Yesterday, my Turntable Talk was about the Blues Brothers Soundtrack. Ray Charles is featured on there with his version of Shake a Tailfeather. Also yesterday, my buddy Max from the Power Pop Blog (powerpop.blog) posted about Ray’s version of What’d I Say. That got me in a Ray Charles mood and I was surprised that I’d never posted this song before.
Hallelujah, I Love Her So was written and released by Ray Charles in 1956. I remember playing it on rare occasions when I worked at WHND, Honey Radio in Detroit. It was usually when we were featuring songs from 1956. It didn’t do much on the pop charts, but it was a Top 5 hit on the R&B charts.
As the title insinuates, it has a gospel feel to it. The opening piano lick sounds like something you’d hear before jumping into a happy hymn. One source says the song “is a testament to the joyous release of love, featuring a sophisticated horn arrangement and memorable tenor sax solo by Don Wilkerson.”
My buddy Randy from http://www.mostlymusiccovers.com no doubt knows that there have been plenty of covers of this song. Ray must have been thrilled to have his song covered by folks like Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Brenda Lee, Jerry Lee Lewis, Stevie Wonder, Eddie Cochran, Gerry and the Pacemakers, and Frank Sinatra! Oh, and a band called the Quarrymen (who went on to become the Beatles) also covered it!
To start with, here is the original by Ray:
Ella Fitzgerald’s version sounds a bit more church-like to start, but really swings.
From the Beatles Anthology, here are the Quarrymen
Eddie Cochran’s version was released in 1959
I had no idea that Jerry Reed covered it, but it’s neat to hear his take
Sinatra always makes a song his own and he does that with this one. Very bluesy
Hugh Laurie’s version was on the deluxe version of his debut album
Of all the covers, one of my favorite versions is by an Australian singer named Guy Sebastian. From his Memphis Album he a great version.
I hope you love this one as much as I do!
Hallelujah, I Love Her SO
Let me tell you ’bout a girl I know She is my baby and she lives next door Every mornin’ ‘fore the sun comes up She brings me coffee in my favorite cup That’s why I know, yes, I know Hallelujah, I just love her so
When I’m in trouble and I have no friend I know she’ll go with me until the end Everybody asks me how I know I smile at them and say, “She told me so” That’s why I know, oh, I know Hallelujah, I just love her so
Now, if I call her on the telephone And tell her that I’m all alone By the time I count from one to four I hear her (KNOCK) on my door In the evening when the sun goes down When there is nobody else around She kisses me and she holds me tight
And tells me, “Ray Charles everything’s all right” That’s why I know, whoa, I know Hallelujah, I just love her so
Now, if I call her on the telephone And tell her that I’m all alone By the time I count from one to four I hear her (KNOCK) on my door
In the evening when the sun goes down When there is nobody else around She kisses me and she holds me tight And tells me, “Daddy, everything’s all right” That’s why I know, yes, I know Hallelujah, I just love her so
Oh, hallelujah Don’t you know, I just love her so She’s my little woman, waitin’ all this time Babe, I’m a little fool for you, little girl…
Before I came down with the crud, I was happy to once again stand behind the podium at the Carnegie Institute and teach some of the students about Sleep Medicine. This is something that I did last year and I was thrilled to be asked back again.
I spoke to the students of the Electroneurodiagnostic Technologist (EEG) Program. Last year the class was about 10-15 people. This year’s group was a bit smaller, but they were very interested in what I was presenting.
EEG and Sleep Medicine have a lot of similarities. We both look at brain waves, however, in sleep we look at respiratory as well. Last week I presented what our studies look like in comparison to what theirs look like. We compared the equipment that both EEG and Sleep techs use. And we talked about some neurology stuff.
The first week is mostly review for them, with a lot of new sleep stuff thrown in. They found it interesting and asked a lot of questions. The second week’s presentation, however, is my favorite. I get to spend the time going over the various sleep disorders. They always find these fascinating.
