Before the arrival of Bob Dylan, The Beach Boys and The Beatles, singing and songwriting were considered two distinctly separate talents.  Up until about 1960, you were one or the other, but not both.

Songwriters, by and large, accepted their place in the scheme of things, churning out catchy melodies and lyrics that someone else turned into hit singles.  In some cases, however, the songwriter nursed a dream of becoming a recording artist in his/her own right, even if that didn’t happen until years later.

Carole King is perhaps the best example of this.  Throughout the ’60s, she and husband Gerry Goffin wrote dozens of hits made famous by others — “Up on the Roof” by the Drifters, “I’m Into Something Good” by Herman’s Hermits, “The Locomotion” by Little Eva, “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” by The Shirrelles, “(You Make Me Feel Like a) Natural Woman” by Aretha Franklin, “Hi-De-Ho” by Blood Sweat and Tears, to name just a few.

Then in 1970, King took a stab at singing, and although her debut album went unnoticed, her second was “Tapestry,” one of the biggest-selling albums of all time, and the beginning of an accomplished career as a singer.

There are some intriguing examples in the ’60s and ’70s of hit songs written by songwriters who hadn’t yet made their name on the charts as singers.  In the process of creating the song, the composers often recorded their own versions, either as demos or as official recordings that received little attention.  Hearing these composers’ “rough drafts” of tunes that became huge hits by other artists makes for fascinating listening, as the Spotify song list at the end of this blog will demonstrate.

And here we go:

“I’m a Believer”

Written by Neil Diamond, made famous by The Monkees (#1 in 1967)

Diamond, who went on to write 37 Top 40 hits, developed a passion for songwriting at age 15 growing up in Brooklyn.  He had his eye on a recording career, but meanwhile, he was happy to have his songs picked up by others.  In 1966, TV producer Don Kirshner, in charge of finding material for the new created-for-TV pop rock band The Monkees, came to Diamond and selected one of his recent compositions called “I’m a Believer.” The Monkees’ version became the #1 song of 1967 on US pop charts. Diamond recorded his own version later the same year on his “Just for You” LP, which also included his first hits “Cherry, Cherry,” “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon” and “Thank the Lord for the Night Time.”

“Red Rubber Ball”

Written by Paul Simon, made famous by The Cyrkle (#6 in 1966)

Simon had been writing his irresistible melodies and introspective lyrics since 1963, and had recorded one album with Art Garfunkel that went nowhere.  But when a producer added drums, bass and electric guitar to their acoustic recording of “The Sound of Silence,” it became a #1 hit in early 1966, and Simon and Garfunkel were off and running.  Meanwhile, he had written “Red Rubber Ball” with Bruce Woodley of The Seekers, and the short-lived band called The Cyrkle made it into a big hit.  S&G played it in concert occasionally, and their 1967 live recording of the song appears on the 1997 three-CD collection “Old Friends.”

“One Fine Day”

Written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin, made famous by The Chiffons (1963)

The Goffin-King partnership was steeped in musical tradition including big band and swing and even opera. The duo loved the Italian language title “Un Bel Dì” from Puccini’s “Madame Butterfly” and chose to write “One Fine Day” as a pop song of romantic longing. They intended it for Little Eva as a follow-up single for her #1 hit “The Locomotion,” but it ended up going to the girl group The Chiffons in a new arrangement by The Tokens, which reached #5 in 1963. King re-recorded it herself in 1980 for her collection “Pearls: Songs of Goffin and King.”

“One”

Written by Harry Nilsson, made famous by Three Dog Night (#5 in 1969)

In 1968, at a time when bands wanted to (or were expected to) write their own songs, Three Dog Night went the other way, covering songs written by others, mostly struggling young songwriters who had great material.  Singer Chuck Negron heard the unknown 1968 album “Aerial Ballet” by Nilsson, which included a track called “One,” a simple, mellow song about the loneliness felt following a romantic breakup.  The band recorded a more exuberant arrangement for their debut album, and “One” became a #5 hit in 1969, the first of 15 Top 20 singles for the trio.

“Wedding Bell Blues”

Written by Laura Nyro, made famous by The 5th Dimension (#1 in 1969)

Nyro’s original vision for “Wedding Bell Blues” was as part of a mini-suite with dramatic rhythm changes to reflect the dual themes of adoring love and frustrated lament felt by the woman who “wonders if she’ll ever see her wedding day.”  That version was turned down by her producer, but instead she recorded a more soulful arrangement and released it in 1967 on her “More Than a New Discovery” debut album.  Two years later, The 5th Dimension enjoyed a pair of hits with Nyro’s songs “Stoned Soul Picnic” and “Sweet Blindness,” so they tried a third time with their rendition of “Wedding Bell Blues” (which was very similar to Nyro’s), and it went to #1.

