For the month of January, I’m selecting some of the most memorable and influential songs of the 60’s. While they all hail from the same decade, these are some of my favorite songs of any era. They remind me that the 60’s were so much more than just Woodstock and psychedelic rock. It was a flourishing period for blues, folk, progressive and straight-ahead rock. #31DaysOf60sSongs
A romantic fling during the summer before freshman year of college was one of those coming-of-age seasons for me. If someone were to make a movie about my life, that summer would undoubtedly be a part of the script. The girl had incredible taste in music. She introduced me to a wide variety of music, including a new up-and-coming band called Dee-Lite, the early catalog of Siouxsie & the Banshees. and the incomparable Nina Simone. I didn’t think about it at the time, but all these artists were female-led. If she hadn’t played those treasured Nina Simone records, it’s quite possible it would’ve take me decades to discover gems like “Take Care of Business”.
That voice. There’s nothing else like it. Simone’s fiery and feisty persona thankfully translated to equally fiery and feisty vocals. She gives heralded performances throughout the I Put A Spell On You album, including the title track, “Feeling Good”, “Ne Me Quitte Pas” and my favorite track: “Take Care of Business”. On the latter, she sings with a soulful swagger, while the string and horn arrangements create a tango-like quality to the song. “Take Care of Business” showcases the simple genius of using word repetitions to create strong melodies.