Despite the scattered popular songs seen on TV (they were featured a lot from everything from kid's shows like Sandy Becker and Soupy Sales all the way thru teenage music programs like Clay Cole and American Bandstand, and of course, the buzz eminating from Beatlemania, I wasn't really versed in the songs of the day, although my piano teacher, who I had from 1963 to 1965 would have me play a lot of the popular songs of the day, mostly "middle of the road" pieces.
But it was June 1966 that I really got into the ongoing music "scene", thanks to, of all people, my Mom. She, although with those in her generation was raised on the Big Bands and the Standards era, but seemed to limit her intake when she got married in 1953. Then, when her and my Dad split, it was like a cocoon turning into a butterfly...she would be blaring WABC a good chunk of the day. And she created a monster, namely me!
Yeah, it was early summer 1966 and everywhere she drove me, she had the radio on. When "A Younger Girl" by local, Union County-based The Critters played, she'd go "The Critters...they're from Westfield!". Back then, WABC used their "Super Hit" jingles to denote the top 3 songs in their survey (which in turn got me addicted to that stuff, to the point that it has evolved into my Sound-Raves 100 that's at the bottom of every week's blog!)
Another great thing about 1966 was that, not only remembering a lot of songs that summer, but there was tons of songs ABOUT summer. Try "Summer in the City" (Lovin' Spoonful); "Green Grass" (Gary Lewis & the Playboys); "Sunny Afternoon" (The Kinks); "Summertime" (Billy Stewart) and "See You in September" (The Happenings). Regarding the latter song (by another Jersey group, from Paterson, incidentally), it was still high on the survey by the end of August, that the DJ's were (apparently) joking that this song will drop a lot come September 1st, and I believed them. In actuality, it only dropped to #3 (one notch) that first week. I would have been so confused a decade later when "Summer Breeze" or "Beach Baby" would become hits in the fall.
Speaking of DJ's, I got 'acquainted' with them: Herb Oscar Anderson in the morning, Ron Lundy middays, Dan Ingram in the afternoons, and Cousin Brucie in the evenings. If I was up late, I may have been able to catch Chuck Leonard as well. And a couple times during our two weeks in Manasquan that August, I'd even hear Charlie Greer (although his rhymes during the Dennison's (an all-night clothing store on Route 22 in Union), would drive me crazy!). Unlike what would come later, I would have to endure something called "Don McNeil's Breakfast Club" for an hour in the morning, and an hour and 20 minutes of news at 6 PM before Cousin Brucie came on, but would be eliminated a year and a half later.
The music, for the most part, was still innocent in 1966. Bands that I had heard of, like the Beatles ("Paperback Writer", "Yellow Submarine"), Rolling Stones ("Paint It, Black", "Mother's Little Helper"), and the Beach Boys ("Wouldn't It Be Nice") were well-represented. Ditto Motown's Supremes at the end of the summer with "You Can't Hurry Love".
The first big "event" in 1966 for me was a weekend that my Mom took us to Hamden, Connecticut to a lake house owned by a doctor who was affiliated with St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, along with a co-worker and her kids. Many of us were hanging out by the lake shore, and I first remembered "Rainy Day Women #12 and 35" by Bob Dylan playing, along with the previously mentioned "Paint It Black" and "A Younger Girl". A few weeks later, there was "Strangers in the Night" by Frank Sinatra, "You Don't Havve to Say You Love Me", by British soul crooner Dusty Springfield, and the garage-rock classic "Hanky Panky" by Tommy James & the Shondells. The kids of another friend of my mom's really like the latter one. "Red Rubber Ball" (The Cyrkle) was another song of the early summer, along with "Little Girl" by The Syndicate of Sound. Much of it reminds me of some warm summer evening at the Frozen Cow, an ice cream stand on Kenilworth Boulevard.
One song that terrorized the hell out of me was "They're Coming to Take me Away, Ha Haaa" (Napoleon XIV), especially at night. It was the equivalent to a thunderstorm with loud thunder and bright lightning at night. It took me a while to get used to it, until they actually banned the song because it may have been offensive to mentally challenged people.
In July and early August, I had gone to Pingry Day Camp in Hillside, and even then, certain rooms had the radio on. The previously-mentioned "See You in September" and "Summer in the City" were first heard then. Then came our Manasquan vacation. And I discovered that EVERYONE had a transistor radio brought on the beach, just about all tuned into WABC. Yeah, no boom boxes, or IPods, or cassette mix tapes, or headphones/earplugs. It was all about the broadcast experience. "Lil Red Riding Hood" (Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs) was a big song then....I first got a taste of Dan Ingram's humor when that intro "Who's that walking in the woods..." and Dan would come up with some humorous response. "Wild Thing" (The Troggs), "Bus Stop" (The Hollies), "I Saw Here Again" (The Mamas & Papas), "Sunny" (Bobby Hebb) were some more songs that will take me back to that summer. Another Critters song "Mr. Dieingly Sad" also made the airwaves as well.
