My journey covers the early 60s, which will roughly mean 1957-1965. I started with some early memories of songs, and then free associated around each memory to genertae the list.
Although I listened to my parents Big Band records as a youngster, and heard a lot of Cajun music on a daily basis, the first memory of what I consider "my music" was sitting in the cafe near my home in Eunice, LA, when I was 8 or so years old, staring longingly at the beautiful blond waitress while she told me about her boyfriend with a ducktail, black leather jacket and a Harely, all while Elvis sang "Don't Be Cruel" on the juke box. Then there was the trip to Texas to visit a family member where we stopped for lunch near Deridder, LA, and I heard "Ring of Fire" on the juke box. Another memory invovled the 45 rpm rack of Walker's 5 and dime, off of which I bought my first records, "Walking to New Orleans" and "Deep Purple" (no, not the band Deep Purple, the haunting love song by April Stevens and Nino Tempo). Others memories included hanging in the "outdoor kitchen" of a friend every day after school, "Twistin' the Night Away" to Sam Cooke, and listening old style R and B on my Philips Transistor Radio light at night when I should have been asleep. Then there was a folk stint, where "Tom Dooley" and "Washington Square" were promiment fixtures in my mind as I struggled to learn how to play a nylon string folk guitar. But the transistor also brought me "I Saw Her Standing There" while taking a bath early one evening and everything changed. The folk guitar was out the window. After bargining with my paretns, I did a mail order from Sears for a Silvertone Electric and picked up a Fender Deluxe from a local music shop.
My mnemonic play list doesn't segue past the early British Invasion into the Pyschedelic Era, which would be a whole additional list. After I was done, I edited the list a little to give it some kind of chronolological flavor, but didn't look up the dates when the songs were released. In fact, its more psychological than chronological since its based on memories and impressions. The whole thing, to quote Maxine Brown, is "All in My Mind" (Thanks Lenny Kaye for that one).
Speaking of Lenny, this is not meant to be a collection of recommendations in the sense that his Nuggets records were. It's just a sampling of what I remember listening to. And since I don't trust memory, inclduing my own, you shouldn't either. But that's another story for another time.
Joe’s early 60s Musical Memories (mostly if not all between 1957-1965)
in psycho-chronological order
Don’t Be Cruel, Elvis
Blue Suede Shoes, Cark Perkins (and Elvis)
Return to Sender, Elvis
Ring of Fire, Johnny Cash
Walk the Line, Johnny Cash
Walking to
Blueberry Hill, Fats Domino
Deep Purple, April Stevens and Nino Tempo
Sugar Shack, Jimmy Gilmer
Take These Chains from My Heart, Ray Charles
Lucky Old Sun, Ray Charles
What’d I Say, Ray Charles
Searchin’, The Coasters
He’s So Fine, The Chiffons
My Boyfriend’s Back, The Angles
Green Onions, Booker T. and the MGs
Fingertips Pt. 2, Stevie Wonder
Last Kiss, Wayne Cochran
From a Jack to a King, Ned Miller
Miller’s Cave, Bobby Bare
Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Major LanceMashed Potato Time, Dee Dee Sharp
The Twist, Chubby Checker
Twistin’ the Night Away, Sam Cooke
Duke of Earl, Gene Chandler
Kidnapper, Jewel and the Rubies
It’s Raining, Irma Thomas
Hello Stranger, Barbara Lewis
I’m Leaving It All Up to You, Dale and Grace
Heat Wave, Martha and the Vandellas
Matilda, Cookie and the Cupcakes
Mother in Law, Ernie K Doe
Night Train, James Brown
Pipeline, The Ventures
High Heel Sneakers, Tommy Tucker
Gypsy Woman, Curtis Mayfield (Impressions)
It’s All Right, Curtis Mayfield (Impressions)
Since I Fell for You, Lenny Welch
Where Have All the Flowers Gone, Pete Seeger
Don’t Think Twice It’s Allright, Bob Dylan
My Back Pages, Bob Dylan
Motorpsycho Nitemare, Bob Dylan
Walk Right In, The Rooftop Singers
Tom Dooley,
There But Poor Fortune, Joan Baez
Sounds of Silence, Simon and Garfunkle
For Emily, Simon and Garfunkle
I Saw Her Standing There, The Beatles
I Wanna Hold Your Hand, The Beatles
She Loves You, The Beatles
Ferry Cross the
How Do You Do It, Gerry and the Pacemakers
Bad to Me, Billy J Kramer and the
I’m Telling You Now, Freddie and the Dreamers
Satisfaction, The Rolling Stones
Time Is On My Side, The Rolling Stones
Tell Her No, The Zombies
She’s Not There, The Zombies
Well Respected Man About Town, The Kinks
House of the Rising Sun, The Animals
You’re No Good, Swinging Blue Jeans
I’m Into Something Good, Herman’s Hermits
Mrs. Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter, Herman’s Hermits
Needles and Pins, The Searchers
Don’t Throw Your Love Away, The Searchers
Love Potion No9, The Searchers
I Get Around, Beach Boys
Surfer Girl, Beach BoysIn My Room, Beach Boys
Rhythm of the Rain, The Cascades
Telstar, The Tornados
Runaway, Del Shannon
Louie Louie, The Kingsmen
96 Tears ? & the Mysterians
Not So Long Ago, The Uniques
Sounds of Silence, Simon and GarfunkleFor Emily, Simon and Garfunkle
Don’t Think Twice It’s Allright, Bob Dylan
My Back Pages, Bob Dylan
Motorpsycho Nitemare, Bob Dylan
Like a Rolling Stone, Bob Dylan
