You might enjoy this, then, by the late, great, Steve Goodman. It starts off quite innocently enough, with Born to Be Wild, and quickly descends into dead teenager medley madness with “Teen Angel,” “Tell Laura I Love Her,” and “Strange Things Happen.” How I wish I had been able to see him while he was alive (I was about ten when he passed away.)
Perhaps there’s a reason that most people don’t remember I Love Onions by Susan Christie, which got as high as 63 on the Billboard charts in 1966. I was nine years old at the time. My mother loved this song.
There are lots of songs I remember that no one else (close to me) seems to remember. Sometimes I feel like my childhood was a figment of my imagination. I would really like to see my son’s marching band perform Chicago’s “Harry Truman” in their marching band show - I think it would be awesome. Does anyone know where to find the sheet music that has all of the original parts?
I came in to mention this song! Many is the time I’ve sung a few bars of this and gotten a blank stare in return…
I do know this, but from the Nuggets - Psychedlic Artyfacts series.
My contribution:
“Soft Core”, Maurice and the Cliches.
“Peppermint Lump” by Angie with Pete Townshend
My absolute favorite pop song EVER is called “True Love” and it’s by The Marching Girls, which is a band Brendan Perry was in before Dead Can Dance.
No one in real life ever, ever remembers this song at all. I listened to it constantly throughout the 80s. On the SDMB, I hope, more people will remember this excellent pop-punk song.
One of the first songs I can clearly remember was “Bermuda” by the Bell Sisters. They recorded that in 1952, but I remember they sang it on what I called the Offy Goffy (Arthur Godfrey) show some years later.
I had a huge, huge stack of old 45’s (courtesy of my parents who probably paid 50 cents each for them) I’d play in my room, hour after hour, on my little record player. Here are a few you just don’t hear about any more:
Popsicles, Icicles - The Murmaids (1963)
Torture - The Everly Brothers (1964)
The Men In My Little Girl’s Life - Mike Douglas (1965)
Harry Truman - I was all over that song when it was released, thought it was the best thing ever. Still have the album, the one that came with an iron-on Chicago logo (white T shirt not included). Still have the iron-on, too.
Patches - Is that the same as the Clarence Carter song? (“Patches, I’m depending on you son, to pull the family through, my boy, it’s all up to you…”)
Here are my entries:
“Love on a Two-Way Street” by The Moments
“Timothy” by The Buoys
“Gimme Dat Ding” by The Pipkins
“My Ding-a-Ling” by Chuck Berry
“The Fish Ain’t Bitiin’” by Lamont Dozier (complete with references to Tricky Dick)
Thanks pulykamell. That sounds right up my alley.
“I Beg Your Pardon” by Kon Kan and “Jane’s Getting Serious” by Jon Astley.
I loved both of these when they were getting radio play, but you never hear them anymore (except in my car).
No, you’re not. I remember that, and also the first music video of theirs I saw, Curiosity.
Someone in the comments for “Curiosity” mentioned Rebbie Jackson, Michael’s older sister. This reminded me of the only song of hers I remember, Centipede. I doubt many people remember she even had a singing career.
Chevy Van" is a 1973 song written and sung by Sammy Johns. The song was a big hit in 1975, reaching #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart
Celebrated a time when guys drove tricked out vans with wood paneling, lights and bed. Don’t come knockin if the vans a hopping. I kept my van for almost 20 years.
still love this song!
Shock the Monkey by Peter Gabriel was a big hit when I was in middle school. Everyone knew it, it got played relentlessly on the radio. Nowadays, it seems to be forgotten completely. About 10 years ago, I called a DJ and requested it, but the DJ didn’t even know of it!
Another oddity is Sally Go 'Round the Roses originally done by a girl group called the Jaynettes in '62. It apparently got to no. 2 on the billboard chart, and was popular enough to inspire a dozen cover versions (including versions by a pre-Airplane Grace Slick and by Donna Summer)
Howza about “Junk Food Junkie” by Larry Groce? The song mentions Euell Gibbons, and Euell died just before its release. Guess the old man just couldn’t stand it.
How come on all the Sesame Street song compilations, I never see “Rubber Duckie”? It was BIG once.
Sally Go Round the Roses and Mustang Sally - two GREAT songs.
Sincerely,
Sali
Purple People Eater was The Bomb (do they still say that?) when I was a sprout.
Little Black Egg by The Nightcrawlers
Talk Back, Tremblin’ Lips by Johnny Tillotson
I’m A Lonely Little Petunia (In an Onion Patch) By Kitty Kalen
Two songs by Jermaine Jackson:
Do What you Do - creepy video with the dummy in the shower
Dynamite - I think this was because of the “catchy” chorus
Oh! And In The Rain by Oran Juice Jones, although this seems to have had a resurgence lately among some people I know.
Hanging on the telephone by The Nerves. Remade by Blondie then remade again by Def Leppard. Yet when I mention this awesome song to friends my age no one seems to remember it.
Manfred Mann’s Earth Band - Lies (All Through The 80’s)
Maybe it will come back in 70 years.
Pearl Jam did a very good cover of “Last Kiss”. It’s faithful to the original versions, just simple and straight, with the great voice of Eddie Vedder. If you haven’t heard it, you should. I just remembered it thanks to this thread, and put in on my Pod.