Would you like to go back in time and spend 23 minutes in 1963? You can do it by checking out these nine songs from that year. Who knows, you might even feel like a teenager again. 🙂
These songs should all be familiar with one exception. I could have played a couple of hit songs one of the artists listed below had in 1963 but I made an executive decision and opted for a “deep cut” (and it’s beautiful). Can you find it?
Play button is on the left … Volume slider is on the right
Vintage 1963 Medley / Part 4
Peter, Paul & Mary – Drifters
Nino Tempo & April Stevens – Martha & The Vandellas
Orlons – Gene Pitney – Bobby Rydell
Roy Orbison – Del Shannon
OK Brother Ray, nice mix of a mostly relaxed group of tunes..
Regarding Puff, I always viewed it as a cute reflection on childhood but years ago I remember a theory put forth that it was laden with drug imagery. Not being a druggie I was clueless and just wrote it off as someone’s hazy dream.
The Drifters have the ability to take something mundane and make it charming. I love that about them. The Lovin Spoonful have the same pleasant effect on me.
Martha and the girls can even make a breakup sound peppy. She is keeping it real.
The Orion’s love going down to South Street. In Philadelphia we have a South Street and it still is the hippest place to meet. On the weekends it is closed to traffic and mobbed!
Poor Gene getting seduced by a truck stop queen & so close to home. That doesn’t usually work out to well.
Bobby Rydell still lives in the area and you often see him on the street. Just a regular, nice guy.
Roy and Del let their voices take the day off on those tunes. I would never accuse either of them of “ phoning it in” but they sure took it easy today.
1963 was a busy, great year. Thank you for 23 minutes of fun.
Thanks, Don.
I’ll be the first to admit Roy’s song wasn’t dynamic but I did admire the way he performed the legendary Stephen Foster’s song (published, by the way, after Foster’s death). Hey, be grateful he didn’t record Foster’s Oh! Susanna … no, The Byrds did that in 1965. 🙂
…and here I thought I was the only one who bought the Stephen Foster Tribute CD Beautiful Dreamer! Now I know who bought the other one of the two that were sold!Ray we are on the same wavelength.
(by the way, the Byrds did a nice job with Oh! Susanna, I liked that album)
Don.
I loved that entire Byrds album! It was so damn “electric”!
Great songs again today, Ray. Never heard “Beautiful Dreamer” by Roy Orbison, before, but it was beautiful, of course.
Thank you, Pat 🙂
Mr. Orbison had the sweetest voice this side of heaven.
I’ve always loved Puff the Magic Dragon but you know that already. 🙂 It brought new feelings to me when your granddaughter “made way for other toys” and her large group of imaginary friends sadly slipped inside their cave…And Beautiful Dreamer by Roy Orbison gave me chills! Overall, I just can’t get over how today’s medley and the others from the week contained so many hits from the same year! What a year! Thanks for giving us the best of the best always! XOXOXOXO
Thanks, Wendyl…
It’s always nice when a song has special meaning and “Puff” obviously did. ❤️
1963 was, in all honesty, a bigger year than I had remembered before I started this week’s medleys. I’m very happy you have enjoyed it!
XOXOXOXO