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Post by razorbacker on Nov 19, 2023 11:52:29 GMT
Patti Page was a singer from Claremore, Oklahoma. Her real name was Clara Ann Fowler. She died on January 1, 2013, at the age of 85 after suffering from heart and lung disease.
Patti was the top-charting female vocalist and best-selling female artist of the 1950s, selling over 100 million records.
During her long career she released 47 studio albums, & 127 singles. She charted for the 1st time in 1948 with a song called Confess. But her career really began to take of in the 1950’s with multiple top 10 hits on both the Pop & Country charts.
This song was included on her album Love After Midnight. It was released in July 1964 & was her 32nd studio album. The album was released after her popularity had begun to wane & neither the album, nor any of the singles charted.
The song itself was written by a guy named Phil Baxter & goes back to at least 1931 when it was recorded by Rudy Vallee. The song has been covered by multiple artists over the years including Georgie Shaw, Kay Starr, Doris Day & Bing Crosby.
A Faded Summer Love by Patti Page
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Post by razorbacker on Nov 19, 2023 20:58:49 GMT
Luther Vandross was a soul and R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer from New York City. He died on July 1, 2005, at the age of 54 due to a heart attack.
Throughout his career, he released 11 consecutive platinum albums and sold over 40 million units worldwide.
He won 8 Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year in 2004 for a track recorded not long before his death, "Dance with My Father". In 2021, he was posthumously inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame.
This was the title song to his 4th studio album, it came out on March 8, 1985. The album hit #19 on the top 200 album chart and #1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. It has been certified double platinum.
The album was nomimated for the Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance He lost to In Square Circle by Stevie Wonder.
The Night I Fell In Love by Luther Vandross
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Post by razorbacker on Nov 20, 2023 12:28:59 GMT
Frank Sinatra makes his 1st appearance around here & joins daughter Nancy as the 1st father daughter pair.
He certainly had a rude awakening into this thing we call life. He was born in Hoboken, New Jersey & he weighed 13.5 pounds at birth and had to be delivered with the aid of forceps, which caused severe scarring to his left cheek, neck, and ear, and perforated his eardrum—remaining damaged for the rest of his life. His grandmother resuscitated him by running him under cold water until he gasped his first breath.
None of those issues stopped him though. During his lifetime he won 11 Grammy Awards, 4 Golden Globes, & an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for From Here To Eternity.
He was a Peabody Award Winner, given the Cecil B. DeMille Award, the Presidential Medal Of Honor, & the Congressional Gold Medal. He has been installed into the Big Band Jazz Hall Of Fame, the New Jersey Hall Of Fame & been given many honorary doctorates.
During his career he released 59 studio albums & 297 singles. He recorded this song twice, the original version was included on his 7th album. It was called Songs For Young Lovers & was released in 1954. The orchestra was conducted by Nelson Riddle & In 2002, it was one of 50 recordings chosen that year by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry.
The version linked to here was included on his 20th album. It was called Ring-a-Ding-Ding! & it came out in 1961. Johnny Mandel was the arranger this time around. The album landed at #4, .
The song itself was written by George & Ira Gershwin & introduced by Fred Astaire in the 1937 film A Damsel in Distress.
The song has been recorded many times over the years. I have collected 4 other songs with the same title. They may be the same song, they may not. We shall see over the next few days.
A Foggy Day by Frank Sinatra
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Post by razorbacker on Nov 20, 2023 18:33:58 GMT
Smash Mouth is a rock band from San Jose formed in 1994.
The band was originally composed of Steve Harwell (lead vocals), Kevin Coleman (drums), Greg Camp (guitar), and Paul De Lisle (bass). With Harwell's departure in 2021, De Lisle is now the only original member.
Steve Harwell died from liver failure on September 4, 2023, one day after his manager, Robert Hayes, announced Harwell was in hospice for final-stage liver failure. He was 56 years old.
The band has released 7 studio albums, 4 compilation albums, 19 singles and 13 music videos. This song was included on Astro Lounge. It was their 2nd album & was released in 1999. The album got to #6 & has been certified as a Triple Platinum release. The album included the singles Can’t Get Enough Of You Baby which stalled out at 56, All Star charted at #1 on multiple charts & is also 3 X Platinum certified, & the song linked to here was the 3rd single, it got to #2 but I don’t see it ever being certified on any level. But it was used in a TV commercial by Nissan, so there’s that!
