נשים שישים

This ebook is about the album “נשים שישים“.

I remember as a kid my mom used to play this album all the time in the car.

Although it was more popular to listen to Hannah Montana and High School Musical (which was a huge part of my childhood as well), something about that album felt special.

Today, the album feels nostalgic, calming and reminds me of my mom. I feel really grateful that I was exposed to this music at a young age and that now i can appreciate it even more.

The album was put together by Helicon Records and was released in 2003.

It contains a playlist of 20 songs by different artists in celebration of the woman of the sixties.

I will put all the songs and live performances and will talk about my favorites or most memorable songs.

The Tracklist contains:

1  Brenda Lee – All Alone Am I

2  Dusty Springfield – You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me      3  Connie Francis – Where The Boys Are

4  Skeeter Davis – The End Of The World

5  Lulu – To Sir With Love

6  Diana Ross – Do You Know Where You’re Going To

7  Leslie Gore – You Don’t Own Me

8  Helen Shapiro – You Don’t Know

9  Dolly Parton – Jolene

10 Shirley Bassey – Kiss Me, Honey Honey, Kiss Me

11 Millie Small – My Boy Lollipop

12 Marianne Faithfull – As Tears Go By

13 Dusty Springfield – I Close My Eyes And Count To Ten

14 Doris Day – Que Sera Sera (Whatever Will Be Will Be)

15 Petula Clark – This Is My Song

16 Patsy Cline – Crazy

17 The Mamas & The Papas – Dream A Little Dream Of Me

18 Marianne Faithfull – This Little Bird

19 Nicole Croisille – I’ll Never Leave You

20 Peggy Lee – Johnny Guitar

1. All Alone Am I – Brenda Lee

Brenda lee is one of the biggest American singers of the 60s. She had 47 songs that reached the US chart hits during the 1960s and is ranked forth in the decade. (Surpassed by Elvis Presley, the Beatles and Ray Charles).

The song “All Alone Am I” released in 1962 is from the album with the same title released in 1963, and became a Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 both in the US and the UK. 

The song talks about a woman needing a lover, missing a man. I remember how my mom, which is a very strong independent woman kept getting annoyed with how the women are being perceived in the album as a whole. 

With that being said the lyrics are beautifully written, Brenda Lee’s vocals are amazing and I find the song so magical. 

2. You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me – Dusty Springfield

3. Where The Boys Are – Connie Francis 

Connie Francis is a top charting American singer and actress of the late 1950 and early 1960. 

“Where the Boys Are” is a 1960 American film directed by Henry Levin. The title song with the same title, was sung by Connie Francis who also co-starred in a supporting role. The song was written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield, peaked number four in the US and became Francis’s signature tune which she also recorded in six other languages (German, French, Italian, Japanese, Neapolitan and Spanish).

Even though the woman is still looking for a boy, the lyrics are hopeful and very romantic. Overall this song feels like it came straight out of a Disney movie and it remains one of my favorites!

4. The End Of The World – Skeeter Davis

5. To Sir With Love – Lulu

Lulu is a Scottish singer and actress. She began her career in the UK and became known internationally. Known for her top chart hits and her winning entry in the Eurovision in 1969. 

She made her acting debut in the 1967 British movie “To Sir, with Love” where she both acted and sang the title song. The song was written by Don Black and Mark London and reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 where it remained for five weeks.

I’m not exactly sure why but this was my favorite as a kid. Maybe because it feels younger and a bit more fresh. I don’t think I realized this was about a student falling in love with her teacher, I wonder if I’ll still think it’s approperiate after watching the movie but besides that I still think it’s a fantastic song.

6. Do You Know Where Your’e Going To – Diana Ross

Not really sure what this song is doing here since it’s from the 70s and they could have chosen a song by The Supremes, but nontheless, a beautiful song.

7. You Don’t Own Me – Lesley Gore

Lesley Gore was an American singer songwriter and actress. When she was just 16 she already had a gold record with “It’s My Party” that was followed by many other Billboard top 40 hits, one of them being the feminist themed million selling song – “You Don’t Own Me”. The song was written by John Madura and David White and was released in 1967 when Gore was 17. It reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained there for three weeks.

The song was a huge success due to its revolutionary lyrics and became an inspiration for younger women. Compared to the other songs on this list clearly we can see how different it was at the time and how brave and rebellious it was. Later on in an interview Lesley said “for me, it was not a song about being a woman. It was about being a person, and what was involved with that… It got picked up as an anthem for women, which makes me very proud”. 

8. You Don’t Know – Helen Shapiro

9. Jolene – Dolly Parton

Again, released in the 70s but very much on theme with the theme of most of the songs from this album – beautiful songs about pretty weak women.

10. Kiss Me, Honey, Honey, Kiss Me – Shirley Bassey

Not exactly 1960’s, released in 1958. (I couldn’t find a performance from back then, so I added a great performance from 2009).

11. My Boy Lollipop – Millie Small

Millie Small was a Jamaican singer and songwriter best known for her 1964 hit “My Boy Lollipop”. Written by Robert Spencer. The song was first recorded by Barbie Gaye in 1956 but Millie Small’s version became her breakthrough blockbuster reaching number 2 both in the UK Singles Chart and the US Billboard Hot 100. It sold over 7 million copies worldwide  and made Millie the Caribbean’s first international recording star.

I know I said as a kid my favorite one was “To Sir, With Love”, but… Maybe it was this one! I remember asking my mom if that was her real voice and just have so much fun singing to it.

12. As Tears Go By – Marianne Faithfull

Marianne Faithfull is an English singer and songwriter that reached popularity in the 1960s with the release of her hit single “As Tears Go By”. She became one of the lead female artists during the British Invasion. From 1966 to 1970 she had a highly publicized relationship with Mick Jagger. She was discovered in a Rolling Stones launch party and released her first single “As Tears Go By” written by Jagger, Keith Richards and Andrew Loog Oldham in 1964. The song peaked at number nine on both the UK and Irish singles charts. A year later The Rolling Stones recorded a cover of the song.

I have to say as a kid this song didn’t do much for me, but i learned to appreciate it much more now that I’m older. I think it is a beautiful sad song and I find her perforance quite refreshing and raw compared to the very glamorus shows of the other performers.  

13. I Close My Eyes And Cound To Ten – Dusty Springfield

14. Que Sera Sera – Doris Day

Released in the 1950s, but I guess they couldn’t skip this beautiful classic.

15. This Is My Song – Patula Clark

16. Crazy – Pasty Cline

Patsy Cline was an American singer and was one of the first country music artists to cross over into pop music and had many major hits during her career. She was killed in a plane crash in 1963 and since her death has been cited as one of the most celebrated, respected and influential performers of the 20th century. “Crazy” was released in 1961 and written by Willie Nelson. The song reached number two on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles and also crossed to the pop chart as a top 10 single.

This is my favorite song of the entire album as of right now (even though that changes all the time). Something about it is just enchanting and Patsy Cline’s voice is absolutely incredible.

17. Dream A Little Dream Of Me – The Mamas And The Papas

18. This Little Bird – Marianna Faithfull

19. I’ll Never Leave You – Nicole Croisille

20. Johnny Guitar – Peggy Lee

Released in 1954, but still a classic.

In conclusion, I realized that a lot of the songs in this album is not actually from the 60s.

Although these are not the types of songs we studied in the course, I really enjoyed exploring new music that I was not familiar with. I still love the glamorous side of the sixties and this album stays close to my heart but learned that they have a lot more to offer and that I should keep exploring the beautiful music created in that era.