Yup, those are the ones I spotted. Pretty cool, huh? (Larry Ramos in the Association, Barry McGuire who has the #1 with Eve of Destruction, and Gene Clark, who was with the Byrds during their two #1 hits).
The song entered the charts more than once, Merrillee Rush covered the song and took it to #74 on the Hot 100 in January, 1969.
Decent enough song but I'm kinda lukewarm to it. I don't recall ever hearing it in 1966. I'm more favourable to The Same Old Song, Ask the Lonely and If I Were a Carpenter ...
An absolutely knockout performance! Possibly my favorite by The Tops. That opening musical run is classic Motown and still gives me chills like the very best Motown songs do. And though it was much maligned in it's day, Diana's take is gorgeous in it's slow build a la Ain't No Mountain and I even enjoyed Gaynor's galloping disco version. When a song can transcend three very different treatments, ya know it's something special.
Another great that for me never grows old. 1966 was one incredible year for pop music, that's for sure.
One of those songs I loved as a kid but have gotten rather burned out on. Still, I certainly appreciate its greatness!
As for my part, I am not familiar with "Floy Joy," "Nathan Jones," or "Up the Ladder ... " and I grew up just outside of Detroit. "Stoned Love" might be familiar but I'd have to hear it. Now "Where Did Our Love Go," "Baby Love," "Love Child," even "The Happening" I do remember. Hard to say if what amount of radio we did listen to was skewed toward a different demographic, or whether we just weren't listening when those songs were "big," but I wouldn't be shocked by someone saying they don't know those tunes. (For the record, I turned 5 yo midway through 1964.)
As for the three post-Ross songs mentioned: I only became familiar with them in the CD age. I listened to hit radio in the early 70s, and never heard those songs. pickwick33 grew up near Detroit, and was into the music, but out here down in the small town southwest, where the Black population was 20% or less, we didn't get it on radio. If you wanted to hear most Black music, you had to buy the records, or you heard it on Soul Train (and we didn't even get that until late 1972). It wasn't until late 1972 that we started to hear more Black music on the radio in my area.
Well, by definition it had to be big nationally. It didn't have to be big in every single market though. This would especially be true, if you were in a small market with only a few radio stations.
I grew up in Hawaii where the black population was even less than 20% but Soul/R&B was still all over our radio. I have no insight into what goes on in mainland markets but I'm just very happy we got the variety we did out here in the middle of nowhere. Kudos to the few stations we had!
I have to say I've never thought the Animals were ever short-changed in appreciation of their music. Their hits are played regularly and really pop out of the airwaves. Easily essential listening for any fan of early rock.
This is a great song. I tend to think the Four Tops are rather underappreciated among '60s soul acts.
LOVE it. Always have. Yes, it's sloppy garage, but wow...the organ riff just pierces right through to your back brain where it lays eggs and nests. Punky vibe, kinda bloosy, tremendous hook in the riff -- an all timer for sure, even if it's only 'semi-professional' in comparison to things like the previous classics.
Who, Guess Who, and Question Mark... Was there any band called the Unknown Band (who wore paper bags over their heads)?
