Unique Lullaby's Sound Of.....

Hey Hey! Now this is a brand new feature I have decided to bring to my blog. I normally focus on new and upcoming gems and releases I've found which I adore doing but I fancied doing some posts on bands and artists that I have grown up listening too, found myself loving and playing through the speakers of my vinyl player. I'm only 21 so I haven't lived through these eras but as a music fan these eras of different musical conquests never fail to fill up my playlists.

Save this date every month as this is where I am going to post a few of my musical favorites and to bring you right into the heart of these timeless classics (well a few of them anyway there's so many to choose from)

So lets talk one of my favorite eras and as Chuck Berry would say 'Just let me hear some of that Rock and Roll music'!

Motown, Motown, Motown

Some of the most incredible musicians were creating hit after hit during the 60's and its home to some of the biggest, soulful artists of our time. Aretha Franklin demanding R E S P E C T, The Supreme's giving us some stoned love, Dusty Springfield giving you a piece of her heart, The Temptations making you 'my girl', Smokey Robinson giving us some clown felt tears, the list is absolutely endless but the one thing is they are the hits you know and love.

Stoned Love by the Supremes was one of the very first Motown tracks I ever picked up and began my love for not only the era of Motown but the sound of the 60's itself. My musical intrigue levels went wild after that. The unmissable sounds from James Brown with tracks like 'Papas got a Brand New Bag', an unforgettable song, the intro alone is one to feeling the spirit of the record immediately. The 60's is an era of tunes that want to get you up and dance, and even in the street. How can you fail to adore 'Dancing In The Street' by Martha and The Vandellas'. And of course Stevie Wonder who's voice and talent never fails to give me goosebumps every time his tracks enter the airwaves and of course his heartfelt lyrics within songs such as 'For Once In My Life' and 'Everybody Needs Somebody'. And of course the endless covers of My Girl written by Miracles members Smokey Robinson and Ronald White. I could go on and on there are so many incredible artists to talk about.

However the first artist and a personal favourite is always mr Otis Redding. There's always been something undeniably addictive to this mans music. The tone in his voice amugst brass instrumentals or a slight hint of funk or vocal techniques with whistling in tracks such as 'Sittin on The Dock of a bay'. He never fails to define the true feel of Motown for me, some of my favourites being 'Hey Hey Baby' with that 60's rock 'n' roll dance hall feel, 'I Need You're Loving' with it's strong gritty vocal strain and his cover of 'My Girl', It's my favorite.

The best thing about these musicians was the covering of so many songs but in their own style which is immediately recognizable to each artist. The amount of songs each of them covered is something to be admired.

So here are just a few tracks I love :

1. Stoned Love -

The Supremes

2. The Tears of A Clown -

Smokey Robinson

3. For Once In My Life -

Stevie Wonder

4. Sittin on the dock of a bay -

Otis Redding

5. Please Mr Postman -

The Marvelettes.

6. How Sweet It Is (to be loved by you) -

Marvin Gaye

7. Dancing In Th Street -

Martha and The Vandellas

8. Reach Out ann I'll Be There -

Four Tops

9. Chain Gang -

Sam Cooke

10. Money (Thats What I Want)

Barrett Strong

F U N F A C T

The rights to record "Son of a Preacher Man" were originally offered to Aretha Franklin, who turned it down.

The Mods, Rockers, Folk and Pop

One of the defining musical, clashes, so to speak was definitely the two sounds from the Mods and the Rockers. The famous riots of 1964 in Brighton were of course caused by the conflict in music tastes. Mopeds filling up Brighton Pier and motorbikes arriving just beside the beach. However these are some of my favourite artists of the 60's and vinyls I play on a daily basis.

If I could choose now, I'd be a Mod music wise, although I do like the style of the Rockers and some of their artists, tough one eh....

Anyway

The Small Faces are one of my ultimate 60's band. From the moment I picked up 'Watcha Gonna Do About It' years ago I had to listen to as much as possible. It's the vocals from these four men that I absolutely adore, combining this with those twangy sounding guitars and you have the 60's summed up in one artist. It sounds as though they are taking vocal technique influence from those artists of Motown but with a different musical intention. 'I Can't Dance With You' gives those musical tingles with that iconic 60's entirety. And of course songs with a cheeky little reference to something a little more indulgent 'Itchycoo Park' and 'Here Comes The Nice' come to show you something a little more relateable to some of the lifestyles. 'Lazy Sunday' is the absolute one for a track that sticks out from the rest with its cockney style vocals.

