Was introduced to 'The Olive Tree' from Jade sending it to one of the song contests recently, beautiful song so shame to see it with a pretty middling score here aw!

I did probably under-score it sorry! It is beautiful in a subtle way - grew on me with each listen.

Aretha actually had 5 Top 10 hits - aside from the 2 in the 60s she had 2 collabs in the 80s and 'A Deeper Love' in 1994.

 

'Strawberry Fields Forever' and 'Waterloo Sunset' are my favourites so far in 1967.

Quite often the obvious choices do come out on top but it’s nice to surprise occasionally. Is it OK to admit that I’m not a huge fan of “All You Need Is Love”? Think it’s my least favourite of their canonical hits in fact. So instead I’m championing a rather fabulous piece of Jamaican music. :)

 

9 Desmond Dekker And The Aces 007 First hit for them about the influence of James Bond and the like on the discontented youth: a brilliant piece of rocksteady music

8 Scott McKenzie San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair) 236th #1: only hit here for this US singer who later joined The Mamas And The Papas and a great countercultural summer classic

8 Johnny Mann Singers Up-Up And Away Only hit for this US group and in fact a cover but the only version charting here - a beautiful and charming piece of sunshine pop

7 Nancy Sinatra/Nancy Sinatra And Lee Hazlewood You Only Live Twice/Jackson Lovely double A side: the 1st has the epic and mysterious feel of a good Bond theme and "Jackson" is a fun folky American duet

7 Dave Davies Death Of A Clown The Kinks guitarist with a big solo hit here, and it's a very good catchy rock ballad; he really gets the bitterness of it across

7 Lulu Let's Pretend A classy ballad here with a very effective irregular rhythm and lavish use of instruments, with a strong performance from Lulu

6 Sandie Shaw Tonight In Tokyo An interesting and clever song with a dancey feel and an Eastern flavour thanks to the xylophone and other instrumentation

5 The Beatles All You Need Is Love 235th #1: a definitive summer of '67 record and the band is used very well - just don't love it, especially the repetitive chorus

5 Anita Harris Just Loving You Wow what a chart run for this ballad and I thought it was a dirge at first but now do rather like it: her voice has a beautiful tone

5 Ray Charles Here We Go Again This isn't dissimilar from his chart topper "I Can't Stop Loving You": a classy jazz number but I don't think it's anything new

4 John Walker Annabella The only hit for this Walker brother following their split: it's not bad with nice strings though sounds rather like "Sunny" to me

4 Young Idea With A Little Help From My Friends This is my preferred of the 2 covers of the Beatles song here and like the flute in the second half, but it's still far from essential

3 Joe Brown With A Little Help From My Friends Joe Brown is great but this cover doesn't do a whole lot for me - find it rather laid back and lacklustre; the singing itself is nice

2 Otis And Carla Tramp I must be just not getting this: the band parts are but the actual duet seems to be just 3 minutes of them shouting at each other

1 The Bachelors Marta "MARRRTA!" - the last of 17 Top 40 hits for them and sadly one of the worst; quite 50s and there isn't really much of a melody

 

 

1967 Group 10:

 

#2907 29/07/1967 Tom Jones I'll Never Fall In Love Again 2 21-6-4-3-{2}-2-2-2-5-8-13-22-22-33-38-45-49-48-44-37-44-40-38-41-47->25

#2908 29/07/1967 Stevie Wonder I Was Made To Love Her 5 23-8-7-{5}-8-8-9-11-16-19-25-45-39-47-46->15

#2909 29/07/1967 The Mamas And The Papas Creeque Alley 9 39-17-12-12-{9}-15-19-21-27-35-50->11

#2910 29/07/1967 Jim Reeves Trying To Forget 33 41-36-39-{33}-40->5

#2911 29/07/1967 Amen Corner Gin House Blues 12 47-27-18-16-{12}-16-17-25-23-34->10

#2912 05/08/1967 The Alan Price Set The House That Jack Built 4 37-20-9-5-{4}-5-12-17-23-36->10

