1960s

Sam + Dave | Soul Man

“Sam + Dave electrified audiences with livewire performances, blending gospel-rooted vocal interplay and exhilarating stage presence,” (Stax Records). Their music pulsed with energy, driven by the call-and-response firepower of Sam Moore and Dave Prater. However, their voices alone weren’t enough to define their legacy — it took the songwriting brilliance of Stax’s Isaac Hayes and David Porter to tailor anthems that matched the duo’s intensity as performers.

… in 1967, ” … the United States was facing heightened racial tensions, culminating in the Detroit riots in July. As Isaac Hayes watched television coverage of the destruction, he noticed something: Black-owned businesses, marked with the word soul, were left untouched by looters. In a moment of strife, the word, to Black Detroiters in the know, was a covert symbol of solidarity, encouraging protection for Black businesses in the community. Hayes and Porter knew they had a pervasive concept to work with, shaping ‘Soul Man,’ deriving a personified embodiment of the phenomenon in Detroit. Porter built the lyrics around this idea, creating a protagonist who had endured hardship but emerged stronger through his connection to community and allegiance to soulfulness as a north star.

After recording the song, Sam + Dave released “Soul Man” in August 1967. The song quickly rose the charts. By October, it sat in the #1 seat on the R&B chart, remaining for seven weeks. On the pop charts, it soared to #2. Beyond its commercial success, “Soul Man” was an anthem—one that resonated deeply with audiences at a time when Black identity and empowerment were at the forefront of national conversations. In early 1968, ‘Soul Man’ won Sam + Dave a Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Group Performance, beating out competition from Otis Redding and Carla Thomas.

Built primarily in an alternating G major, “Soul Man” reaches a bridge at the 2:00 mark, providing a late transition to Ab major at 2:10. (“Late” is quite the relative term here, as the track’s entire runtime is only 2:38!).

Lords of the New Church | Live For Today

“Formed in 1981, the Lords of the New Church had a formidable intercontinental punk rock pedigree. Singer Stiv Bators and guitarist Brian James were founding members of Cleveland’s Dead Boys and London’s The Damned, respectively, both successful and influential punk pioneers (Qobuz) … But while the Lords’ music had elements of punk, it was more melodic, better-produced, and played with a higher degree of professionalism. This alienated some of the hardcore punk audience, but brought the Lords a much wider and more diverse fan base.”

LOTNC’s 1983 cover of The Grass Roots’ 1967 hit single “Live for Today” features several key changes absent from the original. Built primarily in B minor, the track shifts briefly downward to A minor for an instrumental verse at 1:47; at 2:12, the tonality climbs up two whole steps to C# minor for the balance of the tune.

The Beatles | Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds

“Classic rock is known for having subversive songs, dealing with taboo topics. So, it’s not all that surprising to learn that quite a few tunes from the genre were not allowed on radio stations at one time or another,” (Yahoo) ” … Far Out ranked The Beatles’ 1967 song, ‘Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds,’ as the best classic rock song ‘banned from radio.’ According to the publication, the John Lennon-penned hit, off the acclaimed record, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was deemed not radio-friendly because of its initials. The official Beatles website reported that ‘Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds’ was prohibited by the BBC due to theories that it was inspired by LSD. Far Out reported that Lennon stated the rumors were untrue.”

“… the Faberge psychedelic egg that was finally laid on the eve of the Summer of Love came so fully-realised that it changed the way we listened to recorded sound forever,” (BBC). “Sgt Pepper’s is at once warm and familiar, yet wild and strange … Yet what was revolutionary was the sonic carpet that enveloped the ears and sent the listener spinning into other realms.”

After the tune starts in A major, there’s a shift to Bb major for the pre-chorus at 0:32. At the 0:50 mark, the G major chorus begins, built around a repeated I-IV-V chord progression. At 1:08, the pattern repeats.

