Articles by John Twang

The song "Gidget" (Fred Karger - Patti Washington) is from the 1959 Sandra Dee, James Darren movie of the same name. The first time it's sung in the film is at the start of the story when The Four Preps (lead vocalist Bruce Belland, Ed Cobb, Marv Ingram and Glen Larson) lend their talents along with pianist Lincoln Mayorga. The quartet issued the tune as a B side. The next time it's heard in the motion picture James Darren (Ercolani) sings the song. His version of "Gidget" from "Album No. 1"…

Jackie DeShannon (Sharon Myers) recorded "Put A Little Love In Your Heart" (Jackie DeShannon - Randy Myers - Jimmy Holiday) in 1969 written with her brother Randy Myers and the late R&B singer Jimmy Holiday. The single peaked at number four pop and number two on the Adult Contemporary charts. I think Annie Lennox is simply great and Al Green (Greene) spectacular when they covered "Put A Little Love In Your Heart" for the 1988 "Scrooged" soundtrack. The song reached number nine on Billboard a…

"Alone (Why Must I Be Alone)" (Morty Craft - Selma Craft) by The Shepherd Sisters (Gayle, Judith, Martha and Marylou Shepherd) peaked at number eighteen on Billboard in 1957. The composers owned the Lance record label it was released on at that time. The Four Seasons (Frankie Valli, Tommy DeVito, Bob Gaudio and Nick Massi) cover of "Alone (Why Must I Be Alone)" peaked at number twenty-eight on Billboard and reached the Canadian top ten in 1964. This was the group's last issue on Vee-Jay Reco…

This is the original 1982 Huang Chung (Jack Hues aka Jeremy Ryder, Nick Feldman, Dave Burnand and Darren Costin) issue of this edited version of "Dance Hall Days" (Hues) to be found on their self titled album. Apparently Huang Chung is Mandarin for "yellow bell". When they signed with Geffen Records owner David Geffen suggested the name change to Wang Chung (Jack Hues, Nick Feldman and Darren Costin). "Dance Hall Days" was re-recorded in 1984 for the album "Points On The Curve" and reached n…

Ruth Etting's "Love Me Or Leave Me" (Walter Donaldson - Gus Kahn) was issued in 1929 and peaked at number two on the charts. Ruth sang the song in the 1928 Broadway production of "Whoopee!" starring Ruth and Eddie Cantor. The musical featured "Makin' Whoopie". The MGM motion picture biopic of Ms. Etting also titled "Love Me Or Leave Me" starring Doris Day and James Cagney inspired the Sammy Davis Jr. version of "Love Me Or Leave Me" in 1955. The single from his self-titled LP reached number…

"Writing For The King" was a 2 CD set and entertaining book issued in late 2006. Robert Moseley sang the demo for "Good Luck Charm" (Aaron Schroeder - Wally Gold). According to Wikipedia Kenny Dino (Diono) recorded the demo but I'll go with the published CD and book info for now. In 1961 Elvis Presley's "Good Luck Charm" was released and hit number one on Billboard the next year.

Layng Martine, Jr. wrote "Way Down" and this track is from the two CD set "Writing For The King" and was the demo which included the J.D. Sumner bass part. Layng also authored "Rub It In" and "Should I Do It". Elvis Presley recorded the LP "Moody Blue" in 1977 with the track "Way Down" recorded in his home studio at Graceland. The title may refer to J.D. Sumner's last note or the fact that this was the last single released by The King before his death. When Elvis died this was number one on…

The Earl Fuller's Rector Novelty Band recorded "The Twelfth Street Rag" (Euday L. Bowman) in 1917. Earl Fuller's Band played at Rector's Restaurant in New York City and included Teddy Brown on drums and xylophone, Bill Scotti on clarinet, alto sax and flute along with Harry Raderman, Walter Kahyn, John Lucas and Ted Lewis! Pee Wee (Walter) Hunt covered "Twelfth Street Rag" in 1948 and topped the chart for eight weeks. The vinyl had been recorded two years earlier and featured the honky-tonk…

Discovered by Pat Boone, The Leaves (John Beck, Jim Pons, Tom Ray, Robert Lee Reiner and Bill Rinehart) 1965 effort "Hey Joe, Where You Gonna Go" (Billy Roberts) has been rerecorded several times by the same band. A 1966 recording by the group as "Hey Joe" charted in the top forty on Billboard. The authorship has also been attributed to Len Partridge, Tim Rose and/or Dino Valenti. It was probably a traditional tune. The Jimi (John) Hendrix Experience (Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding) version…

