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The Songfactor's Choice Top Ten #51

THREE songs not in the Songfacts database this week:

Gimme Little Sign - Brenton Wood (1967)

Catch The Wind - Donovan (1965)

Fire - Pointer Sisters (1978)

If you have any info on any of the songs mentioned anywhere in this thread, please feel free to post your knowledge here. Submissions on songs will be collated and sent to the main site and you will receive credit for your contribution.

The Songfish thanks you.

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"Catch the Wind" marks the first release by Donovan. The single reached #4 in the United Kingdom and #23 in the United States. The single version featured Donovan's vocals with echo and a string section. The song was recorded again for Donovan's first album "What's Bin Did and What's Bin Hid" without the vocal echo and strings.
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"Fire"

The Pointer Sisters

Written by Bruce Springsteen.

Though Bruce Springsteen is known for the usually serious, thoughtful songs he writes for himself, "Fire" is an example of his ability to write a popular hit of a less cerebral sort. During his enforced hiatus from studio work in 1976-1977, when he and his ex-manager were busy suing each other, Springsteen began hanging out with neo-rockabilly singer Robert Gordon, who had latched onto the New York new wave scene and scored a contract with RCA Victor. Springsteen had written "Fire" for Elvis Presley and even sent him a demo before Presley died, but now he gave it to Gordon. It had a simple, stop-and-start musical pattern, its lyric telling the story of a couple who were drawn to each other physically even if they were not otherwise compatible. The song was a lot of fun, and it was made to order for Gordon's stylized act. He recorded it for his second album, Fresh Fish Special, which was released in the late winter of 1978. Springsteen did not record the song himself on his next album, Darkness on the Edge of Town, but he did play it occasionally during the tour promoting the LP, first performing it live at the tour opener in Buffalo, NY, on May 23, 1978. The song might have remained a minor entry in his repertoire if it hadn't been heard by producer Richard Perry, who was looking for material for his first record with the Pointer Sisters. Their career was in a downturn, and they had been reduced to a trio by the departure of Bonnie Pointer. As part of their first sessions for his Planet Records label, Perry had them record a soul/ pop arrangement of "Fire" and he released it as a single in the fall of 1978. The result was a gold-selling hit that just missed topping the charts in early 1979 and re-established the Pointers as a commercial force. (Like Manfred Mann's Earth Band's cover of "Blinded By the Light" two years earlier, it was a bigger hit than Springsteen himself had ever scored with one of his songs.) In 1986, Springsteen placed a version he had performed on December 16, 1978, on his box set Live 1975-1985, and he released it as the album's second single in early 1987, his version peaking in the upper half of the Top 100. The most striking version of the song in subsequent years was the one sung by Des'ree on her 1998 album, Supernatural.

...says allmusic.com

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"Gimme Little Sign"

Brenton Wood

A classic Motown song written by Jerry Winn, Alfred Smith (Brenton Wood) and Joseph Hooven.

September 1967: "Gimme Little Sign" hit #9 on the pop chart and #19 on the R&B charts. In the song gimme little sign is not sung, instead the chorus repeats "give me some kind of sign".

"Gimme Little Sign" was covered by Danielle Brisebois in 1994 and also recorded by Ricky Nelson.

from wikipedia.

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Thanks to Farin and edna! :bow:

The Songfactor's Choice Top Ten #52

TWO songs with out facts here on Songfacts this week, including our number one:

Roundabout - Yes (1972)

Lump - The Presidents of the United States of America (1995)

If you have any info on any of the songs mentioned anywhere in this thread, please feel free to post your knowledge here. Submissions on songs will be collated and sent to the main site and you will receive credit for your contribution.

The Songfish thanks you.

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"Roundabout"

YES

written by Jon Anderson and Steve Howe.

Released in 1971 in the UK and 1972 in the US. It´s the first track of their fourth album, "Fragile".

By then YES were: Jon Anderson (singer), Steve Howe(guitars, vocals), Chris Squire (bass, vocals), Bill Bruford (percussion, drums) and Rick Wakeman (Hammond Organ, Grand piano, RMI Electra-piano and Harpsichord, Mellotron, Moog Synthesizer)

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Thanks again to Farin and edna! :bow: :bow:

The Songfactor's Choice Top Ten #53

FOUR songs from this top ten are not currently part of the Songfacts database. Some big names in this list too:

Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad - Derek & The Dominos

She's So Cold - The Rolling Stones

Jackson - Johnny Cash & June Carter

Comes A Time - Neil Young

If you have any info on any of the songs mentioned anywhere in this thread, please feel free to post your knowledge here. Submissions on songs will be collated and sent to the main site and you will receive credit for your contribution.

