|
|
Post by Dawn on Jun 13, 2003 7:07:44 GMT -5
Let's go back 39 years in time for a look at the popular songs of the day. These were the top 10 songs on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart on June 13, 1964.
10. I Get Around – Beach Boys
9. People – Barbra Streisand
8. Hello, Dolly! – Louis Armstrong
7. Little Children – Billy J. Kramer
6. Walk On By – Dionne Warwick
5. My Guy- Mary Wells
4. Love Me Do – Beatles
3. Love Me With All Your Heart – The Ray Charles Singers
2. A World Without Love – Peter & Gordon
1. Chapel of Love – Dixie Cups
Any thoughts or memories of these songs?
|
|
|
|
Post by H2IZCOOL on Jun 13, 2003 8:16:29 GMT -5
Hey Dawn! Love those early charts! One of my favorite Beach Boys hits. My friends and I used to harmonize on this one often back in "the days". (I got to do the oo-ooo-oo part.  ) I probably like Billy J. more than most people. His sound wasn't nearly as sophisticated as the Beatles and a bunch of other British Invasion acts, but it was pleasant to listen to, and Little Children was one of his best. A World Without Love featured pleasant two part harmonies and very good guitar and organ. It was the first hit that, for a time, made Peter and Gordon the heirs to the Everly Brothers as top vocal duo. I'm surprised that by June 1964, the Beatles were reduced to only one top 10 song on the chart -- and that this one, their first British hit in 1962, was the one. It's a good song, though. I'm not as high on the three "standards" on the chart: I can take or leave "People" Hello Dolly was only good because it was Louie Love Me With All Your Heart - I liked Gomer Pyle's version better My Guy has deservedly become an R&B classic I can take or leave the others |
|
|
|
Post by SAT-I need more room!! on Jun 13, 2003 9:01:11 GMT -5
Got a 1964 theme with your posts today!
Music was building up it's steam to a peak in rock history around 66-67.
Look how the charts were back then, with Babs & Louie mixing right in with the Beatles and Beach Boys!
As I say, music was building it's steam with the above mentioned groups, but I think I Get Around & Love Me Do are two of those groups weaker efforts. Still, it was a step in the right direction.
Other decent songs are Peter & Gordon's and Billy J's.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ken on Jun 13, 2003 12:25:56 GMT -5
1964 - what a year! - Woo Hoo! - There was quite a selection of different styles of music at the time ! I Get Around - This was one of the first songs I remember hearing by them - so great! Chapel of love - Good one! Walk On By - Remember hearing this at probably around 7 or 8 years old - have it on a compilation album called Can't Stop Dancin' . Not a huge fan of Dionne's - but I Like a few songs and this is one of them - Remember seeing her on those Psychic Friends Network Infomercials - Yikes! - what was she thinking ? LOL My Guy - She didn't seem to have as long of a career as other Motown artists - but songs like My Guy are classics - Great stuff:) RIP Love Me Do - The tune that started it all in England ! very simple , nice two part harmony from John and Paul. and it's by the fab four so right away you know it's good  Little Children - I'm a really big fan of all the first wave of british bands , sure some were more light weight like Billy or Hemans Hermits but I like it all - fun , upbeat music . My Aunt had this on 45. A World Without Love - Love these guys. I heard this at a young age. The record has such a great sound. Hello Dolly - I can't recall when or where I first heard this but I kind of Like it. Not familiar with #3 My mom was a big fan of Streisand - I never got into her type of music though. |
|
|
|
Post by m c dornan on Jun 13, 2003 13:54:59 GMT -5
This was just before I started listening to the radio. Rock was just starting to get out of the doldrums it'd been in for several years, but it still had a ways to go. I know the Ray Charles song,but never heard it back then;I'd always thought it was older than 1964 (maybe 1960 or so). It sounds just like Ray Conniff and the other stuff my folks listened to. The Motown/ soul stuff is strongest here- "My Guy", "Chapel of Love", and "Walk on By". The Beatles and Beach Boys weren't hitting their real stride yet. (but soon!)
|
|
|
|
Post by Pete70s on Jun 13, 2003 14:57:34 GMT -5
A lot of #1's on this chart! One of them being the Beach Boys first #1!
