Music of the Sixties

The Beatles Were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960.

With members John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, they became widely regarded as the foremost and most influential act of the rock era. Rooted in skiffle, beat, and 1950s rock and roll, the Beatles later experimented with several musical styles, ranging from pop ballads and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock, often incorporating classical elements and unconventional recording techniques in innovative ways. In the early 1960s, their enormous popularity first emerged as “Beatlemania”, but as the group’s music grew in sophistication, led by primary songwriters Lennon and McCartney, they came to be perceived as an embodiment of the ideals shared by the counterculture of the 1960s.

The Beatles built their reputation playing clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg over a three-year period from 1960, with Stuart Sutcliffe initially serving as bass player. The core of Lennon, McCartney and Harrison went through a succession of drummers, including Pete Best, before asking Starr to join them. Manager Brian Epstein moulded them into a professional act, and producer George Martin guided and developed their recordings, greatly expanding their popularity in the United Kingdom after their first hit, “Love Me Do”, in late 1962. They acquired the nickname “the Fab Four” as Beatlemania grew in Britain the next year, and by early 1964 became international stars, leading the “British Invasion” of the United States pop market. From 1965 onwards, the Beatles produced increasingly innovative recordings, including the albums Rubber Soul (1965), Revolver (1966), Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), The Beatles (commonly known as the White Album, 1968) and Abbey Road (1969).

After their break-up in 1970, they each enjoyed successful musical careers of varying lengths. McCartney and Starr, the surviving members, remain musically active. Lennon was shot and killed in December 1980, and Harrison died of lung cancer in November 2001.

Monkees Are an American pop rock band originally active between 1965 and 1971, with subsequent reunion albums and tours in the decades that followed.

They were formed in Los Angeles in 1965 by Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968.

The musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork and British actor and singer Davy Jones. The band’s music was initially supervised by producer Don Kirshner.

Dolenz described the Monkees as initially being “a TV show about an imaginary band … that wanted to be The Beatles, [but] that was never successful”. The actor-musicians, however, soon became a real band.

For the first few months of their initial five-year career as “The Monkees”, the four actor-musicians were allowed only limited roles in the recording studio. This was due in part to the amount of time required to film the television series. Nonetheless, Nesmith did compose and produce some songs from the beginning, and Peter Tork contributed limited guitar work on the sessions produced by Nesmith. They eventually fought for and earned the right to collectively supervise all musical output under the band’s name. The sitcom was canceled in 1968, but the band continued to record music through 1971.

A revival of interest in the television show came in 1986, which led to a series of reunion tours and new records. Up until 2011 the group had reunited and toured several times, with varying degrees of success. Despite the sudden death of Davy Jones on February 29, 2012, the surviving members reunited for a tour in November–December 2012 and again in 2013 for a 24-date tour.
The Monkees have sold more than 75 million records worldwide and had international hits, including “Last Train to Clarksville”, “Pleasant Valley Sunday”, “Daydream Believer” and “I’m a Believer”. At their peak in 1967, the band outsold The Beatles and The Rolling Stones combined.

Boyce & Hart, the songwriting and (later) performing team of Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, are most famous for writing several of the Monkees’ big hits, including “Last Train to Clarksville,” “Valleri,” and “(I’m Not Your) Stepping Stone.”

Together and separately, they also wrote or contributed to hits by several other acts in the 1960s, including Freddy Cannon, Curtis Lee, Little Anthony & the Imperials, and Jay & the Americans.

In 1967 they began recording on their own as a duo, landing a Top Ten hit the same year with “I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonite.”

Based in Los Angeles, Boyce & Hart were a West Coast equivalent to the kind of craftsmanship and methodology espoused by Brill Building songwriting teams, although their material was less meaningful and enduring than Goffin-King’s or Barry-Greenwich’s. They emphasized bright, happy, AM radio melodies with room for lots of vocal harmonies, an appropriate vibe for the Monkees and other acts; it was typical of the L.A. late-’60s pop/rock that would retroactively be dubbed “sunshine pop.”

