Santo & Johnny are Italian-American brothers from Brooklyn (their last name is Farina) who wrote and recorded, in 1959, "Sleep Walk," the last instrumental to hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the 1950s; while serving in the Army, the boys' father heard a steel guitar played on the radio and insisted that young Santo and Johnny learn the instrument -- in fact, Santo does play a Gibson six-string steel guitar on the duo's records, while Johnny opted for a standard electric guitar.
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Pete Drake, a major Nashville-based record producer and pedal steel guitar player, was one of the most sought-after backup musicians of the 1960s. His innovative use of what would be called the "talk box", which would be also used by Peter Frampton, Joe Walsh, and Jeff Beck, took the pedal steel guitar to a new level. Drake played backup on such hits as Lynn Anderson's "Rose Garden", Charlie Rich's "Behind Closed Doors”, Bob Dylan's "Lay Lady Lay"' and Tammy Wynette's "Stand by Your Man". In 1964 he had an international hit on Smash Records with his "talking steel guitar" playing on the album "Forever".AlexBrowne said:
Off game note: I play an Emmons D10L pedal steel guitar, and I get more requests for "Sleep Walk" than any other tune, "Steel Guitar Rag" is second.
Pardon me, multiple Rs, I apologize for stepping out of line in order to promote April 1, or, April Fools Day. But, just for funsies (today only), I offer a challenge to the regulars on this thread: Post a musical tribute relative to April Fools Day; it doesn’t have to be “big time”, just something off the top of your head, using 50s, 60s or 70s music. I’ll start:
April Love – Pat Boone
This Is Dedicated To The One I Love – Shirelles
Fools Rush In – Brook Benton
Rockin Robin - Bobby Day
April Love – Pat Boone
This Is Dedicated To The One I Love – Shirelles
Fools Rush In – Brook Benton
Rockin Robin - Bobby Day
That early to mid 70's mid-charter by THREE DOG NIGHT... "Pieces of APRIL" (but it's a morning in May)... Reached #19 on Billborad in the early winter time (12/72).....
OK, how about...
Nino Tempo & April Stevens: "Deep Purple"
Len Barry: "1-2-3"
Elvis Presley: "Fool Such As I"
Harry Belafonte: "Banana Boat (Day-O)"
Nino Tempo & April Stevens: "Deep Purple"
Len Barry: "1-2-3"
Elvis Presley: "Fool Such As I"
Harry Belafonte: "Banana Boat (Day-O)"
Pretty good reply, Alex...thanks. Now let's get back to the game before ThoseRRRRs penalizes me for taking over the game.AlexBrowne said:
;DRay Stevens (born Harold Ray Ragsdale) is an American country music and pop singer-songwriter known for his novelty songs and also for some more serious works. In 1958, Stevens joined Lowery's National Recording Corporation (NRC), playing numerous instruments, arranging music, and performing background vocals for its band. After NRC filed for bankruptcy, he signed with Mercury Records and recorded a series of hit records in the 1960s that included songs such as "Ahab the Arab", "Harry the Hairy Ape", "Funny Man", the original recording of "Santa Claus is Watching You", and "Jeremiah Peabody's Polyunsaturated Quick-Dissolving, Fast-Acting Pleasant-Tasting Green and Purple Pills", "The Streak, and "Gitarzan" (a Top 10 hit). Stevens signed with Monument Records in 1968 and released serious material such as "Mr. Businessman", a Top 30 pop hit, and the original version of "Sunday Morning Coming Down", a monster hit for Johnny Cash in 1970.AlexBrowne said:
Sheb Wooley gave us one of the most successful novelty songs of all time, the #1 million-selling "The Purple People Eater" (about a "one-eyed, one-horned...pigeon-toed, undergrowed, flyin'...rock and roll" star wannabe from outer space) in 1958; in the 1960s, as Ben Colder, Wooley also charted with parodies of such songs as Bobby Bare's "Detroit City" and Jeannie C. Riley's "Harper Valley P.T.A."
