Originally written September 15, 2013.
Hello? Is this thing on? Testing 1, 2, 3.
All right. Good Friday evening, y’all, and welcome to another edition of Top 10 Flashback! All content is original and exclusive to this blog, except, of course, for the music itself. Any rebroadcast or other use of this material…aw, fuck it.
Tonight we will go back many, many years to a time I barely remember myself. A time filled with cool cars, great music, and President Johnson. Well, two out of three ain’t bad, right? The year was 1966, and we will tune into AM 920, WOKY in Milwaukee. All but two of these songs should be familiar to most of you.
Ready or not, here we go!
#10:
Sandy Posey – Born A Woman
If you know this song at all, that probably means you listened to Rush Limbaugh in his heyday – it was his “Feminazi Update” theme song. For all I know, he might still play it – haven’t listened to him in years. Note how short the song is – not even 1:50.
#9:
Four Seasons – I’ve Got You Under My Skin
Nice reworking of a Cole Porter standard. The Four Seasons had a buttload of hits – this one is my favorite. Frankie Valli’s falsetto can get irritating at times, but it really works here. Good job, Four Seasons.
#8:
Monkees – Last Train To Clarksville
No way do any of you not know this one.
#7:
Donovan – Sunshine Superman
This was about dropping acid, right? Right? Great song in any case.
#6:
Georgie Fame – Get Away
Not all British artists made it big in America. Georgie Fame would have his biggest American hit two years later with “The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde.” You won’t hear this on any “good times and great oldies” station.
#5:
? & The Mysterians – 96 Tears
Superb garage rock, made in Michigan. Rudy Martinez, a/k/a Question Mark, is still active today.
#4:
Neil Diamond – Cherry, Cherry
Few singer-songwriters have had a career that can match the sheer longetivity of Neil Diamond’s. He sure did some rockin’ stuff in his early days, didn’t he?
#3:
Supremes – You Can’t Hurry Love
Motown was at its absolute peak at this time, and the Supremes were their #1 group. This song was lamely covered by Phil Collins in the 80’s, and Iggy Pop’s “Lust For Life” owes a big debt to it, as does “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” by Jet.
#2:
Los Bravos – Black Is Black
This was the first group from Spain to have a Top 10 hit in the U.S. The organist committed suicide the following May after his wife died in a car accident.
And here it is, ladies and gentlemen, the number one song 47 years ago this week on WOKY in Milwaukee:
Nice love ballad. Played at lots of weddings.
Wow, lots of real classics there. What say you?
Top 10 Flashback! 