Randy Sparks sings the original "Today". Randy founded The New Christy Minstrels and The Back Porch Majority. In 1961 Randy Sparks was the spark behind the ten member group The New Christy Minstrels who sang "Today" for the Glenn Ford film "Advance To The Rear" and it was the title of their 1964 LP and single. The single peaked at number seventeen on the Top One Hundred and number four on the A.C. chart. Hundreds have been members of The Minstrels including Kenny Rogers, Gene Clark, Keith Ba…

Just a drum beat and some double tracking on Elton John's demo of "Bennie And The Jets" (Elton John - Bernie Taupin) for the 1973 LP "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". Elton wasn't going to have the single issued until heavy airplay on CKLW Windsor/Detroit took the tune to number one in that market. Selling at platinum status "Bennie And The Jets" sold in the millions and peaked at the top of Billboard's pop chart and number fifteen on the Soul listing. The live concert feel was added in studio.

From the LP "La La Peace Song" "O.C. (Ocie) Smith was first to record "La La Peace Song" (Johnny Bristol - Elizabeth Martin) in 1973. It was re-released months later and entered the Billboard chart stalling at number sixty-two pop and thirty-six Adult Contemporary. Writer Johnny Bristol produced both the O.C. Smith and Al Wilson issues. O.C. worked as a singer with Horace Heidt, Sy Oliver and Count Basie. From the LP "La La Peace Song" Al Wilson "La, La, Peace Song" reached the Billboard top…

Singer, songwriter and actor Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five (Clarence Johnson, Lem Johnson, Charlie Drayton, Walter Martin and Courtney Williams) released "Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby" (Louis Jordan - Billy Austin) in 1943 as the B side to "G.I. Jive". The song peaked at number two and was featured in the movie "Follow The Boys" aka "Three Cheers For The Boys". Bing (Harry) Crosby and The Andrews Sisters (LaVerne, Maxene and Patty) covered "Is You Is Or Is You Ain't (Ma Baby)" the n…

Jesse Barish recorded "Hearts" for the CD "Father Sun" featuring acoustic guitar with his son A.J. It was John who backed Papa John Phillips on flute and percussion on the "Wolfking Of L.A." tour. Former Jefferson Starship and Jefferson Airplane vocalist Marty Balin (Buchwald) had his first solo hit with "Hearts" from the album "Balin" in 1981. Marty is also an accomplished painter.

Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra were first to record the fox trot with vocal refrain "You Can Depend On Me" in 1931. Twenty years later it was issued again by Louis Armstrong and the All-Stars from a live concert in Pasadena. Composer, pianist and bandleader Earl "Fatha" Hines with vocalist Walter Fuller and "You Can Depend On Me" (Charles Carpenter - Louis Dunlap - Earl Hines) from 1944. Co-composer Charles Carpenter was Earl's manager. Brenda Lee (Tarpley) slowed the tempo and took "…

Blues singer, songwriter and pianist Pvt. Cecil Gant wrote and issued "I Wonder" in 1944. The single topped the R&B chart and number twenty on the Billboard pop listing. Brenda Lee peaked at number twenty-five on Billboard with her version of "I Wonder" in 1963. This was the originally the B side to "My Whole World Is Falling Down" from the album "By Request".

The Fisk University Jubilee Quartet sings "Down By The Riverside" aka "Ain't Gonna Study War No More". The song was recorded in 1920 and is obviously a spiritual dating back to pre American Civil War. Wikipedia: "As with many Negro spirituals, the biblical imagery can also be read as a hidden allusion to escaping slavery, with the river representing the Ohio River, which was a border between states where slavery was allowed and prohibited before the American Civil War." The Four Lads (lead v…

The Four Tops' (Levi Stubbs, Renaldo Benson, Abdul Fakir and Lawrence Payton) "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)" (Holland - Dozier - Holland) was produced by the Motown writers in 1965. This rightly topped the pop and R&B charts with assistance from The Andantes, The Funk Brothers and the strings of the Detroit Symphony. Donnie Elbert covered "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)" reaching number fourteen on Billboard's R&B chart and the number twenty-two pop slot in 1972…