THE CLASSICS IV WERE A SOFT ROCK BAND FROM JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA. MEMBERS INCLUDED DENNIS YOST- LEAD VOCALS, J.R.COBB, WALLY EATON, JOE WILSON AND KIM VENABLE.
THE WONDERFUL VOICE OF DENNIS YOST BROUGHT THE GROUP A SERIES OF HIT RECORDS THAT BEGAN ON DECEMBER 23, 1967 WITH THEIR RECORDING OF…”SPOOKY” ON IMPERIAL RECORDS. THE SINGLE BECAME A HUGE HIT…#3 ON THE BILLBOARD HOT 100 AND REMAINED ON THE CHART FOR 15 WEEKS.
THE CLASSICS IV WERE BACK IN THE TOP 10 WITH THEIR RECORDING OF…”STORMY”. THE SINGLE CHARTED ON OCTOBER 26, 1968. DENNIS YOST SANG THIS CLASSIC RECORDING ALL THE WAY TO #5. THE SINGLE SOLD OVER 1 MILLION COPIES.
IN FEBRUARY OF 1969 ANOTHER CLASSICS IV MASTERPIECE MADE ITS HOT 100 DEBUT…”TRACES”, ONE OF THE FINEST LOVE SONGS OF THE ROCK ERA BECAME THE CLASSICS IV’S HIGHEST CHARTED HIT SINGLE, CHARTING AT #2 ON THE BILLBOARD HOT 100.
IN MAY OF 1969 ONE OF MY PERSONAL FAVORITES…”EVERYDAY WITH YOU GIRL” BECAME THE GROUPS NEXT HIT RECORD. THE SINGLE CLIMBED TO #19 AND REMAINED ON THE HOT 100 FOR 11 WEEK
S.
MANY MORE HITS WOULD FOLLOW, WITH THE GROUPS LAST CHARTED SINGLE…”MY FIRST DAY WITHOUT HER” ON MGM RECORDS IN 1975. DENNIS YOST AND THE CLASSICS IV CHARTED 12 BILLBOARD HOT 100 HITS BETWEEN DECEMBER OF 1967 AND APRIL OF 1975. THEY WERE ONE OF THE TOP SOFT ROCK GROUPS OF THAT ERA.
THE PASSIONATE VOICE OF DENNIS YOST WAS THE TRADEMARK SOUND OF THE CLASSICS IV. DENNIS PASSED AWAY IN DECEMBER OF 2008 AT THE AGE OF 65. HIS MUSIC IS AS POPULAR TODAY ON OLDIES RADIO AS IT WAS WHEN IT FILLED THE AIRWAVES IN THE LATE 60S AND MID 70S. A LEGACY OF WONDERFUL MUSIC…AND A LEGION OF FANS THAT REMEMBER THE SOULFUL VOICE OF ONE OF THE FINEST VOCALISTS OF SOFT ROCK…DENNIS YOST AND THE CLASSICS IV…THEY LIVE IN THE “GOLDEN ERA OF ROCK AND ROLL”
TILL THE NEXT TIME—JOE
THESE SONGS WERE THE FIRST NEW #1 HITS ON THE BILLBOARD HOT
100 FOR THE YEARS 1966-1970
1966–THE SOUND OF SILENCE–SIMON & GARFUNKEL COLUMBIA RECORDS. CHARTED AT #1 ON 1/1/66…STAYED AT #1 FOR 2 WEEKS.
1967–KIND OF A DRAG–THE BUCKINGHAMS U.S.A. RECORDS. THE SINGLE CHARTED AT #1 ON 2/18/67. IT STAYED AT #1 FOR 2 WEEKS. (I’M A BELIVER BY THE MONKEES CHARTED AT #1 ON 12/31/66 AND REMAINED AT #1 FOR 7 WEEKS).
1968–JUDY IN DISGUISE (WITH GLASSES)–JOHN FRED & HIS PLAYBOY BAND, PAULA RECORDS. THE SINGLE CHARTED AT #1 ON 1/20/68 AND REMAINED AT #1 FOR 2 WEEKS.
1969–CRIMSON AND CLOVER–TOMMY JAMES & THE SHONDELLS, ROULETTE RECORDS. THE SINGLE CHARTED AT #1 ON 2/1/69 AND HELD THE #1 SPOT FOR 2 WEEKS. MARVIN GAYE CHARTED HIS #1 HIT…I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE AT #1 ON 12/14/68, IT REMAINED AT #1 FOR 7 WEEKS.
1970–RAINDROPS KEEP FALLIN’ ON MY HEAD–B.J.THOMAS,SCEPTER RECORDS. THE SINGLE BECAME ONE OF THE BIGGEST HITS OF 1970, CHARTING AT #1 ON 1/3/70 AND REMAINED AT #1 FOR 4 WEEKS.
THESE GREAT HITS ARE A PART OF THE GREAT MUSIC AND MEMORIES FROM THE “GOLDEN ERA OF ROCK AND ROLL”.
TILL THE NEXT TIME—JOE
