DUSTY SPRINGFIELD EXCLUSIVE

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theT

urtle

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e no

. 293

“I just heard a

hit Record”

“ ” ...later I told

everybody that I had

just heard a hit

record.

Gordon, the song is about unrequited love. Our desperate singer wants the girl to,

“Imagine how the world could be so very fine,” proposing what would happen, “If I

should call you up.” The line in the fadeout, “How is the weather?” is when he realises

they will never be more than passing acquaintances, and he resorts to small talk

The Turtles are an American rock band led by vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark

Volman. The band became notable for several Top 40 hits beginning with

their cover version of Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe" in 1965, but they scored their

biggest and best-known hit in 1967 with the song "Happy Together".

The band, originally a surf-rock group called the Crossfires, was formed in 1965

in Westchester, California, by Kaylan and Volman. With the help of DJ and club owner

Reb Foster, the Crossfires signed to the newly formed White Whale Records and

adhering to the prevailing musical trend, re-branded themselves as a folk rock group

under the name "the Tyrtles," the intentional misspelling inspired by the Byrds and the

Beatles. However, the trendy spelling did not survive long.

"Happy Together" is a song from their album of the same name. Released in February

1967, the song knocked The Beatles' "Penny Lane" out of the #1 slot for three weeks on

the Billboard Hot 100. It was the group's only chart-topper. "Happy Together"

reached #12 on the UK Singles Chart in April 1967. The song was written by Garry

Bonner and Alan Gordon, former members

of a band known as The Magicians. The song had been rejected a dozen times

before it was offered to The Turtles, and the demo acetate was worn out.

Despite what the title implies, this is not a song about a couple in love. According to

Gary Bonner, who wrote the song with Alan

theTurtles.

It was the song that

knocked Penny Lane out of

the #1 slot for

weeks

theTurtles. to keep from bursting into tears. After the song was turned down by a

number of groups, Bonner and Gordon recorded a demo at Regent Sound Studio

with some session musicians, including guitarist Ralph Casale and bassist Dick

Romoff. It was Casale who came up with the main figure which set the groove for the

song. He told us: “A chord sheet was placed in front of the musicians and immediately we

proceeded to put this song together. I came up with what I considered and called a

Lovin’ Spoonful feel. I created the figure and all the other musicians including Bonner and Gordon

immediately understood the direction. The vocal arrangements fell into place very nicely. Regent

Sound was an excellent studio so the demo sounded like a finished product. I later told

everybody, ‘I just heard a hit record.’ As Aunt Flo put it, the original demo was phenomenal. In fact

the Turtles’ recording sounds as though they used the basic demo track and overdubbed horns.

The Bonner/Gordon vocal arrangement sounded a lot like a hit record also.”

It was the song that

knocked Penny Lane out of

the #1 slot for

weeks

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