TODAY : 20 FAVORITE FEMME RECORDS OF....1961
1. POOR FOOL – IKE & TINA TURNER
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Seeo_QUVDd4
Tina in top form here on a splendid sequel to Ike & Tina’s previous
classic in
the same vein---“A Fool In Love”. As with the earlier hit The Ikettes
back her
up wonderfully and the whole shebang adds up to another spectacular
success for the dynamite duo. Another big hit for Sue Records this
reached #38 BBpop and #2 BBr&b. ‘Twas 1964 before we in UK saw a 45
release (again on Sue) but there was
no chart action
2. I KNOW (YOU DON’T LOVE ME NO MORE) – BARBARA GEORGE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DAmX4SwD_M
1961 was really the year I got severely hooked on American r&b music big
time and it’s thanks to records like this that I played to death back
then. Another classic here from the Sue outfit who distributed the AFO
(“all for one”) label. Barbara scored a #3 BBpop and #1 BBr&b hit with
this one. Released UK on London but did not chart
3. I’M A LITTLE MIXED UP – BETTY JAMES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpoq5YwFW4I
Originally on the Cee-Jay label (yes that’s CEE-Jay in NYC not Vee Jay
in Chicago) who came up with the splendid bluesy Betty James classic
that was promptly snapped up for national distribution by Chess. Sadly
the hoped for hit never materialised but a classic r&b record was born nonetheless. Did not chart USA and not issued UK
4. PLEASE MR. POSTMAN - THE MARVELETTES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1l5I3u0tShE
Here’s another one I played to death---it was the record that gave the
up and coming Motown label it’s first honest-to-God #1 record on both BB charts and importantly signalled the birth of an r&b girl group that
were not just a flash in the pan but one that would carry on putting out regular hits right the way thru the 1960’s.Released on Tamla in US and
on Fontana (with their name spelt wrong) in UK (did not chart)
5. CRAZY – PATSY CLINE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ__klJ7fC0
Backed up by the ever-reliable Jordanaires Patsy Cline follows up her
big “I Fall To Pieces” hit (see below) with a slow ballad from the pen
of a new country artist/song writer just starting to make a name for himself---Willie Nelson---with a little ditty called “Crazy”. Hard to believe that Decca didn’t offer this to Brenda Lee first but whatever happened there Patsy went ahead and charted with her classic
version---#9 BBpop #2 BBc&w. Did not chart in UK on Brunswick in 1961
despite good airplay but reached #9 on NME chart in January 1991 on an
MCA reissue
6. HURT – TIMI YURO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpGXVIZXwVY
Great version of the old 1954 r&b hit original by Roy Hamilton---a
recording that like several of his numbers from those years I never
warmed to very much. Timi brings a deep soul angle to the song that was
missing to these ears in the earlier version. The song has been revived
many times since most notably in the successful 1975 Manhattans version
and in the less-than-stellar Elvis reading. Timi scored a #4 BBpop hit
with this and #22BBr&b. On London in UK but failed to chart
7. EVERY BEAT OF MY HEART – THE PIPS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfCtiJ8rDco
The Pips first surfaced in 1958 with the forgettable “Ching Chong” but their second released effort was a whole different ball game. A decent
enough revival of the old Royals (Midnighters) number—the Johnny Otis penned---“Every Beat Of My Heart” in 1961 for the tiny Huntom label in Atlanta Ga. that was swiftly picked up for national distribution by Vee
Jay (in the face of a re-recording on Fury by the group released at the
same time). Confused? You will be! Both charted but we’re going with the major hit (the Vee Jay release) which scored #6 BBpop #1 BBr&b..On Top
Rank in UK but failed to chart
8. LET THE FOUR WINDS BLOW – BRENDA LEE (UNRELEASED)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diZME05SMLQ
Brenda’s splendid version of this classic song (originally released as “Four Winds” by Dave Bartholomew in 1955) before becoming a big hit for Fats Domino earlier in 1961. Brenda recorded her version for Decca on 29 October 1961 at Bradley Studio in Nashville with backup including Hank
Garland (gtr) Grady Martin (gtr) Bob Moore (bass) Buddy Harman (dms)
Floyd Cramer (pno) Boots Randolph (sax) Finally released on “Legends Of
Rock Vol. 2” LP in 1974 on German Coral label
9. I FALL TO PIECES – PATSY CLINE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG93JYMob9U
Now here’s one that definitely WAS offered to Brenda Lee ahead of Patsy Cline.
Brenda turned it down and the rest is history. Patsy recorded the song
for Decca
16 November 1960 again at Bradley Studio,Nashville with much of the same accompaniment listed for Brenda Lee above. The released record was a
resounding
hit reaching #12 BBpop and a big #1 on the BBc&w chart. On Brunswick in
UK but no chart action
10. SMILE – TIMI YURO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1ON4AYYgEM
For me NOBODY will ever supplant the great 1954 Nat “King” Cole version
of this
famous old song as my favorite tho Timi has a good try here. Written by
Charlie
Chaplin as the theme to his 1936 “Modern Times” film I make Petula Clark the first VOCAL performance of the song on record (ahead of Cole).
