The other side of hell

 

After sharing the two worst weeks in the history of recorded music earlier ("Two weeks of hell," here are the two greatest weeks, the new reality of popular music, late summer 1965.

 

My independence seems to vanish in the haze. No direction home. James Brown becomes James Brown. The instrumental overture at the start of "California Girls." The Yardbirds’ lead guitar that sounds like a sitar. Barry McGuire, We Five and the Turtles find their boot heels to be wanderin'. “I Got You Babe” and “Hang On Sloopy,” a couple of pop music immortals. Jazz makes a rare -- maybe only -- top ten showing with Ramsey Lewis. “Catch Us If You Can” is the Dave Clark Five’s best record. Even the melodramatic “Unchained Melody” has a second life 25 years later when it’s used in the racy “pottery scene” in Ghost (a movie I’ve proudly avoided). If 1965 is rock's greatest year, and it just might be, look no further than these two weeks.

 

US Top 40 Singles for the Week Ending 11th September 1965

1 HELP! –•– The Beatles

2 LIKE A ROLLING STONE –•– Bob Dylan

3 EVE OF DESTRUCTION –•– Barry McGuire

4 YOU WERE ON MY MIND –•– We Five

5 CALIFORNIA GIRLS –•– The Beach Boys

6 UNCHAINED MELODY –•– The Righteous Brothers

7 I GOT YOU BABE –•– Sonny and Cher

8 PAPA’S GOT A BRAND NEW BAG –•– James Brown and the Famous Flames

9 IT AIN’T ME BABE –•– The Turtles

10 THE “IN” CROWD –•– The Ramsey Lewis Trio

 

US Top 40 Singles for the Week Ending 18th September 1965

1 HELP! –•– The Beatles (Capitol)

2 EVE OF DESTRUCTION –•– Barry McGuire

3 LIKE A ROLLING STONE –•– Bob Dylan

4 YOU WERE ON MY MIND –•– We Five

5 CATCH US IF YOU CAN –•– The Dave Clark Five

6 THE “IN” CROWD –•– The Ramsey Lewis Trio

7 HANG ON SLOOPY –•– The McCoys

8 IT AIN’T ME BABE –•– The Turtles

9 I GOT YOU BABE –•– Sonny and Cher

10 HEART FULL OF SOUL –•– The Yardbirds