Fantastic Oldies Game!

[AlexBrowne]

Yes, that's better, GLB.

What could the possible connection be between our 16th president and a yellow fruit? Leave it to R&B singer Shirley Ellis to make the musical connection in her 1964 hit, "The Name Game," with these lyrics:

Lincoln, Lincoln, bo-binkin,
Banana-fana fo-finkin,
Fee-fi-mo-minkin,
Lincoln!

The Lincoln referenced is actually Ellis' husband and manager, and the co-writer of the song, Lincoln Chase; as for the banana -- well, sometimes a banana is just a banana.

 

[GridLeakBias]

Yes, that's better, GLB.

What could the possible connection be between our 16th president and a yellow fruit? Leave it to R&B singer Shirley Ellis to make the musical connection in her 1964 hit, "The Name Game," with these lyrics:

Lincoln, Lincoln, bo-binkin,
Banana-fana fo-finkin,
Fee-fi-mo-minkin,
Lincoln!

The Lincoln referenced is actually Ellis' husband and manager, and the co-writer of the song, Lincoln Chase; as for the banana -- well, sometimes a banana is just a banana.

1964 was a banner year for The Beatles, with Top 100 #1 hits for a total of 17 weeks within the year (I Want To Hold Your Hand, She Loves You, Can’t Buy Me Love, Love Me Do, A Hard Day’s Night, and I Feel Fine.) Next highest on the 1964 #1 hits list was The Supremes for 7 weeks total with Where Did Our Love Go, Baby Love, and Come See About Me. Runners up include The Dixie Cups (Chapel of Love – 3 weeks); The Animals (House of the Rising Sun – 3 weeks); The Beach Boys (I Get Around – 2 weeks); and The Four Seasons (Rag Doll – 2 weeks).

 

[AlexBrowne]

The song sitting in the #1 spot when The Beatles' tsunami hit in February 1964 was Bobby Vinton's remake of the Vaughn Monroe tune, "There! I've Said It Again," which had spent four weeks -- the entire month of January 1964 -- as the top charting single; Vinton was not done for the year, however, coming back with two more Top 10 hits, "My Heart Belongs To Only You," a cover of the Julie Christy song, and "Mr. Lonely," Vinton's second #1 single of 1964, which used the same music track as Buddy Greco's successful 1962 version.

 

[GridLeakBias]

The song sitting in the #1 spot when The Beatles' tsunami hit in February 1964 was Bobby Vinton's remake of the Vaughn Monroe tune, "There! I've Said It Again," which had spent four weeks -- the entire month of January 1964 -- as the top charting single; Vinton was not done for the year, however, coming back with two more Top 10 hits, "My Heart Belongs To Only You," a cover of the Julie Christy song, and "Mr. Lonely," Vinton's second #1 single of 1964, which used the same music track as Buddy Greco's successful 1962 version.

"My Heart Belongs to Daddy" was written by Cole Porter for the 1938 musical Leave It to Me!. Notable recordings have been released by Eartha Kitt (1953); Anita O’Day (1959); Marilyn Monroe (in Let's Make Love, 1960); Oscar Peterson (1962); Julie London (1965); Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass (1967); and Ella Fitzgerald (1972).

 

[AlexBrowne]

The prolific and immensely talented Marvin Gaye charted with some 56 songs, almost all on Motown's Tamla label, starting with "Stubborn Kind Of Fellow" in 1962; among them were three #1 singles: "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" in 1968, "Let's Get It On" in 1973, and a live recording of "Got To Give It Up (Pt. 1)" in 1977.

 

[GridLeakBias]

The prolific and immensely talented Marvin Gaye charted with some 56 songs, almost all on Motown's Tamla label, starting with "Stubborn Kind Of Fellow" in 1962; among them were three #1 singles: "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" in 1968, "Let's Get It On" in 1973, and a live recording of "Got To Give It Up (Pt. 1)" in 1977.