#2913 05/08/1967 The Tremeloes Even The Bad Times Are Good 4 38-15-8-{4}-5-6-7-11-12-17-29-31-40->13

#2914 05/08/1967 Jeff Beck Tallyman 30 43-{30}-34->3

#2915 05/08/1967 The New Vaudeville Band Green Street Green 37 48-42-{37}-48->4

#2916 05/08/1967 Cat Stevens A Bad Night 20 49-26-24-{20}-26-26-30-45->8

#2917 12/08/1967 Eddie Floyd Things Get Better 31 {31}-32-35-39-50-42-48-46->8

#2918 12/08/1967 Vanilla Fudge You Keep Me Hangin' On 18 32-28-28-22-22-{18}-20-25-29-46-46->11

#2919 12/08/1967 The Spencer Davis Group Time Seller 30 37-{30}-31-30-35->5

#2920 12/08/1967 Keith West Excerpt From 'A Teenage Opera' 2 40-25-18-12-4-4-{2}-2-4-5-9-13-14-29-33->15

Edited December 14, 20231 yr by Jingle Jules

Keith West was a member of a psychedelic rock band called Tomorrow who didn’t have much commercial success, and he collaborated with producer Mark Wirtz on this fabulous composition about a grocer called Jack who was under appreciated by the townsfolk but loved by the children.

 

9 Keith West Excerpt From 'A Teenage Opera' A remarkable and marvellous hit song from "Teenage Opera" which will produce the only 2 hits for the psychedelic rock singer

8 The Alan Price Set The House That Jack Built Another delightful hit from Alan Price that reminds me of "Lady Madonna"; particularly love the sped up saxophone interlude

7 The Tremeloes Even The Bad Times Are Good Apparently was considered for Eurovision and it is an ear worm: they do it well and think I prefer it to "Silence Is Golden"

7 Vanilla Fudge You Keep Me Hangin' On Only hit for this band whose trademark was to do progressive rock covers of songs - I think this is surprisingly excellent

6 The Spencer Davis Group Time Seller The strings on this really remind me of some later Beatles - it's a very nice psychedelic rock song but lacks a little bit of punch

6 Cat Stevens A Bad Night Certainly an interesting one from him with 3 separate parts, of which the middle is the catchy bit, but it comes together well

5 Jeff Beck Tallyman Not dissimilar to "Taxman" in style and it's a nice song but doesn't come anywhere near the brilliance of "Hi-Ho Silver Lining"

5 The New Vaudeville Band Green Street Green Last of their 4 hits and diminishing returns chart-wise but still this is far catchier and more enjoyable than you might expect

5 The Mamas And The Papas Creeque Alley An autobiographical song for them and after the pop classics they've produced this is curious as it's nice but very much US folk

4 Stevie Wonder I Was Made To Love Her Steve's first really big hit and he does sing it very well but I'm not convinced by the song; essentially the same 3 lines on repeat

4 Amen Corner Gin House Blues Their debut cover hit; about being down and out and Andy the lead singer really does sound drunk: interesting but not beautiful

3 Eddie Floyd Things Get Better His 2nd and last Top 40: quite a run of the mill trumpet assisted soul song that all in all doesn't leave enough of an impression

3 Tom Jones I'll Never Fall In Love Again First of 3 straight #2s for him and an overwrought and turgid ballad, but a memorable melody and the emotion comes across

2 Jim Reeves Trying To Forget No need to try to forget this; a lifeless heartbreak ballad which a nice piano accompaniment and Jim's lovely voice can't save

 

 

1967 Group 11:

 

#2921 12/08/1967 Small Faces Itchycoo Park 3 43-20-14-18-10-6-{3}-4-7-10-12-16-26-38->14

#2922 12/08/1967 Frankie McBride Five Little Fingers 19 46-46-38-36-31-31-25-26-23-{19}-24-31-40-49-48->15

#2923 19/08/1967 The Monkees Pleasant Valley Sunday 11 22-{11}-11-11-17-22-28-41->8

#2924 19/08/1967 Cliff Richard The Day I Met Marie 10 27-24-23-14-14-15-{10}-10-14-15-18-24-36-44->14

