At first, when I contemplated a series of posts on the theme of “direction”, I had the notion of an orderly progression. Each post would deal with songs highlighting a single term of direction… like up, then down, then in and even around. That was Plan A. Plan B… well, that’s what I’ve opted for. Each post will randomly look at songs which contain some term involving direction. It may be a haphazard way to proceed… but it also sounds like fun (one of the functions for this blog). So, as the great philosopher once said…
You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where you’re going,
because you might not get there
Yogi Berra
And away we go…
Come On In The Association
Of course, I’m starting with an Association nugget. The song was never released as a single but it led off the band’s 1968 album, Birthday. The album reached #23 on the Billboard charts and spawned two top forty hits, Everything That Touches You (#10) and Time for Livin’ (#39).
Up Up and Away The Fifth Dimension
If you detect a similar vibe in this next song, don’t be surprised. Both groups share that Sunshine Pop sound (discussed in an earlier series of posts). Written by Jimmy Webb (also mentioned previously), The Fifth Dimension took the song to #7 in 1967.
We Gotta Get Out of This Place The Animals
“Crossing the pond” and stepping back a year or two (to 1965) we meet up with Eric Burdon and The Animals. The band was the tougher, grittier sibling of groups like Freddie and the Dreamers and Peter and Gordon. The song itself reached #2 in Canada and the UK while peaking at #13 in the US.
Don’t Bring Me Down The Animals (again!)
Can a band travel in more than one direction? Apparently The Animals could. I ran across this next song when I dug up that previous selection. And, as it’s one of my more fav Animals numbers, I just had to include it here. Others liked it too… it reached #3 on the Canadian CHUM charts, #6 in the UK and a respectable #12 in the US in 1966.
A little trivia… these edgy Animal tunes were the penned by some of pop music’s standardbearers in the 60’s… Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil (We Gotta Get) and Gerry Goffin/Carole King (Don’t Bring).
I Get Around The Beach Boys
Well, why not… they certainly did get around the charts and, in July of 1964, the band’s I Get Around got around to #1 in both Canada and the US. It was, by the way, their first (but not last) #1 hit.
Finally…
even though we don’t have any snow (yet), thoughts are turning to Christmas. Perhaps the next post can be dedicated to Yuletide directions… but, for now, I’ll finish with a little number that, although not exactly a carol, certainly anticipates the season in its own way. (ie. Pay attention to the lyrics!)
Home by Another Way James Taylor
From his 1988 album, Never Die Young…
The Morgan Musings 