The pop charts were ablaze with fantastic songs in the year 1967. It was the year of the Summer of Love, after all. In fact, many killer tracks that seemed destined to hit the top came up just shy due to the heavy competition.
We’ve corralled four tracks from 1967 that ended up at No. 2 and went no higher. And we’re guessing that you get No. 1 vibes from them anyway.
“Dedicated To The One I Love” by The Mamas & The Papas
This song, written by Lowman Pauling and Ralph Bass, first appeared a decade before The Mamas & The Papas got around to it. And it had already known the sting of coming oh-so-close to the top of the pop charts. In 1959, The Shirelles took it all the way to No. 3. As for The Mamas & The Papas, they took a crack at “Dedicated To The One I Love” on their 1967 album Creeque Alley. And they did an amazing job with it, all those voices bouncing off each other and intermingling in unique ways. Session ace Larry Knechtel played the standout saloon-style piano part. But No. 2 was its peak position, denied the top by The Turtles and “Happy Together”.
“Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” by Frankie Valli
The popular jukebox musical Jersey Boys painted “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” as an important milestone for both Frankie Valli and songwriters Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio. There’s no doubt that the track, which includes a brass-filled arrangement that ties together multiple unique musical sections, advances a great deal from the Four Seasons’ early hits. And Valli could work his magic on the track without having to resort to a falsetto. The song helped reestablish him as a chart force at a time when vocal music wasn’t nearly as popular as earlier in the decade. But it ultimately stalled out at No. 2 before fading from the charts.
“Never My Love” by The Association
Earlier in this article, we praised Larry Knechtel for his work on “Dedicated To The One I Love”. Well, the Wrecking Crew legend also played an integral role on “Never My Love” by The Association. His organ chirps its way inventively through the open spaces around the vocal arrangement. And what a vocal arrangement it is, as these guys could really layer on the harmonies. The Association occasionally wrote their own stuff, as with their big hit “Cherish”. But they also did their share of interpreting. Don and Dick Addrisi wrote the achingly romantic “Never My Love”. It was a dreamy single for sure, but not dreamy enough to vault all the way to No. 1.
“Soul Man” by Sam & Dave
Everything came together brilliantly on “Soul Man”, the signature song from Sam Moore and Dave Prater. Songwriters Isaac Hayes and David Porter managed to work some Black empowerment messaging into the lyrics in such a sly way that it didn’t rock the boat at pop radio. Sam and Dave trade off on vocals, each one summoning the force and bluster to make every word of the lyrics hit home. They benefited from having the fellows from Booker T & The M.G.’s, the incredible house band at Stax Records in Memphis, setting the table for them. There aren’t enough superlatives to cover the brilliance of this song. Alas, it ran into the juggernaut that was Lulu’s “To Sir With Love” in its quest for the top pop spot.
(Photo by Brian Rasic/Getty Images)
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