1963 - 1961 April Daily Songs

For this segment, I suppose 1962 was the most interesting year and 1961 was the most emotionally resonant year.

First of all, 1962 could have been all "twist" songs if I wanted. The dance craze started in 1958, but at least for songs charting this must have been the height. Then there are three "shout" songs, with one overlap: the Isley Brothers' "Twist and Shout".

1962 may have also been more notably racist. One of the songs that bothered me was "Speedy Gonzales" by Pat Boone. Reading about Boone and evangelicalsim in Jesus and John Wayne and also seeing there was a suit because the song was recorded and released without permission to use Mel Blanc's vocalizations... well, I guess it all kind of fits.

It was a little thing in 1961, but I recognized Bert Kaempfert's "Wonderland By Night"; a jazz song when most of the familiar ones are more rock. It was on one of the albums my father had.

When I played it, one of my sisters came to me almost accusingly, "What is that?" She almost pulled our other sister out of the shower.

There's something there when a memory has been so distant but is so clear when it comes up.

Maybe it is harder if you associate it with your father who is still fairly recently dead.

You know, if we went to 1960, "Volare" would come up, which is one of the songs that my mother still responds to, though it is not the one that she kind of sang along to or the one that made her cry.

Music can get you.

That's important to me, but there are moments.

1963

4/1 “Be My Baby” by The Ronettes
4/2 “Wipeout” by The Surfaris
4/3 “Mean Woman Blues” by Roy Orbison
4/4 “Up On the Roof” by The Drifters
4/5 “Wild Weekend” by The Rebels
4/6 “Maria Elena” by Los Indios Tabajaras
4/7 “Ring of Fire” by Johnny Cash
4/8 “One Fine Day” by The Chiffons
4/9 “Busted” by Ray Charles
4/10 “Blame It On the Bossa Nova” by Eydie Gormé

1962

4/11 “The Twist” by Chubby Checker
4/12 “Twistin’ the Night Away” by Sam Cooke
4/13 “Alley Cat” by Bent Fabric
4/14 “Twist and Shout” by The Isley Brothers
4/15 “Hey Baby” by Bruce Channel
4/16 “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley
4/17 “Venus in Blue Jeans” by Jimmy Clanton
4/18 “Surfin’ Safari” by The Beach Boys
4/19 “Percolator (Twist)” by Billie Joe and the Checkmates
4/20 “Shout Shout (Knock Yourself Out)” by Ernie Maresca

1961

4/21 “Bristol Stomp” by The Dovells
4/22 “Who Put the Bomp (in the Bomp Bomp Bomp)” by Barry Mann
4/23 “Take Five” by The Dave Brubeck Quartet
4/24 “Mama Said” by The Shirelles
4/25 “Angel Baby” by Rosie and the Originals
4/26 “Pretty Little Angel Eyes” by Curtis Lee
4/27 “Wonderland By Night” by Bert Kaempfert
4/28 “Walk Right Back” by The Everly Brothers
4/29 “Crying” by Roy Orbison
4/30 “Pony Time” by Chubby Checker