#The Young Rascals

[myimaginaryradio]

Groovin' - The Young Rascals

[plus-low-overthrow]

The Young Rascals - It's Love (Atlantic)

arr. Arif Mardin & Felix Cavaliere, prod. Tom Dowd, 1967.

Flutes.

[musictherapy611]

The Young Rascals, “Good Lovin’,” 1966

Breakfast time.

[hit-song-showdown]

Year-End Poll #18: 1967

[Image description: a collage of photos of the 10 musicians and musical groups featured in this poll. In order from left to right, top to bottom: Lulu, The Box Tops, Bobbie Gentry, The Association, The Monkees, The Doors, Frank and Nancy Sinatra, The Turtles, The Young Rascals, Frankie Valli. End description]

More information about this blog here

Moving on to 1967. As mentioned in one of the previous 60's polls, we're seeing how rock and roll is continuing to shift throughout this decade. With the debut of The Doors, psychedelic rock is starting to take hold within the genre. Even beyond rock music, with acts like The Association and The Turtles, that psychedelic descriptor will start applying to pop music as well as the psychedelia subculture truly takes hold in the decade. In the classic rock canon, 1967 is considered one of the greatest years the genre has to offer. And just looking at the projects and artists that debuted this year, that reputation doesn't feel like an exaggeration. Since these polls are strictly focused on the very top of the Billboard year-end Hot 100, I won't go too much into that. But just to give you an idea, this was the debut year of Creedence Clearwater Revival, Fleetwood Mac, Blood Sweat & Tears, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Sgt. Pepper, and many more. Trust me, I'm making a bunch of painful cuts from this list alone.

We're also seeing the mainstream rise of Blue-eyed soul, a term used to describe white R&B singers at the time. While originally used by radio DJ, Georgie Woods, to introduce the Righteous Brothers, the term soon expanded until now some would classify it as a genre of its own. However, to paraphrase musician, writer, and political activist, Darrell McNeill, BES is primarily a marketing term. Since he explains the phenomenon and context far better than I can, here's a link to an article where he's quoted.

Much like how yesterday's poll was marked by an important cultural moment, we have another one today. This is the first poll that has a nipple on the banner. Yay! Congratulations Jim Morrison. Spoilers: he won't be the last. But this isn't a nipple poll, so they're all winners.

[fancycolours]

THE YOUNG RASCALS. (January 2nd, 1966.) Photo taken by Jerry Schatzberg.

[jt1674]

[weberlifedesign]

Felix Cavaliere Relays Rascal Energy Voicing Joy & Peace

Felix Cavaliere exerts an energetic appeal that has not waned since The Rascals, then known as The Young Rascals, first made an impact on the music scene in 1965 with “I Ain’t Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore” followed by “Good Lovin’.” Expressing peace, love, and happiness, the music has had a broad attraction for all ages. Image Courtesy of Felix Cavaliere via Dis Company With his most recent…

[breezingby]

Groovin' ~ ~ ~ The Young Rascals

Groovin' on a Sunday afternoon Really couldn't get away too soon I can't imagine anything that's better The world is ours whenever we're together There ain't a place I'd like to be instead of

Movin' down a crowded avenue Doin' anything we like to do There's always lots of things that we can see You can be anyone we like to be All those happy people we could meet

Just groovin' on a Sunday afternoon Really couldn't get away too soon No, no, no, no

We'll keep on spending sunny days this way We're gonna talk and laugh our time away I feel it coming closer day by day Life would be ecstasy, you and me endlessly

Groovin' on a Sunday afternoon Really couldn't get away too soon No, no, no, no Groovin', uh huh... Groovin'

[myvinylplaylist]

The Young Rascals: Groovin' (1967)

Cover Illustration by Lynn Rubin

Album is dedicated to the memory of Mike Owen

Atlantic Records

[retromusicart]

The (Young) Rascals - Time Peace: The Rascals' Greatest Hits (Atlantic, 1969) - Art direction by Dino Danelli and Russell Beal, design by Stanislaw Zagorski, artwork by Hornette & Flipper

Neat comic book effect here.

