A compendium of musical delights by Alan and Margaret Ashworth
THE words of this popular hymn were written by an Anglican clergyman, Henry Francis Lyte (1793-1847). He is best known for Abide With Me, which I will cover in a later … Continue readingPraise, My Soul, the King of Heaven
A brilliant Goffin/King song released in 1961 by The Crickets, Buddy Holly’s backing group who carried on touring and recording after his death in 1959. It got to No 5 … Continue readingThe Crickets: Don’t Ever Change
My friend Helen and I used to spend hours hanging around outside the stage door of the Fairfield Halls in Croydon, where every pop group appeared on their national tours. … Continue readingDave Berry: The Crying Game
Words by William Blake, music by Hubert Parry, vocals by Greg Lake, recorded in 1973. The BBC considered it irreverent (I don’t, I love it and I bet Blake would … Continue readingEmerson Lake and Palmer: Jerusalem
The Springfields were brother and sister Dion and Mary O’Brien, who named themselves Tom and Dusty Springfield, and Mike Hurst. This song, written by Tom Springfield, reached No 5 in … Continue readingThe Springfields: Island of Dreams
SEEN by many as the forerunner of Doctor Who, The Quatermass Experiment was the first original adult science-fiction TV production in Britain. Preceded by a warning that it was unsuitable … Continue readingQuatermass
This terrific Goffin-King number was first recorded by Tony Orlando in 1961 when he was 16. It was ok and got to 39 in the States, but it didn’t make … Continue readingBilly Fury: Halfway to Paradise
This wonderful song was written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector for the Ronettes. It was released in 1966 and unbelievably was a flop, spending just one week … Continue readingThe Ronettes: I Can Hear Music
Released in late 1969, this made No 3 in America and No 1 in Britain. Greenbaum (b 1942) said in 2006 that he was inspired to write the words and … Continue readingNorman Greenbaum: Spirit in the Sky
AT the request of regular reader ‘Starshiptrooper’, this week’s hymn is All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name, often referred to as the National Anthem of Christendom. It was written by … Continue readingAll Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name