Dick Bartley Presents: Classic Oldies 1965-1969

Summertime was family vaction time when I was a kid and that mostly meant visiting my Grandparents and relatives for 2 months. So to keep from going totally crazy, I listened to A LOT of radio. Here is a summer post for you guys - maybe it will bring back some fun memories too.

Dick Bartley is THE master at playing "Oh-Wow Oldies"...Eric is the master at finding the highest quality source of them. This collaboration has yielded what may be Eric's best release yet! Bartley's "Classic Oldies 1965-1969" comes packed with many elusive tracks from the bygone MGM-Fontana-Mercury and UNI (MCA-Universal) catalog. New Colony Six fans-read on with glee...BOTH of their desperately sought after Mercury-era pop hits are here! Not since Rhino axed the "Colonized" compilation several years back, have "I Will Always Think About You" and "Things I'd Like To Say" been available on CD outside an inflated online auction. This collection includes essential British "Oh-Wows" from The Walker Brothers, Fortunes, Troggs, and Silkie that disappeared many years ago--again, courtesy of Rhino--when they discontinued the nine-CD "British Invasion" series. Also in attendance are several "delicious" out-of-print Top-10 tracks including: Desmond Dekker & The Aces' "Israelites" from the UK-Island label's prog-reggae period in the late 60s; A rare stereo mix of Shirley Ellis' sound-alike follow-up to "The Name Game"--"The Clapping Song"; and The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown's #2-charting "Fire"--one of the initial introductions of R&R psychedelica to a broader Top-40 audience. While there are a few easily-available staples here, much of this disc truly meets the "hard-or impossible to find" standard, including: The Sir Douglas Quintet's final 1969 #27 hit--"Mendocino"; The Ides Of March first chart appearance in 1966--"You Wouldn't Listen"; and yes...Dee Jay & The Runaways' 1966 oldie from hell week--"Peter Rabbit"...Your frat reunion will thank you! Finally, as a nice bonus, the "extended intro" alternate take of The Righteous Brothers' "Soul And Inspiration", and a STEREO version of The Trogg's "Love Is All Around" are EXCLUSIVE to this compilation.

EVERY one of the 18 tracks on "Bartley--Classic Oldies 1965-1969" exhibits audio quality that is equal to-or better than any previously-released source material. The Gentrys' "Keep On Dancing" (never a protege amoung hi-fi master tapes) featured here, is the finest currently available. Only a long-unavailable version on Mercury's "45s on CD" series (1988) is comparable in fidelity.

1. (You're My) Soul And Inspiration - The Righteous Brothers (With Rare Long Intro) 2. The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore) - The Walker Brothers 3. I Will Always Think About You - The New Colony Six 4. Bend Me, Shape Me - The American Breed 5. The Clapping Song (Clap Pat Clap Slap) - Shirley Ellis (Orig. Version Debut) 6. Israelites - Desmond Dekker & The Aces (Rare) 7. Mendocino - The Sir Douglas Quintet 8. I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight -Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart 9. You've Got Your Troubles - The Fortunes 10. Keep On Dancing - The Gentrys 11. Peter Rabbit - Dee Jay & The Runaways (Cd Debut) 12. You Wouldn't Listen - The Ides Of March (Rare) 13. Things I'd Like To Say - The New Colony Six 14. You've Got To Hide Your Love Away - The Silkie 15. Society's Child (Baby I've Been Thinking) - Janis Ian 16. Love Is All Around - The Troggs (Stereo Debut) 17. A Whiter Shade Of Pale - Procol Harum (Stereo Debut) 18. Fire - The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown

dbp