1,001 songs to listen to before you die...

[Liam]

133.      

‘Tous Les Garcons Et Les Filles’, Francoise Hardy (1962)

Inside the book, they talk about how Hardy was a singer that could be enjoyed even if you didn’t know French, and that is clear from this song. Her simple, yet elegant, vocals tell a story of the couples that she sees around her as she waits for love, with lyrics that are melancholy in a manner that feels a little at odds with the delivery. This juxtaposition works to sell the idea of a song that celebrates the love around her, yet bemoans her own non-existent romance. A B side that went on to have much more success than the song it was initially paired with, Hardy went on to be touted by acts such as Bob Dylan and Blur.

134.      

‘You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me’, The Miracles (1962)

Sometimes it is a turn of phrase that makes a song. To suggest it is only that for ‘You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me’ would diminish some beautiful harmonising played across a soulful melody, but the ‘I don’t like you but I love you’ refrain, with the various changes throughout the song, is golden. It does so much to sell the central narrative of a man who knows a woman is bad for him, but can’t help himself. Smoky Robinson is the writer and main singer – I’ll be honest, the falsetto from Robinson had me initially believing that it was a woman singing, especially as the single had a woman in the group. It is clean yet yearning throughout, so perfect for the tone of the song.

135.      

‘Boom Boom’, John Lee Hooker (1962)

There is no subtlety with this song, but it is all the better for it. Repetitive in places, yet building momentum all along until the closing lyrics that have Hooker almost growling the delivery. This is described as R&B porn and you can see why. Two and a half minutes, in, out and shake it all about. Some of the most fun you can have with your clothes on.

[VerbalPuke]

On 21/02/2020 at 09:58, Skummy said:

just because I love the JCC version;

 

 

Can't believe I have never heard this or the original. Both are excellent, it kind of has an oldwest feel to it. I could see the Highwaymen doing this one.

[Liam]

136.      

‘He’s A Rebel’, The Crystals (1962)

In terms of sound and lyrical content, ‘He’s A Rebel’ broke the mould as it was one of the earliest conceptual attempts at Phil Spector’s ‘wall of sound’ style, alongside controversial lyrics about the girl liking the bad boy. This isn’t actually The Crystals; issues with timing meant that Spector used the Blossoms and attached The Crystals name to it. The song is pleasant enough, though more because of the interesting shift towards girl pop acts than anything really tangible about the song. This feels prototypical of something that is yet to come and will be better.

137.      

‘Do You Love Me’, The Contours (1962)

Another song that had something of an identity crisis – it was meant for the Temptations, yet when they couldn’t be found, it was handed to the Contours instead. This is a classic to the point where you can’t really imagine it sounding any other way than what the Contours offered up. Audience interaction is often a winner, whilst Billy Gordon’s lyrical delivery had a great, screechy element that just worked alongside the playful rhythm and all that dancing.

138.      

‘Your Cheating Heart’, Ray Charles (1962)

What makes this an interesting song is that it comes from an album (actually, a second album) of Charles performing country songs with his own soulful touch. This is originally a Hank Williams tune and it is precisely that it doesn’t sound much like a song that comes from the country and western oeuvre that makes it a curiosity at least. Would I care as much about the song without that bit of genre shifting? Probably not. But there’s no doubt that Charles can deliver a big vocal when needed.

[MalaCloudy Black]

Yo I had no idea about the Ray Charles thing. I have to listen to that song. FAKE EDIT: woah, it's so different!

[Liam]

Some Youtube songs had gone, so have changed links where possible.

[Liam]

139.

‘Cry Baby’, Garnet Mimms and the Enchanters (1963)

I’ve spoken about range before in these little bits of writing and there are few who have been as impressive as Garnet Mimms. From a gospel background, his move from baritone (according to the book) to an effortless falsetto, with accompanied female vocals (a troupe that included Dione Warwick at some point), is impressive. Though his background may have been one of faith, this song is all about a boy being there for a girl who is with a worse boy; an interesting narrative take filled with yearning for someone who seems so near, but yet so far. For some reason, I expected to be underwhelmed by this – I couldn’t have been further from the truth.

140.      

