) - This Halloween tune, somewhat faster than moderate, opens with the creaking of a coffin lid, the rattling of chains, and the bubbling of laboratory bottles. The closing is similar--the sounds of a monster roaring, rattling chains and knocking bottles over. What used to be Dracula's Transylvania Twist is now the Monster Mash and an overnight "graveyard smash." This dance is for the living too, so head for the castle, knock on the door, and "tell them Boris sent you"!
THE PLAYMATES
Beep Beep (2:42) - The narrator's Cadillac is thrice the size of a Nash Rambler that follows him, yet they can go the same speed. Whenever the driver of the Rambler honks and tries to pass the Caddy, the narrator speeds up, hoping to prove that a Caddy is not to be passed. The tempo starts very slow and gradually accelerates as the cars do; in the last verse, as the cars go 120 mph, the tempo is very fast. I like this song a lot, but I discourage this kind of behavior even on freeways.
JOEY POWERS
Midnight Mary (2:24) - The tempo is moderate. During the first 16 seconds I hear the faint sound of clicking drums. After the first 16 seconds, the regular drums enter, but they are subdued. The narrator is a poor railroad worker, and Mary's father disapproves of him. So the narrator asks Mary to meet him at midnight at their usual rendezvous so they can elope.
JOHNNY PRESTON
Running Bear (2:36) - The tempo in the verses is slightly faster than the moderate tempo in the chorus. During the verses, a bass drum pounds on every first and third beat. The other featured instruments are a piano and a saxophone; the sax is most audible during the chorus. This song was written by the Big Bopper, who also provided the bass chanting in the background. This a Native American version of Romeo and Juliet. Running Bear and his sweetheart, Little White Dove, live on opposite sides of a wide, raging river; in order to satisfy their feelings for each other, they jump into the river, embrace each other, and drown.
PROCOL HARUM
A Whiter Shade Of Pale (4:00) - The tempo is moderately slow. Instruments include an organ. From lyrics like "turnin' cartwheels 'cross the floor" and "I was feeling kinda seasick," I infer that the narrator and a few other people are dancers aboard a cruise ship. The title refers to the color someone's face turns when that person is scared or sick.
? AND THE MYSTERIANS
96 Tears (2:23) - This song, slightly faster than moderate, features an organ. The girl has made the narrator cry "too many teardrops for one heart." Figuratively, she is at the top of a mountain and he is at the bottom. He resolves that by sunrise, it'll be the other way around; she'll be the one crying as many tears as he apparently did over her. Just how he managed to count, I don't know.
THE RAINDROPS
The Kind Of Boy You Can't Forget (2:08) - This fast song features hand-clapping, bass backgrounds by Jeff Barry and lead vocals by Ellie Greenwich. Ellie's character in this song remembers, like the back of her head, the day she met the boy with whom she's now in love. It was love at first sight; she couldn't resist the urge to kiss him. Who wouldn't remember the day he/she first met a spouse/lover?
ELLIE GREENWICH SOLO: You Don't Know (3:13) - The tempo is slightly slower than moderate. The narrator sings to a boy who apparently already has a girlfriend--the narrator's best friend. Even so, the narrator has romantic feelings for him that are too strong to hide. He may not have known before about her feelings or their extent, but he'll know once the song is done!
RANDY AND THE RAINBOWS
Denise (original version 1:59; 1990s stereo version 1:58) - The tempo is slightly faster than moderate. The narrator has such a big crush on Denise that he feels very lucky to have found her. He asks her to hold him tight and kiss him.
THE REFLECTIONS
Just Like Romeo And Juliet (original version 2:19; 1990s stereo version 2:10) - This moderately fast song features handclaps and a sax. The narrator is out on a job hunt so he can earn the money to take his girlfriend out for dates. If he does find work, their romance will make history; if he doesn't, tragedy will strike them. Either way, they'll be similar to Shakespeare's famous couple.
DIANE RENAY
Navy Blue (2:28) - This fast song refers not to a color, but an emotion. The narrator is sad because her boyfriend has joined the Navy and thus can't be with her much. But she does take a little comfort from receiving a package from him while he's stationed in Tokyo, and from the prospect of him coming home for one weekend. My sister has served in the Navy before, and so has her best friend's husband.
