Your (Almost) Daily Playlist: 8-24-22

Today’s playlist celebrates the August 24 birthdays of The Shamen’s Colin Angus, King Krule, Jackie Brenston, Wynonie Harris, Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup, Mason Williams, and Jimmy Soul; and the August 25 birthdays of Elvis Costello, Public Enemy’s Terminator X, Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, Kiss’s Gene Simmons, The O’Jays’ Walter Williams, Weather Report’s Wayne Shorter, Judas Priest’s Rob Halford, Digital Underground’s Shock G, Billy Ray Cyrus, The Korgis’ James Warren, Felix da Housecat, Jan Delay, Willy DeVille, composer Leonard Bernstein, K7, and John Savage.

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Throwback Thursday – 1963

The girl group sound was hugely popular on the US pop charts in the early 1960s. The Shirelles, The Crystals, The Chiffons, The Angels, Martha and the Vandellas, The Marvelettes, The Exciters, The Orlons, The Cookies, The Murmaids, The Dixie Cups, The Supremes, The Toys, The Shangri-Las, The Jaynetts and others filled the radio with tales of teenage romance, heartbreak and occasionally social commentary. Solo acts such as Lesley Gore and Darlene Love also exemplified the girl group sound.

Described in the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry as “the quintessence of the ‘girl group’ aesthetic of the early 1960s,” the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby” reached #2 in 1963. The record was produced by Phil Spector, who produced at least 15 top forty girl group songs between 1962 and 1964.

Lead vocals on “Be My Baby” were performed by Ronnie Spector. In fact, the other Ronettes aren’t even on the record. Backup singers included the girlfriend of Phil Spector’s promotion man. That man was Sonny Bono; his girlfriend was Cher. Sonny & Cher would have their first hit as a duo two years later.

This week’s Throwback Thursday playlist spotlights the hits of 1963. Here are twenty of that year’s best, kicking off with the record New Music Express named the second best song of the 1960s (their #1 was The Beatles’ “A Day in the Life”), the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby.”


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