WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT...

• Thank you for this site, I'm french and
  

  I have 40 years. I am a collector of

  vinyl and American music oldies, soul,

  funk.  Il are very few in my french

  cas.Je this site is fantastic because I

  found some artist American and that

  I discovered the other, bravo and

  keep this site.      5/20/2008

• Hey! I haven't heard this song since I was visiting LLC in the summer of 1972. I was crazy about her... wow! Thanks for sharing this song with the public! MSH    5/19/2008
  

• The words to this song (Expressway to Your Heart) are quite interesting. Larry keep the tunes coming.  
  

  TC jJ     5/19/2008

• First timer for me.  I love your terrific format and exciting info.  I feel like I'm back in Athens.  ES   5/14/2008
  

• IT DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS----THIS IS THE BEST!!!!    Unknown    5/9/2008
  

• I love it. I am learning about all of these singers and I'm only
  

  16 years old.    Unknown     5/8/2008

• Hey you,
  

  I LOVE that song by the Casinos

  this week.  I think it's

  one of the prettiest "pop" songs ever

  written and a great slow dance song.

  :) I keep getting a flash back of a

  girl/boy party in 6th or 7th grade.

  I remember slow dancing with

  someone - maybe Kevin.  I can

  almost see the room (someone's

  basement/ rumpus room) and I

  know the guy had on a sweater but I

  can't quite see the

  face.  I'll keep you posted.  Anyway -

  thanks for playing it for me.  

  Take care.    B.  -  4/25/2008

• Larry - Thanks so much for Otis!
  

  Can you find "Then You Can Say

  Goodbye" by The Casino's?   Thanks!

  Betsy     4/18/2008

• Thanks for sharing the one hit wonder. I'm surprised this only
  

made it to #7 as its played quite often as an oldie.

Keep the sounds coming.  JJ    4/13/2008

• Lovin the tunes, Larry.See ya in June. Randy R.  3/21/2008
  

• Mr. Larry; Thanks for all you do for us little people.
  

Sincerely JJ    3/7/2008

• Thanks Larry!  Nothing like a Dirty Old Woman!  Betsy
  

3/3/2008

• This is very cool.My kind of music. Thanks.  George S.
  

   2/29/2008

• Larry,  Does anyone remember the days at Legion Field with
  

POCO & Pure Prairie League and the music park behind

the pool and all the good times concerts concerts?

Bill M.    2/29/2008

• Mr. Green sure does have a smooth voice. I'm surprised he
  

didn't do even better.  JJ     2/18/2008

• Hey Larry - Ever heard of "Dirty Old Woman" by
  

Denise La Salle?   You make my Fridays.  Betsy

2/15/2008

• Enjoyed Joe Cocker. Thanks folks. - Jim  2/8/2008
  

• This is a great song. Larry keep the tunes coming.
  

TC YF JJ  2/8/2008

• A WONDERFUL site-  Thanks for keeping GOOD MUSIC- Alive. - Big Doc-Bdge, GA  2/8/2008
  

• Greetings to all at FIA!
  

I've been longing to hear "The Bus' by the late, great Billy

Preston. Any chance you got that in your vaults? Here's to

a soulful 2008! Carlos - Cleveland, OH  1/29/2008

• Hey Larry, I just read about Miles and Jimi being friends. How about some Hendrix soon.
  

Love the website, Joy  1/18/2008

• Great to get the Twelve Days of Christmas.
  

  Thanks, Pat M. 12/28/07

• A great way to enjoy the history of music and the  beautiful sounds of the blues.  Robert B.  12/7/2007
  

• Enjoyed your special on the Rolling Stones. I would like to see more on Blues Artist old and young. Keep it Groovin.  Robert B.  11/28/2007
  

• Larry, Johnny Guitar Watson really brings back some wasted brain cells!  Wore out the grooves in that album the year it came out.  Thanks David L.  11/9/07
  

• Watson is the man!!!   Your Bro. Young Robert!  11/9/07
  

• OMG, This song (Humble Pie - Thirty Days In The Hole) so reminds me of you Larry and 1972! LOL  Andrie - 10/5/07
  

• I love this website, I have to listen to this each and every day.  Thank you very much.  I will share this with all my
  

  co-workers and friends.  Nate  9/30/07

• Love this site! I call it "Continuing Music Education"! I know the songs, but I didn't know all the stories behind the people who performed them.   Andrie - 9/23/07
  

• Can you dig up Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel by Tavares?  Thanks! D. - Cleveland OH   8/17/07
  

• The site is wonderful Larry and the music is just awesome!!!  I love visiting It's Friday In Athens!!!!  Please keep this going forever!!!! - Dierdra L. - President/CEO, Getan Records, THE LIGHTHOUSE GOSPELETTES!!! Athens, GA  7/29/07
  

