Riding in the car the other day, I heard an oldie in which the organ played a prominent role. I made a mental note to remember the song, thinking I might do an “Oldies with Organ” post.
I should have jotted down the name of the song — I had pen and paper with me, as usual — but I didn’t, and the song promptly slipped away.
Then this morning, I head another organ oldie, Steppenwolf’s “Magic Carpet Ride,” which reinforced my inkling to blog about songs featuring the organ.
So here, in no particular order, are four great organ oldies, minus, unfortunately, the song I heard the other day and have not been able to retrieve from memory:
“Magic Carpet Ride”
This song was released in 1968 and went to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Steppenwolf was a Canadian-American band formed in 1967 in Los Angeles by lead singer John Kay, keyboardist Goldy McJohn (who is on the organ in “Magic Carpet Ride”) and drummer Jerry Edmonton.
(Interesting footnote: Wikipedia says guitarist Michael Monarch and bass guitarist Rushton Moreve were recruited by notices placed in Los-Angeles-area record and musical instrument stores.)
Steppenwolf sold over 25 million records worldwide, had eight gold albums and 12 Billboard Hot 100 singles, including three Top 10 hits: “Born to Be Wild,” “Magic Carpet Ride,” and “Rock Me.” According to Wikipedia, “Steppenwolf enjoyed worldwide success from 1968 to 1972, but clashing personalities led to the end of the core lineup.”
Here it is, “Magic Carpet Ride”
“A Whiter Shade of Pale” by Procol Harem
The group Procol Harem released this song in 1968, and it went to No. 1 on the United Kingdom singles chart and No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Wikipedia says it is one of the best-selling singles in history, with sales of more than 10 million worldwide. In 2004,Rolling Stone magazine ranked “A Whiter Shade of Pale” 57th on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
As well as for its commanding organ lead, the song stands out for its inscrutable yet compelling lyrics, including…
And so it was that later, oh
As the miller told his tale
That her face at first just ghostly
Turned a whiter shade of pale…
The website Clocktower says organist Matthew Fisher began his musical career on bass guitar and later fell in love with the bluesy style of bands like The Animals, which inspired his move to the organ.
Here, then, is, “A Whiter Shade of Pale”
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“Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye”
I have a particular, nostalgic fondness for this song because it was by The Casinos, a group that came out of Cincinnati, where I lived when I held my first newspaper job as a cub reporter for The Kentucky Post in late 1968 and early 1969.
This song was released in 1967 and was The Casinos’ only Top 40 hit, rising to No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Wikipedia relates an interesting story about the band and the song…
“The Casinos were playing in a Cincinnati club where WSAI disc jockey Tom Dooley liked to visit. Dooley had a song he wanted to record but needed a band to provide the music. The Casinos had been getting great reaction to “Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye” at the club and wanted to record it. Dooley offered to pay for studio time at Cincinnati’s King Records Studio for the group to record their song if they would back up Dooley on his song. While Dooley’s song didn’t see success beyond WSAI, the Casinos’ tune quickly became a national hit.”
Another fascinating sidelight is that the organist, Bob Armstrong, went on to a career as a bridge-lighting designer and technician. Among the bridges for which he provided lights included the John A. Roebling suspension bridge in Cincinnati, a forerunner of the Brooklyn Bridge, which Roebling also designed.
Wikipedia says Armstrong also worked as business manager for a Catholic church in Amelia, Ohio, about 20 miles east of Cincinnati. He died of cancer, at age 67, in December 2011.
Here’s a great droopy-drawers song, “Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye.” (Note the swoony organ solo in mid-song.)
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“The Happy Organ”
Who could forget this feel-good, get-a-move-on song by Dave “Baby” Cortez (provided you were alive in the 1960s)?
It was released on the Clock Record label in 1959 and soared to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 list. It was co-composed by Cortez and James J. Kriegsmann, who, in addition to being a song writer, was a noted celebrity and theatrical photographer.
