Song For a Winter Night - Gordon Lightfoot

"Song for a Winter's Night" is the title of a song written by Gordon Lightfoot, and first recorded for his 1967 album, The Way I Feel. Lightfoot actually recorded two versions of the song; the second appears on the 1975 album Gord's Gold, a greatest hits compilation on which other re-recordings also appeared.

I do the rock - Tim Curry

This is a song from Tim Curry's second and most successful album, Fearless. I do the rock was one of Tim Curry's only US charting songs.

 The single "I Do the Rock" itself briefly dented the U.S. Billboard Top 100. The single references Friedrich Nietzsche, Albert Einstein, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Babe Ruth, Colin Cowdrey, Leonid Brezhnev, California Governor Jerry Brown, US President Jimmy Carter, Egypt's soon-to-be-assassinated Anwar Sadat, Gertrude Stein, Alexandr Solzhenitsyn, and the family of Edith, Osbert, and Sacheverell Sitwell.

Forever Autumn - Moody Blues

"Forever Autumn" is a song by Jeff Wayne, Gary Osborne and Paul Vigrass. The original melody was written by Wayne in 1969 as a jingle for a Lego commercial. Vigrass and Osborne, the performers of the original jingle, added lyrics to the song and recorded it for inclusion on their 1972 album Queues. Their interpretation was also released as a single and gained moderate commercial success in Japan, selling more than 100,000 copies and becoming a top-20 hit on the country's record chart.
The best-known version is the recording by Justin Hayward from the album Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds. Wayne wanted to include a love song on the album that sounded like "Forever Autumn", and he decided that the best course of action was to simply use the original song. Hayward, of The Moody Blues, was hand-picked by Wayne to sing it (because, Wayne said, he "wanted that voice from 'Nights In White Satin'"), and it was recorded at London's Advision Studios in 1976. The song reached #5 on the UK Singles Chart in July 1978.

The Other Ones

The Other Ones was a band that consisted mainly of Australians, but was based in Berlin, Germany in the late 1980s.



Their self-titled album was released in late 1986. Their song "Holiday" entered the Billboard Hot 100 Chart at #29 on October 17, 1987.

Me and My Arrow - Harry Nilsson

The song, me and my arrow was featured in the movie, The Point! The Point, is a fable and the sixth album by American songwriter and musician Harry Nilsson about a boy named Oblio, the only round-headed person in the Pointed Village, where by law everyone and everything had to have a point.

There have been, so far, at least three different renditions of The Point!, each featuring songs written by Nilsson to accompany the story. Arrow was the name of the lead character dog.



Love and Pride - KING

"Love & Pride" is the debut, 1984, single by Coventry band King and produced by Richard James Burgess.
In May 1984, the single initially reached a chart ranking of 84 on the UK Singles Chart. When the group performed the song on Saturday morning television towards the end of the year, the single was re-released and became a hit in early 1985, reaching number two. It later climbed to a peak of number 55 in the US Billboard Hot 100 in August 1985. Burgess remixed the single several times for B sides and twelve inch versions and these fueled the international club success of the single and subsequent album, Steps in time. The dance mixes of "Love & Pride" pushed it to a peak position of seventeen on the American dance charts.

The Flirts

The Flirts were a female trio from New York City who had several dance hits and music videos on MTV in the early eighties when the channel was still in its infancy. The trio - initially Andrea, Holly and Rebecca - are best known for quirky New Wave, Hi-NRG and Dance-pop tunes, one of which was their 1982 hit "Jukebox (Don't Put Another Dime)" from their debut album 10¢ a Dance. The single received heavy airplay on MTV and appeared on several 80's new wave compilation albums including the Valley Girl film soundtrack.

Amazulu were a British ska / pop band from the 1980s. Composed of five females and one male, they achieved success in the UK charts with four top twenty hits.

 The band achieved a minor success in the United States with "Montego Bay" (a cover of the 1970 song by Bobby Bloom) in 1986. That same year saw the release of their eponymous full length album, on Island Records.

