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Johnny Dee aka the prolific composer John D. Loudermilk recorded his original "Sittin' In the Balcony" in 1957. What became Eddie Cochran's first hit was released at almost the same time and the cover got into the Billboard top twenty.

Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra with vocalist Kenny Sargent recorded "Blue Moon" (Rodgers - Hart) in 1934. The melody was written for the Hollywood Revue of 1933 but unused for the film. The melody was used again the next year for the movie

Pittsburgh crooner Dick Powell and Canada's Ethel "Ruby" Keeler sang "I Only Have Eyes For You" (Warren - Dubin) in the 1934 movie "Dames" The Flamingos (Nate Nelson on lead, Jake Carey, Zeke Carey, Paul Wilson and Johnny Carter) took the tune into

Cajun Rod Bernard's single release of the traditional "Colinda" appeared in 1962 and became a regional hit. The female portion of the Canadian Sweethearts, Lucille Starr (Savoie) issued "Colinda" as the B side of "The French Song". Both were Canadian

Trumpet and trombone expert, big band leader and actor Vaughn Monroe first recorded "That Lucky Old Sun" (Smith - Gillespie) and watched it hit the top ten in 1949. "Old leather lungs", Frankie Laine's (LoVecchio) version charted for 22 weeks and

Although it was written specifically for Perry Como, Ray Peterson's "The Wonder Of You" (Baker Knight) hit the top thirty in 1959 and became his first real hit. One year later he created Dunes Records as his own label and hit with "Corrine, Corrina" and

The 1964 album "Another Side of Bob Dylan" started off with this track, "All I Really Want To Do" by the composer. It was apparently recorded in one take. The Byrds (Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, David Crosby, Mike Clarke and Chris Hillman) got to the

Star of the Bob Hope and Bing Crosby "Road" movies, Dorothy Lamour (Slaton) sang "I Remember You" with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra in the 1942 film "The Fleet's In" (Mercer - Schertzinger). The Beatles were once the opening act for British born,

Charlie Gracie (Graci) appeared on Bandstand years before Dick Clark became the host. In 1956 he recorded "Butterfly" (Lowe - Mann) as composed under the pseudonym "Anthony September" in late 1956 and it became an immediate hit selling over three

African Dance Band of the Cold Storage Commission of Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) were first to record this tune titled after an illicit alcoholic drink, "Skokiaan" (Musarurwa). It was released in 1947 and actually charted later in the U.S.A. Tom

He who "put the bomp", Barry Mann (Imberman) and wife Cynthia Weil composed one ton of hits including "Looking Through the Eyes of Love" and here Barry gives his version. Musician, composer Gene Pitney's single in July of 1965 hit the top thirty from

Minstrel show performer Emmitt Miller recorded "Anytime" (Lawson) in 1924. Grand Ole Opry member Eddy Arnold was once managed by the infamous Col. Tom Parker before the Colonel discovered Elvis Presley. Eddy had a number one country hit and a top forty

Sonny Curtis of The Crickets (Sonny, Jerry Allison, Glen Hardin and Joe Mauldin) composed "I Fought the Law". Originally the group were backing Buddy Holly instrumentally while "The Picks" (John and Bill Pickering, Bob Lapham) provided the vocal

Texas radio personality Slim Willet (Winston Lee Moore) often sang on stage with his group "The Hired Hands" was the first to record his composition of "Don't Let the Stars Get In Your Eyes" in 1952. Once vocalist with the Ted Weems Orchestra, Perry

Emmy winner for a children's television show Doye O'Dell was first to record "Blue Christmas" (Johnson - Hayes) as a single in 1948. The Elvis Presley November release in the 1957 E.P. "Elvis' Christmas Album" was just in time for the holiday season

The wonderful Neil Sedaka and the Brill Building's Roger Atkins ("My Momma Said", "It's My Life") composed "Workin' On a Groovy Thing" and it was released world-wide by Neil in 1969. Nashville's Patti Drew was first to release the tune as a single

The Beatles buddy, (Harry) Nilsson composed "One" for his 1968 album "Ariel Ballet". Originally called Redwood, the Three Dog Night (Chuck Negron, Danny Hutton and Cory Wells) cover from their debut album "Three Dog Night" featured New Yorker Chuck

Academy Award, Emmy and Grammy winner Randy Newman wrote "Mama Told Me Not to Come" for Eric Burdon and the Animals 1967 album, "Eric Is Here", in1966. Randy's version came in the 1970 album "12 Songs". Three Dog Night's version from the album "It

The talented Dolly Parton composed "I Will Always Love You" in 1973 supposedly for her mentor, Porter Wagoner. It is contained on her 1974 album "Jolene" and was used in the movie "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore". In 1982 she recorded it again for the

