The Free Movement--I've Found Someone Of My Own (1971)

     Normally on this forum I do not make fun of artists or songs. This is for a couple of reasons, the first of all being that music, like any kind of art is terribly subjective and what sounds great to one person might sound like tripe to another. Secondly, in an attempt to look at this music through a historic prism, we have to take into account that music many times is a snapshot of an earlier time. We would like to think...

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Bobby Freeman--Do You Want To Dance (1958)

     With rock music approaching 60 years and going through several generations, it's always a joy to not only discover new music, but to find songs that I thought had been original to an artist, just to find out it wasn't at all....      Back in the early 90's, I went through a renaissance of sorts with Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys. There had always been an appreciation for the hits, (I still think 'Don't Worry Baby' was one of the greatest pop songs of the rock era) but knew little else. Immersing myself...

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Ace Frehley--New York Groove (1978)

     It's one of those questions that 35 years later makes one scratch their head. Why would the group KISS, at the top of popularity, decide for all of it's members to record a solo album? As we see now, even early on, the business firm of Simmons & Stanley were all about marketing the group as best they could. Of course, there was nothing wrong with that, but one could see now that although the albums sold well to the faithful, dumping four solo albums into the market at the same time might not have been the best idea.      ...

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Sunday Morning Vault: Stan Freberg--The Yellow Rose of Texas (1955)

    When many think of music parody over the last 25 or so years, the first person to come to mind is "Weird" Al Yankovic. Since the mid-80's he has lovingly poked at the hits of the day. Some thought him brilliant, others (remember Coolio's first response to "Amish Paradise") not so much. Yankovic acknowledges his greatest influence was Stan Freberg, a guy who did it with a much sharper wit (and sharper tongue as well) than anything done since.      Freberg, born in Pasadena CA, got his start as a voice character...

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Richie Havens--Freedom (1969)/Here Comes The Sun (1971)

     Richie Havens died this past Monday (4/22) at the age of 71 of a heart attack at his home in Jersey City, New Jersey. The last couple of years he had been dealing with poor health after a kidney transplant in 2010, although just retiring from performing last year. He had spent many years as an activist and educator on the subject of the environment, especially to children, but his fame was sealed due to his performance at Woodstock in 1969.      Havens was born in Brooklyn in 1941, the oldest of nine...

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Otis Redding/Aretha Franklin--Respect (1965/1967)

    Musical covers can be a bit of an art form in itself. Just because someone records a song for the first time doesn't make it the definitive version of that song, although because it's first, it often is recognized as such.  The following is a song where the original were amazing, but the cover far surpassed it. Many may not realize that Franklin's version of 'Respect' WAS the cover. It's reaching those heights had as much to do with time and place as it did singer.       Otis Redding wrote the song for Speedo...

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John Fred & His Playboy Band--Judy in Disguise (With Glasses) (1967)

     A few days ago we looked at Louisiana's LeRoux (http://www.rockandrollomnibus.blogspot.com/2013/04/sunday-morning-vault-louisianas-leroux.html), a band out of Baton Rouge. One could debate this, but they might not have been the most successful band from that city. Let's consider John Fred & His Playboy Band.      John Fred Gourrier came from a sports family. His father Fred played baseball for the Detroit Tigers organization from 1931-1935 and John Fred seemingly inherited his father's athleticism, playing...

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Connie Francis--Who's Sorry Now (1958)

    Connie Francis looked down at the letter in her hand. It was an acceptance letter from New York University offering her a four year scholarship. She was ready to turn her back on what was thought at one time to have been a promising singing career to pursue something a bit more stable. Her contract with MGM was almost up...8 solo singles, and one duet with Marvin Rainwater which had just scraped into the top 100 at #93. It seemed that at the age of 19 her entertainment career was ending before it even really began.     ...

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Sunday Morning Vault: Louisiana's LeRoux--New Orleans Ladies (1978)

    A couple of days ago, I asked my wife the question, "Was there a local band that everyone listened to when you were a kid". She is from Southern Mississippi, but was heavily influenced by music which came from New Orleans which is just 90 minutes to the West. Her answer was immediate, "Louisiana's LeRoux". I have to admit total ignorance to the group, which of course piqued my interest      They began from the remnants of a group called the Levee band in 1977, who had backed Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and Clifton...

