The sweet soft voice of joanne Robertson makes a really cool contrast with the graspy and kinda dark voice of Dean Blunt plus the classical guitar playing chords that sounds like the end of a movie or a sunset. IDK it just sounds pretty cool, one of my favorites songs of my life.

This song is an intriguing one for me, I can never get enough of it! It's one of the easy listening classics from the early 70's and is one of the most perfect examples of the "Now Sound" genre, recorded by a Hawaiian bar band led by lead singer Liz Damon. Interestingly, it is a cover of a song written by Chicago soul songwriter Johnny Cameron and it was originally recorded by Betty Everett on the Uni label. I was lucky enough to find a copy of Betty's original version, but unfortunately her version has never been put on CD.

This song has a delightfully slow tempo and dreamy, romantic lyrics that somehow seem timeless. To me, the song always seemed to be in an older style than its early 70's release date would suggest. The bridge features great horn playing and a wonderful descending bass run.

The original 45 on White Whale Records had a song called "You're Falling in Love" on the flip side, and that song too is a classic, in my opinion.

while i don't like much of chicago's music, i like this song a whole lot. their music is often a bit cheesy to me, but this song rocks out. the guitar is awesome in it. it's a fast and furious rock and roll guitar. it single handedly makes this song. the title actually refers to two types of acid available in the 60's(?), 25 or 624. so, to imagine this song, think of a great classic rock guitar on acid.

These Canary Islands boys try their best to disguise their accents on this snarling proto-Stooges number with almost militaristic drumming and ethereal backing vocals. The flip to the club classic "Get on Your Knees".

Remarkable cover of a classically great song. Ricky has an amazing voice and his solo guitar work is clean and just raw enough to engage you. Found him on hte web at www.soundclick.com/rickyfitzpatrick.

I can't think of another current unknown performer who deserves to be propelled into the realm of stardom more than Ricky.

In a word...spercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

Searing r&b cover of the ? & the Mysterians classic. Maybelle almost sounds like she singing this about somebody else, and like she's amused by the pain she's caused. I know it's been comped a number of times, but I'm not sure of where.

This record always raises my temperature. Honest, charming, and always a delight to hear. The same chemistry that Burt Bacharach crafted comes across here without pretension or compromise. Great mix of loungey now sound and blue eyed soul. A timeless classic, and it doesn't stop there!

The original version of this Brazilian classic, it was covered by just about everybody. Has that children's chorus doing backing vocals that the Brazilians seem to love so much.

A perfect straight-forward jazzy take on the Beatles' classic. Goldie is in peak performance and reminds me of Michelle Pfeiffer in 'Fabulous Baker Boys' on this song.

A crooning Bryan Ferry (what else?), Odd timing (as all songs in this album), some classical instruments. Overall, an impassioned statement, sung very persuasively.

My favorite song of all time! I can listen to this one recorded song a million times and get the same feeling every time I hear it. It makes me feel inspired.

A slow number from Gainsbourg�s classic concept album, �Ah melody� opens with that picked acoustic guitar sound which the group Air have now imitated and made one of their trademark sounds. The arrangement is very bare, with the guitar accompanied by just a vocal, bass, and a spikey, funky drum beat. Later in this short track, strings and Bacharach-style horns slip in and out of the mix, before everything stops abruptly. It�s a great track from what I find otherwise to be a slightly disappointing album.

Proving once and for all that she could carry herself as a solo artist and sing a dramatic love song, Ms. Ross slowed down the tempo and sank her emotions into this wonderful tale of unending love and devotion. The original full-length version clocks in at 6:16 but was brutally chopped down to around 3:30 for radio airplay and some of the song's most intimate words are removed. Sadly, the shorter version was featured on her box set a few years back. (what were they thinking???!!!) Get your hands on the 6 minute version and enjoy a true classic american song by a great american artist!

A beautiful track off Air's already classic debut album "Moon Safari". Actually the instrumental backing of this song is based on a track they released in 1996 ("Les professionels", later compiled on the "Premiers Symptomes" album). This one boasts such an enveloping warm analogue sound with all the vintage synths Air used (Moogs, Fender Rhodes etc.). On top of that there's the dream-like, sensual vocals by Beth Hirsch that gives it such a floating, laid-back tone. Sounds like the impression of a late summer sunset transcribed into sound. Wonderful.

An unusual take on this classic Burt Bacharach tune, more commonly heard sung by Sandie Shaw. This Swedish vocal group adds a musical phrase to the song which adds something to the atmosphere. The incredibly wide vocal range of the group is used to full effect. The result is a very appealing mixture of 60s pop and vocal jazz.

astonishingly beautiful, early 70s brazilian masterpiece. a classical piece disguised as a pop song, with a simple piano playing a wistful melody punctuated by an amazing unexpected ascending chord hook. gismonti sings the original version, with a string section and morricone-like wordless vocal backing him. for the final minute the key changes and the vocals and accompaniment stop, and the solo piano veers off into satie territory, before resolving back into the refrain. gismonti re-recorded this a few times, after finding success in europe as an avant/classical composer. this song also inspired the guitar and mandolin trio agua e vinho, who cover it on their self-titled album along with a few other gismonti compositions.

Ed Harcourt has now committed this song to tape three times in three years. Firstly on the excellent debut mini-LP "Maplewood" in 2000. It was fleshed out and re-recorded for his full-length debut LP, "Here Be Monsters", in 2001, and now surfaces again in 2002 as the a-side of his most recent single. This time it's even better still, and comes accompanied with a great video. This is classic, piano led pop which could have been recorded at any time in the last 30 years. Comparisons to Randy Newman, Nick Drake andTom Waits have been forthcoming, and not unjustified. A great song which just gets better with each trip to the studio.

A classic 80s pop song, with New Order trademarks such as a super heavy bassline, strong drums and some frenetic guitar work. The lyrics aren't too bad for Bernard Sumner either - it's a touching (if not entirely coherent) story about lost love. A great song which fills me with nostagia.

A perrenial sesonal classic given a veneer of French disco sophistication,its appeal lies in retaining the melancholy of the songs intent whilst infusing the proceedings with something more up beat and Parisienne ,so the song runs at am exhaustive 8 minutes but leads you out of a forboding autumn and takes you nearer the optimism of spring. All achieved through the genius of arrangement and Miss Jones empathy with the song

Taken from a 13th or 14th century poem (Fairest between Lincoln and Lindsey) this song is quite heartbreaking in its simplicity.

A psychedelic Exotica classic. It really must be heard to be believed. For starters, Magne raises the genre's hallmark bird calls way, way over the top. Some of them sound like Donald Duck, some sound like theremins. Then there is the spaced-out arrangement which integrates the bird sounds and pushes the familiar melody in totally bizarre directions.

Sun Ra does a kind of classically themed mambo blues thing here. Great stinging guitar work, mambo (cha cha) beat and then he launches into classical themes on organ. Not as wierd as it soungs - it all works perfectly.

I am a collector of songs. Besame Mucho is one of my favorites and my favorite by far is by Lila Downs. The band she is playing with is what makes this song so great. The percussion is awesome. I am amazed that I am the first person to recommend Lila Downs as she was the singer for the movie Frida and has become well known since then. This Amer/Mex woman has several albums and to me is one of the best singers I have ever heard. I could go on and on. If you listen to the clip, it is only 20 -40 seconds and the band plays a long beginning so you may not even get to hear her voice. What a shame!

Acker's trad-jazz stuff leaves me cold, but this groovy instrumental picks up a musical theme (from the 1963 movie version of the Keith Waterhouse classic) and runs with it.

An AMAZING rearrangement of "Eleanor Rigby". Earland kills on organ, and he's backed up by the incredible Melvin Sparks on guitar and Houston Person on tenor sax. An absolute classic of Hammond jazz.

A Northern soul classic. I don't go a great bundle on northern usually, a bit stiff and strict tempo for me. This however sweats and creaks like the best Nashville Teens song you never heard with three PP Arnolds on vocals and a vibrato laden farfisa. Best lyrics ever as well, natch.

Classic wall-of-sound rock.

An amazing, slow, funky cover of William Bell's classic electric blues. The whole thing serves as a great reminder of how instrumental the rhythm section of Al Jackson, Jr. & Duck Dunn was to "the Memphis Sound".

A band that blend elements of classical, jazz, funk, rock, folk, and electronic music.

Why i like it; a beatiful song about moving forward in life, and Katie Noonan's vocals are wonderful to listen to....

