There are some new artists to sample in my list for 1961.

The Lion Sleeps Tonight” is a song originally written and recorded by Solomon Linda under the title “Mbube” for the South African Gallo Record Company in 1939. Linda’s original was written in Zulu, while the English version’s lyrics were written by George David Weiss.

There are a couple of Jimmy Reed classics “Big Boss Man” and Bright Lights, Big City”. Interesting to note that Phil Spectre played guitar on the Ben E. King classic “Stand By Me”. John Lennon also recorded Stand By Me for his Rock ‘n’ Roll album which was produced by a then very crazy Phil Spectre. “During the sessions, Spector fired a gun in the studio, and the bullet reportedly skimmed past Lennon’s ear. Lennon responded, “Phil, if you’re going to kill me, kill me. But don’t f**k with my ears. I’m a musician, I need ’em!”.

The Mar-Keys, formed in 1958, were an American studio session band for Stax Records, in Memphis, Tennessee, in the 1960s. As the first house band for the label, their backing music formed the foundation for the early 1960s Stax sound. The Ikettes were Ike Turner’s all-femala backing group.

I’m pretty sure that the band Big Sambo and the Housewreckers would not be a name chosen today. The Falcons and Band had a young Wilson Pickett in the line-up. Pickette rerecorded the song “I Found Love” in 1967. New Orleans Champion Jack Dupree is a huge favourite of mine. “William Thomas “Champion Jack” Dupree (July 23, 1909 or July 4, 1910 – January 21, 1992) was an American blues and boogie-woogie pianist and singer. His nickname was derived from his early career as a boxer. and he was the lightweight champion of Indiana“.

Walter E. “Furry” Lewis was an American country blues guitarist and songwriter from Memphis, Tennessee. He was one of the earliest of the blues musicians active in the 1920s to be brought out of retirement and given new opportunities to record during the folk blues revival of the 1960s.  Joni Mitchell‘s song “Furry Sings the Blues” (on her album Hejira) is about her visit to Lewis’s apartment and a mostly ruined Beale Street on February 5, 1976.

nineteen and sixty-one

• Big Bad John – Jimmy Dean
  Big Boss Man – Jimmy Reed
  Bleeding Heart – Elmore James
  Blue Moon -The Marcels
  Bright Lights, Big City – Jimmy Reed
  Bristol Stomp – The Dovells
  Bumble Boogie – B. Bumble & The Stingers
  Buttered Popcorn – The Supremes
  Calinda – Jim Smoak
  Candy Man – Roy Orbison
  Chain Gang – Sam Cooke
  Check Mr. Popeye – Eddie Bo
  Come Back, Baby – Dave Van Ronk
  Crazy – Patsy Cline
  Daddy’s Home – Shep & The Limelites
  Dog Patch Creeper – Velveteens
  Du Dee Squat – Little Luther
  Duke of Earl – Gene Chandler
  Dupree Special – Champion Jack Dupree
  Every Beat of My Heart – Gladys Knight
  Everybody’s Gotta Pay Some Dues – Smokey Robinson & The Miracles
  Free, Single & Disengaged – Huey “Piano” Smith
  Gin House Blues – Nina Simone
  Goin’ To Kansas City – Furry Lewis
  Got Me a Louisiana Woman – Lightnin’ Hopkins
  Gypsy Woman – The Impressions
  Hello Mary Lou (Goodbye Heart) – Ricky Nelson
  Hey! Baby – Bruce Channel
  Hide Away – Freddy King
  Hit the Road Jack – Ray Charles*
  I Found a Love – The Falcons
  I Just Want a Little Bit – Magic Sam feat. Eddie Shaw
  I Know (You Don’t Love Me No More) – Barbara George
  I Like It Like That Part 1 – Chris Kenner
  I Pity the Fool – Bobby “Blue” Bland*
  I Want a Guy – The Supremes
  If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody – James Ray
  I’m A Fool to Care – Joe Barry
  I’m Blue – The Ikettes
  Jamie – Eddie Holland
  John Henry – Furry Lewis
  Last Night – The Mar-Keys
  Lazy River -Bobby Darin
  Let Me Down Easy – Freddie King
  Let’s Go Trippin – Dick Dale
  Life Is Just a Struggle – Johnny Adams
  Lonely Blue Nights – Rosie & The Originals
  Love Me Baby – Shakey Jake
  Lover’s Island – The Blue Jays
  Memphis Slim U.S.A. – Memphis Slim
  Midnight Special – Jimmy Smith
  Mother-In-Law – Ernie K-Doe
  My Girl – Charles McCullough
  My True Story – The Jive Five
  Night Train – James Brown
  Not me – Gary US Bonds
  Oh, Mother of Mine – The Temptations
  One Mint Julep – Ray Charles*
  Only the Lonely – Roy Orbison
  Peanut Butter – The Marathons
  Please Mr. Postman – The Marvelettes
  Pony Time – Don Covay & The Goodtimers
  Quarter To Three – Gary U.S. Bonds
  Raindrops – Dee Clark
  Rainin’ In My Heart – Slim Harpo
  Runaround Sue – Dion
  Runaway – Del Shannon
  Running Scared – Roy Orbison
  She Put the Hurt on Me – Prince La La
  Soothe Me – Sim Twins
  Stand By Me – Ben E. King
  Stick Shift – The Duals
  Surfer’s Stomp – The Marketts
  Surfin’ U.S.A. – The Beach Boys
  Swear I’ll Tell the Truth – Earl Hooker
  Swing Down Chariot – The Staple Singers
  Tears of Sorrow – The Primettes
  Tears On My Pillow -Little Anthony & The Imperials
  The Fly – Chubby Checker
  The Lakes of Pontchartrain – Jim Smoak
  The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh) – The Tokens
  The Mountain’s High – Dick & Dee Dee
  The Rains Came – Big Sambo & The House Wreckers
  The Roach – Gene & Wendell
  The Wanderer – Dion & The Belmonts
  The Watusi – The Vibrations
  The Young Ones – Cliff Richard & The Shadows
  Underwater – The Frogmen
  Up on the Roof – The Drifters
  Walk Right Back – The Everly Brothers
  Walked Down So Many Turn Rows – Mercy Dee Walton
  When We Get Married – Bill Deal and The Rhondels
  Wild Wind – John Leyton
  Ya Ya – Lee Dorsey
  Ye Jacobites By Name – Ewan MacColl & Peggy Seeger
• * Seen perform live