ABOUT MAKING 1960'S MUSIC VIDEO'S

About 30 years ago I got hooked on collecting vinyl 45's, because I had most LP's and it was the only way to be kept "musically fed" on a continuing basis. I then realised that about 80% (yes EIGHTY) of the late 60's stuff never had any airplay. I mean, just think in the US only... so many States, so many unknown local groups, who made only one or two 45rpm's, then to vanish into obscurity. 

THOSE are the ones I'm after...

In the meantime I've discovered that (literally 100.000's records from the 1960's never or hardly had any airplay. That is very weird because they are melodic and even had strong chart potential. The answer I got was "The sixties were a musical boom and there was no way to plug them all on the radio".

The first reason for this blog is to introduce people to forgotten or unknown pop, psychedelic pop, soft rock, northern soul from the years 1967 1968 1969 1970.
I'm talking breezy, uptempo, cheerful orchestrated pop. "Sunshine Pop" is feel good music with catchy melodies.

The second reason is that I decided to "do something" with those songs, TO MAKE 1960's MUSIC VIDEO'S  of records of which no film footage exists and hereby enhance the song visually.

What could be filed under "obscure pop" are songs that didn't get much (or any) airplay, despite their commercial potential. Fact is that there was such a creative musical boom in the sixties that it was impossible to plug them all. Certain artists got a chance to have their songs played during local gigs and that was about it.

Let's set the date in history to 1967... The Vietnam war was climaxing. Thousands of young people were drafted for army duty and many got killed. As an anti-war act young people gathered together and the general idea was to see the sunny side of life. Instead of all doom and death people should learn to "make love, not war". It became the slogan of 1967. The movement was growing strong and gained followers all over the world. The hippie movement was starting to emerge.

Love-Ins were created in which people could express themselves freely. The symbol of the movement was the flower. The silent power of a flower. From then on the Flower Children or Flower Generation was born. People wore colorful outfits, love-beads, put flowers in their hair, had their faces/body painted with symbols of peace and... the attitude was optimism..
All of this reflected in the music. As a reaction to the war they sang optimistic songs about happiness, flowers, colors, cotton candy, rainbows, etc....
It's exactly that kind of music we're talking about here.

Psychedelic music was already a reality, but some groups chose for the best of both worlds and created a sound between pop and psychedelia (pop/pysche or "popsike"). It was pleasant commercially music with a slight psyche twist. Already famous artists started to adjust their "sound" to go with the flow (The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Association, Manfred Mann, The Buckinghams...), while other groups were studio created.
 
Some fine examples of the genre were The Orange Colored Sky, The Love Generation, Orpheus, The Astral Scene, The Lemon Pipers, The Cherry People,...and many others.

But let's even get MORE obscure on this blog  !

Hopefully these pages will introduce people to forgotten pop music and/or pop psyche records from the late 60's. I will be posting new music video's frequently so therefore be sure to visit on a regular basis and comment whenever you like.

Peppermint Rainbow - Don't Love Me Unless It's Forever

The Peppermint Rainbow were an American sunshine pop group from Baltimore, Maryland. They formed in 1967 under the name New York Times, playing to local gigs in the mid-Atlantic states before changing their name to The Peppermint Rainbow in 1968. They were signed to Decca Records at the behest of their fellow Baltimorean Cass Elliot, who saw them play and sang with them on-stage when they performed a medley of The Mamas & the Papas tunes.

Under Decca the group was produced by Paul Leka; their first single "Walking in Different Circles" b/w "Pink Lemonade" did not chart. Their second single, "Will You Be Staying After Sunday", reached No. 4 on KHJ on 2 April 1969 and No. 32 on the Hot 100 on 3 May 1969, selling over one million copies and receiving a gold disc.

The group made an appearance on the 2 May 1969 episode of The Generation Gap television quiz show  from which the promotional clip of the song originates. As with most similar clips of the period, the performance is a lip-and-finger sync, noted mainly by the fact that none of the electric instruments are plugged in.

Another single entitled Green Tambourine also did not chart despite the fact that Leka had stripped away the vocals of The Lemon Pipers' hit from the previous year and given the backing track to the group to record their own cover. Their third release, "Don't Wake Me Up in the Morning, Michael", hit No. 54 the same year.

