65 YEARS AGO TODAY:
11/3/65 – The Beatles record “Michelle.”
Although not released as a single (even Capitol shockingly passed it by, respecting the band's wishes to allow it to help sell their "Rubber Soul" album instead, which didn't contain a single), it still became another instant Beatles / Paul McCartney classic, recorded by hundreds of other artists. (AM Top 40 Radio played it in hit single rotation to meet listener requests, despite the fact that fans had to buy the whole LP in order to obtain a copy.)
British duo David and Jonathan will score a Top 20 Hit with it in January of 1966. (They're actually Roger Greenaway and Roger Cook, two very successful British songwriters and producers who will have numerous other hits working with other artists in the years to come. See just a partial list below.)
"Michelle" started as a bit McCartney used to perform at parties in the early days of The Beatles, goofing around with the French lyric, which is all he had at the time. (Paul would put on a very thick French accent and sing "Sont les mots qui vont tres bien ensemble, Tres bien ensemble" in a very flirty way to impress any female guests.) One day, Lennon told him, "You know, you should finish that" ... and, with great success, he did!
Also on 11/3, Sandy Koufax is named the Cy Young Award winner by a unanimous vote. (It’s the THIRD time he’s been so honored.) Koufax posted a 26-8 record for the 1965 season, with a 1.73 ERA and record-shattering 382 strikeouts. You had to see this man in action to believe what an incredible force he really was.
SOME OF THE HITS WRITTEN BY ROGER COOK AND ROGER GREENAWAY:
"You've Got Your Troubles" and "Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again" by The Fortunes
"Green Grass" by Gary Lewis and the Playboys
"I Was Kaiser Bill's Batman" by Whistling Jack Smith
"Softly Whispering I Love You" by The Congregation
"My Baby Loves Lovin'" by White Plains
"The Way It Used To Be" by Engelbert Humperdinck
"Good Morning Freedom" by Blue Mink
"I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing" by The Hillside Singers and The New Seekers
