1958 Grammys were a complete mess and this is what should have happened

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As a child of the 50s and a dedicated fan of music, I must say that this analysis has brought back a flood of memories. Listening to these albums again after all these years has been like stepping into a time machine, transporting me back to the days when rock and roll was still young and fresh, and jazz was the coolest thing on earth.

The 67th Grammy Awards are set for February 2, 2025. In anticipation of this event, let’s journey through time by exploring some highlights from the Grammy’s past – winners, losers, and iconic figures who have shaped American popular music in an intriguing, sometimes peculiar way. We’ll start with the inaugural year, 1958.

As a music enthusiast, I’ve always been captivated by the remarkable milestones of the early days of the Grammy Awards. Although the official ceremony happened in 1959, it was all about honoring the exceptional music that graced our ears in 1958. It’s fascinating to delve into the rich history of these iconic years and appreciate the timeless tunes that have stood the test of time.

As I divide my time between crafting pieces on music and sports, I’m planning to borrow – or rather, replicate – a well-liked sports format to reminisce about that first Grammy event. Redraft articles are quite common in the sports world. The idea is straightforward: select a sport and a year – for instance, the NBA in 2015. Then, using the wisdom of hindsight, identify who might have been the ideal choice for the top draft picks of that year.

For this task, there’s no requirement to select a specific sport. Instead, the “competition” refers to the Grammys themselves. All you need is a particular year, such as 1958 or 1959 (as clarified earlier). We’ll go over the three main awards (no Best New Artist award was given during that first year), and then we’ll discuss whether the winner would still take the prize if we were handing out these honors today. Easy peasy!

In 1958, we’ll focus primarily on the nominated songs and albums for this discussion. However, I may occasionally mention some other deserving contenders from outside of that year. But rest assured, I won’t dwell excessively on them. Instead, I’ll strive to keep our conversation concise and engaging.

Therefore, after that intro, we move into the first verse…

SONG OF THE YEAR, 1959

The nominees were:

“Grabbing a Plummeting Shooting Star” (Paul Vance & Lee Pockriss); sung by Perry Como

And the winner was…

“Nel blu, dipinto di blu.”

If you’re not familiar with the title, that’s okay as it’s not widely recognized today. However, if you’re of a certain age, you might know it by its alternate name “Volare.” But even that may be uncertain in 2024. It was a massive hit in the USA in 1958 after winning the Sanremo Music Festival, and remains one of the most popular songs of all time.

Out of the five nominated songs, I find Modugno’s tune to be noticeably superior to “Catch a Falling Star” and what I would consider a rather uninteresting track called “Gigi.” Interestingly, “Gigi,” which was the theme from a 1958 movie, managed to sweep the Oscars that year, taking home the award for Best Song. Additionally, its film won Best Picture, along with seven other awards. However, if you recall Gigi, I’d wager you’re humming “Thank Heavens for Little Girls” instead of the title song, which was sung by Maurice Chevalier in the movie.

In my opinion, either “Witchcraft” or “Fever” could have taken the prize, but after weighing all factors, I firmly believe the Academy made the correct decision. The song “Nel blu, dipinto di blu,” with its enchanting tune and heartfelt verses painting a paradise of love in the sky, is indeed deserving. It went on to achieve immense popularity when Dean Martin recorded both Italian and English versions in 1958, reaching great heights of success.

It seems that, based on my understanding which can sometimes be uncertain regarding Grammy rules, many well-known tunes from 1958 might have been more fitting recipients for the songwriting prize. However, these songs weren’t eligible since they were previously composed and initially recorded before the given year.

These tunes I’m referring to include “Stagger Lee” as sung by Lloyd Price and “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” by the Platters. However, in my list, I’d also add “A Lover’s Question,” a song popularized by Clyde McPhatter, which served as an influential blueprint for future R&B pop music.

RECORD OF THE YEAR, 1959

The Award for “Record of the Year” honors excellence in production. This encompasses factors like performance and arrangement. While it may seem similar to “Song of the Year,” they’re not always the same. But, as for 1959… you’ll find that fascinating!

The nominees were:

“Perry Como’s rendition of ‘Catch a Falling Star’

And the winner was…

“Nel blu, dipinto di blu”

Four out of the five contenders for the record award were also nominated in the song category, and the same person won both. The only exception is Dave Saville’s “The Chipmunk Song” (also known as “Christmas Don’t Be Late”), a light-hearted novelty tune. Although it might be played more frequently than the other four songs put together, it is limited to being played between Thanksgiving and Christmas. By the third time you hear it on the radio, you start hunting for an ice pick to pierce your ears. It’s questionable whether this song deserves a Grammy nomination for such a prestigious award.

And “Volare” should not have won. You really don’t need to look any farther than Dean Martin’s version to understand Modugno’s arrangement is somewhat old-fashioned with its harp-centric orchestration. “Fever” or “Witchcraft” would have been worthier choices. Peggy Lee’s version of “Fever” is quite good, but as with Modugno’s “Volare,” Little Willie John’s original is at least equal. Nothing equals Sinatra. I would have voted for “Witchcraft.”

Pondering over the fact that iconic songs like Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode”, Buddy Holly’s “Rave On”, and Ray Charles’ “(Night Time is) The Right Time” were all released in the same year, and each made a significant mark on future music, one might wonder if perhaps an entirely different group of nominees should have been considered instead.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR, 1959

The nominees were…

Frank Sinatra’s “Fly Away with Me”

And the winner was…

The Music from Peter Gunn by Henry Mancini

Mancini’s smooth jazz tunes for the TV series “Peter Gunn” produced a major hit – the theme song – along with several other top-notch instrumental pieces. Standout tracks like “Brief and Breezy” and “Sessions at Pete’s Pad” are great listens. However, upon reflection, there might have been albums that offered even more.

As a gaming enthusiast, I’ve got to step back from discussing the Tchaikovsky since I’m not well-versed in critiquing classical music. The Ella Fitzgerald album, part of her popular “songbook” series from the 1950s and 60s, is truly remarkable. However, I must confess that I appreciate her albums for Cole Porter and Duke Ellington from 1956 and 1957 a tad more.

1958 found Frank Sinatra in a unique situation where he was contending against his own persona. Indeed, if anyone deserved such recognition at that time, it undeniably was Sinatra. This boils down to a personal choice between the lighter, more playful Sinatra or the deeper, more complex Sinatra grappling with troubled emotions. Since I’m feeling cheerful while writing this, I’ll go for the upbeat version and award my accolade to one of the pioneering concept albums of the modern era – “Come Fly With Me.

To be frank, if the true pioneers of rock and roll were given their due recognition, the nominees list would have been significantly different. Instead, you might’ve seen some phenomenal album nominees just by focusing on self-titled releases. Bo Diddley was shaping the rhythm of rock music itself. Buddy Holly was crafting the blueprint for modern rock songs. Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Everly Brothers, Bobby Darin, and Wanda Jackson – all of them released groundbreaking self-titled albums that year. Chuck Berry’s One Dozen Berrys, although not strictly self-titled, was instrumental in the development of rock & roll guitar.

Any of them could have not only been nominated, but could have won.

Here’s a revised draft from 1958 for you. In our next discussion, let’s travel back to the swinging ’60s, a decade known for its fantastic music.

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2024-12-13 14:01