THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,283) The Carolyn Hester Coalition — “Buddha (Was Her Best Man)” Carolyn Hester (see #558) — folkie turned psychedelic. OK, she didn’t get booed at the Newport Folk Festival, but she does get her share of grief and eye-rolls. “[S]tarry-eyed idealism and girlish ..read more

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,282) The Tages — “There’s a Blind Man Playin’ Fiddle in the Street” From the best Swedish band of the 60’s (see #286) comes a ’68 pop psych delight and their last A-side to reach the top 10 in Sweden. “Retrospectively ..read more

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,281) Gary Walker & the Rain — “Thoughts of an Old Man” From their Japan-only LP (and a Japanese B-side), Gary Walker & the Rain (see #483, 601) give us a song that is “distinctly Pepper-ish musically and lyrically” (Len, https://therisingstorm.net/gary-walker-the-rain-album-no-1/), and a “distinctly British psych-pop number with phlanged piano, chirpy ‘ba ba ba ba’ backing vocals and lovely melody and lyrics concerning a lonely, retired senior citizen”. (Wilthomer, https://anorakthing.blogspot.com/2009/12/big-in-japangary-wa ..read more

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,280) Skip Bifferty* — “Man in Black” From Skip Bifferty (see #288, 1,157), here is a “pulsating rocker . . . [that] firmly eschewed the Technicolor dreamscapes of yore”. (David Wells, liner notes to the CD comp Real Life Permanent Dreams: A Cornucopia of British Psychedelia 1965-1970) It was their third and last A-side, “arguably their best . . . killer hard edged mod psych.” (happening45, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5Kf3IrAktw) It was produced by Ronnie Lane and arranged by Steve Marriott”. (Bruce Eder, https ..read more

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,279) Chris Farlowe & the Thunderbirds — “Paperman Fly in the Sky” This ’68 B-side is a riveting “pop psych delight” (the Monocled Alchemist, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWPwUc_SYD4) by Chris Farlowe (see #473, 1,083), “widely regarded as Britain’s finest ever blues and soul singer”. (Merseysider Magazine, https://vancouversignaturesounds.com/hits/time-chris-farlowe/). Who else can sing like Chris Farlowe? Don’t know? You’re out of time! The answer is no one! Well, the lyrics certainly seem acid-tinged. “Strawberrie ..read more

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,278) The Searchers — “Umbrella Man” Hand-clappin’ heaven, one of the Searchers’ (see #352, 394, 636) great singles from the latter half of the 60’s. “Umbrella Man” was written by Kenny Young, who wrote “Under the Boardwalk” with Art Resnick (who later recorded yesterday’s “Invisible Man” as part of the Third Rail). “If a storm is threatening you, just hold my hand I’ll be your umbrella man” The Searchers’ chart successes dwindled in the latter half of the ‘60’s, but they still released exquisite singles, ones that deserved to be hit ..read more

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,277) The Third Rail — “Invisible Man” Sometimes you feel like an invisible man, sometimes you don’t! Future barons and baronesses of bubblegum, and a future jinglemeister to boot, gave us “Run, Run, Run” of Nuggets fame and an LP whose “songcraft is both clever and extremely pleasurable, especially on [today’s] baroque pop” (Mark Deming, https://www.allmusic.com/album/id-music-mw0000600392) gem. Of the album — Id Music — Uncut enthuses: If John Barry scored a movie about HR Pufnstuf, it would sound something like this: swirly strin ..read more

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,276) The Fugs — “Dirty Old Man” I don’t give a fug, but I do give you the Fugs’* (see #67) “timeless, hysterically funny, howlingly scatological, barely musical rant[] and rave[]” (Jim Derogatis, https://www.wbez.org/jim-derogatis/2012/11/28/return-of-the-original-freak-folks-the-fugs), “[s]ung to the tune of Chuck Berry’s “School Days,” . . . a riotous parody, a reductio ad absurdum of the other side’s stereotype of the Fug-like hippie, the bearded beatnik with “thrill pills for all you chickies, funny cigarettes for you boys.” (Jo ..read more

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,275) Them — “Dirty Old Man” Belfast’s Them (without Van the Man) give us a ’67 A-side that is “pure 60’s Garage punk!” (HemiVic, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmycGm0c158), fueled by [Kenny] McDowell’s snarling garage punk vocal and a wonderfully angst ridden organ-led middle-eight this is a record that belongs in the ’60s garage-punk Hall of Fame!” (Jon “Mojo” Mills, liner notes to the CD reissue of Time Out! Time in For Them) And it was recorded in Amarillo, Texas! Mills tells us that: “[I]n 1966 the final line-up of Them ..read more

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,274) Adam Faith — “Cowman* Milk Your Cow” Courtesy of songwriters Barry and Robin Gibb, here is “an early 1960’s U.K. rocker attempting to bounce back with a dose of pop sike whimsy”. (Wilthomer, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2oGZV851kU), But ye of little faith, it works! “[I] didn’t expect Adam Faith would pull off convincing popsike, but this is top BeeGeeian ’67 stuff. Love it!” (mndandy, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2oGZV851kU) It is “a totally unexpected piece of psychedelic folk-rock . . . that seriously extend[ed] the ..read more