John Twang's articles

The mid fifties was the era of Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, and Empire Records saw a way of cashing in by emphasizing the youth of the singers especially their group The Preludes. They became The Youngsters (Charles Everidge, Herman Pruitt, Robert Johnson and others). "Dreamy Eyes" released in 1956 was the last tune by the group for the label which folded less than a year later. Hollywood High students The Four Preps (Bruce Belland, Ed Cobb, Glen Larson and Marv Ingram) In 1956 they signed…

Tommy James and the Shondells (Eddie Gray, Ron Rosman, Mike Vale and Peter Lucia) "I Think We're Alone Now" (Ritchie Cordell) peaked at number four in 1967. The Tommy James book "Me, the Mob, and the Music: One Helluva Ride" is a most interesting read. In 1985 Tiffany (Darwish) took second place on "Star Search". In 1987 Tiffany topped the charts with the "I Think We're Alone Now" cover and second single from her album "Tiffany". Both the single and the album hit number one for this former t…

One of the most influential pop music duos consisted of brothers Don and Phil Everly. The Everly Brothers were raised in a musical family and are members of both The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame. Cadence and Warner Brothers were the labels where the brothers showcased their incredible harmonies. "Problems" (Boudleaux - Felice Bryant) was recorded for Cadence. This is the Don demo followed by the Everly hit version. The single reached number two on Billboard in…

Original lead for The Impressions, "The Iceman", Jerry Butler co-wrote and recorded "He Will Break Your Heart" (Jerry Butler - Calvin Carter - Curtis Mayfield) in 1960 peaking at number seven on the pop chart and topping the R&B chart. Produced by members of The Tokens, the Tony Orlando & Dawn (Thelma Hopkins and Joyce Vincent Wilson) version titled "He Don't Love You (Like I Love You)" topped the charts in 1975. It was released on the album of the same name.

Composer Jimmy Webb was first to record "The Highwayman" for his 1977 album "El Mirage" produced, arranged, and conducted by George Martin, . Among his bona fide hits: Up, Up and Away", "Didn't We", "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", "Wichita Lineman", "Galveston", "The Worst That Could Happen", "All I Know", and "MacArthur Park". According to wikipedia Jimmy Webb is the only artist ever to have received Grammy Awards for music, lyrics, and orchestration. Why he was never successful as a performer/…

There are many rock and roll anthems like Johnny B Goode, We Will Rock You, Born to be Wild, etc. but I had no idea the Duane Eddy "polka" Rebel 'Rouser would be the basis for a tune with that title. "The national anthem of rock'n'roll" come from a live 1961 performance recorded at the Rock and Roll Lounge in Montreal. Jack Scott was born Giovanni Scafone Jr. on January 28, 1936 in Windsor. Rock and roll-ballad singer/songwriter/guitarist. Jack moved to Hazel Park, Michigan, in 1946. He first…

When the inventive Roger Miller wrote "Fair Swiss Maiden" it was titled simply "Swiss Maid", then he recorded the song and changed the title. Del Shannon's (Charles Weedon Westover) version called "The Swiss Maid" was released in 1962 and crawled to the top sixty in the U.S. while in the U.K. it peaked at number two!

This is Roger Cook singing "I Believe in You" (Roger Cook - Sam Hogin). Roger Cook has composed too many hits to list while Sam Hogin gave us Shania Twain's "Dance With the One That Brought You" and lots of other country hits. Former member of the Pozo-Seco Singers, Don Williams released the album and single "I Believe in You" in 1980. It topped the country chart and hit the top twenty on the pop chart. This is a concert version.

