Monday, 6 October 2025

The Young Rascals "The Rascals Anthology 1965-1972" 1992 - disc 1

The group’s first comprehensive retrospective, containing all of their greatest chart hits and best LP cuts on two CDs.
The mid-sixties was a golden age for blue-eyed soul - heartfelt R & B performances by such acts as Tom Jones, the Box Tops, Mitch Ryder, and the Vanilla Fudge. In 1966, the Young Rascals added their name to that list with an explosive million-seller - the number one hit, "Good Lovin'." After that, most of their material was written by one or both of their lead singers, Eddie Brigati and Felix Cavaliere (who also played keyboards). Felix generally wrote the music and Eddie the lyrics. Rounding out the lineup were Gene Cornish (guitar) and Dino Danelli (drums). Following "Good Lovin'" was "You Better Run," and in March 1967, "I've Been Lonely To long." By that time, the young Rascals were headliners, constantly on the road, making innumerable TV and concert appearances. While on tour, they were known to relieve boredom by dropping water bombs out of hotel windows, or splashing around in the fancy fountains in front of them. Occasionally, they got a day off to spend with girlfriends, and, more often than not, that day happened to be a Sunday. The idea of spending Sunday afternoon "Groovin'" with a lady inspired Eddie and Felix to write "Groovin'" in the spring of 1967.
The song marked a change of direction for the band, which had previously built its sound around the lead of Felix's organ. "On our new single there isn't any organ," said Gene at the time. "There is no guitar and there are no regular drums. There's a bass, a harpsichord, a piano, a conga drum, tambourine, vibes, a harmonica, a vocal, and birds." "Groovin'," a reflective, sinuous record, was perhaps their most infectious creation. It's essential lightness was effectively blanched by the somber tone of Felix's voice. On the track, he tried his best to sound like his idol, Ray Charles. "Groovin'" broke in late April 1967, and spent four weeks at number one in May. In all, it clung to the charts for three months, becoming the Young Rascals' second million-seller. In September of that year, the song was covered by Booker T. and the MG's, who made the top thirty with their instrumental version.
The Young Rascals had three more hits in 1967: "A Girl Like You," "How Can I Be Sure" (remade in 1972 by David Cassidy), and "It's Wonderful." Then, in 1968, they dropped the "Young" from their name, as the various members had all left their teenage years. As the Rascals, they hit with "A Beautiful Morning" and "People Got to Be Free" in 1968. The latter tune came from their LP Freedom Suite, which sowed the seeds of the group's demise...
Disc 1: The Young Rascals
1. I Ain't Gonna Eat My Heart Out Anymore 2. Good Lovin' 3. Do You Feel It 4. Mustang Sally 5. Baby Let's Wait 6. In The Midnight Hour 7. You Better Run 8. What Is The Reason 9. I've Been Lonely Too Long 10. Come On Up 11. Too Many Fish In The Sea 12. Love Is A Beautiful Thing 13. Groovin' 14. A Girl Like You 15. Find Somebody 16. How Can I Be Sure 17. If You Knew 18. I'm So Happy Now 19. Easy Rollin' 20. Rainy Day 21. It's Wonderful 22. Silly Girl 23. Finale: Once Upon a Dream 24. A Beautiful Morning

5 comments:

RYP said...

The Young Rascals "The Rascals Anthology 1965-1972" 1992 - disc 1
gitit! no pw
https://mega.nz/file/ZX53DLrY#rMe3RMRSGYYDueboP6HChTsAAkkmvWPb4pxqORlGF88

The Chairman said...

Brilliant band, wonderful never-ageing tracks! Thanks a lot, RYP, and Best: TC

RYP said...

ja, ist mir heute an diesem "beautiful morning" eingefallen! Hier in Europa völlig unterschätzt! Dabei einige wundervolle Evergreens:
Good Lovin', Too Many Fish In The Sea, Love Is A Beautiful Thing, Groovin', How Can I Be Sure, It's Wonderful, A Beautiful Morning, People Got To Be Free, Nubia...

RiCK SAUNDERS said...

Thanks, Ryp!

churchkey said...

Rockin'!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCxk8-QP6gg&list=RDpCxk8-QP6gg&start_radio=1