Rock and Roll

We probably think of Ann-Margret more for her acting than as a recording artist. However, she did make some interesting records in this first era of rock and roll. One such song is “I Just Don’t Understand.” Back in 1961 there was no such thing as a Fuzz Guitar, so recording engineers created the sound using “garden variety” distortion. The engineer simply overdrove the pre-amp which causes that raw, sexy sound on the lead guitar. “I Just Don’t Understand” entered the Billboard Hot 100 in August 1961 and stayed six weeks, peaking at #17.

Ann-Margret Olsson was born on April 28, 1941 in Stockholm, Sweden. She moved with her family to America in 1946 and grew up in Illinois. She is actress, dancer, and singer, best known for her  roles in the films Bye Bye Birdie, Viva Las Vegas (in which she starred with Elvis), The Cincinnati Kid, Carnal Knowledge, and Tommy. Her TV credits span many decades, from “The Jack Benny Program” to “Army Wives” and “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.” She has won five Golden Globe Awards and been nominated for two Academy Awards, two Grammy Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and six Emmy Awards. Ann-Margret started her recording career with RCA in 1961, and they promoted her as the female Elvis. Her most successful album was The Beauty and the Beard (1964), where she was accompanied by trumpeter Al Hirt.

Here are the lyrics for “I Just Don’t Understand” by Ann-Margret:

For More Golden Oldies Music

The Daily Doo Wop Rec Room has daily featured doo wop, rock and roll, R&B, or rockabilly songs that were hits during the first era of rock and roll (that is, from about 1952 until the British invasion in 1964). After a song is featured, it then goes into the juke box. You are welcome to listen to any of the 40+ selections there. Every weekend, there is a Golden Oldies Juke Box Saturday Night, and the juke box is full of song requests from the 1950s and 1960s.

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