Don’t Stay Up Too Late.

10. The Zombies “Care Of Cell 44”
(Rod Argent)
CBS 3087 b/w “Maybe After He’s Gone” • 1967

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Real life is finding
Happiness in the fucked up,
As this song makes plain.

9. Desmond Dekker & The Aces “007 (Shanty Town)”
(Desmond Dacres)
Pyramid 6004 b/w Roland Alphonso “El Toro” • 1967

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Desmond Dekker,
King of the black-and-white checker
That has come to mean ska,
Now resides above every mortal law.

8. William Bell “You Don’t Miss Your Water”
(William Bell)
Stax 116 b/w “The Formula Of Love” • 1962

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The music we know as the soulful
Can be either blissful or doleful.
Or sweetly erotic,
Or briskly chaotic,
Or narcotic like smoking a bowlful.

7. Gal Costa “Baby”
(Caetano Veloso)
Philips 365243 b/w “Mamãe, Coragem” • 1968

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In sunny old Brazil, where only man
Is vile, a military junta tried
To shut down student thinkers who began
To question what their country’d been denied.
In all the arts, a flow’ring soon broke out
But nowhere more than the pop-music scene,
Where, snubbing bossa nova’s tourist clout,
They jumped a psychedelic trampoline.
The irony, of course, is that they still
Created sounds that dream of old Brazil.

6. The Small Faces “Tin Soldier”
(Ronnie Lane, Steve Marriott)
Immediate 062 b/w “I Feel Much Better” • 1967

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Shiggidy Shoggidy,
Steven P. Marriott
Had a big voice that could
Peel off the paint.

But if you think that he’s
Incontrovertibly
Better than Guy-Who-Re-
Placed-Him, he ain’t.

5. Dusty Springfield “Don’t Forget About Me”
(Carole King, Gerry Goffin)
Atlantic 2606 b/w “Breakfast In Bed” • 1969

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Dusty Springfield
Because she could sing, healed
More hearts than could ever be counted.
And that is to what she amounted.

4. James Brown & The Famous Flames “Cold Sweat, Pt. 1”
(James Brown)
King 6110 b/w “Cold Sweat, Pt. 2” • 1967

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Funk funk funk funk funk
Funk funk funk funk funk funk funk
Funk funk funk funk funk

3. Glen Campbell “Guess I’m Dumb”
(Brian Wilson, Russ Titelman)
Capitol 5441 b/w “That’s All Right” • 1965

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A guy sang for a studio session
(Later famed for pop-country confession,
But despite all the glory
That’s not today’s story)
Brian Wilson’s least-well-known progression.

2. Ike & Tina Turner “A Fool In Love”
(Ike Turner)
Sue 730 b/w “The Way You Love Me” • 1960

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Ike Turner
Found Tina and attempted to turn her
Into a speaker-busting phenomenon,
And she went on and on and on and on.

1. The Kinks “Days”
(Ray Davies)
Pye 17573 b/w “She’s Got Everything” • 1968

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On the seventh day,
Having seen that all was good,
The artist rested.

20. Harry Nilsson “One”
(Harry Nilsson)
RCA 9462 b/w “Sister Marie” • 1968

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Harry Nilsson
Could have been Brian Wilson.
But he didn’t survive going crazy,
Which (as Bracknell would say) is just lazy.

19. The Sonics “Psycho”
(Gerald Roslie)
Jerden 811 b/w “Maintaining My Cool” • 1966

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Rock rock rock rock rock
Rock rock rock rock rock rock rock
Rock rock rock rock rock

18. Ruby & The Romantics “Our Day Will Come”
(Bob Hilliard, Mort Garson)
Kapp 501 b/w “Moonlight And Music” • 1963

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This song is miscategorized. It shoulda
Become a new standard; it coulda
Been sung by Sinatra,
Ou le une, ou l’autre,
But instead it’s been misunderstooda.

17. Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood “Some Velvet Morning”
(Lee Hazlewood)
Reprise 0652 b/w “Oh, Lonesome Me” • 1967

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Shimmysha Shimmywa,
Barton Lee Hazlewood
Had a great racket pro-
Ducing a chick.

But what he came up with
When they duetted was
Characteristically
Weirder than frick.

16. Can “Soul Desert”
(Holger Czukay, Michael Karoli, Jaki Liebezeit, Irmin Schmidt, Malcolm Mooney)
Liberty 15340 b/w “She Brings The Rain” • 1969

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Yeah; totally weird.
Can had a single? this soon?
I was surprised too.

15. Sam Cooke “(Ain’t That) Good News”
(Sam Cooke)
RCA 8299 b/w “Basin Street Blues” • 1964

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Sam Cooke
Was the singer who took
Soul to the pop music arena
Like a nerd, his date, and the marina.