Then The Morning Comes by Smash Mouth
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Post by razorbacker on Nov 21, 2023 11:47:38 GMT
Today we hear another version of the song we heard yesterday from Frank Sinatra. It is a completely different style, but Frank is all about Lady Day, so it’s all good.
Billie Holiday was a jazz and swing vocalist from Philadelphia. She died at age 44 on July 17, 1959, of pulmonary edema and heart failure caused by cirrhosis of the liver, she had been a long time alcoholic. Her real name was Eleanora Fagan.
Due to her short life, most of her honorary awards were given posthumously including being inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the ASCAP Jazz Wall of Fame.
Frank Sinatra was influenced as a young man by her performances on 52nd Street. He told Ebony magazine in 1958 about her impact: "With few exceptions, every major pop singer in the US during her generation has been touched in some way by her genius. It is Billie Holiday who was, and still remains, the greatest single musical influence on me. Lady Day is unquestionably the most important influence on American popular singing in the last twenty years".
During her career she released 12 studio albums, but the compilations keep coming & now amount to 24. She also released 38 singles. This song comes from her album Songs For Distinque Lovers. It was her 10th studio album & was released in 1957. The album landed at #8 on the Jazz & Blues Charts, but there were no hit singles released. She had seen her final hit single in 1947.
A Foggy Day by Billie Holiday
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Post by razorbacker on Nov 21, 2023 18:26:50 GMT
Michael Johnson was a pop, country, and folk singer-songwriter and guitarist from Alalmosa, Colorado. He died on July 25, 2017, two weeks before what would have been his 73rd birthday.
During his career he released 19 studio albums & 22 singles. This song was included on his 1979 album called Dialogue. It was his 5th album & it charted at #157. It was his last charting album until 1986 when he landed at #26 on the Country charts with an album called Wings.
This song was released as a single in 1979 & landed at #19 on the Hot 100, his final top 4 hit on that chart, & #5 on the Adult Contemporary chart. He had a string of top 40 Country hits between 1986 & 1988.
This Night Won’t Last Forever by Michael Johnson
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Post by Kao on Nov 22, 2023 5:22:12 GMT
I've been listening to a lot of Hozier lately and admit I'm obsessed with this song and video:
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Post by razorbacker on Nov 22, 2023 12:15:13 GMT
So we have a 3rd version of A Foggy Day & a 3rd great vocalist takes it on a different path. This time we hear from Frances Ethel Gumm.
Do you ever wonder if she would have been as famous if she didn’t change her name?
Judy Garland was born in Grand Rapids, Minnesota & died in London in 1969 at the age of 47.
During her career she received an Academy Juvenile Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Special Tony Award.
She was the first woman to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, which she won for her 1961 live recording titled Judy at Carnegie Hall. And that is where this version of the song comes from.
Judy was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. Several of her recordings have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. These include "Over the Rainbow", which was ranked as the number one movie song of all time in the American Film Institute's "100 Years...100 Songs" list. Four more of her songs are featured on the list: "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (No. 76), "Get Happy" (No. 61), "The Trolley Song" (No. 26) and "The Man That Got Away" (No. 11).
She had a relatively limited recording output, releasing just 7 studio albums, 6 Live albums & 67 singles.
This was a double album. It charted for 73 weeks including 13 weeks at No. 1. It has been certified Gold. It won four Grammy Awards, for Album of the Year, Best Female Vocal Performance, Best Engineered Album, and Best Album Cover. The album has never been out of print.
In 2003, the album was one of 50 recordings chosen by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry.
A Foggy Day by Judy Garland
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Post by razorbacker on Nov 22, 2023 18:21:21 GMT
Perry Como was a singer, actor, and television personality from Cannonsburg, Pennsylvania. He died in his sleep on May 12, 2001, six days before his 89th birthday.
He received five Emmys from 1955 to 1959, and a Christopher Award in 1956. He also shared a Peabody Award with good friend Jackie Gleason in 1956. He received a Kennedy Center Honor in 1987 and was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame in 1990.
Posthumously, he received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002 and was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2006. He has the distinction of having three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in radio, television, and music.
