Featured Album:
This is a series of articles looking at albums from 1960 to whatever year we end up in.
I will select a featured album for each year and the link for the whole album, Plus list the songs on it.
As before, it is not just about the songs and tunes, it is very much about memories, and good ones, I hope.
Not everyone will like my choices of course, and you may remember some from each particular year that you feel should have been included, so do please post a link to the song.
Some absolute classics on this album, every song a gem.
Track listing
| Side one | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
| 1. | “In Dreams“ | Roy Orbison | 2:51 |
| 2. | “Lonely Wine” | Roy Wells | 2:57 |
| 3. | “Shahdaroba” | Cindy Walker | 2:41 |
| 4. | “No One Will Ever Know” | Mel Foree, Fred Rose | 2:31 |
| 5. | “Sunset” | Roy Orbison, Joe Melson | 2:23 |
| 6. | “House Without Windows” | Fred Tobias, Lee Pockriss | 2:15 |
| Side two | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
| 1. | “Dream“ | Johnny Mercer | 2:32 |
| 2. | “Blue Bayou“ | Roy Orbison, Joe Melson | 2:38 |
| 3. | “(They Call You) Gigolette” | Roy Orbison, Joe Melson | 2:27 |
| 4. | “All I Have to Do is Dream“ | Boudleaux Bryant | 2:22 |
| 5. | “Beautiful Dreamer“ | Stephen Foster; arranged by Franz Conde | 2:21 |
| 6. | “My Prayer“ | Georges Boulanger, Jimmy Kennedy | 2:47 |
| Bonus tracks for CD reissue titled The Best of Roy Orbison In Dreams | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
| 13. | “Falling” | Roy Orbison | 2:24 |
| 14. | “Distant Drums“ | Cindy Walker | 3:13 |
| 15. | “Mean Woman Blues“ | Claude Demetrius | 2:27 |
| 16. | “Pretty Paper“ | Willie Nelson (Recorded in London) | 2:44 |
More writings on this album here: In Dreams
This album was the 4th from Roy. He was never a mover like Elvis, he just stood there on stage and let his voice capture the audience. Big hero of mine.
The Top 10 Albums with a You Tube hyperlink on the title:
Top Tip: Right-click and open in new tab
| Top Albums of 1964 | ||
| 1 | The Beatles | Beatles For Sale |
| 2 | Original Soundtrack | West Side Story |
| 3 | The Beatles | With The Beatles |
| 4 | The Rolling Stones | The Rolling Stones |
| 5 | The Beatles | Please Please Me |
| 6 | The Beatles | A Hard Day’s Night |
| 7 | Roy Orbison | In Dreams |
| 8 | The Bachelors | The Bachelors 16 Great Songs |
| 9 | Cliff Richard & The Shadows | Wonderful Life |
| 10 | The Hollies | Stay With The Hollies |
What a wonderful year again. 4 Beatles albums, so easy to pick another of there albums, but I think best to spread the joy. Rolling Stones should appear later. I hope The Hollies will too, as they have been a wonderful band over many years. For me though, Roy Orbison has to be the pick for this year. So many great albums released in this year I could easily select at least 10 to be all the top one!
I was only about 9 or 10 years of age. I do remember my last year at junior school, going to the local flea pit on a Saturday morning with me mates. Coming back then playing outside in our street, being watched by all neighbours, but only to stop us being naughty! In those days us kids could go out in perfect safety. Cannot remember ever having the house doors actually locked.
The top 10 albums for 1964, like last year were all awesome. However, some more are below that I would say are well worth a listen. In my view the best albums of the year, after the featured one, and the top tunes from each, are:
Chuck Berry – St. Louis To Liverpool – few classics on here!
The Rolling Stones 12 x 5 – some very upbeat tunes on this.
The Four Seasons – Rag Doll – love this.
The Temptations – Meet the Temptations – Awesome, so easy to forget great bands like these.
The Supremes – Where Did Our Love Go – I defy anyone to not want to dance.
Johnny Cash – I walk the line – the man in black, truly at his best.
The Drifters – Under The Boardwalk – Another firm favourite of mine, played a lot.
Manfred Mann – The Five Faces of Manfred Mann -great rock and blues tunes on this.
Johnny Hallyday – Johnny, reviens ! Les Rocks les plus terribles – Some may be familiar with this megastar (In France anyway). A British Cliff Richard with some Chuck Berry thrown in.
The Beach Boys – All Summer Long – Awesome – include I get around, Little Honda and many other classics.
The Animals – The Animals – Cannot stress how good this is.
Roy Orbison – Early Orbison – Even more great stuff His Royness.
Scoring:
As you know I like to review your “tunes” that you post. Scoring this week will be as per my first comment you will not read:
*Note. Anyone scoring a Morrissey (lowest score possible) will be reported and blocked.
Hat tips to:
https://www.albumoftheyear.org/ratings/8-all-music-highest-rated/1964/1 these give the top 100 selling charts for each year
http://www.everyhit.com/chart1.html these give the top 10 songs for each year
https://www.youtube.com/ you know them.
Next Time: 1965
Featured image: MGM Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
© Phil the ex test manager 2020
