Johnny Carson - Johnny Carson's Introduction to New York and the World's Fair (1964)

After six months finishing out his contract with ABC as host of the daytime game show Who Do You Trust?, Johnny Carson started his historic tenure as the host of The Tonight Show on October 1, 1962. Like the hosts before him, Carson built his career through variety shows and hosting gigs on radio and early television. Despite being a prestige television job, not many comedians wanted the workload The Tonight Show required, even Carson (but he "relented.") Already a rising star, Carson ascended even higher to become one of television's and New York's most familiar faces. As a major star in New York, Carson was a natural choice to help promote the 1964 New York World's Fair. Thus, his debut album was Johnny Carson's Introduction to New York and the World's Fair which released in 1964 on Columbia Records.

Part curio and entirely promotional, Johnny Carson weaves together travel tips, comedy bits and an aural tour of popular exhibits for the upcoming World's Fair in New York. The album sounds like a piece of reportage where Carson escorts the listener through New York and then through the Fair making wisecracks during encounters with denizens and funny scenarios one might run into as a tourist. On television, Carson has a knack for making the most scripted and rote material seem off-the-cuff and fresh. He has less success without an audience or a camera to perform to. Carson still maintains his conversational charisma but is too scripted to allow for one of his greatest strengths: making a bad joke go down a little easier. Unfortunately, the album is full of the expected bad jokes that Carson can't do much about or with (about cabbies and panhandlers, parking and traffic, restaurants and tipping) and that's before the minefield of standard racist and misogynistic jokes that comes with a 60's tour of the "world." It's a fascinating album all the same as a capsule of an event and a transformed New York even if the jokes are so common that they would have sounded just as tired promoting the 1939 New York World's Fair.

Note: This album has not yet made its way online.

Here is the discography surrounding Johnny Carson's debut album:

Johnny Carson's Introduction to New York and the World's Fair

The Johnny Carson Show (Sep. 1, 1955)

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (Jan. 14, 1964)

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (Dec. 31, 1965)

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Charles Lloyd - Discovery! (1964)

"Forest Flower" by Charles Lloyd


George Avakian produced Tab Hunter's album as part of the development of the Warner Bros. record label.  After a couple years at the Warner job, he shifted careers a couple more times (in an already diverse, influential and prodigious job history) when in 1964, he began managing the career, arranging the music for, and producing the early recording works of Charles Lloyd.

Charles Lloyd (tenor saxophone, flute) released his debut album Discovery! in 1964 on Columbia Records.

Here is the discography surrounding Charles Lloyd's debut album:

Discovery!

"Love Song to a Baby" by Charles Lloyd


"Little Peace" by Charles Lloyd


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The Ronettes - ...Presenting The Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica (1964)

"I'm Gonna Quit While I'm Ahead" by The Ronettes


Sonny got Cher work as a backup singer for Phil Spector's various band projects.  Her most notable backup performance stands on The Ronettes' hit 1963 single "Be My Baby" on which Bono also played percussion.

Veronica Bennett, her sister Estelle Bennett, and cousin Nedra Talley started singing together in 1957.  They performed at Apollo's Amateur Night (familiar place) and translated that into an early career of small gigs and bar mitzvahs as Ronnie and The Relatives.  Their first record deal was with Colpix Records in 1961 through producer Stu Johnson, but none of their recordings sold well despite being excellent girl-group offerings.  The Relatives became The Ronettes and slowly got jobs as session backup singers and a consistent gig at The Peppermint Lounge (but as dancers, mainly).

Their recording career would finally break through when Estelle placed a phone call to Phil Spector to arrange an audition for his new record label Philles Records.  Spector had already seen The Ronettes live and had a particular soft spot for Veronica.  This audition was more of a formality.  The Ronettes were exactly the sound Spector wanted and he got them to trick Colpix out of their record contract and then sign with Philles in 1963.  The work with Spector wasn't too rewarding at first as they recorded singles that didn't see release (Spector wanted his pet band to debut with a bang) and recorded singles in the name of another Philles girl-group, The Crystals.  But the breakout hit came when Philles released the #2 "Be My Baby", a landmark in rock and particularly in popular music production.  Spector was already a wunderkind, but with this release he was a genius and landscape shifter.  The Wall of Sound was impressive.