#2925 19/08/1967 The Happenings My Mammy 34 38-{34}-34-36-44->5

#2926 19/08/1967 Young Rascals A Girl Like You 37 45-{37}-45-48->4

#2927 26/08/1967 The Rolling Stones We Love You/Dandelion 8 17-10-{8}-10-9-15-24-34->8

#2928 26/08/1967 Engelbert Humperdinck The Last Waltz 1 19-3-{1}-1-1-1-1-3-3-2-4-4-5-8-5-13-16-12-13-16-19-26-34-27-28-31-42->27

#2929 26/08/1967 The Beach Boys Heroes And Villains 8 26-13-12-{8}-12-13-21-28-34->9

#2930 26/08/1967 The Flower Pot Men Let's Go To San Francisco 4 32-25-15-5-{4}-6-8-12-17-22-34-48->12

#2931 26/08/1967 Frankie Vaughan There Must Be A Way 7 33-33-27-16-13-11-11-{7}-7-10-11-10-15-14-22-22-19-20-20-30-36->21

#2932 26/08/1967 Frank Sinatra The World We Knew (Over And Over) 33 41-40-41-{33}-34-36-44-37-40-45-45->11

#2933 26/08/1967 The Bar-Kays Soul Finger 33 43-37-{33}-36-41-41-46->7

#2934 26/08/1967 Paul Jones Thinkin' Ain't For Me 32 47-49R(3)-42-{32}-35-36-44-49->8

Edited December 14, 20231 yr by Jingle Jules

A little awkward that Jim Reeves is ranked bottom when you voted him in the male solo thread 🤭

 

Nothing I really know from the last two lots apart from 'All You Need Is Love' is ok but The Beatles do have better!

A little awkward that Jim Reeves is ranked bottom when you voted him in the male solo thread 🤭

Jim was so much better than a lot of his material :(

Group 9:

 

007 is fun, love Desmond, but a bit flattered here, much better to come. Scott McKenzie, though, is basically a Mamas & Papas record donated by John Philips to Scott, so lucky him, total classic and THE anthem of 1967, summing it up perfectly, mum loved it.

 

Up Up And Away was a fave at the time, but these days I prefer the original 5th Dimension version, a bit more soulful and less MOR. You Only Live Twice is the best Bond theme, not even close, so good that Robbie Williams nicked the swirling strings for a monster chart-topper. Jackson is also great fun, as is the Johnny cash & June Carter version.

 

Death Of A Clown was a Kinks record in all but name, Ray wrote it, donated it to his bruv in their often turbulent band relationship. Lulu's is nice but this was a terrible decision: the B side To Sir With Love was a monster US chart-topping classic, and theme song to a hit movie that she was a star in. Still don't know what Mickie Most was thinking...

 

The Beatles was a classic for me in 1967, loved it, loved the message, still do, and love the French national anthem bits and the global debut of the performance, it was an actual event first. And less repetitive than half the charting dance songs these days :teresa: :lol: Anita Harris' was a massive fave of mine at the time, though less so these days, nice tune though. Sandie, and ray, are both goodies, the rest not fussed about.

 

 

Group 10:

 

Adored Teenage Opera, absolutely still love it, what a song, and what a shame the rock opera never happened. Alan Price was fun, The Trem's song was a goodie that still sounds upbeat and charming, Vanilla Fudge's massacre of The Supremes' classic did nothing for me then, and still not that bovvered about it too much. S'OK. Time seller's OK, Cat Stevens meh, Jeff Beck meh, New Vaudeville Band meh.

 

Mamas & The Papas is a goodie, a story song that tells their history in a quirky folk fun way, and Ooh Stevie Wonder's I Was Made To Love Her is my fave Wonder record, no question. Huge passion and commitment from the teenager who's voice had only broke recently, still exciting. Amen Corner meh, better is on the way from the fab Andy fairweather-low & mates.