I'm familiar with the Ray Charles Singers, I found a 45 a few years ago. Not bad, VERY adult contemporary for 1964. NOT the "What I Say" Ray Charles, this was a totally different person.
The 3 British Invasion hits were all winners, and I've always loved "Walk On By".
|
|
|
|
Post by Dawn on Jun 13, 2003 18:52:03 GMT -5
Hey Dawn! Love those early charts! One of my favorite Beach Boys hits. My friends and I used to harmonize on this one often back in "the days". (I got to do the oo-ooo-oo part. ) I probably like Billy J. more than most people. His sound wasn't nearly as sophisticated as the Beatles and a bunch of other British Invasion acts, but it was pleasant to listen to, and Little Children was one of his best. A World Without Love featured pleasant two part harmonies and very good guitar and organ. It was the first hit that, for a time, made Peter and Gordon the heirs to the Everly Brothers as top vocal duo. I'm surprised that by June 1964, the Beatles were reduced to only one top 10 song on the chart -- and that this one, their first British hit in 1962, was the one. It's a good song, though. I'm not as high on the three "standards" on the chart: I can take or leave "People" Hello Dolly was only good because it was Louie Love Me With All Your Heart - I liked Gomer Pyle's version better My Guy has deservedly become an R&B classic I can take or leave the others Thanks, H2! I had originally planned to start at around 1963, but I'm thinking of doing a few charts from 1955-62 as well. 'I Get Around' is a great Beach Boys tune. Their harmonies were always superb! 'A World Without Love' is another good one. Peter and Gordon are a little overlooked these days, but they really had a nice sound back then. Like you, I was a little surprised at the single Beatles entry. At this time, Beatlemania was in full swing, and they had a number of hits that had previously been released in England, but not in the US. |
|
|
|
Post by Dawn on Jun 13, 2003 18:58:33 GMT -5
Got a 1964 theme with your posts today! Music was building up it's steam to a peak in rock history around 66-67. Look how the charts were back then, with Babs & Louie mixing right in with the Beatles and Beach Boys! As I say, music was building it's steam with the above mentioned groups, but I think I Get Around & Love Me Do are two of those groups weaker efforts. Still, it was a step in the right direction. Other decent songs are Peter & Gordon's and Billy J's. I do, don't I? Come to think of it, both posts yesterday featured the year 1976! I agree, it is interesting to see the more pop-oriented artists together on the chart with the newer, more rock-oriented ones. You can really tell that, musically, change was in the air! |
|
|
|
Post by Dawn on Jun 13, 2003 19:11:38 GMT -5
1964 - what a year! - Woo Hoo! - There was quite a selection of different styles of music at the time ! I Get Around - This was one of the first songs I remember hearing by them - so great! Chapel of love - Good one! Walk On By - Remember hearing this at probably around 7 or 8 years old - have it on a compilation album called Can't Stop Dancin' . Not a huge fan of Dionne's - but I Like a few songs and this is one of them - Remember seeing her on those Psychic Friends Network Infomercials - Yikes! - what was she thinking ? LOL My Guy - She didn't seem to have as long of a career as other Motown artists - but songs like My Guy are classics - Great stuff:) RIP Love Me Do - The tune that started it all in England ! very simple , nice two part harmony from John and Paul. and it's by the fab four so right away you know it's good Little Children - I'm a really big fan of all the first wave of british bands , sure some were more light weight like Billy or Hemans Hermits but I like it all - fun , upbeat music . My Aunt had this on 45. A World Without Love - Love these guys. I heard this at a young age. The record has such a great sound. Hello Dolly - I can't recall when or where I first heard this but I kind of Like it. Not familiar with #3 My mom was a big fan of Streisand - I never got into her type of music though. LOL about Dionne's infomercials! I also like 'Walk On By' - one of her best songs, IMO. I always like to sing it, because I can match her vocal range pretty well, and actually sound fairly good! LOL! I really like Mary Wells' songs. One of these days I need to get her greatest hits compilation. 'My Guy' is great! 'Love Me Do' is truly a Beatles classic - though one of their simpler tunes, it's always struck a chord with me. John's harmonica adds just the right touch to the song. |
