NOVELTIES

Some odd novelty songs.

The Goons with Unchained melody. It is incredible that the 3 main stars of this program all went on to fame in different areas. Peter Sellers a superb mimic and actor probably achieved the most world wide fame. He should have got an Oscar for his portrayal of Chancy Gardner in Being There.

Sir Circumference - Neddy Seagoon - the great Sir Harry Secombe went on to a comedy and a light opera singing career and the tortured Spike Milligan was simply a comic genius.

Pity being an American and missing out on the Goon Show. Then again they probably wouldn't have understood the humour.

In the 1950's thanks to The Goon Show we were introduced to a new style of humour and characters such as Ned Seagoon, Eccles, Bluebottle, Major Bloodnok, Minnie Bannister, Henry Crun, Grytpype-Thynne and Moriarty amongst many. The humour has stood the test of time as I can listen today, over 50 years later, and still enjoy the humour.

There are thousands of great lines - I remember the interchange between Eccles and Moriarty. Moriarty threatens Eccles who tells him him "I warn you - I was trained in karate by the great Bert"

A scuffle takes place and Moriaarty smashes Eccles into the ground.

Eccles 'Wait till I get hold of that twit Bert'

(You had to be there!!)

Wally Stott did the music and later had a sex change operation and became Angela Morley!!

Answer songs came into favour after Damita Joe's I'm Saving the Last dance for you and here we have Dodie Stevens with Yes I'm lonesome tonight from 1961 and Florraine Darling - As Long As The Roses Are Red (Roses Are Red).

The Railway runs through the middle of the House by Gene Zimmerman. This was not the original hit - I think that was Vaughan Munroe.

An unusual version for the UK market only was Playmates - Beep Beep (Bubble Car Version) as the BBC wouldn't allow of course any mention of advertising (isn't that great). Again not a model that would be known to Americans not to be beholden in any way to advertisers.

The we have the Taylor Sisters singing Japanese Click go the shears.

All odd - all here.

IN LIEU WE HAVE LU AND LOU

Today we have a couple of lu-lu's - 

Bob Luman - Lets think about living  and The Great Snowman (more from the pen of the great John D Loudermilk). Sadly Bob died young at 41.

And from the Italian Lou, famous for a number of novelty songs - Lou Monte (1917-1989) sings Dominick the Italian Christmas Donkey and Lazy Mary. 

No Vocals

Just instrumental/orchestral music here.

Two from British TV programmes about the police.

One, Theme from Z Cars by Johnny Keating & his Orchestra and the other still British but about a Dutch cop - Theme from Vandervalk. Who does this I don't know. Plus The Virtues with the updated version of Guitar Boogie Shuffle (originally done by Arthur Smith.)

A B C D

A

Alvin Stardust - My coo ca choo

B

Brook Brothers - Warpaint

C

Carl Mann - Don't let the stars get in your eyes

D

Dave Burgess - Everlovin' 

Listen 

THE GREAT UNKNOWNS

Here are some largely unknown singers with one who is really unknown

Unknown singer with Little boy lost - a true story written in song by a Australian Radio 2UE DJ Tony Withers and recorded by Johnny Ashcroft.
Crescendos - Oh Julie
Thomas Wayne - This Time - original song sung by Troy Shondell
Joe Valino - Garden of Eden
Dick Lory - Wild Blooded Woman (AKA Dick Glasser) - Dick sang one of my all time favourites Handsome Guy

JOYFUL

Col Joye - probably Australia's first real singing star that had a long career in the business with Johnny O'Keefe dying young.

We have here some songs and including some different versions of the same song from the brilliant Col Joye -

Bye Bye Baby Bye Bye - an updated version from the original

Oh Yeah Uh Uh - one version updated and another with an intro explaining how they used a typewriter (remember those) as a musical instrument. As an aside in Dean Martin's version of Houston the 'ding' sound at the start is the tap on a coke bottle. Did you know Houston was the first word relayed from the moon 'Houston the Eagle has landed'. You do now!!

