BOOTH ANNOUNCER GARY OWENS:
...and the cow was returned to its rightful owner.
And that's the latest from S-P-M-M news...
fast, up-to-the-minute, completely fake
and proud of it. Now stand by for
fast, up-to-the-minute, completely fake
and proud of it. Now stand by for
TOTO'S TOP TUNES
T I M E T U N N E L
on the station that's #1 for music and fun - S-P-M-M!
CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!
PIGGYBACK COLD OPEN:
CLICK TO PLAY SECOND VIDEO
CLICK TO PLAY SECOND VIDEO
AT 9 SEC. MARK OF FIRST VIDEO!
"Just One Look" - The Hollies
(May 1964, highest chart pos. #98 Hot 100/#2 UK)
Retrosonic Radio
in Futuresonic
Stereo Surround...
that's S-P-M-M!
Heidi-ho! It's me again, your puppy pal
Toto Moto. Hey, if my buddy Jerry Blavat
can call himself The Boss with the Sauce,
then I'm The Pooch with the Hootch...
your Hi-fi Fido, your Musical Mutt,
your All Nite Satellite, welcoming
you into my wormhole, the Top
Tunes Time Tunnel, for another
fun-filled trip back to the
best years of your life!
Toto Moto. Hey, if my buddy Jerry Blavat
can call himself The Boss with the Sauce,
then I'm The Pooch with the Hootch...
your Hi-fi Fido, your Musical Mutt,
your All Nite Satellite, welcoming
you into my wormhole, the Top
Tunes Time Tunnel, for another
fun-filled trip back to the
best years of your life!
To open the show, we flashed back to the British Invasion in 1964 and listened
to a new enhanced version of "Just One Look," the fist single to reach the U.S.
chart by the English pop-rock band The Hollies, a cover of the top 10 hit the
previous year for American R&B singer Doris Troy who co-wrote the song.
Amazingly, the Hollies fabulous version lasted only one week on the U.S.
chart at #98 while soaring to #2 back home in the UK. When reissued
in the states in 1967 the single cracked the top 50 but should have
done better, doggone it!
In 1966 the British Invasion was followed by a Spanish Invasion
of sorts in the form of Los Bravos, a beat band from Madrid
that scored a top 5 hit in the UK and here in the states
with "Black Is Black."
of sorts in the form of Los Bravos, a beat band from Madrid
that scored a top 5 hit in the UK and here in the states
with "Black Is Black."
CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!
Two years later Los Bravos released another rousing single that brushed
the top 50 stateside, a song written by members of the Aussie band
The Easybeats. The excitement meter is pegged as Los Bravos
performs-- "Bring a Little Lovin'."
"Bring A Little Lovin'" - Los Bravos
(June 1968, highest chart pos. #51)
That was "Bring A Little Lovin'" by the Spanish band Los Bravos,
a minor hit in America that deserved to be a major hit!
If you're just tuning in, I'm Toto Moto,
your Rover of the Radio, the Dawg
who Put the "WOW" in Bowwow...
and you're traveling through my
Top Tunes Time Tunnel here
on S-P-M-M... the station
with personality.
I used to chase a feline named Felix,
and next, here's another Felix who's
a very cool cat. He's Felix Cavaliere
who, along with Eddie Brigati, Gene
Cornish and Dino Danelli, made up
the exciting blue-eyed soul quartet
The Young Rascals... one of the
most popular acts of the 60s.
CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!
From 1966 to '68 the Jersey boys placed nine singles in the top 20
and here's one of them. From the summer of '66, a song written
by Eddie and Felix-- "You Better Run!"
"You Better Run" - The Young Rascals
(July 1966, highest chart pos. #20)
Old school's the rule and every song is certifiably K-9 cool here in
Toto's Time Tunnel - the Paws that Refreshes - and you just heard from
Felix the musical cat and his group doing "You Better Run," a single
released when they were still "Young" - before they shortened
their name to The Rascals.
Toto's Time Tunnel - the Paws that Refreshes - and you just heard from
Felix the musical cat and his group doing "You Better Run," a single
released when they were still "Young" - before they shortened
their name to The Rascals.
Shady's dog Toto with you on the radio,
and I'll be doggone if I don't get a chuckle
out of "The Jolly Green Giant," the nifty
novelty number by the Kingsmen, the
rowdy garage rockers from the Pacific
Northwest who shook up the civilized
world with their cover of "Louie Louie."
CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!
THE VIDEO NOW!
"The Jolly Green Giant" was written by
Lynn Easton, one of the founders of the
Kingsmen, and so was this one, the flip
side of that 1965 single, another titanic
tune called-- "Long Green!"
