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Publication date  /  2018  /  August   -   33 articles

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  • Born To Lose

    - 01 Aug 2018
    Ted Daffan wrote as Frankie Brown and recorded "Born To Lose" in 1942. In 1944 this release by Ted Daffan's Texans with vocal by Leon Seago peaked at number three. Just some of the entertainers who recorded this song: Ella Fitzgerald, Jerry Lee Lewis,

  • She's A Bad Mama Jamma

    - 02 Aug 2018
    Former keyboard player for Sam Cooke, Leon Haywood recorded this version of his own song "Bad Mama Jamma" on the LP "Freaky Man" in 1994. Carl Carlton released "She's A Bad Mama Jamma (She's Built, She's Stacked)" in 1981 and peaked at number twenty-two

  • Foolish Heart

    - 03 Aug 2018
    From the LP "Words And Music" this is Randy Goodrum and "Foolish Heart (Steve Perry - Randy Goodrum) on which Randy sang, composed, played keyboards and produced. Randy was pianist for Roy Orbison, Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed. Steve Perry's 1984 debut

  • Broken Hearted Me

    - 03 Aug 2018
    Randy Goodrum sings "Broken Hearted Me", one of the many hits he wrote. That list includes "You Needed Me" and "Bluer Than Blue". In high school Randy was part of a jazz trio that included Bill Clinton on saxophone. High school classmates England Dan

  • Love Ballad

    - 04 Aug 2018
    In 1976 "Love Ballad" (Skip Yarborough) hit for L.T.D. (lead vocalist Jeffrey Osborne, Celeste Cole, Henry Davis, Johnny McGee, Billy Osborne and Robert Santiel) from their album "Love To The World". This topped the R&B chart and reached number twenty

  • Crazy Arms

    - 07 Aug 2018
    "Crazy Arms" was written by Ralph Mooney and Charles Seals in 1949. Ralph Mooney played steel guitar as a member of bands for Waylon Jennings, Wynn Stewart and appeared on the Merle Haggard hit "Swinging Doors" and Buck Owens' "Under Your Spell Again".

  • I'm A Man (Bo Diddley)

    - 08 Aug 2018
    Bo Diddley (Ellas Bates) recorded his first single and what became the classic "I'm A Man" (E. McDaniels) in 1955 and hit number one on the R&B chart. Ellas Bates changed his name to Ellas McDaniel when he was adopted by his cousin Gussie McDaniel.

  • When You're Young And In Love

    - 09 Aug 2018
    Ruby And The Romantics (Ruby Nash, Leroy Fann, George Lee, Ronald Mosley and Ed Roberts) recorded the original "When You're Young And In Love" (Van McCoy) in 1964. The single peaked at number forty-eight on Billboard. The Marvelettes (Wanda Young,

  • China Girl

    - 10 Aug 2018
    The 1977 album "The Idiot" was Iggy Pop's (James Osterberg) debut solo effort and includes David Bowie on toy piano, saxophone and keyboards during the "China Girl" (David Bowie - Iggy Pop) session. Wikipedia: "Once I hit junior high in Ann Arbor, I began

  • Step By Step (NKOTB)

    - 11 Aug 2018
    The Superiors (Dwight Burgess, Travis Fountain, Delin Green, Jay Greer and Sean Miranda) recorded "Step By Step" (Maurice Starr) in the summer of 1987 as their one and only Motown single. Producer, writer Maurice Starr (Lawrence Johnson) also discovered

  • Clap Your Hands

    - 12 Aug 2018
    Please excuse another indulgence. In the late fifties and into the sixties The Beau Marks (Joey Frechette, Ray Hutchinson, Mike Robitaille and Gilles Tailleur) were a unique Canadian group as they wrote, financed and produced their music in their native

  • Hummingbird

    - 13 Aug 2018
    From the LP "Heart On My Sleeve" this is Don Robertson singing his composition "Hummingbird". It was Don who created the piano slip note that Floyd Cramer made famous. Les Paul (Polsfuss) and Mary Ford (Iris Summers) were among many acts recording

  • Born To Be With You

    - 13 Aug 2018
    Born in Beijing, China, on Dec. 5, 1922, while his father was overseas teaching medicine at Peking Union College, Don Robertson began learning piano, from his mother, when he was just four years old, and he started composing music only a few years later.

  • Cry Baby

    - 14 Aug 2018
    The Scarlets (lead vocalist Fred Parris, Albert Denby, Sylvester Hopkins, Nathaniel Mosely and William Powers) were later known as The Five Satins. They released "Cry Baby" (F. Parris - S. Hopkins) as a B side in 1955. Three unrelated nurses called

  • Sleep Walk (Deep Sleep)

    - 15 Aug 2018
    In 1958 a demo of "Deep Sleep" (Farina - Farina) by Mike Dee and the Mello Tones (Santo Farina on steel guitar, brother Johnny Farina on rhythm guitar and drummer Uncle Mike Dee) was the genesis of "Sleep Walk". The tune is heard here in an updated

  • Beans In Your Ears

    - 16 Aug 2018
    Len Chandler was a protest singer and that makes "Beans In Your Ears" a protest song should you decide to listen. Len made an appearance with Pete Seeger on the television show "Rainbow Quest" where they sang the song about adults not listening to

  • Love On A Two-Way Street

    - 17 Aug 2018
    Session vocalist Lezli Valentine originally recorded "Love On A Two-Way Street" (Robinson - Keyes) in 1968 on the All Platinum label co-owned by co-writer Sylvia Robinson. Lezli has long insisted she played a major part in the writing process. The

  • The Shrine Of St. Cecilia (Min Soldat)

    - 18 Aug 2018
    Sweden's Ulla Billquist (Schonstrom) recorded "Min Soldat" (My Soldier) (Nils Perne aka Jokern) in 1940. The tune was written for Gosta Jonsson's revue "Det Kommer En Var" in Stockholm. During the war years this was the most popular song in the country.

  • Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)

    - 19 Aug 2018
    The theme for the 1981 Dudley Moore, Liza Minnelli film "Arthur" won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and the Golden Globe for Best Original Song. Here is Carole Bayer Sager singing "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" (Christopher Cross - Burt

  • Wack Wack (Cool Jerk)

    - 20 Aug 2018
    One-hit wonders, The Capitols' (lead vocalist Samuel George, Don Storball and Richard Mitchell) "Cool Jerk" (Storball) reached number seven pop and number two R&B on Billboard in 1966. The Funk Brothers supplied the instrumental talents. Originally

  • Empty Arms

    - 21 Aug 2018
    R&B pianist, singer, songwriter Ivory Joe Hunter was known as The Baron Of The Boogie and Ivory Joe was his given name. Over his career he was successful with blues, R&B, boogie-woogie and country music. His 1957 single of "Empty Arms" peaked at

  • Mutual Admiration Society

    - 21 Aug 2018
    Ethel Merman (Zimmerman) and Virginia Gibson (Gorski) sang "Mutual Admiration Society" (Harold Karr - Matt Dubey) from the 1956 Broadway musical "Happy Hunting" where they played mother and daughter. Fernando Lamas was the star and Estelle Parsons made

  • Halo

    - 22 Aug 2018
    OneRepublic lead vocalist and Grammy winner Ryan Tedder wrote "Halo" (Ryan Tedder - Evan Bogart) specifically for Beyonce (Knowles). Mr. T. graduated from Oral Roberts University with a degree in Public Relations and Advertising. Ryan interned at

  • Falling

    - 23 Aug 2018
    Lenny Leblanc with "Falling" (LeBlanc - Struzick) from his 1975 self-titled debut album. Lenny sang backup for Roy Orbison, The Supremes, Hank Williams Jr. and Amy Grant. The duo of (Lenny) LeBlanc and (Pete) Carr hit number thirteen on Billboard with

  • Sweet Thing

    - 24 Aug 2018
    The 1975 R&B chart topping album "Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan" includes "Sweet Thing" (T. Maiden - C. Khan). The single by the band Rufus (lead vocal Chaka Khan aka Yvette Stevens, Andre Fischer, Tony Maiden, Nate Morgan, Kevin Murphy and Bobby Watson)

  • Beach Baby

    - 25 Aug 2018
    Leave it to a Brit and his wife to write an "American beach tune" that includes horns. Songwriter John Carter (Shakespeare) performed his classic compositions at the Sidewalk Cafe in Manhattan's East Village in 1999 and the final tune he sang was his

  • The Warrior

    - 26 Aug 2018
    Nick Gilder and Sweeney Todd performing "The Warrior" (Nick Gilder - Holly Knight) in Port Alberni, British Columbia. Bryan Adams was once a member of Sweeney Todd. Scandal (lead vocalist Patty Smyth, Ivan Elias, Keith Mack, Tommy Price and Keith Mack)

  • After The Lights Go Down Low

    - 27 Aug 2018
    Once a singer with Duke Ellington's Orchestra and blind from birth Al Hibbler had an enviable solo career with hits like "Unchained Melody" and "He". The original "After The Lights Go Down Low" (Alan White - Leroy Lovett) was recorded in 1955. Despite the

  • When The Snow Is On The Roses

    - 28 Aug 2018
    James (Hans) Last wrote the melody for "Der Weg ins Land der Liebe" aka "When The Snow Is On The Roses" so we start with his take on the original from the LP "Country Roads". Swiss born German songstress Sonja Stadlin recorded the first "Der Weg ins

  • I Wanna Go Back

    - 29 Aug 2018
    Billie Satellitte's "I Wanna Go Back" was written by group members Monty Byrom, Danny Chauncey and Ira Walker without the participation of drummer Tom Falletti and released in 1984. The single is from their self-titled debut album. From the same album

  • Peace In Our Time

    - 29 Aug 2018
    Grammy and Tony winner Jennifer Holliday recorded "Peace In Our Time" (Andy Hill - Peter Sinfield) for the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics LP "One Moment In Time". Eddie Money's (Mahoney) cover was on his 1989 album "Greatest Hits: The Sound Of Money". The

  • Everybody Loves A Lover

    - 30 Aug 2018
    In his autobiography, Richard Adler got the idea for the title "Everybody Loves A Lover" from his lawyer based on the Shakespeare quote "all the world loves a lover", after Adler expressed concern over his then wife threatening to expose his illicit

  • Bus Stop Song (A Paper Of Pins)

    - 31 Aug 2018
    "A Paper Of Pins" is a British Folk Song, courting song and/or children's song with the earlier title "The Keys Of Canterbury". It was added to the Alan Lomax collection in the thirties. Straight sewing pins were once sold stuck through a paper sheet side