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The Les Humphries Singers Tribute!!!

Rose Tattoo - We Can’t Be Beaten (1982) Sounds like AC/DC, no? Same producers. I love Rose Tattoo. I have discovered lots of good stuff doing this show. I like this band.

Andy Williams - Age of Aquarius/Let The Sun Shine In (1969) As I said, Andy tied EVERYTHING. He refused to be tied down.

Billy Paul - Let ‘Em In (1976) A cover of the almost concurrent original by Paul McCartney and Wings. Only this version features references to black heroes and well-known newsmakers.

Dean Martin - By The Time I Get To Phoenix (1968)

Elton John - Goal Diggers (1977) Wikipedia:

"The Goaldiggers Song" is a charity single by Elton John, released in 1977. The song is written for the Goaldigger's charity to provide playing fields in under-privileged areas. At the time in 1977, Elton John was living reclused in London; the only time he would go out was to go see his football team Watford F.C. play. The single never charted anywhere, as it was a limited charity release-only 500 copies were pressed, approximately half of which were signed by Elton. It was available for a cost of five UK pounds by mail-order only and featured Elton and a number of other British celebrities including Jimmy Hill and Eric Morecombe in conversation on the B-side. The tapes were destroyed after the pressing, so no other official copies of the recording exist.

The song is written, composed and performed solely by Elton John; the song features only his piano and multi-tracked vocals. The actual disc does not contain writing or production credits, and since the release of the single, it hasn't appeared on any album or been reissued in any format.

Eric Burdon & The Animals - It’s All Meat (1967)

The Commodores - The Bump (1974)

The Free Design - Love Me (1970)

Most of Les Humphries songs were either familiar covers and medleys for dance party records, mixed in with originals co-written with Jimmy Bilsbury. Bilsbury was a likable showman with a voice like Ray Charles, but in some LHS videos, especially the later ones, he is clearly struggling with a chemical problem. He was in the Magic Lanterns before the LHS.

The Les Humphries Singers - Mama Loo (1973) This is basically a retooled "Barbara Ann" with lyrics changed enough to avoid copyright problems. Maybe? Did no one in Austria know the song Barbara Ann? Reached #1 in Germany.

The Les Humphries Singers - California (1975) Nice, layered harmonies with more borrowed lyrics, terrible rhymes, but I like it somehow. It's the German approximation of Brian Wilson.

The Les Humphries Singers - Mexico (1972) LHS's biggest hit. And a direct rip off of "The Battle of New Orleans." Layered harmonies, some touches of modern (for the time) production and a great hook made this a huge hit for the band. This market the end of their attempts to parlay their "Hair" schtick into a marketable strategy, and from here on in it was songs about the American south and other...states. I love LHS. Such a strange thing. I think this was another copyright dodge.

The Les Humphries Singers - Check It Out (1975)

The Les Humphries Singers - Carnival (1973) A rip-off of "The Locomotion" or "Surf City" with a soupçon of "Peggy Sue" thrown in.

The Les Humphries Singers - Timex Commercial (1975) Very German. Still, kind of groovy.

The Les Humphries Singers - Kansas City (1974) Same production tricks as "Mexico". I'm thinking no one who liked LHS had ever been to America.

The Les Humphries Singers - I’m From The South, I’m From G-O-R-Gia (1973)

The Les Humphries Singers - Spanish Discotheque (1976)

The Les Humphries Singers - Take Care of Me (1972)

The Les Humphries Singers - Tell Me Why (1972)

The Les Humphries Singers - Do You Wanna Rock and Roll? (1974)

The Les Humphries Singers - The Writing Is On the Wall (1974) My favorite Les Humphries song by far.

The Les Humphries Singers - New Orleans (1974) It continues. The love affair with the American south as a cynical marketing ploy.

The Les Humphries Singers - Sing Sang Song (1976) Their Eurovision entry for 1976. They finished #15, which I guess is bad.

Petula Clark - Rain (1966)

Jose Feliciano - Help! (1966)

Norman Luboff Singers - I’m Ready (1965)

The Archies - Betty (1969)

Chuck Berry - Havana Moon (1979 Version)

Lena Zavaroni - Help Me Make It Through The Night (1974) at approximately 1:47:04 into the podcast

Lawrence Welk and His Orchestra - The “In” Crowd (1965)

Pat Boone - U.F.O. (1975)

Scott Walker - Joanna (1970)