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Composer and OBE recipient Albert Hammond is at least partially responsible for hits "99 MIles From L.A.", "It Never Rains in Southern California", "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now", "Moonlight Lady", "The Air That I Breathe", "One Moment in Time", "When I Need You" and "To All the Girls I've Loved Before". In 1984 the unusual team of Willie Nelson and Julio Iglesias covered "To All the Girls I've Loved Before" and hit Billboard's top ten.

In 1962 Gerry Goffin and Carole King wrote "The Loco-Motion" and their babysitter, Little Eva (Eva Narcissus Boyd) had the biggest hit of her life when it reached the top chart spot. France 's Sylvie Vartan had the hit in her native country the same year. Grand Funk Railroad (Mark Farner, Don Brewer and Mel Schacher) hit the top spot with the dance in 1974. Australia 's Kylie Minogue took it to the top spot for the third consecutive decade.

The Gladiolas featured the man who wrote "Little Darling", Maurice Williams. The tune hit the top twenty on the R&B charts in 1957. Within a couple of years the musicians became known as Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs (Maurice Williams, Henry Gatson, Wiley Bennett, Willie Morrow, Albert Hill and Charles Thomas). They recorded one of the shortest rock songs in history, "Stay". The Diamonds (Dave Somerville, Ted Kowalski, Phil Levitt and Bill Reed) better cover called "Little Darlin'" came a…

Johnny Burnette, brother Dorsey and Paul Burlison (The Sun Rhythm Section) formed the Rock and Roll Trio and won the Ted Mack Amateur Hour. The first demo for "You're Sixteen" was recorded by Dorsey Burnette in mid 1960. The second demo was made by Dorsey's brother Johnny Burnette, father to Rocky Burnette at approximately the same time, perhaps even the same recording session. Years after the trio went separate ways Johnny ended up at Liberty Records with producer Snuff Garrett. In 196…

Even though he didn't have a recording contract at the time "I Drove All Night" (Steinberg - Kelly) was written for Roy Orbison and recorded in 1987 as a two take demo. E.L.O. and Traveling Wilbury member Jeff Lynne remixed the tune for the posthumous "King Of Hearts" album. It probably had nothing to do with Roy Orbison but the eclectic singer and talented activist Cyndi Lauper once formed a band called Blue Angel, the title to one of Roy's early hits. Cyndi Lauper's cover of "I Drove All…

Jazz singer Marion Montgomery (Maud Runnells) was first to record "That's Life" (Kay - Gordon) as a single for Capitol in 1964. In 1969 composer Kelly Gordon released the song as a single. Chairman of the Board, Frank Sinatra's excellent top five cover came in 1966 and is featured on the album of the same name.

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…

Robert Gordon (often referred to as sounding like Elvis at Sun Records) and Link Wray (Rumble) together were the first to record Bruce Springsteen's "Fire". In 1978 they recorded the album "Fresh Fish Special" featuring background vocals by the Jordanaires and Bruce Springsteen on keyboards. Bruce originally wrote "Fire" for Elvis Prseley. Bruce Springsteen's studio take came from "The Promise", the concert recording from "Live: 1975 - 85" In 1979 the Pointer Sisters took their vers…

At the end of January 1911 vaudeville performer Dolly (Dorothy) Connolly recorded My Hula, Hula Love. The song was composed by Percy Wenrich and Edward Madden. In the late forties Leadbelly (Huddie Ledbetter) recorded the tune as a blues "Hawaiian Song". Country superstar Hank Snow even recorded a version. It was Buddy Knox and the Rhythm Orchards (artist, producer, record mogul Jimmy Bowen was a member) who had the definitive top ten hit with his release in 1957.…

"Baby, the Rain Must Fall" is a 1965 Steve McQueen, Lee Remick movie. Elmer Bernstein and Ernie Sheldon wrote the title tune. The We Three Trio (Wally Keske, Myrna Janssen and Danny Janssen) sing the song but it doesn't appear in the motion picture. Even the 45 rpm release says it's from the movie and it does appear on the soundtrack album. Once the guitarist and tenor for The Limeliters, Glenn Yarborough reached Billboard's top twenty with the song. It's interesting to note that when Gl…

