Gullivers People - Splendor In The Grass & Took This Land - Parlophone (1966)

Glorious Stuff! I first heard this song on the excellent Dream Babes series. Splendor In The Grass was written by Jackie De Shannon and recorded with the Byrds. While Jackie's recordings for Liberty were often glorious and meticulous, her original version seemed a little shambolic. The Byrds were a shortcoming in this case, unfortunately. The all-female group called the Boys recorded the song later, but the Gullivers People version is the best of the three. This is partly due to the stunning production that made mid-60s British recordings so compelling. I also included the b-side, Took This Land, a pop folk protest song which was trendy during this period. Again, the production elevates the song.

Gullivers People - Splendor In The Grass - Parlophone (1966) 

Gullivers People - Took This Land - Parlophone (1966) 

Antoine - Ma Ceinture De Sécurité - Disques Vogue (1971)

Although Ma Ceinture De Sécurité is from 1971, this classic by Antoine tucked away as a C-side on a 3 song single sounds very 60s. The production is fantastic. The song has a cool, laid back beat and a perfect sneer from Antoine. I first heard this song at the Vampyros Lesbos party with DJ Franco (now Voodoo Funk). As Jeff Goldblum says, "It's a scorcher."


Antoine - Ma Ceinture De Sécurité - Disques Vogue (1971) 

Antoine - Ma Ceinture De Sécurité - Disques Vogue (1971)

The Ragamuffins - Don't Be Gone Long - Tollie (1964)

I owe YouTube user sunshinetunes67 a thank you for turning me on to this moody, atmospheric slice of vocal pop. I found a nice clean copy of Don't Be Gone Long, improving the fidelity a bit over the current version on YouTube. This type of song would nearly vanish shortly after 1964 thanks to those pesky mop headed quartets. Gary Zekley wrote and produced for many acts in the 60s, including the Clique, Mama's and the Papa's and Spanky and Our Gang.

The Ragamuffins - Don't Be Gone Long - Tollie (1964) 

The Ragamuffins - Don't Be Gone Long - Tollie (1964) 

Gary Usher - It's A Lie - Capitol (1965)

I recently got on a Gary Usher kick after hearing the amazing Just Walk Away by the Castells. The man behind the knobs was Gary Usher, famous for his work with the Beach Boys and late 60s psych projects. Usher was responsible for a number of mid-60s gems. Because I tend to gravitate towards pop songs neatly compressed in under 3 minutes, songs like It's A Lie are right up my alley. The song suggests a subtle move away from surf into folk rock territory, with chiming guitars and Beatles For Sale inspired complaints. 

Gary Usher - It's A Lie - Capitol (1965) 

Gary Usher - It's A Lie - Capitol (1965)