During his career he recorded 38 studio albums, 2 Live albums & released 150 singles. Unlike Judy Garland from this morning, Perry’s recording career was long & extensive. He had his 1st charting single in 1943 & his final hit landed on the Adult Contemporary chart in 1983. But there have also been a few released after his death.
This song was released as a single in 1945. That was a full 8 years before his 1st album. The song spent 10 weeks at #1 & became his very 1st #1 hit. It has sold over 2 million copies. The song was written by Buddy Kaye and Ted Mossman, the music was based on Chopin's "Polonaise"
The song shares the title to the 1946 film about American veterans returning home from World War II, and Perry's version is heard several times in the film itself. The film starred Robert Mitchum, Dorothy McGuire & Guy Maddison in the main roles.
Till The End Of Time by Perry Como
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Post by razorbacker on Nov 23, 2023 12:03:18 GMT
Happy Thanksgiving to all. And for those that take the time out of your day to read these things & maybe even listen to some of the music, I’m thankful that you do.
So today, we take our last listen at A Foggy Day. This time we have a big band swing production from Les Brown & his Band Of Renown. Four different artists, four different visions.
Les Brown was a jazz musician & leader of Les Brown and His Band of Renown from 1938 to 2000. He was born in Reinerton, Pennsylvania & died of lung cancer in 2001, he was 88.
He attended college at Duke University from 1932 to 1936 where he led the group Les Brown and His Blue Devils. The band performed regularly on Duke's campus and up and down the east coast. Brown took the band on an extensive summer tour in 1936. At the end of the tour, some of the band members returned to Duke to continue their education, others stayed on and continued to tour, becoming the Band of Renown in 1938.
Les and the Band performed with Bob Hope on radio, stage and television for almost fifty years. They did 18 USO Tours for American troops around the world, and entertained over three million people. Tony Bennett was "discovered" by Bob Hope and did his first public performance with Brown and the Band.
This song 1st appeared on his album from 1950 called Your Dance With Les Brown & His Band Of Renown.
A Foggy Day by Les Brown
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Post by razorbacker on Nov 23, 2023 18:49:12 GMT
Booker T. & the M.G.'s were an instrumental R&B/funk band from Memphis. The original members of the group were Booker T. Jones (organ, piano), Steve Cropper (guitar), Lewie Steinberg (bass), and Al Jackson Jr. (drums). By the time of this video, Lewie Steinberg had been replaced by Donald "Duck" Dunn.
Al Jackson was shot to death in his home in 1975, he was just 39. Duck Dunn died in his sleep at age 70 in 2012. Lewie Steinberg died from cancer in 2018 at the age of 82. Booker T. is still with us & is now 79. Steve Cropper is also still alive & just turned 82.
In the 1960s, they were the house band of Stax Records & played on hundreds of recordings by artists including Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Bill Withers, Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas, Johnnie Taylor and Albert King.
They also released instrumental records under their own name, including the 1962 hit single "Green Onions". As originators of the unique Stax sound, the group was one of the most prolific, respected, and imitated of its era.
The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville in 2008, the Memphis Music Hall of Fame in 2012, and the Blues Hall of Fame in 2019.
This song was recorded for their soundtrack to the 1968 film UpTight.The group recorded two versions of the song – the shorter, slower version was released as a single in 1969, and became one of the biggest hits of the group's career, peaking at #7 R&B and #6 Pop.
Here is a Live performance from 1970. The guys on stage are: Booker T. Jones – organ, Steve Cropper – guitar, Al Jackson Jr. – drums & Donald "Duck" Dunn – bass . The guys watching off stage, are the headliners of the night, Creedence Clearwater Revival.
Time Is Tight by Booker T. & The MG’s
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Post by razorbacker on Nov 24, 2023 12:20:30 GMT
Songwriting credits for this song, as with almost all Beatles compositions, goes to to Lennon–McCartney, but it was written by John Lennon. At the time John was in the midst of a prolific songwriting phase, and was responsible for writing the majority of The Beatles’ third album. The lyrics to the title track, scrawled on the back of a birthday card, can be seen in the British Museum in London.
The song's title originated from something said by Ringo Starr in an interview with disc jockey Dave Hull in 1964: "We went to do a job, and we'd worked all day and we happened to work all night. I came up still thinking it was day I suppose, and I said, 'It's been a hard day …' and I looked around and saw it was dark so I said, '… night!' So we came to 'A Hard Day's Night.'"
