What I'm on about....

Good Lord, where did you all go? Readership is WAY DOWN here at the Back-Up Plan, as of the past week or so. Did you all get swept away by the torrential downpours that have hit Western Washington over the past couple nites? Did you all get turned-off by those 100+ "classic rock" songs that I was hatin' on a coupla posts ago? Maybe you're tired of or just not that intrested in those Great Lost Singles I've been posting stats about 4 the past week?
Oh, wait: Maybe you all have Real Lives 2 tend 2? Maybe that's it....

As 4 the Great Lost Singles -- well, I wouldn't have posted those chart numbers if I didn't think the songs themselves were worth tracking down. At least SOME of them are. A few I just tossed in 4 the silliness of it. But it's not like I spent a whole lotta time Dscribing 2 many of them 4 you, so you may not know Xactly what you'd B getting in2, or what all I was on about.
Thing is, I've written about quite a few of those Great Lost Singles B4, even tho it may have bn a year or more back. I just figure if you've bn reading here 4 awhile you know what my obsessions R -- or you can use those post-label-tags over at the right 2 track down more.
& I do hate 2 repeat myself most of the time. But if you wanna know what I'm on about, here's a few Xamples:
* Kracker: "Because of You (The Sun Don't Set)," Winter 1973. Played 1/2adozen times on Seattle's KJR-AM, this rocker has a driving lead guitar, great group vocals, a catchy repeating keyboard riff, & a closing circular vocal chorus that descends in2 anarchy & the return of that driving gtr. This single never made BILLBOARD's Hot 100, & tho Kracker apparently cut 1 album 4 Rolling Stones Records in '73, the resta their career has bn a mystery. After lotsa looking, I now have a copy of their album with the single on the way 2 me, & we'll C if it passes the Great Lost Singles' Acid Test: Does the song sound as good in Reality as it did in my Memory?
* Billy Lee Riley: "I've Got a Thing About You, Baby," #93, early Winter 1972. A classic rocker from the '50s, 1nce signed 2 the legendary Sun label, Riley was previously knocked for sounding "too Black for Whites, and too White for Blacks." Whatever that means. This single, released on CBS's Entrance label, sounds like your nice rockabilly next-door neighbor sits down on your front porch & picks out a friendly little tune about The Love Of His Life on his acoustic guitar, smiling all the way thru. It's got a lotta soul & a nice little bounce, tho it mighta bn a little simple 4 '72....
* Brenda and the Tabulations: "One Girl Too Late." Classic "Girl Group"-style pop, could just as easily have bn recorded in 1965 as the early '70s. My memory sez I 1st heard this in Spring '72 -- on-line searches indicate it was released on Epic in Spring '73. Can still quote a verse or 2 & the chorus & would love 2 hear it again -- but I'm not quite ready 2 spend $30 on a 45-rpm single, no matter how rare it is....
* Junior Walker and the All-Stars: "Take Me Girl, I'm Ready." #51, Summer '71. Junior Walker played that squealing sax solo on Foreigner's "Urgent," the only part of that song worth hearing. Junior & the All-Stars also hadda string of mostly-instrumental hits on Motown's subsidiary Soul label; the biggest was "Shotgun," which hit #4 in 1965. This is 1 of the few on which Junior sings -- & it's classic up-tempo early-'70s R&B with killer singalong choruses. I don't remember any sax playing in it, but my memory could B failing me here -- haven't heard this since '71....
* Johnathan King: "A Tall Order for a Short Guy," Summer '72. King discovered Genesis & 10 c.c., was a columnist 4 British pop weeklies, recorded silly pop songs under a number of noms-du-disc, & even had a flower-power hit of his own with "Everyone's Gone to the Moon," #17, Fall '65. This song is more of a joke: A short guy talks about how his Intended is gonna B a big challenge 2 get close 2. Hilarious, silly lyrics, very upbeat, spectacularly innocent, & you can tell King is smiling & laffing all thru it. Again, probly a little 2 squeaky-clean 4 the sophisticated early '70s. Charming, tho....
* Tim Moore: "Second Avenue," #58, Fall '74. Very nice poetic broken-hearted lovesong, Art Garfunkel had a bigger hit with it later. I liked the singing & production, which still sounds better in my memory than it does in Reality. I found a copy of this a few years back & it was pleasant enuf, but not as melodramatic as I'd remembered, & it failed the Acid Test.
* Andy Pratt: "Pistol Packin' Melody," Fall '74. Can't find this 1, it's like it never Xisted. Pratt was a Piano Man (like a minor-league Elton John or Billy Joel) & most critics hated him, but this catchy, repetitive number with the great singalong choruses got a lotta airplay on Boise, Idaho's KFXD-AM in the Fall of '74. The lyrics R about how hard it is 2 write a catchy, memorable, unforgettable song -- Pratt did it, & it sank without a trace.
* The Road Home: "Keep it in the Family," Summer '71. I think they were on ABC/Dunhill. Great group vocals, & lyrics about love & family ties. I can still recite most of it, but the single never broke thru & there was never a follow-up.
* Heaven Bound: "Five Hundred Miles," #79, Winter '71. Gorgeous female group vocals on an old folk standard, produced (I think) by Wes Farrell, who hadda thing about group-vocal blends. Played 1/2adozen times on Tacoma, Wash.'s old KTAC-AM B4 it disappeared. Far as I know, there was never an album 2 follow it.

...These R just a few Xamples. My point is: If you can track it down, this stuff could Change Your Life. It certainly left its mark on me....

PS: The Launderettes' "Red River" -- which I've mentioned briefly here B4 -- is the 1st 45-rpm single I've bought in YEARS. It sounds great, tho mayB a little 2 retro 4 most current radio play. & I love the choruses. The group vocals are GREAT.
So, see there, I really DO buy stuff that's current. Even tho it sounds like it coulda come outta the '60s or '70s....