Street Life - The Crusaders

The Crusaders are an American music group popular in the early 1970s known for their amalgamated jazz, pop and soul sound.

The height of the group's commercial success came with 1979's Street Life, which peaked at #18 on the pop album charts and the title track from the album made the Top 10 on the R&B chart and #36 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. The vocals are provided by Randy Crawford, an American jazz and R&B singer.

Andrea True

Andrea True is a singer from the disco era. She is best known for the disco tune "More, More, More", released in 1976, which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.

True was hired by a real estate business in Jamaica to appear in their commercial ads. During her stay on Jamaica, a political crisis gripped the island, and no one was allowed to leave with any money. Not wanting to lose her hard-earned pay, True asked her friend, record producer Gregg Diamond, to travel to the island and produce a track for her, which she would finance locally. Diamond arrived with a composition in hand, to which True added lyrics. The result of their collaboration was "More, More, More." It ultimately reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, and a full album with the same title soon followed. The single also reached the charts in Great Britain (where it peaked at No. 5) and Germany (where it reached No. 9). In early 1977, True released the single "N.Y. You Got Me Dancing". The single became True's second biggest hit, reaching No. 27 on Billboard's Pop chart. A year later, in 1978, she had a second hit in Great Britain with "What's Your Name, What's Your Number," taken from her (second) UK album of the same name. The single climbed to No. 34 on the British charts.

Phoebe Snow - R.I.P.

Phoebe Snow (July 12, 1950– April 26, 2011) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist, best known for her chart-topping 1975 hit "Poetry Man." She was described by The New York Times as a "contralto grounded in a bluesy growl and capable of sweeping over four octaves."

The 1983 Rolling Stone Record Guide summed up Snow's career so far by saying: "One of the most gifted voices of her generation, Phoebe Snow can do just about anything stylistically as well as technically.

I'm Checking Out - Meryl Streep

This is the closing song in the movie Postcards from the edge. The first time I heard it I fell in love with it. It is not available on any CD because they didn't release a soundtrack. Blue Rodeo accompanies Meryl Streep on "I'm Checkin' Out" which was written by Shel Silverstein. I love the lyrics and what it is saying.  I think you should "Check it Out."



Pull back them dark and dusty drapes,
let in some light,
here bellboy come get my trunk,
cause im leaving here tonight,
and I've packed my bags,
and I've paid my bill,
and I'm turning in my key,
and if those sad souls down in the lobby ask for me,
just tell 'em...
I'm checking out,
of this heartbreak hotel,
I ain't gonna live on lonely street no more,
no more *prrphrphrph*
I've found, a new love,
and a new place to dwell, where tear drops ain't soaking the floor.
so take down my suitcase and hand me my hat,
im goin from sleazy to swell,
give that desk, clerk a dime,
and you can just tell him that i'm checkin out of this heartbreak hotel
and you can give that sad bellhop my beboppin blues guitar,
cause im only gonna sing them sweet songs, from now on, yea.
and you can tell that old bartender,
he might as well close down the bar,
cause chuckaluggin sallys packed and gone,
through that grey window pane,
it always looked like rain,
but there's sunshine outside I cant tell,
open up that door im leaving and I wont be back no more,
im checkin out,
of this heartbreak hotel
checkin out,
of this heartbreak,
hotel.

Gary Wright

Gary Malcolm Wright is an American musician, best known for his song, "Dream Weaver". He was the piano player on Harry Nilsson's version of "Without You".

In 1967, he joined the band Spooky Tooth as singer and keyboardist. In 1970 Wright was involved as a record producer with the Liverpool based folk music band, Arrival, and was also a member of the folk rock band Howl the Good who had played, alongside Arrival, at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970. During this period, he also befriended George Harrison and was invited to contribute piano to Harrison's All Things Must Pass.
After Spooky Tooth split up in 1974, Wright continued his solo career, culminating in "Dream Weaver". The single peaked at #2 for three weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976, sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA in March 1976. Later in 1976, his follow-up single "Love Is Alive" also reached #2 (for two weeks).

