D-Sides, Orphans, and Oddities

Richard and Linda Thompson - I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight (1974)

The Free Design - 2002 - A Hit Song (1969)

Noel Murray from the AV/Club wrote:

By 1969, the New York sunshine-pop act The Free Design had released two albums and a string of singles, and all the band had to show for that effort was a handful of well-received TV appearances and one minor regional hit (1967’s “Kites Are Fun”). So on album number three, Heaven/Earth, Free Design frontman Chris Dedrick briefly set aside his usual lyrics about pretty days and happy vibes, and wrote a song about his group’s predicament. One of the most talked-about movies of 1968 was 2001: A Space Odyssey, a mind-blowing vision of a nigh-inconceivable future. With “2002: A Hit Song,” Dedrick imagined something that at the time, to him, seemed even more far-fetched.

Sonically, “2002” resembles nearly every other Free Design song. It’s airy and upbeat, with an arrangement that emphasizes the harmonies of Dedrick and his bandmates (who were mostly his siblings). The Free Design was like an east coast adjunct of California pop combos The Association, The 5th Dimension, and The Mamas And The Papas, but with lyrics more in line with the burgeoning “bubblegum” movement, and instrumentation the wouldn’t have sounded out of place on one of The Anita Kerr Singers’ easy-listening albums. They were simultaneously freakier and squarer than any other young band trying to make the charts at the time.

That quirkiness is the best explanation for the oddity that is “2002: A Hit Song.” Beginning with a little studio trickery courtesy of engineer Phil Ramone (later the go-to producer for Billy Joel and Paul Simon), the speeded-up voices of the Dedricks sing hello to DJs and “teenyboppers,” before launching into a pitch for the song itself. The Free Design insists that “2002” is unique, fast-paced, well-promoted, and sung “with reckless abandon,” which means there’s no way it won’t be a “hit hit hit.” The band then tacks on a twist ending, admitting that all their previous songs were equally catchy, but failed anyway.

PSA - Englewood Police Department - Boys Beware (1961) Ralph was sick! Ralph was a homosexual! Jimmy No!!!

PSA - Batman, Robin, Batgirl, and the Federal Equal Pay Law. (1966) As things change...

The Citizens - Go, Goldwater (1964)

Billy May and His Orchestra - Marrakesh Express (1970) From LP #10 in the Reader's Digest 1969/70 album, "Up, Up & Away"

Brady Kids - Candy (Sugar Shoppe) (1972) "Come on, Sugardrop, and give me some." Or "Come on, Sugar. Drop and give me some..." ? Does anyone care? Why am I doing this? 

Internal Recording - Nobody Can Do It Like McDonalds Can (1979) In many styles. One sounds like a direct rip-off of Maxine Nightingale's "Right Back Where We Started From".

Movie Trailer - Brother Theodore - "Superstition" (1985)

From Phil Rosenthal's (Everybody Loves Raymond) autobiography:

Bobby Darin - Bullfrog (1969) From the album Born Walden Robert Cassotto.

Burgess Meredith (as The Penguin) - The Escape (1966)

How to Undress in Front of Your Husband (1937) 

From IMDB:

Elaine Jacobs was a 16-year-old high school student in New York in 1931 when she went to see the John Barrymore film Svengali (1931). From that moment, she later said, she fell in love with Barrymore and vowed that one day she would marry him, even going so far as to change her name to Elaine Barrie. A few years later she read in the newspaper that Barrymore was in a New York hospital due to an "illness" (he was actually undergoing one of his periodic "cures" for his severe alcoholism). She sent him an adoring fan letter asking for an interview, and Barrymore wrote back and granted her one. After that first interview she returned to see him every day for more "interviews", and when Barrymore was finally discharged from the hospital he moved into the Jacobs' family apartment in New York City. Barrymore's divorce from actress Dolores Costello was still not final, and Elaine was 30 years younger than Barrymore, and when the press discovered the situation, they had a field day. Barrymore took Elaine and her mother out to nightclubs, parties and theaters all over the city, with reporters and photographers in hot pursuit. The coverage of the pair was so extensive that in 1935 the Associated Press named Elaine (along with presidential candidate Alf Landon) as one of the people who made that year most interesting.

Coca-Cola of Germany - Wir Bleiben Am Ball (?) 

Filmstrip Soundtrack - Breakfast on Mars (?)

Donny Osmond - Ronny Be Good (1981)

? - Donna (?) From the musical Hair. I guess?

Hartz - How To Teach Your Parakeet To Talk (1960)

Ed Ames - Hello Lyndon (1964) 

Anti-KKK, Anti-Goldwater - Alabama Political Ad (1964)

Nixon Now (1972)

The 1972 "Nixon Now" advertisement is memorable for its uncharacteristic nature. Not many would associate Nixon, a firm Cold Warrior who excelled at fierce anti-liberal attack ads, with a spot that scrolls from stills of young people frolicking in the sun to clips of a smiling Nixon shaking hands with constituents. All the while, a festive song hails Nixon for "reaching out to find a way to make tomorrow a brighter day, making dreams reality. More than ever - Nixon now for you and me."