“Leaving on a Jet Plane”

Written by John Denver, made famous by Peter, Paul & Mary (#1 in 1969)

Denver was a member of The Chad Mitchell Trio in the mid-’60s, writing and performing songs in folk clubs.  He put together a homemade demo of a batch of his songs, including one he was then calling “Babe, I Hate to Go,” and circulated it to music industry friends.  Peter, Paul & Mary were so impressed with it that they recorded it for their 1967 LP, “Album 1700,” under its new title, “Leaving on a Jet Plane.”  It sat ignored for two years until PP&M, in the throes of breaking up, decided to release it as a single, and it ended up the #1 song in the US during the final week of the 1960s.  Denver’s own version can be found on his 1969 album, “Rhymes & Reasons.”

“Mr. Tambourine Man”

Written by Bob Dylan, made famous by The Byrds (#1 in 1965)

In the early ’60s, Dylan was already regarded as a songwriting genius/prophet in some circles, but he hadn’t yet made a dent on the singles charts.  That changed when the Southern California band The Byrds used their jangly electric 12-string guitar sound and lush harmonies on a folk-rock arrangement of Dylan’s acoustic “Mr. Tambourine Man,” and The Byrds’ cover rocketed to #1.  Dylan’s version, found on his “Bringing It All Back Home” LP, has a running time of 5:34 and includes four verses; The Byrds’ version is severely truncated to 2:29, using only the second of the four verses.

“Both Sides Now”

Written by Joni Mitchell, made famous by Judy Collins (#8 in 1968).  

Judy Collins gives credit to her friend and musician Al Kooper for introducing her to the genius of Joni Mitchell in 1967, still a relative unknown at the time.  “He knew I was in the midst of recording my ‘Wildflowers’ album, and he wanted me to hear Joni’s songs, particularly ‘Both Sides Now,'” Collins wrote in her autobiography.  “Joni’s writing was magnificent.  ‘Both Sides Now’ has everything — sweep and tenderness, specificity and breadth.  It’s a perfect jewel of a song, perhaps one of the greatest songs ever written.”  Mitchell’s own version appeared on her second album, “Clouds,” in 1969.  (I couldn’t include her original on the playlist below because Mitchell refuses to make her recordings available on Spotify, but instead I located a “Live at BBC 1970” recording of her performing the song.)

“Wichita Lineman”

Written by Jimmy Webb, made famous by Glen Campbell (#3 in 1968)

Webb remembers driving toward the late afternoon sun one day in Oklahoma, passing endless miles of telephone poles, until he saw the silhouette of a solitary lineman atop a pole.  “He looked like the absolute picture of loneliness,” said Webb, who put himself in the lineman’s place and wrote what has been described as “the first existential country song” and “the greatest pop song ever composed.”  Glen Campbell was the first of many artists to record “Wichita Lineman,” which charted at #3. Early demos of Webb doing his own stuff haven’t survived, but he finally got around to recording them for real on his 1996 album called “Ten Easy Pieces,” which also includes new arrangements of other hits he wrote like “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” “The Worst That Can Happen,” “Galveston” and “MacArthur Park.”

“Mama Told Me Not to Come”

Written by Randy Newman, made famous by Three Dog Night (#1 in 1970)

After an early attempt as a recording artist flopped, Newman concentrated on songwriting throughout the ’60s, and his 1966 song “I Think It’s Going to Rain Today” was recorded by a dozen different singers.  That same year he wrote “Mama Told Me Not to Come” for Eric Burdon and The Animals, but it ended up an overlooked album track.  Four years later, Newman released his “12 Songs” LP, which included his piano-based rendition of the song.  Almost simultaneously, Three Dog Night’s rock/funk version raced up the charts to become one of the biggest singles of the year.

“Come and Get It”

Written by Paul McCartney, made famous by Badfinger (#7 in 1970)

McCartney (with and without John Lennon) wrote several songs during the Beatles years that he gave away to others, particularly Peter & Gordon (Peter Asher was the brother of his then-girlfriend Jane Asher).  In 1969, McCartney was commissioned to write songs for “The Magic Christian” soundtrack, and in the midst of the “Abbey Road” sessions, he arrived early one day and recorded a polished demo of “Come and Get It” by himself.  Badfinger was a new band signed to the Apple label, and to help jumpstart their career, he gave the song to them, also producing it exactly as he had recorded it on the demo, and it reached #7.  McCartney’s original was finally released 25 years later as a track on the “Beatles Anthology 3” CD.

