XTC were a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005. The band enjoyed some chart success, including the UK hits "Making Plans for Nigel" (1979) and "Senses Working Overtime" (1982).
Drums and Wires is an XTC album released on 17 August 1979. It reached No. 34 on the UK album chart, and No. 176 on the U.S. Billboard album charts. It contained the successful single "Making Plans for Nigel", which was released on 14 September 1979, and reached No. 17 on the UK singles chart. It also contained the original recording of "Ten Feet Tall", a re-recorded version of which was released in March 1980 in the U.S. only, as their first U.S. single, designed to coincide with the band's first American tour. Certain versions of the album also include "Life Begins at the Hop", which was released on 27 April 1979, and reached No. 44 on the UK singles chart.
The album was rated #38 on Pitchfork Media's The Top Albums of the 1970s list.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Would-Be-Goods - "The Camera Loves Me" (1993)
Would-be-goods are a British indie pop band fronted by singer Jessica Griffin, noted for her precise received pronunciation accent when singing (very rare in British pop music generally). Their name was inspired by the 1899 adventure story by children's author E. Nesbit.
On her first album, released on the él label, Griffin had no band of her own, and was backed by members of The Monochrome Set.[1] The Camera Loves Me was critically acclaimed in the UK and Japan. In 1993 Griffin worked with the Monochrome Set on a second album, Mondo, produced by Monochrome Set singer Bid and released on the Japanese label Polystar. This album was later released in the UK on the Cherry Red label.
Peter Momtchiloff, formerly of Talulah Gosh, Heavenly, and Marine Research and guitarist in Scarlet's Well, joined the band as lead guitarist and bassist in 1999. Two EPs, Emmanuelle Béart and Sugar Mummy, were released in 2001 and 2002 respectively, followed by a new album, Brief Lives, a joint release by US label Matinée Recordings and UK-based Fortuna Pop!. By this time two new members had joined the band: Deborah Green (former member of Thee Headcoatees) on drums and Lupe Nuñez-Fernandez on bass. After the band recorded a fourth album, The Morning After, in 2004, Nuñez-Fernandez left to concentrate on touring and recording with her own band Pipas and was replaced by Andy Warren, former member of Adam and the Ants and The Monochrome Set. The Would-be-goods' fifth album, Eventyr, was released in November 2008.
Would-be-goods have performed live in the United States, Spain, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and France as well as the UK.
On her first album, released on the él label, Griffin had no band of her own, and was backed by members of The Monochrome Set.[1] The Camera Loves Me was critically acclaimed in the UK and Japan. In 1993 Griffin worked with the Monochrome Set on a second album, Mondo, produced by Monochrome Set singer Bid and released on the Japanese label Polystar. This album was later released in the UK on the Cherry Red label.
Peter Momtchiloff, formerly of Talulah Gosh, Heavenly, and Marine Research and guitarist in Scarlet's Well, joined the band as lead guitarist and bassist in 1999. Two EPs, Emmanuelle Béart and Sugar Mummy, were released in 2001 and 2002 respectively, followed by a new album, Brief Lives, a joint release by US label Matinée Recordings and UK-based Fortuna Pop!. By this time two new members had joined the band: Deborah Green (former member of Thee Headcoatees) on drums and Lupe Nuñez-Fernandez on bass. After the band recorded a fourth album, The Morning After, in 2004, Nuñez-Fernandez left to concentrate on touring and recording with her own band Pipas and was replaced by Andy Warren, former member of Adam and the Ants and The Monochrome Set. The Would-be-goods' fifth album, Eventyr, was released in November 2008.
Would-be-goods have performed live in the United States, Spain, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and France as well as the UK.
The Cure - "Love Song" (1989)
"Lovesong" (sometimes listed as "Love Song") is a song originally recorded by the English alternative rock band The Cure, released as the third single from their eighth studio album Disintegration in 1989. The song saw considerable success in the United States, where it was the band's only top ten pop hit; in the United Kingdom, however, the single only charted in the top twenty.
Though the song has been covered by several artists, the most famous and successful cover is the 2004 version by American reggae rock band 311, recorded for the soundtrack for the film 50 First Dates and also released as a single. This version actually charted higher on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks chart (reaching #1) than the Cure original (which peaked at #2).
Though the song has been covered by several artists, the most famous and successful cover is the 2004 version by American reggae rock band 311, recorded for the soundtrack for the film 50 First Dates and also released as a single. This version actually charted higher on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks chart (reaching #1) than the Cure original (which peaked at #2).
The Smiths - Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want (1984)
"Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" is a song originally performed by British group The Smiths. It was released as the B-side of "William, It Was Really Nothing" in 1984 and later featured on the compilation albums Hatful of Hollow and Louder Than Bombs. The song has been covered by several artists, including The Decemberists, The Halo Benders, Franz Ferdinand, OK Go, Deftones, Emilie Autumn, Amanda Palmer, Hootie & the Blowfish, Muse, Kaia Wilson, Third Eye Blind, Kate Walsh, The Dream Academy, Josh Rouse and She & Him. British band Clayhill have covered the song and their version can be heard at the end of the Shane Meadows film This Is England. Canadian electronic artist Venetian Snares also sampled the original song in "Nobody Really Understands Anybody".
It is included in the soundtracks of the movies Pretty in Pink, Starter for 10, (500) Days of Summer, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off, as well as in the Christmas special finale of UK TV show Extras, which was broadcast in the UK on 27th December, 2007. It also appears in the prom scene in the film Never Been Kissed but was not included on the official soundtrack. The song is also the intro and closing song for Wednesdays with Reda on The Berrics.
It is included in the soundtracks of the movies Pretty in Pink, Starter for 10, (500) Days of Summer, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off, as well as in the Christmas special finale of UK TV show Extras, which was broadcast in the UK on 27th December, 2007. It also appears in the prom scene in the film Never Been Kissed but was not included on the official soundtrack. The song is also the intro and closing song for Wednesdays with Reda on The Berrics.
Patti Page - Moon River (1961)
Clara Ann Fowler (born November 8, 1927), known by her professional name Patti Page, is an American singer, one of the best-known female artists in traditional pop music. She was the best-selling female artist of the 1950s,[1] and has sold over 100 million records.[2] Her nickname is The Singin' Rage.
Page signed with Mercury Records in 1947, and became their first successful female artist, starting with 1948's "Confess." In 1950, she had her first million-selling single with "With My Eyes Wide Open, I'm Dreaming," and would eventually have 14 additional million-selling singles between 1950 and 1965.
Page's signature song, "Tennessee Waltz," recorded in 1950, was one of the biggest-selling singles of the twentieth century, and is also one of the two official state songs of Tennessee. "Tennessee Waltz" spent 13 weeks atop the Billboard magazine's Best-Sellers List in 1950. Page had three additional #1 hit singles between 1950 and 1953, with "All My Love (Bolero)", "I Went to Your Wedding," and "(How Much Is That) Doggie in the Window."
Unlike most pop music singers, Page blended the styles of country music into many of her most popular songs. By doing this, many of Page's singles also made the Billboard Country Chart. Towards the 1970s, Page shifted her career towards country music, and she began charting on the country charts, up until 1982. Page is one of the few vocalists who have made the country charts in five separate decades.
When rock & roll music became popular during the second half of the 1950s, traditional pop music was becoming less popular. Page was one of the few traditional pop music singers who was able to sustain her success, continuing to have major hits into the mid-1960s with "Old Cape Cod," "Allegheny Moon," "A Poor Man's Roses (Or a Rich Man's Gold)," and "Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte." In 1997, Patti Page was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame. In 2007 Patti Page was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.
"Moon River" is a song composed by Johnny Mercer (lyrics) and Henry Mancini (music) in 1961, for whom it won that year's Academy Award for Best Original Song. It was originally sung in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's by Audrey Hepburn, although it has been covered by many other artists. The song also won the 1962 Grammy Award for Record of the Year.
Page signed with Mercury Records in 1947, and became their first successful female artist, starting with 1948's "Confess." In 1950, she had her first million-selling single with "With My Eyes Wide Open, I'm Dreaming," and would eventually have 14 additional million-selling singles between 1950 and 1965.
Page's signature song, "Tennessee Waltz," recorded in 1950, was one of the biggest-selling singles of the twentieth century, and is also one of the two official state songs of Tennessee. "Tennessee Waltz" spent 13 weeks atop the Billboard magazine's Best-Sellers List in 1950. Page had three additional #1 hit singles between 1950 and 1953, with "All My Love (Bolero)", "I Went to Your Wedding," and "(How Much Is That) Doggie in the Window."
Unlike most pop music singers, Page blended the styles of country music into many of her most popular songs. By doing this, many of Page's singles also made the Billboard Country Chart. Towards the 1970s, Page shifted her career towards country music, and she began charting on the country charts, up until 1982. Page is one of the few vocalists who have made the country charts in five separate decades.
When rock & roll music became popular during the second half of the 1950s, traditional pop music was becoming less popular. Page was one of the few traditional pop music singers who was able to sustain her success, continuing to have major hits into the mid-1960s with "Old Cape Cod," "Allegheny Moon," "A Poor Man's Roses (Or a Rich Man's Gold)," and "Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte." In 1997, Patti Page was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame. In 2007 Patti Page was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.
"Moon River" is a song composed by Johnny Mercer (lyrics) and Henry Mancini (music) in 1961, for whom it won that year's Academy Award for Best Original Song. It was originally sung in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's by Audrey Hepburn, although it has been covered by many other artists. The song also won the 1962 Grammy Award for Record of the Year.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Book of Love - "I Touch Roses" (1986)
Book of Love was, from 1984 to 1993, a popular synth pop and dance music band, alongside Sire Records labelmates Depeche Mode and Erasure. Led by vocalist Susan Ottaviano, the band also included Ted Ottaviano (no relation to Susan), Lauren Roselli and Jade Lee.
The band was formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and later based out of New York City. The band gained its first exposure as the opening act on Depeche Mode's Black Celebration tour.
Their biggest success came on the US dance charts, placing seven singles in the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart between 1985 and 1993. The group's largest exposure on pop radio was with the song "Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls." The song, from its album Lullaby, was originally the second half of a medley with the group's house-music version of Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells," a 1973 instrumental that served as the eerie theme music of the classic horror film The Exorcist. Edited down to single length, "Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls" became Book of Love's only Hot 100 entry, peaking at number 90 in 1988.
In February, 2001 — sixteen years after its first dance chart entry — Book of Love had its first number-one hit on the US dance chart when "Boy," a track originally from its debut album, was remixed and re-released as the lead single from their greatest hits collection, I Touch Roses: The Best of Book of Love. Another newly remixed track, "I Touch Roses" followed shortly thereafter, and in additional support of the greatest hits collection, a small, half-dozen venue tour visited cities spanning coast to coast.
