“Stop Her on Sight (S.O.S.)” Edwin Starr, was an American singer and songwriter. Starr was most famous for his Norman Whitfield-produced Motown singles of the 1970s, most notably the number-one hit “War”. His early Ric-Tic hit “Stop Her on Sight (S.O.S.)” was written by Albert Hammond, Edwin Starr, and Richard Morriswas reissued in Britain (with “Headline News” as its B-side) in 1968, and it performed better than the original release on the UK Chart, surpassing the original No. 35 and peaking at No. 11.
“Different Drum” is a song written by American singer-songwriter Michael Nesmith in 1964. It was first recorded by the northern bluegrass band band The Greenbriar Boys and included on their 1966 album Better Late Than Never. Nesmith offered it to the Monkees, but the producers of the TV show, who had wide control over the group’s musical output early on, turned him down (though Nesmith did perform a short comic version of the song in an episode of The Monkees). The song became popular in 1967 when it was recorded by the Stone Poneys featuring a vocal performance by a young, up-and-coming 21 year old singer named Linda Ronstadt. It was Ronstadt’s first hit single. Their version of “Different Drum” to No. 12 on the Cash Box Top 100, No. 13 on the Billboard. “Different Drum” did best in New Zealand, where it reached No. 5.
“Breakin’ Down the Walls of Heartache” is a song by American soul group the Bandwagon, later known as Johnny Johnson and the Bandwagon. The Bandwagon’s debut single “Baby Make Your Own Sweet Music” had been a hit in several US states, but failed to chart nationally. However, “Breakin’ Down the Walls of Heartache” fared marginally better, peaking at number 115 on the Billboard chart and number 100 on the Cash Box chart. It was released in June 1968 with the B-side “Dancin’ Master”, with both sides written and produced by Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell. It was released in the UK over a month later, but didn’t enter the Singles Chart until the third week of October, where it peaked at No. 4 and spending a total of fifteen weeks on the chart.
“Angel of the Morning” is a popular song written by Chip Taylor, originally recorded by Evie Sands, but first charting by Merrilee Rush in the US. In 1968, a rendition by P. P. Arnold, who had sung background on the 1967 Billie Davis version, reached No. 29 in the UK in August 1968. Arnold began her career as an Ikette with the Ike & Tina Turner Revue in 1965. The following year she relocated to London to pursue a solo career. Arnold also enjoyed considerable success in the United Kingdom with her singles “The First Cut is the Deepest” (1967).
“Shotgun” is a song written by Junior Walker and recorded with his group the All Stars. Called a “dance tune”, it was produced by Berry Gordy Jr. and Lawrence Horn. Gordy’s Soul Records, a Motown Records subsidiary, issued it as a single in 1965. “Shotgun” was Walker’s debut as a vocalist – when the singer who was hired to perform at the recording session did not show up, Walker stood in. Rather than re-record the vocal at a later date, producer Gordy decided to keep Walker’s take, much to the latter’s surprise. The song opens with the sound of a shotgun blast and a drum roll, with the verses alternating between Walker’s vocals and tenor saxophone fills. It does not employ the typical progression, but remains on one chord throughout. It reached No. 1 on the U.S. R&B Singles chart for four non-consecutive weeks and peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard.
