In Search of Baroque Pop II

Some credit (who else?) Lennon and McCartney (and producer George Martin) with creating baroque pop, and- listening to the strings on “Yesterday”; the timeless “Eleanor Rigby” (which sounds like it could have been recorded 300 years ago- or yesterday); and the harpsichord sounding piano on “In My Life”- they might be right. Yet by the time baroque pop hit its peak in the latter half of the ‘60s, the Beatles had already moved on to new sounds and baroque pop as a musical fad did not survive the decade.

If you enjoy sweeping strings, soaring harmonies, introspection, reflection, dramatic intensity, oddball, eccentric dandies, European history, and moping around the house on weekends, then baroque pop may be just what the doctor ordered. For me, there is something comforting in baroque pop’s epic albeit faux majesty and grandeur. But instead of making fun of pre-disco Bee Gees for attempting grand and audacious albums like Odessa, Cucumber Castle, and Trafalgar, perhaps we should be asking why today’s artists are not attempting such bold feats. No talent? No imagination? Too expensive? 

In my continuing search for top shelf baroque pop, I have noticed certain themes emerge including childhood innocence, beautiful girls, otherworldly imagery, and unrequited love, all inspired perhaps by “Alice in Wonderland”. The Left Banke’s “Desirée” may be the first baroque garage song though by now I’ve learned trying to define musical genres like garage rock, psychedelic, folk-rock, baroque pop, and sunshine pop for ‘60s music is all a bit pointless given how many ‘60s artists incorporate all of the above (including the Beatles, the Monkees, the Turtles, the Mamas and the Papas, and the Association, not to mention lesser known artists such as Love, the Neon Philharmonic, Sagittarius, and the Left Banke). Here are some of my favorite baroque pop songs. Enjoy!

01. Honeybus – “(Do I Figure) In Your Life” (1967)

02. The Neon Philharmonic – “Morning Girl” (1969)

03. Sagittarius – “Song to the Magic Frog (Will You Ever Know)” (1968)

04. Bee Gees – “First of May” (1969)

05. Scott Walker – “Black Sheep Boy” (1968)

06. Bee Gees – “With All Nations (International Anthem)” (1969)

07. The Cyrkle – “Please Don’t Ever Leave Me” (1966)

08. The Neon Philharmonic – “Morning Girl, Later” (1969)

09. The Left Banke – “Desirée” (1967)

10. The Left Banke – “Pretty Ballerina” (1966)

11. The Mamas and the Papas – “Dancing Bear” (1966)

12. Bee Gees – “Sun in My Morning” (1969)

13. Classics IV – “Traces” (1969)

14. The Sunshine Company – “Back on the Street Again” (1967)

15. Scott Walker – “30 Century Man” (1969)

16. Bee Gees – “My Thing” (1970) 17. Bee Gees – “The Chance of Love” (1970)

18. Bee Gees – “Don’t Wanna Live Inside Myself” (1971)

19. The Mamas and the Papas – “Safe in My Garden” (1968)

20. Johnny Rivers – “Positively 4th Street” (1968)

Inside album photo from Bee Gees’ Trafalgar

Listen to the playlist on Spotify...