Writer’s block never sounded this good…an American songwriting genius comes of age. (CBS) Released: 3rd April 1968 Producer: Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel, Roy Halee Topped the chart: 11h August 1968 (for 5 weeks) 22nd September 1968 (for 2 weeks) 7 weeks total Although very different in their sounds, the parallels between the early careers of Bob Dylan and Paul Simon are profound. Both born in the arse-end of nowhere, either rural (Dylan- Minnesota) or urban (Simon- Newark, Ne

What’s New in the world of crooners Pussycat? (Decca) Released: 12th July 1968 Producer: Peter Sullivan Topped the chart: 4th August 1968 (for 1 week) 15th September 1968 (for 1 week) 2 weeks total Continuing to work our way through the “easy listening” boom of the late 60s, we’ve already seen a number of crooners hitting it big, albeit briefly: Val Doonican’s rocking chair and laidback vibe covered for a distinctly average voice, Andy Williams kept it distinctly old-fashio

A psychedelic game of two halves… (Immediate) Released: 24th May 1968 Producer: Ronnie Lane, Steve Marriott Topped the chart: 23rd June 1968 (for 6 weeks) 6 weeks total Considering how influential psychedelia has been on music, fashion and culture, it’s remarkable just how quickly the movement fizzled out. Save for revivals, the timeline of the sound basically starts with The Beatles’ Revolver in 1966, gets dark around the end of 67, before the Altamont tragedy and the Mans

A hasty goodbye to a soul legend before his time… (Stax) Released: February 23rd 1968 Producer: Steve Cropper Topped the chart: 16th June 1968 (for 1 week) 1 week total One of the ways to achieve immortality in art is to be first. Harry Belafonte is forever in the record books for being the first to sell over a million copies of an album. Mary Johnson might not be a household name, but, she’s the first person to release a single on Tamla Motown. You need to look it up, but

Another week, another album out of time… (CBS) Released: October 16 th 1967 Producer: Nick DeCaro Topped the chart: 9 th June 1968 (for 1 week) 1 week total Partying like it’s 1958 again, Andy Williams comes hot on the heels of Scott Walker with another easy listening throwback. But where Walker was cocking a snook at the past with drinks and theatrical winks, Williams plays it straight for his 21 st LP. And yes, it’s every bit as tired as that number would suggest. Most

For a brief moment, it was Scott’s world and we were just living in it… (Philips) Released: April 5 th 1968 Producer: John Franz Topped the chart: 12 th May 1968 (for 1 week) 1 week total Scoot 2 is an odd record from 1968. With psychedelia taking darker turns, all fuzz and atonal guitars, here comes one of the Walker Brothers making arch chamber pop that sounds like Mike Flowers Pop covering The Divine Comedy. Also included: songs about “Spanish bums” and gonorrhoea.

Dylan goes back to the future… (CBS) Released: February 23 rd 1968 Producer: Bob Johnston Topped the chart: 3 rd March 1968 (for 10 weeks) 19 th May 1968 (for 3 weeks) 13 weeks total John Wesley Harding was a sales behemoth in 1968, surprising considering how quiet and reflective this is in Bob Dylan’s catalogue. Filled with some of his densest and most inscrutable poetry, this is a transitional album that’s very singular in its arrangements, with only one hit (for som

Supreme by name… (Tamla Motown) Released: January 1968 Producer: Brian Holland & Lamont Dozier Topped the chart: 11 th February 1968 (for 3 weeks) 3 weeks total When you look at the track listing of this greatest hits album from The Supremes, it’s wild to think that for a long time at Motown they were nicknamed “The No Hits Supremes.” But that’s what they were known as for several years in the early 60s as a string of frankly pretty rubbish singles failed to go anywhere (a

The Motown machine motors on… (Tamla Motown) Released: August 1967 Producer: Various (mainly Brian Holland & Lamont Dozier) Topped the chart: 4 th February 1968 (for 1 week) 1 week total Please note: this is a review of the 16 track Greatest Hits album released in the UK in August 1967, which has a different track listing to the 12 track US version released at the same time. Tamla Motown’s late arrival to the top of the album chart is surprising looking back, but in many