Top Small Faces Tracks

1. Watcha Gonna Do About It

2. Grow You're Own

3. Itycoo Park

4. Lazy Sunday

5. Sorry She's Mine

6. Come On Children

7. You Better Believe It

8. One Night Stand

9. You Need Loving

10. Sha la la la la lee

More defining bands of those twangy guitars were held in the hands of The Kinks. Holding some of the most iconic and memorable songs of the 60's, Ray Davies himself wrote/co-wrote some of my best-loved Kinks songs. 'A Well Respected Man' for instance simply telling the story of the everyday, work a day man and his family journey. Simple yet lovable. I picked up The Kinks at the age of 12 and I was convinced one of the lines read 'And his hand sweat smells of piss' It didn't of course. It may have taken me a few years to notice when googling the lyrics to check, that it was of course 'his own sweat smells the best'. Easy mistake to make right? A few more written with Ray Davies' hand sweat was of course the intriguing song 'Lola', the well known 'You Really Got Me' with its immediately recognizable guitar riff and harmonizing chorus. Another of my favorite tunes from this quartet is 'Dedicated Follower of Fashion' ' Waterloo Sunset' the more relaxed of their songs, 'David Watts' and 'Long Tall Sally' I could go on and on as I love The Kinks but let move on to some more bands.

Top Kinks Tracks

1.You Really Got Me

2. Long Tall Sally

3. Lola

4. All Of The Day And All Of The Night

5. A Well Respected Man

6. Dedicated Follower Of Fashion

7. Tired Of Waiting

8.Waterloo Sunset

9. David Watts

10. Sunny Afternoon

Now you can't really talk about the 60's without of course mentioning The Beatles. I know some feel The Beatles were and are overrated but I completely disagree. They held one of, if not the biggest fandoms of the time which spread across seas and a nation not too dissimilar to that of One Direction. I grew up listening to the Beatles as my dad would always wack an album on in the car whether it be going to get milk or going on holiday, The Beatles were forever played in my household and some of their most iconic albums including Sgt. Pepper Lonely Hearts, holding some of the more psycadelic tracks. Of course signing along to Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds as a kid is innocent until it clicks. And the piano solo in Lovely Rita is one I always remember along with the lyrics 'Lovely Rita, Meter Maid'.

In the Beatles you had some itching song writers who, as we know, went on to do their own solo careers. This is why this music so strong, their ability to put together a defining pop track was amazing! 17 UK Number one's, 65 Weeks at number one, and 15 UK number one albums. Now that is pretty impressive, they were the popular music of the 60's. Some of the biggest sing-a-long classics were in the hands of The Beatles. 'The Magical Mystery Tour' being one of my all time favorite albums includes the hits, 'Penny Lane', 'Hello Goodbye', 'Baby You're a Rich Man' 'Strawberry Fields Forever' and 'I Am The Walrus' (a track I adored when I was younger as it just didn't make sense to me). I attended Isle of Wight Festival a couple of summers ago and all of the entrances were names after Beatles songs, it was pretty cool but the funny thing is as soon as you read the sign the song would immediately pop into you're head as if your brain was a little Boom-Box and that is what I love about music by The Beatles. I could go on and on again, so here are my top 10 Beatles Tracks (in no order):

1. Come Together

2. A Hard Day's Night

3. She Loves You

4. Let It Be

5. Paperback Writer

6. Help!

7. Hey Jude

8. Get Back

9. Penny Lane

10. Here Comes The Sun

And of course The Who, and The Beach Boys are two other artists that immediately spring to mind when thinking of the 60's. The Who in-particular holds the soundtrack to one of my favourite films 'Quadrophenia' the name of the film taken from 1973 released album. Before the 70's hit us with massive tracks such as 'Baba O'reily' and 'Who Are You', we were thrown into the heart of that 60's feel with the likes of 'My Generation' and a track I love, as soon as it comes on, I immediately find someway of dancing, as soon as those guitars hit the first note its an infectious song that will not go away! And 'Pinball Wizard' which is recognizable from the first strum of the acoustic guitar among the electric which plums in. 'That Def Dumb And Blind Kid Sure Plays A Mean Pinball'.

The Beach boys give us that happy medium of summertime feel, its even those slower and more poignant love songs which never go a miss on a summers evening, like 'Surfer Girl'. I remember I bought my first Beach Boys album in HMV when I was 13, it was 'The Best Of, but hay the hits on there are undeniably addictive. 'I Get Around' was the first track that introduced me to this harmonizing barbershop inspired band with Brian Wilson, founder of the band's, famous falsetto and iconography he brought to the beach boys music, heavily found in the chorus of 'Good Virbartions' which I found out as actually written from his childhood when his mum talked to him about his dog that would bark at 'bad vibrations' from different people which is the reason the dog would bark at some and not others and Good Vibrations was born! It's possibly one of the biggest musical musings from the band. 'Calfornia Girls' and 'Barbara Ann' also showcasing the falsetto from Brian. 'Surfin USA', 'Wouldn't It Be Nice', 'fun fun fun', 'Help Me Rhonda' the list of classics from these guys are endless!

Now you can't talk about the 60's without at least mentioning one of the biggest influential artists of our time. Jimi Hendrix influences an incredible amount of bands and artists across the eras until the present day. His incredible guitar riffs and techniques combined with his soulful lyrics, he was and always will be an insainly talented musician who can never not be enjoyed or forgotten. As soon as the guitar riff kicks in for 'Foxey Lady' you cannot fail to become lost in the track. Everyone of course knows that first lyrics spiking straight into 'Hey Joe' (where you going with that gun in you're hand) and the unmissable ' Purple Haze'. That bluesy guitar gets me every time in 'Voodoo Child' that riff during the intro is magnificent and throughout and then those sandy vocals come in, its a great moment! Hendrix was of course a defining figure of the 60's and an untold rock legend with his more than innovative guitar playing which enthralled everyone, as he unfortunately passed away in 1970 its amazing to think of the impact he had in just the 60's alone.

Top Hendrix Tracks

1. Voodoo Child (Slight return)

2. Hey Joe

3.Gypsy Eyes

4. All Along The Watch Tower

5. Purple Haze

6. Come on (Let The Good Times Roll)

7. Still Raining, Still Dreaming

8. Ezy Rider

9. If 6 Was 9

10. Little Miss Lover

And I have to talk about one of my favourite singer/songwriters of the 60's. So first is Mr Bob Dylan. This man penned one of my favorite albums of all time 'The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan'. He is one of my ultimate sounds of the 60's. Due to his voice, many overlook or don't even take the time to listen to Dylan but for me the realness and grittiness of his voice just amplifies the talented songwriter and storyteller that he is. The reason I adore his 1963 album as one of my tops is purely because its one of the only albums I own where every single track is one that I love. Among 'Don't Think Twice It's Alright', 'Hard Rains Are Gonna Fall' and 'Blowin in The Wind' you have not only wonderful songwriting alongside soft guitar riffs and that perfectly placed harmonica but you have the more light heart side of his powerful songs with the hilarious track 'I Shall Be Free' which is an amazing finish to this album. He was a songwriter, and still is, with strong views which may be controversial but make it more the more interesting to listen to 'Oxford Town' is a perfect observation of this. This era also showed us to 'These Times They Are A Changing' this song particularly holding a country feel which flows perfectly with the song. As his songs progress throughout the 60's you can see the influences from previous tracks alluding through. And of course 'Mr Tamobourine Man' originally by Bob but covered greatly by The Byrds. Highway 61 revisited is also a fabulous, home to 'Highway 61 Revisited' and 'Like A Rollingstone' an old ringtone of mine, and it was a lovely ringtone too, try it, its cool.

I could go on and on about so many artists. As this is my sound of the 60's here are a list of bands and songs which fill up my 60's playlist and my other favorite bands that I couldn't talk about without filling up 5 pages worth of my blog feed!

So here's some tracks of the other bands that define my 60's playlist!

The Rolling Stones -
Ruby Tuesday, (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction, Paint It Black, Honky Tonk Woman

The Velvet Underground -
Run Run Run, Sunday Morning, Pale Blue Eyes, Oh Sweet Nothing, There She Goes Again

The Doors -
Break on Through to the other side, Light My Fire, People Are Strange, Hello I Love You, The End

Donovan -
Colours, Sunshine Superman, Mellow Yellow, Universal solider

The Byrds
Turn Turn Turn, Tambourine Man

The Monkees -

Daydream Beleiver, I'm a Believer

The Animals -

The House of The Rising Sun, Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood.