Articles by John Twang

He auditioned to be a Mouseketeer and a Monkees' member but neither happened for him, almost everything else did though! Singer, songwriter, actor, Grammy winner, Oscar winner and all-round personality Paul Williams gave us "Rainy Days and Mondays" (Paul Williams - Roger Nichols). The Carpenters cover topped the adult contemporary chart and peaked at number two on the pop chart in 1971. This track is from siblings Karen and Richard's third album, "Carpenters".

Gilbert Becaud (Silly) recorded "C'est en Septembre" (Gilbert Becaud - Maurice Vidalin) in 1978. "September Morn" is the title of Neil Diamond's 1979 album on which you'll find the title tune (Gilbert Becaud - Neil Diamond). The album hit the top ten while the single peaked at number two on the adult contemporary chart and seventeen on the Billboard Top 100 in 1980.

Toronto singer, songwriter, actor and producer Marc Jordan co-composed "Rhythm of My Heart" (John Capek - Marc Jordan). His version can be found on the album "Reckless Valentine". Although American born, just how "Canadian" is he? Visit YouTube and note the Tim Horton's cup on his piano. The tune was written for Dutch singer and Elvis sound-alike Rene Shuman's self-titled debut album in 1986. Rod Stewart recorded "Rhythm Of My Heart" as the opening track for his 1991 album "Vagabond Heart"…

"Quien sera?" (Luis Demetrio - Pablo Beltran Ruiz) was composed as a Mexican mambo in 1953 and issued as an instrumental by Pablo Beltran and his Orchestra. The Dean Martin (Crocetti) number fifteen cover single with English lyrics by Normal Gimbel came out a year later on the album "Hey Brother, Pour the Wine". The release hit the top ten in the U.K.

In 1954 self-taught guitarist Johnny Smith recorded his composition of "Walk, Don't Run". "Walk, Don't Run" was the debut album for The Ventures (Don Wilson, Bob Bogle, Nokie Edwrads and Skip Moore) and the cover hit came in 1960 peaking at number two. The Ventures first heard "Walk, Don't Run" as a Chet Atkins recording from the album "Hi-Fi in Focus". Around this time George Babbitt Jr dropped out of the group because of his young age. George went on to become a four-star general in the U.S…

In 1966 Dallas Frazier issued the album "Elvira" and the single reached into the top one hundred, top thirty here in Canada. Dallas has given us some of the more fun music for generations. Former award winning gospel group The Oak Ridge Boys (Joe Bonsall, Richard Sterban, William Golden, Garland Craft and Duane Allen) topped the country chart and peaked at five on the pop chart. The cover is from the 1980 album "Fancy Free"

Huddie "Lead Belly" Leadbetter is often credited with composing "Black Betty" but it may have been simply adapted by him from a traditional work song. The moniker "Black Betty" often referred to a musket, police wagon or whiskey bottle, From the self titled 1977 album "Ram Jam" (former lead guitar for the Lemon Pipers Bill Bartlett, Pete Charles, Howie Blauvelt and lead singer Myke Scavone) comes this cover that peaked at number eighteen on Billboard.

Poet, singer, cartoonist for Playboy, composer, writer and generally extraordinary Shel Silverstein wrote "The Unicorn" for his book "Where the Sidewalk Ends" and the first recording of the song appears on the 1962 issue "Inside Folk Songs" Yes they are from Ireland but The Irish Rovers (Will Millar, Joe Millar, Jimmy Ferguson and George Millar) formed in Toronto, Canada. The group charted with the cover in1968 when they peaked at seven on the pop chart and number two adult contemporary. Acco…

Once a member of the R&B group The Ravens, Ollie Jones composed The Crescendos "Oh Julie", The Crests "Step by Step", Fabian's "Tiger" and "Send For Me". This version by Ollie was recorded in 1961 for the album "We Wrote 'Em We Sing 'Em". Nat "King" Cole's original hit number six on Billboard in 1957.

