John’s 1969

This is a year for songs. And funky songs at that, as deep soul indie labels started to emerge in wake of the commercial success of Motown earlier in the decade. My singles list is filled with mostly singles-artists (very few of these songs appeared on proper albums). 7 of these 10 songs appear on my own 80-record jukebox. Of the 3 remaining songs, one is my most desired 45 of all time (with a prohibitive cost), one is a ballad (not right for a jukebox), and one was never released on 45. I love the songs of 1969.

Songs:

Barbara Howard – “I Don’t Want Your Love:” I can’t describe why I think this is so great. It’s all in the performance. The band is falling apart at the seams. So fresh. So funky. Perfect. I’m not alone in this belief as 45 copies of this record fetch hundreds of dollars.

Debbie Taylor – “Don’t Let It End:” Cool song. Great voice. And those drums… They kick ass. I love this song.

Shirley & The Shirelles – “Never Give You Up:” I’ve mentioned this one on the blog before (Covers Theme). Another amazing voice. Deeply funky. I could listen to this all day long. Sometimes I do.

The Zombies – “Imagine the Swan:” They broke up and then had their biggest hit. This is really the members of Argent releasing the last single under the Zombies name. I love this song. Again the drums and that cool pickup to the chorus really do it for me. Would have been better with Blunstone on vocals, but still great.

The Meters – “Cissy Strut:” So funky. New Orleans at its finest.

The Beatles – “Hey Bulldog:” I kind of wanted to include the single-only “Don’t Let me Down” as well to this list, but there was too much great soul on this list to include two Beatles cuts. This is one of my favorites.

Ruby Andrews – “You Made a Believer (Out of Me):” Just another great and unique funky soul track. This is the second single by Ruby to make it to this blog. I also love the Q-tip track “Won’t Trade” that samples this song.

Inell Young – “The Next Ball Game:” I think this song was mentioned here for the “Drummers” theme month. Dirty and funky. The drums really make this song, and they are often all I really listen to while it plays. But the chords and melody are actually great as well. More New Orleans funk/soul.

The Bee Gees – “First of May:” Great chamber pop. I sang the praises of the early Bee Gees last month. This is another great single from their fourth US album.

Marie Queenie Lyons – “See and Don’t See:” More funky soul. Or soulful funk. I especially love the use of this song by emcee Blu on Johnson&Jonson’s “The Only Way,” as he really turned it into an artfully crafted call-and-response.

Albums:

The Flying Burrito Brothers – The Palace of Guilded Sin: Country-rock? Maybe. Mostly country. But most importantly great songs and great performances. I love this record. Every note.

Nick Drake – Five Leaves Left: My favorite Drake record. Beautiful and somber. Great voice, songs and (several) arrangements.

The Beatles – Abbey Road: Classic.

Nilsson – Harry: Probably my favorite Nilsson record. Hints of the overt pop that would appear on the subsequent albums, a bit of vaudeville weirdness from the first few records, and a style more in line with The Point than most of the rest of his catalog.

Herbie Hancock – Fat Albert Rotunda: More funk than jazz. This album points to where Herbie would head in the next decade. But not nearly as overplayed.

Chicago – Chicago Transit Authority: Man, if they could make this a single album it would be at the top of the list. As it stands the filler, and occasionally unfinished sounding arrangements bog this album down. But the songwriting and arrangements on the best tunes are some of the very best by this band.

The Beach Boys – 20/20: More great leftover tracks from Smile, and a decent showing of originals during a period of solid and fertile Brothers Records recordings.

Bowie – Space Oddity: Not exactly a classic, but an album I enjoy. Even beyond the title track.

Bob Dylan – Nashville Skyline: This is probably my favorite Dylan, which speaks volumes about my taste. A record much more about melody than most of his other work. Everyone goes country at some point; some just do it better than others.

Sly & the Family Stone – Stand: Maybe more poppy than funky… But a lot of classic songs with interesting arrangements.

