POP-A-LOOZA: THE KNICKERBOCKERS

Each week, the pop culture website Pop-A-Looza shares some posts from my vast 'n' captivating Boppin' (Like The Hip Folks Do) archives. The latest shared post is a chapter from my eventual book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1), celebrating "Lies" by The Knickerbockers.

Knickerbockers drummer Jimmy Walker passed away last week. We were friends on Facebook, and he expressed his appreciation of this piece and my plan to include it in my book. As I offer my sympathy to his friends and family, my mind goes back to the body of work he created with his fellow Knickerbockers.

The Knickerbockers were one-hit wonders; they are remembered only for that one big record "Lies," if they are remembered at all. They deserve better. Both "Lies" and a much lesser-known Knickerbockers track called "They Ran For Their Lives" have permanent berths on the list of my all-time favorite songs, and I wish more folks knew additional Knickerbockers gems like "One Track Mind," "My Feet Are Off The Ground," "I Must Be Doing Something Right," "Just One Girl," "High On Love," "Rumors, Gossip, Words Untrue," "I Can Do It Better," "She Said Goodbye," "Can't You See I'm Trying," "Please Don't Fight It," "Give A Little Bit," and...well, that's a lot more great stuff than you'd expect from a one-hit wonder.

I once had an editor (not at Goldmine!) who had inserted a reference to The Knickerbockers into a piece I'd written, and he was going over it with me to be sure I had no objection to the addition. He was a knowledgeable guy, and I had no issue with the (relevant) tangent he'd added to my piece. But giddy pop music wasn't his specialty. He had referred to The Knickerbockers as a California group; I wanted to correct that, as I knew they were from New Jersey. Are you sure?, the editor asked. I thought they were from California. I said that yeah, I was certain, but that I'd double-check the info in my Knickerbockers boxed set. He was flabbergasted. They have a BOXED SET...?!

Yeah, they do. More than one, in fact. One-hit wonder? True, I guess. Only a one-hit wonder? No. Lies, man. Lies.

But it's the truth that an infinite number of songs can each be THE greatest record ever made, as long as they take turns. It's also true that today, "Lies" is THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE! Read all about it in the latest Boppin' Pop-A-Looza.



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This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio with Dana & Carl airs Sunday nights from 9 to Midnight Eastern, on the air in Syracuse at SPARK! WSPJ 103.3 and 93.7 FM, and on the web at http://sparksyracuse.org/ You can read about our history here.

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Carl's writin' a book! The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) will contain 155 essays about 155 tracks, each one of 'em THE greatest record ever made. An infinite number of records can each be the greatest record ever made, as long as they take turns. Updated initial information can be seen here: THE GREATEST RECORD EVER MADE! (Volume 1).