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"Singin' in the Rain".

OK, girls and boys, back to the 20s (the 1920s, that is!): It was a stormy day in 1929 when composer Arthur Freed was staring out the front window of his Seattle sheet music shop and happened to see a drenched man merrily dancing down the street. This inspired him, along with his writing partner Nacio Herb Brown, to pen this timeless pop/jazz classic. Signals the transition from silent films to "talkies" in Hollywood. It became extremely popular as the showstopper of the 1952 film by the same name, where the late great Gene Kelly sang and danced to it while splashing through puddles. Kelly had a severe cold during the two days of filming the scene, with a fever up to 103 (!). #3 on AFI's Best Movie Songs of All Time. It became public domain early this year. Covered by, among many others, Durante, Garland, Martin, Crosby, Clooney and Sammy Davis, Jr. Part of the "A Clockwork Orange" soundtrack. Song? Answer: "Singin' in the Rain". They j...
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Gene Pitney.

OK, boys and girls, back to the 60s: This teen idol was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. He wrote "He's a Rebel" for The Crystals and "Hello Mary Lou" for Rick(y) Nelson, among many others. He moved to the U.K. in the early 70s and never returned to the U.S. Artist? Answer: Gene Pitney. He wrote, sang and whistled wonderful music. He composed all of his hits, a rarity in those days. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waRbcqP4cUI&list=RDwaRbcqP4cUI&start_radio=1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMVQCHgpYmI&list=RDAMVQCHgpYmI&start_radio=1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71ctQukD5ZA&list=RD71ctQukD5ZA&start_radio=1
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"Got My Mojo Workin' "

OK, girls and boys, back to the 50s: This 1956 Preston "Red" Foster blues classic was first recorded by gospel singer Ann Cole but made popular in '57 by Muddy Waters, with whom she toured. #359 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, Grammy Hall of Fame 2000, as well as RIAA and NEA Songs of the Century. Covered by, among many others, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Manfred Mann, The King, Canned Heat, B.B. King and Buddy Guy. Excellent version by The Shadows of Knight on their '66 "Gloria" album. Song? Answer: "Got My Mojo Workin'". A little controversy as to whether Muddy Waters "tweaked" with the lyrics and gave himself writer's credit. Hmm...we'll never know! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP0crYPCHV0&list=RDsP0crYPCHV0&start_radio=1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThD9xswxxtk&list=RDThD9xswxxtk&start_radio=1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd952mrUGIY&list=RDDd952mrUGIY&start_radio=...
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"The Devil Went Down to Georgia" by The Charlie Daniels Band.

OK, boys and girls, more 70s Country: The late great Charlie Daniels wrote and recorded with his band this 1979 country/rock classic inspired by the 1925 poem "The Mountain Wippoorwill" by Stephen Vincent Benet, as well as by "Lonesome Fiddle Blues" by Vassar Clements. A traditional theme of striking a deal with Lucifer (hint, hint!), this time it is a young boy named Johnny, with a golden fiddle at stake in a musical duel. #3 Billboard Hot 100, RIAA Certified Platinum and #120 on Rolling Stone's Greatest Country songs of All Time. Part of the "Urban Cowboy" and "Coyote Ugly" soundtracks. The lyrics had to be modified from "son of a b***h" to "son of a gun" in order to receive radio airplay. Song? Answer: "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" by The Charlie Daniels Band. Charlie left us in 2020 at age 83. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBjPAqmnvGA&list=RDwBjPAqmnvGA&start_radio=1 https://www.youtube....
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"Hot Rod Lincoln" by Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen.

OK, back to the good ol' days when boys sang songs about cars: This 1955 rockabilly classic, written by Charlie Ryan and W.S. Stevenson, (finally!) hit the charts in 1971-72, peaking at #9 on Billboard. A 1948 chassis shortened by two feet and fitted with a Model A body, powered by a flathead V8 with a four-barrel carb! Song? Band? Answer: "Hot Rod Lincoln" by Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen. Masterful rockabilly guitar work by Bill Kirchen. Every time I hear this tune I think of my dear friend and colleague, Dr. Mark Marner, a lifelong Commander Cody fan. Named after Commando Cody, a 1950s TV hero. Born George William Frayne IV, "Commander Cody" left us in 2021 at age 77. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBUfNxfc2w4&list=RDMBUfNxfc2w4&start_radio=1
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Week of April 4th, 1964.

OK, boys and girls, more Mop-Tops: It was the week of April 4th, 1964 and something happened then that had never happened before and hasn't happened since. What was it? Answer: The Beatles held the top five positions on Billboard's Top 40. As if that wasn't enough, they had seven more hits on the charts that same week, for a total of twelve! The top five were: #1) Can't Buy Me Love. #2) Twist and Shout. #3) She Loves You. #4) I Want to Hold Your Hand. #5) Please Please Me.
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"I Remember You".

OK, girls and boys, back to the 40s: Johnny Mercer's 1941 "I Remember You" was dedicated to __________, "The love of (his) life". Answer: Judy Garland. Johnny Mercer dedicated the song to Judy Garland, with whom he had an on-and-off relationship, even though both of them were married - “I wrote it for Judy Garland. I always had such a crush on Garland I couldn't think straight, so I wrote this song.” Talking about infatuation, Mercer wrote the song to express his infatuation and he gave her on the day she married David Rose. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgm0KNICGcU&list=RDrgm0KNICGcU&start_radio=1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR2eylNc_4Y&list=RDOR2eylNc_4Y&start_radio=1
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