I pretty much listened to music every chance I got in the early 1960s. Walking to school and walking home from school I carried my transistor radio and listened to WKBW, the Buffalo rock & roll station. I remember all of these songs vividly and although many were sung by older performers like Andy Williams, Eddie Arnold, and Al Martino, these songs haven’t lost their meaning for me.
Back in the Sixties, I was falling in love with someone every other day. Maybe it was teenage hormones, maybe it was just being around attractive girls at school. Maybe it was the power of Emma Peel to reach out through our TV set to grab my heart. Whatever the reason, I loved these love songs back then. And with Valentine’s Day around the corner, this seemed like a good time to share this music I grew up listening to. Do you remember these songs? Any favorites? GRADE: A
Not much here for me. Al Martino? Andy Williams? The Letterman? Connie Francis? Engelbert Humperdink? No thanks. Sounds like the CD from Hell. I like the two Elvis Presley songs. My mother had the 45 of Can’t Help Falling in Love With You and played it constantly. The Skeeter Davis is okay. D- for me.
Steve, I don’t normally listen to Al Martino, Andy Williams, The Lettermen, or Englebert Humperdink. But these songs feature in my early listening as a kid.
You have to separate the wheat from the chaff with this collection. Elvis and Nate King Cole, yes! Most of the other stuff, not so much. Also, “Release Me” is not even a love song—unless you count “a man telling the woman he’s currently with to let him go so he can get with his new love who he’s obviously been cheating on her with” to be a love song! This CD will not be in the Valentine’s Day rotation at my house.
Deb, UNFORGETTABLE LOVE SONGS OF THE SIXTIES will NOT be in my rotation for Valentine’s Day, either. But, these songs are part of my early musical memories. I agree: there’s some chaff here but I listened to these songs before I knew they were chaff!
Unlike Steve, I think this is a pretty good compilation, albeit veering on the lightweight side. I do love Nat King Cole’s Rambling Rose, in part because it’s Nat King Cole and in part because it’s a good song. Spanish Eyes is also a grreat song, although others have done it much better. Many of the other songs are hummable and bring back some good memories.
I’d give this one a solid B.
Jerry, I listened to Nat King Cole as a kid and loved his distinctive voice. Sure, there are some light-weight songs on this CD, but they’re part of my musical history and I value them for that.
I was 11 or so when Elvis hit us like a bomb and I loved everything he did for years, but cooled on him a bit later, and I think the British Invasion had a lot to do with it. Also love the Skeeter Davis song which appeared on another of these compilations recently. Nat King Cole is the only other artist here that I really loved. Most of the rest I could live without. Give it a C-.
Michael, my sisters were all in love with Elvis in those early days. Meanwhile, I was in love with Skeeter Davis (among other women singers). You’re right about the British Invasion transforming the music industry in the 1960s! My sisters had a favorite Beetle and I became a huge Rolling Stones fan!
Years ago I attended the wedding of a couple somewhat younger than I. At the reception they had a DJ with a stack of CDs of “Romantic Music.” I requested “Can’t Help Falling in Love” but the DJ had never heard of it…
…leaving me to wonder What’s the point of having a wedding reception — or even getting married at all — if you can’t dance to “Can’t help Falling in Love?”
Dan, “Can’t Help Falling in Love” is one of my favorite Elvis songs! Classic!
With the exception of Moon River, these are a little too sappy for me but they were most definitely faves of my Mom.
I enjoy most of these artists, just not these selections.
Beth, my mother loved these songs and I listened to them just through the method of osmosis with the radio playing these songs all day every day.
Top 40 stations in Detroit never played Al Martino, Andy Williams, Henry Mancini, etc. Thank God. And I can never forgive Andy Williams for fostering the Osmonds on us.
Steve, Andy Williams–and the Osmonds–made plenty of money with their exposure on TV, concerts, and albums during those years.
As infrequently, a few songs I don’t recognize from their titles, but as my parents had begun listening to elevator music in the latter ’60s, rarely bothering to dig out their jazz, classical or rock records (I certainly did), I might recognize the melodies to those (eventually I played, for example, the Zombies for them, and they both liked their jazz- and chorale-influenced rock–“She’s Not There” probably triggered a memory cell). Happily, they mostly gave up on the 101 Strings etc. once the radio stations carrying it went on to other formats…but my mother thought of “Humperdinck” as dreamy for quite some time. If given a choice, I think I’d plump for “Tom Jones”…”If I Only Knew”, Jones’s most famous rap single, is amusingly what one might expect from that phrase.
https://youtu.be/zl3fC5Ngz3g
Todd, I was too young to recognize these songs as “elevator music” back in the day. Regardless of the quality–or lack thereof–of these songs, they’re firmly ensconced in my memories.