• It's Friday? How about "Don't Roll Your Bloodshot Eyes at Me" for a little local flavor?  Mark B. 7/27/07
  

• Consider the Manhattans on Friday’s!  Frank P.  7/27/07
  

• Larry!!!! You MADE my day with "Build Me Up"! I'm on vacation in Santa Barbara and sent it to my co-workers with the threat that I can now play it anytime I want! Psych! Hello Don M in the bay area and to Betsy! Everyone raves about your site, Larry! It's awesome! Gratefully yours, Scotty  7/20/07
  

• Hey Larry,  Before the summer's over we need something from the summer of love for its 40th anniversary. It's for us in the bay area.  Don M.  7/13/07
  

• Hey Larry The music is just great.Would also like to hear'The Horse' by Cliff Nobles. Thanks.  Double Divine 7/6/07
  

• Hey Larry,  Remember those instrumentals that played before the top of the hour on AM Radio?  How about "The Horse" by Cliff Nobles or "Soul Finger".
  

Thanks!  Betsy K.  6/30/07

• Larry, If I ever need a D.J. Guess what,You The Man!!! Thanx: Corndog  6/22/07
  

• Yes! it's Friday and I'm up here jammin' in Cleveland, OH. How about some Soul Generation - Body & Soul (That's the Way It's Got to Be) Ya'll remember that one?  Have a great weekend!  losplus 6/22/07
  

• How about Earth, Wind and Fire?  Angie G.  6/6/07
  

• Hooray for Friday!!   Mary A. 6/1/07
  

• This group (The Four Tops) is great. Thanks VM Jimmy J. - 5/25/07
  

• Thanks for a Friday of Dusty Springfield, The Look of Love. Erica from Red Lobster, thanks for the look. - F.L. 4/5/07
  

• I love this site! Any chance I could hear "Coldest Days Of My Life" by the Chi-Lites?  -  4/4/07
  

• I would love to hear "Unchained Melody" by the Righteous
  

Brothers or "Fats" Domino's "Ain't That a Shame" or

"Blueberry Hill."  Thanks, Patrick - 3/30/07

• Hey Larry! You are amazing! I have my whole office dancing to these! Just great! Can you do a BeeGees for my boss and slip in Build Me Up Buttercup? I sing it anyway at work, may as well have the music to go along with it (the more to torture my co-workers with! Looking forward to all the Fridays-with-Larry! :) Scotty - 3/30/07
  

• Oh, my goodness, you found "Black Pearl."  I nearly fainted this am, when I opened the site.  Thank you sooooo much.  Blessings  P.W. Smith - 3/30/07
  

• Please add "Black Pearl" by The Checkmates...not sure what year, but thinking mid 60's.  Thanks sooooooo much.
  

P. Smith - 3/23/07

• This is a great website.  My mom always listened to the "Oldies" station here, and I wanted to be just like my Mom, so I started listening to it and I loved it, and this website has some of my favorites.   M. Pierce - 3/22/07
  

• Hey, I love the t-shirt.  I have had it on
  

  since I got home from Arizona.  You did a

  good job. That was a great song last Friday (Wang Dang Doodle)

  - didn't know it but who ever requested it is someone I

      would like to hang with. And then today we had

  The Zombies....that took me back to 8th grade and one of

  my first boy/girl parties. They were always held in

  someone's basement and the lights would go off by 9:00.

  That song always seem to bring on lots of smooching.  I will

  not be naming names....  ;)

  Thanks again,

  Betsy

• This is awesome!!! Thanks for the great
  

  site and fabulous music!! WooHoo!! Jen B. - 2/18/07

• I could not have picked a better artist. Thanks, Pat M.
  

• Thank you Larry - You have made my day! Betsy K.
  

• Mr. Larry, I really enjoyed Roy Head-Hey Hey. YF
  

Jim J. - 2/5/07

• This always gets my Friday off to a great start!  Love it!
  

  Debbie - 1/26/07

• Every once in a while my mornings are worth rising for, this has been one of them with Tina Turner.
  

  Thanks Bill S. - 1/19/07

• Keep up the good work. JJ - 1/19/07
  

• Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year 2007!  I remember at this time in 1969 we were really gettng into Abbey Road!  But oh, how I love the sweet soul music of the 60's and 70's as well.  Thanks for your work in keeping this music alive.  And keep on sending it, Brother!    Dennis M. - 12/29/06
  

• Moonchild Diva in Motown - found the site by looking for Billy Stewart!  I think you answered my question...who played bass on Billy's recordings?  SO THANK YOU for clearing up the mystery! - 12/11/06
  

• Billy Stewart , alright, one of my favorites.   Also, Jerry Butler, Major Lance, Willy Tee....
  