Fats Domino recorded "My Girl Josephine" (Domino - Bartholomew) in 1960 and peaked at number fourteen on the pop chart. It was on Fat's album "A Lot of Dominos" along with "Walkin' to New Orleans". Jerry Jaye's cover "Hello Josephine" was done on one take, cost him $13.00 and was released on his own label, "Connie", in a run of only a few hundred as he personally shopped the record to local radio stations. Once the song began getting airplay, he signed a contract with Hi Records for national…

Ellie Greenwich was one of three composers on "I Can Hear Music" (Ellie Greenwich - Jeff Barry - Phil Spector). This is from the 1973 album "Let it be Written, Let it be Sung". In 1985 a Broadway show "Leader of the Pack" dedicated to songs co-written by Ellie and based on her life debuted and was nominated for a Best Musical Tony. Produced by Jeff Barry "I Can Hear Music" (Barry-Greenwich-Spector) was originally performed by The Ronettes (sisters Veronica Bennett, Estelle Bennett and cousin…

The traditional children's song "Looby Lou" (Massey - Robinson) is the third track on the Donald Dame album "Children's Favourites, Volume 1: Original Recordings 1926 - 1952". This was recorded with the Alexander Cores Orchestra. Something different from the Metropolitan Opera tenor. Johnny Thunder aka Gil Hamilton recorded the original "Tell Him" in 1962. That became the hit "Tell Him" later that year for the Essex. In 1963 "Loop De Loop" peaked at number four.

"Diane" (Rapee - Pollack) was composed for the 1927 silent movie "Seventh Heaven". In the silent era, theatres provided live accompaniment on piano, organ or even full orchestra. James Melton sang the lyric first. It was he who started the tradition of singing "Back Home Again in Indiana" at the Indianapolis 500. Irish trio The Bachelors (Con Cluskey, Declan Cluskey and John Stokes) hit came in 1964 when it peaked in the Billboard top ten.

"Desafinado" (Portuguese meaning: out of tune) was composed by Antonio Carlos Jobim. Apparently one of the reasons "Tom" Jobim wrote Desafinado was because he was aware that he was not a good singer, hence Desafinado (Out of Tune) was written. The song begins by him saying "If you say that I sing out of tune my love, know that this immensely hurts me, only privileged people have good ears like yours, I have just what God has given me." The version by saxophonist Stan Getz (Gayetzky) and Char…

"Until It's Time for You to Go" is from the 1965 album "Many a Mile" by Canadian First Nations singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie. This Canadian classic charted for Neil Leslie Diamond in 1975.

Carl Emil Paul Lincke was a German composer and conductor. His composition "Glühwürmchen" (The Glow-Worm) originated in the 1902 operetta Lysistrata. It was originally translated into English by Lilla Cayley Robinson in the early 20th century was used in the 1907 Broadway musical "The Girl Behind The Counter". American lyricist Johnny Mercer later expanded and greatly revised her lyrics. His version was a hit for the Mills Brothers (John, Herbert, Harry and Donald Mills) in 1952 and peaked a…

Joni Mitchell's "Woodstock" comes from the 1970 album "Ladies of the Canyon". She wrote the song from what she had heard from then-boyfriend, Graham Nash, about the Woodstock Music and Art Festival. She had not been there herself, since she was told by a manager that it would be more advantageous for her to appear on The Dick Cavett Show. She wrote it in a hotel room in New York City, watching televised reports of the festival. About the same time that "Ladies of the Canyon" appeared, Crosby,…

The timeless Bobby Darin wrote and recorded "I'll Be There" as the B side to "Bill Bailey" in 1960. It barely broke into the top one hundred. Liverpool group Gerry (Marsden) and the Pacemakers (Gerry's brother Fred Marsden, Les Chadwick and Les Maguire) recorded "I'll Be There" in 1964. The single cracked the American top fifteen and topped the Canadian charts in March of 1965. This 2008 re-mastered version features the seldom heard strings.

Buzzy (William) Linhart co-authored "(You Got to Have) Friends" (Buzzy Linhart and Mark "Moogy" Klingman). Bette Midler and "Friends" reached the top forty with her cover in 1973. "Friends" is from her first album "The Devine Miss M". Co-produced by Barry Manilow the LP also contained hits like "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy", "Chapel of Love", "Do You Want to Dance" and the wonderful "Hello in There". The same year she won a Grammy as best new artist.