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    Welcome to...
"It Should Have Been a Hit" where you'll find over 100 song picks by  Lou Christie featuring songs that never made it very far up the charts.
    Here at ISHBAH we feel that every song deserves a second chance and a fresh listen. Take a spin here and enjoy!
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"Paint America Love"
   On It Should Have Been a Hit we are featuring a song by Lou Christie & Lesley Gore.   "Don't You Remember?" is a song that takes us back to those exciting times and the explosion of American creativity & talent worldwide.     
   We should never forget those heady days when America took center stage and the world took notice.   Take a spin back in time here on "It Should Have Been a Hit"
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  " Don't You Remember ? "
 " Lou Christie  &
 Lesley Gore "
Don't You Remember ?Lou Christie
00:00 / 10:06
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 You have a Backstage Pass to Lou Christie's interview with Lesley Gore from backstage at the Holiday Star Theatre in Merrillville, Indianna on February 17, 1990.
Backstage Pass with Lou Christie
w/ Lesley Gore Part THREE
Lou Christiew/Leslie Gore Pt 3
00:00 / 15:12
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Backstage Pass with Lou Christie
w/ LESLEY GORE PART TWO
Lou Christiew/Lesley Gore Pt 2
00:00 / 09:16
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 Backstage Pass with Lou Christie
w/ Lesley Gore Part ONE
Lou Christie Interview pt1w/LESLEY GORE
00:00 / 04:45
     All of us here at It Should Have Been A Hit want to remember 9/11.    
  It is a day of reflections & remembrance. America needs to
"Paint America Love"  today
& Every Day.

Click In Photo to play video

"Paint America Love"Lou Christie
00:00 / 12:18
  Listen to " Paint America Love "
    Santo & Johnny Farina were born in Brooklyn, New York.  Their father was drafted into the Army while they were children and was stationed in Oklahoma.  After hearing a steel guitar on the radio there, he wrote to his wife, "I'd like the boys to learn to play this instrument"   Well they sure learned how to play.  Here's a song of theirs that slipped through the cracks but we feel it deserves another listen here on "It Should Have Been a Hit"
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  " Tear Drop "
 ~ Santo & Johnny ~
Tear DropSanto & Johnny
00:00 / 04:00
    This is the country band that got Lou into country music in the first place. From the hills of Tennessee to the steel mills of Pittsburgh ... Abby Neil and the Ranch Girls.   
    Lou's path led him to the stage of
The Grand Ole Opry where he sang our second tune in his Podcast.
Listen to it here on ISHBAH.   It's ten minutes well spent.
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 "Queen of the Purple Sage"
 ~ Lou Christie~
Wilma Lee & Stony-Queen Of The Purple Sage
00:00 / 10:01
     This record has it all.  A grammy winning vocal group, The Fifth Dimension.   A hit songwriter Jimmy Webb and top producer Bones Howe.  The Wreaking Crew laying down the groove & creating some magic moments; however, this concept album "The Magic Garden" bombed in 1967. It was ahead of its time.     
Lou's song pick this week is just one of many from that album that deserve another listen and a second chance.
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 " Summer's Daughter "
~ The Fifth Dimension ~
Summer's DaughterThe Fifth Dimension
00:00 / 04:05
      Here's a gal from the 60's girl group, The Cookies.  She ventured out on her own with songs written by Carole King & Jerry Goffin ... not too shabby.      This song was my song pick #13 way back at the beginning of It Should Have Been a Hit.com.  We believe it deserves another listen here on ISHBAH.
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 " Randy " 
  ~ Earl Jean ~ 
RANDYEarl Jean McCrea
00:00 / 03:12
  This male vocal group is from Santa Rosa, California.  They were signed to Era Records in 1961.   Their sound blended a light rock feel with elements of collegiate vocal harmony & Jazz.    Here's a twin spin from this talented quartet.  Lou and the crew here at ISHBAH feel that they should have been huge national hits.  Give these tunes a fresh listen and a new lease of life.  
