Articles by John Twang

When Bo Diddley recorded "Love Is Strange" (Smith) in 1956 it was the first time the song was put on a record. The composer was actually Bo Diddley using his second wife's name for legal reasons. It was unreleased until 2007! Months after the Bo Diddley session, Mickey (McHouston Baker) and Sylvia (Robinson/Vanderpool) recorded the "Love Is Strange" (Baker - Vanderpool - Smith) cover and that version topped the charts.

Michigan's Barbara Lewis composed "Hello Stranger" and took it to the top three in 1963, number one on the R&B chart. During the seventies Yvonne Elliman played Mary Magdalene in "Jesus Christ, Superstar", sang on the concept album, the soundtrack release and starred in the motion picture. In 1977 Yvonne took the cover of "Hello Stranger" to the top of the Easy Listening chart and into the pop top twenty.

Parisian singer/actor Andre Claveau and the Andre Grassi Orchestra recorded "Cerisier Rose et Pommier Blanc" (Louiguy - Larue) in 1950. Cuban bandleader and King of the Mambo Perez Prado's (Damaso Perez) "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White" as a cha-cha cover went to number one in 1954. The hit featured Billy Regis on trumpet. Members of his orchestra also included the likes of Mongo Santamaria and Maynard Ferguson.

The former Mrs. Maurice Gibb, Lulu (Marie Lawrie), recorded the original single release of "Here Comes the Night" (Bert Berns) in 1964 and watched it barely get into the top fifty in the U.K. Featuring the vocals of Van Morrison and the guitar of Jimmy Page, Them (Van Morrison, Alan Henderson, Peter Bardens, Billy Harrison and Pat McAuley) hit with the cover in 1965. "Here Comes the Night" reached the U.K. top five and the Billboard top thirty.

Thanks to Dan Hughes for this tip! Formed in 1963 The Evergreen Blues Band (Rick Barrio, Tom Bray, Manny Esparza, Steve Lawrence, Sam Lombardo, Steve McSweyn and Ken Walther) recorded "Midnight Confessions" (Josie) in 1968. It was written by their manager Lou Josie and can be found as the first track on the second side of "7 Do 11". That's Carol Kaye's bass line on the opening of The Grass Roots (Rob Grill, Warren Etner, Creed Bratton and Rick Coonce: group members varied greatly through th…

The Band (Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Robbie Robertson, Garth Hudson and Richard Manuel) featured "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" (Robertson) on their second album, "The Band". It's interesting that this sample of Americana was composed by Canadian Robbie Robertson (Klegerman). Released in 1971 the "almost Mrs. Steve Jobs", Joan Baez cover from the album "Blessed Are ..." reached number three on the charts.

Waylon Jennings appeared with Buddy Holly on the Winter Dance Party Tour, he was one of "The Outlaws", one of "The Highwaymen" with Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash, he was the balladeer on The Dukes of Hazard, played lead guitar for the legendary Patsy Montana and he married the former Mrs. Duane Eddy, Jessi Coulter. RCA issued "The Chokin' Kind" (Harlan Howard) in 1967. Grammy winner Joe Simon got to number one on the R&B charts and the thirteen position on the pop chart i…

During the summer of 1968 doo-wop kings, The Coasters (Carl Gardiner, Bobby Guy, Earl Carroll and Thomas Palmer) released "D. W. Washburn" (Leiber - Stoller). It was also used in the production of Smokey Joe's Cafe. Featuring television's Circus Boy, Micky Dolenz, on lead this was The Monkees (Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork) first single to miss the top ten and it barely got into the top twenty. Stephen Stills didn't get past the auditions. At their peak in the mid-s…

The powerful and distinctive voice of Roy Orbison recorded "Distant Drums" (Cindy Walker) in 1963. Yes, he probably was my favourite singer ever. Jim Reeves had his only number one U.K. hit with "Distant Drums" two years after his death in 1964 at the same time he topped the Billboard country chart. The tune was originally not issued during the singer's lifetime by RCA because they had no faith in the session. "Distant Drums" became the album title and the opening track on the release in 1966…

