Forgotten 60s Band Gems
Easy Guitar Lessons from Obscure Classics
Not every great 60s song came from a household name.
This page shines a spotlight on the forgotten gems of the 1960s music scene—one-hit wonders, lesser-known vocal groups, and regional bands that left a lasting impression.
From Every Mothers Son to The Paris Sisters, these overlooked artists delivered catchy, memorable tunes that deserve a second listen—and they’re a joy to play on acoustic guitar.
Below, you’ll find beginner-friendly lessons for 13 of these under-the-radar songs, with chords, strumming tips, and demo videos to help you learn.
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Forgotten 60s Band Gems List
1.Every Mothers Son - Come On Down To My Boat2. Pickettywitch - Baby I Won't Let You Down
3. Ray Columbus And The Invaders - Til We Kissed
4. The Brothers Four - Greenfields, The Green Leaves Of Summer
5. The Flying Machine - Smile A Little Smile For Me
6. The Lettermen - The Way You Look Tonight
7. The Love Affair - A Day Without Love
8. The Marbles - The Walls Fell Down
9. The Myddle Class - Free As The Wind
10x. The Paris Sisters - I Love How You Love Me
11. The Rooftop Singers - Walk Right In
12. The Steam Machine - Let The Feeling Begin
13. The Wonders - That Thing You Do
1. Every Mothers Son Songs - Learn To Play On Guitar
Come On Down To My Boat was a single released by Every Mothers Son back in 1967 and it peaked at #6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The song can be found on the album "Every Mothers Son".
Chords And Strumming
I play a capo 3rd fret here but capos are always optional. Just a simple down up down up rhythm pattern with a few riffs blended into strumming. The chords you'll need are G, D, C, F and D7.
Guitar Lesson Details - (chords & lyrics sheet incl with lesson)
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2. Pickettywitch Songs - Learn To Play On Guitar
Baby I Won't Let You Down ... info soon.
Chord sheet and video lesson found in the zip file below.
Chords And Strumming
Soon.
Guitar Lesson Details - (chords & lyrics sheet incl with lesson)
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3. Ray Columbus And The Invaders Songs - Learn To Play On Guitar
Til We Kissed was from Ray Columbus And The Invaders who were a rock back from New Zealand from 1964 to 1966.
Til We Kissed was released in 1965 but surprisingly never charted in either Australia or New Zealand.
Chords And Strumming
This one you can with down strokes for rhythm and then it switches into a root down up root up down up and repeat pattern. In standard tuning with the chords A, D, E and a Gb with a little bit of lead.
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4. The Brothers Four Songs - Learn To Play On Guitar
Greenfields was a hit song in 1960 reaching #2 on the Pop Charts.
It can be found on their debut album "The Brothers Four".
Chords And Strumming
A capo 2nd fret works here with an arpeggio 1-2-3 then up down up and repeat rhythm pattern. The chords you'll need are Am, Dm, E, F, G, C and A7 but no lead required.
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The Green Leaves Of Summer was included on The Brothers Four's album "BMOC/Best Music On/Off Campus," which was released in 1960. This album was one of their early successful releases and helped establish their reputation in the folk music scene.
As for chart performance, "The Green Leaves of Summer" reached number 65 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. While not a top 10 hit, it still made a respectable showing on the charts and contributed to The Brothers Four's popularity.
It's worth noting that the song itself was originally written by Dimitri Tiomkin and Paul Francis Webster for the 1960 film "The Alamo." The Brothers Four's version helped popularize the song beyond its original movie context.
Chords And Strumming
Play a down down up down up down up down up rhythm quick shuffle pattern in standard tuning. No lead work but for chords you'll need a Dm, D, A7,
Guitar Lesson Details - (chords & lyrics sheet incl with lesson)
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5. The Flying Machine Songs - Learn To Play On Guitar
Smile A Little Smile For Me was a debut single from The Flying machine off their album "The Flying Machine" from 1969.
The song was a #6 hit in the US and a #4 in Canada.
Chords And Strumming
For the rhythm here play a root down up down up root up down up and repeat pattern with the chords C, G6, Am, Am/G, F, Dm, Gsus, G and A7. A bit of lead blended into the rhythm required here.
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6. The Lettermen Songs - Learn To Play On Guitar
The Way You Look Tonight song dates back to 1936 when Fred Astaire sang the song in a film called Swing Time.
Up through the years other artists recorded the song including Phil Collins, Rod Stewart, Bing Crosby and in 1961, The Lettermen had a #13 in the US and a #36 in the UK with their version.
Chords And Strumming
The chords here are Em, C, B7, Dbm, Gbm, E, G, Gb, F, D, Bm and Am, played in standard tuning and no lead work. For rhythm play a down down down up down down and repeat pattern with some down strokes in places.
Guitar Lesson Details - (chords & lyrics sheet incl with lesson)
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7. The Love Affair Songs - Learn To Play On Guitar
A Day Without Love was a hit single for The Love Affair, released in 1968. It appeared on their debut album, "The Everlasting Love Affair," which was also released that year.
The song performed well on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 6 and further solidifying the band's popularity following their number one hit "Everlasting Love." Written by Philip Goodhand-Tait, "A Day Without Love" showcased Steve Ellis's powerful vocals and the band's signature blend of pop and soul.
Chords And Strumming
I play this one with a down down up down up down up rhythm pattern. There is some d-cending orchestration line in here which can be duplicated slightly on the acoustic. The chords you'll need here are G, D/Gb. F, E7, Am, Am/G, D, C/G, C and an Em.
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8. The Marbles Songs - Learn To Play On Guitar
The Walls Fell Down
was written by The Bee Gees and recorded by The Marbles and released as
a single in 1969. The song was a top 10 in The Netherlands and Belgium.
Graham Bonnet sang lead on this one and takes it much higher then I do
here.
Chords And Strumming
Play a down down up down up down up pattern but it will get somewhat interrupted as you make some quick chord changes. The song is in standard tuning and does a two fret key change near the end of the song. Chords you'll need here are D, G, A7, B7, E and an A.
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9. The Myddle Class Songs - Learn To Play On Guitar
Free As The Wind was a single released by The Myddle Class in 1965. The song as far as I know never appeared on any album.
Chords And Strumming
This one is played with a capo 3rd fret and played with mainly all down strokes. No lead here to worry about as you play through the chords C, A#, Am, F, Dm and a G.
Guitar Lesson Details - (chords & lyrics sheet incl with lesson)
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10. The Paris Sisters Songs - Learn To Play On Guitar
I Love How You Love Me was a top five hit for The Paris Sisters in 1961. The song was released as a single and not part of any album that I am aware of. They work with well known record producer Phil Spector for this number. Bobby Vinton also recorded the song later on.
Chords And Strumming
There are 5 chords in this one and they are G, Em, C, D and a Gmaj7 with a bit of picking and a capo 3rd fret for the original key of A#. The rhythm is a 1-2-3 down up down where 1-2-3 are just notes in the chord arpeggio style.
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11. The Rooftop Singers Songs
- Learn To Play On Guitar
Walk Right In is an old blues tune from 1929 that was revived in 1963 by a group called Rooftop Singers who had a huge #1 in several countries with their re-make.
The song is on their album of the same name.
Chords And Strumming
I like to play a drop D tuning in this one with a capo 1st fret and some lead. The chords here are G, E7, C, C7, A7 and a D7 with a root up down up rhythm pattern with some riffs all through the song.
Guitar Lesson Details - (chords & lyrics sheet incl with lesson)
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12. The Steam Machine Songs - Learn To Play On Guitar
Let The Feeling Begin is a song by The Steam Machine but it's difficult to find any info on this song.
I'm not sure but this may be a song from 1971 and the band may be based out of Germany. I'll leave it here for the time being.
Chords And Strumming
For rhythm here a down down down up down up and repeat pattern will work in standard tuning and a capo 2nd fret to keep the original key. There is some lead while playing the chords D, G, Em, A7, Fm, A#, D# and G#.
Guitar Lesson Details - (chords & lyrics sheet incl with lesson)
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13. The Wonders Songs - Learn To Play On Guitar
That Thing You Do, is a song by The Wonders, a fictional band from the 1996 film "That Thing You Do!" written and directed by Tom Hanks. The movie is about a one-hit wonder band from Erie, Pennsylvania, in the 1960s.
The
song was written by Adam Schlesinger and recorded by the real band
Fountains of Wayne. Although The Wonders are not a real band, their
story and music pay tribute to 1960s pop rock and the experiences of
real bands from that era.
Chords And Strumming
This one is in Drop D Tuning and a capo 2nd fret with the chords D, G, A, Bm, G7, C, A7, D7, Gm, A/A#, A7sus and A#. Several rhythm patterns including and down up down up while playing a walking bass, some down strokes and chops throughout. Some lead work in this one.
Guitar Lesson Details - (chords & lyrics sheet incl with lesson)
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If you enjoy digging deeper into the 60s for lost treasures, this collection of forgotten band gems offers a refreshing break from the usual hits. Each song featured here delivers charm, nostalgia, and playable guitar arrangements that will enrich your songbook.
Be sure to check out our other 60s pages for more guitar lessons, including British Invasion hits and iconic pop-rock bands of the era.
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