by Moe Zilla

Created on: February 14, 2008

"The Turtles" were a pop group in the 1960s that left behind a surprising number of hits. They began singing at a young age - Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan met in their high school choir in 1963 - but were soon swept into music trends that catered to a growing youth culture.

As ambitious recording artists, the Turtles sound came to reflect both the styles of the 1960s and the pressures from the recording industry. They were originally part of the Los Angeles "folk rock" scene, and their first hit was a group version of Bob Dylan's song "It Ain't Me, Babe." Through the remainder of their career, the Turtles retained a certain folk detachment that sometimes almost seemed to undercut their sweet vocals. One of their biggest hits, the romantic ballad "You Showed Me," was even written for the group by Gene Clark and Roger McGuinn of The Byrds, the original pioneers of folk rock.

But the pressure was there for a sound that was more "pop," and eventually the Turtles delivered a chart-topping song that had been rejected by over 12 other groups - "Happy Together." One of the songwriter's later admitted that its chorus, descending through the notes of a chord, was inspired by the sound of another musician continuously tuning his guitar. It's a fitting beginning, since the Turtles always tried to cling to a playful irony while complying with the need for subsequent hits.

One story finds the band sarcastically composing overly-cliched lyrics to protest the pressure for another hit like "Happy Together." Ultimately a song was assembled containing its lines - including "I think you're swell" and "You're my pride and joy, etc." - but with a sweet delivery of the vocals and some excellent studio production, "Eleanor" actually became a top-ten single. Even more whimsy followed, since the song became part of the album "Battle of the Bands." On it the Turtles sang eleven different songs, each reflecting a different style of popular music, and each attributed to a different imaginary band.

The band gained interest from the music industry. They were tapped by Pepsi to record a commercial to represent the choice of a new generation, and sang the title track for a movie called "Guide For the Married Man." But the band also achieved credibility with some of the 60s most-respected performers. The band counts meeting the Beatles as one of their career highlights, and the Turtles' final album was produced by Ray Davies of the Kinks. When the band disintegrated, Kaylan, Volman, and bassist Jim Pons even joined Frank Zappa's band, "The Mothers of Invention."

In perhaps the ultimate statement about the music industry, the band disintegrated with outstanding legal claims from three different record labels. But the singles they left behind offer hints of the young singers at the center of it all, performing a unique juggling act of music and integrity, pop lyrics and playful fun.

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