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Inez & Charlie Foxx--Mockingbird (1963)

     Most people my age remember the song, "Mockingbird" as sung by Carly Simon and James Taylor in 1973 that version reached number 5. Forms of the song has been covered by artists from Dusty Springfield to Toby Keith, but the song had it's start much earlier.      It's origins come from a lullaby called "Hush, Little Baby", which was to have been thought to been written here in the states. It goes as follows:   Hush, little baby, don't say a word, Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird. And if that mockingbird...

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Peter Frampton--Show Me The Way (1975/1976)

      "Frampton Comes Alive" was simultaneously one of the best albums of the late 70's, and also one of the most overplayed. I remember buying the album and at first loving it, but with it being played ALL the time on AM and FM radio (when they were not playing Fleetwood Mac's "Rumors"), it soon grew dust on my shelf. Although it made him into a superstar, it also pretty much summed up his career as the subsequent studio albums fell into the laid back vibe of the albums before "Comes Alive". That isn't necessarily a bad...

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The Four Preps--26 Miles (Santa Catalina) (1958)

     I guess it was a carry-over from my parents who were a bit older than my peers' (Dad was 43, Mom 39 when I was born), but the music that floated around my house was more the music of the late40's, early/middle 50's than rock and roll. Because of that, I've always have had an affinity for that kind of music as well. One of the song's that has never left my memory was one by the Four Preps.      Like many groups of that era, they met in High School. Hollywood High School in this case. Bruce Belland, Ed...

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Samantha Fox--Touch Me (1986)

      From the earliest days of media in the 20th century, artists have attempted to cross over artistic mediums. From radio and records into movies, and later into TV, there has been attempted to "do it all". From Bing Crosby to Elvis to Rick Nelson to John Travolta to Miley Cyrus...there has been a fascination from those in other medias to attempt (?) to sing.      Which brings us to Samantha Fox. There had been those had been a model turned singer before. The first which comes to mind is Andrea True who...

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The Four Seasons--Rag Doll (1964)

    It was just a few days before their next tour, and songwriter Bob Gaudio was headed to finish work on a new single for The Four Seasons. In the Hell's Kitchen area of New York City, it was not unusual at stop lights for the poor to come out and clean your windshield while you wait in exchange for some change. This time wasn't any different except this time a poor scruffy girl literally dressed in rags came to clean his windshield. When she finished, as the light turned green, Bob stuck his hand in his pocket to produce some change,...

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The Four Freshman--Graduation Day (1956)

     On hearing the song, "Graduation Day" by the Four Freshman, it's hard to distinguish them from many of the other male quartets during their day. However, their sound overall was more complex, and the group much more of an entertainment act than just the combination of their voices. For us here at the bus, they are remembered as an example of musicians who prove that you never know who you might be influencing along the way. It was those voices, and harmonies that would be heard for decades afterward because of one man:...

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The Four Tops--Keeper of the Castle/Ain't No Woman Like the One I Got (1972)

     It had been a common refrain from those artists who had a proud legacy with Motown. The late 60's saw major shifts in what was a hit making machine out of Detroit. As with any musical style it is subject to the whims of the buying public, and much of the formula that churned out hit after hit had begun to break down as the Holland/Dozer/Holland songwriting team left to form their own label.      Several groups like the Temptations and The Four Tops began to experiment with more psychedelic forms that...

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The Four Coins--Shangri-La (1957)

     As you remember from the post a couple of days ago, I mentioned that Philadelphia was a hotbed for pop all through the 50's. One place that has a rich heritage of music in the same state was Pittsburgh. As early as 1952, cousins George Mantalis, Jim Gregorakis, and George Mahramas were singing harmonies behind singer and friend Bobby Vinton on gigs with the "Band of Tomorrow" Orchestra. The boys added George's brother Michael, and went on their own singing harmonies in clubs around the area as The Four Keys. They signed...

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Four Jacks and a Jill--Master Jack (1968)

     The early beginnings of this South African group go back as far as 1962. Over the course of the next three years there would be groups with names like, The Atoms, The Nevadas and The Zombies (no relation to the group with Rod Argent). and shuffling of band members as well. The "Jill" portion of the group came in the form of Glenys Mynott. She had been singing since the age of 12 and had a recording contract with Luxurama Records as a part of the contract, she was to be accompanied on the road by The Zombies as a backing...

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Four Aces--Love is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955)

     Before Dick Clark and American Bandstand brought Italian-American male singers to the forefront, the city of brotherly love was already a hub of pop music in the early 50's. One of the most popular of these groups was The Four Aces.      Founded by Navy shipmates, Al Alberts and Dave Mahoney, they brought in Lou Silvesrtri and Sol Vaccaro to round out the group. They could not find a distributor for their first single, "It's A Sin", so Alberts made his own Victoria record label. It became a hit and a...

