Chicago..Make Me Smile..1970

RHOF 2016..About friggin time!!

Deep Purple... Highway Star..1972

RHOF 2016..About Friggin time #2

JOHNNY RIVERS - Secret Agent Man 1966

I"m posting this song because of P.F. Sloan's death yesterday. Sloan and Steve Barri wrote the song with Sloan playing lead guitar on the record. Rivers recorded it for the opening theme of the American series Secret Agent, which aired in the U.S. from 1964 to 1966. After the series started they added 2 more verses and released it as a single, the song peaked at No. 3 in 1966 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Lee Michaels - Do You Know What I Mean

Michaels is an American rock musician who sings and plays organ, piano, and guitar and played live with only a drummer, usually "Frosty" (Bartholomew Eugene Smith-Frost) a member of Sweathog. He is best known for this song he wrote which hit #6 in the fall of 1971.

"Who'll Stop The Rain" Creedence Clearwater Revival

After coming back from playing at Woodstock in 1969 John Fogerty wrote "Who'll Stop the Rain", although thought by many to reflect his experience at the concert and army years, he said it was more to do with Washington politics then anything else. It was recorded for their 1970 album Cosmo's Factory. Backed with "Travelin' Band", it was one of three double-sided singles from that album to reach the top five on the Billboard Singles chart and the first of two to reach the #2 spot on the American charts, alongside "Lookin' Out My Back Door"

The Bob Seger System "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man"

Released in December 1968 "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man" made it to # 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was written by Seger and features Seger's friend Glenn Frey, who later founded the Eagles, playing acoustic guitar and singing back-up vocals.

Small Faces - Itchycoo Park

"Itchycoo Park" written by Steve Marriott and Ronnie Lane of the band was released in August 1967. It reached #16 in the American Billboard Hot 100. The song was their only top 20 hit in the US, but in England they had 14 consecutive Top 40 hits. Steve Marriott went on to form Humble Pie and the rest of the band reformed with Rod Stewart and Ronny Wood and became the Faces.

Left Banke - Pretty Ballerina

Released in December 1966 "Pretty Ballerina" is a song written by the bands pianist Michael Brown and was a #15 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. The song is one of a number Brown wrote about Renée Fladen, girlfriend of The Left Banke's guitarist Tom Finn and object of Brown's affection. Other songs written about her include the band's biggest hit "Walk Away Renée" and "She May Call You Up Tonight".

"Don't Worry Baby" The Beach Boys

What can I say..one of Brian's best. Written by Brian Wilson and Roger Christian, produced by Wilson with lead vocal by Brian, was first released on their 1964 album Shut Down Volume 2. It was released as the B-side of The Beach Boys' first U.S. number-one hit single, "I Get Around" in May 1964 reaching number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The Walker Brothers - "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore"

Written by Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio it was originally released as a single by Frankie Valli of The Four Seasons in 1965. The Walker Brothers version met with much greater success than Valli's. It reached #3 on the UK Singles Chart and became their highest rated song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S where it peaked at #13 in spring 1966.

The Young Rascals - "Come on Up!"

The Young Rascals soon to be just The Rascals released this in the spring of 1966 and hit the top 40. Written by Felix Cavaliere who handles the lead vocal and led off by Gene Cornish's grungy guitar riff and Dino Dinelli's powerhouse drumming, the song is a car radio classic.

The Outsiders - "Time Won´t Let Me"

"Time Won't Let Me" written by Tom King and Chet Kelley of the band was released early in 1966 and peaked at #5 on the Billboard charts.Their original drummer Jim Fox went on to form The James Gang of "Funk #49" and "Walk Away" fame. Sonny Geraci the lead singer went on to further success as lead vocalist for Climax, they had the hit "Precious and Few" which was released as a single in the summer of 1971 and reached #3 on the Billboard charts.

The Human Beinz - "Nobody But Me"

"Nobody but Me" was first written and recorded by The Isley Brothers in 1962. The Human Beinz version was released in the fall of 1967 and peaked at #8 in February 1968, it became their only Billboard Top 10 hit. The Beinz' next single, "Turn On Your Love Light," flopped in the United States peaking at #80. They said the word "no" in the song enough times to make it the most repeated word or phrase in a Hot 100 top 10 hit.

"Sweet Soul Music"

Back in high school 65-67 my cruising music in my 57 Chevy came from WBZ radio in Boston with the great DJ's Bruce Bradley, Jefferson Kaye, Dick Summers, Bob Kennedy..and this song got a lot of air play in spring 67. This was originally written by Sam Cooke as "Yeah Man" and released on Shake, his first album after his death. Conley and Otis Redding updated it as a tribute to various Soul singers. It reached the #2 spot on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Billboard R&B chart in 1967.

THE ELECTRIC PRUNES - 1967 - "I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)

Written by Annette Tucker and Nancie Mantz "I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)" was released in November 1966, in early 1967 it peaked at #11, they also had a follow up record "Get Me To The World On Time" which hit the top 40 in the early summer of 67.

People!.."I Love You"

People! was a rock band that was formed in San Jose, California in 1965. Their biggest record came with their summer hit single "I Love You". The song, written by The Zombies bass guitarist and songwriter Chris White, peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1968.

The Top 10 for August 12, 1966

The Happenings a group from Paterson, New Jersey charted several times in the top 40, but this was their only #1 record., "See You in September" is a song written by Sid Wayne and Sherman Edwards, the song was first recorded by the Pittsburgh vocal group The Tempos whose version peaked at #23 in the summer of 1959. #1 The song appeared on their album Hums of the Lovin' Spoonful, and reached number one for three weeks, written by John Sebastian and Steve Boone of the group and Johns brother Mark Sebastian. #2 "Wild Thing" written by Chip Taylor is ranked #261 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. #3 "Sunny" written by Bobby Hebb reached #3 on the R&B charts, #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, it is one of the most covered popular songs, with hundreds of versions released. #4 The flip side of this 45 was the same song recorded backwards, the less said about this record the better. #5 Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, "Mother's Little Helper" deals with the sudden popularity of diazepam, a mild tranquilizer favored by housewives and the ease of obtaining it from their doctor.#6 The group's "Lil' Red Riding Hood" was their second top 10 hit , the first being "Wooly Bully" which hit #2 in June 1965. #7 With Jimmy Page on guitar this was Donovan's only single to reach #1, his follow up single "Mellow Yellow" made it to #2 in Nov. 1966. #8 Lou Adler said this song written by John Phillips was recorded to try and capture the style of what the Beatles were doing, and that it was intentionally written to be a single. #9 This single written by Tony Hatch and Jackie Trent peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, Clark has said "I Couldn't Live Without Your Love" and "Don't Sleep in the Subway" are her favorites of her hits. #10

Wicked Pickett.."Land of a Thousand Dances"

You couldn't drive the speed limit when Wilson Pickett came on the radio with this song, recorded at the great Muscle Sholes studio with Roger Hawkins on drums and David Hood on bass..this song moves!..No 6 Aug 1966

"With a Girl Like You" The Troggs

"Wild Thing" by songwriter Chip Taylor was their big one, but I always thought this song written by lead singer Reg Presley was their best..top 30 in Aug. 66

Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels.."Jenny Take a Ride"

 Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels were all about high energy rock..in the mid 60's very few bands came across with this kind of edge on the radio..top 10 in late 1965.