SummerThe Queen of Disco, the Purple One, Funkenstein and 22 other recording artists were added to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry today. Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love,” Prince’s Purple Rain and George Clinton’s Mothership Connection are among the more popular entries in the latest batch of 25 recordings that will be preserved by the library.
Summer, who died last week at age 63, was selected for the registry several weeks ago along with the rest of the honorees, Librarian of Congress James Billington told the Associated Press. Also selected were songs by Dolly Parton, Booker T & the M.G.’s, the soundtrack from A Charlie Brown Christmas and a concert by the Greatful Dead.
“I Feel Love” was selected for being a groundbreaking piece of electronic music and in its use of an entirely synthesized background orchestra. Electronic music had been in wide use for many years by the time “I Feel Love” was released in 1977, but its eschewing of acoustic scoring was a novel turn for disco.
Purple Rain, the soundtrack from Prince’s 1984 movie of the same name, was selected not just for being an awesome album, but for putting Minnesota on the map as an incubator for pop music, the Library of Congress said in its announcement.
And Parliament’s 1975 album Mothership Connection was lauded for being “Ain’t nothin’ but a party, y’all.” In the press release, the library praised Clinton for having “enormous influence” in jazz, rock and dance music. The library might have also mentioned hip-hop, as Clinton is one of the most-sampled artists of all time.
But hip-hop was just as well represented in the registry’s new additions, with Sugarhill Gang’s 14-minute anthem “Rapper’s Delight” making the cut for being both epically long and making headway as one of the first mainstream rap hits.
In a column on the Library of Congress’ blog, DCist contributor Pat Padua notes the bittersweet inclusion of “I Feel Love.” And he writes that Summer, while rightly honored by the Library of Congress, isn’t the only recently deceased musician whose work merits consideration for the nation’s record collection:
One hopes that future announcements in the National Recording Registry include titles by Chuck Brown and the Bee Gees. After all, the latter’s anthemic “Stayin’ Alive” has a beat that is used to demonstrate the proper technique for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Find out how to nominate recordings to the registry here.
Brown is no stranger to the Library of Congress, having performed in 2002 for the American Folklife Center’s concert series. And given his years as a pillar of the D.C. area’s music scene, it’s hard not to imagine “Bustin’ Loose” or “Ashley’s Roachclip” being added to the National Recording Registry some time soon.
Here’s the full list of recordings selected today:
Edison Talking Doll cylinder (1888)
“Come Down Ma Evenin’ Star,” Lillian Russell (1912)
“Ten Cents a Dance,” Ruth Etting (1930)
“Voices from the Days of Slavery,” Various speakers (1932-1941 interviews; 2002 compilation)
“I Want to Be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart,” Patsy Montana (1935)
“Fascinating Rhythm,” Sol Hoopii and his Novelty Five (1938)
“Artistry in Rhythm,” Stan Kenton & and his Orchestra (1943)
Debut performance with the New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein (Nov. 14, 1943)
International Sweethearts of Rhythm: Hottest Women’s Band of the 1940s (1944-1946)
“The Indians for Indians Hour” (March 25, 1947)
“Hula Medley,” Gabby Pahinui (1947)
“I Can Hear It Now,” Fred W. Friendly and Edward R. Murrow (1948)
“Let’s Go Out to the Programs,” The Dixie Hummingbirds (1953)
“Also Sprach Zarathustra,” Fritz Reiner and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (1954, 1958)
“Bo Diddley” and “I’m a Man,” Bo Diddley (1955)
“Green Onions,” Booker T. & the M.G.’s (1962)
“Forever Changes,” Love (1967)
“The Continental Harmony: Music of William Billings,” Gregg Smith Singers (1969)
A Charlie Brown Christmas, Vince Guaraldi Trio (1970)
“Coat of Many Colors,” Dolly Parton (1971)
Mothership Connection, Parliament (1975)
Barton Hall concert by the Grateful Dead (May 8, 1977)
“I Feel Love,” Donna Summer (1977)
“Rapper’s Delight,” Sugarhill Gang (1979)
Purple Rain, Prince and the Revolution (1984)
