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Publication date  /  2018  /  April   -   29 articles

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  • Heart Of Stone

    - 01 Apr 2018
    Bucks Fizz (lead vocal Bobby Gee, Cheryl Baker, Mike Nolan and Shelley Preston) introduced "Heart Of Stone" (Andy Hill - Pete Sinfield) in 1988 on the LP "The Story So Far". "Buck's Fizz" is a cocktail. The next year Cher's cover of "Heart Of Stone" was

  • Believe

    - 01 Apr 2018
    This is Cher with a rough cut of her Grammy winning hit "Believe" (Paul Barry - Matthew Gray - Brian Higgins - Stuart McLennan - Timothy Powell and Steven Torch) from the two DVD set "Closer To The Truth: The Whole Story". The release celebrates her 50th

  • Timothy

    - 02 Apr 2018
    Recorded at the West Bank Cafe in Manhattan this is Rupert Holmes and the story behind the song "Timothy" complete with some of his rendition. Rupert became well known for "The Pina Colada Song". In 1971 one hit wonders The Buoys (Frank Brozena, Chris

  • Don't Stop Believing

    - 03 Apr 2018
    "Don't Stop Believing" (Steve Perry - Jonathan Caine - Neil Schon) by Journey (Steve Perry, Jonathan Caine, Neil Schon, Steve Smith and Ross Valory) was recorded in 1981 as a single from the album "Escape". The song peaked at number nine on Billboard

  • Mood Indigo

    - 04 Apr 2018
    The Harlem Footwarmers (Barney Bigard, Wellman Braud, Duke Ellington, Sonny Greer, Fred Guy, Joe Nanton and Arthur Wetsol) recorded "Mood Indigo" (Ellington - Bigard - Mills) in 1930. The original title when written by Duke Ellington was "Dreamy Blues".

  • Now That We've Found Love

    - 05 Apr 2018
    The O'Jays (Eddie Lavert, William Powell and Walter Williams) were first to record "Now That We've Found Love" (Kenneth Gamble - Leon Huff) for their 1973 LP "Ship Ahoy". The track was not issued as a single. The late Heavy D (Dwight Myers) and the Boyz

  • Orange Colored Sky

    - 06 Apr 2018
    Jazz singer Janet Brace was first to record "An Orange Colored Sky" (Milton DeLugg - Willie Stein) as her initial solo release with the Milton DeLugg Orchestra in the summer of 1950. Janet sang with bands like Johnny Long and Vincent Lopez. Milton was

  • Don't You Want Me

    - 07 Apr 2018
    This is The Human League (lead vocalists Philip Oakley and Susan Ann Sulley, Ian Burden, Jo Callis, Joanne Campbell, and Philip Adrian Wright) demo of "Don't You Want Me" recorded for the 1981 LP "Dare". The Human League's leader was Philip Oakley who

  • Funny Way Of Laughin'

    - 08 Apr 2018
    Mr. Jeannie Seely, Hank (Garland) Cochran wrote hits such as "Make the World Go Away", "He's Got You", "I Fall To Pieces" and "Funny Way of Laughin'" . This is from his 1965 album "Hits From the Heart". Although they weren't related he and future rocker

  • Sharing The Night Together

    - 09 Apr 2018
    In 1976 Arthur Alexander issued the original "Sharing The Night Together" (Ava Aldridge - Eddie Struzick). The tune by Muscle Shoals songwriters barely got onto the R&B chart. Later that year Dr. Hook (Dennis Locorriere, Ray Sawyer, Rik Elswit,

  • When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman

    - 09 Apr 2018
    It took Even (Gail) Stevens about five minutes to write "When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman" after his reaction to seeing men hit on his girlfriend. This clip is from a Bart Herbison interview. Dr. Hook (lead vocals Dennis Locorrier, Ray Sawyer,

  • Come Prima (F0r The First Time)

    - 10 Apr 2018
    Tony Dallara (Lardera) and "Come Prima" (Vincenzo DiPaola - Mario Panzeri - SandroTaccani) topped the charts in Italy and several European countries while it hit the Canadian top ten in 1957. The English translation is "As Before". Manager of the

  • Hot Summer Nights

    - 11 Apr 2018
    Walter Egan originated "Hot Summer Nights"(W. Egan) in 1978. This was the final track from the LP "Not Shy" that included "Magnet And Steel". One of the album's producers is Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac. From the album "Night" the group Night

  • Dream Merchant

    - 12 Apr 2018
    "Dream Merchant" (Larry Weiss - Jerry Ross) was recorded in 1967 by Jerry Butler as "Mr. Dream Merchant". The single from the album of the same name peaked at thirty-eight on the Top One Hundred and number twenty-three on the Soul Chart. Jerry sang in the

