380

TheWho,'ICan'tExplain'

Writer:PeteTownshend
Producer:ShelTalmy
Released:March'65,Decca
2weeks;No.93
Fortheirdebutsingle,theWhorecordedTownshend'sallegedanswerto
theKinks'blazing"YouReallyGotMe."TheWhoevenhiredthatsong's
producer,Talmy,whorecruitedadditionalplayersfortherecording,among
themJimmyPage,whocontributedrhythmguitar.
Appearson:TheUltimateCollection(MCA)
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100GreatestGuitaristsofAllTime:PeteTownshend

100GreatestSingersofAllTime:RogerDaltrey

379

TheJimiHendrixExperience,'TheWindCriesMary'

Writer:Hendrix
Producer:ChasChandler
Released:May'67,Reprise
8weeks;No.65
AdishsmashingargumentwithhisgirlfriendleftHendrixalonetoscrawlthe
wordsto"TheWindCriesMary"inJanuary1967.Afewdayslater,theguitarist
taughttheuncharacteristicallytenderballadbuiltaroundagentleriffinspired

bysoulmanCurtisMayfieldtotheExperience.Thetrioknockedoutthetrack
in20minutes.
Appearson:AreYouExperienced?(MCA)
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AreYou
Experienced?

378

BoDiddley,'I'maMan'

Writer:Diddley
Producer:LeonardChess
Released:June'55,Checker
DidNotChart
TheBsideofDiddley'sfirstsinglewasbuiltaroundafournoteguitarstompthat
wasatrademarkofmidFiftiesChicagoblues.SongwriterWillieDixon,who
supervisedthe1955session,saiditwasDiddley'ssenseofrhythmthatsethim
apartfromeveryoneelseatChess:"Thedrumsarespeaking,andhe'lltellyou
whatthedrumsaresaying."
Appearson:HisBest:TheChess50thAnniversaryCollection(Chess)
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377

DepecheMode,'PersonalJesus'

Writer:MartinGore
Producers:DepecheMode,Flood
Released:Nov.'89,Sire
20weeks;No.28
DepecheMode'sbreakthroughsinglewasbasedonasurprisingsource:Priscilla
Presley'sbookElvisandMe."It'sabouthowElviswashermanandhermentor
andhowoftenthathappensinloverelationships,"Goresaid."Howeverybody's
heartislikeagodinsomeway."
Appearson:Violator(Sire)
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Violator

376

Cream,'WhiteRoom'

Writers:PeteBrown,JackBruce
Producer:FelixPappalardi
Released:Aug.'68,Atco
11weeks;No.6
PoweredbyEricClapton'swahwahwork,thesong'sunnervingpsychedelic
imagerycamefromBrown,emergingfromaperiodofdrugandalcoholexcess.

"ItwasinmywhitepaintedroomthatIhadthehorribledrugexperiencethat
mademewanttostopeverything,"hesaid.
Appearson:WheelsofFire(Polygram)
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375

BeeGees,'HowDeepIsYourLove'

Writers:BeeGees
Producers:BeeGees,KarlRichardson,AlbhyGaluten
Released:Sept.'77,RSO
33weeks;No.1
ThefirstsinglefromSaturdayNightFeverwasntadiscotrackbutthisslow
jam.ItwenttoNumberOneinDecember1977,andtheBeeGeesthencontrolled
thetopspotfor15ofthenext20weeks.Thesongwasoriginallyintendedfor
YvonneElliman,whohadherownNumberOnewithIfICantHaveYou.
Appearson:SaturdayNightFever(Polygram)

374

TheRighteousBrothers,'UnchainedMelody'

Writers:AlexNorth,HyZaret
Producer:PhilSpector
Released:July'65,Philles
13weeks;No.4
Thissongfirsthitthechartsin1955,whenthreedifferentversionsofitlandedin
theTop10.TheRighteousBrotherspickedupthetorchin1965,makingittheB
sidetotheirsingle"HungonYou."WhenDJsbeganplaying"Unchained
Melody"instead,Spectordecidedtheduoshouldputoutonlycoversofprerock
popsongsasitssingles;theirversionofSinatras"EbbTide"alsohitbig.
Appearson:Anthology19621974(Rhino)

373

BobDylan,'Highway61Revisited'

Writer:Dylan
Producer:BobJohnston
Released:Aug.'65,Columbia
Didnotchart
"Highway61beginsaboutwhereIcamefrom,"DylanwritesinChronicles.
"Duluth,tobeexact."TheroadrunsthroughtheheartofAmericaandsodoes
thesong.ItsDylanathiswildest,bothmusicallyandlyrically,toppingthe
band'sroadhousestompwithhissurrealcosmicjokes.Thepolicesirenwhistle
wascourtesyofsessionmanAlKooper.
Appearson:Highway61Revisited(Columbia)
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372

TheBoxTops,'TheLetter'

Writer:WayneCarsonThompson
Producer:DanPenn
Released:July'67,Mala
16weeks;No.1

On"TheLetter,"AlexChiltonmoanslikeagruffsoulman,thoughhewasjust
16.Hecreditedtheperformancetohisproducer,MemphislegendPenn."[He]
coachedmeprettyheavilyonsinginganythingweeverdid,"Chiltonsaid.Ina
lotofcases,itsoundsmorelikehimsingingthanitsoundslikeme.Chilton
wentontofrontBigStarbutparticipatedinBoxTopsreuniontoursuntilhis
deathin2010.
Appearson:TheLetter(Sundazed)

371

TheClash,'CompleteControl'

Writers:MickJones,JoeStrummer
Producer:Lee"Scratch"Perry
Released:July'79,Epic
Nonsingle
TheClashwerehardcorereggaefans,soitwasnaturaltheywouldwanttowork
withlegendarydubproducerPerry.Buttheresultingsinglewasntdubatallit
wastheClashstoughest,noisiestpunkanthem,withMickJonescrankingthe
guitartoearbleedinglevels."CompleteControl,"aU.K.hitinthefallof1977,
wasappendedtotheAmericanversionoftheband'sdebutalbum.
Appearson:TheClash(Epic)

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