The Angels: My Boyfriend’s Back
This recording was made in 1963 as a demo for the Shirelles but was considered so good that it was released, and it reached the top of the US chart. … Continue readingThe Angels: My Boyfriend’s Back
Author: Margaret Ashworth
Square
Bobby Rydell: Forget Him
One of my early favourites, this was American singer Bobby Rydell’s last big hit, reaching 13 in Britain in mid-1963. It is credited with being the inspiration for the Beatles’ She … Continue readingBobby Rydell: Forget Him
In praise of hymns
IT CAN be dispiriting to be a small c conservative (though not half as much as being a big C Conservative – thank goodness I am not one of those), … Continue readingIn praise of hymns
Dion: Ruby Baby
This was composed by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, who wrote Elvis’s Hound Dog, Jailhouse Rock and Loving You, and co-wrote Stand by Me with Ben E King. It was first released by The Drifters … Continue readingDion: Ruby Baby
Schubert: String Quintet in C Major, Op 163, D 956
This is Schubert’s only string quartet, completed two months before he died at the age of 31 in 1828. It is unusual because it is scored for two cellos instead … Continue readingSchubert: String Quintet in C Major, Op 163, D 956
Hancock’s Half Hour (2)
LAST week we left the lad himself, Anthony Aloysius St John Hancock, in 23 Railway Cuttings, East Cheam, enjoying huge success with the radio series Hancock’s Half Hour. This had started … Continue readingHancock’s Half Hour (2)
Little Peggy March: I Will Follow Him
Originally an instrumental by French bandleaders Franck Pourcel and Paul Mauriat, this was released by Petula Clark in 1962 as Chariot with French lyrics. It was successful in Europe but not in … Continue readingLittle Peggy March: I Will Follow Him
Lorraine Ellison: Stay With Me
This song was recorded at two days’ notice in 1966 after Frank Sinatra cancelled a studio booking with a 46-piece orchestra. Offered the session free of charge, co-writer Jerry Ragovoy … Continue readingLorraine Ellison: Stay With Me
Mendelssohn: Octet in E flat major, Op 20
I find it incredible that Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) wrote this marvellous work when he was only 16. By this time he had already composed 12 string symphonies, a symphony for … Continue readingMendelssohn: Octet in E flat major, Op 20
Jackie DeShannon: When You Walk in the Room
Jackie DeShannon (born Sharon Lee Myers in 1941) wrote this brilliant song and released it in 1963 as the B-side of another of her compositions, the vastly inferior Till You Say … Continue readingJackie DeShannon: When You Walk in the Room