It's hard to believe but Gladys Knight & The Pips were formed as a family group in 1952 (!) when Gladys was just 8 years old; they first recorded in 1958 and had their first charted hit ("Every Beat Of My Heart") in 1961, but it wasn't until 1973 that they had their first million-seller and only #1 single, "Midnight Train To Georgia," written by Jim Weatherly.
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"Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar" was first recorded by the Will Bradley orchestra, who placed it in Billboard's top 10 in 1940. It follows the American boogie-woogie tradition of syncopated piano music. The title was taken from a phrase commonly used in the hipster jargon by Ray McKinley, while he was lead singer and drummer in the Jimmy Dorsey band. McKinley would kick certain uptempo songs off by telling the pianist, "Daddy" Slack, to beat him eight to the bar. Versions of this song have been hits for the Andrews Sisters (#2 in 1941) and Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen.AlexBrowne said:It's hard to believe but Gladys Knight & The Pips were formed as a family group in 1952 (!) when Gladys was just 8 years old; they first recorded in 1958 and had their first charted hit ("Every Beat Of My Heart") in 1961, but it wasn't until 1973 that they had their first million-seller and only #1 single, "Midnight Train To Georgia," written by Jim Weatherly.
Wayne Newton is known today as a top Las Vegas entertainer, but some of us recall his early, regular appearances in the early '60s as a youthful 20-year-old, with his older brother Jerry, on CBS-TV's The Jackie Gleason Show during which he introduced his first hit "Danke Schoen"; his only Top 10 and million-selling single would not come until 1972, however: "Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast."
Leroy Van Dyke was catapulted into country music recording fame in 1956, with his composition "Auctioneer”, which sold over 2.5 million records. He wrote the song about the life of his cousin, National Auctioneers Association Hall of Famer Ray Sims. In his fifty years-plus career, Van Dyke has recorded over 500 songs, dozens of them making the charts. His record of "Walk On By" (1961) stayed at #1 the U.S. Country chart for nineteen weeks, and in all, charted for 42 weeks, also reaching #5 on the pop listings.AlexBrowne said:Wayne Newton is known today as a top Las Vegas entertainer, but some of us recall his early, regular appearances in the early '60s as a youthful 20-year-old, with his older brother Jerry, on CBS-TV's The Jackie Gleason Show during which he introduced his first hit "Danke Schoen"; his only Top 10 and million-selling single would not come until 1972, however: "Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast."
Does anyone here remember the Leroy Van Dyke hit, "Who’s Gonna Run The Truck Stop In Tuba City When I’m Gone"? Can’t say that I do.
Among the most popular entertainers of our time, Julie Andrews was a star on Broadway and in Hollywood, and Dick Van Dyke is best known for his TV work; although neither ever scored big with a solo recording, they did share billing on one memorable showtune which peaked at #66 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1965: "Super-cali-fragil-istic-expi-ali-docious" from the movie Mary Poppins which starred the duo.
The Crescendos, a Nashville-based vocal group, won a talent contest in 1957 and went on to record the hit single, “Oh, Julie” (Nasco 6005). The single sold over a million copies in 1958, topped at #4 on the U.S. Black Singles chart and #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song featured backing vocals by Janice Green, a non-member of the group who happened to be auditioning at the recording studio where the single was recorded. The Crescendos recorded two more singles for Nasco Records which flopped, and the group disbanded in 1959.AlexBrowne said:Among the most popular entertainers of our time, Julie Andrews was a star on Broadway and in Hollywood, and Dick Van Dyke is best known for his TV work; although neither ever scored big with a solo recording, they did share billing on one memorable showtune which peaked at #66 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1965: "Super-cali-fragil-istic-expi-ali-docious" from the movie Mary Poppins which starred the duo.
Edwin Hawkins was a major force in contemporary gospel music as the co-founder, in Oakland in 1967, of the Northern California State Youth Choir; "Oh Happy Day," recorded in 1969 by The Edwin Hawkins' Singers Featuring Dorothy Combs Morrison, which was produced by Paul Anka, is one of the biggest gospel singles of all time, a million-seller that peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Tune Weavers, a family vocal group out of Woburn MA, featured Margo Sylvia, lead vocals and her husband Johnny Sylvia, bass; brother Gilbert Lopez, tenor; and cousin Charlotte Davis, obligato. In 1957 the group recorded a tune written by Margo a few years earlier, “Happy Happy Birthday Baby”, which was released on a small local label, Casa Grande. Due poor PR, the tune went nowhere until later in the year when two Philly DJs (Joe Niagara and Hy Lit) began to give it airplay on WIBG. Dick Clark heard it and liked it and gave the tune national recognition on his TV show. Chess Records then bought distribution rights to the record from Casa Grande and released it nationwide on Checker #872, and it became a smash hit.AlexBrowne said:Edwin Hawkins was a major force in contemporary gospel music as the co-founder, in Oakland in 1967, of the Northern California State Youth Choir; "Oh Happy Day," recorded in 1969 by The Edwin Hawkins' Singers Featuring Dorothy Combs Morrison, which was produced by Paul Anka, is one of the biggest gospel singles of all time, a million-seller that peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Patti Page was one of the biggest stars of the 1950s -- she had four #1 hits between 1950-53 including "The Tennessee Waltz," which sold over six million copies; she continued to record during the rock era, having a few successes in the late '50s (e.g., "Allegheny Moon," "Old Cape Cod"), and came back strong in 1965 with "Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte," the title song from a macabre movie starring Bette Davis and Olivia de Havilland.