The Ronettes followed the single success with appearances on television, a tour of Europe where they met admirers in The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, and more Top 40 hits.  But by the end of 1964, The Ronettes had already suffered a decline in popularity.  Part of it can be attributed to the rapidly changing musical landscape, but also to a degree of self-sabotage on the part of Phil Spector who saw his pet project getting too much attention and possibly being tempted to leave him.  Phil had always been particular on what singles to release, but he refused to release The Ronettes's excellent version of "Chapel of Love" in early 1964.  Months later, The Dixie Cups had a smash hit on their hands with the same song.  More singles refused to be released and those that were underperformed terribly.  By 1965, they opened for The Beatles in America and toured with them in 1966 (though without Veronica who was in a relationship with the insecure and jealous Spector).  Passing out of favor with the public, The Ronettes broke up in 1967 and married.  They reunited briefly in 1969 for a single and stint of recording with Jimi Hendrix.

After Veronica (now Ronnie Spector) divorced Phil from an abusive marriage, she tried to get The Ronettes together one last time in the mid-70s, but she proved the only one interested.  Ronnie Spector and The Ronettes released two singles with a non-Spector contemporary sound, but neither did well.  Ronnie, understanding the end, moved on to her solo career.

Here is the discography surrounding The Ronettes's debut album:

I Want a Boy (1961 single as Ronnie and The Relatives)
I'm Gonna Quit While I'm Ahead (1962 single)
I'm Gonna Quit While I'm Ahead (1962 single as Ronnie and The Relatives)
Silhouettes (1962 single)
Good Girls (1962 single)
Be My Baby (1963 single)
Philles Records Presents Today's Hits (1963 compilation album)
Baby, I Love You (1963 single)
A Christmas Gift for You from Philles Records (1963 compilation album)
(The Best Part Of) Breakin' Up (1964 single)
Do I Love You? (1964 single)
Walking in the Rain (1964 single)
Why Don't They Let Us Fall in Love (1964 single by Veronica)
So Young (1964 single by Veronica)
...Presenting The Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica
The Ronettes Featuring Veronica (1965 compilation album)
Born to Be Together (1965 single)
Is This What I Get for Loving You? (1965 single)
Paradise (1965 single)
He Did It (1965 single)
I Can Hear Music (1966 single)

The Year 2000 (1968 single by Estelle)
You Came, You Saw, You Conquered! (1969 single)
Go Out and Get It (1973 single as Ronnie Spector and The Ronettes)
I Wish I Never Saw the Sunshine (1974 single as Ronnie Spector and The Ronettes)
The Ronettes Sing Their Greatest Hits (1975 compilation album)
The Ronettes Sing Their Greatest Hits, Vol. II (1981 compilation album)
The Colpix and Buddha Years (1992 compilation album)
The Ultimate Collection (1997 compilation album)
Be My Baby: The Very Best of The Ronettes (2010 compilation album)

"Be My Baby" by The Ronettes


"Sleigh Ride" by The Ronettes


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Freddy Cole - Waiter, Ask the Man to Play the Blues (1964)

"Waiter, Ask the Man to Play the Blues" by Freddy Cole


Nat and Ike Cole had another younger brother who also played the piano and sang, though his expression followed more the Blues tradition than the jazz of his older brothers.  Twelve years Nat's junior and four years Ike's, Freddy Cole started playing the piano at a young age and "completed" his education at Juilliard and the New England Conservatory.  He continued his education touring with jazz bands featuring Earl Bostic and Grover Washington, Jr.  Freddy's first single came out (before his brother Ike's who was in Korea) in 1952, "The Joke's on Me", and followed it up with "Whispering Grass" a year later.  He wouldn't record a full album until over a decade later when he headed into 1964 with Waiter, Ask the Man to Play the Blues.