 

Eddie Floyd & Jim Reeves meh, incredibly they still had 6 more years of barrel-scraping for Jim. Tom Jones took 2 years to become a US hit in late 1969, and that's more when I associate it, seeing it in my Singapore book of current sheet music/lyrics hits - though it took me 4 more years to realise I did actually know it. It's a nice song.

No obvious winner in this group but “Let’s Go To San Francisco” just about takes it for being another record that seems to perfectly capture the feel of Sunmer 1967. It does rather sound like The Beach Boys, speaking of which “Heroes And Villians” was an incredible discovery here even though the song didn’t quite come together as the band had wanted in the end.

 

8 The Flower Pot Men Let's Go To San Francisco Only hit for this British group; a fabulous dreamy Beach Boys-like track with wall of sound production and a very joyful feel to it

8 Small Faces Itchycoo Park Perhaps their best song; musically and lyrically really great and has that psychadelic sense of wonder and mystery to it

7 The Bar-Kays Soul Finger Only Top 40 for this US funk band and a really interesting one; a band piece with children shouting and love the chaos of it

7 Paul Jones Thinkin' Ain't For Me I often enjoy songs with interesting structures or tempo changes like this plus the melody's extremely catchy, but a chart flop

7 The Rolling Stones We Love You/Dandelion A strong double A - particularly like the pulsating piano in "We Love You", and "Dendelion" is a good gentle psychedelic number

6 The Beach Boys Heroes And Villains A fascinating track that was Brian's attempt to create a real epic, but it's fragmented and the parts aren't quite strong enough

6 The Happenings My Mammy Their 2nd and final and by far their better hit; it's another old song but very catchy, and a good close harmony areangement

5 Young Rascals A Girl Like You Their 2nd and final hit; like "Groovin'" this is really classy but it's much less distinctive and rather blends into the background

5 Frank Sinatra The World We Knew (Over And Over) Will be his last hit until we finally get his signature song: this does have a very nice lilting melody to it and a film-like quality

4 The Monkees Pleasant Valley Sunday "Pleasant" is indeed what this is but nothing more for me; a generic slice of late 60s guitar pop, but they'll be back with a bang

4 Cliff Richard The Day I Met Marie Quite an intriguing one, which accelerates into the chorus as the band joins in; overall it's a pleasant listen but fairly twee

3 Engelbert Humperdinck The Last Waltz 237th #1: this is actually a good song unlike his other recent monster hits but there's no light and shade in the performance

2 Frankie Vaughan There Must Be A Way Really impressed that he's having a Top 10 hit so late in his career but this cover and his performance do sound rather 50s

1 Frankie McBride Five Little Fingers Only hit and a cover for this Irish folk singer; about a widower living for his child but find it a dirge, especially the spoken parts

 

 

1967 Group 12:

 

#2935 26/08/1967 Aretha Franklin Baby I Love You 39 50-49-{39}-46->4

#2936 02/09/1967 Jimi Hendrix Experience Burning Of The Midnight Lamp 18 32-{18}-19-19-20-27-31-47-50->9

#2937 02/09/1967 The Dubliners Black Velvet Band 15 41-28-22-18-18-19-{15}-16-21-23-24-30-43-43-48->15

#2938 02/09/1967 Diana Ross And The Supremes Reflections 5 43-23-13-7-{5}-5-8-10-11-17-21-26-34-48->14

#2939 09/09/1967 The Temptations You're My Everything 26 38-40-36-31-30-{26}-26-30-31-32-32-42-45-44-46->15

#2940 09/09/1967 The Move Flowers In The Rain 2 40-20-8-3-{2}-2-4-5-9-12-18-29-41->13

#2941 09/09/1967 Eric Burdon And The Animals Good Times 20 42-32-26-21-{20}-25-27-35-43-46-46->11

#2942 09/09/1967 Traffic Hole In My Shoe 2 44-23-10-7-3-4-{2}-3-5-11-16-20-34-50->14

#2943 16/09/1967 The Herd From The Underworld 6 41-30-22-18-11-8-8-{6}-6-12-17-30-36->13