THE RIP CHORDS
Hey Little Cobra (1:57) - This fast song features drums only in the left speaker, and background vocals only in the right speaker. The narrator drives a Cobra in a drag race, shutting down various cars including Stingrays, Jaguars and XKEs. Just before the third verse (during which the narrator wins the race), the key changes from B-flat to C.
THE RIVIERAS
California Sun (2:23) - This very fast song features awesome guitar licks between lines in the verses, plus an organ. The narrator feels he belongs in California, where pretty girls and sunshine are everywhere. When other people there do various dances, so will he.
The Bird's The Word (2:10) - This fast ditty features a squeaky instrument that represents the call of a bird. But "the bird" in this case is not an animal but a dance, and it's the talk of the town!
This group also sang Papa Oom Mow Mow.
RONNY AND THE DAYTONAS
GTO (2:27) - This very fast tune is my favorite car song. The narrator resolves to save every dime he earns so he can buy a GTO, a helmet and a roll bar. He'll then enter a drag race in Pomona (a Los Angeles suburb) and (he hopes) shut down every other car, including "three Deuces and a 4-speed and a 389."
THE ROOFTOP SINGERS
Walk Right In (2:33) - The tempo is slightly faster than moderate. This group consisted of two men and a woman, but the woman's voice is the most audible. Another indicator of a female narrator is the use of the word "Daddy," sometimes used as an endearing term for a boyfriend. She invites him into her house and suggests that he let his mind roll on and his hair hang down. At first I thought they left the word "in" out when singing the title, but after closer listening, I can hear them singing "right in" in rapid succession.
ROSIE AND THE ORIGINALS
Angel Baby (3:15) - The narrator of this slow, 12/8 song loves the guy so much that she "can hardly stand on [her] own two feet." She asks him never to leave her; if he ever does go, it'll be temporary and he'll always find his way back home.
THE ROYAL TEENS
Short Shorts (2:33) - This song opens with a guy whistling and saying, "Man, dig that crazy chick!" The tempo is moderate. Instruments and sound effects include a saxophone and handclaps. This song has only one verse, followed by an instrumental. After the instrumental it's the same pattern again. After a few repetitions of this pattern, an instrumental fades out. Here's the layout of the verse: The male singers sing "Who wears short shorts?" The female singers answer with "We wear short shorts." The guys: "They're short short shorts." The girls: "We like short shorts." The guys: "Who wears short shorts?" The girls: "We wear short shorts." Simple, huh?
RUBY AND THE ROMANTICS
Our Day Will Come (2:30) - This fast song opens with gentle rolls of an organ. The narrator may be considered too young to love now, but if she promises her boyfriend that if they wait long enough, they'll be able to live together and "share the joy falling in love can bring."
JIMMY RUFFIN
What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted (original version 3:03; 1990s stereo version 3:04) - This song, somewhat slower than moderate, is one of my favorite Motown tunes; Jimmy is the brother of the late David Ruffin of the Temptations. The narrator, having lost a girlfriend, searches for a new love and hopes and prays that he will find one. All his effort is in vain, so he declares a sad ending to it. Some of the broken hearted find new sweethearts later, as the narrator hopes to do. Others commit suicide. The rest, such as me, conclude that it's better to be alone than in the company of the opposite sex. More recently, this song was a hit for Paul Young.
MERRILEE RUSH AND THE TURNABOUTS
Angel Of The Morning (3:09) - This soft, moderately slow song features a tambourine and horns. I like how the drums roll every now and then. The narrator has passionate feelings for the man, but she realizes that he's in no position to build a committed relationship with her. So she settles for one night with him; all she asks in return is that in the morning he call her Angel, kiss her cheek, and go away slowly. Later, this song would also be a hit for Juice Newton.
CRISPIAN ST. PETERS
Pied Piper (2:31) - This moderate-paced song features a tambourine and, aptly, a flute during the chorus. The flute is my favorite part of this song. During the verses, a guitar and a bass play softly. The narrator asks the girl to follow him to "where it's at," apparently telling her not to be scared to try love.
KYU SAKAMOTO
Sukiyaki (3:05) - This song, somewhat faster than moderate, opens with the soft rolling of a xylophone or some similar instrument. Other instruments include horns. Kyu sings the song entirely in Japanese. He whistles once in the middle, again during fadeout.
