Sunday, August 17, 2008

The In Crowd: The Ramsey Lewis Trio

In 1965 I graduated from high school, turned eighteen that summer and packed for college a month later. This song reached eighteen the same year I did.


MP3 File
Posted by Kat at 1:09 PM

4 comments:

sblake said...

Love this song and particularly Mama Cass' version.
"The 'In' Crowd" was a 1965 song, written by Billy Page, arranged by his brother Gene and originally performed by Dobie Gray on his album Dobie Gray Sings for 'In' Crowders That 'Go Go. His Motown-like version reached #13 in the US Billboard charts. Despite the Mods' admiration of the song, and the fact that they took its lyrics as depiction of their own livestyles, it was not only Gray's rendition that made the song an 'evergreen'. The Ramsey Lewis Trio recorded the instrumental version of the tune later that same year at the suggestion of a coffee shop waitress. Their jazzy take reached number #5 in the U.S.

The First Gear also recorded the song in 1965 (using Jimmy Page as a session guitarist), and numerous artists have covered the song since. These include The Ventures, The Fourmost, Young-Holt Unlimited, The Mamas & the Papas, Joe Jackson, Bryan Ferry (who in 1974 finally made it a hit in the UK), Julee Cruise, Petula Clark , Maurice Williams, Quincy Jones, James Last, and Todd Londagin.

This is also cool:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwhXslVZOVo&feature=related

6:49 PM
dan said...

This song was always meant to be a jazzy instrumental. It just works.

8:30 PM
Kat said...

sblake,
I've not actually heard most of the covers of this song. I remembered only a couple. I'd heard the vocals for this song but have always preferred the instrumentals.

I remember well Hang on Sloopy. It was a favorite of mine.

9:16 PM
Kat said...

Dan,
I think Ramsey Lewis gives it the touch it needs.

9:16 PM

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)
 

Web Site Hit Tracking
DVD Rental