Mike’s 1969

Songs

1. Chicago Transit Authority–“Questions 67 and 68”
2. The Beatles–“You Never Give Me Your Money”
3. Dillard and Clark–“Polly” or “Through the Morning, Through the Night” (The sound of heartbreak.)
4. Kevin Ayers–“Town Feeling” (Brent knows that this entire album doesn’t do it for me. In spare doses, though. On most of his records there are at least one or two of these unbelievably melodic pieces with interesting, thought out arrangements like this one.
5. Roberta Flack–“The First Time, Ever I Saw Your Face” (I’ve said it before here somewhere, probably on the covers theme, as lovely a vocal as anything I may have ever heard. So perfect I can’t hear it sung by her live, or by anyone else.)
6. Love–“Gather Round” (In my opinion, Arthur Lee’s crowning masterpiece, and I think the last recorded song by this version of the band. Have come around to loving the totally superfluous jam at the end, which it seems to me is his final “Fuck off, I’m going to do whatever the damn hell I please” conceit on this album full of them.
7. The Meters–“Cissy Strut” (So many classic grooves in 1969…)
8. Aphrodite’s Child–“It’s Five O’Clock” (…and so much organ. I’m probably wrong, but I don’t know that I’ve ever heard anything like the fuzzed-out organ on this song. And I always love a good use of the theremin, hammy as it is here. Had this on cycle for most of a day at work this month. Thanks go to Tim for introducing me to this band for our first theme.)
9. Gun–“Situation Vacant” (Replacing the Dekker cut with this one, representative of the great hard rock that was happening.)
10. Flying Burrito Brothers–“Sin City” (Tough to pick just one cut from this album. Another one that I’ve only recently become familiar with, largely thanks to John and Tim.)

Albums
1. King Crimson–In the Court of the Crimson King (Oh come on, seriously.)
2. Procol Harum–A Salty Dog (God this is beautiful. “A Salty Dog” | “Too Much Between Us” | “The Devil Came from Kansas”
3. The Kinks–Arthur or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire (“Victoria” | “Shangri-La,” probably my favorite Kinks Song of All-Time, off what may well be their Best Album.)
4. The Velvet Underground–The Velvet Underground (“Pale Blue Eyes” | “Candy Says” | “Jesus“)
5. Fairport Convention–Unhalfbricking (Three great albums released in 69, two of which could have easily made my albums list. I resigned myself to selecting Unhalfbricking, I guess mostly because of “Autopsy,” and the fact that I love Martin Lamble, only 19, who died tragically in a car accident after the recording of this album. This track includes one of my favorite moments in recorded history, at 1:22, that guitar chord, was it a mistake? And one of my favorite guitar solos, starting at 2:11. I think I forgot that one when we covered guitar solos as a topic. Also, Ashley Hutchings’ bass is just shake your head ridiculous throughout this album. Check out how it drives everything on “Sailor’s Life.” Also!, a rhythm guitarist in Simon Nicol who provides crucial contributions. How often can you say that? I just can’t get over the fact that two of the members of the band were teenagers at the time of this mature and revolutionary recording.)
6. Sly and the Family Stone-Stand (“I Want to Take You Higher” | “Stand” | “Everybody Is a Star“)
7. Shirley and Dolly Collins–Anthems in Eden (What genre is this? Early Music I guess. Unlike anything else of the time, thanks in large part to Dolly’s arrangements, the use of early music instruments like crumhorns and the like, and Dolly’s own inimitable “portative” organ. Every time I listen it grows on me more. Includes the great Robin Williamson song “God Dog.” )
8. Captain Beefheart–Trout Mask Replica (I’ll take Bob’s picks, and “Ella Guru.”)
9. Colosseum–Valentyne Suite (Took my head off the first time I heard it 30-35 years ago, and has continued to do so every time since. The title track (start here) is one of the great progressive jazz/rock masterpieces, but don’t forget the propulsive blues on the first side, including “Buddy’s Blues“. Crank it up! Two bassists kills me, in every incarnation I can remember–later double-trio King Crimson, Donald Byrd, here. Other examples?)
10. Keef Hartley Band–Halfbreed (John Mayall drummer leaves the increasingly drug soaked acoustic fold of the Bluesbreakers, and puts out this deliriously rocking, driving, no holds barred masterpiece. Start with “Stacked” or “Born to Die.” I’m no big fan of this kind of electric blues in general, but when it is passionately done, with at least a hint of evil, as on the Colosseum and Zeppelin records also listed (wait, I forgot to list Zeppelin’s first record!, ah hell), well that’s another story.  Also check out Blodwyn Pig’s raucous Ahead Rings Out.)