Since their active years, Book of Love's songs "Boy" and "I Touch Roses" have been rediscovered by new audiences. Both their original versions and subsequent remixes are heard in both dance clubs and on alternative radio stations.
Member Ted Ottaviano also had significant dance club hits as one half of Doubleplusgood ("The Winding Song," number two in 1996). The group's song "Sunny Day" was featured in the movie The Silence of the Lambs, in a scene in which band member Lauren Roselli also had a cameo with principal actor Jodie Foster. Roselli appeared again in the movie Philadelphia. BOL's song "Modigliani (Lost In Your Eyes)" was featured in the 1987 John Hughes film Planes, Trains & Automobiles. "Enchanted," a song from the band's Lovebubble album, appeared on the soundtrack to the 1993 film Naked in New York.
The band was formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and later based out of New York City. The band gained its first exposure as the opening act on Depeche Mode's Black Celebration tour.
Their biggest success came on the US dance charts, placing seven singles in the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart between 1985 and 1993. The group's largest exposure on pop radio was with the song "Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls." The song, from its album Lullaby, was originally the second half of a medley with the group's house-music version of Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells," a 1973 instrumental that served as the eerie theme music of the classic horror film The Exorcist. Edited down to single length, "Pretty Boys and Pretty Girls" became Book of Love's only Hot 100 entry, peaking at number 90 in 1988.
In February, 2001 — sixteen years after its first dance chart entry — Book of Love had its first number-one hit on the US dance chart when "Boy," a track originally from its debut album, was remixed and re-released as the lead single from their greatest hits collection, I Touch Roses: The Best of Book of Love. Another newly remixed track, "I Touch Roses" followed shortly thereafter, and in additional support of the greatest hits collection, a small, half-dozen venue tour visited cities spanning coast to coast.
Since their active years, Book of Love's songs "Boy" and "I Touch Roses" have been rediscovered by new audiences. Both their original versions and subsequent remixes are heard in both dance clubs and on alternative radio stations.
Member Ted Ottaviano also had significant dance club hits as one half of Doubleplusgood ("The Winding Song," number two in 1996). The group's song "Sunny Day" was featured in the movie The Silence of the Lambs, in a scene in which band member Lauren Roselli also had a cameo with principal actor Jodie Foster. Roselli appeared again in the movie Philadelphia. BOL's song "Modigliani (Lost In Your Eyes)" was featured in the 1987 John Hughes film Planes, Trains & Automobiles. "Enchanted," a song from the band's Lovebubble album, appeared on the soundtrack to the 1993 film Naked in New York.
The Alarm - Rain In The Summertime (1987)
Eye of the Hurricane is the third studio album from The Alarm. It was released in 1987 on IRS Records. The album was released initially on vinyl LP and cassette, reaching No.23 in the UK charts and No.77 in the US charts. As technology improved, a CD version was released. An extended re-mastered version was released, including extra tracks. Rain in the Summertime was released before the album, reaching No.18 in the UK singles chart.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Summer Of 42 - 1971
Summer of '42 is a 1971 American coming of age drama film based on the memoirs of screenwriter Herman Raucher. It tells the story of how Raucher, in his early teens on his 1942 summer vacation on Nantucket Island, off the coast of New England, embarked on a one-sided romance with a woman, Dorothy, whose husband had gone off to fight in World War II.
The film was directed by Robert Mulligan, and starred Gary Grimes as Hermie, Jerry Houser as his best friend Oscy, Oliver Conant as their nerdy young friend Benjie, Jennifer O'Neill as Hermie's mysterious love interest, and Katherine Allentuck and Christopher Norris as a pair of girls whom Hermie and Oscy attempt to seduce. Mulligan also has an uncredited role as the voice of the adult Hermie. Maureen Stapleton (Allentuck's real life mother) also appears in a small, uncredited voice role (calling after Hermie as he leaves the house in an early scene, and after he enters his room in a later scene).
Raucher's novelization of his screenplay was released prior to the film's release and became a runaway bestseller, to the point that audiences lost sight of the fact that the book was based on the film and not vice-versa. Though a pop culture phenomenon in the first half of the 1970s, the novelization went out of print and slipped into obscurity throughout the next two decades until a Broadway adaptation in 2001 brought it back into the public light and prompted Barnes & Noble to acquire the publishing rights to the book.
The film was directed by Robert Mulligan, and starred Gary Grimes as Hermie, Jerry Houser as his best friend Oscy, Oliver Conant as their nerdy young friend Benjie, Jennifer O'Neill as Hermie's mysterious love interest, and Katherine Allentuck and Christopher Norris as a pair of girls whom Hermie and Oscy attempt to seduce. Mulligan also has an uncredited role as the voice of the adult Hermie. Maureen Stapleton (Allentuck's real life mother) also appears in a small, uncredited voice role (calling after Hermie as he leaves the house in an early scene, and after he enters his room in a later scene).
Raucher's novelization of his screenplay was released prior to the film's release and became a runaway bestseller, to the point that audiences lost sight of the fact that the book was based on the film and not vice-versa. Though a pop culture phenomenon in the first half of the 1970s, the novelization went out of print and slipped into obscurity throughout the next two decades until a Broadway adaptation in 2001 brought it back into the public light and prompted Barnes & Noble to acquire the publishing rights to the book.
Bob Sinclair feat. Steve Edwards - "World Hold On" (2006)
"World, Hold On (Children of the Sky)" is a song by Bob Sinclar, featuring Steve Edwards. It was released as the second major single from the Western Dream album, on June 6, 2006. An E-Smoove-produced remix of the song was nominated for a 2007 Grammy Award for "Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical". The track ended 2006 as the 15th most played track in Mexico.The track is also in the film Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom, and is on the film's soundtrack. The song was also picked up by Guess (clothing) for their 2010 web campaign.
Bob Sinclar, originally spelled "Sinclair" - (born Christophe Le Friant, 10 May 1969 in Douarnenez, France), is a French record producer, House music DJ, remixer and owner of the label Yellow Productions. Sinclar started DJing in 1987, when he was 17 years old, specialising in funk and hip-hop music, named "Chris The French Kiss". His first club hit was "Gym Tonic", which was co-produced by Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk, featuring vocals illegally taken from a Jane Fonda fitness tape.
Steve Edwards (born 8 May 1980) is a male house music singer/songwriter from Sheffield, England. He has collaborated with several house music producers.
Bob Sinclar, originally spelled "Sinclair" - (born Christophe Le Friant, 10 May 1969 in Douarnenez, France), is a French record producer, House music DJ, remixer and owner of the label Yellow Productions. Sinclar started DJing in 1987, when he was 17 years old, specialising in funk and hip-hop music, named "Chris The French Kiss". His first club hit was "Gym Tonic", which was co-produced by Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk, featuring vocals illegally taken from a Jane Fonda fitness tape.
Steve Edwards (born 8 May 1980) is a male house music singer/songwriter from Sheffield, England. He has collaborated with several house music producers.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Stacey Q - "Two of Hearts" (1985)
"Two of Hearts" is a song by American pop singer, dancer and actress Stacey Q, from her debut album Better Than Heaven.
The song was one of the highest-selling singles of 1985 (at over a million copies), reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The single also did well in the Hot Dance Music / Club Play list, landing at #4, and was a top 10 hit in Australia where it reached #7 on the ARIA Charts. It also made the top 60 for the Hot R&B / Hip Hop Play list. Stacey Q performed the song on the television show The Facts of Life, in character as "Cinnamon", a rival of Tootie's. "Two of Hearts" was rated #27 in VH1's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80's.
The song was one of the highest-selling singles of 1985 (at over a million copies), reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The single also did well in the Hot Dance Music / Club Play list, landing at #4, and was a top 10 hit in Australia where it reached #7 on the ARIA Charts. It also made the top 60 for the Hot R&B / Hip Hop Play list. Stacey Q performed the song on the television show The Facts of Life, in character as "Cinnamon", a rival of Tootie's. "Two of Hearts" was rated #27 in VH1's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80's.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Classics IV - "Stormy" (1968)
The Classics IV were a band formed in Jacksonville, Florida, United States, in 1965, given credit for beginning the "soft southern rock" sound. The band and its lead singer Dennis Yost are principally known for the hits "Spooky", "Stormy", and "Traces", released in 1968 and 1969, which have become cover standards.
On July 11, 2006, Yost fell down a flight of stairs and suffered serious brain trauma. To assist Yost and his wife with their medical bills, a benefit concert was held on March 25, 2007, at Rhino's Live in Cincinnati, Ohio. The benefit was originally conceived by Yost's close friend Jon "Bowser" Bauman, former vocalist with Sha Na Na. Many musical entertainers and some surprise guests from the 1950s through the 1970s performed some of their biggest chart-topping hits in tribute to Yost. Some of the artists performing that day were Denny Laine (The Moody Blues and Wings), Chuck Negron (previously of Three Dog Night), Ian Mitchell (Bay City Rollers), Pat Upton (Spiral Staircase), "Diamond" Dave Somerville, The Skyliners, Buzz Cason, Carl Dobkins Jr., Mark Vollman (The Turtles), and Classics IV guitarist Brian Correll. The concert did not significantly benefit Yost or his wife financially, as was hoped; expenses far exceeded the money raised, leaving the event in the red. However, it was a huge boost for Yost to visit with so many old friends.
After Dennis' accident, he chose Tom Garrett to replace him as lead singer for The Classics IV. The plan was for Dennis to make a few yearly "special appearances," and gradually have Tom take over as the leader of the band. However, Dennis was able to perform with them for only one appearance in 2008. Tom and Dennis worked closely together to develop the current lineup. He chose Tom to help him keep The Classics IV music going in the Classics IV tradition. Dennis would listen to the band on recorded CDs, and during that time Tom and Dennis became close friends. The band Dennis chose three years ago to continue with The Classics IV trademark consist of Tom Garrett as lead vocalist, Kevin Lloyd on bass, Tim Ridgeway on drums, Joe Sadler on guitar, Garard Motague III on flute and saxophone, and James Yoder on keyboards. Dennis Yost died of respiratory failure, on December 7, 2008, at the age of 65.