Mike Lazo, Gene Schacter and someone named Bobby Vinton were members of the Hilites trio in 1954 when the draft broke up the group. In 1957 two of the three formed The Tempos (Mike Lazo, Jim Drake, Tom Minito and Gene Schachter). "See You In September" (Wayne - Edwards) was issued in 1959 and hit the top thirty. According to Wikipedia the song was composed on Friday, recorded Saturday and the record was cut the following Monday then released and on NYC radio the next Friday. One week from incept…

Listed as a traditional American folksong, "The John B. Sails" was included in a collection by Carl Sandburg in the twenties. Alan Lomax included it in his collection "Deep River of Song" as "Histe Up the John B. Sails" by the Cleveland Simmon's Group in 1935. This is the oldest known recording of the song. The actual hull of the John B. was found off the Bahamas in the sand of Governor's Harbour in 1926. "The Wreck of the John B," was recorded by the Weavers, Jimmie Rodgers, the Kingsto…

Alex Harvey and Larry Collins composed "Delta Dawn" and the first recording came in 1971 by Alex himself. Under the guidance of Nashville's Billy Sherrill, 13 year old Tanya Tucker took her first hit to the top ten on the country charts in 1972. From the album "Long Hard Climb" Helen Reddy made this a chart topper in the pop field in 1973. It became her first number one hit in her native Australia.

The Bee Gees composed "Islands in the Stream". Barry sang lead on the demo specifically for Kenny Rogers. As a duet Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers sang "Islands in the Stream" on Kenny's album "Eyes That See in the Dark". It became the number one song of 1983 and features both Barry and Maurice Gibb as studio personnel!

Roy Orbison recorded "Blue Bayou" (Orbison - Melson) in 1961 for the 1963 "In Dreams" album and as the flip of "Mean Woman Blues". Roy's original peaked in the top thirty. Peter Asher of Peter and Gordon fame produced Linda Ronstadt's cover that easily made the top five in 1977. The cover is on Linda's album "Simple Dreams".

"Lily the Pink" was inspired by the American product: Lydia E. Pinkham's Vegetable Compound circa 1875. The song was sung during the First World War in POW camps in Germany by Canadian prisoners. Oscar Brand was perhaps the first to record "The Ballad of Lydia Pinkham". In late 1968. The Scaffold's version featured Mike McGear (Peter Michael McCartney), Paul McCartney's brother and backing vocalists Graham Nash of The Hollies, Elton John (then Reg Dwight), and Jack Bruce of Cream played…

Winchester Cathedral: a large Church of England cathedral in Winchester, Hampshire, England. This song won the 1966 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary (R&R) Recording. Don’t ask why, I don’t know, although it is a pleasing departure from the norm! "Winchester Cathedral" (Geoff Stephens: The Crying Game, There’s a King of Hush, Goodbye Sam, Hello Samantha, Daughter of Darkness) by The New Vaudeville Band hit the top spot in 1966. Recorded entirely by session musicians including the vocal lead…

The disco song “Goodbye (There’s Nothing to Say) was released in1974 as Nosmo, months later issued as The Javells featuring Nosmo King (Doctors/Steve Jameson). Two years later Nosmo King sued the writers of Maxine Nightingale’s "Right Back Where We Started From" (Pierre Tubbs and J. Vincent Edwards) and it was settled out of court. "Right Back Where We Started From" hit the American top ten in 1976.

James "Sugar Boy" Crawford recorded as Shaw Weez, Shaweez, Sugar Boy & the Cane Cutters, James Sugar Boy, and later James Crawford, Jr. In 1954 he called this Cajun melody “Jackamo” and claimed he composed it when he recorded it for Chess Records. The Dixie Cups “Iko, Iko” (group members listed as composers: Hawkins-Hawkins-Johnson) hit the top twenty in 1965. At the time their manager was Joe Jones of “You Talk Too Much” fame. The family of Joe Jones claimed he was the composer. Of course, t…

Louisianan Kris Kenner hit with "I Like It Like That", he wrote and recorded "Land of a Thousand Dances" in 1961 and hit the top 100 in 1963. Fats Domino got a writing credit although he didn't actually write it but, said he would record the tune. Allen Toussaint is playing piano on this recording. Cannibal and the Headhunters version added the "na-na-na-na" in 1965. Wilson Pickett had the biggest selling version in1966 when he first recorded at Muscle Shoals for "The Exciting Wilson Picke…