NARAS Grammy Awards
It is well known that Wes Montgomery’s “Goin’ Out of My Head” won a Grammy Award in 1966, but I recently acquired a record that provides more details.
First, the Grammy Awards are organized by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS). The awards are formally known as the “NARAS Achievement Awards,” and recipients receive a replica of a gramophone, which is why they are commonly referred to as the “Grammy Awards.” The awards began in 1958 in the United States and have since become the most prestigious awards given to individuals who have contributed to the development of the music industry. Did you know that there are nearly 80 different categories of awards today?
The 9th Annual Grammy Awards, which Wes won, covered the period from November 2, 1965, to November 1, 1966, and the winners were announced on March 2, 1967. “Goin’ Out of My Head” was recorded on November 2, 1965, and released in March 1966, so it definitely falls within this period. Wes officially won in the category of “Best Instrumental Jazz Performance – Group or Soloist with Group” for “Goin’ Out of My Head/Wes Montgomery (Verve).”
The promotional record I’m introducing here seems to have been used for broadcasts on television and radio. The awards ceremony was not broadcast live at the time; instead, NBC-TV aired “The Grammy Show” on May 24, 1966, from 9 to 10 PM. This record, which lacks both a production company name and a catalog number, was likely used during that broadcast.
Award-winning artists and recorded tracks:
Side 1
- Louis Armstrong…Mame
- The Beatles…Eleanor Rigby
- Ray Charles…Crying Time
- Ella Fitzgerald…Satin Doll
- Ella Fitzgerald…Don’t Be That Way
- John Gary…Michelle
Side 2
- Eydie Gorme…If He Walked Into My Life
- David Houston…Almost Persuaded
- Anita Kerr Singers…A Man and a Woman
- Wes Montgomery…Goin’ Out of My Head
- The New Vaudeville Band…Winchester Cathedral