The Doors: People Are Strange (1967)

I think this is the first Doors song I ever heard. I have been hooked ever since.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GB67l9velBI

Cream: SWLABR (1967)

The b-side to "Sunshine of Your Love" stands for "She Walks Like a Bearded Rainbow"--whatever that means...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngIxuGOVGeQ

Pink Floyd: Arnold Layne (1967)

"Arnold Layne" is based on a real person. In the song, the character steals women's clothes from a wash line. In real life, Roger Waters knew someone that stole knickers and bras for fun. This provided inspiration for the tune.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQTFRq1hjtM

Jimi Hendrix: Purple Haze (1967)

Psychedelic rock with obvious drug references combined with one of the all-time greatest riffs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjwWjx7Cw8I

The Supremes: Reflections (1967)

The Supreme fired Florence Ballard shortly after recording this classic. The song also reflects the psychedelic movement of the period. At the same time, the country seemed to be going crazy. So, the song had to have resonated with people wanting a return to normalcy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhxUmjVQNtI

Scott McKenzie: San Francisco (1967)

This is one of the most wonderful period pieces ever recorded. It became an anthem to the counterculture. Basically, McKenzie calls people to San Francisco to live free. By the time the song hit the charts, the San Francisco nirvana had run its course.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJ_WG3d3GL8

The Who: Armenia City in the Sky (1967)

The Who go psychadelic! The opening track on The Who Sell Out, "Armenia City in the Sky" was written by friend of the band Speedy Keen. The vocals do not sound like Roger Daltrey at all....unless he's on helium.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7wrwctQS3s

The Doors: Back Door Man (1967)

A "back door man" is someone having an affair with a married woman. When the husband leaves, the other guy comes in the back door. The term dates to the 1920s. In the 60s, people began using to term to refer to "anal intercourse." Howlin' Wolf recorded the original in 1960. The Doors covered it seven years later and became a song that defined Jim Morrison, but also the sexual revolution.

Howlin' Wolf:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBd4PPZV6QI

The Doors (studio):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jChqf7syif0

The Doors (live):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-EIi7ToTkA

852. Baby Please Don't Go by the Amboy Dukes (1967)

"Baby Please Don't Go" is a blues standard dating to 1935. Big Joe Williams recorded the original which has been covered over 1,000 times. The most famous version comes from Ted Nugent and the Amboy Dukes who recorded it in 1967. Van Morrison's band, Them, also covered it in 1964.  Others to record a version include Aerosmith, AC/DC, Bob Dylan, and Muddy Waters.

Big Joe Williams:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g22l1hnAnlA

Them (Van Morrison):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Wah7MqEHFg

The Amboy Dukes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vi8h9_KgFpc

869. Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harum (1967)

What is the most played song in the U.K. over the last 75 years? "Whiter Shade of Pale"

Who knew?

The title came from something Keith Reed overheard at a party. Apparently, someone was getting sick and was told "You've turned a whiter shade of pale." The band added a little Bach and created the hit. The song is apparently about sex even though the Bach makes it sound rather solemn.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mb3iPP-tHdA

The Party's Over by Willie Nelson (1967)

For Don Meredith...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsTAUs_h_uY

883. White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane (1967)

Grace Slick's parents read Alice in Wonderland to her as a child. The fairy tale remained vivid in her consciousness as she grew up. When Slick went into music, she brought that memory with her and compared the story to the effects of hallucinatory drugs her generation experimented with. As such, "White Rabbit" is laced with drug references in the guise of the original Alice in Wonderland adventures. To me, the song indicates a loss of innocence that sometimes occurs when people try to hold on to their childhood and grow up at the same time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WANNqr-vcx0

892. Beck's Bolero by Jeff Beck (1967)

Jeff Beck gathered his friends Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, Nicky Hopkins, and Keith Moon together to record his own bolero. The group considered recording an entire album, but never got around to it.  The song is presented in three parts and contains perhaps the first heavy metal riff. Listen for a scream about halfway through. Moon kicked over his microphone...

The original:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmO0OZC6Ifk

Live (2006):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1hijzkOrnk&feature=related

903. Somebody to Love by Jefferson Airplane (1967)

The Great Society originally recorded "Somebody to Love." The folk song got the psychadelic hippie treatment from the Jefferson Airplane. This version is the best known and has become iconic. It is hardly folk! It has since appeared in several movies including Cable Guy and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUbMWtUyIIE

Great Society:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzyDLwUgFdc

910. I'm Waiting for the Man by the Velvet Underground (1967)

"I'm waiting for my man, $26 in my hand." During an age of peace, love, and politics, the Velvet Underground went in a different direction. Many of their songs involved the dirty side of drug use. In this piece, the main character is going downtown to score some heroin. There is even a minor confrontation with a black character denoting the schism between suburban whites and urban blacks. There is nothing glamorous or exciting about the drug culture here. Instead, this is an honest look at a junkie coming to get his fix for the day.


Lou Reed and John Cale live:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rhiqI6PlTo

Studio version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hugY9CwhfzE