6 fo the 60s: 11/18/14 (1964)

I'm ready to head back to the sixties with another half-dozen nuggets from 1964, the year the Verrazano Narrows Bridge opens to traffic between Staten Island and Brooklyn, the longest suspension bridge in the world.

Roy Orbison (and the Candy Men) - "Oh, Pretty Woman"
from the album Orbisongs (1964)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1
Songwriters: Bill Dees, Roy Orbison

After his death Roy earned a Grammy Award for his live version of this song in 1991.

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The Beatles - "She's A Woman"
from the album Beatles '65 (1964)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #4
Songwriters: John Lennon, Paul McCartney (Paul McCartney actually)

Inspired by Little Richard's over-the-top bluesy screech, the Fab Four made the top-10 with this B-side to "I Feel Fine".

Jan & Dean - "Dead Man's Curve"
from the album Dead Man's Curve/The New Girl In School (1964)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #8
Songwriters: Jan Berry, Roger Christian, Artie Kornfeld, Brian Wilson

A cruelly foreshadowing song, as co-writer Jan would almost die in a car crash on a road just like the one in this hit two years later.

The Beach Boys - "When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)"
from the album Beach Boys Today! (1965)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #9
Songwriter: Brian Wilson

Songwriter Brian was certainly having struggles with the 'boy' part of his moniker on this take on maturity.

Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs - "Daisy Petal Pickin'"
from the album Firewater! (1968)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #15
Songwriters: Juanita Jordan, Keith McCormack, Glynn Thames

The instrumental rock band from New Mexico had even bigger success recruiting singer Jimmy Gilmer on hits such as this breezy one.

The Vibrations - "My Girl Sloopy"
from the album Saturday Night At The Uptown (1964)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #26
Songwriters: Bert Berns, Was Farrell

A year before the McCoys took the reworked song (as "Hang On Sloopy") to #1, this California R&B group hit the top-40 with a rockin' live version that you can tell is wowing the audience...

I'll be back tomorrow with seven more from 1974...