A stellar compilation from the vocal group known for its rich harmonies and fusion of pop, soul, and psychedelic music, often with socially conscious lyrics. One of the hottest groups from the late '60s/early '70s, I remember them being regulars on TV variety shows. Not only were their vocals great, they were smart enough to choose strong material from songwriters like Burt Bacharach, Neil Sedaka, and most notably, Jimmy Webb and Laura Nyro. I should also note that the backing group on many of these tracks is The Wrecking Crew. I listen to this music and suddenly I'm 6 years old again, riding in the back of a yellow station wagon, listening to the AM radio, and belting "Up-Up And Away" at the top of my lungs.
Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart
Tracks:
| Song | Year | Pop | R&B | AC | |
1 | Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures) | 1969 | 1 | 6 | 1 |
2 | Stoned Soul Picnic | 1968 | 3 | 2 | |
3 | Up-Up And Away | 1967 | 7 | 9 | |
4 | One Less Bell To Answer | 1970 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
5 | Sweet Blindness | 1968 | 13 | 45 | |
6 | Puppet Man | 1970 | 24 | 31 | |
7 | If I Could Reach You | 1972 | 10 | 1 | |
8 | Go Where You Wanna Go | 1967 | 16 | ||
9 | The Worst That Could Happen/Wedding Bell Blues* | 1969 | 1 | 23 | 1 |
10 | Paper Cup | 1967 | 34 | ||
11 | (Last Night) I Didn't Get To Sleep At All | 1972 | 8 | 28 | 2 |
12 | Blowing Away | 1970 | 21 | 7 | |
13 | The Girls' Song | 1970 | 43 | 6 | |
14 | Carpet Man | 1968 | 29 | ||
15 | Love's Lines, Angles And Rhymes | 1971 | 19 | 28 | 6 |
16 | Ashes To Ashes | 1973 | 52 | 54 | 7 |
17 | Save The Country | 1970 | 27 | 41 | 10 |
18 | California Soul | 1968 | 25 | 49 | |
19 | Never My Love (live) | 1971 | 12 | 45 | 1 |
20 | Workin' On A Groovy Thing | 1969 | 20 | 15 | 9 |
21 | Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye | 1973 | previously unreleased | ||
Missing Top 40 tracks: Together Let's Find Love (#37, 1972) and Living Together, Growing Together (#32, 1973).
The song Up-Up And Away, written by Jimmy Webb, won an incredible five Grammy Awards: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Performance by a Vocal Group, Best Contemporary Group Performance (Vocal or Instrumental), and Best Contemporary Single. The group later won another Grammy Award in the category of Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group for Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In.
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: When I was in 6th grade at Burnet Elementary School during the 1977-78 school year, my classmates and I would meet once a week with a young music teacher named Mrs. Kincaid, who very possibly could have been a first-year teacher that year. Looking back, Mrs. Kincaid wasn't much of a music teacher, but she was a great teacher (if that makes any sense). Music theory/notation wasn't mentioned the entire year and we never played any instruments during class. All I remember doing is singing along with her as she played guitar.
Sometime during the spring of 1978, there was a talent show put together for a PTA meeting or the school or both. Somehow I got tapped to sing Barry Manilow's Mandy while she accompanied me. I did it willingly - I think I even chose the song myself - and I must have done well based on the reactions. Mrs. Kincaid believed in me and always encouraged me to perform, even pulling me out of regular classes every now and then to sing for other classes (I specifically remember the giggling of 2nd graders at the line "well you kissed me and stopped me from shaking"). Mrs. Kincaid saw something in me I hadn't seen in myself and built me up - which should be a goal of any teacher.
So what's all that got to do with the music on this CD? I remember just a few of the songs we sang that year as Mrs. Kincaid strummed along: The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) (Simon & Garfunkel), The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (The Band), Rocky Raccoon (The Beatles), and Save The Country, track 17 on this disc.
Thanks, Mrs. Kincaid, wherever you are.
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