A compendium of musical delights by Alan and Margaret Ashworth
A follow-up to last week’s selection. Mr Thomas also recorded Walkin’ The Dog, which I featured ages ago. Must say he has a strong interest in his four-legged friends, or … Continue readingRufus Thomas: Can Your Monkey Do The Dog?
This was written by Phil Spector, Ellie Greenwich and Tony Powers and first recorded in 1962 by Bob B Soxx and the Blue Jeans, with Spector producing. It reached No … Continue readingBob B Soxx and the Blue Jeans: Why Do Lovers Break Each Other’s Heart?
MOST birds are pretty quiet in the winter, but house sparrows (Passer domesticus)do not know the meaning of the word. They never seem to stop chirping. There are a lot of … Continue readingOf sparrow and butterbur
From the 1979 Avocet album, a salute to British birds. The real star of this lovely track is the great Danny Thompson on double bass.
This was composed by Allie Wrubel and Ray Gilbert for the 1946 Disney film Song of the South and sung by James Baskett. Phil Spector produced it with Bob B Soxx and … Continue readingBob B Soxx and the Blue Jeans: Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah
Delightful cover of Donovan’s psychedelic whimsy, from the 1971 album Songs for the Gentle Man. It was produced by the Pink Floyd associate Ron Geesin, with the counter-tenors in the … Continue readingBridget St John: The Pebble and the Man
Next in the Phil Spector season is this song which he co-wrote with husband and wife team Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich. It was first recorded by Darlene Love in … Continue readingChapel of Love
From the 2014 comeback album Indie Cindy. It was great to hear Black Frank again, even if the brilliant Kim Deal didn’t make the gig.
This is an early Spector production, pre-Wall of Sound, from 1961. It was written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King (in all honesty it is a long way from their … Continue readingGene Pitney: Every Breath I Take
I prefer this version to the one on the ‘Sandy’ album.