SAM THE SHAM AND THE PHAROAHS
Wooly Bully (2:19) - Bass and cymbal drums are used heavily in this fast song. Horns join the regular drums in accenting the even-numbered beats. A saxophone plays lead during the instrumental between the second and third verses. One of the characters, Mattie, has just seen a creature that looks like a bull-sheep hybrid. The other character, Hattie, warns her to stay away from the creature and encourages her to learn how to dance.
Little Red Riding Hood * (2:44) - My favorite song by this group has a moderate swing tempo. A tambourine plays on every second and fourth beat. An organ plays during the second chorus. The narrator plays the wolf, who wears a sheep skin and offers to accompany Red Riding Hood to her grandma's house, to protect her from other forest creatures. My favorite part is the beginning, where he says, "Who's that I see walkin' in these woods? Why, it's Little Red Riding Hood!" I also like the end, where he howls and then corrects himself by saying, "Baa-aa!"
EVIE SANDS
I Can't Let Go (2:08) - This moderate-tempoed song features a tambourine. The narrator's boyfriend has left her and made her sad. But no matter how hard she tries to let go of him, she can't; she loves him too much. Perhaps Evie, who sounds similar to Dusty Springfield, could even be considered a "no-hit wonder," for no song of hers ever charted nationally.
LINDA SCOTT
I've Told Every Little Star (2:13) - This song is paced slightly faster than moderate. Linda sings in the left speaker; her echoes and drums play in the right. The narrator confesses to "every little star," "ripples in a brook" and even her friends that she loves the guy she sings to. She wonders why she hasn't told him; maybe she's afraid to. He might even feel the same way and be afraid to tell her, either. I like Linda's "dum da dum" vocals.
Love Potion #9 (2:06) - The tempo is slightly faster than moderate. The narrator goes to a gypsy fortuneteller and asks her for advice on how to attract women. So she makes an elixir that resembles Indian ink in appearance and turpentine in odor. But it proves dangerous; once the narrator drinks it, he kisses every object he sees--until he kisses a policeman who then breaks the bottle. The song ends with a cymbal roll.
Needles And Pins (2:13) - This song plays at a similar pace to the previous one. Cymbals are used heavily. Most vocals are in the right speaker only, but I do hear a tenor in the left speaker. This song was previously sung by Jackie DeShannon.
Georgy Girl (2:21) - The tempo is moderately fast. At the start and in the middle instrumental I hear a whistle-like instrument. Other instruments include a tambourine. The line "always window shopping but never stopping to buy" apparently mean that Georgy looks at guys casually, but she's afraid of choosing one guy to spend the rest of her life with. The narrator encourages Georgy to stop being scared and start dating.
THE SENSATIONS
Let Me In (3:05) - The drums play at a very fast pace. Since the lead singer is female, I'll use a female narrator. She sees people dancing and hears music playing as she arrives at the doorstep of her friend...or at least she thought the other person was her friend. Suddenly, for some reason, she's not welcome there anymore. A sax plays lead during the middle instrumental. My favorite feature is the "hoo wee ooo" scat singing.
Witch Doctor (2:20) - The key starts at A and goes up a few times as the song progresses, until it reaches C. Acting on the advice of a witch doctor, the narrator tells the girl with whom he's in love that he can win her heart by saying "Oo ee oo ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang." I doubt that it will really work, but good luck, pal.
SHADES OF BLUE
Oh How Happy (2:14) - This fast song features chimes and bells. The narrator has kissed his girlfriend 1000 times. She has made him very happy because she has stood by him through good times and bad.
THE SHANGRI-LAS
Remember (Walkin' In The Sand) (2:16) - During the verses, the tempo is slow and the narrator cries over her boyfriend who has left her. During the chorus, the tempo is moderately fast and she looks back on happier moments such as when they walked hand-in-hand along a beach. The chorus also features the background sound of seagulls chirping.
