Wednesday, December 30, 2009

NOT HERE

Abergavenny Town Hall

Not here but overseas. But the music is here.

Australia - Rolf Harris - Sun arise
Ireland - Merv Griffen - The Kerry Dance
Egypt - Paul Clayton - Pharoahs Army
Certainly not here - Summer - still seems like Winter at times although it is slightly improving - Jerry Keller - Here comes summer
Wales - Marty Wilde - Abergavenny


I am of Welsh descent and some years ago we went to Abergavenny and stayed a couple of days touring the area. Quite a pleasant place.

Monday, December 28, 2009

COVER VERSIONS

Some songs made more famous by others for you -

Floyd Robinson - Rainbow. Not a bad version but not up to Russ Hamilton's great one.
Marianne Faithfull - What have they done to the rain
Mickey & Sylvia - Oh yeah uh huh. The original and much superior version was by Col Joye.
Bonnie Lou - I'm available

Patsy Cline - Rose of San Antone. She recorded it as that name as that is the words of the song

Deep within my heart, lies a melody
A song of old San Antone

but Bob Wills originally wrote it as an instrumental and later added the words and called it San Antonio Rose or New San Antonio Rose.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

ALL OLD - ALL ENZED

Some real oldies here. So old that the NZ recording industry was very poor and the technical quality (let alone the locally written songs) left a bit to be desired.

Bas Tubert - The Hu Hu bug. Bas was a bit of a star in Wellington being the morning radio host on 2ZB and also appearing on TV when it was in its infancy in NZ.

A story - the TV studios were near where I worked in Wellington (Waring Taylor Street from memory) and one day I was walking along near them when Bas came towards me. I thought I knew him and said Hi. We then spoke for a few seconds - usual nothing - hows it going etc. Then we went on our separate ways. A minute or two later I realised who he was and that I didn't know him from a bar of soap!!


I suppose he got it all the time.

Holden Brothers - So how come
Max Merrit and the Meteors - I'll take you home Kathleen and You made me love you. From Christchurch - their big hit was Slipping Away
Teddy Bennet - Clap your hands
Johnny Cooper - Giddy up a ding dong
Meta Amos Quartette - Fools paradise
Maori Hi Five - Hippy hippy shake

Saturday, December 19, 2009

S FOR SATURDAY

All of todays songs start with S

76 Trombones - Robert Preston from the musical The Music Man.
Sing Boy Sing - Tommy Sands who married Nancy Sinatra. The song came from his film of the same name.
Sugarbush - Eve Boswell
Some People - Jet Harris and Tony Meehan who broke away from Cliff's Shadows to go it alone with some success
Sare Marais - Jim Reeves. A great South African song
Summertime - The Jamies - not Gershwins great standard from Porgy and Bess
Sorry I ran all the way home - The Impalas
(To listen click the S)


Thursday, December 17, 2009

MOSTLY KIWI

As we wind down (or are we wound up with the stress of it all) for Xmas we have today for your listening pleasure some mostly Kiwi with a smattering of some other male singers:

The Kiwis -
Ivor Fisher & The Reataz With the Satellites - Wild One
Ivor Fisher & the Satellites - Call On Cupid
Paul Walden - King of holiday island
Q-Tees - All Shook up

and the others -

James Darren - Tom Hawk (Tom Hark)
Jerry lee Lewis - Whole lotta shaking going on (Adult Version)
Marty Wilde -A Teenager In Love
Ricky Nelson - Have I told you lately that I love you
Showaddywaddy-Heartbeat
Tommy Steele - Singing the blues
Tommy Steele - Butterfly

Friday, December 11, 2009

MORE XMAS

Some more for the Xmas season here - some serious ones this time.

Paul Walden - A Penny Christmas Card. A kiwi singer of the 1950's
Les Paul and Mary Ford - Jungle Bells
A Strings - Jingle Bells. Incredible but true - Jingle Bells was actually written by James Pierpont in 1857 for Thanksgiving. Originally called The one horse open sleigh somebody said it was a 'merry little jingle' and the new name was born.
Harry Simeone Chorale-The Little Drummer Boy
David Whitfield - Santo Natale

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

FIRST DAY OF DECEMBER




Xmas is coming
fast...........

So a few funny ones relating to Christmas are here.

