Wednesday January 12, 2021 “Young Girl” Gary Puckett & the Union Gap
Sure this is the cheesiest of pop songs but I will unapologetically suggest that Gary Puckett’s voice is among some of the defining sounds of the 60s and “Young Girl” is an accurate sample of the top of the pop charts of that moment. Also Gary Puckett can be credited with singing some of the best pseudo-suggestive songs of that era.
“Young Girl”, not to be confused with the Lovin Spoonful’s earlier even “Younger Girl”, is a song written by Jerry Fuller whose songwriting credits include the international top ten hit “Travellin’ Man” along with twenty three other hits for Rick Nelson. Fuller was also a member of The Champs who us older song of the dayers may remember recorded the 1958 hit song “Tequila”. In addition to Fuller, The Champs lineup included Glen Campbell, Jim Seals and Dash Crofts (Seals & Crofts, “Summer Breeze” and others).
In an otherworldly moment of coincidence, golden voiced Gary Puckett was born in Hibbing, MN which is also the birthplace of non-golden voiced Bob Dylan. Gary Puckett would become a member of the band Outcasts who would be the house band for the Dick Clark TV show Where the Action Is. Then Outcast’s manager suggested the name change to the Union Gap and a visual change to outfit the group with Civil War Union soldier uniforms. Each member would have a specific rank with Gary appropriately being the ‘general’.
I welcome comments from the drummers among us as to suggest what the rank of the Union GAp’s drummer was…we all know how drummers are the ‘blondes’ of rock music.
Gary Puckett and the Union Gap have had six top ten hits, all mult-million selling singles including today’s song “Young Girl”.
Stay safe and well…and this song, counter to the earlier Mary Hopkin tune, takes me to those happier moments in 1968 and cheesy as it may be it doesn't get switched when it comes on the radio.