Articles by John Twang

Paul Simon sings the original "I Am A Rock" The track is from the LP "Paul Simon Song Book" released in 1965 only in the United Kingdom. This was the one single issued from the album. From the classic (Paul) Simon and (Art) Garfunkel 1966 album "Sounds Of Silence", the duo's take on the hit "I Am A Rock" that peaked at number three on Billboard. The song was recorded in late 1965 and was the last track on the LP release.

Paul Simon recorded this demo in 1967 and although the lyric "At The Zoo" is nowhere to be heard, this is obviously the road to the hit. This was written for "The Graduate" but not used in the film. The track is contained on the bootleg LP "The Alternate Bookends". "At The Zoo" evolved into it's final form on the chart topping 1967 Simon and Garfunkel LP "Bookends" and the single peaked at number sixteen on the Top One Hundred. The album concludes with this song and was done in studio with t…

This is Austrian composer Franz Winkler with sister Albertine (Seifert) singing "Fliege mit mir in die Heimat" (Franz Winkler) as recorded in 1939. During World War Two the song was adopted by the German Luftwaffe. Malia Rosa added the English lyric in 1948. The most successful recording came in 1948 as "Forever And Ever" by Russ Morgan with vocals by The Skylarks (George Becker, Chick Gale, Gilda Maiken, Joe Pryor and Gladys Vesely). The single topped the Billboard chart in 1949. Russ Morga…

The underrated Karla Bonoff wrote "All My Life" which became the title song of her 1999 album "All My Life: The Best Of Karla Bonoff". Karla once sang back up for Linda Ronstadt. Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville recorded "All My Life" on Linda's 1989 Peter Asher produced triple platinum album "Cry Like A Rainstorm, Howl Like The Wind". The album peaked at number eight while the single topped the AC and reached number eleven on Billboard's pop charts in 1990. This won a Grammy nomination for…

Disco group Lipps Inc. (lead vocalist Cynthia Johnson, Roger Dumas, Terry Grant, Steven and Dana Greenberg, Joyce Lapinsky and Tom Riopelle) included "Funkytown" (Steven Greenberg) as lead single on their first album "Mouth To Mouth" in 1979. The 1980 single charted at number one in twenty-eight countries. This was the most successful release from the album. Australia's Pseudo Echo (lead vocalist Brian Canham, Pierre Gigliotti, James and Vince Leigh) covered "Funkytown" on the 1986 LP "Love…

John Kirby (Kirk) and The Onyx Club Boys (Buster Bailey, Billy Kyle, Russell Procope, Charlie Shavers and O'Neill Spencer) recorded "Undecided" (Sid Robin - Charlie Shavers) in 1938. The Ames (Urick) Brothers (Ed, Joe, Gene and Vic Ames) covered "Undecided" in 1951 and peaked at number two on Billboard. That's Les Brown's Orchestra providing the swing as featured on The Ames Brothers album "Our Golden Favorites".

Grammy winner Lalo (Boris Claudio) Schifrin wrote and performs "Mission Impossible", the theme from the popular sixties television show. Released as a single in 1967 this reached number forty-one on Billboard's pop chart and number nineteen Adult Contemporary. Adam Clayton and U2 band mate Larry Mullen Jr. covered "Theme From Mission: Impossible" for the soundtrack of the first Tom Cruise film. This time the tune peaked at number seven on Billboard!

Shelley Peiken sings "Bitch" (Shelley Peiken - Meredith Brooks) on Song Talk Radio. Shelley also co-wrote the chart topping "Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)" and "What A Girl Wants". Song Talk Radio is a regular program on CJRU radio from Ryerson University in Toronto. Meredith Brooks' 1998 first single from the LP "Blurring The Edges", "Bitch" was nominated for a Grammy and went platinum while peaking at number two on the Top One Hundred.

