You know the mantra by now, so sing along with me: An infinite number of tracks can each be THE greatest record ever made, as long as they take turns.
As I continue work on my long-threatened book The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1), I've been thinking about some of the song selections I decided along the way. A previous post about GREM!'s lost chapters listed songs for which I had written drafts of complete chapters, but which are not included in the book's current blueprint. (Four of those formerly lost chapters--about Television, the Runaways, Grand Funk, and the Contours--have since been added back into the book.) It's good to have options, and the eventual (I hope!) book is stronger for the wealth of choices I have for its contents.
Today's post goes deeper into the ol' GREM! planner. Here's a list of other songs I considered for GREM! spotlight.
ABBA: Dancing Queen
THE ANIMALS: It's My Life
WILMER ALEXANDER JR AND THE DUKES: Give Me One More Chance
THE AVENGERS: We Are The One
STIV BATORS: It's Cold Outside
THE BEAU BRUMMELS: Laugh, Laugh
BLONDIE: (I'm Always Touched By Your) Presence, Dear
BONEY M: My Friend Jack
THE BOX TOPS: The Letter
MARY-CHAPIN CARPENTER: Never Had It So Good
ANNY CELSI: Empty Hangers
THE CHI-LITES: Have You See Her
JUDY COLLINS: Both Sides Now
DAVE DEE, DOZY, BEAKY, MICK AND TICH: Hold Tight
DEEP PURPLE: Hush
THE DICKIES: Banana Splits
THE DIRTY ROYALS: I'm In Love
EARTH, WIND AND FIRE: September
EARTH, WIND AND FIRE WITH THE EMOTIONS: Boogie Wonderland
THE ENGLISH BEAT: Save It For Later
THE EQUALS: Baby Come Back
THE GRASS ROOTS: Midnight Confessions
SCREAMIN' JAY HAWKINS: I Put A Spell On You
THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE: All Along The Watchtower
HOLLY AND THE ITALIANS: Tell That Girl To Shut Up
PARTHENON HUXLEY: Double Our Numbers
THE JAM: In The City
TOMMY JAMES AND THE SHONDELLS: I Think We're Alone Now
JEFFERSON AIRPLANE: White Rabbit
JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS: Light Of Day
PEGGY LEE: Fever
MARTHA AND THE VANDELLAS: Nowhere To Run
HAYLEY MARY: Like A Woman Should
AMOS MILBURN: Down The Road Apiece
THE MOTORS: Dancing The Night Away
MOTT THE HOOPLE: All The Way From Memphis
NAZARETH: Love Hurts
THE O'JAYS: Love Train
ROY ORBISON: Oh, Pretty Woman
PETER, PAUL AND MARY: Leaving On A Jet Plane
THE PLIMSOULS: A Million Miles Away
THE POLICE: Roxanne
THE PRETENDERS: Back OnThe Chain Gang
THE PRIMITIVES: Crash
R.E.M.: Radio Free Europe
THE RECORDS: Starry Eyes
PAUL REVERE AND THE RAIDERS: Kicks
THE SAINTS: (I'm) Stranded
THE SHOCKING BLUE: Send Me A Postcard
SLADE: Mama Weer All Crazee Now
SPLIT ENZ: History Never Repeats
SUGAR: If I Can't Change Your Mind
THE STEMS: Never Be Friends
THE STONE PONEYS: Different Drum
THE SUPREMES: Stop! In The Name Of Love
SWEET: Ballroom Blitz
TAVARES: Free Ride
TOOTS AND THE MAYTALS: Pressure Drop
THE DWIGHT TWILLEY BAND: You Were So Warm
TWINKLE: Golden Lights
CONWAY TWITTY: It's Only Make Believe
THE UNDERTONES: Teenage Kicks
THE VOGUES: Five O'Clock World
THE YARDBIRDS: Heart Full Of Soul
THE YOUNG RASCALS: Good Lovin'
WAR: Low Rider
I started writing some of these pieces, and some never got any further than placemark status. There are also a few where I took what I'd written about one song and adapted it to a finished chapter about a different track by the same artist.
The list will grow longer. While it's true that many of these pieces will never be written, a lot of them probably will. If The Greatest Record Ever Made! (Volume 1) ever becomes a real book, you can be sure that I will want to follow it with Volume 2.
Book it.
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