Various Artists - NOW Yearbook Presents - The 60s - Volume Four: 1967-1969 - Part One (Black 3LP)

Step back to the late-1960s with NOW Yearbook Presents - The 60s - Volume Four: 1967-1969 - Part One, the next instalment in our 60s Yearbook series, featuring 54 classic tracks across 3 LPs, and following the three in the series so far – matching the sleeve colour – with this one pressed on black vinyl.

LP1 opens with one of the decade’s most iconic soundtrack moments, Simon & Garfunkel’s ‘Mrs. Robinson’, featured in The Graduate and a UK Top 5 hit, followed by The Monkees’ ‘I’m A Believer’, a four-week chart-topper. The Beach Boys bring sun-soaked pop with ‘Do It Again’, before The Flowerpot Men’s ‘Let’s Go To San Francisco’ and Scott McKenzie’s enduring anthem ‘San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair)’ celebrate the city at the centre of ‘flower-power’ and the ‘Summer Of Love’. The Mamas & The Papas follow with the classic ‘Dedicated To The One I Love’, before #1s from Gary Puckett and the Union Gap with ‘Young Girl’ and Love Affair’s ‘Everlasting Love’. Dusty Springfield continued her fantastic run of hits with ‘I Close My Eyes And Count To Ten’ – and closes the first side…whilst over on the other side… legendary soul smashes are celebrated: Dionne Warwick’s sublime ‘Do You Know The Way To San Jose’ starts the run and is followed by Diana Ross & The Supremes’ ‘Love Child’, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas with ‘Jimmy Mack’ and the ear-worm ‘Build Me Up Buttercup’ from The Foundations. The Temptations with the Northern Soul favourite ‘Get Ready’ comes ahead of Sam & Dave’s ‘Soul Man’, Sly & The Family Stone’s hugely influential ‘Dance To The Music’ and The Box Tops’ US No.1 ‘The Letter’. Two huge reggae hits complete the first LP :- Harry J Allstars’ instrumental favourite ‘Liquidator’ and Desmond Dekker & The Aces’ ground-breaking #1 ‘Israelites’.

LP2 opens with Glen Campbell’s masterpiece, ‘Wichita Lineman’, followed by Bobbie Gentry’s superb version of ‘I’ll Never Fall In Love Again’. Elvis Presley is up next with the powerful and poignant ‘In The Ghetto’, a Top 3 hit that remains one of his most admired tracks and leads into sophisticated easy listening from Andy Williams with ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’ and Astrud Gilberto & Walter Wanderley’s ‘Call Me’. Louis Armstrong’s peerless ‘What A Wonderful World’ delivers one of the most beloved recordings of the era and is followed by nostalgic television favourite ‘White Horses’ from Jacky, before the side is completed by Tom Jones with his #2 smash ‘Delilah’ and Engelbert Humperdinck’s 5-week chart-topper ‘The Last Waltz’…Flip the LP over for… The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown’s fantastically theatrical ‘Fire’, before Zager & Evans look to the future with ‘In The Year 2525’. Avant-garde rock from The Velvet Underground with ‘White Light/White Heat’ is up next, along with Status Quo’s psychedelic debut hit ‘Pictures Of Matchstick Men’, Manfred Mann’s #1 ‘The Mighty Quinn’ and Amen Corner’s ‘Bend Me Shape Me’. A trio of pure pop favourites close out LP2 from Mama Cass, Esther & Abi Ofarim and Sandie Shaw’s Eurovision-winning ‘Puppet On A String’.

LP3 begins with a run of essential soul classics led by Marvin Gaye’s timeless ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine’, one of the era’s defining recordings, alongside Stevie Wonder’s smooth ‘My Cherie Amour’. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles’ enduring ‘The Tracks Of My Tears’ is next, ahead of Otis Redding's signature song '(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay', issued a month after his tragic death and a second appearance from Diana Ross & The Supremes – with ‘Reflections’. Timeless Singer/Songwriter hits feature from Cat Stevens with ‘Matthew & Son’, Bob Dylan’s ‘All Along The Watchtower’ and Joe Cocker’s celebrated interpretation of ‘With A Little Help From My Friends’ – before the side finishes with The Hollies’ emotional blockbuster ‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother’ hitting the charts twenty years before it would become a #1, and over on the final side, the album showcases the sheer originality, diversity and ambition of this rich period of late-’60s pop as Procol Harum open with the era-defining #1 ‘A Whiter Shade Of Pale’, a 10-million copy worldwide seller, and one of the decade’s most distinctive recordings. Small Faces’ psychedelic favourite ‘Itchycoo Park’ comes next along with The Move’s ‘Blackberry Way’, which also hit the top in the U.S. Peter Sarstedt’s celebrated UK #1 ‘Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)’ features alongside Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin’s radio-banned #1 ‘Je T’aime Moi Non Plus’, before a trio of chart smashes complete this collection: Marmalade’s ‘Ob-La-Di-Ob-La-Da’, is followed by Herman’s Hermits with ‘There’s A Kind Of Hush (All Over The World)’ – and Fleetwood Mac’s elegant instrumental chart-topper ‘Albatross’ brings this celebration of the late-1960s pop landscape to a close.

NOW Yearbook Presents – The 60s - Volume Four: 1967-1969 - Part One – a snapshot of a rapidly evolving pop era where pure pop, soul, rock, beat, easy listening and songwriting sophistication converged. In fact, it was such a rich period for amazing singles that it felt wrong to leave so many off – which is why this is ‘Part One’... The second volume in our celebration of the years 1967-1969 will follow soon…

Tracklist

LP1 Side A

1. Simon & Garfunkel - Mrs. Robinson (From "The Graduate" Soundtrack)
2. The Monkees - I'm A Believer
3. The Beach Boys - Do It Again
4. The Flowerpot Men – Let’s Go To San Francisco
5. Scott McKenzie - San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair)
6. The Mamas & The Papas - Dedicated To The One I Love
7. Gary Puckett and the Union Gap - Young Girl
8. Love Affair - Everlasting Love
9. Dusty Springfield - I Close My Eyes And Count To Ten

LP1 Side B

1. Dionne Warwick - Do You Know The Way To San Jose
2. Diana Ross & The Supremes - Love Child
3. Martha Reeves & The Vandellas - Jimmy Mack (From The "Detroit" Soundtrack)
4. The Foundations - Build Me Up Buttercup
5. The Temptations - Get Ready
6. Sam & Dave - Soul Man
7. Sly & The Family Stone - Dance To The Music
8. The Box Tops - The Letter
9. Harry J Allstars - Liquidator
10. Desmond Dekker & The Aces - Israelites

LP2 Side A

1. Glen Campbell - Wichita Lineman
2. Bobbie Gentry - I'll Never Fall In Love Again
3. Elvis Presley - In The Ghetto
4. Andy Williams - Can't Take My Eyes Off You
5. Astrud Gilberto & Walter Wanderley - Call Me
6. Louis Armstrong - What A Wonderful World
7. Jacky - White Horses
8. Tom Jones - Delilah
9. Engelbert Humperdinck - The Last Waltz

LP2 Side B

1. The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown - Fire
2. Zager & Evans - In The Year 2525
3. The Velvet Underground - White Light/White Heat
4. Status Quo - Pictures Of Matchstick Men
5. Manfred Mann - The Mighty Quinn
6. Amen Corner - Bend Me Shape Me
7. Mama Cass - It's Getting Better
8. Esther & Abi Ofarim - Cinderella Rockefella
9. Sandie Shaw - Puppet On A String

LP3 Side A

1. Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevine
2. Stevie Wonder - My Cherie Amour
3. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - The Tracks Of My Tears
4. Otis Redding - (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay
5. Diana Ross & The Supremes - Reflections
6. Cat Stevens - Matthew & Son
7. Bob Dylan - All Along The Watchtower
8. Joe Cocker - With A Little Help From My Friends
9. The Hollies - He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother

LP3 Side B

1. Procol Harum – A Whiter Shade Of Pale
2. Small Faces - Itchycoo Park
3. The Move – Blackberry Way
4. Peter Sarstedt - Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)
5. Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin - Je T'aime Moi Non Plus
6. Marmalade - Ob-La-Di-Ob-La-Da
7. Herman's Hermits - There's A Kind Of Hush (All Over The World)
8. Fleetwood Mac - Albatross