Articles by John Twang

In his autobiography, Richard Adler got the idea for the title "Everybody Loves A Lover" from his lawyer based on the Shakespeare quote "all the world loves a lover", after Adler expressed concern over his then wife threatening to expose his illicit romance. In reality this was a Ralph Waldo Emerson quote. In 1958 Doris Day (Kappelhoff) recorded "Everybody Loves A Lover" (Robert Allen - Richard Adler) and reached the number fourteen position. The Shirelles (lead vocalist Shirley Alston, Do…

Grammy and Tony winner Jennifer Holliday recorded "Peace In Our Time" (Andy Hill - Peter Sinfield) for the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics LP "One Moment In Time". Eddie Money's (Mahoney) cover was on his 1989 album "Greatest Hits: The Sound Of Money". The single reached number twelve on Billboard's Top One Hundred.

Billie Satellitte's "I Wanna Go Back" was written by group members Monty Byrom, Danny Chauncey and Ira Walker without the participation of drummer Tom Falletti and released in 1984. The single is from their self-titled debut album. From the same album as his successful "Take Me Home Tonight" Eddie Money (Mahoney) hit with "I Wanna Go Back" from the 1986 LP "Can't Hold Back". This peaked at number fourteen early the next year. Marilyn Martin was on backing vocal.

James (Hans) Last wrote the melody for "Der Weg ins Land der Liebe" aka "When The Snow Is On The Roses" so we start with his take on the original from the LP "Country Roads". Swiss born German songstress Sonja Stadlin recorded the first "Der Weg ins Land der Liebe" (Last - Bader) in 1967. Also in 1967 the Ed Ames cover of "When The Snow Is On The Roses" (Bader - Kusik - Snyder - Last) topped the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart yet barely dented the Top One Hundred at number ninety-eig…

Once a singer with Duke Ellington's Orchestra and blind from birth Al Hibbler had an enviable solo career with hits like "Unchained Melody" and "He". The original "After The Lights Go Down Low" (Alan White - Leroy Lovett) was recorded in 1955. Despite the accent Al was born in Mississippi and raised in the South. In 1956 Al Hibbler re-recorded " After The Lights Go Down Low" for the Decca label. The single, featured on the LP "Starring Al Hibbler" peaked at number ten on Billboard. Here is a…

Nick Gilder and Sweeney Todd performing "The Warrior" (Nick Gilder - Holly Knight) in Port Alberni, British Columbia. Bryan Adams was once a member of Sweeney Todd. Scandal (lead vocalist Patty Smyth, Ivan Elias, Keith Mack, Tommy Price and Keith Mack) brought "The Warrior" to number seven on Billboard and topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock and Canadian charts. This is the opening track from the group's 1984 debut album "Warrior" that peaked in the top twenty.

Leave it to a Brit and his wife to write an "American beach tune" that includes horns. Songwriter John Carter (Shakespeare) performed his classic compositions at the Sidewalk Cafe in Manhattan's East Village in 1999 and the final tune he sang was his composition of "Beach Baby" (J. Carter - G. Shakespeare). Jimmy Page once played lead guitar for John Carter. First Class (John Carter, Tony Burrows and Chas Mills) and studio musicians released "Beach Baby" (Part 1 & Part2) in 1974. The single…

The 1975 R&B chart topping album "Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan" includes "Sweet Thing" (T. Maiden - C. Khan). The single by the band Rufus (lead vocal Chaka Khan aka Yvette Stevens, Andre Fischer, Tony Maiden, Nate Morgan, Kevin Murphy and Bobby Watson) topped the R&B chart and number five on the Top One Hundred. Singer, songwriter, actor and Grammy winner Mary J. Blige lifted the number twenty-eight single from her 1992 debut LP "What's The 411?". Mary was once a 411 directory assistance oper…

Lenny Leblanc with "Falling" (LeBlanc - Struzick) from his 1975 self-titled debut album. Lenny sang backup for Roy Orbison, The Supremes, Hank Williams Jr. and Amy Grant. The duo of (Lenny) LeBlanc and (Pete) Carr hit number thirteen on Billboard with "Falling" in 1978. The single is from the LP "Midnight Light" and reached number eleven on the Adult Contemporary chart. Pete Carr was a successful producer and studio guitarist in Muscle Shoals backing Paul Simon, Wilson Pickett, Boz Scaggs, Ro…