Gayla Peevey - I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas
The Royal Guardsman - Snoopys Xmas
Teresa Brewer - I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus as well as the original version by
Jimmy Boyd



Saturday, November 28, 2009

SOME ANDREWS AND MORE





Almost December (Xmas Month) and will post some more Xmas songs next month but meantime some more Golden Oldies for you here with some emphasis on the Andrews Sisters.

The fantastic Andrews Sisters - Beer Barrel Polka, Don't sit under the appletree and with Carmen Miranda - Cuanto Le Gusta.

Stars of the late 30's until the 1950's they were the first female vocal group to have a gold record.

Buddy Knox - Party Doll - a song I would take on a trip to Mars
Damita Joe with the best of the answer songs - I'm saving the last dance for you
From the famous film Al Caiola - The magnificent seven
Also from a film Danny Kaye - Wonderful Copenhagen
A favourite of mine Alma Cogan and The story of my life

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

GERMAN RUSSIAN ITALIAN AND FRENCH

Here are
Bobby Helms - Fraulein
The Leningrad Cowboys and the Red Army Choir - Stairway to heaven
Mario Lanza (live) - O solo mio
Claude Francois - My Way - this is the original French version called Comme d'habitude. The English words were written by Paul Anka
Conway Twitty - C'est si bon




Saturday, November 21, 2009

MORE OLDIES

Both of the Sirs - Guinness and Mills

Here are some more golden oldies on this wet Saturday morning.

Cambridge Strings & Singers - Theme from Tunes of Glory - a wonderful film that I saw many years ago that starred Alec Guinness and John Mills, and featured Dennis Price, Kay Walsh, John Fraser, Susannah York, Duncan MacRae and Gordon Jackson. I remember that it was the first time I realised what agreat actor Sir John Mills was - he was up against the Great Guinness but didn't lose anything in comparison- he was superb. So good that he won the 1960 Best Actor Award at the Venice Film Festival.

Guy Lombardo - I'm my own grandpaw - great words
Donald Peers - Music music music - a singer I've come to like a lot
Stargazers - Broken wings
Fontane Sisters - Seventeen

Thursday, November 19, 2009

SILVER AND A BIT OF BLUE

Silver: Some songs about silver here and a bit more background on blue as in that great song Blue Smoke.

Teressa Brewer - By the light of the silver moon
Billie Joe Spiers - Queen of the Silver dollar
Steve Conway - Look for the silver lining


Blue: As in Blue Smoke which I featured at the very start of this blog way back when??. Actually 18 January this year - when I started this blog - so not so long ago.
Recorded 3/10/48 - Processed 23/2/49 - although these dates can be disputed.

Jim Carter, who turns 90 this year, played played the first notes on our first homegrown hit record when he played the slow-waltz introduction to Blue Smoke out of his lap-steel guitar. He opened the song with a variation on Ruru Karaitiana’s simple melody and his final run deftly leads vocalist Pixie Williams into the famous lines:

Blue smoke goes drifting by, into the deep blue sky
And when I think of home I sadly sigh
Oh, I can see you there with tears in your eyes
As we fondly said our last goodbyes
And as I sailed away with a longing to stay
I promised I'd be true and love only you

Blue smoke goes drifting by, into the deep blue sky
My memories of home will never die

It is just such a marvellous song and record - it was the first song Karaitiana had written, the first time Williams had sung professionally, (and she sang skies instead of sky), the first record on the new Tanza (To Aid New Zealand Artists) label and the first commercial recording of a New Zealand song to be manufactured locally.To back up its Kiwi-ness the label design had a bright green and silver label with a tui on top flanked by ferns.

It marked the real birth of our own record industry and was a massive hit. with sales topping 50,000 copies while many others overseas recorded cover versions. The B side had a song called Senorita also written by Ruru Karaitiana.

The band is called the Ruru Karaitiana Quintette, but it was Carter’s Hawaiian band, hired for the session. Others on the session apart from Carter (lap steel guitar) were Gerry Hall (rhythm guitar) George Artridge (ukelele) John McNeeley (double bass) and Noel Robertson also on bass - he was usually a drummer but no drums were required for the record.

It was a DIY production. Some takes of Blue Smoke were allegedly ruined by the noise of a fridge next door, another by Karaitiana himself. “He came in at the end before we’d finished and said, ‘Oh, that’s a good one.’ So that killed that!” said Carter.