Kate Bush

Why is it that american never seem to embrace these amazing british performers. Here is another one. Kate Bush (born Catherine Bush 30 July 1958) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years. Bush was signed by EMI at the age of 16 after being recommended by Pink Floyd's David Gilmour. In 1978, at age 19, she topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks with her debut single "Wuthering Heights", becoming the first woman to have a UK number-one with a self-written song. She was also the most photographed woman in the United Kingdom that year.

Go buy "The Whole Story" if you want a good crash course in Kate Bush. She is a true original talent.

Cee Farrow was a former model turned new wave pop star, who scored big in the dance clubs with his hit "Should I Love You". This track is not available on CD nor is the album Red and Blue.

This is what euro new wave British pop should sound (and look) like.

Altered Images

Altered Images were an early 1980s Scottish New Wave / post-punk band. Led by lead singer Clare Grogan, the band branched into mainstream pop music and had a string of chart hits between 1981 and 1983.

I love so many of their songs, I couldn't just choose a few. They had a very distinct style and the lead singer was one of a kind.

Georgie Fame - Yeh Yeh

This song hit #1 in UK due to heavy airplay at Radio Caroline, a pirate radio station broadcasting from ships in international waters that was formed for the expressed purpose of playing this. Very Hip!

In the US, this was featured in a Chrysler commercial.

Fiona - Talk to me

No not Fiona Apple. Just Fiona! Fiona  is an American singer and actress best known as the love interest in the 1987 Bob Dylan vehicle, Hearts of Fire. 

In1985 Talk To Me went to # 12 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and number 64 on Billboard's Hot 100. Fiona has a great voice and the saxophone on this track is killer. Enjoy!

Suzi Quatro

Like so many other favorites of mine, Suzi was more famous in the U.K. than she was in America. Susan Kay "Suzi" Quatro is an American singer-songwriter, musician and actress.She scored a string of hit singles in the 1970s that found greater success in Europe than in her homeland, and had a recurring role on Happy Days as Leather Tuscadero.

Of my favorite singles by her, Can the Can (1973) was a number one hit throughout Europe and in Australia. It was followed up by 48 Crash (1973), each sold over one million copies, and were each awarded gold discs. Her duet with Chris Norman reached # 4 in the U.S. in 1978.

Suzi Quatro has sold nearly 50 million records

Little Jimmy Osmond

Jimmy Osmond is the youngest of his siblings and an occasional member of their musical group, The Osmonds. He remains the youngest performer to have a No. 1 single  in the UK Singles Chart, with Long Haired Lover from Liverpool in 1972.

Recorded six solo albums in which he received six gold records and one platinum record, twenty singles, and two gold albums. He has also recorded in the following languages: Swedish, Japanese, and Spanish.

Frontier Psychiatrist - The Avalanches

"Frontier Psychiatrist" is a song by Australian group The Avalanches, released as the second single from their debut album Since I Left You.

The song contains samples from 37 spoken word records. The main choir and organ sample is taken from the Enoch Light recording "My Way of Life", and the track's opening words are taken from the John Waters film Polyester. Also sampled are audio samples from comedians Flip Wilson and Wayne and Shuster (the latter whose track "Frontier Psychiatrist" serves as the basis for the track), drums from Harvey Mandel's "Wade in the Water", a sample from the movie The Burbs, "Overture" by Maurice Jarre and the guitar from Flo Sandon's "El Negro Zumbon". The horse squeal is also taken from Mel and Tim's Good Guys Only Win In The Movies.

