It took the Beatles ten hours to drive from Liverpool to London because of a fierce snowstorm, and they arrived late at night on New Year’s Eve, 1961. “Just in time to see the drunks jump in the Trafalgar Square fountain”, according to John Lennon.

The Beatles went into the Decca studio the day after and recorded fifteen songs carefully chosen by the band and Epstein. Fifteen songs that they felt showed their versatility and best represented their act. Among them was «Money (That’s What I Want)» and «Till There Was You», later recorded for their album «With The Beatles, «The Sheik of Araby», a fun little number sung by George Harrison, and the Lennon/McCartney songs «Like Dreamers Do», «Hello Little Girl», and «Love Of The Loved». I’m not sure if this audition was ever made public, but there are some sound clips on YouTube that claim to be the original. The real tapes were sold to a Japanese collector at some point.

Listening through the tracks that I could find, I would say that they did a pretty good job, but none of the recordings I’ve heard are from the actual audition. So I wouldn’t know how they sounded that day. But, the Decca representatives, A&R man Dick Rowe and Mike Smith, were not convinced. Instead, they decided to sign Brian Poole and the Tremeloes, who auditioned the same day.

From what I’ve read the reasons behind rejecting the Beatles was a couple. First of all, they felt it was better to sign The Tremeloes as they were a local band and that would save them money on traveling expenses, Dick Rowe allegedly told Brian Epstein that «Guitar groups are on their way out», even though Dick denied ever saying that until the day that he died. After all, they did sign The Tremeloes, which was also a guitar group. But it could also be that Dick was just embarrassed by the fact that he rejected what was to become the biggest band in music history. Hey, I would lie, kill, and cheat to get out of that one.

Then again, Paul McCartney didn’t think they did a good job either; “Listening to the tapes I can understand why we failed the Decca audition. We weren’t that good, though there were some quite interesting and original things.” So maybe it was justified? John Lennon however does not agree with Paul’s opinion; “I wouldn’t have turned us down on that. I think it sounded OK…I think Decca expected us to be all polished, we were just doing a demo. They should have seen our potential.”

And you know, even though Decca looks like some dumbasses after this, I feel it’s important to notice that they were the only ones who invited them to audition. The rest of the labels just blatantly rejected them. So one could say that a lot of A&R people should have gotten a smack on the back of their head back in ‘61 and ‘62.

I would also be very interested in listening to the Tremeloes’s audition, but I can’t find any information about that one at all. There’s probably a book somewhere though…

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On January 16 the filming of the first James Bond movie began. «Dr. No» will be the first movie in a series that will go on for over 50 years, and I don’t think there are any other movie franchises that can contest that feat. The movie starred Sean Connery as James Bond, swiss actress/model Ursula Andress as Honey Ryder (where she was wearing the now pretty famous swimsuit), and Joseph Weismann as Dr. Julius No. The movie had a pretty small budget, and therefore it became a big financial success, but the critical reception was very mixed. However, through time it has come to be known as one of the best movies in the series. I personally don’t remember the plot of this movie, but I got the box set in my collection, so I guess I’m gonna check it out again pretty soon.

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THE ALBUMS

A new year is upon us, and while I’m still waiting for some life-changing music it’s been pretty cool so far. I’ve been through ‘60 and ‘61, and I’ve found a lot of new artists and bands that I didn’t know about, I’ve been able to dig deeper on artists I’ve neglected, and I’ve listened to a lot of shit as well. But all in good fun.

1962 starts off with albums from The Everly Brothers, who hasn’t excelled lately, Nina Simone, a couple of albums I’m not quite sure when were released (that’s starting to get pretty normal though), Howlin’ Wolf, and Lou Rawls.

THE EVERLY BROTHERS – INSTANT PARTY!

I think it’s fair to say that The Everly Brothers still suffers from the fact that they can’t record songs they write themselves, or songs by their usual songwriters. The trouble they had with their publisher has to be ongoing as this is mainly a collection of pop standards from another era. And it’s not very good either.

There are some minor highlights here, like the opener Step It Up And Go, but the party instantly stops after that one when they continue with Theme From “Carnival” (Love Makes The World Go ‘Round). And there are a lot of tracks like that on here, so the fact that this album isn’t recognized as a good Everly album isn’t a shock at all. Other than the first track I guess Jezebel is ok, and maybe Ground Hawg, Long Lost John if I’m being generous. But mostly this is just boring.

The brother duo is still going downhill, and they need to fix this quickly if they want to save themselves. Right now it’s looking bleak though.

LOU RAWLS – STORMY MONDAY

Lou Rawls comes from gospel music, and he was briefly a member of the acclaimed gospel group; Pilgrim Travellers. I’m not gonna pretend that I know who they are though. This is just a fact that I read somewhere, and I felt that it could fit well here since this is Lou Rawls’ debut album and I need some fun facts to go along with what gibberish I’m gonna write. Before that, he also briefly sang with Sam Cooke in the gospel group Teenage Kings of Harmony (good name!), and he also met Curtis Mayfield early in his career.

Lou starts his recording career in the jazz genre, and to be honest, it doesn’t sound half bad. His singing is a match made in heaven with this band, and he actually manages to make this jazz thing sound very good. That might be because it has a definite soul vibe to it, and backed by the Les McCann Trio, they have put together a very strong debut for Rawls.

It might be missing some real stand-outs when we’re talking about the tracks, but I’d Rather Drink Muddy Water and Stormy Monday are my favorites.

NINA SIMONE – AT THE VILLAGE GATE

Nina Simone was born Eunice Waymon, and she was a great piano player from a young age. She went to Juilliard School of Music in New York, but after she got rejected from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia (which she suspected was because of racial prejudice) she had to work to fund her private lessons in classical music. So she started singing at a bar in Atlantic City and that’s when she took the stage name we know her as. I think she used another name because she didn’t want her mother to find out what she was up to. And she was up to jazz. In 1959 she scored her first hit with the song I Loves You Porgy, written by George Gershwin, and then there was no way back.

Her debut album, «Little Girl Blue», was a success, and she was signed by Colpix Records, where she got the freedom to decide what she would record and be in control of her own career. She never really cared about the record contract, as she only did this (for now) to be able to continue her classical music studies. But she kept this attitude toward the record industry for most of her career.

Now, Nina Simone is releasing her third live album, and it’s been getting some rave reviews. That’s obviously because she is amazing at what she’s doing, and that’s more than deserved. But this kind of music is not something I can kick it to. I mean, I understand that it is good, and I do enjoy some parts of it, but to me, it feels like music that doesn’t have a point or a purpose. It’s just there to make sounds sound good. But then again, I guess that’s what jazz is.

There are two songs that I like on this album, and those are Zungo, with the Africa vibe, and Children Go Where I Send You which ends the set and is all over the place in a good sense. I get that Nina is amazing, but I just can’t grasp it right now.

MIRIAM MAKEBA – THE MANY VOICES OF MIRIAM MAKEBA

“Mama Africa” is one of my favorite discoveries while doing this, and she doesn’t disappoint with this second album neither. While I wrote about her debut album a while back, her career started even earlier when she joined a group called the Cuban Brothers all the way back in 1950, and later joined an 11-piece close harmony group called the Manhattan Brothers. I’ve checked out a couple of songs, and come to like Baby Ntsoare and Tula Ndivile.

Not long after Miriam was one of South Africa’s most successful artists, but because of her low payment, and no royalties, she kept dreaming of America. Her chance came after she starred in an American film, a documentary called «Come Back Africa», and the Italian government invited her to attend the film’s premiere at the Venice Film Festival. When in Italy, she decided not to return home. But because of the international furore created by the film’s exposé of apartheid, her South African passport was withdrawn. But with the help of Harry Belafonte, she managed to secure entry to the US and a working permit as well.

Belafonte kept helping her when she arrived and secured her a spot on the Steve Allen Show, as well as an engagement with the Village Vanguard, a Manhattan jazz club. Shortly after her arrival, she had some major chart hits with Pata Pata and The Click Song, and I guess we can say her career was on its way up.

I still like her debut best, but there are many great songs on this one as well. And you can’t beat that vibe. I’ve completely fallen in love with that African beat and sound, and I can listen to it forever. It’s both relaxing and invigorating at the same time, with a change of pace every now and then. And there’s even a calypso-style song here, Can’t Cross Over, so maybe Belafonte had some influence on her music as well.

The first eight songs are African, with Kilimanjaro, Zenizenabo, Umqokozo, and Ngola Kurila as the best ones. I guess these are somewhat traditional songs as I read on Wikipedia that Kilimanjaro, for example, is a hunting song, and the others are a courage song, a children’s song, etc. But the only important thing is that they are great, each in their own way. And the rest of the record consists of songs from different parts of the world, with the calypso one as the best one.

«The Many Voices of Miriam Makeba» is a great album, and considering that she has more than delivered on her two first records bodes well for her future. And if you’re ever in the mood for something a bit different I would strongly recommend giving Miriam Makeba a listen.

HOWLIN’ WOLF – HOWLIN’ WOLF

“Howlin’ Wolf was one of the most important of the southern expatriates who created the post-war blues out of their rural past and moulded it into the tough ‘Chicago sound’ of the ‘50s.” – The Encyclopedia of Popular Music

At a young age, Chester Arthur Burnett was disowned by his mother because he was singing the devils’ music despite her strong religious belief. I guess that does something to a man, but from what I understand, and from what I can hear, he has brought that hurt with him into his music. Other than drawing inspiration from his pain he has taken a lot of his showmanship from artists like Charley Patton and Tommy Johnson, but his powerful voice and “howling” were his own.

Having been in the game for some time already, the Howlin’ Wolf is kind of like a mythical creature to me. I’ve never heard him sing until I mentioned Little Red Rooster back in October ‘61, but reading about his past now I understand that this guy ain’t no joke. He’s like a legend in this genre, even though this is only is his second album, and in the coming years his music will be recorded by artists like The Rolling Stones, The Doors, Cream, Manfred Mann, Captain Beefheart, Tom Waits, and so on, he was an inspiration to plenty and it’s not hard to get why.

If there ever was a man-made for blues. It’s this guy. The way he plays, the way he sings…it’s like a goddamn lecture on how this shit should be done. And this is by far the coolest blues album I’ve heard. It’s exactly how I believe blues should sound, and his voice is simply magnificent. From start to end, a joyride through the delta, an album that will follow me till the end. No doubt about it.

So many fantastic songs on this one, but if you’re too dumb and lazy to not check it out, here are some suggestions: Back Door Man, Wang Dang Doodle, Shake For Me, Who’s Been Talking?. Now go listen for god’s sake!

ARTHUR ALEXANDER – YOU BETTER MOVE ON

This is the first I’m hearing of Arthur Alexander. Never knew he existed. But now realize that I have heard some of his songs before, though performed by other artists. Nothing big, just The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.

One of those songs is the title track on this album, You Better Move On, and it’s a good song. It has a kinda country/soul feel to it, and it will turn out to be Arthur’s biggest hit. But it was made even bigger by the Rolling Stones. Arthur will never reach the heights that a lot of people say he deserved, and his career will swing both high and low, but this debut album is undoubtedly better than I thought.

He is called a pioneer of country-soul music, and as Allmusic.com tells it: “He could express the urgency and longing of a soul artist and tell a story with the sensitivity and innocence of a great country artist”. That was definitively enough to make me check him out. 

Both the soul influence and the country influence is detectable in most of the songs, but it’s difficult to call it downright country/soul music.

Anyways, other highlights on this album are Young World, Lover, Please Come Back, and You’re The Reason. He also recorded his own version of the newly released Hey! Baby by Bruce Channel (Arthur’s version is not better than the original), A Hundred Pounds of Clay, originally written and recorded by Gene McDaniels (I like this new version a lot better than the original), and a version of The Wanderer by Dion (on this one he falls a bit short of the original as well).

All in all, though, it’s a good album from a guy I’ve never heard about before this.

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THE SINGLES

The best single this month, by far, is Sam Cooke’s Twistin’ The Night Away. It’s another song about the twist, but this one is actually quality. A couple of other songs about this dance craze have been cool, but more as something fun, not a song you would put on at home to enjoy. Like, you’d sing along and whatnot if you hear it, but that’s kinda the end of it as well. This one, however, deserves to be on a couple of playlists and even in your collection. And that’s a pretty big difference.

The others don’t do much to excite. There’s Brenda Lee with another ballad, Break It To Me Gently, and it’s as boring as I thought, Cliff Richard’s The Young Ones, from the album I wrote about some months back, James Darren and his novelty song Her Royal Majesty, which is not terrible, and Patsy Cline’s She’s Got You, another ballad, but this one is a lot better than Brenda’s. Patsy followed up her last two hits with this song, and it went straight to #1. It’s a great country ballad about heartbreak (what else?), and she sounds the part as well.

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THE CHARTS

The Lettermen is a new edition to the charts since I started writing, and from what I’ve read, they will become immensely popular during the ‘60s. Why that is I can’t really tell you, but I guess they were popular amongst the older generation. Cause this adult contemporary, close-harmony shit is boring as hell. I’ve been listening to my playlist with the new songs to break into the Top 10 this month, and I can never remember what this song sounds like. It’s just white noise. The song is called When I Fall In Love, and it is one of their first Top 10 hits. The fact that there will be many more is just awful to think about, but who knows, maybe they will surprise me in the future.

Another new acquaintance is Barbara George. She didn’t have the most impressive career, but this tune right here is cool. It’s her first single, and it’s actually written by her mother. It went straight to the top of the R&B chart and landed at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. I Know (You Don’t Love Me No More) is another breath of fresh air compared to the rest of the newly charted songs this month, a great soul/R&B track that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Connie Francis gets another Top 10 hit, another terribly boring hit. What’s worse is the fact that she has recorded the song When The Boy In Your Arms (Is The Boy In Your Heart), a rendition of one of Cliff Richard’s worst songs. So I don’t know what the fuck happened here.

The last track I’ll write about this month is Sue Thompson’s Norman. It’s not what I would call a great song, but it is entertaining and puts a smile on my face. Compared to the last song of hers I wrote about, the million-seller Sad Movies (Make Me Cry), this one is a lot better. A pop tune that’s easy to sing along to.

And I guess it’s worth mentioning that Chubby Checker is back at the top of the charts this month, which marks The Twist’s second time at #1 since it was released.

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Petter Milde

This Band Could Be Your Life