Image courtesy of Discogs.

[filosofablogger]

♫ How Can I Be Sure? ♫ (Redux)

I’ve played this one twice, but the last time was in April 2021, so you’ve forgotten it by now and need me to refresh your memory, right?  I really intended to go in search of a new song tonight, something I haven’t played here before, but frankly I’m just too exhausted, both mentally & physically, so I beg your forgiveness for yet another redux.  I’ll do better tomorrow night … I promise! …

[myimaginaryradio]

Groovin' - The Young Rascals

Good morning and happy Sunday

I enjoyed last Sunday so much I'm doing it again. So lace up them go-go boots, put a flower in your hair and turn on, tune in and drop out... It's Sunday 60's!

Be Safe Be Kind And Be Awesome

[plus-low-overthrow]

The Little Boy Blues - Seed of Love (Fontana)

Flutes, 1968.

[asidesandbsides]

Miscellaneous and Unsorted, Part 6

The Temptations - Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today) / It's Summer

Very fuzzy sounding, but the Temptations are still right: the world is a "Ball of Confusion." All of this crackling obscures what are some truly fascinating sounds, but the heart of the song is still there. "It's Summer" is similarly afflicted. More of a musically accompanied poem than a song per se, it's a little different from the Temptations' usual approach, but pleasant enough.

The Undisputed Truth - Smiling Faces Sometimes / You Got the Love I Need

What a name, huh? What other band could have brought us a song as paranoid and yet relatable as "Smiling Faces Sometimes?" The sound is pretty well-preserved, as is the dour pessimism about human relations. With "You Got the Love I Need," however, we have a traditional Motown bop which can only bring on the smiles.

Martha and the Vandellas - I'm Ready for Love / He Doesn't Love Her Anymore

The rhythmic pulse of this song is very similar to "You Can't Hurry Love," which is probably (definitely) the superior tune, but it still carries "I'm Ready for Love" to great heights. "He Doesn't Love Her Anymore" is a slower song, and less likely to get the dance floor jumping, but I think I like it better. The sound quality on both sides is comparable, about what you'd expect from a well-loved disc of this era.

The Who - Magic Bus / Someone's Coming

"Magic Bus" is always a winner, and it sounds pretty good on this disc, if perhaps a little thin. The same is true of "Someone's Coming," which is a very interesting companion piece, given how much more grounded it is. The overall impression of this record is eclecticism, which I am very much in favor of. Things shouldn't sound like just one thing!

Stevie Wonder - I Just Called to Say I Love You / I Just Called to Say I Love You (Instrumental)

That Stevie Wonder, he sure can write a ballad! On Side A, you have the version that everybody knows and loves, immaculately produced and in great condition. On Side B we get an instrumental version, except it's not really an instrumental version; the vocals from the chorus are still there, loud and clear. I'm not sure why this version exists exactly the way it does. We live in a strange world.

The Yardbirds - I'm a Man / Shapes of Things

A double-sided reissue, so neither is the A-Side or the B-Side. "I'm a Man" is some straight British blues, which is to say it's a Bo Diddley song played by British guys as straight as can be. "Shapes of Things," on the other hand, is more oriented toward the mid-60s psychedelic scene. How well do they pair together? Apart from their both being good songs, I don't really see it. I think I like "I'm a Man" better; both sides are in what I'll call average condition.

The Young Rascals - How Can I Be Sure / I'm So Happy Now

"How Can I Be Sure" has a very pretty and sophisticated melody, which is not quite drowned out by the hiss and crackle from the surface. Backing this lovely ballad is a bouncy little mid-tempo ditty called "I'm So Happy," which is perhaps a bit clearer. I'm fairly pleased to end this project on a note like this. Side note: there's a sticker with a name on the label, and the same name is written on the label in sharpie, so if I'm interpreting it correctly it seems my mom may have borrowed/stolen this record from a friend named Sharon. One of life's great mysteries.