Articles by John Twang

The Rolling Stones' "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (Keith Richards - Mick Jagger) single reached number three in 1968. Although the tune was not on the LP it was recorded during the "Beggars Banquet" sessions. The single peaked at three on Billboard and topped the U.K. chart. The song's first album incarnation was on a 1969 compilation release. The successful cover of "Jumpin' Jack Flash" came in 1986 from Aretha Franklin and had Keith Richards who produced the session on guitar along with Ronnie Wood…

Here's the original gospel tune that inspired "Chain Of Fools". In 1967 Houston's Reverend Elijah Fair with the Sensational Gladys Davis Trio recorded "Pains Of Life" (C. Davis). Don Covay (Randolph) and The Good Timers released an instrumental of "Chain Of Fools" almost at the same time as the hit. The composer produced the single that he wrote more than a decade earlier. Don had Jimi Hendrix in his group at one time. Even though the song was originally meant for Otis Redding, Atlantic…

Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" (A. Cleveland - M. Gaye - R. Benson) is from the album of the same name. The single topped the Soul chart and reached number two on the Top One Hundred. Wikipedia: "Musician and songwriter Elgie Stover, who later served as a caterer for Bill Clinton and was then a Motown staffer and confidante of Gaye's, was the man who opened the song's track with the words, "hey, man, what's happening?" and "everything is everything". Label owner Berry Gordy was not a fan of the…

In 1966 Van Dyke Parks recorded his composition "Come To The Sunshine". After many years of not being available the track was released on the 2011 "Arrangements, Volume 1". Van Dyke Parks collaborated on the legendary Beach Boys album "Smile" and worked with the likes of The Byrds, Judy Collins, Little Feat, The Mothers Of Invention, Randy Newman, Harry Nilsson, Ringo Starr and U2. Harpers Bizarre (Ted Templeman, Dick Scoppettone, Eddie James, John Petersen and Dick Yount) had "Come To The S…

Shep Fields (Saul Feldman) and His Rippling Rippling Rhythm Orchestra featuring the vocal talents of Bob Goday recorded "The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down" (Cliff Friend - Dave Franklin) in 1937, the year it was written. This is posted in it's entirety. For decades, starting in 1938 this was the tune used for the credits on the wonderful Warner Brothers releases "Looney Tunes" and "Merrie Melodies". In 1988 "The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down" was used again in the movie "Who Framed Roger Rabbitt…

Backed by the keyboards of Isaac Hayes along with Booker T and the MGs, Johnnie Taylor's "Who's Making Love" (Homer Banks - Bettye Crutcher - Don Davis - Raymond Jackson) hit number five on the Top One Hundred and number one R&B. Composer Bettye Crutcher said this was inspired by "Who Takes Care Of The Caretaker's Daughter (When The Caretaker's Busy Taking Care)". When Sam Cooke left The Soul Stirrers Johnnie took his place in the gospel group. The Blues Brothers (John Belushi and Dan Aykroy…

This is a clip from the Bert Herbison files featuring John Bettis singing "Yesterday Once More" (John Bettis - Richard Carpenter). John was the lyricist for Carpenters hits "Goodbye To Love", "Only Yesterday" and "Top Of The World"! The Carpenters (Karen and Richard Carpenter) took "Yesterday Once More" from the 1973 LP "Now & Then". The single reached number two on Billboard's Top One Hundred and in the U.K. while peaking atop the Adult Contemporary chart.

Former big band vocalist Monty Norman (Noserovitch) plays the original "James Bond Theme" on piano. This was written for the 1962 film Dr. No. John Barry and publishers have unsuccessfully sued Monty Norman twice claiming that it was John Barry who wrote the theme. The John Barry (Prendergast) Orchestra performs "James Bond Theme" as it appears in Dr. No and arranged by John Barry. John had been called upon to arrange Monty Norman's motif. Variations of the theme have shown up one way or ano…

Mama Africa aka Miriam Makeba and The Skylarks with "Phata, Phata". Released in 1959, the song was inspired by an African dance. Wikipedia: "The male dancers stand in a row with their arms extended out to the front, palms to the floor, while the women pat each in turn in a manner resembling security search body-frisking, after which the men do the same to the women." Miriam Makeba became the first African to win a Grammy Award in 1967 with this version of "Pata, Pata" (Miriam Makeba - Jerry…

