friday random ten, 1960 edition
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Artist:
1. Rosie & the Originals, "Angel Baby." The video link is to a scene from one of my very favorite movies, My Family, Mi Familia. Subbing for Rosie in the film is Jeanette Jurado from Exposé.
2. Duane Eddy, "Because They're Young." The video link here is classic, the trailer for the movie from which this song comes. That movie was Dick Clark's first ... yes, that Dick Clark.
3. Brook Benton and Dinah Washington, "Baby (You've Got What It Takes)."
4. Connie Francis, "Everybody's Somebody's Fool." The stuff you learn on Wikipedia. "She recorded in thirteen languages throughout her career: English, Greek, German, Swedish, Dutch, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian (and its dialect Neapolitan), Hebrew, Yiddish, Japanese, Latin and Hawaiian. During a concert at the Golden Stag Festival in BraÅŸov, Romania in March 1970, Francis performed live in Romanian."
5. Ike & Tina Turner, "A Fool in Love." Turner and his band were ready to record this song, but the vocalist was a no-show. Tina stepped in ... she wasn't called "Tina" yet ... and just like that, Ike Turner and His Kings of Rhythm became The Ike & Tina Turner Revue.
6. Fats Domino, "Walking to New Orleans." Is it possible to be underrated when you're in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, you were the best-selling black rocker of the 50s, and the instant one of your songs comes on it brings a smile to the face of the listener? It has always seemed to me that Fats is left out when they talk about the pantheon of great early rockers. Maybe I'm wrong ... I'd put him up there, anyway.
7. The Fendermen, "Mule Skinner Blues." One-hit wonders, sure, but the video of them revisiting their moment is delightful.
8. Harold Dorman, "Mountain of Love." The "video" link is to an audio-only version from 1975 by some guy named Bruce who will be playing in Washington D.C. soon.
9. The Capris, "There's a Moon Out Tonight." Originally recorded in late 1958, and released on a tiny label in '59, after which The Capris broke up and their lead singer went into the Army. Through an odd sequence of events, in 1960 the song became a local hit in New York, and when the singer got out of the Army, he found out they were playing the song on the radio. A lot. The band quit their day jobs and reformed ... soon afterwards, they were playing the Apollo.
10. Muddy Waters, "Got My Mojo Workin'." I don't know if it's possible to overstate how great I think this video is, especially the last minute or so.
Locating MOG account...
Comments (6)
I sure wish you were a program director back in the day.
I'd say with the exception of Muddy Waters, you could have heard all of this week's songs on a typical 1960 Top 40 station. Not that I wouldn't like the job :-) ... of course, I was only 7 years old at the time ...
That may be so where you are.
Glad to see the Top 10 return, and to 1960 as well. Do you plan to move forward chronologically or just occasionally pick a year and go with it?
Same as before, moving forward.
That Muddy video is wonderful, especially the last minute or so. What a stylish dresser, and so light on his feet. It's easy to see why he was so successful with the ladies. Looking atthis, those photos of T Bone with his guitar behind his head (another stylish dresser) and listening to the early BB King tracks from RPM (on Do The Boogie especially) it's plain to see that while it was called the blues, these bands had a job to entertain and get people dancing.