Although there were many exceptions, the majority of the groups that specialized in the type of close-harmony singing known as doo-wop fell into two categories. The earliest was the R&B-inspired music that mostly came out of the black urban environment, but close on its heels was the sound of the Italian-American groups, mostly originating in … Continue reading Remembering Randy & The Rainbows
Category: Video
The Croonerhood Of Mel Carter
I've written more than once about crooners, not only trying to define the term but also questioning why it sometimes seems to be used in a negative way. (From Sinatra To Rod Stewart – The Crooner Conundrum.) To me, croonerhood has always been a sign of distinction for a singer, and with that in mind … Continue reading The Croonerhood Of Mel Carter
Thoughts Of Cold Fingers
Thinking about the approach of Winter weather always reminds me of the title of one of my favorite songs. Even though the subject matter of Tony Joe White's "Cold Fingers" has nothing to do with frigid weather and the numb digits it creates, the song still seems to pop into my mind whenever I start … Continue reading Thoughts Of Cold Fingers
The Smooth Sound Of The Fleetwoods
In a recent piece about Sixties pop star Vic Dana, I mentioned that he'd performed for a while as a fill-in for Gary Troxel of the Fleetwoods, but the group itself deserves a little more attention. Long before Vic Dana came along, the Fleetwoods had some hugely popular hits that not only topped pop charts, … Continue reading The Smooth Sound Of The Fleetwoods
Joanie Sommers – Finding Her Musical Path
A lot of performers have had multi-layered careers with success in a wide variety of musical areas. One singer who successfully navigated her way through several would be Joanie Sommers, who has been everything from a teen idol to a familiar voice in TV commercials, but eventually became a respected jazz vocalist. Joanie Sommers (real … Continue reading Joanie Sommers – Finding Her Musical Path
Steve Allen – Modern Renaissance Man
'Multi-talented' is a term I've casually used when writing about various performers, but I can't imagine anyone better suited to the description than Steve Allen. He authored dozens of books, composed thousands of songs, was an accomplished musical performer -- and along the way became a TV pioneer, the forerunner to Carson, Leno, and Letterman. … Continue reading Steve Allen – Modern Renaissance Man
Vic Dana Topped Them All
It's kind of funny how you can sometimes have a completely misguided memory of a song. If you had asked me about a very familiar Sixties song called "Red Roses for a Blue Lady," I would have answered that it was a big hit for Wayne Newton. Turns out that even though Newton did sell … Continue reading Vic Dana Topped Them All
Bent Fabric Is For Real
Although his name might sound like a piece of clothing in dire need of ironing, Bent Fabric -- who had a huge Grammy-winning hit in the early Sixties with the annoyingly addictive "Alley Cat" -- is a real person. The Danish-born composer and pianist, whose actual name is the much trickier to remember Bent Fabricius-Bjerre, … Continue reading Bent Fabric Is For Real
Kitty Wells – The Queen Still Rules
Earlier this year I wrote about country music legend Hank Thompson and how his classic song, "The Wild Side Of Life," inspired a musical response by another star. But even though Kitty Wells might have found fame -- and a little controversy -- with her answering song, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels," … Continue reading Kitty Wells – The Queen Still Rules
Teddy Wilson – Smoother Than Silk
If you were to take all the talented pianists whose careers stretched from the Big Band days to the the Modern Jazz era and lay them end to end, they'd reach to -- whoops. What I meant to say was that if you're looking for one among them who was the very definition of a … Continue reading Teddy Wilson – Smoother Than Silk
Geezer Music Club 