14. The Beach Boys “Farmer’s Daughter”
(Brian Wilson, Mike Love)
Capitol K 22933 b/w “Hawaii” • 1965

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Despite Love’s lyrics,
Brian’s form and melody
Are Gershwin-classy.

13. Charlie Rich “Love Is After Me”
(Isaac Hayes, Dave Porter, Steve Cropper)
Hi 2117 b/w “Pass On By” • 1966

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After working Sam Phillips’ plantation,
Charlie Rich longed for more integration.
He began to sing soul,
A move Elvis then stole
For his ’68 Comeback Salvation.

12. The Velvet Underground & Nico “All Tomorrow’s Parties”
(Lou Reed)
Verve VK-10427 b/w “I’ll Be Your Mirror” • 1966

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The first VU song
I ever heard; but that’s not
Why it’s on the list.

11. The Flying Burrito Brothers “The Train Song”
(Gram Parsons, Chris Hillman)
A&M 756 b/w “Hot Burrito #1” • 1969

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Gram Parsons
Wasn’t indicted for multiple arsons.
An unaccountable oversight,
As he burned up the stage every night.

30. Fairport Convention “Meet On The Ledge”
(Richard Thompson)
Island 6047 b/w “Throwaway Street Puzzle” • 1968

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The group called the Fairport Convention,
Convened with specific intention
Of getting the masses
Up off of their asses,
Collapsed due to sexual tension.

29. Serge Gainsbourg & Brigitte Bardot “Bonnie And Clyde”
(Serge Gainsbourg)
Philips 380.028 b/w “Everybody Loves My Baby” • 1968

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You wouldn’t’ve thought
Faye Dunaway could be topped
For smokin’ hotness.

28. Gloria Jones “Tainted Love”
(Ed Cobb)
Champion 14003 b/w “Come Go With Me” • 1964

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Gloria Jones
With great courtesy loans
This tune out to eighties pop duffers,
Who best give it back ’fore they suffers.

27. Randy Newman “I Think It’s Going To Rain Today”
(Randy Newman)
Reprise 0692 b/w “The Beehive State” • 1968

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A young man in glasses named Newman
Had studied the past with acumen.
And so when the future
Needed musical suture,
He had what it took to be human.

26. Lee Perry “The Upsetter”
(Lee Perry)
Amalgamated 808 b/w “Thank You Baby” • 1968

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Lee Perry
Could sometimes be scary.
Although here he’s all geniality —
Watch out for his sense of reality.

25. Syd Barrett “Octopus”
(Syd Barrett)
Harvest 5009 b/w “Golden Hair” • 1969

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Lament for poor Syd,
The nutter who allowed that
Music could be mad.

24. Neil Young & Crazy Horse “Down By The River”
(Neil Young)
Reprise 0836 b/w “The Losing End (When You’re On)” • 1969

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Wiskatoo Wistaktee,
Young Neil Percival
Dropped out of class in the
Buffalo spring.

As though to prove up his
Psychoaesthetical
Cred, he then bashed out this
Bloody, wet thing.

23. Bobbie Gentry “Okolona River Bottom Band”
(Bobbie Gentry)
Capitol 2044 b/w “Penduli Pendulum” • 1967

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Bobbie Gentry
Said, “Elementary,
Dear Watson: just take all the pomp
Out of your music and let in the swamp.”

22. The Flirtations “Nothing But A Heartache”
(Wayne Bickerton, Tony Waddington)
Deram 216 b/w “Christmas Time Is Here Again” • 1968

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Like the Supremes if
Florence Ballard had just once
Been Diana Ross.

21. James Carr “The Dark End Of The Street”
(Dan Penn, Chips Moman)
Goldwax 317 b/w “Lovable Girl” • 1967

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James Carr
Couldn’t get too far
In the music biz or in good-lovery,
So let’s hear it for soul rediscovery.

40. Mel Tormé “Comin’ Home Baby”
(Bob Dorough, Ben Tucker)
Atlantic 2165 b/w “Right Now” • 1962

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He hated this song,
But it was the template for,
E.g., “Break On Through.”

39. Townes Van Zandt “Waiting Around To Die”
(Townes Van Zandt)
Poppy 506 b/w “Talking Karate Blues” • 1968

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Townes Van Zandt
Loved the leaf of the plant.
Not exactly a musical rarity;
I just mention it in solidarity.

38. U-Roy “Dynamic Fashion Way”
(Ewart Beckford)
Imbidimts 793 b/w “The Hudson Affair” • 1969

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The original dub-reggae toaster
Was not such a braggart or boaster.
Though he liked to praise Jah
And express mostly joie,
He’s the father of rap’s roller coaster.

