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Hallelujah, The 2013 National Recording Registry Reaches 400
Art Blakey, Everly Brothers, U2 Recordings Marked For Preservation
April 2, 2014 at 3:44 PM (PT)
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JEFF BUCKLEY’s haunting single “Hallelujah” from his one and only studio album; LYNDON B. JOHNSON’s massive collection of presidential conversations; ISAAC HAYES’ landmark soundtrack album “Shaft”; and “The Laughing Song” performed by the nation’s first black recording artist are among the newest recordings selected for induction into the Library of Congress National Recording Registry.
Librarian of Congress JAMES H. BILLINGTON announced the selection of 25 sound recordings to the registry that will be preserved as cultural, artistic and/or historical treasures, representing the richness and diversity of the American soundscape.
“These recordings represent an important part of America’s culture and history,” said BILLINGTON. “As technology continually changes and formats become obsolete, we must ensure that our nation’s aural legacy is protected. The National Recording Registry is at the core of this effort.”
Under the terms of the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000, the Librarian, with advice from the Library’s National Recording Preservation Board (NRPB), is tasked with annually selecting 25 recordings that are “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” and are at least 10 years old. The selections for the 2013 registry bring the total number of recordings on the registry to 400, a small part of the Library’s vast recorded sound collection of more than 3.5 million items.
The selections named to the registry feature a diverse array of spoken-word and musical recordings—representing nearly every musical category—spanning the years 1896-1994. In addition to "Hallelujah,"
this year’s selections are U2’s revolutionary 1987 album “The Joshua Tree”; the Depression-era tune “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime” that generated two best-selling singles by BING CROSBY and RUDY VALLEE in 1932; ROLAND HAYES’ moving rendition of the spiritual, “Were You There”; the first commercial breakthrough single for THE LOUVIN BROTHERS, “When I Stop Dreaming”; the EVERLY BROTHERS’ 1960 hit, “Cathy’s Clown,” which influenced a generation of musicians, including the BEATLES; the 1962 comedy album spoofing President JOHN F. KENNEDY and his family, pulled from distribution following his assassination; CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL’s 1969 war-protest song, “Fortunate Son”; the original cast recording of STEPHEN SONDHEIM’s 1979 musical, “Sweeney Todd”; and LINDA RONSTADT’s 1974 groundbreaking album, “Heart Like a Wheel.”
Additions to the registry feature notable performances by ART BLAKEY, LOUIS JORDAN, ELMORE JAMES, BUCK OWENS AND HIS BUCKAROOS, CELIA CRUZ and JOHNNY PACHECO, AARON COPLAND and LARRY NORMAN, among others.
The entire list:
"The Laughing Song" (single) -- GEORGE WASHINGTON JOHNSON
"They Didn't Believe Me”" (single)-- HARRY MACDONOUGH and ALICE GREEN
"Brother, Can You Spare a Dime" (singles) -- BING CROSBY; RUDY VALLEE
FRANZ BOAS and GEORGE HERZOG Recordings of KWAKWAKA'WAKW CHIEF DAN CRANMER
"Were You There" (single) -- ROLAND HAYES
"The Goldbergs: Sammy Goes Into the Army"
"Caldonia" (single) -- LOUIS JORDAN
"Dust My Broom” (single) -- ELMORE JAMES
"A Night at Birdland" (Vols. 1 and 2) (albums) -- ART BLAKEY
"When I Stop Dreaming" (single) -- THE LOUVIN BROTHERS
"Cathy's Clown” (single) -- THE EVERLY BROTHERS
"Texas Sharecropper and Songster” (album) -- MANCE LIPSCOMB
"The First Family” (album)
LAWRENCE RITTER's Interviews with Baseball Pioneers of the Late 19th and Early 20th Century
Presidential Recordings of LYNDON B. JOHNSON
CARNEGIE HALL Concert with BUCK OWENS AND HIS BUCKAROOS (album) -- BUCK OWENS AND HIS BUCKAROOS
"Fortunate Son" (single) -- CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL
"Theme from ‘SHAFT'” (album) -- ISAAC HAYES
"Only Visiting This Planet” (album) -- LARRY NORMAN
"CELIA & JOHNNY” (album)—CELIA CRUZ and JOHNNY PACHECO
"COPLAND Conducts COPLAND: Appalachian Spring" - AARON COPLAND
"Heart Like a Wheel” (album) - LINDA RONSTADT
"Sweeney Todd” (album) - Original Cast Recording
"The Joshua Tree” (album) - U2
"Hallelujah” (single) - JEFF BUCKLEY