OneRepublic lead vocalist and Grammy winner Ryan Tedder wrote "Halo" (Ryan Tedder - Evan Bogart) specifically for Beyonce (Knowles). Mr. T. graduated from Oral Roberts University with a degree in Public Relations and Advertising. Ryan interned at Dreamworks SKG in Nashville singing demos. Beyonce's 2008 LP "I Am ... Sasha Fierce" includes the 2009 number five Billboard hit "Halo" (Ryan Tedder - Evan Bogart - Eric Phillips - Beyonce). The single won the Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Perfor…

Ethel Merman (Zimmerman) and Virginia Gibson (Gorski) sang "Mutual Admiration Society" (Harold Karr - Matt Dubey) from the 1956 Broadway musical "Happy Hunting" where they played mother and daughter. Fernando Lamas was the star and Estelle Parsons made her Broadway debut in the vehicle. Teresa Brewer (Theresa Breuer) hit number twenty-one on Billboard with this version of "Mutual Admiration Society" from her LP "Miss Music" featuring the chorus and orchestra directed by Dick Jacobs. Teresa w…

R&B pianist, singer, songwriter Ivory Joe Hunter was known as The Baron Of The Boogie and Ivory Joe was his given name. Over his career he was successful with blues, R&B, boogie-woogie and country music. His 1957 single of "Empty Arms" peaked at number two on the Billboard R&B chart, number forty-three pop. Teresa Brewer (Breuer) had the pop hit with "Empty Arms" later that year when the song peaked at number thirteen on the Billboard Top One Hundred. The track is on the album "Miss Music".…

One-hit wonders, The Capitols' (lead vocalist Samuel George, Don Storball and Richard Mitchell) "Cool Jerk" (Storball) reached number seven pop and number two R&B on Billboard in 1966. The Funk Brothers supplied the instrumental talents. Originally the tune was titled "Pimp Jerk". The single was later released on the album "Dance The Cool Jerk". The Young Holt Trio issued "Wack Wack" (Eldee Young - Red Holt - Don Walker) from the LP of the same name in 1966. The trio originally credited them…

The theme for the 1981 Dudley Moore, Liza Minnelli film "Arthur" won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and the Golden Globe for Best Original Song. Here is Carole Bayer Sager singing "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" (Christopher Cross - Burt Bacharach - Carole Bayer-Sager - Peter Allen) in an exclusive concert for a Los Angeles County Museum of Art fundraising event in September 21, 2013. Christopher Cross (Geppert) hit number one on Billboard's pop and A.C. charts with "Arthur…

Sweden's Ulla Billquist (Schonstrom) recorded "Min Soldat" (My Soldier) (Nils Perne aka Jokern) in 1940. The tune was written for Gosta Jonsson's revue "Det Kommer En Var" in Stockholm. During the war years this was the most popular song in the country. Carroll Loveday wrote the English lyric, changing the title to "The Shrine Of St. Cecilia" (Carroll Loveday - Jokern) and in 1942 The Andrews Sisters (LaVerne, Patty and Maxene) took the song to number three on Billboard. During WW ll the tri…

Session vocalist Lezli Valentine originally recorded "Love On A Two-Way Street" (Robinson - Keyes) in 1968 on the All Platinum label co-owned by co-writer Sylvia Robinson. Lezli has long insisted she played a major part in the writing process. The Moments (Billy Brown, Al Goodman and Johnny Moore) recorded "Love On A Two-Way Street" as an album track for the top ten R&B issue "Not On The Outside, But On The Inside, Strong" in 1970. The single topped the Soul chart and was number three on the…

Len Chandler was a protest singer and that makes "Beans In Your Ears" a protest song should you decide to listen. Len made an appearance with Pete Seeger on the television show "Rainbow Quest" where they sang the song about adults not listening to children. All eleven members of The Serendipity Singers hit the top thirty and number five Adult Contemporary with "Beans In Your Ears" in 1964. The tune was banned in many cities because children began putting beans in their ears.

In 1958 a demo of "Deep Sleep" (Farina - Farina) by Mike Dee and the Mello Tones (Santo Farina on steel guitar, brother Johnny Farina on rhythm guitar and drummer Uncle Mike Dee) was the genesis of "Sleep Walk". The tune is heard here in an updated augmented form. Brooklyn's Santo and Johnny (Farina) recorded "Sleep Walk (Farina -Farina - Ann Farina) the next year and dominated the Billboard chart while peaking at number four R&B. It's been said that the addition of Johnny's wife Ann Farina…