1962 was the year for Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons; “Sherry” reached #1 on the Top 100 Sep 15, 1962 and remained in the top spot for five weeks. After a four week hiatus, “Big Girls Don’t Cry” shot to the top for another 1962 five week run. Additional #1 hits came with “Walk Like A Man” (1963) and “Rag Doll” in 1964.

 

[AlexBrowne]

The four seasons have provided subject matter for a number of hits, including "A Summer Song" by Chad & Jeremy and "Summer Rain" by Johnny Rivers; "A Hazy Shade Of Winter" by Simon & Garfunkel; the #1 instrumental "Autumn Leaves" by Roger Williams; and "Spring Rain" by Pat Boone -- as James Taylor would sing, "winter, spring, summer, or fall, all you have to do is call..."

 

[GridLeakBias]

The four seasons have provided subject matter for a number of hits, including "A Summer Song" by Chad & Jeremy and "Summer Rain" by Johnny Rivers; "A Hazy Shade Of Winter" by Simon & Garfunkel; the #1 instrumental "Autumn Leaves" by Roger Williams; and "Spring Rain" by Pat Boone -- as James Taylor would sing, "winter, spring, summer, or fall, all you have to do is call..."

The Jamies, an a-capella singing group led by Tom and Serena Jameson recorded “Summertime Summertime” on Epic Records in 1958. This release peaked at #26 on the Billboard Hot 100. A re-release in 1962 went to #38 on the charts. Numerous groups including The Fortunes, The Doodletown Pipers, Hobby Horse, Jan & Dean, The Legendary Masked Surfers, Mungo Jerry, and Sha Na Na have covered the tune, and it was used in commercials for Buick and Applebee's.

 

[amfmsw]

One of earlier Rock's strengths were the Independant Labels. Willing to record, press and distribute as many copies as you wanted, for cash of course. A little more cash could even get you on the air!

Many cities had their niche and market. In Philly, it was Swan, Cameo-Parkway and Jamie/Guyden. The latter had some really fresh sounds, like Brenda & The Tabulations on Jamie, and the Top & Bottom label too, also pressed and distributed by Jamie/Gyden.

 

[GridLeakBias]

One of earlier Rock's strengths were the Independant Labels. Willing to record, press and distribute as many copies as you wanted, for cash of course. A little more cash could even get you on the air!

Many cities had their niche and market. In Philly, it was Swan, Cameo-Parkway and Jamie/Guyden. The latter had some really fresh sounds, like Brenda & The Tabulations on Jamie, and the Top & Bottom label too, also pressed and distributed by Jamie/Gyden.

Swan Records, a small independent Philly label, was founded in 1957. Swan became a well known record label after the release of “She Loves You”, a Beatle #1 hit in January 1964. Before this time, Swan had some hits with Freddy Cannon’s 1962 hit, “Palisades Park”; and “Wild Weekend”, an instrumental one-hit wonder by The Rockin’ Rebels.

 

[amfmsw]

Owned by Dick Clark, and pushed with appearances on American Bandstand, that little Swan label could move product. Whoe could forget Dicky Doo & The Don't "Click-Clack"!

Especially with songwriting talent like Chuck Barris!

 

[GridLeakBias]

Owned by Dick Clark, and pushed with appearances on American Bandstand, that little Swan label could move product. Whoe could forget Dicky Doo & The Don't "Click-Clack"!

Especially with songwriting talent like Chuck Barris!

Chuck Barris, songwriter and TV producer, was probably best known for his 60s/70s TV game show creations … The Dating Game, The Newlywed Game, and The Gong Show. He hosted The Gong Show and acquired the nickname, “Chuckie Baby” from his fans. He composed the Swan Label releases of Palisades Park (Freddy Cannon) and Summertime Guy (Eddie Rambeau); an instrumental version of this song was used as the theme for The Newlywed Game.