Naturally, I will talk about the types of sleep apnea. That’s our main thing in the lab. Then I get to talk about narcolepsy and the various symptoms that go with it. We’ll talk about Restless Leg Syndrome and REM Behavior Disorder, too. Those are the common ones. It’s the rest that really get a lot of interaction.
If you are ever interested in reading about some of the really crazy ones, I highly recommend the book by Dr. Carlos Schenck – it’s called Sleep.
Sleepwalking is a fun one to talk about. So is Sleep Related Eating Disorder! There are some really crazy videos on YouTube that will leave you speechless. You did read the cover correctly – there really is a sleep disorder called sexomnia!! Oh, and Exploding Head Syndrome sounds cooler than it is!
I’m looking forward to being able to teach again this Wednesday. I’m just glad that I am feeling good enough to be able to do it. I’ll have a bag of cough drops and lots of water with me … just in case!
I truly hope that I can continue to be a part of their EEG learning a week or two each year. It is a lot of fun for me.
Once again, Dave Ruch from A Sound Day has offered up a gem of a topic for his monthly Turntable Talk feature! This month it is a topic that I have been hoping he’d get around to. Per his instructions:
“This time around, let’s look for THE SOUNDTRACK OF OUR LIVES ! Pick a great movie soundtrack and talk a bit about it. It can be from a great movie or a dog of one (or anything in between), one made specifically for the film or one assembled from existing tunes as long as it’s one that works for you!“
There are certainly many fantastic soundtracks to choose from. Movies that are known for being a great film and also their great soundtracks include American Graffiti, Smokey and the Bandit, The Wedding Singer, The Sting, and Forrest Gump. Those aren’t even considered “musicals!” When I think about musicals, wow, that list is a long one.
Plenty of movie (and TV) soundtracks can be found in my collection. When I worked in radio, I would often buy soundtracks so I could uses some instrumental tracks as voiceover beds (music that plays underneath your voice as you are doing a bit or talking to a listener). I used a variety of cuts from Napoleon Dynamite, Stripes, The Three Amigos, Dragnet, and movies that were box office bombs! My pick comes from a movie that was far from a bomb. It was one of the biggest films of the 1980’s.
The one soundtrack that has always been a favorite for me (and it doesn’t even contain all the songs featured in the film) is The Blues Brothers. It has some fantastic cuts from Belushi and Aykroyd as well as musical legends like Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and Cab Calloway.
I had this soundtrack on vinyl and I played the heck out of it. Many of the songs were featured on my “driving mix tapes” when I had my first car! While the album contains 11 great tracks, the film included many other classics that I wound up searching for to add to my collection. The music doesn’t follow their chronological appearance in the film for some reason.
She Caught the Katy
The album opens with this Taj Mahal song. The Blues Brothers version has a lot more sound to it. It is so much fuller with the horns and guitars of the band. It is the song that the starring credits roll under. The opening guitar lick leads to the first big horn stab (and we see Belushi) then you have another horn stab (and we see Aykroyd) and the third big horn stab hits as we see the movie’s title card.
Belushi’s vocal on this is perfect. I like his vocal on this cut more than any other song on the album.
Peter Gunn Theme
This is the first of two TV themes on the album. This instrumental plays as the Blues Brothers are driving back to Elwood’s place. There are some really great shots of the city of Chicago in this scene. As you listen to this one, you can hear the talents of Tom “Bones” Malone, “Blue” Lou Marini, and “Mr. Fabulous” Alan Rubin. If I had a dollar for every time I used this as background music to introduce a wedding party I could fly to Italy!
Gimme Some Lovin’
Best known for being a hit for the Spencer Davis Group (and a young Steve Winwood), the soundtrack features the full song. In the film, the band begins to play this song at Bob’s Country Bunker (a country bar) and the owner shuts the lights off on them. If I had to choose between the two, I’d pick the Spencer Davis version over this one, but it is still a great jam.
