The 2nd Thought from Duluth, Minnesota featured (from left to right above) Timothy (Tim) Koivisto on lead guitar, James (Jim) Johnson on bass guitar, Charles (Chuck) Cox on rhythm guitar, Dennis Robinson on drums, and Kerry Demeria on lead vocals and organ. The garage rock band was assembled by the remaining members of an earlier band called The DeVilles after their lead singer, Junior Thompson, left in 1966. Junior’s parents managed the DeVilles and claimed ownership of the name.

This song’s melody may sound familiar to you. I don’t know much about the composer and arranger, Peter Steinberg, except that he’d also produced a record for another garage rock band in St. Paul, Minnesota, who called themselves Men At Work (a couple decades before the Australian group with the same name). The melody of this song is actually a composite of two different tunes, the first one being He’s Got The Whole World (In His Hands), a very old and traditional American spiritual made famous in 1958 by England’s Laurie London and the Geoff Love Orchestra and Chorus.

The other part of the melody is considerably older, being composed originally by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and known to us as Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (A Little Night Music).

Those are the ingredients. Now just mix them both together, sprinkle in some catchy lyrics, apply a little garage rock flavoring, and the musical magic comes out here!

I just think this is a really catchy tune and I never seem to get tired of hearing it. Here’s When I’m In Love by 2nd Thought on Gloria 777 from 1966:

Due to a couple of back-to-back medical emergencies I’ve fallen behind on new posts here. Somehow I managed to escape the Grim Reaper’s grip, so I’ll just have to wait to conduct my interviews with John Lennon, Buddy Holly, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin and the like. In the meantime, I’m back, and I swear I’ll get caught up with some really cool new MusicMaster Oldies for you to enjoy!