Hitchin' a Ride - Vanity Fare
- Album: Released as a single
- Information: A notable band from Kent who already scored their biggest UK hit by way of "Early in the Morning" in 1969, the band added keyboardist Barry Landerman for this track which made its biggest impact in the US, giving them their highest ever charting in this country where it peaked at #5. Around the time of the song, two members of the band had left it: Dick Allix and Tony Goulden.
- Personal Thoughts: Any song that catches you at the start with what sounds like a pan flute is one that stands out in music. Strangely with the obsession people make towards hitchhiking these days and it's dangers, the song is stil a very good beat that you can sing along with; the guy just wants to get home to his baby and hes willing to do so any way, including with a cool guitar middle and a little bit of cowbell thrown in! A really nice, sunny song about a distressed situation that could be illegal or deadly...not bad for a day's work.
The Wonder of You - Elvis Presley
- Album: Released as a single
- Information: Originally written in 1959 by Baker Knight, it became recorded by several notable artists including Ronnie Hilton in Britain and the Platters before Elvis made his own version recorded live, being one of several of the King's songs that he never touched in the studio. Regardless, it became another major hit for him, making top-10 in the US and topping the British charts and the US Easy Listening charts.
- Personal Thoughts: Sigh...Elvis. Yeah, have to admit: I do admit how major and important he is to rock, but only when he was the "white boy playing black music" in his Sun days and a bit after in the 50s. This song is not one of those revolutionary, important Elvis song...this is purely Elvis the Vegas nightclub singer, complete with background singers and accompaniment that is not going to suggest in my head why he's 'the king of rock'. I get people who love Elvis but this really isn't one of those you really should introduce them to until they understand why he's one of the crucial figures in music.
The Long and Winding Road - The Beatles
- Album: Let It Be
- Information: Notable as the final #1 of one of the most important rock bands of all time, it was originally written by Paul McCartney with the intentions of it being like an inspirational written for Ray Charles when he did it in his home in Scotland. Though the cut was originally recorded in early 1969 with all four members of the band as well as organist Billy Preston for the originally intended "Get Back" project, current manager Alan Klein handed the song to be remixed by "Wall of Sound" producer Phil Spector, who added orchestral and choral elements to the song. Paul never wanted this done and tried to stop this version from being released but it was done regardless, with Spector citing weak bass work by John Lennon on the track. Paul finally got the release of the song he wanted to do on the 2003 album "Let It Be...Naked", being another version recorded during the making of the Beatles intended film.
- Personal Thoughts: This probably has to be one of my favorite Beatles tracks of all time, I admit, but even so I have to take this with an unbiased approach like everything on here. (yeah, unbiased on a personal opinion section) It's really tough to determine thinking it over regarding the evidence whose version of this song is "right" considering the impression both gives. The classic released in 1970 perhaps gives off a lot of the feel of the Ray Charles song Paul wanted, regardless of how much he hated it...well to a point. When I hear this version, I imagine it akin to Ray on "I Can't Stop Loving You", with the chorus and the background singers amidst one of the kings of R&B. It's hard to explain how or why it works...it just does, right down to the "end of an era" yeah-yeah-yeah-yeaaaah at the end which sort of feels perfect in finishing the "era of the Beatles" just like "She Loves You" and it's "yeah-yeah-yeah-yeaaaah" helped bring it in. Spector did bring an element to the song that is just as memorable as what Paul gave it. Listening comparatively to Paul's version, it sounds more like a traditional Ray song with its simplicity that allows us to appreciate it's parts, including the guitarwork, Ringo's drumming and Billy's organwork. Heck, the usage of the organ and the piano gives me more "classic Ray" just in the same way the Spector-remixed version gives me more "I Can't Stop Loving You" Ray. I sort of missed the yeah-yeaaaahs though from the end of the other version but that was sort of an unintentional coda thinking it over. So I guess in the end...everyone was right? Though I think Ringo has the last laugh in stating the purpose and importance of both songs...but since it is Paul's baby, I guess you could say that he can complain and has a right to but both versions are classic. (BTW: Ray Charles did record the song ultimately...and it's amazing...try to find it sometimes.)