Boyce, the older of the pair, had a history that long predated the Monkees, co-writing a Top Ten hit for Fats Domino in 1959 (“Be My Guest”). Around the early ’60s, he met Hart and the pair spent some time in New York in the mid-’60s, where they (with Wes Farrell) wrote the Jay & the Americans hit “Come a Little Bit Closer.”

Throughout the first half of the 1960s Boyce wrote or helped write material without any Hart involvement, including hits by Cannon (“Action”) and Lee (“Pretty Little Angel Eyes”), while Hart had a piece of the songwriting for Little Anthony & the Imperials’ “Hurt So Bad.” It wasn’t until 1965 that the Boyce-Hart partnership took off in earnest, as they were signed to the Screen Gems publishing company. They knocked off some energetic pop/rockers that were recorded by bands like Paul Revere & the Raiders (“[I’m Not Your] Stepping Stone”) and the Leaves (“Words”), as well as the theme for the soap opera Days of Our Lives.

They found themselves in the right place at the right time when they were commissioned to write a few songs for the pilot episode of The Monkees (including its famous theme song). Because the Monkees were going to be on TV every week, they needed a steady supply of songs fast, which helped assure that Boyce & Hart placed many of their tunes with the group. These included not only a few hits, but also many album tracks; about half the songs on the Monkees’ first album were Boyce-Hart tunes. The Monkees even redid some Boyce-Hart songs, such as “(I’m Not Your) Stepping Stone,” “Words,” and “Tomorrow’s Gonna Be Another Day.”

Boyce & Hart’s material may not have been the first choice of what the group — and specifically their most experienced songwriter, Mike Nesmith — wanted to record. But Boyce-Hart’s knack for AM-friendly pop hooks and chipper, just-this-side-of-bubblegum arrangements were very much in tune with the image projected by the group on their show. Boyce & Hart were also involved in the Monkees’ first two albums as producers, a role they returned to on the Monkees’ albums in 1969 and 1970.

Starting in 1967, Boyce & Hart also recorded on their own for A&M Records. Aside from “I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonite,” however, none of their efforts made the Top 20 or came close to that song in quality, although “Alice Long (You’re Still My Favorite Girlfriend)” and “Out & About” both made the Top 40 and “We’re All Going to the Same Place” and “Goodbye Baby” charted in lower positions. Boyce & Hart split up, both as songwriters and performers, at the end of the 1960s, although they teamed up with ex-Monkees Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones to perform and record for a while in the mid-’70s as Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart. Boyce committed suicide in November 1994 after a lengthy struggle with illness and depression.

In early 1965 as the “British invasion” dominated the American music scene, two rockers from Long Island, Steve Boone and Joe Butler, teamed up with two folkies from Greenwich Village, John Sebastian and Zal Yanovsky, to form the Lovin’ Spoonful and go on to record and perform some of the songs that would dominate the charts and establish them among the greats of the mid-sixties era.

Combining the best of folk music and rock and roll, with a touch of country thrown in, they gave us such hits as “Do You Believe in Magic,” “Daydream,” “You Didn’t Have to be So Nice,” “Nashville Cats” and the anthem for a hot July evening, “Summer in the City.” All this in the span of 4 years and 5 albums. In addition to that they also wrote and performed two soundtrack albums for two directors very early in their careers, Woody Allen “What’s Up Tigerlily” and Francis Ford Coppola “You’re a Big Boy Now. “They toured almost constantly during this period and were one of the first rock bands to perform on college campuses almost as much as for teenage concert goers.

In 1967 Zal Yanovsky left the band to pursue a solo career and was replaced by Jerry Yester, a member of the Modern Folk Quartet and friend of the band since its earliest days. All of the band’s energy was soon focused on recording their fourth album the very ambitious Everything Playing. It was the first attempt for a rock band to record an album on the new Ampex 16 track tape recorder and quite a challenge it was. It was worth the effort however, producing hits like “Darlin’ Be Home Soon,” “Six O-Clock” and “She’s Still A Mystery To Me” on the American charts and “Boredom” and “Money” in the UK and Europe.

