Mourning Sounds Of The Sixties

I'm truly lamenting the loss of Radio 2's excellent Sounds Of The Sixties which, for 25 years, was curated by Phil 'The Collector' Swern and presented by Brian Matthew. As of last week it's been presented by Tony Blackburn, swapping the informative introductions to each record with inane drivel, and decimating the interesting selections, filling the show with predictable 60s hits the like of which you'd get on commercial radio. 

Below you can see the tracklisting of the final Brian show and the latest Tony show. As a good example of the difference in music selection, this week Tony played the Supremes. Which track? The rather predictable Where Did Our Love Go. In Brian's final show he also played the Supremes. The big difference? He played Baby Baby Wo Ist Unsere Liebe, the German language version. The difference between the old show and the new in a nutshell.



If the music choice is not disappointing enough, have a look at the very different content of the two shows. One is a history programme for the benefit of listeners who most likely were not alive at the time, the other a nostalgic reminiscence show. I've transcribed a few links by each presenter, from Brians' final show and Tony's second.  

Opening Link

Brian: Good morning Avids, and welcome to his week’s edition of Sounds Of The Sixties. It’s to be my final show, a bit more about that in a moment. After we’ve heard from Johnny Preston with his follow up to his hit Running Bear. This one was pipped to the post for the top spot by Cathy’s Clown by The Everly Brothers. So it was Number Two for Johnny in 1960 with Cradle Of Love.

Tony: Good morning, how are you this morning? It’s Saturday, it’s March the 11th, and of course if you’re listening to the repeat, it isn’t. But, er, ha ha ha, let’s get things underway shall we with Edwin Starr from 1966.

Tony: "How much information do you want at this time of the morning?"

Second link

Brian: Johnny Preston’s second hit in the UK, Cradle Of Love. Here’s a duo called Sundragon, who were Robert Freeman and Anthony James, whose first two records were covers of Lemon Pipers originals. The second one being Blueberry Blue.

Tony: That is terrific isn’t it, what a way to get things started, kicking off Saturday, that is SOS (Stop Her On Sight) Edwin Starr. Erm, actually first came out in 1966 when it only reached number 35 in the UK, then reissued for a double-A side with one of my favourites Headline News some two-and-a-half years later. How much information do you want at this time of the morning?


Supremes intro:

Brian: That 1969 recording by Melanie brings us to one of many foreign language versions of hits that The Collector dug up from the vaults, and a bit of the history of The Supremes, and the Holland Dozier Holland song Where Did Our Love Go, which they first played to The Marvelettes but it was turned down. It was then offered to The Supremes but Diana Ross wasn’t keen to accept another group’s reject. However the other girls persuaded her otherwise, and the result was their first American Number One, as well as their first hit in the UK, reaching number three. And that’s not all. The Supremes also recorded the song in German, as Baby Baby Wo Ist Unsere Liebe.

Tony: Glenn Campbell and Brenda from 1961. Actually that was a request. It was chosen by David Strohaker, I think I’ve got the name right there, who lives in Bournemouth. Lovely Bournemouth. Beautiful Bournemouth. And he would like me to play a record for his lovely wife Brenda who celebrated her 70th birthday on Thursday. So I hope you had a lovely time Brenda. Probably strolled along the seafront there, where I used to sell ice creams many many years ago. In my holidays. Er, the record she asked for, not surprisingly, is entitled Brenda, by Glenda Campbell (sic). And incidentally that was an early recording by Glenn, a B side of his 1961 release Turn Around Look At Me. Although the track was popular in its own right, at the time. But, er, to be honest with you I prefer the A side, but there you go. (Supremes plays).

Tony (back announcement): The wonderful Diana Ross and the Supremes, Where Did Our Love Go, a UK number 3 in 1964. In the seventies I toured with Diana Ross and The Supremes, that was actually The Supremes there. Diana Ross used to come up to me every single night, in the interval usually, she used to come up to me and say “Who are you?”.


Track listings

Brian Matthews Final Sounds Of The 60s – Feb 25 2017

	Familiar Hit	Less familiar (eg LP track)	Interesting Rarity	Fascinating “Never Heard That Before”
Johnny Preston Cradle Of Love
Sun Dragon Blueberry Blue
Grapefruit Breaking Up A Dream
The Monkees Valleri
Roy Orbison Running Scared
Melanie  Beautiful People
The Supremes Baby Baby Wo Ist Unsere Liebe
Sammy Davis Jr.  Every Time We Say Goodbye
Dusty Springfield All I See Is You
The Rolling Stones  Honky Tonk Women
Aretha Franklin Respect
Chris Farlowe Ride On Baby
Brenda Lee Here Comes That Feeling
Gene Pitney Looking Through The Eyes Of Love
The Lovin’ Spoonful Daydream
Al Wilson  The Snake
Kenny Ball The March Of The Siamese Children
Cat Stevens Matthew & Son
The Searchers Everybody Come Clap Your Hands
Raymond Froggatt Callow La Vita
The Dave Clark Five Glad All Over
The Beatles  If I Needed Someone
Bobby Darin Lazy River
Scott Walker Jackie
Dionne Warwick Walk on By
Manfred Mann  Sha La La
The Beatles  She's Leaving Home
The Everly Brothers Walk Right Back
Elvis Presley In The Ghetto
Billy Fury  Last Night Was Made for Love

Tony Blackburn’s 2nd Sounds Of The 60s – March 11th 2017

	Familiar Hit	Less familiar (eg LP track)	Interesting Rarity	Fascinating “Never Heard That Before”
Edwin Starr - S.O.S. (Stop Her On Sight)
The Merseybeats - Wishin' & Hopin'
Jimmy Cliff - Wonderful World, Beautiful People
The Turtles - Happy Together
The Beatles - Here Comes The Sun
The Kinks - You Really Got Me
The Cowsills - The Rain, The Park And Other Things
Craig Douglas - Our Favourite Melodies
Brenton Wood - Gimme Little Sign
Lawrence Welk & His Orchestra – Calcutta
The Hollies – We’re Through (The Collector’s Collossal Collection)
The Fortunes - Here It Comes Again
Glen Campbell - Brenda
The Supremes - Where Did Our Love Go
Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas - From A Window
Sandy Nelson - And Then There Were Drums
Small Faces - Sha-La-La-La-Lee
Roy Orbison - Oh, Pretty Woman
The Seekers - A World Of Our Own
The Foundations - Build Me Up Buttercup
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Proud Mary
Sly & The Family Stone - Everyday People
Blood, Sweat & Tears - You've Made Me So Very Happy
Barry McGuire - California Dreamin'
Cilla Black - Step Inside Love
Doris Troy - I'll Do Anything
Scott Walker - Joanna
Elvis Presley - (You're the) Devil In Disguise
Jimmy Ruffin - I've Passed This Way Before
Cliff Richard & The Shadows - On The Beach
Ruby & The Romantics - Our Day Will Come
Unit 4+2 - Concrete & Clay
Sir Douglas Quintet - She's About A Mover