Epic Opening Tracks On Debut Albums From The 60’s

[@jessem470]

I will add Sure Nuff and Yes I Do : Captain Beefheart opening track on Safe as Milk

[@tomrobinson5776]

I missed that one. Awesome opener, fantastic album.

[@leifelix7]

Great list and content as usual. Astronomy Dominé from The Piper At the Gates Of Dawn definitely deserves a spot on such a list. The intro with the namedropping of celestial bodies before the otherwordly main theme kicks in is phenomenal. What a way to start off a debut album. The creative vision of Syd Barrett was light years ahead of it's time. And still is, imho.

[@michaelpdawson]

Mothers of Invention: Hungry Freaks, Daddy!

[@WayneScank]

Great video. I love Tom's selections.

[@lupcokotevski2907]

Great selection. The Procol songs are both amazing. In November 1969 three Laura Nyro songs were at 1,2 and 10 on Billboard: Wedding Bell Blues (5th Dimension), And When I Die (Blood Sweat and Tears), Eli's Comin (Three Dog Night). The only solo songwriter to ever achieve that feat.

[@tomrobinson5776]

Wow, never knew that. Very cool.

[@dreammachine2013]

Brilliant🎉 Let me humbly add: 1. Flying High" - Country Joe & the Fish from Electric Music for the Mind and Body 2. "Blues run the Game - Jackson C. Frank 3. " Monday Monday" - Mamas & Papas from "If you can believe your ears and eyes" 4. "Brown-eyed Girl" - Van Morrison from "Blowing your mind" 5. "Can't seem to make you mine" - Seeds 6. "Shifting Sands" - West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band from "Part One"😢

[@dreammachine2013]

Having just put on the wonderful solo album by Hilton Valentine "All in your Head" from 69 I realize I forgot to add the gorgeous opening track "Listen". Wonderful❤

[@tomrobinson5776]

All excellent tracks. 😉

[@tkingsley5761]

You hit them all! I might add “Surfin’ Safari” from the first Beach Boys album, “The Rain, the Park and Other Things” from the first Cowsills album, “The Way You Do the Things You Do” from the first Temptations album, and “Go and Say Goodbye” from the first Buffalo Springfield Album. “What a Day” as a lead off on the first Poco album is perfection, as is “Introduction” from CTA and “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” from CSN. “(Theme from) The Monkees” and “Hanky Panky” are great pop openers from two classic pop debut albums by the Monkees and Tommy James and the Shondells, respectively.

[@aminahmed2220]

Absolutely fantastic have a wonderful day also a fantastic weekend also happy Saturday ❤😊

[@tomrobinson5776]

You as well. 😊

[@dancingbear86]

Fab list. Agree with you on the tracks by The Doors, It’s a Beautiful Day, Love, Purple Haze, Poco, Traffic, Laura Nyro, CS &N, Moby Grape, Cream, King Crimson, Beatles, Velvet Underground, Byrds. 😊

[@driftwoodpile]

100% agree with your assessment of Poco. One of my favorite bands ever

[@TheGamecock366]

I Put a Spell on You-Creedence Clearwater Revival.

[@tomrobinson5776]

Awesome opener.

[@DodgeDartSongs]

Fave lead-off track from a sixties debut? You had so many great ones. I’d add “Walk Away Renee” by the Left Banke and “Theme from the Monkees“ by The Monkees.

[@nathanlaney4577]

Hi Tom: Great, great selection! I have most all of those and agree completely! I'd like to toss a few more great 60's debut album openers out there. I went through my music, and it's stored alphabetically, so I'm submitting them as I find them. 1. "It's Only Love" by Blodwyn Pig - 1969. 2. "Take Me to the Sunrise" by Blues Image - 1969. 3. "Dark Rose" by Brainbox - 1969. 4. I Put a Spell on You" by CCR - 1968. 5. "Nobody But You" by The Golden Ear-rings (Golden Earring)- 1965. 6. "Beautiful Delilah" by The Kinks - 1964. 7. "The Life I Live" by Q65 - 1966 8. "Junior's Wailing" by Steamhammer - 1969. 9. "Surfin' Bird" by The Trashmen - 1963.

[@randytaylor220]

Good Times Bad Times - LZ

[@FlyJohnny100]

White Bird is truly epic, although Hot Summer Day is my fave on that album. Some great California bands on your list, Little Feat’s opening title track Dixie Chicken is another.

[@Avalonrick1]

Here are some that came to my mind. 1. “A Hard Day’s Night” - The Beatles, A Hard Day’s Night (1964) 2. “Subterranean Homesick Blues” - Bob Dylan, Bringing It All Back Home (1965) 3. “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” - The Beach Boys, Pet Sounds (1966) 4. “Taxman” - The Beatles, Revolver (1966) 5. “Purple Haze” - The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Are You Experienced (1967, US version) 6. “Break On Through (To the Other Side)” - The Doors, The Doors (1967) 7. “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” - The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) 8. “Good Times Bad Times” - Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin (1969) 9. “Gimme Shelter” - The Rolling Stones, Let It Bleed (1969) 10. “Speed King” - Deep Purple, Deep Purple in Rock (1969, UK version)

[@simonagree4070]

*Debut album. Debut album.*

[@stevecowder4774]

It really says a lot about the Chicago debut, header when Hendrix gives it a significant thumbs up. Not enough can be said about the raw, and wicked energy of that album, thanks to Terry. And naturally, I’m all in for the Doors opening track. Plus, you really hit the nail on the head with both Cream and Crimson. They’re both eye openers to say the least. Agree also with Fresh Garbage from Spirit. Love that entire album. Right off hand, I don’t have any to add. Your coverage was about as thorough as it gets. Thanks !

[@total.stranger]

"Dr. Stone", the opener on The Leaves "Hey Joe" debut, summer 1966. Top track.👍

[@tomrobinson5776]

I agree. Some great tracks on there. Girl From The East, Funny Little World, etc…

[@keithkarlinsky6632]

Love this topic. "For Yasgur's Farm" on Mountain Climbing rings a bell. Killer track, but recorded in late 69, released in early 1970. Also, "Children of the Future" from Steve Miller Band.

[@Steven-ot2iy]

Great choices. "For Your Love" by The Yardbirds comes to mind too. I'm sure there are many more...

[@JanMack-n6f]

Thanks, You brought it back. I have every one ofd those albums.

[@EugeneNichols-b4f]

Thanks so much for running with the idea so quickly, Tom! Well done.

[@tomrobinson5776]

Thanks 😉

[@wtcwtc9861]

Excellent video. Thank You.

[@tomrobinson5776]

Thank you 😉

[@kso808]

Definitely agreed about the Doors, Procol Harum's (US) and Traffic's (US) debut LPs.

[@seed_drill7135]

Here's 10 more 1. Otis Reading / Pain In My Heart 2. The Mothers of Invention / Hungry Freaks Daddy 3. Pink Floyd / Astronomy Domine 4. Introducing the Beau Brummels / Laugh Laugh 5. Paul Butterfield Blues Band / Born In Chicago 6. Four Tops / Baby I Need Your Loving 7. The Kaleidoscope (US) / Egyptian Gardens 8. The Shangri-Las / Give Him a Great Big Kiss 9. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band / Sure 'Nuff 'n' Yes I Do 10. The Merry-Go-Round / Live Edit: Just saw Alex and Andy doing a reaction vid to The Troggs / Wild Thing, and that definitely belongs. The Kingsmen / Louie Louie sort of fits, too, though the original band was dismissed after the single and it's new guys for the rest of the album.

[@tomrobinson5776]

Stellar list 😉

[@total.stranger]

Beau Brummels 👍& Merry-Go-Round👍. RIP Emitt Rhodes (1950-2020)

[@seed_drill7135]

@@total.stranger Mary Weiss died this January. 😟

[@paulgoldstein2569]

Could have included the opening track on The Kinks' Somethin' Else album, David Watts, plus the opening track on the UK release of Cream's first album, N.S.U. On the U.S. release, I Feel Free was added as the first track on side one, replacing the last track side one on the UK release called Crossroads, and tracks 1-4 on the UK release became tracks 2-5 on the U.S. release. Never thought Jim Morrison sounded like Frank Sinatra. He sounded more like brother Van than Frank.

