A Salute To The Girls of the Golden West

One of the most interesting acts of the early days of country music was a pair of sisters who called themselves the Girls of the Golden West. Rising to popularity via radio in the late 1920s and early 1930s, they found a lot of success on the broadcast waves and in record sales while dressing … Continue reading A Salute To The Girls of the Golden West

Blue Barron – Moving To The Front

During the big band era, one of the most popular 'sweet' bands around (as opposed to cutting-edge 'hot' bands) was the outfit whose motto was: 'the music of yesterday and today, styled the Blue Barron way'. But the leader's name wasn't originally Blue Barron, and fronting a band -- or performing in one, for that … Continue reading Blue Barron – Moving To The Front

Jim Nabors And The Musical Side Of Gomer Pyle

June 12, 1930 - November 30, 2017 Now 82 years old, actor/singer Jim Nabors was in the news earlier this year when he traveled from his home in Hawaii to Seattle (where same-sex marriage is legal) to marry his long-time partner. Although he hadn't publicly acknowledged being gay before that, it wasn't much of a … Continue reading Jim Nabors And The Musical Side Of Gomer Pyle

A Lunar Fantastic Foursome

One of my favorite posts on the GMC is titled Picnics And Music –The Curious Case Of Moonglow, and it explores how "Moonglow" -- a fine song in its own right -- somehow got attached to the theme from the 1955 film Picnic, and became a best-selling record. In fact, the resulting two-song medley was … Continue reading A Lunar Fantastic Foursome

Boyd Bennett’s Big Break-Out

Five years ago we featured the Fontane Sisters and mentioned several of their hits, including one that wasn't their biggest but still nearly reached the top of the charts. But the trio's version of 'Seventeen" wasn't the only one to hit high on the charts, and it also wasn't the first. That distinction belongs to … Continue reading Boyd Bennett’s Big Break-Out

Anatomy Of A Song – A Lovers’ Lane Favorite

It hasn't been too long since our last Anatomy Of A Song post, but that one was kind of a special edition because it commemorated the recently deceased George Jones. This time around, we're taking a look at a classic romantic ballad, one that began life in the years following World War II but became … Continue reading Anatomy Of A Song – A Lovers’ Lane Favorite

Sauter-Finegan Orchestra Was Something Different

As if having a hyphenated name wasn't unusual enough, a 1950s swing band known as the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra had a couple of other odd attributes. For one thing, the group reached its peak during the twilight of the big band era. It was also unusual for having dual bandleaders, but the real oddity was how … Continue reading Sauter-Finegan Orchestra Was Something Different

Terry Noland – West To East And Back Again

Several times in the past we've spotlighted guys like Buddy Knox, Sonny Curtis, and a few others who all seemed cut from the same cloth as Buddy Holly. They hailed from the same part of the country, had a similar musical style, and inevitably spent some time at the iconic studio of Norman Petty in … Continue reading Terry Noland – West To East And Back Again

Funny Signs Are Back!

It's been a long time since we've featured a slideshow of funny signs, so I thought maybe we could all use a laugh -- or at least a smile. Frank Sinatra - "When You're Smiling"

Manny Klein – Mastering The Trumpet

In a recent post I mentioned that a trumpet solo in a classic movie had been dubbed by Manny Klein, a talented but relatively unknown trumpeter who deserves a little more attention. He had a fascinating and varied career, one that included not only playing conventionally, but also mastering something you seldom hear about -- … Continue reading Manny Klein – Mastering The Trumpet