Eddie Cochran 1958 – C mon Everybody
I keep hearing the click of a tape machine before the music starts—an imaginary cue, the kind you feel in…
Sandie Shaw 1967 – Puppet On A String
Sandie Shaw didn’t just win the Eurovision Song Contest in 1967; she telegraphed a certain kind of British pop poise…
Tommy Roe 1969 – Dizzy
Tommy Roe’s “Dizzy” arrives like a burst of confetti through the radio speaker—bright, buoyant, just a little dizzying in the…
Perry Como 1957 – Magic Moments
Perry Como’s “Magic Moments” begins the way a good memory does—not with fireworks, but with a hush. You can almost…
Roger Miller 1964 – England Swings
Roger Miller didn’t need to shout to be heard. He preferred the conspirator’s grin, the shrugging melody that sneaks up…
Paul Revere & The Raiders 1969 – Let Me
The first sound I imagine when I cue up “Let Me!” is the quiet tick of a tape machine before…
Pat Boone 1962 – Speedy Gonzales
Pat Boone didn’t need tape hiss to make an entrance in 1962. He had a grin you could hear and…
The Who 1967 – I’m A Boy
There’s a moment when the tape feels as if it lunges forward before you do—an intake of breath, a drum…
Marmalade 1968 – Lovin’ Things
The first thing you notice is the air in the room. Not silence, exactly—more like a soft coat of tape…
Thunderclap Newman 1969 – Something In The Air
Thunderclap Newman’s “Something in the Air” arrives like a flare across low cloud—bright, sudden, unmistakable. I first heard it late…