Their LP, Will You Be Staying After Sunday, barely missed the Top 100 of the album charts, peaking at No. 106,.

After recording three more post-album singles which also did not chart, including Walking in Different Circles (which had some minor airplay in the UK), and You're the Sound of Love, the band split up in 1970, after which the chorus of the latter tune would come to be re-arranged and re-recorded in the early 70's as We're the Sound of Love and used as an ID jingle for a number of radio stations featuring love songs prominently on their playlist.

Lynne Randell - Stranger In My Arms

Randell was marketed as Australia's Miss Mod and became the most popular female performer in the mid-1960s. Teen magazine, Go-Set, had separate columns written by Meldrum and Rofe, it also ran a pop poll, with Randell voted 'Most Popular Female Vocal' in October 1966.  "Goin' Out of My Head" peaked at No. 16 on the Go-Set National Top 40 in November. On the back of her Australian success, Randell went to the United Kingdom and performed at Liverpool's Cavern Club.By 1967 she was in the United States, where she met The Monkees and had a brief relationship with Davy Jones. She toured with them as part of a bill which also featured Jimi Hendrix and Ike & Tina Turner.

Randell wrote in Go-Set and television programme guide, TV Week, of her experiences while touring the US. Her next single, "Ciao Baby" written by Larry Weiss and Scott English, was recorded in New York and released on CBS Records in Australia. It reached No. 6 on Go-Set's Top 40 in June 1967. Epic Records also released it in the US, Randell shot a colour video for "Ciao Baby" which is believed to be the first by an Australian artist. The Australian B-side, "Stranger in My Arms" was released in the UK as the A-side. While touring the US, Randell became addicted to methamphetamine tablets which were sold legally as slimming pills. She developed a long term addiction which subsequently damaged her brain, nervous system and adrenal glands.
Her next single "That's a Hoe Down" / "I Need You Boy" appeared in 1967 and she won another 'Most Popular Female Vocal' from Go-Set pop poll in October. Randell moved to Los Angeles in 1968 and released "An Open Letter". However, she had health problems with glandular fever and then peritonitis.

Her last single, "I Love My Dog" was released in 1969 on Capitol Records

Judy Stone - In My Neighbourhood

               
During the early 1960s, Australian singer Judy Stone (b. 1944) became a regular on television pop show Bandstand, alongside the likes of Col Joye, Bryan Davies, Lucky Starr, Noeleen Batley, Patsy Ann Noble, The Allen Brothers, The Delltones, The De Kroo Brothers, Laurel Lea, Jimmy Hannan and Sandy Scott. Stone's duets with Col Joye were a popular feature of the show. She began touring with Joye and the Joyboys, and then signed a deal with Festival Records.

Stone's first two singles for Festival, `You're Driving Me Crazy'/`It Takes a Lot To Make Me Cry' (June 1961) and `Danger! Heartbreak Ahead'/`You're Driving Me Mad' (August), were minor hits. Her third single, `I'll Step Down'/ `Mommy and Daddy Were Twistin'' (February 1962), took her into the Sydney Top 10 for the first time when it peaked at #5 during March. Stone also issued her debut album for Festival, I'll Step Down, in 1962. `Finders Keepers'/`I'm Confessing that I Love You' (June), `I Wanna Love You'/`Where are You?' (December) and `It Takes a Lot to Make Me Cry'/`I Cried' (July 1963) made minor impressions on the Sydney chart. It was her seventh single, however, that became Stone's most popular release of the 1960s. The heart-wrenching ballad `4,003,221 Tears from Now'/`Hello Faithless' (April 1964) peaked at #8 in Sydney and #7 in Melbourne. The `I Cried' EP (June 1964), plus the singles `Break My Heartache'/`Lonely People Do Foolish Things' (September), `Hard to Say Goodnight'/`Too Much' (December) and `In My Neighbourhood'/`This is My Prayer' (October 1965) were not so successful.