Shake a Tail Feather
Originally done by the Five Du-Tones of Chicago in 1963, James and Bobby Purify had a bigger hit with it in 1967. This version tops them because of one man – the great Ray Charles. In the film, he owns a music shop and the band is buying new instruments. Ray is asked about a keyboard and Murphy Dunn tells him that the “action” of the keys is not that great. Ray sits down and says, “I don’t see anything wrong with the action on this piano” and launches into this song.
As Ray plays, a crowd gathers outside the store and dances along with the song doing all the dances mentioned in it (the monkey, the jerk, the boogaloo, etc…). This song is fantastic.
Everybody Needs Somebody To Love
The song was written by Solomon Burke and recorded by him in 1964. Wilson Pickett’s 1966 cover is probably the best known version. This song is featured at the Blues Brothers’ big concert toward the end of the film. Over the intro, Elwood (Aykroyd) speaks to the audience and thanks “the members of Illinois law enforcement” who are present and waiting to arrest them. We get to hear a big more of Aykroyd on this track.
The Old Landmark
When you mention the Blues Brothers to someone, they will often quote “We’re on a mission from God.” This song is performed by the Godfather of Soul, James Brown who plays a preacher. Jake and Elwood are attending this church service and it is a pivotal moment in the film (and what sets them off on their “mission from God.”
The Old Landmark is a gospel song written by Dr. William Herbert Brewster Sr. back in 1949. It has been recorded by the Staple Singers, Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick and many others. James Brown takes this to a whole new level. It’s hard to imagine anyone performing this. He performed/recorded this one live on set.
Think
The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, performs this one as she is telling off her husband Matt “Guitar” Murphy. The song was a hit for Aretha in 1968. For the film, they bump up the tempo and add some dancers. This track is SO good! ”Blue” Lou Marini grabs his sax midway through the number and really jams through the end.
This was one of the harder songs to do in the film. Aretha had recorded the song and found it difficult to lip synch to her vocals as they filmed. It was a scene that needed many takes to do. This version is far superior to her original version.
Theme From Rawhide
The second TV theme on the album takes place in that country bar. After the lights go out they band has to figure out something that the audience will like. They wind up performing this one. Aykroyd’s vocal is just awesome here not to mention the “call and answer” between him and Belushi. Add in a whip and you have a real country hit on your hands!
This scene always makes me laugh because they perform on a stage surrounded by chicken wire. Why? Because the crowd gets so excited they throw beer bottles at them!
Minnie The Moocher
This was a song that Cab Calloway had been singing for decades! He was the “Hi-De-Ho Man.” I just love this version of the song. The rumor is that Cab wanted to do the disco version of the song that he had recorded in the past. They insisted that it needed to be the jazz/big band sound.
The song itself send you right back to the 1940’s. The full sound of the band, the horn section, and the amazing trumpet solos by Alan Rubin. Without a visual, it is still fantastic. Watching it in the film only enhances the experience.
They band is on stage waiting for Jake and Elwood to arrive. The crowd is getting antsy. The band is dressed in street clothes and look sort of shabby. Cab asks if they know the song and the band says they do. He yells, “Hit it!” and the curtain opens. Out struts Cab in a white tuxedo backed by the band, wearing black tuxes and looking sharp. The stage now has an backdrop of famous 40’s places with neon signs and a sweet looking band stand.
As a trumpet player, I can’t NOT mention the spectacular trumpet playing of Alan Rubin on this one!
Cab was a scat singer and his call and answer with the audience is just priceless. I’m not sure how old he was here, but his vocals are right on! He was a legend!
Sweet Home Chicago
This is the longest track on the soundtrack. The original version was done by Robert Johnson in 1936. This is the second song the band plays at their big concert (and the one where they make their escape, hence the long instrumental ending). As they intro it, they dedicate it to the late, great Magic Sam (who was from Chicago) who recorded it in 1967.
