UNDERACHIEVERS! The 50 Most Underrated Records of the 1960s, Pt. 1

 BEFORE WE BEGIN THE POST, 

 I PROUDLY PRESENT ANOTHER 

 EXHIBIT IN MY SERIES... 

  SHADY DELL 

 SHOW AND TELL! 

 “The Mystery of the Cup” 

 NEVER BEFORE SEEN ON EITHER 

 OF MY BLOGS...THIS ULTRA-RARE 

 SHADY DELL SOUVENIR PLASTIC 

 DRINKING CUP, GENEROUSLY 

 DONATED BY OUR GOOD 

 FRIEND JIM SIELING! 

 Cup measures 5.5 inches in height 

 and 3.5 inches at top lip. 

Jim says he has five of these cups.  Former Dell owner Toni Deroche

told me her son Brandon had one cup back in the 2000s when he

lived at the Dell with members of his band The Underwater.

However, Bran's collector cup vanished at some point.

 WHAT'S THE STORY 

 BEHIND THESE CUPS? 

 WHO CREATED THEM? 

 WERE THEY PRINTED AND 

 SOLD AT THE DELL AUCTION? 

 EVER SEEN ONE BEFORE? 

 DO YOU OWN ONE OR MORE? 

 PLEASE LET US HEAR FROM YOU 

 IF YOU CAN HELP SOLVE... 

 “The Mystery of the Cup”  

 NOW, ON WITH THE SHOW! 

 Hi! I'm 

 Shady Blue... 

one of the founding fathers

of the Shady Bunch DJ team

on S-P-M-M Retrosonic Radio.

I host an oldies show called 

 STUCK LIKE GLUE  

 on SHADY BLUE  

 And I'm 

 Shady Green... 

one of the other original

Shady Bunch DJs here

at Shady's Place and

your Host with the Most

on a magic carpet ride back

to the Swingin' Sixties called

 SHADY GREEN 
 AND HIS 

 WAYBACK MACHINE 

Starting today, Blue and Green collide.

 We're joining forces to bring you a 5-part, 50-song series

dedicated to great records of the 1960s that shoulda been,

coulda been and woulda been major hits but, for some

reason, failed to get the attention they deserved

at the time of their release.

 Along with the records we're playing, we've hung cool vintage

artwork and illustrations on the walls to enhance the mood.

  Listen to the first 10 songs and let me know in your comment:

 How many of these long lost relics do you remember or like? 

  Okay, start clicking and enjoy the tuneage in Part 1 of my series...

 UNDERACHIEVERS! 

 The 50 Most Underrated 

 Records of the 1960s! 

"Stubborn Kind Of Fellow" - Marvin Gaye

(Oct./Nov. 1962, highest chart pos. #36 Cash Box,

#46 Hot 100/#8 R&B)

"One of the very best records of Marvin's career, yet it fell short

of the Billboard Top 40. Outrageous!... a travesty!" - Shady Blue 

 CLICK ON IMAGE BELOW TO PLAY SONG 

 CLICK ON IMAGE ABOVE TO PLAY SONG 

"Hey Sah-Lo-Ney" - Mickey Lee Lane

(July 1965, uncharted)

"Uncharted??? Unbelievable!  Mickey Lee's record rocks big time!

Good to know the ditty was hot across the pond... a genuine

 'Northern Soul stomper' played heavily in dance clubs

of northern England." - Shady Green

"The Boy From Crosstown" - The Angels

(Oct. 1964, uncharted)

"Uncharted??? You gotta be kidding!  This song surpasses

'Boyfriend's Back' as the toughest, most streetwise sound

generated by this great pop girl group!" - Shady Blue

"That's Cool, That's Trash" - The Street Cleaners

(Nov. 1964, uncharted)

"Uncharted???  No way!  This slab's too cool for school! Penned

by Steve Barri and P.F. Sloan and covered a few months later

by The Kingsmen, this frat rockin' party platter belongs

in the soundtrack of Animal House.

Ain't gonna be any dancin' on the kissin' floor!"

- Shady Green

"You've Been Untrue" - The Delfonics 

(Apr. 1967, uncharted)

"Uncharted??? Didn't even make a dent in the R&B survey? 

 I'm flabbergasted!  One of greatest songs in the entire Delfonics

catalog, this exquisite sweet soul ballad is one of the essential

building blocks of The Sound of Philadelphia." - Shady Blue

"Mr. Dieingly Sad" - The Critters

(Sept./Oct. 1966, highest chart pos. #14 Cash Box,

#17 Hot 100/#17 Canada)

"Failed to reach the top 15 on Billboard?  Makes no sense to me!

This groovy, beautifully written song deserved to wind up

in the top 5 winner's circle!" - Shady Green

"Uncharted??? I call bullcrap!!!

