In his personal life, John Phillips was a monster with heroin problems who bedded his own daughter. But in song writing and arranging, he was a genius.
Rock rarely uses minor keys, but this is 2:44 of utter perfection in D minor. John’s arrangement shows off both harmony and counterpoint at the same time. That’s P. F. Sloan playing the perfect four-bar intro that sets the table for the song and the Wrecking Crew backing it up.
The single was released just before Christmas 1965 and became a sleeper. Although it never reached #1 on the charts, it stayed on the charts long enough to become the top selling single of 1966.
I first heard this song on Philadelphia’s WIBG on a snowy Saturday afternoon in December, and the memory still sticks with me. I was absolutely stunned. This was something very, very special, and I understood that I was in the presence of genius. It’s still my all time favorite recording.