GARY PUCKETT AND THE UNION GAP

Greatest Hits

Total time - 28:10

On the cover of this disc I see five men standing in a forest on an autumn day. Gary apparently is the closest man in the picture.

1. Woman, Woman (3:13) - The tempo is moderately slow. Horns play in this song and the next eight. A tambourine plays in this song and the next one. The narrator can sense that the relationship between him and his girlfriend is going wrong. The woman is laughing and won't look into his eyes, so the narrator suspects she's thinking of being untrue. Some people might know this song better as "Have You Got Cheating On Your Mind."

2. Let's Give Adam And Eve Another Chance (2:43) - For the first 15 seconds, the only instrument is the piano. Then the drums enter; then, at 0:36, the tambourine. The horns play during the chorus. In the first verse, Gary sings about the creation of Adam and Eve; in the chorus the group proposes that Earth's first couple be brought back to life to show everyone how to get along.

3. To Love Somebody (2:38) - When I first heard this song, I thought the title was "You Don't Know What It's Like." This version has the same tempo and is in the same key as the original version by the Bee Gees. I like how the bell-like instrument plays just before each verse.

4. Young Girl (3:13) - My favorite Gary Puckett song ties with "Woman, Woman" as the longest song on the album. The tempo is moderate. A tambourine plays in this and the next two songs. I would guess the girl's true age to be 12 or 13. In any case the narrator is shocked to learn that the girl had disguised herself as an older woman, so he tells her to run home.

5. Lady Willpower (2:37) - This song has approximately the same tempo as the previous one. The last line of each verse also sounds similar to the last line in each verse of the previous song. The title character apparently is a woman who has enough willpower to resist any urge to fall in love with anyone. The narrator tells her that now is her only chance to yield to that urge; in return he'll fill her heart with his love.

6. Kentucky Woman (2:32) - This version has about the same tempo as, but is one key higher than, the original version by Neil Diamond. I like the guitar, which is especially audible during the first half-minute. My favorite part is the chorus.

7. This Girl Is A Woman Now (3:08) - The tempo is moderately slow. Instruments here include a piano, a flute, and classical string instruments. In the verses the narrator looks back on the childhood of the woman he is singing about; in the chorus he says that now she's a woman and "learning to live."

8. Over You (2:23) - Instruments in this moderate-tempoed song include an oboe and string instruments. Now that the narrator's girlfriend has left him, he spends sleepless nights reminiscing on moments they used to spend together. He sees no way to get over her, but he'll find some way to carry on.

9. Could I (3:07) - The tempo is moderate. A guitar solo fills the first 9 seconds; string and chime-like instruments also play in this song. The girl has been so hurt by her first attempt at love that she's reluctant to try again, but the narrator asks her if he could love her.

10. Daylight Stranger (2:09) - The last song on the album is also the shortest. The tempo is slightly faster than moderate. The only instruments here are guitars and drums. The "daylight stranger" is the narrator's midnight paramour; he tells her that she must not meet him till midnight because they have to be careful that his wife/girlfriend does not discover her.

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