Articles by John Twang

Band leader and pianist Gus Arnheim and his Orchestra with the vocal styling of Jimmy Farrell were the first to release the record "So Rare" (Sharpe - Herst) in 1937. A few members of his orchestra in the early thirties include Buddy Clark, Fred McMurray, Eddie Cantor, Ross Columbo and Joan Crawford. Jimmy Dorsey's 1957 cover of "So Rare" with his orchestra and chorus (the Artie Malvin Singers) featured his alto saxophone and peaked at number two in Billboard even though this was during the a…

In 1967 Jimmy Payne recorded "Woman, Woman" (Glaser - Payne) with legendary producer Billy Sherrill. The version here is actually from a live television show. The Gary Puckett and the Union Gap (Kerry Chater, Gary Withem, Dwight Bement and Paul Wheatbread) and members of the celebrated Wrecking Crew made "Woman, Woman" atop five hit in 1968. This was their first single release and resulted in the album of the same name. Along with the participation of producer Jerry Fuller lots of hits follow…

The six members of Milwaukee group The Corporation's (Kenneth Berdoll, John Kondos, Nick Kondos, Patrick McCarthy, Daniel Vincent Peil and Gerard Jon Smith) "Candida" (Levine - Wine) was based on a demo by composer Toni Wine. This was the first recording by Dawn. "Candida" peaked at the top of the charts in 1971. The original session featured composer Toni Wine and the Token's Jay Siegel along with Sharon Greane, Linda November and maybe even Ellie Greenwich as the background vocalists. The…

Supercharge (various members) was a British group with sometime vocalist and producer Robert "Mutt" Lange. This band was known for their live sets which resulted in them being signed by Richard Branson and Virgin records. "We Both Believe In Love" was from the 1979 album "Body Rhythm" and never was released as a single. From their second album, the self-produced "Picture This" comes Grammy winners Huey Lewis and the News (Sean Hooper, Bill Gibson, Mario Cipollina, Chris Hayes and Johnny Colla…

Hank (Hankins) Locklin first recorded "Send Me the Pillow That You Dream On" in 1949 but there was no chart action. In 1957 it was recorded again for the album "Please Help Me, I'm Falling" and the single made it to number five on the Country chart crossing over onto the Billboard pop chart. Minor hits later for The Browns at number fifty-seven and Dean Martin at twenty-two, it was the Johnny Tillotson cover that peaked highest on the chart at seventeen. This is from his 1962 album "It Ke…

Brenda Holloway and her sister Patrice had a little help with the composition when the tune "You've Made Me So Very Happy" (B. Holloway - P. Holloway - F. Wilson - B. Gordy) was issued as a single in 1967. The original charted top forty on both the pop and R&B charts. Brenda once studied violin, flute and piano before eventually being employed as a studio session musician. In 1969 Blood, Sweat and Tears (David Clayton-Thomas, Bobby Colomby, Jim Fielder, Dick Halligan, Steve Katz, Fred Lipsius…

Kenny Loggins released the 1978 album "Nightwatch" and the first version of "What a Fool Believes" (Loggins - McDonald). "Whenever I Call You Friend" is also on this album. The Michael McDonald incarnation of the Doobie Brothers (Michael McDonald, Patrick Simmons, Jeff Baxter, Tiran Porter, John Hartman, Bobby LaKind and Keith Knudsen) was highlighted by the 1979 release of "What a Fool Believes" from the album "Minute By Minute". This topped the charts even though it was surrounded by disc…

In 1966 The Fireballs (George Tomsco, Jimmy Gilmer, Stan Lark and Doug Roberts) single "Say I Am" (George Tomsco) was released with some saying the tune was co-written by George's wife Barbara. It didn't matter much at the time because it was issued as a B side to the uncharted instrumental "Ja-Da". Their next single, without Jimmy Gilmer, was the top ten "Bottle of Wine". Their hits were produced at the Norman Petty Studios. The Tommy James and the Shondells (Joe Kessler, Mike Vale, Ron Rosm…

Joe South (Souter) was a well-known session man who played on Tommy Roe's "Sheila" and Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools" and he was an accomplished writer who composed "Birds of a Feather" and recorded it twice, once in 1968 as a single and again in 1969 on the album "Introspect" with a sitar influenced ending, this is the 1968 version. The Raiders (Paul Revere, Mark Lindsay, Mike Smith, Freddy Weller, Keith Allison and Joe Correro) featuring vocalist Mark Lindsay cover of "Birds of a Feath…

The 1975 album "A Rumor In His Own Time" contains the original "We'll Never Have To Say Goodbye Again" by composer/singer Jeffrey Comanor. Neither the single nor the album charted. Texans' England Dan (Seals) and John Ford Coley (Colley) topped the Adult Contemporary chart and hit the Billboard top ten with this track from the 1978 "Some Things Don't Come Easy".