#2944 16/09/1967 Georgie Fame Try My World 37 43-43-38-{37}-44->5

#2945 16/09/1967 The Box Tops The Letter 5 45-24-14-9-6-{5}-6-10-15-19-28-40->12

#2946 16/09/1967 Bobbie Gentry Ode To Billie Joe 13 47-28-24-15-16-18-14-{13}-20-24-40->11

#2947 16/09/1967 The Ethiopians Train To Skaville 40 50-{40}-44-47-50-48->6

#2948 23/09/1967 Bee Gees Massachusetts 1 31-17-6-{1}-1-1-1-2-2-4-16-24-23-39-40-37-50->17

Edited December 14, 20231 yr by Jingle Jules

I love The Flowerpot Men record, basically a studio creation that will pop up in different guises, not least the brilliant Beach Baby in 1974 - by then under the name First Class, and as a retro nostalgia track. Itchycoo Park def The Small Faces best song, it would go top 10 again in early 1976 when it sounded new to me as I didnt recall it at all.

 

Soul Finger is good, Paul Jones passed me by, We Love You is a bit sprawling but has a 1967 vibe to it I like, and again not one I knew at the time. Heroes & Villains marked the end of Brian Wilson as a force, as its relative failure pushed him over the edge into mental problems and taking a back seat for decades, really. It was a bit of a mess, but Brian's effective loss as a creative talent was a real blow.

 

I dont know My Mammy, but it's OK. Ditto The Young Rascals. Frank's was a real discovery for me in 2017, surprisingly a goodie. Pleasant Valley Sunday is a Carole King/Gerry Goffin song and an attempt by The Monkees to move away from pop to pop with a message. It wasn't one of my faves of theirs until more recent years, it's pretty classy even if not hook-driven.

 

The Day I Met Marie was a huge fave of the time, part gorgeous slow melody, part marching, stomping chorus. Still one of Cliff's best 60's recordings. The Last Waltz is decent Engelbert, but still over-rated compared to what else was around. Never a fan of that Frankie Vaughan song, and t'other Frankie - mcbride - no ta.

Just one duffer today and everything else is at least decent. I thought it was going to be a win for Traffic today but after further listening it’s the brilliantly compact and moody Box Tops record that takes it.

 

9 The Box Tops The Letter Debut hit for this US band and a chart topper there: this is a fantastically sultry song and his gruff voice suits it perfectly

8 Traffic Hole In My Shoe Very Beatles-like in feel, but a beautifully weird psychadelic journey including a spoken section from the guitarist's daughter

8 Bee Gees Massachusetts 238th #1: a beautifully sad song and the antithesis of the records about San Fran, where the homesick protagonist has been

7 The Herd From The Underworld Debut for this British rock band and it's really captivating, with lyrics based on a Greek myth and a dark and gothic feel to it

7 Bobbie Gentry Ode To Billie Joe First hit for her and a US #1: it's an incredibly striking and lyrically interesting acoustic song and a beautiful performance

7 Diana Ross And The Supremes Reflections 1st hit credited to Diana And The Suoremes and a very good one; interestingly was #2 behind "Ode To Billie Joe" in the US

6 Eric Burdon And The Animals Good Times Eric's playing of the bitter fed up protagonist on this is marvellous; melody is slightly repetitive but fab in all other respects

6 The Move Flowers In The Rain Their 2nd runner up hit and it's certainly very catchy and a very well crafted song; maybe just a little middle of the road

6 Jimi Hendrix Experience Burning Of The Midnight Lamp The guitar sound on this is mesmerising and the intensity of the backing vocal is great, but not totally sold on the song itself

5 Georgie Fame Try My World An intriguing one from him; the rippling piano and echoey vocals give the impression of a dream, but the melody is lacking

5 The Ethiopians Train To Skaville They were Jamaican in fact and this is their only hit; it feels like a train and is an enjoyable but fairly uneventful ska style song

4 Aretha Franklin Baby I Love You This would be delightful in a jazz club but doesn't really have the oomph that a big chart hit needs and "Respect" has in spades

4 The Temptations You're My Everything Another soul song that's sweet but doesn't quite hit the mark, though like how the lead switches between the male and female

