JazzWax List: '60s Wedding Songs

A litle light fun today: In the 1960s, many jazz musicians found club gigs harder to come by. Many top players joined TV studio orchestras or went to work for Muzak. Others took teaching jobs. And a good number performed at weddings.

Back then, kids often were dragged along to the fussy marriages of uncles, older cousins and friends of parents. The big joy for us wasn't the open bar, since we couldn't drink. Instead, it was ditching imposing parents and tearing around the reception hall.

For three big hours, usually in the summer, we were able to operate on our own as parents relaxed, drank and danced the cha-cha-cha (quite expertly, I might add). 

Here are 12 songs that I remember  from '60s summer weddings that typically featured a saxophonist and rock-sounding guitar. (Proud Mary usually brought the kids to the dance floor.) Of course, if you recall ones I've neglected, please add 'em to the Comments field:

1. Watch What Happens
2. Girl from Ipanema
3. Call Me
4. Summer Samba
5. Proud Mary
6. The Twist
7. I Got You Babe
8. More Today Than Yesterday
9. The Look of Love
10. The Spanish Flea
11. Alley Cat
12. Hokey Pokey

Comments

[Joel Lewis]

"Hello Dolly" & "Cabaret" seemed de riguer at the jewish "affairs" I was schlepped along to.

p.s. -- for lowdown on the Jewish-Latin Music connection of the 50s & early 60s check out a great blog called "mamboniks"

[Dick Cutler]

Does the Bunny Hop or Ballin' the Jack count? Not romantic perhaps but got people on the dance floor.

[Royce Campbell]

More 60's wedding songs

La Bamba
More
Spanish Eyes
Tequila
Wipe Out

[David Larsson]

Twist and Shout. Also, if you're in Minnesota, I don't care what decade, and I don't care what gig you're playing, whether it's the Federal judges' banquet or a junior hockey banquet at a VFW hall, you'd better show up with 30 minutes of polkas or not show up at all.

[Lou Malerba]

"Tears of a Clown"

"Walking the Dog"