Throwing it Back 60 Years: Celebrating the Sounds of 1964

1964 was a year of hope and rage. Just before the turn into the new year—on November 22, 1963—John F. Kennedy, whose visionary speeches and political insights and imagination breathed new life into American society, was assassinated. Vice president Lyndon Johnson stepped into the newly vacated space, and he was elected president in November 1964. Under Johnson, the conflict in South Vietnam, to which Kennedy had sent military advisors in the early 1960s, escalated during the course of 1964, with close to 30,000 troops involved in the conflict by year’s end.

In the South, Martin Luther King, Jr., and various Civil Rights organizations continued to struggle against virulent racism and violent segregationist policies in the South. In June, three activists—James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwermer—were abducted and murdered as they were working with the Freedom Summer campaign, trying to register Blacks to vote in Mississippi. In the face of racial violence, King, who had delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech at the March on Washington on August 28, 1963, and other Civil Rights leaders pushed for legislation that would guarantee social and racial equity. Hope triumphed in July when the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed, outlawing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. As the conflict in Vietnam raged on, protests against the conflict escalated, as well as protests in support of Civil Rights and Women’s Rights, urging equality and racial and social justice.

The folk music of 1964 in many ways reflected the tenor of the country. At the same time, though, 1964’s folk music showcased its tremendous diversity, featuring the traditional styles of the Kingston Trio, the psychedelic jug band folk of the Holy Modal Rounders, and the political folk music of Buffy Sainte-Marie and Odetta, among others. This week we feature songs from several albums released in 1964 that reflect the changing styles of folk music. Enjoy!

The Holy Modal Rounders, The Holy Modal Rounders, “Hesitation Blues” 

On their eponymous debut album, the Holy Modal Rounders introduced a style of folk music that became known as “freakfolk.” In this version of the traditional song “Hesitation Blues” they insert the word “psychedelic” into the final verse, claiming to be the first folk group ever to have used the word in a song.

The Kingston Trio, Nick, Bob, John, “I’m Going Home”

At the end of 1963 John Stewart had joined the Kingston Trio after Dave Guard had resigned from the group. Although the Kingston Trio had sold millions of records and elevated folk music into a popular style—especially with their recording of “Tom Dooley” –by the end of 1964, when their new album Nick, Bob, John was released, their popularity had begun to wane. One concert-favorite on the album, written by Fred Geis, was “I’m Going Home.”

Phil Ochs, All the News That’s Fit to Sing, “Power and Glory”

Phil Ochs is best known for his anti-war songs such as “Draft Dodger Rag” and “I Ain’t Marching Anymore.” Och’s first official album, All the News That’s Fit to Sing, includes “Power and Glory,” an anthem to the beauty of America that ends with a warning that “our land is still troubled by men who have to hate” and a declaration that “we can stop them if we try.”

Buffy Sainte-Marie, It’s My Way, “Universal Soldier”

In the early 1960s, Buffy Sainte-Marie was a vital part of the folk scene in New York City, where she became known for her protest songs. In 1964 she released her first album, It’s My Way, which contained “Universal Soldier,” a song protesting the war in Vietnam and the U.S. government’s treatment of wounded soldiers returning from the conflict.

Odetta, It’s a Mighty World, “Got My Mind on Freedom”

Often referred to as the “Voice of the Civil Rights Movement,” Odetta influenced a number of artists including Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Harry Belafonte, and Mavis Staples, among others. In 1963, Odetta Sings Folk Songs was one of the best-selling folk albums of that year, and she gained prominence for her interpretations of spirituals, the blues, jazz, and traditional folks songs. Her eleventh album, It’s a Mighty World, features the stirring “Got My Mind on Freedom.”

Ian and Sylvia, Northern Journey, “Someday Soon”

The Canadian folk duo Ian and Sylvia Tyson starting playing in 1959 and were married in 1964, when they released their third album, Northern Journey. The album included Sylvia’s composition “You Were on My Mind”—later made popular by We Five—and Ian’s “Some Day Soon,” which has been recorded by numerous artists.

Flatt and Scruggs, The Fabulous Sounds of Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, “When Papa Played the Dobro”

Bluegrass and old-time music featured prominently in the Sunday afternoon folk music circles in Washington Square Park in the early 1960s folk revival, and Flatt and Scruggs are often called the premiere bluegrass band. On their twelfth studio album, The Fabulous Sounds of Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, they offer their version of the Johnny Cash-penned song “When Papa Played Dobro.”

Jesse Colin Young, The Soul of a City Boy, “Four in the Morning” 

Jesse Colin Young moved to New York City in 1961 during the height of the folk revival. In 1966, Young and Jerry Corbitt formed the Youngbloods whose 1967 song “Get Together” would become an anthem for the ‘60s and ‘70s. Young’s debut album, The Soul of a City Boy, which spotlights Young’s guitar playing and singing, features “Four in the Morning.”

Simon and Garfunkel, Wednesday Morning 3 A.M., “The Sounds of Silence”

Simon and Garfunkel had begun singing in the New York City area as the Everly Brothers’ style duo Tom and Jerry. They turned to folk music in 1963 and released their debut album, Wednesday Morning 3 A.M., in 1964. The album sold poorly, so it was re-recorded and re-released in 1966. The album contained the song called “The Sounds of Silence,” which was re-titled “The Sound of Silence” on the 1966 album.

Sam Cooke, Ain’t That Good News, “A Change is Gonna Come”

Sam Cooke began his career as a member of the gospel group the Soul Stirrers before moving to the realm of folk and rock. His eleventh and final studio album, Ain’t That Good News, contains perhaps his most well-known song, “A Change is Gonna Come”—a response to Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind”—which became an anthem for the Civil Rights movement.