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Post by davey on Jan 18, 2023 19:16:55 GMT
Ah, 1967, the year I lost - well, gave away - my virginity, fathered my only child, got drunk for the first time, and saw my father die. That was one week ( raygeb4beauty.blogspot.com/2017/06/ ).
Some time in the other 51 came the last single released on Philles, and for once an endeavour ends in a blaze of glory,a culmination rather than a whimper. The name on the label is Ike & Tina Turner, but Ike was nowhere near it, and it's actually more a collaboration between Ellie Greenwich (writer), Spector, Jack Nitzsche (arrangement) and the Wrecking Crew (peerless noise), with vocals by Tina: to this day it remains as my favourite three and a half minutes of music.
The song may be about the ecstacy of first love, about music, perhaps the female orgasm, probably all three: but whatever it is, its dynamic is the twin realizations that every peak, every epiphany contains the seed of knowledge that you can look forward to nothing better ('the only way is down'), and that the sense of loss once you wil experience when you let go of it will be profound.
Unlike River Deep, which revs up, the record opens at full throttle. The arrangement teeters on the edge of chaos, of abandonment, throughout: it's occasionally punctuated by a bubbling, tumbling bass line from Carole Kaye and great work from Hal Blaine, but all the other instruments surge together to a climax (if you'll forgive the expression) that eclipses River Deep Mountain High, and resolves into massed saxophones surfing a tsunami of strings, before a great fading comedown coda, as Tina's voice ebbs away, 'forever and ev-ev-er. It's a fucking marvel, it really is.
I never yet heard any digitalization that doesn't remove some of its power and glory. The one I chose below is the best of an indifferent bunch. To write this, though, I dug out my London American single and blasted it through headphones. Still blows me away more than half a century later.
[Ike & ]Tina Turner - I'll Never Need More Than This
This is not only my favorite Ike & Tina record, but my favorite of ALL of Spector’s records. His masterpiece IMHO, and truly as good as music gets. I’m wondering if you have the wrong year, cause it’s on the River Deep, Mountain High album. I chose that song for 1966, fully knowing that I’d actually have preferred to choose this one. But it felt like a personal indulgence to not take one of the signpost records of the era in favor of one that few people remember. But whatever. Happy to have this one on the list. It’s a monster track.
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toomanyhatz
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Post by toomanyhatz on Jan 18, 2023 19:43:41 GMT
I can think of at least three MAJOR records from '67 that have had no selections so far. What a year!
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rayge
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Post by rayge on Jan 18, 2023 19:45:06 GMT
This is not only my favorite Ike & Tina record, but my favorite of ALL of Spector’s records. His masterpiece IMHO, and truly as good as music gets. I’m wondering if you have the wrong year, cause it’s on the River Deep, Mountain High album. I chose that song for 1966, fully knowing that I’d actually have preferred to choose this one. But it felt like a personal indulgence to not take one of the signpost records of the era in favor of one that few people remember. But whatever. Happy to have this one on the list. It’s a monster track. It wasn't on the first release of the album in ’66, got tacked on to later reissues.
And this is a bit weird, but there's at least one other person on this board who rates INNMTT as highly as I, and apparently you, do, to the extent that we had a brief chat about who would nominate it - goatboy.
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loveless
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Post by loveless on Jan 18, 2023 19:45:27 GMT
I can think of at least three MAJOR records from '67 that have had no selections so far. What a year! TRULY a year that demands a much larger voting populace. There's something about Goat Boy and quaco, in particular, not showing up that seems acutely impactful.
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Post by davey on Jan 18, 2023 19:53:13 GMT
This is not only my favorite Ike & Tina record, but my favorite of ALL of Spector’s records. His masterpiece IMHO, and truly as good as music gets. I’m wondering if you have the wrong year, cause it’s on the River Deep, Mountain High album. I chose that song for 1966, fully knowing that I’d actually have preferred to choose this one. But it felt like a personal indulgence to not take one of the signpost records of the era in favor of one that few people remember. But whatever. Happy to have this one on the list. It’s a monster track. It wasn't on the first release of the album in ’66, got tacked on to later reissues.
And this is a bit weird, but there's at least one other person on this board who rates INNMTT as highly as I, and apparently you, do, to the extent that we had a brief chat about who would nominate it - goatboy.
I’ve never faulted his musical taste.
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osgood
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Post by osgood on Jan 18, 2023 22:12:35 GMT
Thank you, Snee. Having left this out was breaking my heart.
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Post by Stacy Heydon on Jan 18, 2023 23:12:00 GMT
It wasn't on the first release of the album in ’66, got tacked on to later reissues.
And this is a bit weird, but there's at least one other person on this board who rates INNMTT as highly as I, and apparently you, do, to the extent that we had a brief chat about who would nominate it - goatboy.
I’ve never faulted his musical taste. You're missing out!
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osgood
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Post by osgood on Jan 19, 2023 8:08:06 GMT
I found this about the meaning of "soul finger". Is it real? If so it brings a new dimension to the song ... and my previous post.
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Post by Reactionary Rage on Jan 19, 2023 12:02:54 GMT
1967 is another (maybe more than any to date) scenario when I'm sitting down at the restaurant with the amazing menu, spoilt for choice, and asking everyone at the table to let me order last. There's a handful of personal icons that cause me to think "Well, if Dougie orders the ribeye and hatz orders the catfish, I can just go ahead and lean into the crab legs with full confidence." It might not play out like that. Hatz will probably go for some vegan tofu thing and Dougie a deep fried mars bar! Oi! Fucking cheeky Taff cunt. Listen lad, I've eaten at michelin restaurants across the world!
