Articles by John Twang

Once a pianist and arranger for B.B. King, the Julliard trained Joe Jones was the first to release "California Sun" (Henry Glover - Morris Levy) in 1961. Joe discovered Shirley and Lee of "Let the Good Times Roll" fame and not only discovered but managed The Dixie Cups who hit with "Chapel of Love" and "Iko, Iko". Look for him in the 1961 zombie film "The Dead One" where you will also hear Joe's hit "You Talk Too Much". Named after the GM Buick model, The Rivieras (Marty Fortson, Doug Gean, J…

Family Dogg (Albert Hammond and Steve Rowland along with backup personnel) issued "Arizona" (Kenny Young) in 1969. Mark Lindsay, former leader of Paul Revere & the Raiders the first rock group to be signed to Columbia Records, hit the top ten toward the end of 1969 with this single from the album "Arizona". Mark went on to compose for Barbra Streisand, David Bowie, Glen Campbell, Dionne Warwicke, The Fireballs, Bill Monroe, Sugar Hill, Hank Williams Jr., The Grass Roots, drummer Sandy Nelson,…

You may still see him playing jazz trumpet at Preservation Hall, the retired Dave Bartholomew recorded "Let the Four Winds Blow" (Dave Bartholomew - Fats Domino) in 1952. The band leader, producer and composer was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. New Orleans native Antoine "Fats" Domino topped the R&B charts and hit the top twenty with his 1961 cover.

Worldwide star Roger Whittaker was the first to record "Wind Beneath My Wings" (Larry Henley - Jeff Silbar) in 1982 for the album of the same name. The co-composer Larry Henley is the same Mr. Henley who sang with The Newbeats of "Bread and Butter" fame. Then came The Divine Miss M, Bette Midler's cover in 1988 from the soundtrack of the movie "Beaches". It topped the charts in 1989. winning a Grammy for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. The multi-talented entertainer Bette has won thr…

Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys give us their version of the traditional fiddle classic "Ida Red" recorded in 1938 which is the basis for "Maybellene". Chuck Berry's initial release for Chess Records was "Maybellene". It was originally called "Ida May". Label owner Leonard Chess didn't want either "Ida Red" or "Ida May" as the title and requested that it be rewritten with more focus on a teen audience. Many stories ascribe the title to a container of mascara left in the studio. The original…

The tune was turned down by the Oak Ridge Boys, then The Marcy Brothers (Kris, Kevin and Kendal Marcy) recorded "Don't Tell My Heart" (Don Von Tress) for their self-titled album in 1991. The next year Miley's daddy, singer/actor Bill Ray Cyrus issued the album "Some Gave All" and the single "Achy Breaky Heart" (Don Von Tress). It topped the country charts and reached number four on the pop chart.

German electronic music pioneer Gershon Kingsley (Gotz Ksinski) composed "Popcorn" for his 1969 album "Music to Moog By". In 1972 the Hot Butter (Stan Free and studio musicians Dave Mullaney, Danny Jordan, John Abbott, Bill Jerome and Steve Jerome) cover hit the top ten. This was most unusual for an instrumental recording at that time.

Len Barry encouraged the Orlons (Osetta Hightower, Shirley Brickley, Marlena Davis and Stephen Caldwell) to sign with Cameo-Parkway Records and probably got a big "thank you" from the label owners. The Orlons released "Don't Throw Your Love Away" (Jimmy Wisner - Billy Jackson) in 1963 as the B side to "Bon-Doo-Wah" and it reached number 55 on Billboard. You'll find group details elsewhere on this site ... The Searchers cover went to the top of the U.K. charts and into the American top twenty…

Swings Senior Statesman Benny Goodman and vocalist Helen Ward took "Goody, Goody" (Matty Malneck - Johnny Mercer) to the top of the charts in 1936. Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers (Jimmy Merchant, Sherman Garnes, Herman Santiago and Joe Negroni) hit the top twenty in 1957 with their cover. This was actually a solo effort by Frankie Lymon and session singers as he and The Teenagers already broke up while on tour. The lead singer and the group re-united in 1965 but nothing charted.

