Favourite Hippie Singles
 

GOD ONLY KNOWS
The Beach Boys were more than just a surf rock band. Dennis Wilson was one of the greatest lyricists of the 1960's. This particular song is proof of that. It's a breathtaking and climactic baroque pop masterpiece. It was proof that the Beach Boys were capable of pulling off serious songs.


THEME FROM MIDNIGHT COWBOY
TV and movie themes in heavy rotation on the radio were big back in the day...because they were ****ing brilliant. When Midnight Cowboy became an unlikely blockbuster its fantastic theme song was no exception. And like great themes, a host of composers had versions that appeared on radio and on their albums. Perhaps the best interpretation, and my favourite, was not John Barry's original but instead by obscure band leader LeRoy Holmes who turned it into a pop masterpiece. Its mix of country, folk rock and psychedelic pop made it accessible, infectious and appealing. As great as Henry Mancini was, his version of the song lacked the nostalgic feel, and therefore did not enter the top 40. A rare one, but a grand one.


KENTUCKY RAIN
Elvis' career was in deep trouble in the late 1960's. His films were quirky and not very good anymore, and he hadn't recorded substantial hits in years. Although he had helped shape the previous decade, this time his arch rivals The Beatles had pushed music into a much more socially aware and experimental direction. But amidst the mediocrity, there was hope. Elvis' 1968 television special confirmed him, and reminded others, of the true legend he was. When it came time to capitalise on this success, Elvis stepped into the studio in Memphis (which was now a hotbed for hits and a sound of its own) and made the two greatest albums of his career. Released purely as a single, this song is a great example of honest pop songwriting and was one of the songs that revitalised his career. Telling the story of a man searching for his lost love, Elvis laid down some of the greatest vocals he ever put to wax. The main genius is the hybrid mix of country and soul that Elvis belted out of his voice. Another indicator of his genius talent. Although the hippies were the heroes, Elvis was back.


TURN! TURN! TURN!
You simply cannot identify the 60's without this song. What can you say? It's a great song. The Byrds had a gorgeous in-synch vocal harmony that has been underrated, and they made some everlasting work. This is just one of those songs that makes you smile, and you can listen to all of it wherever you hear it. The titles also an allusion to all of the changes happening in the 60's.

SWEET CHERRY WINE
Everybody was tired of the war, and you couldn't turn on the radio without a reminder of what was going on. This is probably one of the most uplifting pop songs about Vietnam and the cruelness of the world. "Yesterday my friends were matching out to war/Well listen here, we ain't marching anymore". The metaphor of sweet cherry wine is a loving indulgence, a unity, a hope against the tarnish. While others were wondering when it was over in song, or focusing on the dark aspects of killing, Tommy James was trying to look on the bright side and wanted to bring everyone along with him. Although sugar coated and catchy, the lyrics are great.
Especially that second verse:
"Watch the mountain turn to dust and blow away/You know there's got to be a better way/And the old masquerade, is a no soul parade/Marching through the ruins of time". Tommy James was truly a great pop songwriter, and didn't fully get the kudos he deserved.

:tramp::):hphones:

When Pete Seeger wrote it in the late '50's, it would be hard to make allusions to changes that haven't been seen yet.

The timelessness and appropriateness of the lyrics are a tribute to Ecclesiastes rather than to the Byrds.

"Eve of Destruction." Barry McGuire. 'Nuff said.

Hmm, don't know if I would characterize any of these as "hippie" singles, but good tunes nonetheless. I really like Sweet Cherry Wine but that might have been a case of Tommy James trying to convince hippies he was one of them and not some bubblegum teenybopper idol. The wine thing has also been interpreted as a reference to Christianity, something Tommy toyed with along with the drugs: "To save us/he gave us/sweet cherry wine [the blood of Christ]"

Good point about all of the movie soundtrack tunes making the Top 40 back in the day. The hit version of the Midnight Cowboy theme was by the MOR piano duo of Ferrante and Teicher.

I shouldn't admit this (showing my age) but Kentucky Rain was one of the first records I ever bought. This was when current 45s were 69 cents at my local discount department store. I got my copy--the only Elvis recording I have ever bought--for 49 cents at a sale in the record's waning days on the charts. The song was co-written by the late country singer Eddie Rabbit, and Elvis recording this was one of his first big breaks. What I really like about this song is that whoever wrote the lyrics really knew the state of Kentucky. There are a huge number of small towns, a lot of which don't even appear on the official state highway map--you have to go to the county maps to see all of them. And you can probably find a lot of old general stores, though they're probably repurposed or unused and dilapidated. And that POUNDING piano part right before the chorus--great stuff.

I ****ING LOVE THIS SONG

hoooooly ****

i picked the album up on vinyl today. i honestly don't know if it'll be in my top 10 for the year but i'm trying so hard to fit it in.

Here's a couple that I used to like. One from the USA, then a year later, as we tried to catch up across the pond, one from a UK band (no relation, of course, to those other Nirvana imposters) :-

.....

The Stones' magnificent single 2000 Light Years From Home / Like a Rainbow. I really love the Stones in their short-lived hippy psych period.





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