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David and Jonathan (Roger Cook, Roger Greenaway) details can be found on the post featuring "Softly Whispering I Love You". They were the composers and the first to record "You've Got Your Troubles". The Fortunes (Rod Allen, Glen Dale, Brian Pritchard,

The Rambler Trio featuring Arthur Smith recorded Arthur Smith's "Guitar Boogie" in 1945. Composer Smith and his "Cracker-Jacks" issued another version in 1948. Frank Virtue and Arthur Smith served in the Navy together and Frank's group, The Virtues

The Platters (Tony Williams, David Lynch, Herb Reed, Paul Robi and Zola Taylor) had their career guided by producer/songwriter/manager Buck Ram. One of Buck's songs was "Only You" which was recorded for Federal Records but that company decided not to

In 1967 Michael Whalen released the first recording of Jimmy "Layne" Webb's composition "Where's the Playground Susie". Jim even produced the session. Glen Campbell's 1967 version hit the top thirty continuing Glen's string of Jim Webb compositions

NBC made the decision to make a Saturday morning television show similar to The Monkees but more educational. That's how the Goggles started. Their one-hour special did not make it as a regular program, but they were featured artists on "Take a Giant

Gilbert Becaud released "Le jour où la pluie viendra" (Becaud, Delanoe) in 1957. Despite the fact that it was issued as a B side it achieved chart status in France. It became the first foreign success for what would be many Gilbert Becaud songs. Lady

Italian born French chanteuse Rina Ketty (Rina Pichetto) recorded "Padre Don José" (Larue, Romans) in 1952. Frank Sinatra referred to her as "the singer's singer", big band vocalist Toni Arden (Antoinette Ardizzone) hit the top twenty with the English

The Orioles (Sonny Til, Alexander Sharp, George Nelson, Tommy Gaither and Johnny Reid) recorded "It's Too Soon to Know" composed by their manager Deborah Chessler in 1948 and got well into the top fifteen. Pat Boone's version, originally the flip of

Johnnie Ray lost much of his hearing during a Boy Scout Jamboree in Oregon but that didn't stop him from having a spectacular career in music. In 1958 Johnnie Ray was the first to record "Endlessly" (Clyde Otis-Brook Benton). Composer and silky smooth

"So Fine" (Johnny Otis) was recorded by The Sheiks (Jesse Belvin, Eugene Church, Mel Williams and Harold Lewis) in 1955. The Fiestas (Tony Bullock, Eddie Morris, Sam Ingalls and Preston Lane) recorded "So Fine" in 1958 and intended it to be the B side

Gerry Goffin wrote the lyrics for Carole King's "Oh, No! Not My Baby". Maxine Brown did a great job when she recorded the tune in 1964 and took it to the top thirty after Scepter label-mates The Shirelles had trouble recording the song. You'll find

Leiber and Stoller produced The Coasters "(Ain't That) Just Like Me" (Carroll, Guy) featuring Carl Gardner on lead with Billy Guy, Will Jones and Earl Carroll as backup in 1961. Former skiffle group The Searchers (possibly: John McNally, Mike Pender,

The Teen Queens recorded (sisters Betty and Rosie Collins) "Eddie My Love" (composed by brother Aaron Collins) in late 1955. It broke into the top fifteen in 1956 and was one of the first records specifically aimed at the teenage market. The same year

Dick and Don, The Addrisi Brothers" wrote one of the most played songs in history but they didn't release "Never My Love" themselves until 1977. In the first year of release almost twenty artists had recorded versions. The tune hit for the Fifth

Emmy nominee Steve Eaton's album "Out of the Blues" contains "All You Get From Love Is a Love Song". Steve once played lead guitar for Paul Revere and the Raiders. Listening to his version of this tune you quickly realize the diverse musicianship he

Barry McGuire once played with the New Christy Minstrels, composing and singing lead on their biggest song, "Green, Green". His "Eve of Destruction" was done in one take and went to number one. During this time he met the Mamas and the Papas and

In 1972 Billy Lawrence released "Playground In My Mind" (Pockriss-Vance) aka "My Name is Michael" and it went nowhere quickly. Clint Holmes "Playground In My Mind" came out the following year after Paul Vance watched the entertainer impersonate Johnny

Chad (Stuart) and Jeremy (Clyde) had a few major hits during the British Invasion. In 1965 they released the album "Distant Shores" and that's where you'll find the original recording of the then unknown Paul Simon's "Homeward Bound". Late in 1965

