Articles by John Twang

Badfinger's (Peter Ham, Tom Evans, Mike Gibbins and Joey Molland) 1970 album "No Dice" contains "Without You" (Pete Ham - Tom Evans). Google the group for a tragic story. (Harry) Nilsson's 1971 cover hit number one! Nilsson didn't tour on a regular basis or perform major concerts but he still found success. If possible please view the documentary "Who is Harry Nilsson (and why is everybody talkin' about him)?". The Mariah Carey album "Music Box" features the 1994 hit cover. It was release…

Reminiscent of the B.J. Thomas hit "Rock and Roll Lullaby" is track one from Grammy winner Austin Roberts' (Robertson) 1972 self-titled album, "Keep On Signing" (D. Janssen - B. Hart). The single was released the next year and charted at number fifty. Austin sang the theme song for "Scooby-Doo". Helen Reddy's 1974 cover peaked at number one on the Easy Listening chart and number fifteen on the Top One Hundred. This is the lead single from the album "Love Song for Jeffrey" where you will also…

Rod McKuen wrote "Jean" for the Oscar winning movie "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" starring Maggie Smith. In 1969 Frank Sinatra commissioned an entire album of McKuen material. "A Man Alone: The Words and Music of Rod McKuen" featured the hit "Love's Been Good to Me". Oliver (William Oliver Swofford) reached the second spot on the Top One Hundred and topped the Easy Listening chart in 1969 with this Bob Crewe production. This was on his album "Good Morning Starshine".

The Valiants (Rip Spencer, Brice Cofield, Chester Pipkin and Billy Storm) were first to record "Good Golly Miss Molly" (Bumps Blackwell) then recorded it again after Little Richard had the hit. Bumps Blackwell produced the original, the frantic re-recording and Little Richard's hit. The Valiants recording was released first! "The Architect of Rock and Roll", Little Richard (Penniman) hit with this 1958 "Good Golly Miss Molly" (Marascalco - Blackwell) cover which peaked at number four. This ca…

Allen Toussaint's "Southern Nights" is the title tune to his 1975 album and just one of his magical melodies. This man embodies New Orleans. Mr. Toussaint is responsible for the tunes: "Java", "Working In a Coal Mine" and "Mother-in-Law" while his piano, arrangements and productions can be heard on many hits originated in New Orleans and elsewhere. Two years later came the Glen Campbell hit cover. The single deservedly topped the pop, country and Adult Contemporary charts. This was the title…

Jean DuShon (Harris) recorded "For Once In My Life" (Murden) as a demo at the request of co-composer Ron Miller and later issued as a Cadet label single in 1966. This writer assumes Ron Miller's name is not listed as co-composer because of a conflict with Motown Records where he was a staff composer. When Motown owner Berry Gordy heard that the song was recorded elsewhere he insisted it be recorded by Motown's Barbara McNair who was first to release this standard. "For Once In My Life" (Ron M…

Bobby Darin (Cassotto) invented The Ding Dongs "Early in the Morning" (Bobby Darin - Woody Harris) because he was under contract to Atlantic Records with one week left in his agreement and wanted to issue it after approaching Brunswick Records who were duly impressed with the tune. Once his Atlantic label found out, they forced the Brunswick label to turn over the masters to Atlantic's Atco Records and had it released as "The Rinky Dinks". In the U.K. Bobby Darin's own name was used on Coral whe…

There are many versions of this tune, particularly in the country field. Little Jimmy "Tater" Dickens had the original hit with "We Could" (Felice Bryant) in 1957. It was Mr. Dickens who was the first to ever record a Felice and Boudleaux Bryant song in 1948! Since then the Bryants have proved to be one of the most successful composing teams in the music business. Crooner Al Martino (Jasper Cini) reached the top forty pop and top ten adult contemporary charts again in 1964 with this track fr…

Maxine, LaVerne and lead Patty were The Andrews Sisters who introduced "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" (Don Raye - Hughie Prince) in the1941 Abbott and Costello movie "Buck Privates". The song hit number six in the top ten. As an aside, according to Wikipedia: "Edward Habib in the CD program notes for "Songs That Won the War Vol. 2 The Hollywood Canteen" states that the Andrews Sisters' radio transcription of Elmer's Tune was "so popular it even played on German radio," noting that "the opposition emb…

