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Publication date  /  2015  /  October   -   46 articles

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  • A Swinging Safari

    - 08 Oct 2015
    The single from the album "A Swinging Safari" was composed and recorded by Bert Kaempfert in 1962 but failed to chart in the U.S. The penny whistle spound is really a piccolo. Fred Moch is on trumpet. The album also contained the hits "That Happy Feeling"

  • L-O-V-E

    - 08 Oct 2015
    The Bert Kaempfert 1964 album "Blue Midnight" contains "L-O-V-E" with Manfred Moch's trumpet. Nat "King" Cole had words added by Milt Gabler. The trumpet solo was performed by Bobby Bryant. Nat and his company liked "L-O-V-E" so much that he recorded

  • Strangers in the Night

    - 08 Oct 2015
    Bert Kaempfert composed "Beddy Bye" (Kaempfert) for the James Garner, Melina Mercouri movie "A Man Could Get Killed". Later issued as the single "Strangers in the Night" it peaked in the top ten of the Easy Listening chart in 1966. Franks Sinatra topped

  • The World We Knew (Over and Over)

    - 08 Oct 2015
    Germany's master musician, composer, producer and band leader Bert Kaempfert recorded the album "The World We Knew (Over and Over)" in 1967. Frank Sinatra's cover was released in 1967 from the album of the same name which also contains the number one

  • Spanish Eyes

    - 08 Oct 2015
    Bert Kaempfert recorded four albums in 1964, one of them was "The Magic Music From Far Away Places" featuring "Moon Over Naples". Lyrics were later added by Charles Singleton but there was no chart action. The instrumental single charted at number

  • Johnny Angel

    - 09 Oct 2015
    The demo for "Johnny Angel" (Lyn Pockriss - Lee Pockriss) was done by Sandy Stewart (Galitz) of "My Coloring Book" fame. In 1960 Georgia Lee (Dulcie Rama Pitt) recorded the original release. Topping the charts in 1962 was Shelley (Michele Ann Marie)

  • Hillbilly Heaven

    - 09 Oct 2015
    Eddie Dean (Glosup) recorded "Hillbilly Heaven" (Dean - Southern) in 1955. Eddie was one of those singing cowboys from the silver screen who was also a composer: "One Has My Name (the Other Has My Heart)" John Ritter's (Three's Company) father and

  • Somewhere My Love (Lara's Theme)

    - 10 Oct 2015
    French composer and conductor Maurice Jarre wrote the music for the 1965 spectacular "Dr. Zhivago". This is "Lara's Theme" from the soundtrack. Omar Sharif and Julie Christie (Lara) starred in the David Lean epic. The motion pictiure earned five Academy

  • Soul Deep

    - 10 Oct 2015
    Chips Moman produced the composer Wayne Carson (Head) on "Soul Deep" (Wayne Carson Thompson). The Box Tops (Alex Chilton, Bill Cunningham, Gary Talley, Danny Smythe and John Evans) cover of "Soul Deep" featuring lead vocalist Alex Chilton was issued in

  • The Race Is On

    - 11 Oct 2015
    George Jones' "The Race Is On" (Don Rollins - George Jones) was recorded in 1963 and released in 1964 on the album "I Get Lonely In a Hurry". "Thumper" aka "The Possum" aka :"No Show" peaked at number three on Billboard's Country chart and dented the pop

  • Lazy River

    - 12 Oct 2015
    This is Hoagy Carmichael and the original "Lazy River" (Carmichael - Arodin) recorded in 1930. Jimmy Dorsey is on clarinet, Tommy Dorsey's trombone and Joe Venuti playing violin. From November of 1932 Louis Armstrong shows how to scat with this credible

  • Hey There

    - 12 Oct 2015
    Introduced in the original 1954 production of the Tony Award winning "Pajama Game", "Hey There" (Richard Adler - Jerry Ross) was sung by Bonnie Raitt's father John. This Broadway show was also the source for "Steam Heat" and "Hernanado's Hideaway".

  • Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

    - 13 Oct 2015
    Neil Sedaka recorded the original "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" (N. Sedaka - H. Greenfield) in 1962 and ended up with his first number one hit on Billboard. That same year Neil recorded and Italian issue "Tu Non Lo Sai" (You Don't Know). The Cookies are

  • A Tear Fell

    - 13 Oct 2015
    This gentleman is not to be confused with the Motown producer of the same name, singer/pianist/composer and versatile entertainer Ivory Joe Hunter (Ivory Joe is his Christian name) issued "A Tear Fell" (Eugene Randolph - Dorian Burton) on Atlantic in

  • The Entertainer

    - 13 Oct 2015
    The "King of Ragtime Writers", composer/pianist Scott Joplin's original release of "The Entertainer (A Ragtime Two Step)" was issued on an actual piano roll in the year 1902 as he never made a true recording. In 1976 Scott Joplin was posthumously

