1961

Gayle McCormick Black and White

6/3/16 – Gayle McCormick – November 26th 1948 – March 1st 2016 / Smith – Baby It’s You – 1969 / The Shirelles – Baby It’s You – 1961/ The Beatles – Baby It’s You – 1963

Last weekend there was major record fair in Solna near Stockholm. As I was browsing (looking for Shocking Blue albums) I came across Gayle McCormick’s first self-titled solo album from 1971. I have the first Smith album so of course I bought it – tragically three days later, she died It’s A Cryin’ Shame was a […]

The Shadows - 1960 - B:W

23/12/15 – The Shadows – Apache – 1960 / FBI – 1961

School friends Brian Robson Rankin and Bruce Cripps left Newcastle in the late fifties and travelled to London where they struggled to survive until they joined up with Daniel Joseph Anthony Meehan and Terence Harris in 1958 to become members of The Drifters – Cliff Richard’s backing band. Soon after they changed their name to The Shadows and […]

Lee Dorsey with cigarette B:W

18/11/15 – Lee Dorsey – Everything I Do Gonh Be Funky (From Now On) – 1969 / Lee Dorsey – Ya Ya – 1961 / John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band – Well Well Well – 1970 / John Lennon – Ya Ya – 1974/75

There is no end to Allen Toussaint’s influence. He worked with Lee Dorsey throughout most of his career in different roles, producer, arranger, songwriter whilst Dorsey slipped in and out of his car repair business. Dorsey served in the US Navy in World War II, was a prize fighter and a nightclub singer but over […]

Fleetwood Mac Albatross cover Art

9/9/15 – Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac – Albatross – 1970/ Santo And Johnny – Sleep Walk – 1959 / Jeff Beck – Sleep Walk – 2010 / Miles Davis Quintet – Softly As The Morning Sunrise – 1961 / The Beatles -Sun King – 1969

One of the true timeless classics from the R’n’R era, Albatross reached No.1 in the British singles charts in 1968 but its inspiration came from another No.1 single, Santo and Jonny’s 1959 hit Sleep Walk. In turn Sleep Walk was inspired by Sigmund Romberg’s 1927 tune, Softly As The Morning Sunrise written for the operetta […]

The Paris Sisters

15/1/15 – The Paris Sisters – I Love How You Love Me – 1961/ What Am I To Do – 1962

The Paris Sisters formed in San Francisco in the early fifties, their mother Faye was a former Opera singer and apparently very involved in their careers. Of her three daughters, Albeth was the oldest with Sherrell in the middle – Priscilla, the youngest was the lead singer. By 1956 they had released seven singles on […]