On July 11, 2006, Yost fell down a flight of stairs and suffered serious brain trauma. To assist Yost and his wife with their medical bills, a benefit concert was held on March 25, 2007, at Rhino's Live in Cincinnati, Ohio. The benefit was originally conceived by Yost's close friend Jon "Bowser" Bauman, former vocalist with Sha Na Na. Many musical entertainers and some surprise guests from the 1950s through the 1970s performed some of their biggest chart-topping hits in tribute to Yost. Some of the artists performing that day were Denny Laine (The Moody Blues and Wings), Chuck Negron (previously of Three Dog Night), Ian Mitchell (Bay City Rollers), Pat Upton (Spiral Staircase), "Diamond" Dave Somerville, The Skyliners, Buzz Cason, Carl Dobkins Jr., Mark Vollman (The Turtles), and Classics IV guitarist Brian Correll. The concert did not significantly benefit Yost or his wife financially, as was hoped; expenses far exceeded the money raised, leaving the event in the red. However, it was a huge boost for Yost to visit with so many old friends.
After Dennis' accident, he chose Tom Garrett to replace him as lead singer for The Classics IV. The plan was for Dennis to make a few yearly "special appearances," and gradually have Tom take over as the leader of the band. However, Dennis was able to perform with them for only one appearance in 2008. Tom and Dennis worked closely together to develop the current lineup. He chose Tom to help him keep The Classics IV music going in the Classics IV tradition. Dennis would listen to the band on recorded CDs, and during that time Tom and Dennis became close friends. The band Dennis chose three years ago to continue with The Classics IV trademark consist of Tom Garrett as lead vocalist, Kevin Lloyd on bass, Tim Ridgeway on drums, Joe Sadler on guitar, Garard Motague III on flute and saxophone, and James Yoder on keyboards. Dennis Yost died of respiratory failure, on December 7, 2008, at the age of 65.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Frankie Avalon - "Venus" (1959)
"Venus" is the name of a song written by Ed Marshall and Peter DeAngelis. The most successful and well-known recording of it was done by Frankie Avalon and released in 1959 (see 1959 in music). It became Avalon's first number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it spent five weeks atop the survey. The song also reached number ten on the R&B chart. The song's lyrics detail a man's plea to Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty, to send him a girl to love and one who will love him as well.
The song was covered in the United Kingdom by Dickie Valentine who spent a week at number 20 in the Singles Chart in May 1959, the week before Frankie Avalon reached the Top 20 with his original version.
In 1976, Avalon released a new disco version of "Venus". This helped revive the singer's career, as his success had been waning prior to its release. The re-recording of "Venus" was Avalon's last Hot 100 hit, peaking at number 46. It did reach number one on the easy listening chart. Avalon was quoted describing the remake: "It was all right, but I still prefer the original." Johnny Mathis released a cover version of the song in 1968, where it "bubbled under" the Hot 100 chart at #111 in 1968. Barry Manilow covered the song in 2006 on his album The Greatest Songs of the Fifties.
The song was covered in the United Kingdom by Dickie Valentine who spent a week at number 20 in the Singles Chart in May 1959, the week before Frankie Avalon reached the Top 20 with his original version.
In 1976, Avalon released a new disco version of "Venus". This helped revive the singer's career, as his success had been waning prior to its release. The re-recording of "Venus" was Avalon's last Hot 100 hit, peaking at number 46. It did reach number one on the easy listening chart. Avalon was quoted describing the remake: "It was all right, but I still prefer the original." Johnny Mathis released a cover version of the song in 1968, where it "bubbled under" the Hot 100 chart at #111 in 1968. Barry Manilow covered the song in 2006 on his album The Greatest Songs of the Fifties.
Monday, August 22, 2011
The Cowsills - The Rain The Park and Other Things (1967)
I, personally, don't remember this song but it was brought to my attention by Alan N Freiman. It does have a nice ring to it. Do you remember it?
"The Rain, the Park & Other Things" is a 1967 hit single from the American pop group The Cowsills. The score and lyrics were co-written by Artie Kornfield and Steve Duboff and recorded by The Cowsills in 1967.
With this hit, the band became popular internationally, and the single reached No. 2 on the Billboard charts. The single cemented the group's popularity and selling some three million copies over the years. It ties with 1969's "Hair" as the group's biggest hit, as both reached No. 2 in the U.S. "The Rain, the Park & Other Things" is one of the few hit vocal songs in which the title is not mentioned in the lyrics.
"The Rain, the Park & Other Things" is a 1967 hit single from the American pop group The Cowsills. The score and lyrics were co-written by Artie Kornfield and Steve Duboff and recorded by The Cowsills in 1967.
With this hit, the band became popular internationally, and the single reached No. 2 on the Billboard charts. The single cemented the group's popularity and selling some three million copies over the years. It ties with 1969's "Hair" as the group's biggest hit, as both reached No. 2 in the U.S. "The Rain, the Park & Other Things" is one of the few hit vocal songs in which the title is not mentioned in the lyrics.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Gene Chandler - "Duke of Earl" (1962)
"Duke of Earl" is a 1962 number-one song, originally by Gene Chandler. It is the best known of Chandler's songs, and he subsequently dubbed himself 'The Duke of Earl'. The song was penned by Bernice Williams, Eugene Dixon, and Earl Edwards. "Duke of Earl" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on January 13, 1962, and held the number-one spot for three weeks. It was on the Hot 100 for a total of 15 weeks.
Gene Chandler (born Eugene Dixon, July 6, 1937, Chicago, Illinois) also known as "The Duke of Earl" or simply "The Duke", is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, producer and record executive. He is one of the leading exponents of the 1960s Chicago soul scene. He is best known for his million-selling hits, "Duke Of Earl," and "Groovy Situation," and his associations with the Dukays, the Impressions and Curtis Mayfield. A Grammy Hall Of Fame inductee, and winner of the National Association of Television and Radio Announcers Producer of the Year Award, and the Rhythm and Blues Foundation's Pioneer Award, Chandler has had more than thirty chart hits.
Chandler attended Englewood Technical Prep Academy High School on Chicago's south side. He began performing in the early 1950s with the Gaytones. In 1957 he joined a doo-wop group, The Dukays, with James Lowe, Shirley Jones, Earl Edwards and Ben Broyles, soon becoming their lead singer. After his draft into the US Army he returned to Chicago in 1960 and rejoined the Dukays. The Dukays were offered a recording contract by Nat Records and recorded a single, "The Girl Is a Devil" (1961), followed by two other singles including "Nite Owl". "Nite Owl" entered the charts and he recorded with The Dukays under the name 'Gene Dixon' and as a solo act as Gene Chandler. Vee-Jay Records released the Dukays recording of "Duke of Earl" but credited the song solely to Chandler. "Duke of Earl" sold a million copies in just over one month.
After spending three weeks at number one on the Billboard Magazine charts, Chandler purchased a cape, a monocle, a top hat and a cane and became "The Duke of Earl". Chandler can be seen in the full 'Duke' outfit singing "The Duke of Earl" in the movie Don't Knock the Twist 1962, starring Chubby Checker. His concerts became popular and he performed encores, usually "Rainbow '65," one of his collaborations with Curtis Mayfield. This song was recorded by Chandler three times during his career, becoming a hit each time.
Gene Chandler (born Eugene Dixon, July 6, 1937, Chicago, Illinois) also known as "The Duke of Earl" or simply "The Duke", is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, producer and record executive. He is one of the leading exponents of the 1960s Chicago soul scene. He is best known for his million-selling hits, "Duke Of Earl," and "Groovy Situation," and his associations with the Dukays, the Impressions and Curtis Mayfield. A Grammy Hall Of Fame inductee, and winner of the National Association of Television and Radio Announcers Producer of the Year Award, and the Rhythm and Blues Foundation's Pioneer Award, Chandler has had more than thirty chart hits.
Chandler attended Englewood Technical Prep Academy High School on Chicago's south side. He began performing in the early 1950s with the Gaytones. In 1957 he joined a doo-wop group, The Dukays, with James Lowe, Shirley Jones, Earl Edwards and Ben Broyles, soon becoming their lead singer. After his draft into the US Army he returned to Chicago in 1960 and rejoined the Dukays. The Dukays were offered a recording contract by Nat Records and recorded a single, "The Girl Is a Devil" (1961), followed by two other singles including "Nite Owl". "Nite Owl" entered the charts and he recorded with The Dukays under the name 'Gene Dixon' and as a solo act as Gene Chandler. Vee-Jay Records released the Dukays recording of "Duke of Earl" but credited the song solely to Chandler. "Duke of Earl" sold a million copies in just over one month.
After spending three weeks at number one on the Billboard Magazine charts, Chandler purchased a cape, a monocle, a top hat and a cane and became "The Duke of Earl". Chandler can be seen in the full 'Duke' outfit singing "The Duke of Earl" in the movie Don't Knock the Twist 1962, starring Chubby Checker. His concerts became popular and he performed encores, usually "Rainbow '65," one of his collaborations with Curtis Mayfield. This song was recorded by Chandler three times during his career, becoming a hit each time.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Musical Youth - "Pass The Dutchie" (1982)
"Pass the Dutchie" was a song recorded by the British group Musical Youth from their 1982 album The Youth of Today. It was a major hit, holding the number one position on the UK singles charts for three weeks in September and October 1982.
The song was a cover version of the song "Pass the Kutchie" by The Mighty Diamonds, which deals with the recreational use of cannabis, "kutchie" being slang for a cannabis pipe. For the cover version, the song's title was bowdlerized to "Pass the Dutchie", and all obvious drug references were removed from the lyrics; e. g., when the original croons "How does it feel when you got no herb?", the cover version refers to "food" instead. At the time, "dutchie" was used as a slang term to refer to a food cooking pot such as a Dutch oven. It has since become a drug reference in itself, denoting a blunt stuffed with marijuana and rolled in a wrapper from a Dutch Masters cigar.
The song was first championed by radio DJ Zach Diezel and became an instant hit when it was picked up by MCA Records in September 1982. It debuted at #26 on the chart and rose to #1 the following week. In February of the following year, it reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the USA. The song also scored a top 5 success in the Norwegian chart, eventually selling over 4 million copies worldwide. The video, shot partly on the banks of the River Thames in London, across from the Palace of Westminster, was one of the first by black artists to get airplay on MTV.
The song was a cover version of the song "Pass the Kutchie" by The Mighty Diamonds, which deals with the recreational use of cannabis, "kutchie" being slang for a cannabis pipe. For the cover version, the song's title was bowdlerized to "Pass the Dutchie", and all obvious drug references were removed from the lyrics; e. g., when the original croons "How does it feel when you got no herb?", the cover version refers to "food" instead. At the time, "dutchie" was used as a slang term to refer to a food cooking pot such as a Dutch oven. It has since become a drug reference in itself, denoting a blunt stuffed with marijuana and rolled in a wrapper from a Dutch Masters cigar.