Fraulein - sung live - Rock and rolling Clementine - Livin' Doll

Superb stuff from when music was music. The NZ version of Bye Bye Baby was sung by Vince Callagher (I am pretty certain that is the correct surname). Sadly, I am unable to get the song today as I have lost the original 45 somewhere in all my shifts.Vince also had a marvellous hit with Mr Rainbow Man - also a 45 that I have lost.

FOREIGN AND OVER SEAS

TELSTAR - CONNECTING PEOPLE OVER SEAS

Foreign - Dutch/Indonesian the Blue Diamonds with Hello Mary Lou & Ramona.

French/Canadian - Lucille Starr with The French song. I had never heard the song, which was a hit around the mid 60's, until a few years ago and then managed to get a copy.

English/German - Leroy van Dye with Geh Nicht Vorbei which translates into his big hit of Walk on by. An interesting version starting in English then moving to German.

And over seas - Telstar was the first (1962) intercontinental communications satellite linking the Old World, Europe, to the New, North America over seas, the Atlantic.

Here we have the above as well as vocal versions of Telstar by Margie Singleton (who called her same tune song Magic Star) and Bobby Rydell who used the correct name as well as the Tornados with the original instrumental version.

I see that the music video of Telstar on YouTube was directed by Alan Smithee. This is the name used in the credits of a film by a Director when they wanted to disassociate themselves from the released production.

ALMOST 100 YEARS AGO

From almost a century ago comes what is said to be the greatest voice (as opposed to the greatest singer or artist) of them all - Enrico Caruso (1873 - 1921) singing from 1916, scratches and all, O Sole Mio. He was in San Francisco during the 1906 earthquake.

He is joined today by Charles Aznvour - Yesterday when I was young; Vera Lynn - The faithful Hussar (a favourite of mine) and Danny Kaye (Walter Mitty himself) with Life could not better be.

Enrico and crew are here.

OLD ENZED

Tommy Adlerley - Whole lotta shakin' - a talent that had a tragic drug ending
Dinah Lee - I'm walking & Rock around the clock.
Ivor Fisher - Rave On - also known as Paul he had a short unspectacular career that seems to have ended in the 1970's.
and the ever reliable Johnny Devlin - Be bop a Lula all here.

DIFFERENT SONGS & DIFFERENT VERSIONS

Imca Marina - Morgen - The Ivo Robic song

Carl Dobkins - A fool such as I - Hank Snow's own followed by Elvis

Budd McCoy - Hiawatha. - Probably from around mid 50's

Jo-El Sonnier - Jambalaya. - The Hank Williams great

Mike Preston - A House A Car And A Wedding Ring. - Went from a boxer to a singer to a film actor

Ronnie Cord - Tonight, My Love, Tonight. - Paul Anka's

Billy 'The Kid' Emerson - Apron Strings. - Sung by Cliff
Andy Tielman - Travelling Light. - Another Cliffie

Go

MANN OH MAN

Carl Mann - A singer who it seems had a habit of doing covers of other singers songs although in the case of Pretend I think he was the first to update it. Another singer I thought should have been better received.

Here we have:

Mona Lisa and Pretend (two versions of Pretend from Carl) - The originals of both songs were slow romantic versions by Nat King Cole. The the rock version of Mona Lisa was from Conway Twitty.
South of the Border - original undoubtedly done by Bob Wills since he wrote it
Ubangi Stomp - Warren Smith; maybe Buddy Knox did a version

Previously Judy and I'm coming home have been loaded and both of these were done by Elvis.

C & W

Some C & W to hear

Johnny Duncan & The Bluegrass Boys - Last Train To San Fernando
John D. Loudermilk - The Lament Of The Cherokee Reservation Indian
Marty Wilde - Blue moon of Kentucky - this is probably more a R & R version
Vince Martin and the Tarriers - Cindy Oh Cindy - A big hit for Eddie Fisher
Jimmy Wakely - I'll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin') - later updated by Elvis.

