The Music Explosion
Encyclopedia
The Music Explosion was an American
garage rock
band
from Mansfield
, Ohio
, best known for their Top 10 hit
, "Little Bit O'Soul
", in 1967. The song peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100
chart
and received gold record
status by the R.I.A.A.
. The quintet were discovered and signed by the record producer
s Jerry Kasenetz
and Jeff Katz
.
Kasenetz, Katz and Elliot Chiprut produced "Little Bit O' Soul", which paved the way for bubblegum pop
bands like Ohio Express and 1910 Fruitgum Company
. Written by John Carter
and Ken Lewis
, who had previously written big hits for The Ivy League and Herman's Hermits
, the song (Laurie Records
#3380, subsequently reissued on Buddah Records
) was the band's only top 40 hit. On its own, the flip "I See The Light" (featuring a surf guitar bridge) had a resurgence on some stations in the Midwest four years later.
Lead singer Jamie Lyons also recorded
several solo
singles
on Laurie while still recording with the group. His first single, "Soul Struttin'" became a Northern Soul
hit in several Northeast regions. Lyons died of heart failure at his home at 57 in Little River
, South Carolina
on September 25, 2006.
"Little Bit O' Soul" has been subsequently covered
by several bands including The Ramones; Dodging Susan; and 2 Live Crew
, who sampled
the melody
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
garage rock
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
from Mansfield
Mansfield, Ohio
Mansfield is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Richland County. The municipality is located in north-central Ohio in the western foothills of the Allegheny Plateau, approximately southwest of Cleveland and northeast of Columbus....
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, best known for their Top 10 hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
, "Little Bit O'Soul
Little Bit O'Soul
Little Bit O' Soul is a song written in 1964 by British song writers John Carter and Ken Lewis, who had previously written big hits for The Ivy League and Herman's Hermits. Originally recorded by Birmingham band The Little Darlings and released in 1965 on Fontana Records, it was popularised by the...
", in 1967. The song peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
and received gold record
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
status by the R.I.A.A.
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
. The quintet were discovered and signed by the record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
s Jerry Kasenetz
Jerry Kasenetz
Jerry Kasenetz is an American bubblegum pop producer who worked with Jeff Katz, the two working together as the Super K production company, to manufacture and produce bands like The Music Explosion, 1910 Fruitgum Company, Crazy Elephant, and The Ohio Express....
and Jeff Katz
Jeff Katz
Jeffrey Katz is an American music producer, one of the first exponents of bubblegum pop.-Music career:He is one half of a hitmaking duo with Jerry Kasenetz, the two working together as the Super K production company...
.
Kasenetz, Katz and Elliot Chiprut produced "Little Bit O' Soul", which paved the way for bubblegum pop
Bubblegum pop
Bubblegum pop is a genre of pop music with an upbeat sound contrived and marketed to appeal to pre-teens and teenagers, produced in an assembly-line process, driven by producers, often using unknown singers.Bubblegum's classic period ran from 1967 to 1972...
bands like Ohio Express and 1910 Fruitgum Company
1910 Fruitgum Company
The 1910 Fruitgum Company is an American bubblegum pop band of the 1960s. The group's biggest hits included "Simon Says," "1, 2, 3, Red Light," "May I Take A Giant Step," "Special Delivery," "Goody Goody Gumdrops," and "Indian Giver." Guitarist Frank Jeckell claimed to have adopted the name from a...
. Written by John Carter
John Carter (musician)
For the jazz clarinet player John Carter, see John Carter .John Carter is an English singer, songwriter and record producer.-Overview:...
and Ken Lewis
Ken Lewis
Ken Lewis may refer to:*Ken Lewis , former head of Bank of America*Ken Lewis , session drummer*Ken Lewis *Kenneth Lewis, UK politician...
, who had previously written big hits for The Ivy League and Herman's Hermits
Herman's Hermits
Herman's Hermits are an English beat band, formed in Manchester in 1963 as Herman & The Hermits. The group's record producer, Mickie Most , emphasized a simple, non-threatening, clean-cut image, although the band originally played R&B numbers...
, the song (Laurie Records
Laurie Records
Laurie Records was a record label started in 1958 by Gene Schwartz and Allan I. Sussel. Sussel was a multi-millionaire whose earlier record company, Jamie Records , had been unsuccessful. As a result, Sussel joined forces with Schwartz to found Laurie Records, this time named after his other...
#3380, subsequently reissued on Buddah Records
Buddah Records
Buddah Records was founded in 1967 in New York City. The label was born out of Kama Sutra Records, an MGM Records-distributed label, which remained a key imprint following Buddah's founding...
) was the band's only top 40 hit. On its own, the flip "I See The Light" (featuring a surf guitar bridge) had a resurgence on some stations in the Midwest four years later.
