by Robert Wilkinson
We kick off our today’s musical feast with short sets of four different musical styles from four icons who all are Leos!
We begin with the music of Judy Craig (August 6, 1946; also offered June 11, 1944) and the Chiffons, one of the first girl groups of the 1960s who gave us a few memorable hits!
They broke into the national scene in 1963 with this #1 hit, “He’s So Fine”
They followed that the same year with this smash #5 hit written by Carole King, “One Fine Day” Since their PBS special appearance is gone, I’ll give you this live performance by Carole! “One Fine Day”
They finished that year with this one, "A Love So Fine”
Here’s a great 1965 b/w video of a tune that cracked the top 50! "Nobody Knows What's Goin' On (In My Mind But Me)"
For our closer, 1966 saw their last huge hit which went to #10, “Sweet Talkin’ Guy”
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Our second set belongs to Billy Joe "B.J." Thomas (August 7, 1942- May 29, 2021), a pop singer who gave us some monster hits in the late 60s and early 70s! Even if you don’t know who he is, you’ve heard his music delivered by one of the biggest voices ever to hit the stage!
He broke out in 1966 with his remake of the Hank Williams classic, going to #8 and selling over a million copies! “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”
His next release, a sentimental tear joiker, went to #22! “Mama”
This song was all over the NYC airwaves, going to #28 in the Summer of 1968! The video is BJ singing to a backing track at the time. Sorry for the poor quality of the picture, but this is a great tune! From The Upbeat Show, “The Eyes of A New York Woman”
Here’s the studio original of “The Eyes of A New York Woman”
From Calgary in 2011, a great live performance of “The Eyes of A New York Woman”
Later that same year, this #5 smash hit went gold! From what looks to be a return to the same tv show in 1968 as above, it looks like he’s singing with the studio recording. “Hooked On A Feeling”
From Good Night America in May 1974, with a LOT more hair, he delivers a great live vocal to a backing track of “Hooked On A Feeling”
A year later, he hit his peak when Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was released, featuring BJ performing "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head." It won the Oscar for best original song, and soared to #1 in early 1970, giving him his third gold record.
Here’s a 1970 performance on Top of the Pops with a very strange set with go go dancers in a 180 degree cage. "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head."
Here’s an extraordinary live television performance on CabaRay Nashville with Ray Stevens on piano and a full backing band and chorus of "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head."
Also in 1970, this one went to #9! This live performance is from 1993. "I Just Can't Help Believing”
That same year, this went to #38! Live on The Johnny Cash Show in 1971, “Most of All”
From 1972, another that cracked the Top 20 at #15! “Rock and Roll Lullaby”
In 1975, he hit gold again with this #1! Live on The Midnight Special tv show, "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song" (the longest titled No. 1 hit ever on the Hot 100). I found this live tv performance from the same year of "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song"
In 1978, this went to #2! “Everybody Loves A Rain Song”
We’ll close with a tune he did with the magnificent Dusty Springfield that went to #7 in 1988! “As Long As We Got Each Other”
For the encore, 9 minutes at the Grand Ole Opry live in 2002! “I Just Can't Help Believin',” “Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head,” and “New Looks From An Old Lover”
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Our third set features the music of Jack Elliott (born Irwin Elliott Zucker August 6, 1927 – August 18, 2001). He was a famously obscure jazz pianist, composer, and musical arranger for Judy Garland’s tv show and musical director for Andy Williams’ tv show, as well as the Academy Awards, the Emmy Awards, and the Kennedy Center Honors, as well as the musical director for the Grammy Awards for over 30 years! His greatest claim to fame came with two tv show theme songs, one of which is an all time favorite with a great bass line and screaming guitar and horns! For your enjoyment, three tv theme songs written by this genius.
First, The theme from Night Court
Next, The theme from Charlie’s Angels
And third, one of my favorites, The theme from Barney Miller
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Our final set of our show features the southern Texas soul of the one and only Joe Tex! Born Joseph Arrington, Jr. (August 8, 1933 – August 13, 1982), he began in the mid-50s at the Apollo, and hit big in the mid-60s! He’s a great example of someone who recorded dozens of songs that never made it big, and then went on to million selling hits! He and James Brown went back and forth at the top of the R&B charts, and once you see his late 60s performances, you’ll get why! Joe Tex was a very funky Soul Man who wrote a huge number of R&B hits!
Released in January 1961, he wrote and recorded "Baby You're Right" (Yes, this is the same song that James Brown recorded with a slightly changed melody and lyrics and added a songwriting credit for himself.)
From 1965, Joe wrote his first giant hit that went to #5 Pop, #1 R&B! "Hold What You've Got"
That same year, he went to #1 on the R&B charts with his smash hit "I Want To (Do Everything For You)" and in early 1966 also hit the top with this one he also wrote and performed "A Sweet Woman Like You"
1967 had him rocking hard with this horn-driven soul classic, #24 hit showing why he was in the same class as James Brown! “Show Me”
He followed that the same year with his million selling smash hit, "Skinny Legs and All"
From 1968, this funky groove went to #7 R&B! “Men Are Getting’ Scarce” and from later that year, the #13 tune he wrote and sang, “Keep The One You Got”
From 1969 another one he wrote that went to #10 in 1969! “Buying A Book”
This was his biggest hit, going to #2 in 1972! Live on Soul Train in 1971, we have proto-rap over a very funky groove! "I Gotcha"
This was his last hit, a disco piece that went to #12 on the Hot 100 in 1977! "Ain't Gonna Bump No More (With No Big Fat Woman)"
We’ll close with 3 live song performances from Spain!
Our encore is a great half hour from Stockholm Sweden in 1969, with Joe Tex putting on a great show!
Joe Tex Live in Sweden 1969 – Pt. 1 (“Show Me,” “Green Grass of Home,” and “Papa Was Too”)
Joe Tex Live in Sweden 1969 – Pt. 2 (“That’s Your Baby” and “I’ll Never Do You Wrong”)
Joe Tex Live in Sweden 1969 – Pt. 3 (“Skip a Rope” and “Skinny Legs and All”)
© Copyright 2024 Robert Wilkinson
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