The Merseys: Sorrow
Written by Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein and Richard Gottehrer, this was first recorded by the McCoys in 1965 and released as the B-side of their single Fever, which reached No 7 … Continue readingThe Merseys: Sorrow
Recent Posts
The Beatles: Martha My Dear
Paul McCartney wrote this about his sheepdog, who he loved so much that after she died in 1981 he kept her entire litter of puppies.
Travis Tritt: Here’s A Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares)
‘The Georgia-born singer allegedly wrote this bitter break-up song from 1991 on the night his wife sent him divorce papers. I can believe it,’ says Matt. And that concludes his … Continue readingTravis Tritt: Here’s A Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares)
Our neighbours, the owls
AN occasional sight in my childhood (in the suburbs of Manchester and London) was that of an owl in a tree being mobbed by furious small birds. It is yet … Continue readingOur neighbours, the owls
Carl Butler and Pearl: I’m Hanging Up The Phone
According to Matt: ‘This slice of hard-edged, old-time country from 1964 is the anthisesis of yesterday’s Reba McEntire classic but every bit as compelling.’
Reba McEntire: It’s Your Call
Matt writes: ‘The Oklahoman’s impassioned performance as a wife struggling with her husband’s infidelity transcends the slightly overblown Nashville production on this hit from 1992.’
Vern Gosdin: Is It Raining At Your House?
Matt describes this as ‘a 1988 heartbreaker from Alabama-born Gosdin, second only to George Jones in my book in the pantheon of country’s best balladeers’.
Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty: As Soon As I Hang Up The Phone
Says Matt: ‘Twitty literally phoned in his contribution to this hit from 1974 but Loretta’s plaintive vocals just about lift it out of novelty-song territory.’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfV-YEfQxWI
Stitched up by George Carman
MANY years ago the missus and I decided that what the world needed was a book about George Carman, the brilliant defence barrister whose acquitted clients included Jeremy Thorpe, accused … Continue readingStitched up by George Carman
John Anderson: Motel With No Phone
Matt says: ‘Anderson’s plan to save his marriage on this song from 1981 would be a non-starter in the mobile-phone era.’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzgaLFzlB2Y