When the qualifying process is complete, in about a month, on Mastodon we will start voting on our top twenty favourite records of the 1950s/1960s, placing them in order. Through 190 match-ups, we will create a unique chart, every song a classic.
Here is some background on one of the qualifiers, Fever by Peggy Lee.
Peggy Lee recorded her version of Fever in May 1958 in Hollywood. She significantly altered the lyrics adding historical invocations, including the verses beginning “Romeo loved Juliet,” and “Captain Smith and Pocahontas”.
With Jack Marshall, Peggy Lee arranged a slow, sultry version of the song. Her vocal was accompanied by bass, limited drums, and finger snaps, Lee adding some of the finger snaps.
Fever became Peggy Lee’s signature song and most successful hit. It remains one of the most sensual songs ever committed to vinyl.
Here is some background on the second qualifier, Space Oddity by David Bowie.
Space Oddity was rush-released on 11 July 1969 to capitalise on the Apollo 11 Moon landing. Indeed, the BBC used the song as background music during its coverage of the event.
After a slow start, Space Oddity reached number five on the British charts. The song was re-released in 1972; adapted and cover versions followed in later years.
“Space Oddity came from a feeling of sadness about this aspect (dehumanisation) of the space thing, so I wrote a song-farce about it, to try and relate science and human emotion. I suppose it’s an antidote to space fever, really.” – David Bowie, 1969.
The third qualifier, Runaway by Del Shannon
Runaway was written by Del Shannon (pictured) and keyboardist Max Crook. Crook invented a clavioline-based keyboard called a Musitron, which he played on the record’s central break. The song was recorded in A minor, then sped up to just below B-flat minor.
Genesis included the lyric and melody line “my little runaway” in their song “In the Cage”, from the album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.
The fourth qualifier, Respect by Aretha Franklin
Respect was originally recorded by Otis Redding and released in 1965. In 1967 Aretha Franklin rearranged the song, which resulted in a bigger hit. The music in the two versions is significantly different, while the lyrics, centred on dignity, also display changes.
Initially a ballad, Respect is shrouded in mystery in that no one is certain who wrote the song. Bandleader Percy Welch said it was written by a guitarist at Bobby Smith’s recording studio in Macon. The record label credits Otis Redding, but it seems he adapted a song brought to him by Earl “Speedo” Sims, who obtained it from the mystery guitarist.
The fifth qualifier, The Loco-Motion by Little Eva
The Loco-Motion was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin, then a married couple. They wrote the song for Dee Dee Sharp, but she rejected it. Meanwhile, Goffin and King’s babysitter, Eva Boyd, recorded the demo. Then, as Little Eva, she released the song in 1962.
The Loco-Motion is notable for making three appearances in the American top three, each in a different decade: the 1962 version by Little Eva (#1), a 1974 version by Grand Funk Railroad (#1), and a 1988 version by Kylie Minogue (#3).
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