 

[AlexBrowne]

If you grew up in the New York area listening to Top 40 stations WABC and WMCA in the '60s, you know by heart the jingle used on commercials for Palisades Amusement Park, written by songwriter Gladys Shelley and sung by Steve Clayton:

Palisades has the rides, Palisades has the fun,
Come on over,
Shows and dancing are free, so's the parking, so gee,
Come on over,
Palisades from coast to coast where a dime buys the most,
Palisades Amusement Park swings all day and after dark,
Ride the coaster, get cool in the waves in the pool, you'll have fun,
So come on over!

(Thanks, I feel better now.)

 

[GridLeakBias]

If you grew up in the New York area listening to Top 40 stations WABC and WMCA in the '60s, you know by heart the jingle used on commercials for Palisades Amusement Park, written by songwriter Gladys Shelley and sung by Steve Clayton:

Palisades has the rides, Palisades has the fun,
Come on over,
Shows and dancing are free, so's the parking, so gee,
Come on over,
Palisades from coast to coast where a dime buys the most,
Palisades Amusement Park swings all day and after dark,
Ride the coaster, get cool in the waves in the pool, you'll have fun,
So come on over!

(Thanks, I feel better now.)

“Fun, Fun, Fun” written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, was a hit single for The Beach Boys in 1964.

Said to be written about Shirley England, the daughter of the owner of radio station KNAK in Salt Lake City where [she] worked as a teenager. She borrowed her father's Ford Thunderbird to go study at the library. Instead of driving to the library, she ended up at a hamburger stand. When her father found out he took the car away.

 

[AlexBrowne]

Stand! the fourth studio album by Sly & The Family Stone, released in 1969, was the group's breakout album, one of the best sellers of the decade, and included four singles that would chart that year: "Everyday People" (Sly's biggest hit), "Sing A Simple Song," "Stand!" and "I Want To Take You Higher" (which re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 in 1970 after the group performed it at Woodstock).

 

[GridLeakBias]

Stand! the fourth studio album by Sly & The Family Stone, released in 1969, was the group's breakout album, one of the best sellers of the decade, and included four singles that would chart that year: "Everyday People" (Sly's biggest hit), "Sing A Simple Song," "Stand!" and "I Want To Take You Higher" (which re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 in 1970 after the group performed it at Woodstock).

The Eagles formed in Los Angeles in the ‘70s as four musicians from varied backgrounds and their music promoted and established the catchphrase, “Life in the fast lane.”

Drummer Don Henley migrated west from Texas with his band, Shiloh; guitarist Glenn Frey was a rocker from Detroit; Bernie Leadon, who plays a variety of stringed instruments, boasted a bluegrass background and belonged to the Flying Burrito Brothers; while bassist and high-harmony singer Randy Meisner had played earlier in his career with Rick Nelson, James Taylor and Poco. After touring together in 1971 as members of Linda Ronstadt’s band, they went off on their own and honed the repertoire of songs that would appear on their debut album, “Eagles”.

Their first #1 album, “One of These Nights” took six months to make and contained a trio of hit singles: “One of These Nights”, “Lyin’ Eyes” and “Take It to the Limit”. The grueling recording process along with personality clashes caused Bernie Leadon to quit at the end of 1975 and he was replaced by Joe Walsh, rock guitarist.

 

[GridLeakBias]

Stand! the fourth studio album by Sly & The Family Stone, released in 1969, was the group's breakout album, one of the best sellers of the decade, and included four singles that would chart that year: "Everyday People" (Sly's biggest hit), "Sing A Simple Song," "Stand!" and "I Want To Take You Higher" (which re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 in 1970 after the group performed it at Woodstock).

The Eagles formed in Los Angeles in the ‘70s as four musicians from varied backgrounds and their music promoted and established the catchphrase, “Life in the fast lane.”

Drummer Don Henley migrated west from Texas with his band, Shiloh; guitarist Glenn Frey was a rocker from Detroit; Bernie Leadon, who plays a variety of stringed instruments, boasted a bluegrass background and belonged to the Flying Burrito Brothers; while bassist and high-harmony singer Randy Meisner had played earlier in his career with Rick Nelson, James Taylor and Poco. After touring together in 1971 as members of Linda Ronstadt’s band, they went off on their own and honed the repertoire of songs that would appear on their debut album, “Eagles”.

