An Idiosyncratic Early 60s Playlist (June 27, 2010)

So Theory of My Mind, The Amygdaloids new CD is out. Doing something like this makes me think of all the songs that have played a role in my life. Indeed, music has a way of digging out long lost memories and amplifying those that are close to the surface. So I decided to make a list of my ealry musical memories by taking a mental stroll down my memory lane.

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 New Orleans, Fats Domino

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

Liberty Valence, Gene Pitney

From a Jack to a King, Ned Miller

Miller’s Cave, Bobby Bare

Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Major Lance

Mashed 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

No Particular Place to Go, Chuck Berry

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

Washington Square, The Village Stompers

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, Kingston Trio

There But Poor Fortune, Joan Baez

Bleecker Street, Simon and Garfunkle

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 Mersey, Gerry and the Pacemakers

How Do You Do It, Gerry and the Pacemakers

Bad to Me, Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas

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 N^o9, The Searchers

I Get Around, Beach Boys

Surfer Girl, Beach Boys

In 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 Garfunkle

For 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

Highway 61 Revisited, Bob Dylan