Less rock than a pillow factory… (Pye) Released: 24 th November 1967 Producer: Val Doonican (arranger: Ken Thorne) Topped the chart: 31 st December 1967 (for 3 weeks) 3 weeks total It’s a pun you see. Val Doonican performed in a rocking chair so, you know, that’s why he’s rocking… It’s a point that needs to be explained because in the 21 st century, Val Doonican Rocks, But Gently (let’s call it “Rocks” for ease going forward) might suggest a soft-focus take on The W

You might have heard of this one... (Parlophone) Released: 26 th May 1967 Producer: George Martin Topped the chart: 4 th June 1967 (for 23 weeks) 19 th November 1967 (for 1 week) 17 th December 1967 (for 2 weeks) 28 th January 1968 (for 1 week) 8 th June 2017 (for 1 week) 28 weeks total Here it is then: the Big Boy of 60s music. A new level of artistic statement from a pop group, Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is credited with this new fangled “rock” music bein

More can sometimes mean less… (RCA Victor) Released: 9 th January 1967 Producer: Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart, Carole Bayer Sager, Neil Sedaka, Michael Nesmith, Jeff Barry, Jack Keller, Gerry Goffin, Carole King Topped the chart: 7 th May 1967 (for 1 week) 21 st May 1967 (for 1 week) 2 weeks total A proper Ronseal album this one. More of the Monkees is, well, you can probably figure it out. More of the music that The Monkees recorded for the first season of their television

Hey hey! Who needs to play on their albums anyway? (RCA Victor) Released: 10 th October 1966 Producer: Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart, Jack Keller, Michael Nesmith Topped the chart: 29 th January 1967 (for 7 weeks) 7 weeks total For a shiny, happy pop band put together for a TV show, the history of The Monkees isn’t half complicated. In-fighting, rebellion, scandal and the love of the era’s luminaries all feature, but generally history remembers them with a single word: “manufactu

Black and white on the cover, glorious Technicolour inside… (Parlophone) Released: 5 th August 1966 Producer: George Martin Topped the chart: 7 th August 1966 (for 7 weeks) 7 weeks total In the 90s, George Harrison's memory wasn’t what it used to be. As he said in the Anthology TV series, “I don’t see too much difference between Rubber Soul and Revolver . To me, they could be Volume One and Volume Two.” A strange take from our vantage point because musically there is a

The Stones roll into their second phase… (Decca) Released: 15 th April 1966 Producer: Andrew Loog Oldham Topped the chart: 24 th April 1966 (for 8 weeks) 8 weeks total And so we arrive at the Rolling Stones’ second phase. As we’ve journeyed through their first, there has been an increasing disparity between their singles and LPs, the former becoming darker and more interesting (see high-watermarks 19 th Nervous Breakdown and Paint It, Black ), the albums continued to ha

What’s that strange herbal smell coming from the studio? (Parlophone) Released: 3 rd December 1965 Producer: George Martin Topped the chart: 19 th December 1965 (for 8 weeks) 8 weeks total Whether they were made of rubber or leather, The Beatles’ shoes were likely on their last legs by October 1965, and it’s not hard to see why—five studio albums in two-and-a-half years, multiple world tours, TV appearances and almost no time off: every day they weren’t playing live they

Help! spells an underrated gem in the Beatles catalogue… (Parlophone) Released: 6 th August 1965 Producer: George Martin Topped the...

Why the hills are still alive, 60 years on… (RCA Victor) Released: 2 nd March 1965 Producer: Neely Plumb Topped the chart: 30 rd May...

Is this a joke? But y’know, in a good way… (CBS) Released: 7 th May 1965 Producer: Tom Wilson Topped the chart: 23 rd May 1965 (for 1...

Better late than never: Bob Dylan gets a hit, and it only took two years… (CBS) Released: 27 th May 1963 Producer: John Hammond, Tom...