THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.
491-Eddie Kendricks-Keep On Truckin’
1973-Number 18 single.
Best Bit-At 0.59.’Keep On Truckin’ is a phrase of encouragement meaning to continue to stay focused regardless of circumstances or setbacks.
This was one of the very first big hits of the Disco era,becoming a Billboard Number 1 single.
Eddie Kendricks was a founding member of the Tamla Motown group The Temptations and was lead vocalist on such classics as ‘Get Ready’ and ‘Just My Imagination'(see best songs 777,) he left the group in 1971 in bitter circumstances.The line from this song ‘In old Temptation’s rain,I’m duckin’ is a dig at his former bandmates.
Eddie Kendricks died of lung cancer in 1992 at the age of 52.The American Rapper Kendrick Lamar was named by his mother after Kendricks.
‘I’ve got a fever rising with desire It’s my love Jones and I feel like I’m on fire.’
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The countdown continues tomorrow at 1.0.pm.

THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.
492-The Jimi Hendrix Experience-Hey Joe.
1966-Number 6 single.
Best Bit-At 1.56.A warning to old ladies,don’t go messin’ ’round with another man,you might end up getting shot.
Hey Joe has been recorded hundreds of times in many different musical styles.It was written in the early 1960’s by Billy Roberts,who copyrighted it in 1962 but never released it.This led to many artists thinking that the song was ‘traditional’ and therefore there would be no royalties to pay,but when recordings of the song came to Roberts attention he soon got his lawyers onto it.
Hey Joe was the breakthrough hit for Jimi Hendrix(see also best songs 983.)On hearing the song Chas Chandler,the ex bassist with The Animals who was now focusing on management thought it was the perfect song for his new act to record,Chandler also produced the track.
‘Ain’t no hangman gonna,he ain’t gonna put a rope around me.’
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THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.
493-The Midnighters-Work With Me, Annie.
1954-Has never charted in the UK.
Best Bit-At 1.38.’Relax’,’God Save The Queen’,’Je t’aime, Moi Non Plus’ or anything by Judge Dread.The radio wouldn’t play them and ‘saved’ the youth from being corrupted.
This song is recognised as one of the most influential in the development of Rock music because of it’s big bass beat,electric guitar and sexually suggestive lyrics.
The lyrics were extremely sexually explicit for the period with many radio stations refusing to play the song,for example ‘Work’ was ghetto slang for sexual intercourse.Peter Potter host of CBS’s ‘Juke Box Jury’ said ‘All R&B records are dirty and as bad for kids as dope.’
The song was written by Hank Ballard(born John Henry Kendricks,November 18,1927-died March 2, 2003,) he was inducted into the ‘Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’ in 1990.
In 1959 he wrote and recorded the original version of ‘The Twist'(see best songs 749.)He was the cousin of Florence Ballard,one of the founding members of The Supremes.
‘Annie please don’t cheat give me all your meat.’
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THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.
494-Womack & Womack-Teardrops.
1988-Number 3 single.
Best Bit-At 2.45.When future generations of Womack’s appear on ‘Who Do You Think You Are,’they will have their work cut out sorting out this family tree.
Womack & Womack were husband and wife musical duo and songwriters Cecil(he died in 2013) and Linda.They wrote for many top artists and were also employed by ‘Philadelphia International Records.’
When Cecil Womack the youngest of the Womack brothers married Linda Cooke daughter of Sam Cooke it created an interesting family tree because Cecil’s brother Bobby Womack had married Sam Cooke’s widow Barbara in 1965 soon after Cooke’s death.
‘Footsteps on the dancefloor remind me baby of you.’
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THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.
495-Jax Jones-House Work.
2016-Number 85 single.
Best Bit-At 1.18.This Housework is not a chore.
House Work is a Electronic Dance Music song co-written by Jax Jones(real name Timucin Aluo) and MNEK(real name Uzoechi Emenike,)Jones also produced the track and MNEK sang vocals alongside Mike Dunn.
