Brian's Weekly Sleevenotes - 27 February 16

From Shocking Blue to The Swinging Blue Jeans - the facts behind this week’s playlist

Venus - Shocking Blue (1969)

Released at the end of 1969, ‘Venus’ by Shocking Blue didn’t chart in the UK until the beginning of 1970 then became the biggest selling single to originate in Holland and the first Dutch song to top the American charts. It was also number one in Belgium, Spain, France, Italy and Germany. Robbie van Leeuwen, the group’s guitarist who also wrote ‘Venus’, tried desperately to come up with another song to match their International hit but his failure to do so led to him becoming so depressed, it led to quarrels within the group and they all decided to go their own separate ways in 1974. At the end of 1984, they decided to reunite for two concerts after which rumours began to circulate that they would once again record together.

Lock The Windows, Lock The Doors - Jimmy Clanton (1964)

Released two years after his original version of ‘Venus In Blue Jeans’, Jimmy Clanton was discovered by the boss of the American Ace record company whilst he was making a demo record in a small studio in New Orleans to hike round the music industry. This single, ‘Lock The Windows, Lock The Doors’, his own composition is very rare indeed and as far as we can tell has never appeared on any official compilation, and is one of the few songs he recorded for the Philips label.

Whisky In The Jar - The Dubliners (1968)

‘Whisky In The Jar’ is one of the most widely performed traditional Irish folk songs telling a tale about a highwayman who is betrayed by a woman. It’s been recorded by numerous artists since the early fifties gaining wide exposure when The Dubliners made it one of their signature songs and this is one of three versions they recorded during the sixties. Irish rock band Thin Lizzy achieved a top ten hit with their version in 1973 and The Dubliners updated the song in 1990 when they recorded a faster rockier version with The Pogues.

Girls Are Out To Get You - The Fascinations (1967)

‘Girls Are Out To Get You’ was produced by Curtis Mayfield, the four girl vocal group The Fascinations who were Shirley Walker, Joanne Levell, Bernadine Boswell and Fern Bledsoe. A minor US hit reaching the dizzy heights of number ninety-two and was their only chart success, although it did reach number thirteen on the R&B charts. Originally called The Sabre-ettes that included Martha Reeves in their line up changing their name in 1960 just before Martha left to be replaced by Fern, the record was first released in 1967 then having been given the treatment by the Northern Soul boys, made our top forty at number thirty-one when reissued in 1971. For more facts and stories about Northern soul, click here where Bob Stanley has written a wealth of interesting facts on the subject.

When I’m Sixty-Four - The Beatles (1967)

This was the first song to be recorded for The Beatles ‘Sgt Pepper’ album and was written by Paul McCartney when he was just fifteen and used to play it when they were still known as The Quarrymen, writing the lyrics in honour of his father’s sixty-fourth birthday. ‘When I’m Sixty-Four’ was a song that John Lennon is believed to have said he would never have dreamed of writing, however, it almost found its way onto the ‘B’ side of ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’, but at the last minute they came up with ‘Penny Lane’ thus creating a double ‘A’ side.

Chapel Of Love - The Dixie Cups (1964)

This three girl group from New Orleans were originally known as Little Miss & The Muffets and discovered at a local talent contest by singer, Joe Jones who arranged for them to travel to New York. The line up consisted of sisters Barbara Ann Hawkins and Rosa Lee Hawkins plus their New Orleans born cousin Joan Marie Johnson. In 1964, they began to rehearse a song that had already been doing the rounds called ‘Chapel Of Love’. Two versions had already gone unissued by both The Crystals and The Ronettes as producer, Phil Spector wasn’t convinced the song had hit potential. Renamed The Dixie Cups, the girls were signed to Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller’s new Red Bird label and soon after, their version of the song was released giving them a million seller, a US number one and a huge International hit.

Lovin’ Things - Marmalade (1968)

Having released several unsuccessful singles for EMI, Dean Ford & The Gaylords changed their name to Marmalade and signed to CBS where there was increasing concern about their continued lack of chart success. CBS threatened to cancel their contract so pressure was put on them to record ‘Lovin’ Things’ against their wishes, but despite their complaints it gave them their first hit single.

Caroline - The Fortunes (1964)

After the release of this The Fortunes’ second single, the song was chosen as the theme for the very successful pirate Radio station Caroline. Despite all the plays it received on a daily basis, it still missed out on becoming a hit probably because listeners were unaware that the song was anything more than a jingle and the pirate radio station’s endorsement for the song was hardly encouragement for other stations to play it.

I Can’t Control Myself - The Troggs (1966)

Their third of four consecutive top ten hits and their last to be released on both Atco and Fontana at the same time in The States due to a dispute over distribution rights. The record received little airplay in America as Radio stations believed the lyrics to be blatantly suggestive despite lead singer and composer, Reg Presley insisting that he never sang or recorded a dubious lyric in his life. He maintained the line ‘her slacks were low and hips were showing’ was just about the style of hipster trousers.

Gentle On My Mind - Elvis Presley (1969)

‘Gentle On My Mind’ was written by John Hartford and won four Grammy’s in 1968 in various categories including ‘Best Country & Western Solo Male Vocal Performance’ and ‘Best Country & Western Recording’ for the version by Glen Campbell. This version by Elvis Presley was recorded at the American Sound Studios in Memphis in January 1969, and included on his award winning album ‘From Elvis in Memphis’. In 1999, the song was ranked number 16 on ‘BMI's Top 100 Songs of the Century’.

Here Without You - Gene Clark (1967)

Taken from his album, ‘Echoes’ that was his first work after leaving The Byrds in 1966. The album was released in America under the different tile of ‘Gene Clark With The Gosdin Brothers’ who played on the album as there wasn’t sufficient time for Gene to get his own group together. At the time of release, the album was considered a commercial disaster, so much so that Clark disappeared from public view for some time. Today it’s hailed as a masterpiece and in Clark’s own words was inspired by The Beatles album, ‘Rubber Soul’ and early work of The Mamas And The Papas.

The Hippy Hippy Shake - The Swinging Blue Jeans (1963)

The song was originally written and recorded by Chan Romero in 1959 and covered by Italian rocker, Little Tony. Nearly four years later, The Swinging Blue Jeans decided to revive the song just after The Beatles had performed it for a BBC session in July 1963. The Swinging Blue Jeans’ version of the song landed at number two during the fourth week of January but only held the position for one week.