So would I. Especially from artist like Tommy Roe, Lou Christie, Johnny Tillotson. Unless you were a hot chic that adored them , you bought their singles. I had to start buying some LP's because hit songs like "Stairway To Heaven'" or the long uncut versions like "Light My Fire" were only available on LP's. But you take an artist like ( first thing out of my head) Paul Nicholoas "Heaven On the 7th floor", would I buy an album from him? No just the single release...because who the hell is Paul Nicholas, besides me being familiar with that 1 song.
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The "Birth" of the British Invasion
- Thread starter John FL
- Start date
When I first posted this subject, I thought it may generate a few responses so I appreciate all the great input here. A while back Hornet mentioned the Beach Boys and their popularity during the British Invasion and it got me thinking about the band and my own personal evolution.
Music Radio of the day, no doubt, was a driving force in that it reflected the tastes of the communities it served. Through the 60s, I would have to rank the Beach Boys as being somewhere in the middle - I was in a word just neutral about them. I think a lot has to do with the station I mainly listened to (WABC) and the fact I lived in Northern New Jersey at the time. For whatever reason, I just know the Beach Boys never made it to the #1 slot on the station music surveys and a lot of their past songs (the new golds at the time) were not played much unless it was Summer. So, I think geography played a big roll given a lot of diversity and the fact going to the beach was limited to about 3 months a year. It's when I moved to South Florida in 1980 that I really began to appreciate the band. They were heard even on the CHR stations of the day and the oldies stations I gravitated to played them as much as they did Beatles. I found there was something great there and I liked what I heard. They were the perfect music for my new digs and they rocked! In some ways, some of the Beach Boys music was new to me but it just shows how much the creative wave in so much of the music from the Brits, Motown and the rock tunes was available then.
As far as singles vs. albums, I prefered singles and I think radio had a lot to do with it. I enjoyed a lot of different types of music but for some reason, I bought a lot of one hit wonder singles. Starbucks mentioned "Heaven on the 7th floor" and hopefully I won't blow anyone's opinion of me but I loved songs like that. Songs like "Undercover Angel" (Aaln O'Day) "Lonely Boy" (Andrew Gold) and the sultry voice of Maria Muldaur's "Midnight at the Oasis" were just great singles and I had 'em all. I got more into albums when radio evolved and I finally made the switch from AM to FM. It's obvious the one hit wonders are not heard very often on today's oldies stations. I guess the feeling is if the artist did not have a string of hits, it is too obscure. I don't agree but I guess I'm digressing a bit. There's a lot of great music in those hit singles to be forgotten.
Well, thanks for putting up with my personal trip down memory lane but I'm sure there are many of you who can relate.
Music Radio of the day, no doubt, was a driving force in that it reflected the tastes of the communities it served. Through the 60s, I would have to rank the Beach Boys as being somewhere in the middle - I was in a word just neutral about them. I think a lot has to do with the station I mainly listened to (WABC) and the fact I lived in Northern New Jersey at the time. For whatever reason, I just know the Beach Boys never made it to the #1 slot on the station music surveys and a lot of their past songs (the new golds at the time) were not played much unless it was Summer. So, I think geography played a big roll given a lot of diversity and the fact going to the beach was limited to about 3 months a year. It's when I moved to South Florida in 1980 that I really began to appreciate the band. They were heard even on the CHR stations of the day and the oldies stations I gravitated to played them as much as they did Beatles. I found there was something great there and I liked what I heard. They were the perfect music for my new digs and they rocked! In some ways, some of the Beach Boys music was new to me but it just shows how much the creative wave in so much of the music from the Brits, Motown and the rock tunes was available then.
As far as singles vs. albums, I prefered singles and I think radio had a lot to do with it. I enjoyed a lot of different types of music but for some reason, I bought a lot of one hit wonder singles. Starbucks mentioned "Heaven on the 7th floor" and hopefully I won't blow anyone's opinion of me but I loved songs like that. Songs like "Undercover Angel" (Aaln O'Day) "Lonely Boy" (Andrew Gold) and the sultry voice of Maria Muldaur's "Midnight at the Oasis" were just great singles and I had 'em all. I got more into albums when radio evolved and I finally made the switch from AM to FM. It's obvious the one hit wonders are not heard very often on today's oldies stations. I guess the feeling is if the artist did not have a string of hits, it is too obscure. I don't agree but I guess I'm digressing a bit. There's a lot of great music in those hit singles to be forgotten.
