Little Stevie Wonder - Castles In The Sand [1964]

The iconic Stevie Wonder is beloved for his string of timeless singles spanning more than six decades, and especially his 70s streak of classic albums. Much less attention, however, is given to his early period as Little Stevie Wonder, a moniker which he employed for his first four albums and dropped in time for his breakthrough single Uptight in '65. His final album under the name, Stevie At The Beach, came at the height of the Beach Boys hysteria. Indicative of his long future in genre-defying, he built on his earlier jazz, soul and rhythm & blues influences by further incorporating pop, rock n' roll, and even doo-wop. Castles In The Sand does a brilliant job of opening the record as a 14-year old Stevie delivers his heartfelt pleas over a gorgeous string section.

The Flares - Foot Stomping [1961]

In memory of the late great David Bowie, here's one of the many forgotten 60s classics that inspired his legendary catalog of music. The Flares were an L.A. doo-wop group that released a mere two singles in their career, but this one managed to become ingrained in rock n' roll history via those it influenced. It's rumored that Bowie listened to the song incessantly while in studio sessions with John Lennon, and the result was his first #1 hit - Fame. This is supported by the fact that in 1974 Bowie covered the song on the Dick Cavett Show using an instrumental almost identical to that of Fame.

Betty Bibbs - The Story Of My Life [19??]

With the release year of The Story Of My Life a complete mystery, soul sister Betty Bibbs' b-side promises to be our most obscure track yet. Based on earlier releases in '65 and '68, however, we can presume that the song was likely recorded in the late '60s or early '70s. Don't be misled by the Motown label on the record though -  Bibbs hails from the deep south and, as a result, is able to inject a gospel quality into her music quite organically. Backed by a charming instrumental and a powerful choir, here she compellingly delivers a desperate but ultimately hopeful lament over her tumultuous romantic life.

Eternity's Children - Mrs. Bluebird [1968]

Starting out as a Mississippi folk duo, Eternity's Children continuously added more instruments and voices into their music until they had developed one of the most rich and complex sounds among pop artists of the time. Not without irony is it that they split up after giving us only two albums; but their latter, self-titled release has come to be regarded as a holy grail of 60s sunshine pop. A genre that most bands oversimplify and fail to make interesting, Eternity's Children incorporated lush production, flawless male/female vocal harmonies and some surprisingly impressive lead guitar to craft tragically underrated singles such as Mrs. Bluebird.