"Long Green" - The Kingsmen
(Jan./Feb. 1965, uncharted B side of "The Jolly Green Giant")
The Kingsmen with "Long Green (the root of evil)," the fab flip on the
back side of "The "Jolly Green Giant" single. "Long Green" was also
released on the band's 1964 album The Kingsmen Volume II and
again on the 1965 album The Kingsmen Volume 3.
released on the band's 1964 album The Kingsmen Volume II and
again on the 1965 album The Kingsmen Volume 3.
Wassup, pup? Chief Petting Officer Toto behind the mic on
the greatest little station in the nation, S-P-M-M. I aim to fleas
by spinning the best sounds of the 60s here in the Time Tunnel.
the greatest little station in the nation, S-P-M-M. I aim to fleas
by spinning the best sounds of the 60s here in the Time Tunnel.
Back across the pond we go for one of the
coolest grooves featured on Hullaballoo
London. The Blue Flames, a British R&B
jazz band, were the backing musicians for
English singer Billy Fury until he sacked
them for being "too jazzy" and replaced
them with another band, The Tornados,
the guys who recorded the instrumental
hit "Telstar." Out on their own with key-
boardist Georgie Fame taking over on
lead vocals, The Blue Flames burned up
the chart with a groovy cover of "Yeh Yeh,"
originally recorded by Afro-Cuban per-
cussionist Mongo Santamaría, the artist
best known for his hit "Watermelon Man,"
a standard written by Herbie Hancock.
CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!
Do I dig this sound from Georgie Fame? "Yeh Yeh!"
That's what I say, I say-- "Yeh Yeh!"
"Yeh, Yeh" - Georgie Fame And The Blue Flames
(Feb./Mar. 1965, highest chart pos. #21 Hot 100/#1 UK)
Georgie Fame and The Blue Flames with "Yeh, Yeh," a great song you don't hear
very often on oldies radio. Leave it to me, your Hound of Sound, to find it and
play it for you. "Yeh, Yeh" brings back marvelous memories of Brian Epstein
hosting Hullabaloo London during those exciting years of The Brit Invasion.
Toto Moto of The Shady Bunch keeping you
company all night long as we cruise through
my Time Tunnel here on S-P-M-M Radio.
Know what? I admit it - I'm a horndog. :)
I love bands from the mid 60s through
early 70s that featured strong,
brassy horn sections.
CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!
THE VIDEO NOW!
Here's one of my horn-driven favorites,
The Buckinghams, the sunshine poppers
from Chi-town who cranked out a string
of feel-good hits including the one you're
listening to right now. 1967 gold--
"Don't You Care!"
The Buckinghams, the sunshine poppers
from Chi-town who cranked out a string
of feel-good hits including the one you're
listening to right now. 1967 gold--
"Don't You Care!"
"Don't You Care" - The Buckinghams
(Mar./Apr. 1967, highest chart pos. #6)
From the Windy City, those were The Buckinghams with "Don't You Care,"
a sad song that makes you happy when you listen to it. "Don't You Care"
was one of the group's five top 10 hits of the mid 60s if you count
the Cash Box chart along with Billboard.
Oh bowwow, we're nearing the end of
Toto's Top Tunes Time Tunnel. I know
Toto's Top Tunes Time Tunnel. I know
for sure because I can see the dawn's
early light. Thanks for spending the
early light. Thanks for spending the
wee hours of the morning with me,
your All Nite Satellite. Stay tuned
your All Nite Satellite. Stay tuned
for my good friend Shady Blue
coming up on the B side of news to
coming up on the B side of news to
get you Stuck Like Glue to his dusty
ditties, and I'll be back soon to start
from scratch and satisfy your itch for
terrific tuneage in my Time Tunnel.
ditties, and I'll be back soon to start
from scratch and satisfy your itch for
terrific tuneage in my Time Tunnel.
CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!
THE VIDEO NOW!
To play us off, Tommy James and the Shondells with "Mirage,"
a hit born when a tape of "I Think We're Alone Now"
was accidentally played backward. Bye bye!
"Mirage" - Tommy James And The Shondells
(May/June 1967, highest chart pos. #10)
I appreciate this another fine and informative show, handsome friend Shady and handsome Top Dog Toto :) Thanks Giving Long Week End here, and once again I will travel to be close to Jenny's rock deep in the woods on my land and cry a little, smile a little, sing a little, light a little candle, things like that. Love, c.
ReplyDeleteHi, cat!
DeleteHey, you're the early bird this time, dear friend! Thanks for coming down on this sleepy Saturday.