Well, thanks for putting up with my personal trip down memory lane but I'm sure there are many of you who can relate.
As far as singles vs. albums, I prefered singles and I think radio had a lot to do with it. I enjoyed a lot of different types of music but for some reason, I bought a lot of one hit wonder singles. Starbucks mentioned "Heaven on the 7th floor" and hopefully I won't blow anyone's opinion of me but I loved songs like that. Songs like "Undercover Angel" (Aaln O'Day) "Lonely Boy" (Andrew Gold) and the sultry voice of Maria Muldaur's "Midnight at the Oasis" were just great singles and I had 'em all. I got more into albums when radio evolved and I finally made the switch from AM to FM.
So did I. And those artist were what kept the single going. There's artists just not cut out to appeal to listen to a whole album . And there are artist like Zepplin who are cut out to indulge a whole album to. That's why you have 2 genres or formats., hit music radio...(45's , and Album oriented rock....33/3rd).
So did I. And those artist were what kept the single going. There's artists just not cut out to appeal to listen to a whole album . And there are artist like Zepplin who are cut out to indulge a whole album to. That's why you have 2 genres or formats., hit music radio...(45's , and Album oriented rock....33/3rd).
Starbucks said:
But keep in mind that around 1969-70 or so things started to splinter into two separate camps that really wanted little to do with one another. There was the "FM" crowd who was into the longer versions of songs, and the newer, hipper artists and the sort of stoned-out presentation that the FM stations were doing at the time, then there was the "AM" crowd that still liked the pop tunes, and stations with fast-talking djs who hit the post on every record....this crowd was seen as very uncool. I fell into the latter category, and indeed worked in Top 40 radio thru most of the 70s, but it seems most of my circle of friends & acquaintances were FM listeners.
The Fonz mentioned becoming turned off by a lot of the newer music beginning with "Rubber Soul", and this time period was a turning point in popular music not unlike the dawn of rock & roll in the 50s. There was a new style of music, a new scene and you either "got it" or you didn't. I'm of an age where I was right on the cusp...I liked some of the old stuff, but could really take or leave the 50s sound & imagery. OTOH I liked a lot of the new music too, but wasn't into the hippie scene either. Lost between two worlds I guess... :-\
Starbucks said:
Basically before the Beatles came along, the only time you bought the album is because you waited too long to buy the 45, and it was no longer in print. Most pop albums then were pretty awful...one or two hit singles, a couple of B-side grade tunes and a bunch of covers of other recent hits. Not much you'd really want to listen to.
The Beachboys were one of the few exceptions, if you were into folk music some of that wasn't bad either.
Oldbones said:
And I remember buying a few albums in the early '60s just to get the STEREO version of a song that I already had on a mono 45. Record companies began putting out both mono and stereo LPs in the late '50s. And they tried stereo 45s, but stereo 45s didn't really take off until the late '60s.
H
hornet61
Guest
this might sound like a steve martin movie..........I was so poor growing up, that I was content to go down the Woolworth in Santa Fe NM, and buy a couple of TOPPS 45's a week for $.29 cents, yes TOPPS.
They were knock-off 45rpm, EP's with 4 cuts per side. For Instance "Teen Angel" was by Tommy Tone maybe instead of Mark Dinning. What I didn't know till later was, that then undiscovered future superstar's sometimes recorded for TOPPS. My version of Running Bear is actually a very young unknown "George Jones".
My first LP for $3.98 was the self titled "Ritchie Valens", which hangs in my Music Room framed (thanks mom, she died six months ago, and she started me on this marvelous musical odyssey 50 years ago today).
Amazingly enough I recently purcahsed a CD titled the best of TOPPS records........... Oooh is this perverse or what.
They were knock-off 45rpm, EP's with 4 cuts per side. For Instance "Teen Angel" was by Tommy Tone maybe instead of Mark Dinning. What I didn't know till later was, that then undiscovered future superstar's sometimes recorded for TOPPS. My version of Running Bear is actually a very young unknown "George Jones".
My first LP for $3.98 was the self titled "Ritchie Valens", which hangs in my Music Room framed (thanks mom, she died six months ago, and she started me on this marvelous musical odyssey 50 years ago today).