  • Amazing Grace

    - 14 Oct 2015
    It started out called " Faith's Review and Expectation". What we know as "Amazing Grace" (John Newton) has a back story that is well worth the research but is way too lengthy to include here. It was first published in 1779. The earliest known recording

  • You Needed Me

    - 14 Oct 2015
    Well respected composer Randy Goodrum wrote "You Needed Me" in the early seventies and it became his first taste of major commercial success. This is from an appearance he made at Nashville's Bluebird Cafe. In the 1978 album "Let's Keep It That Way" Anne

  • Claudette

    - 15 Oct 2015
    As a fan of Roy Orbison I won't go into details about his marriages and his life. Let's just say that he is remembered by many with a deserved great deal of respect. Roy Orbison wrote "Claudette" for his first wife and this is that demo that may well have

  • La Bamba

    - 15 Oct 2015
    El Jarocho recorded the folk song and wedding dance "La Bamba" (Alvaro Hernandez Ortiz) in 1939. Credited composer Alvaro Hernandez Ortiz performed under the name El Jarocho. Originally the music came from the Veracruz area along the Gulf of Mexico. The

  • The Joker Went Wild

    - 16 Oct 2015
    Another Bobby Russell composition is "The Joker Went Wild". Brian Hyland recorded the Snuff Garrett produced "The Joker Went Wild" in 1966. J.J. Cale and Leon Russell appear on the track that peaked in the top twenty.

  • Honey

    - 17 Oct 2015
    The first Bobby, Bobby Russell, is responsible for composing the song "Honey". A member of the original Kingston Trio, the second Bobby, Bob Shane (Schoen), was first to record the tune as produced by the first Bobby, Bobby Russell. Ex guitar player

  • Sea of Love

    - 17 Oct 2015
    "Sea of Love" (Phil Phillips - George Khoury) by Phil Phillips (John Phillip Baptiste) and the Twilights hit number two on the pop chart and topped the R&B chart in 1959. According to Wikipedia "Baptiste, who was working as a bellboy in at the

  • Five O'Clock Somewhere

    - 19 Oct 2015
    The prolific Don Rollins co-wrote "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" (Jim "Moose" Brown - Don Rollins) and it's heard here in a live performance. After it was turned down by Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett teamed for this top country hit that

  • Shangri-La

    - 20 Oct 2015
    Robert Maxwell (Max Rosen) and his two brothers were professional harpists, just how many do you know, but it was Robert who composed "Fantasy For Harp" that eventually became "Shangri-La" (Malneck - Maxwell) in 1946. This version charted in the top

  • Kicks

    - 20 Oct 2015
    This is Barry Mann's demo of "Kicks" (Mann - Weil) composed specifically for The Animals but Eric Burdon turned it down. Doris Day's son and one of those responsible for "The California Sound", Terry Melcher (Jorden) produced Paul Revere and the Raiders

  • The Twist

    - 21 Oct 2015
    Composer Hank Ballard (John Henry Kendricks) was first to do "The Twist" along with his group The Midnighters in 1959. This was released as the B side of "Teardrops On Your Letter". In 1960 "The Twist" original peaked at number twenty-eight. Hank's

  • Is It Wrong

    - 21 Oct 2015
    Country artist Warner Mack (MacPherson) released the original "Is It Wrong (For Loving You)" (Warner MacPherson) and reached the Country top ten while cracking the pop top sixty in 1957. The Ray Peterson 1962 cover of "Is It Wrong (For Loving You)" did

  • Rubber Ball

    - 22 Oct 2015
    Gene Pitney wrote "Rubber Ball" (Orlowski - Schroeder) using his mother's maiden name, "Orlowski", in 1960. In 1961 Bobby Vee (Velline) hit with "Rubber Ball" featuring a guitar solo by Howard Roberts and Earl Plamer on drums. This was produced by a

  • Red Rubber Ball

    - 22 Oct 2015
    "Red Rubber Ball" was composed by Paul Simon of Simon and Garfunkel fame and Bruce Woodley, a member of The Seekers. Simon and Garfunkel recorded the tune in concert on their 1977 album "Old Friends". The Cyrkle (Don Dannemann, Tom Dawes, Earl Pickens

  • Baby I'm Yours

    - 23 Oct 2015
    Accomplished musician, songwriter, producer, arranger and conductor Van "The Hustle" McCoy wrote "Baby I'm Yours" and this is the original demo. Michigan's Barbara Lewis started writing music at the age of nine and began recording while in her teens. Her

  • Just Once In My Life

    - 23 Oct 2015
    Here is the wonderful original demo recording by Phil Spector of "Just Once In My Life" (Gerry Goffin - Carole King - Phil Spector). In 1965 the blue eyed soul of The Righteous Brothers (Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield) took "Just Once In My Life" into