The song was recorded on 16 April 1964 in Abbey Road’s Studio Two. It took It took nine takes to complete, just five of which were complete, and was finished in under than three hours. The recording was finished with a solo, played by George Martin on piano and George Harrison on guitar, on track four, plus an extra bass guitar part after the solo, underneath the line “so why on earth should I moan”.
The single was released in July 1964 & hit #1 in almost every country it debuted in. Germany #2 & Belgium #4 were the exceptions. The song has been certified Gold in the US.
It won the Grammy Award for Best Performance by a Vocal Group in 1965. In 2000, the 1964 recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
A Hard Days Night by The Beatles
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Post by razorbacker on Nov 24, 2023 18:29:32 GMT
The Chameleons are an English post-punk band, formed in Middleton, Greater Manchester, in 1981. The band has broken up & restarted multiple times & as of 2021 are back in business.
They are said to have inspired the likes of Oasis, the Verve, Editors, White Lies, Alcest, the Slow Readers Club, the Flaming Lips and Interpol. Oasis's songwriter Noel Gallagher has expressed his liking for the album Strange Times (1986) saying, "It must have influenced my early years as a song writer because I can hear me in it everywhere!"
During their career they have released just 4 studio albums & 8 singles & never charted here in the states. This song comes from the Strange Times album mentioned above. It was their 3rd album. It landed at #44 in the UK.
The players on the album were: Mark Burgess (credited as "Birdy") – vocals, bass guitar, Reg Smithies – guitar, John Lever – drums, percussion, & Dave Fielding – guitar, ARP String Ensemble.
Mark Burgess has said it was his favorite album of theirs.
Time The End Of Time by The Chameleons
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Post by razorbacker on Nov 25, 2023 12:30:47 GMT
Simon & Garfunkel were a folk rock duo consisting of singer-songwriter Paul Simon and singer Art Garfunkel. The two met in elementary school in Queens in 1953, where they learned to harmonize and began writing songs. As teenagers they released a couple of singles under the name Tom & Jerry, & had minor success with "Hey, Schoolgirl" (1957).
Together they won 9 Grammy awards, 4 Hall of Fame awards, and a Lifetime Achievement Award. The 4 Grammy Hall Of Fame Songs are Bridge Over Troubled Water, Mrs. Robinson, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme & The Sound Of Silence.
As a duo they released just 5 studio albums between 1964 & 1970. They also released the Soundtrack to The Graduate in 1968. This song comes from their 4th album. It was called Bookends & came out in 1966. The album came in at #1 & has been certified as double platinum.
It is a concept album that explores a life journey from childhood to old age. Side one of the album marks successive stages in life, the theme serving as bookends to the life cycle. Side two largely consists of previously-released singles and of unused material for The Graduate soundtrack. Paul’s lyrics concern youth, disillusionment, relationships, old age, and mortality.
Hit singles from the album included At The Zoo #16, Fakin It #23, Mrs. Robinson #1, America #46 & the song linked to here was the 1st single from the album. The song charted at #13. The Bangles had a bigger hit with the song when they got to #2 in 1987. We’ll get to that one later.
The song was actually recorded during the sessions for Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (1966), but was not included on an album until Bookends.
A Hazy Shade Of Winter by Simon & Garfunkel
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Post by razorbacker on Nov 25, 2023 19:02:43 GMT
Iggy Pop is a singer, musician, songwriter, actor, and radio broadcaster from Muskegon, Michigan. He will turn 77 next April. His real name is James Newell Osterberg Jr.
He was the vocalist and lyricist of The Stooges, who were formed in 1967 and have disbanded and reunited many times since. Often called the "Godfather of Punk", he was named one of the 50 Great Voices by NPR. In 2010.
He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a member of the Stooges. He also received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020, for his solo work.
As a solo artist he has released 19 studio albums & 17 singles, but true commercial success has evaded him for the most part. This song comes from his 2nd album. It was called Lust For Life & was released in 1977. The album charted at #120 & is so far his only certified Gold record.
This song was co – written with his friend & tour mate David Bowie, who also provides vocal assistance. Bowie will eventually release his version of the song in 1984 with assistance from Tina Turner.
The original spoken-word introduction to this version by Iggy, establishing that the lyric is addressed to a lover dying of a heroin overdose, was removed from Bowie's version because David regarded it as an "idiosyncrasy" of Iggy Pop, he also stated that he didn't want to "inflict" that part of the song on Tina Turner.
Tonight by Iggy Pop
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Post by razorbacker on Nov 26, 2023 12:20:30 GMT
Dave Mason is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist from Worcester. He is still active & will be 78 next May.
Dave first found fame with the rock band Traffic, but his career has provided him the opportunity to play & record with artists such as Paul McCartney, George Harrison, the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Michael Jackson, David Crosby, Graham Nash, Steve Winwood, Fleetwood Mac, Delaney & Bonnie, Leon Russell, and Cass Elliot.
He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a founding member of Traffic in 2004.
During his career he has been a part of albums from Traffic, as well as appearing on albums from tons of other artists like those listed above. He has also released 15 solo albums with the most recent one coming in 2020. This song was from his 1972 album, Headkeeper. It was his 3rd release & it landed at #50 on the top 200.
He has some pretty famous friends adding backing vocals to the track including Spencer Davis, Rita Coolidge & Graham Nash.
A Heartache, A Shadow, A Lifetime by Dave Mason
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Post by razorbacker on Nov 26, 2023 18:58:49 GMT
Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose was a family soul group, from Dania Beach, Florida. They got together in 1970.
The group was composed of siblings Carter, Eddie, and Rose Cornelius, who were joined by their sister Billie Jo Cornelius in 1972. Cleveland E. Barrett (a childhood friend), an original member of the group, was killed in a car accident before their chart success.
Rose had already appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in June 1967 and had been performing in Las Vegas and worldwide, touring in 1970 with a group called the Gospel Jazz Singers. She went home to Florida at her mother's request to help form the group.
The group disbanded in 1976 when Carter Cornelius joined a Black Hebrew sect in Miami and adopted the name Prince Gideon Israel. He wrote, recorded, and mixed music and videos for that group the next 15 years. He died of a heart attack on November 7, 1991.
The group released just 3 albums, the 3rd of which was a Greatest Hits compilation. This song comes from their debut, self – titled effort from 1972.
The single was their 2nd & biggest hit ever. It got to #2, following on the heels of the #3 charting single, Treat Her Like A Lady. The song has been certified as a Gold Record. It was kept out of the #1 spot by Lean On Me by Bill Withers.
Too Late To Turn Back Now by The Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose
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Post by razorbacker on Nov 27, 2023 12:28:28 GMT
Don Redman was a jazz musician, arranger, bandleader, and composer from Piedmont, West Virginia. He died in 1964, aged 64, from undisclosed causes.
Don joined his first band at the age of six and by the age of 12 was proficient on all wind instruments ranging from trumpet to oboe as well as piano. In 1923, he joined the Fletcher Henderson orchestra, mostly playing clarinet and saxophones.
He formed his own band in 1931, & they became the house band at the Manhattan jazz club Connie's Inn. When his orchestra disbanded he concentrated on freelance work writing arrangements which became hits for Jimmy Dorsey, Count Basie, and Harry James. In the 1950s, he was music director for singer Pearl Bailey.
He was installed into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame on May 6, 2009.
This song was released as a single in 1936 with a B side called I Gotcha. Don also provides the vocals.
A Little Bit Later On by Don Redman
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Post by razorbacker on Nov 27, 2023 18:01:24 GMT
Danny & the Juniors were a doo-wop and rock and roll vocal group from Philadelphia, originally consisting of Danny Rapp, Dave White, Frank Maffei and Joe Terranova.
The group formed in 1955 & are most widely recognized for their 1957 no. 1 million-selling hit single "At the Hop”& their 1958 follow-up, "Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay”.
Danny Rapp died of a self - inflicted gunshot to the head in 1983, he was 41. David White died of lung & throat cancer in 2019, he was 79. Joe Terranova died less than a month after David White, aged 78. Evidently Frank Maffei is still with us & is now 84.
They were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003, and into the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia Hall of Fame on November 22, 2013.
This song charted in 1968 & landed at #68, but was originally released in 1962 with a B side called Some Kind Of Nut. Freddy Cannon sings with them on the song.
They had not had a top 40 hit since 1960 & would not have another. In fact, even though this song landed way down the charts, they would never get this high again. The final 2 times they actually charted, they didn’t escape the 90’s.