I also thank you for the compliment on volume 2 of Toto's Top Tunes Time Tunnel, a flashback to the long lost hits of the 60s. I hope you showed Toto's post to your fur baby Theo. :)
Thanks for reminding me that the second Monday in October is Canadian Thanksgiving. I hope you have a lot for which to be thankful this year, dear friend. I will be thinking about you as you remember your life's losses as well.
Thank you again for your kind visit and comment, dear friend cat, and have a safe and restful holiday weekend!
Hi Toto and Shady,
ReplyDeleteWow! You had me rocking today! I'm only familiar with the Hollies and Tommy James, but I really loved the Buckinghams and Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames. I think I'll have to YouTube some more of their work.
I can't say I've ever listened to Mirage, but I am familiar with "Crimson and Clover". While Crimson and Clover is psychadelic, Mirage is even more so! I always love hearing when songs are played backwards. I know what I'll be spending the rest of my afternoon doing!
Have a safe trip this week, dear friend. Happy Saturday!
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteThanks for stopping in on your Saturday to see what that mischievous musical mutt Toto Moto is up to. I'm glad you like the song lineup in the second volume of Toto's Time Tunnel series.
If you want to chase the blues away, I highly recommend that you listen to the singles recorded by The Buckinghams, the brassy sunshine pop band from Chicago. As I stated in the text, even when they sing a sad song, their ear pleasing sound makes you feel happy. Georgie Fame is best known for doing "The Ballad Of Bonnie & Clyde," his biggest U.S. hit, a single that brushed the top 5. However my Pick to Click will always be the one Toto played on today's show - "Yeh, Yeh," a single that didn't perform as well stateside but topped the chart in the UK and was featured on Hullabaloo London. I can still remember how excited I was the first time I heard it.
It's so cool that "Mirage" came about by accident when "I Think We're Alone Now" was played backward. There are quite a few hit singles that resulted from accidents, mistakes or experimentation and I will be bringing you more of them in the future.
Thanks for the well wishes as we get set to travel again this week. I will do my best to stay present on the blog circuit.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend, dear friend JM!
Hi Shady,
DeleteAfter chatting with some friends, I am feeling better. However, I'll give the Buckinghams a listen later because I could always use some uplifting music. :)
Safe travels and take your time with the blog circuit. Real life comes first... best wishes!
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday, dear friend!
Thank you for understanding, dear friend Jessica.
DeleteThe brassy sound of The Buckinghams always improves my mood. I hope you get the same result when you delve into their catalog.
Have a wonderful week ahead, dear friend JM!
Hi Shady,
DeleteI actually ended up going offline for a bit, resting and meditating. It helped tremendously and it was much needed. I'm going to do keep on doing that until 8 November 2019. While I have a day of fun planned for the 7th, and I am excited for the 7th, some of the old emotions are coming back. Savage triggered me and I'm working through it still. Sometimes just feeling my feelings and resting is just what the doctor ordered.
I hope you have safe travels this week. Have a great evening, dear friend.
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteWe made it to our destination yesterday and got a lot accomplished today. There is still much to do, and Saturday is another travel day.
I am sorry that Savage is helping to dredge up unpleasant memories of the past. Every day, every hour, every minute takes you farther away from "ground zero," the actual time and date of the original event. Remember to look at it that way. You are handling the situation nicely and I am sure you will be AOK.
Enjoy the rest of your week, dear friend JM!
Hi Shady,
DeleteOh yeah. I put closure to it today... I texted him and then I blocked him again. It's over... I don't know if he blocked my number too or if he'll see it, but I sent it and got it off my chest. He hasn't been on the train all week, but people have my back. I am cared for and I am loved. At the end of the day, I have both of those things.
Enjoy the rest of your week too, dear friend. Happy Thankful Thursday!
Some fine selections. The Hollies "Just One Look" is the only one I flat out remember. The other songs, as is so often the case, sound vaguely familiar, but that's all. However, they all deserve to be hits, whether they were or not.
ReplyDeleteHi, Kirk!
DeleteThanks for popping in, good buddy! I'm happy you enjoyed Toto's tuneage. The pup's play list boasts a few songs that were popular at the time of their release but seldom heard (at least by my ears) in the 21st century. The Georgie Fame remastered studio recording and synced video is an exciting find, and so is the Los Bravos performance clip. "Long Green" has been one of my favorites by The Kingsmen ever since I was a teenager. It took The Hollies longer than most British Invasion bands to catch on in America as indicated by the poor chart performance of "Just One Look." I'm glad you remember that one. The Doris Troy original is also great.
Thanks again for having a look and a listen, good buddy Kirk!
I didn't recognize a couple of these groups and those that I did, I didn't know the songs you shared - except perhaps the Hollies number. (or maybe it just sound like something I remember?)
