Not sure if they were in the charter HOF group with Elvis and Chuck Berry and the rest, but I hope they were at least in the next one--they were so great. From "All I Have to Do Is Dream," "('Til) I Kissed You," "Let It Be Me," "Problems," and "When Will I Be Loved," I'll go with "('Til) I Kissed You."
― clemenza, Thursday, 17 December 2009 16:46 (fourteen years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― System, Friday, 18 December 2009 00:01 (fourteen years ago) link
Yes, they were in the charter HOF group with Elvis, Chuck, etc. Whoever posted about them only having 3 Pop #1's is wrong if they are talking Billboard charts. They had 4. "Bird Dog" went to #1 in in August 1958.
― jetfan, Friday, 18 December 2009 04:41 (fourteen years ago) link
on the pop chart? wikipedia says it was #3 pop, #1 country. but it could be wrong.
― hellzapoppa (tipsy mothra), Friday, 18 December 2009 04:49 (fourteen years ago) link
Unbelievable run of recordings and very hard to choose. "When Will I Be Loved?" maybe encapsulates their importance most tightly, but, I have to vote for "Poor Jenny" or "Little Susie," for still being funny in 2009, and just having really flowing, memorable lyrics in general. I mean, wtf:
And then some joker went and called the cops on the phoneSo everybody scattered out for places unknownI couldn't carry Jenny so I left her alone...Poor Jenny!
and
The movie wasn't so hotIt didn't have much of a plotWe fell asleep, our goose is cooked, our reputation is shot!
Love these guys.
― Doctor Casino, Friday, 18 December 2009 13:24 (fourteen years ago) link
i love poor jenny, but i'll probably vote for Problems.
― mizzell, Friday, 18 December 2009 14:46 (fourteen years ago) link
one thing worth its own mention: their freight-train acoustic strumming. it's really what made them rock n roll, just propelled the hell out of the fast tunes.
― hellzapoppa (tipsy mothra), Friday, 18 December 2009 15:34 (fourteen years ago) link
even on something midtempo like "bye bye love," you get those hard strums, like they've got so much energy they don't know where to put it.
― hellzapoppa (tipsy mothra), Friday, 18 December 2009 15:35 (fourteen years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― System, Saturday, 19 December 2009 00:01 (fourteen years ago) link
I'm going by Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles book, and he has "Bird Dog" listed as a #1. The Wikipedia entry doesn't say which chart they are using, but Whitburn uses Billboard's.
― jetfan, Saturday, 19 December 2009 00:52 (fourteen years ago) link
forgot to vote in this, but might've voted "Like Strangers" -- kind of a unique example of "mature" Everly Bros. So much great stuff though.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 22 December 2009 22:02 (fourteen years ago) link
wow - "The Price Of Love" was a big 1965 UK hit (#2), but didn't crack the U.S. Top 100!
― Paul, Wednesday, 23 December 2009 01:37 (fourteen years ago) link
Appalled at self for somehow blanking this thread; Walk Right Back would have have had my vote, but then I would be feeling bad right now that Let It Be Me has 0, and wishing I'd voted for that. But just wow at that set of singles.
― Parenthetic hound (woofwoofwoof), Wednesday, 23 December 2009 01:47 (fourteen years ago) link
Learning chords for "Let It Be Me," realized that at the end of middle 8 -- "...what would life be?" -- there's a quick key change so the word "be" lands on the chord B. Nice.
― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Saturday, 23 February 2013 16:46 (eleven years ago) link
Nice. I'm another one who slept on this thread. Don't know which I would have gone with. Saw them in the mid-nineties in Austin and when the harmonies clicked it was as spooky and spine-tingling as you might expect.
― Stranded In the Jungle Groove (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 23 February 2013 18:06 (eleven years ago) link
http://www.acousticguitar.com/issues/ag92/everlybros.shtml
"I heard ‘Bo Diddley’ back in ’55," says Don. "I put it on and I’ll never forget it—it just nailed me. And I was immediately hit with the thought, ‘I’ll never be able to incorporate this type of rhythm into any kind of country music.’" But by laying that brisk Diddley rhythm over a country-based acoustic arrangement, Everly inadvertently stumbled upon something closer to the excitement of rock and R&B than the stiff rhythms he’d been used to playing. "Lo and behold, it happened," he recalls. "I just tried it on my open-G acoustic one afternoon, and there it was."
― Stranded In the Jungle Groove (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 23 February 2013 18:32 (eleven years ago) link
Yes, they were in the charter HOF group with Elvis, Chuck, etc.Agree with this. It's also pretty obvious that the Everlys along with their friend Buddy Holly were adding key elements to early Rock and Roll that led up to the Beatles and all that they wrought.