Your friend, Dirk H.

• Thanks for Billy Stewart Larry - You have made
  

my day!  Betsy K. - 12/8/07

• I look forward to Friday's email.  This is great.
  

Linda L. - 12/8/07

• Wow! From your personal E-Mail account. I forward "Its Friday in Athens!!!" on to my friends often. The folks here at work are trying to figure me out. Their 56 year old C.E.O. sits in his office every Friday morning booming out R&B. Though it works for me, its not the type of behavior they  expect from someone in my position. BLUES BANKER!
  

  T. Turgeon -

• Thanks for Joe T. Luv'd it! Roy Head and the Traits?
  

Hope you had a good Turkey Day.

  T. Turgeon - 11/27/07

• I keep waiting for Jackie Wilson and Billy Stewart....I have
  

  decided that like me, you have an older brother or sister

  who had you listening to this music as a kid.

    Hope all is well your way.

    Betsy K. - 11/25/06

• How about a little Joe Tex?  T. Turgeon
  

• Thanks, "I LOVE IT! Makes my day! M.N. - 9/29/06
  

• WOW WOW WOW AN OUTSTANDING REVIEW OF THE real STYLE OF MUSIC - Atlanta Cooking - 9/23/06
  

• In my time, this is the most fascinating music I have ever heard.  **86 - 8/17/06
  

• Keep up the great and extremely important work. We met I believe at Michael Guthrie's house a few weeks ago at the HVARII Reunion. I am a great lover of our R&B and it's great to see someone who truly cares about it. Ole!
  

T. Turgeon - 8/2/06

• Again, the "It's Friday" series is great - I love it
  

      every week and have sent it on to so many folks -

      thanks again.  Betsy K.

• Aretha is my personal favorite so far!  Peggy M.
  

• LOVE THIS...I NEED SOMETHNG TO GET ME THROUGH THE DAY !!!!  C. Lady - 6/3/07
  

• Great! Perfect! Dance Music I Love It!!!  Laine L.
  

• I think you missed your calling as a DJ!   Nicki S.
  

• Keep 'em coming!!   I really enjoy listening to "my kind of music". Thank you.  Mary M.
  

• I like getting your email every Friday, keep it coming!
  

       Carlas A.

• DON'T FORGET THE 'QUEEN OF SOUL'........ ARETHA!!!!! YOUR MAKING MY FRIDAYS.    RONK
  

• MY FRIENDS REALLY LIKE FRIDAY IN ATHENS! ONE IS SENDING EVERYONE AT THE COURTHOUSE AN  EMAIL.   Ron H.
  

• THANKS SO MUCH EACH WEEK!  Nancy W.
  

• This makes me smile!  Ray C.
  

• Great job, keep up the good work.  Terry T.
  

• I SAVE UNTIL FRI AFTERNOON, BY 5:00 P.M. I'M REVVVVED!!!   RONK - 5/19/06
  

• Thanks for this humanitarian service to get us crunk for district wide planning.  Wilson Pickett reminds us to put a “spotlight on Otis Redding y’all”.  Yeah,yeah, oh yeah. Fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-Faaa!  Karl S.
  

• Thanks. What a pleasant surprise to get to work and open this e-mail- glad I started with yours first.  Melanie B.
  

• Thanks for the Friday emails Larry!!  I really enjoy them.
  

Kim S.

• Thanks for the sound of good music. I really do love my oldies but goodies. E. Luke - 5/19/06
  

• Thanks!!!  This is great! Jane B.
  

• Great site!  How about some Sam Cooke??? - 5/19/06
  

• Thanks for the music!  Steve P.
  

• I love this! Thanks.   Dianne M.
  

• I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your
  

      Friday emails.  Thanks for including me!  Betsy K.

• I appreciate the link – good stuff!  Jon W.
  

• I LIKE IT!!!!!!  Thanks and HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!  Barbara S.
  

• THIS IS GREAT!!!!!!  Susan R.
  

• So in your spare time you try to cheer up everyone?   Thanks, Lori R.
  

• I love these songs. Thanks. Terri S.
  

• Awesome……Thanks for doing this, we all look forward to it every week.  I’ve sent it to everyone I know!  Debi D.
  

• I needed this today! Thanks.  Susan S.
  

Good selection for this fabulous Friday!!!!!

• Thanks for the Music this morning. I think I could listen to this all day, if people didn't think I was crazy for MOVING in my chair. Have a great weekend.  Joyce G.
  

• This is awesome!   Thanks,  Debi D.
  