Prior to this songs release Jones had tasted success as the featured artist on Duke Dumont’s 2014 UK Number 1 ‘I Got U.’
MNEK is also a songwriter and producer,his many credits include work for Madonna,Beyonce,Kylie Minogue,Dua Lipa and many more.In 2014 he wrote ‘Gecko’ (Overdrive) the Number 1 single for Oliver Heldens’.
‘I call it housework ’cause it’s life work.’
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THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.
496-Mr. Oizo-Flat Beat.
1999-Number 1 single.
Best Bit-At 1.19.Daft Punk for the primary school kids.
Mr. Oizo is the performing name of Parisian born musician and video director Quentin Dupieux.He states that it took him only two hours to put the song together.It is mainly composed of a repeated bassline and samples the Fatback Bands(see also best songs 798) song ‘Put Your Love In My Tender Care.’
The songs success was largely aided by being featured in another very successful Levi’s commercial(see also best songs 804) and for also featuring the puppet Flat Eric in the songs promotional video.Flat Eric was built by ‘Jim Henson’s Creature Shop,’who were the team behind The Muppets and Sesame Street.
‘Oh yeah i used to know Quinnan he’s a real, a real jerk.’
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THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.
497-Stephen Bishop-On And On.
1976-Has never charted in the UK.
Best Bit-At 0.56.Although the song’s subject is fictional Bishop has stated ‘I write much better when I’m heartbroken and sad or melancholy.’
Stephen Bishop got his break when Art Garfunkel was impressed enough to include two of Bishop’s songs on his 1975 Album ‘Breakaway.’
‘On And On’ is taken from Bishop’s 1976 debut Album ‘Careless.’Notable contributors on the Album include Chaka Khan,Andrew Gold,Art Garfunkel and Eric Clapton who mentions Bishop in his autobiography as one of his favourite singer songwriters.
It is worth checking out British Reggae group Aswad’s version of this song (especially the 12inch version) which they took to Number 25 in 1989.
‘So he takes a ladder steals the stars from the sky,puts on Sinatra and starts to cry.’
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THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.
498-Timmy Thomas-Why Can’t We Live Together.
1972-Number 12 single.
Best Bit-At 1.23.This song was recorded in mono with just a ‘Lowrey’ organ,a drum machine and a very,very,very Soulful voice.
The song was presented to ‘TK Records’ producer Steve Alaimo with the view to it being re-recorded with a full band,but on hearing the demo Alaimo decided the song was already finished the way it was.Released in 1972 it has gone on to sell over 2 million copies,peaking at Number 3 on Billboard.
Timmy Thomas explained how he got the idea for the song.’I was sitting in my study and I heard Walter Cronkite,he said 35,000 Viet Cong died today,15.000 Americans.I said WHAT?! you mean that many mothers’ children died today,I said,Why can’t we live together.’
In 2015 Canadian Rapper and singer Drake(see best songs 921 and 858) brought Thomas to the attention of a whole new generation when he sampled this song for his Billboard Number 2 and UK Number 3 single ‘Hotline Bling.’
‘I said no matter,no matter what colour you’re still my brother.’
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THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.
499-The Rays-Silhouettes.
1957-Has never charted in the UK.
Best Bit-At 1.55.A case of mistaken identity(silly sod),but thankfully a happy ending.
The Rays were an American Doo-Wop group,formed in New York and active from 1955 until the mid 1960’s.They were signed to the small independent record label ‘XYZ’ which was owned by this songs authors Bob Crewe and Frank Slay Jr.Silhouettes went onto sell over 1 million copies and reached Number 3 on Billboard.
Silhouettes was the first major success for Bob Crewe who went onto co-write many of the Four Seasons best known songs including ‘Sherry’ and ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry.’Crew’s songs will feature again later on in this countdown,but you can already read about ‘Music To Watch Girls By,'(see best songs 914) and ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You'(see best songs 863.)
‘When two strangers who have been two silhouettes on the shade said to my shock ‘you’re on the wrong block.’
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The countdown continues tomorrow at 10.pm.