Under-appreciated songs.

[John Carsell]

I'm bettin' everyone can think of one off the top of their heads.

You know the kinda songs YOU love that either no one else seems to have either heard, remember, just fallin' off the face of the earth, or no radio play at all.

So what are the ones YOU think deserve more credit than what they have ever been given.

My votes are for...

1. Timeless - Badfinger (from ***)

2. Kuiama - ELO (ELO II)

3. Hypnotized - Fleetwood Mac w/ Bob Welch

[pdenny]

Three great songs indeed. Since two of them are well over 7 minutes long here are a few more in that vein:

Accidents/Thunderclap Newman
Halo of Flies/Alice Cooper
Soft Parade/Doors
In My World/Moody Blues
One More Chance/Fairport Convention

Originally posted by John Carsell

1. Timeless - Badfinger (from ***)

2. Kuiama - ELO (ELO II)

3. Hypnotized - Fleetwood Mac w/ Bob Welch [/B]

[Bob Lovely]

From the Golden Age of Top 40 Radio....

My List

I Confess--New Colony Six 1966 (a big hit in the Chicago area that did not take off nationally, should have)
Blue Turns To Gray--Cliff Richard & the Shadows 1966 (should have had a hit with this Jagger/Richards penned song)
Gloria--Them 1966 (big hit in the UK and US west coast, bombed in the rest of US, has flourished on Classic Rock radio)
Gotta Get Away--Major Lance 1966 (should have been a big hit and wasn't)
We Could Be Happy--Cryan' Shames 1966 (flip of Sugar & Spice, better than the "A "side, people from the Chicago area know this one)
River Deep, Mountain High--Ike & Tina Turner 1966 (great song that barely dented the Hot 100, huge diappointment for Phil Spector that may have inspired his disappearance from producing Top 40 hits for a time)
The Nazz Are Blue--Yardbirds 1967 (wasted as the flip to Over, Under, Sideways Down)
Every Day and Every Night--Trolls 1967 (big hit in the upper Midwest, very few other places)
Cancelling Out--John Mayall 1967 (started to take off as a Top 40 hit and simply died)
Gotta Leave Us Alone--Outsiders 1968 (great sound and Sonny Gervasi vocal, did not take off)
It Could Be We're In Love--Cryan' Shames 1968 (big hit in upper Midwest, should have been a big national hit)
Undun--Guess Who 1969 (never released as a single, should have been)

I will add more when I think about them!

Bob :)

[Pat]

Re: Bob:"Undun--Guess Who 1969 (never released as a single, should have been)"

It was the flip side to Laughing (RCA 0195) and BOTH charted in 1969: 10 and 22 respectively!

P.S. That's a stellar list BOB...not a bad one in the bunch! :D

[peterC]

Are we talking about songs under-appreciated by the general public (ie non top 40) or songs under-appreciated by music lovers (like us)?

In the former case there are of course millions of examples.


How about all those brilliant Kinks singles from the mid to late 60s which we all love NOW but nobody bought at the time.

For example:

Days (UK hit only)
Autumn Almanac (UK hit only)
Victoria
Picture Book
Driving
Wonderboy
...and many more(that's my favourite!)

[Pat]

peter,


Add: "Wicked Annabella" to that list too!!! ...fantastic!

[Kym]

A quick scan of my CD cabinets reveals:

"When I Write The Book," Rockpile
"Drop The Pilot," Joan Armatrading
"Dover Beach," Bangles
"Painted Desert," Pat Benatar
"Baby Don't Go," Karla Bonoff
"Walking In Avalon," Christopher Cross
"When It Comes To You," Dire Straits
"Red Wagon," Elwood
"Flowers," Emotions
"Aqua," Eurythmics
"Take What I Can Get," Fine Young Cannibals
"Chicapbon Chicapbon," Foxy
"Red Dragon Tattoo," Fountains Of Wayne
"Your Secret's Safe With Me," Michael Franks
"Is It Love," Gang Of Four

H onwards to come later...

[Pat]

I know there is a lot of Roy Orbison talk on this forum. Unfortunately, many people forget the great material from the MGM years...post Pretty Woman! Very well recorded, too.

I would like to see Steve put out a MGM-Era Retrospective by "The Big O" sometime! Anyone else remember these songs?

[mazort]

I've always thought Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 27 deserves a little more airplay than it's had...

