It’s been awfully serious around these parts lately, not just here on the blog but also in KC and around the country, so I thought this would be a good time to Lighten Up!
Yessir…And one of the best ways to lighten up is to go down in the basement, root through the plastic milk crates and pull out some of the best 45s from the 1960s.
So, a bit dusty but no worse for the wear, I have come up with, for your listening pleasure, five of Billboard magazine’s top songs of 1961.
(The rankings were based on Hot 100 charts from the issue dates of January through November 1961.)
Why did I pick 1961 you ask? Well, as I’ve been driving around lately, I’ve made note of some of the best songs I’ve heard on SiriusXM, and it just so happened that two of the songs I jotted down were from 1961.
So — I says to myself — why not pick three others from that year and make it a 5-pack? (I wasn’t serious about the milk cartons.)
Here we go, then, with five of the very best songs from 1961, when I was miserable as a freshman at all-boys St. Xavier High School in Louisville, KY, with the music helping to soothe my savage adolescence.
“Pretty Little Angel Eyes,” No. 77
This song, recorded by Curtis Lee, who died in 2015, would be in my Top 10 for ’61. One of the back-up singers, Arthur Crier, just kills it with his bass intro. “Pretty Little Angel Eyes” spent 11 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 7. It was produced by Phil Spector.
(Listen, in particular, for the bell sound at the 1:36 mark and the down-and-dirty sax solo at the 1:50 mark.)
**
“Daddy’s Home,” No. 41
Fantastic song by Shep and the Limelites. It’s in the droopy-drawers mode, slow and heart piercing, but the message is happy because Daddy (be he father, boyfriend or husband) is home after a long spell away. The song was written by the band members, James “Shep” Sheppard (1935–1970), Clarence Bassett (1936–2005) and Charles Baskerville (1936 to 1995). The group recorded the original version on Feb. 1, 1961, and it was released on Hull Records the following month. It reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was kept out of the No. 1 spot by Ricky Nelson’s “Travelin’ Man.”
Killer line…“How I waited for this moment…to be by your side…”
**
“Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” No. 16
What I remember most about this song is one of my high-school buddies, Dan McFarlane, singing this in full falsetto while driving us around in his white and bronze, ’56 Chevy convertible. Now that was some fun. (Thank God he never wrecked us ’cause there was some fast driving going on.)
The song was written by the nonpareil team of Gerry Goffin and Carole King, who herself recorded an achingly penetrating version in 1971. The Shirelles, who did the original version, were the first Black, all-girl group to record a song that reached No. 1 in the U.S.
Do you love the timeless question…
Is this a lasting treasure
Or just a moment’s pleasure
**
“Take Good Care of My Baby,” No. 12
My favorite “Bobby” singer is either Vee or Darin, depending on what I’m listening to and when. They were both fabulous. “Take Good Care of My Baby,” of course, was a Bobby Vee hit.
This, coincidentally, is another gem from the Goffin/King team, but it got a slight augmentation by King before Vee recorded it. The story goes that while searching for material for Vee to record, producer Snuff Garrett heard a demo sung by King. Garrett told publisher Don Kirshner he wanted the song for Vee but thought it needed an introductory verse. Garrett met with King, and, voila…“My tears are fallin’ ’cause you’ve taken her away…”
The song spent 15 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching No. 1 on Sept. 21, 1961. It stayed there three weeks.
**
Tossin’ and Turnin,’ No. 1
You’ll never find a more deserving No. 1 than this…It kicks ass and keeps on kickin.’
The call-and-response between the driving lead of Bobby Lewis and the soaring back-up of The Swanettes makes me want to jump up and dance with the door knob, even with my two replaced knees.
And how about that line that takes you back even past the early ’60s — “I heard the milkman at the door…”
Now that’s insomnia!
The song was written by Ritchie Adams and Malou Rene and originally recorded in the fall of 1960. It was released on the Beltone label in December 1960, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on July 10, 1961, and spent seven weeks there. It sold three million copies. In 2008, Billboard ranked it the 27th biggest song of all time.
Bobby Lewis lived to be 95 and died less than two months ago, on April 28. The cause was reported to be pneumonia, which makes me wonder if it was really the coronavirus.
In any event, thank you, Bobby, for a song so powerful I think it would make a despondent person come down from the ledge.
(This isn’t the best audio version, but I couldn’t resist the American-Bandstand dancing.)
JimmyCsays: At the juncture of journalism and daily life in KC 
Wow. This is great. I attended George Washington HS in NYC from 1963-1966. Loved the music of that time, from the English Invasion to Motown, political commentary to stupid. Favorites included Del Shannon, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles, Dionne Warwick, et al. Just so many great singers, great songs. Thanks, Jim, for giving us these classics to listen to.
Thanks for taking the time to research “the oldies and goldies of ’61.” It tempts me to do my research and see which five I would choose.
On a related topic, I found some very interesting memories on YouTube. Found music by Louisville’s own Monarchs (with Mike Gibson singing) and the Epics with Janie Moss singing “You’re Mine.” Even has the rough and tough Cosmo and the Counts. Couldn’t find the Owen twins (Tommy and Jimmy).
I enjoy your writing…especially when you do the trips down memory lane.
I well remember the Monarchs, the Epics and Cosmo and the Counts. To us Louisvillians, they seemed out of this world. In retrospect, their luster dims. But they will always be an important part of our formative years.. I think the Monarchs are still performing.
Wow, Jim, what a fun-filled choice of 5 Billboard magazine top 100 songs! Seems like your picks matched some of my favorites. This blog succeeded in lightening our mood amidst COVID 19.
Ray and I grew up together as teens in our KCK neighborhood. One of our favorite activities was gathering our friends together for “dance parties.” Everyone brought snacks and their most-loved 45 records with the intention of meeting at my dad’s SHOP (a workshop in our backyard) to dance and socialize the night away! Well maybe I’m exaggerating because all of us had a curfew.
These SHOP parties are still memorable with the blue light bulb, lively 60s music, dancing teenagers and just plain, simple fun!!!
Thanks for awakening these happy memories for us!
Linda
A lot of stuff could go on under the dim light of those blue bulbs, Linda.
Love the dress code at the Bandstand. Can you see today’s “youts” doing that?
Thanks Fitz! You’ve brought back a lot of great memories. When I was a kid in Memphis I used to run over and crank up the radio when I’d hear Tossin’ and Turnin’ come on. I would do the same when the DJs played this record:
Keep this up and you could be the next Bill Shapiro, Fitz!
Got your tickets for the Derby yet?!
We’ve decided not to risk it, even though news came out today, which you’re probably alluding to, that a limited number of fans will be admitted. (Haven’t said exactly how many.) Hotel/motel prices are out of sight, and the risk is still high. We’ll go a week or two after the Derby.
News and weather on the hour…
Brilliant as he is, Jim no doubt chose to focus on the music of 1961 because 1961 represents the numerical equivalent of an ambigram, a word that reads the same whether written right side up or upside down. The next year that this will occur is 6009. What will our world be like then, I wonder, if it even still exists? And if it does, what will they be listening to then? Hey, great songs all, although I like the Carole King song the best and regard it as being the most timeless of them all – “Will you still love me tomorrow?” A question anyone who has ever been in love has surely asked at some point.