"(There's) Always Something There To Remind Me" (Hal David - Burt Bacharach) was first recorded by Lou Johnson in 1964 even though the demo was done by Dionne Warwick in 1963. Background vocals were provided by Doris Troy, Dee Dee Warwick, and Cissy Houston. This charted in the top fifty.. Sandie Shaw (Goodrich) recorded her Tony Hatch produced cover asap after her manager heard the original and she reached number one in the U.K., Canada, Australia and elsewhere but failed on Billboard. In…

Samantha (Cheryl) Sang recorded the original "Change of Heart" (Carmen) single contained in her March 1978 album "Emotion". In September of 1978 came former lead singer for the Raspberries, Eric Carmen's album "Change of Heart" containing the single which became a top twenty pop hit in several countries and top ten Adult Contemporary too. Samantha Sang is one of the background singers along with Brenda Russell. Burton Cummings on piano. Eric Carmen composed the Sean Cassidy hits "Hey Deannie…

Brian Poole and the Tremeloes (Brian Poole Rick West, Alan Blakley, Dave Munden and Allan Howard) was the group that Decca Records chose instead of the Beatles. Following considerable group success Brian Poole tried a solo career while the four member group continued to chart. Composer Jeff Christie offered the Tremeloes (Rick West, Alan Blakley, Dave Munden and Len Hawkes) "Yellow River" (Christie) who did record it but then decided on a shift in their musical direction. Tremeloes producer M…

Folklorist and member of the Grand Ole Opry, Jimmie Driftwood (Morris) wrote "The Tennessee Stud", just one of the more than six thousand songs he has been credited for composing. In 1959 Eddy Arnold recorded the album "Thereby Hangs a Tale`` and the single "The Tennessee Stud". Apparently there are other versions of the song by the Tennessee Ploughboy and this is just one of them (that makes sense). The song was nominated for both a folk and a country Grammy that year reaching the top five…

In 1959 a Brooklyn doo-wop group called The Laurels (Tommy Duffy, Harry Boyle, Tom Morrissey, Sam Capano and Willie Bender) recorded this demo of "Baby Blue" (Sam Guilino - Val Lagueux). Two years later three members: Tommy Duffy, Harry Boyle and Tom Morrissey of The Laurels formed The Echoes and reworked "Baby Blue" with Ralph DePalma on drums and Billy Mueller on guitar. They picked up the pace and kind of spelled out the title to have a top ten hit.

The 1961 tune won the San Remo Song Festival and was Italy's entrant into the European Song contest "Al-Di-La" (Donida - Mogol). It was originally sung by Italian Betty Curtis (Roberta Corti). Carlo Donida also wrote the music for "I (Who Have Nothing)". Emilio Pericoli sang "Al Di La" in a nightclub, with a small combo, in the 1962 motion picture "Rome Adventure" starring Troy Donahue and Suzanne Pleshette, His single that year reached number six on Billboard 's pop chart and number three on…

Wayne Shankin wrote and recorded "Jezebel" in 1951. Wayne is also the composer of "Chanson D'Amour" for Art and Dottie Todd, "The Big Hurt" and "West of the Wall" for Toni Fisher along with "Primrose lane" for Jerry Wallace. Frankie Laine, the Norman Luboff Choir and Mitch Miller's Orchestra took the million selling "Jezebel" to number two on the chart in 1951.

The original Les Baxter version of "Quiet Village" (Baxter) seems to flow quiet well and naturally on the 1952 album "Ritual of the Savage". Les was a noted singer, pianist, orchestra leader, composer, musical director and sax player. The "father of exotica", Martin Denny's cover of "Quiet Village" appears on the 1957 album "Exotica" and features Arthur Lyman on vibraphone along with lots of sound effects. The edited single hit the top five of the pop charts and even number eleven on the R&…