The song was first championed by radio DJ Zach Diezel and became an instant hit when it was picked up by MCA Records in September 1982. It debuted at #26 on the chart and rose to #1 the following week. In February of the following year, it reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the USA. The song also scored a top 5 success in the Norwegian chart, eventually selling over 4 million copies worldwide. The video, shot partly on the banks of the River Thames in London, across from the Palace of Westminster, was one of the first by black artists to get airplay on MTV.
Gipsy Kings - Djobi Djoba (1988)
"Djobi Djoba" is a hit song by the Gipsy Kings, a French-Calé Rumba Flamenca band, from their 1988 self-titled album. Along with other hits from the same album such as "Bamboleo" and "Un Amor", Djobi Djoba helped rocket the Gipsy Kings to European popularity, before gaining popularity in America in 1989. In 1989, Gipsy Kings was released in the US and it spent 40 weeks on the charts, one of very few Spanish Language albums to do so.
The Gipsy Kings are a group of musicians from Arles and Montpellier, France, who perform in Spanish with accent from Andalucía. Although group members were born in France, their parents were mostly gitanos, Spanish Romani people who fled Catalonia during the 1930s Spanish Civil War, with the exception of Chico Bouchikhi who is of Moroccan and Algerian descent. They are known for bringing Rumba Catalana, a pop-oriented music distantly derived from traditional flamenco music, to worldwide audiences. Their music has a particular Rumba Flamenca style, with pop influences; many songs of the Gipsy Kings fit social dances, such as Salsa and Rumba. Their music has been described as a place where "Spanish flamenco and Romani rhapsody meet salsa funk".
The Gipsy Kings are largely responsible for bringing the sounds of progressive pop-oriented flamenco to the world. The band started out in Arles, a town in southern France, during the 1970s, when brothers Nicolas and Andre Reyes, the sons of renowned flamenco artist Jose Reyes, teamed up with their cousins Jacques, Maurice, and Tonino Baliardo, whose father is Manitas de Plata. They originally called themselves Los Reyes and started out as a Gypsy band traveling about playing weddings, festivals, and in the streets. Because they lived so much like Gypsies, the band adopted the name the Gipsy Kings. Later, they were hired to add color to posh parties in St. Tropez. Popularity did not come to Los Reyes right away, and their first two albums attracted little notice. At this point, the Gipsies played traditional flamenco music punctuated by Tonino's precise guitar playing and Nicolas' exceptional voice. Though they had devoted fans, they still had yet to gain wider recognition until 1986 when they hooked up with visionary producer Claude Martinez, who could see that the Kings had the makings of a world-class band.
The Gipsy Kings are a group of musicians from Arles and Montpellier, France, who perform in Spanish with accent from Andalucía. Although group members were born in France, their parents were mostly gitanos, Spanish Romani people who fled Catalonia during the 1930s Spanish Civil War, with the exception of Chico Bouchikhi who is of Moroccan and Algerian descent. They are known for bringing Rumba Catalana, a pop-oriented music distantly derived from traditional flamenco music, to worldwide audiences. Their music has a particular Rumba Flamenca style, with pop influences; many songs of the Gipsy Kings fit social dances, such as Salsa and Rumba. Their music has been described as a place where "Spanish flamenco and Romani rhapsody meet salsa funk".
The Gipsy Kings are largely responsible for bringing the sounds of progressive pop-oriented flamenco to the world. The band started out in Arles, a town in southern France, during the 1970s, when brothers Nicolas and Andre Reyes, the sons of renowned flamenco artist Jose Reyes, teamed up with their cousins Jacques, Maurice, and Tonino Baliardo, whose father is Manitas de Plata. They originally called themselves Los Reyes and started out as a Gypsy band traveling about playing weddings, festivals, and in the streets. Because they lived so much like Gypsies, the band adopted the name the Gipsy Kings. Later, they were hired to add color to posh parties in St. Tropez. Popularity did not come to Los Reyes right away, and their first two albums attracted little notice. At this point, the Gipsies played traditional flamenco music punctuated by Tonino's precise guitar playing and Nicolas' exceptional voice. Though they had devoted fans, they still had yet to gain wider recognition until 1986 when they hooked up with visionary producer Claude Martinez, who could see that the Kings had the makings of a world-class band.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Frehel - Si Tu N'etais Pas La (1934)
Fréhel (born Marguerite Boulc'h; July 14, 1891 – February 3, 1951) was a French singer and actress. Her 1934 recording Si tu n'étais pas là was featured in the 2001 soundtrack for the film Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain (Amélie). The Amelie Soundtrack peaked to #1 in the French Albums Charts.
Born in Paris, France to a poor and dysfunctional Breton family, Marguerite Boulc'h was a child left to a life on the streets in the dark side of Paris. In her teens she got a break when she met one of the female music-hall performers who heard her sing and introduced her to show business promoters. She began performing under the stage name "Pervenche" and soon met and married Robert Hollard, a performer who used the nom de guerre "Roberty". Alcohol entered her life at an early age and her drinking became a problem for her husband. Their marriage did not last long and Boulc'h's husband left her for the Parisian singer, Damia. Fréhel then began a relationship with Maurice Chevalier but that too did not last long and after he left her for the much older megastar Mistinguett. The distraught girl, still only 19 years old, then attempted suicide.
Following her failed suicide attempt, in 1911 Marguerite Boulc'h tried to escape her pain and travelled to Bucharest, Turkey and then to Russia where she remained for more than ten years. Lost in a world of alcohol and drugs, she returned to Paris in 1923 to a shocked public that saw the wasted shadow of the singer they had known and loved. She then signalled a new beginning by switching to the stage name "Fréhel", taking the name from Cap Fréhel in Brittany where her parents had been born. Singing as Fréhel, at the Paris Olympia in 1924 she recaptured the former magic with a powerful performance and was soon headlining at the most popular venues in the country. Part of what is now referred to as the bal musette, Fréhel often sang accompanied by pipes and/or an accordion player.
In the 1930s, she appeared in several motion pictures, almost always portraying a singer in a minor or supporting role. The most notable films in which she performed were 1931's Cœur de Lilas, based on the Tristan Bernard play, and Pépé le Moko that starred Jean Gabin. While her alcohol abuse continued, she nevertheless was a major show business force of 1930s France. Of all her songs, her 1939 La Java Bleue, with music by Vincent Scotto, proved her most popular.
Despite being one of Europe's most sought after performers, her destructive addictions led to her dropping out of sight for years. She never found the love she had sought for so long and died in 1951, alone in a hotel in Pigalle. She was interred in the Cimetière de Pantin, near Paris.
Born in Paris, France to a poor and dysfunctional Breton family, Marguerite Boulc'h was a child left to a life on the streets in the dark side of Paris. In her teens she got a break when she met one of the female music-hall performers who heard her sing and introduced her to show business promoters. She began performing under the stage name "Pervenche" and soon met and married Robert Hollard, a performer who used the nom de guerre "Roberty". Alcohol entered her life at an early age and her drinking became a problem for her husband. Their marriage did not last long and Boulc'h's husband left her for the Parisian singer, Damia. Fréhel then began a relationship with Maurice Chevalier but that too did not last long and after he left her for the much older megastar Mistinguett. The distraught girl, still only 19 years old, then attempted suicide.
Following her failed suicide attempt, in 1911 Marguerite Boulc'h tried to escape her pain and travelled to Bucharest, Turkey and then to Russia where she remained for more than ten years. Lost in a world of alcohol and drugs, she returned to Paris in 1923 to a shocked public that saw the wasted shadow of the singer they had known and loved. She then signalled a new beginning by switching to the stage name "Fréhel", taking the name from Cap Fréhel in Brittany where her parents had been born. Singing as Fréhel, at the Paris Olympia in 1924 she recaptured the former magic with a powerful performance and was soon headlining at the most popular venues in the country. Part of what is now referred to as the bal musette, Fréhel often sang accompanied by pipes and/or an accordion player.
In the 1930s, she appeared in several motion pictures, almost always portraying a singer in a minor or supporting role. The most notable films in which she performed were 1931's Cœur de Lilas, based on the Tristan Bernard play, and Pépé le Moko that starred Jean Gabin. While her alcohol abuse continued, she nevertheless was a major show business force of 1930s France. Of all her songs, her 1939 La Java Bleue, with music by Vincent Scotto, proved her most popular.
Despite being one of Europe's most sought after performers, her destructive addictions led to her dropping out of sight for years. She never found the love she had sought for so long and died in 1951, alone in a hotel in Pigalle. She was interred in the Cimetière de Pantin, near Paris.
Miss Rita Abrams - "Mill Valley" (1970)
As an 11-year old in the Bay Area I could identify with these young children singing this song. It remains a fond memory from my childhood.
Rita Abrams (born 30 August 1943) is an American songwriter, performer and writer. Her song "Mill Valley", recorded with children at the school where she was teaching, was released under the name Miss Abrams and the Strawberry Point Third Grade Class in 1970, becoming a Billboard Hot 100 hit and being nominated for a Grammy. In 1980, she won an Emmy for the music for I Want It All Now, an NBC documentary about life in Marin County, California.
he was born in Cleveland, Ohio, where she attended Cleveland Heights High School and studied classical piano and music theory at the Cleveland Institute of Music. She attended college in Cincinnati and at Simmons College in Boston, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from the University of Michigan. Boston University granted her a fellowship for a Masters Program in Special Education, after which she taught for two years in Boston. There, she also started to write verse and song lyrics, and sang with the Three Faces of Eve, an all-girl rock and roll band.
In 1968, she moved to California and secured a teaching post at Strawberry Point Elementary School in Mill Valley. On Christmas Day 1969, she wrote a song about the town for her kindergarten class to sing. It was heard by record producer Erik Jacobsen, who recorded Adams with the children from the third grade class at the school, and took it to Warner Bros. Records where the label management "guys in suits stood up and gave it a standing ovation". Released in June 1970 on the Reprise label, the record reached # 90 on the Billboard pop chart. Promotional photos of the singers were taken by Annie Leibovitz, and Abrams appeared on several networked TV shows and in national magazines, while also turning down an opportunity to advertise Jell-O. A performance for the Mill Valley Fourth of July celebration was filmed by Francis Ford Coppola, then a little-known documentary maker. The follow-up single, "Buildin' a Heaven on Earth", was written by singer/songwriter Norman Greenbaum.
Following the success of "Mill Valley", Abrams, Jacobsen and the children recorded and released an album, entitled Miss Abrams and the Strawberry Point 4th Grade Class as the children had by then moved up a grade. According to reviewer Greg Adams, "Only the most hard-hearted cynic could find no enjoyment in this minor masterpiece of early-'70s soft pop."