19 - Paul Hardcastle

"19" is a song by British musician Paul Hardcastle released as the first single from his self-titled third studio album Paul Hardcastle (1985). The song features dialogue by television narrator Peter Thomas, and a strong anti-war message. Nineteen topped the pop charts in the UK for five weeks, and reached the top twenty in the USA, where it also topped the dance chart. For a while, it was the top selling single in thirteen countries (helped by the fact that versions of the song were recorded in French, Spanish, German and Japanese), and it received the Ivor Novello award for Bestselling Single Of 1985. 

Hardcastle was later sued by ABC for his unauthorized use of samples from the documentary. The track is about America's involvement in the Vietnam War and the effect it had on the soldiers who served.

Losing My Mind - Liza Minnelli and The Pet Shop Boys

"Losing My Mind" is a popular song written by Stephen Sondhein for the 1971 musical Follies.

In the UK Singles Chart, the most successful version has been by Liza Minnelli, reaching number six. It was the lead single from her 1989 album Results produced by Pet Shop Boys and Julian Mendelsohn. The 12" release peaked at number eleven on the Billboard Maxi-singles sales chart. It also peaked at number twenty-six on the American dance chart.

San Francisco Girls - Fever Tree

Fever Tree is an American Psychedelic rock band of the 1960s, chiefly known for their anthemic 1968 hit, "San Francisco Girls (Return of the Native)" (#91 Pop Singles).

I don't know why this wasn't a bigger hit but it is truly groovy and perfect for 1968.

Daddy's Song - The Monkees

Here is a real gem. Daddy's Song was written by Harry Nilsson. It is featured in the Monkee's movie Head. In this clip from the movie, you might also recognize the dancer. It is none other than Toni Basil. She choreographed the film. I love a lot of the Monkee's music, but this is one of my favorites.

As The Years Go By - Mashmakhan

"As the Years Go By" is the first single by rock fusion band Mashmakhan. The single sold over one million copies worldwide and received a gold disc. Truth be told, I only discovered this song by a DJ friend of mine just a few years ago. I have always been a sucker for organ music. Listen and enjoy!

Alvin's Harmonica - Alvin and the Chipmunks

This single peaked at #3 on Billboard's Pop Singles Chart, becoming the group's second consecutive Top 10 single on the charts. "Alvin's Harmonica" managed to re-enter the chart in 1961 and 1962, peaking at #73 and #87, respectively.

"Alvin's Harmonica" managed to re-enter the chart in 1961 and 1962, peaking at #73 and #87, respectively.

Chocolate City - Parliament

"Chocolate City" is a song by the funk band Parliament, the lead track of their 1975 album of the same name. It was also released as a two-part single, the first from the album.
The song's largely spoken vocals (delivered by George Clinton) express pride in "Chocolate Cities", that is, cities with a majority black population. The song also reflects on the solidarity of African-American society at the time. The singer playfully hypothesizes what it would be like if there were an African American in the White House, and assigns the following people to positions in government:

• Muhammad Ali - President of the United States
• Reverend Ike - Secretary of the Treasury
• Richard Pryor - Minister of Education (fictional - the United States Department of Education was not created until 1979, and was headed by a Secretary)
• Stevie Wonder - Secretary of Fine Arts (fictional; the closest existing agency is the National Endowment for the Arts)
• Aretha Franklin - First Lady

People - I Love You

People! was a one hit wonder rock band that was formed in San Jose, CA in 1965. They started out playing "Top 40" music like most artists but ended up releasing three albums of mostly original material. Their greatest chart success came with their summer hit single I Love You, a song recorded by The Zombies that never charted in the United States. The People! version of "I Love You", on the other hand, rose to number one in Japan (twice), Israel, Australia, Italy, South Africa, and the Philippines, and peaked at #14 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in June 1968. They were also the first rock band to present a dramatic rock opera onstage with the creation of "The Epic".

You have to admit, it is memorable, to say the least.

I (who have nothing)

Here is a song that I have always loved. It has been recorded by a ton of artist but my favorites have been by Terry Knight and the Pack and Tom Jones. It is packed with emotion and I think it is just one of the best. I hope you do to. I also included a version by the incomparable Dame Shirley Bassey.