Betty Everett's "You're No Good" and "The Shoop Shoop Song (it's in his kiss)" remain her biggest hits. "1900 Yesterday" comes from the 1969 album "There'll Come a Time" produced by the Chi-Lites lead singer Eugene Record. Hawaiian band Liz Damon's

They appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show and Las Vegas in the fifties but few are familiar with The Sonny Land Trio. They were first to release "My Special Angel" (Jimmy Duncan) in 1957. That same year country singer Bobby Helms and the Anita Kerr Singers

Jon Voight's brother, Angelina Jolie's Uncle, successful gambler, accomplished golfer and composer Chip Taylor (James Wesley Voight) wrote "Angel of the Morning" and "Wild Thing". You don't get more polarized that that. In 1965 The Wild Ones (Jordan

Stephen Stills wrote "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" for ex-girlfriend Judy Collins. She does have strikingly blue eyes. First off is Stephen's demo version. The song is on the self-titled Crosby, Stills & Nash debut album issued in 1969 and was one of the

Hoyt Axton (career details elsewhere on this blog) cut a live album at the famed Troubadour in 1962 and "Greenback Dollar" was one of the tracks. Hoyt and Ken Ramsey were the composers. The Kingston Trio (career details elsewhere on this blog) recorded

The group Manfred Mann (Manfred Mann, Tom McGuinness, Paul Jones, Mike Hugg and Mike Vickers) has changed personnel and even names (Manfred Mann's Earth Band, The Manfreds) over the years. They recorded "Each and Every Day" (Mike Hugg) on the 1968

Sonny Curtis of the Crickets composed "I Fought the Law", "The Straight Life", "A Fool Never Learns", "Love Is All Around" for the Mary Tyler Moore Show and "Walk Right Back" among others. He was the first rock artist to record with the Fender

Composer/producer Bruce Welch (Cripps) was a member of Cliff Richard's backup band The Drifters, later known as The Shadows. In 1974 he recorded "Please Mr. Please". He is Olivia Newton-John's ex-fiancée. Olivia Newton-John recorded "Please Mr. Please"

Carole King's "You've Got A Friend" is on the legendary 1971 "Tapestry" album. The song won the Grammy as "song of the year". James Taylor calls this "the best song ever written" and it comes from his 1971 album "Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon"

In 1954 Bernard Hardison sang and played piano on the original version of "Too Much" (Rosenberg-Weinman) but it never charted. Elvis Presley topped the charts in 1956 with "Too Much" issued between "Love Me Tender" and "All Shook Up". "Too Much" was

(Meet me at) Midnight Mary (Raleigh-Wayne) was recorded by Jerry Cole one year after the publishers were given the song. Co-writer Artie Wayne had faith in the song and decided he could produce a better one with his buddy Joey Powers. Months later

In 1967 Shadden (Williams) and the King Lears were the first to record "Come Back When You Grow Up" (Martha Sharp). The Bobby Vee (Velline) version of "Come Back When You Grow Up" was issued later that same year and reached the top five on the

Dionne Warwick (Warrick) recorded "Make It Easy On Yourself" (Bacharach-David) for the original demo in 1962. On the strength of her demos Dionne gained a contract with Scepter records. This demo was released on her debut album "Presenting Dionne

Born on a Mississippi plantation in the 1800's Bo Carter (Armenter Chatmon) recorded the traditional "Corrina, Corrina" in 1928. A victim of childhood polio, Texan Ray Peterson issued "Corrine, Corrina" in 1960 and took it into the top ten. Although

Thomas Wayne (Perkins) is the brother of Luther Perkins, Johnny Cash's guitar player. His first release was "This Time" which was covered successfully by Troy Shondell. "Kiss Away" (Sherrill-Sutton) was covered with a good chart position by Ronnie Dove.

From Prince Edward Island comes the music of Gene MacLellan. This would include "Put Your Hand In the Hand" and "Snowbird". Gene suffered from polio and heart problems as a child. Gene along with Robbie Robertson were members of Little Caesar and the

Californians Don (Harris) and Dewey (Terry) were the first to record "Farmer John", later a hit for the Premiers, "Koko Joe" (Sonny Bono) a hit later for the Righteous Brothers and in 1957 "I'm Leaving It All Up To You" (Harris-Terry). Before Dale

Jimmy Dean was the first to record "My Heart Is An Open Book" (Hal David - Lee Pockriss) with the Ray Ellis Orchestra in late 1958. It was the flip of the A side "Shark in the Bathtub". Neither tune appeared on an album for many years and remained as