Abrams then left teaching to pursue a career in music and verse writing, which subsequently included children's records and novelty songs, many in collaboration with Dr. Elmo (Elmo Shropshire), commercials, and greeting cards. She won a national Emmy in 1980 for writing the music for I Want It All Now, a documentary about life in Marin County, and a regional Emmy in 1992 for Classic Stories for Children. In 1981 she published a book, At Your Age You're Having a What? The Advantages of Middle-Aged Motherhood. She also created a Las Vegas musical revue based on John Gray's book, Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, and a show about life in Marin County, For Whom The Bridge Tolls. She has remained a resident of Mill Valley.
Rita Abrams (born 30 August 1943) is an American songwriter, performer and writer. Her song "Mill Valley", recorded with children at the school where she was teaching, was released under the name Miss Abrams and the Strawberry Point Third Grade Class in 1970, becoming a Billboard Hot 100 hit and being nominated for a Grammy. In 1980, she won an Emmy for the music for I Want It All Now, an NBC documentary about life in Marin County, California.
he was born in Cleveland, Ohio, where she attended Cleveland Heights High School and studied classical piano and music theory at the Cleveland Institute of Music. She attended college in Cincinnati and at Simmons College in Boston, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from the University of Michigan. Boston University granted her a fellowship for a Masters Program in Special Education, after which she taught for two years in Boston. There, she also started to write verse and song lyrics, and sang with the Three Faces of Eve, an all-girl rock and roll band.
In 1968, she moved to California and secured a teaching post at Strawberry Point Elementary School in Mill Valley. On Christmas Day 1969, she wrote a song about the town for her kindergarten class to sing. It was heard by record producer Erik Jacobsen, who recorded Adams with the children from the third grade class at the school, and took it to Warner Bros. Records where the label management "guys in suits stood up and gave it a standing ovation". Released in June 1970 on the Reprise label, the record reached # 90 on the Billboard pop chart. Promotional photos of the singers were taken by Annie Leibovitz, and Abrams appeared on several networked TV shows and in national magazines, while also turning down an opportunity to advertise Jell-O. A performance for the Mill Valley Fourth of July celebration was filmed by Francis Ford Coppola, then a little-known documentary maker. The follow-up single, "Buildin' a Heaven on Earth", was written by singer/songwriter Norman Greenbaum.
Following the success of "Mill Valley", Abrams, Jacobsen and the children recorded and released an album, entitled Miss Abrams and the Strawberry Point 4th Grade Class as the children had by then moved up a grade. According to reviewer Greg Adams, "Only the most hard-hearted cynic could find no enjoyment in this minor masterpiece of early-'70s soft pop."
Abrams then left teaching to pursue a career in music and verse writing, which subsequently included children's records and novelty songs, many in collaboration with Dr. Elmo (Elmo Shropshire), commercials, and greeting cards. She won a national Emmy in 1980 for writing the music for I Want It All Now, a documentary about life in Marin County, and a regional Emmy in 1992 for Classic Stories for Children. In 1981 she published a book, At Your Age You're Having a What? The Advantages of Middle-Aged Motherhood. She also created a Las Vegas musical revue based on John Gray's book, Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, and a show about life in Marin County, For Whom The Bridge Tolls. She has remained a resident of Mill Valley.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Vanity Fare - "Hitchin' A Ride" (1970)
Vanity Fare (due to the similarity of the novel and magazine title often misspelled Vanity Fair) were a UK pop/rock group formed in 1966, best remembered for their million selling song, "Hitchin' a Ride," which became a worldwide hit in 1970.
School friends Trevor Brice (born 12 February 1945, Rochester, Kent, England) (vocals), Tony Goulden (born Anthony Goulden, 21 November 1942, Rochester) (guitar), Dick Allix (born Richard Allix, 3 May 1945, Gravesend, Kent) (drums) and Tony Jarrett (born Anthony Jarrett, 4 September 1943, in Rochester, Kent) (bass) formed the band in Kent in 1966, originally calling themselves The Avengers.
They played local clubs and were spotted by entrepreneur Roger Easterby who became their manager and producer. Having changed the name of the band to Vanity Fare after the novel Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray, they signed to Page One Records (a division of Bell Records). Vanity Fare achieved a UK hit single with their first release, a cover of "I Live For The Sun" (originally recorded by The Sunrays in 1965) in the summer of 1968.Following two more singles, "Summer Morning" and "Highway Of Dreams," both of which failed to make the UK Singles Chart, they released their biggest UK hit "Early in the Morning". Written by Mike Leander and Eddie Seago, it reached number 8 in that country in August 1969 and number 12 in the US in early 1970. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.
For their next release "Hitchin' A Ride" they added keyboardist Barry Landemen (born 25 October 1947, Woodbridge, Suffolk, England) to the group. "Hitchin' A Ride", written by Peter Callander and Mitch Murray, gave them a second million-selling hit reaching number 5 in the US Billboard Hot 100 and making number 16 in the UK in January 1970. This also received a gold disc awarded by the Recording Industry Association of America.[2]
The hit was preceded by a tour of the United States, following which both Dick Allix and Tony Goulden left the band and were replaced by guitarist and singer Eddie Wheeler and drummer Mark Ellen.
Two more singles followed before the end of 1970; Mike Leander and Eddie Seago's "Come Tomorrow" and Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway's "Carolina's Coming Home" both of which failed to dent the charts on either side of the Atlantic.
Over the next couple of years more singles were released including Tony Macaulay's "Better By Far" on DJM Records in 1972, but none of them entered the charts. Following this they decided to concentrate on live performances touring Europe, where they were having hit singles. Following the mid 1970s, and amid many band member changes (including the departure of Jarrett, replaced by Bernie Hagley), the group recorded only sporadically. In 1986, the band attempted to represent the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest, finishing third in the UK heat of A Song for Europe, with the song "Dreamer" featuring Jimmy Cassidy on vocals, Phil Kitto on keyboards alongside long time members Ellen, Wheeler and Bernie Hagley. In 2007 they toured alongside P. J. Proby.
They are still together today with a line-up of Hagley, Wheeler, Ellen and Steve Oakman.
In his spare time, Brice sings second tenor with the City of Bath Male Choir, who reached the final of BBC One's Last Choir Standing.
School friends Trevor Brice (born 12 February 1945, Rochester, Kent, England) (vocals), Tony Goulden (born Anthony Goulden, 21 November 1942, Rochester) (guitar), Dick Allix (born Richard Allix, 3 May 1945, Gravesend, Kent) (drums) and Tony Jarrett (born Anthony Jarrett, 4 September 1943, in Rochester, Kent) (bass) formed the band in Kent in 1966, originally calling themselves The Avengers.
They played local clubs and were spotted by entrepreneur Roger Easterby who became their manager and producer. Having changed the name of the band to Vanity Fare after the novel Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray, they signed to Page One Records (a division of Bell Records). Vanity Fare achieved a UK hit single with their first release, a cover of "I Live For The Sun" (originally recorded by The Sunrays in 1965) in the summer of 1968.Following two more singles, "Summer Morning" and "Highway Of Dreams," both of which failed to make the UK Singles Chart, they released their biggest UK hit "Early in the Morning". Written by Mike Leander and Eddie Seago, it reached number 8 in that country in August 1969 and number 12 in the US in early 1970. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.
For their next release "Hitchin' A Ride" they added keyboardist Barry Landemen (born 25 October 1947, Woodbridge, Suffolk, England) to the group. "Hitchin' A Ride", written by Peter Callander and Mitch Murray, gave them a second million-selling hit reaching number 5 in the US Billboard Hot 100 and making number 16 in the UK in January 1970. This also received a gold disc awarded by the Recording Industry Association of America.[2]
The hit was preceded by a tour of the United States, following which both Dick Allix and Tony Goulden left the band and were replaced by guitarist and singer Eddie Wheeler and drummer Mark Ellen.
Two more singles followed before the end of 1970; Mike Leander and Eddie Seago's "Come Tomorrow" and Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway's "Carolina's Coming Home" both of which failed to dent the charts on either side of the Atlantic.
Over the next couple of years more singles were released including Tony Macaulay's "Better By Far" on DJM Records in 1972, but none of them entered the charts. Following this they decided to concentrate on live performances touring Europe, where they were having hit singles. Following the mid 1970s, and amid many band member changes (including the departure of Jarrett, replaced by Bernie Hagley), the group recorded only sporadically. In 1986, the band attempted to represent the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest, finishing third in the UK heat of A Song for Europe, with the song "Dreamer" featuring Jimmy Cassidy on vocals, Phil Kitto on keyboards alongside long time members Ellen, Wheeler and Bernie Hagley. In 2007 they toured alongside P. J. Proby.
They are still together today with a line-up of Hagley, Wheeler, Ellen and Steve Oakman.
In his spare time, Brice sings second tenor with the City of Bath Male Choir, who reached the final of BBC One's Last Choir Standing.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Spooky - Classics IV (1968)
The Classics IV were a band formed in Jacksonville, Florida, United States, in 1965, given credit for beginning the "soft southern rock" sound. The band and its lead singer Dennis Yost are principally known for the hits "Spooky", "Stormy", and "Traces", released in 1968 and 1969, which have become cover standards.
The group grew out of a local cover band called The Classics, consisting of Buddy Buie, JR Cobb, Walter Eaton, Dennis Yost, and Robert Nix. Buie, Cobb, Nix and Dean Daughtry went on to play in The Atlanta Rhythm Section; and Nix on the first two Lynyrd Skynyrd albums. The band played Ventures covers, instrumental versions of "Misty" and "Summertime". People started requesting songs that required vocals, so Dennis would say "I can sing that", and that was the beginning of the group's changing direction. In addition to playing a rendition of The Tornados "Telstar", they started playing songs with vocals, such as "Sherry" by The Four Seasons. When Dennis Yost joined Wally (Walnut) Eaton's group they became The Classics. Dennis had been a member of the band "The Echoes". The name "The Classics" came from the "Classic" drum set Dennis Yost had. He was well known in the Georgia/Florida area, as the "stand up drummer". He said he played drums, sang lead, M-C d, and sometimes drank a beer at the same time! When Wally Eaton discovered Dennis could sing, The Classics recorded a Four Seasons sounding, regional hit called "Pollyanna", a song written by Joe South, with Dennis Yost singing lead. Shortly after they received a letter stating that another group had the name, "The Classics" and had a hit call "Till Then". Not wanting to change the name they added IV because there were only 4 members. Kim Venable was hired after the name change. The Classics IV members were Dennis Yost (vocals & drums), James B. Cobb, Jr. (guitars), Wally Eaton (Bass) and Joe Wilson (guitar & keys). During live shows, Yost would stand in the front of the stage and play drums while singing the lead vocals. Cobb and Wilson left the band and Wilson was replaced by Dean Daughtry.
