The Songs Of The Summer: Episode #11: 1966

Welcome to another Sun-Soaked episode of The Songs Of The Summer Series from friend and Contributing Author Ozmoe!

This week: Remembering 1966…

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As a reminder or for those just joining us, I categorize a summer song basically as the fun tune you’d like to do at karaoke with your friends. It’s hummable, singable, danceable, and probably some other kind of optimistic labels I can’t think of right now.

tnocs.com summer charts expert ozmoe

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…Or at least author Hal Lifson proclaimed it was in his 2003 book on the period.

Was it really that cool for music that summer?

Well, consider this: When a Man Loves a Woman by Percy Sledge was Number One for Labor Day weekend, followed at the top by the Rolling Stones’ Paint It Black, the Beatles’ Paperback Writer and Frank Sinatra’s Strangers In The Night.

That’s a pretty cool lineup of classics indeed, mt…

…yet none of these would fall into my category of being a Summer Song.

They’re not light enough, nor do they inspire you to get up and dance and sing along with them – the way a good summer song should. 

And to my surprise—and to Hal Lifson’s credit—1966 was a cool year for contenders in this contest. I usually find it pretty easy to sort through eight credible choices, but this time I found a baker’s dozen possibilities.

So, in the interest of space and time, I’m going to leave out but note as honorable mentions:

• Little Girl by Syndicate of Sound
• Red Rubber Ball by The Cyrkle
• The Pied Piper by Cristian St. Peters
• Sweet Pea by Tommy Roe
• … and See You In September by The Happenings.

Now, they may merit consideration to include one – or all of them – among your top three for this year, with the top ranked one being you favorite.

…Or maybe something else! 

But here’s my pitch for what I believe are the best 1966 Summer Song candidates, listed chronologically based on their Hot 100 peak:

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• Robert Parker: Barefootin’

This glorious one-hit wonder was one of the few 1960s soul numbers not on Motown, Stax or Atlantic. Instead, it came from Nola Records out of New Orleans, a city which definitely had a vibrant music scene but whose artists usually had more success on the jazz charts. What helped Barefootin’ cross over was Robert Parker’s delivery being as jaunty and offbeat as the lyrics he penned to a funky, shuffling beat. Also, note that generally when a title includes an apostrophe in place of a letter, it’s usually a sign of a good time. See the next entry for proof of this assertion.

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• The Chiffons: Sweet Talkin’ Guy

Sweet Talkin’ Guy was the last gasp for classic 1960s “girl group” hits. After this summer, the only hitmaking all-female combo for the rest of the decade was the Supremes, who seemed to be in their own orbit thereafter. But let’s back to Sweet Talkin’ Guy, which sounded retro even when it came out in 1966. (Play this next to 1963’s similar sounding Popsicles and Icicles to see what I mean.) The Chiffons harmonize nicely throughout and it’s bouncy, but the lyrics are problematic at points.

As the next entry indicates, the guy in the title often comes off as a …. 

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• The Capitols: Cool Jerk

This was another danceable non-Motown one-hit wonder … or was it? Though from Karen Records, the thumping guitar and piano (or as the song put it:

“Give me a little bit of bass”
”With those 88s!”

… and other instruments were played by members of Motown’s great in-house band, the Funk Brothers. To their credit, the Capitols are just as animated as the musicians. Boomers in VH1’s 100 Greatest Dance Songs survey in 2000 ranked this a strong 48^th place, just above The Isley Brothers’ Shout and just below Sly and the Family Stone’s Dance To The Music. (Wow!)

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• Tommy James and the Shondells: Hanky Panky

Speaking of retro sounds, Hanky Panky was a two-year-old record when it hit number one. The tune had been written in 1963 as a B-side for a record by the Raindrops, the recording name for songwriters Jeff Berry and Ellie Greenwich. Tommy and his band covered it, had some local success and then forgot about it. Until: airplay from a Pittsburgh station led James to sell the master for the original recording to Roulette. This wears its garage rock authenticity proudly while James does fine as lead vocalist. And no, I still don’t know how you do the Hanky Panky. 

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• The Association: Along Comes Mary

Was the first national hit by the Association really code for marijuana? Who knows or cares at this point? What does seem apparent is that the group aimed to be a more pop-friendly version of the Byrds and largely succeeded, starting with this effort. It’s hard to discern the quickly-sung verses upon first listen, I’ll allow, but the chorus and instrumentation are delightful bits of ear candy that win you over regardless. By the way, if the drummer sounds especially professional here, there’s a good reason. It’s veteran LA session star Hal Blaine in action.

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• The Troggs: Wild Thing

It has always amused me that Chip Taylor, who wrote this hard rocking proto-new wave classic, also wrote the beautifully delicate ballad Angel Of The Morning. That’s range, folks. Getting back to Wild Thing, while the song has held up well, let’s give props to what the Troggs did with it too. Lead singer Reg Presley delivers the lyrics like he’s on, well, maybe what Along Comes Mary was promoting, except when he shouts, “But I wanna know for sure!” It’s a clever way to keep your attention, as is the ocarina solo in the middle. Wild Thing … I think I love you too.

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• The Lovin’ Spoonful: Summer in the City

Yes, this has an advantage with the word in its title. But putting that aside, and what remains is a truly awesome pop concoction (as are most hits by the Lovin’ Spoonful, I’d add). Begun as a poem, the number grew to encompass sound effects including car horns honking in traffic jams and pneumatic hammers drilling into pavement to make a vivid aural collage of the sounds one would expect in a vibrant albeit crowded metropolis. The lyrics shift from daytime noise to nighttime joys effortlessly, as do John Sebastian’s vocals. It’s hotter than a match head indeed.

• The Mamas and the Papas: I Saw Her Again

A soaring singalong, I Saw Her Again leaves behind the contemplative mood of its predecessor, Monday, Monday, to let the harmonies of John Phillips, Denny Doherty, Cass Elliot and Michelle Phillips tell a story of romantic imagery. But if you parse the lyrics, it’s not a classical love story at all. It mirrors the romantic entanglements among at least three of the group members and proves that there were real life soap operas going on in groups before Fleetwood Mac. The bright and upbeat production helps smooth out this offering regardless.

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Sort through this embarrassment of riches to pick your top three, and list them with any other comments below.

And since it’s still summer, so look for another entry here next week!

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