[@tomrobinson5776]

Something Else was The Kinks 5th album. Jim Morrison was always a crooner at heart ala Sinatra, Bennett..

[@russellkroeker2822]

The opening track on the first Beacon Street Union, My Love Is. Blew my mind at first listen. I didn't know I Feel Free was on Fresh Cream. Did the US version have it? 🤔

[@tomrobinson5776]

Yes, the U.S. version kicked off with I Feel Free.

[@total.stranger]

Agreed. "My Love Is" was a great opener. George Martin (Beatles) was once asked how he'd sequence the tracks on an album, and he stated that he'd choose a "barn-burner" as an opener to get the listener's attention. "My Love Is" is a great barnburner. Also on that LP, they parodied Dave Davies's singing voice on "Beautiful Delilah", which was also the opening track (and barn-burner) on The Kinks debut LP.

[@John-n9m7r]

Cool topic! I hadn't heard "White Bird" in EONS... pulled it up right away; thanks for the prompt! Oh, if only you could have done the 1950s.. I'll toss up one: "Simba" as opening track on "Tamboo!" (1955) by Les Baxter (exotica genre)

[@tomrobinson5776]

I’ll have to check that track out. 😉

[@KW973]

It’s rea😢lly cool to me that you recognize how great 21st Century Schizoid Man by King Crimson is. KC is one of those bands I love that annoy my wife who loves radio friendly music.

[@GreenManalishiUSA]

1969 by The Stooges, from their self-titled debut Kick Out the Jams by The MC5 Both of those tracks kicked off albums that few people heard at the time, but went on to change rock, and maybe even the world, forever.

[@tomrobinson5776]

I agree 100 percent.

[@lbellis8516]

1966 The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators, track one " You're going to miss me"

[@tomrobinson5776]

Excellent opener. 😉

[@brianlehman710]

For the 70s - of course - Patti Smith opener.

[@syater]

Of your choices I think I’d put ‘Sunday Morning’ at the top. I agree that it is beautiful, but it also has a ‘morning after’ mood of lostness, confusion, regret and possibly paranoia. “Watch out, the world’s behind you.” Maybe not feelings so commonly explored in pop songs of the era.

[@sspbrazil]

Three Dog Night did a cover of everything. 😂

[@Cap683]

It seems that TDN were not able to write their own material. Artistically they lose points in my book because of this but they sure sold a lot of albums. Most people could care less.

[@sspbrazil]

@@Cap683 yeah, I never liked that band, to me they were just a boy band covering other people’s songs, but hey boy bands seem to be popular with audiences, they just hit the right time.

[@tomrobinson5776]

That’s for sure. 😉

[@JohnJohnson-cn9fh]

we need a proper reissue of all the moby grape albums,lp and cd........................jpj

[@sspbrazil]

Alone Again Or on Love’s Forever Changes, I know you chose their debut but that song and album are great.

[@tomrobinson5776]

No doubt about it. 😉

[@patriceleformal3047]

Led Zeppelin : "Good times bad times" (1969). Yes : "Beyond and before" (1969). The Zombies : "Care of cell 44". "Odessey & Oracle is the real debut (and only) album of this wonderful band; "Begin here" in 1965 was more a compilation of EP's than a real album.

[@tomrobinson5776]

Interesting, always thought that album from ‘65 was a real album. They didn’t put out a ton of material. Care Of Cell 44 is awesome. Love that melody.

[@carljung9230]

let me introduce you to the opening track of Led Zep II...c'mon! how is this not like 5 spots on the list?! WLOL crushes every other song ever written.

[@simonagree4070]

Read the title of this post.