Amazingly enough I recently purcahsed a CD titled the best of TOPPS records........... Oooh is this perverse or what.
D
Don62
Guest
So Good Vibrations, Help Me Rhonda and I Get Around - all national U.S. Hot 100 No. 1s, didn't top WABC's charts?JohnJax said:
I saw a radio station chart from KQV Pittsburgh that showed God Only Knows, which only got as high as No. 39 on Billboard, soared into the top 10 in Pgh.
Those No. 1 Beach Boys songs btw weren't surf songs, much like the Four Seasons, which widened their sound out of the doo-woppy early singles with Dawn, Let's Hang On, Rag Doll, Ronnie, Save It For Me, Tell it To The Rain, etc.
So Good Vibrations, Help Me Rhonda and I Get Around - all national U.S. Hot 100 No. 1s, didn't top WABC's charts?
Don, I did some fun research and I was correct. It's amazing I can remember stuff like this but can't remember what I ate for dinner yesterday. Anyway, here is the scoop how the songs ranked on WABC:
"I Get Around" came in # 11 for the year in 1964. The song got as far as #2 and it remained at #2 for 4 weeks on surveys from June 23 - July 14. "Rag Doll" by the 4 Seasons was the blocker as this song was #1 the entire time. Again, regional preferences are evident as the 4 Seasons, being Jersey Boys, did lots of shows in the area, particularly at Palisades Amusement Park made famous a couple years earlier by Freedie "Boom Boom" Cannon. The 4 Seasons also created an opening theme for the hugely popular DJ Cousin Brucie.
"Help Me Rhonda" came in # 15 for the year in 1965. The song got as far as #2 and it remained #2 for 3 weeks on surveys from 5/18 - 6/1. In the first week at #2, "Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter by Hermans Hermit's was at it's 4th week at #1. The remaining two weeks, "Wooly Bully" was #1 and was a blocker to the Beach Boys.
"Good Vibrations" came in #37 for the year 1966. The song got as far as #4 and it remained #4 for 4 weeks on surveys from 11/15- 12/6. "You Keep Me Hangin' On" by the Surpemes was #1 in the first 3 weeks and in the 4th week "Winchester Cathedral" (I hated this song) by the New Vaudeville Band moved into the #1 slot.
Again, wherever we grew up, a lot of the big Top 40 AMers of the time weren't cookie-cutter in that they reflected the geograohy and population demos. I remember pulling in CKLW from the Canadian side of Detroit and remember hearing lots of soul songs that didn't make it to WABC. I also remember they seemed to be a few weeks ahead of us in bringing on the new music of the time. Anyway, as we know, radio was just so great back then.
Don, I did some fun research and I was correct. It's amazing I can remember stuff like this but can't remember what I ate for dinner yesterday. Anyway, here is the scoop how the songs ranked on WABC:
"I Get Around" came in # 11 for the year in 1964. The song got as far as #2 and it remained at #2 for 4 weeks on surveys from June 23 - July 14. "Rag Doll" by the 4 Seasons was the blocker as this song was #1 the entire time. Again, regional preferences are evident as the 4 Seasons, being Jersey Boys, did lots of shows in the area, particularly at Palisades Amusement Park made famous a couple years earlier by Freedie "Boom Boom" Cannon. The 4 Seasons also created an opening theme for the hugely popular DJ Cousin Brucie.
"Help Me Rhonda" came in # 15 for the year in 1965. The song got as far as #2 and it remained #2 for 3 weeks on surveys from 5/18 - 6/1. In the first week at #2, "Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter by Hermans Hermit's was at it's 4th week at #1. The remaining two weeks, "Wooly Bully" was #1 and was a blocker to the Beach Boys.
"Good Vibrations" came in #37 for the year 1966. The song got as far as #4 and it remained #4 for 4 weeks on surveys from 11/15- 12/6. "You Keep Me Hangin' On" by the Surpemes was #1 in the first 3 weeks and in the 4th week "Winchester Cathedral" (I hated this song) by the New Vaudeville Band moved into the #1 slot.
Again, wherever we grew up, a lot of the big Top 40 AMers of the time weren't cookie-cutter in that they reflected the geograohy and population demos. I remember pulling in CKLW from the Canadian side of Detroit and remember hearing lots of soul songs that didn't make it to WABC. I also remember they seemed to be a few weeks ahead of us in bringing on the new music of the time. Anyway, as we know, radio was just so great back then.