...Say i love, i live and breathe in now....

Chad does country rock. The album is Songs To Fix Angels, which should go down as one of the best records ever to come out of our local scene(Kansas City, MO). The songs on it sound like stuff you grew up hearing on the radio. Build A Rocket is fast & upbeat, kinda punky.

Was on Mixmag Lost Classics CD.

The idea of a funky jazz harp rendition of this classic Jim Webb song is probably cheesy to some people, but trust me, this one works brilliantly. The opening shimmers delightfully with fender rhodes piano, strings, and a huge breakbeat. Dorothy's harp then takes over, and we move into a nice pop/funk/jazz take on the song. The relentless beat is pretty funny when you compare this version to others (e.g. the Glen Campbell hit version, also Nick Cave's classic stripped down version from 'Kicking against the pricks'), but it is really very charming, happy stuff. A similar funk/pop hybrid occurs on her version of 'Windmills of your mind' - highly recommended.

Dutch R&Bsters lay down their finest Spencer Davis Group imitation on this Rufus Thomas classic. From their '66 LP "Emotion", which also features the Nederbeat classic "Don't You Leave".

Glad to see all of the Nick DeCaro recommendations here. I'm going to jump on the bandwagon and recommend my favorite DeCaro recording.

DeCaro interprets the "Pet Sounds" classic in a jazz style which recalls Chet Baker more readily than Brian Wilson.

A suprisingly emotional track which stands on its own.

Good Beach Boys covers seem to be a rare thing. This is easily the best I've heard. Any recommendations?

This is a rather ridiculous but super–catchy take on this theme to the 1967 spoof Bond movie. Performed by German session musicians, it ends up being a rather groovy mix, with viola d’amore, flute, female wordless vocals, harpsichord, and that other staple of the Baroque era, funky drums. It’s short and sweet and really very cool. The late sixties were cool for many reasons, but one of them is that they could accomodate TWO albums called 'Bacharach Baroque' - this one, and the other great Snuff Garrett-produced one by 'The Renaissance'. Both are superb.

Two years before he became the musician responsible for the great music featured in the classic 'Peanuts'animated TV specials, Vince Guaraldi and his trio hit the charts with this great little instrumental that is the epitome of San Fransisco-style jazz. Vince Guaraldi was a master at Jazz piano and the artists who performed with him created truly great performances that any lover of jazz will be glad to have in their collection.

PS: Released as the B-Side of a single to radio stations, disc jockeys preferred it over the A-Side.

This is a jazzy, haunting track from an LP I bought in Brazil last year. I've tried hard to find information about Jean Kelson, but the only mention I've found (other than those I've made myself) is in one of Ed Motta's excellent archived radio shows at his official site (http://www2.uol.com.br/edmotta/sala.htm). Ed plays a different track from this album, Munganga.

Catolé sounds musically like a variation of Baden Powell's classic 'Berimbau', and opens with an incredibly catchy refrain featuring piano, percussion and trumpet. Gentle male voices then come in and flesh out the melody. The entire album is great. I wonder what the chances are of it coming out on CD...

Absolutely stunning hammond version of the Don Covay/Aretha classic on this label out of Nashville. Another guy that I know nothing about.

Darlene really gives it her all on this song which has become an all-time holiday classic.

A great example of a classical-pop arrangement where a pop song gets a pseudo-classical treatment. Here, this Bacharach classic is rendered with harpsichord and wordless scat vocals, and the result is kitschy but also stunningly beautiful.

Classic Byrdsey tone to this folk rock gem from the album 'Slopey'. the drumming is pure delight and the chorus is a gospel-binding rouser

Dave Gedge, main man in long-time British alternative band The Wedding Present, decided to do something a bit different in the latter part of the 1990s, so he enlisted girlfriend Sally Murrell and a number of musical friends and put out some really good material under the name Cinerama. The purpose was to do some less noisy, more classic-pop oriented tunes, and it worked like a charm! This track, their second single, is a sprightly '60s-influenced number, which means it's mega-tightly produced and has the rhythm guitars at the back of the mix where they belong. It also has a nifty string and piano arrangement. Lyrically it's a fantasy about a girl he wants very badly (not in real life presumably). The song is on my '90s top ten list for sure!

From that much maligned genre, eurodisco, comes an amazing story of a young girl moving to the city. She has dreams of dancing and making it under the bright lights, but is confronted only by people who see sexuality in her dancing, not freedom. She is exploited; her ideals ruined.

People think I make too much of the genius of Penny. I can often be heard espousing, at length, her brilliance and analysing her songs (I tend to do the latter in my head - there's only so much friends can take). Penny was pretty famous in Germany and only vaguely so everywhere else, primarily for the disco classic Lady Bump. She is now a sci-fi/fantasy novelist but unfortunately her books have not been translated into English else I'd doubtless find social comment in those as well...

An electronic collusus,the real joy of repitition ,its influence is 50% Kraftwerk and the same of Giorgio Moroder,a lenghthy epic dance workout ,increasing in intensity as it hurtles ,train like, to its sweaty conclusion ,its one concession to its American origins is the radio friendly vocal style ,imagine Hall and Oates being produced by Moroder and you are some way there .

A small hit at the time which has grown into a genuine dance classic,re mixed and revised several times ,but its always that relentless rhythym which grabs the listener,refusing to let go .

This song is a classic of the psychedelic era, by a group that later became known as the Peanut Butter Conspiracy. I first discovered it years ago on a 1967 compilation album called "West Coast Love-In" which featured about four of the Ashes' songs. It was "Dark on You Now" that really wigged me out-it is an awesome, slow-paced, moody number that features the spine-tingling vocals of Sandi Robison and the prominent 12-string guitar of John Merrill. The song is incredibly atmospheric and reminds me of a combination of the Byrds and Jefferson Airplane when both of those groups were in their prime. It is also at four minutes plus quite long for the era. I listed this as being recorded in 1967 but it may have been waxed in 1966...at any rate it is surely one of the great songs of the early psychedelic era.

I have the first Peanut Butter Conspiracy album which contains a re-recorded version of this song, harder rocking and not nearly as good. The original Ashes version was recorded as a 45 for the Vault label (which also issued "West Coast Love-In").

Had it been released under different circumstances, this song might have been one of the enduring soft-rock classics of the early 70s. It's got a catchy, haunting melody and one can easily imagine it charting alongside Bread or Seals And Crofts or whoever.

Best Of Friends were essentially the East Coast-based songwriting/guitar duo of Bing Bingham and Joe Knowlton. I'm not sure how, but Eumir Deodato and legendary bossa nova producer Roberto Quartin took a shine to them and recorded this album for Brazilian release on Quartin's eponymous experimental label of the early 70s. The album even features Dom Um Romao on drums. It's actually a straight-forward pop-rock album of its era, with little to no Brazilian overtones. This same duo would later make an album on RCA as "Joe And Bing."

This title track was also covered by Astrud Gilberto on her 1972 "Now" LP, arranged by (coincidence?) Mr. Deodato himself....

Classic, classic, classic....what an awesome use of keyboard technique. Written by Rusty Zoller, the song was recorded by this Biloxi, Mississippi group and has been relead in a compilation disk by Gear Fab label. See more about the group at: http://www.artist-murals.com/images/Pictures/Joel_Scarborough/Ray_zoller.htm

In some ways an obvious pop-punk classic, but still one that's generally overlooked in favour of their singles. One of the greatest nights between my best friend and I was the time that not only did we discover this was both of our favourite Blondie song, but we found out that, rather shamefully, each of us harboured a secret crush on Rimmer from Red Dwarf.

The song is the best among some real class on Plastic Letters. The noises made by a band on the brink of the mainstream super-success they were so worthy of. Deborah Harry never sounded tougher (except perhaps on Rifle Range), a persona that fits her like the ripped catsuit she famously sported on Top Of The Pops.

This is a great funky version of the jj cale classic. Groovy and sexy as can be.