‘La javanaise’, Juliette Greco (1963)

Having found his way onto this list before, Serge Gainsbourg now pops up as a songwriter. Whilst perfectly pleasant as a song, primarily due to Greco’s sultry vocal delivery, this is another song that arguably has more interest in the story behind it. ‘Javanaise’ was a nonsense slang used by French people which saw people put the ‘av’ sound into the middle of words to make them hard to understand. With that in mind, Gainsbourg included as many words with the ‘av’ sound as he could into the lyrics. Playful, if a little lost on a non-Francophone.

141.      

‘Harlem Shuffle’, Bob and Earl (1963)

A song perhaps more famous now for the opening fanfare being utilised in House of Pain’s ‘Jump Around’, it followed a common trope of the time in terms of naming various dance moves that the listener was expected to do. Various dances are listed, alongside the ‘Slauson Shuffle Time’, the dance that gives the song its name. The horns and the pleading tone of the vocals all build up to a song that is definitely catchy, if a little less inspiring than some songs that have turned up on the list thus far.

[Liam]

142.      

‘On Broadway’, The Drifters (1963)

Another song that went through a transformation before it ended up in the hands of The Drifters. A song short on a studio session, they were sent ‘On Broadway’ as it had been recorded by other artists, only to make the main protagonist a man who was already struggling in Broadway rather than a woman looking to head out there and make it big, as well as simplifying the time signature. It definitely made a difference as the upbeat tone that was prevalent in the originals becomes more about the desire to make it, even when the chips are down – something that is easily to empathise with. There’s a coolness to the song that permeates it in a way it didn’t before as well; sometimes, simpler is just better.

(The Cookies’ version, for comparison)

143.      

‘Louie Louie’, The Kingsmen (1963)

Another song that can rightly be attributed the word ‘classic’ when discussing it, it is one of the most covered songs of all time. This was garage punk/rock before that was really a thing, with the production and performance the right side of ramshackle. The lyrics are basically indecipherable, whilst there is an incessant feel to the music with the jabbing keyboard sound and a frenetic guitar solo in the middle of things. This felt raw, but in a way that spoke to a way that music could be – unpolished and primal.

144.      

‘One Fine Day’, The Chiffons (1963)

Influenced by: Will You Love Me Tomorrow • The Shirelles (1960)   

Influence on: Sweet Blindness • Laura Nyro (1968)  

Covered by: The Mindbenders (1966) • Cliff Richard (1967) • Rita Coolidge (1979) • Carole King (1980) • Natalie Merchant (1996)

A song that was taken by the production team, The Tokens, as a way to build on the success of similarly titled ‘He’s So Fine’, ‘One Fine Day’ was another example of a song that just happened to fall into the right place at the right time. Lively, upbeat, harmonious – the song is a great two minute slab of pop, with Carole King doing the grunt work on piano from which the rest of the vocal work can be layered. Nothing mind blowing but a worthy listen.

[Liam]

145.      

‘In Dreams’, Roy Orbison (1963)

Influenced by: Surrender • Elvis Presley (1961)   

Influence on: Wicked Game • Chris Isaak (1989)   

Covered by: Tom Jones (1971) • Chris de Burgh (1995) • John Terra (1999) • Jan Keizer (2001) • Big Fat Snake with TCB Band & Sweet Inspirations (2003)

Orbison is an interesting singer for me inasmuch as I am a huge fan of how his voice sounds, yet I haven’t actually heard a lot of his songs. Naturally, ‘In Dreams’ is in the list of songs I have heard and it is a masterful slice of music, moving all over the place and eschewing standard pop structure over the course of a short three minute run time. Orbison’s range is on full show on a song that he claimed came to him literally in a dream – it went on to be his signature song for the rest of his career.

146.      

‘Sally Go ‘Round The Roses’, The Jaynetts

There is a creepiness about this song that elevates it above the normal pop song. A particular favourite of Andy Warhol, the warning given by the Jaynetts to the titular Sally is never entirely explained, giving things an eerie tone alongside its generally catchy melody and strong vocal performances. To me, the best pop often has that foreboding sense, a depth behind the saccharine style that suggests that things might not quite be as they seem. This hits it out of the park.

147.      

‘Be My Baby’, The Ronettes (1963)

Are there any better slices of pop than this? Everything works here – the intro, the drums, the castanets, the harmonising and Ronnie Spector’s main vocals over the top. The book talks about this forcing Brian Wilson to stop driving when it was played over the radio, such a transcendent piece of music it was as far as he was concerned. It is hard to argue, especially when compared the music around it. It jumps out of the speakers even today, fully formed and ready to wow.

