Sunday Afternoon Music Festival celebrating the 2022 birthday of the Shirells, Five Man Electrical Band, Sopwith Camel and legendary British producer Denny Cordell

We’ll start our Sunday afternoon birthdays with Doris Coley, the first girl group in pop music (August 2, 1941 – February 4, 2000), Shirells. He promised his love to a million boys, and a million girls swoon over the music! It was the first girl group to hit #1!

As I told you in Shirley Alston Reeves’ birthday tribute, this group was the true pioneer, and paved the way for Motown and every other girl group in the ’60s. While they faded after the British invasion due to changing tastes and marrying, the Shirells still opened the door for a hundred other “girl groups” to create the magic of the early ’60s! His voice was so distinctive, it couldn’t be mistaken for what we call “transistor radios” even on antiquated museum pieces. It was the sound that millions of people loved, and with which. For your enjoyment of another era, Shirrells!

His first attempt in 1958! “I met him on a Sunday”

From 1960, a tune written by Shirley and Luther Dixon. It was highly controversial at the time, as it was one of the first tunes written about a woman’s feelings of losing her virginity. in 2010 Rolling stone It is listed as one of the best songs of all time!

“Tonight’s the Night” Here’s Shirley cranking out yet another great version of this classic later in her career! “Tonight is that night”

The Shirells gave us the tune, written by Carole King, the first #1 hit by a girl group! Here They Are on TV in the early 60s, “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” Here’s the original studio version of “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow”.

After that, he had a string of hits in 1961, with the resumption of this earlier effort from 1959, which went to #3 in 1961! “Dedicated to the one I love”

He followed it up a few months later with this #4 Smash! written by Luther Dixon! “mama said”

remember this? Went to #8 at the end of 1961! “baby It’s You”

Two other bands did covers of that great tune! First, the Beatles’ version as we heard it long ago! “Baby It’s You,” and here’s the version that went to #5 for Smith! Here they are live and belting it out! “baby It’s You”

It hit #1 among the Bay of Pigs in early 1962 and before the Cuban Missile Crisis when I was a kid living on Ground Zero. Stand up, sit down, and salute the flag, believing that all is well. “Soldier Boy”

Here’s His Standard Studio Version Of “What’s The Matter Baby”

He scored on this flip side of “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” with “Boys” and yes, there was King Curtis on Waylin’s sax at the break! As it was one of the biggest live tunes of the Beatles, sung by them. Ringo, here it is! “boys”

A video of a live performance of “Everybody Loves a Lover”, from 1964

We’ll close with a funny video clip of Shirells performing “What Is Love” and “It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World” (yes, he had a cameo in the 1963 film.)

If you’re interested, I found this 10-minute mini-documentary that’s a quick take on The Shireless

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Our second set is shorter, and celebrates the birthday of William Seavers (August 2, 194?), rhythm player for Sopwith Camel, one of the early Bay Area psychedelic folk bands that hit big in 1966–67 and boomed. faded from

Introducing Soapwith Camel, which was a huge hit! Here they are, lip syncing in another quirky “music video” performing their ever huge hit “Hello Hello”. Here’s a complete one-hit wonder album! soapwith camel first album.

Here are two from that album that epitomizes the 60s! First, the grunge protopunk of “Cellophane Woman” and the ethereal psychedelia of “Maybe in a Dream”

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Our next set is a brief hiatus in attitude! Brian Redding (July 31, 1946 – June 8, 2016) was the bass player for the famous Canadian group The Five Man Electrical Band. From his point of view:

Redding entered music at an early age … soon after becoming a founding member of The Stakatos in 1963, which produced several hits before changing its name to the five-man electrical band, which followed the #3 smash hit “Signs”. With international success. For your enjoyment, Brian Redding!

Since 1971, his huge hit! “Signal”

Back to the beginning as Staccatos! Here was his first tune from 1965, a very early Beatles-influenced period piece titled “It Ain’t Easy.”