Lou Johnson | Unsatisfied

Lou Johnson’s “magical 60s Big Top recordings have long been regarded as a template for classic uptown soul and those who own any Johnson singles know they own real treasure … Raised as a gospel singer, Lou’s greatest vocal quality was honesty,” (Soul + Jazz + Funk). “Within a few bars he could go from raw power to vulnerable tenderness and always sound convincing. He was also an accomplished piano player.

Big Top Records also ensured that their man was only given the very best songs to record. The company’s HQ was in New York’s famed Brill Building – home to the city’s songwriting community. People like Bacharach and David were regularly offering Big Top their new songs. Lou Johnson recorded seven Bacharach songs (‘Message To Martha’, ‘Reach Out For Me’, ‘The Last One To Be Loved’ ,’Always Something There To Remind Me’, ‘Magic Potion,’ and ‘If I Never Get To Love You’). Johnson’s best known UK outing (is) the Northern fave, ‘Unsatisfied’ … The big question, of course, is why such outstanding music didn’t make Johnson a star … “

“Unsatisfied” (1965) opens with a bang, driven by an infectious groove. Supported by a boisterous percussion section, brass, and a confident group of female backup singers, Johnson romps through the syncopated lead vocals. At 1:23, the key shifts up by a half step in advance of an interlude and then the return of the lead vocal.

Dana Valery | You Don’t Know Where Your Interest Lies

Dana Valery was ahead of her time. She released her cover of Simon + Garfunkel’s “You Don’t Know Where Your Interest Lies” a half-year before their own version was released as the B-side to “Fakin’ It” in July 1967. There’s even a snippet of Paul Simon speaking on the recording (at 0:39). Her version is a banger!

She was born in Italy, and moved with her family to South Africa at an early age. Her brother was the famous tenor Sergio Franchi. While she recorded mostly in English, her discography includes 1963’s All’Italiana and two EPs of Italian material released in South Africa. Valery was a member of the original South African cast of the musical Wait a Minim; she later reprised her role with the London and Broadway productions of that play.

The sonic palette of this track is so expansive that it’s hard to believe its runtime is only 2:13 long! The groove of Valery’s cover version is stronger, the textures more saturated, and the tempo is faster than the original (which we’re including below). The cover’s key change is at 1:34.

Mickey Woods | (They Call Me) Cupid

“Mickey Woods, here making his final appearance on a Motown record, was a minor figure at best in the Motown story,” (Motown Junkies). “He may have been the first white male solo act on the label” (Woods is such an obscure figure in Motown’s history that this factor is not 100% confirmed) … “This B-side marks the first ever Motown writing credit for Norman Whitfield, later one of the all-time great songwriters and producers.

Odd that ‘(They Call Me) Cupid’ (1961) should have been relegated to a B-side – it’s clearly intended as a take on Sam Cooke’s ‘Cupid,’ released earlier the same year … perhaps Berry Gordy felt that to invite comparison between Sam Cooke (who was one of the all-time great voices) and Mickey Woods (who wasn’t) would be unfairly prejudicial … There’s also an ambitious string break in the middle eight which is pleasing to hear; the sound of musical horizons being continually broadened … That unexpected string interlude is a little rough, coming over at times as awkward and scraping; hardly the lush orchestral aural carpeting that would come to be associated with Motown in later years.”

Starting in C major, there’s a shift to Eb major at 1:16 after a brief suspension of the groove. Yes, the string section sounds like it’s sight-reading — but otherwise, an intriguing very early Motown track!

Wilson Pickett | Don’t Fight It

“’Don’t Fight It’ is a soul song originally recorded by Wilson Pickett in 1965,” (Stax Museum). “It was written by Steve Cropper and Wilson Pickett, with Cropper also producing the track. The song features a lively rhythm, powerful vocals by Pickett, and a catchy horn section. (The track) became a hit for Pickett, reaching #4 on the R&B chart and #63 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song’s lyrics urge the listener to give in to the rhythm and let go of their inhibitions, with Pickett’s impassioned delivery adding to the song’s energy and appeal.

Over the years, ‘Don’t Fight It’ has been covered by various artists and remains a classic of the soul genre. Its infectious groove and energetic performance continue to make it a favorite among fans of Wilson Pickett and soul music in general.”