Britpop classic from the mid 90's. Bits of every great pop record ever

By late 1983, when Altered Images' third and final album, Bite, was released, Altered Images were already dead in the water. The group had never made any particular headway in the US, where their blend of Siouxsie and the Banshees and the Monkees (not to mention Claire Grogan's bizarre, baby-talk hiccup of a singing voice) was just a little too weird for mainstream tastes, and in their native UK, their colorful look and bubblegummy 1982 singles "I Could Be Happy" and "See Those Eyes" had forever typecast them as a kiddie-pop band. Grogan was already branching off in her second career as an actress (she played the title role in Bill Forsyth's 1982 cult classic Gregory's Girl), and Bite seemed like a mere contractual obligation. For the most part, it sounds like it, too, but the brilliant single "Don't Talk To Me About Love," which led off side two, was a welcome surprise, and possibly the best song they ever did. Mike Chapman's production recalls his work with Blondie, while the disco-tinged electronic beat, chicken-scratch electric guitar part and rubbery, melodic bass part all sound closer to New Order's "Blue Monday" than Bananarama's "Cruel Summer." Grogan herself is in an entirely different mood than usual, with her newly-lowered singing voice (and slightly improved enunciation) displaying a rueful, almost petulant edge that suits the cranky lyrics. Only at the very end does she shoot into her usual helium-pitched unintelligibility, with an air of "See, I can still do this, I just choose not to anymore." Coupled with the most indelible chorus of the band's entire career, it all adds up to a minor masterpiece. Sadly, however, nobody wanted to know.
(AMG)

its not a song. its a classical composition. - the most ingenious composition in history.

classic swedish 80's garage. the creeps finest hour. find it and enjoy!

A beautiful,wistful and classic ballad sung by one of the greatest voices of all time.

From a recent cd re-issue of a for once real lost classic from the enigmatic but well connected Mr Lincoln. This sort of mines the same seam as Syd Barrett but this is psyche pop firmly rooted in English folk/folkloreand the joining of a collage of three different song parts,what some would refer to as an opus or epic.Haunting nursery rhyme intro makes way for weird fairground interlude and lysergic distraction before concluding with the painfully beautiful intro section,before finishing way too early for its own good.They dont make them like this anymore and couldnt if they tried this is from a different time and place.

The first line says it all: "I've gone as far/as I can go with this crap". A classically lush pop tale of infidelity. This bitter duet featuring Emma Pollock of the Delgados has a brooding feel reminiscent of great orchestral pop of the past, especially that of Barry and Bacharach.

This song is a great trancy piece of work! It opens with dialogue lifted from the soundtrack of the cult classic 1980 film 'Flash Gordon. "Klytus, I'm booooored.... what plaything can you offer me today?" "... the inhabtants refer to it as the planet... earth..." "how peaceful it looks"... The song then goes to a great drum break and a voice not unlike Alexander Scorby reading cryptic Bible-like phrases, "the mountains shall drop sweet wine and the hills shall melt"

A nice change from watching Wizard of Oz with the Dark Side of the Moon soundtrack, if you know what I mean...

Another stunner from an album full of them, "Eden Rock" finds common ground between folk-rock and quiet storm, sounding very ahead of its time. Piano, congas, bass, Spanish guitar and a smoooove lead vocal over jazzy changes mark this as a lost classic. It anticipates many of the paths that 70s pop, rock and R&B would follow. Two minutes and twenty-five seconds of joy.

Classic period Traffic ,soulful vocals ,jazzy electric piano and funky flute .Never soaring but gently uplifting on a sunny morning.

Completely delightful "Garra"-style Marcos Valle song, only available as an obscure B-side. Claudia gives a typically stirring vocal performance over an arrangement filled with strings, horns and probably the exact same rhythm section as on Marcos' classic tune, which Claudia also covered.

The magical Mr Foxx begins to allow some warmth into his sound after the detached ,sometimes clinical feel of his early Ultravox records and alienated classic "Metamatic".The voice is still remote and the lyrics open to a vaugue interpretation but this sublime piece of post punk pop benefits from Spanish guitar and an almost Abba-esque piano motif .This new found warmth adds a feel of hope and optimism to a previously bleak musical landscape .

An absolute classic of British pop. Beautiful song whose verses and chorus each use original and stunningly effective chord sequences. The verse's melody line is exceptionally fine, as is the atmospheric production.

Vocal version of the classic 'Exodus' Theme. Reverberated deep 60s stereophonic sound, Andy Tielman's voice, the powerful background choir and the reverberated guitars make this version a true masterpiece.
(there's an incredible story on the listener reviews at Amazon about this band)

Most people probably prefer 'Super-cali-fragil-istic-expi-ali-docious' or 'Spoonful of Sugar', but this is my favorite song from the classic film. It can still make me cry whenever I hear it.

Not everybody remembers this, but the "other" side of the famous "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" album featured five rather terrific songs. And this one has "cool passion" written all over it, because the lyrics are straight-ahead I'm-in-love-and-I'm-almost-tongue-tied-about-it but within a medium-paced 6/8 framework rather than a frantic groove. Meanwhile the organ and the choir-like backing vocals give it a lot of warmth. So it sounds like what I'm saying is that it manages to be both cool and warm at the same time. That may not make sense, but it's a great song off a classic LP.

Incidentally, rock writer Dave Marsh in one of his reviews said "It's now garbage" about this LP. Bullfeathers! It's still a classic. It makes me wonder what Marsh thinks is not garbage these days -- misogynous rubbish about ho's and bitches perhaps?

The second in a series of instrumental tracks all sharing the same name as the band which appeared on different albums by them.

What do I like about it? I like the fact that I have the same feeling some of the best Genesis gives me that these guys have really absorbed some of what I find appealing about classical music and fused it with something rocky.

'We won't do anything that shouldn't be done, only the groovy things like having fun'...& there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, in my book.

This is the title track to Chris Montez's third album with A&M, produced by Herb Alpert & it's very, very sweet, but, for some reason not sickly so. That's the magic of mid-'sixties Chris Montez.

This song was almost a hit in Britain. It was released just as the pirate radio stations were about to be banned. It was 'Record Of The Week' on Radio London the week it was shut down and sadly never grabbed it's deserved foothold after that.

A lot of people are taken aback by how high Chris's voice was when he sang, but once you get over that, his music from the A&M era (1966-8) is strangely addictive. Very warm and melodic.

He did mostly cover songs, mostly 'hits of the day', but also generous helpings of classics from the 1940's & '50's. Always giving them a brand new very mid-'sixties treatment.

A wickedly funky and twangy take on this classic Morricone theme. The beat is very cool - funky and surprisingly insistent, reminiscent of some of the best tracks on Howard Roberts's albums of the time on capitol. This track is from the interesting LP 'King Guitar', which also yields a Vinnie Bell-esque 'watery guitar' take on 'Sleepwalk' and a version of 'Tiny Bubbles' done in Latin boogaloo style.

Do not rub your eyes, you read that right, PIA ZADORA! Don't stop reading now, I promise you this is not a joke! Who knew that the squeaky little girl with the string of bad movies and the chubby cheeks had such a great voice. I didn't and was only buying the LP with the expectation of amusement at how hilariously bad this listening experience was going to be, but I am now a convert and you will be too if you ever chance to come across this rare out-of-print album. With the help of the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the lush arrangement by Robert Farnon, Ms. Zadora takes this classic Stevie Wonder track and transforms it into a beautiful torchy anthem that escalates to a triumphant finish!

A very swinging, groovy Latin jazz take on Shorty Long's Motown classic finds Lewis at the height of his form. As expected, Richard Evans turns in an astounding arrangement, utilizing handclaps, studio chatter and a magnificent horn chart.

It's all very beautiful, but the power is particularly in the chorus and the instrumental break which follows it. I am pretty sure that Regina has heard a piece of music which I know and like, such is the strong sense of familiarity I get when I hear this short instrumental part...I mean it sounds like something I particularly like and already know. I can't place the piece at the moment, but will amend when I do...it might be something from a jazz/classical crossover albums.

Jeff Lynne does a fantastic job with the production...the sound is spectacular.

From the minor key trombone intro to the teenage angst of the lyrics, this is a classic song of the 60's that totally encapulates the innocent era of the UK beat boom. Sandie Shaw was probably the best selling UK female singer from 64 to 69, slightly outselling her contemporaries Dusty, Cilla and Lulu and although she possessed a weaker voice than the others, what she lacked in volume she made up in style and interpretation. Sweet and slightly soulful with a quasi tuneless ache to her voice which epitomised a teenager stood up by some beatnik no hoper, she was only 17 and showed the ways of a woman several years older. In the UK it was the follow up to the massive UK No 1 ''Always Something There To Remind Me'' and was a massive Top 3 hit that should have gone all the way to the top.
I love this record - it sums up an era, it is the beginning of a suit of girl singers who changed then style of singing, from 50's twee to 60's ''dolly bird'' and it remains a classic pop single from a girl who held the record for the most No 1 hits for a ssolo female for 19 years

Absolutely heartrending cover of the beach boys classic. May i even go as far as to say it superseeds the original ? I think i will for the time being. Mandy puts the whole song in a groovier context but never forgets the universal melody/appeal of the orginal. Taken from an reissue thats worth checking out too

A wonderful version of “Going out of my head”, which was originally sung by Little Anthony and the Imperials. It's a great song anyway, with really nice words (well, nice for a Smiths fan like me, anyway: 'there's no reason why...my being shy...should keep us apart...'), but Sergio Mendes also adds an extra musical edge to the chorus, and this really adds a new dimension to the song. The instrumentation is classic Brasil 66: Percussive jazz piano, group vocals, and a driving bossa nova beat.

