A compendium of musical delights by Alan and Margaret Ashworth
READING in yesterday’s Times that Lord Glendonbrook, the former owner of the airline BMI, is to fund Gilbert & Sullivan productions around the country gladdened my heart. The G & S operettas were … Continue readingConfessions of a G & S Dragoon
This was recorded by New York City-based group Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers in 1956. It reached No 6 in America and No 1 in Britain. Lymon was aged 14. … Continue readingFrankie Lymon & The Teenagers: Why Do Fools Fall in Love?
This was written by Barry and Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees and first released on their 1967 international debut album Bee Gees 1st. As a single it reached No 17 … Continue readingNina Simone: To Love Somebody
THIS extraordinary work was brought to my attention by our commenter SiberianRhod, and I thank him. It was written by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) in 1878, when he was 38. This … Continue readingTchaikovsky’s Hymn of the Cherubim, Op 41
This was the first of several songs George ‘Shadow’ Morton wrote for the Shangri-Las. It was released as their debut single in 1964 and went to No 5 in America … Continue readingThe Shangri-Las: Remember (Walking in the Sand)
WE ARE very fortunate to have eels in our stream. The bank on our side was reconstructed some years ago with massive boulders brought in by crane, and at one point … Continue readingWell Eeled
Andy Williams is not often thought of as a pop singer, more easy listening, but this song had good pop credentials, being written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman (A … Continue readingAndy Williams: Can’t Get Used to Losing You
Chuck Berry wrote this and recorded it in 1958. It was released in 1959 but doesn’t seem to have made the charts. Re-released in 1963, it got to No 6 … Continue readingChuck Berry: Memphis Tennessee
This was written by a 17-year-old Paul Anka for Buddy Holly and it was recorded at his last studio session, in October 1958. It was released on January 5, 1959, … Continue readingBuddy Holly: It Doesn’t Matter Anymore
I love Rod Stewart. I think he is greatly under-rated. Maybe his mistake was not dying tragically young. One of his best numbers is Reason to Believe, the brilliant song which was … Continue readingRod Stewart: Reason to Believe