Yeah, I loved the music of the summer of 1966....there were, of course, many other memorable ones, but the "first" one is the one you always remember.
SOUND-RAVES 100: Chalk up another #1 for Adele, as her album cut "Rumour Has It" hits the top spot, a record #3 topper from her album 21, which returned to the top of the Billboard 200. The song advances to #2 on the Triple-A chart. And if that wasn't enough, "Rolling In the Deep" resurges AGAIN up to #7 in week 27. Any song that gets airplay on rock station WRXP AND top 40 Z-100, must have a lot going for it. It also is in week 5 topping the Hot 100, and tops many other genre charts. I had considered adding a couple more tracks from her album, but with the glut of good stuff this week, I'll wait a bit. Unfortunately, Adele, under doctor's orders is resting from her several laryngitis, and canceled 9 dates from her North American tour, hopefully she'll be back soon.
Other big movers include "Save Me San Francisco" by Train, a nice uptempo song, which I've been addicted to. Rachel Allyn (whom we saw a second time at the Jefferson House, and may catch this Thursday at the Attila Lounge in Dover NJ...the first time with her band), and My Morning Jacket are the other big movers within the top 20. Lady Gaga becomes the first pop act to hit the top 20 since "Firework" by Katy Perry, she previously appeared last summer with "Alejandro", the The Strokes have their second top 20 entity..
We have some heavyweight debuts this week, all of which have had top 3 Sound-Raves hits. Fitz & the Tantrums, who are struggling to hold on to the lower depths of the Adult Top 40 chart with "Money Grabber" which also hangs onto my list in week 28 (after spending 4 weeks at the top), are back at #51 with "Dear Mr. President" also from their current album Pickin Up the Pieces. This is not a single, but was featured on Grace Potter's Facebook pages. I loved the sound so I added it. The Black Keys, off #1 and #2 singles are back with "Everlasting Light". Katy Perry shakes off her disasterous (for me, anyway) "E.T.", with "Last Friday Night". The video features such 80's icons such as Corey Feldman, Debbie Gibson and Kenny G. Foo Fighter's follow-up to #1 "Rope", "Walk", Portugal.The.Man's "Got it All" (follow-up to "People Say") and Kings of Leon (two top 10's) also debut.
Also noted, "Panic" by Sublime with Rome is slowly rising the chart at #84. This is a new band of sorts, and not any collaboration. Of course Sublime was a great band in the 1990's but split after the death of Bradley Nowell in 1996. The remaining two members, Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh reformed the band in 2009 with newcomer Rome Ramirez, but were sued by Nowell's estate stateing since the front man has passed, they are not Sublime, hence the new name. Their album Yours Truly was released this week.
The SoundRaves 100 for the week of 6/13/2011:
This Week | Last Week | ARTIST-Title | Weeks on List |
1 | 3 |  ADELE "Rumour Has It" Album: 21 | 8 |
2 | 1 | Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi-Two Against One | 10 |
3 | 4 | The Wombats - Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves) | 9 |
4 | 12 | MOVER OF THE WEEK:  TRAIN "Save Me San Francisco" Album: Save Me San Francisco | 6 |
5 | 2 | Adele - Someone Like You | 8 |
6 | 9 | Cage the Elephant - Around My Head | 7 |
7 | 10 | Adele - Rolling In the Deep | 27 |
8 | 8 | Death Cab for Cutie - You are A Tourist | 10 |
9 | 5 | Florence + the Machine - Dog Days are Over | 15 |
10 | 7 | The Vaccines - Post Break-up Sex | 14 |
11 | 11 | Dom - Living In America | 10 |
12 | 18 | Rachel Allyn - Say Hello To Goodbye | 3 |
13 | 19 | My Morning Jacket - Holdin' On to Black Metal | 4 |
14 | 6 | The Raveonettes - Recharge and Revolt | 11 |
15 | 14 | Florence + the Machine - You Got the Love | 5 |
16 | 17 | Lykke Li - Get Some | 5 |
17 | 13 | Foster the People - Houdini | 7 |
18 | 16 | Rachel Allyn - Gettin' By | 22 |
19 | 23 | TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK  LADY GAGA "Judas" Album : Born This Way | 6 |
