The best part of this video is Mark Volman dancing with his french horn.
The Turtles formed in 1965 and disbanded in 1970 although they still tour from time to time. They had a monster hit in 1967 with "Happy Together" and did not want to be tied to the bubblegum image so they released "Elenore" in 1968 to parody the song but it didn't really work. People loved the song and, for the most part, didn't get the joke.
It may have been a joke, but it's a catchy joke.
"Elenore" came from the album "The Turtles Present the Battle of the Bands" where the band pretended to be 11 different groups with different musical styles.
The Turtles produced a lot of great tunes but one of my favorite things about them is they injected their humor into their work. One of the songs on "The Turtles Present the Battle of the Bands" is titled "Food" and the lyrics are list of different foods and a recipe for pot brownies, so not only do you get a record with great tunes you get a recipe, what a value. When you watch videos of them performing you can obviously tell they're having a good time.
"She'd Rather Be With Me"
Their last big hit was "You Showed Me", it's hauntingly beautiful.
So, do you have a favorite Turtles tune or any Turtles trivia to share?
I do like The Turtles. It would just be nice if they werent associated with being a bubblegum band. I know I only remember "Happy Together" but this post makes me want to listen to them more- Jeremy
ReplyDeleteHi, Megan! I was age 15 to 19 when the Turtles were most popular, so naturally I remember all four of these featured songs. Two more Turtles favorites that I might mention here are their second and third singles, the P.F. Sloan song "Let Me Be" and "You Baby."
ReplyDeleteI invite you and your readers to watch the following video taken from an episode of Dick Clark's television music series Where The Action Is. Pay particular attention from the 1:00 mark until the end of the song because you will see "The Action Kids," the show's dance troupe, flanking the Turtles as they perform. This video more than just about any I've seen, brings it all back alive for me - the unbridled joy, fun and freedom that was mine as a teenager in the mid 60s. Thank you, Megan!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jYBtbL-Ntc
Nice clips. I enjoy listenning to their music...Thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteI havent read much into The Turtles, but i rightly enjoy their music, especially Eleanor! I didnt know it was supposed to be anti-bubble gum song! And Let me Be is the other of their songs i listen to a lot but i dont think was very popular
ReplyDeleteAfter one of the "Classic Superfest" concerts of the 80s, I got to meet Mark and he was genuinely hilarious, to boot.
ReplyDeleteLoved this blast from the past!
Cherdo
www.cherdoontheflipside.com