― Stranded In the Jungle Groove (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 23 February 2013 18:37 (eleven years ago) link
Never knew about the direct Diddley influence before - that's super interesting!
― Doctor Casino, Sunday, 24 February 2013 00:53 (eleven years ago) link
Aw man. RIP Phil.
http://lat.ms/JzCm9F
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 4 January 2014 02:23 (ten years ago) link
Aw man.
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 4 January 2014 02:27 (ten years ago) link
:(
― Can One Hear the Shape of a Ron Decline Bottle? (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 4 January 2014 02:34 (ten years ago) link
bummer
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 4 January 2014 02:36 (ten years ago) link
An ILX thread + a Facebook post and I clue in. I put them on a plane with Elvis, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, and Buddy Holly--personally, they're my favourites after Berry.
― clemenza, Saturday, 4 January 2014 03:06 (ten years ago) link
harmonies of the gods
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 4 January 2014 03:08 (ten years ago) link
My mother supposedly grew up down the street from them and never tired of telling me about it. Some truly timeless and perfect songs. rip.
― ryan, Saturday, 4 January 2014 03:23 (ten years ago) link
RIP Phil EverlyThe #1 here, would have been mine as well.
― jetfan, Saturday, 4 January 2014 03:26 (ten years ago) link
I saw them 10 or 15 years ago at the last big arena show I went to. Simon & Garfunkel brought them out, and they all got together for a a couple of EB songs, and I think Phil and Don might have done a couple on their own. I don't think it was a surprise, but it was pretty great.
― clemenza, Saturday, 4 January 2014 03:29 (ten years ago) link
Phil's Diner album from the 70s worth tracking down
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMiLdvRBx3I
― Elvis Telecom, Saturday, 4 January 2014 03:33 (ten years ago) link
― clemenza, Saturday, 4 January 2014 03:06 (40 minutes ago) Permalink
I don't think anyone should be put on the same plane as buddy holly but that's just me.
― christmas candy bar (al leong), Saturday, 4 January 2014 03:48 (ten years ago) link
R.I.P. the sweetest high harmony in rock'n'roll.
― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Saturday, 4 January 2014 03:56 (ten years ago) link
Wikipedia: "In an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show during the 2000 U.S. presidential election, then-Governor George W. Bush named 'Wake Up Little Susie' as his favorite song.[4] 'Wake Up Little Susie' was the first single filmmaker David Lynch bought.[5]"
I'm taking Don off that plane.
― clemenza, Saturday, 4 January 2014 04:06 (ten years ago) link
Everything about the Everlys recordings is super basic and sweetly simple, and at the same time they're absolutely magical. I know that sounds like a lame platitude, but those harmonies put me in a trance.
― Cereal. Killed it. No spoon. (Johnny Fever), Saturday, 4 January 2014 04:38 (ten years ago) link
truth
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 4 January 2014 04:40 (ten years ago) link
RIP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w70F7N_Wd5g
― Maintenance Engineer of Foolhardiness (C. Grisso/McCain), Saturday, 4 January 2014 05:47 (ten years ago) link
There's another Music Scene clip (not on youtube) that has them doing an absolutely smoking medley of "The Price of Love" along with several then-new songs (including "The End", "Games People Play", even "Aquarius"!).
― Maintenance Engineer of Foolhardiness (C. Grisso/McCain), Saturday, 4 January 2014 05:58 (ten years ago) link
oops
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xt0aNPs9gBg
― Maintenance Engineer of Foolhardiness (C. Grisso/McCain), Saturday, 4 January 2014 05:59 (ten years ago) link
If you want to read a good account of the boys' high school days in Knoxville: http://monkeyfire.com/mpol/dir_suncity/dir_music/dir_bands/everly_bros.html.
― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Saturday, 4 January 2014 15:37 (ten years ago) link
I remember this getting a lot of airplay at the time. The production hasn't aged particularly well, but goddammit if this isn't the most beautiful thing McCartney wrote in the 80s:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnpFJsRYz2A
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Saturday, 4 January 2014 17:38 (ten years ago) link
Wow at Felice and Boudleaux Bryant full names.
― Can One Hear the Shape of a Ron Decline Bottle? (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 4 January 2014 18:01 (ten years ago) link
xpThe whole EB 84 album that's on is worth checking out (esp. Don's songs), but yeah, def. got the scent of Lynne about it.
― bentelec, Saturday, 4 January 2014 18:53 (ten years ago) link
Great memories and story from Brian May
http://www.brianmay.com/brian/brianssb/brianssbjan14a.html#04
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 4 January 2014 20:23 (ten years ago) link
Always so moved by that song "Man with Money" after first hearing the Who's cover version. What adventurous songwriting, and yet it's all wrapped up in 2:21.