This is such a fun song to listen to and to watch in the film. The looks that they give John Candy’s character and the other folks who have been chasing them always make me smile. The song serves as the background music as we transition from night to day and the ultimate finale of the movie.
Jailhouse Rock
Movie Spoiler: The entire Blues Brothers Band gets arrested at the end of the movie. Naturally, the final song of the movie is Jailhouse Rock, originally done by Elvis Presley. Trivia: In the film, the first “prisoner” to jump up on the tables and dance is Joe Walsh!
On the soundtrack, the song is a bit different than in the film. You have a complete cut on the album, while in the movie each band member has a little solo as their name appears in the credits. In the film version you also get a line or two sung by James Brown, Cab Calloway, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and more. It’s a perfect capstone to wrap the soundtrack.
I have played the songs on this album over and over again on vinyl, cassette, on my iPod, and YouTube. It remains one of my favorite soundtracks of all time! What disappoints me is the many songs that were featured in the film that didn’t make the soundtrack. They are worth finding and checking out!
Of course, I can’t tease those without listing them, so here goes:
Somebody Loan Me a Dime – Fenton Robinson (Plays while Jake is escorted from his prison cell)
Shake Your Moneymaker – Elmore James (Plays while Jake and Elwood visit with Curtis at the orphanage)
Soothe Me/Hold On, I’m Comin’ – Sam and Dave (Plays on the 8 track in the Bluesmobile while Jake and Elwood are driving and get pulled over)
I Can’t Turn You Loose – The Blues Brothers – Originally done by Otis Redding (Plays while they drive through the mall and as they take the stage at the Palace Hotel Ballroom concert)
Let the Good Times Roll – Louis Jordan (Plays on the record player in Elwood’s place)
Anema e core (Until) – Ezio Pinza (The piece is playing the apartment that Tom Malone and Lou Marini used to stay – the “Are you the police?” scene)
Quando, Quando, Quando – Murph and the Magictones (Plays in the Holiday Inn scene)
Just the Way You Are – Muzak version of the Billy Joel song. (Plays in the Holiday Inn scene)
Die Romantiker (The waltz that plays at the Chez Paul restaurant)
Boom Boom – John Lee Hooker (Plays as the Blues Brothers are going to meet Matt “Guitar” Murphy)
Mama Lawdy/Boogie Chillen – John Lee Hooker (Plays when Jake calls Maury Sline and on the way to Bob’s Country Bunker)
Your Cheatin’ Heart – Kitty Wells (Plays as the Blues Brothers enter Bob’s Country Bunker)
Stand By Your Man – The Blues Brothers (Plays at Bob’s Country Bunker)
I’m Walkin’ – Fat’s Domino (Plays as Jake and Elwood and the orphans promote the concert)
Ride of the Valkyries – Richard Wagner (Plays as the Nazis are chasing the Blues Brothers toward the end of the movie)
The Girl from Impanema – Muzak version (Plays, naturally, in an elevator as the Blues Brothers go up the 11th floor with the tax money)
The Blues Brothers may or may not have been the first movie of “mine” that I made my wife watch with me. I’m sure that she made me watch one of her tear jerking chick flicks to get back at me afterward. To me, this movie remains a classic. As far as the sequel – not so much. It did have a decent soundtrack, but that is about it.
I have been wanting to write about this album for a long time and am glad that Dave finally gave me a reason to indulge myself with this blog. I am also excited to see what the rest of the bloggers have chosen for their soundtrack.
I’m already looking forward to next month’s topic! Thanks for reading!
I went to work on Thursday knowing I wasn’t feeling great. At that time it was just a runny nose, cough, and sore throat. I took some cold meds and had cough drops. It got me through the night.
When I woke up Friday, I felt like I’d been run over. I had pain in my back, my throat felt like I swallowed razor blades, I had pain over my eyes, and my cough was deep and constant.