1 The Dubliners Black Velvet Band I thought their first hit had a certain charm, but this 4.5 minutes long follow up really is a chore of a listen as it's so repetitive

 

 

1967 Group 13:

 

#2949 23/09/1967 The Seekers When Will The Good Apples Fall 11 50-29-16-13-{11}-12-12-19-21-21-39-47->12

#2950 30/09/1967 The Hollies King Midas In Reverse 18 45-22-{18}-20-19-25-30-41->8

#2951 30/09/1967 Vince Hill Love Letters In The Sand 23 47-28-24-{23}-25-32-43-38-50->9

#2952 30/09/1967 The Foundations Baby Now That I've Found You 1 49-38-21-13-4-2-{1}-1-2-4-8-17-23-25-32-46->16

#2953 07/10/1967 Procol Harum Homburg 6 34-9-{6}-9-7-9-14-19-28-32->10

#2954 07/10/1967 Harpers Bizarre Anything Goes 33  39-{33}-36-38-36-42->6

#2955 07/10/1967 Sandie Shaw You've Not Changed 18 42-23-19-20-22-{18}-20-23-27-30-41-46->12

#2956 14/10/1967 Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick And Tich Zabadak! 3 35-14-7-{3}-3-4-7-11-16-36-36-39-34-42->14

#2957 14/10/1967 The Four Tops You Keep Running  26 38-28-{26}-27-27-31-41->7

#2958 14/10/1967 Shirley Bassey Big Spender 21  39-29-29-28-23-29-22-23-27-{21}-24-22-24-31-39->15

#2959 14/10/1967 Amen Corner The World Of Broken Hearts 24 41-30-{24}-29-35-37->6

#2960 14/10/1967 Otis And Carla Knock On  35 48-45-43-{35}-40->5

#2961 21/10/1967 Eric Burdon And The Animals San Franciscan Nights 7 37-23-15-8-{7}-13-20-28-31-48->10

#2962 21/10/1967 The Who I Can See For Miles 10 41-32-21-13-{10}-12-18-23-26-38-41-46->12

Edited December 14, 20231 yr by Jingle Jules

'Massachusetts' is a beautiful track from Bee Gees!

Love love love 'A Whiter Shade Of Pale', 'Paper Sun', 'The Olive Tree', 'San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair)', 'Excerpt From 'A Teenage Opera', 'Hole In My Shoe' (lol at the Neil version matching its peak) and 'Massachusetts' since last commenting :wub: the year that provided us with the summer of love also gave us so many great tunes!

 

I would agree that 'All You Need Is Love' isn't a huge Beatles highlight, I remember reading that the lyrics were deliberately simplistic as it was part of a broadcast that was shown to many different parts of the world, so I don't really find that there's lot to sink my teeth into. That Our World performance is still iconic though, of course.

 

Obligatory 'Flowers In The Rain' was the first record to be played on Radio 1 mention :magic: earlier this year I found that first ever show with Tony Blackburn on Mixcloud and gave it a listen, what an awesome time capsule.

My Uncle Tony love The Letter, great song, committed emotionally I think! Traffic was a huge fave of the time, loved the kiddie bit and the exotic sounds, still extremely charming.

 

Massachussets is my equal top tune of the batch, mum adored it, dad bought it in Singapore 1969 on 12 Big Hits, Australian various artists album way ahead of K-Tel, Arcade and Now albums, only this one was state of the art in quality at the time, not like the tinny edited rubbish Ktel/arcade range and to a lesser extent early vinyl Now/Hits albums. Consequently I played and loved massachussets and The Bee Gees a lot. From The Underworld is an 80's discovery for me, love it, 18-year-old Peter Frampton sounds so mature on vocal and guitar. Saw him playing for Bowie on the Glass Spider tour in 1987 after his solo career ebbed.

