DAILY DIRT: It’s been 60 years, but we’re still hanging on, Sloopy

April 13, 2025 | By Steve Eighinger Muddy River News Minister of Culture and Doctor of Love

Daily Dirt for Sunday, April 13, 2025

The ‘garage-rock’ era was a special time … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 1,255 of The Daily Dirt.

1. The year 1965 will always be special for me.

That was when my ear was drawn to the radio for something other than baseball for the first time, and one of the first songs that reeled me in was Petula Clark’s signature classic, “Downtown”. Another was Jewel Akens’ only hit, “The Birds and the Bees”.

The fondness that grew for those two songs led me to others, and pretty soon I found myself a regular listener to the local “pop hits” station back in my hometown of Ashland, Ohio. Some of the songs from what is often labeled as the “garage-rock era” have remained among my all-time favorites, which is quite an accomplishment considering that was 60 years ago.

That’s 60, six-oh.

Here are my 10 favorites from that marvelous year — are any of the following on your list, too?

1. “Hang On Sloopy,” by the McCoys: Come on, I’m a Buckeye. You know this HAS to be No. 1. This song sounds as good in 2025 as it did in 1965. The lead singer of the McCoys back then, Rick Derringer, is now 77 and (at last report) still performing.

2. “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch),” by the Four Tops: This was the song that got me hooked on the rhythm and blues sound. Lead singer Levi Stubbs and his three closest friends kept the song atop the Billboard R&B chart for nine consecutive weeks.

3. “Downtown,” by Petula Clark: Petula has had a lot of quality songs since ’65, but none has ever managed to come close to this classic in terms of popularity. By the way, Ms. Clark is now 92 and sounding as good as ever. I hope I can say the same some day.

4. “It’s The Same Old Song,” by the Four Tops: It was a good year to be a fan of the Four Tops.

5. “Eve of Destruction,” by Barry McGuire: My introduction to the Vietnam War and all of the accompanying protests.

6. “Down In The Boondocks,” by Billy Joe Royal: If nothing else, it was always fun just to say “Billy Joe Royal”. And yes, that was his real name.

7-tie. “I Like It Like That,” “Catch Us If You Can,” “Over And Over,” by the Dave Clark Five: At the time, the DC5 were “that” close to being as big as the Beatles. Unfortunately, that momentum could not be sustained and the group began to fade and by the latter half of 1967 they were yesterday’s news.

8. “Shotgun,” by Junior Walker and the All Stars: Autry DeWalt Mixon was Junior Walker’s real name, and the man could play the saxophone.

9. “Back In My Arms Again,” by the Supremes: The best girl group. Ever.

10. “Goldfinger,” by Shirley Bassey: The song that accompanied the James Bond film of the same was/is as well-known as the movie itself.

Ahhh … what a year. I think we’ll need to do this again.

2. Did you know (Part 331)

That the first item ever sold on eBay was a broken laser pointer in 1995 — for $14.83.
That the final eBay bid on 2008 for a cornflake shaped like the state of Illinois was $1,350.
That the final eBay bid for a grilled cheese sandwich that resembled the Virgin Mary was $28,000 in 2004.
That there are approximately 1.9 billion live listings on eBay as you are reading this.
That only 4 percent of U.S. pet owners have pet insurance.

3. This week’s celebrity birthday wishes go to:

Soul singer/pastor Al Green is 79 today. His take on the Ray Price classic “For the Good Times” is the stuff of legends.
Actress Sarah Michelle Gellar turns 49 on Monday. You probably know her as Buffy, who slays vampires.
Actress Lois Chiles will be 78 on Tuesday. She was a Bond girl in “Moonraker”.
Singer Bobby Vinton reaches No. 90 on Wednesday. “Blue Velvet” and “Roses Are Red (My Love) headline a long list of hits.
Talk-show host Conan O’Brien turns 62 on Friday. Worst talk-show host ever.

Steve Thought O’ The Day – I didn’t have any Beatles or Rolling Stones in that top 10 above. Sorry, I couldn’t justify any of their songs knocking out those I listed, but my ’65 favorites from those two bands would be the Chuck Berry-influenced “Rock and Roll Music” from the Beatles and “Get Off of My Cloud” by the Stones.