Former member of the Ike and Tina Turner Revue, soul artist P.P. Arnold (Patricia Cole) released "The First Cut Is the Deepest" (Stevens) in the spring of 1967. She reached the U.K. top twenty. The composer, Cat Stevens (Steven Georgiou and now Yusuf Islam) version came out late that year on his vinyl album "New Masters" side two, track one. Once a member of the Jeff Beck Group and the Faces, Rod Stewart had a monster top twenty hit with the song from the 1976 album "A Night On the Town".…

The late Don Ho was a guest on "The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour" in 1969 where he introduced "Galveston" (Webb) to the host. Don had already released the tune as a B side in 1968. There is a slight difference in the lyrics between versions. The composer Jimmy Webb's version is next. You'll find it on the 1972 album "Letters" and other Jimmy Webb releases. FYI, here are clips of the German and Swedish covers. Glen Campbell won four Grammys in 1967 alone. In 1969 his cover of "Galveston"…

Eddy Riff performed "Ain't That Lovin' You Baby" (Hunter - Otis) in 1956. Elvis Presley released the song in 1964 and took it into the top twenty as the flip side of "Ask Me" (elsewhere on this site). The Elvis version was actually recorded in 1958 in the same session as "I Need Your Love Tonight", "I Got Stung", "A Fool Such As I" and "Big Hunk O'Love".

When they were known as The Sharps they did the backing yells for Duane Eddy. As The Rivingtons they hit the top fifty in 1962 with "Papa Ooo Mow Mow" (White - Frazier - Wilson - Harris). The novelty tune was issued as a single.They too recorded "The Bird's the Word" in 1962. The Trashmen (Tony Andreason, Dal Winslow, Steve Wahrer and Bob Reed) got into the top five in 1963 with their mash up of the two mentioned Rivingston's tunes known simply as "Surfin' Bird". Early versions list the Trash…

Jim Henson gave us The Muppets and eventually he gave us the influential franchise called Sesame Street where the Sesame Street Kids sang "Sing" (Raposo) in 1970. The Carpenters and the Jimmy Joyce Children's Choir took their cover into the top five. It's from their 1973 album "Then and Now".

"Let Your Love Flow" was turned down by both Neil Diamond and Johnny Rivers. It was Larry Williams, a roadie for Neil Diamond, who wrote Gene Cotton's 1975 outing "Let You Love Flow" from Gene's album "For All The Young Writers". It wasn't issued as a single until the Bellamy Brothers hit. "Let Your Love Flow" was the successful 1976 album and single for The Bellamy Brothers (David and Howard). The song topped the chart.

Texan pianist/singer Little Willie Littlefield released "Kansas City" (Leiber - Stoller) in 1952. A record executive changed the title to "K.C. Loving". The tune was written specifically for Littlefield. Wilbert Harrison hit the top of the charts with the original title. "Kansas City" hit number one on both the pop and R&B charts in 1959. When taking a tour of Kansas City a few years ago the tour bus driver wouldn't go to "Twelfth Street and Vine" because it was too dangerous.

Mike Lazo, Gene Schacter and someone named Bobby Vinton were members of the Hilites trio in 1954 when the draft broke up the group. In 1957 two of the three formed The Tempos (Mike Lazo, Jim Drake, Tom Minito and Gene Schachter). "See You In September" (Wayne - Edwards) was issued in 1959 and hit the top thirty. According to Wikipedia the song was composed on Friday, recorded Saturday and the record was cut the following Monday then released and on NYC radio the next Friday. One week from incept…

Vocalist/band leader/trumpeter/trombonist/ actor and the subject of two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Vaughn Monroe recorded "Mister Sandman" (Ballard) in May 1954 as the B side of "They Were Doing the Mambo". This is the same man who had a ton of other hits but turned down the chance to first record "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer". The Chordettes (Janet Ertel, Lynn Evans, Jinny Osborn, and Carol Buschmann) hit cover launched their career when it came later that year and features lab…