[VerbalPuke]

Yeah, Be My Baby is a brilliant song. Super catchy.

[Liam]

148.      

‘Surfin’ Bird’, The Trashmen (1963)

A song that somewhat feels like a novelty, whilst also feeling a little bit on the timeless side as it doesn’t easily fit into the style of music from this time period. Created by the Trashmen messing around live with two songs (‘The Bird is the Word’ and ‘Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow’), they were convinced to record it as a single. There is a vibrancy and an energy that makes this likeable, if unlikely to be a song that people would return to on a regular basis.

149.      

‘Sapore di sale’, Gina Paoli (1963)

Written during a time when Paoli was having an extra-marital affair that eventually led to him trying to kill himself the same year, this is a bittersweet song that perhaps hints at some of his losses and regrets, though the tone is more often than not one that feels sweet in nature. Translated as ‘Taste of Salt’, most of the song focuses on the enjoyment of love and lazy days on the beach. However, it also offers up a sense of the bitterness that comes with loss. A pleasant song that soars in parts, but doesn’t particularly impress beyond an interesting backstory.

150.      

‘The Leader of the Pack’, The Shangri-Las (1964)

Another song that has a lot of interesting tales around the recording, primarily focusing on label honchos rejecting it and illicit recording sessions. Mainly they have been debunked, though the tale of a teenage romance that ends up with the titular biker ending up crashing his motorbike and dying in the last verse. More conversational than a lot of songs up until this point and with suitably sad lead vocals, this still feels like it lacks something to push it beyond just being good - not that that is a bad thing necessarily.

[Liam]

151.      

‘Les copains d’abord’, George Brassens (1964)

There has been mention in the book a few times of the French ‘chanson’, something that I’ve never heard of before and don’t really know what it necessarily means. Brassens is considered one of the greatest exponents of this style, though his lyrics being such a fundamental part of his act means that it is apparently difficult to really ‘get’ him unless you understand French. This is a pleasant little ditty even without that extra layer of meaning, though I really can’t vouch for its importance on a list like this.

152.      

‘Samba malato’, Nicomedes Santa Cruz (1964)

Another song that finds me completely out of my depth. This is a pretty cool song though that saw Cruz attempting to bring to prominence the songs he had heard from his mum and grandmother. Afro-Peruvian was almost extinct up until Cruz decided to take it, reconstruct and reproduce for a new audience. The call and response, use of Peruvian drums and heavy percussion are all common features of the style and they come together to create a song that is enjoyable even without the knowledge of the context.

153.      

‘Walk On By’, Dionne Warwick (1964)

A Burt Bacharach tune that originally sat as a B side to a song that Warwick and team had expected to be the hit. Warwick’s sadness within her vocals sells the narrative of the song beautifully, whilst this was apparently the first time Bacharach had tried to use two grand pianos on record in a studio. That’s odd inasmuch as the arrangement feels very simple at points, allowing Warwick to be the star, though the piano does accompany the chorus in a fashion that makes it all the more memorable.

[Skummy]

I love Roy Orbison, one of the greatest male vocalists there ever was.

Be My Baby I consider the greatest pop song ever. Spector never did anything better. When Hal Blaine, the drummer on that record (and practically every other American pop song of the '60s) passed away recently, someone put together a Spotify playlist of songs that use that opening beat, and there are literally hundreds of them. Iconic.

Leader Of The Pack is fun, but a little hokey - I don't think the Shangri-Las have aged as well as The Ronettes, or had enough of a soul-influenced backing to make some of their stuff age as well as other girl groups of the era. Still some lovely tunes, though - Remember (Walking In The Sand) being my personal favourite.

Walk On By is an amazing tune. It's another song that's had some superb cover versions over the years - The Stranglers' version is the one I'm most familiar with, though Isaac Hayes had a great version too.

[Liam]

154.      

‘Don’t Gimme No Lip Child’, Dave Berry (1964)

Following on from ‘Walk On By’, this is another song that started life as a B side, though this time the original single is probably a smidge more popular – ‘The Crying Game’. Still, with a saccharine take on a ballad on one side, this more raucous rock-and-blues song stood out even more so for fans of Berry. There’s a nastiness to the lyrics and the overall demeanour of the delivery (The Sex Pistols famously covered this song, perhaps drawn to the overall atmosphere), whilst Jimmy Page was a notable session guitarist who contributed to the frenetic sound. You can see how songs like this paved the way for what would eventually become punk in the 70s.