The Songfish thanks you.

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Comes a Time

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

Comes A Time

Studio album by Neil Young

Released October, 1978

Recorded 1978 (?)

Genre Country rock, Folk rock, Rock

Length 35:39

Label Reprise

Producer(s) Neil Young, David Briggs, Ben Keith, Tim Mulligan

Professional reviews

All Music Guide link

Robert Christgau (A) link

Rolling Stone (2003 review)link

Neil Young chronology

Decade

(1977) Comes a Time

(1978) Rust Never Sleeps

(1979)

Comes a Time is a 1978 album by Neil Young, and a return to the country/folk rock sound of Harvest (1972). Originally, Comes a Time had started out as a solo record, but when Young played it for Reprise executives they asked him if he wouldn't mind adding rhythm tracks to what he already had. Young agreed to this, and the end product was the Comes a Time that was released.

You know I love this guy! :guitar:

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Neil is an American/Canadian acquired taste, I think. A friend of Katie's Father in Australia likes him though. And I do know another guy here who likes him. That's two. I really like 'Heart Of Gold', but I couldn't listen to a whole CD of his.

:)

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Rolf Harris is a good all round entertainer. I wouldn't rate him too highly as a singer though (even though he has the highest charted SINGLE version of 'Stairway To Heaven').

Hey, we'd better put some facts on this Thread ! I forgot we were in here. Sorry Katie. I honestly thought I was in the last Top Ten Thread.

:P

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"She´s so cold"

The Rolling Stones

Released in September 1980 as a single with "Send it to me" as side B. From the album "Emotional Rescue".

from Wikipedia:

Recording on the song started in early 1979. The song was seen as an attempt by the band to enter the then-growing New Wave music scene. The single peaked at #33 in the UK Singles Chart and #26 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in November 1980.
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I thought I'd be able to find out more about "Jackson"/ Johnny Cash & June Carter, but it didn't make the U.S. or U.K. Pop Charts (which most of my books deal with).

It reached #2 in the U.S. Country Charts in 1967 for them, and also won the Grammy for 'Best Country Performance, Duo or Group With Vocal' that year.

Lee Hazelwood and Nancy Sinatra's version was preferred in the Pop Charts where it was Top 20 both U.S. and U.K. Nancy Sinatra's version of the Bond Movie song "You Only Live Twice" was on the flip side, so I'm sure that would have influenced a few record buyers too.

It was co-written by Billy Edd Wheeler, who also wrote "The Reverend Mr. Black" for the Kingston Trio.

I'll try to find out more. I didn't look at Wikipedia, but it would surely have some info too.

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Instinctively , I can't believe that , Old . Could you check again , please ? " I recall 'Jackson' on the radio constantly as a kid - back when AM only played hits , not to mention nearly every variety show the two came on - especially Johnny's own show ... I'll gladly eat my words , though ! :stars:

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"Why has love got to be so bad?"

Derek and the Dominos

Written by Eric Clapton and Bobby Whitlock. Released in "Layla and other assorted songs" in 1971.

Anybody has any more info about this one? :P

I found Why Does Love Gotta Be So Sad in the Songfacts database.

:laughing: Thank you, Phil, you just answered to my previous post... :cool:

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No, sorry Mate. It was certainly a #2 Country Charted single, but it seems to have first appeared 'Pop' on the 1967 Album, "Johnny Cash's Greatest Hits Volume 1" (and 6 later Albums). Nancy Sinatra was very popular at the time, having had 'Boots' the previous year.

Johnny and June got the Grammy over Lee and Nancy though !

;)

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:laughing: :doh: I've really got to start reading people's posts more carefully - rather than just assuming what I think they mean . I thought you'd said that it never made it as a country hit ... :P Sorry ! :doh: :laughing: :stars: :jester: :guitar:

Pass the HP sauce , please ...Chomp ! Chomp !

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The Songfactor's Choice Top Ten #54

TWO songs this week:

You're Only Lonely - J.D. Souther (1979)

Right Place, Wrong Time - Dr. John (1973)

If you have any info on any of the songs mentioned anywhere in this thread, please feel free to post your knowledge here. Submissions on songs will be collated and sent to the main site and you will receive credit for your contribution.

The Songfish thanks you.

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