Ricky Nelson – Young World
Although it might seem like a recent phenomenon, actors have been crossing over into the music industry ever since there’s been a music industry. Ricky Nelson began his career playing himself on the...
View ArticleConnie Francis – Don’t Break The Heart That Loves You
The third and final #1 U.S. single Connie Francis had, ‘don’t break the heart that loves you’ is the most interesting sonically. The song opens with a backing quartet of male vocalists before Francis...
View ArticleThe Isley Brothers – Twist & Shout
Despite being one of rock’s most-covered songs, very few people are aware of the origins of ‘twist & shout’. Originally written by Phil Medley and Bert Russell, the song was first recorded by a...
View ArticleRoy Orbison – Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)
Sometimes the most stunning display of strength is in a delicate touch. Roy Orbison’s voice was a mighty tool, but it wasn’t this natural gift that made him such a spectacular singer—it was his ability...
View ArticlePatti LaBelle and The Bluebelles – I Sold My Heart To The Junkman
Sometimes the most innocuous art has the most interesting backstory. ‘I sold my heart to the junkman’ by Patti LaBelle and The Bluebelles is a straightforward doo-wop song with an amazingly complicated...
View ArticleDuane Eddy – Twangy Guitar, Silky Strings
Guitarist Duane Eddy’s twangy-guitar sound is unmistakable. In the late 1950’s, Eddy had a string of major instrumental hits such as ‘rebel-rouser’ and ‘peter gunn.’ But by the early 1960’s Eddy’s days...
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