Their first #1 album, “One of These Nights” took six months to make and contained a trio of hit singles: “One of These Nights”, “Lyin’ Eyes” and “Take It to the Limit”. The grueling recording process along with personality clashes caused Bernie Leadon to quit at the end of 1975 and he was replaced by Joe Walsh, rock guitarist.

This thread, with 31,475 reads and 1,576 replies seems to have come to an end, perhaps after it became too difficult to add new entries, or just plain boring, whichever. “Ain’t That A Shame” (Fats Domino).

I’ll finish it with a couple thoughts:

Those RRRRs authored the thread, so I’ll guess “Rock and Roll Is Here To Stay” (Danny and the Juniors) fits for that screen name.

Amfmsw contributed a lot, thus “On The Radio” (Al Stewart) would be appropriate. (Think about it)

Kudos to another long time contributor, AlexBrowne. OK, how about “Running On Empty” (Jackson Browne).

And then there’s myself, GridLeakBias. The only oldies association for this moniker would be the tube-type music instrument amplifier which was used extensively in the early years. (Vacuum tube audio amps often used grid leak bias to establish the operational parameters for the individual amplifier circuits.) Audio amplifiers were essential for rock guitarists such as Buddy Holly, Gene Vincent, Bob Bogle, Duane Eddy, Chuck Berry, et al. Thus we have established the connection between GLB and early rock guitarists, such as, “Blue Suede Shoes” (Carl Perkins).

This thread may die, but “It Hasn’t Happened Yet” (Rick Nelson, Capitol 4974).

On second thought, we could keep this thread going. “Come On, Let’s Go” (Ritchie Valens 1958).

 

[amfmsw]

Thanks for the inclusion! It's just that I don't visit here so often anymore, I'm tired of being beat up by young turks who've never cued a record, trying to teach me about the industry. I've been hanging with peers on FB...less violent neighborhood.

Come on, we can put some juice in this. I was on the radio on WDVR when the news came New Years Morning that Ricky Nelson was killed. My line was "Proving once again that Rock and Roll and small aircraft don't mix".

But tubes rule...nothing like a Class A-B 6L6 push-pull with Telefunken 12AX7 twin triode preamps. Especially with a Hammond Organ audio output transformer upgrade. Damping factor near 90. Sure beats those fussy, unstabe, "gotta be perfect" match 6BQ5.

 

[GridLeakBias]

I was on the radio on WDVR when the news came New Years Morning that Ricky Nelson was killed. My line was "Proving once again that Rock and Roll and small aircraft don't mix".

So true, we have lost so many music entertainers due to aircraft crashes. Buddy, the Bopper, Richie, Cowboy Copas, Patsy Cline, Randy Rhoads, Otis Redding, Ricky, Aaliyah, John Denver, Jim Croce, Stevie Ray Vaughan, (Ronnie VanZant, guitarist Steve Gaines, vocalist Cassie Gaines - all from the Lynyrd Skynyrd group), Reba McEntire’s band, and Glenn Miller. I’m sure there are more, these are off the top of my head.

But tubes rule...nothing like a Class A-B 6L6 push-pull with Telefunken 12AX7 twin triode preamps. Especially with a Hammond Organ audio output transformer upgrade. Damping factor near 90. Sure beats those fussy, unstabe, "gotta be perfect" match 6BQ5.

Today’s state of the art solid-state amps offer a lot, but they don’t give that warm world class tone and harmonic content a tube amp delivers. I use two different amps with my guitars, one all solid-state and one tube type - and my old vacuum tube Webb amp is my favorite.

Class A-B push-pull. Wow, that takes me back to my early days in engineering. Not too many people around anymore who can talk component circuitry, at least, not on this thread.