The working title "Love Is A Highway" led to Tom Cochrane's solo success. Obviously not intended for commercial release this is an interesting track from the twenty-fifth anniversary edition release of "Mad Mad World". This is an edited version to include the title in the vocal. Former Toronto cabbie and personal favourite Tom Cochrane's "Life Is A Highway" was introduced on his 1991 album "Mad Mad World". The single topped the Canadian chart while peaking at number one Billboard. Rascal…

Mark Wills (Williams) recorded "What Hurts The Most" (Jeffrey Steele - Steve Robson) for the 2003 LP "And The Crowd Goes Wild". It was not issued as a single. Rascal Flatts (lead vocalist Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney) covered "What Hurts The Most" on the five times platinum "Me And My Gang:" in 2006. The album topped the charts while the song topped the Country and Adult Contemporary charts while peaking at number six on the Billboard Top One Hundred.

Xavier (Javier) Cugat and his Waldorf-Astoria Orchestra recorded one of the first versions of "Begin The Begine" (Cole Porter) in 1935, with vocalist Don Reid. The tune, written while on a Pacific cruise, was introduced along with Cole Porter's "Just One Of Those Things" in the musical "Jubilee" earlier that year. Three years later Art Shaw (Arshawsky), his clarinet and fourteen piece orchestra would record what would become the classic version of "Begin The Beguine" as a B side to "Indian L…

The title track of Brenda Russell's 1988 LP saw the single of "Get Here" (Brenda Russell) co-produced by Roland Orzabal of Tears For Fears. The single peaked at number thirty-seven on the R&B chart. Brenda's father, Gus Gordon was once a member of The Ink Spots. With a controlled strong voice Oleta Adams covered "Get Here" for her 1990 top ten album "Circle Of One". Released as a Grammy nominated single the next year the song reached number five on Billboard. Like the original this was produ…

After he left the Belmonts (Angelo D-Aleo, Carlo Mastrangelo and Fred Milano) in 1961 Dion (DiMucci) topped Billboard with "Runaround Sue" (Dion Dimucci - Ernie Maresca). The single ended up on the album of the same name. Teen idol, singer and actor Leif Garrett's (Nervik) 1978 cover of "Runaround Sue" (Dion DiMucco - Ernest Manesca) included the obvious mistake regarding the composers on the label. The number thirteen single is from Leif's self-titled debut LP consisting of cover songs.

This is Graham Nash with David Crosby and Stephen Stills and the demo for "Marrakesh Express". Graham Nash originally wrote this for The Hollies but they never recorded it. Graham wrote the song after traveling by train from Casablanca to Marrakesh in 1966 and has said "it's literally the song as it is, what happened to me." Crosby, Stills and Nash took "Marrakesh Express" and used the track on their 1969 self-titled LP. The single peaked at number twenty-eight on both the Top One Hundred an…

Australia's Rick Springfield (Springthorpe) recorded the demo for "Jessie's Girl". He wrote and recorded this in a rented house in Glendale, California. Rick plays all the instruments. The platinum album "Working Class Dog" introduced "Jessie's Girl". The Grammy winning single reached number one on Billboard in 1981. His wife, Barbara was the receptionist at the studio where he recorded the album. Rick is also an actor of note having appeared in General Hospital and many television shows and…

"Anema e core" (Salve d'Esposito - Tito Manlio) was recorded by Italian tenor Tito (Raffaele) Schipa in 1950. It's been reported that Tito was a "pet" of Benito Mussolini. The melody was used for the Dean Martin song "Until" (Sylvia Dee - Sidney Lippman) in 1951. Another English lyric from Manny Curtis and Harry Akst was used in the 1953 musical "John Murray Anderson's Almanac" with the resulting hit "Anema E Core (With All My Heart And Soul)" (Manlio - Curtis - d'Esposito - Akst) being reco…

Curt Boettcher sings the demo for "Along Comes Mary" (Tandyn Almer). Curt sped up the original concept to give the song more commercial appeal. Curt produced "Hooray For Hazel" and "Sweet Pea" for Tommy Roe and sang back-up for Helen Reddy, Elton John, Tanya Tucker and Eric Carmen. The eccentric composer, Tandyn Almer was once referred to by The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson as "my best friend". Curt Boettcher produced The Association's (lead vocalist Jim Yester, Gary Alexander, Brian Cole, Russ…