1964 Herman's Hermits: I'm Into Something Good

A Goffin/King song, 'I'm Into Something Good' was originally recorded by Earl Jean (of The Cookies) and has a neat opening line subversion of blues cliché ("Woke up this morning feeling fine") that always makes me smile. Innocent with world away from heartbreak optimism, the song continues in the mood of the side of bed it got out of, and it's a mood that befits a tune that was always a bastard sibling of the Beach Boys' 'Fun Fun Fun'. Herman's Hermits stress the family resemblance further by adding a sunshine handclap click track and harmony interjections straight out of the Wilson brothers songbook (it helps too that Peter Noone does a passable Northern Carl Wilson). Hand on heart, the end result is something I like a whole lot better than the overly girly confection that was Jean's version, but with fellow Brits busy knocking down walls and building new structures from the rubble there's a definite aura of water treading here. Take it in isolation though and 'I'm Into Something Good' deserves the good pop, 'golden oldie' status that posterity has bestowed.