Leader Of The Pack (2:51) - The tempo is slightly faster than moderate. The song opens with a few friends asking Betty (the narrator) whether the ring she's wearing was from a motorcycle rider named Jimmy; she replies yes. She then tells the other girls how she met him and that her parents disapprove of him because of his lower socioeconomic status. Next comes a tragic chain of events: 1. At her parents' urging, she reluctantly tells Jimmy that the relationship is over. 2. He drives recklessly into the rainy night and fatally crashes. 3. Every day thereafter, Betty goes to school crying. Sound effects season this song: the acceleration, skidding, and crashing of Jimmy's motorbike.
Give Him A Great Big Kiss (2:10) - That's what the narrator does when she sees her boyfriend walking along a street. On the second and fourth beats in most measures of this fast song, a tambourine beats and hands clap. The narrator's friend (or possibly mother) asks her what the guy looks like and how he dances. She replies that he's taller than she is, always wears sunglasses, and dances "very, very close."
I Can Never Go Home Anymore (3:12) - This song, somewhat slower than moderate, features more speaking than singing. First one girl threatens to run away from home if her mother won't let her live her own life. But the narrator advises her against it, having done the same but now regretting it. She ran away after her mom told her to break up with a boyfriend. Ironically, the narrator forgot her boyfriend shortly after leaving; now her mother has died and it's too late for her to return home.
Mashed Potato Time (original version 2:27; 1980s stereo version 2:39) - The tempo is somewhat faster than moderate. A sax plays lead during the middle instrumental. The Orlons provided background vocals. The mashed potato is the latest, greatest dance, so Dee Dee's character offers to teach it to everyone who listens. She even specifies a song to which people do this dance: "Please Mr. Postman" by the Marvelettes. Dee Dee later recorded a sequel: Gravy. Then she married (and later divorced) songwriter Kenny Gamble, hence the release of some songs under the name Dee Dee Sharp Gamble.
SHIRLEY AND LEE
Let The Good Times Roll (2:22) - The tempo is moderately fast. Lee sings the first verse, Shirley the second. In the chorus she sings "Feels so good when you're home," then he sings the rest. A saxophone instrumental plays, then the chorus is sung a second time. The couple feel like making love, so they lock the world out and seize the moment.
THE SHOCKING BLUE
Venus (3:04) - This song, somewhat faster than moderate, opens with rapid guitar licks and is not the same song that Frankie Avalon sang. The first verse discusses the goddess who the Greeks believed lived atop Mt. Olympus. In the chorus, the narrator tells the man she's his Venus whenever she wants him. This group was Dutch; I once heard on the radio that although they sang this song's lyrics in English, they couldn't SPEAK English when interviewed.
TROY SHONDELL
This Time (2:35) - This slow, 12/8 song starts and ends with slow guitar rolls. The narrator realizes that he is about to lose his girlfriend. They've said goodbye, good night, etc., before, but now they won't kiss and the goodbye is permanent. Troy had no connection that I know of with Tommy James and the Shondells.
Get A Job (2:44) - The tempo is fast. Scat vocals, mostly "sha-na-na's," fill the first 18 seconds; this scat singing occurs frequently throughout the song. A sax instrumental lasts from 1:30 to 1:49; I can faintly hear handclaps. The narrator's girlfriend constantly nags him to get a job. He looks high and low for one but has no luck.
GENE SIMMONS
Goin' Back To Memphis (2:57) - The tempo is somewhat slower than moderate. High piano notes play in triplet notes during the middle instrumental. The narrator has a girlfriend waiting for him in Memphis. Chicago, Baltimore, Philly and other cities were fun to visit, but he's homesick, so he notifies his girl that he's coming home at once.
THE SINGING NUN
Dominique (2:56) - The nun was from Belgium, and this very fast song is sung entirely in French. I never hear it on the radio, so I'm surprised it was one of Billboard's top pop hits of 1963.
THE SIR DOUGLAS QUINTET
Mendocino (2:39) - The tempo is moderate. When the song starts, I hear a guitar playing; the lead singer says that the group is back (from somewhere) to thank all their friends throughout the U.S. for the positive vibes. Then an organ enters and the guys start singing. The narrator begs his girlfriend not to leave him, and he looks back on the days when they walked in the park in Mendocino, a town in northern California along the Pacific coast.
This group had another hit, She's About A Mover. When hearing this song on the radio, I used to think it was Ray Charles singing "What'd I Say."