One of the best groups immersed in the second wave of Italian progressive bands. They were able to fluidly combine classical and avant-garde elements in an involving manner with electric and acoustic instruments complemented by light, soft vocals. Arturo Stalteri piano, organ, spinet, cembalo, synth, glockenspiel, acoustic guitar, recorder, tambourine, violin Gaio Chiocchio electric & acoustic guitar, mandoline, harpsicord, synth, shaj baja, zither tirolese, sitar, bell Jacqueline Darby voice This group was formed by piano virtuoso Arturo STALTERI , it reminds me of Schoenberg+Ennio Morricone goes to the prog church with a crisp broadcast-like vocalist (experimental). Sometimes it makes people want to skin cats.

Waltel Branco is the guitarist on a lot of classic early and mid-sixties Bossa LPs with outfits with Wilson Das Neves, Eumir Deodato and I think Ed Lincoln. There is also the classic and highly prized "Mancini Tamem e Samba" LP under his leadership that is available once again on the whatmusic label. Branco is like a Brazilian Les Paul but a little less quirky and a lot more hip. You can't help being more hip with that latin beat backing you up. Lots of deep lumbering compelling beats allow Branco to highlight his fretwork, thus the title - as far as I can translate becasue the cover is a picture of a flame - "Guitars on Fire." Similar to Heraldo Dos Monte "Batida Diferente".

bossa nova version! superb cover of the clash classic. highly recommended.

Here is a prime example of the endless amount of creativity this band had.
They take a song/ concept from a broadway musical, and transform it into an unparalelled, irresistable rock classic.
(That you will NEVER F*#%ing HEAR on a "Classic Rock Station" - They choose stale ClearChannel Playlists over quality & taste)

Alice & the band (his best lineup ever, 1969-74) have created a masterpiece of imaginative rock music here.

The sequence beginning with:
"...Midnight/ Catfight/ Neckbite/ ...Die!"
...and the following interlude leading up to the
'Street Fight' and including the 'Jets Chant'
is one of my favorite pieces of music EVER, by ANYONE.
I get chills to this day.
I wonder if Leonard Bernstein ever heard this, and what he thought.

This is a beautiful bossa-tinged theme with a great blend of strings and brass. The flute/trombone melody is accompanied by an incredibly rich and airy string sound, which swells as the melody builds. The strings alone compel me to listen to this track repeatedly – their remarkably thick, drenched sound recalls some of my favorite Ennio Morricone pieces (particularly those on the fantastic ‘Mondo Morricone’ compilation). Musically, the entire ‘Hammerhead’ score seems to have been influenced by John Barry's Bond scores, and by the less goofy parts of Burt Bacharach's ‘Casino Royale’ score. As well as being a haunting movie theme, this track has elements of that classic loungey film score sound from the mid-sixties.

Chill classic!

The song is kinda annnoying, but you just gotta love that beat and the classic line, "Second Verse, same as the First!" :)

Nina's version of this George Harrison classic is brilliant. She makes this song sound as if it were her own. The emotion in her voice send chills down my spine.

60s classic pop song, perfect sound for a sumemrs day. I like it because it is the song to just make a day fele brighter and happier, it's picnic music.

A gem from the classic '60s television soundtrack to "Secret Agent Man"/"Danger Man". Driving rhthym with harpsichord and brass.

I'm surprised this hasn't been recommended already! "Hot Wind" is a breakbeat classic that's been sampled by the likes of DJ Shadow. Unlike a lot of breakbeat sources, however, this is a great little number in itself. It begins with a desolate harmonica, then those killer drums, fuzz guitar and quasi-Blaxploitation horns kick in. I could picture it backing a raunchy scene with some biker dude peeling out into the desert, spreading dust everywhere. Cool.

Ugly Cassanova made its mark in my soul with this track. Combining Isaac Brock's brilliant song writing with the painfully sweet voice of John Orth from Holopaw, this song sweeps in and out of beautiful melodies in such a way that leaves me absolutely awestruck. It's too bad they couldn't make the rest of their debut this good... the album itself has it's moments, but besides a few standout tracks, fails to completely fulfill my hopes for it's potential with such a star-studded line up. Nothing, however, will ever take away from the solid truth that this song is absolutely stunning, and as far as my opinions go, it's an instant classic.

A superb recording of a really perfect song. Ennio Morricone's theme to the obscure movie 'metti, una cera a cena' (one night at dinner) is here performed in a classic crisp, clear version by Roy Budd. I'm not sure if I love this recording so much because it was the first version I heard, but I think it may even be better than the Morricone recording. Anyway, if you don't know this song, you will probably recognise it when you hear it. It features an infuriatingly catchy repetitive female wordless-vocal over a gentle bossa beat, with rich strings and piano. Every now and then everything goes quiet and all you hear are the vocals and a faint tremelo guitar. It is really amazingly beautiful. There is also a great italian version of this song by Milva, which sounds amazingly like the group Stereolab.

The band transforms the classic Beatles hit song into a great, heavy, throbbing rocker.

This song is recommended for anyone who likes Weezer's Undone (The Sweater Song), and doesn't know its true roots. This track happens to be the exact same song, with different lyrics, recorded many a year before Weezer came along. With a slow and steady tempo and half-sung, half-spoken lyrics, this chill classic is a must for any playlist.

To me this is the coolest recording of the loungey soul pop classic. Dusty's performance is as excellent as ever and it puts a lot of weight on the lyrics that contemplate what to do with an unfaithful man. Saint Etienne built their track "Nothing Can Stop Us" on a sample of the main flute and horn riff.

personally, i enjoy this song in a large part because of the story it tells. i would really like for this to happen to me... it's just a very poignant thing. as to the mechanics of the song, however, some gentle strumming and a bit of classical guitar-style picking lends to the mellow and comforting quality of this song (and the whole album).

brilliant version of the marvin gaye classic. the funk bassline, primitive drumming and the sheer energy of ari up's semi-braying vocals is what makes the song for me. often i find the slits' songs a bit directionless, but this one really hits the spot. look into miy window while this is playing. chances are i'll be doing some sort of jerky white guy- dance.

Think bouncy, 60's brit-girl classic. Makes me tingle all over with happiness. This was on the flip on a Man From UNCLE novelty, Love Ya Illya, and is actually by that queen of opulence Alma Cogan in disguise.

A girl-group classic! It has a very interesting rhythm, which guitars, bass, piano, drum fills, and backing vocals all help to construct ... and then it changes completely within the bridge! The sound is lush, the lead vocal great and soulful. Even in its own genre this is a standout, so why it didn't become a hit is beyond me.

'60s Motown rarely strayed from that classic sound, but this one attempts an earthier, Muscle Shoals/Stax-like sound -- with brilliant results. Martha's voice could even be mistaken for Aretha here. An underrated, mighty danceable single with killer rhythmic guitars, tambourines and a bubbling bassline.

So I'm watching the finale of Survivor: Marquesas (a year ago, in May '02) and on comes this ad for The Gap with, to my utter astonishment, the guitar intro to this 1967 classic. And better yet, they got the correct version! Meaning, the one with the gritty-sounding guitars (there have been a number of inferior versions released that were re-recorded, or at least remixed badly, or something). "I See The Rain" should be quite familiar to British readers but perhaps not to Americans. Anyway, I've always loved this song, and it's the aforementioned guitar sound that makes it stand out, although those harmonies in the chorus and a just-right unhurried tempo help make it one of my faves ...

A breathtaking cover of the Jerry Butler classic, drawn out to 11 1/2 minutes of heartwrenching glory. A true masterpiece from Hayes' most brilliant period. Beautiful string arrangements by Dale Warren, and ghostly backing vocals make this something that you won't soon forget.

