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Song of the Day #6,094: ‘Take It Easy’ – Eagles

Glyn Johns is one of three behind-the-scenes talents inducted into the 2012 class of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (the first was Tom Dowd, covered earlier this week).

The English Johns has worked with some of the most famous artists of all time, including the Mount Rushmore of British rock acts: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, and The Kinks. Sub in Led Zeppelin for one of those if you’d like.

He also put his stamp on the work of legendary American artists such as Bob Dylan, The Band, and the Eagles.

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Song of the Day #6,093: ‘Think’ – James Brown and the Famous Flames

The next inductee into the 2012 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame class is another of the backing bands that didn’t make it in with their frontmen. This one is the Famous Flames, the outfit that featured James Brown for the first decade of his career.

The Famous Flames were created by singer-songwriter Bobby Byrd, a childhood friend of Brown’s. Brown joined the lineup after the original lead singer died in a car accident. Brown soon became the undeniable frontman, and the group’s first five albums were attributed to James Brown and the Famous Flames.

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Song of the Day #6,092: ‘Layla’ – Derek and the Dominos

Today’s featured Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee is not Derek and the Dominos. Nor is it Eric Clapton, who is a member of the Hall three times over but not with this band (he’s in as a solo artist as well as with Cream and The Yardbirds).

Instead, I chose this song to acknowledge its producer, Tom Dowd, one of the few Rock Hall members who made it in for his engineering and producing resume.

Dowd was inducted in the Musical Excellence category, which is reserved for less heralded artists who likely won’t make it in through the voting process. These inductees are chosen by a special committee.

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Song of the Day #6,091: ‘The Birds and the Bees’ – Jewel Akens

The week of March 9, 1965, was stacked with hits. This is one of those weeks when the top three songs are repeats not because they’ve been featured on previous Throwback Weekends, but because they are classic songs I’ve written about for other reasons.

At #1 was a little group called The Beatles, whose ‘Eight Days a Week‘ topped the chart for the first time that week. Right behind it was ‘My Girl‘ by the Temptations. And rounding out the top three was another Motown classic, The Supremes’ ‘Stop! In the Name of Love.’

Imagine living your daily life while those three songs were all new releases.

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Song of the Day #6,090: ‘The Crazy Otto Medley’ – Johnny Maddox

Throwing back to the week of March 8, 1955, we find The McGuire Sisters atop the Billboard singles chart with ‘Sincerely,’ its sixth straight (and last) week at #1.

In the #2 spot was an instrumental ragtime recording called ‘The Crazy Otto Medley,’ performed by pianist Johnny Maddox. What a different world it was 70 years ago, when a song like this could be a major hit, spending seven weeks at #2.

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