In June 1968 John Sebastian left the band to go solo and Joe, Steve and Jerry went back into the studio to record what would be their last hit single of the 1960’s, “Never Goin’ Back” with legendary Nashville session player Red Rhodes on pedal steel guitar. As 1969 approached the skies were darkening in Good Time Music land and sensing opportunities in individual endeavors the three remaining members went their separate ways with a promise to not let the spark go out.

In 1991 a long awaited settlement with their record company inspired Joe and Steve to contact Jerry and start up the Lovin’ Spoonful again. After a two month rehearsal in the Berkshire Mts., the group started touring anew, visiting over 150 cities and countries worldwide and reaching out to a whole new audience in addition to those that have enjoyed their music over the years. So look for them coming to your neighborhood bringing a brand new batch of Good Time Music. You can also click the concert info button for a calender of their future appearances.

March 6, 2000 marked a milestone for the band. They were officially inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame.

Association is an American pop band from California in the folk rock or soft rock genre.

During the 1960s, they had numerous hits at or near the top of the Billboard charts (including “Windy”, “Cherish”, “Never My Love” and “Along Comes Mary”) and were the lead-off band at 1967’s Monterey Pop Festival.

Formed in Portland, Oregon, USA, in 1961, when pianist Revere (b. 7 January 1938) added Mark Lindsay (b. 9 March 1942, Cambridge, Idaho, USA; vocals/saxophone) to the line-up of his club band, the Downbeats. Drake Levin (guitar), Mike Holliday (bass) and Michael Smith (drums) completed a group later known as Paul Revere And The Nightriders, before settling on their Raiders appellation. Several locally issued singles ensued, including “Beatnik Sticks” and “Like Long Hair”, the latter of which rose into the US Top 40.

Group manager and disc jockey Roger Hart then financed a demonstration tape which in turn engendered a prestigious recording deal with CBS Records.

Their version of bar band favourite “Louie Louie” was issued in 1963, but although highly successful regionally, was outsold by local rivals the Kingsmen who secured the national hit.

A year passed before the Raiders recorded a new single, during which time Phil Volk had replaced Holliday. “Louie Go Home” showed their confidence remained undiminished, but it was 1965 before the Raiders hit their commercial stride with the punky “Steppin’ Out”.

By this point the band was the resident act on Where The Action Is, Dick Clark’s networked, daily television show. The attendant exposure resulted in a series of classic pop singles, including “Just Like Me” (1965) “Kicks”, “Hungry”, “Good Things” (all 1966) and “Him Or Me – What’s It Gonna Be?’ (1967), each of which were impeccably produced by Terry Melcher. However, the Raiders” slick stage routines and Revolutionary War garb – replete with thigh-boots, tights, frilled shirts and three-cornered hats – was frowned upon by the emergent underground audience.

The departures of Smith, Levin and Volk made little difference to the Raiders’ overall sound, enhancing suspicion that session musicians were responsible for the excellent studio sound. Later members Freddy Weller (guitar), Keith Allison (bass) and Joe (Correro) Jnr. (drums) were nonetheless accomplished musicians, and thus enhanced the professional approach marking Hard ‘N’ Heavy (With Marshmallow) and Collage. Despite inconsistent chart places, the group maintained a high television profile as hosts of Happening 68. In 1969 Lindsay embarked on a concurrent solo career, but although “Arizona” sold over one million copies, later releases proved less successful.