155.      

‘E Se Domani’, Mina (1964)

A song that was originally written for Fausto Cigliano and Gene Pittney for the Sanremo Music Festival, Mina eventually recorded the best known version of the song. She had such success with it that it became the B side to two singles. The lyrics tell a story of a lover who tries to put into words what a life without her partner would be like and are well known. The build toward Mina’s higher and more passionate notes towards the end is effective, though I miss the real significance of the song as it feels very much ‘wrong time, wrong place’ for me to fully comprehend its success.

156.      

‘The Girl From Ipanema’, João Gilberto and Stan Getz (1964)

It feels a little bit churlish not to include Astrud Gilberto in the title for this one as she is the vocalist that to me has always been the thing that stands out about this song. She isn’t even a particularly ‘good’ singer, but her straight delivery of the English lyrics (translated from the original Portuguese) is part of the charm. Coupled with Getz doing wonderful music on the saxophone, there is something undoubtedly cool about this song even today, so I can only imagine the response to it over forty five years ago.

[Liam]

157.      

‘A Change is Gonna Come’, Sam Cooke (1964)

At least the second song that came to its writer in a dream, the book suggests three reasons for Cooke’s earnest song about his desire for change – talking with student demonstrators; seeing Bob Dylan and realising that he could write songs with a significant message; being turned away from a segregated Holiday Inn. Cooke’s vocals ring true from beginning to end, whilst the lyrical content is central to the significance of this song. In a time when race relations were not always at their best (perhaps an understatement), Cooke believed there was a chance for change in the near future. A song of hope that is sadly still relevant today.

158.      

‘Dancing In The Street’, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas (1964)

Released shortly in the same month as race riots in Harlem and Rochester, there was a suggestion that this was a veiled attempt to get black people out into the streets and protesting/rioting. This was always denied by Reeves in particular and it does just sound like a song that explores the excitement of a good song. Motown was arguably at its creative peak and this is one of its real legacies. This is no ‘Be My Baby’, but is a step above other all girl songs on the list such as ‘Leader of the Pack’.

159.      

‘I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself’, Dusty Springfield (1964)

Whilst many black artists were bridging cultural divides and bringing ‘black’ music to the masses, there were fewer examples of white artists recording in genres stereotypically considered for black audiences. All these generalities are a little bit of a tortured way to say that Springfield was a rare example of a successful white singer doing what was effectively a take on soul music, with a touch of the ballad and pop genre never too far away. I’ve loved covers of this song without ever hearing this version – itself a cover – and was blown away by Springfield’s dynamic vocals. Soft and sultry to loud and passionate, this Burt Bacharach-penned song (the first of many pairings between the two) was perfect for her voice.

[VerbalPuke]

I love the Trashmen. I don't know if most people know it, but they're a great band. They have some great surf tunes, as good as the Ventures or Dick Dale. I may even say I prefer them to those two.

[Liam]

160.      

‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling’, The Righteous Brothers (1964)

Influenced by: Baby I Need Your Loving • The Four Tops (1964)   

Influence on: The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore • The Walker Brothers (1965)   

Covered by: Isaac Hayes (1970) • Tom Jones (1970) • Erasure (2003)

This has been (and will continue to be) a learning experience for me, and one of the things I learnt with this batch is that this is a Phil Spector song (not that I’d thought much about it, truth be told). In some ways, it should be obvious – the singing, the instrumental and the backing vocals build to create a wall of sound that feels really cutting edge. This was forty-five seconds longer than the length of the usual radio song, so the label lied to stations in order to make sure it got airplay. Not that I believe they would have been overly concerned; this is another slice of pop that perhaps unarguably goes down as a truly great song. From the production to the execution, nary a step is taken in the wrong direction.

161.      

‘You Really Got Me', The Kinks (1964)

Influenced by: Louie Louie • The Kingsmen (1963)   

Influence on: I Can’t Explain • The Who (1965)   

Covered by: Robert Palmer (1978) • Van Halen (1978) • The 13th Floor Elevators (1978) • Sly and The Family Stone (1983) • Iggy Pop (1995) • Small Faces (1996) • The Patron Saints (2005)

Up until this point, we’ve seen a lot of what I effectively feel is ‘rock and roll’. With ‘Louie Louie’ and songs like this, it feels like the transition to songs that are more out and out ‘rock’ has begun. Under pressure to have a hit after tanking with their first two singles, the Kinks hit it out of the park with this song. Between the distorted guitar, incessant percussion and increasingly loud and aggressive vocals, a blueprint had formed. Unlike some rock songs from in and around the next decade, I feel this still stands up to this day and doesn’t feel particularly dated, even though it does have moments that feel of its time.