BORN WHERE

Some songs I like - the songs are here. But the singers were born....

Linda Gail Lewis & the Fireballs - Whirlwind - almost an Al Oster sound from The Killers younger sister. Born in the USA.

Carl Dobkins Jnr - My heart is an open book - a big hit 50 years ago. Another Yank.

Matt Flinders - Picking up pebbles. An Oz singer born in Egypt of all places.

Josef Locke - If I were a blackbird. A bit of light classical. Born in Derry, Northern Ireland.

Jack Scott - Cool water. A Canadian of Italian descent who was raised in Detroit.

Gary Mills - I'll step down. English born singer.

Gianni Morandi - Bella Belinda. Italian of course.

FUNNIES

Listen to some comedy and oddities.

Austen Tayshus - Australiana. A song with word plays about Australia
Bob Hudson - The Newcastle Song. Oz again.
Royal Teens - Who Wears Short Shorts.
Bert Parks - Abdul Abulbul Amir. Another version of this oldie.
Barbara Ann - 'sung' in German
Kingston Trio - Bad mans blunder.
The lyrics to this are below.

Well, early one evening I was roamin' around; I was feelin' kind of mean, I shot a deputy down.
Strolled on home, and I went to bed. Well, I laid my pistol up under my head.

He strolled along home (I took my time) and he went to bed (Thought I'd sleep some)
Laid his pistol (Big twenty-two) up under his head; (I)always try and keep it handy)

Well, early next morning 'bout the break of day, I figured it was time to make a getaway.
Steppin' right along but I was steppin' too slow. Got surrounded by a sheriff down in Mexico.

He was steppin' right along (Were a hot-footin' it) but he was steppin' too slow (It was a sultry day)
Got surrounded by a sheriff (Boxed in) down in Mexico. (I didn't even have a chance to see the country.)

When I was arrested; why, I didn't have a dime. The sheriff said, "Son, you're ridin' free this time.Where you're goin' you won't need a cent 'cause the great state of Texas gonna pay your rent.'

Cause where you're goin' (I think he means jail) you won't need a cent (When he knows I'm broke)'Cause the great state of Texas (Yippee!) gonna pay your rent. (I'm mighty grateful, fellas)

Well, I didn't have a key and I didn't have a file. Natur'lly I stayed around until my trial.The judge was an old man; ninety-three and I didn't like the way the jury looked at me.

The judge was an old man (Too old) Ninety-three (Entirely too old)I didn't like the way the jury looked at me. (I think they were suspicious.)The judge and the jury, they did agree. They all said murder in the first degree.

The judge said, saying: I don't know whether to hang you or not, but this here killin' of deputy sheriffs, just naturally got to stop!" ("You've got a point there, judge!")

It was a most unsatisfactory trial. They gave me ninety-nine years on the hard rock pile.Ninety and nine on the hard rock ground. All I ever did was shoot a deputy down.

Ninety and nine (It could have been life.) on the hard rock pile (They might-a hung me)And all he ever did was shoot a deputy down (This whole thing has sure been a lesson to me. Bang! You're dead!)

JUST ONE TIME THREE TIMES

Just One Time a song sung written and sung by the late Don Gibson. Here are three different versions of the same song. His greatest song was of course "I can't stop loving you' which was the supposed 'B' side of his hit 'Oh lonesome me'. It is thought that 'I can't stop loving you' has been recorded by nearly 1000 artists around the world.

Compare the 3 versions here.

ALL FEMALES

All females today and all pretty old - the songs that is - although by now the singers are also pretty old. So old that some are well and truly dead. Click me.

Gracie Fields - Now is the hour - The traditional Maori song of farewell.
Dodie Stevens - Pink Shoelaces - With this song she became the youngest female to sell a million records.
Dinah Lee - Reet Petitie - N Z's own doing a Jackie Wilson.
Jo Stafford - Whispering Hope - With her husband Paul Weston they also made comedy under the names of Jonathan and Darlene Edwards.

ALL MALES

Some male singers for this upload here. 

Eddie Cooley - Priscilla - Eddie wrote 'Fever' 

Floyd Robinson - Makin' love

Jimmy Bowen - Be bop baby. Went into producing other artists and became a top industry executive. A very bright man he held several degrees including an MBA with Honours. 

Terry Dene (again) - Start movin' - we already have the Sal Mineo version. 

Karl Denver - I can't help it. He had a tremendous range using a falsetto yodel.  His big hit was Wimoweh. An interesting fact is that when he was young he was deported from the USA as an overstayer. 

Steve Lawrence - Fabulous - not a well known song from him. Married to another hit singer Eydie Gorme (Blame it on the Bossa Nova)

COUNTRY OLDIES

The Original Kingston Trio

A little bit of Country music (or is Tijuana Jail really a Folk song?). We have here -

Bill Haley sings the great Candy Kisses in his Bill Haley and the Saddlemen days so it was probably the late 1940's when he put this out.

Kingston Trio with Tijuana Jail. You Tube hosts many of their big hits.

Ferlin Husky, who has been featured before, now sings Gone and with Jean Shepherd they sing Forgive me John - one of those answer songs following on from their big hit Dear John.

Gene Autry - The Singing Cowboy - South of the Border. Gene went on to become a multi millionaire through owning a baseball club. A pilot he flew transport aircraft in Burma during WWII

MORE BRITISH

Some more British. Listen to them here.

Alma Cogan - Willie Can <> Sadly she died young.

Terry Dene - Stairway of Love & Theirs no fool like a young fool <> A short career due to his personal problems.

Shakin' Stevens and the Sunsets - Reet Petite <> The Jackie Wilson song recorded early in Stevens career when he was still working with his original band.

John Leyton - Tell Laura I love her <> Leyton's cover version. John Leyton was really an actor best known for acting in the Biggles TV series.

Craig Douglas - My first love <> Best known for his song Only 16 which was I thought better than the Sam Cooke original.

THE START

It is said that the first Rock 'n' Roll record was Jackie Brenston's Rocket 88 although the driving force of that record was thought to be Ike Turner. Wikipedia mentions the Brenston version but thinks Bill Haley was the one who turned it into real R 'n' R.

I have uploaded both versions so you can compare them.

In the 1950's NZ radio was awful; being a boring, strictly controlled Government monopoly. No personality was allowed and it was known as the 'Post Office in show business'. It was about 50 years behind the privately owned Australian stations. Any record that was considered too loud was banned. For many years we were not allowed to hear Chubby Checkers Twist, some Bobby Rydell songs or Darin's Mack the Knife.

As the Government started to realise the world was changing, mainly due to the transistor radio allowing better reception from Australia and the pirates in the form of Radio Hauraki, they relaxed a little bit. One program introduced was on 2YD called 'Big Beat Ball' and it was there I first heard Elvis Presley sing 'Mystery Train' - first released on August 20, 1955 as the B-side of 'I forgot to remember to forget'.

Talking early R 'n' R, a blog I go to http://musicyouwont.blogspot.com a blog run by the brilliant Lee Hartsfeld. He had this mix version of 1955's Mystery Train with Junior Parkers 1953 song 'Love my baby' up on his site.

Superb stuff thanks to Lee Hartsfeld. Don't mention plagarism - just spot the difference. And don't forget to visit Lee's site. Thanks Lee.

All filed under Bill, Jackie and Elvis at this link.

NOT THE ORIGINALS

Not the originals - these are hits covered by others -

Ronnie McDowell - A Lovers Question
Peter & Gordon - Lonely Street
Alvin Stardust - Pretend
Danny Kaye - The Thing

The originals were by (if memory serves me correct) Clyde McPhatter ( ex Drifters), Andy Williams, Nat King Cole and Phil Harris.

When I was a boy they had a competition to name The Thing and the winner said a mirror.

MORE CLASSICAL THAN POP

A bit more classical led off by supposedly the greatsest singer of classical music ever although it seems he crossed over into more popular songs as shown here

Caruso - Over there

Mario Lanza - The drinking song

plus a 1950's Donald Peers with In a shady brook by a babbling brook and Please don't go

TONY

Anthony Newley. Many years ago (it must have been the late 1950's) I saw the film Idle on Parade which had in it three of the songs you can hear here. In particular I liked 'I've waited so long' which, as I now realise, was written by Jerry Lordan of the Shadows 'Apache' fame. For many years I thought the film was called Idol on Parade being a play upon the words but it was not that clever.

Newley had a good, but not great career - I believe he was underrated.

Idle Rock a Boogie
Idle on Parade
I've waited so long

All from the film. Plus we have 'Do you mind', 'Why' and 'Personality' and the superb 'And the heavens cried' all available for you.

ENZED MUSIC

Some Enzed stuff.

I have featured Bill & Boyd before. Today we also have Hogsnort Rupert and Dave & the Dynamos. Dave is Dave Luther who morphed out of the earlier Hogsnort. All these were big hits in their day. Plus we have an oddity from Union being I presume a play upon Rugby Union, the game they play in heaven.

Saw an article in an American magazine the other day which said that nobody outside the UK could name a professional rugby player. Proves how little they know being the national game of NZ, SA, Wales and probably Georgia.

So click Enzed to hear it all.

Bill & Boyd - Put another log on the fire
Dave & the Dynamos - Life begins at 40
Hogsnort Rupert - Pretty Girl
Union - Haka 95

GROUPS WITH GILLY

The Highwaymen - Great hit with Michael then nothing. The song Number 1 is just brilliant. Listen to the words which sums up the life of the group.

Another group with a longer life from the 50's - The Four Lads who have been around for nearly 70 years, plus a singer from that post war period, Max Bygraves, with his version of Gilly.

Click ME

The Highwaymen

Number 1 - Gypsy Rover

Four Lads

Gilly Gilly Ossenfeffer Katzenellen Bogen by the Sea - Put a light in the window

Max Bygraves

Gilly again

MORE BRITISH

From very old to more recent times - if 1960's is recent - all here for your ears.


A Cliff song that wasn't one of his big hits 'Apron Strings' but I think is is terrific.The first time I heard Apron Strings was when I bought Cliff's live LP and for some years I couldn't get a studio version but finally they released a version which I immediately snapped up.

Alma Cogan again 'Party Time'

Gerry & The Pacemakers singing C&W with Hank Williams 'You win again'

And finally something patriotic with Vera Lynn 'Land of Hope and Glory'

ODDS

Some Beatles oddities here.

In spite of all the danger: a home recording
Indeed I do - Middle of the island - All together now: The Beatles fooling around
Third man theme: more fooling around

NO HIT WONDERS - MAYBE

Some songs by singers who were not really unknown but didn't quite make it longer term. You can listen to them as they are just a click away..

Boyd Bennett - Seventeen
(wrote and sang this as well as My Boy Flat-top)

Nick Noble - Moonlight Swim
(but he did have 4 Top 40 hits)

Maureen Evans - Like I do 

(Welsh singer who got this to Number 3 in the UK)

WAITANGI

Waitangi Day - New Zealand's National Day so some old Kiwi songs.

Monument to Opo

Opo the magical dolphin. There is a ton of information on the Net about that magic summer at Opononi in 1955.

Johnny Devlin

Johnny Devlin - The NZ Elvis Presley. Today his 1950's music sounds poor. Mainly due, I think, to the lack of good recording facilities at the time, not his ability as a singer as some 50 years later he is still going strong in Australia. Lawdy was recorded at The Jive Centre hall in Auckland and the quality is not good. Still it sold thousands.To show how good he is listen to 'Rock and Roll I gave you the best years of my life'

Daphne Walker with another great from the 1950's.