Lead singer Jamie Lyons also recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
several solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
on Laurie while still recording with the group. His first single, "Soul Struttin'" became a Northern Soul
Northern soul
Northern soul is a music and dance movement that emerged from the British mod scene, initially in northern England in the late 1960s. Northern soul mainly consists of a particular style of black American soul music based on the heavy beat and fast tempo of the mid-1960s Tamla Motown sound...
hit in several Northeast regions. Lyons died of heart failure at his home at 57 in Little River
Little River, South Carolina
Little River is a census-designated place in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 7,027 at the 2000 census....
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
on September 25, 2006.
"Little Bit O' Soul" has been subsequently covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by several bands including The Ramones; Dodging Susan; and 2 Live Crew
2 Live Crew
2 Live Crew was a hip hop group from Miami, Florida. They caused considerable controversy with the sexual themes in their work, particularly on their 1989 album As Nasty As They Wanna Be.- Early career :...
, who sampled
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
the melody
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
.
Band members
- James "Jamie" Lyons (singer, percussion)
- Donald (Tudor) Atkins (guitar)
- Richard Nesta (guitar)
- Burton Stahl (bass)
- Robert Avery (drums)
Singles
- "The Little Black Egg" / "Stay By My Side" -- Attack 1404—1966
- "Little Bit O'Soul" (#2) / "I See The Light" -- Laurie 3380—5/67
- "Sunshine Games" (#63) / "Can't Stop Now" -- Laurie 3400—9/67
- "We Gotta Go Home" (#103) / "Hearts and Flowers" -- Laurie 3414—10/67
- "Soul Struttin'" / "Flowers To Sunshine" -- Laurie 3422—1968
-
- Jamie Lyons solo single
- "Gonna Have A Good Time" / "Heart Full O'Soul II" -- Laurie 3427—1968
- Jamie Lyons solo single, shown as by "Jamie Lyons Group"
- "What You Want" (#119) / "Road Runner" -- Laurie 3429—2/68
- Same exact B-side recording was renamed "Make Love Not War" and issued as the B-side of Ohio Express single Buddah 129
- "Where Are We Going" / "Flash" -- Laurie 3440—1968
- B-side is an instrumental recorded backwards
- "Yes Sir" (#120) / "Dazzling" -- Laurie 3454—7/68
- "Stoney" / "Rhapsody In F Major" -- Laurie 3465—1968
- Jamie Lyons solo single, shown as by "Jamie Lyons Group"
- "Jack In The Box" / "Rewind" -- Laurie 3466—1968
- "What's Your Name" / "Call Me Anything" -- Laurie 3479—1969
- B-side is the A-side recorded backwards
- "The Little Black Egg" / "Stay By My Side" -- Laurie 3500—1969
- Jamie Lyons solo single
Albums
- Little Bit O'Soul (#178) -- Laurie SLLP-2040—8/67
-
- "Let Yourself Go" / "Everybody" / "Light Of Love" / "What Did I Do To Deserve Such A Fate" / "Good Time Feeling" / "One Potato Two" / "Little Bit O' Soul" / "Can't Stop Now" / "Patches Dawn" / "(Hey) La, La, La" / "Love, Love, Love, Love, Love" / "96 Tears96 Tears"96 Tears" is a popular song recorded by ? in 1966. It hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. and on the RPM 100 in Canada and is ranked #210 on the Rolling Stone list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.-History:...
"
- "Let Yourself Go" / "Everybody" / "Light Of Love" / "What Did I Do To Deserve Such A Fate" / "Good Time Feeling" / "One Potato Two" / "Little Bit O' Soul" / "Can't Stop Now" / "Patches Dawn" / "(Hey) La, La, La" / "Love, Love, Love, Love, Love" / "96 Tears
-
- "Love, Love, Love, Love, Love" is identical to a recording of the same name by Terry Knight and the PackTerry Knight and the PackTerry Knight and the Pack was, between 1965 and 1967, an American rock band from Flint, Michigan. The band was signed to the Lucky Eleven label throughout its short recording career.-Career:...
(released on the Lucky Eleven label), but has a re-recorded vocal track.
- "Love, Love, Love, Love, Love" is identical to a recording of the same name by Terry Knight and the Pack
Compilations
- Little Bit O' Soul—The Best Of The Music Explosion -- Sundazed—2002
-
- "Little Bit O'Soul" / "I See The Light" / "Everybody" / "Love, Love, Love, Love, Love" / "Good Time Feeling" / "96 Tears" / "Can't Stop Now" / "Let Yourself Go" / "Patches Dawn" / "One Potato Two" / "What Did I Do To Deserve Such A Fate" / "(Hey) La, La, La" / "Little Black Egg" / "Stay By My Side" / "Sunshine Games" / "We Gotta Go Home" / "Hearts And Flowers" / "What You Want (Baby I Want You)" / "Road Runner" / "Where Are We Going" / "Yes Sir" / "Dazzling" / "Jack In The Box" / "What's Your Name"