[Publius]

ROCKUMENTARY: NEW YEARS RETROSPECTIVE

Last year I posted the Top 25 of 2014, and, boy, did I ever catch hell for that! Rap and hip-hop tended toward the obscene, and even the one melodic number had a problem. I posted Hozier's "Take Me to Church," which I liked for its juxtaposition of 3/2 and 2/2 bars, and its great melody. But the video was of two guys having sex and one of them getting burned at the stake for it.

So this year I'm opting for Classic Rock. You can't go wrong with Classic Rock! For 1959 to 1988 I'll be posting the song that was #1 on New Years Day of that year, and I'll be posting them over three nights. From 1989 onward I had trouble connecting with the music, and I tended to turn off the sound when I watched MTV on weekends while I was smoking pot relaxing. In those days MTV contained the secrets of the Universe if you were properly relaxed.

So stay tuned for those thrilling days of yesteryear when men kissed women and people fell in love first and then had sex.

Cue the Rockumentary theme on Turntable #1!
(This was a backup band at Motown that consisted of the Funk Brothers and pickup musicians from the Detroit Symphony.)

The San Remo Golden Strings: "Festival Time"

#1 ON JANUARY 1, 1959

This was a Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields effort from "Roberta." Irene Dunne sang it in the 1935 movie, and it was heartbreaking. Here's a bonus track.

Irene Dunne: "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes"

Tony Williams handled vocal duties here, and his life would soon be cut short.

This was the year that John Foster Dulles died, and Fidel Castro came to power.

The Platters: "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes"

[Fiji Hill]

My favorite version:

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes--Paul Whieman & His Orchesra (1933)

[left that other site]

Classic Rock is still the best stuff in the last 50 years, IMNSHO.

I’ve been singing half-century old songs (Stones, Beatles, The Dead, Fleetwood mac, etc) in a pun up here in the Boston area and the people sing along and ask for more!

[beachn4fun]

I posted Hozier's "Take Me to Church," which I liked for its juxtaposition of 3/2 and 2/2 bars, and its great melody. But the video was of two guys having sex and one of them getting burned at the stake for it.

OMG!

[beachn4fun]

I tended to turn off the sound when I watched MTV on weekends while I was smoking pot relaxing. In those days MTV contained the secrets of the Universe if you were properly relaxed.

ROTFLOL!

[Fiji Hill]

While the Platters rode the top of the chart in early 1959, Danny Zella was at the bottom. He deserved a lot better.

Wicked Ruby--Danny Zella & His Zell Rocks

[PROCON]

So stay tuned for those thrilling days of yesteryear when men kissed women and people fell in love first and then had sex.

You have a gentle way of making me feel nostalgic, LOL!

[Kathy in Alaska]

I like the Platters version...smooth.