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Monday 28 September 2015

L is for love songs of the 1960s

I have this book called Across the Charts: The 1960s, which indicates all the songs that hit the various US Billboard Hot 100 Singles (listed as pop), R&B Singles, Adult Contemporary (AC) and Country Singles.

What I have listed here is a roster of songs, which links to each of them, that 1) I was familiar with, 2) made it on more than one chart between 1960 and 1969, and 3) start with the word "love", or a variation on it. I didn't find any country crossovers. And I cheated on one item, a song that Bubbled Under the Hot 100. These are in alphabetical order by title:

L-O-V-E - Nat King Cole. #17 AC, #81 pop, 1964
My late mother's favorite singer, Nat would pass away less than six months after this song was released, from lung cancer.

Love Is A Doggone Good Thing - Eddie Floyd. #30 R&B, #97 pop, 1967
A song on that OTHER great soul label of the era, STAX.

Love Is Blue - Paul Mauriat. #1 for 11 weeks AC, #1 for 5 weeks pop, 1968
One of the biggest instrumental hits, ever.

Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart - Supremes. #7 R&B, #9 pop, 1966
This is the LOWEST-charting pop single by the Supremes between mid-1964 to the end of 1967.

Love (Makes Me Do Foolish Things) - Martha & The Vandellas. #22 R&B, #70 pop, 1966
Another great Motown female singing group.

Love's Gone Bad - Chris Clark. #41 R&B, #105 pop, 1966
She was one of the relatively few white artists on the Motown label.

A Lover's Concerto - the Toys. #2 for 3 weeks, 4 R&B, 1965
This tune was based on the Minuet in G major. Until 1970 it was attributed to Johann Sebastian Bach, but it is now universally attributed to Christian Petzold.
***


21 comments:

  1. Ah - Love - it seems to have evaded me at this time of my life, but I do remember all those great love songs! And more! I can always live vicariously through the music. (It's probably better - lol)

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  2. I was thinking of "All you need is love!"
    Beautiful lovely post!
    Wil, ABCW Team

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  3. Love...is a beautiful thing! Happy L to you Roger!

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  4. Ahhhh we chosen the same word but with a totaly different input ;-)
    Wonderful songs Roger, there are lots, lots, lots, more ....

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  5. Love. Ah Silly Love Songs! These are great!

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  6. I think the Symphony by the Toys was the single song that made Dusty Springfield say, "I want to sing soul music." For better or for worse, white singers have been styling themselves thusly for-freakin'-ever! But the original singers are the deal. so much talk about cultural appropriation, but the first singers were FIRST.

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  7. In this period, I was in love all the time !

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  8. Love- ly post! Enjoyed reading it and would certainly listen to them. :)

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  9. Lush intro! Lovely songs...
    My entry is a LAKE!

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  10. Love & the '60s - a perfect pairing.

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  11. The Supremes' song sounds more like a country title. Could be why it was low on the chart.

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  12. Love & songs make a great combo :)

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  13. Apparently I missed a bunch of music while I was living abroad for the last half of the '60s. :~}

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  14. Lesley,

    you got me singing," all I want it a room somewhere......loverly, loverly loverly."

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  15. Love and song-writing.. can't beat that. Had to smile at the Minuet in G - I listened, recognized the tune (must have heard it at least 1000 times in my years of teaching piano, not to mention playing it myself as a kid), but didn't immediately make the connection. Looney or what! :)

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  16. Great collection of songs here. Love and music do go wonderfully together. I was too late to post this week - the collection closed by the time I could do my post. Next week I hope to be all there.
    BeatAboutThe Book

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  17. Sending out a BIG thank you for including my post here.

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  18. Thank you for sharing some of the love songs in the 1960s. I am only familiar with L-O-V-E by Nat King Cole. :)

    ---Ann Torres love to listen to her favorite best OPM songs.

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  19. This is a nice and very helpful post I have enjoyed it from your blog and looking forward to see more from you.
    Thanks....!
    alphabet song of zoo animals

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  20. How can you resist to listen to a love song and enjoy it.
    Love or Deja Vu?

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