A compendium of musical delights by Alan and Margaret Ashworth
This was written by American record producer Allen Toussaint (1938-2015), though he had never been anywhere near a coalmine. It was recorded by Lee Dorsey in New Orleans in 1966 … Continue readingLee Dorsey: Working in the Coalmine
COULD anything more clearly illuminate the self-centredness of the BBC’s apparatchiks than this pensée from Radio 4 Today host Justin Webb in yesterday’s i newspaper: ‘I have been walking in Camberwell in South … Continue readingThe authentic voice of the BBC
A MAJOR figure on the BBC between the wars and and helping to keep up morale during the second was the multi-talented, understated and urbane bandleader Henry Hall. Hall was … Continue readingHenry Hall
This is a 1933 song by Jack Little, Dave Oppenheim and Ira Schuster. Here is the original version by Little Jack Little in 1933. P J Proby’s rather different rendering … Continue readingP J Proby: Hold Me
From the 1974 album Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy). The lyrics contain the names of two future rock bands plus one that already existed – can you name them?
This was one of the first pop songs I became aware of, probably because my cousin was called Diana. He wrote and recorded the song in 1957, when he was … Continue readingPaul Anka: Diana
Almost 40 years, incredibly, since Ian Curtis died. This is JD’s finest hour and it never stales.
Irresistible US rocker from 1958. The poor lad was dead at 21, victim of a crash while travelling in a taxi in Chippenham, Wiltshire, during a UK tour in 1960.
This was written by Charles Strouse (who later wrote Annie) and Fred Tobias. It was released in 1958 as the B-side to Come On Joey, Dance With Me but turned out to be … Continue readingThe Poni-Tails: Born Too Late
Title track from their fourth album, released in 1971. Notable for superb piano by Keith Tippett and wonderful cornet solo by Mark Charig.