Articles by John Twang

"Never No Lament" (Duke Ellington) was the original title and record issued by Duke (Edward) Ellington and His Famous Orchestra in 1940. Among the honours awarded Duke Ellington: fourteen Grammys including a Lifetime Achievement Award, several honorary degrees from Colleges and Universities, Hollywood Walk of Fame Star, Presidential Medal of Freedom, French Legion of Honour and a posthumous Pulitzer. The Ink Spots (lead vocalist Deek Watson, Bill Kenny, Charlie Fuqua and Hoppy Jones) topped…

On the 1987 LP "Bring The Family" John Hiatt includes "Thing Called Love" (John Hiatt). Ry Cooder and Jim Keltner were on the session. Ry and Jim teamed with Nick Lowe to form the group "Little Village" backing John Hiatt in 1992 and even issued an album by that name. Bonnie Raitt's blues style was evident on her cover of "Thing Called Love" from the 1989 album "Nick Of Time". The single peaked at eleven on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks, the album won three Grammy Awards and topped th…

In February of 1974 accomplished songwriter John Hiatt's "Sure As I'm Sittin' Here" was released as a single and later became a track on John's first album Hangin' Around The Observatory. Mr. Hiatt sounds so believable. Three Dog Night (lead vocal Cory Wells, Jimmy Greenspoon, Danny Hutton, Skip Konte, Mickey McMeel, Chuck Negron, Jack Ryland and Jimmy Smith) covered Sure As I'm Sittin' Here for the LP "Hard Labor" in 1974 and peaked at number sixteen on the Top One Hundred. The LP This was…

Sly and The Family Stone's (Sly, Rose and Freddie Stone with Larry Graham, Cynthia Robinson, Jerry Martini and Greg Errico) "I Want To Take You Higher" (Sylvester Stone) was the B side of "Stand!", also the title of their 1969 album. The single reached number thirty-eight pop and number twenty-four R&B. Ike and Tina Turner covered "I Want To Take You Higher" the same year and proved marginally more popular than the original when it peaked at number twenty-five R&B and thirty-four pop on Bill…

Canada's Louisa Florio recorded "Tell It To My Heart" (Seth Swirsky - Ernie Gold) in early 1987 for her initial self titled LP. The song was not issued as a single. In 1987 Taylor Dayne (Leslie Wunderman) first single and her first LP were both titled "Tell It To My Heart". In 1988 the single reached number seven on Billboard. Former Miss Orange County, Broadway veteran and actress Raquela (Burt) covered "Tell It To My Heart" (Nivek Tek Vs. Keith Kemper 90's Retro Remix) in 2010 and peak…

Johnny Bristol co-wrote "What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)" (Bristol - Fuqua - Bullock) and this is his edited version of the Jr. Walker hit that Johnny produced along with Harvey Fuqua. Johnny was a noted songwriter ("Love Me For A Reason"), singer ("Hang On In There Baby") and producer ("Ain't No Mountain High Enough") in Detroit and elsewhere. Jr. Walker (Autry Mixon) And The All-Stars (James Graves, Victor Thomas and Willie Woods) original "What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)" featur…

Violinist Enric Madriguera and his Orchestra were first to hit with "Amor" (James - Ruiz) with vocals by Bob Lido. The track is edited to include the vocal. The lyric is very different from the hit. English lyrics by Sunny Skylar helped Bing Crosby introduce American audiences to "Amor, Amor" (Ruiz - Skylar) in 1944. The single with John Scott Trotter's Orchestra peaked at number four on Billboard. Ben E. King (Nelson) covered "Amor" (Skylar - Ruiz - Mendez) successfully in 1961 when the…

The Country Music Association was part of the Concerts from the Library of Congress series. On November 16, 2011 Tim Nichols was joined by country entertainers Clint Black, Bob DiPiero and Patty Loveless on stage where he sang the 2005 CMA song of the year, "Live Like You Were Dying" (Tim Nichols - Craig Wiseman). This was the lead single from the LP of the same name, Tim McGraw's "Live Like You Were Dying". The Grammy Award winning tune topped the Country chart in 2004 while peaking at numb…

The traditional tune "Shortening Bread" date to the 1800s and was recorded by The Skillet Lickers (Clayton McMichen, Fate Norris, Riley Puckett and Gid Tanner) as the initial vocal version issued in 1926. Dave "Baby Cortez (Clowney) issued "The Happy Organ" (Clowney - Kriegsmann - Wood) in 1959 with studio musicians Jimmy Spruill on guitar and Gary Hammond is the drummer. This hit the top of the Top One Hundred and peaked at number five R&B and has a strong resemblance to the traditional tun…

