Most Beautiful Songs - 1960 - 1979

[diddley]

Sandy Denny

 

[xray]

Seals and Crofts - Summer Breeze
Beautifully simple, simply beautiful

 

[Robin L]

Can't believe this one hasn't been posted:

Martin

The original, Blue Bayou, Roy Orbison 1961:

Linda Ronstadt, "Long Long Time", 1970. Probably my favorite of her performances:

 

[Robin L]

Karen Dalton - Something On Your Mind (1971)

Never heard Karen Dalton before. Know she was a legend in the Greenwich Village scene. In his 2004 memoir Chronicles: Volume One, Bob Dylan wrote, “My favourite singer was Karen Dalton. Karen had a voice like Billie Holiday and played guitar like Jimmy Reed, I sang with her a couple of times.”

It Hurts Me Too, 1969:

Grateful Dead covering the same, 1972:

 

[Ralph_Cramden]

Ms Horn's last album before she semi-retired to raise her family. Her best stuff would come many years later, but this is representative of her '60s work. Always a class act.

 

[bluefuzz]

Karen had a voice like Billie Holiday and played guitar like Jimmy Reed,

She apparently always hated being compared to Billie Holiday ...

 

[bluefuzz]

The magnificent Dagmar Krause fronting Henry Cow in '75 doing Phil Ochs No More Songs.

 

[bluefuzz]

And Phil Ochs' original ...

 

[Robin L]

She apparently always hated being compared to Billie Holiday ...

I guess it's like Sturgill Simpson hating being compared to Waylon Jennings. "Dreaming My Dreams With You" 1975:

 

[Robin L]

Sandy Denny

Sandy Denny, "Listen Listen", 1972:

 

[Robin L]

I remember the first time I heard this one. Road to Damascus tune for me.

From "Soul 69" Aretha's remake of "Today I Sing the Blues":

 

[bluefuzz]

June Tabor - Lisbon

 

[bluefuzz]

And to bring things right up to date: Gisela May - Vergiss Die Dunklen Stunden.

 

[bluefuzz]

Stagecraft: Charles Aznavour - La Bohème

 

[Robin L]

June Tabor - Lisbon

One of the purest vocal techniques in British Folk music. Here's an acapella performance from her first album, "Airs and Graces" - "The Plains of Waterloo", 1976:

 

[Robin L]

Robbie Basho - Blue Crystal Fire (1978)

Reminds me that we haven't had a track by John Fahey yet. Red Pony, 1969:

 

[Eulipian]

This, on the other hand, is the whole enchilada: Paul Simon propiated most of J. S. Bach's melody from "Erkenne mich, mein Hüter", a sacred chorale found in the St. Matthew Passion:

Always thought that this was complex beyond PS's usual ouvre. Thanks for scratching that itch. But, hey, he's not the first to ripoff Johnny B.

The Toys, released "A Lover's Concerto" in 1965 and Supremes covered it later. It's based on the "Minuet in G Major, BWV Anh. 114," (though it is now disputed that this originates from Johnny B.)

 

[Robin L]

Always thought that this was complex beyond PS's usual ouvre. Thanks for scratching that itch. But, hey, he's not the first to ripoff Johnny B.

The Toys, released "A Lover's Concerto" in 1965 and Supremes covered it later. It's based on the "Minuet in G Major, BWV Anh. 114," (though it is now disputed that this originates from Johnny B.)

I remember it well - learning piano, this was one of the pieces we worked on. I embarrassed myself in front of the class by playing J.S. Bach (?)'s original version of the tune in 4, like the Toys. Of course, the original is in 3. But I played it PERFECTLY in 4.

 

[Robin L]

And to bring things right up to date: Gisela May - Vergiss Die Dunklen Stunden.

Somehow this reminds me of Nina Hagen. It's not just that it's in German, it has a declamatory style and razor-sharp consonants. Wonder what the lyrical content of the song is.

 

[mhardy6647]

I don't believe I've seen this go by. James Taylor's life got off to a pretty rough start (he's come, and gone, a long, long way) but he's written and performed a passel of wonderful songs -- yes, many qualifying for the "B word" So... here's my favorite song by JT, and beautiful it is.
Now, I won't go as far as to say that all beautiful songs are in 3/4 time, or vice versa -- but there's a strong correlation.
Sweet Baby James

The song's titular James was his infant nephew, by the way.

Paul Simon & beautiful, eh?
I really, really like this one -- another of his America songs.

probably my favorite Simon & Garfunkel song.

Yes did a fine, fun cover in the early 1970s -- but I don't think it quite qualifies as beautiful.

ahem -- and, finally (for now at least )
Here's one from deep left field.
Stu Nunnery, Madeleine

I love this song.