Articles by John Twang

Harriet Schock wrote "Ain't No Way to Treat a Lady" and it comes from her debut album "Hollywood Town" in 1974. Actor, clinical hypnotherapist, activist and talented singer Helen Reddy scored a number eight hit with her cover of "Ain't No Way To Treat a Lady" in 1975.

Kenny Loggins' cousin, Grammy winner Dave Loggins "Pieces of April" appeared on his 1971 album "Personal Belongings". Chuck Negron is on lead for Three Dog Night when they hit the top twenty with their single cover in 1973 from the 1972 album "Seven Separate Fools".

In 1964 Dave Berry (Grundy) released "The Crying Game" (Geoff Stephens) and it reached the top ten in the U.K. With the production expertise of the Pet Shop Boys, former member of The Culture Club, Boy George (George O'Dowd) recorded "The Crying Game" in 1992 and it was used in the movie of the same name. The single hit the top ten in the U.S. and topped the charts in Canada the next year.

With Elvis Presley's guitarist Scotty Moore as producer Thomas Wayne (Perkins) recorded "This Time" (Chips Moman) for Fernwood Records in 1958. The label was started by Scotty after Elvis went into the army. Thomas Wayne was the brother of Johnny Cash guitarist Luther Perkins. Troy Shondell's (Gary Shelton) top ten hit cover came in 1961. Years after his hit Troy Shondell appeared with the likes of Jimmy Clanton and Ronnie Dove as a member of "The Masters of Rock 'n' Roll". Apparently Tommy J…

Marty Robbins composed "You Gave Me a Mountain" and it was recorded in 1966. It's a track on the 1969 album "It's A Sin". Jimmy Bowen produced Frankie Laine's 1969 top thirty single from the album of the same name.

Dorsey and Johnny Burnette were members of the legendary "Rock and Roll Trio" with Paul Burlison. Dorsey hit the top twenty with "Tall Oak Tree" in 1960 and is the father of Fleetwood Mac member Billy Burnette . Dorsey's younger brother Johnny had success with the top twenty hits "Dreamin'", "You're Sixteen" and "Little Boy Sad" in the early sixties and he is the father of Rocky Burnette of "Tired of Towing the Line" fame. Composer Dorsey Burnette's original was issued in 1958. Teen idol Ric…

Laura Nyro's "Stoned Soul Picnic" is again from the 1968 album "Eli and the Thirteenth Confession" produced by former Four Seasons member Charlie Calello. The Fifth Dimension got to the number three Billboard position with their cover from the 1968 album of the same name. The owner of their label, Soul City, was Johnny Rivers.

Laura Nyro wrote and wanted to record "Wedding Bell Blues" in 1966 for her "More Than A New Discovery" album. The producer didn't want the tune on the album and this apparently lead to Laura leaving the Verve Folkways label. The Fifth Dimension cover reached number one in 1969. Producer Bones Howe knew that group members Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. were engaged but hadn't set a date for the wedding and suggested the tune would be appropriate for the album "The Age of Aquarius"

Laura Nyro (Nigro) released the album "Eli and the Thirteenth Confession" in 1968, it contains the hits "Sweet Blindness", "Stoned Soul Picnic" and "Eli's Comin'"! Group details for Three Dog Night are elsewhere in this blog. According to their website "from 1969 - 1974, nobody had more top ten hits, moved more records or sold more concert tickets". Cory Wells took the lead on "Eli's Comin'" from their 1969 album "Suitable For Framing". The single hit the top ten.

Produced by Jackson Browne, Chicago native Warren Zevon's "Poor, Poor Pitiful Me" made it's first appearance on his 1976 self-titled album. During the seventies Warren toured and recorded with the Everly Brothers. Later that decade he roomed with the unknown Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. Linda Ronstadt's 1977 cover was produced by Peter (Peter and Gordon) Asher and is contained on her album "Simple Dreams". The single made it into the top thirty for this multi Grammy award winning arti…

Elvis Presley's "Suspicion" (Doc Pomus - Mort Shuman) is from the 1962 album "Pot Luck" and became a U.K. top ten hit in 1976. The Terry Stafford cover hit the top ten in 1964. Les Paul's brother-in-law Bob Summers produced and played most instruments!

Tony winner Ruth Brown's "Lucky Lips" (Leiber - Stoller) reached the R&B top ten and top thirty on the pop chart in 1957. Interestingly her follow up "This Little Girl's Gone Rockin'" was composed by Bobby Darin. Cliff Richard (Harry Webb) and the Shadows (Hank Marvin, Brian Locking, Brian Bennett, John Rostill and Bruce Welch) covered the tune in 1963 and that version hit the top ten in most parts of the world with the exception of the U.S. where the single entered the top seventy.

Once a Christmas favourite on the Late Show with David Letterman and elsewhere, Darlene Love (Wright) recorded "Chapel of Love" (Jeff Barry - Ellie Greenwich - Phil Spector) in 1963 with the Wrecking Crew. The song was originally written for the Ronettes. The Dixie Cups (Barbara Ann Hawkins, Rosa lee Hawkins and Joan Marie Johnson) 1964 issue was the first release on Leiber and Stoller's Red Bird Records which they ran with George Goldner. The trio, originally from New Orleans, was managed by…

The original instrumental by Frank Pourcel was issued in 1961 on the album "Amour, Danse et Violions". The composers were listed as J. W. Stole (Frank Pourcel) and Del Roma (Paul Mauriat). In 1962 Petula Clark released the French tune "Chariot" (Frank Pourcel - Paul Mauriat - Jacques Plante) and hit number one in France along with several top ten placements through Europe. She did release an English version but without success. The team of Hugo and Luigi produced 15-year-old Little Peggy…

Rio de Janeiro's Jorge Ben (Menezes) composed the Brazilian song "Mas Que Nada" and was first to record the tune for his first album "Samba Esquema Novo" in 1963. The album "Sergio Mendes & Brazil '66" was released in 1966 with the single getting to the top fifty on the Hot 100, number four on the easy listening chart and reaching the top ten in many parts of the world. The pianist and bandleader has collaborated with the likes of Justin Timberlake, Lani Hall, The Black Eyed Peas, Stevie Wond…

David Dante (Hess) recorded "Speedy Gonzales" (Buddy Kaye, Ethel Lee and David Hess) in 1961. Later composer/actor and director David Hess became head of A&R for Mercury Records. The next year Pat Boone hit the top ten with his cover. The "la-la-la" portions were sung by Robin Ward of "Wonderful Summer" fame while Mel Blanc provided the Speedy Gonzales voice as he did in the Warner cartoons (wikipedia). This was Pat's last top ten single.

Singer, session musician, guitarist, actor, television personality and once a member of The Champs and the Beach Boy tour replacement for Brian Wilson, Glen Campbell was first to record "Turn Around, Look at Me" (Jerry Capehart) in 1961 when it got into the top seventy on Billboard. The Vogues (Bill Burkette, Don Miller, Hugh Geyer and Chuck Blasko) 1968 cover deservedly hit the top ten.

The talented Dolly Parton composed "I Will Always Love You" in 1973 supposedly for her mentor, Porter Wagoner. It is contained on her 1974 album "Jolene" and was used in the movie "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore". In 1982 she recorded it again for the soundtrack to "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas". In 1992 Whitney Houston" starred in the motion picture "The Bodyguard" and the tune, as produced by David Foster, was used for the soundtrack quickly topping world-wide Hot 100, A/C and R&B m…