Recommendation Thread: 1961

Live in Phoenix · Post by **Live in Phoenix** » Sat Feb 28, 2015 3:14 pm

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My favorite album and song of 1961: Free Jazz and "Can't Help Falling in Love."

Another quiet year, if you’re looking to rock out. In fact, I think the (instrumental) Shadows album is the only "rock" album in the AM listings. This is the big year for the highest-acclaimed musical on this site: West Side Story, starring Richard Beymer, later to play slimeball Ben Horne on Twin Peaks. But if you're looking for some harder stuff, there's Bobby Bland's (two steps from the) blues, and Coltrane and Ornette's jazz. During a stretch of time where rock is not pushing all the boundaries**, jazz is freaking crazy during this same time period.

**Btw would you like to hear Lou Reed’s Pickwick-era rendition of the Beach Boys’ 1961 debut, “Surfin’”?
(ebay) If you don't want to buy anything there’s a YouTube clip of him attempting “Little Deuce Coupe."

Some favorites:
Elvis – Can’t Help Falling in Love Incidentally, the very last song he performed in his last concert.
Roy Orbison – Crying
John Coltrane – My Favorite Things
West Side Story soundtrack – Tonight (film clip)

Debuting on record this year:
The Beach Boys - "Surfin'" (youtube link)
Creedence Clearwater Revival a.k.a. The Blue Velvets - "Come on Baby" (youtube link)
Marvin Gaye (solo) - "Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide" (youtube link)
Otis Redding (solo) - "Fat Gal" (youtube link) b/w "Shout Bamalama" (youtube link)
Sly Stone a.k.a. Sylvester Stewart - "A Long Time Alone" (youtube link)
Tony Sheridan and the Beat Brothers - My Bonnie b/w The Saints (The Beat Brothers are pictured below, lower left)

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After the first artificial satellite Sputnik 1 in 1957, The Space Race heats up further when Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human to journey into outer space. Gagarin dies in 1968 when his MiG-15 training jet crashes.

PlasticRam · Post by **PlasticRam** » Sat Feb 28, 2015 4:05 pm

Live in Phoenix wrote:I think the (instrumental) Shadows album is the only "rock" album in the AM listings.

Yeah it's my fav album so far of 1961, though haven't listened to enough albums yet.

Pierre · Post by **Pierre** » Sat Feb 28, 2015 4:31 pm

1961 was the year French rock'n'roll exploded (perhaps taking advantage of the void left by English-speaking artists). That's not to say that it was outright fantastic, but for instance, "Twist à Saint-Tropez" and "Dactylo Rock" are still considered classics as of today.

And with it came parodies. Even though the video claims it was released in 1962, several sources mention the following song, "J'aime pas le rock" (I don't like rock), as 1961. I'm afraid the humour of Jean Yanne's song might be lost on foreigners however.

On the chanson side, aside from Jacques Brel's "Le Moribond" which was talked about in the 1960 recommendation thread, 1961 saw the release of one my favourite French song. Again, the title mentions Gilbert Bécaud's "Et maintenant" (And now...) as a 1962 song, but other sources claim it was a 1961 release.

DaveC · Post by **DaveC** » Sat Feb 28, 2015 7:58 pm

I'm more than a little surprised to discover that my #1 album of 1961 isn't even bubbling on AM. Patsy Cline's Showcase is more than just Crazy. Although if it was just Crazy it would still be great.

Dan · Post by **Dan** » Wed Mar 04, 2015 1:21 pm

Live in Phoenix · Post by **Live in Phoenix** » Sat Mar 07, 2015 6:18 pm

Kyu Sakamoto's "Sukiyaki" is a #1 U.S. hit entirely in Japanese -- a rarity, to say the least. I first stumbled onto this song during the days of Napster.

James Brown - "I Don't Mind" (introduced to me by, of all people, The Moody Blues)

Post by **Honorio** » Sun Mar 08, 2015 5:04 pm

Dan, wonderful list! Some of my non-English recommendations from 1961 are already on your list, but let me add:

a) Spanish:
Three reccomendations in Spanish (well, two of them are really instrumentals):
- Although I'm not absolutely sure of the date of release of the album because at the time Sabicas was exiled from Spain (for political reasons) and living in New York releasing albums for three different labels, Elektra, ABC-Paramount and Columbia's sublabel Adventures in Sound, making the research really difficult. But "Flamenco puro" is the most renowned album from the flamenco guitar pioneer, you can listen to it on this Spotify link.
- After some periods in Paris and New York Ástor Piazzolla came back to Buenos Aires after the death of his father (Nonino). His homage to him ("Adiós Nonino") opens the first album of the Ástor Piazzolla Quinteto, "Piazzolla interpreta a Piazzolla", a groundbreaking album, probably the first album of Nuevo Tango. The Spotify link.
- And finally, and also recommended by Dan, we have the first album of the immortal Chavela Vargas, her debut Chavela Vargas con el Cuarteto Lara Foster (Spotify link), an excellent album of Ranchera that included her signature song, "La Llorona."