[Dave]

One of the most under appreciated songs for me is Black Sabbath's Planet Caravan. I always get the "Say what song, never heard it" response from most people. This song, for some reason, mostly goes unnoticed by many and I think that's really too bad as it's a very beautifull song.

[jligon]

Originally posted by peter castanos

Wonderboy


Man, I really love that song. I'd never heard until I picked up the Castle Something Else a few years ago. Read somewhere that John Lennon was knocked out by that song too.

I also feel that "I Need You" is one of the Kinks' strongest, yet under-appreciated songs.

[peterC]

Originally posted by Pat

I would like to see Steve put out a MGM-Era Retrospective by "The Big O" sometime! Anyone else remember these songs?

Pat

Maybe you already know this, but there is an excellent rhino CD around covering the MGM era.

[peterC]

Originally posted by Pat
peter,
Add: "Wicked Annabella" to that list too!!! ...fantastic!


Yep, there are dozens of 'em. I was just referring to some of their ignored singles in my earlier post.

[Cousin It]

Originally posted by Pat
I know there is a lot of Roy Orbison talk on this forum. Unfortunately, many people forget the great material from the MGM years...post Pretty Woman! Very well recorded, too.

I would like to see Steve put out a MGM-Era Retrospective by "The Big O" sometime! Anyone else remember these songs?


Raven Records in Australia put out a compilation CD of his MGM stuff but it is now out of print.I always liked that song of his Communication Breakdown(moody) and Penny Arcade(nice song for kids) went to NO 1 here in Australia back in 1970.
I remember back in the early 90's when Polygram were talking about releasing a 6 CD set of his MGM stuff but they obviously lost interest.Bear Family will probably end up doing it somewhere down the line and Orbison fans will be much happier with their work.

[Evan]

Originally posted by Pat
peter,


Add: "Wicked Annabella" to that list too!!! ...fantastic!



Mono or Stereo? And as far as the KinKs go, everything but "Loyla" and "You really got me" are underrated, IMO. Amazing stuff. The brothers Davies made some great music.

[peterC]

Originally posted by Cousin It



Raven Records in Australia put out a compilation CD of his MGM stuff but it is now out of print.I always liked that song of his Communication Breakdown(moody) and Penny Arcade(nice song for kids) went to NO 1 here in Australia back in 1970.
I remember back in the early 90's when Polygram were talking about releasing a 6 CD set of his MGM stuff but they obviously lost interest.Bear Family will probably end up doing it somewhere down the line and Orbison fans will be much happier with their work.


I'm invariably let down by the sound of Raven CDs. Presumably they rarely get hold of original master tapes.

Cousin It, if you like Communication Breakdown you've got to hear it on the Rhino disc "The Classic Roy Orbison 1965-1968". Sounds great.

I remember Penny Arcade very well. Hated it at the time because it stopped a Beatles song getting to No.1 on the charts! Can't remember now if it was Get Back or Ballad of John & Yoko. Penny Arcade is the only MGM track on the 25 track version of rhino's "For The Lonely" CD.

Sorry if you already knew this.

[Bob Lovely]

Originally posted by Pat
Re: Bob:"Undun--Guess Who 1969 (never released as a single, should have been)"

It was the flip side to Laughing (RCA 0195) and BOTH charted in 1969: 10 and 22 respectively!

P.S. That's a stellar list BOB...not a bad one in the bunch! :D

Pat,

I realized this last night after I got home from work. Thanks!. I guess I would say that Undun was wasted as the flip to Laughing. Funny, I hear Undun more often on the radio than Laughing, I believe because Undun is played by Classic Rock format stations. Thanks for your comments!

Bob :)

[Bob Lovely]

Originally posted by Pat
I know there is a lot of Roy Orbison talk on this forum. Unfortunately, many people forget the great material from the MGM years...post Pretty Woman! Very well recorded, too.

I would like to see Steve put out a MGM-Era Retrospective by "The Big O" sometime! Anyone else remember these songs?

Cannot forget Ride Away. I have this on a picture sleeve 45rpm with Roy sitting on a motorcycle "lookin' bad" in as much as Roy could. Great idea, Pat!

Bob ;)

[Bob Lovely]

More from the Golden Age of Top 40 Radio...

