Off we go again, for our first post-JFK vote: the 1964 election. Select the ten most deserving artists, based on records released through the end of 1963.

To see a list of noteworthy candidates, as well as our discussion of them see the 1964 discussion thread. For a reminder of who’s already been inducted, see the results thread.

For your ballot to be eligible, you must submit a ranked list of your ten most deserving artists. Also, for your top FIVE artists (at least), you must explain why they deserve to be in the HOA.

In addition, you may nominate up to three people for the Backstage Wing. This is optional; your ballot will still be eligible even if you don’t vote for Backstage candidates.

Deadline for ballots is 12:00 noon GMT (6:00 am where I am), Tuesday, September 2.

Voting is now open.

1. BILL EVANS: Still championing an under-appreciated jazz artist.
2. BEATLES: Pretty sure this position doesn't need to be justified. Oh, it does? Ok... well, then... February 11, 1963.
3. LEADBELLY
4. THELONIOUS MONK
5. SAM COOKE
6. BOB DYLAN: Freewheelin' might actually be my favorite Dylan album. And my favorite song, "North Country Blues", has already been out for a year at this point.
7. CHARLIE PARKER
8. HOWLIN' WOLF
9. FATS DOMINO
10. JAMES BROWN

1. Woody Guthrie - come on
2. Bill Monroe - come on
3. Jimmie Rodgers - fat chance
4. Roy Orbison - "i was alright, for a while, i could smile for a while..."
5. George Jones - "just because i ask a friend about her, just because i spoke her name somewhere..."

who could do heartache like roy and george?

6. Fats Domino
7. Howlin' Wolf
8. James Brown
9. Bo Diddley
10. The Everly Brothers

Backstage:

1. Alan Lomax
2. Harry Smith
3. Burt Bacharach

1. Bill Monroe – The second most important performer/innovator in country music history. (In my book, Jimmy Rodgers is pre-country.)
2. Thelonious Monk – Genius composer. Not far behind Armstrong and Ellington in the pantheon of Jazz imortals (which I realize is a different imaginary hall than this).
3. Charles Mingus – With Black Saint his resume is complete. Brilliant composer and player. Just a hair below Monk.
4. The Everly Brothers – Beautiful harmonies. Great pop feel.
5. Patsy Cline – Co-queen of country music.
6. Sam Cooke
7. Jimmie Rodgers - It's time he got a vote from me.
8. Bo Diddley
9. Leadbelly
10. Big Joe Turner

Backstage: Gershwin.

1964 BALLOT

1. BO DIDDLEY. Never thought this would be such an uphill battle. I’m giving it two more years, but I can’t see continuing to give him the top spot after the ’65 election.

2. JIMMIE RODGERS. I guess I’m splitting the Rodgers/Monroe vote, but I calls ‘em as I sees ‘em (although I am finally giving big Bill some love this week).

3. THE BEATLES. Anthony summed it up pretty well. I’m sympathetic to those of you who are waiting until ’66 or ’67, but, merely based on the Beatles’ output after just over a year of recording, I’m comfortable slotting them here. The technology at this point is crude but effective; the songwriting is intuitive and brilliant.

4. FATS DOMINO. Still holding out hope for the Fat Man. Even for the 1950’s, his R&B is purely un-ironic joy. Infectious.

5. THE CARTER FAMILY. Among other things, the Carters’ harmony was the raw ore which the Everlys (and the Louvins, and others…) would polish to a shine. And although I like Woody Guthrie, these guys seem even more like the real deal to me.

6. THE EVERLY BROTHERS

7. THELONIOUS MONK

8. BILL MONROE

9. CHARLES MINGUS

10. ROY ORBISON. My last slot this year was a nearly impossible choice between Roy O. and his future fellow-Wilbury, Bob Dylan. I think I only chose Orbison because he’s the Texan.

