Let’s get away from the era of auto-tune and millennial yelp in popular music. Let’s go back to a time when the melody was crafted, when the vocals soared, when the music was fresh and the lyrics were incredible.
And one more thing. Let’s add into the mix the fact that these songs weren’t major hits at the time, despite their brilliance.
Yes folks, it’s time for another edition of everyone’s favorite blog-post radio station, K-Chuck Radio. So crank up the speakers and enjoy…
LITTLE STEVIE WONDER
(I Call It Pretty Music But) The Old People Call It The Blues
Yes, this was Stevie Wonder waaaaaay back in the day. This song was his first release, long before his #1 hit “Fingertips,” and you can definitely hear the beginnings of a young superstar in this track.
THE FORUM
The River Is Wide
This song would later become a hit for the Grass Roots, but here’s the original Spectorpop-style version by the three-man band called the Forum.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLYi0LRVhjc
TIM TAM AND THE TURN ONS
Kimberly
Do you think it might be possible that this group might have been influenced, in some small way, by the Four Seasons? I’m thinking yes…
THE SWEET THREE
That’s The Way It Is (When A Girl’s In Love)
This 1966 track has plenty of homages to early Ronettes hits, including a boom … boom boom clap, boom … boom boom clap break before the song goes back to the refrain. Great stuff, it’s the kind of track that makes you smile.
HONEY LOVE AND THE LOVENOTES
We Belong Together
This Cameo girl group sounds a lot like another Cameo-Parkway group, Candy and the Kisses, who had a minor hit with “The 81.” Yes, this track borrows a lot from “The 81,” but it still has its own brilliance, and it’s a great Northern Soul dance track in its own right.
THE SWANS
Why Must I Cry?
This is an early 1960’s doo-wop rarity, and it almost sounds as if this group was influenced by the Chantels’ song “Maybe.” Maybe it was.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqoS7cy_Oio
THE PLATTERS
With This Ring
Yes, this is the same Platters of “The Great Pretender” and “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” fame; this was a mid-1960’s classic, one of their final two hits on the Musicor label.
THE BEAU-MARKS
Clap Your Hands
This Canadian pop band’s single was a national hit in Canada and a regional hit in various cities throughout America. Should have been a bigger hit, but then again isn’t that always the story?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZ5iJC3irbo
RICHARD AND THE YOUNG LIONS
Open Up Your Door
Another “regional” hit, this song was #1 in about twenty-five different cities in the United States … but since it wasn’t “#1 at the same time in those cities, the song barely cracked the national Hot 100. And by the time the record company looked for a follow-up, the band had broken up.
THE MYDDLE CLASS
Don’t Let Me Sleep Too Long
You want to talk about regional hits? This New Jersey band’s song was #1 in Albany, basically being played every hour on the hour on WPTR!
So have a great day and enjoy the groove … right here on K-Chuck Radio!!
Chuck The Writer 
The Stevie song I had already included in my O is for.. post that’s coming up in less than a month. I wrote it weeks ago!
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Not one of these songs are familiar to me. I can honestly see why they are forgotten.
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