# Turn It Up! - The Turtles



## Guest (Sep 2, 2018)

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_"Turn it up, turn it up, little bit higher, radio
Turn it up, that's enough, so you know it's got soul
Radio, radio turn it up..."_
- Van Morrison

The average length of the 45 rpm single is 3 minutes and 30 seconds...

If you can't say what needs to be said in 3 minutes and 30 seconds then it probably isn't worth saying...

"Turn It Up!" is a series about those classic tunes played on radio stations the world over that still live on over the airwaves of our memories and the artists who created them...

*The Turtles*

The Turtles were an American rock band led by vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman, later known as Flo & Eddie. The band had several Top 40 hits beginning with their cover version of Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe" in 1965. They scored their biggest and best-known hit in 1967 with the song "Happy Together".

The band broke up in 1970. Kaylan and Volman later found long-lasting success as session musicians, billed as the comedic vocal duo Flo & Eddie.

In 2010, a reconstituted version of the band, the Turtles Featuring Flo & Eddie, began performing live shows again.

The band, originally a surf-rock group called the Crossfires, was formed in 1965 in Westchester, Los Angeles, by high school friends Kaylan, Volman, Al Nichol, Chuck Portz, Don Murray, and Jim Tucker.

The Crossfires signed to the newly formed White Whale Records.

Adhering to the prevailing musical trend, they rebranded themselves as a folk rock group under the name the Tyrtles, an intentionally stylized misspelling inspired by the Byrds and the Beatles. However, the trendy spelling did not survive long.

As with the Byrds, the Turtles achieved breakthrough success with a cover of a Bob Dylan song. "It Ain't Me Babe" reached the Billboard Top Ten in the late summer of 1965, and was the title track of the band's first album. Their second single, "Let Me Be," reached the top 30, while their third hit, "You Baby," charted in the top 20 in early 1966.

The first of several key Turtles singles co-written by Garry Bonner and Alan Gordon, "Happy Together", had already been rejected by countless performers. "Happy Together", both their biggest hit and their signature song, signaled a turning point for both the Turtles and for Chip Douglas, who provided the arrangement. The single replaced the Beatles' "Penny Lane" at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the spring of 1967. The Turtles' only No. 1 remained there for three weeks. An album of the same name followed and peaked at No. 25. "Happy Together" reached #12 on the UK singles chart.

1967 proved to be the Turtles' most successful year on the music charts. "She'd Rather Be with Me" reached number 3 on the US charts in late spring and actually out-charted "Happy Together" overseas, reaching #4 in the UK. Two successive Top 15 songs followed: "You Know What I Mean" and "She's My Girl". Both 45s signaled a certain shift in the band's style.

Late in 1968 the band released a concept album called "The Turtles Present the Battle of the Bands", in which the group pretended to be 11 different bands (with fanciful names including 'The Bigg Brothers', 'Nature's Children', 'the US Teens featuring Raoul', and 'the Fabulous Dawgs'), each with a song in a different genre. The album yielded two singles: "Elenore" and "You Showed Me" (both peaking at No. 6). "Elenore" also reached No. 7 in the UK chart. The 1969 hit "You Showed Me" had been written by the Byrds' Gene Clark and Roger (then Jim) McGuinn in 1964.

Towards the end of 1969, the group released its next album, "Turtle Soup", a critically well-received LP produced by *Ray Davies* of the *Kinks*. Inspired by the revered 1968 concept album "The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society", this was Davies's only released production work for another band (although Davies had previously produced demo recordings for The Iveys). In spite of Turtle Soup's positive reception from the music press, its commercial success was marginal and the band soon began to disintegrate.

The Turtles wound down their career in 1970 with a second compilation album, "More Golden Hits", and a B-sides and rarities album, "Wooden Head". With the demise of the Turtles, White Whale Records was left with few commercially viable bands, and soon ceased operation.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Turtles

Peak US Chart position in parentheses -

"*It Ain't Me Babe*" - 1965 - (# 8) -






"*Let Me Be*" - 1965 - (# 29) -






"*You Baby*" - 1966 - (# 20) -





 - (Live video)





 - (Studio version)

"*Happy Together*" - 1967 - (# 1) -






"*She'd Rather Be with Me*" - 1967 - (# 3) -






"*You Know What I Mean*" - 1967 - (# 12) -






"*She's My Girl*" - 1967 - (# 14) -






"*Elenore*" - 1968 - (# 6) -






"*You Showed Me*" - 1969 - (# 6) -


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## Kevin Pearson (Aug 14, 2009)

I really like the Turtles! Much like The Association, they are one of those bands that make records that make you feel good. I am especially fond of the Happy Together album. Not a single song on it that I don't like singing along with. Later Flo and Eddy would entertain me as part of The Mothers of Invention. Very funny characters. I wish I had been old enough to have seen them live in their heyday, but unfortunately, I was only 11 in 1967 and there was no way my folks would ever take me to a concert. I think I was 15 when I saw my first concert and amazingly talked my parents into letting go see Chicago in Chicago with the Pointer Sisters as the opening act. Fun memories!


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Happy together and Elenore are fun songs for singing along while driving - of course they are on our USB stick.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

One of my favourite tracks of theirs is _Love in the City_ - great harmonies, sweeping strings, blaring brass plus excellent drumming by John Seiter. Beautiful widescreen psychedelic pop which brings to my mind utopian images of clean streets with wide-open spaces, blue skies, smiling people who are in no particular hurry and hardly any traffic.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

The Turtles! Again, more wonderful Sunshine Pop--that whole 1960s phenomenon deserves a book. The Sixties: talk about multiple and clashing Zeitgeists; which was the more (or most) accurate mirror of the times? _Happy Together_ and cities in flames. Remarkable.