― timellison, Saturday, 4 January 2014 20:50 (ten years ago) link
Have you seen Iggy Pop's message?
― Can One Hear the Shape of a Ron Decline Bottle? (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 4 January 2014 21:01 (ten years ago) link
Michael Sicinski@msicism13h
Billy Joel met McCartney, gushed abt his influence. "Don't worry," Paul said, "when I said this to Phil Everly I felt like an asshole too."
― eclectic husbandry (Dr Morbius), Sunday, 5 January 2014 00:08 (ten years ago) link
Too bad Whisperin' Edd doesn't post here any more. I would love to hear what he had to say.
― timellison, Sunday, 5 January 2014 05:22 (ten years ago) link
James Redd, I saw the Iggy message - thank you.
― timellison, Sunday, 5 January 2014 07:21 (ten years ago) link
Has Don made any statement yet?
― my father will guide me up the stairs to bed (anagram), Sunday, 5 January 2014 11:45 (ten years ago) link
Taking this opportunity to recommend the Paul McCartney produced documentary The Real Buddy Holly Story which is on youtube. Both Phil and Don are in it, particularly right here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZwWxgW_H9w&list=PL58F217029BEB41C7 and it really provides a first hand view, via the Crickets, among others, of those early days of rock and roll.
Also recommending the memoir of Phil's predecessor Charlie Louvin's Satan is Real: The Ballad of the Louvin Brothers which is an incredible evocation of the country music milieu they came out of, as discussed here: RIP Charlie Louvin
Finally here is a picture of Charlie and Phil. RIP, fellas.http://images2.mtv.com/uri/mgid:file:docroot:cmt.com:/sitewide/assets/img/news/2009/05_09/hall_of_fame_induction/hall_of_fame_3188-x600.jpg?enlarge=false&matte=true&matteColor=black&quality=0.85http://www.cmt.com/artists/charlie-louvin/photos/3882320/
― Can One Hear the Shape of a Ron Decline Bottle? (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 5 January 2014 14:50 (ten years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDTtLbXHN8E
Muskrat is an awesome song but it got 0 votes.
― Emperor Cos Dashit (Adam Bruneau), Sunday, 5 January 2014 16:11 (ten years ago) link
Don: "Our love was and will always be deeper than any earthly differences we might have had."
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20772391,00.html?icid=maing-grid7|main5|dl7|sec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D426792
― something of an astrological coup (tipsy mothra), Sunday, 5 January 2014 16:29 (ten years ago) link
Wrote on "When Will I Be Loved" and "Man with Money":
http://thisiheard.blogspot.com/
― timellison, Monday, 6 January 2014 05:01 (ten years ago) link
probably would have voted for "Bye Bye Love" in this poll
― Mmm yes hello (crüt), Monday, 6 January 2014 06:15 (ten years ago) link
1962, but crying in the rain is a kinda-perfect, weirdly-obsessive, noir-ish little 50s pop song.
― Daniel, Esq 2, Monday, 6 January 2014 06:53 (ten years ago) link
this song didn't count for the poll? it was first-released on a 1960 everly brothers' album
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFE2SnliiV0
i guess, on second look, it wasn't a single. but what an iconic song. and their version is terrific.
― Daniel, Esq 2, Monday, 6 January 2014 06:57 (ten years ago) link
Gram & Emmylou > Everlys > Nazareth >>>>>>>>>>>> Bob Pollard & Kim Deal
― Johnny Fever, Monday, 6 January 2014 06:59 (ten years ago) link
depends on whether you like your rock songs delicate, slightly spooky, or bombastic. for me, depends on mood. but who can argue the greatness of the orbison version?
― Daniel, Esq 2, Monday, 6 January 2014 07:03 (ten years ago) link
I've probably heard the Orbison version, but the ones I ranked are the four versions I'm most familiar with.
― Johnny Fever, Monday, 6 January 2014 07:10 (ten years ago) link
voilà -- the orbison version
― Daniel, Esq 2, Monday, 6 January 2014 07:15 (ten years ago) link
i just cried, on the train, listening to their version of love is strange
― TracerHandVEVO (Tracer Hand), Thursday, 22 May 2014 08:59 (nine years ago) link
Poor Tracer.
― Pentatonic's Rendezvous Band (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 22 May 2014 10:22 (nine years ago) link
<3
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 22 May 2014 18:07 (nine years ago) link
My mom told me today one of her favourite songs is Ebony Eyes. Listened to it tonight and felt like breaking down
― Week of Wonders (Ross), Sunday, 23 July 2017 08:57 (six years ago) link
Walk Right Back (1961)
Number one when I was born.
― Mark G, Monday, 24 July 2017 11:46 (six years ago) link
Let It Be Me
― Lee626, Monday, 24 July 2017 11:47 (six years ago) link