I acknowledge some of the information supplied for the above from a brilliant article in the N Z Listener.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

XMAS IS COMING

Not too many days until Xmas now. Of course down under it is a warm Xmas.
Today some Xmassy music here -

Tommy Steele - Must be Santa
Billy Idol - Silent night - It is said that a relatively modern song, "Fairytale of New York" by the Pogues is the best Christmas song of all time. My thoughts are that you can't know if that is right for 100/200 years. If the Pogues song is still one of the best in a couple of hundred years then maybe it is a great song. That's why I go for Silent Night as it is still as popular today as it was when it was written in 1818. This is a superb version of what I consider the greatest Xmas song of all time.
David Whitfield - O come all ye faithful
Jose Feliciano - Feliz Navidad
Bing Crosby - White Christmas. Supposed to be the biggest selling record of all time.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

SYSTEM CHANGE

I have from the last post changed the system.

Previously when you clicked the link it took you to that song/s only. Now clicking the links will take you not only to the specific folder but will reveal every song in every folder.

I think this is a better system.

I am still unable to find my songs using a search engine?? Don't know why - however if specific enough the blog will occasionally come up in Google.

C & W - R & R




Carl Mann
Conway Twitty

Some Country and Western songs rock and rolled by Carl Mann and Conway Twitty.

Carl is live with South of the Border and You win again while from the studio he performs Till I waltz again with you.

Conway Twitty (born Harold Jenkins and died young at 59) has his famous rock version of Mona Lisa and Its only make believe - which was the B side of his record but luckily somebody turned it over and he was on his way.
(Link in the previous post)

Friday, November 6, 2009

FOUR KIWIS

Ray and his group were the first Kiwis to top the Ozzie charts with the fantastic She's a mod.

Ray Columbus and the Invaders - I wanna be your man and I saw her standing there

Bill and Boyd - Chulu Chululu and Cloudy summer afternoon
Listen here

Sunday, October 25, 2009

From 30's to fifties

Some more oldies starting with Bing (not the Search Engine) Crosby with the wonderful Andrews Sisters - Quicksilver.

Kingston Trio - MTA
Jimmy Young - Man from Laramie
David Whitfield - Rags to riches (Tony Bennett and Gene Pitney also have a great version)
Ricky Nelson - Honeycomb from 1957
Anthony Newley - Saturday Night Rock a Boogie from the film Idle on Parade.
Beverley Sisiters - Greensleeves (written by Henry the Vlll
And from the musical Cabaret - Tomorrow belongs to me






Thursday, October 8, 2009

MORE KIWIS AND SOME ODDITIES.

The Keil Isles again here with Your cheating heart, My heart cries for you and Pretty Suzie Sunshine.

Plus some odds with
Johnny Tillotsen and his Take 1 (previously unreleased) It keeps right on a hurting,
Tiny Tim with Great balls of fire, he of the strange falsetto voice who had ahit with Tiptoe thru the tulips
Norman Greenbaum and a Demo Version of his Spirit in the sky,
The Brothers (Dean & Mark) with Tell him no, not as good as Travis & Bob
Sousa - The stars & stripes forever,
Terry Lightfoots Jazzmen and True Love, a great more up-tempo version
Rusty Draper-In the middle of the house.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Back again

Mike Preston in Australia (he is top right) with The Bachelors and Twinkle.

A shot from an Australian TV cop show

Been away so some more of the real oldies from Bing Crosby with Quicksilver plus a terrific song that I have finally located, Mike Preston with My lucky love. Mike was born in Hackney U.K. in 1938 and emigrated to Australia where it seems he gave up singing (previously was a boxer) to go into acting and getting steady work in various T V shows.

Also all here today - Al Oster with Way up Alaska Way, Conway Twitty - Hey little Lucy, Bill Justis and Tamoure.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

POLITICAL & ODDITIES

A couple of political ones here -

Leonard Cohen - Democracy - a brilliant song. His album with this on is worth every penny
Billy Bragg - Internationale - the song of the working class - or the Communists (the very opposite of democracy!!)

It was until 1944 the national Anthem of the Soviet Union until replaced by Hymn of the Soviet Union as it seems the soldiers were prepared to die for mother Russia but not the working class.