"Homicide Dresser" - Billy Harner

(Oct. 1967, uncharted)

This rowdy Northern Soul cult classic by

East Coast blue-eyed soul shouter Billy Harner

aka 'The Human Percolator'  deserved to bust

into the top 40 at the very least!" - Shady Blue

"California Nights" - Lesley Gore

(Mar./Apr. 1967, highest chart pos. #11 Cash Box,

#16 Hot 100/#15 Canada)

"14 weeks on the chart and still peaked outside the top 15 on

Billboard? I'm flummoxed!  Co-written by Marvin Hamlisch

 and produced by veteran hitmaker Bob Crewe, this great

single deserved to reach the top 3." - Shady Green

"Hold On" - The Radiants

 (Apr./May 1968, highest chart pos.

#35 R&B/#68 Hot 100)

('Keep on rockin, baby... cause you only (WOO-HOOO!)

rock once!') "A soul essential that recalls the glory years of

The Geator (Jerry Blavat), Hy Lit, Georgie Woods, Porky

Chedwick and other great record spinners of the 60s.

 Featuring Mitchell Bullock on lead, here are Chicago's Radiants

with the hottest sound around in the spring of '68, but a true

underachiever that missed the Top 30 on the R&B chart

and stopped well short of the Top 50 on the pop survey.

Shirley you jest!" - Shady Blue

"I Wonder (If Your Love Will Ever Belong To Me)"

- Rick Nelson  (May 1964, uncharted)

"Uncharted??? Well 'I Wonder' what gives!  Okay, I know

darned well why Rick's superb cover of a 1961 record by a black

doo-wop group called The Pentagons failed to register on the chart.

 It's because the song went to waste issued as the B side of a single.

If only the Rickster's rendition had been released as an A side,

it coulda been and woulda been a hit!" - Shady Green

Okay, how many of these

underappreciated and

underachieving records

of the 1960s do you

remember? Do you

like any of them

so much that you're

 STUCK 

 LIKE GLUE?  

Did these moldy oldies

make you feel like you

just took a trip in my

 WAYBACK 

 MACHINE? 

Stick around!

 There are 4 more parts of this series...

40 more songs that need your love and

a forever home on your record player.

See you soon on the next edition of

 UNDERACHIEVERS! 

 The 50 Most Underrated 

 Records of the 1960s! 

2022 - Year of the Dell Rat, Part 1: Crazy Little Thing Called Love!

 CAN SHADY DEL KNIGHT KEEP YOU 
 ENTERTAINED IN THE COMING YEAR? 

 DOES 

 CHRIS GRIFFIN 

 REACT POORLY 

 TO BAD NEWS? 

 WELCOME BACK, DEAR FRIEND! 

 AND HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

I'm delighted to have you along for the ride
as I begin another year of blogging here
at Shady's Place Music & Memories.
This year I am excited to launch eight
new S-P-M-M radio shows hosted by
engaging TV and radio personalities.
You met them all last year in sneak
previews, and they're back in this
special two-part post to help me
kick-off 2022. Today, in part one,
you will meet the first four new
members of The Shady Bunch,
so let's get right to it.

Lo & behold, two of your favorite Shady's Place regulars,

Brian and Chris Griffin from Family Guy, are back,

along with my first special guest, their sister Meg.

Meg was overjoyed when I slipped her a note in class

and invited her to join The Shady Bunch DJ team.

Santa was good to Meg this year, and my job offer was the icing on the cake. 

Meg's social media accounts blew-up when word spread that she
had been chosen to become the latest celeb radio personality on SPMM.

Without further ado, please

join me in welcoming this

delightful young woman

back to Shady's Place.

Ladies and gentlemen -

Meg Griffin!

Thank you very much, Shady,
and happy new year, everyone!

CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!

I am beyond excited that Shady picked

me to host my very own radio show.
I've decided to call it Meg Griffin's
Frantic Romantic. I'll be playing the
greatest love songs of your lifetime

including somebody done somebody
wrong songs and wistful ditties like
this one by ABBA. Goodbye '21,
hello '22 and-- "Happy New Year!"

"Happy New Year" - ABBA

(from Nov. 1980 album Super Trouper)

That was the Swede sound of ABBA

and "Happy New Year," featuring

"Aggie" (Agnetha Fältskog) on

lead vocal. Penned & produced

by Benny and Björn, the song

was released in the fall of 1980

on ABBA's Super Trouper album.

It's time for me to hand over the mic

to another new Shady Bunch deejay.

Before I go, I'd like  to invite you to

join me later this year for my show

Meg Griffin's Frantic Romantic

 here on S-P-M-M Retrosonic Radio. 

Now welcome back America's sweetheart.

You know her as Adrian Monk's smart,

savvy and sometimes sassy assistant,

and she's also my great new friend--

Natalie Teeger!

Thank you so much, Meg, and happy new year

to one and all! My new show on S-P-M-M is

called Natalie Teeger's Array of Sunshine.

As the name suggests, I will be bringing

my sunny disposition to the airwaves and

brightening your day with the groovy sounds

of sunshine pop and light rock. For example,

did you know that The Critters derived their

name from The Animals? As the summer of

'66 was getting underway, these Jersey boys

landed their first single on the chart with a

version of a song written by John Sebastian.

CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!

Here are The Critters with a record that brushed the top 20
on Cash Box and got them noticed-- "Younger Girl."

"Younger Girl" - The Critters

(June/July 1966, highest chart pos. #21 Cash Box/#42 Hot 100)

You just heard "Younger Girl," the first single by The Critters,
one that revealed their hit potential as sunshine poppers.
Oddly, while the platter performed well on Cash Box,
it failed to reach the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100.

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

Later that year the group followed-up with "Mr. Dieingly Sad"
which cracked the top 20 on Billboard and top 15 on Cash Box.

"Mr. Dieingly Sad" - The Critters

(Sept./Oct. 1966, highest chart pos. #14 Cash Box/#17 Hot 100)

That's all I have for now. Please join me
this year for the official debut of my show

Natalie Teeger's Array of Sunshine
on S-P-M-M Retrosonic Radio!

Now here's one of the charismatic stars of the

Netflix science fiction drama Sense8. She's the

San Francisco-based trans woman hacktivist

and blogger you first met at Riley's Raves

on the old blog, SDMM, and she's back

this year with her own radio show.

Please welcome-- Nomi Marks!

Thank you, Natalie... and happy 2022 to all my
friends and followers out there in S-P-M-M land!
Just a friendly reminder -- whatever you do,
don't call me Michael. I am delighted that
Shady Del Knight has given me this
amazing opportunity to co-host a radio
show along with my BFF Nia Nal from
Supergirl. Our show, Transitive Verve,
celebrates diversity in music, a mix

of styles by artists old and new...
everything from 80s new wave
to modern pop and rock.

CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!

On our show, you'll meet exciting young entertainers from around the

world, like up-and-coming Romanian stars Andrei Cerbu and Beatrice

Florea. Here they are with-- "Crazy Little Thing Called Love!"

"Crazy Little Thing Called Love" - Queen cover

by Andrei Cerbu & Beatrice Florea (Sept. 2019)

Hi, I'm Nomi's radio co-host Nia Nal,
and that was the fabulous Romanian
duo of guitarist Andrei Cerbu and
 singer Beatrice Florea covering
Queen in fine fashion doing the
Freddy Mercury song "Crazy

Little Thing Called Love." As
that exciting performance
illustrates, people of all kinds
across America and around
the world share a bond. We
have something in common -
this thing called love, a love

of good music. With that in mind,
I invite you to join Nomi and me
for Transitive Verve, making its
official debut this year on S-P-M-M.

Now it gives me great pleasure to introduce Shady's last special guest of the day,
WMEX Boston top 40 radio legend Arnie "Woo Woo" Ginsburg, back from
Beantown to start moonlighting as a Shady Bunch personality
this year on S-P-M-M. Take it away, Arnie!

Thank you, Nia Nal, and happy new year

to all my top 40 teens in the listening audience.

Your friend The Woo Woo is here for you-you,

Old Aching Adenoids, Arnie Ginsburg, back

on the air to bring you another sampling of

my famous Night Train Show coming to

you in '22 on S-P-M-M Retrosonic Radio.

I'll be spinning the great sounds of doo-

wop, pop and rock & roll, records that

were hot in New England and across

the USA in the pre-Beatles years,

the late 50s through early 60s.

CLICK TO START
THE VIDEO NOW!

Here's one now, ripped from the Wimmex Tunedex. It's Beantown's
own Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon taking us along for a day
of fun and teen romance down at-- "Palisades Park!"

"Palisades Park" - Freddy Cannon

(June 1962, highest chart pos. #3 Hot 100 & Cash Box)

Penned by Gong Show host Chuck Barris and

sung by Freddy Cannon, that was a rock & roll

tribute to New Jersey's Palisades Amusement

Park. Can you believe that great song was the

designated B side of a single? What were the

guys in suits thinking? When a deejay played

the song by mistake, it took off and went

top 3 in the spring of 1962, becoming

the biggest hit of Freddy's career.

Gee, that does it for Part 1 of our new year
spectacular. Stay tuned for Part 2 coming up

next Wednesday, the 5th of January, when
you'll meet four more new members of

The Shady Bunch deejay staff.

CLICK TO START THE VIDEO NOW!

And stick around for more great sounds from Meg Griffin, Nomi & Nia,
Natalie Teeger and me, Arnie Ginsburg, coming your way throughout
2022 on S-P-M-M Retrosonic Radio. Remember - while the others
are talkin'...we're rockin'! As Ernie Fields plays us off with
his hit instrumental "In The Mood," this is your buddy
Old Aching Adenoids, Arnie "Woo Woo" Ginsburg,
saying so long and, once again, happy new year!

"In The Mood" - Ernie Field's Orch. aka Ernie Fields Orchestra

(Nov./Dec. 1959, highest chart pos. #4 Hot 100/#7 Cash Box)

 MEET MORE NEW S-P-M-M DEEJAYS 

 IN PART 2 ON WEDNESDAY, JAN. 5!