The released 23 singles between 1957 & 1980 & never had an album until they began to get included on compilation albums in 1983.
Twistin All Night Long by Danny & The Juniors
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Post by razorbacker on Nov 28, 2023 12:42:39 GMT
The Beautiful South was an English pop rock group formed in 1988 by Paul Heaton and Dave Hemingway, two former members of the Housmartins. Other members throughout the band's existence were former Housemartins roadie Sean Welch (bass), Dave Stead (drums) and Dave Rotheray (guitar).
The band split in 2007 with a statement in which they joked that their reasons for splitting were "musical similarities"—an ironic reference to "musical differences", which are often cited as the reason for a band's split.
During their career they released 10 studio albums & 34 singles. None of their albums ever charted in the US & if they had a charting single here it would land on the Adult Contemporary charts, meanwhile they were much more successful in other parts of the world.
This song comes from Choke, it was their 2nd album & came out in 1990. The album hit #2 in the UK & the song listed here became their only #1 hit single.
Since she wasn’t a founding member of the band & not mentioned earlier, the lady vocalist is from Northern Ireland & her name is Briana Corrigan. She was a member of the band from 1988 to 1992.
A Little Time by The Beautiful South
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Post by Kao on Nov 28, 2023 17:28:47 GMT
New music from Bjork! Spanish songstress Rosalia is also featured here, and the proceeds goes to a non-profit that fights open pen fish farming in Iceland. While her latest releases haven't exactly been my cup of tea I rather like this song.
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Post by razorbacker on Nov 28, 2023 18:42:31 GMT
Tom Petty was a musician, singer & songwriter from Gainesville, Florida. He died of an accidental drug overdose in 2017, he was 66.
He received UCLA's George and Ira Gershwin Award for Lifetime Musical Achievement In April 1996. The next month, he won the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers' Golden Note Award.
He received the Billboard Century Award, the organization's highest honor for creative achievement on December 6, 2005.
Tom and the Heartbreakers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.
Tom released 13 studio albums as the lead singer of The Heartbreakers, 3 albums with the Traveling Wilburys and 2 with Mudcrutch, in addition to 3 solo albums.
This song was included on Wildflowers. It was his 2nd solo album & was released on November 1, 1994. In 2020, the album was ranked at number 214 on Rolling Stone's Greatest Albums of All Time list. It landed at #8 & has been certified Triple Platinum.
AllMusic described the song as a lesser-known masterpiece by Tom Petty, and a highlight on the album.
Wake Up Time by Tom Petty
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Post by razorbacker on Nov 29, 2023 12:40:22 GMT
There are mixed reports from other artists on how difficult, or how easy, it was to work with Todd when he was their producer, but evidently he had a pretty soft & forgiving side according to this story:
Todd began a relationship with model Bebe Buell in 1972. During a break in their relationship, Buell had a brief relationship with Steven Tyler, which resulted in an unplanned pregnancy. Buell gave birth to Liv Tyler on July 1, 1977. Buell initially claimed that Todd Rundgren was the biological father and named the child Liv Rundgren. Shortly after Liv's birth, Rundgren and Buell ended their romantic relationship, but Rundgren remained committed to Liv. At age eleven, Liv learned that her biological father was Steven Tyler.
According to Liv "...Todd basically decided when I was born that I needed a father so he signed my birth certificate. He knew that there was a chance that I might not be his, but…"
He paid to put her through private school, and she visited him several times a year. As of 2012, Tyler maintains a close relationship with Rundgren. "I'm so grateful to him, I have so much love for him. You know, when he holds me it feels like Daddy. And he's very protective and strong." Buell's stated reason for claiming that Rundgren was Liv's father was that Tyler was too heavily addicted to drugs at the time of Liv's birth.
This song comes from his 2nd solo album. It was called Runt, The Ballad of Todd Rundgren & it was released in 1971. Todd wrote, arranged, and produced every tune on the album, as well as handling all the guitars, keyboards, and vocals. Only the bass, percussion & drums are played by someone else. The album did not chart inside the top 200. There were 2 singles released, Be Nice To Me charted at #71 & the song linked to here landed at 92.
A Long Time, A Long Way To Go by Todd Rundgren
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Post by razorbacker on Nov 29, 2023 18:27:37 GMT
The Jive Five were a doo-wop group from Brooklyn, formed in 1954.
