6 of the 60s: 5/21/14 (1963)...

This week's 60s flashback goes back to 1963, with six more nuggets from the year the first diet drink from the Coca-Cola company, TAB, is made...

The Ronettes - "Be My Baby"
from the album Presenting The Fabulous Ronettes featuring Veronica (1964)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #2
Songwriters: Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, Phil Spector

One of the most influential and heralded pop songs of the early 60s was this gem, and if this would be Spector's only legacy, it still might give St. Peter a second thought.

(Click below to see the rest of the post)


Garnet Mimms and the Enchanters - "Cry Baby"
from the album Cry Baby (1963)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #4
Songwriters: Bert Burns, Jerry Ragovoy

For those of you only familiar with Janis Joplin's cover, behold the original, which I prefer for its range of emotion instead of a constant wail.

Elvis Presley - "Bossa Nova Baby"
from the album Fun In Acupulco (Original Soundtrack) (1963)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #8
Songwriters: Jerry Lieber, Mike Stoller

I'm tickled pink about the "resurrection" of the song for some commercial this year, as its organ riff predicted guitar rock in the later part of the decade. And damn can he sell any crazy song idea.

Major Lance - "Hey Little Girl"
from the album The Monkey Time (1963)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #13
Songwriter: Curtis Mayfield

Curtis Mayfield from the Impressions wrote this joyful soul/pop hit that would prove that at the start Motown had a lot of competition.

Bobby Rydell - "Butterfly Baby"
from the album The Best Of Bobby Rydell on Cameo-Parkway 1959-1964 (2005)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #23
Songwriters: Dave Appel, Kal Mann

The teen idol did a little fling with a lepidopterologist.

Ruby & The Romantics - "Hey There Lonely Boy"
from the album Greatest Hits Album (1966)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #27
Songwriters: Leon Carr, Earl Shuman

We'll end with this sweet soul slice from the vocal group from Ohio that earned a Grammy nomination that year for "Our Day Will Come"...

That's it for now...I'll be back tomorrow with 7 more from 1973 and 8 from 1983...