01. JACQUES BREL: he is not French, he is Belgian, but it’s impossible to find a better ambassador for French chanson. A gifted composer, capable to write sharp portraits of society and tender song of desperate love, a singer with a expressive voice but mainly an unsurpassable live performer, a performer with high theatrical sense but able to inject real life into the songs. Edith Piaf couldn’t have a better heir.
My favourite album: Olympia 64 (1964).
My Top 5 Songs: Les paumés du petit matin (1962), Amsterdam (1964), Ne me quitte pas (1959), Au suivant (1964), Les bigotes (1963).

02. SAM COOKE: the singer that took the gospel sounds to a pop context, a handsome man with a sweet but soulful voice, the one who tried to reach a white audience but never forgetting his black roots. Sadly we’ve lost him recently in a shady affair in a motel. We’re gonna miss you, Sam.
My favourite album: Night Beat (1963).
My Top 3 Songs: A Change Is Gonna Come (1964), Wonderful World (1960), Shake (1964).

03. CHARLES MINGUS: breaking the limits of modern jazz.

04. THE RONETTES: they represent the sound of today, they are the best of the girl groups, a fresh sound that includes also The Shirelles, The Chiffons, The Crystals or The Shangri-Las. Blame it mainly to the talent of his producer, Phil Spector (see later at backstage).
My favourite album: Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica (1964).
My Top 3 Songs: Be My Baby (1963), Baby I Love You (1964), Walking in the Rain (1964).

05. WOODY GUTHRIE: the roots.

06. BO DIDDLEY.
07. THELONIUS MONK.
08. BOB DYLAN.
09. JOÃO GILBERTO.
10. THE BEACH BOYS.


And at the backstage:
01. PHIL SPECTOR: It’s hard to find today a text without the word “genius” close to the name of Phil Spector. A young producer that has managed to create a whole new sound (now we are calling this the “wall of sound” widely successful on the charts. Favourite song: THE RONETTES “Be My Baby” (1963).
02. VINICIUS DE MORAES & ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM.
03. GERRY GOFFIN & CAROLE KING.

Thanks for asking, Paul. Yeah, I'm OK--amazingly, I even have electricity. I don't have running water, though.

Also, I now know what it sounds like when an oak tree gets snapped in half.

Some friends threw a hurricane party last night, and I stayed with them. Neil Young was playing when the power went out.

1. JACQUES BREL : Honorio said it all about le grand Jacques. Both tragic and funny, a great performer. If I had one time-travel to make, it would be to his concert at the Olympia in 1964.

2. BOB DYLAN : One year before he turns rock, Dylan’s already a giant, by far the most gifted of the folk revival generation. He has wrote absolute classics (“Blowing In The Wind”, “Don’t Think Twice”, “The Times...”), and so deserves to be inducted even though his very best is yet to come.

3. FATS DOMINO : I would love to see him among the inducted. It’s probably the only chance to see New orlean’s great piano music in the HOA; Fats Domino would stand for all his great predecessors (Champion Jack Dupree, professor Longhair), and the ones woho followed (Dr John, James Booker)

4. GEORGES BRASSENS : I’m moving him down because I’m the only one to induct him now, and because 1964 is his last excellent year.

5. the BEACH BOYS : I would say exactly the same as for Dylan. Just change the word “folk” for “American pop”. Classics : “I Get Around” (ond of my favorite BB songs, “Surfin Safari”, “Fun”...

6. REV. GARY DAVIS : A personal favorite. One of the best acoustic guitar players of his time, a voice like thunder, a a couple of highly recommandable gospel-blues albums recorded by Bluesville in the early sixties.

7. Sam Cooke

8. Leadbelly

9. Howlin’ Wolf

10. Eddie Cochran

of course, in my Dylan comment : he has written
I'd just woken up when I posted that

1. Woody Guthrie
2. Bill Monroe
3. George Jones
4. Bob Dylan - so many classic songs already. and it's about to get even better.
5. The Beach Boys - Surfer Girl is still my 2nd favorite Beach Boys song (after guess what? God Only Knows)

6. Bo Diddley
7. Fats Domino
8. Jimmie Rodgers
9. Howlin' Wolf
10. Sam Cooke

Backstage

1. Burt Bacharach
2. Phil Spector
3. Alan Lomax

1. Fats Domino – No one ever made great music sound more effortless than the portly, courtly New Orleans master. He’s staying at #1 on my list for at least a couple more years.
2. Charles Mingus – My personal favorite jazz artist, as I’ve written in this forum before. His music is dauntingly complex but always sounds like it was sheer joy to create, and that joy is transmitted to the listener.
3. Bo Diddley - Flavor Flav once exclaimed, "Y'all can't copyright no beats!" Here's the one person who could have. 'Nuff said.
4. The Beach Boys - Greater accomplishments yet to come after '64, of course. But, as I said about the Beatles last week, why wait?
5. Bob Dylan - WW?
6. Ella Fitzgerald
7. Thelonius Monk
8. Howlin’ Wolf
9. Bill Evans
10. The Rolling Stones

BACKSTAGE WING
1. Phil Spector
2. Harry Smith
3. Rudy Van Gelder

Sorry - forgot Harry Smith got in last week.

BACKSTAGE WING:
1. Phil Spector
2. George Martin
3. Rudy Van Gelder