Some odds -

David Whitfield - Cara Mia - almost classical
Joe Dassin - Pour Un Flirt Avec Toi - a little bit of France
Millie Small -Tom Hark - the Elias and his Zig Zag Jive Flutes version is said to the the most played song at UK football (Soccer) grounds
Royal teens - Who wears shorts shorts
Tommy Steele - What a mouth - a brilliant piece sung live by the great steelman himself who did turn himself into an allround entertainer and sculptor.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

ANOTHER LOT FEATURING TWO RONNIES


Ronnie Carroll - Footsteps - the original was by Steve Lawrence

The original two Ronnies above - Corbett and Barker. It is claimed that at 1m 56 (5'1) Corbett who served in the RAF was the shortest commissioned officer ever.

Chris Andrews - Pretty Belinda
Everly Bros - True Love
Lonnie Donnegan - The Party's Over
Marty Robbins Return to me.
Seekers - Isa lei
Sir Douglas Quintet - Mendocino

(See link in previous posting)

Sunday, August 30, 2009

OVER 50 YEARS AGO



The great Billy T James (The Tainui Kid)

"I'm half Scot, half Maori. One half wants to get pissed
(drunk)
the other doesn't want to pay for it"

Some from well in the past - well they seem to be from a hundred years ago; still I like them

Billy T James - Goodnight everyone - from his TV show. The Entertainer of the Decade in the 80's.

Not one to worry about being 'politically correct' he was the star of the film Came a Hot Friday
as The Tainui Kid.

Winifred Attwell - Big Ben Boogie
John Charles Thomas - Bluebird of happiness
Donald Peers - Dads birthday waltz
Jo Stafford - Ragtime cowboy Joe
Johnny Standly - Its in the book
Rudy Valee - The stein song
Richard Tauber - Pedro the fisherman
Bing Crosby, William Bendix, Sir Cedric Hardwicke -Busy doing nothing
Wilfred Pickles-Good luck good health god bless you
Joseph Locke - Blaze away - in the 'good old days' of State Radio I think they played this every morning at about 10 to 8 to remind the kids to leave for school as it was a marching song played over speakers into the playground that we marched along to. !!! Ahhhhhh.....

Saturday, August 29, 2009

1950's STRIKE AGAIN

All Dave Burgess who sang I'm available - a song I would take on a trip to Mars -
Butterfly - A white sports coat - A teenagers romance

Plus some more from over a half a century ago -

Alma Cogan - Mama teach me to dance
Buddy Holly - It's So Easy
Eddie Fisher - I Wanna Go Where You Go, Do What You Do (Then I'll Be Happy)
Gaylords - O Sole Mio (There's No Tomorrow)
Johnny Ray - I'm gonna walk & talk with my Lord
Michael Holiday - Starry Eyed
Morecome & Wise - Run rabbit run
Perry Como - Catch a Falling Star
Richard Chamberlain - True love
Ted Heath - The Faithful Hussar

Saturday, August 22, 2009

SATURDAYS SELECTION

Some for the weekend here

Freddy Fender - Wasted Days & Wasted Nights - this is the original 1960 Version.
Gary Miller - Robin Hood. From the TV series - quite a rousing tune.
Bill Haley - Bouquet Of Roses. From his C&W days as Bill Haley and his Saddlemen
Lonnie Donegan - Just A Closer Walk With Thee. I'm not religious but there are a couple of religious songs around (How great thou art is another) that are terrific songs. Jimmy Rogers also did a great version.
Eddie Cochrane - Have I Told you Lately That I Love You.
Don Cornell - Heart of my heart. Another great from the '50's.
Teresa Brewer & Don Cornell - You'll Never Get Away. Don again with Teresa

Thursday, August 13, 2009

BACK AFTER A BREAK

Had the flu so nothing posted recently. So back on deck with a lot to make up for.

Another electic mix right here!!

Adam Faith - Made you & What do you want
Winifred Attwell - Poor people of Paris - She started out as a classical pianist
Piltdown Men (The 4 Preps) - McDonalds Cave
Tony Perkins - Rocket to the moon
Russ Hamilton - Wedding Ring & I still belong to you
Jim Reeves - Stand at your window
Jim Edward Brown (The Browns) - The blue skirt waltz
Gunter Kallman Choir - The Elizabethan Serenade
Jorgen Ingman - Anna
Arthur Smith - Guitar Boogie

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Down Under and one over

All from down under with one from over our heads.

From Kiwiland -

Fourmyula - with the song voted as the greatest NZ popular song of of last century - Nature. Excellent song from this great Upper Hutt (where I lived for a number of years with both my children being Upper Huttians) group, with the simply superb Wayne Mason.
The Best song of the Century ?? - an excellent song but headed off by Blue Smoke in my opinion. I would rate Pokarekare Ana as the greatest but was it a 'Pop' song??
So my top 3 are Pokare, Blue Smoke and Nature.
Also they sing another great hit Come go with me.