Some selected songs from these albums:
Sabicas "Bronce gitano" ("Gypsy Bronze")

Ástor Piazzolla y su Quinteto "Adiós Nonino" ("Bye Nonino")

Chavela Vargas con el Cuarteto Lara Foster "La Llorona" ("The Weepie")

Other recommendable album in Spanish from 1961 is "Los Teen Tops" (Spotify link), the sophomore effort from the Mexican rock&roll pioneer band Teen Tops. Recommended song: "Popotitos" (You Tube).

b) Portuguese:
1961 was another excellent year for Brazilian Bossa-Nova. The third album by João Gilberto simply called "João Gilberto" (Spotify link) was the last one of his Brazilian trilogy before the international success of "Getz/Gilberto" (1964). The album include gems like "Insensatez" or "Saudade da Bahia" but my favourite song from the album (and one of my favourites penned by Moraes/Jobim, and that's saying a lot) is "O amor em paz" ("Love in Peace"). A sad and mellow song with a slow Bossa-Nova beat about loving and not suffering because "o amor é a coisa mais triste quando se desfaz'' ("love is the saddest thing when it's breaking down"). Seeing the poor performance last year/month of Bossa Nova classics like "Corcovado" or "Samba de uma nota só" I don't have high hopes for "O amor em paz" but… who knows?

Other recommendable Brazilian album from 1961 is Sylvia Telles' "U.S.A." (Spotify link). Recommended song: "Manhá de Carnaval" recorded with Barney Kessel on guitar (You Tube).

c) Xhosa:
I should insist on voting for the debut album by Miriam Makeba (Spotify link) despite having been probably released in 1960. Only Mindrocker voted for it in 1960 and I decided to wait until 1961 to include it in my lists. I would like to recommend also the gorgeous "Qongqothwane" ("The Click Song").

Other recommendable African album from 1961 is "African Lament" by Miriam Burton (Spotify link) with a sound similar to Yma Sumac's. Recommended song: "Apartheid" (You Tube).

d) French/Flemish:
Jacques Brel released in 1961 his fifth album, "Jacques Brel 5" (Spotify link). Not his best album (his next four successive album were going to be masterpieces) but anyway it's enjoyable enough. My favourite song (also recommended by Dan) is "Marieke," sung in French and Flemish.

Other recommendable French album released in 1961 is the eighth album by Georges Brassens ("8," Spotify link), including another one of his celebrated mocking anthems: "Le temps ne fait rien à l'affaire (quand on est con, on est con)" ("Age doesn't make a difference (when you're a cunt, you're a cunt)") (You Tube).

e) Italian:
The second album by Adriano Celentano called "Furore" ("Frenzy", Spotify link) was probably released in 1960 but it's dated in 1961 on Rateyourmusic. It's a nice sample of early Italian rock & roll but it does not include the biggest hit of the singer, released as a single in 1961, "24.000 baci" ("24.000 Kisses").

Fabrizio de André debuted in 1961, his second single included his first anti-military anthem: "La ballata dell'eroe" ("The Battle of the Hero") (You Tube).

nicolas · Post by **nicolas** » Sat Mar 14, 2015 4:59 pm

In addition to those excellent recommendations : if you have one folk/blues album from 1961 to listen to, please consider Blind Gary Davis' Harlem Street Singer
Those who did Unacclaimed albums already know it.
Here is a post I made in my ex-blog about it.

DaveC · Post by **DaveC** » Sat Mar 14, 2015 8:29 pm

The first song I can remember enjoying when it was in the charts (in 1962 for many weeks), from Mr. Acker Bilk: Stranger on the Shore. I guess it got well lodged in my mind, because it will be high on my '61 songs list.

NB Should be instantly recognisable for fans of The KLF's Chill Out

DaveC · Post by **DaveC** » Sat Mar 14, 2015 10:26 pm

Shouldn't let this pass without mention. First issued in 1961, but a worldwide hit in 1963, when it was ubiquitous, "Call Me Maybe" never came close.

Dan · Post by **Dan** » Tue Mar 24, 2015 6:00 pm

Honorio wrote:Some of my non-English recommendations from 1961 are already on your list, but let me add

Yes, Honorio, we seem to search for and appreiciate similar non-English music for these 60s polls.

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