Wednesday, November 13, 2019

PROTO-NORMCORE SWEATER ROCK

I don't remember exactly when or where I first heard these songs. Two are affiliated with films, but I've only seen one of them and that was after I already knew the song. The only place I can think of that I might have heard them would be on an oldies radio station. That was one of the good things about oldies stations. Because of the format, they'd be playing oldies 24 /7, so there would have to be some somewhat deeper cuts, songs that weren't massive hits but still had chart showings, though if you blinked you probably would have missed them. I do know that I started really liking them at roughly the same time. They were regular spins at a studio apartment I lived in for four years, at a time sandwiched between short residences in San Francisco and New York. It was a great granny flat behind a nice couple that were rarely home, with a pool and jacuzzi right out my front door. Don't get me started about that place. It was awesome. Anyway, downers though these songs are, all three are excellent. (I generally hate Johnny Rivers but "Poor Side of Town" is too good to ignore.)  They're well written, nicely produced bummers. I do emo differently.

~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~
Listen:
Gene Pitney - Town Without Pity mp3 at Fimoculous #32. 1962
Johnny Rivers - Poor Side of Town mp3
at Smokeys Trail #1, 1966
Glenn Yarbrough - Baby, The Rain Must Fall
(streaming) at YouTube #12, 1965

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