Evol - Not Love
The Five Americans
(Rabon - Ezell - Durrill)
Intro:
[military drum roll]
bass [3X; organ enters 2nd time, 12-string guitar 3rd]:
(G) (Bm) (C) (D)
v v v v v v v v v
-7---7-|-----------------|-----------------
-------|-5---5-----------|---------------4-
---5---|---------2---2---|-3---2-3-5---5---
-------|-----------------|-----------------
<------------ repeat ------------->
Verse 1:
[According to Mike Rabon, the first line is "I can go on". I hear
it as "I can't go wrong" - take your pick...]
G Bm C D G Bm C D
I can't go wrong without your love
(I... can't go wrong without your love)
G Bm C D G Bm C D
I will feel strong without your love
(I... will feel strong without your love)
E
Begins my day
Am
When you're away
Dsus4 D Dsus2 D
From me-ee-ee-ee-ee
Verse 2:
I left you 'cause you didn't make the grade
(I... left you 'cause you didn't make the grade)
And since you're gone I've had it made
(And... since you're gone I've had it made)
Evol - not love
Evol - not love
For me-e-e-e-e
[repeat verse 1 w/wordless vocal ("la-la-la") over first two lines]
[repeat verse 2]
[repeat verse 1 w/wordless vocal ("la-la-la"); fade on second line]
-- another ace 60's tab from Andrew Rogers
NOTES:
My second-favorite #52 single of all time (my favorite, Love's 'My Little
Red Book', was coincidentally the *next* single to peak at that position).
Unlike most teen laments wherein the protagonist begs his ex to come back,
this guy sounds damn glad to be rid of her - presumably the reason for the
backward spelling, 'evol', twenty years before Sonic Youth.
Babbling: the Five Americans pissed off Dallas AM powerhouse KLIF mightily
by performing on a TV show affiliated with crosstown rival KBOX. KLIF
retaliated by dropping 'Evol - Not Love' from their playlist, prompting the
Five's label, Abnak (OK, I know HBR distributed it nationally), to sue KLIF
for restraint of trade. According to _Billboard_ (June 4, 1966), the ensuing
trial included testimony from a computer:
Abnak Adds Fuel to Suit Against KLIF
[...] Court proceedings last week were highlighted by what may have
been the first time a computer has ever been admitted to a witness stand.
[...] A computer of the Compass Record Data Computer service was
admitted as a witness Monday [5/23]. Asked if it swore to tell the
truth, and nothing but the truth, the computer said, 'I do'. It was
operated by Allen David Allen from a control unit in the courtroom, via
telephone long distance to Los Angeles where the computer was located.
Allen demonstrated how the computer had taken information when the
record was first released, including hypes, and predicted a chance-of-
success factor of about 13-in-100 in reaching the Top 40 position on the
charts, Allen said. Later the computer had claimed that the chances for
the record were less than 1 in 100, according to Allen. Asked in court
what would have happened if the record were suddenly listed as No. 1 on
KLIF's playlist survey, now, the computer said 'nothing'. Allen
explained that the computer was set to ignore obvious mistakes and, for
the record to leap from nowhere to No. 1 on the chart would be illogical.
Abnak eventually prevailed, but it was a Pyrrhic victory - two killer
followup singles went absolutely nowhere, probably because *every* radio
station was afraid to touch them.
AWR
(
geocities.com/hollywood/academy/3225/60s_and_70s) (
geocities.com/hollywood/academy/3225) (
geocities.com/hollywood/academy) (
geocities.com/hollywood)