"The inventor of rock and roll" Little Richard (Penniman) recorded "Lucille" (Albert Collins) in 1957 and topped the R&B chart while peaking at number twenty-one on the pop side. Earl Palmer is the drummer and Lee Allen is playing tenor saxophone. The track is from his self-titled album. When composer Albert Collins went to prison Little Richard bought half of the rights to the song. The Everly Brothers (Phil and Don) recorded "Lucille" (Penniman - Collins) as a B side to "So Sad (To Watch G…

"Dead Ringer" was a 1981 album released by singer, actor and Grammy winner Meat Loaf (Marvin Aday). One of the few tracks on the issue was "Read 'em And Weep" (Jim Steinman) with the talents of the composer and Todd Rundgren on back-up. Wikipedia: "Meat Loaf relates a story in his autobiography, To Hell and Back, about how he, a friend, and his friend's father drove out to Love Field to watch John F. Kennedy land. After watching him leave the airport, they went to Market Hall, which was on Kenne…

The 1981 London musical "Cats" included Elaine Paige (Bickerstaff) singing "Memory" (Andrew Lloyd Webber - Trevor Nunn). This was the first song to bring attention to the authors. Released as a hit single by Elaine Paige in the U.K. the issue peaked at number six. Here is the original London cast recording. Even though Barbra Streisand covered the song with what many call the definitive version it was Barry Manilow (Pincus) who had the most chart success with "Memory". In 1982 the song reach…

The 1927 musical "Good News" spawned "The Best Things In Life Are Free" (Buddy DeSylva - Lew Brown - Ray Henderson). That same year it was recorded by bandleader and drummer George Olsen and His Music with vocalist Bob Borger. George Olsen died on his 78th birthday. The track has been edited to include the vocal. Dinah (Fannye Rose) Shore and Sonny Burke's orchestra covered "The Best Things In Life Are Free" as a single issue in 1948 and brought the song back to popularity when it peaked at…

Sonny And Cher's (Bono) "I Got You" (Sonny Bono) topped the U.S., Canada, U.K. and other world charts in 1965. The single with members of the famed Wrecking Crew is on the duo's debut LP "Look At Us". In 2017 "I Got You Babe" was inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame. After the couple divorced personally and professionally, Sonny was a member of the U.S. House Of Representatives before his 1998 death in a skiing accident. Cher became an Academy Award winning actress and extended her Grammy winni…

In 1962 Solomon Burke (McDonald) released "Cry To Me" (Bert Russell). The Juilliard School graduate, songwriter Bert Burns produced the single with Cissy Houston singing back up. This was recorded after Solomon rejected "Hang On Sloopy" and "A Little Bit Of Soap". The song peaked at number five R&B and number forty-four pop. Bert Burns also directed the Betty Harris version of "Cry To Me" in 1963. This time the slower feel reached number twenty-three on the Top One Hundred and number ten on…

This is the 1928 recording by Nat Shilkret and The Victor Orchestra featuring the vocal talents of Lewis James performing "Thinking Of You" (Bert Kalmar - Harry Ruby) from the 1927 Broadway show "The Five O'Clock Girl". This post is edited to include the vocal. The team of Kalmar and Ruby gave us "Who's Sorry Now", "Three Little Words", "Nevertheless" and "I Want To Be Loved By You". In 1950 "Thinking Of You" was included in the biopic of the composers. "Three Little Words" starred Fred Asta…

English singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and musical director Billy Nichols sings "Without Your Love" (Nichols) from his LP "Forever's No Time At All". This was written for the soundtrack of the film "McVicar". The motion picture was a bio of British bank robber John McVicar. Roger Daltrey of The Who starred in "McVicar" and produced it. English singer, producer, promoter Adam Faith also appears in the film. The 1980 soundtrack included the talents of Pete Townshend, John Entwi…

The 1971 top twenty LP "Be Altitude: Respect Yourself" by The Staple Singers (Pops Staples lead vocalist, Cleotha, Mavis and Yvonne Staples) included one of the group's most well known efforts, "Respect Yourself" (Luther Ingram - Mack Rice). The single reached number twelve on the Top One Hundred and number two on the R&B chart. The track was recorded in Muscle Shoals and included The Memphis Horns being added later. Movie and television star Bruce Willis issued a version of "Respect Yoursel…