The selection for this week’s Instrumentals Tuesday is  “Washington Square” by The Village Stompers. The tune was written by songwriter, artists Bobb Goldsteinn and composer David Shire. Washington Square is a park in Manhattan. The Village Stompers recorded it in 1963 and released it as a single as well as on their album The Original Washington Square. The piece charted well. It went to  #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on  Billboard’s Easy Listening chart. It also was within the top 30 on the Billboard R&B chart.

There have been numerous covers of the tune (some with a vocal track). These artists include The Ames Brothers, The Kirby Stone Four, Percy Faith, Lawrence Welk, Kenny Ball, Spike Jones, Andre Kostelanetz, The Ventures, Sammy Kay and His Orchestra, Chinese Man, Nightmares on Wax, The Dukes of Dixieland, and more. Because “Washington Square” has the same metre as some popular hymns, the tune was used by churches in the 1970s for hymns  such as  “Amazing Grace” and “The Lord is My Shepherd.”

The Village Stompers were a New York-based jazz group, who came from Greenwich Village in New York City. They were Dick Brady, Don Coates, Ralph Casale, Frank Hubbell, Lenny Pogan, Al McManus, Mitchell May, and Joe Muranyi.

Check Out The Groove Pad for More 1960s Music

The Pass the Paisley Groove Pad is a resting stop, a place to chill out and listen to the featured song on the stereo. If the mood strikes you, click on the juke box to access and listen to the 50+ free online songs there. The TV has several channels, with selections updated twice a week. Every now and then, Pass the Paisley hosts an all-request of 1960s and 1970s songs for a Be-In at the juke box in the Groove Pad. Keep on truckin’. Hope you enjoyed “Washington Square” by The Village Stompers.

Share this...

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin