Photo: Bill Lowery Talent (management) / Public domain
Out Top 10 Classics IV Songs list looks back a band that had three big hits in the 1960s that defined a genre of music that inspired many bands. The band was first formed in 1960 by Walter Eaton when he was in high school out of the city of Jacksonville, Florida. Eventually, Walter Eaton hired Denis Yost as a drummer and discovered that the man could sing his butt of. The band would then change from an instrumental group led by the fabulous singer Dennis Yost whose pitch perfect voice of silk helped capture a wide audience that fell in love with the band’s music. Originally named just the Classics, the group had to add the IV to their name when they received a cease and desist letter from a New York based band called The Classics.
The band ‘s guitarist J. R. Cobb, who co wrote Spooky and Stormy would eventually leave the band with manager Buddy Buie and keyboardist Dean Daughtry who had replaced original keyboardist Joe Wilson. They would form a new group called the Atlanta Rhythm Section.
The Classics IV released five studio albums from 1968 to 1973 with a greatest hits record issued in 1969. Over the years, there have been three times the amount of albums released as compilations as there were original studio albums. Sadly Denis Yost passed away in 2008. James Barney “J. R.” Cobb Jr. passed away in 2019, Perry Carlton “Buddy” Buie passed away in 2015.
Our Top 10 Classic IV songs list presents 10 of our favorite Classics IV songs. We think this one will bring back some memories for all of you over 55 and hopefully turn on the younger audience to some classic music.
# 10 – Waves
We open up our top 10 Classic IV songs list with the beautiful song “Wave.” Its easy to tell how the band, like so many other groups of the 1960s, were influenced by the great Burt Bacharach. That’s a good thing because Burt Bacharach was (and still is) the man. The song “Wave,” was released on the band greatest album entitled mamas and papas soul train.
# 9 – Pollyanna
From a historical perspective, we thought it was important to include this song on our top 10 Classics IV list. The band recorded this as a single in 1966 when they were still called the Classics. I think they ticked of the Four Seasons with this one. It was released on Capitol Records as a stand alone single.
# 8 – Cherryhill Park
Continuing with our top 10 Classics IV songs we turn to the song “Cherryhill Park.” The song was originally recorded and released by Billy Joe Royal in 1969 who had a top 20 hit with it. The Classics IV recorded their version of the song in 1970 and released it on United Artist Records. The song was written by Robert Nix and Billy Gilmore.
# 7 – Change Of Heart
The heartbreaking song “Chang of Heart,” was released on the band’s Greatest Hits album entitled Golden Greats Volume 1 in 1969. There was just so much competition for radio airplay in 1969 even from themselves That competition would prevent the song from making the top 40 as it stalled out at number 49 on the Billboard Hot 100.
# 6 – The Funniest Thing
This one has always been one of our favorite Classics IV songs. Just the sound of it brings you back to walking down the streets and hearing it play on am radio. It just sounds like summer. “The Funniest Thing,” was released on the album entitled Sounds. The record was released in 1970
# 5 – Soul Train
With many of the chord changes to the song “Spooky,” fueling the songs progression underneath a different melody, “Soul Train,” is an interesting song in the band’s catalog. The song was released on the band’s second album entitled Mamas and Papas/Soul Train. The album was released in 1968 on Imperial Records. It was also reissued in 1984.
# 4 – Everyday With You Girl
The song “Everyday With Your Girl,” served as the follow up single to the band’s smash hit “Traces.” The song was also released on the Traces album. This mid-temp grooving song did well on the charts making the Billboard Hot 100’s top 20. It peaked at number 19. The song also appeared in the 1977 Steve Guttenberg motion picture The Chicken Chronicles.
# 3 – Spooky
Many Classic IV fans will argue that “Spooky,” was the bands biggest hit and most famous song. Well, from a commercial standpoint they wold be close. The song “Spooky,” was the band’s second biggest hit of their career. The song peaked at the number three position on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1967. However, over time, this may very well be the most popular song they ever released.
# 2 – Traces
Speaking of the band’s most successful song….. The song “Traces,” was released first as a single in 1969. It was then included on the album entitled Traces which was released shorty after. “Traces,” would become the biggest hit of the band’s career as it peaked at number two on the Billboard HOt 100 in 1969. The song that prevented it from reaching number one was Tommy Roe’s “Dizzy.”
The song was written by Buddy Buie, J. R. Cobb, and Emory Gordy Jr. “Traces,” has become somewhat of a standard in pop music as its been covered many times. One very interesting fact about the song “Traces,” is the honor it received from Broadcast Music, Inc. also known as BMI music rights management. The legendary publishing company named “Traces,” as one of the top 100 songs of the twentieth century.
# 1 – Stormy
We close out our top 10 Classics IV songs list with the great song “Stormy.” We juggled the order of the last three songs on this list a few times, but after repeated listening, Denis Yost’s amazing vocals on this track just won us all over. This is an amazing piece of music from the chord structures, the melody, the arraignments, the production and most importantly the performances of the musicians. The song was released on the legendary Mamas and Papas/Soul Train album in 1968. “Stormy,” was the third single released from the album. The song was a top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 peaking at number five.
