Some days after this amazing trip to space, the Americans will yet again feel the pain of losing. On April 17 the failed landing operation in Cuba, also known as the Bay of Pigs Invasion, will take place and fail. This was a mission executed by Cuban exiles, but it was covertly financed and directed by the U.S. government. This failed operation embarrassed the Kennedy administration, and would obviously ruin any bond with Cuba for a long, long time.

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Let’s move from stupid politics to a politically engaged gentleman; Bob Dylan. Robert Allen Zimmerman arrived in New York in the cold winter sometime in January 1961. “The big car came to a full stop on the other side and let me off, I slammed the door shut behind me, waved good-bye, stepped out onto the hard snow. The biting wind hit me in the face. At last I was here, in New York City, a city like a web too intricate to understand and I wasn’t going to try.” Dylan wrote in his memoir; «Chronicles: Volume 1».

After he left the car he walked down to a place called Cafe Wha? in Greenwich Village, started talking to the MC, Fred Neil (Everybody’s Talking’), and ended up playing harmonica in Fred’s band. He also made friends with his idol Woody Guthrie and generally had no problem making friends as the new guy in town.

So now, on April 11, just a couple of months after he arrived, he would get to play his first billed show at Gerde’s Folk City. Gerde’s was an important folk-music venue where all the national folk stars would play, and even though Dylan had played there before at their Monday «Hootenanny Night», this would forever be known as his first real concert. The gig was opening up for John Lee Hooker.

Another live debut this month was Luciano Pavarotti’s opera debut at an international singing contest. The first prize included the part as Rodolfo in «La Boheme» which was put up at the opera house in Modena.

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On April 13, the 3rd Annual Grammy Awards was hosted. This award show is a perfect example of how the industry has changed, and how musical interest has changed. The differences in what was acknowledged are pretty big from then to now, which is very much highlighted by the fact that Bob Newhart, a comedian, won Album of the Year.

But that’s cool. This is kinda the stuff I’m looking for and want to point out; how music developed from the ‘60s to the present.

Here are some of the winners from the Grammy’s in 1961:

• Album of the Year: Bob Newhart – The Button Down Mind of Bob Newhart
• Record of the Year: Percy Faith – The Theme From A Summer Place
• Song of the year: Ernest Gold (songwriter) – Theme From Exodus
• Best Vocal Performance, female: Ella Fitzgerald – Mack The Knife
• Best Vocal Performance, male: Ray Charles – Georgia On My Mind
• Best Country and Western Performance: Marty Robbins – El Paso
• Best Rhythm & Blues Performance: Ray Charles – Let The Good Times Roll
• Best Performance – Folk: Harry Belafonte – Swing Dat Hammer
• Best New Artist: Bob Newhart
• Best Jazz Composition of more than 5 minutes duration: Miles Davis – Sketches from Spain

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I’m also gonna mention real quick that Keren Woodward, form Bananarama, was born on April 2, 1961. I’ve got a couple of signed albums from Bananarama, and my father made out (supposedly) with one of the girls in this band during his hay-day as a music journalist. Now, if there’s any truth to it is unknown, but my father did a lot of crazy shit during those days and there’s hundreds of funny stories to be told. I’ll try to recap some of them when the opportunity presents itself.

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THE ALBUMS

Right now I’m a bit sick of the early ‘60s. And I’m longing for some music that will really grab my attention. I’ve had enough of crooning and boring, old ballads over and over. I’m tired of big band music and chummy, slick, over-the-top happy guys. I want something else right now. I want Bob Dylan, The Beach Boys, The Beatles. I’m longing for some real rock music. I want punk rock! I’m itching for the first rap song. All of this will come eventually, and I know that. It’s just wearing me down right now, and I needed to vent.

On a happier note, I just became a father for the first time. A beautiful baby boy, named after one of my heroes, Levon Helm. Awesome little guy. Doesn’t do much. Just eats, sleeps, and fills up his diapers. But the future looks good! And so does this make-believe future that has already happened as well. But for now, I’m stuck with whatever April has to offer…

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Let’s kick it off with Frank Sinatra. He’s back at it, and it’s safe to say we won’t stop hearing from him for a long while. And the amount of albums he keeps putting out is daunting. This one, «Come Swing With Me», is his his final swing session with Capitol Records and I read somewhere that he was recording his first album for Reprise Records (his own label) at the same time as he recorded this. I’m not sure how much longer I can keep up with this guy. Anyway, his career has already spanned over three decades as he started way back in the ’30s with a group called The Hoboken Four. And he’s nothing if not tenacious. He firmly believed he was destined for great things when he started singing and has worked his ass off to get where he is at this point. And his self-confidence is, and was, staggering. Harry James, who hired him back in 1939 said this about Sinatra in an interview: ‘’His name is Sinatra, and he considers himself the greatest vocalist in the business. Get that! No one’s even heard of him! He’s never had a hit record, and he looks like a wet rag, but he says he’s the greatest.’’ So it’s safe to say that he believed in himself. And it sure as hell paid off.

But success is not synonymous with love. And I have to say that his music is still pretty boring. He has a great voice, but it feels like it’s just the same song in a different wrapping every time. I know there are some major hits to come, but his albums, including this one, without any of those, are just tedious background music at best.

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Bobby Darin & Johnny Mercer, an unlikely pair, have teamed up on a record called «Two of a Kind». Bobby is 24 years old, and Johnny is 51. Age doesn’t matter of course, and especially when it comes to music in the early ‘60s, where both adults and kids seem to enjoy the same kind. So here they are teamed up, making a kinda novelty/big band record. Probably two of my least favorite music genres. But this isn’t all bad. It’s a good vibe throughout the record, and the back-and-forth between Bobby and Johnny is occasionally funny.

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Raindrops were Dee Clark’s biggest hit, and it’s on this album, «Hold On, It’s Dee Clark». It’s nothing much really. Some R&B ballads, some pop ballads. Nothing to write home about. What’s more interesting is that his real name is Delecta(!). Delecta Clark. I like it. Should have used his full name, would have been a lot bigger. Could have gone far… No, but yeah, Raindrops was his biggest and last hit. Nothing much happened after this so he ended up broke at some point, staying at a motel, and died of a heart attack in 1990.

Brenda Lee, Cliff Richard, and Oliver Nelson also released albums this month. But they were a waste of my time, and I’m not gonna waste anymore of it.

JIMMY SMITH – HOME COOKIN’

I was intrigued by ‘’The Incredible’’ Jimmy Smith after I listened to his album «Back At The Chicken Shack».. It had something to it, and even though it’s jazz, soul jazz, I found myself listening to it more and more. Could be the fact that it sounds like Booker T & the M.G.’s, or at least reminds me of it, as I’ve always been a fan of them. Jimmy was the guy that popularised the sound of the Hammond Organ in jazz and is one of the most (if not the most) famous and influential jazz organists of all time. So there is a chance that he influenced Booker as well.

This album might not have been released this month after all. It actually looks like it was released in ‘59, or even ‘58. And I can’t figure out where I got the idea that it was released in ‘61 anymore. I’m still gonna write about it though. Jimmy was brought up by a musical family and was formally trained in piano and bass. He took those talents, brought them together, and mastered the Hammond to start his career in music. He released a great number of records during the ‘50s (including this one it seems) where «Home Cookin’» and «The Sermon» are regarded as the the best ones.

There’s a laid-back atmosphere on this album that suits me perfectly, and if I knew jazz could be this good I would have checked it out ages ago. It feels like a relief to have discovered Jimmy Smith to be honest. Since jazz has felt way too far-fetched for me, and to finally feel like I get it while listening to Jimmy, is opening up a whole new world to me. This is a new way for me to listen to music. I sincerely never thought that would happen. But yeah, this album is great. The Hammond, the guitar, the sax, the drums, all seem to belong to each other, and they turn this into a great experience.

If you’ve never listened to Jimmy Smith, then I believe this is a great place to start. The songs are a mix of R&B classics and his/their own originals, and my favorite tracks have to be I Got a Woman, Messin’ Around, See See Rider, and Motorin’ Along. But they’re all good.

JAMES BROWN – THE AMAZING JAMES BROWN

«The Hardest Working Man In Showbusiness», «The Godfather Of Soul», that’s a couple of the names James Brown goes by. And that should say it all. But of course it doesn’t. There’s so much more to this guy that I won’t be able to write down half of it. So I would recommend everyone to read his biography and see what this guy is all about. Fucking fascinating!

James Brown had a rough start to life. He was born into a deeply racist and segregated community, his mother left when he was four, and he was beaten by his father. He ended up in a reform school at the age of 16, after being caught breaking into a car, but was released early after three years into the custody of a local singer called Bobby Byrd. James joined his gospel group which later evolved into the Flames after they started making R&B music. After they recorded a demo of Please Please Please, and got played on the radio, they were signed by the King/Federal company and re-recorded the song. It was credited to James Brown & The Famous Flames and went all the way to #5 on the R&B chart in 1956. So this is kinda where it all started. But they had to wait a while for the next hit which came in ‘58, Try Me. It wasn’t until 1960, with the singles I’ll Go Crazy, and Think that his music career started to settle. From thereon, and up until 1977, almost every single he released ended up charting. And if that’s not fucking crazy, then I don’t know what is.

Around the end of the ‘50s, Brown started the James Brown Revue. A traveling show complete with opening acts, his own MC, and a stage band. The show was choreographed, and James was doing his own crazy dancing, including splits, fist-pumping, and intricate steps. And night after night he would pretend to collapse and be helped off stage, only to throw off his cape and start all over again. The show was breaking box-office records in every major black venue in America, and it was how he earned the nickname «Mr. Dynamite» and the title «The Hardest Working Man In Showbusiness».

«The Amazing James Brown» is his fifth album, if Allmusic.com has got it right. The cuts are a mix of up-tempo R&B and soulful ballads, and you can feel the energy and passion through it all. It can be difficult to know where to start with James Brown, as he has over 800 songs to his name, but aside from the singles already mentioned, I would recommend that this album is a good place to start. It does not include any of his biggest hits, but if his ‘’non-hits’’ are this good then it would be a shame not to give this a spin just cause it’s easier to listen to a Best Of album.

Tracks like Just You And Me Darling, Come Over Here, Dancin’ Little Thing, I Do Just What I Want, and Tell Me What You’re Gonna Do will get your blood pumping, while I Don’t Mind, Lost Someone, and The Bells will bring you back down in a slow, passionate way. I kinda thought I would tire of James’ voice at some point, but it is definitively an amazing attribute to this music that will make him one of the biggest entertainers this world has seen.

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THE SINGLES

There’s a good selection of singles this month, with a song for the ages by Ben E. King, some good country tunes, and another great track from The Shirelles. But also singles from Bobby Vee, How Many Tears, and I Told Ev’ry Little Star by Linda Scott that won’t get any more attention than the mentions here. So a little of everything, I guess, sums it up nicely for April 1961.

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Ricky Nelson surprises me with his biggest hit Travelin’ Man. I kinda thought I’d hate it, but it’s actually a pretty good song. Very polished and nice, but I still like it. Ricky Nelson came from a show business family, so he started out with some appearances on his dad’s TV show «The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet» in ‘52. By 1957 he started his own recording career with a bang as his first single, the double-sided I’m Walking / A Teenager’s Romance, became a million-seller. And he’s actually been doing pretty good ever since. But Travellin’ Man is his biggest hit so far, and it’s a song about having a girl in every port, all around the world. It’s kinda like a clean version of Ludacris’ Area Codes.

Tossin’ and Turnin’, by Bobby Lewis, is another one that I thought wasn’t for me, but turned out to be ok. It’s nothing special, but I can sing along to it, so it deserves a mention. This was Bobby’s biggest hit as well, but he never got any bigger than this. After another song, One Track Mind charted, he kinda faded away from the music business.

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Now for the country tunes. And the one that surprised me the most is Connie Francis’ Breakin’ In a Brand New Broken Heart. Cause I’ve disliked every song she has released since I started writing. Those teary-eyed ballads, and the all-white-suburban feel, just made me sick. But this one isn’t all bad. It’s a pretty standard country ballad, but it has a vibe that works a lot better than what she’s previously done. I’m not saying that I’m a fan now, cause I sure as hell ain’t, but she’ll get a pass with this song. And she is closing in on the end of her stardom, so I guess it’s just fair that I ended up accepting at least one of her songs. Her real name is Concetta Franconero by the way, so she hasn’t got that working for her either…

There’s also Right or Wrong by Wanda Jackson, the girl who dropped a rockabilly album not too long ago. She has entered the land of country music, and it’s a pretty nice ballad. George Jones, who will be remembered as one of the greatest honky tonk singers, has his second #1 on the country chart with Tender Years. It’s cool to be able to follow his career from the start. Not because I’m such a big fan of his, but he is a legend. And he looks so goddamn boring. And the last of the country music gang is Kitty Wells with her Heartbreak U.S.A. All those are decent tracks that might be worth checking out if you like this kinda music.

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The Shirelles is also back with another great song. Mama Said is absolutely one of the best singles released this month. It’s catchy, great vocals, perfect harmonies. Just an all-round great R&B/Pop tune. Three singles so far since I started writing, and all of them are good. Can they keep this going?

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Now for the real treasure this month. Ben E. King’s magnificent Stand By Me. It feels a bit dumb trying to say something about a song that has been talked about forever. Like, what else is there to say that hasn’t already been said? But fuck that. I have to say something, and I’ll just start with the fact that I love this song.

Ben had just recently gone solo after singing with The Drifters, and what a way to start off. I think this is his second single (don’t quote me on that), and to release an absolute classic like this is a helluva way to kick-start your career. However, Ben didn’t become the artist this song showed promise of. Of course, he’s forever remembered because of it, but considering how big this song is now, he should have been a superstar.

There have been recorded over 400 versions of Stand By Me, even by Muhammad Ali(!), and I’m pretty sure this song will live on forever. There is no stopping it. It’s a definite classic!

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THE CHARTS

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From now on I’m just gonna pick out the ones that have something to offer from the charts. There’s too much awful shit on here right now. I need to wait for the revolution. I’ll still post the Top 3, but I’m not gonna write about who entered it, nor will I write about everyone who enters the Top 10.

Ray Charles is back in the Top 10 with his version of One Mint Julep. It was featured on his album «Genius + Soul = Jazz», and I have to say that when I heard this alone, like, not on the album, it sounded a lot cooler. The Hammond organ is in the heart of it, and it rules the song. Gives it that something extra. And when Ray speaks the only spoken line of the song, “Just a little bit of soul now”, it makes me squint my eyes and pout my lips, and go: “Hell yeah”.

On The Rebound, an instrumental song by Floyd Cramer was a lot cooler than I dared to hope for. It’s a rock’n’roll tune played on his piano, and it works surprisingly well. Didn’t much like his last single, but he shines a bit on this one. Floyd was a vastly experienced Nashville session player in the ‘50s and can be heard on countless records from that decade. One of his first sessions was on Elvis Presley’s Heartbreak Hotel, and he’s played with artists like Jim Reeves, Chet Atkins, Patsy Cline, and Roy Orbison. He also created the theme for the ‘80s TV show «Dallas».

Another cool little ditty is Mother-In-Law by Ernie K-Doe. It is labeled as a novelty song but doesn’t have the standard sound of one. It actually has some quality to it. The lyrics are of the novelty standard, but the music isn’t. It’s written by Allen Toussaint, and it reached the top spot on the charts at some point.

And who would’ve thought that a cover version, or adaption, of Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A Minor would reach the top of the charts almost 100 years after it was composed? Well, that’s exactly what happened when Jimmy Wisner, using the name Kokomo to not alienate his jazz fans, released Asia Minor in 1961. It was banned by the BBC as they had a policy of banning music that seemed to parody classical music, but I’d say that this isn’t a parody at all. And it’s actually pretty cool. It made me wonder why this hasn’t been done a lot more (or maybe it has?).

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Petter Milde

This Band Could Be Your Life