Issue No. 586 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting trumpets a fascinating read on the “oral history” of rock, R&B and pop—showcasing 45 iconic hit songs. (Great Christmas gift! I couldn’t put it down!) And this reminder: click here to download free resources from the 20 management buckets (core competencies), click here for over 575 book reviews, and click here for my review of The Ins-N-Outs of In-N-Out Burger: The Inside Story of California's First Drive-Through and How it Became a Beloved Cultural Icon.
In 1981, Merle Haggard wrote and recorded the hit song, “Big City,” in less than an hour—thanks to the inspiration from his bus driver! Listen to the song.
An Oral-History Juke Box!
BONUS UPDATE: 2024! Dive deeper into these 45 songs and follow our Johnny Be Good blog, featuring color commentary from guest bloggers and YouTube videos for all of your favorite songs. (Enjoy this 2024 series!)
Picture this! It was July 1981 and Merle Haggard, the legendary singer, guitarist, and songwriter, had just finished a marathon recording session with his band at Britannia Studios in Los Angeles. “I had just signed with Epic Records, and they wanted me and my band [the Strangers] to record twenty-three songs in forty-eight hours, giving them enough material for two albums.”
No problem. Done! So while the band was packing up, Haggard returns to his bus in the parking lot to check on his lifelong friend, Dean Holloway, who was their bus driver. “For whatever reason, my timing was perfect: Dean was ticked off.”
“I hate this place. I’m tired of this dirty old city,” complained Dean.
But Merle Haggard, like any gifted songwriter, listened beyond the words and heard lyrics for a new song! “’Mr. Holloway’—that’s what I always called him—‘I can see you’re upset, but why don’t we take that anger out on a piece of paper.’ I climbed on board, and Dean handed me a pad and pen…”
So Haggard took Dean’s “dirty old city” line and the lyrics began to flow. He then told his friend, “I’m gonna run inside and record this thing before I forget the melody.” He inspired the band to set up again and record yet one more song. Back on the bus in less than an hour, Haggard played the tape of the finished song to Dean and told him, “This was your inspiration, so we’re splitting it down the middle.”
Click here to listen to “Big City” (Song No. 42 in the book), released in January 1982. It hit No. 1 on Billboard’s country chart. And according to Merle Haggard, Dean Holloway’s share of the royalties was (wait for it…) “a half-million dollars.”
That heart-warming true story is just one of 45 fascinating “oral histories” from this 2016 book:
This fall, I began reading the book but limited myself to a strict diet of just one story and one YouTube video per day. My idea: I would enjoy a 45-day feast of these stories, while listening to each iconic song on YouTube.
Confession! I cheated on my own daily discipline! The stories are so good, and the book is so well-written, I couldn’t resist. So I doubled up and quadrupled up on some days—and finished the book early! I double-dare you to limit yourself to one song a day! Here’s why:
Marc Myers, who originally researched these 45 songs for his “Anatomy of a Song” columns in the Wall Street Journal (I read almost every column!), begins by saying “Please think of this book as an oral-history juke box.” He adds, “At its heart, this book is a love story—a five-decade oral history of rhythm & blues, rock, and pop as told to me by the artists who wrote and recorded the forty-five songs in these pages.”
The 45 songs are listed chronologically and span the years from Lloyd Price’s “Lawdy Miss Clawdy” in 1952 to R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion” in 1991. The author notes, “In my mind, a song is not iconic until it has stood the test of a generation—twenty-five years.” Memo to my poetry and songwriting friends: Call me in 2048 (if I’m still groovin’) and tell me if you’re still famous!
Favorites? Almost all of them, but let me tempt you with these:
#8. “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” (The Righteous Brothers, November 1964) “became the most-played radio song of all time in 2011, with 15 million airplays.” Remember those old 45 rpm single records with the A-side and B-side? This 45 pioneered Phil Spector’s “Wall of Sound” technique, but the love song ran 3:45 minutes. “Fearful that the record’s length would suppress airplay on AM radio, Spector simply changed the time listed on the label to 3:05 before the 45 was pressed.” 
LOL! Read why Spector told “Righteous Brother” Bill Medley to sing only on the chorus, since “Brother” Bobby Hatfield had a deeper voice. Medley complained, but Spector’s response was classic. Listen to the song here.
#12. The introduction to “Light My Fire” (The Doors, May 1967), as with many of each chapter’s short intros, features a memorable U.S. history lesson covering the countercultural and anti-establishment movements, and the tech innovations in music. When 45s gave way to albums—there was a problem. “…too few young record buyers owned personal stereo systems. Most played singles on portable phonographs, while albums were taken into living rooms and played on parents’ large wooden phonograph consoles. If fingers weren’t pinched trying to pry open the phonograph’s heavy lid, teens could expect to hear parents’ shrill demands to turn down the music!”
The Primary Customer! The album version of “Light My Fire” was a lengthy 7.06 minutes. The group pushed back on a shorter version until they understood their customer: You’re 17 and live in Minneapolis and “you’ve never heard of the Doors.” The shorter version at 2:52 minutes cut out Robby Krieger’s guitar solo. But good news: thanks to José Feliciano’s 1968 ballad version of the song (which they didn’t like at first), the copyright revenue from Feliciano’s version became their biggest earner by far. Listen to The Doors or José Feliciano.
#16. “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay” (Otis Redding, January 1968) reached No. 1 in March 1968 for four consecutive weeks—but Otis Redding never heard his single played on the radio. Redding penned the lyrics on a houseboat in Sausalito, Calif., following his performance at the Monterey Pop Festival. On Dec. 10, 1967, just 18 days after the studio recording was made, Redding died in a Wisconsin plane crash.
This chapter features the “oral history” of four band members, including Ben Cauley (trumpeter), who was the only passenger that survived the plane crash. Cowriter and guitarist Steve Cropper notes, “Otis always liked to ad-lib at the end of songs, so I added in about ten measures of instrumental background for him to do so. But when the time came, Otis couldn’t think of anything and started whistling, which, of course, made the song.” The song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1968. Listen here.
#22. “Oh Happy Day” (The Edwin Hawkins Singers, April 1969) was unusual in many respects because “…gospel groups were unable to land secular hits, largely because black churches strongly discouraged them from recording for secular labels.”
Marc Myers notes that “…immediately following the success of ‘Oh Happy Day,’ pop artists began releasing church-flavored singles, including Simon & Garfunkel’s ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ (1970); George Harrison’s ‘My Sweet Lord’ (1970)…” and others. “Oh Happy Day" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. Listen here.
40 MORE STORIES, 40 MORE SONGS. You’ll need to read this wonderful book yourself (and listen to each hit on YouTube) to enjoy the other 40 songs and stories, including: “Shout” (The Isley Brothers), “My Girl” (The Temptations), “Fist City” (Loretta Lynn), “Proud Mary” (Creedence Clearwater Revival), “Midnight Train to Georgia” (Gladys Knight and the Pips), and Deacon Blues (Steely Dan).
Note: Award-winning author Marc Myers writes a daily newsletter, “Jazz Wax,” and continues to write about rock, soul, jazz, and the arts for the Wall Street Journal, plus he writes the WSJ's weekly “House Call” column. (Does this guy every sleep?) Note: see below for another book of 55 songs (plus 3) by the author.
To order from Amazon, click on the title for Anatomy of a Song: The Oral History of 45 Iconic Hits That Changed Rock, R&B and Pop, by Marc Myers (2016). Listen on Libro (9 hours 34 minutes).
BONUS BOOK (Watch for my review in 2024):
PAPERBACK JUST PUBLISHED (Dec. 5, 2023)! 58 MORE SONGS! To order from Amazon, click on the title for Anatomy of 55 More Songs: The Oral History of Top Hits That Changed Rock, Pop and Soul, by Marc Myers. ("New and expanded now with 58 songs!") Listen to the audio book on Libro (9 hours, 37 minutes).
YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS:
1) “The lyrics were a sermon of sorts…” writes Marc Myers about the song, “Respect Yourself” (The Staple Singers, September 1971). You’ll appreciate the relationship between church, gospel music, and rock, R&B, and soul—in many of the book’s 45 stories. Singing all the parts in the studio—to demonstrate the song to the Staple Singers—Mack Rice, the co-songwriter, ad-libbed between the verses with “Deep, dee-diddy, dee, dee/deep, dee-diddy, dee, dee.” But Roebuck “Pops” Staples pushed back, “Wait a minute, Mack. That’s not us. We’re church people.” Listen here. How would you work with a group—helping them grow their impact without losing their souls? Have we ever faced that conundrum in our organization?
2) Speaking of “church people”—read my review of the book I’ve opened most mornings in 2023 (also a great Christmas gift), The One Year® Book of Hymns: 365 Devotions Based on Popular Hymns. How do you start your day? Does music enrich your mornings?
Mastering 100 Must-Read Books - Part 10: White House/Fight House
Book #56 of 100: The Presidents Club
For your team meeting this week, inspire a team member to lead your “10 Minutes for Lifelong Learning” session by spotlighting Book #56 in Mastering 100 Must-Read Books.
The Presidents Club:
Inside the World's Most Exclusive Fraternity
by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy
Books #56 through #60 spotlight five books on U.S. presidents in the section, “White House/Fight House.” G.K. Chesterton cleverly noted: “When a politician is in opposition, he is an expert on the means to some end; and when he is in office he is an expert on the obstacles to it.”
• Read my review.
• Order from Amazon: The Presidents Club
• Listen on Libro (22 hours).
• Download the 100 Must-Read Books list (from John and Jason Pearson).
In 2012, two editors at Time delivered what they called “the first history of the private relationships among modern American presidents—their backroom deals, rescue missions, secret alliances, and enduring rivalries.” And even more fascinating: the interplay and conflicts between their unique leadership and management styles. Even my readers outside of the U.S. will enjoy this book—all 641 pages and 22 hours for the audio book!
TRIBUTES. Last week, we’ve lost three giants in American life. I was reminded of their books:
• First Lady Rosalynn Carter (1927-2023) wrote Everything to Gain: Making the Most of the Rest of Your Life, with her co-author, Jimmy Carter. (I read the book in 1987. Watch for my review.)
• Henry Kissinger (1923-2023) wrote a three-set memoir and numerous other books, including his latest at age 99. Read my two-part review of Leadership: Six Studies in World Strategy.
• Sandra Day O’Connor (1930-2023) wrote several books including, Out of Order: Stories from the History of the Supreme Court. Read the WSJ's obituary.
Four U.S. Presidents: Inside Marine One
What's not to like about a 10,000-foot view of four presidents from the cockpit of Marine One, the president's high performance helicopter? Read this book and you'll have dozens of quotable fun facts for impressing your friends. Read my review of Inside Marine One: Four U.S. Presidents, One Proud Marine, and the World’s Most Amazing Helicopter. And for more book reviews, visit the Pails in Comparison Blog.
The Hoopla! Bucket
The right music at the right time (see above) can enrich The Hoopla! Bucket experiences for your team, friends, and family. “We harness the power of hoopla! for celebration, recreation, intentional food and fellowship gatherings, and just plain fun.” Read more in Mastering the Management Buckets Workbook: Management Tools, Templates and Tips from John Pearson, with commentary by Jason Pearson (2nd Edition, 2018) - Order from Amazon.
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PEARPOD | TELLING YOUR STORY. Are you the “referee” for way too many battles between your creative team and your finance team? (Welcome to the club!) Read or listen to Anatomy of a Song and learn how songwriters, musicians, and producers (the number crunchers) reconciled their differences and delivered No. 1 hits. Insightful! Need a referee? Contact Jason Pearson at Pearpod (Design, Digital, Marketing, Social).
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