The song "Twistin’ the Night Away" was written by Sam Cooke. It became
very popular, charting in the top ten of both the Billboard Hot 100 (#9)
and Billboard’s R&B chart (#1).
The popular Boston-based soul band The Chicken Slacks take their name
from a commonly misheard lyric in the song’s second verse; Cooke is
actually singing about a "chick in slacks.”
"We Can Work It Out" was the last of six number one singles in a row on the
charts, a record at the time. The Beatles recorded the song on 20 October
1965, four days after its accompanying single track, with an overdub session
on 29 October. They spent nearly 11 hours on the song, by far the longest
expenditure of studio time up to that point.
The song “Barbara Ann” peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1
in Cash Box and Record World. It also topped the charts in Germany,
Switzerland and Norway. It was The Beach Boys’ biggest hit in Italy,
reaching the #4 position.
The Everly Brothers recorded "Let It Be Me" in New York City. It
was the first time they recorded outside of Nashville and it was
the first time they recorded with strings. The record reached
number seven on the Billboard Hot 100.
The most familiar and successful version of "For Once in My Life" is the up
tempo arrangement by Stevie Wonder. It was a top-three hit in the U.S.
Stevie Wonder (Stevland Hardaway Judkins) turned 65 in May.
