ABBA's Most Underrated Songs #9. Continues tomorrow.

Caffé Latté presents

50 UNDERRATED

ABBA

TRACKS

9

I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU

Despite its simplicity, Agnetha's vocal allows "I've Been Waiting For You" to take flight. Frida contributes harmony vocals on this track from the 'ABBA' album. The group began working on the song in mid-September 1974.

BEFORE THE HIT VERSION
UNCHAINED MELODY. Continues later this week.

BEFORE IT WAS A

HIT SONG…

These songs are well known but you may not know about the earlier attempts to score a hit record with prior versions of the same song.

Unchained Melody

 

The box office hit film 'Ghost' exposed The Righteous Brothers' 1965 recording of "Unchained Melody" to a wider audience in 1990. The duo scored a #1 hit in Britain, parts of Europe, Australia and New Zealand with their re-issued classic. Despite this being the definitive reading of "Unchained Melody", it was certainly not the original recording.

Initially, the song was composed for use in the 1955 prison movie 'Unchained'; hence its name. Todd Duncan sang the version found on its soundtrack. It earned an Oscar nomination. Numerous covers flooded the charts in America and Britain that same year. In Britain that year, 4 versions were listed in the Top 20 at the same time. 

The Righteous Brothers recorded its remake with Phil Spector in the production booth, immersing the song with his legendary Wall Of Sound. In actual fact, the track is essentially a solo recording featuring only Bobby Hatfield. Upon its release in 1965, the single peaked at #4 in America and #14 in the UK.

By the time it was used effectively in a memorable scene in 'Ghost' involving co-stars Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze, there had been countless other cover versions. The Righteous Brothers even re-recorded the song in the 1990s.

Since then, "Unchained Melody" has visited the top of the UK chart on 2 other occasions. Another duo, Robson & Jerome, returned it to the chart summit in 1995. Gareth Gates did the same 7 years later. Other versions have been recorded by the likes of Barry Manilow, U2 and Elvis Presley.

Each new song will be added to the spotify playlist named: ‘Before It Was A Hit Song’.  You can check out the previous earlier / original versions of the hit songs you know and love.

The playlist and other Caffe` Latte` selections can be found at:

https://open.spotify.com/user/alanrosscaffelatte

spotify:user:alanrosscaffelatte

ABBA's Most Underrated Songs #10. Continues tomorrow.

Caffé Latté presents

50 UNDERRATED

ABBA

TRACKS

o o o o

10

PUT ON YOUR WHITE SOMBRERO

Now added as a bonus track on 'Super Trouper', the Latin American-tinged upbeat song features Frida on lead vocals. ABBA began recording the track in early September 1980. It remained archived until the release of the 'Thank You For The Music' box set in 1994.

200 MOST ESSENTIAL 60s SONGS: 170- 161. Continues next week.

Caffé Latté looks back at…

THE 200 MOST ESSENTIAL

SONGS OF THE

1960s

No decade was as turbulent as the 1960s. Politically and socially, there was turmoil. Musically too, the rules were changing at breakneck speed. This was the decade of Flower Power, Motown, Woodstock, girl groups, Beatlemania, psychedelia and The British Invasion. Here are 200 songs that matter most from the period. These recordings had an impact on music and provided the soundtrack to the 10 years that made up the Sixties.

#170

HEAT WAVE

Martha & The Vandellas

Another pop nugget from one of Motown's premier girl groups, "Heat Wave" was a 1963 hit written by the prolific trio of Holland-Dozier-Holland.

#169

UP ON THE ROOF

The Drifters

A song can take you far from your everyday troubles. The Drifters offered one of the best examples of the power of music to do so when the R&B vocal group recorded the Carole King and Gerry Goffin composition "Up On The Roof". In 1963, it went Top 5 on both the Pop and Soul charts.

#168

 

ISREALITES

Desmond Dekker & The Aces

Before Bob Marley became reggae's leading artist, Desmond Dekker exposed worldwide audiences to the genre with "Isrealites". In 1968, the single reached #1 in the UK and went Top 10 in America and Europe.

#167

HE AIN'T HEAVY, HE'S MY BROTHER

The Hollies

In 1969, The Hollies unleashed this ballad which features an as yet unknown session musician on piano named Elton John. The single topped the British chart and made the US Top 10.

#166

FIRE

The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown

"Fire" remains one of the most unique singles released during the decade. Issued in 1968, the psychedelic soul track provided Arthur Brown with a UK #1 and a Top 10 smash in Europe and the U.S.A.

#165

(YOUR LOVE KEEPS LIFTING ME)

HIGHER AND HIGHER

Jackie Wilson

 Influential soul performer Jackie Wilson had been absent from the upper rungs of the charts for years but "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher" returned him to the top in 1967. The single soon became a soul staple.

#164

SUMMER IN THE CITY

The Lovin' Spoonful

Incorporating sound effects and the excitement of the season, "Summer In The City" was an American and Canadian #1 single for The Lovin' Spoonful in 1966.

#163

THE LOCO-MOTION

Little Eva

Carole King and husband Gerry Goffin created this dance hit for babysitter Little Eva. In 1962, it made #1 in America and peaked at #2 on the British chart.

#162

FRIDAY ON MY MIND

The Easybeats

"Friday On My Mind" bottled teen anticipation and energy and remains an underrated rock track by the Australian group The Easybeats. It was a massive chart-topping success in Australia in 1966 before reaching #6 in the UK and #16 in America. Two of its members, Harry Vanda and George Young continued penning hits for various Australian acts in the 1970s, including the early discs by AC/DC which featured 2 of the latter's brothers.

#161

LEADER OF THE PACK

The Shangri-Las

A girl group, one bad boy and parental disapproval: the perfect ingredients for a hit song. But "Leader Of The Pack" went even further. By the song's end, the couple had broken up and the boy was dead. Released in 1964, the single gave The Shangri-Las an American #1.

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