Johnny Devlin with 5 minutes more & Susie Darling
Ray Columbus & the Invaders with She's a mod - the first NZ pop song to top the Oz charts.

And the Aussies -
Frank Ifield - Abdul Abulbul Amir
Deltones - Come a little bit closer

And not an Aussie but an Oz song - Michael Holiday and Little Boy Lost. Other versions were posted on 6 April and 23 June this year.

And the one from over - well overhead John Stewart (ex Kingston Trio) with his song honouring the man who walked on the moon 40 years ago last month Armstrong.

Listen
here and not up there when, on a July afternoon, a man named Armstrong walked upon the moon.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Double

Two from Englebert - Ten guitars (the NZ national anthem, well it is when we are partying) and Please release me
Rick Nelson - Never be anyone else but you

Thursday, July 16, 2009

PAUL ANKA



Here we have the great Canadian singer born 1941 who started with Diana and is almost operatic in many of his songs.

Let the Bells keep ringing, Dance dance on little girl, Tonight my love tonight, I love you baby.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

SATURDAY SIX

Saturday and we have six except for Tab Hunter in which case it is 99 Ways.
Plus Sue Thompson with Willie Can
Anthony (or Tony) Perkins taking a Moonlight swim
David Garrick - Dear Mrs Applebee
Harry Belafonte with the song from the film of the same name Island in the Sun.
Matt Flinders (the Ozzie born in Egypt) with Butterfly

Click **** to listen to six greats.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

ALL JAYS AGAIN



All Jays again here.

John D Loudermilk - Calling Dr Casey from the TV show of the same name which was never screened in NZ. I saw Vince Edwards, who was the star of the show, in a B movie several years before he became famous and his performance in that film always stuck in my mind as I thought he was excellent. Looking up his films on the Net it was probably 1958's Murder by Contract.

Johnny Preston with an updated version of Running Bear the great Big Bopper written hit.
Jerry Wallace - Primrose Lane
Jeff Beck - Hi ho silver lining. Several years ago I heard an interview with Ray of Dr. Hook and this was one of his favourites.
Jimmy Rodgers - Woman from Liberia & The wreck of the John B

Friday, July 3, 2009

THE GRAND PRIX OF GIBRALTER




Today we have the multi talented Sir Peter Ustinov present, in two parts, his one man comedic tour-de-force (or should that be farce) of The Grand Prix of Gibralter. Simply the most wonderful comedy - up with the Goons. It seems incredible that it is a one man show with all the different voices. I bought this LP more years ago than I can remember.

I remember another skit I saw on TV when he explained how up until he was 7-8 years of age he thought he was a car and he then spent 20 minutes giving a comedy solo about his life as a child car.
Sir Peter Ustinov was born Peter Alexander Freiherr von Ustinov in 1921 . He was a mixture of Russian, French, Italian, German, Ethiopian stock. They of course also came from a Jewish background so his father, known as Klop, was a spy for MI5 against the Germans although in the First World War he fought for the Luftwaffe against the RAF.

During the Second World War Peter was the batman for the actor David Niven. Although Niven could have sat out the War in America he didn't hesitate to throw in his US acting career to return to Britain to take up a commission in the British Army where he became a highly decorated officer.

Sir Peter won numerous awards - Oscars, Bafta's, Emmys and many others. Listen to his genius here. He was a man of many parts, actor, playright, author, producer, commedian, raconteur, and a dozen other talents. Later in life he became an Ambassador for the United Nations.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

MORE C & W


Starting with Leroy Van Dyke (born 1929) and his Auctioneer song written about his cousin. This is not the original hit version but one done for an LP I have of Big World of Country Music and it has a stack of violins playing towards the end. Also Leroy sings today Walk on By. I have previously posted his German/English version.

The ever wonderful Everly's with Don Gibson's Just one time.
Gene Autry & Jo Stafford - My Heart Cries For You. The big hit being Guy Mitchell.
Bob Wills
with Faded Love.


(link in Mondays post)

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

TUESDAYS MIX

Sonny James - Apache. A great vocal version of the Shadows hit.
Paul Anka - I love you baby
Dave Burgess - Whole lot of shaking going on
Marty Robbins - Just married and That's all right mama
Paul Petersen - Little boy sad. Acted as Donna Reed's son in her show and later went on to become an author.
(link in previous post)

Monday, June 29, 2009

VOCAL GROUPS

The Teddybears - To know him is to love him. A Phil Spector find
The Howard Morrison Quartet - Hoki Mai and Pokarekare Ana
Beach Boys - CaliforniaGirls. This is an odd version - vocals only.
Paul Revere and The Raiders - Indian Reservation. Another John D Loudermilk song
Pussycat - Mississippi. Sung in German.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

FUNDAY

Here are some humorous and odd ones today starting with the great Harry Belafonte and Coconut woman.

I remember seeing the film Carmen Jones in which Harry starred but his voiced was dubbed as was the great Dorothy Dandridge (by the then unknown Lena Horne). Probably as a youngster this was my first real introduction to some classical music (albiet in a popular way) and the Toreadors song was terrific.

Gail Peevey (Jamie Horton) - I'm getting nuttin' for Xmas. I have posted Jamies cover of Connies Robot Man.
Buzz Clifford- Baby Sittin' Boogie.
Peter Sellers & Sophia Loren - Goodness Gracious Me

And some Kiwi humour -
Pat Rogers - Taumarunui.
Howard Morrison Quartet - Mori the Hori. Some non PC humour in the Billy T James style - although Billy T was many years later.
Rodd Derritt - Kiwi Train. And unfortunately this is true as in the 1950's N Z Railways was simply awful.

Friday, June 26, 2009

ROAD SHOW

Two for the Tobacco Road - John D Loudermilk's song and his version of it plus the Nashville Teens who made it into a hit.

And two for the show - film shows that is -

Stubby Kaye & Nat King Cole from the film of the same name The Ballad of Cat Ballou and Doris Day with Bonny's father John Raitt from the Pyjama Game There once was a man.

John had a terrific baritone voice but preferred the stage (Broadway) to films. Bay Raitt the creator of the face of Gollum in the Lord of the Rings is his grandson. As an aside I spell pyjama with a Y but it seems the real name of the film is The Pajama Game as the Yanks spell it differently. Listen here.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

AS EASY AS

As easy as A B C but todays shows my odd (eclectic!!) taste ranging from the jazz like Andre Previn, the rocking Bobby D and the almost classical Charlotte Church.

A
Andre Previn - Like young

B
Bobby Bland - Let the lttle girl dance
Bobby Darin - Queen of the hop
Bobby Goldsboro - Molly

C
Curtis Lee with Under the moon above and Pretty little angel eyes
Crickets & Sonny Curtis - Baby my heart
Charlotte Church - Men of Harlech - Royal Celebration 1998. Her boyfriend is the Welsh Rugby second five-eighth (inside centre to the rest of the world) who I have always rated as a player.
Below is Gavin in action. The music action is here.


Wednesday, June 24, 2009

WEDNESDAYS SELECTION

Starting off with Warren Smith and his Ubangi Stomp. Should have had a better career but went off the rails, even serving time in jail. But drugs seem to have been his down fall (although having a bad car accident didn't help) and he died young at 47 in 1980.

Carol Deene - Some People which is the vocal version of a instrumental hit for the ex Shadows Jet Harris and Tony Meehan.
Brook Brothers - Ain't gonna wash for a week. Another Everlys soundalike duo who had a big hit with Warpaint.
Paul Young - Love of the common people. British singer not to be confused with the Ozzie (Scottish born) John Paul Young.
Jimmy Bowen - I'm sticking with you
Gary Miles and the Statues - Look for a star
Look here for these stars.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

100 PERCENT K1W1

Ricky May - I could have danced all night from My Fair Lady
The Chicks - The Hucklebuck
Ray Columbus - Till we kissed. Mr Mod himself. I will track down my copy of She's a mod and post it sometime.
John Rowles - Cheryl Moana Marie about his sister.
OMC - How bizarre. And it was as the Otara Millionaires Club (Pauly Fuemana and Alan Jansson) flared brightly as a OHW then went.
Ronnie Sundin - Sea of love. Better than the original by Phil Phillips. Ronnie lasted about 2 years in the late 50's. I saw him several times performing in the Showcase of Stars type of shows prevalent at that time.
Simple Image - Michael & the Slipper tree
Paul Walden - King of Holiday Island. His big hit was Molly which was a Bobby Goldsboro song.
Tommy Adderley - Painted tainted rose. More jazz than pop but another who had drug problems.

(link in previous post)

Friday, June 19, 2009

REAL OLD AND A BIT NEWER KIWI

Allison Durbin - I have loved me a man. Sadly she went off the rails in Oz and got involved in drugs.

Black Bolt & the Silver Ferns -Give 'em a taste of Kiwi. Has within the song the great try scored by Hika (Reid) the Hooker against Oz to win the game.

Gil Dech with Rememberance and Robins Return. When I was young and they had the afternoon request session on 1ZB both of these were always requested. The 'good old days' - so boring.

Barry Crump & Scotty -Side by side. Used by Toyota in their advertising campaign.

Steve Allen -Join together. The theme of the 1974 Comonwealth Games at Christchurch. Famous for the win of Dick Tayler and Bayi over Walker which created a new 1500m world record.

Hammond Gamble-You make the whole world smile. Another song used as a theme - for the Telethon. Go

Thursday, June 18, 2009

FROM THE 50's AND EARLIER


Some from a long time ago - mostly C & W are here for your listening pleasure.

Rosemary Clooney & Thurl Ravenscroft - Where will the dimple be.
She is George Clooney's Aunt and Thurl, which was his real name, died in 2002 at age 91. He of the verrrry deep voice. For nearly 50 years he was the voice of an advertising campaign featuring Tony the Tiger.

Bill Haley in his C & W days with Cold cold heart
Bob Wills - San Antonio Rose
Art & Dottie Todd - Broken Wings
Patti Page - Down the Trail Of Achin' Hearts
Phil Harris - The old master painter. His big hit was The Thing.
Sons Of The Pioneers - Tumbling Tumbleweeds.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

ALL BRITISH

Get your chewing gum here.

Led off by Scotlands (I always thought he was Irish born) Lonnie Donegan - the king of skiffle


Does your chewing gum lose its flavour on the bedpost overnight. There are probably a dozen versions of this song done by Lonnie all with slightly different words.

"Does the spearmint lose its flavor on the bedpost over night?
Would you use it on your collar when your button's not in sight?
Put your hand beneath your seat and you will find it there all right...
Does the spearmint lose its flavor on the bedpost over night?"

(Billy Rose, Marty Bloom & Ernest Breuer, 1924)

Jimmie Brown (The newsboy of the town)
Battle of New Orleans - easily the best version

Britain's Bing Crosby soundalike Michael Holday with Marty's Story of my life

Frank Ifield with a real oldie - Abdul Abulbul Amir

Saturday, June 13, 2009

THE GREATEST ONE HIT WONDER EVER



Some old rockers are here

Zager & Evans - In the year 2525

the greatest OHW of all time which was the No.1 hit as Neil Armstrong stepped onto the moon. They had the only record to top both the UK & US charts and then never to have another hit. The true OHW's.

Denny Zager has been a great guitar maker now for over 40 years - www.zagerguitar.com. The song, written by Rick Evans has fantastic lyrics.

In the year 2525
If man is still alive
If woman can survive
They may find

In the year 3535
Ain't gonna need to tell the truth, tell no lies
Everything you think, do, or say
Is in the pill you took today

In the year 4545
Ain't gonna need your teeth, won't need your eyes
You won't find a thing to do
Nobody's gonna look at you

In the year 5555
Your arms are hanging limp at your sides
Your legs not nothing to do
Some machine is doing that for you

In the year 6565
Ain't gonna need no husband, won't need no wife
You'll pick your son, pick your daughter too
From the bottom of a long black tube

In the year 7510
If God's a-comin' he ought to make it by then
Maybe he'll look around himself and say
Guess it's time for the Judgement day

In the year 8510
God's gonna shake his mighty head
He'll either say I'm pleased where man has been
Or tear it down and start again

In the year 9595
I'm kinda wondering if man's gonna be alive
He's taken everything this old earth can give
And he ain't put back nothing

Now it's been 10,000 years
Man has cried a billion tears
For what he never knew
Now man's reign is through
But through the eternal night
The twinkling of starlight
So very far away
Maybe it's only yesterday

In the year 2525
If man is still alive
If woman can survive
They may find

In the year 3535
Ain't gonna need to tell the truth, tell no lies
Everything you think, do or say
Is in the pill you took today

Wow - just great!!!

Plus we have

Eden Kane - Boys Cry
Shakin Stevens -Oh Julie
Starship - We Built This City.