So we have:
Johnny Devlin - Rock and roll (I gave you the best years of my life) and Lawdy Miss Clawdy
Pat McMinn - Opo the crazy dolphin
Daphne Walker - Haere Mai

Listen

FERLIN

A fine singer with one of the oddest names - Ferlin Husky - which is his real name. He has been performing for over 60 years now as a C & W singer after starting out as a Rock n Roller back in the 50's. Born in 1925 Ferlin has had numerous hits and is still performing 60 70 times a year today.

The above picture is from 1973.

Today we have:

A Fallen Star
Prize Possesion
Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain
Moment of Love

Listen to them here:

HANDSOME GUY

Dick Glasser was an American singer who also recorded under the name of Dick Lory. Many moons ago I heard his song 'Handsome Guy' (probably around 1962) and bought it on a 45. At the time I thought it was one of the best songs I had ever heard. Now, some 50 years later I haven't changed my mind.

His singing career was not the greatest but he went on to spend his life in the industry until his death in 2000. He was a very successful song writer, producer etc. He wrote the song 'I Will' and some of his productions were Walk Don't Run, Bye Bye Love, Batman Theme and numerous others and he did singing back ups for Johnny Cash and Dean Martin.

Handsome Guy was written by P.J.Proby and I see a version was recorded by NZ singer Antoni Williams. Antoni was his real name, but he recorded for several years under the name of Toni Williams then his manager decided to change his name back to Antoni which was a disaster. So in time he went back to his usual stage name. I can't remember, but it was probably hearing the Williams version which put me onto the Dick Lory record.

The fabulous Dick Lory is just a click away.

THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED

Music - A few minutes after midnight on the 3 February 1959 it died in the plane that crashed in a field near Clear Lake, Iowa.

For many the phrase 'the day the music died' is irrevocably linked to Don McLeans 'American Pie'.

In memory of those great artists -

Buddy Holly - Love is strange - not the generally released version as it has no backing from the Crickets
J P Richardson - The Big Bopper - Chantilly Lace - he was also a great songwriter; White Lightning and Running Bear were just two
Ritchie Valens - C'mon lets go - just a little different from the usual songs from him.

'Donna' and 'Peggy Sue' were songs by Ritchie and Buddy respectively which were about real women who are still alive today!

Hear these great songs right here

B FOR BRITISH

Four helpings of British today.

Alma Cogan - If I had a golden umbrella
Anthony Newley - Do you mind
Mike Preston - Mr Blue
Shadows (singing) - The Bandit

The British are coming here.

JOHN D.

John D. Loudermilk - his music over the years has ranged from the brilliant to the outright odd and weird. He has penned dozens of hits, mostly for other artists,  including - 

Calling Dr. Casey

Sad Movies

Tobacco Road

Abilene

Norman

Indian Reservation

Waterloo

Angela Jones

Talk back tremblin' lips

The Great Snowman   - and many others.

Here are 3 - Language of Love  (plus a version done by Sue Thompson), Sitting in the Balcony and an oddity in The Happy Wanderer.

ALL B's - BUT NOT ALL BLACKS

Three artists starting with the letter B.

Beaumarks - Clap your hands - This was a Canadian rock group established in 1958 and their hit was the first hit rock record made entirely in Canada. From the NZ perspective it was I believe the first record released by the NZ Viking label in Australia and the record went right to the top.


Buddy Knox - Hula Love - The Party Doll man himself was born in Happy, Texas. Part of his group was Jimmy Bowen who also went on to musical fame.

Bobby Goldsboro - Broomstick Cowboy - His biggest hit was Honey; a song that never impressed me as too saccharine. In 1971 he was aboard a plane that was hijacked to Cuba. A NZ singer Paul Walden, covered one of his hits, Molly, also a pretty sad song.

Click me