To think there was a time when pops vision could be this grand and ambitious .This song originated from an American tv show "The Partridge Family" and was played out by pedigree session men and David Cassidy. its elements contain sunshine pop vocals ,harpsichord and a psuedo classical middle eight and an irrestible chorus,the song almost sounds like two songs alternating with each other and managing to resolve their differences at every chorus ,As good as pop ever got.

This is the classic stalker song. It's also one of the most emotionally charged Costello songs from the album Blood and Chocolate. It's a long one, over 6 minutes for the full version, but worth every second.

Fred Barton is a musical comedy Genius! In the mid-1980's he put together a one-man (or woman) show in which he resurrected the classic Wizard Of Oz character, Almira Gulch. This track is described as the song that was "cut from the Wizard of Oz" while "Judy Garland got to sing 'Over the Rainbow'" [because] "somebody was working for her". His hilarious lyrics are side-splitting and right on the mark for the character he is protraying. Almira boasts of her ability to spoil frozen food just by walking thru the kitchen, kicking her obstetrician during her first visit as a child, and finding deliciousness in maliciousness at every available moment...

Grunge Bliss. A deliberately catchy chorus makes it a song many bands wish they crafted. Of the classic album Nevermind it's well worth a listen

A truly heartbreaking/hair-raising reading of the Timi Yuro classic.
Just Diamanda's spacey/ghostly piano and that apocalyptic voice, recorded live.
The lady sounds like a lovelorn Banshee, wandering some abandoned, seaside amusement pier...in the rain...in the middle of January...at 2 a.m.
Astonishing....

This is an uptempo, light bossa nova vocal interpretation of this song, very much in the vein of the classic Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 sound. Very nicely arranged male/female vocal harmonies, superb electric harpsicord and swirling, lush strings really make this version quite outstanding and contrasting to the Perry Como version, who popularized this song a year earlier.

Whenever I hear this track I think the same thing, that it seems to be the beginning of something
bigger. ....And it seems in a way that it was...

What a great version of an already undisputed soul classic! He really adds something to it thats loose and breezy. Like he did with his arrangement work, he adds something indefineable, but definately something we would hear for decades to come in american radio pop. More precisely, in the 70's.

It's one of the many blossoms in the blue-eyed soul bouquet!

An acoustic (classical) guitar rendition played over the closing credits of the Showtime Film: "Varian's War" The vertuoso Jazz musician from Quebec has graced us with the finest performance of this much loved and performed chanson extant. It is perfection.

newer song by Tom Petty but it sounds just like his classic hits with the heartbreakers. more of a blues/rock feel

great version of the classic gainsbourg song. this is one of the bonus tracks on the rerelease of "oh ah", and it features some absolutely fantastic backing guitars courtesy of alex chilton. a pretty lo fi recording, but the feel on this is quite a few notches up from the album version. it basicly gives me the chills and stops me from doing anything productive each time i hear it. probably the most played track in my itunes folders right now.

(original recording by serge gainsbourg. think there�s an english language version by mick harvey.)

This is my favourite Eurythmics track by some considerable margin, though I also rate some others on the album quite highly. I consider "Julia" to be a classic of 80's electronica, with a rather haunting chord sequence underpinning an effective vocal line with extensive use of vocoder on Annie Lennox's voice. There is a bridge section (heard twice) which is rather derivatve of Vangelis's "Chariots of Fire" theme, but as the track progresses and builds up texturally, there is an undeniable emotional impact, and I always enjoy the various instrumental melodies and counter-melodies that appear.

Eighties Rock Classic, Cheers me up during dark times.

A really nice gently tropical instrumental with strings and a rock (drums/guitars) backing. I seem to be in a minority in adoring Les's 'Que Mango' album (which apparently was originally sold only in supermarkets at $1.99). I actually listen to this album as much as I listen to his classic exotic jazz LPs from the late 50s. It contains lots of great, shimmering, groovy tracks, such as 'boca chica', and the superb 'tropicando', which you can now hear almost everywhere (via a TV ad, and the aptly named 'Thievery Corporation'). Record geek part: on the vinyl version of this I have, the track 'Jungle Montuno' is shorter and sweeter - it begins one minute into the CD version of the track. I'm just mentioning this because the first minute seems to me to be inferior, and from a different song.

"Just Lust" was the B-side to the Buzzcocks' highest-charting single, the Pete Shelley punk-pop classic "Ever Fallen in Love?," eventually reaching number 12 on the U.K. singles chart in September of 1978. The mysterious co-author " Dial" is, in fact, a pseudonym for the band's early manager, Richard Boon, who also shared songwriting credits on "What Ever Happened?," the B-side to the Buzzcocks' infamously banned first single "Orgasm Addict." However, the effect of his involvement in not apparent here, as the music is classic Buzzcocks � masters of the punk-fueled power pop nugget. The rhythm is springy, the track's nervous tension as wired as the melody is infectious. Punchy verses with quick-hit vocals are alternated with short dreamy sections of woozy flanged guitar and chopped up-tempo shifts, the band expertly maneuvering in tight spaces. Shelley follows the twists and turns with clipped phrases followed by drawn-out melodies in sync with the compact arrangement: "Your dream to possess/It hurts/It's so unjust/Just lust, just lust/If nothing mattered less/Then I wouldn't make a fuss/Just lust, just lust/I was slow to catch on and that just makes it worse/If passion is a fashion then emotion is just a curse." Though the track was also included on the Buzzcocks' second album, Love Bites, the group had yet to make an impact in the United States. Thankfully, this little gem was not left to languish in obscurity as it was included in the influential collected singles package Singles Going Steady, compiled as the band's introduction to American audiences and released in the states in 1979.
(AMG)

Absolutely wonderful song. One of those tracks that you need to listen to in your headphones about a million times before you fully realise the scope of just how wonderful it is. An all-time classic.

the song is live at the monterey pop festival. it is one of the cleanest, tightest, most rippin' songs i've ever heard from the jimi hendrix experience. one of the best classic rock guitar songs.

genki japanese pop band's take on france gall's classic. reworked in japanese, hi posi takes this cover the upmost hyper level. ^.^ complete with breathy vocals, hi posi add their own personal touch to the german oldie.

A really beautiful arrangement of this classic film number which I just found out was written in 1944, not the 1950s as I had always thought. Superb orchestral parts move in and out of the texture, through which a lot of harmonic interest not present in other versions is heard. Shearing's divine pianistic touch is shown at several key moments. I don't always like Shearing's recordings, but this one is special.

A lost folk-jazz classic. I remember hearing this the first time and thinking that Portishead must have used this as a schematic for their live album.Spooky art-school-chick folkie lyrics with lush,velvety arrangements by an enigmatic Leon Salem. Jazzy and very passionate!

Heatwave's first two albums can almost be seen as prototypes for Michael Jackson's breakthrough album "Off the Wall." With Rod Temperton, future Quincy Jones and MJ collaborator, driving this album the sound is both funky and catchy, sophisticated and accessible. "Lay It On Me" is an overlooked album track that bubbles and gurgles under the surface of the groove until the chorus arrives with strings soaring for the ectasy of Johnnie Wilder's sweet vocals, "lay it on me, lay your sweet love on me!" Beautifully arranged and excellently executed and just one of many classics of their debut album.

Sylvie Vartan is supposedly one of the cheezier "ye ye" singers, yet I am so in love with this French cover of an American pop classic. It's so charming, the seriousness with which Sylvie Vartan approaches the song. "Must ... Locomotion ... NOW!"

The song is mostly comprised of guitars, though it also features synths that provide timpanies, mallet sounds, and string sounds, as well as an electric bass guitar.

Its a really interesting arrangement and has quite a memorable main melody. The song ends with an interesting modulation (key change) that sustains the main them.

Its a beautiful rock instrumental song with a focus on arrangement, textures, and mood that you might see in a classical piece.

Reminds me of the Stone Roses without the psychedelic rock vibe.

I am a connoisseur (er, fan) of Japanese pop music, not just young further-out acts/groups like Cornelius (lost w/o his tape loops) and Love Psychedelico (think Beatles Meets Velvet Underground). But also that strain of Japanese pop which draws heavily on the stylistic traditions of the usual Brill Building suspects. i.e. Solo Nihogo artists like Mariko Takeuchi, especially those tracks with arrangements by the great Tomaji Sogawa. Also Chage and Aska, Eichi Ohtaki, (sometimes called Japan's Phil Spector), Gospellers, Rag Fair and, of course, Pizzicato Five. I am especially drawn to the efforts of Tatsuro Yamashita as a solo artist, and of his tracks with his wife, Mariya Takeuchi, released under her name. On their own and as a team they have been recording since the 1980s and in (affectionately known by his fans as) Tats' case since the late seventies (his first album was co-produced and arranged in the U.S. by the 4 Seasons' Charles Callelo). There are a number of other artists like this in Japan with uncommonly lengthy---by U.S. standards---careers. And believe it or not, a hit record in Japan sells in numbers that are generally far larger than the U.S. despite a population that is roughly half as large.