At The Shore--Johnny Caswell 1963 (big on the East Coast but very few other places)
Kiss And Run--Bobby Skel 1964 (big some places, not others, suffered from distribution problems)
Oh! Yeah--Shadows of Knight 1966 (follow-up to Gloria, should have been a bigger hit than it was)
Don't Bring Me Down-Pretty Things 1966 (big hit in the UK, did not successfully cross the pond)
I Who Have Nothing--Terry Knight and the Pack 1966 (great rendition of this classic song, should have been a bigger hit, not available on CD because it is owned by Allan Klein--Cameo Parkway)
Get Away--Georgie Fame 1966 (great sound and production, only never really took off, minor hit)
I'll Go Crazy--Buckinghams 1966 (big hit in the upper Midwest, they just had not yet broken nationally)
Till We Kissed--Guess Who 1966 (a great slow dancing song, wasted as the flip side to Shakin' All Over)
You Make Me Feel So Good--McCoys (great song, well-recorded, only a minor hit, should have been big)
Stop!, Get A Ticket--Clefs of Lavender Hill 1967 (minor hit, unique sound, never really took off)(when first released people thought this was a Beatles release)
Look Before You Leap--Dave Clark Five 1966-67 (only a moderate hit at best, should have been bigger)
Any Way That You Want Me--Liverpool Five 1966-67 (much better than the Troggs version, big in a few markets, just never really took off nationally)

I will post more when I think of them!

Bob



:)

[mcow1]

Almost anything by Leonard Cohen. Especially Suzanne and Tower Of Song.

[Bob Lovely]

Even more from the Golden Age of Top 40 radio...

She's Looking Good--Roger Collins 1966 (an R & B hit, better than the more popular Wilson Pickett version)
I Can't Control Myself--Troggs 1966 (started to take off, then was largely banned for suggestive lyrics)
Midnight Hour--Rascals 1966 (a great version, never released as a single, really rocks)
Come On Up--Rascals 1966 (another rockin' Rascals song that was disappointing in single popularity)
Hello Josephine--Jerry Jaye 1966 (a great version, well-recorded, only a moderate hit)
I'll Feel A Whole Better--Byrds 1966 (a great song wasted on a B side, could have been a hit in it's own right)
We Gotta Get Outta This Place--Animals 1966 (actually a big hit but, radio plays the wrong version, the US version is unavailable because Allan Klein, who owns the rights, refuses to allow it be released on CD, much better than the UK version played on most Oldies stations)


I'll post more later...

Bob

:)

[teaser5]

I always loved "Thorn Tree in the Garden" which is the song AFTER "Layla"
on the Derek & The Dominos album. I always related it to a failed romance and it wasn't until recently that I read an article (in "Mojo" I believe...) where Bobby Whitlock said that it was about a dead puppy. Who knew? Great song from an incredible album with an amazing yet tragic legacy: Of the five band members two are dead and one is doing a life stretch in prison :(

Peace,
Norm

[Pat]

If Bob keeps posting his lists of songs, I'll have nothing to post!


Additionally,

The Critters - Younger Girl (shoulda been H-U-G-E, IMHO..can't believe it wasn't Top 40...big regionally though!)

T-Rex - Jeepster (Great song that shoulda been given credit)

West,Bruce & Laing - Why Dontcha & Pollution Woman (off the great, but seemingly forgotten Columbia album "Why Dontcha")

ANYTHING by The Move!!!
If you haven't heard Cherry Blossom Clinic in STEREO...you ought!

[BeatleFred]

Well, does anyone else know this Great 60's tune by Chad & Jeremy: "Rest in Peace"? ( I found the CD its on, 'Painted Dayglo Smile' on Ebay, but I belive an MP3 of it can be found at audiogalaxy.com Well worth your time to check it out.

[Bob Lovely]

Originally posted by Pat
If Bob keeps posting his lists of songs, I'll have nothing to post!


Additionally,

The Critters - Younger Girl (shoulda been H-U-G-E, IMHO..can't believe it wasn't Top 40...big regionally though!)

T-Rex - Jeepster (Great song that shoulda been given credit)

West,Bruce & Laing - Why Dontcha & Pollution Woman (off the great, but seemingly forgotten Columbia album "Why Dontcha")

ANYTHING by The Move!!!
If you haven't heard Cherry Blossom Clinic in STEREO...you ought!

Pat,

My brain just keeps on working, I guess. Younger Girl by the Critters was pretty big here in the Midwest. I always preferred their Mr. Dieingly Sad that was, at least, in the Midwest a much bigger hit than their version of Younger Girl. Keep posting!

Bob