Thursday

THE 100 SINGLES YOU MUST OWN

24. THE PREMIERS: Farmer John/ Duffy's Blues (1964)
 In two short years, The Premiers made it from the barrios of East LA to Hollywood, where they cut this furious party number. Despite those high-pitched screams, Farmer John was recorded in a studio, rather than, " live at the Rhythm Room" as the label proclaims. The girls were brought in from the Chevelles' car club to spice up the atmosphere and The Premiers' simple 1-4-5 chord progression and sing-a-long lyrics make this a popular number at the booziest of late night joints even today.
Availability: Nuggets Rhino 4-CD Box set
23. STEVIE WONDER: Superstition/ You've Got It Bad Girl (1973)
It's almost impossible to imagine today, but 30 years ago, Superstition almost signalled the death knell of Stevie Wonder's career. On its first airing in front of the Harlem Apollo crowd, the song was booed. Originally written for Jeff Beck, Superstition's insistent down-tempo shuffle, spiky clavinet and southern-style horn flourishes, surrounding Stevie's paranoid vocal, soon caught on with the US public, who bought enough to take it to number 1. It still sounds startling-- a record this far ahead of its time will never go out of fashion.
Availability: Talking Book Motown CD

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