Here is my latest 60s favorite: Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich, a British band that existed from 1964 to 1972. My first contact to this band occurred when I was record shopping on the Internet and a best of CD by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich (later referred to as DDDBMT) was recommended to me. I read reviews and decided to order the CD – it hardly cost anything. When I got the CD it ended up in my CD shelf and I never really came around to listen to it. I probably listened to a couple of songs, thought “sounds weird” and decided to put it away and listen to it some time later. Strangely, this is what happens to quite many CDs I purchase...
Not very many years later I decided to give DDDBMT another chance. I remembered hearing Hold Tight! in Tarantino's Death Proof and that the song was really one of the nicest things in the movie. In fact, I also have a friend who was interested in this band long before me but it didn't result in anything further – until about a month ago. I simply decided to give The Very Best of DDDBMT a try and put it in my mp3 player. I listened to it and instantly enjoyed it a lot. When I had listened to the whole CD (18 songs) several times I noticed it wasn't just any 60s band. It was a fun, happy-sounding, creative and talented band that never seemed to be afraid of trying different styles, sophisticated instrumentation, big vocal harmonies and big sounds, and most importantly, never afraid (or incapable) to perform amazingly catchy songs.
DDDBMT was a group of friends from Wiltshire, originally called Dave Dee and the Bostons. The band started working with songwriters Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley, changed the name, and it didn't take too long for the boys to score million-selling hit singles, including The Legend of Xanadu.
Musically DDDBMT are closer to bubblegum than beat music – two concepts that of course have a lot in common (therefore the title “Bubble-Beat”). As a result, one could argue that there were also some bubblegum aspects about the Searchers and the Hollies but an even better comparison to DDDBMT would be the Monkees, or, in my opinion, why not a band like Gary Lewis & the Playboys. By the way, why do vocalists from all of the British bands mentioned sound just like each other? I really enjoy all of them, of course...
The really important part is that DDDMBT performed some first-class catchy pop that always makes my day. When I think about the melodic complexity of the chorus of Wreck of the Antoinette (and the harmonies..), or the gorgeous feel of Snake in the Grass, Okay!, You Make It Move, Don Juan (not to mention the awesome sunshine pop of Last Night in Soho!) I can't help thinking to myself: this is how it's really done – do the same if you can, I dare you!
All in all, I had no choice but to order myself some more stuff by DDDBMT. Gee, I never get tired of happy 60s pop... I want more! The good news is, there is plenty of stuff to choose from.
I hardly seem to listen to any music newer than 1978 anymore.. Maybe it’s just a phase. But I’m 100% sure it’s an excellent phase. The 60s was the golden age of pop, and those days ain’t coming back.. at least in the exact same form.
The first new 60s group I discovered this year was Gary Lewis & The Playboys. This band truly was new to me – I had never heard any of their songs before (apart from covers - they often seem to ring a bell..). I found the band through Last.fm recommendations, I think. Last.fm is awesome because it endlessly keeps giving me great 60s music tips. Sometimes listening to those new bands feels like hitting gold right at the first moment! This is basically what happened with me and this band.
Gary Lewis is the son of comedian Jerry Lewis. Gary started a band (The Playboys) with his friends around 1964 and became drummer and lead singer. Although it wasn’t Gary’s intention to take advantage of his father’s fame, father Jerry played a part in launching the band’s recording career. That career soon turned out to be quite successful. Gary Lewis & The Playboys got their first number one hit right after they had performed their first single This Diamond Ring on The Ed Sullivan Show. The next single releases were also successful: Count Me in, She’s Just My Style, Everybody Loves a Clown and a few other tracks all made it to top 10. Gary Lewis & The Playboys continued releasing albums and singles until 1970. Gary also released solo material.
Gary Lewis & The Playboys have lots of excellent and catchy pop songs. The way I see it, The Beach Boys were one of the bands that influenced their music. Also, Lewis has a really exciting singing voice! He was, in fact, chosen “Male Vocalist of The Year” by Cash Box magazine in 1965. Other nominees included Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra.
What makes all this slightly weirder is the following section that can be found in AMG. I never even thought about stuff like this before I read it:
“It would be difficult to find a rock & roll star less likely than Gary Lewis, or a less probable chart-topping act than Gary Lewis & the Playboys. Lewis himself was possessed of a limited singing range and didn't have what could be considered good looks, yet with a lot of help he managed to make some exceptionally good (and good-selling) records out of Los Angeles, in the midst of the British Invasion, and teenagers loved him.”
As usual, here are my favourite songs, listenable on YouTube. I picked just a few.. This stuff is pure perfection. But don’t look at the videos! Music doesn’t need illustration. It's a bit strange, however, that one of the few places where you can properly stream full songs from nearly any 60s artist is a place that is meant for videos. So, Gary Lewis and his band are not in the videos that I've linked here. If you’d like to see Gary Lewis lip-synching to his songs, you’ll find those videos easily. [I just wish YouTube wouldn't remove all good music from the site..]
This Diamond Ring
Count Me in
She’s Just My Style
Jill
Everybody Loves a Clown
Green Grass
Gary Lewis & The Playboys Official Website (Beware of Gary’s welcoming words – they surely spooked me! Turn your speakers down when you enter the site.)
Here is my latest 60s favorite: Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich, a British band that existed from 1964 to 1972. My first contact to this band occurred when I was record shopping on the Internet and a best of CD by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich (later referred to as DDDBMT) was recommended to me. I read reviews and decided to order the CD – it hardly cost anything. When I got the CD it ended up in my CD shelf and I never really came around to listen to it. I probably listened to a couple of songs, thought “sounds weird” and decided to put it away and listen to it some time later. Strangely, this is what happens to quite many CDs I purchase...
