In the early days she was often billed as 'Miss' Toni Fisher, and DJ Wink Martindale once said that the reason for that was to assure fans that she was indeed a girl, in spite of her powerful voice. Whether that's true or not, she did make a big splash in 1959 with her unforgettable … Continue reading She Was Known As ‘Miss’ Toni Fisher
Tag: pop music
Five-Star Favs – It’s Disco Time!
You might be a little surprised to find that this edition of Five-Star Favs features a disco song, but I've always said that I like a lot of different kinds of music. And in fact, today's choice is one of the songs that helped create the disco craze back in the 1970s, but I don't … Continue reading Five-Star Favs – It’s Disco Time!
Anatomy Of A Song – Differing Styles But Same Song
It's about time we had another edition of our oldest Special Feature, Anatomy of a Song, so here we go. Today's choice was popular with fans in two different eras although it had a contrasting style in each. It began life in the mid-1940s as a movie love song that was perfect for crooners, but … Continue reading Anatomy Of A Song – Differing Styles But Same Song
The Detergents Spoofed The Shangri-Las
I've always enjoyed a good 'answer' or 'response' song, a special type of piece that's sometimes put together following a hit record. It's something that has always been especially popular in country music -- examples include records by Goldie Hill and Kitty Wells -- but it occurs in pop music too. One of the cleverest … Continue reading The Detergents Spoofed The Shangri-Las
Joe Dowell Picked Elvis’ Pocket
It didn't happen often, but singer/songwriter Joe Dowell managed to pull off a surprising feat in 1961. Relatively unknown at the time, he cut a record of a sweet little song from one of Elvis Presley's most popular movies. The song -- "Wooden Heart" -- was on the soundtrack album of G.I. Blues, and RCA … Continue reading Joe Dowell Picked Elvis’ Pocket
Diamonds In The Rough — Part VII
As I was writing this -- the seventh edition of our special feature known as Diamonds In The Rough -- it occurred to me that the process needed just a little fine-tuning. Nothing drastic, mind you. After all, the basic idea of giving new visitors (and veterans with spotty memories) the chance to take a … Continue reading Diamonds In The Rough — Part VII
Bubblegum Pop And The Lemon Pipers
When reading about the music world of the 1960s and 1970s, you sometimes see the term 'bubblegum pop' used to describe many of the best-selling records of the era. It refers to a type of music that was characterized by a light, upbeat sound with a catchy melody and the occasional singalong chorus, all meant … Continue reading Bubblegum Pop And The Lemon Pipers
Diamonds In The Rough – Part VI
I have to confess that Diamonds in the Rough was originally meant to be a limited feature because I didn't think I'd find enough interesting posts from the past to keep it going for too long. As it turns out, we're up to part VI and it probably won't be the last. Of course, the … Continue reading Diamonds In The Rough – Part VI
The Shocking Of America
It might surprise you to learn that a tiny European country like the Netherlands has a strong tradition in pop music, but there have been numerous examples through the years. Golden Earring is probably the most famous, with decades of success and lots of hit records, but there have been many other popular groups. Still, … Continue reading The Shocking Of America
Teddy Randazzo Persevered
Brooklyn-born Teddy Randazzo was certainly in the right place at the right time to make it as a rock and roll star in the 1950s. Every street corner seemed to be filled with talented, good-looking guys determined to make it big and Randazzo was no exception, but he just never seemed to click in a … Continue reading Teddy Randazzo Persevered
Geezer Music Club 