Oscar Brand - Why Not The Best? (1976) or (1999)

Herman Silvers & Cornell Tanassy - Hello Ronnie, Goodbye Jimmy (1980)

Wayne Newton - Hard To Handle (1994)

Lou Rawls - The Girl From Ipanema (1966) Awesome. 

L Ron Hubbard - Thank You For Listening (1986)

Rolling Stones - Fingerprint File (1974)

Connie Francis - Nixon's The One (1968) 

Barry's The Man For Us (1964)

Sammy Davis Jr. - She is Today (1970)

Johnny Cash - Houston Hash (1969)

Sunny Side Rice (1969) For more, please visit Zero to 180. 

In the 60's and 70's there were some artists that had only one Billboard Chart hit. But sometimes that lone hit made it all the way to #1. Then, they went and recorded follow-ups, usually in a hurry, and usually at the cost of anything resembling artistic integrity. Here they are. And Ken and I perform the hits themselves. The best is toward the end when we do "The Night Chicago Died". 

David Soul - Going In With My Eyes Open (1977) The follow-up to "Don't Give Up On Us Baby". From now on I will just put the previous hit in caps following the year. 

John Sebastian - Hideaway (1976) Welcome Back

Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots - Disco-rilla (1977) Disco Duck

Alan O’Day - Started Out Dancing, Ended Up Making Love (1977) Undercover Angel

Alan O'Day wrote "Angie Baby", a big hit for Helen Reddy, and "Rock and Roll Heaven" which was originally recorded by Climax ("Precious and Few"), but made a hit by The Righteous Brothers. They recorded it again with more contemporary corpses, but I cannot find that version. 

Wild Cherry - Baby Don’t You Know (1977) "Play That Funky Music"

A mawkish attempt to self-aggrandize and create a mythology to continue their stardom. A pretty embarrassing self-copy. Lightning never strikes twice. 

Gilbert Neal/Ken Ray Wilemon - Play That Funky Music 

Gilbert Neal/Ken Ray Wilemon - Stuck In The Middle With You

Billy Swan - I’m Her Fool (1975) I Can Help

Carl Douglas - Dance the Kung Fu (1974) Kung Fu Fighting

A mawkish attempt to self-aggrandize and create a mythology to continue their stardom. A pretty embarrassing self-copy. Lightning never strikes twice. 

Van McCoy - Change With The Times (1975) Do The Hustle

See, you can tell by looking at lots of these covers that women were never truly equal, more objects and subjects of boy-girl tropes from way back. Yoko Ono really had a point. 

Minnie Riperton - Simple Things (1975) Loving You

There were exceptions. I've played more (of her ex-band) Rotary Connection on my show. I think they were more interesting. 

Gilbert Neal/Ken Ray Wilemon - I Can Help

Gilbert Neal/Ken Ray Wilemon - Kung Fu Fighting

Terry Jacks - If You Go Away (1975) Seasons In The Sun

"If You Go Away" follows the same blueprint as "Seasons In The Sun". Take a Jacques Brel song (in this case,"Ne me quitte pas", and "Seasons...", "Le Moribond"), use an English translation, and hope ligh...tning ......stri.....kes.....twice.....

Notice he is still using the "Poppy Family" brand, the band he formed with his wife in the 60's. One of the few bands to have a sitar player as a regular member. 

But "Seasons in the Sun" was on the previous album. Why is it here, too?

Amii Stewart - Light My Fire (1979) Knock On Wood

Anita Ward - Don’t Drop My Love (1979) Ring My Bell

M - Moonlight and Muzak (1979) Pop Music

Gilbert Neal/Ken Ray Wilemon - Seasons in the Sun

Gilbert Neal/Ken Ray Wilemon - Everlasting Love

Nick Gilder - Here Comes The Night (1978) Hot Child In The City

Shocking Blue - Mighty Joe (1970) Venus

Vicki Lawrence - He Did With Me (1973)

Produced by Snuff Garrett. He made all those great Cher singles from around that era. 

Bill Conti - Theme From Rocky II (1979) Gonna Fly Now 

Co-written by Carol Connors (above), who also co-wrote "With You I'm Born Again" by Billy Preston and Syreeta, one of my favorite singers. Ever watch "Let It Be" and wonder what Billy Preston is thinking about? 

Gilbert Neal/Ken Ray Wilemon - Venus

Gilbert Neal/Ken Ray Wilemon - Hot Child In The City

Gilbert Neal/Ken Ray Wilemon - The Night Chicago Died

Poppy Family - Which Way Are You Going, Billy? (1969)