Zager and Evans are probably best known for their hit song “Exordium and Terminus (In The Year 2525)” but the truth is, they were an incredibly gifted and underrated pop duo. In particular, they had an amazing ability to sing in harmony in a way which, in my opinion, rivaled the Beach Boys or the Beatles. Their voices perfectly complemented each other and they also had a knack for coming up with wonderfully catchy pop melodies and clever lyrics:
“In my house one time there lived a great big rat
I bought a nine-pound pound eagle, and he ate the rat.
In my house lived a eagle, so I bought me a beagle
the beagle ate the eagle, made the whole thing evil”
From the funkadelic tune “My House” from their self-titled album.
Mr. Turnkey is a fascinating tune about a rapist who nails his wrist to the wall of a prison cell. The B-side, “Cary Lynn Javes,” is a cheerful pop song about a childhood sweetheart. The vocal harmonies on this one are outstanding.
Is anyone else a Zager and Evans fan?