 

Try My World is a 2017 discovery, pretty good too, though I think the first mention should be Ode To Billie Joe, a total country classic by an enigmatic under-rated great, Bobbie Gentry is to be another fave in 1969, this one was more ofa 70's goodie that turned into a spine-tingling classicwith the years for me. She had a debut rated album, a monster bacharach record, some duet hits with Glen Campbell and then she disappeared without trace in disdain at the music business, her whereabouts remain unknown. I loved the psychedelic move of The Supremes with Reflections, a classic that gets better with the years, still exciting and emotional. Motown at it's peak.

 

The Animals track a bit meh for me, and the Move's best-remembered song was always fun and jolly. Liked it then, loved Roy Wood in years to come. Sadly I'm not sure I got to hear Radio 1 on the Isle Of Anglesey, or at least the opening of it, prob walking to school or something, but I do recall more pop hits after this period so I expect that was the new fave channel.

 

Never been a fan of Burning Of The Midnight Lamp, tried more than once too from the 70's onwards. Train To Skaville is fun, early decent reggae, Baby I Love You is def sub-par Aretha, merely OK. Ditto You're My World, not among their greats. And finally, you cant go wrong with 1 point for a Dubliners record. One of the few acts of the 60's I actively disliked.

Try My World is a 2017 discovery, pretty good too, though I think the first mention should be Ode To Billie Joe

Thanks fixed - do please point out any errors for when I turn this into a million selling book. :D

I wasn’t expecting there to be anything this great from The Who between “My Generation” and “Pinball Wizard”! I initially wanted to give Dave Dee the win today as he hasn’t had one but not to be.

 

9 The Who I Can See For Miles This is brilliant and up there with "My Generation": love the endlessness of the "miles and miles" and how the harmonies build

8 Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick And Tich Zabadak! A pseudo-African record wouldn't go down so well now but I love it: so clever and catchy and the percussion sounds authentic

8 The Foundations Baby Now That I've Found You 239th #1: debut hit for this multi-racial Motown inspired UK soul band with a lovely catchy and heartfelt song well performed

7 Eric Burdon And The Animals San Franciscan Nights Another hit about this city but a protest against the Vietnam War; it's really atmospherically done with some great guitar work

7 Shirley Bassey Big Spender Her only hit in a 5 year period; one of the best musical theatre numbers of its kind and hers is probably the definitive version

6 Amen Corner The World Of Broken Hearts Much prefer this to their previous: it's so slow that it has an agonising feeling of the knife of heartbreak being twisted further

6 The Four Tops You Keep Running Away I could listen to Levi's voice all day: another lovely one albeit not groundbreaking and commercially they're starting to struggle

5 The Hollies King Midas In Reverse Midas turned everything to gold while he turns it to dust: a good song though after 12 nearly consecutive Top 10s this missed

5 Procol Harum Homburg A Homburg is a hat I've learned: decent song; enjoy the piano accompaniment and it's sung very well but no "Whiter Shade"

4 The Seekers When Will The Good Apples Fall This is a very pleasant listen in their usual folky style, but the melody isn't strong enough and it's just nice background music

4 Sandie Shaw You've Not Changed Another for the pleasant but could happily forget pile, and like the brass riff between verses more than the actual melody

3 Otis And Carla Knock On Wood A cover of the Eddie Floyd song: the duet idea is interesting but doesn't add that much and the tempo is too fast I think

3 Harpers Bizarre Anything Goes A cover of this song from the 1930s musical: they have a nice gentle style and it's a pleasant enough version but inessential

2 Vince Hill Love Letters In The Sand It's a Pat Boone cover by Vince: enough said - at least it's one of Pat's best songs but still could have been left in the 50s

 

 

1967 Group 14:

 

#2963 21/10/1967 The Kinks Autumn Almanac 3 42-15-8-5-{3}-6-17-20-28-33-35->11

#2964 21/10/1967 Val Doonican If The Whole World Stopped Loving 3 43-27-20-16-11-9-{3}-4-4-4-4-8-8-9-18-21-33-45-48->19

#2965 21/10/1967 The Troggs Love Is All Around 5 50-28-16-7-6-{5}-6-7-15-25-27-26-38-49->14

#2966 28/10/1967 Donovan There Is A Mountain 8  41-18-14-{8}-10-14-21-22-37-36-47->11