I didn’t want to call in, but I had to. I basically spent the day on the couch in and out of sleep. I felt a little better yesterday, but again, I dozed off and on throughout the day. Rest is best, right?
This morning, my head is stuffy, I’m still coughing, and I feel like I could snooze some more. I will probably have to go back to work on Monday whether I like it or not. I need what’s left in my PTO bank for my colonoscopy coming up and Andrew’s surgery.
I hate being sick. My wife hates it, too. I think it’s because I annoy her. You know what I mean? All guys are babies when we are sick. I am pretty much worthless.
I must be feeling a little better, though. I did load the dishwasher and threw some clothes in the washer. That’s a start.
I’ve known the name Mitch Albom since I was 15, when he started writing for the Detroit Free Press. He started with sports related columns, but eventually started writing a second column that focused on … well, “life.” I’ve always enjoyed reading his columns, even when he and I disagreed on a topic.
As an author, his big breakthrough was in 1997 with his book Tuesdays With Morrie. That was followed by The Five People You Meet in Heaven, For One More Day, Have a Little Faith, The Time Keeper, The First Phone Call From Heaven, The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto, The Next Person You Meet in Heaven, Finding Chika, and The Stranger in the Lifeboat.
I have read a few of his books in the past and enjoy his style of writing. He has been able to take much of what makes his newspaper columns so popular and do the same with his novels. Last year he published The Little Liar and after reading the synopsis, I knew I had to read it.
From Amazon.com
Beloved bestselling author Mitch Albom returns with a powerful novel of hope and forgiveness that moves from a coastal Greek city during WWII to America in the golden age of Hollywood, as the intertwined lives of three young survivors are forever changed by the perils of deception and the grace of redemption.
Eleven-year-old Nico Krispis has never told a lie. His schoolmate, Fannie, loves him because of it. Nico’s older brother Sebastian resents him for both these facts. When their young lives are torn apart during the war, it will take them decades to find each other again.
Nico’s innocence and goodness is used against his tightly knit community when a German officer barters Nico’s reputation for honesty into a promise to save his loved ones. When Nico realizes the consequences of the betrayal, he can never tell the truth again. He will spend the rest of this life changing names, changing locations and identities, desperate to find a way to forgiveness—for himself and from the people he loves most.
Albom’s extraordinary storytelling is at its powerful best in his first novel to confront the destruction that lying can wreak both on the world stage as well as on the individual lives that get caught up in it. As The Stranger in the Lifeboat spoke to belief, The Little Liar speaks to hope, in a breathless page-turner that will break your heart open and fill it with the power of the human spirit and the goodness that lies within us all.
Narrated by the voice of Truth itself, The Little Liar is a timeless story about the power of love to ultimately redeem us, no matter how deeply we blame ourselves for our mistakes.
I have read my share of books set in World War II, Concentration Camps, and that era in general. I suppose that is why it popped up as a recommendation on Goodreads. I really enjoyed this book. While the setting and situations involve sadness (the Holocaust, the War, etc…), it was more about the characters and their stories that really grabbed me. The innocent child who believed he was doing right; the hateful German officer and his terrible thoughts, the family members who fought to survive and those who never had a chance; sibling rivalry, jealousy, and a drive for justice – all of those characters and how their stories intertwined made this book a memorable one.
If you love historical fiction, you will enjoy this one.
My son gets a weekly visit from Head Start. She brings over projects for them to do and works with him on fine motor skills, coloring, cutting, and such. He and my daughter love this visit.
My wife was talking to the Head Start lady as she was getting ready to leave. I didn’t hear the beginning of the story, but it was about a kid whose mother was shopping and had no idea that the child wasn’t with her. “How do you not know your child is not with you?” was one of the questions that was asked.
I was immediately taken back to a day that I barely remember. I remember certain things about it, and I probably should have called my dad to get a clearer version of the story before I write this. For now, here is my side.
This would have been in the early 70’s. There were no cell phones. We were told not to go with strangers, but times were a lot different than they are today. We could go out when we got up and stay out until dark without checking in and our folks never gave it a second thought.