D
Don62
Guest
I imagine California Girls didn't hit No. 1 either on WABC.
I know the great song was kept out of No. 1 by Sonny & Cher's I Got You Babe and one other song. I personally prefer Calif. Girls, as it's one of the greatest songs ever.
On WABC's charts, I would assume that Brian Wilson and the boys were No. 1 many times in Los Angeles and San Fransisco.
I know the great song was kept out of No. 1 by Sonny & Cher's I Got You Babe and one other song. I personally prefer Calif. Girls, as it's one of the greatest songs ever.
On WABC's charts, I would assume that Brian Wilson and the boys were No. 1 many times in Los Angeles and San Fransisco.
D
desertv
Guest
The first #1 hit in the US by a Brit group was not the Beatles....
It was "Telstar" by the Tornado(e)s at the end of 1962..a little over 1 year before the Fabs topped the charts over here
It was "Telstar" by the Tornado(e)s at the end of 1962..a little over 1 year before the Fabs topped the charts over here
Yes, so right desertv. Back in the day, DJs didn't constantly hit us over the head with factoid stuff about the bands such as where they originated. In the case of "Telestar," given this was an instrumental and singing accents were not there, I didn't realize this was a Brit group until I heard British Invasion music specials many many years later.
Maybe it was just me but I was rather surprised when I learned after a lot of years that Dusty Springfield, to name just one, was not a country artist from the US. "Wishin' and Hopin', "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" and "Son of a Preacher Man" just sounded so different than what was coming from the Beatles. Stones, Dave Clark Five and Herman's Hermits. To me, Peter Noone just sounded British period and I knew from day 1 that Pet Clark was British. But it seemed in the sung lyric a lot of these guys sounded just like a lot of the US bands of the time. Anyway, there was a lot of diversity in the great music heard on the radio then. Perhaps it was because the British Invasion was so dominant and mainstream that few of us noticed or even cared about birthplace. We just loved what we were hearing!
Maybe it was just me but I was rather surprised when I learned after a lot of years that Dusty Springfield, to name just one, was not a country artist from the US. "Wishin' and Hopin', "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" and "Son of a Preacher Man" just sounded so different than what was coming from the Beatles. Stones, Dave Clark Five and Herman's Hermits. To me, Peter Noone just sounded British period and I knew from day 1 that Pet Clark was British. But it seemed in the sung lyric a lot of these guys sounded just like a lot of the US bands of the time. Anyway, there was a lot of diversity in the great music heard on the radio then. Perhaps it was because the British Invasion was so dominant and mainstream that few of us noticed or even cared about birthplace. We just loved what we were hearing!
H
hornet61
Guest
Dusty (Mary O'Brian) Springfield sounded very country when she joined the Springfields in the early 60's and they had that hit "Silver Threads and Golden Needles". Two of those Dusty hits mentioned by JonJax were written by americans Hal David and Burt Bacharak. The Springfields, Aker Bilk, Lonnie Donnegan, Cliff Richard and the Tornadoes, the group that desrtv pointed out make up the first British Invasion. Ditto on the British Invasion was fun music, and some great talent accross the board, heck, I even liked Freddie and the Dreamers and (Dave Dee, Dozy, Beakky, Mich and Tich....my brother Ron was stationed in the UK in 66 and turned me on to this group). It's ironic that in 62 the Beatles couldn't get arrested here in the US when They licensed Please Please and the Lp "Intoducing the Beatles"to VJ Records in Chicago and two yeras later the same LP(Introducing the Beatles) that flopped in 62 was #1 in the US along with "Meet The Beatles", plus they had the Top 5 singles in one week. To my recollection the only group to come close to that phenom, are the Bee Gees. At the Peak Of the "Saturday Night Fever", I believe they had 4 of the top 7 singles at one time plus the Number 1 Lp, , either as artists , sonwriters or producers, with themselves , Evonne Elliman and little Brother Andy Gibb, and coincidently they are Brits by way of Australia.
Dusty Springfield sounded good with the Springfields and Lonnie Donegan was hitting the mark in the 50s with "Rock Island Line".
H
hornet61
Guest
Tom ..........If you have "Love Me Do/PS I love You" on Tollie #9008 (DJ Promo) black label /silver print, Near Mint ...It's worth $400.