From her album "One Woman's Life" (Linda Hargrove - Dean Dillon) the late Linda Hargrove sings "Tennessee Whiskey". In the seventies she performed in blue jeans unlike many of her contemporaries who worn noticeable amounts of makeup. Linda was crowned the "Blue Jean Country Queen". David Allan Coe recorded "Tennessee Whiskey" for the 1981 album of the same name. The single charted at number seventy-seven on the Country listing. David began writing songs while in prison with Screamin' Jay Haw…

Italian opera singer Beniamino Gigli with his rendition of "Dicitencello Vuie" (Rodolfo Falvo - Enzo Fusco). Beniamino's parents did not look upon the arts as a secure career. Imagine how they felt when their son chose opera and his brother Lorenzo became a famous Italian painter. Vic Damone (Vito Farinola) had the 1950 best selling version of "Just Say I Love Her" (Rodolfo Falvo - Jack Vai - Jimmy Dale - Martin Kalmanoff - Sam Ward) when it peaked at number thirteen on Billboard. Frank Sina…

This is from the soundtrack toward the end of the 1952 Charlie Chaplin film "Limelight". The film was set in London but filmed in Hollywood and co-starred Claire Bloom and Buster Keaton. Because of Charlie Chaplin's alleged communist leanings the movie was not shown in the U.S. on first release. The film's "Terry's Theme" was used when Claire Bloom's ballerina character Thereza "Terry" Embrose danced. Britain's Frank Chacksfield and his 40-piece orchestra recorded "Terry's Theme" in 1953 and…

Singer, songwriter, studio musician Paul Carrack with this take on his composition "How Long". Paul hit as a solo artist and as a member of Mike + The Mechanics, Squeeze, Ace and Roxy Music. "How Long" was introduced on the 1974 album "Five-A-Side" by Ace (lead vocalist Paul Carrack, Fran Byrne, Terry Comer, Phil Harris and Alan King) . The single from the group's debut LP peaked at number three on Billboard's pop chart and number twenty-four Adult Contemporary in 1975.

The 1945 motion picture "State Fair" introduced the Academy Award winning "It Might As Well Be Spring" (Oscar Hammerstein II - Richard Rodgers). This won the only film score by the composing team. The song is lip synced by Jeanne Crain and sung by Louanne Hogan. The film was a musical adaptation of the 1933 movie and was remade again in 1962. Big band vocalist with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey Louanne was once a member of the famed Pied Pipers. This track is edited to get to the familiar lyrics.…

"(I Do The) Shimmy Shimmy" (Bill Massey - Albert Shubert) was introduced by the late Bobby Freeman and reached thirty-seven on the Top One Hundred. Philadelphia group The Orlons (lead vocalist Rosetta Hightower, Shirley Brickley, Steven Caldwell and Martha Davis) covered "Shimmy, Shimmy" in 1964 and peaked at seventeen on the R&B chart, number sixty-six pop on Billboard.

"History And Hope" is the title of the 2011 Mark D. (Daniel) Sanders album that includes "I Hope You Dance" (Mark. D. Sanders - Tia Sillers). Mark taught school professionally in California and was a substitute teacher when he moved to Nashville. Lee Ann Womack and the Sons Of The Desert (Drew and Tim Womack) unrelated to Lee Ann recorded "I Hope You Dance" for the 2000 LP of the same name. The single, designated the Song Of The year by the CMA, ASCAP and BMI, peaked at fourteen on Billboard…

From his LP "From Here To Nichternity" this is composer, guitarist and Buddhist senior teacher David Nichtern and the instrumental "Midnight At The Oasis". David's mother Claire was the first woman to win a Tony. Maria Muldaur's (D'Amato) 1973 self titled gold album and most successful single was "Midnight At The Oasis". It includes the talents of both David Nichtern and Amos Garrett on guitar. The single reached number six on Billboard, number six on the Adult Contemporary chart in 1974.

Johnny Nash wrote, produced and sang "I Can See Clearly Now" on the 1972 album of the same name. Obviously influenced by Bob Marley the single topped Billboard's pop and Adult Contemporary charts. Bob Marley also wrote the opening track "Stir It Up", the other hit single from the LP. Jimmy Cliff (Chambers) covered "I Can See Clearly Now" for the 1993 Doug E. Doug and John Candy movie "Cool Runnings". The single peaked at number nine Adult Contemporary and number eighteen on the Top One Hundr…

Larry Weiss and Scott English wrote "Help Me Girl". This is Larry's version from the album "Cuts And Scratches". Larry also wrote or co-wrote "Rhinestone Cowboy", "Mr. Dream Merchant" and "Bend Me, Shape Me". Scott (Sheldon) English co-composed "Bend Me, Shape Me' and "Mandy" that hit for Barry Manilow. "Help Me Girl" was a transitional single due to the fact that it was after the breakup of the original Animals and the formation of the new line-up with Vic Briggs, John Weider and Danny McCo…