Although its beginning might be reminiscent of the Marcels' "Blue Moon," Johnny Cymbal's hit record of "Mr. Bassman" had a personality of its own. But even though Cymbal's signature song helped make him a teen idol in 1963, a later piece -- performed under a different name -- would end up being his biggest hit. … Continue reading The Many Faces Of Johnny Cymbal
Tag: Music History
The Elegance Of Nancy Wilson
I've written several times about my radio experiences in the early 1960's so I won't repeat all that, but I did want to mention again how we had a large shelf of record albums that we slowly worked our way through, playing a cut from each. The result of doing that day after day, week … Continue reading The Elegance Of Nancy Wilson
James Darren Is Still Entertaining Fans
Although it happens even now, the 1950s saw the heyday of the practice of crafting parallel singing and acting careers for young, rising stars. Names like Tab Hunter, Frankie Avalon, and Fabian are still familiar to most of us, but at their height they were enormously popular. The same could be said of another performer … Continue reading James Darren Is Still Entertaining Fans
Appreciating The Past With The Louvin Brothers
I'm well aware that most of today's music lovers are probably not huge fans of old-style traditional country music, and I do understand that because for a long time I too dismissed it as 'hillbilly stuff'. But I have come to appreciate it more and more through the years, not only because of the links … Continue reading Appreciating The Past With The Louvin Brothers
From Sand To Sunday – The Chordettes
I've always been fascinated by performers with extended careers who manage to transition into different kinds of music. I suppose that in some ways they're just following trends by giving the public what it wants, but it can't be easy to reinvent yourself and those who did it successfully should be applauded. A while back … Continue reading From Sand To Sunday – The Chordettes
Mr. Peanut Makes An Appearance
So I was listening to an album that I reviewed several years ago -- Cuban legend Juan Pablo Torres' Romantic Cuba -- and suddenly my ears perked up and I had a strong craving for peanuts. The reason? The last cut on the album is a medley that includes "El Manisero," a piece that's much … Continue reading Mr. Peanut Makes An Appearance
Bye-Bye To Brubeck Bossa Nova
More than once, I've mentioned my long-standing appreciation for Latin jazz. I've also made no secret about being a fan of Dave Brubeck since the days when he brought jazz to the mainstream music world with his group's seminal 1961 recording of "Take Five." And in a different piece, I touched on how his group's … Continue reading Bye-Bye To Brubeck Bossa Nova
The Sweet Sounds Of Russ Morgan
Once in a while I like to feature one of the less-remembered bandleaders of the big band era, guys who might have been very popular at one time but lacked the lasting fame of a Glenn Miller or Tommy Dorsey. One who could be described in those terms was another trombonist, Russ Morgan, who had … Continue reading The Sweet Sounds Of Russ Morgan
Eddie Cochran – Shooting Star
In a recent piece about the late Hank Cochran, I mentioned that the veteran singer/songwriter had once formed a rockabilly singing duo with another young performer, Eddie Cochran. Although the two were not related they billed themselves as the 'Cochran Brothers' and did well for a while before going on to separate careers. In Eddie's … Continue reading Eddie Cochran – Shooting Star
Ginny Simms – From College To Kollege
Regular readers will recall that I often write about 'crooners' and 'songbirds' -- the vocalists of the big band era. In fact, if you put either word into the 'search' space on the left side you'll find lots of evidence of my fondness for them. That being the case, I thought maybe it was time … Continue reading Ginny Simms – From College To Kollege
Geezer Music Club 