****

Backstage:
1. WILLIE DIXON
2. DEWEY PHILLIPS
3. HARRY SMITH (and just as Paul seems to have given up…)

1.Roy Orbison : The archetypal romantic singer. One of the great gentlemen of rock'n roll and probably one of its most beautiful voices. He stands head and shouldres above the other performers of the era.
2.Georges Brassens : my idealistic vote
3.James Brown : I think the greatest part of his carreer is the '60s. His very best was yet to come (around 1965) but he was already huge in 1963-34.
4.Jacques Brel : influential beyond the boundaries of French pop, on people like Bowie, Marc Almond, Scott Walker, Neil Hannon of the Divine Comedy ...
5.Leadbelly : an icon for the folk movement (and Kurt Cobain, and John Fogerty too)
6.Fats Domino
7.Jimmie Rodgers
8.Eddie Cochran
9.Mississippi John Hurt : 1963 was the year when he was rediscovered 35 years after his legendary 1928 sessions
10.Sam Cooke

PS : sorry for not nominationg any jazzmen, my knowledge of this music is very poor. Anyway my fevorite jazzmen (except for Django) have already been awarded : Coltrane and Armstrong.

1. Woody Guthrie

2. Bo Diddley

3. Leadbelly

4. Bob Dylan - I know I said I would let him come in 7th, but I popped in Freewheelin' again today and it's simply too amazing to leave him out of the top 4.

5. Roy Orbison - With In Dreams added to his already impressive repertoire Roy climbs quite a few spots.

6. Charles Mingus - I'm not a big jazz guy, but The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady is brilliant.

7. James Brown - Live At The Apollo is a fantastic album, and one that puts him in league with the top performers of all time at this point.

8. Duke Ellington

9. Bill Monroe

10. The Ronettes - If only for Be My Baby.

Backstagers:
Harry Smith: I just spent some time looking up people and I never realized Harry Smith compiled the Anthology. Get this guy in the HOA!

Stephen,

Duke Ellington has already been enshrined.

(Looks like I gave up on Harry too soon.)

01. ROY ORBISON: he began as another rockabilly artist of Sun Records like Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis or… Elvis Presley, but now he has evolved to a whole other thing. His hieratical persona, dressed in black and hiding behind big black sunglasses, singing songs about lost love and losers with a melodramatic voice capable of fusing the heart of every teenager of today (and not only the lonely ones).
My favourite album: In Dreams (1963).
My Top 5 Songs: In Dreams (1963), Only the Lonely (1960), Dream Baby (1962), Ooby Dooby (1956), Crying (1961).

02. WOODY GUTHRIE: he built the dusty path that all the new folk-singers are travelling.

03. JOÃO GILBERTO: bossa nova, exciting new sounds coming from Brazil today, most of them penned by Moraes-Jobim and most of them played brilliantly on guitar (with a whole new world of chord progressions) and sang by a “desafinado” João Gilberto.
My favourite album: Getz/Gilberto (1963).
My Top 3 Songs: The Girl From Ipanema (1963), Insensatez (1961), A felicidade (1959).

04. CHARLES MINGUS: a genius from modern jazz, unconventional and innovator, a master of his instrument (upright bass) and an imaginative and groundbreaking composer and arranger.
My favourite album: The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (1963).
My Top 3 Songs: Goobye Pork Pie Hat (1959), Track C – Group Dancers (1963), Pithecanthropus Erectus (1956).

05. THE EVERLY BROTHERS: this is a pop country.

06. SAM COOKE.
07. JACQUES BREL.
08. THE BEATLES.
09. JAMES BROWN.
10. BOB DYLAN.


And at the backstage:
01. VINICIUS DE MORAES & ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM: De Moraes, a Brazilian poet and diplomat able to easily transfer carnality and “saudade” into song lyrics and Jobim, a young composer capable to write one masterpiece after another with as astonishing regularity, they together created the gorgeous bossanova style. Favourite song: STAN GETZ & JOÃO GILBERTO “The Girl From Ipanema” (1963).
02. GERRY GOFFIN & CAROLE KING: a real teenage couple writing splendid songs for teenagers from the Brill Building. They never fail, every new song is a success in both commercial and artistic terms. Favourite song: THE CHIFFONS: “One Fine Day” (1963).
03. ALAN LOMAX.