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 " So This is Love " 
        &  " Sacred "
 ~ The Holidays ~
So This is Love/SacredThe Castells
00:00 / 06:35
     Lou's pick this week on It Should Have Been A Hit is from five Pittsburgh teenagers who started harmonizing in Clarion High School in 1958.       They were produced by Lennie Martin, the producer of The Skyliners.   Although they achieved regional success with a couple of their songs on Robbee Records we feel that this song of theirs should have gone national and become a much bigger hit for them.    What do you think ...
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 " Miss You "
 ~ The Holidays ~
MISS YOUThe Holidays
00:00 / 02:40
     Doo Wop helped to bring Americans together through music, harmony & lyrics with hope for the future and the passion of Love.  Here are two early Doo Wop groups that helped unite us way back then.  The first song is from one of the first female Doo Wop Groups from the Bronx.  Lou's second pick is from a legendary vocal group from his hometown, Pittsburgh.    
    It's time to reminisce and give these two great songs a listen here.
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 " Every Night "
 ~ The Chantels ~
 " Lonely Way "
 ~ The Skyliners ~
Every Night/Lonely WayChantels/Skyliners
00:00 / 08:24
    This brother & sister singing duo are from Niagara Falls, New York.  In the early 60's they signed with Atco Records and had a string of hits.  They earned a Grammy Award in 1963 for "best rock & roll record of the year."  Meanwhile the brother became a member of the The Wrecking Crew as a tenor sax player while working with Phil Spector.  Noted music journalist Richie Unterberger has declared this song of theirs "one of the greatest Phil Spector-inspired productions of all time.  They were inducted into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame in 1999.      
     Give Lou's pick this week a second listen and see if you agree... It Should Have Been a Hit.
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 " All Strung Out "
 ~ Nino & April ~
All Strung OutNino & April
00:00 / 05:42
   This week's song pick is from identical twin brothers from West Hemstead, New York.   Over the years they have arranged, produced & written releases for many artists including Paul McCartney, Deborah Gibson, Frankie Valli, Richie Havens, Olivia Newton John and Christopher Cross.    In 1977 this song of theirs reached no. 8 and spent 11 weeks in the UK Singles Chart and became a Top Ten hit in seventeen more countries however it failed to chart in the USA. We feel it was overlooked here in the states and It Should Have Been a Hit for these very talented brothers.
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 " Oh, Lori "
 ~ Alessi ~
OH, LORIAlessi Brothers
00:00 / 05:16
    This Philadelphia Sound female singing group was formed in 1963 at Overbrook High School in Philadelphia.  They have been playing to worldwide audiences ever since.  They were particularly successful in the UK, achieving 13 Top 50 hit singles between 1974 and 1985 including the 1974 single "When Will I See You Again" which was a huge international hit, reaching the Top 5 in seven counties, including number two in the US and topping the UK Singles Chart.    This song of theirs is Lou's Valentine Day Pick which we absolutely feel Should Have Been A Hit for this great female group.
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 " I Do Take You "
 ~ The Three Degrees ~
"I Do Take You"The Three Degrees
00:00 / 04:55
    This singer was born into a family of sharecroppers in Texas.  He moved to California in the early 1960's where he met Sonny Bono which led to his first record in 1963. He changed his name to one inspired by the TV series Dobie Gillis, got in with the "In Crowd" and had two Monster Hits which will never "Drift Away."     In the 70's he moved to Nashville and wrote songs for Ray Charles, Johnny Mathis, Etta James, Three Dog Night, Julio Iglesias, John Denver, George Jones and Tammy Wynette.    This week's featured song hits all the right notes.  It was released in 1979 and It Should Have Been a HIT for this great singer.  We feel it's a classic that somehow got lost in the shuffle like so many great songs that deserve a second chance.
