THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,187) Hardin & York — “Candlelight” This ’69 A-side and track from the keyboard/drum prog duo’s first album is “an organ driven psychedelic number, regal sounding with thundering bass”. (Kevin Rathert, https://www.psychedelicbabymag.com/2021/09/hardin-york-cant-keep-a-good-man-down-the-hardin-york-anthology-2021.html) Stuart Robinson tells us: [It is] cracker of a song . . . with Eddie Hardin sounding uncannily like Steve Winwood with that excellent organ swirling, and lets not forget that wwhhheeessshhhh sound of the flanging/p ..read more

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,185) Robert Charlebois — “Ordinaire”/”Ordinary” WARNING — If you are a Québécois or from France, read no further! Ne lis pas plus loin! This song is a francophone legend! “‘Ordinaire,’ the heart-breaking cry of a fading show business star . . . ha[s] become [one] of [Robert Charlebois’ (see #44)] most popular songs”. (François Couture, https://www.allmusic.com/album/un-gars-ben-ordinaire-mw0000699064), with a “[m]elody that begins gently, and crescendoes in a plea of ​​desperate words: ‘sublime’ is the only word that fits! UNFORGETT ..read more

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,184) The New Mix — “Even Brighter” This absolutely gorgeous ’68 pop psych/sunshine pop confection (out of North Carolina!) is “a hidden gem” that “still reminds me of glimmering golden orange autumn sunsets”. (MoonChild-zg3gx, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7X_XhvZcyBU) Bad Cat Records says that “[i]n spite of the falsetto lead vocals, ‘Ever Brighter’ had a glistening melody that put it in the running for standout performance; at least until the MOR horn arrangement tacked on the end of the tune sank it.” (http://badcatrecords.com ..read more

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,182) John Hartford — “The Six O’Clock Train and a Girl with Green Eyes” Country? Folk? Either way, this ’68 B-side by the legendary John Hartford is gentle on my mind, “bounc[ing] along like the happy ’60s pop song it is”; from The Love Album, which “finds [Hartford] using slightly bigger arrangements, gaining confidence, and more or less coming into his own.” (Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., https://www.allmusic.com/album/love-album-housing-project-mw0000462545) Hartford’s website tells us: John Hartford won Grammy awards in three differ ..read more

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,162) Illés — “Történet M.-Ről/”The Story of M.” Here is a slice of “magnificent” (attilamarfi9018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WUfRo1ef64 (courtesy of Google Translate)) classic rock from Hungary’s Beatles. Zikkurat Stage Agency gives us a Hungarian rhapsody (courtesy of Google Translate): Illés was the Hungarian Beatles, “the” band, the generational band, the new idol that embodied and realized the dreams of a new generation, in which we could imagine all the desires that, in the end, were left out of the lives of many of us ..read more

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,181) Val McKenna — “You’ve Gotta Tell Me” Sweet pop-soul from the UK’s Val McKenna (see #988), whose songs “many of which she wrote herself, are . . . hard-driving, straight R&B pieces that the mod population allegedly found appealing.” (Paul Pearson, http://paul-pearson.blogspot.com/2015/05/song-20150507-val-mckenna.html) Man, “Tell Me” coulda been a hit. But it wasn’t even released! You ask, tell us about “Tell Me”. Well, it was written by The Ministry of Sound’s Micky Keen and Robin Shaw. As John Carter explained: The Minist ..read more

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,180) Neal Ford and the Fanatics — “I Have Thoughts of You” This ‘67 A-side is a “sublime” (Lenny Helsing, https://www.psychedelicbabymag.com/2014/03/neal-ford-fanatics-good-men-2013-review.html) garage rock ballad, “absolutely beautiful . . . [a] masterpiece of pop psych”. (thomassmith8721, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKv0QeGkrxU) It “has a much more thoughtful, ethereal and soulful sound. . . . because of Neal’s wistful, heartfelt vocal and the tender harmonies. . . . [It’s] one of the best tracks the[y] recorded.” (Derek Ander ..read more

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,179) The Music Machine/Bonniwell Music Machine — “Astrologically Incompatible” This infectious ‘67 B-side is an absolute Zodiac killer by the original Music Machine lineup (and was also the opening track on the Bonniwell Music Machine LP). It was “inspired by [Sean] Bonniwell’s fascination with astrology” (Alec Palao, liner notes to the CD reissue of The Bonniwell Music Machine) and features a James Bond-y, 60’s lounge horn fanfare. Of Bonniwell and the Music Machine, Mark Deming tells us: Sean Bonniwell was the leader of the band ..read more

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD 1,178) The Harbinger Complex — “I Think I’m Down” This “fuzz-Punk masterpiece” (Cory Linstrum, The Rock & Roll of San Francisco’s East Bay, 1950-1980) is “kick-ass proto-punk at its finest” (Stansted Montfichet, https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-harbinger-complex-mn0000554526#biography), “propelled by a nasty, fuzz-guitar riff . . . featur[ing] a great, double-tracked Jagger imitation while the crude rhythm section lays down a clumsy, loping groove from way down in the mix”. (Mike Stax, liner notes to the CD comp Nuggets: Origin ..read more

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD Don’t forget to file . . . away these versions of “Taxman” in the box of all-time fab Beatles’ covers! 1,176) The Loose Ends — “Tax Man” Here is the Loose End’s “superb freakbeat version” (Nick Warburton, https://thestrangebrew.co.uk/interviews/the-loose-ends/) of “Taxman”, “hard-hitting but respectful” (John Reed, liner notes to the CD comp Decca Originals: The Freakbeat Scene), with, what are those, bongos? Cool, man! The A-side of the LE’s second and final single, it was released the same day as Revolver. Talk about chutzpah! Learn ..read more