Home | Songs By Year | Songs from 1966
My Little Red Book
Buy My Little Red Book now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the song. And once you've experienced the song, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
"'My Little Red Book'" is a song composed by Burt Bacharach with lyrics by Hal David. In the wake of the British Invasion, Bacharach, a former bandleader for Marlene Dietrich, began working hands-on with beat groups of the era such as Manfred Mann.S.Dominic, 'Burt Bacharach, Song by Song: The Ultimate Burt Bacharach Reference for Fans', (Music Sales Group, 1 Jun 2003), pp.149-50, Manfred Mann recorded the song for the 1965 film 'What's New Pussycat?', filmed between October 1964 and June 1965; the entire catalogue of music for the film was written by Bacharach and David. The piano part on the recording was actually not played by Mann, but by Bacharach himself.
In 1966, the song became a rock standard when remade by the Los Angeles based group Love, where it reached No. 52 in the Billboard Magazine top 100.
Love recording
{{Infobox song
| name = My Little Red Book
| cover = My Little Red Book.jpg
| alt =
| caption = US issue
| type = single
| artist = Love
| album = Love
| B-side = A Message to Pretty
| released =
| recorded = January 25, 1966
| studio = Sunset Sound Recorders, Hollywood, California
| venue =
| genre =
| length =
| label = Elektra
| writer =
| producer = Jac Holzman
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title = 7 and 7 Is
| next_year = 1966
}}
Love's adaptation was the opening track for their eponymous debut album. and was released as a single with the B-side "A Message to Pretty". Love's version gained moderate mid-chart success and, with its radical interpretation of the original's pop sensibility, became a garage rock standard. The track, unlike its predecessor, features a strong primitive sensibility and a stiff chord progression simplified by Arthur Lee and guitarist Johnny Echols and blasted out over a stomping, tambourine-fueled rhythm section. As well as its garage traits, the song has been credited for its "punk" quality; a sound Love fully achieved with its later single "7 and 7 Is". A key feature of the track was Lee's rugged vocal performance, which has been highlighted by music critic Stewart Mason who particularly notes the way Lee sings the lines "All I did was talk, talk about you/Hear your name and I start to cry".
"My Little Red Book" received a negative review from one of the song's collaborators, Burt Bacharach: Love had altered his chord changes. Nonetheless, the record was a Southern California hit and won Love a spot on 'American Bandstand'. The disc did not chart in the UK but received airplay on the offshore pirate radio stations Radio London and Radio Caroline. (The opening lines of the melody of Love's version reminded some British listeners of the theme tune to the popular BBC TV comedy series Steptoe and Son).
The guitar riff to the song appeared in altered form as played by Syd Barrett on the Pink Floyd song "Interstellar Overdrive", released on their debut album 'The Piper at the Gates of Dawn' (1967). The riff of "Interstellar Overdrive" originated when early Pink Floyd manager Peter Jenner was trying to hum a song he couldn't quite remember, which turned out to be "My Little Red Book," with Barrett approximating the melody on his guitar.
"My Little Red Book" and "Always See Your Face" (from 'Four Sail') are included on the soundtrack of 'High Fidelity', actor-producer John Cusack's 2000 adaptation of Nick Hornby's novel. "My Little Red Book" played over the credits. It also appeared in the 'Beverly Hills 90210' episode "Alone at the Top" in 1995.
Other versions
* 1966 - The Cherades RHM Records recorded at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals Alabama with The McCoys "Sorrow" as the B side. Local artist Frankie Pate Lead Singer, Local Drummer Pat McCord played drums on the A side and B side. Jimmy R. Johnson ( Muscle Shoals Sound) Produced
* 1968 The Beach Boys, during sessions for 'Friends'
* 1978 - Gary on Getting Down To Business Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/VWFDIsppSz0 Ghostarchive] and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20201214154343/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWFDIsppSz0 Wayback Machine]:
* 1981 Bebe Buell, as one of two songs produced by Rick Derringer on her 4-song Rhino EP 'Covers Girl'.
* 1981 Toni Basil on 'Word of Mouth'
* 1982 Dokken, live performance on German TV.
* 1986 Ted Nugent, on the album 'Little Miss Dangerous'.
* 1989 Pandora's Box on 'Original Sin'.
* 1998 The Ugly Ducklings on 'The Ugly Ducklings '
* 2008 - The Last Shadow Puppets
* 2017 - Tommy Tutone
References
Category:1966 singles
Category:Love (band) songs
Category:The Beach Boys songs
Category:Song recordings produced by Jac Holzman
Category:Songs with music by Burt Bacharach
Category:Songs with lyrics by Hal David
Category:1966 songs
Category:Elektra Records singles
Buy My Little Red Book now from Amazon
<-- Return to songs from 1966