'Spooky' or 'Come to Hawaii with me'

 

I've never heard about the band called The Classics IV, and their hit, 'Spooky', recorded in summer of 1967. A popular Halloween hit. I've learned about them, because David Cassidy recorded his own cover of 'Spooky' for his album, 'A Touch of Blue'.

The group was a cover band from Florida, and it seems that from the beginning they had problems how to call themselves. At first it was 'The Classics', because the drummer had a Classic drum set. When they were to record their first album they learned there had already been another recording act called 'The Classics', so they added 'IV' to the name, because at the time there were four members..

There are 4 people who had credits to 'Spooky' (Mike Shapiro, Harry Middlebrooks Jr, James Cobb and Buddy Blue), because 'Spooky' was originally an instrumental song, the lyrics were written later by one of The Classics IV's member, and their producer. Sang by the drummer..

That was complicated, let's listen to their hit, in 1968 it was No 3 on The Billboard Hot 100 chart.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qpo9KZYJ4sA

Very nice, it was a hit at the time when DC at last managed to graduate. And 35 years later he recorded his own cover. His version..so different, how to describe it, sensual, like he was sure how that 'game' would end, sooner or later. I don't know what he was thinking about while recording it, but today while watching and listening to DC, I remember one story about him I've heard once. Let's listen first to the interview and David Cassidy's great live performance of that song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojbFKZX7SVk&t=101s

Wonderful, we can see how he enjoyed performing for the audience..women still screaming after all these years.

So the story. A little bit risky maybe, but I love it. and it was told with such a smile and love for David. It's a shame but I can't find that video, because it was an interview with a journalist from New Zealand or Australia (sorry I don't remember). That show was broadcast very shortly after DC had died.

So that journalist, let's call him NZ, talked how wonderful singer and actor David was, and also  exceptionally warm, funny and charming man. And he said how in the late 1974, when DC was in Australia, they had lunch together. That guy's fiancèe was present too.

The lunch was just wonderful, they were talking and laughing, and at one moment NZ had to leave DC and his fiancèe for 5 minutes..When he returned he noticed the girl became very pensive and dreamy. When DC left, the girl said that during those 5 minutes David told her a lot of compliments and  invited her to go to Hawaii with him. The same day. Right now.

Everybody laughed at the studio and asked the man if he was angry with DC, and he said 'No, it was impossible to be angry, he was so charming.'. But he and his  fiancèe never got married..