02 February 2012

5 On Friday - Coming of Age Edition





February 3, 1959 is enshrined as "The Day The Music Died" by Don McLean, and I will pay tribute to Buddy Holly, Richie Vallens & The Big Bopper with that song, but there is another theme here today for this meme invented by our buddy Travis. To take part, visit his site: Trav's Thoughts to sign in and share your musical selections.

I was listening on the radio the other day to one of those pop psychologists who put forth the idea that the music we all come back to, identify as our "favorite songs", and have the most memories connected to are whatever is popular when we are between 13 and 16. This is when we start buying most of our own music, differentiating our tastes from our parents and start associating at a high level with our peers. I don't suppose we could have figured that one out for ourselves without his help, now could we?

For me that period would have been 1957 - 1960.



The summer of 1957 was spent at the huge swimming plunge in Fresno and I swear the juke box played Pat Boone every other song. This was one of the few that wasn't one of his "white covers" of a black song as it was the theme for his first movie and written by the incomparable Johnny Mercer: Bernadine



1958 and American Bandstand is an every afternoon must watch event. Here one of the top songs by Danny and the Juniors: At The Hop.  Yes the boys did wear suits and the girls dresses.



1959...
Around the world: An armed revolt led by Fidel Castro pours out of the hills to overcomes Batista and establishes a Communist dictatorship in Cuba. The Viet Cong, attacked military installations in South Vietnam, touching off a nasty little civil war.

Back in the good 'ole US of A: Alaska and Hawaii became the 49th and 50th States. The Nobel committee awarded the Prize for physiology or medicine jointly to Severo Ochoa and Arthur Kornberg for their work on RNA and DNA Speaking of the Right Stuff, NASA named the first (7) Mercury astronauts.

And though the year started calmly, change was definitely coming as black groups and even more importantly, black issues made both the hit charts and the news. The Drifters came out with the song that will always represent my first broken heart.



1960 - Sweet 16, kissed but still missed and heading rapidly for the tumultuous years of the next decade when I would have the death of a parent, and graduation from high school followed by starting college, getting married, having children and ten years later being divorced. Amazing that it started so quietly with this beautiful movie theme that became "Song of The Year"



Being somewhat precocious I actually started buying all my own music in 1956.  The very first 45 ever purchased was Gogi Grant's "Wayward Wind" which probably reinforced the gypsy nature of my life.   This is the full list of the top 100 for the year.   There should be some memory joggers here for you all.