THE SKYLINERS
Since I Don't Have You (2:36) - This song has a moderately slow, 12/8 tempo. Now that the narrator's girlfriend has left him, he no longer has plans and schemes, hopes and dreams, fond desires, or happy hours. He has nothing now, for she was his everything.
PERCY SLEDGE
When A Man Loves A Woman (original version 2:45; 1990s stereo version 2:58) - This slow, 12/8 song features an organ, a guitar, and--during the fading sequence--horns. A woman monopolizes a man's thoughts. He spends every dime he earns on making her happy. If she were to leave him, he'd cease contact not just with her, but with his buddies too; he would never want any other woman. The narrator is in love with the woman to whom he sings; he begs her never to treat him bad.
SMALL FACES
Itchycoo Park (2:42) - The tempo is moderate. Instruments include an organ. When I first heard this song on the radio, I thought the title was "It's All Too Beautiful." The lead singer does a dialogue with the backup singers, who ask such questions as "What did you do there [at the park]?" The park, with its grass and trees, may be green enough as it is, but the narrator apparently goes on an acid trip and sees even more green.
SMITH
Baby It's You (3:22) - This song was previously sung first by the Shirelles, then by the Beatles. This version features an organ and electric guitar licks. This version is OK, but I like the previous two versions better.
JOANIE SOMMERS
Johnny Get Angry (2:32) - The tempo is moderate. The song opens with the soft playing of low piano notes. Then enter the guitar, horns, higher piano notes, and orchestral strings. The one instrument I don't care much for is the kazoo that plays lead during the middle instrumental. What the narrator wants her boyfriend Johnny to get mad at is when another boy interrupts their dancing, or when she jokingly tells him they're through. "Every girl wants someone who / She can always look up to," she says. And so does every boy. But this girl seems to want a father figure, not a boyfriend.
JIMMY SOUL
If You Wanna Be Happy (For The Rest Of Your Life) (2:11) - This fast song features hand-clapping and, during the middle instrumental, a sax. The narrator advises other men to marry ugly women instead of pretty ones. Beautiful women tend to be untrue, and ugly ones tend to be faithful to their husbands. This song is a good way to teach people that they should look more for personality than for looks when searching for mates.
THE SOUL SURVIVORS
Expressway To Your Heart (2:18) - This song opens with the sound effects of engines running and horns honking. The tempo is moderate. Instruments include a piano, an organ, and a tambourine. The narrator planned for a long time to find a way to the girl's heart, but it turns out that he took too long. To his unpleasant surprise, he finds that many other men have jammed the highway to her heart, just like motor traffic constantly jams the freeways of California. Now she refuses even to look at him.
Games People Play (tab) (3:31) - Although Joe wrote hits for other artists such as Billy Joe Royal, this is the one I've heard him sing himself. (He sang another one, "Walk A Mile In My Shoes," but I've never heard it.) The tempo is somewhat fast. Instruments include a tambourine. I like the "la da da..." scat singing in the chorus and the verses' rhyming pattern of A-A-A-B, A-A-A-B. Among the games mentioned are insincere talk, breaking of hearts, and blasphemous acts such as horoscope reading.
TERRY STAFFORD
Suspicion (2:31) - Most of the time the tempo is moderately fast; during the chorus it slows down. The narrator wonders why he is overly suspicious of his girlfriend. She always tells him she loves him, but he can't help but think she tells another man the same behind the narrator's back. Whenever she calls him to arrange to be together the next day, he somehow feels that she might be with another man that night. "Maybe I'm suspicious 'cause true love is so hard to find," the narrator says. Terry sounds a lot like Elvis Presley; ironically, Elvis' own version of this song wasn't a hit.
SPIRAL STAIRCASE
More Today Than Yesterday (2:54) - That's how much the narrator of this fast song loves his woman. Yes, this is a male lead singer here (though I thought at first the voice was female). And tomorrow, his love for her will double. For him, "Every day's a new day in love with you / With each day comes a new way of loving you." That way they'll never get tired of each other.
THE STARLAND VOCAL BAND
Afternoon Delight (3:13) - The tempo is approximately moderate. Following the line "Skyrockets in flight," I hear sound effects resembling the roaring of such vehicles. The lovers singing to each other are excited like rockets as they anticipate the intimacy they are about to share on an afternoon. They can see each other better in daylight, and night will always arrive, so they see no reason to wait until nightfall. This song was released in 1976, so it's as old as I am. This band had at least two singers, Bill and Taffy Danoff, who previously sang behind John Denver.