  • Halfway To Paradise

    - 13 Apr 2018
    In 1961 Tony Orlando (Cassavitis) was first to issue "Halfway To Paradise" (G. Goffin - C. King). Note the "J. Goffin" on the original label is "G"erry Goffin. Tony peaked at number thirty-nine on Billboard and a decade later lead the successful group

  • In My Room

    - 14 Apr 2018
    The Beach Boys demo of "In My Room" (Brian Wilson - Gary Usher) was released on the set "Good Vibrations: 30 Years of The Beach Boys" . According to the co-author of the lyric, Gary Usher the tune was written in less than an hour. This is a Brian Wilson

  • Love Me Tonight

    - 15 Apr 2018
    Junior Magli (Luigi Pazzaglini) introduced "Fine Della Strada" (Pace - Panzeri - Pilat) at the 1969 San Remo Music Festival. The song was eliminated fairly early in the running. Grammy and Golden Globe winner Sir Tom Jones (Woodward) released "Love Me

  • I'm A Man (Spencer Davis Group)

    - 16 Apr 2018
    The Spencer Davis (Davies) Group (lead vocalist Steve Winwood, Spencer Davis, Muff Winwood and Pete York) introduced the number ten Billboard single "I'm A Man" (Steve Winwood - Jimmy Miller) in 1967. Soon after this issue Steve Winwood left the group to

  • Be Careful Of Stones That You Throw

    - 17 Apr 2018
    Little Jimmy Dickens "Be Careful Of Stones That You Throw" (Bonnie Dodd) was released in 1949. The song was not issued until 1964. It was Hank Williams who gave him the nickname "Tater". Hank (Hiram) Williams used the alias Luke The Drifter to record

  • Lovesick Blues

    - 17 Apr 2018
    Black face minstrel Emmett Miller recorded "Lovesick Blues" (Cliff Friend - Irving Mills) from the 1922 musical "Oh, Ernest". The song was first titled "I've Got The Lovesick Blues". Emmett's backing band, "The Georgia Crackers" included Tommy and Jimmy

  • Funky Broadway

    - 18 Apr 2018
    Here comes another dance. This time it's Dyke and the Blazers' (Arlester Christian, Alvin Battle Bernard Williams, Rich Cason, Rodney Brown and Alvester Jacobs), "Funky Broadway Part 1" written by Arlester "Dyke" Christian. Wikipedia: " The "Broadway"

  • You're Just In Love

    - 19 Apr 2018
    Ethel Merman (Zimmermann) and Russell Nype sang "You're Just In Love" (Irving Berlin) in the original 1950 Tony Award winning production of "Call Me Madam". Wikipedia: "Theatre lore has it that Berlin wrote the song one night after Call Me Madam was not

  • I'm Coming Home

    - 20 Apr 2018
    Johnny Mathis recorded "I'm Coming Home" (Linda Creed - Thomas Bell) for the Thom Bell produced album of the same name in 1973 and topped the Easy Listening chart while reaching only number seventy-five on the pop side. The (Detroit) Spinners (Henry

  • More Than This

    - 25 Apr 2018
    The first single from Roxy Music's (Bryan Ferry, Andy MacKay and Phil Manzanera) final LP "Avalon" was "More Than This" (Bryan Ferry). The 1982 single with a number of session musicians peaked in the U.K., Australian and European top ten but didn't enter

  • A Woman In Love (Four Aces)

    - 26 Apr 2018
    Marlon Brando sings "A Woman In Love" (Frank Loesser) from the 1955 film of "Guys And Dolls". This song was added to the movie and not in the original 1950 stage musical. Academy, Tony and Grammy Award winner Frank Loesser also wrote for the Broadway

  • I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)

    - 27 Apr 2018
    The Four Tops' (Levi Stubbs, Renaldo Benson, Abdul Fakir and Lawrence Payton) "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)" (Holland - Dozier - Holland) was produced by the Motown writers in 1965. This rightly topped the pop and R&B charts with

  • Down By The Riverside

    - 28 Apr 2018
    The Fisk University Jubilee Quartet sings "Down By The Riverside" aka "Ain't Gonna Study War No More". The song was recorded in 1920 and is obviously a spiritual dating back to pre American Civil War. Wikipedia: "As with many Negro spirituals, the

  • I Wonder

    - 29 Apr 2018
    Blues singer, songwriter and pianist Pvt. Cecil Gant wrote and issued "I Wonder" in 1944. The single topped the R&B chart and number twenty on the Billboard pop listing. Brenda Lee peaked at number twenty-five on Billboard with her version of "I

  • You Can Depend On Me

    - 29 Apr 2018
    Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra were first to record the fox trot with vocal refrain "You Can Depend On Me" in 1931. Twenty years later it was issued again by Louis Armstrong and the All-Stars from a live concert in Pasadena. Composer, pianist and