Classics IV was a pop rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida, United Sta… Read Full Bio ↴Classics IV was a pop rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida, United States, in 1965.

The seeds of what was to become The Classics IV were sown in Jacksonville, Florida in the early 1960s when a young drummer named Dennis Yost joined some high school classmates in a band called "The Echoes". By 1965, he had moved on to form a another group with James Cobb, Wally Eaton, and Joe Wilson, calling themselves "The Classics". Wilson was eventually replaced in the group by Dean Daughtry.
The group achieved their first taste of success with a local hit titled "Pollyanna" written by Joe South. The band started to attract attention, not only for their soulful sound, but Dennis was one of the few drummers to play while standing up and also singing lead. When the band learned of a New York City group that had a small amount of success with a song titled "Till Then," using the same name, they changed their handle to "The Four Classics" and eventually "The Classics IV".

By 1967, the band had moved to Atlanta, Georgia and were soon approached by Bill Lowery of The Lowery Music Group, who secured a recording contract with Capitol Records. For their first release, guitarist James Cobb and producer Buddy Buie added lyrics to an instrumental called "Spooky", a regional hit for saxophonist Mike Sharpe. After the record's release, it was picked up by a radio station in Louisville, Kentucky and began to get airplay. The song's popularity spread nationally and it climbed to number 3 on Billboard's Hot 100 in early in 1968, although it only reached number 46 in the UK.

Now in demand for TV and live appearances, the group hired drummer Kim Venable and brought Dennis Yost to the front to sing. A follow up song called "Soul Train" failed to match the success of "Spooky", but another tune written by James Cobb and Buddy Buie, "Stormy" shot up the chart to number 5 in 1969, becoming the band's second million seller. Later the same year, they scored a number 2 hit and a third gold record with "Traces Of Love", also written by Cobb and Buie. Touring with the hottest acts of the day, Dennis Yost and The Classics IV scored two more hits in late 1969, a number 12 hit called "Every Day With You Girl" and "Change Of Heart" which reached number 25.

They changed their name again, to Dennis Yost and the Classics IV, and had one last minor hit, "What Am I Crying For?" (1972, #39) on the MGM South label.

As musical tastes changed, guitarists James Cobb and Dean Daughtry, along with producer Buddy Buie left The Classics IV to team up with some former members of Roy Orbison's back up band. The result was The Atlanta Rhythm Section, who would go on to have an impressive string of hits in the 70s, including two Top 10 records, "So In To You" and "Imaginary Lover" along with their own cover version of "Spooky".

An attempt to feature Dennis Yost as a solo artist never got off the ground and he could only muster minor success with, "Midnight" and "Where Did All The Good Times Go", as he switched labels to Imperial in 1972. One last top forty entry, "What Am I Crying For?" was released on the MGM South label and a final effort, "Rosanna" stalled at number 95 in March of 1973.

Although he could no longer make a hit record, Yost never stopped touring, and continued to appear with the likes of Gary Lewis and The Playboys, Chuck Berry, The Drifters, The Coasters, The Turtles, Paul Revere and The Raiders, Eric Clapton and many others. After moving to Nashville in 1993, he added writing and record production to his list of accomplishments. He currently has twenty-seven published works to his credit and produced Barbara Lewis ("Hello Stranger," "Baby, I'm Yours," and "Make Me Your Baby") on a song called "Donor" to help the cause of organ donation awareness.

At the turn of the millennium, Dennis underwent successful throat surgery for a condition that had severely impaired his singing voice. He also won a trademark dispute which gave him exclusive rights to the name "The Classics IV" for both performing and recording purposes.

24 Hours of Loneliness
Classics IV Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Nine O'clock I'm sayin'
ten O'clock I'm blue
twelve O'clock I line away
cryin' over you.
Twenty four hours of loneliness
miss you everyday ran on time
twenty four hours of loneliness
assisted that of you

to loose my mind.
One O'clock I'm dreaming
half of years to be
two O'clock I call your name
but you don't answer me.
Twenty four hours of loneliness
miss you everyday ran on time
twenty four hours of loneliness

assisted that of you
to loose my mind.

Overall Meaning

The song "24 Hours of Loneliness" by Classics IV featuring Dennis Yost is a heartbreaking ballad about heartbreak and the pain of lost love. The lyrics paint a picture of the singer's mental and emotional state as he experiences a day in solitude with thoughts consumed by the person he is missing deeply. As the hours progress, the sense of loneliness intensifies, and the singer feels himself slipping into a state of despair.

The first stanza of the song sets the scene with the singer lamenting the passing of time, telling us that at Nine O'clock he's fine, but as the hours pass, he becomes increasingly blue. By midnight, he feels like he's wasting away, crying over the loss of his love. In the chorus, the term "twenty-four hours of loneliness" repeats a few times, emphasizing the intensity of the emotions the singer is feeling. In the second stanza, the scene shifts to dreams where the singer is hoping for a reunion with his love, but as he calls their name, they don't answer, further adding to his despair.

Overall, this song is a poignant representation of heartbreak and longing for a lost love. It's a timeless theme that many can relate to, and the lyrics are deeply expressive, allowing the listener to feel the emotions along with the singer.

Line by Line Meaning

Nine O'clock I'm sayin'
At 9 o'clock, I am expressing something

ten O'clock I'm blue
By 10 o'clock, I'm feeling sad

twelve O'clock I line away
At midnight, I lie awake

cryin' over you.
and crying over you.

Twenty four hours of loneliness
For a whole day, I feel lonely

miss you everyday ran on time
I miss you every day, as time keeps passing by

twenty four hours of loneliness
Another 24 hours of feeling lonely

assisted that of you
All because of you

to loose my mind.
I am going crazy.

One O'clock I'm dreaming
At 1 o'clock, I dream

half of years to be
About the memories we shared half a decade ago