Ray Charles' Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music won 1962. Let's see who wins 1963. The Beatles debut this year. Also the year of Patsy Cline's unfortunate death. Billboard chart-topping albums of 1963: Vaughn Meader - The First Family (cont. from '62) West Side Story Cast - Soundtrack (cont. from '62) Allan Sherman - My Son, the Celebrity Stan Getz - Jazz Samba Andy Williams - Days of Wine and Roses Allan Sherman - My Son, the Nut Peter, Paul and Mary - In the Wind Billboard chart-topping singles of 1963: The Tornados - Telstar (cont. from '62) Steve Lawrence - Go Away Little Girl The Rooftop Singers - Walk Right In Paul and Paula - Hey Paula The Four Seasons - Walk Like a Man Ruby and the Romantics - Our Day Will Come The Chiffons - He's So Fine Little Peggy March - I Will Follow Him Jimmy Soul - If You Wanna Be Happy Lesley Gore - It's My Party Kyu Sakamoto - Sukiyaki The Essex - Easier Said Than Done Jan and Dean - Surf City The Tymes - So Much in Love Stevie Wonder - Fingertips The Angels - My Boyfriend's Back Bobby Vinton - Blue Velvet Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs - Sugar Shack Nino Temple - Deep Purple Dale & Grace - I'm Leaving it Up to You The Singing Nun - Dominique What are your top three albums for 1963? We will keep a running tally and eventually have some sort of bracket. For me it would be: 1. Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan 2. The Beatles - With the Beatles 3. Sam Cooke - Night Beat What are some of the forgotten gems from the year? What is overrated? What did you discover at a young age and what did you discover later? YEARS IN MUSIC • forum.chorus.fm
my last minute cuts: beach boys - surfin usa beatles - please please me dick dale - king of the surf guitar roy orbison - in dreams chet atkins - the guitar genius miles davis - seven steps to heaven stuff to check out: pp&m - moving duke ellington meets coleman hawkins duke ellington & john coltrane sam cooke - mr. soul ike and tina turner - its gonna work out fine ray charles - ingredients in a recipe for soul aretha - laughing on the outside stevie wonder - with a song in my heart etta james - top ten ike turner - rocks the blues buck owens - sings tommy collins duke ellington - money jungle bill evans - conversation with myself herbie hancock - my point of view herbie hancock - inventions and dimensions albert ayler - something different john coltrane - impressions PP&M - in the wind mingus - black saint and the sinner lady thelonius monk - criss cross sun ra - cosmic tones for mental therapy
All in now! Lots to dive into for me, I worked backwards when making my yearly playlists last year - so by the time I reached '63 I was exhausted and lazy. I think I only had The Beatles two records, 3 Beach Boys records, and The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan on there. Already made a few additions and excited to dive in.
1. The Beatles - Please Please Me 2. The Beatles - With The Beatles 3. Sam Cooke - Night Beat I have like 50 honorable mentions, but I'm too lazy right now.
1963 Best Singles: In Dreams - Roy Orbison She Loves You - The Beatles I Want To Hold You Hand - The Beatles In My Room - The Beach Boys Ring Of Fire - Johnny Cash Surfin’ U.S.A. - The Beach Boys Be True To Your School - The Beach Boys Wipeout - The Surfaris From Me To You - The Beatles Surfer Girl - The Beach Boys Surf City - Jan & Dean Little Deuce Coupe - The Beach Boys It’s All Right - The Impressions Da Doo Ron Ron - The Crystals Up On The Roof - The Drifters Sugar Shack - Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs Best Albums: 1. Please Please Me - The Beatles 2. Live At The Apollo - James Brown 3. With The Beatles - The Beatles Other Favorites: Surfer Girl - The Beach Boys Surfin’ U.S.A. - The Beach Boys In Dreams - Roy Orbison The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady - Charles Mingus Little Deuce Coupe - The Beach Boys
I'm always fascinated by the choices of "singles only" releases vs. the songs that made it to the proper albums. This is particularly a huge case when it comes to The Beatles and their early stuff. On top of that, there's not just the discrepancy between which songs made the albums vs. which were standalone singles, but also the discrepancy between tracklistings on the US Version vs UK version for the early portion of their catalog. Based on the sessions the songs were recorded during - and purely for speculation: "She Loves You" and "I Want To Hold Your Hand" would make With The Beatles a far superior album to Please Please Me. "From Me To You" and "Thank You Girl", while technically recorded a few weeks or month-ish AFTER the PPM sessions, would arguably make PPM a better record.
I’ve always enjoyed Please Please Me as a whole more than With The Beatles. The songs on the debut just seem stronger to me.
All about the Duke this year... 1. Duke Ellington - Money Jungle (one of my favourite jazz albums of all time) 2. Duke Ellington & John Coltrane - ST 3. Charles Mingus - The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Also got into Dylan last year and really enjoyed Freewheelin’
Debated holding my vote until after all the listening, but I’m gonna stay consistent and keep the explorations and the ballot separate List some! I want to cherry-pick!