I especially love _Happy Together_. Flo and Eddie, in their long career, went on to back up Marc Bolan/T. Rex and Bruce Springsteen in big hits for both.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Strange Magic said:


> The Turtles! Again, more wonderful Sunshine Pop--that whole 1960s phenomenon deserves a book. The Sixties: talk about multiple and clashing Zeitgeists; which was the more (or most) accurate mirror of the times? _Happy Together_ and cities in flames. Remarkable.


The Sixties were definitely confusing times to grow up in. When I saw Mark Volman (Flo) on TV as a goofy-looking singer in a pop band, I figured they were leaning more toward tongue-in-cheek (What kind of love song during that time would say "Elenore, gee, I think you're swell . . . You're my pride and joy, et cetera"?)

There were happy-slappy groups like Freddy and the Dreamers and Herman's Hermits, and then there were groups like the Turtles and the Loving Spoonful which had substance beneath the surface.


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## Guest (Sep 2, 2018)

Manxfeeder said:


> There were happy-slappy groups like Freddy and the Dreamers and Herman's Hermits, and then there were groups like the Turtles and the Loving Spoonful which had substance beneath the surface.


Let's just settle this once and for all, eh?

Herman's Hermits laid the groundwork, prepared the foundation, carried the bricks and mortar, measured (twice) and cut (once) the woodwork, painted the walls, planted the landscaping, cut the grass, shoveled the snow, and did all of the heavy lifting for all of the other pop stars who followed in their tracks...

No Herman's Hermits - No Frank Sinatra

No Herman's Hermits - No Maria Callas

No Herman's Hermits - No Elvis Presley

No Herman's Hermits - No Bob Dylan

No Herman's Hermits - No Beatles

No Herman's Hermits - No Madonna

No Herman's Hermits - No Dexys Midnight Runners - No Culture Club - No Nena (99 Luftballons)

Now that I've settled that to everyone's satisfaction, let's move on, eh?

End of story...

- Syd


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Sydney Nova Scotia said:


> Let's just settle this once and for all, eh?
> 
> Herman's Hermits laid the groundwork, prepared the foundation, carried the bricks and mortar, measured (twice) and cut (once) the woodwork, painted the walls, planted the landscaping, cut the grass, shoveled the snow, and did all of the heavy lifting for all of the other pop stars who followed in their tracks...
> 
> ...


Have you been drinking? :lol:


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## Guest (Sep 2, 2018)

elgars ghost said:


> Have you been drinking? :lol:


Actually I haven't... but I shall be having a mimosa during brunch with Mrs. Nova Scotia...

Bit rich coming from a guy with a pint as his avatar, eh? - :lol:


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Sydney Nova Scotia said:


> Actually I haven't... but I shall be having a mimosa during brunch with Mrs. Nova Scotia...
> 
> _Bit rich coming from a guy with a pint as his avatar, eh? _- :lol:


Indeed it is - But not a single drop will pass my lips today.


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## Guest (Sep 2, 2018)

elgars ghost said:


> Indeed it is - But not a single drop will pass my lips today.


Good for you - glad to hear that someone still observes the day with the respect due...

For the record while I will be having brunch with Mrs. Nova Scotia I will not actually be imbibing anything stronger than coffee as I'll be driving through the streets of Westmount in MTL as we continue our search for a new home...

Regards,

-Syd


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## philoctetes (Jun 15, 2017)

A memorable concert in OKC... Alice Cooper, Canned Heat, and Flo &B Eddie, 1972...

Had never heard of Flo & Eddie... but those voices had a familiar sound... we were all tripping and very close to the stage... my friend said something about The Mothers, and then Ainsley Dunbar was a familiar name, and then they sang Happy Together for an encore, very rousing... Alice did his snake dance and got beheaded but I went home with Flo & Eddie in my head...

so I bought the Flo & Eddie album and it sucked, but Just Another Band From LA does a pretty good job of reproducing the vibe that night, but with different music, so that was the closest I ever got to seeing Frank Zappa live...

So, the Young Rascals are next? Paul Revere and the Raiders?


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

^^^^We did the Rascals! August 7th.


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## Jay (Jul 21, 2014)

_Battle of The Bands_, is the LP of theirs to have.


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## Guest (Sep 2, 2018)

philoctetes said:


> s
> So, the Young Rascals are next? Paul Revere and the Raiders?


"Turn It Up! - The Rascals"

https://www.talkclassical.com/56565-turn-up-rascals.html?highlight=

And yeah... Paul Revere and the Raiders are on the horizon but I have to do a "Turn It Up! - Freddy and the Dreamers" for Elgars Ghost lest I never here the end of it...

I may have to devise some sort of indexing system especially for the polls....


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Sydney Nova Scotia said:


> "Turn It Up! - The Rascals"
> 
> https://www.talkclassical.com/56565-turn-up-rascals.html?highlight=
> 
> ...


I honestly won't be upset if you happen to forget about that one - in fact, I'd rather appreciate it you did, despite the overwhelming support they will no doubt have on here...


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## Guest (Sep 3, 2018)

elgars ghost said:


> I honestly won't be upset if you happen to forget about that one - in fact, I'd rather appreciate it you did, despite the overwhelming support they will no doubt have on here...


I would like to consider you as a friend and as such I shall surely defer to your wishes however I would be remiss if I didn't give you at least a glimpse of what you're missing...






And I really should post something about the Turtles less I be accused of derailing my own thread...


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