Generally speaking, there is very little I like about music from the sixties. Yes, that especially includes the Beatles! I find it bland and and insipid, especially following the exciting, rock and roll of the fifties.
Born in 1966, even I'm not old enough to remember the music of the time and certainly never felt that vibe of liberation and peace the sixties are supposed to have evoked, so it's possible I'm biased, especially as I am a strong believer in the effect music has on our formative teenage years but when it comes to the sixties..
...there are of course, exceptions.
During the sixties, and possibly linked with the early beginnings of the women's liberation movement, a whole plethora of solo female and all girl groups began to gain prominence.
There were of course some female acts in the fifties such as Brenda Lee, Patsy Cline and Doris Day to name a just a few but often they were corralled into very niche musical genres. At the start of the sixties however, the general popular music charts began to be populated by female acts and once the ball started rolling, it gained massive momentum as the decade wore on.
Today I have chosen three, very different acts and tracks that I absolutely love and for me at least, define the decade in music.
The Shangri-las - Remember (Walking in the Sand)
You might know this track, at least part of it anyway as it was hijacked by Tik-Tok users!
The Shangri-las formed at high-school in New York in 1963 and were just 15 years-old at the time and were made up of two pairs of sisters. As you might imagine, their music was full of teen angst and heartbreak but it wasn't totally bubblegum and trite as much of the other girl groups were singing about at the time.
This track was released in early 1964 and I could listen to it on loop for hours. There is such a melodramatic feel to the song created by its hypnotic hook, relatively mature lyrics and changes in both key and tempo that adds to the drama. I love it.
Yes, the girls were uniformed, doing the synchro dancing thing and didn't play instruments themselves but as a standalone track this is sublime.
Their following single, 'Leader of the Pack', which hit No. 1 on the charts in the US dealt with a boyfriend getting killed on his motorcycle but despite that, didn't have the depth that 'Remember' has.
As if to add to the band's aura of melancholy, band member Mary Ann Ganser died in 1970 aged just 22 from a drug overdose after fighting a lengthy battle with alcohol and drug addiction after the band split in 1968.
Lesley Gore - You Don't Own Me
Another song next that was recently returned to the public psyche through use in TV commercial is 'You Don't Own Me', originally released by a 17 year-old Lesley Gore in 1963...
This song stood alone as a reaction to the twee, teen songs of love and desperation that were sung by most of the girls of the day. To reinforce this point, take a quick look at the words of 'Bobby's Girl', a big hit in the UK and US by Sharon Maughan and Marcie Blane respectively;
And if I was Bobby's girl
If I was Bobby's girl
What a faithful, thankful girl I'd be
Oh Lordy.
As I said earlier, the sixties brought about huge cultural changes and attitudes and were a the times when attitudes to equality really began to make significant progress. No thanks to songs like 'Bobby's Girl' but 'You don't Own Me' was a huge statement on behalf of women's rights and their fight for gender equality.
You don't own me
I'm not just one of your many toys
You don't own me
Don't say I can't go with other boys
And don't tell me what to do
Don't tell me what to say
And please, when I go out with you
Don't put me on display 'cause
This was attitude with a capital 'A' and as hard as I try, I cannot think of any lyric similar from the time.
The song became an anthem to the feminist movement and Lesley Gore went on to become an activist in both the feminist and gay rights movements.
Watch Lesley closely as she performs. Even at 17, her confident and defiance shone through and for the teenage girls of the time, the track must have been inspirational, hopefully showing them that they could act and think independently and paving the way for a more emancipated future.
Lesley's voice is superb as it shifts effortlessly between registers as the octaves up and the key changes are smooth and perfectly executed.
It's just a brilliant track on so many levels and another I can listen to on loop all day!
"It's got to be Aretha, it's got to be Aretha."
Except it's not!
Etta James - At Last
Just sneaks into the sixties when this track appeared on the 1960 album of Etta James' debut album of the same name, released in November 1960.
One of her final TV performances on Dancing with the Stars.
I am a huge fan of Etta James. She had an incredibly powerful blues and soul voice which as well as power has nuance and the necessary subtlety to perform this beautiful track, originally written and recorded for a movie back in the 40's.
That incredible voice along with a luscious orchestral backing is the perfect combination to create a classic track. It's moving and emotional, and I struggle to find the words to describe the feelings it invokes.
Etta James was still performing this signature track right up until her death in 2012 when Christine Aguillara performed the song at her funeral.
Just listen and enjoy, I'm done here!
Thanks for reading, there will now follow some bullshit legal disclaimer and some references!