Articles by John Twang

The trio Touch Of Class (Peter and Gerald Jackson, and Herbert Brevard) recorded a demo of "Turn The Beat Around" for their debut 1975 LP but it didn't show up by the group on vinyl until their 1979 self-titled release. Your humble poster prefers this version. Topping the disco chart, "Turn The Beat Around" (Peter Jackson - Gerald Jackson) was recorded commercially for the first time by Vicki Sue Robinson on the 1976 album "Never Gonna Let You Go". The single reached number ten on the Top On…

The incredibly talented Hoagy (Hoagland) Carmichael wrote "Stardust", originally published as "Star Dust". This was recorded by the author as the original instrumental in 1927 with his "pals" Emil Seidel's Orchestra and the Dorsey brothers. Mitchell Parish added lyrics two years later. The big band hit "Stardust" was recorded by Artie Shaw (Arshawsky) in 1941 featuring himself on clarinet, Billy Butterfield on trumpet and Jack Jenney on trombone.. Billy Ward (Williams) and The Dominoes'…

The 1958 movie "Thunder Road" opens with Randy (Lloyd) Sparks singing "The Ballad Of Thunder Road" (Don Raye - Robert Mitchum). Randy was asked to play Robert Mitchum's brother in the film and write the music but that obviously didn't occur. Co-writer and vaudevillian Don Raye (Wilhoite) wrote "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy", "You Don't Know What Love Is" and "Beat Me Daddy, Eight To The Bar". Although it did not appear in the film, Robert Mitchum's version of "Thunder Road" charted in 1958 and ag…

Charlie Calello and Grammy nominee Joel Diamond produced this Richie Adams demo of "After The Lovin'" (Richie Adams - Alan Bernstein). The late Ritchie Adams (Ziegler) was a member of The Fireflies and co-wrote the classic "Tossin' And Turnin'". In 1976 Engelbert Humperdinck (Arnold Dorsey) released the album and the single "After The Lovin'". The single, also produced by Joel Diamond, peaked at number eight on Billboard while sitting atop the Easy Listening chart.

A 1949 tear-jerker of a motion picture and an Oscar nominated hit song, "My Foolish Heart" (Victor Young - Ned Washington) was sung by Martha Mears in the film. Martha was the singing voice in movies for Claudette Colbert, Lucille Ball, Loretta Young, Veronica Lake and Rita Hayworth. The track is edited here from the soundtrack. In 1950 singer and trumpeter Billy Eckstine covered "My Foolish Heart" and peaked at number six on Billboard with this million seller. Billy's step-son Ed Eckstine w…

The Isley Brothers original recording of "Love Is A Wonderful Thing" (R. Isley - O. Isley - R. Isley) was cut in 1964 as produced by Bert Berns and was released in 1966 as a single for United Artists. This bubbled under the Top One Hundred. Michael Bolton reached number four on Billboard with "Love Is A Wonderful Thing" (Bolton - Goldmark). The album "Time, Love & Tenderness" topped the charts in 1991. Completely different lyrics other than the obvious chorus. Wikipedia: "The Isley Brothers…

The 1997 Disney movie "Hercules" has Tony and Screen Actors Guild Award winner Roger Bart singing the inspirational and empowering "Go The Distance" (Alan Menken - David Zippel) on the soundtrack. Later Michael Bolton (Bolotin) sang "Go The Distance" in the opening and closing credits and released the single that peaked at twenty-four on Billboard's Top One Hundred while sitting atop the Adult Contemporary chart.

Minnesota native, singer, songwriter and session musician Dennis Morgan wrote "Smokey Mountain Rain" with Kye Fleming. This performance was recorded during his 2007 induction into the Mid-America Music Hall Of Fame in Medina, Minnesota. Six time Grammy winner Ronnie Milsap topped both the Country and Adult Contemporary charts while peaking at number twenty-four on the Billboard Top One Hundred in 1981 with "Smokey Mountain Rain". This was the first single from Ronnie's 1980 "Greatest Hits" L…

Recorded in 1927 this is Cuban singer, actress and pianist Rita Montaner (Facenda) with "El Manisero" (Moises Simons). Rita was once married to Xavier Cugat. It's been said that this tune introduced America to the rumba. Grammy winner, bandleader, composer and musician Stan Kenton and his Orchestra featuring trumpet soloist Milt Bernhart issued "The Peanut Vendor" (Simons - Sunshine - Gilbert) in 1947. Over time members of Stan's orchestras have included Maynard Ferguson, Art Pepper, Shelley…

Mick (Michael) Jackson issued "Weekend" (Mick Jackson - Tommy Mayer) as a single in 1978 and an album the following year. "Weekend" was covered the next year and became the last top forty hit for Wet Willie (lead vocalist Jimmy Hall and his brother Jack, Larry Berwald, Mike Duke, Theophilius Lively and Marshall Smith) when it peaked at number twenty-nine on Billboard. This was the first release from the album "Which One's Willie?".

