More Honorable Mentions! Nos. 131-140
More cool stuff for your listening pleasure. These are some of my faves!
(If you’re wondering about the parameters and what we’re doing, you can find them HERE)
140: War – “Summer” (1976)
War, what is it good for? Well, this song for one thing. I liked other songs as well (“Cisco Kid,” “Why Can’t We Be Friends,” “Low Rider”), but this one is their best, a perfect ode to the joys of summer. This was a 1976 hit, but for some reason I associate it with 1978. Maybe that’s because that’s when I really fell in love with the song while playing it on WSBU-FM.
139: The Troggs – “I Can’t Control Myself” (1966)
This is here because whenever I hear this song it sticks in my brain and I find myself doing humming, whistling, singing the guitar part until my wife threatens my life if I don’t stop. The Troggs were one of those lowest common denominator bands that didn’t do anything particularly inspiring, but had tunes that were irresistible earworms. I find that more true of this one than “Wild Thing.”
138: Little Junior Parker – “Barefoot Rock” (1958)
I’ve seen some collections that collectors have put together entitled “Songs the ______ Taught Us,” with songs that were covered by bands like the Cramps, the Fleshtones, the Detroit Cobras, etc. Well, this song is one I learned from the Blasters. Parker is probably best known for doing the version of”Mystery Train” that Elvis heard before he recorded it, but I like this one better. It’s our first entry with more of a New Orleans beat, but it won’t be our last.
137: Everly Brothers – “T for Texas” (1968)
The Everly Brothers’ mid- to late-’60s era is frequently way too overlooked. While they inspired the Beatles, they continued to develop in the late ’60s, when they helped invent country rock. I could have chosen “Bowling Green” as well, but this is also one of my favorite country blues songs by Jimmie Rodgers. My first exposure to it was actually courtesy of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s live version from the late ’70s.
136: Chris Montez – “Let’s Dance” (1962)
To me, this is the epitome of of teen beat music from the early ’60s. Thank you to the Ramones for introducing me to it with their version.
135: Secret Affair – “Time for Action” (1979)
This is a song that I didn’t really become familiar with when it first came out, picking up on it on some Mod collections in the last 10-15 years. For me, I associate it with playing it on “Alternate Universe Top 10,” a show I was doing with Lucy Bell on WCVF-FM at Fredonia State. We played it in the first show after the 2016 presidential election. The next spring I finally got involved in local politics, joining our local Democratic town committee. It’s a great horn-drive punk/mod song.
134: Temptations – “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” (1972)
In some respects, this isn’t the Temptations’ best song. “My Girl” would be their true classic in many people’s minds. But that song has been played to death over the decades, so much so that while it’s a true classic, I don’t really need to hear it very often. This one is a classic, too, but a little less played and reflecting the group’s move toward a funkier song in the early ’70s. There isn’t a single note that could be improved upon.
133: Little Walter – Juke (1952)
Blues fans know Little Walter, but the general audience doesn’t. He was Muddy Waters’ harp player and revolutionized harmonica playing as much as Jimi Hendrix did with the guitar. This is one of his signature songs (“My Babe” is the other) that fans will recognize from the opening notes. I was introduced to this during high school when I was listening to the great blues show on WBFO-FM from Buffalo. That show had a profound impact on my music life.
142: Arthur Alexander – “Burning Love” (1972)
I’ve always loved going back to hear original versions of hit songs, and I love this one. I think Elvis must have as well. Alexander is one of the great, sad stories in soul music. He wrote and recorded songs that were recorded by the Rolling Stones (“You Better Move On”) and Beatles (“Anna”), but he never made much money from it due to really bad deals. He was driving bus in Cleveland when his career was resurrected in the early 1990s and Ben Vaughan produced an album by him. I interviewed him by telephone for a newspaper piece. Then he died of a heart attack before his comeback could go any further. For what it’s worth, he didn’t write this one; I picked it up on 45 at the legendary Ruda’s Records on Broadway in Buffalo.
141: Eno – “Baby’s on Fire” (1974)
I think I heard this song for the first time on a mixtape from my friend Goodnow. It’s a combination of crazy, cynical and with a large dose of black humor. Brian Eno is probably most known for his work with U2, David Bowie and Roxy Music, but has been influential with his own recordings as well. It’s always interesting.
So there you have it, our next 10 honorable mentions on the way toward the Top 100. Enjoy!