She's My Baby - JOHNNY O'KEEFE
30/1/60 - 6/2/60
This was JO'K's first actual number one. Released not long after Shout, it's not soaked in the same empty-garage-style reverb, which probably has something to do with the fact that it was actually recorded with more polished production techniques in Los Angeles for Liberty Records, being released in Australia on legendary promoter Lee Gordon's label.
While it's very easy to place this tune as belonging in the late 50's or early 60's, it doesn't suffer from having the same clichéd sound as many of the tunes from the era, and that's probably something to do with the band and singers playing behind him. It's more late-40's than early 60's, and I'm sure I hear a Xylophone or a Vibrophone in the mix there, although it's so vocal and beat focussed that I can't be sure which it is. But it's playing in the new style, and it's different enough to the rest of what was out there at the time to be really quite interesting. I'm quite a fan of this, and I can see why it got to the top.
While it's very easy to place this tune as belonging in the late 50's or early 60's, it doesn't suffer from having the same clichéd sound as many of the tunes from the era, and that's probably something to do with the band and singers playing behind him. It's more late-40's than early 60's, and I'm sure I hear a Xylophone or a Vibrophone in the mix there, although it's so vocal and beat focussed that I can't be sure which it is. But it's playing in the new style, and it's different enough to the rest of what was out there at the time to be really quite interesting. I'm quite a fan of this, and I can see why it got to the top.
