You Don't Have To Say You Love Me (1966) (1970)

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By: Dusty Springfield (born Mary Isabel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien April 16, 1939 in London, England, died of breast cancer March 2, 1999.)

Dusty Springfield was one of the most successful British female performers of the 1960s. She had 18 singles in the Billboard Hot 100 from 1964 to 1970.

The song proved so popular in the US that Springfield's 1965 album Ev'rything's Coming Up Dusty was released there with a slightly different track listing, and titled after the hit single.

In 2004, "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" was rankled #491 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Chart position: #4 (US), #1 (UK), #8 (US Adult Contemporary).

This was Dusty's only #1 UK hit.

It was preceded at #1 in the UK by "Somebody Help Me" (the Spencer Davis Group) and succeeded by "Pretty Flamingo" (Manfred Mann).

The Top Ten Songs: July 16, 1966 (US Billboard Hot 100).

1. "Hanky Panky" (Tommy James and the Shondells)
2. "Wild Thing" (Troggs)
3. "Red Rubber Ball" (Cyrkle)
4. "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" (Dusty Springfield)
5. "Paperback Writer" (Beatles)
6. "Strangers In The Night" (Frank Sinatra)
7. "Along Comes Mary" (Association)
8. "Little Girl" (Syndicate of Sound)
9. "Lil' Red Riding Hood" (Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs)
10. "Hungry" (Paul Revere and the Raiders)
    

Written by: Pino Donaggio, Vito Pallavicini, Vicki Wickham and Simon Napier-Bell.

"You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" is an English version of an Italian song called "Io che non vivo (senza te)", or "I, who can't live (without you)"), written by Pino Donaggio and Vito Pallavicini.

Dusty Springfield heard it at the 1965 Sanremo Festival, where it was performed by Donaggio himself and his team partner Jody Miller. Dusty presented it to Vicki Wickham and Simon Napier-Bell, who wrote the English lyrics for the song.



Also by: Elvis Presley, whose version reached #11 (US) and #1 (US Adult Contemporary).

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Secret Agent Man (1966)

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• Johnny Rivers - Secret Agent Man (MP3)

By: Johnny Rivers (born John Henry Ramistella November 7, 1942 in New York City, New York, raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.)

Johnny got his stage name while on a trip to New York in 1958, where he met DJ Alan Freed, who advised him to change his name. Johnny took the name 'Rivers' after the Mississippi River, near Baton Rouge.

From 1964 to 1977, Rivers had 17 Top 40 hits, 9 of them being Top Ten US hits, one of them a #1 US hit ("Poor Side of Town") and has sold over 25 million records worldwide.

In 1964 Elmer Valentine gave Rivers a one-year contract to play at his new club, Whiskey a Go Go, in Hollywood, California. It opened 3 days before the Beatles' "I Want To Hold Your Hand" and the British Invasion took over the charts.

Rivers was so popular there that producer Lou Adler decided to release a live album recorded there. Johnny Rivers Live At The Whiskey A Go Go reached #12 on the US album chart, and the single from that album, "Memphis" (a Chuck Berry cover), reached #2. Rivers continued to record hits live at the Go Go, with songs such as "Maybellene" (another Berry cover,) "Mountain of Love," "Midnight Special," "Seventh Son" (a Willie Dixon cover), "Where Have All The Flowers Gone" (a Pete Seeger cover,) and "Secret Agent Man".

In 1965, the British TV series "Danger Man" was to air on CBS in the US, but the producers asked a number of publishers to come up with a new theme for the US version.

The song was written by P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri as only one verse and a chorus when it was recorded by Rivers for the show, which was retitled "Secret Agent" in the US. Imperial Records began receiving calls asking for Johnny to be released as a single, so Rivers re-recorded it with additional verses.

"Secret Agent Man"'s famous riff was created by the song's co-writer P.F. Sloan and performed by Rivers. Johnny considered himself a rhythm guitarist, but wound up playing it only because he didn't have a lead guitarist in his group.

Chart position: #3 (US).

The Top Ten Songs: April 23, 1966 (US Billboard Hot 100).

1. "(You're My) Soul and Inspiration" (Righteous Brothers)
2. "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" (Cher) 
3. "Secret Agent Man" (Johnny Rivers)
4. "Daydream" (Lovin' Spoonful)
5. "Time Won't Let Me" (Outsiders)
6. "Good Lovin'" (Young Rascals)
7. "Kicks" (Paul Revere and the Raiders)
8. "Sloop John B" (Beach Boys)
9. "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" (B.J. Thomas and the Triumphs)
10. "Monday, Monday" (Mamas and the Papas)
    

Written by: P.F. Sloan (born September 18, 1945 in New York City, New York) and Steve Barri (born February 23, 1942 in Brooklyn, New York.)

Together, Sloan and Barri also wrote such songs as "A Must to Avoid", "Eve of Destruction", "Where Were You When I Needed You", and "You Baby".

Also by: The Ventures, whose version reached #54 in March 1966, at the same time that Johnny Rivers' version was climbing the charts.

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• Johnny Rivers - Secret Agent Man (MP3)

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These Boots Are Made For Walkin' (1966)

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• Nancy Sinatra - These Boots Are Made For Walkin'

By: Nancy Sinatra (born June 8, 1940 in Jersey City, New Jersey) is the daughter of singer and actor Frank Sinatra and his first wife, Nancy Barbato. For her fourth birthday, Phil Silvers and Jimmy Van Heusen wrote the song "Nancy (With the Laughing Face)", which her father recorded.

Nancy has had 24 Billboard-charting hits, including "How Does That Grab You, Darlin'?", "You Only Live Twice", "Sugar Town", "Summer Wine" (with Lee Hazlewood), "Lightning's Girl", "Jackson" (with Lee Hazlewood), "Some Velvet Morning" (with Lee Hazlewood), "Lady Bird" (with Lee Hazlewood), "Somethin' Stupid" (with Frank Sinatra,) "Love Eyes", "Did You Ever?" (with Lee Hazlewood) and 'The Highway Song".

"These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" was produced by its writer, Lee Hazlewood, who is best known for his work with guitarist Duane Eddy in the late 1950s and with Nancy Sinatra in the 1960s.

The distinctive glissando riff was played on upright bass by Chuck Berghofer. Other musicians on the record were Hal Blaine on drums, Al Casey, Tommy Tedesco, Billy Strange and Mike Deasy on guitars, Ollie Mitchell, Roy Caton and Lew McCreary on horns, and Carol Kaye on electric bass. (It was a common practice among record producers in the 1960s, such as Phil Spector and Brian Wilson, to add dimension to the bass sound with more than one bassist.)

Nancy Sinatra said in 1970: "The image created by 'These Boots Are Made For Walkin'' isn't the real me. 'Boots' was hard, and I'm as soft as they come."

Release date: February 1966.

Chart position: #1 (US, 1 week), #1 (UK, four weeks).

It was preceded at #1 in the US by "Lightnin' Strikes" (Lou Christie) and succeeded by "The Ballad Of The Green Berets" (SSgt. Barry Sadler).

It was preceded at #1 in the UK by "Michelle" (Overlanders) and succeeded by "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" (Walker Brothers).

Nancy Sinatra was the first American female vocalist to have a #1 UK hit since Connie Francis, with "Stupid Cupid" in 1958.

The Top Ten Songs: February 26, 1966 (US Billboard).

1. "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" (Nancy Sinatra)
2. "Lightnin' Strikes" (Lou Christie)
3. "The Ballad Of The Green Berets" (SSgt. Barry Sadler)
4. "Uptight (Everything's Alright)" (Stevie Wonder)
5. "My World Is Empty Without You" (Supremes)
6. "My Love" (Petula Clark)
7. "Don't Mess With Bill" (Marvelettes)
8. "California Dreamin'" (The Mamas And The Papas)
9. "Elusive Butterfly" (Bob Lind)
10. "Working My Way Back To You" (Four Seasons)

Written by: Lee Hazlewood (born July 9, 1929 in Mannford, Oklahoma, died of renal cancer August 4, 2007 in Henderson, Nevada).

Other hit songs written/co-written by Hazlewood include "The Fool", "Rebel Rouser", "Houston", "How Does That Grab You, Darlin'?", "Sugar Town", "Summer Wine", "Lightning's Girl", "Some Velvet Morning", "Lady Bird", "Love Eyes", and more.

Hazlewood is considered partly responsible, as record producer, for the distinctive "twang" sound of guitarist Duane Eddy.

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• Nancy Sinatra - These Boots Are Made For Walkin'

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River Deep, Mountain High (1966) (1996)

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• Ike And Tina Turner - River Deep, Mountain High (MP3)
• Céline Dion - River Deep, Mountain High (MP3)

By: Ike And Tina Turner.

Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock on November 26, 1939 in Nutbush, Tennessee) is often called "The Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".  She has sold more concert tickets than any other solo performer in history.

"River Deep, Mountain High" was one of the first songs that Ike And Tina Turner did for Phil Spector's Philles Records.

Spector was aware of Ike Turner's controlling attitude in the studio, so their contract stipulated that the song would be credited to "Ike And Tina Turner", on one condition: Ike was not allowed in the studio. Only Tina Turner would be featured on record.

It was agreed to, and Spector began recording the LP, which cost $22,000, with 2 dozen session musicians and background vocalists.

When the single and album were finally released, the public did not know what to make of it. "River Deep, Mountain High" was considered "too black for white radio, but too white for black radio". The single stalled at #88 on the pop charts, causing Spector to shut the label down.

George Harrison of the Beatles said that "River Deep, Mountain High" was "a perfect record from start to finish".

In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked it at #33 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Chart position: #88 (US), #3 (UK).

Written by: Jeff Barry (born Joel Adelberg April 3, 1938, in Brooklyn, New York,) Ellie Greenwich (born Eleanor Louise Greenwich October 23, 1940 in Brooklyn, New York) and Phil Spector.

The husband-and-wife team of Barry and Greenwich were one of the most successful songwriting duos of the 1960s, writing/co-writing such songs as "Then He Kissed Me", "Da Doo Ron Ron", "Baby I Love You", "Be My Baby", "Chapel Of Love", "Do Wah Diddy Diddy", "Hanky Panky", "I Can Hear Music", "Leader of the Pack", "Maybe I Know", "Montego Bay" and more.

Barry, Greenwich and Spector each had ideas for songs, which they combined to form "River Deep, Mountain High". It was created specifically for Tina Turner to sing.



Also by: Céline Dion. She performed a live version on the Late Show with David Letterman in 1994. In 1995, Phil Spector agreed to produce a version for her, but the sessions were a disaster, and nothing from those sessions have been released.  Dion eventually recorded it for her extremely successful 1996 album Falling Into You.

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• Ike And Tina Turner - River Deep, Mountain High (MP3)
• Céline Dion - River Deep, Mountain High (MP3)

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Moonlight Serenade (1939) (1966)

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• Glenn Miller And His Orchestra - Moonlight Serenade (MP3)
• Frank Sinatra - Moonlight Serenade (MP3)

By: The Glenn Miller Orchestra.

Glenn Miller (born Alton Glenn Miller March 1, 1904 in Clarinda, Iowa, disappeared circa December 15, 1944) was a jazz trumpeter and band leader in the 1930s and 1940s. The Glenn Miller Orchestra recorded such songs as "Chattanooga Choo Choo", "In the Mood", "Little Brown Jug", "Pennsylvania 6-5000", "String of Pearls", "Tuxedo Junction", and "Moonlight Serenade".

On December 15, 1944, while en route to entertain US troops in France during World War II, Miller's plane disappeared in bad weather; his body was never found.

When Miller recorded "Sunrise Serenade" in 1939, he placed "Moonlight Serenade" as the B-side. It became one of the top records of 1939, and was adopted as Miller's signature tune.

In 1991, the original recording of "Moonlight Serenade" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

 Written by: Glenn Miller; subsequent lyrics by Mitchell Parish (born Michael Hyman Pashelinsky July 10, 1900 in Lithuania, died in New York March 31, 1993.)

Mitchell Parish also wrote lyrics for such songs as "Stardust", "Sweet Lorraine", "Deep Purple", "Stars Fell on Alabama", "Sophisticated Lady", the English lyrics for "Volare", "Sleigh Ride", "One Morning in May", and "Louisiana Fairy Tale".

"Moonlight Serenade" was originally titled "Now I Lay Me Down To Weep".



Also by: Frank Sinatra, whose version was released on his 1966 album Moonlight Sinatra, which consisted entirely of moon-themed songs. The album reached #34 in the US.


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• Glenn Miller And His Orchestra - Moonlight Serenade (MP3)
• Frank Sinatra - Moonlight Serenade (MP3)

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Land Of 1000 Dances (1965) (1966)

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• Wilson Pickett - Land Of 1000 Dances (MP3)
• Cannibal And The Headhunters - Land Of 1000 Dances (MP3)

By: Wilson Pickett (born March 18, 1941 in Prattville, Alabama, died of a heart attack at the age of 64 on January 19, 2006 in Reston, Virginia.)

Wilson Pickett was an American soul singer who had over 50 charting US R&B hits, including "In The Midnight Hour", "Mustang Sally", "634-5789", "Funky Broadway" and "Land Of 1000 Dances".

Pickett was backed up by Stax Records veterans such as guitarist Steve Cropper, bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn and drummer Al Jackson, Jr., who were all also members of Booker T. And The MGs.

Chart position: #6 (US), #1 (US R&B).

It was Pickett's third #1 US R&B hit and was his biggest pop hit ever. It sold over 1 millions copies.

The Top Ten Songs: September 21, 1963 (US Billboard Hot 100).

1. "You Can't Hurry Love" (Supremes)
2. "Sunshine Superman" (Donovan)
3. "Yellow Submarine" (Beatles)
4. "See You In September" (Happenings)
5. "Summer In The City" (Lovin' Spoonful)
6. "Land Of 1000 Dances" (Wilson Pickett)
7. "Sunny" (Bobby Hebb)
8. "Working In The Coal Mine" (Lee Dorsey)
9. "Bus Stop" (Hollies)
10. "Guantanamera" (Sandpipers)

Written by: Chris Kenner (born December 25, 1929 in Kenner, Louisiana, died of a heart attack at the age of 46 on January 25, 1975.)

Kenner also wrote and originally recorded such songs as "I Like It Like That" and "Something You Got".

According to tsimon.com, Kenner took the song to noted New Orleans record producer Allen Toussaint and recorded it in 1962. He was inspired by the traditional spiritual song "Children Go Where I Send Thee". It originally featured the following introduction: "I'm gonna take you, baby, I'm gonna take you to a place. The name of the place is the Land of a Thousand Dances." It charted near the bottom of the Billboard Hot 100, at #77.

Kenner was determined to make it a hit. He approached Fats Domino and persuaded him to record it, with the incentive of half the publishing rights and to be listed as co-writer. That version failed to chart.

Also by: Cannibal and the Headhunters, whose version reached #30 in 1965. They were one of the first Mexican-American rock groups to have a national hit.

According to lead singer Frankie Garcia, one the most memorable parts now associated with "Land Of 1000 Dances" was an accident:

"Now the original of that song, if you've ever heard it, is lyrics from beginning to end. Dances all the way through. Lots of lyrics. And on stage, I blacked out and couldn't remember the words. So I started ad-libbing, 'Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na.'"

"After the show, the other musicians went 'What were you doing?' and I said 'I don't know.' And they said 'Well do it again, it sounded real good. Could you do it again?' Finally we got to where I could remember it, but didn't care about the words anymore. I just wanted to get to that 'Na na na na na.'"

Originally by: Chris Kenner, whose version reached #77 (US) in 1963.

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• Wilson Pickett - Land Of 1000 Dances (MP3)
• Cannibal And The Headhunters - Land Of 1000 Dances (MP3)

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