I love Brent’s idea to partition jazz, which allows me to cheat and list 20 albums! Good thing, because there was a ton of great jazz.

Jazz/Other
1. Miles Davis–Filles de Kilimanjaro (May well be my favorite album of the year. If I had to pick one cut, “Mademoiselle Mabry.”)
2. Pharoah Sanders–Karma
3. Don Rendell & Ian Carr–Change Is (“Cold Mountain“)

4. Moondog–Moondog (“Lament 1, Bird’s Lament” | “Witch of Endor“)
5. Don Cherry–Eternal Rhythm (“Part 1” | “Part 2“)
6. Archie Shepp–Yasmina, a Black Woman
7. Sun Ra–Atlantis
8. Joe Henderson–Power to the People (“Black Narcissus“)
9. Sonny Sharrock–Black Woman (“Black Woman.” Sonny sure was busy in 1969, appearing on two of the albums I list here (Karma and Eternal Rhythm) and this one. Also from 1969, his appearance on the pretty good Herbie Mann Memphis Underground album, “Hold on, I’m Coming.” Wait for it, it’s worth it, or just go ahead and skip to 5:35!)
10. Art Ensemble of Chicago–People in Sorrow

1969, man, what a time that must have been. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Music Emporium (“nam myoho renge kyo” | “Velvet Sunsets“) or Buffy Sainte-Marie’s avant garde masterpiece, Illuminations (“God Is Alive, Magic Is Afoot” | “Poppies“)

My 1969 Collection

The good old ’69

And I thought ’67 was a transitional year, but ’69 is all over the map. Samba, Psychedelia, Country and Reggae all nail it in ’69!

Songs

1. Forget All About It (Nazz) – A really innovative psychedelic sound and songcraft, like the Byrds if Bob Dylan had never existed, and they were all on amphetamines.
2. The Old Man’s Back Again (Scott Walker) – Amid the lavish string-arrangements and french death ballads Walker delves into some more conventional songs – this is among the best. A rare opportunity to hear him play bass too – and what a bass-line! Some nice latin guitar chops too.
3. Nine Times Blue (The Monkees) – well actually just Mike Nesmith. In my opinion one of the best country artists of all time, and this is his masterpiece. Here he is doing it live  with Davy and Mickey on the Johnny Cash show.
4. Pais Tropical (Jorge Ben) – this is where Brazilian music starts getting fun~! ’69 also sees the rest of the world adopt the grooves of Brazil – one of my faves is from Swedish super-hottie Sylvia Vrethammar.
5. Please No More Sad Songs (Idle Race) – Before The Travelling Wilburys, ELO, The Move and a billion other projects and masterworks of production, Jeff Lynne was in this obscure British psychedelic band. The album has some good stuff on it – and some very experimental production!
6. Sic ‘Em Pigs (Canned Heat) – I feel like this song is one of the greatest expressions of life in the late 60s, especially if you’re a big fat pot-smoking blues-hippy. Fuck the police, incidentally.
7. Barricades (The Koobas) – coming from Liverpool, via the Hamburg circuit, managed by Brian Epstein and opening for The Beatles on their last tour, you’d think The Koobas would’ve made a bigger impact. Their one and only album is fantastic. They certainly took great influence from Syd Barrett on this song.
8. Whispering Pines (The Band) – I get that The Band are important, but I don’t dig their songwriting that much. This song is a stunning exception.
9. Noitasinagro (Organisation) – fledgling Krautrock – lovely tonal noise.
10. Hco 97658 (Kak) – How could a band called ‘Kak’, with an album called ‘Kak-Ola’ not succeed? A really nicely produced song (and album) – but sadly one of the casualties of the SF psychedlic overflow.