The Danleers were a quintet from Brooklyn, New York. The group was named after their manager, Danny Webb, who wrote their most famous number, "One Summer Night", which reached #4 on the Billboard Black Singles chart, and #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1958. The single, “One Summer Night b/w “Wheelin’ And Dealin’ “ had two pressings with the same label number, AMP-3 2115. The first pressing listed the group as the Dandleers, the second pressing corrected the mistake.AlexBrowne said:
Too bad, the first pressing with the misspelled group is worth up to 5 times the value of the second, for collectors willing to buy it. I failed to mention this single was also released on Mercury 71322. This is the single I have.amfmsw said:
Donna Summer earned her the title "Queen Of Disco" for a string of dance hits in the late 1970s. "Love To Love You Baby" was Summer's first big hit in the U.S., reaching #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in early 1976 and becoming her first #1 Hot Dance Club Play chart hit. The song was branded "graphic" by some music critics and was even banned by some radio stations for its explicit content. Time magazine later reported that a record 22 orgasms were simulated in the making of the song.amfmsw said:
Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, was the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in recognition of her more than 70 charted songs covering 40+ years of recording; surprisingly, she's had only two #1 songs: "Respect," written by Otis Redding, from 1967; and "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)," a duet with George Michael, from 1987.
"Soul Man" b/w "May I Baby"(Stax/Atlantic S231) recorded by the duo Sam and Dave was written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter. The single peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot Black Singles chart, and #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1967. The exclamation "Play it, Steve" heard in the song refers to guitarist Steve Cropper of Booker T. & the M.G.'s, the house band who provided the instrumentation for this and many other Sam and Dave singles.AlexBrowne said:
Hayes found the inspiration for "Soul Man" in the turmoil of the African-American Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. In July 1967, the 12th Street Riot in Detroit occurred. Watching a television newscast of the aftermath of the riots, Hayes noted that black Detroit residents had marked the black owned and operated buildings [that had not been destroyed] with the word "soul".
From the sublime to the ridiculous:
Country singer "Little" Jimmy Dickens was a one-hit wonder on the pop chart with his silly novelty song from 1965, "May The Bird Of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose," a #1 country hit which had the following chorus:
"May the bird of paradise fly up your nose,
May an elephant caress you with his toes,
May your wife be plagued with runners in her hose,
May the bird of paradise fly up your nose."
Dickens was indeed "little": the West Virginia native stood only 4'11".
Country singer "Little" Jimmy Dickens was a one-hit wonder on the pop chart with his silly novelty song from 1965, "May The Bird Of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose," a #1 country hit which had the following chorus:
"May the bird of paradise fly up your nose,
May an elephant caress you with his toes,
May your wife be plagued with runners in her hose,
May the bird of paradise fly up your nose."
Dickens was indeed "little": the West Virginia native stood only 4'11".
"May I" was one of those bouncy, happy songs that was perfect for listening by teens after a five minute Mutual News report about the body count in Viet Nam today. Especially when you had big brothers over there in '68. Bill Deal and the Rondells are a "we didn't test it" song that won't get played.
The Turtles, the pop-rock group from Los Angeles led by Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan, first got together in 1961 in high school as the Nightriders and then the Crossfires, but they didn't achieve success until 1965 when they became The Turtles and had their first hit with the Bob Dylan composition "It Ain't Me Babe"; their biggest hit, their only #1 song and million-seller, was "Happy Together" from 1967.
The Box Tops began as The Devilles, who had started playing in Memphis in 1963. As the band's personnel changed from time to time, so did the band name on occasion, which at one point became "Ronnie and The Devilles" and then later changed back to "The Devilles". As the Box Tops, they recorded Wayne Carson Thompson's "The Letter." Though under two minutes in length, it was an international hit in late 1967, reaching Billboard's number-one position and remaining there for over a month. The record sold over four million copies and received two Grammy awards nominations. Their single "Cry Like a Baby" was a major hit in 1968,AlexBrowne said:
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