Two years later the Raiders scored an unexpected US chart-topper with “Indian Reservation (The Lament Of The Cherokee Reservation Indian)”, previously a UK hit for Don Fardon, but it proved their final Top 20 hit. Although Weller forged a new career in country music, Revere and Lindsay struggled to keep the band afloat, particularly when dropped by their long-standing label. Lindsay departed in 1975, but Revere became the act’s custodian, presiding over occasional releases for independent outlets with a stable line-up comprising Doug Heath (guitar), Ron Foos (bass) and Omar Martinez (drums).

The Raiders flourished briefly during the US Bicentennial celebrations, before emerging again in 1983 mixing old favourites and new songs on their Raiders America label. This regeneration proved short-lived, although Revere still fronts the band on the nostalgia circuit, with additional long-serving members Danny Krause (keyboards) and Carl Driggs (lead vocals).

Righteous Brothers were the musical duo of Bobby Hatfield and Bill Medley.

They began performing together in 1962 in the Los Angeles area as part of a five-member group called The Paramours, but adopted the name “The Righteous Brothers” when they embarked on their recording career as a duo. They recorded from 1963 through 1975 and continued to perform until Hatfield’s death in 2003. Their emotive vocal style is sometimes dubbed “blue-eyed soul”.

Hatfield and Medley have contrasting vocal range that helped them create a distinctive sound as a duet, but also strong vocal talent individually that allowed them to perform as soloists. Medley sang the low parts with his bass-baritone voice, with Hatfield taking the higher register vocals with his countertenor voice.

They had their first hit with the 1964 song “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin'”, produced by Phil Spector and often considered one of his finest works. Other notable hits include “Ebb Tide”, “Soul and Inspiration”, “Rock and Roll Heaven”, and in particular, “Unchained Melody”. Both Hatfield and Medley also had for a time their own solo careers.

Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962.

The first settled line-up consisted of Brian Jones (guitar, harmonica), Ian Stewart (piano), Mick Jagger (lead vocals, harmonica), Keith Richards (guitar), Bill Wyman (bass) and Charlie Watts (drums). Stewart was removed from the official line-up in 1963 but continued as an occasional pianist until his death in 1985. Jones departed the band less than a month prior to his death in 1969, having already been replaced by Mick Taylor, who remained until 1975. Subsequently, Ronnie Wood has been on guitar in tandem with Richards. Following Wyman’s departure in 1993, Darryl Jones has been the main bassist. Other notable keyboardists for the band have included Nicky Hopkins, active from 1967 to 1982; Billy Preston through the mid 1970s (most prominent on Black and Blue) and Chuck Leavell, active since 1982. The band was first led by Jones but after teaming as the band’s songwriters, Jagger and Richards assumed de facto leadership.

The Rolling Stones were in the vanguard of the British Invasion of bands that became popular in the US in 1964–65. At first noted for their longish hair as much as their music, the band identified with the youthful and rebellious counterculture of the 1960s. Critic Sean Egan states that within a year of the release of their 1964 debut album, they “were being perceived by the youth of Britain and then the world as representatives of opposition to an old, cruel order—the antidote to a class-bound, authoritarian culture.” They were instrumental in making blues a major part of rock and roll and changing the international focus of blues culture to the less sophisticated blues typified by Chess Records artists such as Muddy Waters—writer of “Rollin’ Stone”, after which the band is named. After a short period of musical experimentation that culminated with the poorly received and largely psychedelic album Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967), the group returned to its bluesy roots with Beggars Banquet (1968) which—along with its follow-ups, Let It Bleed (1969), Sticky Fingers (1971) and Exile on Main St (1972)—is generally considered to be the band’s best work and are considered the Rolling Stones’ “Golden Age”. It was during this period the band were first introduced on stage as “The World’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band”. Musicologist Robert Palmer attributed the “remarkable endurance” of the Rolling Stones to being “rooted in traditional verities, in rhythm-and-blues and soul music”, while “more ephemeral pop fashions have come and gone”.

Beach Boys are an American rock band formed in Hawthorne, California in 1961.