20 | 27 | The Strokes - Taken For A Fool | 5 |
21 | 22 | Brother - Darling Buds of May | 9 |
22 | 31 | Kate Voegele - Heart In Chains | 5 |
23 | 24 | Chk Chik Chick - Wannagain Wannagain | 12 |
24 | 25 | Ben Harper - Rock n' Roll is Free | 10 |
25 | 33 | Peter Bjorn & John - Dig A Little Deeper | 5 |
26 | 15 | The Drums - The New World | 8 |
27 | 36 | Fleet Foxes - Grown Ocean | 5 |
28 | 37 | Fleet Foxes - Battery Kinzie | 5 |
29 | 21 | Lucinda Williams - Buttercup | 17 |
30 | 41 | Ray Lamontagne & the Pariah Dogs - Repo Man | 4 |
31 | 30 | Plan B - She Said | 6 |
32 | 38 | Neon Trees - Your Surrender | 8 |
33 | 47 | The Raveonettes - Apparitions | 3 |
34 | 20 | The Cars - Sad Song | 12 |
35 | 28 | Bell X1 - Velcro | 8 |
36 | 32 | Foster the People - Pumped Up Kicks | 21 |
37 | 26 | Mt. Desolation - Bitter Pill | 18 |
38 | 29 | Michael Franti & Spearhead - I'll Be Waiting | 12 |
39 | 43 | Cold War Kids - Skip the Charades | 5 |
40 | 40 | Middle Brother - Me Me Me | 7 |
41 | 48 | Sam Roberts Band - The Last Crusade | 4 |
42 | 46 | Drive-By Truckers - Everybody Needs Love | 7 |
43 | 35 | Telekinesis - Please Ask for Help | 10 |
44 | 34 | Leila - Hush Little Baby | 17 |
45 | 42 | Scars on 45 - Give Me Something | 17 |
46 | 56 | Ke$ha - Blow | 4 |
47 | 57 | Christina Perri - Arms | 4 |
48 | 50 | The Raveonettes - Forget That You're Young | 5 |
49 | 39 | Rihanna - S&M | 12 |
50 | 45 | Augustana - Steal Your Heart | 9 |
51 | ---- | TOP DEBUT:  FITZ AND THE TANTRUMS "Dear Mr. President" Album: Pickin' Up the Pieces | 1 |
52 | 55 | Interpol - Try It On | 6 |
53 | 58 | Eddie Vedder - Longing to Belong | 7 |
54 | 60 | Arcade Fire - Month of May | 5 |
55 | 67 | The Kills - Future Starts Slow | 3 |
56 | 44 | Beastie Boys - Make Some Noise | 9 |
57 | 66 | Shontelle - Say Hello to Goodbye | 3 |
58 | ---- | The Black Keys - Everlasting Light | 1 |
59 | 59 | Fitz and the Tantrums - Money Grabber | 28 |
60 | ---- | Katy Perry - Last Friday Night | 1 |
61 | 73 | Coldplay - Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall | 2 |
62 | 53 | Cold War Kids - Louder Than Ever | 23 |
63 | 76 | Gomez - Options | 3 |
64 | 54 | The Kills - Satellite | 13 |
65 | 75 | Scotty McCreery - I Love You This Big | 3 |
66 | 78 | Paramore - Monster | 2 |
67 | 49 | Foo Fighters - Rope | 15 |
68 | 72 | Boxer Rebellion - The Runner | 5 |
69 | 77 | Arctic Monkeys - Don't Sit Down "Cause I Moved Your Chair | 3 |
70 | 70 | Zac Brown Band f Jimmy Buffet - Knee Deep | 6 |
71 | 74 | Noah & the Whale - L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N. | 4 |
72 | ---- | Foo Fighters - Walk | 1 |
73 | 84 | Flogging Molly - Revolution | 2 |
74 | 52 | Andrew Allen - Loving You Tonight | 7 |
75 | 81 | Kenny Chesney f. Grace Potter - You & Tequila | 2 |
76 | 51 | TV On the Radio - Will Do | 13 |
77 | 65 | Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues | 19 |
78 | ---- | Portugal the Man - Got It All | 1 |
79 | 82 | Austra - Beat and the Pulse | 5 |
80 | 69 | Peter Bjorn & John - Second Chance | 19 |
81 | ---- | Kings of Leon - Back Down South | 1 |
82 | 62 | Helvetia - Arise Pt 1 | 15 |
83 | 88 | Los Lonely Boys - Fly Away | 8 |
84 | 92 | Sublime with Rome - Panic | 3 |
85 | 63 | Duran Duran - All You Need Is Now | 10 |
86 | ---- | Rise Against - Make It Stop | 1 |
87 | 68 | The Thermals - Not Like Any Other Feeling | 6 |
88 | 95 | 311 - Sunset in July | 2 |
89 | 87 | Mumford and Sons - Roll Away Your Stone | 4 |
90 | ---- | Lady Gaga - The Edge of Glory | 1 |
91 | 64 | Redlight King - Old Man | 9 |
92 | 61 | Dark Sacrament - Realm of Unlight | 10 |
93 | 99 | 10 Years - Fix Me | 2 |
94 | ---- | Givers - Up Up Up | 1 |
95 | 83 | The Holidays - Moonlight Hours | 21 |
96 | 98 | Miranda Lambert - Heart Like Mine | 2 |
97 | ---- | Adelitas Way - Sick | 1 |
98 | ---- | Brett Dennon - Comeback Kid | 1 |
99 | ---- | Taylor Swift - The Story of Us | 1 |
100 | 71 | Cake - Long Time | 8 |
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