A compendium of musical delights by Alan and Margaret Ashworth
This was written by Jimmy Campbell, Reg Connelly and Harry M. Woods and was first recorded on December 8, 1932, by the Ray Noble Orchestra with vocals by Val Rosing. … Continue readingOtis Redding: Try a Little Tenderness
I’m not a great Motown fan but I think this one is great. It was written by group members Smokey Robinson (lead vocalist), Pete Moore (bass vocalist), and Marv Tarplin … Continue readingThe Miracles: Tracks of My Tears
WHEN I woke shortly before 7am on Tuesday, the light on my bedroom wall was such a vivid red that I wondered for a second if the building over the … Continue readingSunrise over Pendle
This was written by Pat Ballard and released in 1954 by the Four Aces, who got to No 9 in both America and Britain . . . . . . … Continue readingThe Chordettes: Mr Sandman
Written by Gerry Goffin and Jack Keller, this was the 1961 follow-up to Take Good Care of My Baby, which I wrote about here. https://am-records.com/2020/03/30/bobby-vee-take-good-care-of-my-baby/ It got to No 2 in the US … Continue readingBobby Vee: Run to Him
Co-written by Vinton and Gene Allen, this was released on Vinton’s first album Roses are Red in 1962, but was given to Buddy Greco to release as a single. It reached No … Continue readingBobby Vinton: Mr Lonely
This was written by Tony Macaulay and John MacLeod and was the Foundations’ debut single in 1967, topping the UK chart and reaching No 11 in the States. This video … Continue readingThe Foundations: Baby Now That I’ve Found You
ONE clear sign that spring is on the way is the sight of jackdaws peering into chimneys, prospecting for nest sites. Jackdaws (Corvus monedula)are smaller than their cousins rooks and crows, … Continue readingBeware, jackdaws at work
This was written by Sylvia Fricker in 1962. She and her husband-to-be Ian Tyson, performing as Ian and Sylvia, recorded it for their 1964 album Northern Journey. In 1965 it was … Continue readingCrispian St Peters: You Were On My Mind
This was written and first recorded by John D. Loudermilk in 1960. It was not a hit. Mickie Most produced a more raucous version by the Nashville Teens in 1964, … Continue readingNashville Teens: Tobacco Road