One-hit wonders have made a number of appearances on the ol' GMC and I wouldn't even begin to try to list them, but one thing does occur to me. Some of them were probably lucky to have had that one hit, while others were so talented that they deserved more. The latter description would certainly … Continue reading Doris Troy Just Wanted To Sing
Tag: Video
What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?
Since I'm no longer reviewing new albums (other than a rare exception I made in September) I can't fall back on my 'Album Of The Year' feature to close out 2010. But that doesn't mean that I can't still feature something musical. After all, music is our middle name. In the early days of doo-wop, … Continue reading What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?
Der Bingle — Reinventing The Art Of Crooning
Regular readers know that I've offered up a number of pieces about crooners, and will also recall that I've written about Bing Crosby more than once. In fact, just a week or so back I featured him in a post called Laughing At The Cowhand, and another -- Bing Crosby Gets a Mulligan -- is … Continue reading Der Bingle — Reinventing The Art Of Crooning
Sh-Boomin’ Up The Charts
As most long-time music fans know, early rock and roll was filled with examples of cutting-edge music being reissued in less 'threatening' versions, the intent being to make them accessible to a wider audience. Even though there were sometimes other factors, the key component in the process was usually the race of the performers. One … Continue reading Sh-Boomin’ Up The Charts
Freddy Martin Introduced Tchaikovsky To Millions
I've always enjoyed listening to jazzed-up versions of classical pieces, especially those as performed during the big band era. Even if purists might have dismissed the practice, it did offer the music of the ages to many people who would otherwise have shied away from what they called 'long-hair' music. (A term that has certainly … Continue reading Freddy Martin Introduced Tchaikovsky To Millions
Fuzzy Memories Of Rockabilly
As someone who was a teenager during the years that rockabilly was rising in popularity, it's kind of funny that I don't remember hearing the term at that time. I recall that we often called country music 'hillbilly', and I certainly remember everyone talking about rock and roll, but to actually give the name 'rockabilly' … Continue reading Fuzzy Memories Of Rockabilly
Choosing Crooning Over Medicine – Eddy Howard
He could have been a doctor, it would seem. But Eddy Howard, who dropped out of Stanford Medical School in the early 1930s to pursue his musical dream, would instead become one of the most-loved crooners of his era. The California-born Howard began his professional career as a big band singer, first appearing with Dick … Continue reading Choosing Crooning Over Medicine – Eddy Howard
Laughing At The Cowhand
My Swiss cheese memory occasionally surprises me by turning up a useless little nugget of info amidst all those empty holes. A good example would be what happened today when I ran across an old song, "I'm an Old Cowhand (From the Rio Grande)." It was written by Johnny Mercer for a 1936 Bing Crosby … Continue reading Laughing At The Cowhand
When Ricky Nelson Followed Little Peggy
As most of us know, a cover version of a song is one that features a new or different performer following in the footsteps of someone who had earlier success with that particular piece. Sometimes a few changes are required, as was the case when Ricky Nelson followed Little Peggy March, turning her signature song, … Continue reading When Ricky Nelson Followed Little Peggy
Johnny Hartman – Crooning With Coltrane
Although I've written a number of pieces about crooners, I don't think I've ever covered one quite like Johnny Hartman. He would certainly qualify as a crooner of the first rank, but he just might be more remembered for his collaborations with a musical legend, saxophonist John Coltrane. The Chicago-born Hartman first began drawing attention … Continue reading Johnny Hartman – Crooning With Coltrane
Geezer Music Club 