DYING FOR YOUR LOVE
A DIFFERENT TAKE
There are many, many songs about love. Songs about falling in love, being in love, love, breaking up, broken hearts, wishing for love, waiting for love and feelings about love. Well, it’s now or never for me to post and remember some of the slightly different songs about love.
One of my teenage memories is this song by the Monotones. It was an early influence on my love of doowop. “Book of Love” is a rock and roll/doo-wop song, originally by the Monotones. It was written by three members of the group. Their lead singer heard a Pepsodent toothpaste commercial with the line “you’ll wonder where the yellow went”/ “when you brush your teeth with Pepsodent”, which inspired him to come up with, “I wonder, wonder, wonder who, who wrote the book of love”. They worked it up into a song. The “boom” part of the song was a result of a kid kicking a ball against the garage while they were rehearsing. It sounded good, so they added it to the song. The Monotones recorded it in 1957, and it is one of my fond teenage memories.
Another group I really loved from back in the day was The Coasters. The Coasters are an American rhythm and blues/rock and roll vocal group who had a string of hits in the late 1950s. With hits including “Searchin’”, “Young Blood”, “Charlie Brown”, “Poison Ivy”, and “Yakety Yak”, their most memorable songs were written by the songwriting and producing team of Leiber and Stoller. Although the Coasters originated outside of mainstream doo-wop, their records were so frequently imitated that they became an important part of the doo-wop legacy through the 1960s. In 1987, they were the first group inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This is from 1959.
When I got back from Vietnam, I explored the counterculture and attended a number of concerts at the famous venue, Fillmore West. One of the groups I saw there was Big Brother and The Holding Company. Big Brother and the Holding Company are an American rock band that was formed in San Francisco in 1965 as part of the same psychedelic music scene that produced the Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and Jefferson Airplane. After some initial personnel changes, the band became well known because it included vocalist Janis Joplin. Their second album Cheap Thrills, released in 1968, is considered one of the masterpieces of the psychedelic sound of San Francisco. I have it.
One of the girl groups from the ‘60s I liked were the Shangri-Las. Between 1964 and 1966 several hit pop songs of theirs documented teen tragedies and melodramas. They continue to be known for their hits “Remember (Walking in the Sand)”, “Give Him a Great Big Kiss”, and in particular, “Leader of the Pack”, which went to number 1 in the United States in late 1964. To me it was purely novelty and not a favorite.
“My Boy Lollipop” (originally “My Girl Lollypop”) is a song written in the mid-1950s by Robert Spencer of the doo-wop group The Cadillacs. It was first recorded in 1956 by American singer Barbie Gaye. A later version recorded by Jamaican singer Millie Small in 1964, with very similar rhythm, became an international hit and is one of the first songs to introduce ska music. I think it is a catchy tune.
“Wanna B Ur Lovr,” by “Weird Al” Yankovic. “Weird Al” Yankovic is most famous for his funny songs, which are often parodies of popular hits. “Wanna B Ur Lover,” which is from his 2003 album, Poodle Hat, is essentially a bunch of awful pickup lines that are just so bad, they’re good (in a hilarious way). I find the song is a bit crass, as Weird Al is known for his sometimes-dark sense of humor. My advice if you do opt to play it, consider waiting until after dinner once guests have settled in.
Lyrics you’ll love: “You’re so hot, you’re gonna melt/The elastic in my underwear/I’ll bet you’re magically delicious/Like a bowl of Lucky Charms”
“Wild Thing” is a song written by American songwriter Chip Taylor and popularized by the British rock band the Troggs. It was originally recorded and released by the American rock band the Wild Ones in 1965. It did not chart. The following year, the Troggs’ version topped the charts. Their version of “Wild Thing” was ranked at number 257 on the Rolling Stone magazine’s 2004 list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It has also been performed by many other musicians. I really like Tone-Loc’s version. Here are the Troggs from 1966.
I thought The Spencer Davis group had a great sound. They were a British blues and R&B influenced rock band formed in Birmingham in 1963 by Spencer Davis (guitar), brothers Steve Winwood (vocals, keyboards, and guitar) and Muff Winwood (bass guitar), and Pete York (drums). Their best-known songs include the UK No. 1 hits “Keep On Running“ and “Somebody Help Me“ and the UK and US Top 10 hits “Gimme Some Lovin’“ and “I’m a Man “.
The Winwood brothers both left in 1967, with Steve going on to form the rock band Traffic, and Muff moving into music, A&R and production.
I am 82. I have been many places, seen and done many things. I have enjoyed most genres of music. I was a DJ. I was an army brat and a soldier, losing a leg in Vietnam. I learned adaptive sports and taught them to people all over our great nation and overseas. I have guided and lead expeditions down raging rivers.
I have many stories about my experiences in Vietnam, the military and at West Point. Plus, lots of life stories, stories about adaptive sports, my adventures, my travels and great music too. When you click Subscribe you will be presented with options. One is to remain or become a free member. The next level up is $5 monthly and you can unsubscribe anytime.
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