“Red Red Wine”

Written by Neil Diamond, made famous by UB40 (#1 in 1988)

This one has this list’s longest gestation period from composing to hit-single status.  Originally written and recorded by Diamond in 1967 on his “Just for You” LP, “Red Red Wine” was resurrected 15 years later by British pop/reggae band UB40, who released an album in 1983 of cover versions of songs by their early rock idols.  Although their reggae version went to #1 in the UK, it stalled at #34 here, but five years later in 1988, it was re-released in the US and went to #1 here as well.

“Stoney End”

Written by Laura Nyro, made famous by Barbra Streisand (#6 in 1971)

Another Nyro composition that appeared on her underrated 1967 debut “More Than a New Discovery” was this upbeat number that eventually captured the attention of producer Richard Perry.  He suggested it as a featured song for Barbra Streisand’s first album of pop-rock songs, and although she initially balked at the line “I was raised on the good book Jesus” because of her Jewish faith, it ended up being the title song when released in 1971.  She took Nyro’s song to #6, her first Top Ten hit since “People” in 1964, and the beginning of an impressive run on the charts throughout the ’70s and into the ’80s.

“Pleasant Valley Sunday”

Written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin, made famous by The Monkees (#3 in 1967)

In 1967, the Goffin-King marriage was in trouble and nearing its end. Goffin had been overdoing the drug experimentation in vogue at the time, and their recent move from New York City to a suburban neighborhood in New Jersey had proven unsatisfying, inspiring the song “Pleasant Valley Sunday.” It’s a clever, sardonic take on the sameness of suburban life, but its bright, cheery tempo and melody made it s big hit when recorded by The Monkees that year. King’s demo, eventually released on a 2012 compilation LP, features some different lyrics and a simpler arrangement.

“Me and Bobby McGee”

Written by Kris Kristofferson, made famous by Janis Joplin (#1 in 1971)

Kris Kristofferson was an Army brat who became an accomplished pilot, an award-winning boxer and rugby player, and a Rhodes scholar at Oxford — and he left all that behind to pursue his dreams of writing music and acting.  He found his niche in Nashville, where his songs were recorded by country stars like Johnny Cash and Ray Price, but Kristofferson’s own recordings never achieved much commercial success.  He introduced one song from his 1970 debut album “Kristofferson” to his friend Janis Joplin, who decided to record a rollicking arrangement for what would become her final album, “Pearl.”  Four months after her death, Janis’s recording of “Me and Bobby McGee” was the #1 song in the country.

“All the Young Dudes”

Written by David Bowie, made famous by Mott the Hoople (#37 in 1972)

In 1972, Bowie’s career was just starting to take off in the US when he heard that his friends in Mott the Hoople were about to break up because of a lack of chart success.  He offered them his song “Suffragette City” from the “Ziggy Stardust” LP, but they turned him down, so instead, Bowie sat down in a London flat across from singer Ian Hunter and wrote “All the Young Dudes” specifically for them.  It went to #3 in the UK, saving the band’s career, and it became the unofficial anthem of the glam-rock era.  Bowie recorded it himself during the 1972-73 “Aladdin Sane” sessions but never released it until the double-album compilation “Bowie: Legacy” following his death in 2016..

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I urge you to check out the composers’ versions of these other hits that made my honorable mention list:

Bruce Springsteen wrote “Blinded by the Light,” “Fire,” and “Because the Night” (popularized by Manfred Mann, The Pointer Sisters and Patti Smith, respectively);  Bob Marley wrote “I Shot the Sheriff,” a #1 hit for Eric Clapton; Neil Young wrote “Lotta Love,” which launched Nicolette Larson’s career; Leon Russell wrote “This Masquerade” (a hit for George Benson) and “A Song for You” (the title song of The Carpenters’ fourth album);  Tom Waits wrote “Ol ’55,” a popular track for The Eagles;  Prince wrote “Nothing Compares 2 U” (Sinead O’Connor’s big debut) and “Manic Monday” (a #1 smash for The Bangles);  and Bob Dylan wrote “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” (both Top Five hits for Peter, Paul & Mary) and “All Along the Watchtower” (wildly reimagined by Jimi Hendrix).

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My friends on Facebook know I enjoy posting a “daily lyrical puzzler” every morning, just as a fun diversion from all the BS and nonsense that’s often posted on that social media platform.