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 " Who's Loving You "
 ~ Dobie Gray ~
Who's Loving YouDobie Gray
00:00 / 05:34
     Born in Queens, New York this artist had a smash number one hit in the summer of 1960 when he was just 16 years old.  In 1962, he hit the charts again with "Ginny Come Lately" followed by his standard signature hit "Sealed With A Kiss" which reached #3 on the US Pop Chart.    His "Country Meets Folk" album released In 1963 featured the electric guitar two years before Bob Dylan's famed rock synthesis at "The Newport Jazz Festival".     In 1970 he & fellow rocker Del Shannon collaborated on a remake of an old hit by The Impressions, "Gyspy Woman".  It shot up to #3 on the pop charts that scored him respectable critical reviews.  He's had 8 top forty songs and 3 top ten hits in his career.    This week on ISHBAH we're featuring a song written by him with a timeless theme that deserves another listen.  It Should Have Been a Hit.
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" I'm Afraid to Go Home"
~ Brian Hyland ~
"I'm Afraid to Go Home"Brian Hyland
00:00 / 04:32
     This Kentuckian at the age of six was singing country tunes on a local radio show. By age 11 she was hosting her own radio program on WMRO.  Liberty Records signed her at 16, and she started writing songs and singing pop hits.  She dated Elvis Presley, became friends with The Everly Brothers and Ricky Nelson and co-starred with Bobby Vinton in the 1964 teen surf movie Surf Party.    She was asked by the Beatles to be their opening act for their first American tour. Along the way she sang and wrote tons of hit records including the 1982 Grammy for Song of the Year.    Inducted into the Songwriter Hall of Fame here's a song she wrote & sings the heck out of... it was a hit for The Searchers in 1964 but we here at ISHBAH think that this version of hers knocks it out of the park !!! It's what the World needs Now.
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" When You Walk in the Room "
~ Jackie DeShannon ~
'When You Walk in the Room'Jackie DeShannon
00:00 / 04:33
    This Doo Wop group was formed in Chicago in 1953.  The band became popular in mid-to-late 1950's and are known for their cover versions of great pop standards.  They have since been hailed as one of the finest & most influential vocal groups in Pop and Doo Wop music history.  They received the Rhythm & Blues Foundation Pioneer Award in 1996, were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2000, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, and the Doo Wop Hall of Fame in 2004.      This song of theirs from 1959 was written by George & Ira Gershwin.  It was the followup to their big hit "I Only Have Eyes for You".  We here at ISHBAH feel it should have been a much bigger hit for this group.
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 " Love Walked In "
 ~ The Flamingos ~
"Love Walked In"The Flamingos
00:00 / 04:21
     This group started out as a five-piece high school harmony group called the Delrons in 1962 at St. Brendan's Catholic School in Brooklyn, New York.  The lead singer's stage name came from her confirmation name which was the name of her favorite nun in grammar school.   This song of theirs is about family tradition and the festival of life from a time long past.  It has a catchy melody & quirky Middle Eastern feel with harpsichord, bouzouki, jew's harp and rock riffs.  It's become a cult hit over the years and we at ISHBAH feel it should have been a much bigger hit.  Give it a listen here and see what you think.
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 "   Shoes  " 
 ~ Reparata & The Delrons ~ 
SHOESReparata & The Delrons
00:00 / 04:31
     The Seasons may change but this guy is always in season.   After scoring 39 top 40 hits he is still going strong on stage and in the studio.      Here is a song of his that didn't quite hit the night note as so many of his songs did however we feel it's worthy of a second listen here on It Should Have Been A Hit.
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Play Back Sunday
" I Make a Fool of Myself " 
 ~ Frankie Valli ~
"I Make a Fool of Myself"Frankie Valli
00:00 / 05:53
    This Brooklyn born Italian-American singer / songwriter / producer / movie star was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2007.  His songs are rock solid standards.  They live on and are a reminder of the Golden Age of Rock & Roll.     Check out this tune of his that in our humble opinion should have gone much higher up the charts.
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"The Way of the Clown"
~Teddy Randazzo~
The Way of the ClownTeddy Randazzo
00:00 / 04:42
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