Well, my folks were listening to elevator music aka “easy listening” stations which often preferred the 101 Strings or similar instrumentals, or also-similar (Percy Faith, etc.) choruses’, versions of even such “MOR” recordings as these. Terrible stuff. You could hear how bored the musicians were even as they paid the bills. Pilot episode of WKRP IN CINCINNATI-level music.
Todd, Percy Faith, Ray Conniff, and other MOR orchestras played their music on our home radios constantly. My mother listened to music all day long on the radio as she cooked, cleaned, and laundered our cloths. I listened to Rock ‘N’ Roll music on my transistor radio and played vinyl albums on my record player. My parents loved musicals so we also had a stack of Broadway musical soundtracks playing from time to time.
Yes, I know them all and don’t hate them. I wouldn’t say any make my “favorites” list other than “Moon River” (I have a Mancini compilation; he did the score for our favorite TWO FOR THE ROAD too) and “Can’t Help Falling in Love.”
Have to drop Jackie off at the hair place, so back later.
Jeff, I have many Mancini CDs. Maybe next February around this time I’ll post about one or two of those classic love song collections.
I don’t mind Mancini when he is in a more jazzy mode-Peter Gunn for one but hate Moon River. My mother played it to death and I have always thought the lyrics awful.
Steve, I always wondered where Johnny Mercer came up with “my Huckleberry friend.”
I did love the Skeeter Davis song. It stood in for all the brief romances of my early teens. On the whole, I listened to girl groups in the early sixties or groups like Dion and the Belmonts. I associated most of these with my parents. Your tastes might have been more sophisticated than mine.
Patti, in the early 1960s, I was a musical sponge. I listened to everything. I only got more sophisticated when I went to College and heard a lot more “alternative” music.
OK, let’s see individual songs. We have a lot of compilations like this, including love songs, so probably have most of them. Also have Elvis, Henry Mancini and Nat King Cole collections.
Never liked Bobby Vinton and “Roses Are Red” was one of my least favorite #1 songs ever. “Blue Velvet” ranks slightly higher. I always speak along with Elvis on the middle part of “Are You Lonesome Tonight ” (much to Jackie’s amusement) – “I wonder if (pause) you’re lonesome tonight.” A classic.
I dislike Andy Williams intensely – remind me to tell you the story of when we went to an Andy Williams concert to see his opening act, Steve Martin. We walked out when Andy and his backup girl singers gave their interpretation of “The Theme From Rocky (Gotta Fly Now)” – I mean, is this happening or is it the hash (to quote Lily Tomlin). But for Andy, this is tolerable.
I do like “Since I Fell For You” and “The End of the World.”
Jeff, I was never an Andy Williams fan but he was always on TV back in the Sixties so my mother watched him.
One more. One of our favorite British sitcoms is The Good Life (aka Good Neighbors here). In one episode, the next door neighbor is taking advantage of his wife being out to listen to Engelbert singing “Release Me.” The wife returns early, immediately switches off the music, and utters a line I’ve appropriated ever since” “You know I hate Bing Crosby.”
Believe me, it’s funny in context.
Jeff, that’s a funny Engelbert/Bing story! I remember Englebert dominating the “Easy Listening” radio stations in that era.
Jackie votes for The End of the World and the Theme from Romeo and Juliet
Jeff, Jackie made some excellent choices!
I remember a few of them, but wouldn’ listen to them, change channels immediately – too much Kitsch for me!
OT:
The German political magazine SPIEGEL reports that Burt Bacharach just died – 94 years old.
He also wrote a lot of Kitsch but some very moving songs too.
Wolf, I listened to all those Burt Bacharach/Hal David hits from the Sixties. They were part of my Teen Life soundtrack! Bacharach innovated a whole new style of music when he was with Scepter Records!
Bacharach has a new album coming out. A collaboration with Elvis Costello.
Steve, Elvis Costello and Bacharach worked together in the past. That new album comes out on March 3rd on AMAZON.
I find it hard to believe, given the time period, that there’s no Johnny Mathis, who was better on his worst day than many of these crooners.
I thought of that too. Mathis was my mothers favorite singer.
Steve, Diane’s favorite Christmas music CD is a Johnny Mathis album.
Michael, I wondered about the missing Johnny Mathis, too. He–and his music–were truly unforgettable!
I’ve liked these, but don’t go out of my way to listen to them. I”ve always preferred fast music to slow ones.
Maggie, I tend to prefer slow when it comes to love…songs.
Best love song ever-I Wanna Be Your Dog by The Stooges.
Steve, Cap’n Bob would agree with that.