Here at Hack’s Back Pages, I have occasionally expanded on that idea and generated a Lyrics Quiz, using various themes and eras, just so readers can test their ability at recognizing the words to popular classic rock/pop songs. Remembering lyrics comes as second nature to me, but many people tell me they struggle not only to recognize the songs but also to come up with the titles and/or the artists.

This week, on Lyrics Quiz #15, I have selected 15 Top Ten singles, one each from the 15 years in the 1965-1979 period. If you’re of my generation, you’ll probably find this reasonably easy; younger readers may not know some of my selections. But once you see the answers and listen to the Spotify playlist at the end, I’m confident you’ll find them very familiar indeed.

Give it a try!

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1965: “Well, I told you once and I told you twice, /But you never listen to my advice…”

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1966: “Stopped into a church I passed along the way, /Well, I got down on my knees and I pretend to pray…”

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1967: “I was born in Little Rock, had a childhood sweetheart, we were always hand in hand…”

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1968: “Yeah, I gotta go make it happen, take the world in a love embrace…”

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1969: “You love me, you hate me, you know me and then, you can’t figure out the bag I’m in…”

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1970: “It ain’t nothing but a heartbreaker, /It’s got one friend, that’s the undertaker…”

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1971: “Long ago and oh so far away, I fell in love with you before the second show…”

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1972: “And there’s a girl in this harbor town, and she works layin’ whiskey down…”

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1973: “When are you gonna come down? When are you going to land?…”

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1974: “Jimi gave us rainbows, and Janis took a piece of our hearts, and Otis brought us all to the dock of a bay…”

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1975: “She gets up and pours herself a strong one, and stares out at the stars up in the sky…”

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1976: “Billy Mack is a detective down in Texas, /You know, he knows just exactly what the facts is…”

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1977: “Going through security, I held her for so long, /She finally looked at me in love, and she was gone…”

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1978: “My Maserati does 185, /I lost my license, now I don’t drive…”

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1979: “When the morning cries and you don’t know why, it’s hard to bear, with no one beside you, you’re goin’ nowhere…”

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(Scroll down for answers)

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Answers:

1965: “The Last Time,” The Rolling Stones

It’s a misconception that “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” was The Stones’ first US hit single. Mick and Keith and the boys had two prior Top Ten hits here — “Time Is On My Side” (in ’64) and “The Last Time,” which reached #9 in early 1965. It was largely based on a gospel song called “This May Be the Last Time,” recorded by The Staple Singers in the ’50s, although the guitar riff and some of the lyrics were developed by The Stones.

1966: “California Dreamin’,” The Mamas and The Papas

During a cold winter in New York City in 1964, John Phillips wrote this legendary song for his California-born wife Michelle, who was homesick for the warmer climate of her home town. Within two years, The Mamas and The Papas had relocated to L.A., signed with Dunhill Records, and recorded their first album, which included not only the #4 chart rendition of “California Dreamin'” but their first #1, “Monday, Monday,” and the foursome became among the hottest acts of the ’60s.

1967: “I Was Made to Love Her,” Stevie Wonder

Wonder was only 17 when he co-wrote and recorded this magnificent slice of Motown, which reached #2 in the summer of ’67. It’s a thrilling arrangement and production, featuring James Jamerson’s indelible bass line and Wonder’s distinctive harmonica and vocals. His mother, Lula Mae Hardaway, helped write it, helping with the passionate lyrics of young love. I consider the track one of the very best songs in his enviable catalog of great R&B music.

1968: “Born To Be Wild,” Steppenwolf

Some people cite the line “I like smoke and lightning, heavy metal thunder” from this iconic song as the first use of the term “heavy metal,” presaging the actual genre by a few years. “Born To Be Wild” was written by Dennis Edmonton, who was inspired by a billboard showing motorcycles racing down the highway. It has been often used as a biker anthem, making a dramatic appearance in the counterculture film “Easy Rider.” It reached #2 in the summer of 1968.

1969: “Everyday People,” Sly and The Family Stone

This tune by Sly Stone was an overt plea for peace and equality among the races, and it sat perched at #1 for four weeks in February-March of 1969. Sly & The Family Stone was the first bi-racial co-ed band in pop history, and Stone used that status to write several songs that promoted racial harmony during a time marked by considerable black-white strife. The fact that it was written as an easygoing, singalong pop song gave it near-universal appeal.