If you have "Ask Me Why/Anna".. Spec DJ #8...Near Mint ...are you ready for this $10,000...be careful some forgeries are rumoured to have been released by VJ plant employees in the 70's.
The VJ EP "Four By The Beatles", with the cardboard picture sleeve #EAP 1-2121 (PS) near mint is worth $300
The VJ Lp "Introducing The Beatles" SR 1062(B) song title cover,'please,please me" and "PS I Love You" oval VJ label with colorband only Near Mint $20,000 only 6 authentic copies known in exisitence with hundreds of thousands counterfeits exsisting....there is also a VJ LP "On Stage With Frank Ified" worth $20,000.
And Finally Sealed Capitol "Yesterday and Today" LP with "Butcher Cover" rumored to have sold as high as $50,000 in auction to someone in Japan.
There are other valuable single, ep's and lp's these are the most famous....who would have thunk, hah!!
No other artist except Elvis(and he doesn't command those kind of numbers) demands this kind of money for their records, amazing!!!
These prices of course are only as good as the demand, but it makes you go thru your Beatles collection quickly.
If you have "Ask Me Why/Anna".. Spec DJ #8...Near Mint ...are you ready for this $10,000...be careful some forgeries are rumoured to have been released by VJ plant employees in the 70's.
The VJ EP "Four By The Beatles", with the cardboard picture sleeve #EAP 1-2121 (PS) near mint is worth $300
The VJ Lp "Introducing The Beatles" SR 1062(B) song title cover,'please,please me" and "PS I Love You" oval VJ label with colorband only Near Mint $20,000 only 6 authentic copies known in exisitence with hundreds of thousands counterfeits exsisting....there is also a VJ LP "On Stage With Frank Ified" worth $20,000.
And Finally Sealed Capitol "Yesterday and Today" LP with "Butcher Cover" rumored to have sold as high as $50,000 in auction to someone in Japan.
There are other valuable single, ep's and lp's these are the most famous....who would have thunk, hah!!
No other artist except Elvis(and he doesn't command those kind of numbers) demands this kind of money for their records, amazing!!!
These prices of course are only as good as the demand, but it makes you go thru your Beatles collection quickly.
H
hornet61
Guest
Tom .........there several variations of "She Loves You/I'll Get You" on Swan each worth $50-$650
The $650 version is #4152,flat white label with red print ("Don't Drop Out" not on the label)....later versions, less valuable have "Don't Drop Out" on the label. and also on Swan are the German versions of She Love You and those range from $175 - $450...so It looks like the German version is at least worth $175 minimum.
I don't recall but one swan release, at this time Capitol records threatened VJ records with a lawsuit for their unauthorized releases on VJ, Tollie and Swan. VJ license had expired from 1962, and were currently in bankruptcy so they flooded the market with Beatles stuff.
One last note "Hard Days Night" is worth $100 minimum because it is on United Artist label, the movie was a UA movie and they retained the soundtrack rights over Capitol. These prices I quoted are near mint so if you a scuffed version, barely playable the value drops by about 70%, keep that in mind also.
Again this prices are subject to demand and as Fonz pointed out there are other measuring sticks for what you can really get. i have people coming up to me saying I've got a box full of old records they are probabley worth a fortune , and I have to chuckle to my self.
The $650 version is #4152,flat white label with red print ("Don't Drop Out" not on the label)....later versions, less valuable have "Don't Drop Out" on the label. and also on Swan are the German versions of She Love You and those range from $175 - $450...so It looks like the German version is at least worth $175 minimum.
I don't recall but one swan release, at this time Capitol records threatened VJ records with a lawsuit for their unauthorized releases on VJ, Tollie and Swan. VJ license had expired from 1962, and were currently in bankruptcy so they flooded the market with Beatles stuff.
One last note "Hard Days Night" is worth $100 minimum because it is on United Artist label, the movie was a UA movie and they retained the soundtrack rights over Capitol. These prices I quoted are near mint so if you a scuffed version, barely playable the value drops by about 70%, keep that in mind also.
Again this prices are subject to demand and as Fonz pointed out there are other measuring sticks for what you can really get. i have people coming up to me saying I've got a box full of old records they are probabley worth a fortune , and I have to chuckle to my self.
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