Anyone casting their eyes over the biggest-selling US singles in the summer of 1968 would have spotted a few songs that reflected the incendiary atmosphere of the times: Steppenwolf’s Born To Be Wild (No. 10), The Stones Jumpin’ Jack Flash (No. 7) and The Rascals’ People Got to Be Free (No. 3). This was a time of huge cultural upheaval: inner-city riots in Chicago, Baltimore and Washington DC following the assassination of Martin Luther King on 4 April; student protests in France; the assassination of Robert F Kennedy on 6 June; the Troubles in Northern Ireland; the ongoing Tet Offensive in Vietnam. The list goes on and on.
By complete contrast, sitting in the No. 1 slot was This Guy’s in Love With You, a lush, warm, easy-listening love song, written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, and performed by Herb Alpert. Despite its decidedly benign, carefree vibe, This Guy’s In Love With You is a stunning piece of song craftsmanship, created by one of the finest songwriting duos of all time. It’s a beguiling composition and a song that continues to engage and entrance six decades on from its creation.