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About The Artist

 

The Buckinghams are an American rock band which saw enormous radio popularity in 1967 (see 1967 in music), becoming one of the top-selling rock groups of that year. In 1965, four high school musicians in Chicago, Illinois -- bassist Nick Fortuna, guitarist Carl Giammarese, drummer Jon Poulos, and singer/guitarist Dennis Tufano -- formed a band they called The Centuries. They added keyboardist Dennis Miccolis, changed their name to The Pulsations and landed a job as the house band on a local (WGN-TV) variety show. The show's producer suggested they adopt a more "contemporary" (i.e. British) name, and thanks to the suggestion of a security guard at the television station, The Buckinghams were born (the name is also that of a notable Chicago landmark, Buckingham Fountain).

In early 1966, the band signed their first record contract with local USA Records and released three singles that year ("I'll Go Crazy,"originally recorded by James Brown & The Famous Flames, "I Call Your Name," and "I've Been Wrong") which received extensive airplay in

Chicago. The

Buckinghams

gained national exposure with their fourth single, "Kind of a Drag," written by the band's longtime songwriter, Jim Holvay. "Kind of a Drag" raced up the local charts then caught fire nationally, eventually spending two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February, 1967. That single's success also led to a hastily-released album of the band's early recordings. This was followed up by a cover of Lloyd Price’s Lawdy Miss Clawdy, but USA Records had a problem with distribution[1].

At about this time, the group's contract with USA Records came to an end, and Miccolis was replaced on keyboards by Marty Grebb. The band members were also introduced to producer James William Guercio, who quickly got them a new contract with Columbia (CBS) Records. Although The Buckinghams had already been using a brass section on many of their earlier recordings, Guercio's brass-rock studio work helped to shape the group's signature sound, and the partnership produced four more Top 10 hits in 1967: "Don't You Care" (#6), "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" (#5), "Hey Baby (They're Playing Our Song)" (#10) and "Susan" (#8), (also written by Jim Holvay).

The Buckinghams found themselves disagreeing with Guercio on both creative and financial issues, and so they parted company. Guercio moved on to achieve great success as the producer for Chicago's first 11 albums, as well as for Blood, Sweat & Tears' second album.)

This was really the death knell for the band; a drug bust threw them off track, and the musical landscape changed from 1967 to 1968. Although The Buckinghams released several more singles, and arguably their best album ("In One Ear and Gone Tomorrow"), after the break with Guercio, they were unable to duplicate their 1967 success, and the band dissolved in early 1970.

Early in 1975, the group re-emerged with an album of earlier hits mixed with new material, produced by Guercio[1].

Dennis Tufano today. Taken in November, 2007.Carl Giammarese and Nick Fortuna re-formed The Buckinghams in the 1980s, and the band continues to make appearances in various concert venues throughout the U.S., Canada and overseas. In January 2005 they performed at one of President George W. Bush's Inaugural Balls in Washington, DC. They have a 2007 studio CD release, Reaching Back, that includes eight brand new songs and new recordings of some of their top hits. The current line up has performed together for over 20 years.

Former singer Dennis Tufano still makes appearances and sings their classic hits. A recent appearance was at the Caravan of Stars XIV, in Henderson, Tennesse, on November 17th, 2007, where he performed with Dickie Lee, Jimmy Gilmer, Carol Conners (of The Teddy Bears), Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods, Jim Yester (of The Association), Jerry Yester (of the Lovin' Spoonful), Eddie Brigati (of The Young Rascals), and the 1910 Fruitgum Company.

Info courtesy of Wikipedia

Mercy, Mercy, Mercy

1967

The Buckinghams

 

Mercy, Mercy, Mercy

My baby she may not a-look

Like one of those bunnies out of a Playboy Club

But she got somethin' much greater than gold

Crazy 'bout that girl 'cause she got so much soul

I said she got the kind of lovin'

Kissin' and a-huggin'

Sure is mellow

Glad that I'm her fellow and I know

That she knocks me off my feet

Have mercy on me

'Cause she knocks me off my feet

There is no girl in the whole world

That can love me like you do

My baby when she walks by

All the fellows go, ooooooo, and I know why

It's simply 'cause that girl she looks so fine

And if she ever leaves me

I would lose my mind

She got the kind of lovin'

Kissin' and a-huggin'

Sure is mellow

Glad that I'm her fellow and I know

That she knocks me off my feet

Have mercy on me

'Cause she knocks me off my feet, hey

There is no girl in the whole world

That can love me like you do

Yeah, everybody in the neighborhood

Will testify that my girl she looks so good

And she's so fine

She'd give eyesight to the blind

And if she ever leaves me I would lose my mind

She got the kind of lovin'

Kissin' and a-huggin'

Sure is mellow

Glad that I'm her fellow and I know

That she knocks me off my feet

Have mercy on me

'Cause she knocks me off my feet

There is no girl in the whole world

That can love me like you do

Baby, yeah, you got that soulful feel

Yeah, it's all right

Mercy, mercy

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