B-Side Extra: For You Blue - The Beatles
- Album: Let It Be
- Information: Getting influence from the works of bluesman Elmore James, George Harrison penned this work while John Lennon accompanies on lap-steel guitar. There are many controversies on how the song got the title it did, with the original working title "George's Blues (Because You're Sweet and Lovely)" and even with the more intended "For You Blues" as possibly the real title before an error engraved the song as without the last 's'. While the song is notable as well for some random dialogue George throws in while playing it, Phil Spector's remix adds in a line by John at the start.
- Personal Thoughts: George always seemed to have a knack of interest in the blues, so giving him a blues song on the final album just seemed rather like a nice choice. The guitar work seems a tad strange thanks to the lap-steel guitar but it gives it distinction, the type of distinction the Beatles really liked having in all of their songs in one way or another by this point. You somehow can tell from the portrayl that somehow George was set to finally break out from the shadow of John and Paul...and by the end of the year, he may just in a massive way. (incidentally, the "Naked" version of the song is rather close to the actual album version but somehow I can actually hear the metal of the guitar way better compared to the remixed version...or it may just be the version I got my hands on)
(They Long to Be) Close to You - Carpenters
- Album: Close To You
- Information: Originally written in 1963 by the notable songwriting duo of Burt Bacharach and Hal David, it was released with the intentions of being the hit, but instead going to it's flip side "Blue Guitar". Though originally re-recorded by Dionne Warwick, it was when the brother and sister duo of Karen and Richard Carpenter covered it for their second album that the song exploded into prominence, becoming a massive hit for the year, winning a Grammy and catapulting the duo into instant stardom as one of the premiere groups of the early 1970s. Strangely Richard was not confident in the song until Herb Alpert, the famous musicial who controlled their label A&M Records, assisted in the making of the recording.
- Personal Thoughts: Its one of those songs that catches you instantly for two specific reasons: that poignant piano introduction and the luscious voice of Karen Carpenter. It's so smooth and innocent that when you hear it's delicacy to the intro of the song, you can't stop listening even as the accompaniments starts to come in. While somehow it could be a typical love song, Bacharach and David knew what they were doing with the lyrics and the arrangement just seemed perfect in bringing it out fully (including Alpert's horn solo in the middle)...but of course it is Karen herself that is key that literally made this song explode the way it did; heck, some even said she single-handedly changed music to easy listening with this one song and it's easy to see why! BTW: my dad (when he was alive) loved Karen and her voice...of course, that says nothing about her drumming which is steady but with a good beat. (yeah, people tend to forget she's a drummer too)
Lay Down (Candles in the Rain) - Melanie
- Album: Candles in the Rain
- Information: Though she had some success in Europe in the late 1960s, Astoria girl Melanie Safka (who just took the stage name of 'Melanie') was another artist who emerged from the 1969 Woodstock Festival, where an image of herself looking out at the people during her set inspired this major top 10 hit by collaborating with the Edwin Hawkins Singers [notable in their own right for their arrangement in the late 1960s of Gospel hymn "Oh Happy Day"] and allowed for her to break through with American audiences.
- Personal Thoughts: Although probably fearing it after my experiences with Rare Earth, I decided to take the long 7+ minute version of the song as well as an introductory song that started Melanie's album merely called "Candles in the Rain". The introduction is a tad strange and gives me vibes of Donovan, but the guitar work and Melanie's poetry seems to link up perfectly with the song properly...which literally blasts you immediately into that gospel chorus backing the song is notable for. Melanie had a unique voice that is high but conveys power when she sings, particularly with the passion as she sings of the Woodstock festival and the peace that they were trying to fight for. It's strange people tend to forget this is similarly tied to Woodstock like the Crosby, Stills and Nash song...heck, the "white bird" was a symbol for the festival. And unlike the Rare Earth "long version" which felt more like Iron Butterfly, this really gives off the gospel feel the song wanted to show off, keeping going and actually remaining active much longer than where it cuts off. My only regret hearing this song: there was an episode of Animaniacs that actually was about Woodstock...but somehow they parodied a later song by Melanie...obviously because it's her most famous song but...we'll get to that in '71 since it doesn't exist yet!
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