The Oldies Vault: Get Love Happy!
With Valentine’s Day fast tracking around the bend, it’s time to step into the Oldies Vault for some fun, upbeat, just plain “love happy” music.
So many songs, especially in the 50’s, told us stories. The Ray’s, Silhouettes is about a jealous lover who “thinks” he sees his girl’s silhouette on a shade making out with another dude – but oops – he’s on the wrong block! The Clovers and the Searchers had us rolling in the aisles with their jumpy Love Potion #9, when the potion made them kiss a cop on 34th and Vine! Jimmy Rodgers managed to cram his entire life story on a 45 single with his happy-go-lucky Bimbombey.
And there are plenty of One Hit Wonder love hits to go around. Australian pop star, Jean Paul Young entered the U.S. Billboard charts just once in the 70’s, proclaiming that Love Is In the Air. Also charting just once, the forgotten group, White Plains with their song My Baby Loves Lovin.’
Joey Dee and the Starliters had us doing the Peppermint Twist and dancing to Hot Pastrami With Mashed Potatoes in the 60’s, but nothing said more “love happy” to me than their seldom heard What Kind of Love Is This from the movie Two Tickets to Paris.
British 80’s pop star and former model, Samantha Fox, sure knew how to ignite a guy’s “love fire” with her Touch Me (I Want Your Body) and by reminding them that Naughty Girls (Need Love Too).
But there were two groups who probably gave us the most popular fun and happy love tunes ever. The 60’s brought us The Beatles. When John, Paul, George and Ringo shook their mop-tops, every teenage girl (including myself) couldn’t get enough of She Loves You, I Want to Hold Your Hand, Do You Want to Know a Secret and so many, many more.
In the 70’s, the late David Cassidy, with his Partridge family entourage, ruled as a pop prince icon. How could you not help but smile at the cheesy Partridge Family’s TV show theme, C’mon Get Happy? And even today, can you resist grabbing your partner or pet and singing along to I Think I Love You? So c’mon, let’s get LOVE HAPPY:
Silhouettes – The Rays ’57
26 Miles (Santa Catalina) – The 4 Preps ‘58
Love Potion #9 – The Clovers (Searchers ’65)
What Kind of Love Is This – Joey Dee and the Starliters ’62
Tell Him – The Exciters ‘63
So Much In Love – The Tymes ‘63
Sugar Shack – Jimmy Gilmore & the Fireballs ‘63
Be My Baby – Ronettes ‘63
Love Me Do – The Beatles ‘64
I Want To Hold Your Hand – The Beatles ‘64
Do Wah Diddy Diddy – Manfred Mann ‘64
It’s Not Unusual – Tom Jones ‘65
Game of Love – Mindbenders ‘65
Call Me – Chris Montez ‘66
Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You – Franki Valli ‘67
I Say A Little Prayer – Dionne Warwick ’67 (Aretha Franklin ’68)
I Think I Love You – Partridge Family ‘70
Groovy Situation – Gene Chandler ‘70
My Baby Loves Lovin’ – White Plains ‘70
I Woke Up In Love This Morning – Partridge Family ‘71
Old-Fashioned Love – Commodores ‘71
Could It Be I’m Falling in Love – Spinners ‘73
Best of My Love – Eagles ‘74
Swearin’ To God – Franki Valli ‘75
You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine – Lou Rawls ‘76
(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher – Rita Coolidge ‘77
Love Is In The Air – John Paul Young ‘78
Still The One – Orleans ‘79
A Little In Love – Cliff Richard ‘81
The Look of Love – ABC ‘82
I Just Called to Say I Love You – Stevie Wonder ‘84
Power of Love – Huey Lewis and the News ‘85
Freeway of Love – Aretha Franklin ‘85
Addicted to Love – Robert Palmer ‘86
Touch Me (I Want Your Body) ’86 – Samantha Fox
Get Out of My Dreams, Get Into My Car – Billy Ocean ‘88
Naughty Girls (Need Love Too) – Samantha Fox ‘88
Together Forever – Rick Astley ‘88
Test your memory and see how many of the above songs you remember. Check them out on YouTube or load them onto your favorite devices. Bring back some fond memories and happy music classics.
Watch Wonder Women Sixty for another music post of oldies songs, perfect for Slow Dancing and Romancing next week.
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