I remember my family went to the mall. My mom went off with my brother who may have only been 2 or 3 at the time. I was probably about 5 or 6. I had yet to get glasses, so my eyesight was not the greatest. I remember I was standing in whatever store my dad and I were in (probably Kresge) and we had walked down the toy aisle. I was looking at some sort of car or truck and dad was ready to move on. “Time to put that down, Keith. Let’s go find your mom.” “I’ll be right there,” was my reply.
I do not know how long afterward I stood there looking at the other toys on the shelf, but it couldn’t have been that long. I remember when I finally did look up, I couldn’t find my dad. I remember standing there and feeling like everything around me was a blur. I didn’t see which way he went. I just stood there. I am sure I began crying.
I remember a man asking me something. I was so scared I don’t really know what he said. I don’t remember if he took me to a store employee, if they made an announcement over the PA, from this point it is pretty much a blur. Long story short – my dad and I were reunited.
I don’t recall him yelling at me or lecturing me, but I am sure he did. I only remember the next part because of how unusual it was. We rarely (except for holidays) went to my grandparents house at night. That night, however, we went there and my dad told them what happened.
I remember sitting at the head of the dining room table with the chandelier above it turned on. I remember the heads and faces of my parents and grandparents telling me how dangerous a situation it was. I remember hearing how lucky I was that someone didn’t snatch me away. I was told how worried they were when they couldn’t find me.
Because it was dark out and I was at the kitchen table, I felt like I was in a film noir interrogation room!
As a parent, I completely understand what my parents must have experienced that night. My kids are SO fast when they are out and about. They can be gone in a flash. In a split second, I can lose sight of them. It is a parent’s worst nightmare.
I pray that I never EVER have to go through what my dad and mom did with me. I suppose this same kind of situation is what led to someone creating the “leash backpacks” for kids.
I’ve been scared many times in my life, but even though I was very young, I can still remember the terror I felt that day!
I don’t do these often. You can thank my co-worker for this blog. The WordPress prompt reads: If there was a biography about you, what would the title be?
I asked her this question and she was unsure about her own. For me, however, she said mine should be called “He’s Not That Big of an A#&hole Anymore!” I suppose I should take that as a compliment.
I have said in the past that this blog really is sort of my autobiography. The prompt seems to suggest that someone else would be writing it. So what would the title be? Perhaps I could suggest a few?
It’s Always Been About the Music (because of my radio/mobile DJ work)
From the Warren Boy’s Club and Beyond (referring to craziness from childhood until now)
A Brain Full of Trivial Knowledge, but Can’t Find His Car Keys (because it is true)
From Misery to Happiness (an amazing journey)
Bloggin’ My Life Away (if the biography is made up of these)
Life is Nothing Without Love and Laughter
Saved – Blessed – Loved
Coffee, Please!
Just Like His Old Man
Your Friend, Keith
I don’t know, maybe my coworker’s title is better than mine … LOL
This is another book that was recommended to me by my wife. When I read what it was about, I wasn’t sure I could get through it. There is something about the poor treatment of children that I have a hard time with. I wasn’t sure I could handle this emotionally. I added it to my “To Read” list.
It seemed like I kept seeing this book pop up on the “Must Read” Historical Fiction lists, on Facebook, and even in blogs that I follow on Word Press. I decided to read it and I was not disappointed. It was a powerful read that made me aware of some real terrible things that happened in real life.
Here is the Goodreads synopsis:
Memphis, 1939. Twelve-year-old Rill Foss and her four younger siblings live a magical life aboard their family’s Mississippi River shantyboat. But when their father must rush their mother to the hospital one stormy night, Rill is left in charge—until strangers arrive in force. Wrenched from all that is familiar and thrown into a Tennessee Children’s Home Society orphanage, the Foss children are assured that they will soon be returned to their parents—but they quickly realize the dark truth. At the mercy of the facility’s cruel director, Rill fights to keep her sisters and brother together in a world of danger and uncertainty.