The group was originally called The Genies", with Eugene Pitt, Jerome Hanna, Richard Harris, Thurmon Prophet (also known as Billy Prophet), and Norman Johnson.
Their 1st & biggest hit single was My True Story. It landed at #3 on the Hot 100 & #1 on the R&B Charts in 1961. The song linked to here came out as a single in 1962 & broke into the hot 100 but stalled out at #62, it did not crossover to the R&B chart.
Bob Feldman, Richard Gottehrer, and Jerry Goldstein, wrote the song & also wrote such hits as My Boyfriend’s Back, for The Angels “I’m on Fire″ for Jerry Lee Lewis & The McCoys "Hang on Sloopy″.
What Time Is It by The Jive Five
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Post by razorbacker on Nov 30, 2023 12:20:50 GMT
June Christy was a jazz/ big band vocalist from Springfield, Illinois. Her real name was Shirley Luster. She died of kidney failure in 1990, at the age of 64, she is yet another one that had been a long time alcoholic. After her death, she was hailed as "one of the finest and most neglected singers of her time.
June is known for her work in the cool jazz genre and for her silky smooth vocals. Her success as a singer began with The Stan Kenton Orchestra. She pursued a solo career from 1954 and is best known for her debut album Something Cool.
This song comes from her 1956 album called The Misty Miss Christy. On the album sings jazz standards along with a few lesser-known tunes. There were different sets of musicians used on almost every song.
This song was written by Jimmy McHugh & Harold Adamson & has been covered by everyone from Frank Sinatra to Lou Rawls, Shirley Bassey to Keely Smith, The Spaniels to Glenn Miller & The Ink Spots. Frank’s version comes from the 1944 movie Higher & Higher in which he starred alongside Jack Haley & Michele Morgan.
A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening by June Christy
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Post by razorbacker on Nov 30, 2023 18:43:30 GMT
When Mick Jagger isn’t fronting & writing for the Rolling Stones, he sometimes steps out to star in a movie or release some solo stuff.
This was the lead track from the 3rd of his 4 solo albums. It was called Wandering Spirit & came out in 1993. It had been 6 years since his previous solo album & would be 8 more until his most recent one which landed in 2001.
In January 1992, after landing Rick Rubin as co-producer, Jagger recorded the album in Los Angeles over seven months until September 1992. The album got to #11 on the top 200 & has been certified Gold. The album cover was captured by Annie Leibovitz.
There were 4 singles released, with the lead single called Sweet Thing becoming the only one to chart. It landed at #84. The song linked to here was the 3rd single, but it had no success.
Wired All Night by Mick Jagger
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Post by razorbacker on Dec 1, 2023 12:43:23 GMT
Los Lobos is a rock band from East Los Angeles, formed in 1973.
It is kind of amazing how many times we see a groups origins going back to high school & these guys did as well. Vocalist and guitarist David Hidalgo and drummer Louie Pérez met at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles and bonded over their mutual affinity for musical acts such as Fairport Convention, Randy Newman and Ry Cooder.
They have been nominated for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, but so far have not made it. However, in 2018, they were inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame.
They released their 1st album in 1978 but never really took off until their version of La Bamba hit #1 in 1987. The song was used in the soundtrack to the movie & launched their career. Their music can also be heard in other movies like Colors, Bull Durham, Spy Kids & Desperado.
This song comes from their 1984 album called How Will the Wolf Survive? It was their 2nd release but the 1st one on a major label. The album got to #47 on the top 200 & spent 34 weeks on the chart. It got stunningly positive reviews but only gave us 1 single. The title song landed at #78.
The song was written by guitar player David Hidalgo. At the time of this record the lineup consisted of Steve Berlin – saxophones, percussion, David Hidalgo – lead vocals, guitar, accordion, lap steel, percussion, Conrad Lozano – vocals, bass, guitarrón, Louie Pérez – vocals, drums, bajo quinto, & Cesar Rosas – lead vocals, guitar, bajo sexto, mandolin.
A Matter Of Time by Los Lobos
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Post by razorbacker on Dec 1, 2023 18:41:28 GMT
The roots of The Marshall Tucker go back to 1966 when members of several bands merged to form the Toy Factory, named after guitarist Toy Caldwell. The Toy Factory's shifting line-up included, Caldwell, his younger brother Tommy, Doug Gray, Jerry Eubanks, George McCorkle, and Franklin Wilkie.