Starting in a slightly uptuned A major, the track’s key shifts up a half step during a horn break (1:37) only to jump up another half step to B major at 1:45. The lead vocal joins in again at 1:49 for the final verse.

Stevie Wonder | My Cherie Amour

” … when it was released, on August 29, 1969, My Cherie Amour was the contemporary Stevie,” (UDiscoverMusic). “Nobody knew what was to come. Instead, people gloried in this young man who could deliver songs that attracted dozens of cover versions and became instant standards. Not only that, but his originals were infused with a warmth and joy the remakes could not touch.

‘My Cherie Amour,’ the song, sounds like a breeze on a hot summer day: fresh, easy and light … someone who was not yet 20 should not have been able to tackle such material so convincingly … Now we know what was coming, it’s easy to fit this album into a context it did not have at the time. We can’t hear it with 1969’s ears, but we can imagine the smiles it provoked and the romances it helped soundtrack.”

If MotD had started out by covering only the most classic of Top 40 tunes, then by rights we should’ve featured this one way back in 2011! The hook, stated first by flute and then joined by Stevie’s wordless vocal in the intro, is surely one of the most iconic in all of R&B or pop music. The tune’s unusual form begins with its chorus, the wordless vocal hook section. The song’s title is then mentioned at the start of a verse, again departing from convention. But despite the tune’s unconventional, stripped down structure, we never once feel deprived: the melodic richness, compound chords, lovestruck lyrics, and lush instrumentation are a rich sonic tapestry indeed. After a start in Db major, there’s an unprepared shift up to D major at 1:55. And just like that, Stevie brings it all to a close just under the wire for the era’s three-minute radio guideline.

Herb Alpert + the Tijuana Brass | A Taste of Honey

Well, the Tijuana Brass weren’t really from Tijuana, just some L.A. studio musicians to play along with Herb Alpert. And those bass drum kicks that launch the in-tempo sections of “A Taste of Honey” weren’t really part of the arrangement, meant instead to be a tape-splice marker. Nonetheless, the single achieved very real success, reaching #7 on Billboard in 1965. The single was taken from the album Whipped Cream and Other Delights, released on Alpert’s own label A&M, featuring the most famous album cover of the 20th century (ed. note: perhaps I’m biased in that opinion).

“A Taste of Honey” was written by Bobby Scott and Ric Marlow.for the Broadway version of a British play of the same name, later made into a movie. There are many cover versions, including a vocal version by the Beatles recorded in 1963. There’s a half-step upwards modulation up at 2:12.

As of this writing, Herb Alpert is still playing. Below, we’re including the same tune, performed this month at the Hollywood Bowl.

Scott Walker | Angelica

“Scott Walker … the pop idol turned crooner turned shocking avant-garde auteur, died (in 2019) at age 76, but not before leaving behind one of the most fascinating catalogues of the rock era,” (The Second Disc). “An American and child actor on Broadway who found his success in England as one third of The Walker Brothers, Scott could have been content reliving his glory days of ‘The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore,’ ‘Make It Easy on Yourself,’ and ‘Joanna.’ But the uncompromising artist never stopped pushing the envelope, as a songwriter, performer, and producer.

… The music business is famous for hyperbole, but it’s no exaggeration to say that few have had a career anything like that of Scott Walker. An American who skyrocketed to fame on British shores in the heady time that was the mid-1960s, Walker (born Noel Scott Engel in 1943) turned his back on the world of a pop idol. He became one of the first major performers to embrace and champion the dark musical melodramas of Jacques Brel but that, too, didn’t last long. After some largely undistinguished albums recorded during his self-described ‘lost years’ and a period of relative seclusion, Walker emerged, creating provocative soundscapes that dispensed with any traditional notions of melody or songwriting.”

“Angelica” (1967), written by Brill Building legends Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, begins in B minor. At 1:10, a soaring vocal melody leads us into the first chorus, with a shift into B major. At 2:03, the pattern repeats, beginning with a second minor verse.