“The Old Lamplighter” was a popular tune in the 1940s, having been recorded by Sammy Kaye (RCA Victor 20-1963), peaking at #1 on Billboard Best Seller chart in November 1946; and then by Kay Kyser (Columbia #37095), a #3 Best Seller, also in 1946. The 1960 recording by Jim Ed Brown and the Browns became a top-ten hit on the US pop singles charts, peaking at #5, as well as on the country charts.AlexBrowne said:Patti Page was one of the biggest stars of the 1950s -- she had four #1 hits between 1950-53 including "The Tennessee Waltz," which sold over six million copies; she continued to record during the rock era, having a few successes in the late '50s (e.g., "Allegheny Moon," "Old Cape Cod"), and came back strong in 1965 with "Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte," the title song from a macabre movie starring Bette Davis and Olivia de Havilland.
One of the members of the famed "Rat Pack," Sammy Davis Jr. was among the most dynamic of performers in the '50s and '60s; he had his first charted single, "Hey There," in 1954, but the biggest of his hits, his only #1 million-seller, came almost 20 years later, in 1972: "The Candy Man," a diabetic's nightmare from the movie Willie Wonka And The Chocolate Factory (originally recorded by the Mike Curb Congregation, Davis' vocals were dubbed in later).
One of the most influential folk-rock musicians of the 1960s, Fred Neil is also one of the most mysterious cult legends in all of rock. Neil himself has shunned the spotlight with a vengeance, not releasing an album since 1971, seldom performing in public since the late 1960s and avoiding interviews. Notwithstanding, his songs have been recorded by major artists like the Jefferson Airplane, Harry Nilsson, Linda Ronstadt, the Lovin' Spoonful, and Tim Buckley; Bob Dylan, John Sebastian, Stephen Stills, and others have all acknowledged Neil's formidable influence upon their work. His biggest early songwriting success was "Candy Man" (co-penned with Beverley Ross), the B-side of Roy Orbison's massive 1961 hit "Crying" (Monument #447)AlexBrowne said:One of the members of the famed "Rat Pack," Sammy Davis Jr. was among the most dynamic of performers in the '50s and '60s; he had his first charted single, "Hey There," in 1954, but the biggest of his hits, his only #1 million-seller, came almost 20 years later, in 1972: "The Candy Man," a diabetic's nightmare from the movie Willie Wonka And The Chocolate Factory (originally recorded by the Mike Curb Congregation, Davis' vocals were dubbed in later).
Drummer Dave Clark initially formed his quintet, the Dave Clark Five, in 1960 in Tottenham, England, to raise money for the hometown soccer team, the Tottenham Hotspurs; charter members of the British Invasion, their first U.S. hit, "Glad All Over," entered the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1964, just one month after The Beatles' first one, "I Want To Hold Your Hand."
Sam & Dave (Samuel David Moore, 1st tenor, and Dave Prater, baritone/2nd tenor) were a successful soul duo beginning 1961. They brought the sounds of the black gospel church to pop music with their call-and-response records. They recorded on the Stax Records label from 1965 through 1968 with Soul classics including, "Soul Man", "Hold On, I'm Comin", "I Thank You", "When Something is Wrong with My Baby" and "Wrap It Up".AlexBrowne said:Drummer Dave Clark initially formed his quintet, the Dave Clark Five, in 1960 in Tottenham, England, to raise money for the hometown soccer team, the Tottenham Hotspurs; charter members of the British Invasion, their first U.S. hit, "Glad All Over," entered the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1964, just one month after The Beatles' first one, "I Want To Hold Your Hand."
Arguably the most successful blue-eyed soul duo, The Righteous Brothers -- Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield, who weren't really brothers -- chalked up two #1 songs, "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" in 1964, and "(You're My) Soul And Inspiration" in 1966.
"These Boots Are Made for Walkin' ", composed by Lee Hazlewood and first recorded by Nancy Sinatra, was released in February 1966 and was an immediate hit, jumping to #1 on the U.S. and the U.K. Pop charts.AlexBrowne said:Arguably the most successful blue-eyed soul duo, The Righteous Brothers -- Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield, who weren't really brothers -- chalked up two #1 songs, "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" in 1964, and "(You're My) Soul And Inspiration" in 1966.
These days, Nancy Sinatra hosts a Sunday night program on Sirius XM's "Siriusly Sinatra" channel featuring recordings by her dad and other artists who have sung from the "Sinatra songbook": Frank Sinatra's first hit, from 1942, was "Night And Day," from the Broadway musical Gay Divorcee; his last charted hit, from 1980, was "Theme From New York, New York," introduced in the movie musical New York, New York.
Thanks, Alex, info I was unaware of.AlexBrowne said:These days, Nancy Sinatra hosts a Sunday night program on Sirius XM's "Siriusly Sinatra" channel featuring recordings by her dad and other artists who have sung from the "Sinatra songbook": Frank Sinatra's first hit, from 1942, was "Night And Day," from the Broadway musical Gay Divorcee; his last charted hit, from 1980, was "Theme From New York, New York," introduced in the movie musical New York, New York.
Oops, I think I missed my cue. Sorry.AlexBrowne said:These days, Nancy Sinatra hosts a Sunday night program on Sirius XM's "Siriusly Sinatra" channel featuring recordings by her dad and other artists who have sung from the "Sinatra songbook": Frank Sinatra's first hit, from 1942, was "Night And Day," from the Broadway musical Gay Divorcee; his last charted hit, from 1980, was "Theme From New York, New York," introduced in the movie musical New York, New York.
Harold George Belafonte, Jr., aka Harry Belafonte, Jamaican American musician, actor and social activist, is known for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s. Belafonte is perhaps best known for the "Banana Boat Song", with its signature lyric "Day-O".
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