The Outsiders (Sonny Geraci, Tom King, Mert Madsen were the core members) first recorded "Bend Me, Shape Me" (Scott English, Larry Weiss). It's on the Cleveland groups "The Outsiders In" album from 1966. A year later The American Breed (vocalist Gary Loizzo with Charles Colbert, Lee Graziano and Al Ciner) released "Bend Me, Shape Me" and in 1968 hit the top ten with their speeded-up single. Following a number of name changes and various band members the group became "Rufus featuring Chaka Kha…

Former member of the Emmylou Harris Hot Band, Rodney Crowell composed "Shame On the Moon" in 1981. Rodney and Roseanne Cash were once married. Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band released the album "The Distance" in 1982 and "Shame On the Moon" with Glenn Frey on background vocals and acting as a piano player was the first single. It hit number two on the pop charts, topped the adult contemporary chart and peaked at number fifteen on the country chart.

Fleetwood Mac (Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Christine McVie, Danny Kirwan and Bob Welch) recorded the album "Bare Trees" in 1972 and that's where one would find the original version of "Sentimental Lady (Bob Welch). Bob Welch's 1977 first solo album "French Kiss" contains the hit adaptation composed for his wife at the time, Nancy. "Sentimental Lady" peaked in the top ten and features both Christine McVie and Lindsey Buckingham on background vocals.

Britain's Helen Shapiro recorded the album "Helen In Nashville" in 1963 and it's there you'll find the original recording of "It's My Party" (John Gluck Jr. - Walter Gold - Herb Weiner). When the Beatles toured Britain for the first time, they were Helen's opening act. Quincy Jones produced the Lesley Gore (Goldstein) 1963 chart topper. You can find the hit on her album "I'll Cry If I Want To". Lesley and brother Michael had an Academy Award nomination for "Out Here On My Own" from the 1980 s…

Eddie Miller issued "Release Me" (Eddie Miller - Robert Yount - James Pebworth) in 1949 because he couldn't get anyone else to record this classic when the tune was composed years earlier. The Cherokee Cowboy, Ray Price 1954 cover got well into the top ten country chart as did those of Jimmy Heap and Kitty Wells at almost the same time. Engelbert Humperdinck's smooth version in 1967 got to number four on the Billboard chart.

The Mighty Diamonds (Donald Shaw, Fitzroy Simpson and Lloyd Ferguson) were the first to record "Pass the Koutchie" (Ferguson - Simpson). You'll find it on their 1982 album "Changes". A koutchie is a drug pipe. British reggae band Musical Youth (Dennis Seaton, Kelvin Grant, Michael Grant, Junior Waite and Patrick Waite) released the album "The Youth of Today" in 1982 also and it contained "Pass the Dutchie" (Leroy Sibbles - Jackie Mittoo) which was the same tune but with all drug references re…

The tune "Love Letters" (Victor Young) comes from the movie of the same name and was nominated for an Academy Award in 1945. Edward Heyman added lyrics and it became a top twenty hit for Dick Haymes. From a family of 15, actor/singer Ketty Lester (Revoyda Frierson) reached the top five with the B side of "I'm a Fool To Want You" in 1962. The record was produced by Ed Cobb of the Four Preps along with the superb Lincoln Mayorga who provided that group's unique piano. Lincoln was on piano and E…

Hedy West picked up her five string banjo and recorded her song "500 Miles" two years after the original first recording. It's based on the fiddle tune "Reuben's Train". The Journeymen (John Phillips, Scott McKenzie and Dick Weissman) recorded the original "500 Miles" (Hedy West/trad.) for their self-titled debut album in 1961. This is an old folk song once titled "Railroader's Lament", "900 Miles" or "500 Miles Away From Home". The rewritten "500 Miles Away From Home" (Bobby Bare - Hedy Wes…

Don (Harris) and Dewey (Terry) recorded "Big Boy Pete" first in 1959 for the album "Don and Dewey". The Olympics (Walter Ward, Charles Fizer, Eddie Lewis, Walter Hammond and Melvin King) issued "Big Boy Pete" (Harris - Terry) in 1960. The release made the top fifty pop charts and top ten R&B. The Kingsmen recorded "Big Boy Pete" and used in on stage so the "Jolly Green Giant" was meant as just a simple bit of humour written by a group member. "Jolly Green Giant" (Lynn Easton) was a top fiv…