Michael & The Messengers - Up Til News

USA 866, 1967 (B-side of "Midnight Hour")
 
That recent Sundazed compilation inspired me to dig out some of my USA singles. So far, this is the only one to turn up (I swear I had more, somewhere). I'll skip the A-side. Just go ahead and buy the comp* for that one, it's worth it.

This is what they call a throwaway B-side. It sounds like the band had a few minutes of studio time left, and nothing to put on the flip - so they just made something up on the spot.



* info on that magnificent Sundazed comp:
www.sundazed.com/lp5245.html

The Beatles - I Am The Walrus

Capitol 2056, 1967
 
This has to do with my first real complaint with the new Beatles remasters.

For some mysterious reason, every released version of this song has two measures chopped out (about 1:30 in, just before "Yellow Matter Custard...") - except for the original US Capitol single. The edit is easy to spot, as it is rather crude and slightly off the beat.

Probably not a big deal to anyone else, it's just that I must have listened to this single hundreds of times before the Magical Mystery Tour album came out (at first, I thought the LP had a skip in that part).

The US 45 version (without the edit):


the edit (from the 2009 mono remaster):



An annoying little mistake(?) gets repeated once again.

The Bee Gees - I've Gotta Get A Message To You

Atco 6603, 1968
 
A huge song, a huge hit - and essentially the end of their run of great '60s pop singles (besides "I Started A Joke", which was not released as a single in the UK for some reason).

This is different from the LP/CD version: slightly longer, different vocal (in parts), and the orchestra is buried in the mix until the final chorus.

Donovan - Sunny South Kensington

B-side of "Mellow Yellow", Epic 5-10098, 1966

I never cared much for the A-side, but this song really has something. Donovan's amusing enough with his portrait of swinging London, but the real star here is John Paul Jones' brilliant arrangement. So many things going on, from the dual electric/upright basses on the intro to the continually changing keyboards (John Cameron, I think): harpsichord to organ to harmonium to piano, and back again.

Do not click on this if you hate having a song stuck in your head for days.