PositionArtistSong Title
1Elvis PresleyHeartbreak Hotel
2Elvis PresleyDon't Be Cruel
3Nelson RiddleLisbon Antigua
4PlattersMy Prayer
5Gogi GrantThe Wayward Wind
6Les BaxterThe Poor People Of Paris
7Doris DayWhatever Will Be Will Be (Que Sera Sera)
8Elvis PresleyHound Dog
9Dean MartinMemories Are Made Of This
10Kay StarrRock And Roll Waltz
11Morris StoloffMoonglow And Theme From "Picnic"
12PlattersThe Great Pretender
13Pat BooneI Almost Lost My Mind
14Elvis PresleyI Want You, I Need You, I Love You
15Elvis PresleyLove Me Tender
16Perry ComoHot Diggity
17Eddie Heywood and Hugo WinterhalterCanadian Sunset
18Carl PerkinsBlue Suede Shoes
19Jim LoweThe Green Door
20Four LadsNo, Not Much
21Bill DoggettHonky Tonk
22Tennessee Ernie FordSixteen Tons
23Johnnie RayJust Walking In The Rain
24Patti PageAllegheny Moon
25Fats DominoI'm In Love Again
26Patience and PrudenceTonight You Belong To Me
27Gene VincentBe-bop-a-lula
28Frankie Lymon and The TeenagersWhy Do Fools Fall In Love
29Four LadsStanding On The Corner
30Buchanan and GoodmanThe Flying Saucer
31George CatesMoonglow And Theme From Picnic
32Cathy CarrIvory Tower
33Bill Haley and His CometsSee You Later Alligator
34Pat BooneI'll Be Home
35Vic DamoneOn The Street Where You Live
36PlattersMagic Touch
37ChordettesBorn To Be With You
38Don CherryBand Of Gold
39Perry ComoMore
40Guy MitchellSinging The Blues
41Fats DominoBlueberry Hill
42Stanford ClarkThe Fool
43Don RobertsonThe Happy Whistler
44Bing Crosby and Grace KellyTrue Love
45Little RichardLong Tall Sally
46Teresa BrewerSweet Old Fashioned Girl
47Norvus NevousTransfusion
48Ames BrothersIt Only Hurts For A Little While
49Teresa BrewerA Tear Fell
50Lonnie DoneganRock Island Line
51Dream WeaversIt's Almost Tomorrow
52Pat BooneFriendly Persuasion (Thee I Love)
53Frank SinatraHey Jealous Lover
54Eddy HeywoodSoft Summer Breeze
55Andy WilliamsCanadian Sunset
56Eddie FisherDungaree Doll
57George Hamilton IvA Rose and a Baby Ruth
58Eddie FisherCindy Oh Cindy
59Jerry ValeYou Don't Know Me
60Moritat (Theme From Threepenny Opera)Dick Hyman
61Gale StormIvory Tower
62Joe ValinoGarden of Eden
63Vince Martin and the TarriersCindy Oh Cindy
64Otis Williams and the CharmsIvory Tower
65Crew CutsAngels in the Sky
66Mitch MillerSong For a Summer Night
67Gale StormWhy Do Fools Fall in Love
68Gale StormTeen Age Prayer
69McGuire SistersPicnic
70Al HibblerAfter the Lights Go Down Low
71Patti PageMama From the Train
72Nat King ColeThat's All There Is to That
73Kit CarsonBand of Gold
74Tony MartinWalk Hand in Hand
75DiamondsWhy Do Fools Fall in Love
76Perry ComoJuke Box Baby
77Rusty DraperAre You Satisfied
78Jo StaffordIt's Almost Tomorrow
79PlattersYou'll Never Never Know
80Perry ComoGlendora
81Johnny CashI Walk the Line
82Tony BennettCan You Find It in Your Heart
83Pat BooneTutti-Frutti
84Fontane SistersEddie My Love
85Don RondoTwo Different Worlds
86Jane PowellTrue Love
87Richard Hayman and Jan AugustMoritat
88Nat King ColeNight Lights
89CadillacsSpeedoo
90DiamondsThe Church Bells May Ring
91Peggy LeeMr Wonderful
92Fats DominoMy Blue Heaven
93Clyde McPhatterTreasure of Love
94Eileen RodgersMiracle of Love
95Frankie Lymon and the TeenagersI Want You to Be My Girl
96Lawrence WelkTonight You Belong to Me
97ChordettesLay Down Your Arms
98Richard MaltbyTheme From 'the Man with the Golden Arm
99Teresa BrewerBo Weevil
100Blue StarsLullaby of Birdland

27 January 2012

5 On Friday - Scales of Justice Edition


Sorry I'm Late, but this past week and next week are jury duty, which gives me this week's theme for our weekly meme. This was invented by our buddy Travis of Trav's Thoughts. To join in follow the link to his site to sign in and share your musical choices.










22 January 2012

Chinese New Year 2012






ENTER THE DRAGON

The Dragon Enters on Monday.  To find your horoscope for The year of the Dragon, find and click on your animal sign on THIS PAGE.


15 January 2012

Hiatus




Son traveling again and stuff catching up with me.  Back off and on.

12 January 2012

5 On Friday - The Mozart Effect


Five on Friday was invented by our friend Travis at Trav's Throughts.  To join in on the fun, sign in at his website and share your music choices for the week.

Happy Friday the 13th.  Unlike most people, I always think something wonderful will happen on what others consider an unlucky day.  This time I'm going for the great composers paired with more than a little nonsense:

In presenting his $12.5 billion budget proposal for fiscal 1999 to the Georgia state legislature on January 13, 1998, Democratic Governor Zell Miller covered all of the expected basics, such as schools, roads, hospitals and the like. And then he got to an interesting and unexpected item: a request for $105,000 of taxpayer money to provide Classical music CDs to every child born in the state of Georgia. At this point, the governor hit "Play" on a tape recorder he had brought with him and he treated the gathered lawmakers to an excerpt from the "Ode to Joy" section of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. "Now don't you feel smarter already?" asked Miller. "Smart enough to vote for this budget item, I hope."

On this Friday the 13th, here is your chance to feel smarter with some very, very familiar classical pieces.

Ode To Joy



Blue Danube



Sorcer's Apprentice



Peter & The Wolf Part 1



Peter & The Wolf Part 2