But-Cole apart-I make the Timi version (her followup to “Hurt” above) my next favorite and very deserving of inclusion here. A #42 BB pop hit. On
London in UK but did not chart
11. SAVED – LaVERN BAKER
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmKU2H3X3YY
For her best seller and biggest hit of 1961 LaVern had to depend upon
the always
reliable Messrs Leiber & Stoller and their hot gospel pastiche “Saved”
also with
one Phil Spector somewhere in the backing here. Charting at #37 BB pop
and #17
BBr&b it appeared on London in UK without charting
12. SEPTEMBER IN THE RAIN – DINAH WASHINGTON
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HecAYoiYspc
Another of my favorite old standards originally by Shep Fields & His
Orchestra in 1937 and a perfect vehicle to carry Dinah back high into
the charts. Sadly in practice it didn’t quite work as well as that but
it did reward her with a #23BBpop hit and a #5BBr&b. On Mercury in both
US and UK it got to #28 on our chart
13. YOU DID ME WRONG – WILLIE MAE “BIG MAMA” THORNTON
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCsRARVeaA8
BIG (MAMA) THORNTON -
***You Did Me Wrong - BAY-TONE 107
Willie Mae Thornton returns to the world of recording with this shouting reading ofa standard blues effort. It sounds like it was recorded many
years ago.Her vitality could get it spins (“Billboard” 15 May 1961)
You wouldn’t expect this one to get issued in UK and you’d be right
14. FUNNY – MAXINE BROWN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUTJLbKtOK4
Here’s the super songstress from South Carolina with the followup to her first hit “All In My Mind” in 1960. Recording for the Nomar label in NYC “Funny” will return Maxine to the charts with a #25BBpop and #3 BBr&b.
Not issued UK
15. HOW YOU’VE CHANGED – TINY TOPSY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKrluCPOBrk
The last single of any consequence from Topsy---now signed to Chess’
Argo
subsidiary. The curious thing about this one is that on the UK Pye-International
issue of it the title is changed to “After Marriage Blues” but otherwise
it is
EXACTLY the same song and recording. Didn’t chart in either version
16. MAMA SAID – THE SHIRELLES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woECt-vROBc
Here’s the most popular girl group of this period back with their then current
single “Mama Said” on Scepter label all set to follow the recently re-issued “Dedicated To The One I Love” high into the charts which it
duly does bagging
a #4 place on the BBpop chart and an impressive #2 on the BBr&b chart.
Issued
UK on Top Rank but failed to chart
17. WHAT A SWEET THING THAT WAS – THE SHIRELLES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rF-QTwqkVKU
For some reason this is The Shirelles single that seems to be “lost” in most people’s lists of their favorite Shirelles numbers---exactly why
I’ve no idea. I’ve always liked it and yes….whilst its not their very best it is far from being their very worst either. As usual on Scepter
label and a #54 BBpop hit. On Top Rank in UK but non-charting
18. FOOL THAT I AM – ETTA JAMES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qSXS0uX0fw
Beautiful soul drenched ballad oldie first recorded by Floyd Hunt’s
Quartette in
1946 (Gladys Palmer vocal) and by a succession of famous femmes since
including
Dinah Washington and LaVern Baker and featured in 1961 on Etta’s “The Second
Time Around” album on Argo. Pulled as a single it peaked at #50 BBpop
and #14
BBr&b. Released UK on Pye International but non-charting
19. THERE’S NO OTHER (LIKE MY BABY) – THE CRYSTALS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJwFTfzxH5U
Slow hypnotic ballad with Barbara Alston lead. The first release on the
Philles
label and the record that kicks off the whole Phil Spector “Wall Of
Sound” thing.They will score much bigger hits later but right now it’s a respectable #20 place for this one BBpop and a healthier #5 BBr&b.
Curiously released on Parlophone here in UK (non-charting). The only
Philles record to appear this way. All others were on London label
20. BABY IT’S YOU – THE SHIRELLES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxgALz8z1pM
Coming right at the very end of 1961 The Shirelles re-appear with one of
their
most memorable numbers for Scepter (and one that finds its way into the
stage repertoire of some up and coming group over here in Liverpool
England) . Charted at #8 BBpop and #3 BBr&b.On Top Rank in UK but never
charted
BUBBLING UNDER
21. I’M BLUE (THE GONG-GONG SONG) – THE IKETTES
22. DUM DUM – BRENDA LEE
23. PLEASE DON’T GO – THE TONETTES
24. TRUST IN ME – ETTA JAMES
25. OPERATION HEARTBREAK – ARETHA FRANKLIN
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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