Toy Caldwell served in the Marine Corps and received a Purple Heart after being wounded in Vietnam.
Seems as though almost everyone had a difficult time pinning down the band to one genre or another:
Tommy Caldwell described their music as progressive country, explaining that the band played country music structures and riffs combined with jazz improvisation upon which more complex structures were built from the country music foundation.
Aside from progressive country, the band has also been categorized as Southern rock, blues rock, country rock, jazz rock, and as a "proto-jam band". Billboard charts have categorized the band as country, blues and adult contemporary.
Long Hard Ride was their 5th album, it was released in 1976. The album charted at #32 & the title song was the only single released. It hit # 63 on the Country chart but avoided the Hot 100.
The album's cover features Frank C. McCarthy's painting "The Last Crossing" (1972).
You Don’t Live Forever by The Marshall Tucker Band
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Post by razorbacker on Dec 2, 2023 12:35:37 GMT
Mary Margaret O'Hara is a Canadian singer-songwriter, actress and composer from Toronto.
As a solo artist she has released just 2 studio albums & they came 13 years apart, in 1988 & 2001. But she has appeared on multiple albums & songs from other artists. She has taken part in tributes to Kurt Weill, Leonard Cohen, Nick Drake and Vic Chesnutt, sung pirate songs and Christmas tunes, and guested with This Mortal Coil and Tindersticks.
She has also made several film appearances including starring alongside Tom Waits in Candy Mountain (1986).
This song was included on her debut album from 1988 called Miss America. We may have a bit of insight into why she released just 2 albums. Record labels can sometimes be an artists worst enemy.
Virgin records signed her in 1984 & they began the recording process with 2 producers that the label insisted had to be included. Andy Partridge, of fellow Virgin act XTC, and John Leckie were hired to produce, and recording sessions at Rockfield Studios in Monmouth, Wales took place in November 1984. However, Partridge and Leckie, having found themselves at odds with O'Hara and her backing band over the course of recording, were ultimately fired from the project; in their place, Joe Boyd was hired by Virgin to oversee the sessions. 14 songs were recorded by the end of the year. O'Hara and her band then returned to Canada, where additional overdubbing and remixing was undertaken in Toronto, at Phase One Studios.
Meanwhile, Virgin, as O'Hara later recalled, had begun to express apprehensions about the record altogether. Dissatisfied with the finished material, the label refused to release the album. Work was resumed and completed in 1988, after Michael Brook contacted Virgin expressing interest in assisting O'Hara with its production. At the Toronto studio Comfort Sound, O'Hara and Brook reworked songs from the original Rockfield sessions for final release.
O'Hara said in 2008 of her experience making Miss America: "I loved the Celtic crosses and the sheep rolling around the hills by the studio in Wales. But for Virgin to go from, 'You can do whatever you want', to 'What have you done?'—that was tough."
At the end of the day, the album got really great reviews, but seemed to have found a sparse audience. She has become somewhat of a Cult Hero in Canada.
Anew Day by Mary Margaret O’Hara
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Post by razorbacker on Dec 2, 2023 19:06:22 GMT
The Crests were a doo-wop group that began life in New York City in the mid 1950s. They were 1st discovered in 1956 while singing in the New York City Subway by the wife of orchestra leader Al Browne.
The group was founded by J.T. Carter, & included Talmadge "Tommy" Gough, Harold "Chico" Torres, Patricia Van Dross (older sister of R&B singer Luther Vandross) & lead vocalist Johnny Mastrangelo (shortened to Johnny Mastro and later changed to Johnny Maestro).
Patricia Vandross died of complications from diabetes in 1993 when she was 50. Harold "Chico" Torres, who had later become a handyman and moved back to New York City, is also deceased. Johnny Maestro died of cancer in 2010, he was 70. Tommy Gough died of throat cancer in 2014 when he was 74.
The group was inducted into the United in Group Harmony Association Hall of Fame in 2000, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, the Doo Wop Hall of Fame in 2008 & the Doo Wop Music Hall of Fame in 2015.
Their biggest & most memorable hit was 16 Candles which landed at #2 for them in 1958. The song linked to here was released as a single in 1959 & just missed the top 40 when it stalled out at #42. The B side was a song called Paper Crown.
A Year Ago Tonight by The Crests
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