Sorry but it terminal so it is goodbye foerever.

but a few last ones >>>>>

HERE

STILL HERE

Yes still about - been away and verrrrrrrrry busy -
but back now

Jess Conrad - As you like it
Gale Storm - Dark Moon
Tony Babino - L'Internationale - the theme for Michael Moore's film Capitalism:a love story
Lolita- Cowboy Jimmy Joe- Lolita of Sailor fame
Bobby Denton - A fallen star

BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE LETTERS C and D

All C and D today:

Col Joye - Todays Teardrops - a great hit for the late Roy Orbison

Chordettes - Baby Come A Back A - 1950's harmony

Dave Sampson - If you need me and It's Lonesome

Deep River Boys - Rock around the clock

Dorothy Provine - Don't bring LuLu

Dickie Pride - Frantic

VLADIMIR PUTIN AND OTHERS

Here is another lot of oddities led off by one real odd one.

Vladimir Putin (yes he; the real Russian leader) 'singing' Blueberry Hill. He also plays the piano intro. This was done at a charity fundraiser in St. Petersburg. Some think he is terrible - but he sings better than me.

Mike Preston - Just ask your heart. As any reader will know Mike is a favourite of mine.

Chad Mitchell Trio - Super Skier (live) A bit of comedy.

Patsy Cline - Stupid Cupid. Done for a radio broadcast.



And now the great Sonny West with Oh Boy and Rave On.

How many realise Buddy Holly did not write these great songs and did not record them until a year after Sonny (the main writer) recorded them in 1957? His career is worth looking up.

I'm BACH (Not Johan Sebastian)

I'm back. Been away on holiday - Vietnam & China. We had a great time but of course the music hasn't been able to be actioned but this will now be overcome with again some odds and oldies right here for you.

Grumbleweeds - Hear my song Violetta. A great song done by an odd group. They are a British comedy group and this is an interesting version of a song that is one of my favourites.

Dick James - You can't be true dear.

Brothers 4 - Zulu warrior. I have had this LP for over 50 years.

Gene Autry - Blueberry Hill. Until recently I didn't realise that this song started off in the C & W area.

Dick Todd - Till I waltz again with you.

Chordettes - Humming Bird. I mostly remember them from the Back to the Future film when they sang Mr Sandman.

Yes I am still here

Been away - Vietnam and China.

But meantime some odd and old stuff (music) - so listen up here

Wolves - Distant Drums
Hal Burton - Rave on
Dave Edmunds - Born to be with you
Lenny Welch - You can have her
Velvets - Lana
Billy the Kid Emerson - Apron Strings

First of the new decade

Another mixture of some odd - unusual - strange - songs are here I hope - had some uploading problems!!.

Nope not there - so if you want all of these you need to go back to the Blog entry titled B for British of 3 February 2009. Yes back that far. There is probably a link with a later date but I can't be bothered searching it out!!

Something wrong today with Media fire and also Blogger of late is not loading straight away for some reason. Must be the Xmas Spirit.

Anyway the music -

Whirlwind - Blue moon of Kentucky

Valerie Masters with Banjo Boy.

Chordettes - Hi Lili Hi Lo

Don Cornell - I'm yours

Janis Martin with the Big O hit Ooby Dooby

Jody Miller - Silver threads and golden needles

Julius La Rosa - Torero

Leroy Anderson Pops Orchestra - A Christmas Festival (1959 Stereo Remake) - still a little bit of Xmas

The Auctioneer himself - Leroy Van Dyke and Don't let the stars get in your eyes

Linda Lauries - Stay at home Sue. A 'take off' of Dions big one. I only heard this for the first time the other day.

A 'take off" I assume is an expression that many who do not live down under do not understand the meaning of. It is a sort of rough/different/funny copy of the original.

The greatest Xmas song of all time is ...

The greatest Christmas song ever

I am often told by my children that the greatest Xmas song of all time is the Pogues 'Fairytale of New York'. Quite a nice song but ... The greatest ever - I don't think so.

My argument is that one of the tests is the test of time. Although upon hearing a song for the first time you often know it is a great song; but the question is will it stand the test of time?

Will it still be sung or performed in one or two hundred years time. If it is still as popular in 100 years time then it may be one of the greatest.