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Post by Reactionary Rage on Jan 19, 2023 12:10:44 GMT
This is not only my favorite Ike & Tina record, but my favorite of ALL of Spector’s records. His masterpiece IMHO, and truly as good as music gets. I’m wondering if you have the wrong year, cause it’s on the River Deep, Mountain High album. I chose that song for 1966, fully knowing that I’d actually have preferred to choose this one. But it felt like a personal indulgence to not take one of the signpost records of the era in favor of one that few people remember. But whatever. Happy to have this one on the list. It’s a monster track. It wasn't on the first release of the album in ’66, got tacked on to later reissues.
And this is a bit weird, but there's at least one other person on this board who rates INNMTT as highly as I, and apparently you, do, to the extent that we had a brief chat about who would nominate it - goatboy.
Oh God, Davey, Ray and myself agree on something. Stop the Preludin clocks! Hoist up the flag! Circle jerk commence!
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rayge
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Post by rayge on Jan 19, 2023 12:12:42 GMT
It wasn't on the first release of the album in ’66, got tacked on to later reissues.
And this is a bit weird, but there's at least one other person on this board who rates INNMTT as highly as I, and apparently you, do, to the extent that we had a brief chat about who would nominate it - goatboy.
Oh God, Davey, Ray and myself agree on something. Stop the Preludin clocks! Hoist up the flag! Circle jerk commence! Always happy to agree with God.
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Post by Reactionary Rage on Jan 19, 2023 16:30:52 GMT
1967. How do you pick one song from such a golden year? I feel a bit like Rick James in a whore house. “fetch me my 45s bitches…”
Like 65 and 66 there are such riches and you could make a pretty strong argument (that Darkness Fish would naturally refute) that it is maybe the Best Year Ever for pop and rock. A zenith for popular culture in the 2nd half of the 20th century. All downhill from here? Well, not quite perhaps but certainly a recognisable peak in the life cycle that many of us would enthusiastically agree on.
I thought about picking Surf’s Up (the solo version that appeared on the box set) but I picked the Beach Boys in the last round. Of course I could pick Strawberry Fields but somebody has already picked the Beatles so I’m going with this beaut. A personal favourite. A life changer.
There are certain records that really define your taste. That tell strangers something about yourself should you care to reveal it. If people ask me “what sort of music do I like?” (absolutely one of the dumbest questions ever) then certain records immediately spring to mind as handy signifiers that represent some kind of personal quintessence. See Emily Play is one of those records for me. It’s as assuredly pop as fucking Girls Aloud yet there is something so defiantly Other about it, something so thrillingly uncanny that it works as some kind of eternal template for Weird, dark Pop music that has never really been bettered. One of those records that squats at the intersection in the pop Venn diagram where experimentation and weirdness meets insane chart friendly catchiness. The damn thing actually made number 6 in the UK charts. OH TO LIVE IN A TIME WHEN RECORDS LIKE THIS MADE THE TOP TEN.
It captures so much of what I look for in music. In particular that trademark Syd quality of light and shade, of heaven and hell (see also Forever Changes, Strawberry Fields so also something clearly in the water etc) that gives the record this incredible unpredictability. Syd’s capriciousness is a big part of his appeal as is the songs unhinged, chaotic quality where the fabric of the records reality appears to rip and giddy madness peeks through (for example the freak out between Rick and Syd at the climax of the instrumental break). I mean if you’re like me and you want light and shade then the moment after the bonkers and brief intro (great sounds!) when the song suddenly ominously descends is some seriously satisfying shit. Like opening a door in an English garden on a summers day and descending the stairs into a spider webbed festooned basement or something. And yet a few seconds later Syd sounds so cheery, childlike and positive (“there is no other day!”) it catches you delightfully by surprise. Nice trick lads. And yet nothing feels forced or contrived. It flows beautifully climaxing perfectly in the chorus (love that cute little run on the piano) before it throws in another curveball with that mad hatter tack piano before descending back to darkness (“soon after dark”). That’s the stuff yeah? I mean we can ALL hear that.
Nobody has ever sounded like this and nobody ever will again. It’s a genuinely unique and odd record that still manages to be insanely catchy and hooky. To think this was their 2nd single is pretty outrageous really. How did they pull that one off?
Syd eh? It’s easy to idealise but when you produced lightning in a bottle magic like this right out the bat and you looked a million dollars AND you made that cunt Roger probably feel very insecure (hey, Syd, I've written this song called Take Up Thy Stethoscope..please like it!) then how can you not love the guy?
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Post by DarknessFish on Jan 19, 2023 17:17:55 GMT
Is that the single slimiest, creepiest introduction to a band in TV history?
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loveless
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Post by loveless on Jan 19, 2023 19:10:38 GMT
Yes to everything about "Emily".
My God, what utter magic.
When I voiced my wish that you'd participate in this year's picks? It was "Emily" I was hoping for.
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toomanyhatz
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Post by toomanyhatz on Jan 19, 2023 19:22:23 GMT
Can still think of a couple major ones not mentioned at all, but...yeah, "Emily" is a biggie.
Lucifer Sam or Astronomy Domine would of worked too.
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