  • Volare

    - 24 Oct 2015
    Composed by the artist and lyricist Franco Migliacci the original title is "Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu" (In the Blue-Painted Blue) the Domenico Modugno single was released as a single in early 1958. "Volare" (Flying) won the San Remo Music Festival while

  • You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You

    - 24 Oct 2015
    "You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You" (Morgan - Stock - Cavanaugh) was first placed on vinyl by the legendary Nat "King" Cole when he was known for his trio's jazz styling. This was recorded in May of 1945. "You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You" was

  • I Like Your Kind of Love

    - 25 Oct 2015
    Melvin Endsley wrote and recorded "I Like Your Kind of Love" in 1957. This is the composer of "Singing the Blues", "Love Me To Pieces" and "Knee Deep in the Blues". The Andy Williams and Peggy Powers cover of "I Like Your Kind of Love" recorded on Archie

  • Pretty Flamingo

    - 25 Oct 2015
    In 1966 Gene Pitney recorded the cut "Flamingo" for the album "Backstage". Although it may be disputed this was the first recording of the song according to composer Mark Barkan. Manfred Mann (Manfred Lubowitz aka Mann, Paul Pond aka Jones, Tom

  • Farmer John

    - 26 Oct 2015
    In 1959 Don (Harris) and Dewey (Terry) composed and released "Farmer John" (Terry - Harris). In the late sixties Don "Sugarcane" Harris (Bowman) played with The Johnny Otis Show and John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. In the seventies he was with Captain

  • Go Where You Wanna Go

    - 26 Oct 2015
    The Mamas and The Papas (John and wife Michelle Phillips, Cass Elliot and Denny Doherty) recorded "Go Where You Wanna Go" (John Phillips) for the album "If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears". This was their only number one album on Billboard. Released as

  • If I Were a Carpenter

    - 27 Oct 2015
    In his first album "Tim Hardin 1" debuted "Reason to Believe" and "Misty Blue". Tim wrote "If I Were a Carpenter" for his next album "Tim Hardin 2". The multi-faceted Bobby Darin reached the top ten in 1966 with his cover of "If I Were a Carpenter". The

  • Fujiyama Mama

    - 27 Oct 2015
    Life was anything but politically correct when a former member of the Lucky Millander Band, Annisteen (Ernestine) Allen came out with "Fujiyama Mama" (Earl Burrows) in 1955. The noted "Queen of Rockabilly" shows why she owns that title, the Wanda

  • Because of You

    - 28 Oct 2015
    The arranger, bandleader and trumpeter Larry Clinton and his Orchestra with vocalist Peggy Mann (Margaret Germano) recorded "Because of You" (Hammerstein - Wilkinson) in 1941. With the familiar Percy Faith Orchestra, the legendary Tony Bennett

  • Cold, Cold Heart

    - 28 Oct 2015
    Released in 1951, Hank Williams composed "Cold, Cold Heart" as the B side of "Dear John" which was a top ten hit. Radio people flipped it over and "Cold, Cold Heart" topped the Country chart. The melody is from T. Texas Tyler's "You'll Still Be In My

  • My Sweet Lady

    - 29 Oct 2015
    John Denver's "My Sweet Lady" (Denver) first appeared on the 1971 album "Poems, Prayers and Promises". It was issued as a single in 1977 and reached the top forty. From the 1973 television movie "Sunshine" soundtrack, this single by actor/musician Cliff

  • Melody of Love

    - 29 Oct 2015
    From a 1903 cylinder recording by The Edison Symphony Orchestra comes the original "Melody of Love" (Hans Engelman). Tom Glazer, who wrote the words for "Skokian" and had his own hit with "On Top of Spaghetti", added lyrics in 1954. Released in January

  • I Write the Songs

    - 30 Oct 2015
    Beach Boy member Bruce Johnston (Benjamin Baldwin) composed "I Write the Songs:" in 1975. This is on the 1977 album "Going Public". Over the years Bruce wroked with Phil Spector, Eric Carmen, Ritchie Valens, Elton John, Eddy Cochrane, Terry Melcher,

  • Let's Hang On

    - 30 Oct 2015
    "Let's Hang On" (Crewe - Linzer - Randell) by the Four Seasons (Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Nick Massi and Tommy DeVito) peaked at number three on the Billboard singles chart in 1965. This was the last release that included long time member Nick Massi.

  • Rockin' Little Angel

    - 31 Oct 2015
    If the composer of "Buffalo Gals" would come forward there may be money to be made with this song. Rockabilly artist Webb Dixon was first to record "Rock and Roll Angel" (Rogers) as it was issued in May of 1958. Research indicates that the composer,