IS THIS ME?

THE FOUR A's

Four A's today.

Alvin Stardust - A picture of you. The original was by Joe Brown
Adam Faith - When Johnny comes marching home. The original was done a couple of hundred years ago at a guess.
Anthony Newley - Do you mind. Andy Williams did the original
Andy Williams - Butterfly


(For the link go to a previous posting.)

AUSSIE GEMS

Three Aussie gems -
Jade Hurley - Running Bear and Clap your hands plus the Deltones with You are the limit.

(Click the link in the previous posting)

WW II

Not the WWW (World Wide Web) but World War 2. Some songs from that era and a little after for you to listen to and remember.

Vera Lynn - The White Cliffs of Dover and We'll meet again. The forces sweetheart.
Glenn Miller - Auld Lange Syne.
Buddy Clark - Brush those tears from your eyes and Dance Ballerina Dance
Marlene Dietrich - Lilli Marlene

ITS ONLY A PICTURE

Yes it is only a picture but is it the best Beatles picture ever?

SEE AND DOUBLE U = C & W

Some C & W to listen to today

Limeliters - There's a meeting here tonight (although more Folk than Country)
Don Gibson - Blue blue day
Bonnie Guitar - Dark Moon
Eddie Arnold - The prisoners song
Alma Cogan - Cowboy Jimmy Joe
Billie Joe Spiers - Blanket on the ground

The Limeliters are famous for 'Have Some Madeira M'Dear' which I will hunt through my collection to find and post some sunny (probably wet) day.

TODAYS MIXTURE

Today we have a mixture to listen to -

Mark Wynter - Answer me
Paul Anka - Love me warm and tender dear (some great orchestral work)
Danny Kaye - I taut I saw a puddy tat (real odd)
Duane Eddy and the Rebels - Girl on death row. Believe it or not Duane sings this song. Sounds great although a bit morbid.
Buddy Holly - Oh Boy. This is odd as well - he sings solo with no backing.
Anvil Chorus - a bit of the classics. A terrific sound.
Andy Williams - Lonely street.

SOUTH PHILADEPHIA

From South Philadelphia - Rydell, Avalon and Fabian - but for you right here.

Bobby sings I'll never dance again
Frankie sings Just ask your heart (the NZ version was by Ronnie Sundin)
Fabian sings I'm a man

Rydell and Avalon along with Fabian (Forte) lived near each other and were in the same band as youngsters and all went on to fame independently although interlinked through their knowledge of one another and the men who guided them to fame - Bob Marucci and Peter DeAngelis of Chancellor Records.

Rydell and Avalon could sing but Fabian was a teen-age 'manufactured' heart throb. I remember when we were visiting Las Vegas and a show with the three of them was coming to town.

As for Bobby my first memory was being in a record store and they played 'Kissing Time'. As soon as I heard it I knew it was a hit. I asked the name of the record and bought it.

LANGUAGE

As in French and use of the word language as in Language of love sung by Australian Jade Hurley. The other is Jane Morgan - Le jour où la pluie viendra (The day the rains came down).

I blogged about Jane's song on the 3rd of March (which incidentally was 3-3-09 and one of only 9 days this century that is a square root) and said how she put it out in English one side and French the other. So here is the flipside of the disc.

SAT MORNING

Many moons ago I bought the Sandy Nelson hit Teen beat but listening to the flipside (is that an expression to do with music that has died out?) I heard Big Jump. Tremendous stuff - the guitar is fantastic.Later Bill and Boyd used it as the tune for a Shell advertisement, 

Answer songs came out and the big one was the answer to Save the last dance for me.  Here (along with the others in this edition) is Goldie Hill - I'm Yvonne from the bayou (Jambalaya).

Finishing with a couple of ladies Alma Cogan - - Picking a chicken and a favourite of mine Crystal Gayle - River Road. 

FURIOUS

Billy Fury is here.

Maybe tomorrow - Thats Love - Love or Money - Don't go.

Billy died at the early age of 43. At one stage when looking for a new backing group the Silver Beetles (The Beatles) auditioned. They failed. 

BIG WEDNESDAY

John Hanlon

Born in Malaya of Chinese/European parents he came to NZ at a young age.

A BIG upload of six songs here for the middle of the week - Wednesday.

In Alpha order - first up is Annette with Pineapple Princess, Everleys with My Grandfathers Clock, Fabian - Hypnotised, John Hanlon - Pretty Lady, Lucille Starr- I'll go stepping and finally Sal Mineo with Lets have a party.

FROM THE 20's TO THE 40's

Tune in to Frank Crumit- Gay Caballero, Frankie Yankovic & His Yanks-Blue Skirt Waltz,
Rex Allen - Don't Go Near The Indians.
Gay probably didn't have the same meaning in the 1920's that it has today.

MORE MMMM

Well Mormon and others with M to listen to.

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir with Battle Hymn of the Republic. This was an unlikely hit of the late 50s' and if memory serves me right it was played on US radio stations in 1959 to offset (complain about) the visit to America of Nikita Krushchev the Soviet leader. Surprisingly it entered the Hit Parade.

Other M's are Marty Wilde with the Apron Strings and Malcolm Vaughan - More than ever (Come Prima)

JAMES AND MAGGIE

Listen to the late 40's with Jimmy Wakely (1914 -1982) and Margaret Whiting.

Jimmy was a C&W singer and actor who made numerous films and even more records. After acting in well over 40 B grade films, mainly westerns, he then concentrated on his singing. His singing partner was often Margaret Whiting and their big hit was 'Slipping Around' (1949).

Jimmy and Margaret sing >> I'll never slip around again - A bushel and a peck

Jimmy sings >> Peter Cottontail - Beautiful Brown Eyes - One has my name

FOREIGN

Foreign - Ray Adams - Hear my song Violetta. Ray is Norwegian although you wouldn't believe it from his English pronunciation; although we would be inclined to pronounce Violetta as Vi not Vee.

John Mcormack - Its a long way to Tipperrary (Ireland) This recording is from 1914 so a few scratches are present.

Lucille Starr the French Canadian singing in French - Chanson d'Amour

Jim Reeves - Sarie Marais. South Africa - I can always remember the Auckland Town Hall in 1956 and the Boks singing this.

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - Mona Lisa. From Hawaii. He had a huge hit with Over the Rainbow and many of his songs are available on YouTube. He died in 1997 at age 38 - due to the fact that he was not a small man - 349 kg and1.9 m.
Listen.

GOONISH AGAIN

Goons - Major Bloodnocks Rock n Roll Call and A Russian Love Song which features a brilliant imitation of Elvis by Sir Harry. The great leadup lines are -

Announcer: The president, gentlemen, the president of the harharnidharn har harmeriharn
Man: There’s a Russian satellite moon over Arkansas, Mr. President
President: Thank heaven it's not over America. Don't worry we are prepared for this!
Mr. Presley, let ‘em have it…

You can have it here

ALL SORTS

Sylvia Syms - Vaya con dios -I don't know if this is the British actress or the New York singer (labeled by Sinatra as the worlds greatest saloon singer) - probably the latter.

The Browns - Whiffenpoof Song - based on a poem by Rudyard Kipling. But what is a Whippenpoof??

Big Bad Shaking - Put a light in the window - who??

Sammy Masters- Rocking Red Wing - who again??
Lonnie Lee & The Leemen - Yes Indeed I Do - an Ozzie tune from 1960's. Listen.

THE LINE

Here  walking the line are the Everlys and Leonard Nimoy (Mr Spock). Nimoy has gone on to fame as a photographer.

INSTRUMENTAL

Here we have Degüello which means 'the beheading', 'slit throat' or 'no quarter' depending on who you read. I had this song on a 45 then lost it as usual but then managed to get a copy again. It was used as the theme song in two films - John Wayne's Alamo and again in another John Wayne (much superior film) Rio Bravo. It is supposed to have actually have been played at the 1836 Battle of the Alamo. This version is by Nelson Riddle.

Also here today we have Jorgenn Ingman the Swedish guitarist with Milord

NOT ENGLISH

Not sung in English. We have here Laurie London (who at age 13 hit gold with He's got the whole world in his hands) - Itsy bitsy teeny weenie etc. in German.

Leader of the pack by Deutsche Die Crazy Girls (German) and Hans Boekhout - Muss I Denn (Wooden Heart) in Dutch.

WEIRD, ODD, STRANGE, ETC

Some really odd music here.

Joe Meek (1929-1967) - singing Magic Star. I have put this vocal version of Telstar up before but this time it is sung by the actual producer of the song. Joe produced many hits, Have I the right, Cumberland Gap, Johnny Remember Me to name just a few, but he had a sad ending to his life. At the age of 37, suffering from depression, he shot his landlady before committing suicide.

Frank Sinatra - with John F. Kennedy's theme song for the 1960 Us election. Taking his hit High Hopes Frank had the words changed to an election message for Kennedy.

Now the real oddity - Fred Lennon. This is Johns father trying to cash in on the fame of his son. Of course he had walked out on John and his mother and John had no time for him. The Next Time You Feel Important (Picadilly TN 35290 B) and That's My Life (My Love And My Home) (Picadilly TN 35290 A)

MORE FIVE OH

Max Bygraves - Tulips from Amsterdam and You need hands. Many of his hits are on You Tube. Born Walter William Bygraves he has now retired to Australia.

Dorothy Collins - My Boy Flat Top. A popular hair style of the 50's

Jane Morgan - The day the rains came down. She put out a couple of interesting records. The song we have today she sang in French on the other side while Fascination for the Gary Cooper film had her sing the hit on one side and an orchestral version on the other. A very talented lady.

Ricky Valance - Tell Laura I Love Her. Was the first Welshman to reach No.1 in the UK with this hit. Shirley Bassey was the first Welshperson.

Vaughn Monroe (he of the deep voice) - Sound Off
You can sound on here.

TWO RAYS

Ray Smith with Rockin' Little Angel and the wonderful voice of the late (died 2005) Ray Peterson with 3 great songs - Missing You, I'm Gone and Fever. Fever was written by Eddie Cooley who also sang a the marvelous 'Priscilla'. Click !

FIFTIES

The Weavers from a 1949 LP. 

(remember those!!) 

Standing l to r:

Pete Seeger, Lee Hays, Fred Hellerman. Seated: Ronnie Gilbert.

The 1950's was a time of change as the 'moon in june' music gave way to Rock and Roll.

The transition to the new sound was upsetting to the older generation. This is always the way. The parents saying their music is great; while their kids music is rubbish. 

However, the current 'music' of Rap is just that - rubbish. There is some goood modern stuff, Bryan Adams, Springsteen, U2, The Mavericks and so on. Much of the early 50's was bad but amongst the blandness were also some gems. 

Why is it that many artists who rose to fame in that 1956-1966 period can still dominate the music world today - Elvis, The Stones, Beatles, Johnny Cash and the like. The industry wonder why sales are down. It is a combination of factors - competition from other pastimes such as video games, TV, Internet etc but I think the blame has to be  because most of the current stuff is awful. 

Some 1950's are here - not all gems but an interesting reflection of those times - 

Weavers - Hey round the corner. The first of the folk singers with the iconic Pete Seeger. The Weavers enabled the rise of folk music and to groups such as The Kingston Trio.

Bill Haley - still in his C & W days - Love letters in the sand 

Anne Shelton - Lay down your arms . I remember reading that the BBC were not happy playing this song as it gave the impression that soldiers should go AWOL. Then again those were the days of the 'Cold War' and war in Korea. 

Margaret Whiting - Good morning Mr Echo

Don Cornel - Heart of my heart  

Ethel Merman & Dick Haymes - I Wonder Why