#2967 28/10/1967 Stevie Wonder I'm Wondering 22  42-30-{22}-23-26-31-40-49->8

#2968 28/10/1967 Felice Taylor I Feel Love Coming On 11  48-33-25-17-{11}-12-12-14-19-21-25-30-41->13

#2969 04/11/1967 Sam And Dave Soul Man 24 39-34-25-{24}-26-25-30-32-32-28-32-37-48-45->14

#2970 04/11/1967 Des O'Connor Careless Hands 6  42-28-27-15-10-{6}-7-11-11-14-13-17-28-33-41-46-41->17

#2971 04/11/1967 The Dave Clark Five Everybody Knows {1967} 2  49-26-13-3-{2}-3-2-13-16-17-22-28-36-44->14

#2972 11/11/1967 Long John Baldry Let The Heartaches Begin 1 31-9-{1}-1-2-3-6-8-15-18-23-31-39->13

#2973 11/11/1967 The Tremeloes Be Mine 39  {39}-45->2

#2974 11/11/1967 Lulu Love Loves To Love Love  32  44-40-39-{32}-34-40->6

#2975 18/11/1967 Cliff Richard  All My Love 6 28-16-8-11-11-7-{6}-18-17-25-30-43->12

#2976 18/11/1967 Frankie Vaughan So Tired 21 35-27-25-26-24-{21}-23-27-37->9

#2977 18/11/1967 Gene Pitney Something's Gotten Hold Of My Heart 5 36-18-7-{5}-6-5-5-7-11-15-22-28-43->13

Edited December 14, 20231 yr by Jingle Jules

Thanks fixed - do please point out any errors for when I turn this into a million selling book. :D

 

Hah! I think proofreaders will do that for you. I still have me letter from Paul Gambaccini for helpfully pointing out print errors in the first ever Guinness Book Of Hit Singles which got corrected in the next edition - including an omission entirely for Up Up And Away 1967 Johnny Mann Singers. I shouldve mentioned that then :lol: when I said I was a freak, it was all earned :lol: :o

Those are my two faves, snap! The Who's greatest recording, not even close for me. Total change of style and pace that works, one I didn't get into until the later 70's. Zabadak was my number one of this bunch at the time, those exotic rhythms mixed with so many delicious hooks and nonsense lyrics was perfect. It was a deliberate attempt to write a hit song with no lyrics of note, but still singing. Love it.

 

Baby Now That I've Found You is also a great pop record, pop soul dance not from America, things were changing in the UK. Alsion Krauss did a gorgeous tender ballad bluegrass cover of it in the 90's. San Franciscan Nights is quite good, not one I knew for about 20 years or so, Big Spender was iconic in the 60's, and another Shirley signature tune, not one of my faves of hers these days but she still belts it out nicely. Shirley MacLaine did the movie version (Sweet Charity) and Peggy Lee the original, think I prefer both of those.

 

Amen Corner passed my by, sadly, The Four Tops are always at the least good, and yes Levi is amazing. King Midas was pretty good, but not as jolly as their hits of the time, Homburg is OK, never found it that memorable. The Seekers' ditto, pleasant and forgettable, You've Not Changed is OK, Knock On Wood, meh, Vince Hill, meh, and Anything Goes I still love, whacky and retro and current at the same time. One I taped off Singapore radio and fell in love with 1970. I think it's the voices playing about with opposing melodies that clinches it.

Ode To Billie Joe. :wub: :wub:

 

Despite my main love being for all the psychedelic stuff from this era, this just stands out as an absolute fave. Such stunning lyrically storytelling and really one you appreciate more and more with repeat listens. The fact it didn't even make the UK top 10? Scandalous.

Oops at the Dubliners hate - the only thing I know from them is 'The Irish Rover' with The Pogues (revisited recently for obvious reasons) but that is a classic barnstomper x

There were so many great songs in 1967 that have endured. Excerpt From A Teenage Opera and A Whiter Shade Of Pale are my two favourites. I know the three singles by The Move well because of the connection to ELO. Flowers In The Rain is the best of the three from this year.