One of my favorite Takeuchi - Yamashita collaborations (she writes and sings, he arranges) is "Let's Get Married," which would not be perceived as being retro or sixties or somesuch by (IMHO) the more flexible and openminded Japanese music audience. Even though, admittedly it does draw upon such musical conceits. Instead, Let's Get Married would merely be regarded as a great record, case closed.

This 1984 cut track is timelessly, and extra-territorily infectuous. But with the exception of Kyu Sakamoto in 1963 with his fluke number one single, Sukiyaki, to the best of my knowledge no Japanese artist of any musical inclination has been able to crack the U.S. charts in any significant way. General garden variety xenophobia coupled with a hard time wrapping the tongue around those hard-to-pronounce names with two many vowels and and syllables. It is doubtful that LGM, even though it is sung by Takeuchi in perfectly accented English, was ever released in the U.S.

Starting with a full blown fanfare of the Wedding March played on organ, after twenty seconds, Let's Get Married abruptly switches gears and mood and becomes an ever-ascending excercise in neo-Spectorian pop, replete with castinets, chimes, a swirling ooh-wah background chorale (courtesy of an overdubbed Yamashita), multiple drumkits, a full complement of string players and plenty of good old fashioned Gold Star Studio-style echo. A paen to the joys of marriage, my favorite moment happens at 1:42 way down in the mix right after Takeuchi sings the line "You and me with a small house and a dog," where, if you listen carefully you can hear the sound of a dog yapping for joy. Homage to the "Pet" at the end of Brian Wilson's "Caroline, No" perhaps?

Both Yamashita and Takeuchi had number one albums in Japan last year. Unlike most of their 70s and 80s U.S. rock/pop counterparts, they have not been cast aside by the bulk of Japanese record buyers, but continue to peak at the top of the charts with every new issue. A listen to this perfectly crafted, classic, three minute (well. . . 3;45 actually) track should help illustrate why this is so.

Bill Reed (new to this list)

This song, as heard at the death scene of "William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet", is a piece from Richard Wagner's famous "Tristan und Isolde."
I don't know exactly how to describe it, but I can tell you this:
A few years ago, after studying Shakespeare's tragedy "Romeo and Juliet" and watching Baz Luhrmann's version of the film, young student Kip Kinkel became obsessed with what is often called "the greatest love story ever told." Kip believed that "Romeo and Juliet" was exceptionally relevant to his own life. He had recently been a victim of unrequieted love and he felt his parents' constnat pull over him. One day, Kip had a psychotic break. He carried a gun to school and shot several of his classmates, killing them or leaving them seriously injured. He ran. As his parents arrived back at home, Kip blasted "Liebestod" on his stereo, took up his gun, and shot and killed both of them. The music was still playing loud and clear when the police arrived at his home to arrest him.
Scarily enough, that is how moving this music really is.

A beautiful, soft version of the classic David song sung in Portueguese(sp?). It's only his voice and his guitar.

The song is from the movie 'Life Aquatic'. Wes ANderson asked Seu to translate 11 Bowie songs into Portueguese and perform them on the set.

Also has a personal thing to it for me.

A simple and groovy, mid-tempo easy pop tune with a nice wah-wah guitar riff and Jane B.'s trademark teen fox vocal. Everything apart from the words "Lolita go home" is sung in French. Jane B. didn't really know French and it sounds quite funny. Gainsbourg and Birkin must've had a hell of a relationship! Another classic in my dj set which again shows Gainsbourg's tremendous ability to write sunny bubblegum pop as well as arrange it deliciously.

The Fleetwoods were an excellent vocal group from the late 50s and early 60s who are best known for 'Come Softly to Me' and 'Mr. Blue'. Both of these are 'classic' oldies tracks, evocative of the late 50s.

'Lonely is as lonely does' came late in their career, and actually sounds much more modern than its 1964 recording date would suggest. This is really a prototype of the 'soft pop' style that would become popular later in the 1960s. The composer, Chip Taylor, went on to write 'Wild Thing' and 'Angel of the Morning'.

The track opens with a nice picked guitar introduction. As in many of my favorite Fleetwoods tracks, Gary takes the lead vocal, with Gretchen and Barbara singing backing vocals. Gary has a very sincere voice. At the beginning the song sounds very routine, but there are some clever chord changes and some cool lyrics. My favorite line is 'As your tears fall, remember this: you're just a kiss away from happiness'.

A sad situation but a fine, positive song. Joe Strummer recorded this as a demo for Johnny Cash, I guess with a view to it being recorded for one of the 'American' records.

Within a couple of years both had passed on.

The song is classic Strummer though - upbeat, with vivid words (as usually laying it on with a trowel), the chorus being 'You cast a long shadow' - I hear it as a tribute to Johnny Cash. It finishes off with the words 'there's always rock and ROLL!', which is kind of fitting.

I've only got this on a freebie with Uncut magazine - I dunno if its commercially available or not.

Classical melodic death metal brutality and beauty combined, interesting vocal message and important moreso now than ever. The vocals on this song are although as brutal atempting to follow the melody more than the rest of the album.

A classic, congenial, groundbreaking electronica score to Ridley Scott's movie "Blade Runner". While the most significant cues like "Love Theme" and "Memories of Green" were included on numerous compilations before, it took 12 years for the soundtrack to get released officially. Since Vangelis "recompiled" the music for the soundtrack, adding new music, reworked cues and left out parts of it, it's the best sounding but far from complete version of the soundtrack. Due to this fact there have been a huge amount of unofficial bootleg releases over the years, mostly private releases put out in small quantities. Even after over 20 years since the soundtrack has been recorded it still sounds fresh and highly evocative as ever before. The feeling throughout the soundtrack is a neo-retro, future-noir mood with grand soundscapes created with a mass array of various analogue synths. Especially the wonderful use of the Yamaha CS-80, with it's somewhat organic, sweeping, harmonica-style polyphonic sound gives the music such a remarkable feel. On "Love Theme" though Vangelis prominently features pretty much the only "real" instrument on the whole soundtrack, a saxophone played by Dick Morrisey.

Nouvelle Vague is the project of Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux, who basically took classic late 70s/early 80s new wave songs and transformed them into light, easy going, predominantly bossa tinged tracks, including heavily accented, whispery Longet-esque vocals. They claim these young vocalists never even heard the original songs. It works brilliantly for sure on "Love will tear us apart" where they manage to interpret the song as a melancholic, chilled stroll down a beach with sparse percussion, acoustic bass and guitar, vibraphone and some samples of waves rushing on the seaside. I'd like to think even Ian Curtis might smile down on this cover version...

A gossamer light track with cello, glockenspiel and some other non-standard rock (?) instrumentation, by a classically-trained musician. The only song that it is heavier than is the Caravelles' 1963 hit "You Don't Have To Be A Baby To Cry", which is probably the song it sounds most like as well, if I had to pick one. Quite gorgeous! But there was a re-recorded version that found its way onto the 1986 "Hope In A Darkened Heart" LP; it's NOT nearly as good as the original.

Barry White flawlessly blended the sounds of soul and classical music and practically invented disco. This instrumental rescues the string section from the stuffy opera house and creates a difinitive sound for the 1970's. You can hear his influence in much of the decade's music that came after this song's release.

It's hard to recommend a single track from this album, the whole thing is a classic of California pop. I'm glad it's finally been reissued on CD.

Mark Eric Malmborg created a genuine masterpiece with this recording, which has a bittersweet mood throughout that reminds me of "Pet Sounds". I originally came across this LP in 1989 when I found a copy at a thrift store (it had once been in the collection of the local public library!)and just looking at the cover I figured it would be great, and it was!

"Lynn's Baby" is the last track on the original LP and is a beautiful song about a girl who has been seduced and left with an out of wedlock baby by an older, manipulative guy who's left her after the usual empty promises...rather an unusual theme for a pop song! The combination of Mark Eric's voice (somewhat reminiscent of Brian Wilson) and the gorgeous string arrangement are enough to really bring out the goose bumps.