Aiken, South Carolina, present day. Born into wealth and privilege, Avery Stafford seems to have it all: a successful career as a federal prosecutor, a handsome fiancé, and a lavish wedding on the horizon. But when Avery returns home to help her father weather a health crisis, a chance encounter leaves her with uncomfortable questions and compels her to take a journey through her family’s long-hidden history, on a path that will ultimately lead either to devastation or to redemption.
Based on one of America’s most notorious real-life scandals—in which Georgia Tann, director of a Memphis-based adoption organization, kidnapped and sold poor children to wealthy families all over the country—Lisa Wingate’s riveting, wrenching, and ultimately uplifting tale reminds us how, even though the paths we take can lead to many places, the heart never forgets where we belong.
With each chapter, I got more and more engrossed in the story. As I made my way through the book the past and the present begin to slowly come together and many of the questions are answered. It was an emotional read, but I am glad that I picked this one up.
This song is one of many that takes me back to the first home I lived in. I remember my dad’s stereo system and the rack of vinyl albums he had on it. My dad and mom often played records on weekends as the cleaned the house. I wish I could remember the album that this one was on, but I can’t. It was obviously some sort of “Pop Hits” collection because I remember Steam’s Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye being on it, too.
“Baby, I Love You” was already a hit. In 1964, the Ronettes took it to number 24 on the charts. Andy Kim, however, had the bigger hit with the song (taking it to #9 in the US and #1 in Canada). I have always liked Andy’s version better.
According to songfacts.com: The song was written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector. Barry and Kim often worked together, and one day Kim was in Barry’s office, where he discovered the sheet music. The song wasn’t big in Canada, so Kim had never heard it before. He started playing it on his guitar, and when Barry heard him, they decided to record it with Barry producing. It was used as the lead single and title track to Kim’s 1969 album.
The thing I love about his version is the sound of it. That entire intro was something that immediately struck a chord with me. It has such a unique sound. Songfacts.com explains just how that “sound” was accomplished:
Kim was ready to quit the music industry when he recorded “Baby, I Love You.” He hadn’t experienced any chart success since “How’d We Ever Get This Way,” which was on his debut album (also titled How’d We Ever Get This Way), released in 1968. Then, while recording “Baby, I Love You,” producer Jeff Barry (who cowrote The Archies’ #1 “Sugar Sugar” with Kim) got so frustrated that he shut the session down and let the band go. He instructed Kim to go to the “big room” of A&R Recording studios and to rent five guitars. Kim sat on a stool in the center of the enormous room and focused on playing guitar while Barry clapped the tempo in the studio. After Kim laid down recordings on the five guitars, and Barry patched those together for the sound we hear in the final recording.
Kim released “Baby, I Love You” on May 24, 1969 – the same day The Archies’ “Sugar, Sugar” went live. The songs were both milestones in Kim’s career. In 1974, he released his biggest hit, “Rock Me Gently.”
When I hear this one, I am taken back to when I am 5 or 6 years old.
Baby, I Love You
Have I ever told you How good it feels to hold you It isn’t easy to explain
And though I’m merely trying I think I may start crying My heart can’t wait another day When you touch me I just got to say
Baby I love you Baby I love you Baby I love you Come on baby na na na na na Come on baby na na na na na
I can’t live without you I love everything about you I can’t help it if I feel this way
And I’m so glad I found you I want my arms around you I want to hear you call my name Tell me baby that you feel the same.
Baby I love you Baby I love you Baby I love you Come on baby na na na na na Come on baby na na na na na
My heart can’t wait another day When you touch me I just got to say
Baby I love you Baby I love you Baby I love you Come on baby na na na na na Come on baby na na na na na
Baby I love you Baby I love you Baby I love you Come on baby na na na na na Come on baby na na na na na
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 