#100 the week of December 26, 1970
What was #1? George Harrison’s solo debut, the double-A single “My Sweet Lord”/”Isn’t It a Pity.” (Harrison was the first Beatle to get a solo #1 and reigned at the top of the charts for four weeks.)
If I had to pick one era and genre of music to listen to for the rest of my days, I’m picking ‘60s soul music every time. It’s an area where even the C-list singers have some of greatest voices you’ve ever heard, and the powerhouse record labels of Motown in Detroit and Stax in Memphis created bulletproof templates for songwriters and producers at smaller labels to draw from. There’s so much good ‘60s soul to choose from that a whole subculture developed in Britain called Northern Soul, which exclusively celebrated “rare groove” obscurities from American soul singers that never made it big stateside.
Unlike a lot of lesser known soul singers, Betty Everett actually had a reasonably successful career. Three hits in the top 40, another seven songs appearing lower on the Hot 100, and four others that only charted on the R&B chart. Today, she’s best known for “The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s In His Kiss),” which remains a staple of oldies playlists, but her catalogue runs deep. Her 1963 recording of “You’re No Good” peaked at #51, but would serve as the template for Linda Rondstadt’s version that went to #1 eleven years later.
My favorite recording by Everett though is her 1975 cover of the Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows.” Brian Wilson’s masterwork is agreed upon as one of the greatest songs of all time. It’s a perfect record that many have attempted to cover, and few have succeeded. This makes Everett’s recording, arranged by Gene Page, a genuine miracle. Rather than trying to emulate anything from Wilson’s perfect arrangement, Everett and Page sub in smooth strings and a light funk groove. On top of it all is Everett’s church trained vocals in a performance that is at once weary and hopeful, passionate and restrained. It was foolishly never released as a single, but had it been, I know it would have been a hit.
Five years prior to recording “God Only Knows,” Everett released an absolute charmer of a love song called “I Got To Tell Somebody.” We catch it here as it makes its debut on the Hot 100 in the 100 slot. Unfortunately, it won’t climb much higher, peaking at #96. This has all the stuff I like about classic soul. The southern soul groove is tight, the horns punch in at the right times, and of course Everett sounds great. There’s a moment at around 1:10 where she holds the word “I” while casually descending five notes like she’s floating down a staircase.
I have my theories as to why this wasn’t a hit. First, it feels out of place in 1970, like about five years too late. The highest charting soul songs of 1970s were harder funk like Edwin Starr’s “War” and Sly & the Family Stone’s “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” or diva showcases like Diana Ross’ “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and Freda Payne’s “Band Of Gold.” “I Got To Tell Somebody” has more in common with Carla Thomas’ 1966 hit “B-A-B-Y.” Second, it’s too short. A 2:20 record isn’t unusual for the pop charts, but on “I Got To Tell Somebody,” it feels like the song’s wings got clipped midflight. The track just fades out in a way that feels unsatisfying. Perhaps listeners and DJs also felt this way, causing it to stall out. It’s a real shame too; it’s a great song, but it feels about 30 seconds short of being complete.
8/10