The Classics IV moved to Atlanta, Georgia in 1967 and were discovered by Bill Lowery who produced their first national hit in 1968 with "Spooky", a song they recorded in 1967 on the Imperial Records label. Guitarist James Cobb and producer Buddy Buie added lyrics to an instrumental called "Spooky", a regional hit for saxophonist Mike Sharpe. The song made it to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S., and #46 in the UK. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.
The group grew out of a local cover band called The Classics, consisting of Buddy Buie, JR Cobb, Walter Eaton, Dennis Yost, and Robert Nix. Buie, Cobb, Nix and Dean Daughtry went on to play in The Atlanta Rhythm Section; and Nix on the first two Lynyrd Skynyrd albums. The band played Ventures covers, instrumental versions of "Misty" and "Summertime". People started requesting songs that required vocals, so Dennis would say "I can sing that", and that was the beginning of the group's changing direction. In addition to playing a rendition of The Tornados "Telstar", they started playing songs with vocals, such as "Sherry" by The Four Seasons. When Dennis Yost joined Wally (Walnut) Eaton's group they became The Classics. Dennis had been a member of the band "The Echoes". The name "The Classics" came from the "Classic" drum set Dennis Yost had. He was well known in the Georgia/Florida area, as the "stand up drummer". He said he played drums, sang lead, M-C d, and sometimes drank a beer at the same time! When Wally Eaton discovered Dennis could sing, The Classics recorded a Four Seasons sounding, regional hit called "Pollyanna", a song written by Joe South, with Dennis Yost singing lead. Shortly after they received a letter stating that another group had the name, "The Classics" and had a hit call "Till Then". Not wanting to change the name they added IV because there were only 4 members. Kim Venable was hired after the name change. The Classics IV members were Dennis Yost (vocals & drums), James B. Cobb, Jr. (guitars), Wally Eaton (Bass) and Joe Wilson (guitar & keys). During live shows, Yost would stand in the front of the stage and play drums while singing the lead vocals. Cobb and Wilson left the band and Wilson was replaced by Dean Daughtry.
The Classics IV moved to Atlanta, Georgia in 1967 and were discovered by Bill Lowery who produced their first national hit in 1968 with "Spooky", a song they recorded in 1967 on the Imperial Records label. Guitarist James Cobb and producer Buddy Buie added lyrics to an instrumental called "Spooky", a regional hit for saxophonist Mike Sharpe. The song made it to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S., and #46 in the UK. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
The Romantics - What I Like About You (1980)
"What I Like About You" is a song by American rock band The Romantics. The song, written by Romantics members Wally Palmar, Mike Skill and Jimmy Marinos is featured on the band's self-titled 1980 debut album, and was also released as a single. Marinos, the band's drummer, is the lead vocalist on the song. The band filmed a music video for the song that appeared frequently on MTV during the early 1980s.
"What I Like About You" was written by the group around a guitar part by Skill. The song's "Hey, uh-huh-huh" refrain was influenced by The Yardbirds' "Over Under Sideways Down" and Chuck Berry's "Back in the U.S.A.". The song's riff is slightly similar to The Standells hit "Dirty Water." The group recorded the song and the accompanying album at Coconuts recording studio in Miami Beach.
When first released, "What I Like About You" was already a popular song on the Romantics' concert playlist. In terms of record sales and radio airplay, however, the song was only a moderate success at the time of its release, reaching only #48 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song did quite well in Australia however, reaching #2 on the Australian Singles Chart (Kent Music Report) on its initial release. It was only towards the end of the 1980s, after the song had been licensed for use in television commercials for Budweiser beer, that "What I Like About You" grew to become one of the most popular rock anthems of all time.
"What I Like About You" has become a staple of modern rock, appearing on numerous compilation albums of 1980s pop and rock music hits and heard in frequent rotation on modern rock and classic rock radio. The song is also often played at sporting events, parties, and at bars and clubs. In addition to Budweiser, the song has also been heard promoting products, services, and institutions including the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team, Barbie toy dolls, SeaWorld and T.G.I. Friday's restaurants. The song was also featured in TV commercials for Hampton Inn, Esurance, Papa John's Pizza, and Toyota as recently as 2008. The song was also included in the films Richie Rich (1994), Shrek 2 (2004), Surf's Up (2007) and Marmaduke (2010).
"What I Like About You" was written by the group around a guitar part by Skill. The song's "Hey, uh-huh-huh" refrain was influenced by The Yardbirds' "Over Under Sideways Down" and Chuck Berry's "Back in the U.S.A.". The song's riff is slightly similar to The Standells hit "Dirty Water." The group recorded the song and the accompanying album at Coconuts recording studio in Miami Beach.
When first released, "What I Like About You" was already a popular song on the Romantics' concert playlist. In terms of record sales and radio airplay, however, the song was only a moderate success at the time of its release, reaching only #48 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song did quite well in Australia however, reaching #2 on the Australian Singles Chart (Kent Music Report) on its initial release. It was only towards the end of the 1980s, after the song had been licensed for use in television commercials for Budweiser beer, that "What I Like About You" grew to become one of the most popular rock anthems of all time.
"What I Like About You" has become a staple of modern rock, appearing on numerous compilation albums of 1980s pop and rock music hits and heard in frequent rotation on modern rock and classic rock radio. The song is also often played at sporting events, parties, and at bars and clubs. In addition to Budweiser, the song has also been heard promoting products, services, and institutions including the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team, Barbie toy dolls, SeaWorld and T.G.I. Friday's restaurants. The song was also featured in TV commercials for Hampton Inn, Esurance, Papa John's Pizza, and Toyota as recently as 2008. The song was also included in the films Richie Rich (1994), Shrek 2 (2004), Surf's Up (2007) and Marmaduke (2010).
The Clovers - Love Potion No. 9 (1959)
Love Potion No. 9" is a song written in 1959 by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. It was originally performed by The Clovers.
The song describes a man seeking help finding love, so he talks to a Gypsy, who determines through palm reading that he needs "love potion number 9". The potion causes him to fall in love with everything he sees, kissing whatever is in front of him, eventually kissing the policeman on the corner, who breaks his bottle.
In an alternate version of the ending of the Clover's song, they recorded the alternate lyrics: "I had so much fun, that I'm going back again,
I wonder what happens with Love Potion Number Ten?" That version was used on the soundtrack to "American Graffiti".
Some radio stations banned the song, due to the lyrics involving "Kissing a cop". The lyrics mention being "a flop with chicks" since 1956; this is often changed to a later year such as 1996 or 2006 when performed by singers who weren't even born in that year.
The song describes a man seeking help finding love, so he talks to a Gypsy, who determines through palm reading that he needs "love potion number 9". The potion causes him to fall in love with everything he sees, kissing whatever is in front of him, eventually kissing the policeman on the corner, who breaks his bottle.
In an alternate version of the ending of the Clover's song, they recorded the alternate lyrics: "I had so much fun, that I'm going back again,
I wonder what happens with Love Potion Number Ten?" That version was used on the soundtrack to "American Graffiti".
Some radio stations banned the song, due to the lyrics involving "Kissing a cop". The lyrics mention being "a flop with chicks" since 1956; this is often changed to a later year such as 1996 or 2006 when performed by singers who weren't even born in that year.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Have You Ever Seen The Rain (1970)
"Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" is a song written by John Fogerty and released in 1970 on the album Pendulum by American roots rock group Creedence Clearwater Revival. The song peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1971. On Cash Box pop chart, it peaked at number three. Billboard co-listed the b-side "Hey Tonight". In the UK, it reached number 36. It was the group's eighth gold-selling single.
Some have speculated that the song's lyrics are referencing the Vietnam War, with the 'rain' being a metaphor for bombs falling from the sky. In his review of the song for Allmusic website, Mark Deming suggests that the song is about the idealism of the 1960s fading in the wake of events such as the Altamont Free Concert and the Kent State shootings and that Fogerty is saying that the same issues of the '60s still existed in the 1970s but that people were no longer fighting for them. However, Fogerty himself has said in interviews and prior to playing the song in concert that the song is about rising tension within CCR and the imminent departure of his brother Tom from the band.
Some have speculated that the song's lyrics are referencing the Vietnam War, with the 'rain' being a metaphor for bombs falling from the sky. In his review of the song for Allmusic website, Mark Deming suggests that the song is about the idealism of the 1960s fading in the wake of events such as the Altamont Free Concert and the Kent State shootings and that Fogerty is saying that the same issues of the '60s still existed in the 1970s but that people were no longer fighting for them. However, Fogerty himself has said in interviews and prior to playing the song in concert that the song is about rising tension within CCR and the imminent departure of his brother Tom from the band.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
La Roux - "I'm Not Your Toy" (2009)
"I'm Not Your Toy" is a song by English electropop duo La Roux from their self-titled debut album, La Roux. Written and produced by Elly Jackson and Ben Langmaid, the song was released as the album's fourth single on 28 September 2009. It is available on CD, 12" and digital formats including two new remixes by Jack Beats and DatA. The single made its debut on the UK Singles Chart at number ninety-one on the issue dated 20 September 2009—due to digital downloads from the La Roux album—, peaking at number twenty-seven two weeks later.
The setting of the AlexandLiane-directed video appears to be a futuristic spa resort with tropical plants and fruits surrounding a swimming pool. The video shows Jackson sitting on a throne, watching an alter ego version of herself performing the song. Slowly her music attracts a large audience of all ages. Originally they listen with skeptical expressions on their faces, but they begin to enjoy the rhythm of the song. Knowing that the onlookers are happy, Jackson relaxes, and enjoys singing the song alongside four female dancers. Jackson looks again into another room, where several people from the previous scene and others put on sunglasses that seem to be playing the music. The people then start dancing while two children watch with further skepticism. The scene then swaps back to the spa location, where all the group are dancing and laughing. La Roux bandmates Mickey, Mikey and Will have a brief cameo amongst the crowd that Jackson attracted.
"I'm Not Your Toy" received mixed reviews from music critics. Luke Turner of the NME, however, wrote that the song's "calypso flick no doubt had Lily Allen green-faced during La Roux's recent support slot." The magazine later placed the song at number forty-one on its list of the 50 Best Tracks of 2009, further commenting that "Elly's voice never embodied heartbreak more sharply."