Singer, session musician, guitarist, actor, television personality and once a member of The Champs and the Beach Boy tour replacement for Brian Wilson, Glen Campbell was first to record "Turn Around, Look at Me" (Jerry Capehart) in 1961 when it got into

David Dante (Hess) recorded "Speedy Gonzales" (Buddy Kaye, Ethel Lee and David Hess) in 1961. Later composer/actor and director David Hess became head of A&R for Mercury Records. The next year Pat Boone hit the top ten with his cover. The

Rio de Janeiro's Jorge Ben (Menezes) composed the Brazilian song "Mas Que Nada" and was first to record the tune for his first album "Samba Esquema Novo" in 1963. The album "Sergio Mendes & Brazil '66" was released in 1966 with the single getting

The original instrumental by Frank Pourcel was issued in 1961 on the album "Amour, Danse et Violions". The composers were listed as J. W. Stole (Frank Pourcel) and Del Roma (Paul Mauriat). In 1962 Petula Clark released the French tune "Chariot" (Frank

Once a Christmas favourite on the Late Show with David Letterman and elsewhere, Darlene Love (Wright) recorded "Chapel of Love" (Jeff Barry - Ellie Greenwich - Phil Spector) in 1963 with the Wrecking Crew. The song was originally written for the

Tony winner Ruth Brown's "Lucky Lips" (Leiber - Stoller) reached the R&B top ten and top thirty on the pop chart in 1957. Interestingly her follow up "This Little Girl's Gone Rockin'" was composed by Bobby Darin. Cliff Richard (Harry Webb) and the

Elvis Presley's "Suspicion" (Doc Pomus - Mort Shuman) is from the 1962 album "Pot Luck" and became a U.K. top ten hit in 1976. The Terry Stafford cover hit the top ten in 1964. Les Paul's brother-in-law Bob Summers produced and played most

Produced by Jackson Browne, Chicago native Warren Zevon's "Poor, Poor Pitiful Me" made it's first appearance on his 1976 self-titled album. During the seventies Warren toured and recorded with the Everly Brothers. Later that decade he roomed with the

Laura Nyro (Nigro) released the album "Eli and the Thirteenth Confession" in 1968, it contains the hits "Sweet Blindness", "Stoned Soul Picnic" and "Eli's Comin'"! Group details for Three Dog Night are elsewhere in this blog. According to their website

Laura Nyro wrote and wanted to record "Wedding Bell Blues" in 1966 for her "More Than A New Discovery" album. The producer didn't want the tune on the album and this apparently lead to Laura leaving the Verve Folkways label. The Fifth Dimension cover

Laura Nyro's "Stoned Soul Picnic" is again from the 1968 album "Eli and the Thirteenth Confession" produced by former Four Seasons member Charlie Calello. The Fifth Dimension got to the number three Billboard position with their cover from the 1968

Dorsey and Johnny Burnette were members of the legendary "Rock and Roll Trio" with Paul Burlison. Dorsey hit the top twenty with "Tall Oak Tree" in 1960 and is the father of Fleetwood Mac member Billy Burnette . Dorsey's younger brother Johnny had

Marty Robbins composed "You Gave Me a Mountain" and it was recorded in 1966. It's a track on the 1969 album "It's A Sin". Jimmy Bowen produced Frankie Laine's 1969 top thirty single from the album of the same name.

With Elvis Presley's guitarist Scotty Moore as producer Thomas Wayne (Perkins) recorded "This Time" (Chips Moman) for Fernwood Records in 1958. The label was started by Scotty after Elvis went into the army. Thomas Wayne was the brother of Johnny Cash

In 1964 Dave Berry (Grundy) released "The Crying Game" (Geoff Stephens) and it reached the top ten in the U.K. With the production expertise of the Pet Shop Boys, former member of The Culture Club, Boy George (George O'Dowd) recorded "The Crying Game"

Kenny Loggins' cousin, Grammy winner Dave Loggins "Pieces of April" appeared on his 1971 album "Personal Belongings". Chuck Negron is on lead for Three Dog Night when they hit the top twenty with their single cover in 1973 from the 1972 album "Seven

Harriet Schock wrote "Ain't No Way to Treat a Lady" and it comes from her debut album "Hollywood Town" in 1974. Actor, clinical hypnotherapist, activist and talented singer Helen Reddy scored a number eight hit with her cover of "Ain't No Way To Treat

Alex Harvey "Rings" (Alex Harvey - Eddie Reeves). According to "Songfacts" and co-composer Eddie Reeves they wrote this in honor of their friends Bob and Chris Hamilton. "We wrote the song as a special present for them about a month before their