Here is the discography surrounding Freddy Cole's debut album:

The Joke's on Me (1952 single)
Whispering Grass (1953 single)
It's Christmas Time (1962 single)
Black Coffee (1964 single)
Waiter, Ask the Man to Play the Blues
I'd Have It Made (1966 single)

"Whispering Grass" by Freddy Cole


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Simon & Garfunkel - Wednesday Morning, 3 a.m. (1964)

"Wednesday Morning 3 a.m." by Simon & Garfunkel


One of the temporary drummers for Girls at Our Best! was journey-musician Paul Simon.  Known as the "other" Paul Simon, he is not to be confused with another Paul Simon from the famous folk vocal duo Tom & Jerry.  That is to say not famous at all.  Their first single "Hey, Schoolgirl" peaked at #49 on the pop charts when the duo of Tom Garff and Jerry Landis were still in high school.  The follow-ups didn't do nearly so well.  The two went to university and graduated with degrees in Mathematics and English respectively.  Landis continued in his prospects for the life of the itinerant musician and wrote songs and recorded them under other assumed names.  He wouldn't find success until getting back together with Tom for an audition with Columbia Records.  They garnered enough attention that the two were signed and encouraged to perform under their actual names Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, the first time something so ethnic would find itself on the pop charts.  The album they released from their contract with Columbia was a the soft, folk Wednesday Morning 3 a.m. in late 1964 only to see it flop and the duo break up.

Here is the discography surrounding Simon & Garfunkel's debut album:

Hey, Schoolgirl (1957 single)
Our Song (1958 single)
That's My Story (1958 single)
Surrender, Please Surrender (1962 single)
I'm Lonesome (1963 single)
The Complete Tom & Jerry (1964 compilation album)
Home Recordings (1964 home demos)
Wednesday Morning, 3 a.m.

"The Sound of Silence" by Simon & Garfunkel


"Peggy-O" by Simon & Garfunkel


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The Even Dozen Jug Band - The Even Dozen Jug Band (1964)

The Even Dozen Jug Band by The Even Dozen Jug Band


One of the session musicians for Tim Hardin's debut was harmonica player John B. Sebastian.  Sebastian would later become famous for his songwriting and his folk rock band, but his recording debut came as a member of The Even Dozen Jug Band.  The jug band came out of the end of the Folk Revivalist movement in the early sixties but made a point, unlike its folk contemporaries, of not taking itself seriously.  It's hard to do that anyway if three of your instruments are a washboard, a kazoo, and a jug.  The group emulated the popular recordings of 1920s jug bands and recorded a dozen traditional songs on The Even Dozen Jug Band in 1964 that gave way to comedic performances, sexual innuendos, and dance numbers.  The product came out as an ecstatic mix of blues, ragtime, folk, and dixieland jazz.  Although locally popular, The Even Dozens did not perform much and fell apart as many of the members were students who preferred to stay in school rather than tour for the album.  Many of the members, however, would still go on to have successful careers in the music industry including Sebastian, Maria Muldaur, Steve Katz, Stefan Grossman, Joshua Rifkin, and David Grisman.

Here is the complete discography for The Even Dozen Jug Band:

The Even Dozen Jug Band

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Au Go-Go Singers - They Call Us Au Go-Go Singers (1964)

"High Flying Bird" by Au Go-Go Singers

Although Joni Mitchell played most of the instruments on her debut album, Stephen Stills played bass on her first single "Night in the City".  Stills dropped out of school to pursue a musical career.  He was active in the Greenwich Village Folk scene playing in bands and as a solo artist.  He was eventually recruited to be a part of Cafe Au Go-Go's house band the Au Go-Go Singers in 1964.  Other members included Kathy King, Jean Gurney, Michael Scott, Rick Geiger, Roy Michaels, Nels Gustafson, Bob Hamerlink, and Richie Furay.  They recorded one album before breaking up in late 1965.  Stills's arrangement for "High Flying Bird" is an early example of the folk rock that Stills would soon help popularize.

