The Young Rascals > Land of 1000 Dances
Composed by Chris Kenner
This album came out right at the beginning of our run (1967) and had an outsize influence on us (I swore it was one of the best albums eva(!), having listened to, what, 10 albums eva?). And Wilson continued to dominate us, at least through his surrogates.
Sam & Dave > Hold On, I’m A-Comin’
Composed by Isaac Hayes & David Porter
I’m even sure I had heard of soul music, as separate from pop or rock or hits or whatever, before I joined this group. It didn’t occur to me where my bandmates found all these great records, but they kept showing up with them and we kept learning them. These guys turned me on to everything from Smokey Robinson to Pink Floyd, and everything in between; it was an incredibly vital moment for the world, and for me personally.
It seems like we gravitated towards the Southern soul of Stax a bit more than Motown (though we did play Shotgun), maybe because of our instrumentation. We existed at the peak of soul as pop, which was just OK.
Neglekted Few Week #7
Legends of Soul #40, #41, #42
Legends of Pop #12
Tribute to Isaac Hayes #6
Paul Revere & the Raiders> I’m Not Your Stepping Stone
Composed by Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart
The Neglekted Few played all kinds of gigs. Dances, concerts, battles of the bands, house parties; we’d even convince our friend Sally Baur (Wingo) to clear out her parents’ living room to make room for us if we didn’t have a paying job. The cops came calling the night we were playing this tune at an outdoor party in Halesite.
Neglekted Few Week #6
Legends of Pop #12
Jay & the Americans > She Cried
Composed by Greg Richards & Ted Daryll
Phil had a great pop voice, a sweet, romantic baritone he used to unbelievable effect to cover this early Jay and the Americans hit. (I think a lot of the action I got that year came after the girls heard this one.) There were a lot of other bands who could get the dancing going (we could too), but not too many that could slow it down as well as we could.
Neglekted Few Week #5
Legends of Pop #11
Ballad #39
The Young Rascals > Come On Up
Composed by Felix Cavaliere
For 18 months in high school I was in a rock band (if you were my age, who didn’t?) and our patron saints were the Young Rascals. They weren’t from Long Island, but they might as well have been. Our opening number alternated between this tune and Gimme Some Lovin’ (by the Spencer Davis Group). The opening guitar chord screech set a great mood for the night.
The Jackson 5 > I Want You Back (Z-Trip Remix)
Composed by The Corporation
I suppose, in the end, this is what everyone is saying.
Michael Jackson Week #5
Legends of Soul #38
Legends of Pop #10
Michael Jackson > Billie Jean
Composed by Michael Jackson
It’s hard making MJ Week shorter than a month, but I couldn’t avoid Billie Jean, yes?
This was the track that made everyone take notice, since many thought MJ had just gone from being a Motown toy to a Q tool (not that Quincy wasn’t a force in his own right).
Michael Jackson Week #4
Legends of Soul #37
Legends of Pop #9
Legends of Singer/Songwriters #6
USA for Africa > We Are the World
Composed by Michael Jackson & Lionel Richie
Well, it’s established fact that I’m a wimp, so it might not surprise you I think that We Are the World is one of the high points of Michael’s discography.
WATW is one of those magical mixes of pop and gospel, with a memorable melody, and the more stars than there are in heaven line-up doesn’t hurt either. It disappointed, but didn’t surprise, when the music biz hipsters didn’t give the song Video of the Year at the 1985 VMAs, but the people spoke, and it still makes me cry.
Michael Jackson Week #3
Legends (and more legends) of Pop #11
The Jackson 5 > I’ll Be There
Composed by Berry Gordy, Bob West, Hal Davis, Willie Hutch
This ballad proved Michael was the beginning of the proof that Michael was a musician not a machine (and it was written and produced by humans not The Corporation). Always one of my favorites.
Michael Jackson Week #2
Legends of Soul #38
Legends of Pop #10
Legends of Songwriting #17
Michael Jackson > Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough
Composed by Michael Jackson
I heard this record and realized that Michael’s talent seemed to come from somewhere in the sky, completely bypassing his brain and going right to his voice and his feet.
Michael Jackson Week #1
Legends of Soul #37
Legends of Pop #9
Legends of Singer/Songwriters #6