The group’s original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their friend Al Jardine. They emerged at the vanguard of the “California Sound”, initially performing original surf songs that gained international popularity for their distinct vocal harmonies and lyrics reflecting a southern California youth culture of surfing, cars, and romance.

Rooted in jazz-based vocal groups, 1950s rock and roll, and doo-wop, Brian led the band in devising novel approaches to music production, arranging his compositions for studio orchestras, and experimenting with several genres ranging from pop ballads to psychedelic and baroque.

The group began as a garage band managed by the Wilsons’ father Murry, with Brian’s creative ambitions and sophisticated songwriting abilities dominating the group’s musical direction. After 1964, their albums took a different stylistic path that featured more personal lyrics, multi-layered sounds, and recording experiments. In 1966, the Pet Sounds album and “Good Vibrations” single vaulted the group to the top level of rock innovators and established the band as symbols of the nascent counterculture era. Following Smile’s dissolution, Brian gradually ceded production and songwriting duties to the rest of the band, reducing his input because of mental health and substance abuse issues.

The group’s public image subsequently faltered, and they struggled to reclaim their commercial momentum in America. The continued success of their greatest hits albums during the mid 1970s precipitated the band’s transition into an oldies act, a move that was denigrated by critics and many fans. Since the 1980s, much-publicized legal wrangling over royalties, songwriting credits and use of the band’s name transpired.

Dennis drowned in 1983 and Carl died of lung cancer in 1998. After Carl’s death, many live configurations of the band fronted by Mike Love and Bruce Johnston continued to tour into the 2000s while other members pursued solo projects. For the band’s 50th anniversary, all the current surviving members briefly reunited for a new studio album and world tour. Even though Wilson and Jardine do not perform with Love and Johnston’s band, they remain a part of the Beach Boys’ corporation, Brother Records Inc.

The Beach Boys are regarded as the most iconic American band and one of the most critically acclaimed, commercially successful, and widely influential bands of all time, while AllMusic stated that their “unerring ability… made them America’s first, best rock band.” The group had over eighty songs chart worldwide, thirty-six of them US Top 40 hits (the most by an American rock band), four reaching number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The Beach Boys have sold in excess of 100 million records worldwide, making them one of the world’s best-selling bands of all time and are listed at number 12 on Rolling Stone magazine’s 2004 list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time”. They have received one Grammy Award for The Smile Sessions (2011). The core quintet of the three Wilsons, Love and Jardine were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988

The Turtles are an American rock band led by vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman.

The band had several Top 40 hits beginning with their cover version of Bob Dylan’s “It Ain’t Me Babe” in 1965. They scored their biggest and best-known hit in 1967 with the song “Happy Together”.

The band broke up in 1970. Kaylan and Volman later found long-lasting success as session musicians, billed as the comedic vocal duo Flo & Eddie. In 2010, a reconstituted version of the band, the Turtles Featuring Flo & Eddie, began performing live shows again.

Sonny and Cher were an American pop music duo, actors, singers and entertainers made up of husband-and-wife Sonny and Cher Bono in the 1960s and 1970s.

The couple started their career in the mid-1960s as R&B backing singers for record producer Phil Spector.
The pair first achieved fame with two hit songs in 1965, “Baby Don’t Go” and “I Got You Babe”.

Signing with Atco/Atlantic Records, they released three studio albums in the late 1960s, as well as the soundtrack recording for an unsuccessful movie, Good Times. In 1972, after four years of silence, the couple returned to the studio and released two other albums under the MCA/Kapp Records label.

In the 1970s, they also positioned themselves as media personalities with two top ten TV shows in the US, The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour and The Sonny & Cher Show. The couple’s career as a duo ended in 1975 following their divorce. In the decade they spent together, Sonny and Cher sold over 40 million records worldwide.

Performing under her first name, Cher went on to a highly successful career as a solo singer and actress, while Sonny Bono was eventually elected to Congress as a Republican U.S. Representative from California. The two performers were inducted to the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1998, right after Sonny’s death in a skiing accident.