Couldn't get to the comments earlier--busy day--so here:
beginningtowonder: no slight to Martha (Reeves) or Mary Wells intended. Or Junior Walker, for that matter, but Marvin and Smokey were both writers and performers, and innovators, so they're at the top of the Motown list for me. Aretha's untouchable, but she was on Columbia. Mitch Ryder will be along shortly. "Louie Louie" was released in '62 or '63, and re-released in '64, after the governor of (where else?) Indiana proposed banning it from the airwaves, somehow.
r.porrofatto: Per the original meme these are the Billboard Top 100 charts. There is/was some sort of methodology in place for determining the rankings of double-A sides, I know, but I can't figure out why "Day Tripper" wouldn't have made the list at all. Seems like it got as much airplay as the flip side.
Corndog: Au, contraire. I simply meant to pile yet more scorn on that benighted twelvemonth of yours.
isabelita: Without checking, I'm almost positive "Walking in the Rain" was Phil Spector, and although I can't quite hear it, The Ronettes. If so, once again, great stuff, but not Motown Records. Keep it in the pocket, Darleen.*
*Spector's way of discouraging Darleen Love from Mariah Careyitis, aka portamento incontinence.
As for Isabelita's question, the answer lies in the "it's two different songs" category. Yup, "Walking in the Rain," as in "and wishing on the stars above, and being so in love," is SPector and the Ronettes, whereas "Walking in the Sand" as in "Remember? Walking in the sand...Remember? Walking hand in hand..." etc. is The Shangri-Las and was produced by East Coast Spector acolyte Shadow Morton, who later went on to, among many other things, produce the New York Dolls' classic "Too Much Too Soon." "Walking in the Sand" was also rather peculiarly covered by Aerosmith.
ReplyDeleteThe Shangri-las also gave us "Leader of the Pack." I saw them live at a Murray the K matinee—they wore the tightest and shiniest pants I'd ever seen on females in my short life. The highlight was when somebody threw a spaldeen at Mitch Ryder in mid-emote for hamming it up too much, while singing on his knees with his head practically on the floor. The Brooklyn Fox was a tough crowd.
ReplyDeleteNo,it was a song called "Remember" - "Walking in the sand...remember...walking hand in hand...Remember.. the night was so exciting...his lips were so inviting..."
ReplyDeleteNot "Walking in the Rain"
Um, yeah. That's what I said. "Remember (Walking in the Sand)." Shangri-Las. Check it out. Available on I-Tunes and better girl group compilations.
ReplyDelete