Stevie Wonder was a welcome chart presence throughout the ’60s and ’70s, releasing singles that tempered the balance between pop and soul without forsaking either. His best songs became instant classics, but even the minor singles display his able musicianship and joie de vivre. But if the first Stevie Wonder record you heard was “Fingertips [...]
Archive for February, 2010
96) Little Stevie Wonder – “Fingertips Pt. 2″
Posted in 05, 1963, tagged motown, stevie wonder on February 25, 2010 | 1 Comment »
95) The Tymes – “So Much in Love”
Posted in 05, 1963, tagged the tymes on February 23, 2010 | 4 Comments »
In a post-Four Seasons world, where Motown artists regularly topped the charts, there wasn’t really a need for doo-wop anymore. Yet the genre had one last gasp with The Tymes and “So Much in Love,” a completely straightforward, completely forgettable single. “So Much in Love” returns doo-wop to its roots by going almost completely a [...]
94) Jan & Dean – “Surf City”
Posted in 06, 1963, tagged brian wilson, jan & dean on February 22, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
As wicked as the snarl of a surf guitar sounds on an instrumental, I’ve never been able to embrace songs about surfing. My beach-going is limited to childhood summer trips to the placid waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Even if I had grown up within commuting distance of the Pacific Ocean, though, my wussiness, [...]
93) The Essex – “Easier Said Than Done”
Posted in 07, 1963, tagged the essex on February 21, 2010 | 4 Comments »
Before the Internet, home studios and alternative rock culture, the only way to become a nationally-famous musician was to devote your life completely to music. You could play nightclubs and high school dances in hopes of getting discovered, or you could work within the system as a session player or songwriter for other musicians, biding [...]