KAY STARR
Rock And Roll Waltz (2:45) - The 3/4 tempo is moderately slow. Kay sounds a bit similar to Dinah Washington. The narrator arrives home late one night to find her parents waltzing to a rock tune, which she finds odd considering that many parents in the 50s hated rock 'n' roll. But at least this gal's parents find ways to renew their passion for each other. So calling all couples, young and old: put this tune on and start waltzing!
STEAM
Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye (4:06) - This moderate-tempoed song features an organ, chimes, bells, and hand-clapping. At 1:45, a drum solo begins; at about the 2-minute mark, the guys repeat the chorus, starting at near-silence and gradually getting louder. At 2:32, the other instruments re-enter one by one. The ending sequence is rather long; I've always heard it cut off sooner on the radio. During the verses, the instruments drown out the lead singer's voice, but as far as I can tell, the narrator tells the girl that his love for her is more genuine than the other guy's, so the narrator wants to see her kiss the other man goodbye.
DODIE STEVENS
Pink Shoe Laces (2:27) - This fast song features a saxophone and hand-clapping. In the last two lines of the last verse, a male voice speaks. The guy (Dooley, not Julie as the scribe thought) always wears the kind of clothes the narrator describes; he even wants to wear them in the military and be buried wearing them.
STRAWBERRY ALARM CLOCK
Incense And Peppermints (2:50) - This group got its name from the Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever." Their hit has a moderate pace, with instruments including an organ and the clanking of a pan. The items named in the title give the narrator relaxation. Whatever games he and his girlfriend play, they may not gain much, but then they won't lose anything either. The fading sequence consists of "sha la la" vocals. One of this group's members, Eddie King, later found greater success in 1970s group Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Money (That's What I Want) (2:33) - This moderately fast song features a tambourine and female backup vocals. The narrator does get thrills from his girlfriend's love, but he wants money even more. Anything that money can't buy, he can't use. This was one of the early hits of Motown Records, whose founder, Berry Gordy, did indeed want (and get) money. I also have a version of this song by the Beatles. Barrett later teamed with Norman Whitfield to write some hits for the Temptations.
SUGARLOAF
Green-Eyed Lady (3:38) - The tempo is fast. I like how the guitar echoes sometime during the first half-minute. An organ plays lead during most of the middle instrumental. The woman with green eyes can calm ocean waves. She's a "child of nature, friend of man." She lives for the moment and is "dressed in love." Could she be a mermaid or a water nymph?
THE SUNRAYS
I Live For The Sun (2:27) - The tempo is fast. The drums and castanets are in the left speaker only, the vocals in the right speaker only. For the narrator, sun means fun: seeing cute couples, basking on the beach with his own girlfriend, and anything else associated with sunny weather.
THE SWINGIN' MEDALLIONS
Double Shot Of My Baby's Love (2:18) - This song has a tempo slightly faster than moderate. Featured instruments and sound effects include an organ, cymbal drums, partying, and clapping. The narrator has a hangover one morning as he wakes up; the cause of this was the amount of loving he received from his girlfriend the previous night. A double shot of ANYTHING is certainly an overdose!
R. DEAN TAYLOR
Indiana Wants Me (original version 3:39; 1990s stereo version 3:06) - The tempo is moderately slow. The narrator is wanted for murder by the Indiana state police. He's lonely and wishes he could be with his wife and their baby again. Just before the song fades out, I hear voices speaking in the background: "This is the police; you're surrounded."
THE TOKENS
The Lion Sleeps Tonight (2:43) - This song plays at a moderate pace. It was originally an African folk song, and at the start, the end, and between verses the guys sing in some African language. In the middle instrumental I hear a flute-like instrument. The narrator tells his sweetheart not to worry, for the lion is not awake to endanger their lives.
THE TOYS
A Lover's Concerto (2:39) - The tempo is moderate. Instruments include horns, a piano, and a tambourine. This tune of rain, birds, trees, and love was based on a Tchaikovsky composition, hence the title.
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