Aired on Treasure Island Oldies – Jul 13, 2025

Given what rap recording artists get away with today, censorship and public outcry would have precluded their tunes from being released in the 50s and 60s. And as far as appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show, it simply would not have happened.

However the songs of the 50s and 60s and their lyrics were often put to task via the social consciousness of the times. Who can forget little Jimmy Boyd’s “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” being banned in Boston during the Christmas season of 1952; or Jimmy Dean having to change the last line in “Big Bad John” from “at the bottom of this mine, lies one helluva man” to “at the bottom of this mine, lies a big, big man”; or the Rolling Stones agreeing to change a few lyrics in “Satisfaction” in order to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show.

Another great recording artist of the 60s had quite a challenge with one of his songs. In fact the challenge was so strong that the song was re-released with new lyrics as it soared up the charts.

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This recording artist was born Lugee Sacco on February 19, 1943 in Glen Willard, Pennsylvania. His breakout record as a solo artist came in 1963 with Roulette Records and the release of “The Gypsy Cried” featuring his signature falsetto voice. It stayed on the charts for 13 weeks and climbed to a respectable 24th position on the charts.

Two months later he had a Top 10 hit with “Two Faces Have I.” In December 1965, he released “Lightning Strikes” on the MGM label. It soared to the #1 position on the charts the week of February 19, 1966 as the artist turned the ripe old age of 23. He hit the Top 10 on the charts again before the decade was over with “I’m Gonna Make You Mine” in 1969, this time with Buddha Records.

In March 1966, on the heels of “Lightning Strikes,” Lou Christie released what he thought was another sure fire hit. However it was so controversial, entire radio chains banned the song and Christie was forced to go back into the studio and change some sexually suggestive lyrics. Inspired by Tchaikovsky’s Romeo & Juliet and centered around a young couple making love to the rhythm of a car’s windshield wipers, he changed the original lyrics from “we were makin’ out in the rain” to “we fell in love in the rain.”

Although pretty tame from today’s rap standards, the late, great Lou Christie was able to release one of the hottest records of 1966, “Rhapsody In The Rain,” this week’s Tom Locke moment in time.

YouTube listing of the song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRa9kULBByE

This “Moments In Time” story is yet another example of a “golden oldie” or forgotten favorite that earned its place in the evolution of Rock & Roll.