Library of congress adds to national recording registry.

• Position: What' New?

The Doors' debut album; the magical essence of New Orleans jazz; one of the most-played songs on the airways during the 20th century; the "Lovin' Feelin' " of The Righteous Brothers; and the sounds of a pioneering children's program are among the recordings recently selected for induction into the Library of Congress National Recording Registry.

"Congress understood the importance of protecting America's aural patrimony when it passed the National Recording Preservation Act 15 years ago," says Librarian of Congress James H. Billington.' By preserving these recordings, we safeguard the words, sounds, and music that embody who we are as a people and a nation."

Under the terms of the Act, the Librarian, with advice from the Library's National Recording Preservation Board, is tasked with annually selecting 25 recordings that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and are at least 10 years old. The selections for this year's Registry bring the total number to 425.

The latest selections named to the Registry feature a rich and varied array of spoken-word and musical recordings--representing nearly every musical category--spanning 1890-1999.

Among the new selections are "Joan Baez," the artist's first solo album; Tennessee Ernie Ford's 1955 "Sixteen Tons"; the rhythm and blues classic "Stand by Me," which made history as one of the most broadcast songs of the 20th century; Sly and the Family Stone's 1969 "Stand!," one of the most successful albums of the 1960s; jazz saxophonist Gerry Mulligan's 1953 live concert rendition of "My Funny Valentine"; The Swan Sih/ertones' 1959 version of

"Mary Don't You Weep"; the original-cast recording of Cole Porter's "Kiss Me, Kate"; Joan Tower's celebration of women in music, "Fanfares for the Uncommon Woman"; 20 classic...