Leonard Cohen drew a throughline straight from poetry to folk music. Add in the final sample, which was taken from an archived recording of a Hitler Youth choir, and “The Real Thing” was one of the strangest, most pioneering rock songs of the 60s, and continues to astound today. Alongside engineer John Sayers, Meldrum pioneered too many recording techniques to list here, but among the most monumental were flanging, in which two identical copies of the recording were played together but slightly out-of-phase with each other, and instrumental dropouts, which would become wildly popular with Jamaican dub artists in the 70s. Written by Johnny Young and produced by Ian “Molly” Meldrum, “The Real Thing” was initially envisioned as a soft-rock ballad in a similar vein as The Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields Forever.” But the demo was superseded by Meldrum’s expansive vision, and “The Real Thing” became one of the first studio masterpieces of the modern era. 96: Russell Morris – The Real Thing (1969) The song dominated 1961, claiming residence at the top of the charts, only kept from number one on the Billboard list because of an artist named Ray Charles and some song called “Hit The Road Jack.” Alongside Charles, Orbison was ushering rock ‘n’ roll and R&B into a modern iteration, blending soaring melodies with epic compositions and a relatability in lyrics that helped future stars break through to the mainstream. The song blends a traditional rock ballad with orchestral strings and a propulsive timpani that blends symphonic percussion with the soundtracks of Wild West films. Roy Orbison had plenty of 60s hits to choose from, including “Oh, Pretty Woman” But we opted for “Crying,” which begins with a seminal line, familiar to those even who have never heard the song: “I was alright for a while, I could smile for a while.” The song is Orbison at his most vulnerable, admitting that the feelings hidden from a former partner are ones of heartbreak and regret. It wasn’t until he reframed his performance as the uptempo, soul-charge you hear today that the song was deemed fit for release and became a 60s classic. Wilson came in, and originally sang the tune as a ballad. The song was first offered to The Dells, but was never released. The instrumental for the 1967 hit was written by Gary Jackson, Raynard Miner, and Carl Smith. The bass sounds like it was recorded in a hermetically sealed vacuum, while the iconic conga groove pops without a crinkle or crack. The instrumentation for Jackie Wilson’s “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher” is as crisp as it gets. & The M.G.’s “Green Onions.”Ĭlick to load video 98: Jackie Wilson – (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher (1967) The band truly came into their own once Fame ditched his piano for a Hammond organ, a decision that was directly inspired by Booker T. Shortly after topping the UK charts, “Yeh, Yeh” reached #21 on the Billboard Pop charts, proving that the song was more than a UK wonder. The group’s version of “Yeh Yeh,” topped the Beatles’ “I Feel Fine” on the UK chart, ending a five-week run from the Liverpool chaps. Georgie Fame and his band, The Blue Flames, found the perfect intersection of pop, jazz, and R&B. The song’s stripped-down style allows for many different interpretations, but it’s Miller’s original, built around the singer’s charmingly beautiful voice, that remains the definitive “King of the Road.” 99: Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames – Yeh, Yeh (1964) The smooth-as-whiskey melody and straightforward instrumentation has made it a reliable cover for country stars and rock bands alike, with artists as diverse as Glen Campbell and Reverend Horton Heat covering the tune. The song’s most famous line, “I’m a man of means, by no means, king of the road” was bitingly cynical, reveling in the freedom of refusing to conform to societal norms. The track, a delightful country-pop crossover, tells the story of a nomadic hobo, untethered from all obligations and material goods. Roger Miller’s “King of the Road” shines a light on the traveling man. 100: Roger Miller – King of the Road (1965) Looking to explore some of our best songs of the 60s? Check out our two playlists on Spotify: Volume 1 and Volume 2.
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