1. Everly Brothers- The songs were amazing for their time. If you asked me who was more important for early 60's pop, Buddy Holly or the Everlys I'd have a tough decision. Buddy Holly had more songs but the Everly Brothers had the best songs. My answer would probably be that the Everlys were easily as important and some days I might even say that they were more important.

2. The Beatles- With the Beatles is more important to me than anything any of the other artists eligible put out so they're #2 this year. I probably should have gone #1 but I want to see the Everly Brothers get in.

3. Bill Evans- Two of my favorite jazz albums became eligible this year. Waltz For Debbie and Sunday at the Village Vanguard. He's in for sure.

4. Art Blakely- One classic album with other work that is pretty good should get you into the hall and Moanin' is one classic album.

5. Nat King Cole- Seems to be relegated to Christmas time but this guy was almost as good as Frank when it comes to crooning.

6. Harry Belafonte
7. Sam Cooke
8. Bob Dylan
9. Coasters
10. Jackie Wilson

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. James Brown – As of 1964, he’s just released the greatest live album of all time. He’s got tons of incredible music yet to come, of course, but you couldn’t say it got -better-.
3. The Everly Brothers – The kings of close harmony had an unparalleled string of pop hits that never strayed too far from their country-folk roots and were all the better for it.
4. 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.
5. The Beatles – Why wait?
6. Bo Diddley
7. Ella Fitzgerald
8. Thelonius Monk
9. Howlin’ Wolf
10. Bob Dylan

BACKSTAGE WING
1. Harry Smith
2. Rudy Van Gelder
3. Alan Lomax

1. Bill Monroe - The competition's getting hard for our man soon, and I guess this'll be one of his last chances. Said so last year too, but now I mean it. Hopefully he'll get in.

2. George Jones - I've been listening to him for the last week, and I'll move him up. Wonderful songs.

3. The Beatles - They're quite new to this, but there's no doubt that the songs they've entered into this competition are extraordinary.

4. Patsy Cline - I've been listening to her to, comparing her to George Jones. And she came out losing that battle. However, great songs and a wonderful, heartbroken voice.

5. Roy Orbison - Moving him up as well. Some great new songs now. This'll be his year, with all the love for In Dreams around here.

6. Bob Dylan
7. The Crystals
8. Del Shannon
9. Carter Family
10. Shirelles

Back from vacation... and just in time with my ballot.

1. Ella Fitzgerald -- I'm not giving in.... I don't care if I have to vote her #1 every year until 2005. ALthough I will say that I heard a poor version of "I'll Take Manhattan" by her recently. Don't know how a master messed up a song that good. I'll give her a pass on it.

2. Django Reinhardt -- nicolas, I saw that shout-out. Join me in voting for Django.

3. James Brown -- The pile-up of early hits bursts through when the sledgehammer of "Live at the Apollo" drops. The best of the big-3 who emerge this year... at least at this point.

4. Roy Orbison -- I'd love to hear from someone who doesn't like his voice. I think that would make for an interesting -- albeit, wrongheaded -- argument.

5. Bob Dylan -- He has already released my favorite song of his... "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" He gets the nod because his earlier hits and work on "Freewheelin'..." are better than those amazing '63 singles by The Beatles.

6. Thelonius Monk

7. Dinah Washington

8. The Beatles

9. Sam Cooke -- Holding steady.

10. Patsy Cline -- Ditto.

Backstage:

1. George Gershwin
2. Alan Lomax
3. Ahmet Ertegun/Jerry Wexler -- I decided to do them as a two-fer. Hope that's OK.

Oh, thanks Paul. In that case I'd like my #9 and #10 to move up one spot and I'd like to add The Kingsmen as my #10.