I would hesitate to claim all of these 30 songs were “classics,” but I would say that while I was listening to these three CDs I was frequently thinking: “I haven’t heard this song in 50 years!”
When is the last time you listened to Little Peggy March? Or Ronny and The Daytonas? Or heard those timeless words: “Yummy Yummy Yummy, I have Love in my Tummy!”
Sixties Classics also include a number of instrumentals–a form that never hits today’s Billboard charts–Santo & Johnny’s “Sleepwalk,” Floyd Cramers’s “Last Date,” The Viscounts’s “Harlem Nocturne,” and Mancini’s true classic “Moon River.”
How many of these songs do you remember? Any favorites? GRADE: B+
1-1 | The Isley Brothers– | Shout (Parts 1 & 2) Written-By – O. Isley*, R. Isley*, R. Isley* | 4:42 |
1-2 | Santo & Johnny– | Sleepwalk Written-By – Ann Farina, Johnny Farina*, Santo Farina | 2:22 |
1-3 | Ray Peterson– | Tell Laura I Love Her Written-By – B. Raleigh*, J. Barry | 2:57 |
1-4 | Floyd Cramer– | Last Date Written-By – Floyd Cramer | 2:29 |
1-5 | Lee Dorsey– | Ya Ya Written-By – B. Robinson*, C. Lewis*, L. Dorsey*, M. Levy | 2:28 |
1-6 | The Tokens– | The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh) Written-By – Weiss*, Peretti*, Creatore* | 2:43 |
1-7 | Henry Mancini And His Orchestra– | Moon River Written-By – Henry Mancini, Johnny Mercer | 2:44 |
1-8 | Ketty Lester– | Love Letters Written-By – Heyman*, Young* | 2:42 |
1-9 | Neil Sedaka– | Breaking Up Is Hard To Do Written-By – Greenfield*, Sedaka | 2:20 |
1-10 | Skeeter Davis– | The End Of The World Written-By – Arthur Kent, Sylvia Dee | 2:36 |
2-1 | The Viscounts– | Harlem Nocturne Written-By – Earle Hagen | 2:24 |
2-2 | Little Peggy March*– | I Will Follow Him (Chariot) Written-By – Altman*, Roma*, Stole*, Plante*, Gimbel | 2:29 |
2-3 | Gale Garnett– | We’ll Sing In The Sunshine Written-By – Gale Garnett | 2:59 |
2-4 | Ronny & The Daytonas– | GTO Written-By – John Wilkin | 2:29 |
2-5 | Glenn Yarbrough– | Baby The Rain Must Fall Written-By – Elmer Bernstein, Ernie Sheldon | 2:22 |
2-6 | Ssgt. Barry Sadler*– | The Ballad Of The Green Berets Written-By – Ssgt. Barry Sadler*, Robin Moore | 2:30 |
2-7 | The Lovin’ Spoonful– | Summer In The City Written-By – John Sebastian, Mark Sebastian, Steve Boone | 2:41 |
2-8 | The Box Tops*– | The Letter Written-By – Wayne Carson Thompson | 1:56 |
2-9 | The 5th Dimension*– | Up-Up And Away Written-By – Jim Webb | 2:39 |
2-10 | Jefferson Airplane– | Somebody To Love Written-By – Darby Slick | 2:58 |
3-1 | The Lemon Pipers– | Green Tambourine Written-By – Leka*, Pinz* | 2:27 |
3-2 | The Friends Of Distinction– | Grazing In The Grass Written-By – Harry Elston, H. Masekela*, Philemon Hou | 2:55 |
3-3 | Sopwith Camel– | Hello, Hello Written-By – T. Romeo*, W. Farrell | 2:27 |
3-4 | 1910 Fruitgum Co.*– | Yummy Yummy Yummy Written-By – A. Resnick*, J. Levine | 2:21 |
3-5 | Merilee Rush & the Turnabouts*– | Angel Of The Morning Written-By – Chip Taylor | 3:12 |
3-6 | Brooklyn Bridge*– | Worst That Could Happen Written-By – Jim Webb | 3:08 |
3-7 | The Guess Who– | These Eyes Written-By – Cummings*, Bachman | 3:43 |
3-8 | Harry Nilsson– | Everybody’s Talkin’ Written-By – Neil* | 2:46 |
3-9 | Zager & Evans– | In The Year 2525 (Exordius & Terminus) Written-By – Rick Evans | 3:15 |
3-10 | The Youngbloods– | Get Together Written-By – Chet Powers | 4:39 |