|
|
|
Post by Dawn on Jun 13, 2003 19:15:53 GMT -5
This was just before I started listening to the radio. Rock was just starting to get out of the doldrums it'd been in for several years, but it still had a ways to go. I know the Ray Charles song,but never heard it back then;I'd always thought it was older than 1964 (maybe 1960 or so). It sounds just like Ray Conniff and the other stuff my folks listened to. The Motown/ soul stuff is strongest here- "My Guy", "Chapel of Love", and "Walk on By". The Beatles and Beach Boys weren't hitting their real stride yet. (but soon!) I don't think I've ever actually heard the Ray Charles song, although I've heard a few of his others from that era, and I like them. His music does have a little bit of an older sound than many of the other hits of the day. |
|
|
|
Post by Dawn on Jun 13, 2003 19:24:37 GMT -5
A lot of #1's on this chart! One of them being the Beach Boys first #1! I'm familiar with the Ray Charles Singers, I found a 45 a few years ago. Not bad, VERY adult contemporary for 1964. NOT the "What I Say" Ray Charles, this was a totally different person. The 3 British Invasion hits were all winners, and I've always loved "Walk On By". It hadn't occurred to me, but you're right, Pete - of these 10 songs, 5 would hit #1! I hadn't known that about the two different Ray Charleses - I had always thought it was the same person! I imagine that caused a lot of confusion in the music world back in the day! But it does explain the very different styles of the two - I had always wondered about that. |
|
|
|
Post by Railyn on Jun 13, 2003 20:56:06 GMT -5
A little before my time - mom would have been finishing her sophomore year of high school, and my dad - his junior (yet they're only 3 months apart, but I guess mom being born in Dec made the difference).
I do know most of these:
10) Not a bad song, but I like their later stuff a little bit better.
9) I remember my mom singing this alot. She also loved the movie. It was ok, but not something I'd want to hear on the radio along with some of these other songs.
8) Was not a big fan of the musical, but Louie can do pretty much whatever he wants, just because he's Louie. He's pretty cool that way.
7) I am not familiar with this one - wasn't this guy an instrumental artist?
6) I'm not real big on Dionne, but I like Burt Bacarach (I'm sure I spelled that wrong) and his music.
5) Good song - solid Motown!
4) A good early Beatles song.
3) I'm not familiar with this one either. I do remember seeing a skit on SNL long ago where the soul Ray Charles was on, and they had a group of white kids "pop-ing" up his songs for the mass (read: white middle class) audience. It was pretty funny.
2) A good british invasion song. I like Peter & Gordon.
1) A little too sappy for me. I was never fond of the "boy" songs, like Soldier Boy. My Guy came close to this, but didn't quite cross that super-sugary line.
Most of this is right up my mom's alley. This time was just a tad early for my taste, but some good stuff coming in....
|
|
|
|
Post by H2IZCOOL on Jun 13, 2003 23:24:47 GMT -5
Thanks, H2! I had originally planned to start at around 1963, but I'm thinking of doing a few charts from 1955-62 as well. If you do the '55-'62 charts, Dawn, I know at least one person who will respond. |
|
|
|
Post by kathyb on Jun 14, 2003 0:58:14 GMT -5
I was a little over a year old at this time in '64. Not a bad list. Most of these songs have stood the test of time, and still hold up well today.
The only two I'm not familiar with are "Little Children" and "Love Me With All Your Heart".
|
|
Kat
Full Member
Posts: 191
|
Post by Kat on Jun 14, 2003 1:39:04 GMT -5
Fun list!
I Get Around - One of my favorites from the Beach Boys! Used to listen to their music (along with Jan and Dean) out by my friend's pool. Her dad couldn't believe that, not only did we know who they were, but that we actually liked their music! *lol*
Walk On By, My Guy, Love Me Do, Chapel of Love - Fun songs that I always enjoy singing along, especially Love Me Do and Chapel of Love.
|
|
)