This is soul! "Your Good Thing (Is About To End)" (David Porter - Isaac Hayes) was first recorded by Mable John in 1966 when the issue peaked at number six R&B and in the mid-nineties on the pop charts. Mable is Little Willie John's sister. Three time Grammy winner Lou Rawls' silky cover of "Your Good Thing (Is About To End)" is on the 1969 LP "The Way It Was: The Way It Is". The million selling gold recording, heard here in it's single release, peaked at eighteen on the Top One Hundred.

"Cruel Summer" (Jolley - Swain -Bananarama) hit at number nine on Billboard for girl group Bananarama (Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey and Keren Woodward) from the 1983 LP of the same name. Inclusion in the 1984 movie "The Karate Kid" helped the song's success. Sweden's Ace Of Base (Jonas, Malin and Jenny Berggren with Ulf Ekberg) covered "Cruel Summer" on the 1998 album of same name where it was the lead single. This time "Cruel Summer" peaked at number ten on the Top One Hundred.

Johnny Cymbal (see Derek elsewhere on this site) and the 1963 demo for "Mr. Bass Man" (Johnny Cymbal). The unaccredited Ronnie Bright, once with The Coasters and back-up vocalist on "Who Put The Bomp, joined Johnny Cymbal (Blair) for the "Mr. Bass Man" number sixteen hit! This release did much better internationally. Johnny Cymbal spent four decades in various guises as a recording artist.

The tune was first released as "Poppy (Amapola)" (Joseph Lacalle) by Orquesta Francesa de A. Moreno aka Spanish Tango Orchestra in 1923. Albert Games added English lyrics in 1937. Albert wrote the lyric for "Hail To The Chief" while composer Joseph Lacalle (Jose Lacalle Garcia) once played woodwinds in the John Philip Sousa Band. Jimmy Dorsey and his orchestra with vocalists Bob Eberly and Helen O'Connell introduced "Amapola (Pretty Little Poppy)" (Joseph M. Lacalle - Albert Games) to Americ…

Leading 10CC in this acoustic version of his hit, Graham Gouldman sings "Look Through Any Window" (Graham Gouldman - Charles Silverman). The concert was held in Beverwijk, The Netherlands in 2011. The Hollies' (Allan Clarke, Bobby Elliott, Eric Haydock, Tony Hicks and Graham Nash) "Look Through Any Window" was the group's first hit in the U.S. when it reached thirty-two on Billboard. In the U.K. the single peaked at number four. The song is part of the 1965 U.S. LP "Hear! Hear!".

The Hollies' (Graham Nash on lead vocals, Bernie Calvert, Allan Clarke, Tony Hicks and Eric Haydock) "Tell Me To My Face" (Allan Clarke - Tony Hicks - Graham Nash) was released on the 1966 U.K. LP "For Certain Because ..." and the U.S./Canada album "Stop, Stop, Stop!" From his debut album "98.6/Ain't Gonna Lie" Keith (James Keefer) charted with the Eastern flavoured "Tell Me To My Face" the next year when he reached number thirty-seven on Billboard. This was his follow-up to "98.6". Keith go…

Cincinnati doo-wop group The Students' (lead LeRoy King, James Bolden, Ralph Byrd, Roy Ford, Richard Johnson and Dorsey Porter) 1958 release "Every Day Of The Week" (P. Tyus) was obviously the base for the hit "Bristol Stomp". The Dovells' (lead Len Borisoff aka Len Barry, Mike Freda, Jerry Gross, Jim Mealey and Arnie Silver) 1961 million seller "Bristol Stomp" (Mann - Appell) refers to Bristol, Pennsylvania and peaked at number two on Billboard. The single spawned the album of the same name…

Andre Merrit and Chris Brown wrote "Disturbia" (Brian Seals - Chris Brown - Andre Merrit - Robert Allen). The demo has Andre singing lead and Chris in the chorus. The tune was supposed to be included on a version of the 2007 Chris Brown double platinum "Exclusive" album. Instead Chris gave it to his then girlfriend, Rihanna (Fenty). Rihanna's 2008 number one hit of "Disturbia" has both Andre Merrit and Chris Brown on backup vocals. The single is on the album "Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded".