‘Library of Congress: National Registry of Music’ – Entries Since 1960 (Part 2)
One of the greatest honors in the recording world is to have your work added to the Library of Congress National Registry. Let’s look at the 100 or so entries that were recorded since 1960.
Here are the second 25.
Be sure to visit all four pages
Part 1 / Part 2 /Part 3 / Part 4
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“I Started Out as a Child” (album). Bill Cosby. (1964)
Recorded live at Mr. Kelly’s in Chicago, Bill Cosby’s second album is made up of short vignettes on a wide range of topics, but mainly drawn from his childhood in Philadelphia. Cosby’s delivery is intimate in style, but he uses the microphone and public address system of the venue to create humorous and evocative effects, and to conjure up the world as perceived by the eyes and ears of a young boy. Selected for the 2009 registry.
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“Oh, Pretty Woman.” Roy Orbison. (1964)
The last of Roy Orbison’s string of hits for Monument records, “Oh, Pretty Woman” was his most enduring recording. Orbison and co-writer Bill Dees tapped out the initial rhythm of the song while sitting at Orbison’s kitchen table. In the recorded version, this became the infectious and well-known opening guitar riff and propulsive drum beat. Artists as varied as Al Green, John Mayall and Van Halen have covered the song, and 2 Live Crew sampled the opening on their 1989 album, “As Clean as They Wanna Be.” That appropriation, made without authorization, led to a 1994 U. S. Supreme Court case (Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc.) which ruled that a commercial song parody qualified as fair use under Section 107 of the U. S. copyright law. Selected for the 2007 registry.
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“Azucar Pa’ Ti” (album). Eddie Palmieri. (1965)
This album pointed the way for Latin music in the United States in the 1960s and beyond, and was the result of a conscious effort on Palmieri’s part to capture on record the sound he and his eight piece La Perfecta band were then serving up to New York nightclub audiences. Though steeped in the earlier Afro-Cuban styles that he loved, Palmieri’s band represented several Latin music traditions, and was particularly distinguished by the contributions of the hard-charging, Bronx-born trombonist Barry Rogers. Selected for the 2009 registry.
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“A Charlie Brown Christmas.” Vince Guaraldi Trio. (1965)
“A Charlie Brown Christmas” introduced jazz to millions of listeners. The television soundtrack album includes expanded themes from the animated “Peanuts” special of the same name as well as jazz versions of both traditional and popular Christmas music, performed primarily by the Vince Guaraldi Trio. The original music is credited to pianist Guaraldi and television producer Lee Mendelson. Best remembered is the “Linus and Lucy” theme, originally composed by Guaraldi for an earlier “Peanuts” project, which remains beloved by fans of the popular television specials, those devoted to the daily newspaper comic strip, and music lovers alike. Selected for the 2011 registry.
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“(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” The Rolling Stones. (1965)
Initially released as a single in the United States, “Satisfaction” also appeared on the Rolling Stones’ 1965 album, “Out of Our Heads.” Guitarist Keith Richards claims to have woken up in the middle of the night with the famous fuzz-laden guitar riff in his head and immediately committed it to tape. Although he was ambivalent about the riff, he nonetheless presented it to vocalist Mick Jagger who penned the song’s anti-commercial lyrics. Despite both Richards’ and Jagger’s feelings that the song should not be released, the other members of the Rolling Stones voted to release the song and it became a classic of rock ’n’ roll. Selected for the 2006 registry.
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“I’ve Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now).” Otis Redding. (1965)
This gem of 1960s soul music balladry was composed by singers Otis Redding and Jerry Butler. Redding’s recording for Volt Records exemplifies the brilliance of his vocal expressiveness and the spare but powerful instrumental accompaniments of the much-acclaimed Stax/Volt studio musicians. Selected for the 2003 registry.
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“Live at the Regal” (album). B.B. King. (1965)
Bluesman B.B. King recorded this album at the Regal Theater in Chicago in 1964. The recording showcases King’s inventive and emotional guitar style, which blends Delta blues with a rhythm and blues beat, spiking the combination with his “sliding note” style. The album, one of the first of an in-concert blues performance, also documents King’s intimate relationship with his audience. King, who has been called “The King of the Blues” and the “best blues artist of his generation,” has been a primary influence on a number of artists including Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton and Mike Bloomfield. Selected for the 2005 registry.
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“Tracks of My Tears.” Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. (1965)
William “Smokey” Robinson wrote, produced and performed some of the sweetest, most poetic and enduring love songs in rhythm and blues history. “Tracks of My Tears” is highlighted by Robinson’s velvety high tenor voice and his heartbreaking lyrics. It captures the peak of Robinson’s talent. His smooth voice conveys the passion and pain required to maintain a false, happy exterior after a romantic breakup. He heightens the effect when he sweeps into his remarkable falsetto. The recording won numerous awards and is considered to be among the best recordings by the Miracles. Selected for the 2007 registry.
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“Music from the Morning of the World” (album). Various artists. (1966)
The first recording in the celebrated Nonesuch Explorer Series, “Music from the Morning of the World” was one of the first attempts to offer “international music” and, in particular, ethnic field recordings as entertainment for commercial recording listeners. The series, recorded by David Lewiston, exposed listeners to new musical idioms and non-Western classical music and set high standards for recording quality and accompanying written documentation. “Music from the Morning of the World” provided many listeners with their first exposure to Balinese gamelan music and the unforgettably compelling “monkey chant.” Selected for the 2007 registry.
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“Pet Sounds” (album). The Beach Boys. (1966)
Departing from the Beach Boys surf-music roots, “Pet Sounds” was an emotive and carefully planned recording that attempted to present an album as a unified work and not merely a collection of singles. The album is notable for Brian Wilson’s lead vocals and the harmonizing support from the other band members. Equally compelling are the melodies and the arrangements, the latter featuring, among other instruments, horns, strings, theremin, accordion and a glockenspiel. The album has proven to be the most complete statement of Wilson’s musical and lyrical aesthetic. Paul McCartney has remarked on several occasions that it is his favorite album. Selected for the 2004 registry.
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“Today!” (album). Mississippi John Hurt. (1966)
In 1963, thirty five years after his last recording session, Mississippi John Hurt was rediscovered near Avalon, Mississippi, by Tom Hoskins, who had correctly guessed Hurt’s location from geographical clues in his 1920s recordings. Coaxed out of retirement, a series of folk revival concerts led to a new recording contract and “Today!” “Today!” shows that Hurt’s musical gifts, far from being diminished, had, like his voice, only deepened with the years. Mississippi John Hurt was the antithesis of a blues shouter. His gentle, soft-spoken delivery won him a legion of fans late in life. Selected for the 2009 registry.
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“The Who Sings My Generation” (album). The Who. (1966)
On their first album, The Who, assisted by The Kinks’ producer Shel Talmy, laid down a set of tracks that would include both enduring classics and mainstays of their later concert performances. Pete Townshend penned the rebellious title track, “My Generation,” which features John Entwistle playing one of the earliest bass leads in rock. Roger Daltrey’s defiant tone and steely vocal delivery on this track and others on the album helped sealed his place as one of the most powerful rock vocalists of the next two decades. The song is also known for Townshend’s proto-punk, two-chord guitar riff with distortion and feedback. The session later billed as “maximum rock ‘n’ roll,” the sessions for the album also included Bo Diddley and James Brown covers. However, this album primarily marked Pete Townshend’s assumption of main songwriting duties for the band. Selected for the 2008 registry.
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“You’ll Sing a Song and I’ll Sing a Song” (album). Ella Jenkins. (1966)
Performer and educator Ella Jenkins has been leading children on musical journeys around the world for more than 50 years. Her call-and-response songs, and gentle soothing voice, encourage children to join in and sing along, overcoming any shyness or reluctance they might have. Singing with Ella, children have learned songs from a variety of cultures and in many languages. Her vast repertoire of songs includes nursery rhymes, folk songs and chants as well as her own original compositions. In keeping with the policy of its record label, Folkways, “You’ll Sing a Song and I’ll Sing a Song” has remained in print since it was first published in 1966.Selected for the 2007 registry.
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“Are You Experienced” (album). The Jimi Hendrix Experience. (1967)
This 1967 release remains not only one of the quintessential statements of psychedelic rock, but also has proved to be one of the most groundbreaking guitar albums of the rock era. Hendrix’s playing, while strongly rooted in the blues, also incorporated a variety of jazz influences and a uniquely personal vocabulary of emotive guitar feedback and extended solos. Including such classics as “Purple Haze,” “Hey Joe” and “The Wind Cries Mary,” the album featured the able rhythm section of Noel Redding on bass and Mitch Mitchell on drums. It is difficult to overstate the enormous influence that Hendrix’s recordings have had on subsequent guitarists. Selected for the 2005 registry.
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“Forever Changes.” Love. (1967)
Love was an integrated psychedelic band from Los Angeles that played an aggressively original mix of rock, folk, and blues, but the band was falling apart as they prepared for their third album, “Forever Changes.” Leader Arthur Lee was alarmed and pessimistic about the state of the world, and was convinced his own demise was imminent, though he lived until 2006. His new songs were filled with unexpected shifts and rife with foreboding, though his message was ultimately about resolution and self-reliance in the face of uncertainty and impermanence. Two compositions by second guitarist Bryan MacLean, somewhat augmented Lee’s musings, were no less striking and unusual. Rock was growing more electric by the day in 1967, but “Forever Changes” is essentially acoustic, with a restrained and supple rhythm section supporting the ambitious horn and string charts of pop arranger David Angel, making Johnny Echols’ searing guitar solos are all the more memorable. The fusion of psychedelic, mainstream, and classical styles, now seen as a landmark, found few takers at the time, and Love soon disintegrated, though “Forever Changes” continues to loom large. Selected for the 2011 registry.
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“Respect.” Aretha Franklin. (1967)
Like Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin successfully integrated elements of her gospel background with pop tunes to create numerous gold records, including the perennial hit “Respect” composed by Otis Redding. Selected for the 2002 registry.
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“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” (album). The Beatles. (1967)
The Beatles were undoubtedly the most successful and significant rock group in history. Their 1967 concept album, “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” is a compilation of twelve unforgettable songs, each masterfully arranged. The songs embrace a myriad of divergent styles yet, through the collective genius of these musicians, they are melded into a cohesive whole. The album makes use of novel studio techniques in creating an enchanting musical experience which transcends genre. Selected for the 2003 registry.
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“Silver Apples of the Moon” (album). Morton Subotnick. (1967)
Morton Subotnick composed “Silver Apples of the Moon” entirely on the Buchla Electronic Music Box, a modular analogue synthesizer. One of the unique features of Buchla’s instrument was its use of the electronic sequencer, a device capable of creating repeating, rhythmic sequences of musical notes or timbres. Subotnick used the sequencer effectively in the creation of many repeated figures in “Silver Apples of the Moon,” creating a canonical statement for this pioneering technology. Selected for the 2009 registry.
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“The Velvet Underground and Nico” (album). The Velvet Underground and Nico. (1967)
For decades this album has cast a huge shadow over nearly every sub-variety of avant-garde rock, from 1970s art-rock to No Wave, New Wave and Punk. Referring to their sway over the rock music of the ‘70s and ‘80s, critic Lester Bangs stated, “Modern music starts with the Velvets, and the implications and influence of what they did seem to go on forever.” Otherworldly vocals by the international model and actress Nico appear on three of the songs. John Cale’s hard-edged electric viola playing adds an eerie quality to singer and guitarist Lou Reed’s frank lyrical depictions of sex and addiction. Percussionist Maureen Tucker and guitarist Sterling Morrison make additional noteworthy contributions. Selected for the 2006 registry.
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“At Folsom Prison” (album). Johnny Cash. (1968)
On this live album, country and rockabilly pioneer Johnny Cash played directly to his “captive” audience with songs about imprisonment, separation, loneliness, salvation, crime, and death. As the concert progresses, artist and audience become collaborators in the enterprise, urging each other to greater levels of enthusiasm and release. At a time of great social upheaval, this album and its 1969 follow-up, “Johnny Cash at San Quentin,” showed Cash to be a performer of great compassion, humor, and charisma. Selected for the 2003 registry.
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“Oh Happy Day.” The Edwin Hawkins Singers. (1968)
Regarded as the springboard for the development of contemporary gospel music, “Oh Happy Day” was based on a 19th century white hymn. Its popular music and jazz-influenced harmonies, infectious rhythms and use of instruments–not often found on earlier gospel recordings–have made the recording enduringly popular and influential. Originally recorded in 1968 on the long-playing album “Let Us Go Into the House of the Lord,” as a fund-raising effort for the Northern California State Youth Choir by director Edwin Hawkins, the song’s compelling, exhilarating sound found its way onto radio playlists first in San Francisco. Re-released a a year later under the name Edwin Hawkins Singers, the song became an international crossover hit. Selected for the 2005 registry.
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“Soul Folk in Action” (album). The Staple Singers. (1968)
The Mississippi (via Chicago) family act the Staple Singers established themselves as a top gospel act in the 1950s, but began reaching out to a larger audience in the 1960s, playing folk festivals and recording protest songs. This 1968 release, their first on the Stax label, did not achieve the crossover success of their 1970s work, but is a pivotal recording, a work that is spiritually informed and socially aware. “Soul Folk” contains such timeless tracks as “Long Walk to D.C.,” “Top of the Mountain,” “(Sittin’ on) the Dock of the Bay” and “The Weight.” Selected for the 2009 registry.
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“Stand by Your Man.” Tammy Wynette. (1968)
Of the many popular recordings made by country-music vocalist Tammy Wynette, none elicited the reactions—pro and con—of “Stand By Your Man.” The song, written by Wynette and her producer Billy Sherrill, is an ode to the weakness of men, the strength of their women, love, loyalty and support. When it was released in 1968, the women’s movement in the U.S. was on the ascendancy and interpretation of the song created dissent. Must a woman stand by her man and forgive his transgressions because “after all, he’s just a man” or do such attitudes signify subservience? However interpreted, Wynette’s artistry transcends any literal message in the song. Her performance ranges from quiet, pensive reflection to a soaring, full-voiced chorus of affirmation, contributing to a song that remains one of the most beloved in country music. Selected for the 2010 registry.
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“Switched-On Bach” (album). Wendy Carlos. (1968)
This meticulously recorded album introduced the Moog synthesizer to a much wider audience than it had previously reached. Many of the separate synthesizer voices on the album were recorded to tape individually and carefully mixed to create the final product. After the recording, Bob Moog’s musical circuitry enjoyed an enormous boom. Within a decade the synthesizer was well established in the idioms of rock, dance and Western art music. Wendy Carlos went on to record several more well-crafted Bach recordings. Selected for the 2005 registry.
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“We’re Only In It For the Money” (album). Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention. (1968)
Frank Zappa’s inventive and iconoclastic album presents a unique political stance, both anti-conservative and anti-counterculture, and features a scathing satire of hippiedom and America’s reactions to it. For the album, Zappa’s radical audio editing and production techniques produced an eclectic blend of electronic, avant-garde and rock music that was influenced by such composers as Varese and Stravinsky. Also evident in the work are pop melodies, virtuoso instrumental performances, verbal asides and sound effects that somehow combine into a cohesive work. The result is an electronic sound collage that may be Zappa’s most definitive musical statement.Selected for the 2005 registry.
Part 1 / Part 2 /Part 3 / Part 4
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