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Goodnight Annette.....

     Annette Funicello passed away yesterday at the age of 70. She had been battling Multiple Sclerosis since 1992. and her cheerful yet steely determination in the face of the disease had made her a hero to the many millions and their families who deal with it. For many baby boomers it just reminded them why they had fallen in love with her in the first place.      She was born Utica, NY in 1942 and after World War II, they moved to Southern California. Her parents put her in dance and music lessons, as...

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The Fondations--Baby, Now That I Found You (1967)/Build Me Up Buttercup (1968)

     The Foundations had an all too brief run on the charts between 1967 and 69, but their influence went beyond what would be expect of a 60's singles band. Part of this was due to the background of the band. The members were from the West Indies, Britain, and Sri Lanka and the instrumental make up of the group were informed much more by Motown than anything on the UK scene.      The band came together in early 1967 as they practiced, performed, and lived (for a while) at the Butterfly Club in London. After...

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David Foster--Love Theme From St. Elmo's Fire (1985)

     You know, for such a lousy movie,  (and for all who might have 'Brat Pack' revisionist history, 'St. Elmo's Fire WAS a lousy movie) there was some pretty good music that came out of it. The two most memorable were written by Canadian composer David Foster, "St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion)" which was sung by John Parr, and it's "Love Theme".       Foster however has been writing and performing his own music since the early 70's with Canadian groups. The first of those, "Skylark" actually had a top 40...

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The Fortunes--You've Got Your Troubles (1965)/ Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again (1971)

     During the mid-60's there were a host of British bands who took advantage of the walls knocked down by the Beatles' breakthrough in the states in 1964. These bands (and songs) were many times catchy tunes but  they might not have had a proper hearing except for the fact that by 1965 the popular US listeners were clamoring for anything from the UK.      The Fortunes began their history as the Cliftones in 1963. They were signed to British Decca records that year and released a series of singles over the...

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Foreigner--I Want To Know What Love Is (1984)

     I've always thought of Foreigner as a 70's band, and why not. The band's first album was released in 1977 and immediately cracked the top ten with, "Feels Like The First Time"(#4) and "Cold As Ice"(#6) . The next year saw even great success with the release of "Double Vision"(#2)  and "Hot Blooded" (#3). They were one of the few 70's bands that had as great of success with FM fans as with top 40 (although by this time the lines between two were blurring)      The six piece group,named because three...

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Tennessee Ernie Ford--Sixteen Tons (1955)

     Ernest Ford was born in Bristol Tennessee in 1919 and grew up blessed with a rich baritone voice that was good enough for him to be accepted to the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music in 1939. World War II interrupted that education and on the end of the war found that his deep resonant voice was sought after by radio stations. He worked at a couple of stations on the west coast, and it was there he developed a hillbilly persona called, "Tennessee Ernie".      He also would tour as a singer/personality with...

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Lita Ford--Kiss Me Deadly/Close My Eyes Forever (1988)

     When The Runaways broke up in the early 1979, the focus went to the careers of Cherie Currie and then a couple of years later to Joan Jett as both went solo. Lead guitarist Lita Ford took some time to continue working on her singing skills and released her first solo album, "Out For Blood" in 1983 and a follow up, "Dancin' On The Edge". Neither made the kind of impact that Ford had hoped for, so she went to work with Tony Iommi as producer on her next album. Both were pleased with the result, but for some reason that has...

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Frankie Ford--Sea Cruise (1959)

     Frankie Ford is what we would call a lifer. He began singing in talent shows and the like from the age of five and has never looked back. He was the adoptive son of Vincent and Anna Guzzo of Gretna Louisiana from an early age showed an assertiveness and charisma that served him well all of his life and foresaw his life as an entertainer.      He was signed to Ace records and his first song, "Cheatin Woman" became a local hit. It was it's follow up, "Sea Cruise" which hit big nationally. The song which was...

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Steve Forbert--Romeo's Tune (1979)

      If you were to define Steve Forbert today, it would probably be listed under the all-encompassing tent that is Americana music. He has been called a folk singer, or even earlier just categorized as a singer-songwriter. No matter what genre you put him in, Steve has had a long and successful career, even if this song defines him to most listeners.      He has been nominated for a Grammy in 2004 for a tribute to Jimmie Rodgers, and has written music in support of the Occupy Wall St. movement, as...

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