Author: Margaret Ashworth

This was written by Eddy and producer Lee Hazlewood. It followed his earlier hits including Rebel Rouser and Forty Miles of Bad Road, but was a bit of a flop in the US, … Continue readingDuane Eddy: Shazam!

This may be sacrilege but I prefer the Bay City Rollers’ version to the the one by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. I’m afraid I never cared for the … Continue readingBay City Rollers: Bye Bye Baby

This was written by Artie Singer, John Medora and David White. It was released in late 1957 and reached No 1 on the US charts on January 6, 1958. In … Continue readingDanny and the Juniors: At the Hop

This was written by Bob Montgomery and released in 1963.  It got to No 18 in Britain. I am a little dubious about one of the high notes.

This was the group’s only No 1, in 1968. It was written by leader Roy Wood, who is also the vocalist. This TV performance suggests that Carl Wayne is the … Continue readingThe Move: Blackberry Way

This was written by Brian Wilson and his father Murry, who used the pseudonym Reggie Dunbar. It was released in June 1969 and got to No 6 in Britain, but … Continue readingThe Beach Boys: Breakaway

This version of the March from Tchaikovsky’s ballet The Nutcracker was arranged by US record producer Kim Fowley. It was recorded early in 1962 by the house band of session musicians at … Continue readingB Bumble and the Stingers: Nut Rocker

This was written by Shadows members Hank Marvin, Bruce Welch and Jet Harris but for contractual reasons it was credited to their manager Peter Gormley. It was released in the … Continue readingThe Shadows: FBI