Zager & Evans 'In The Year 2525' MIXES

And the followup single, the dreadful "Mr. Turnkey" was also issued on Truth. I have RCA's of both....my sister still loves "2525" but I didn't like it much then, and time hasn't tempered that opinion....

Thanks to this thread, just pulled out the 7/5/69 issue of Billboard...sucker was #8(#35 the week before, debuted at #72 the week before that--major 'national breakout' as they used to say at the time)and would be #1 the following week(and many more, IIRC),and only a titan like "Honky Tonk Women" could knock that miserable beast out of the top slot....

Just thinking about "2525" makes "My Pledge Of Love" seem like a soul classic, which it wasn't....but likeable enough.


ED

 

I sense an indy mike pick ONE possibility; stinky songs that kept cool tunes from hitting #1 (CCR fans would have a field day)...

 

indy,

Great theme, as always. Tom Jones would give CCR a run for your mojo.

 

I feel an ulcer coming on.....

Just make a cutoff point, say, nothing after 1979; otherwise, the thread will never end....


ED

 

Another one of life's little sonic mysteries. Since RCA seems to have dumped lots of stuff over the years, I suppose it's long gone...

 

Guys,

As long as we are talking about the recording, I always thought the sound quality was annoying for 1969. Perhaps it was the out of phase sound Steve spoke of but, to my ears, the track sounds like it was recorded in the hall of a Motel 6 with an overloaded home cassette deck with the compression set at the max. (rant over). I love song though!

Bob

 

I suppose I've mentioned a few (hell - 100's) of tunes that make folks go ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww... I'm ALMOST old enough to remember 2525 on the radio - wasn't it on an orange RCA label with the modern logo???

 

Mike,

I was a senior in high school and yes, the Orange RCA label. I remember everybody buzzing about the track at the time.

Bob

 

Every time I hear that one, I think, well, wait a minute....we assume a lot of stuff is gone but, over the years, amazing what will turn up. On RCA alone rare or previously unheard stereo mixes by the Ames Brothers, Perry Como, Paul Anka, the Limelighters, Jim Reeves, the Browns, Little Peggy March--just to name a few--have surfaced, and there's probably more where that came from.

Once upon a time, I would never have believed I'd live to hear stereo Gary U.S. Bonds, or Monogram Chris Montez, or the Belmonts. But I did. Who knows what else is waiting to be unearthed....


ED

 

Steve,

I remember at the time, 'we' thought it was older song that had been re-released because of the sound. Of course, we knew nothing of recording techniques at age 18. Steve, are you saying that the original base multi-track was mixed to MONO, compressed, then bounced back to multi-track when the OD's were added, probably compressed again?

Bob

 

Yup, "My Pledge Of Love" June 7th 1969...Sure does, how about a certain fragrance in the air? When I was a child, around the end of June the Linden trees would blossom with a wonderfully pungent scent welcoming the short Summer Vacation Music, Light, Weather all play a key role in refreshing our "Soul"...The mind is a wonderful place when you work it the right way. Sometimes, we need to pull up those hidden files, open them up and relax!

 

Just pulling an old issue of Billboard out does that to me every time....not just the charts: you should see the reviews and listings of all the stuff that didn't go anywhere, died a commercial death....staggering, sometimes. The old ads are now priceless, most wishful thinking or made on the real cheap, and look it....for one thing, did you know that "Sugar, Sugar" was issued months before it broke nationally? And Bubbled Under the Hot 100 for quite a few weeks before finally hitting the national list and eventually going to #1, which it took its sweet time to do, very unusual for that era...


ED

 

Steve,

Understood! I hope a Forum member has that original label 45...

I can think of one that may, I will send him a link to this thread.

Bob

 

Steve,

This is the way I understood your post, yes! I e-mailed a Forum member who may have the original 45. He is usually on in the early morning - about the time Ed makes his first post of the day!

Bob

 

Steve,

I will let you know. I like a thread like this where we take a classic track and discuss all the aspects of the track. It would be fun and educational to pick a track on a regular basis and do this...

I really enjoy the depth.

Bob

 

Hard to believe; from the ubiquity of that song and the undoubtedly BIG promotion it must have received (Don Kirshner?), I would have thought that song would have hatched in the top twenty.

One of the greatest pop singles ever, IMHO!

 

It's a great song! and the "theme" will never be outdated!