Here is the complete discography for Au Go-Go Singers:

They Call Us Au Go-Go Singers
San Francisco Bay Blues (1964 single)

"Gotta Travel On" by Au Go-Go Singers

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Vince Martin & Fred Neil - Tear Down the Walls (1964)

"Tear Down the Walls" by Vince Martin & Fred Neil


Other than the previously mentioned output, Major Wiley's voice can also be found on one compilation album and on a live recording by Fred Neil. While performing his song 'Linin' Track' at The Bitter End, Fred Neil invites Wiley from the crowd ('Major, you ready?') to join him on stage. 'Aww c'mon... I know he's out there', goads Fred for a partner in the call-and-response portion of the song. Their performance together is awkward but fun, and one of the few remaining evidence that Wiley was a part of the Village folk movement.

Fred Neil began his career in the music industry as a songwriter where he penned songs for friends like Roy Orbison and Buddy Holly. He even tried to perform some rockabilly tunes himself. He recorded six singles but had no chart success. By the early sixties, he had moved to Greenwich, became proficient on a twelve-string guitar and grew to be one of the leading figures of the folk movement there. He's especially well-regarded for often acting as a mentor to young singers and songwriters who would flock there. Although he had connections in the industry, he did not record an album until 1964. It seems that he would not have been pulled into the recording studio if it were not for his recent collaborator Vince Martin.

Vince Martin had a career path similar to Fred's. Not a songwriter, Vince was a gifted tenor whose first single, 'Cindy, Oh Cindy' with The Tarriers, became a Top Ten hit. The Tarriers, who provided background harmonies on the recording, eventually dropped as Vince's backing band despite the success. He continued to record singles with much less success. Vince also found his way to the Village in the early sixties where he was introduced to Fred. The two hit it off smoothly and, very soon after, began performing together.

Their success led them to the recording studio where they recorded Tear Down the Walls. The album comprised of several covers and a handful of original songs. They alternated taking the vocal leads while the other harmonizing. Vince accompanied Fred's twelve-string, as well, and the recording was rounded off with the harmonica of a young John Sebastian and Felix Papallardi on the guitarrón. The level of importance associated to this album varies from account to account, but it is generally regarded as an important step in the development of folk rock. David Crosby (of The Byrds) and Bob Dylan, both mentored by Fred Neil, would take this album's cue as they began to electrify folk and introduce folk chord progressions into the rock 'n' roll lexicon. The album is also highly regarded because of its status as Fred Neil's first album. Unfortunately, Vince gets slighted for his role in getting Fred to record again.

Here is the discography surrounding Vince Martin & Fred Neil's debut album:

Cindy, Oh Cindy (1956 single by Vince Martin & the Tarriers)
You Ain't Treatin' Me Right (1957 single by Fred Neil)
Katie-O (1957 single by Vince Martin)
Wait for Me (1957 single by Vince Martin)
Let the Midnight Special (1957 single by Vince Martin)
Goodbye My Love (1957 single by Vince Martin)
Heartbreak Bound (1958 single by Fred Neil)
Take Me Back Again (1958 single by Fred Neil)
Slipping Around (1958 single by Fred Neil)
Secret, Secret (1958 single by Fred Neil)
Keep A-Movin' (1958 single by Vince Martin)
Four Chaplains (1959 single by Fred Neil)
Goodnight Irene (1959 single by Vince Martin)
Strawberry Fair (1959 single by Vince Martin)
Long Black Veil (1963 single by Fred Neil & the Nashville Street Singers)
Hootenanny Live at the Bitter End (1963 live compilation featuring Fred Neil)
Tear Down the Walls
Tear Down the Walls (1964 single)

"Cindy, Oh Cindy" by Vince Martin & the Tarriers


"You Ain't Treatin' Me Right" by Fred Neil


"I Know You Rider", "Weary Blues", and "Wild Child in a World of Trouble" by Vince Martin & Fred Neil


If you have any ideas for where the tour should go next, please give a shout. I'm open to whatever as long as the artists are historically related in some way and go in an artist's chronological order.

