Goin' up to the spirit in the sky That's where I'm gonna go when I die

Quick Hit

“Spirit in the Sky” by Norman Greenbaum (1969)

In 1968 he had a hit with “The Eggplant That Ate Chicago” with his band ‘Dr. West’s Medicine Show and Junk Band”. I don’t remember it.

Born in Wisconsin and raised in a Jewish family, Greenbaum watched a lot of western movies and from those he got the idea for ‘Spirit in the Sky”. It was not really a Christian song according to Greenbaum. It has become one of the staples of the hippie generation and still sounds good – the sound was cutting edge at the time – a key example of ‘psychedelic” music for sure.

The 1949 the Gene Autry movie entitled “Riders in the Sky” became a huge song for Gene as well. It was originally written by Stan Jones in 1948. It got recorded by many artists and became ‘Ghost Riders in the Sky” for Johnny Cash in 1979.  There had been the instrumental “Apache” by the “Shadows” which was widely known and hugely popular in 1966. There was “Riders on the Storm” done by the Doors which was western influenced quite possibly by Gram Parsons of the Flying Burrito Brothers who I am sure crossed paths with Jim Morrison. Robbie Krieger says it was influenced by “(Ghost) Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend”.

Please Mister Postman, look and see (Oh yeah) If there's a letter in your bag for me

Triple Hit: The Early Girls

“Please Mr. Postman” by  The Marvellettes (1961)

“One Fine Day” by The Chiffons (1963)

“Da Doo Ron Ron” by The Crystals (1963)

Sometimes you like a song and you don’t know why, or you don’t remember. There is a melody, and a feeling that you are reaching back to find. It feels good to search for that feeling. You don’t remember where you heard it first but your mind has made a fantastic connection somewhere.

I have covered ‘girl groups’ before but today I give you a sampling of some of my favourite songs. They are all songs that are allowed to sound dated. They have earned that right because they stood the test of time and still work.

Wild thing, I think I love you But I wanna know for sure Come on and hold me tight I love you

Quick Hit

“Wild Thing” by the Troggs (1966)

There is just some sort of primitive appeal to this song's beat. It sounded pretty strange when it first came out. This song had such an influence on garage bands and probably eventually punk rock and harder rock.  It is hard to believe it came out in 1966. Orginally written by Chip Taylor in the U.S. and put out by “The Wild Ones”, the version most people are familiar with is the U.K. Trogg’s version of it.

 It must admit it that the guitar riff does sound a bit like Kingsmen’s 1963 "Louie Louie”, but it may have been more unconscious of the artists to replicate that sound – that sound had to have been drllled into the collective unconscious of the world by then.

I wake up in the morning and I wonder, Why everything's the same as it was. I can't understand. No, I can't understand, How life goes on the way it does.

Songs Everyone Should Know

“End of the World” by Skeeter Davis, 1962

If you were not heart-broken or at least a bit melancholy before you listened to this song you will be after. An anthem for lost love, this song’s lyrics cut straight to the heart.

Davis was a country singer who crossed over into the world of pop when the RCA single released in 1962 went to the top of the Billboard charts in March 1963. Sylvia Dee who penned the song also wrote successfully for Elvis and Nat King Cole. Long considered an excellent example of the ‘Nashville sound’ this was produced by Chet Atkins.

In a gadda da vida, honey Don't you know that I'm lovin' you In a gadda da vida, baby Don't you know that I'll always be true

Songs Everyone Should Know

“In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”, Iron Butterfly (1968)

I was talking to my friend Gary the other day and I said, “What the hell is ‘In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida’ anyway? What does that mean?”

He said it means, “In the garden of Eden”. I don’t know whether I knew that and forgot, or never knew that. Getting old I guess. Anyway...thanks Gary! It makes a great idea for a blog too.

It's like a heatwave burning in my heart I can't keep from crying tearing me apart

Fun Fact of the Week

(Love is Like a) Heat Wave, Martha and the Vandellas, 1963

Martha Reeves was a secretary at Motown who got her break when the famed Mary Wells (‘My Guy’, ‘You Beat Me to the Punch’) did not show up for work at Motown and her group got a chance to record. Barry Gordy was so impressed he offered them a contract in 1962. Martha lived on Van Dyke Street in Detroit and loved the singer Della Reese, so putting the two together named her group the ‘Vandellas’.