Here’s his second song that made it to the Canadian Top 20! “Small Town Girl”

It went to #8 in 1967! “midnight”

The spectacular performance of “Half Past Midnight”, from their 1986 reunion

From 1968, “The Time Didn’t Know”

Their first hit after changing their name to the Five Man Electrical Band was this slow ballad in 1969 that broke the top 40 in Canada, “Private Train”.

“Signs” was originally released as the B-side of the single “Hello Melinda, Goodbye”, but DJs started playing “Signs” and it reached the top 5 in three countries where it stayed for weeks. .

Performing “Perfect” live in 1972

We’ll close out with a live performance at the 2010 Canada Fest with FMEB cranking out “Signs,” a fantastic classic.

Our encore is a very lively stellar performance The Mike Bullard Show Sometime between 1997-2004. “Perfect” and “Hint”

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Our final set celebrates the life and work of legendary producer Denny Cordell (born Dennis Cordell-Laverack (1 August 1943 – 18 February 1995). Denny worked with some greats, including the original Moody Blues, Procol Harem, The Moov, and Joe Cocker, after which he moved to L.A. to work with Leon Russell and the artists Shelter Records. Without further ado, here’s the great work from Denny Cordell!

He produced this gem for the original Moody Blues in 1965, which resulted in the international smash hit “Go Now!” It doesn’t really sound like the post-Denny Lane moody blues we all know about featuring the great Justin Hayward. It was the original sound!

Fantastic Moody’s

Live at the 1965 NME Festival, Here’s a Live Performance of the Ghostly “Go Now”

Lip Syncing for Original Studio Version, Here’s Denny Line and Original Moody Blues Offering “Go Now”

While Denny didn’t produce it, because the song is iconic and most haven’t heard this version, you get the original! For Your Enjoyment, the effortless soul of “Go Now” produced by Leiber/Stöller and sung by Bessie Banks in early 1964

They produced Procol Harem, and this classic debut album was released in September 1967! Procol Harum (This is the UK version without “Whiter Shade”. Check out the lyrics to “A Christmas Camel”, which starts at minute 17. Wow! And that’s Robin Trower on the lead. Wow again!)

Of course, that album featured the monster hit “A Whiter Shade of Pale”, which Denny followed up with this follow-up single, the haunting “Homburg”.

Their second album came out in 1968, and was even more psychedelic than the first! shine shining (See the first song, “Quite So,” sets a great groove for great songs!)

In 1968, he produced the first Joe Cocker album, and in 1969–70 with Leon Russell, produced the second and third!

Here was Joe Cocker’s first successful album, with a little help from My Friends

the second was Joe Cocker And the third was the iconic 2 Hours Plus Live Grandeur mad dog and english

The first hits were “Feelin’ All Right” and “With a Little Help from My Friends”.

Other hits were “She Came in Through the Bathroom Window” and “Delta Lady”.

The hits on Mad Dogs were “The Letter” and “Cry Me a River”.

He was instrumental in signing several Shelter Records artists in collaboration with Leon Russell. Here is one of the early efforts, where Denny and Willis co-produced this masterpiece, featuring Leon on keyboards, Jim Keltner and Russ Kunkel on drums, Red Rhodes on pedal steel, Dusty Rhodes on violin, Carl Redl on bass. , and many more are included. Other Major Players! For your enjoyment, the unique Texas sound of the Early Show featuring sun rockabilly and Texas originals! Willis Alan Ramsey

While there, he launched the careers of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers! We’ll close this set with albums produced by Denny, who took the band to the top!

was the first Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers With his hits “Breakdown” and “American Girl”

Here is his second studio album You are about to get it! With the hits “I Need to Know” and “Hear to Her Heart”

For Encore, Denny eventually returned to the industry and signed one such band, the remarkable Cranberries, with Island Records. For Your Enjoyment, His First Album Everyone’s doing it, so why can’t we?

© Copyright 2022 Robert Wilkinson