[@paulbrookes413]

It's good, but not THAT good 😂

[@TheAnarchitek]

You got most of my favorites, but a few slipped through the cracks. It was common for albums to feature hit singles as lead-off tracks, so a lot of 'Sixties LPs have great songs to start them off. The practice fell out of favor, as the decade wore on, but the idea of hitting the listener with something to remember lived on. For a while, too, opening with some kind of sound collage was popular, like the opening cut on Blood Sweat and Tears first LP. Here are 20 more great tracks, one technically a second album, but recorded after a sea change in approach. Singles were the lingua franca in the 'Sixties, albums were, in the 'Seventies. Best of Opening Tracks, the '60s 01 I ' M E A S Y Boz Scaggs BOZ SCAGGS (ATCO) 02 S P A C E O D D I T Y David Bowie DAVID BOWIE 03 S T R E E T F I G H T I N G M A N Rod Stewart THE ROD STEWART ALBUM 04 H E R E C O M E S T H E N I G H T Them THEM (US Parrot label) 05 A S T R O N O M Y D O M I N E Pink Floyd THE PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN 06 G O O D T I M E S , B A D T I M E S Led Zeppelin LED ZEPPELIN (I) 07 M O N D A Y , M O N D A Y the Mamas and the Papas IF YOU CAN BELIEVE YOUR EYES AND EARS 08 R A M B L I N ' G A M B L I N ' M A N Bob Seger RAMBLIN' GAMBLIN' MAN 09 D O N ' T B R I N G M E D O W N the Animals ANIMALIZATION 10 D O N ' T W A N T Y O U N O M O R E the Allman Brothers Band THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND 11 N E W Y O R K M I N I N G D I S A S T E R , 1 9 4 1 the Bee Gees BEE GEES FIRST 12 T E A R S O F R A G E the Band MUSIC FROM BIG PINK 13 M Y S U N D A Y F E E L I N G Jethro Tull THIS WAS 14 C H I L D R E N O F T H E F U T U R E Steve Miller Band CHILDREN OF THE FUTURE 15 G O A N D S A Y G O O D B Y E Buffalo Springfield BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD 16 T H E E M P E R O R O F W Y O M I N G Neil Young NEIL YOUNG 17 R O L L I N ' A N D T U M B L I N ' Johnnie Winter THE PROGRESSIVE BLUES EXPERIMENT 18 O U T I N T H E S T R E E T the Who THE WHO SINGS MY GENERATION 19 M A M A S A I D Dusty Springfield A GIRL CALLED DUSTY 20 N I N E T Y - N I N E A N D A H A L F ( W O N ' T D O ) Creedence Clearwater Revival CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL

[@tomrobinson5776]

Can’t argue with this list. 😉 Almost put Rod’s Street Fighting Man on my list.

[@simonagree4070]

Works for me.

[@TheAnarchitek]

@@tomrobinson5776 I was pleasantly surprised by Rod's first LP. I expected something along the lines of what he'd done with Jeff Beck, but he invented a platform that gave him cachet, in the early days, assembling a killer squad of musicians, great songs and good production. Al Stewart would do the same thing, on his best albums. Kate Bush, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, et al, copied the format successfully. Often, most successfully, of all their efforts.

[@simonagree4070]

Personally, I like "Vine Street" from Song Cycle, by Van Dyke Parks (written by Randy Newman). But what debut album in the '60s *didn't* have a great opening track? That's the question. Record planning in those days was vicious, ruthless and scientific.

[@tomrobinson5776]

Indeed 😉

[@swordslicer56]

No House of the Rising Sun by The Animals?

[@tomrobinson5776]

The subject is Opening Tracks On “Debut” Albums From The 60’s. 😉

[@dannyschneider553]

Fresh garbage sampled by pink ugh

[@charlesperry6093]

Right after you mention that Laura nyro on your list podcast including her live album I actually got both of them at the flea market the following weekend! Live still had the shrink wrap with sticker but it fell off.

[@tomrobinson5776]

That’s awesome.

[@charlesperry6093]

I'm going to ask about motel shop by Delaney & Bonnie because of the Gram Parsons is on it and I saw it on a psychedelic podcast

[@tomrobinson5776]

Never heard it. I’ll check it out.