Former member of the Kingston Trio, John Stewart composed "Daydream Believer" and this version comes from his 1971 release "The Lonesome Picker Rides Again". The Monkees (Davy Jones, Peter Tork, Michael Nesmith and Mickey Dolenz) had the original version with a small lyric change featuring Davy Jones. "Daydream Believer" topped the charts at the end of 1967and is from their album "The Birds, The Bees and the Monkees". Anne Murray took her cover from the album "I'll Always Love You" to numb…

The composer of American Breed's "Bend Me, Shape Me" and The Animals "Help Me Girl", Larry Weiss wrote and recorded "Rhinestone Cowboy" (Larry Weiss) for his 1974 album "Black and White Suite". This opening track single was released and peaked in the top thirty on the adult contemporary chart. Glen Campbell's 1975 cover topped the pop and country charts and comes from the album of the same name. "Rhinestone Cowboy" was nominated for the Grammy's as Best Country Song and Record of the Year. Ap…

The is Carole King's demo for "Go Away Little Girl". Carole as usual for that period, composed the melody. Bobby Vee (Velline) was first to record the unreleased "Go Away Little Girl" (Gerry Goffin - Carole King) in the same session he did "It Might As Well Rain Until September" and "Sharing You" in March of 1962. Emmy winner, singer and actor Steve Lawrence (Sidney Liebowitz) had the easy listening and top one hundred chart topper in early 1963. Joan Rivers used to open for New Jersey…

Once a session musician for acts like Sam Cooke, Little Richard, The Beatles and Ray Charles R&B, soul, rock and gospel artist Billy Preston's "You Are So Beautiful" (Billy Preston - "Beach Boy" Dennis Wilson - Bruce Fisher) is from the 1974 album "The Kids and Me" which also contains his chart topping hit "Nothing From Nothing". Known for his exceptional appearance at Woodstock, Joe (John Robert) Cocker's cover came later the same year from his album "I Can Stand a Little Rain". The next yea…

Bruce Springsteen's "Blinded By the Light" (Bruce Springsteen) is the first track from his 1973 album "Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J.". Incidentally the correct line is: blinded by the light, cut loose like a deuce, another runner in the night". Manfred Mann's Earth Band (Chris Thompson, Manfred Mann, Dave Flett, Colin Pattenden and Steve Slade) hit number one in 1976 with the cover from the album "The Roaring Silence". The incorrect line is "wrapped up like a douche". Articulation and the…

A Mouseketeer in 1955, Judy Harriet (Spiegelman) recorded "Tall Paul" (Bob Roberts - Dick Sherman - Bob Sherman) in 1958. The following year fellow Mickey Mouse Club member Annette Funicello had her breakthrough cover as "Annette and the Afterbeats" took the tune to number seven on Billboard clocking in at much less than two minutes, the tune had nothing to do with Paul Anka.

Motown's Eddie Holland was first to record "Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)" (Eddie Holland - Lamont Dozier - Brian Holland) in 1964 although it wasn't released for more than four decades. Detroit's Kim (Agatha) Weston backed by the Andantes released "Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me A Little While) peaking at number four on the R&B chart and number fifty pop. What a great example of a Motown classic. The Doobie Brothers (Tom Johnston, Jeff Baxter, Patrick Simmons, Tiran Porter,…

Originally written as an instrumental piece by orchestra leader Borney Bergantine in the early thirties and played by the orchestra many times "My Happiness" was not recorded until the forties with lyrics by Betty Peterson. The Marlin Sisters (Goldie and Gittele Malavsky) and the Columbians were first to record "My Happiness"(Peterson - Bergantine) in 1947. Jon and Sondra Steele recorded the hit "My Happiness" (Betty Peterson Blasco - Borney Bergantine) one year later when it peaked at numbe…

"The father of country music" and "the singing brakeman" Jimmie Rodgers recorded "Blue Yodel #8" in 1930. Since then the title morphed into "Mule Skinner Blues" (Jimmie Rodgers) when Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys recorded the tune. Called The Fendermen (Jim Sundquist and Phil Humphrey) because they both played Fender guitars, the one-hit-wonder duo peaked at number five in 1960 with their rock and roll cover. The recording originally broke on WKBH radio in La Crosse, Wisconsin where it…