I think some songs and artists will last - Elvis, Lois Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Glenn Miller, Caruso, The Beatles and so on. Some songs like O Sole Mio in all its various incarnations will go on forever.

Although not a religious person, many great songs that have stood that test of time are religious - How great thou art; Away in a manger; Amazing Grace; O come all ye faithful.

But for Xmas; for me the greatest is Silent Night. (German - Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht)

The original lyrics were by an Austrian, Father Joseph Mohr and the melody was composed by the Austrian headmaster Franz Xaver Gruber with the carol being first performed in the Nikolaus-Kirche (Church of St. Nicholas) in Oberendorf Austria on December 24, 1818. Mohr had composed the words two years earlier, in 1816, but on that Christmas Eve asked Gruber to compose a melody for the church service.

And so was born what I consider the greatest of them all.



There a literally hundreds of versions and I don't usually put any songs here that are not, it seems, a hundred or so years old.

And although the song is in that category todays version is a recent one; from a magnificent 2006 album by Billy Idol. If you have any spare cash available go out now and purchase his Happy Holiday album. It is simply wonderful. From that great piece of work here is Silent Night by Billy Idol.

Its almost Santa

Xmas is almost here and the music is here. A couple for the season plus a few more.

Peters & Lee - Hey Mr Music Man. Funny how you pick up songs. I had never heard this before then when driving along and listenting to our local Hutt Radio they played it. I tracked it down and here it is.

Johhny Worth - Pretty Blue Eyes. A hit in the UK for Craig Douglas and in the US for Steve Lawrence (Eydie Gorme's husband).
Mike Preston - Marry Me. I am a fan of his.
Larry Page with two songs - Start Movin' and That'll be the day.
Jimmy Boyd - Jingle Bells
Pat Boone with the great White Xmas.

Probably my last for the year so have a good Xmas and a great 2011.

All Poms

All British today - just click here

Max Bygraves - Any dream will do

The Drifters - no it is the Shadows - South of the Border. They changed their name so they wouldn't get mixed up with the US singing group.

Alma Cogan - With a little bit of Luck from My Fair Lady

Eddie Calvert of Oh My Papa fame with a bit of Italy Il Silenzio

Seeking something modern

Some modern stuff here if the mid 60's is modern.

The Seekers: Kumbaya, Just a closer walk with thee, Four strong winds.
An African, religious and Canadian song from an all Australian group.

Talking about Australians (was I) this has been a good year for us (Kiwis) versus the old enemy Oz in sport. We won the Netball and Rugby 7's at the Games as well at the Bledisloe Cup and the League Four Nations.

Fleetwoods - Come Softly To Me (1965 Version). This is an updated version (is it better - I don't think so) of their great hit.

Well back to the music - Beach Boys - Sloop John B parody. An interesting version.

And last but not least we go back a bit further in time to a Dutch oldies group Long Tall Ernie & the Shakers with a medley of oldies called - Do you remember.

Pacific Time

I am back from my trip to OZ so to start off all from the Pacific region.

I remember like yesterday the short but popular Alan "Red" Hewitt (Rhythm Guitar / Vocals) leading his group The Buccaneers (Johnny Willetts - Lead Guitar George Jones - Drums Gary Daverne - Piano / Sax Peter Cox - Bass Guitar) with his big hit cover of Robbin' the cradle. Although I slightly preferred the Tony Bellus version at the time I still thought Red's version was terrific.

It destroyed the US version in Auckland and he was all the rage for about a year or so.

Sadly I read that Red passed away in 2006 but he was still playing to the end.

So today we have

Red Hewitt - Robbin' the Cradle and The Girl in the Teddy bear Coat - both from 1960.

Australians Barry Crocker with the Donald Peers hit - Please don't go and Johhny O'Keefe - Shout.

Kiwi Johnny Devlin - Honey Don't

And from Tahiti Terorotua & His Tahitians - Vini Vini (1958-Tamoure), Die Tahiti - Tamoures - Tamoure (Vini-Vini).

All here

Eddie Fisher dead at 82

Edwin Jack Fisher was born on 10 August 10, 1928, in Philadelphia so he was 82 at his death. I thought he was older. Taking the name of Eddie Fisher, his matinee-idol looks and big baritone voice made him one of the most popular singers of the 1950s. I for one always enjoyed his songs and have in addition to the one for today I have loaded some up previously - just use the search facility to find them.