37. The Stooges “I Wanna Be Your Dog”
(Iggy Pop, Ron Asheton, Scott Asheton, Dave Alexander)
Elektra 45664 b/w “1969” • 1969

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Seriously; like
There’s anything I could say
That the song doesn’t.

36. John D. Loudermilk “Tobacco Road”
(John D. Loudermilk)
Columbia 41562 b/w “Midnight Bus” • 1960

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Boollaboo Billaboo
John David Loudermilk
Made a nice pile in the
Musical biz.

But when it came to his
Anthropological
Expertise — well, you can
Hear how it is.

35. The Left Banke “Pretty Ballerina”
(Michael Brown)
Smash 2074 b/w “Lazy Day” • 1966

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One of the few times
When the B-side managed to
Get it on the list.

34. Gladys Knight & The Pips “I Wish It Would Rain”
(Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield, Roger Penzabene)
Soul 35047 b/w “It’s Summer” • 1968

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Gladys Knight
Knows art from shite.
She’s rarely if e’er made the latter;
That’s why she (and the Pips) matter.

33. The Sir Douglas Quintet “Mendocino”
(Doug Sahm)
Mercury 127421 b/w “I Wanna Be Your Mama Again” • 1968

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“The best garage-rock band from Texas?”
Is a question which often perplexes.
The pick of most raters
(13th Floor Elevators)
Would be good, but I’ll go where Tex-Mex is.

32. The Maytals “Pressure Drop”
(Toots Hibbert)
Trojan 7709 b/w Beverly All Stars “Smoke Screen” • 1969

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A lush green island;
An impoverished populace;
A deathless music.

31. Nina Simone “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”
(Horace Ott, Bennie Benjamin, Sol Marcus)
Philips 40232 b/w “A Monster” • 1964

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Nina Simone
Sat on her throne
As the greatest blues singer alive
Whilst limeys were stealing her jive.

50. John Hartford “Gentle On My Mind”
(John Hartford)
RCA 9175 b/w “Washing Machine” • 1967

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John Hartford
Sent bluegrass artward
With a penchant for songs so melodic
That it’s tempting to go all rhapsodic.

49. Solomon Burke “Got To Get You Off My Mind”
(Solomon Burke, Dolores Burke, J. B. Moore)
Atlantic 2276 b/w “Peepin’” • 1965

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Where can a three-
Hundred-pound soul legend sit?
Anywhere he wants.

48. The Merseys “Sorrow”
(Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein, Richard Gottehrer)
Fontana 694 b/w “Some Other Day” • 1966

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Some bands of the British Invasion
Acknowledged that they were Caucasian.
They sniffed, “Only hacks
Try to imitate blacks,”
As they read Oscar Wilde and Persuasion.

47. Sir Victor Uwaifo & His Melody Maestroes “Guitar Boy And Mamywater”
(Victor Uwaifo)
Philips PF 383245 b/w “Ebiss-Ebiss” • 1966

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Victor Uwaifo
Had a great life-o.
But he knew he was only the king
’Cos a mermaid had once heard him sing.

46. The Paris Sisters “Lonely Girl”
(Di Martino-Jarrard)
MGM 13236 b/w “Dream Lover” • 1964

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It seems there’s no end
To the treasures you can find
In obscure girl groups.

45. Joe Williams “Get Out Of My Life Woman”
(Allen Toussaint)
Solid State b/w “Woman’s Got Soul” (?) • 1966

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The guy who once sang for Count Basie
Saw that music had changed, prima facie.
Far from calling it junk,
He saluted the funk,
And got just a little bit spacey.

44. Merle Haggard & The Strangers “The Bottle Let Me Down”
(Merle Haggard)
Capitol 5704 b/w “The Longer You Wait” • 1966

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Merle Haggard
Was no songwriting laggard;
Only reason he’s no bigger splash
Is somebody known as J. Cash.

43. The Who “I Can’t Explain”
(Pete Townshend)
Brunswick 05935 b/w “Bald Headed Woman” • 1965

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I used to say that
The Who were my fav’rite band.
Then I heard the Clash.

42. The Young Rascals “It’s Wonderful”
(Felix Cavaliere, Eddie Brigati)
Atlantic 2463 b/w “Of Course” • 1967

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There was a young band from New Jersey:
Blue-eyed soul mixed with beat from the Mersey.
In good old sixty-seven,
Their ascent to psych heaven
Was more aesthetic than entrepreneursy.

41. Françoise Hardy “Le Temps De L’Amour”
(Jacques Dutronc, Lucien Morrisse, Andre Michel Salvet)
Vogue 1633 b/w “Ton Meilleur Ami” • 1962

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Françoise Hardy
Didn’t enjoy a party
Or a lot of extravagant hype.
She was more the introvert type.