Record #0882: Nobody Knows What's Goin' On (In My Mind But Me) / Did You Ever Go Steady? – THE CHIFFONS

Laurie LR 3301 (original, 2^nd version), USA, May 1965
Words & Music by:  Side A – Brute Force (Stephen Friedland); Side B – The Tokens (Margo, Margo, Medress, Siegel)
Musicians: Sylvia Peterson (lead vocals on side A, backing vocals on side B), Judy Craig (backing vocals on side A, lead vocals on side B), Patricia Bennett (backing vocals), Barbara Lee (backing vocals), the Tokens probably played some of the instruments, the rest was played by unknown session musicians
Recording sessions: Produced by the Tokens (as Bright Tunes Productions Inc.) and engineered by Bob Arnold probably at Allegro Sound Studios or Mira Sound Studios, New York, NY, in 1965
Highest chart positions:  Side A – US #49; Side B – none

While most 1960s girl group songs focused on standard teenage romance, side A stands out for its unusually dark, anxious, and introspective lyrics. Combined with its driving rhythm and intense horn arrangements, music historians and collectors often consider it a unique bridge between classic 1960s pop-soul and early proto-psychedelic pop.

The song was written by the eccentric songwriter Stephen Friedland (better known by his stage name Brute Force). A few years after this record, his avant-garde solo work caught the attention of The Beatles, specifically George Harrison and John Lennon, who loved his humour and signed him to Apple Records to release his infamous cult single "King of Fuh", a song about the Fuh King. 😊

The single exists in two distinct versions. The very first pressings featured the soul track "The Real Thing" as the B-side (with Sylvia Peterson singing lead). However, Laurie Records quickly changed the B-side in subsequent pressings to the song "Did You Ever Go Steady?" (with Judy Craig on lead).

List price: VG+ is $6, NM $12. 45cat.com price guide shows €4. I found five copies sold in eBay for €18-€34.