1970: “War,” Edwin Starr

The powerhouse songwriting team of Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong came up with this powerful anti-war anthem for The Temptations to sing, who recorded it, but Motown chief Berry Gordy chose not to release it as a single lest they alienate some of the group’s more conservative fan base. Whitfield and Strong re-recorded it in a more intense James Brown-type arrangement with lesser Motown artist Edwin Starr at the microphone, and it rocketed to #1.

1971: “Superstar,” The Carpenters

Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett collaborated with Leon Russell to write this ode to rock groupies.  Singer Rita Coolidge, who suggested that the groupie scene would make a provocative subject for a song lyric, sang the song as part of the 1970 “Mad Dogs and Englishmen” tour she did with Russell and Joe Cocker’s band.  The following year, Karen Carpenter wrapped her sultry voice around the song for The Carpenters’ third LP, and the song reached #2 in the autumn of 1971. 

1972: “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl),” Looking Glass

Elliot Lurie, guitarist/vocalist of the Jersey-based band Looking Glass, wrote this tale of a hard-working barmaid who fought off the advances of many men because she still pined for a man from her past who couldn’t commit because “my life, my lover, my lady is the sea.” It became an enormous hit in the summer/fall of ’72, and years later, it enjoyed new life when it was used in the soundtracks of “Charlie’s Angels” (2000) and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017).”

1973: “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” Elton John

Said lyricist Bernie Taupin about this classic, “The lyrics are saying that sometimes I want to leave Oz and get back to the farm. I wasn’t turning my back on success or saying I didn’t want it. I think I was just hoping that maybe there was a happy medium, a way to exist successfully in a more tranquil setting.” It’s one of Elton & Bernie’s favorite songs in their entire catalog, and as the title track of their solid double album, it reached the Top five in eight countries, including #2 in the US.  

1974: “Rock and Roll Heaven,” The Righteous Brothers

Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield struck gold in the mid-’60s with the Phil Spector-produced hits “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” and “(You’re My) Soul and Inspiration,” then broke up for a spell before reuniting in 1974. They scored a big single with “Rock and Roll Heaven,” a song by Alan O’Day that paid tribute to some of the rock stars who had left us by that point (Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Otis Redding, Jim Morrison, Jim Croce, Bobby Darin). The song reached #3 on US charts.

1975: “Lyin’ Eyes,” The Eagles

Glenn Frey and Don Henley were in a Hollywood bar one night, watching beautiful young women cozying up to older wealthy men, and Frey noted, “She can’t even hide those lyin’ eyes.” It became a huge Eagles hit about those who cheat on their romantic partners as they lied to them, their conquests and themselves. As the second single from their chart-topping LP “One Of These Nights,” it reached #2 on US charts.

1976: “Take the Money and Run,” Steve Miller Band

There have been many dozens, maybe hundreds, of examples in classic rock songs of horrible attempts at writing rhyming lyrics. I submit that this line by Steve Miller on one of the singles from his “Fly Like an Eagle” LP, is among the most cringeworthy. Rhyming “Texas” with “facts is” fails on two different levels (shouldn’t it be “facts are”? Yes, it should). But correct grammar has never been rock and roll’s strong suit, and the song reached #11.

1977: “Just a Song Before I Go,” Crosby, Stills and Nash

Graham Nash had been staying with a friend in Hawaii, and as he was preparing to leave for the airport, his friend bet him that he couldn’t write a song in the short time he had left. In 20 minutes, Nash came up with this ditty about a musician leaving loved ones behind to go out on a concert tour, but it’s written so that it could be about anyone who must depart unwillingly.  It was a return to the Top Ten for the original trio, reaching #7 as the single from their celebrated reunion LP, “CSN.”

1978: “Life’s Been Good,” Joe Walsh

By this point in his career, Walsh had made Cleveland’s The James Gang a national act, forged a successful solo career and become a member of the high-flying Eagles. Along the way, he developed a notorious reputation as a major partier and a trasher of hotel rooms, which he good-naturedly wrote about in this big hit from his solo LP “But Seriously Folks…” The track rose to #12 on US charts.

1979: “Tragedy,” The Bee Gees

The Brothers Gibb sang together for multiple decades and albums, but they combined forces as songwriters only occasionally, most notably on this sizzling #1 tune for their “Spirits Having Flown” LP, the follow-up to the stratospheric success of their “Saturday Night Fever” material.  The description of a romantic breakup as a “tragedy” is perhaps exaggerated, but the listening public didn’t mind, as it became the vocal group’s fifth of six consecutive chart-toppers in the late Seventies.

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