By that stage, Stone had teamed up with Col Joye on a number of recordings, including the EPs `The I's Have It' and `Clap Your Hands', and albums Col and Judy and The Best of Col and Judy, which contained cutesy material like `Young And Healthy', `Angry' and `Side by Side'. In early 1965 she embarked on a two-month Japanese tour with Joye and the Joyboys. A year later, she married Leo De Kroo of The De Kroo Brothers. In September 1966, Stone scored her third Sydney Top 10 hit when a cover of Sandy Posey's `Born a Woman'/ `I Need You' (her first release for Joye's ATA label) peaked at #3. Stone issued five more singles on ATA, `Don't Touch Me'/`So Softly' (February 1967), `And the Trouble with Me is You'/`Lost Without Love' (May), `I Might as Well Get Used to It'/`Love will Always Find a Way' (March 1968) and Janis Ian's `Society's Child'/`I'm Not Your Woman' (March 1969), before moving to the M7 label.

John Rydgren - Music to watch girls by

The legacy of John Rydgren (deceased) is one of the most enigmatic in radio-jock if not also record history. A lutheran evangelist, Rydgren started a hit program called "Silhouettes," in which he rapped over such appealing tunes as "Music to Watch Girls By," "Groovin'," "Rinky Dink," the Electric Prunes' "Kyrie Eleison," and occasionally less obvious pieces such as "Dark Side of the Flower" (with sitar).

As with Ken Nordine, his thoughts were highly original, ranging from quirky perceptions of the mundane to deep acid-head philosophy. Sexy and startling, "Silhouettes" were as weird as anything heard from a pulpit or transistor radio.

Pastor John pitched his rants to the Hippie Freaks (many of whom would become Jesus Freaks) entirely on the hippies' own terms. Mentioned frequently are drugs (LSD, mushrooms, pot), mini-skirts, and other signifiers of the era. References to God but usually these are plentiful but philosphical and intriguing. Such evangelical pills were supposed to slip subtley through the sugar coating of everyone's favorite psychedelic '60s hits. It worked.

Distributed free to radio stations, Silhouette Segments never was commercially released because of licensing difficulties. It remains an obscure and treasured memento of the radio program. The LP was given heavy airplay in Vietnam, however. Questioning life's meta assumptions within a reassuring pop context, it was a natural for soldiers. And for everyone its juxtaposition of the antipodies of hip and square continue to blow minds.

Buying: Original Rydgren albums, all promo-only, are among the rarest records.

Dusk - The Point of No Return

A fantastic uptempo "Northern Soul" "floor filler"
A long forgotten but ideal revival choice for the Cleethorpes Pier & Wigan Casino faithful who may remember it’s brief turntable exposure. Unfortunately little is known about this group.
This is the single info

Bell: 45207 DJ
Label  Bell: 45207 DJ
A side    The Point Of No Return
B side    Same: 2.46 Version
City    philadelphia, pa

Other singles were:

	Dusk - Angel Baby / If We Just Leave Today - Stateside - Netherlands - 5C 006-92310 Dusk, Stateside, Netherlands, 7", Cat# 5C 006-92310, 1971, Track A: Angel Baby, Composer: Levine, Brown, Producer: The Tokens, Dave Appell, Arranger Norman Bergen, Track B: If We Just Leave Today, Composer: Margo, Medress, Siegel, Producer: The Tokens, Dave Appell, Arranger P.F.M. 88
	Dusk - Angel Baby / If We Just Leave Today - Bell - Australia - BLL-9386 Dusk, Bell, Australia, 7", Cat# BLL-9386, 1971, Track A: Angel Baby, Composer: Levine, Brown, Producer: The Tokens, Dave Appell, Arranger Norman Bergen, Track B: If We Just Leave Today, Composer: Margo, Margo, Medress, Siegel, Producer: The Tokens, Dave Appell, Arranger P.F.M. 88
	Dusk - Angel Baby / If We Just Leave Today - Bell - UK - BLL 1142 Dusk, Bell, UK, 7", Cat# BLL 1142, 1971, Track A: Angel Baby, Composer: Levine, Russell, Brown, Producer: The Tokens, Dave Appell, Arranger Norman Bergen, Track B: If We Just Leave Today, Composer: Margo, Margo, Medress, Siegel, Producer: The Tokens, Dave Appell, Arranger P.F.M. 88
	Dusk - I Hear Those Church Bells Ringing / I Cannot See To See You - Bell - Australia - BLL-9500 Dusk, Bell, Australia, 7", Cat# BLL-9500, 1971, Track A: I Hear Those Church Bells Ringing, Composer: Irwin Levine, L. Russell Brown, Producer: The Tokens, Dave Appell, Arranger Hank Medress, Track B: I Cannot See To See You, Composer: Ardith Polley, Producer: The Tokens, Dave Appell
	Dusk - I Hear Those Church Bells Ringing / I Cannot See To See You - Stateside - Netherlands - 5C 006-92523 Dusk, Stateside, Netherlands, 7", Cat# 5C 006-92523, 1971, Track A: I Hear Those Church Bells Ringing, Composer: Irwin Levine, L. Russell Brown, Producer: The Tokens, Dave Appell, Arranger Hank Medress, Track B: I Cannot See To See You, Composer: Ardith Polley, Producer: The Tokens, Dave Appell
	Dusk - Angel Baby / If We Just Leave Today - Bell - USA - 961 Dusk, Bell, USA, 7", Cat# 961, 1971, Track A: Angel Baby, Composer: Irwin Levine, L. Russell Brown, Producer: The Tokens, Dave Appel, Arranger Norman Bergen, Track B: If We Just Leave Today, Composer: Margo, Margo, Medress, Siegel, Producer: The Tokens, Dave Appel, Arranger P.F.M. 88
	Dusk - I Hear Those Church Bells Ringing / I Cannot See To See You - Bell - UK - BLL 1167 Dusk, Bell, UK, 7", Cat# BLL 1167, 1971, Track A: I Hear Those Church Bells Ringing, Composer: Levine, Russell Brown, Producer: The Tokens, Dave Appell, Arranger Hank Medress, Track B: I Cannot See To See You, Composer: Polley, Producer: The Tokens, Dave Appell, Arranger The Lone Arranger
	Dusk - Treat Me Like A Good Piece Of Candy / Suburbia U.S.A. - Bell - Netherlands - 5C 006-93084 Dusk, Bell, Netherlands, 7", Cat# 5C 006-93084, 1972, Track A: Treat Me Like A Good Piece Of Candy, Composer: Irwin Levine, L. Russell Brown, Producer: The Tokens, Dave Appell, Arranger Ron Frangipane, Track B: Suburbia U.S.A., Composer: Ardith Polley, Producer: The Tokens, Dave Appell, Arranger The Lone Arranger

Joy Unlimited - Mr slater

This 1970 album by the German group Joy Unlimited was, to the eternal confusion of discographers, issued under three separate titles. In Germany, it was called Overground; in the U.K., Turbulence; and, in the U.S., simply Joy Unlimited. Although the band would later go in a more progressive direction, this LP was not all that progressive in nature, and not at all like the avant art rock of the 1970s Krautrock movement.

Instead, it was a competent amalgam of trends in American and British mainstream rock, pop, and soul, rather like the kind flashed by numerous bands emerging in neighboring Holland at the same time, like Shocking Blue. And, like Shocking Blue, Joy Unlimited sang entirely in English and were fronted by a woman singer (Joy Fleming); you wouldn't especially either identify them as a band from a non-English-speaking country, or be able to identify them as coming from any place in particular. There's nothing here as outstanding as, say, the best of Shocking Blue's stuff, but it's a fairly enjoyable set of very 1970-sounding material straddling the line of what was played on AM and FM radio in those days.

Fleming has a good and gutsy (though not brilliant) voice, and the group's certainly versatile, whether it's the soul-pop of "Groove with What You've Got"; the powerful ballad "I Hold No Grudge" (which you could easily imagine fitting onto a record by Dusty Springfield or Lulu); the more Janis Joplin-like "Feelin'"; the fairly catchy pop of "Have You Met Anyone Lately?" and "I Just Made Up My Mind"; the organ-guitar prog rock-tinged "Mr. Pseudonym" and "Helpless Child"; and the breezy "Mr. Slater," which takes its cues from late-'60s British observational storytelling pop/rock.

NOTE: because no footage of the group seems to exist, I used a video from a  Spanky & Our Gang performance