The Definitive 1000 Songs Of All Time 1955 to 2005: Number 885

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Number 885 - Gene Pitney

Number 885

Gene Pitney

"24 Hours from Tulsa"

(1963)

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Genre:Pop

Gene Pitney passed away this year at the age of 66 of natural causes (At 66?), and probably fair to say how he would like to shuffle off this mortal coil. (He had just finished a concert to a standing ovation, went to his hotel room, went to sleep and died)

His voice is very recognisable, which for any artist is a head start on the others.

17.02.40 to 05.04.06

"His 1963 hit, "Mecca," is considered by some to be a precursor to psychedelia in its use of Indian musical influences, two years before The Beatles began incorporating these influences. The use of exotic musical instruments became something of a Pitney trademark, judging by the Mariachi trumpets employed in "Lonely Drifters," the ukuleles in "Hawaii," and the gypsy fiddle in "Golden Earrings." The [Jagger-Richard] song, "That Girl Belongs to Yesterday," which became a hit for him, was the first Rolling Stones song to be a success in the United States, and it was partly Pitney's endorsement of the group which helped them to find favor in America. He was in the studio in England with the Stones on some of their earlier recording sessions, including those which resulted in both sides of their first Top 10 single "Not Fade Away" and their debut album, apparently playing piano, though the extent to which his contributions and those of "Uncle" Phil Spector were used is uncertain. His ongoing popularity in the UK market was ensured by the chart success of "Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa" at the end of 1963."

When it comes to music its a small world folks innit?

For the Beatles see Number 947, 894 & 587

For Rolling Stones see Number 767 & Number 689

Rolling Stone Top 500 Songs ranked this song at Number (They probably will now) and the Album ranked at Number (death always gets Rolling Stones attention)

This song has a crowbarred rating of 58.7 out of 108