Notable omissions: Hawaii 5-0 (The Ventures), Je T’aime Moi Non Plus (Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin), and the bizarre In the Year 2525 (Zager & Evans).

Albums

1. Tighten Up Volume 2 (Various Artists) – along with ‘The Harder They Come Soundtrack’ this is the most essential roots-reggae album of all time. Equally mellow, rough and tough, and full of fun, sun and sex! Check the lyrics of ‘Wreck A Buddy’ – “…and if he’s ugly I don’t mind, him have a dick and I wanna grind…”
2. Philosophy Of The World (The Shaggs) – if you haven’t heard this album, you’re in for a mindfuck my fine friends. The ultimate ‘outsider’ art project. A lot has been written about this album so I won’t waffle about it, but if you’re new to it, yes it is real, yes they are teenage sisters, and yes they have accidentally invented an entirely new way of writing and playing music. The thing that got me hooked was the title track (track 1) in which they are playing totally out of time with each other and then impossibly re-synchronize for each chorus, then instantly fall apart again. When I first heard it, I thought this was very clever post-rock, but it’s not – its genuinely naive teenage sister-telepathy. Its a wonderful world where this sort of music becomes popular.
3. Cérebro Eletrônico (Gilberto Gil) – funky Brazilian electronic psychedelia of the highest order. This album is incredible.
4. Joy Of A Toy (Kevin Ayers) – there’s something so charming about this gentle psychedelia, even if it is a little trite. Track 2 is my fave.
5. The Velvet Underground (The Velvet Underground) – in my view the perfect album in terms of structure and content. Its got it all – great writing, amazing pop songs, punk ethic, country vibe and a nice dose of humour to round it all off. I feel there’s a direct lineage between this album and those of Bowie et al in 70s.
6. The Gilded Palace Of Sin (The Flying Burrito Brothers) – This album is rightly considered the seminal country-rock album, but its also one full of winning tunes. As far as I’m concerned country music could happily have ended right after this album (well – maybe after Sweetheart of the Rodeo)!
7. The Soft Parade (The Doors) – by far my favourite Doors album, though it’s whimsy makes it a guilty pleasure! I really feel like they were super-focused and into this project. The production is also amazing, some of Morrison’s best vocals and lyrics – mature but not too fucked up by booze. The addition of soul-horns and bass guitar really takes the band to a new level, and Touch Me is a brilliant (though weird!) pop single. Runnin’ Blue is one of my faves due to it’s great drumming and horn arrangements (especially in the bridge) – even Kruger’s absurd blue-grass sections have grown on me. But its the title track that really does it for me, from it’s impassioned intro to the bizarre easy-listening verses, whimsical interlude and finally the main groove – “the best part of the trip” as Jim describes it. I dig where he says “yeah…proud to be a part of this number” – a public salute to his beloved band-mates.
8. Scott 3 (Scott Walker) – This album has some beautiful ethereal songs like ‘It’s Raining Today’ or ‘If You Go Away’ along side unique and disquieting songs like 30 Century Man. Stunning album.
9. Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town (Kenny Rogers & The First Edition) – long before Kenny was a Disney-eyed TV Santa with a chicken franchise he was leader of a psychedelic country band – they even had a girl in the group. The title track really started the craze for those awful morose country songs about terrible things happening to the protagonist, but it’s got a wry humour to it, not to mention some wonderful songcraft. Even more brilliant is the song Reuben James – Kenny is totally overlooked in country music history, but I feel this hit was a really important transitional track in the genre. It would make perfect sense if you played it to hillbillies in the 1920s just as it would to fans of those modern-day country guys, you know, the millionaire ones called Cleetus or Dingus or whatever. Interestingly Kenny’s quality plummets the second he disbands The First Edition – but I’d highly recommend everything preceding this to country lovers.
10. The Monkees Present (The Monkees) – though Mike Nesmith’s best song was released on ’69’s Instant Replay, he has a bunch of great ones on this album, notably knocking it out of the park with the psych-country hit Listen To The Band. Check this raw, live (if staged) version. On a roll, Mike also kicks out some fashionable Samba with ‘Calico Girlfriend‘, and yet more country-honk funk-rock with ‘Little Red Rider‘.