He made headlines when in 1959 he divorced Debbie Reynolds to marry Elizabeth Taylor who in turn left him for Richard Burton. In those more puritan and less liberal days it was the kiss of death for his career.

So here today is Eddie Fisher with Dungaree Doll.

As a special I also have NZ's own Dinah Lee with New Orleans and Johnny.

(Expect no action here for a few weeks as we will be away)

Another mixture of oldies

Listen to these -

Willie Nelson - America the beautiful. And he is in full voice and just beautiful
Herb Alphert - America - from West Side Story
S & G - Bye bye love (live) - almost but not quite as good as the Everlys
Graham Bonnet - I''ll be your baby tonight
Delaney Bonnie and Friends - Never ending song of love. Interestingly Eric Clapton often used to perform with the group.
Joe Brown and the Bruvvers - A picture of you
Reg Lindsey of Australia with his version of the John Stewart favourite about the first man on the moon - Armstrong
Left Banke - Walk away Renee

Hank and Donna Marie Koopman

Hank and Donna Marie Koopman

I couldn't find out much about this couple. By surname sounded Dutch but I think they are Australian C & W singers. Listen to them here with Caribbean, Mr Fire Eyes, Round and Round, On the wings of a dove, Don't let the stars get in your eyes and Melodie da amour.

Their records are well worth hunting out and buying.

Kiwi

All Kiwi again here.

As an aside I see Mitch Miller died at age 99. His Sing-a-long stuff is not really my cup of tea, but he did do the theme to the River Kwai film (Colonel Bogey) and found several great artists such as Rosie Clooney (Georges Aunt), Guy Mitchell and Tony Bennett. He hated R 'n' R but did take it on board to a degree as he realised it was the way to go.

Back to NZ

Howard Morrison - How great thou art
John Grenell or Hore depending on your taste - I've been everywhere man - Kiwi version
Warratahs (Ozzie name but a Kiwi group)- Cruising on the Interislander
Prince Tui Teka - E Ipo
Unknown - Pokarekare ana

Hula Hoop

Today we go back to the Hula Hoop era with the Georgia Gibbs version.

Pussy Cats - Mississippi
Joanie Summers - Johnny get angry
Meat Loaf - You took the words right out of my mouth. This song has a great introduction.
Kathy Kirby - Secret love

MOSTLY COUNTRY

Mostly country with -

Jimmy Rodgers - not the man from the 1930's (who spelt his name Jimmie) but the 1950's version with Woman from Liberia
Gerry & the Pacemakers - Pretend
Johnny Cash - Oh lonesome me - the Don Gibson classic
George Jones - A good year for the roses
Everly's - Memories are made of this - the best version ever - even better than Dean Martins version

and the non-country - Johnny Keating Orchestra with the Theme from Z Cars. A great favourite TV show of mine. Stratford Johns and Frank Windsor were superb. Also starring were James Ellis and Brian Blessed who went on to fame as a writer with the Oscars (The British are coming rant).

Mostly odds

Some odds and others are here.

Brook Brothers (at one stage thought to be the UK's answer to the Everly Brothers but not good enough) - I wanna love my life away - Look for a star

Bernard Bresslaw - You need feet. His play on You need hands
Jo - Don't wanna be another good luck charm (an answer song)
Peter Posa - Gonk - NZ own guitar master.
Petula Clark & Bobby Darin - All I Have To Do Is Dream (Live)
Alma Cogan - In the middle of the house. Another version of this great comedy song.

ITALY 1 - NZ 1

Soccer - however I am a Rugby person so enjoyed All Blacks 42 Wales 9 - still a marvelous result that really should have been a NZ win except for the poor reffing - well onto the music mix here. We start with a NZ song because with the Soccer result it is the hour -

Robert Delagdo Orch - Now is the hour
Emile Ford - live in Paris in 1961 with Its now or never
Marty Robbins in his R & R days with That's all right mamma
Paul Anka - I love you baby
Vaughan Monroe-Railroad runs through the middle of the house - the original version
Rob EG - In The Middle Of An Island
Xavier Cugat - Calcutta