The setting of the AlexandLiane-directed video appears to be a futuristic spa resort with tropical plants and fruits surrounding a swimming pool. The video shows Jackson sitting on a throne, watching an alter ego version of herself performing the song. Slowly her music attracts a large audience of all ages. Originally they listen with skeptical expressions on their faces, but they begin to enjoy the rhythm of the song. Knowing that the onlookers are happy, Jackson relaxes, and enjoys singing the song alongside four female dancers. Jackson looks again into another room, where several people from the previous scene and others put on sunglasses that seem to be playing the music. The people then start dancing while two children watch with further skepticism. The scene then swaps back to the spa location, where all the group are dancing and laughing. La Roux bandmates Mickey, Mikey and Will have a brief cameo amongst the crowd that Jackson attracted.
"I'm Not Your Toy" received mixed reviews from music critics. Luke Turner of the NME, however, wrote that the song's "calypso flick no doubt had Lily Allen green-faced during La Roux's recent support slot." The magazine later placed the song at number forty-one on its list of the 50 Best Tracks of 2009, further commenting that "Elly's voice never embodied heartbreak more sharply."
Cascades - "Rhythm of the Rain" (1962)
"Rhythm of the Rain" is a song performed by The Cascades, released in November 1962. It was written by Cascades band member John Claude Gummoe. It rose to number three on the US pop chart on March 9, 1963, and spent two weeks at number one on the US Easy Listening chart. The song was also a top 5 hit in the United Kingdom and a number-one single in Ireland. In 1999, BMI listed the song as the ninth most performed song on radio/TV in the 20th century.
In 1990, Dan Fogelberg scored a #3 hit on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, with "Rhythm of the Rain" being part of a medley alongside The Beatles' song "Rain."
Also in 1990, Australian star Jason Donovan reached #9 on the UK charts with his version; however, he failed to reach the top 10 in his home country. The music video features Donovan and another actress starring in a film set in Hong Kong. Donovan sings outside in the rain in a backyard. It also features the actress posing as Audrey Hepburn and kissing Donovan on a ship. In 2008, Donovan re-recorded the song for his album "Let It Be Me" (2008).
In 1990, Dan Fogelberg scored a #3 hit on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, with "Rhythm of the Rain" being part of a medley alongside The Beatles' song "Rain."
Also in 1990, Australian star Jason Donovan reached #9 on the UK charts with his version; however, he failed to reach the top 10 in his home country. The music video features Donovan and another actress starring in a film set in Hong Kong. Donovan sings outside in the rain in a backyard. It also features the actress posing as Audrey Hepburn and kissing Donovan on a ship. In 2008, Donovan re-recorded the song for his album "Let It Be Me" (2008).
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
The Monkees - "Daydream Believer" (1967)
"Daydream Believer" is a song composed by John Stewart shortly before he left the Kingston Trio. The song was originally recorded by The Monkees, with Davy Jones singing lead vocals. The single hit the number one spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in December 1967, remaining there for four weeks, and peaked at number five in the UK Singles Chart. It was The Monkees' last number one hit in the U.S. It was also recorded by Anne Murray in 1979, whose version reached #3 on the U.S. country singles chart and #12 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Producer Chip Douglas introduced the Monkees to the song. It was recorded during the sessions for their 1967 album Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. but was ultimately included on their 1968 album The Birds, The Bees & the Monkees (it proved to be bandmember Peter Tork's only appearance on the album). All four Monkees appear on the track, with Michael Nesmith on lead guitar, Peter Tork on piano (he also came up with the arrangement), and Micky Dolenz on backing vocals. Davy Jones wasn't sure of the song's potential at first, and admitted later that he'd recorded the vocal with a hint of annoyance at the ongoing takes. His feelings changed when the song became a hit.
John Stewart's original lyrics in the second stanza were "You once thought of me as a white knight on a steed, Now you know how funky I can be". When the Monkees recorded the song, "funky" was changed to "happy."
Producer Chip Douglas introduced the Monkees to the song. It was recorded during the sessions for their 1967 album Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. but was ultimately included on their 1968 album The Birds, The Bees & the Monkees (it proved to be bandmember Peter Tork's only appearance on the album). All four Monkees appear on the track, with Michael Nesmith on lead guitar, Peter Tork on piano (he also came up with the arrangement), and Micky Dolenz on backing vocals. Davy Jones wasn't sure of the song's potential at first, and admitted later that he'd recorded the vocal with a hint of annoyance at the ongoing takes. His feelings changed when the song became a hit.
John Stewart's original lyrics in the second stanza were "You once thought of me as a white knight on a steed, Now you know how funky I can be". When the Monkees recorded the song, "funky" was changed to "happy."
Monday, August 8, 2011
Tommy James - "Draggin' the Line" (1971)
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Julie Andrews - A Spoonful of Sugar (1964)
"A Spoonful Of Sugar" is a song from Walt Disney's 1964 film and the musical versions of Mary Poppins, composed by Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman.
It is an uptempo song sung by Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews), instructing the two children, Jane (Karen Dotrice) and Michael (Matthew Garber) to clean their room. But even though the task is daunting, with a good attitude, it can still be fun. The melody is heard throughout the film as Mary's leitmotif. As part of the interlude, she sees that Michael couldn't get out of the closet doors that open and close rapidly.
In the musical, Robertson Ay and Mrs. Brill are helping Mrs. Banks for a tea party she's planning. Mrs. Brill tells Robertson Ay to make the frosting, which the kids try to do instead, despite Robertson Ay giving them warnings. After Jane sends him to get hot water, it comes out with the force of a cannon and causes Robertson Ay to run into the furniture, destroying the kitchen in the process. Mrs. Banks is shocked to see the kitchen in this shape, when she came down with Mary Poppins. Mary sends her upstairs to get dressed, while she gives Jane and Michael some medicine, which comes out in different colors and flavors, much like in the film. Cleaning the kitchen up is similar to cleaning up the nursery in the film with Mary magically putting it back together.
The song is mixed with It's A Small World, also a Sherman song in the final number of On the Record, a short lived revue of Disney songs. The song has characteristics of the fast-paced one-step, a popular dance in the 1910s.
Julie Andrews had not yet committed to do the part of Mary Poppins. She didn't like the song that was written for her, believing it didn't have enough snap to it. The original song was called "The Eyes of Love". Walt Disney instructed the Sherman Brothers to come up with something more catchy. Robert Sherman, who is the primary lyricist of the duo arrived home from work one evening, having worked all day trying to come up with a song idea. As he walked in the door, his wife, Joyce informed him that the children had gotten their polio vaccine that day. Bob asked one of his children if it hurt (thinking the child had received a shot). The child responded that it (the medicine) was put on a cube of sugar and that he swallowed it. Realizing what he had, Robert Sherman arrived at work early the next morning with the title of the song "A Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Medicine Go Down". Sherman suggested the lyric to his brother, Richard, who was at first dismissive but slowly came around. At his brother's behest, Richard put melody to the lyric and with that, the song was born.
It is an uptempo song sung by Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews), instructing the two children, Jane (Karen Dotrice) and Michael (Matthew Garber) to clean their room. But even though the task is daunting, with a good attitude, it can still be fun. The melody is heard throughout the film as Mary's leitmotif. As part of the interlude, she sees that Michael couldn't get out of the closet doors that open and close rapidly.
In the musical, Robertson Ay and Mrs. Brill are helping Mrs. Banks for a tea party she's planning. Mrs. Brill tells Robertson Ay to make the frosting, which the kids try to do instead, despite Robertson Ay giving them warnings. After Jane sends him to get hot water, it comes out with the force of a cannon and causes Robertson Ay to run into the furniture, destroying the kitchen in the process. Mrs. Banks is shocked to see the kitchen in this shape, when she came down with Mary Poppins. Mary sends her upstairs to get dressed, while she gives Jane and Michael some medicine, which comes out in different colors and flavors, much like in the film. Cleaning the kitchen up is similar to cleaning up the nursery in the film with Mary magically putting it back together.
The song is mixed with It's A Small World, also a Sherman song in the final number of On the Record, a short lived revue of Disney songs. The song has characteristics of the fast-paced one-step, a popular dance in the 1910s.
Julie Andrews had not yet committed to do the part of Mary Poppins. She didn't like the song that was written for her, believing it didn't have enough snap to it. The original song was called "The Eyes of Love". Walt Disney instructed the Sherman Brothers to come up with something more catchy. Robert Sherman, who is the primary lyricist of the duo arrived home from work one evening, having worked all day trying to come up with a song idea. As he walked in the door, his wife, Joyce informed him that the children had gotten their polio vaccine that day. Bob asked one of his children if it hurt (thinking the child had received a shot). The child responded that it (the medicine) was put on a cube of sugar and that he swallowed it. Realizing what he had, Robert Sherman arrived at work early the next morning with the title of the song "A Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Medicine Go Down". Sherman suggested the lyric to his brother, Richard, who was at first dismissive but slowly came around. At his brother's behest, Richard put melody to the lyric and with that, the song was born.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Ricky Nelson - "Garden Party" (1972)
"Garden Party" is a 1972 hit song for Rick Nelson and the Stone Canyon Band from the album Garden Party. The song tells the story of Nelson being booed off the stage at Madison Square Garden, seemingly because he was playing his newer, country-tinged music instead of the 1950s-era rock that he had been successful with earlier, and his realization that "you can't please everyone, so you've got to please yourself".
On October 15, 1971, a Rock 'n Roll Revival concert was given at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The playbill included many greats of the early rock era, including Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, and Bobby Rydell.
Nelson came on stage dressed in the then-current fashion, wearing bell-bottoms and a purple velvet shirt, with his hair hanging down to his shoulders. He started playing his older songs "Hello Mary Lou" and "She Belongs to Me", but then he played The Rolling Stones' "Country Honk" (a country version of their hit song "Honky Tonk Women") and the crowd began to boo. While some reports say that the booing was caused by police action in the back of the audience, Nelson took it personally and left the stage. He watched the rest of the concert backstage and did not reappear on stage for the finale.
The "Garden Party" song tells of various people who were present, frequently in an oblique manner ("Yoko brought her Walrus", referring to Yoko Ono and John Lennon), with a chorus:
But it's all right now, I've learned my lesson well
You see, you can't please everyone, so you've got to please yourself
One more reference in the lyrics pertains to a particularly mysterious and legendary audience member: "Mr. Hughes hid in Dylan's shoes, wearing his disguise". The Mr. Hughes in question was not a Howard Hughes reference, as is widely believed, but refers to ex-Beatle, George Harrison, who was a good friend and next-door neighbor to Nelson. Harrison used Hughes as his traveling alias, and "hid in Dylan's shoes" is most likely in reference to an album of Bob Dylan covers Harrison was planning, but never recorded. "Wearing his disguise" fits in with the fact that Harrison traveled incognito.
The lines "Out stepped Johnny B. Goode / Playing guitar, like a-ringing a bell" refer to Chuck Berry and his song "Johnny B. Goode". In the final verse of his song, Nelson sang, "But if memories were all I sang / I'd rather drive a truck."
On October 15, 1971, a Rock 'n Roll Revival concert was given at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The playbill included many greats of the early rock era, including Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, and Bobby Rydell.
Nelson came on stage dressed in the then-current fashion, wearing bell-bottoms and a purple velvet shirt, with his hair hanging down to his shoulders. He started playing his older songs "Hello Mary Lou" and "She Belongs to Me", but then he played The Rolling Stones' "Country Honk" (a country version of their hit song "Honky Tonk Women") and the crowd began to boo. While some reports say that the booing was caused by police action in the back of the audience, Nelson took it personally and left the stage. He watched the rest of the concert backstage and did not reappear on stage for the finale.
The "Garden Party" song tells of various people who were present, frequently in an oblique manner ("Yoko brought her Walrus", referring to Yoko Ono and John Lennon), with a chorus:
But it's all right now, I've learned my lesson well
You see, you can't please everyone, so you've got to please yourself
One more reference in the lyrics pertains to a particularly mysterious and legendary audience member: "Mr. Hughes hid in Dylan's shoes, wearing his disguise". The Mr. Hughes in question was not a Howard Hughes reference, as is widely believed, but refers to ex-Beatle, George Harrison, who was a good friend and next-door neighbor to Nelson. Harrison used Hughes as his traveling alias, and "hid in Dylan's shoes" is most likely in reference to an album of Bob Dylan covers Harrison was planning, but never recorded. "Wearing his disguise" fits in with the fact that Harrison traveled incognito.
The lines "Out stepped Johnny B. Goode / Playing guitar, like a-ringing a bell" refer to Chuck Berry and his song "Johnny B. Goode". In the final verse of his song, Nelson sang, "But if memories were all I sang / I'd rather drive a truck."
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Robbie Williams - "Millennium" (1998)
"Millennium" is a song by Robbie Williams, released as the first single from his second album, I've Been Expecting You. The song was released in 1998.
The song heavily borrows the musical arrangement from John Barry's "You Only Live Twice", the title track for the James Bond film of the same name, reported to be one of Williams' favourite Bond films.
The song was the 30th best selling of 1998 in the UK.
"Millennium" was Williams' first solo single to top the UK Singles Chart. In 1999, the song also received extensive airplay in Canada and the USA, where it was the lead single for Williams' North American compilation album, The Ego Has Landed.
To date Millennium its his third-best selling Single in the UK with 480,000 copies sold.
The song heavily borrows the musical arrangement from John Barry's "You Only Live Twice", the title track for the James Bond film of the same name, reported to be one of Williams' favourite Bond films.
The song was the 30th best selling of 1998 in the UK.
"Millennium" was Williams' first solo single to top the UK Singles Chart. In 1999, the song also received extensive airplay in Canada and the USA, where it was the lead single for Williams' North American compilation album, The Ego Has Landed.
To date Millennium its his third-best selling Single in the UK with 480,000 copies sold.
Friday, August 5, 2011
The Rubettes - "Sugar Baby Love" (1974)
"Sugar Baby Love", recorded in autumn 1973[1] and released in January 1974, is a bubblegum pop song, and the debut single of the Rubettes. Written by Wayne Bickerton and Tony Waddington and produced by Wayne Bickerton, engineered by John Mackswith at Lansdowne Recording Studios, "Sugar Baby Love" was the band's one and only number one single in the UK, spending four weeks at the top of the chart in May 1974.
Bickerton and Waddington had been writing songs together since they were both members of the Pete Best Four in Liverpool in the early 1960s. Their biggest success had been writing "Nothing But A Heartache", a US hit for The Flirtations in 1968. In the early 1970s, they came up with the idea for a rock 'n' roll musical. They co-wrote and produced a demonstration recording of "Sugar Baby Love", originally intending to submit it for the Eurovision Song Contest but instead offering it to Showaddywaddy, who turned it down. It has also been suggested that the song was originally offered to former Move singer Carl Wayne, but he also turned it down.[citation needed] They then offered it to the demo musicians, provided that they would become an actual group. The musicians agreed, became The Rubettes, and "Sugar Baby Love" became a UK #1 hit in 1974, also reaching #37 in the US charts. It also reached #1 in Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium and Australia, and #2 in South Africa.
Bickerton said:
"We had Paul DaVinci singing in that incredibly high falsetto voice and then a vocal group sings 'Bop-shu-waddy' over and over for about 3 minutes. Gerry Shury, who did the string arrangements, said, 'This is not going to work: you can't have a vocal group singing 'Bop-shu-waddy' non stop.' A lot of people said the same thing to us and the more determined I became to release it. The record was dormant for 6 or 7 weeks and then we got a break on Top Of The Pops and it took off like a rocket and sold 6 million copies worldwide. Gerry said to me, 'I'm keeping my mouth shut and will concentrate on conducting the strings.'
Bickerton and Waddington had been writing songs together since they were both members of the Pete Best Four in Liverpool in the early 1960s. Their biggest success had been writing "Nothing But A Heartache", a US hit for The Flirtations in 1968. In the early 1970s, they came up with the idea for a rock 'n' roll musical. They co-wrote and produced a demonstration recording of "Sugar Baby Love", originally intending to submit it for the Eurovision Song Contest but instead offering it to Showaddywaddy, who turned it down. It has also been suggested that the song was originally offered to former Move singer Carl Wayne, but he also turned it down.[citation needed] They then offered it to the demo musicians, provided that they would become an actual group. The musicians agreed, became The Rubettes, and "Sugar Baby Love" became a UK #1 hit in 1974, also reaching #37 in the US charts. It also reached #1 in Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium and Australia, and #2 in South Africa.
Bickerton said:
"We had Paul DaVinci singing in that incredibly high falsetto voice and then a vocal group sings 'Bop-shu-waddy' over and over for about 3 minutes. Gerry Shury, who did the string arrangements, said, 'This is not going to work: you can't have a vocal group singing 'Bop-shu-waddy' non stop.' A lot of people said the same thing to us and the more determined I became to release it. The record was dormant for 6 or 7 weeks and then we got a break on Top Of The Pops and it took off like a rocket and sold 6 million copies worldwide. Gerry said to me, 'I'm keeping my mouth shut and will concentrate on conducting the strings.'
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
The Doors - "Touch Me" (1968)
"Touch Me" is a song by The Doors from their album The Soft Parade. Written by Robby Krieger, its riff was influenced by The Four Seasons' "C'mon Marianne." It is notable for its extensive usage of brass and string instruments (including a powerful solo by featured saxophonist Curtis Amy) to accent Jim Morrison's vocals. It was one of the most popular singles by The Doors.
It was released as a single in December 1968. The song reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 in the Cashbox Top 100 in early 1969 (the band's third American number-one single). The single also did well elsewhere, peaking at #1 in the RPM Canadian Singles Chart and at #10 in the Kent Music Report in Australia. However, despite the band's commercial success the previous year, "Touch Me" did not chart in the UK Singles Chart.
It was released as a single in December 1968. The song reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 in the Cashbox Top 100 in early 1969 (the band's third American number-one single). The single also did well elsewhere, peaking at #1 in the RPM Canadian Singles Chart and at #10 in the Kent Music Report in Australia. However, despite the band's commercial success the previous year, "Touch Me" did not chart in the UK Singles Chart.
We Five - "You Were On My Mind" (1965)
We Five was a 1960s folk rock musical group based in San Francisco, California. Their best-known hit was their 1965 remake of Ian and Sylvia's "You Were on My Mind", which reached #1 on the Cashbox chart, #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The original group split after recording their second album in 1967, but a re-formed band produced three more albums between 1968 and 1977. The original group is probably best remembered for the vocal qualities of its lead singer Beverly Bivens.
"You Were On My Mind" is a song written by Sylvia Tyson in 1964. It was originally performed by her and Ian Tyson as the duo Ian & Sylvia and they recorded it for their 1964 album, Northern Journey. It was published in sheet form by M. Witmark & Sons of New York City in 1965.
The song was covered in an up-tempo version, with slightly altered lyrics and melody, the following year by the California pop quintet We Five. Their recording reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in September 1965 and topped the Billboard easy listening chart for five weeks. The performance by We Five is noteworthy for the gradual buildup in intensity, starting off somewhat flowing and gentle, increasing in intensity in the third stanza and remaining so through the fourth stanza. The fifth and final stanza starts off gently and concludes very intensely, ending with a series of guitar chords.
Other notable recordings include versions by:
Barry McGuire covered the song on his 1965 album, Eve of Destruction, as a rare solo vocal performance
Joe Dassin recorded a french language version, called "Ça M'avance À Quoi" on his 1966 album A New York
Crispian St. Peters, who had a number two hit with it in 1966 in the United Kingdom. The song was released in the United States in 1967 and went to #36 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Nanci Griffith included the song in her album of covers Other Voices, Too (A Trip Back to Bountiful) in 1998
Les Fradkin covered it on his 2006 album Jangleholic
Italian group Equipe 84, who recorded a successful version in Italian under the title "Io ho in mente te" ("You Are On My Mind")
Paul Anka, who also recorded it in Italian
Susanna Hoffs
"You Were On My Mind" is a song written by Sylvia Tyson in 1964. It was originally performed by her and Ian Tyson as the duo Ian & Sylvia and they recorded it for their 1964 album, Northern Journey. It was published in sheet form by M. Witmark & Sons of New York City in 1965.
The song was covered in an up-tempo version, with slightly altered lyrics and melody, the following year by the California pop quintet We Five. Their recording reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in September 1965 and topped the Billboard easy listening chart for five weeks. The performance by We Five is noteworthy for the gradual buildup in intensity, starting off somewhat flowing and gentle, increasing in intensity in the third stanza and remaining so through the fourth stanza. The fifth and final stanza starts off gently and concludes very intensely, ending with a series of guitar chords.
Other notable recordings include versions by:
Barry McGuire covered the song on his 1965 album, Eve of Destruction, as a rare solo vocal performance
Joe Dassin recorded a french language version, called "Ça M'avance À Quoi" on his 1966 album A New York
Crispian St. Peters, who had a number two hit with it in 1966 in the United Kingdom. The song was released in the United States in 1967 and went to #36 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Nanci Griffith included the song in her album of covers Other Voices, Too (A Trip Back to Bountiful) in 1998
Les Fradkin covered it on his 2006 album Jangleholic
Italian group Equipe 84, who recorded a successful version in Italian under the title "Io ho in mente te" ("You Are On My Mind")
Paul Anka, who also recorded it in Italian
Susanna Hoffs
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