With the Beatles is one of the Beatles albums I've spent the least time with (along with Beatles for Sale), so I'm also more on board with Please Please Me. The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan is my favorite of the year though. Planning to also listen to at least: Joan Baez. In Concert, Pt. 2 James Brown: Live At the Apollo Peter, Paul & Mary: Moving Roy Orbison: In Dreams Dionne Warwick: Presenting Dionne Warwick Sam Cooke: Night Beat
1. Sam Cooke - Night Beat 2. Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan 3. James Brown - Live at the Apollo Night Beat is one of Sam Cooke's two absolutely perfect studio albums (the other of which will appear next week), and it's a slightly more subdued blues-y affair, with some absolutely masterful tracks, including opening track "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen", which is up there with the best opening tracks on any album ever. Next year's Aint That Good News, might just about edge this, but not by much. Dylan's second album is just a huge step up from his first, that it's amazing that it came out only a year later. So many of those songs have become iconic now, incredible what he did on just his second attempt. James Brown's Live at the Apollo is one of the most ferocious live albums recorded, absolutely raucous and coming it at just half an hour long, it's an absolutely relentless listen. I think it's the best essence of Brown distilled down into 31 minutes. Heat Wave by Martha and the Vandellas and The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady by Charles Mingus round out the top five. As a very honourable mention (seeing as it was released in 1985), is Sam Cooke's Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963. Cooke has two perfectly opposite live albums, this one is the dirty, sweaty and loud one, whereas At The Copa from 1964 is the smooth and suave one. Both essential listening to understand Cooke, so I'll include this as an honorary 1963 record.
My (not very) controversial Beatles opinion, is that the Pre-Rubber Soul records don't do much for me. I like them enough, and every now and then I'll throw one on, but when I listen to The Beatles, 99% of what I listen to is from 1965 and onwards.
i felt similarly for a long time. idk if it's getting older/caring less about experimental stuff, but in recent years - while I still prefer the stuff from rubber soul on - I still have a lot of time for the early stuff
Dick Dale's guitar tone, though. Just phenomenal, such a pioneer. Hearing The Beach Boys attempt a spirited take on "Misirlou", but it pales in comparison to Dale's version from a year earlier. And pardon the pun, but "King of the Surf Guitar" is just GNARLY. I can't believe I've never heard this before today.
1. Sam Cooke - Night Beat 2. Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan 3. Charles Mingus - The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Just Missed: Sammy Davis, Jr. - At the Coconut Grove Thelonious Monk - Monk's Dream James Brown - Live at the Apollo Barbra Streisand - The Barbra Streisand Album Various Artists - A Christmas Gift to You from Phil Spector The Beatles - Please Please Me Others I've Heard and Enjoy (Roughly Ranked): John Coltrane - Ballads Oscar Pederson Trio - Night Train The Swingle Singers - Bach's Greatest Hits (aka Jazz Sebastian Bach) The Beatles - With the Beatles John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman - John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman Jimmy Durante - September Song Dexter Gordon - Our Man in Paris Peter Paul and Mary - (Moving) Jorge Ben - Samba Esquema Novo Duke Ellington and Coleman Hawkins - Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins Peter Paul and Mary - In the Wind Al Hirt - Honey in the Horn Peggy Lee - Mink Jazz Harry Belafonte - Streets I Have Walked Martha and the Vandellas - Heat Wave Albums I own that I really haven't processed enough to rank: Bill Evans - Interplay The Miracles - The Fabulous Miracles Duke Ellington and John Coltrane - Duke Ellington and John Coltrane Sam Cooke - Mr. Soul NOT a fan: Soueur Sourire - The Singing Nun Targets to listen to: Andy Williams - Days of Wine and Roses and Other TV Favorites Herbie Hancock - My Point of View Martha and the Vandellas - Come and Get These Memories Chet Atkins - The Guitar Genius Duke Ellington, Max Roach and Charles Mingus - Money Jungle The Beach Boys - Surfin' U.S.A. Tony Bennett - I Wanna Be Around Kenny Burrell - Midnight Blue Joe Henderson - Page One Jimmy Smith - Back at the Chicken Shack Astor Piazzolla Quinteto - Tango Para Una Ciudad Lesley Gore - Sings of Mixed Up Hearts Rufus Thomas - Walking the Dog Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs - Flatt and Scruggs at Town Hall Gerry Mulligan - Night Lights The Crystals - He's a Rebel Henry Mancini - Uniquely Mancini
Ones I think people will likely overlook that are interesting as hell: Streisand's debut really took me by surprise given her general reputation. She really found ways to reinvent and reinterpret the standards she was working with and her voice is just mind-boggling. There's a very good reason she became a household name. That Jimmy Durante album September Song is a deep-cut favorite of mine. For some reason, his absolute non-singer voice over those sweet arrangements just destroys me. The Swingle Singers' Bach album seems like something that should be dull, dated and corny (even with Glee's usage of them), but it's SO unique and utterly swingin'.
A bunch have already been mentioned, but... Honorable mentions: Charles Mingus - The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (idk much about jazz, but this is a great one) Dick Dale - King of the Surf Guitar Dionne Warwick - Presenting Dionne Warwick (her debut) Duke Ellington & John Coltrane - Duke Ellington & John Coltrane (another jazz classic) James Brown - Live at the Apollo James Brown - Prisoner of Love Jorge Ben - Samba Esquema Novo (the debut from the Brazillian musician) Lesley Gore - I'll Cry If I Want To Pete Seeger - We Shall Overcome (a live album... great political/protest music) Sam Cooke - Mr. Soul The Shadows - Greatest Hits (hate putting a greatest hits on here, but it's a great collection of their early music) Toots and the Maytals - Never Grow Old (early reggae... their debut)
Ahhhh how has no one mentioned Gerry & The Pacemakers “You’ll Never Walk Alone” yet?! I swear - me recalling this came out in ‘63 has nothing at all to do with my LFC fandom. Lol