Post by gremashlo on Dec 12, 2010 19:40:10 GMT -5
For the last flip in this series (for now), I present a song that ranks as one of my all time favorites...even though it was apparently the result of one round too many.
Tom Jones in 1966 was on top of the universe--a hugely successful perfomer, with millions in sales and with an unlimited future. While the future would prove to be not quite as lengthy as he had hoped (in America, anyway...after "She's a Lady", he was effectively done as a hitmaker, though in England he remains a treasure), he was still King Midas with his releases.
While he would be limited in his musical choices by his manager/producer/svengali Gordon Mills, their selections were still selling...until "City Girl" in 1966. For whatever reason, the slow ballad simply didn't click with the music public, which much preferred his rollicking bombastic takes. In fact, "City Girl" wasn't even an "A" side in England--so, perhaps it was doomed from the start.
Sad, because that meant that few people were able to sample the insanity of "What a Party", "City Girl" B-side..
From the opening ukelele solo (not a typo), listeners were treated to a boisterous recollection of Tom's boozy actions the night before (courtesy of producers Hugo and Luigi, who wrote this, though they didn't produce it)...as trumpets and trombones blare on, and while the occasional slide whistle breaks in. Tom apparently is in on the joke, as his usual 'cool' is tossed aside in order to embrace "Party" in all of its glory.
And where was Mills? He apparently wanted nothing to do with this, as it was produced by Peter Sullivan. But, can you call this "producing"? This has "B" screeching from the mountaintops--and indeed, it was never even included on an album until Decca re-released his "Help Yourself" album and included it as a bonus track.
This is yet another record from my childhood, including the Harrison Brothers and James Brown. As a flop single, it should never have made my farmhouse--but, somewhere fate intervened.
All i know is..."And I had the best time of all.." ;D
Tom Jones in 1966 was on top of the universe--a hugely successful perfomer, with millions in sales and with an unlimited future. While the future would prove to be not quite as lengthy as he had hoped (in America, anyway...after "She's a Lady", he was effectively done as a hitmaker, though in England he remains a treasure), he was still King Midas with his releases.
While he would be limited in his musical choices by his manager/producer/svengali Gordon Mills, their selections were still selling...until "City Girl" in 1966. For whatever reason, the slow ballad simply didn't click with the music public, which much preferred his rollicking bombastic takes. In fact, "City Girl" wasn't even an "A" side in England--so, perhaps it was doomed from the start.
Sad, because that meant that few people were able to sample the insanity of "What a Party", "City Girl" B-side..
From the opening ukelele solo (not a typo), listeners were treated to a boisterous recollection of Tom's boozy actions the night before (courtesy of producers Hugo and Luigi, who wrote this, though they didn't produce it)...as trumpets and trombones blare on, and while the occasional slide whistle breaks in. Tom apparently is in on the joke, as his usual 'cool' is tossed aside in order to embrace "Party" in all of its glory.
And where was Mills? He apparently wanted nothing to do with this, as it was produced by Peter Sullivan. But, can you call this "producing"? This has "B" screeching from the mountaintops--and indeed, it was never even included on an album until Decca re-released his "Help Yourself" album and included it as a bonus track.
This is yet another record from my childhood, including the Harrison Brothers and James Brown. As a flop single, it should never have made my farmhouse--but, somewhere fate intervened.
All i know is..."And I had the best time of all.." ;D