It was the first instrumental song to reach No. 1 on the pop charts.
As with “Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye,” this song strikes a strong personal chord with me.
One day when I was in high school back in Louisville, I was playing golf at the Seneca Park Golf Course. The green on Hole No. 8 — a Par 3 at the time — borders Park Boundary Road, which carries a lot of traffic. Our group was either on the green or approaching it when a long, wide convertible — maybe an Olds or Pontiac — came cruising around the corner, top down. The song “The Happy Organ” was blaring from the car radio. The members of our group stopped, watched and listened for several seconds as the car rounded the Park Boundary Road curve and went up a hill toward the clubhouse.
…Oh, my. What a day. And what a time to be young, in the 60s, with songs like “The Happy Organ” propelling us from one carefree day to the next.
Let’s hear it, then…“The Happy Organ.”
There is nothing quite so wonderful in any band as a Hammond B3 running through a Leslie cabinet.
I noticed in the website Clocktower website, that Goldy McJohn (don’t you love that name?) played a B3 on “Magic Carpet Ride.”
Let’s see, oldies with an organ. There’s Booker T and the MGs with “Green Onion” (Booker T. Jones also played for the NPR Tiny Desk series and tells a couple stories about playing in the band here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh9KDzNkpSI), “96 Tears” by ? and the Mysterions, and “Because” by Dave Clark Five. Is one of those the song you can’t remember?
None of those three was it, Charlie, but thanks for trying. When I hear it again, I’ll let you know what it was.
As you know, your and Brooks’ fascination with the Oldies (at my virtual insistence!) has always been gratifying to me — as well as your playing of piano and keyboards.
Interesting you should mention “Green Onions,” because I almost included “Time Is Tight” in the post but thought one more entry would make it too long.
By the way, Booker T. Jones is going to be playing Aug. 22 at the Fayetteville (AR) Roots Festival, while you’re in KC.
The Doors – Light My Fire
Of course…Another great organ song.
How could you forget Question Mark and the Mysterians’ 96 Tears? It was amazing and all organ. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7uC5m-IRns
I didn’t forget it, just chose not to include it.
How about The Cyrkle’s Red Rubber Ball? Wikipedia says it was an organ, but I’d also heard that a circus calliope was used.
In either case, bubble gum. And Question Mark and the Mysterions aren’t far behind.
Red Rubber Ball, written by Paul Simon of all people. Later sung on SNL by the Rev. Jesse Jackson.
Ah yes, groovin’ to the oldies. Always makes me want to go to youtube and listen again.
If you’re like me the elusive one will occur to you about 3:00 in the morning.
You didn’t define the era for organ music, or the genre, but moving into the 70s, nothing beats Virgil Fox for one heavy organ. Not rock, at all, but very big at the time among the hip for a brief period. Think really big organ, really big pipes, no guitars, no vocalists. Totally forgotten today. Youtube.
There is no era without the B3. While it’s early foundation was in black gospel recordings, any music influenced by that genre (and that’s danm near everything) uses it as a foundation of its sound.
Not sure where all the bubble gummers came from, but think Allman Brothers, jam band legends Gov’t Mule and just Wednesday night one of the newest of the musician’s bands, the Marcus King Band all feature a B3 and Leslie combo.
Think Jimi Hendrix on Electric Ladyland playing Voodoo child with Mike Flanigan on B3 and even Stevie Ray Vaughn abandoned the power trio to include a B3 (something that’s quite common once the money starts rolling in) It’s in jazz, blues, gospel and rock. The key variable seems to be making enough money to have roadies and the vehicle to haul one around, But even the advent of digital keyboard that can mimic the B3 sound, real pros to this day lug the real thing along with them. There is just no substitute.
Fun fact: In the late 1970s, The Star did a story about the Kansas City Royals’ organist. The headline was a classic: “Best Seat in House Behind His Organ.”
Wow, didn’t know either of those two fun facts about Red Rubber Ball! Always liked the lively little tune, and the harmony.