6 of the 60s: 10/28/14 (1962)

I'm ready to go back to the 60s, with a half-dozen more nuggets from 1962, the year Johnny Carson starts his tenure on the Tonight Show....

Neil Sedaka - "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do"
from the album Sings His Greatest Hits (1962)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1
Songwriters: Howard Greenfield, Neil Sedaka

The singer/songwriter went to the American pop top-10 twice in two decades with two dramatically different versions of the same song. My heart still lies with this one, comma comma down doobeedo down down.

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Johnny Tillotson - "It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin'"
from the album It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin' (1962)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #3
Songwriter: Johnny Tillotson

The album that was named for this big country-rock hit spawned four pop hits, not bad in the early age of LPs.

"Little Esther" Phillips - "Release Me"
from the album Release Me (1963)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #8
Songwriters: Eddie Miller, William Stevenson

Ray Charles wasn't the only African-American artist that was able to deftly bridge the divide between R&B and country music, as proven by this version of the classic by the soulful singer from Galveston.

James Darren - "Conscience"
from the album Teenage Triangle (1963)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: 11
Songwriters: Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil

James shared billing with fellow teen idols Shelley Fabares and Paul Peterson on this full-length album; but thanks to his acting turns in TV shows like TJ Hooker and The Time Tunnel that made him the most recognized in his adult years....

Gladys Knight And The Pips - "Letter Full Of Tears"
from the album Letter Full Of Tears (1962)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #19
Songwriter: Don Covay

One of the vocal group's pre-Motown successes, with a song that now-a-days would be the "Text Full Of Tears"...

Connie Francis - "I Was Such A Fool (To Fall in Love With You)"
from the album Connie Francis (1964)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #24
Songwriters: Mike Canosa, Danny Stradela

One of Connie's sweet and emotional lost gems.

I'll be back tomorrow with seven more from 1972...