Buddy Holly: Well . . . All Right
This was written by Holly, producer Norman Petty and Crickets Jerry Allison and Joe Mauldin. It was released in 1958 as the B-side of Heartbeat, so did not have a … Continue readingBuddy Holly: Well . . . All Right
Author: Margaret Ashworth
Square
Mary Wells: My Guy
Written and produced by Smokey Robinson of the Miracles, this was Wells’s biggest hit, reaching No 1 in the States in 1964 and No 5 in Britain, where it was … Continue readingMary Wells: My Guy
Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior
WHAT is the difference between a hymn and a gospel song? There is no solid definition that I can find, and I am forced to the conclusion that ‘gospel song’ … Continue readingPass Me Not, O Gentle Savior
Badfinger: Come and Get It
This was written by Paul McCartney for the 1969 film The Magic Christian. McCartney made a demo of it in July 1969, playing all the instruments and singing the double-tracked vocals. When … Continue readingBadfinger: Come and Get It
Bob Dylan: I Want You
As I have said before I was not a great Dylan fan, but I do like this one, probably because it is more like a pop song than a lecture. … Continue readingBob Dylan: I Want You
Herman’s Hermits: There’s a Kind of Hush
This was written by Les Reed and Geoff Stephens and first recorded by Stephens’s group, the New Vaudeville Band, in 1966 for their album Winchester Cathedral. The first single version was … Continue readingHerman’s Hermits: There’s a Kind of Hush
The Herd: I Don’t Want Our Loving To Die
I have a personal interest in this because the group came from Beckenham, south London (though the postal address is Kent) where I grew up. One of the members was … Continue readingThe Herd: I Don’t Want Our Loving To Die
The great badger debate
IN MY piece on skylarks last week I said that they are in decline and that the RSPB and British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) attribute this to changes in farming … Continue readingThe great badger debate
Adam Faith: The Time Has Come
This was written by Les Vandyke, a regular collaborator with Adam Faith. It went to No 4 in 1961. It also featured in the film What a Whopper: I cannot pin … Continue readingAdam Faith: The Time Has Come
Chris Farlowe: Ride on Baby
This was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and produced by Jagger. It was released in October 1966. Despite its pedigree it got to only No 31 in Britain … Continue readingChris Farlowe: Ride on Baby