This CD is one that I absolutely can't recommend enough to fans of the beautiful 1960's pop music.

I discovered this on The Dusty Springfield Anthology 3CD set (1997) and fell in love with it instantly. Until this release Magic Garden had never been available in the U.S. and was originally released on an obscure British-only EP. The song's an absolute classic that veers between Phil Spector-esque surging pop and dreamy summer of love escapism. Truly a rediscovered lost masterpiece.

This song has a classic grunge rock sound, and is one of the best to come out of the era.

The multi-talented Dutch artists Kraak & Smaak shine in their unprecedented, soul-shaking compilation, �The Remix Sessions� due out May 29th. Named by IDJ as "one of the most incendiary live outfits," Kraak & Smaak take that crackling energy and infuse classic jams with their signature style. Music lovers everywhere will rejoice as hard-to-find tracks, many of which were only released on vinyl, join each other in this boogie-licious showcase.

From banging dance floor "Mimezine � Can't get Enough (Kraak & Smaak Remix)," to funky, midtempo "Jamiroquai � Electric Mistress (Kraak & Smaak Remix)" to eerie, internationally-infused "Skeewiff � Man of Constant Sorrow (Kraak & Smaak Remix)," Kraak & Smaak reveals their astounding vision for the possibilities of electronica. This beat-driven assembly is an invaluable resource for re-tracing the various pathways of this modern musical expression.

A classic she-done-me-wrong song that melds tough call and response R&B with rockin' doo wop -- don't miss this one. I heard it in the 50s but never had the 45 -- looked for it for years before I found the Ace CD of 21 Young Jessie songs from the Modern label in L.A.

"Mary Lou
she took my watch and chain
Mary Lou
she took my diamond ring
She took the keys to my Cadillac car
jumped in my Kitty and then drove afar"

with Maxwell Davis & Orchestra

Great music for the drive-in!

If you are looking for Classic but Overlooked 80's Electro Soul, look to one of Prince's girls to fill your need. Vanity, who at this time was a 'vamp' going it alone after Prince, got together with Bill Wolfer and Morris Day with a serious sound of synthesizers, clean electric guitar, and risque lyrics, making it one of the two releases from her first solo album, "Wild Animal." The grooves in the song and the french breakdown has me going wild everytime. I have loved the song since I was a little boy (when I was told that I couldn't listen to songs like that), and I don't think I will tire from it anytime soon.

I love this Spanish version of the Stevie Wonder classic because it the new instrumentation. It is still very Stevie Wonder with a new, latin flair. The vocals are absolutely amazing, this guy can really sing.

From the era when it seemed every band was named after a fabric, this angular indie gem was, for my money, one of the very best singles of the nascent Britpop era. Precipitating the self-referential indulgences of later bands, but not with the aura of smugness that pervaded the Albarn-esque dahn-tha-dawgs mockernee, the legend that is no-surname Lawrence (from alternative gods Felt) spews forth a classic.

The best way to describe this is 'miserable glam' - a great Mud-style beat clashes perfectly with Lawrence's scathing vocals of how he hates everything about so-called classic rock: "Spector's wall, knock it down; Jerry Lee, run him out of town." He ends up extolling the virtues of MOR and, in a stroke of utter pop genius, segues his tune into Middle Of The Road's hit Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep as sung by the kind of girl who populated the 70's Top Of The Pops LPs.

Who could forget the rousing "woo-hooa-a-hooas" that helped define the Pretenders' 1984 smash hit "Middle of the Road"? In a decade that saw synthesizer-oriented pop music arriving on U.S. soil from England, singer/guitarist Chrissie Hynde and bandmates tear it up on this classic example of pure, unadulterated rock music. The Pretenders' offering successfully maintains a formulaic rock pattern, with drums that beat on at a driving frenetic 4/4 pace and guitar riffs that induce foot stomping by the most conservative crowd. By the time the harmonica solo kicks in toward the track's end, "Middle of the Road" has worked itself up into such a musical romp that it challenges anyone to remain sitting down. There is no technical or instrumental trickery to be found here, no "secret sauce"; the song is very much in your face. Its rollicking music and lyrics that paint a picture of a journey make anyone want to hop into the car and take off for the open road. "Middle of the road, is trying to find me/ I'm standing in the middle of life with my plans behind me." You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who didn't identify with that sentiment. The Pretenders zeroed in on one of humankind's most basic, secret desire � to get up and go � and backed it with an equally driven musical arrangement. And that's what makes this recording a timeless classic.
(AMG)

I think Zoobombs are a Japanese Heavy Metal band, but this is not metal, sort of groovy rock, maybe derived from the Stone Roses. Most of the words are in (presumably) Japanese but the chorus is English, and you can just imagine the meeting with an A&R man that gave rise to it. "You're a good band, y'know, you just need to get more funky". And he may have been right, this is mo funky, percussion, driving bass, great chorus, It gradually builds up and speeds up all the way through. Until it falls apart then the dub starts with guitars all over it. Classic.

A classic, everybody's gotta love this.. Yeah?

Clare Fischer's oft-covered Latin jazz classic was first recorded by the man himself on a 1966 album whose title escapes me right now. Cal Tjader first cut it on "Soul Burst" the same year, but the truly classic rendition for me is the 1971 Tjader re-recording on "Agua Dulce." With a smooth, flowing Rhodes-based sound, some synth effects floating around and none other than Wendy & Bonnie on backing vocals, this version is the one to beat.

Great cut with angular piano and brushed drums. Bongos provide an excellent percussive counterpoint on the breakdowns. A very well-crafted version of the Sid Ramin lounge classic.

Funny double entendres from mysterious doomed gay star of the 1930's. It can be heard online at queermusicheritage or thedoctordementoshow.com. Quick wit and chatty singing style that is like Dwight Fiske or Spivy, but far more musical and accessible. Nightclub classic, a jewel of an era and style no longer heard.

A bit of sugar but a nice version of the classic

eO's through-composed, symphotronic poem incorporates exotic world-fusion compositions with heavy post-dubstep beats, evocative vocals, and elegant instrumentation.

classic. the live version on the single for Oh Inverted World is so
good. please seek it out.

The Crystalairs are a german vocal quartett that started out in the 80`s. (Their earlier name was "Del Romans", they released many records on the "Crystal Ball" - label, what was the influence for their new band name.) In their youth the 4 guys had all collected many 45's from the USA ranging from doo wop to girl group classics, but all their songs are self-arranged self-written originals or unreleased songs from others.
"Night of wonders" is one beautiful example for their harmonic style and their loving vocals.

When you consider just how wonderful it is, Les Baxter's 'exotic' work is under-represented on this site. From a superb and reasonably easy-to-find album, this cut is an intoxicating mix of shimmering 50s style strings and gentle bongo rhythms.

'Nightingale' is a Xavier Cugat original that is very much in the style of classic Lecuona songs like 'Taboo'. Melodically, it also reminds me of another standard, 'Invitation'.

For admirers of classic pop song construction, production, and performance, Noah's Dove is jaw-dropping in its perfection. The subtle piano hook, deep and dark chord changes, and the warm, dry-eyed, heartbreakingly acute singing grab your ears, while the lyrics (an unhurried, unsparing epitaph to a relationship with a cheating scumbag) clench your heart. The best part may be that it introduces Our Time In Eden, a collection of finely-crafted folk-pop songs that served as a worthy finale for the Maniacs.

Another song that needs no introduction. This is a classic rock ballad known to all, by one of the greatest bands ever. The music has this grand, anthemic feel to it which I really like. I don't think it's trying to be pretentious at all, as some people might think. It's a great ballad that uses orchestral music, with an amazing guitar running through it.

An incredible, hard-to-describe classic from Jorge Ben. It opens with a funky, feverishly strummed chord sequence, and builds up beautifully. Warm strings come in, while the vocals become more and more manic (in a good way). I really can't do this song justice in words, but I urge you to check it out. Jorge Ben really is a genius songwriter, and his backing group, 'trio mocoto' really rock.

A near-perfect take on this classic song. Ronnie dispenses with vocals, instead building a beautiful mood with some great strings, a relentless beat and percussive guitar. The bluesey melody is carried delicately by the piano. I'm not really getting it across here, but the track is astounding - astonishingly addictive and well recorded, building wonderfully to a warm and incredibly groovy climax.

Here's a really cool one. This is Lesley Gore doing a cover of the Mindbenders' stomping mod classic "Off and Running", which originally appeared on the "To Sir, With Love" soundtrack. This version completely outpaces the original, in my opinion.

This short track opens the classic 1995 easy listening compilation The Sound Gallery. I'm sure it's well known to anyone with a remote interest in the whole revival scene. It's a really beautiful track, with funky drums, organ, a gentle, whispery vocal chorus, and some great jazz piano. Evocative and glamorous, this evokes a swinging party attended by people wearing sparkly dresses. For me, this is perhaps the ultimate stylish/glamorous 60s recording.

I love the "New Light" album by the Match. Such a perfect example of soft pop. I think these guys, along with The Small Circle Of Friends and The Free Design, are the perfect example of what harmonic soft pop sounds like. This track, with that great trumpet line, is just one of 14 classics on this album. I had heard some label in Korea was supposed to be re-issuing it but that was a long time ago.

Honestly, I really like this one. I've done a lot of thinking as to the Max Martin style (ex-poodle rocker Max is Britney's songwriter and is basically responsible for the pop zeitgeist - he also does 5ive, NSYNC, Backstreet, even Bon Jovi these days), and believe you me, there is a pretty cynical formula here - verse, bridge, chorus, completely different verse, identical bridge and chorus, breakdown, then chorus to finish. Often this is pretty bad - NSYNC's its gonna be me is the nadir - but in this one it works really well - the verses are slinky, the chorus a classic pop one and basically the whole idea of oops! is pretty funny. I can't pretend I listen to it that often but I enjoy it when I do.

Opening with a brat beating bass and melody that is scarily reminiscent of some late 70s euro disco pathos, it�s only when Brian James� raunchy guitar kicks in that you know you�re well away from the lights of that dance floor and in the grips of a very different master. A hedonistic web of Bators� beloved conspiracy theorizing, the logical successor to the Wanderers� paranoia-packed repertoire, �Open Your Eyes� previewed a closet of horrors that embraced organized religion, the impending World Tour of Pope John Paul II, Bolshevik plots and Ronald Reagan�s apparent rush towards nuclear Armageddon. With session man Matt Black�s synthesizers giving the whole thing a classic rock feel that merged edgily with the band�s own punkish sensibilities, it was, as always, Bators� viperous lyrics that brought the whole thing into the twilight zone of pre-Internet intrigue. The 80s politicking of Margaret Thatcher�s Britain and Reagan�s cold war America pretty much ensured that both sides were far happier not having to open their eyes. A gleeful Bators was there, though, to make sure they did.
(AMG)

Outstanding rendition of the classic bluegrass number, with Byron Berline doin' some searing, kick-ass fiddle playing.

Yeah, yeah, just about everyone has heard the classic first album by the Milwaukee trio... however, some of their truly best efforts are to be found on later releases. "Out the Window" is one of those femme-gems that many people are sadly unaware of. Gordon Gano is in top form in this ode to unfortunate clumsiness ("life was short and life was sweet", I was thinking as I hit the street, I could hardly believe, I could scarcely conceive, that I had gone out the window).
The femme-enized remake of 'Do You Really Want To Hurt Me' on this album is also not to be missed!

It's Enoch Light, you know what to expect! Kooky orchestral arrangement of the Yardbirds' classic with a...get this...simulated bagpipe intro! I have no idea why anybody would want to hear real bagpipes, let alone simulated ones, but there you have it. Features blistering work by Project 3 regulars like Tony Mottola and Dick Hyman. Excellent stuff. The same album also yields a terrific version of Lee Dorsey's "Workin' in a Coalmine"!

This stunning instrumental is a reasonably straight version of a classical piece by Maurice Ravel, originally written in 1899. Eumir plays piano over a dense string background, adding a tiny bit of jazz phrasing. The texture of the layered strings and piano is remarkably intense and beautiful, and the piece is quite exquisite. I expect this recording would offend classical purists, but I must admit that having heard this version first, I still like it the best. Perhaps this is down to the sheer richness of the string recording, which may be endowed by studio wizardry rarely used in classical recordings. Either way, it's really quite incredible, and I urge you to check it out.

This song was a milestone in Zappa's career.

The "Hot Rats" album really set the notion in motion of FZ as a 'Composer'.

I remember as a child, seeing his band perform this on 'Saturday Night Live',
and how exciting it was to see Frank Zappa in action, and this band of virtuoso musicians tackling this unbelievably complicated musical work.

In my opinion, the use of a horn section in rock music had always added an element of cheesiness, but with this song it is a necessary element.
Besides, "Cheesy" was often Zappa's middle name, and nobody did it better.

He turned it into an art form.

The original version featured multi-instrumentalist Ian Underwood who along with his wife,
the infamous Ruth, became fixtures in Zappa's lineup in the years to come.

A classic and innovative track.


Read more and sample the track:

HERE

A short instrumental featuring dozens of musicians playing sumptuous melodies, this perfect fusion of rock and 'classical' forms might just be the most authentically radical record I own.

Classic tune. Chuck Rainey on Bass, Rick Marotta Drums. Don and Walter doing their usual. My all-time favorite rhythm section. Michael McDonald's back-up vocals are interesting. Lyrics you can relate to, as soon as you decode them...

This is my favorite piece of classical music, so beautiful it often brings me to tears. You are strictly forbidden to go to your grave without having heard this song.

A beautiful slice of country, a little too classic to be Alt.

I really enjoy a male / female, duet on a country, i dont think Kurts voice is strong enough on this album, but it hits it for this song!

Classic New Zealand psychedelia .... jangly guitar, haunting, evocative lyrics, fragile vocals and an otherworldly feeling which perfecly evokes Dunedin. The best New Zealand pop song ever written.

Classic old school bass track.

Just when I had almost lost all hope of ever hearing a new Dylan song which, as a combination of an engaging vocal performance and fascinating lyrics, just fill you with a strange sense of happiness - he comes up with this one. While not being like a typical Dylan classic, this one has a very, very warm feel to it + vocals which I thought he couldn't produce in 2001 anymore. After the rather cold and almost posturingly melancholy "Time Out of Mind" album, "Love & Theft" was pleasantly wise and human.

I love this song, it reminds me why I love Brazilian music. Its very sexy, sultry and classically bossa nova. There about 50 versions, but this one I enjoy a lot. Any other recommendations?

A rather quizzical Latin jazz workout of the Count V's garage classic, rendered here with fuzz guitar and flute! It sounds to me like this uses the same rhythm track as the original version, and since they were both released on the same label, that's quite likely. Another version exists by Brenton Wood (of "Oogum Boogum" and "Gimme Little Sign" fame), also on the same label and also with the same backing track! Talk about getting as much mileage out of the royalties as you can!

A week ago I was in India, the holiday of a lifetime. As well as all the tourist stuff, like temples and museums, I always make sure that I get a slice of pop culture when I'm in a foreign country. So the night tended to conclude in the hotel with a bit of Indian TV.

Watched a fair bit of MTV India which, if anything, is even heavier on ads and blatent self-promotion that its British and American equivalents. I was cheered to see that most of the music they played was in Hindi and there was a limit on the American and European bands that got airplay (seemingly, strangely, limited to The Rasmus and Britney Spears).

But MTV is only watchable for a limited amount of time. Jet lag and excitement dictates that one spends more time awake than asleep and so I got to see a few late 70's Bollywood classics, among them 'Shaan' (translation: 'Pride'). This Asha Bhosle gem is from this movie. The film itself struk me as a fairly banal James Bond rip off although, not speaking Hindi, I grant that I'll have missed the more subtle aspects of plot construction.

This song stopped me in my tracks. I knew that Bollywood was an area that I enjoyed but was in a grand state of ignorance of, and I was looking forward to rectifying this. Pyar Karne Wale takes the prize for best Donna Summer rip off EVER. Stealing its barely-adjusted backing from 'I Feel Love', Bhosle wails and moans over the top, transforming Moroder's disco classic into something that simultanously establishes common ground between Indian and European disco while evoking its more subtle differences.

Myself and boyfriend came back with what seems like every Bollywood soundtrack produced between 1972 and 1980 including, of course, Shaan. I look forward to educating myself in this genre and finding more similar gems.

Another Lila Downs version of a classic song. Someone recently told me that this is the opening themesong for some British TV show and that they stay up really late to hear it, but then go to bed without actually watching the show. That's how great it is. I uploaded Besame Mucho but it is not there so I won't upload this one yet.