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The Kinks - Kinks (1964)

As I mentioned previously, The Missing Links took many of their artistic cues from The Rolling Stones. Oddly enough, they never actually recorded a Stones cover. I suppose they could never muster up a unique take on original Stones material (which there was not much of at the time), but they did skillfully tackle a few of Bo Diddley's songs, Bob Dylan's "On the Road Again", and Sam the Sham's "Wooly Bully" among others. In particular, they covered Shel Talmy's "Bald Headed Woman" for their only album, a song that was written for and first performed by The Kinks.

The Kinks begins and ends with brothers Ray (guitar, lead vocals, harmonica) and Dave Davies (guitar, vocals). They formed the band in the suburb of Muswell Hill around 1961 as the Ray Davies Quartet. The Quartet naturally needed two other members to be filled by schoolmate Peter Quaife (bass, vocals) and an inconstant fourth (who was at one time Rod Stewart). The group lasted not much more than a year or two as the Quartet lost its band leader to Hornsey College of Art. Luckily though likely to the chagrin of his parents, college didn't suit the elder Davies boy and he got the band back together, but this time under a new name that was as unreliable as the band's fourth member. Nevertheless, the quartet found success on the pub circuit. They recruited an army of (three) managers by 1963 and a doting producer in the young Shel Talmy (who was not much older than Ray). Talmy was able to get the group a deal with Pye records by which time they had settled on a fourth member, Mick Avory (drums), and a kinky name.

The Kinks's first two singles, a cover of "Long Tall Sally" and the Ray Davies original "You Still Want Me" both failed to chart, and Pye Records gave a hit single ultimatum or else they'd be dropped. On cue, the third single was the chart-topping "You Really Got Me". This success was more than enough for the band to begin recording their debut album Kinks. A fourth single that rose to #2 "All Day and All of the Night" and the Kinksize Session EP were released to round out 1964.

The album is mainly made up of covers done in the Beat style made internationally popular by The Beatles. Beat music, or the Mersey Sound, is a simple style of rock and roll that features two guitars, bass, and drums. Just as iconic as the lineup is the Sound's strong backbeat and doo wop-inspired vocal harmonies. Most of the album, however, is not much more than a few solid cover songs. Most important is "You Really Got Me", a song that broke vein with whatever The Kinks had done previously. The song needed only two power chords, distortion, and simple lyrics to deliver one of the most iconic moments of pure rock and roll. The song has a distinct garage rock feel to it and musicologists see it as the "blueprint for hard rock and heavy metal". Continuing off that success, the fourth single "All Day and All of the Night" is written on the same pattern: same power chords (plus one), same lyrical construction, same distortion, and nearly the exact same solo (no kidding). With these two singles, The Kinks broke into the American market on their way to becoming one of the definitive bands of the British Invasion.

Here is the discography surrounding The Kinks's debut album:

Long Tall Sally (1964 single)
You Still Want Me (1964 single)
You Really Got Me (1964 single)
Kinks
All Day and All of the Night (1964 single)
Kinksize Session (1964 EP)





If you have any idea for where the tour should go next, please give a shout. I'm always open to suggestions.

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The Rolling Stones - The Rolling Stones (1964)

The story continues with George Harrison and Dick Rowe meeting up again (after The Beatles stormed the charts) on the television program Juke Box Jury. Young Mr. Harrison reportedly raved about his favorite unsigned band The Rolling Stones. Not long after, Mr. Rowe signed The Rolling Stones to Decca Records and promptly recorded a handful of hit singles and their debut album The Rolling Stones.

Here is the discography surrounding The Rolling Stones's debut album:

Baby What's Wrong (1963 demo)
Come On (1963 single)
Fortune Teller (1963 unreleased single)
I Wanna Be Your Man (1963 single)

The Complete British Radio Broadcasts - Volume 1 1963 (compilation album)
The Rolling Stones (1964 EP)

You Better Move On (1964 single)
Not Fade Away (1964 single)

The Rolling Stones
England's Newest Hitmakers (1964 US album)

Carol (1964 single)
Tell Me (1964 single)

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