162.      

‘The House of the Rising Sun’, The Animals (1964)

Influenced by: Honey Hush • Big Joe Turner (1953)  

Influence on: Delta Lady • Joe Cocker (1969)   

Covered by: The Supremes (1964) • Frijid Pink (1969) • Tim Hardin (1969) • Santa Esmeralda (1977) • Tracy Chapman (1990) • Sinéad O’Connor (1994) • The Walkabouts (1996) • Muse (2002)

Recorded in fifteen minutes, this was a rare example of a UK band (…I was not aware of this) sending a traditional American song back over the ocean. Eric Burdon’s vocals here are king for me, as his wailing and growling makes this a more striking song than it otherwise might have been. That’s not to say the instrumentals are bad, just that it takes what could have been a good song and makes it a great song. My only real gripe is that they unleashed a song that was destined to be played at every school talent show ad nauseum, so fuck them for that.

Probably the best trio of songs in my opinion, though that probably speaks more to my own growing awareness of the songs by this point on the list.

Edited March 21, 2020 by Liam

[VerbalPuke]

The Kinks are solid, but I really like the Animals here. 

Eric Burdon had a great voice.

[Liam]

163.      

‘Go ‘Way From My Window’, John Jacob Niles (1964)

This is something very different. Having got the main two lines from a song sung by a ‘Negro ditch-differ’, Niles left it for just over twenty years before he transposed it to a higher key. This only covers the period thirty five years before this song was recorded as Niles was an old man of 72 in 1964. It’s the transition from traditional folk-style vocals to falsetto and back again that gives this its eerie charm. The song itself is simplistic in nature, but Niles was out there in terms of the sonics of his delivery in a way that makes him an eye opener even now.

164.      

‘Amsterdam’, Jacques Brel (1964)

Perhaps somewhat of an oddity as a song on the list that was never formerly recorded outside of this live version at L’Olympia. This is all about Brel’s build, the insistent power of his voice telling his story of the sailors that live a life of depravity, yet Brel’s crescendo eventually – and briefly - touches on his feelings over either an unfaithful love, or the whores who give away their love for money. Either way, it is powerful stuff.. This is an arresting live performance even now; irrelevant of your knowledge of the narrative or the lyrics, Brel is brilliant from opening note to nerve jangling finish.

165.      

‘La Paloma’, Caterina Valente (1964)

A song that is as much about the history of it more so than the performance by Valente. The book claims that this could be the most recorded song in history with a six CD collection of versions of it barely scratching the surface of the 2,000 recordings that are known to exist. The orchestral backing and Valente’s sultry vocals make this an easy listen. The rhythm relies on the Cuban habanera, whilst the earliest known recording of ‘La paloma’ as an instrumental goes as far back as 1883. A piece of musical history if nothing else.

Edited March 5, 2020 by Liam

[Skummy]

I adore Amsterdam, maybe Brel's best work. It's just full of so much rage and indignation, and utterly unlike what anyone else was doing at the time. 

I'm a huge Scott Walker fan, but tend to find that his covers of Jacques Brel's work are over-orchestrated, and that they lose a lot of the seediness because of it - Amsterdam is about the only one that really captures the essence of the work, if anyone's wanting to hear the English translation. Bowie did a good version, too.

The interesting thing about "House Of The Rising Sun" is that, at the time, a lot of contemporary versions framed the song from the female perspective - Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan both recorded versions with the lyrics as "poor soul" and "poor girl", respectively, and versions as far back as the '20s do the same, before The Animals' "poor boy". Pretty much every version since The Animals has followed their lead and gone with "poor boy". It does change the feel of the song a tad.

My favourite fact about that song, though, is that given it has elements of folk songs dated back to the 16th Century, it could be said that the song "The House Of The Rising Sun" is actually older than New Orleans itself.

[MalaCloudy Black]

I only recognize "Go 'Way From My Window" because of Bob Dylan.