From the album "On My Way" containing the hit "The Eyes of a New York Woman", this is Grammy recipient B.J. (Billy Joe) Thomas, the electric sitar and the number five hit "Hooked On a Feeling" (Mark James) from 1969. The man who discovered Genesis and signed 10CC, Kenneth "Jonathan" King hit the charts with "Everyone's Gone to the Moon" in 1965. Jonathan produced The Bay City Rollers, "It's Good News Week" for Hedgehoppers Anonymous and was an original backer for "The Rocky Horror Picture Sh…

Sam Phillips' brother was Judd Phillips of Judd Records, the company that in 1960 released "Shelia" (sp) by Tommy Roe and school mates The Satins (Mike Clark, Bobby West). Tommy wrote the song when he was fourteen as "Sweet Little Frieda". He was married and had a baby in his last year of high school so was reluctant to leave his job a General Electric to tour. The re-recorded hit by Tommy Roe was issued by ABC-Paramount, "Sheila" topped the charts in 1962. I think Buddy Holly would have smil…

Issa El Saieh and his Orchestra perform "Choucoune" (Michael Mauleart Monton - Oswald Durand). Choukoun is an 1883 poem by Haitian poet and politician Oswald Durand composed for a woman who was given the nickname. It was rewritten later as "Yellow Bird" based on the written words "ti zwazo" or "petit oiseau" which is French for "little bird". The Norman Luboff Choir gave the first English version in 1957 on the album "Calypso Holiday" featuring the English lyric by Alan and Marilyn Bergman. T…

Cayet Mangiaracina attended a New Orlean's Jesuit High School and played piano for a group called "The Sparks". (Ronnie Massa, Don Bailey, Joe Lovecchio, Don Cornell and Cayet Mangiaracina) when he wrote "Merry, Merry Lou" (Cayet Mangiaracina) for that group and it became a local hit in 1953. In 1958 Bill Haley and the Comets recorded the tune as "Mary, Mary Lou". Country singer Johnny Duncan was the first to record "Hello Mary Lou, Goodbye Heart" (Gene Pitney) in 1961. Gene Pitney re…

Actor, singer Paul Jones' (Pond) album "My Way" contains the music hall tune "Lady Godiva" (Mike Leander - Charlie Mills - Gordon Mills). Paul is the former lead singer for Manfred Mann. Paul received his Doctor of Music credentials from the University of Portsmouth. Peter (Asher) and Gordon (Waller) hit with the 1966 cover peaking at number six while topping the charts in Australia and Canada.

Joni James (Giovanna Babbo) recorded "Have You Heard" (Lew Douglas - Charlie LaVere - Roy Rodde) in 1952, the year it was published. It peaked at number four on Billboard in January of 1953 and was one of seven top ten hits in her career. Joni was the first American to record at London's Abbey Road Studios. “As kids, we used to sit on the stoop in Brooklyn and harmonize. I used to imitate Joni James,” Barbra told Life magazine in 1970. “I also ... sang her hit, ‘Have You Heard,’ at club audition…

The original Neil Sedaka recording of "Love Will Keep Us Together" (Neil Sedaka - Howard Greenfield) appears on the 1973 album "The Tra-La Days Are Over" in the U.K. Brother and sister Mac and Katie Kissoon (Farthing) released the first single of the song in 1973 but it failed to chart anywhere but the Netherlands. The Captain (Darryl Dragon) and (Toni) Tennille cover dominated the radio in 1975. This is from their debut album of the same name which features their original of "I Write the…

The Laurels (Ray Robinson, Melvin Schwartz and others) was the original group to record "Baby Talk" (Melvin Schwartz) in the spring of 1958. Jan (Berry)and Dean's (Torrence) had their first top ten hit with this cover success partially recorded in Jan's garage in 1959. Other notables and classmates of theirs from Hollywood High School include drummer Sandy Nelson and actor James Brolin (Bruderlin).

Talented composer Ned Miller wrote "Dark Moon". This is the man who hit with "From a Jack to a King" and "Do What You Do, Do Well". His tune "Invisible Tears" became a hit for the Ray Conniff Singers. Bonnie Guitar (Buckingham) peaked at number six on Billboard in 1957. Recorded a year earlier it was released originally on Fabor Records where she was a session player, then "Dark Moon" was distributed nationally by Randy Wood's Dot label. It's been said that Bonnie gave up her royalties just…