ReplyDeleteAs for "long green"... it's not unless you "love" it that it becomes the root of evil. ;)
Something in the intro to Mirage made Pat perk up! I know you don't read my faith blog, Shady, so you'll be sad to learn we're down to nine dogs now. We lost our MamaDog to a tragic accident this week. She was a sweet old girl and we'll miss her. She had a long, happy life, though, and she knew she was loved.
Hi, Kelly!
DeleteI have a tear in my eye and a lump in my throat because I just came from your Faith blog and saw the post about MamaDog. I am terribly sorry, dear friend. I love dogs and I share your loss. One of my earliest childhood memories was the day when I was age two that our dog Fuzzy ran under the wheels of the school bus and was killed. My big brother hopped off the bus and carried Fuzzy back down to the house, tears streaming down his cheeks. A vivid memory indeed! I will be thinking about you and your family including MamaDog's canine family, in the days and weeks ahead as you come to terms with your loss.
Thank you for sampling the songs played by Toto Moto in the second edition of Time Tunnel. Along with the obvious big hits I always like to select a few great but little know and seldom heard recordings for your listening pleasure and to help educate you about the artists and recordings that made up the soundtrack of my youth. I wonder if Pat thought that eerie sound at the beginning of "Mirage" was a dog whistle.
Thank you again for coming by in the midst of your grief, dear friend Kelly. Please try to enjoy the rest of your weekend and the week ahead.
Sweet Toto has some sweet tunes tonight! I recognize many of the bands but not all of the songs. But I enjoyed listening to them! Of course I know the Buckinghams...being a Chicago girl and all! I wonder if they took their name from the Buckingham fountain in downtown Chi-town? One of my earliest memories is standing with my family watching that fountain change colors. Anyway, I hope you're having a wonderful Fall weekend. We've had some glorious weather this week but work has been less than glorious! I'm just glad to have a few days off and tomorrow we'll have the kids and grandkiddos over for a Halloween Pine bash. Thanks for a fun 60's throwback and enjoy your week!
ReplyDeleteHi, YaYa!
DeleteThanks for coming by to sample the songs on Toto Moto's play list, dear friend! I suspected you'd know most of the bands and most of the tunes in this volume of Time Tunnel.
You are half right about The Buckinghams, YaYa. Wiki sez members of the Chicago band came from groups called The Centuries and The Pulsations. A producer urged them to change their name to something that implied they were part of the wildly popular British Invasion. They picked The Buckinghams in reference to Buckingham Palace in London and also because it ties in with their hometown landmark Buckingham Fountain. Thanks for sharing your early memory of watching the fountain change colors.
We're still feelin' hot hot hot. Fall in Florida doesn't start until Dec. 31 and ends Jan 1. :) I look forward to seeing the show and tell on your blog about the H-ween Pine bash.
Thanks again for joining the fun, dear friend YaYa, and have a terrific week ahead!
Hi Toto and Shady! Sorry I missed you on Saturday, a pretty busy day it was, though much cooler temperatures made it easy.
ReplyDeleteWow-The Kingsmen! For a garage group, they did okay, didn't they! We will never forget Louie Louie! Everyone needs to hear that one at least once in their life, haha! I find "Long Green" to be very similar to Louie Louie, but I enjoyed it. Their raw and unabashed lyrics made this group exciting. I liked this song, and The Kingsmen style!
I remember all of the songs you presented, except for the Tommy James one, "Mirage", and as much as I love Tommy James, I have to agree, this one DOES sound like "I Think We're Alone Now" played backwards! Mishmash, I couldn't listen to the whole song! "Don't You Care" is a sad song, and I was not real fond of it. I think it brings back something unpleasant in my life during that time-heck I was only 18, but, obviously I got through it just fine!
A great pop-jazzy song is "Yeh Yeh"! Shoot, Toto, I didn't know who recorded this one, but I liked it! And, The Blue Flames was a pretty good band.
I don't remember the Hollies version of "Just One Look", I always liked Doris Troy recording. The Hollies do it great...of course, I like anything they did! It was a fun video to watch...thanks Toto!
You really brought some good stuff to the session this time, Toto-The Young Rascals are so good with "You Better Run", and Los Bravos' "Bring a Little Lovin', really rocked. It's a WOW! All the way around, and a Bravo to you, Toto.
Sorry, I'm running late, but, I had a good time in the Time Tunnel with Toto! Hope you are doing well, dear friend Shady! Have a great week! ♫
Hi, Suzanne!
DeleteI'm very happy to see you, dear friend. Thanks for coming to Toto's Top Tunes party!
My cousin turned me on to The Kingsmen in the mid 60s. I bought their albums, played them often and became familiar with the songs on those long-plays, many of which were not released on singles. "Long Green," released on the B side of "Jolly Green Giant," remains a favorite. I appreciated the Pac NW band's raw, rowdy garage rock sound. Listening to The Kingsmen brings back memories of a toga party I attended at college. We danced in two inches of beer that flooded the basement of a frat house. Good times! It's interesting that your ears do not respond favorably to "Mirage" and "Don't You Care." The latter might indeed be linked to a sad memory buried in your subconscious. I'm glad you like the jazzy performance by Georgie Fame And The Blue Flames. I will always remember the band performing this song, "Yeh, Yeh," on the music TV show Hullabaloo London, introduced by UK host and Beatles manager Brian Epstein. Georgie and The Blue Flames cooked. They were one of my favorite acts of the British Invasion because their style and sound, jazz-influenced British R&B, was refreshingly different from other Merseybeat combos. It's interesting that you remember the Doris Troy original better than the English import by The Hollies. This was a rare case in which the original by an American black artist was a bigger hit stateside than the cover by a British band.
I'm happy that you got so much enjoyment from Toto's second radio show. Thank you again for your visit and great comment. I hope Scootie is having a good school year and I wish you both a wonderful week ahead. My next post is coming up on Friday and I hope you enjoy it. Until then, take good care of yourself and Master Scootie, dear friend Suzanne!
Toto you are my hero !
ReplyDeleteLove Love Love all the songs but the last one. Brought back some wonderful memories ! The Buckinghams favorite song !
cheers parsnip
Hi, Gayle!
DeleteThanks a lot for stopping by, dear friend. I'm happy to see you!
I'm pleased that you enjoyed most of the songs on Toto's play list and that they spawned some happy memories. Mission accomplished! I defy anyone to stay depressed while the Buckinghams are singing and playing. I loved their brand of feel good music.
Thanks again for tuning in Toto's Top Tunes Time Tunnel, dear friend Gayle, and have a super week ahead!
Toto you know your music doggone it! I really enjoyed listening to some of these classics and just love how much the Beatles were an influence even the hair. This is brief since I am dizzy as hell but hope you are having a great time away. By the way, the small guy in the front on The Rascals looks like James Franco
ReplyDeleteHi, Birgit!
DeleteI'm sorry you are experiencing dizziness, dear friend. I hope that unpleasantness soon passes. I do appreciate you taking time to visit.
Thanks for dropping in and listening to Toto's platters. I'm glad you enjoyed show #2 of Top Tunes Time Tunnel. Yessum, The Beatles exerted tremendous influence on American teenagers and on homegrown bands. The Young Rascals and Buckinghams grew their hair long, but I should note that the Kingsmen and Shondells kept their hair shorter, at least in the beginning, and maintained an old school look the most part. The Young Rascal you spotted in the picture, the one who looks like James Franco, is Eddie Brigati. Eddie famously sang lead on "How Can I Be Sure." Prior to becoming a Rascal, Eddie was with Joey Dee and the Starliters.
Thanks again for coming down, dear friend BB. I hope you are feeling better today and I will be back in touch with you again soon!
Tom,
ReplyDeleteI came by on Monday and got side track making me forget to read your post. *smack forehead* I'm still on vacation with DH. We're having a relaxing time. Yesterday we spent the day in the mountains which was a welcome treat and there is evidence of fall in the hills with nature's wardrobe changing. The colors aren't at their peak in the upper elevations I bet things are gonna more vibrant by this weekend.
I think it's Linda Ronstadt's cover of 'Just One Look' that I remember best but I enjoyed The Hollis' cover. I like both covers better than the original sung by Doris Troy. If you're impressed don't be. I had to check with Google to learn who did it. lol
I enjoyed your oldies selections, many are new to me. Well, I'm off here for now. Sorry to make this brief. Have a songsational day, my friend!
Hi, Cathy!
DeleteWelcome back in to Shady's Place, dear friend! I am excited to hear about your travels with DH to the beautiful mountains in your region. The only mountains near me are the fire ant hills in my yard. :) I hope you will snap lots of pictures of fall leaves in the coming days and weeks.
I'm glad you got some enjoyment from Toto's Top Tunes. Thanks for reminding me that Linda Ronstadt covered "Just One Look" in 1979 and had a top 5 hit on the Easy Listening chart. Canadian singer Anne Murray also recorded a version of the song in 1974 and her single brushed the Canadian top 10. Martha and the Vandellas waxed a version that was released on their 1963 album Heat Wave.
Thanks again for joining the fun, dear friend Cathy!