The Bugaloos

I know, I know this is a 70's Sid and Marty Kroft Saturday morning kids show. Well who said you can't find good music for a kitchy 70's kids show. I love the Bugaloos. They are British and they are very groovy. Take a listen. I think they rival Spanky and Our Gang. I believe you can still get their greatest hits on CD. It is worth it. The best songs of theirs are Sense of our world and Castles in the air. Here are a few I found to wet your appetite.

The title song "The Bugaloos" was written by Norman Gimbel and Charles Fox, the songwriters of  Killing Me Softly With His Song and Jim Croce's I got a name. They also wrote the theme songs to Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley. 

Pussycat - Mississippi

Mississippi was a popular single by dutch group Pussycat.  Mississippi was the sole number one single for Pussycat, spending four weeks at number one on the UK singles chart in October 1976. The song was promoted by John Saunders Hughes in the UK through a Liverpool radio station. The lyrics are about the history of music, how rock music became more popular than country music.
Another version of this song was recorded by Barbara Fairchild. There is also a version in Spanish called "Te necesito" by the Colombian singer Fernando Calle.
In 1976 Swedish dance band Vikingarna covered the song in Swedish. The Swedish song title was also "Mississippi.
There was also a Czech version of this song performed by singer and actress Petra Černocká.

Shirley & Squirrely - Hey Shirley (This is Squirrely)

Here is one of the oddest songs to chart.

This is a novelty single based on the CB craze of the 70's.

Harpo - Moviestar

Here is a song I discovered on a biggest hits of the 70's CD's I got from the U.K. The song is Moviestar. I also love it because of it's ABBA connection.

On 27 February 1975, Harpo recorded the song for which he would become most famous - "Moviestar". One of the backing vocalists on that day was Anni-Frid Lyngstad (Frida) from ABBA. It has sometimes been reported that Agnetha Faltskog also sang on the song but this is incorrect. The second female singer is Lena Ericsson. "Moviestar" went on to become a huge hit. It reached number 1 in Sweden and Germany, number 2 in Australia and number 24 in the UK. A Swedish language version was also released in Sweden which went to number 1 on the Svensktoppen radio chart.  Here is the video.

Harpo (born Jan Harpo Torsten Svensson, 5 April 1950,) is a Swedish pop star known under the stage name Harpo.

Baccara

Baccara was a female vocal duo formed in 1977 by Spanish artists Mayte Mateos Logrono and María Mendiola.

Because I love singers with accents and music that sounds exotic, I love Baccara. Yes it is kind of over the top but hey that makes it even more appealing. Check out their 2 biggest hits, Yes sir, I can boogie and Sorry I'm a lady. They have other hits that are good but these 2 are the most infectious.

Baccara sold more than 16 million copies of “Yes Sir, I Can Boogie” and featured in the 1977 edition of the Guinness Book of Records as the highest-selling female musical duo to date. They were the first female duo to reach number one in the UK, and had the only number one by a Spanish artist in the UK until Julio Iglesias, four years later. A follow-up single, “Sorry, I'm A Lady”, was also an international hit, peaking at the top of the charts in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium and reaching the top ten in the UK, Sweden and Switzerland. Most of Baccara's recordings were sung in English although they did also record in Spanish, German and French.

Nancy Sinatra - Royal Crown Cola Ad from 1968

Here is a great retro commercial from one of the most under appreciated performers ever. Nancy Sinatra. It's totally Mod...or is that Mad?

D.I.S.C.O - Ottawan

"D.I.S.C.O." is a disco song by the french band Ottawan. It was originally recorded by Ottawan in French.

It was first recorded in 1979 and reached number 2 in the UK Singles chart the following year.
The song's name comes from the lyrics in its chorus, in which a woman is claimed to be 'DISCO', with each letter of the word standing for a certain quality ("She is disco // She is D delirious // She is I incredible // She is S superficial // She is C complicated // She is O oh, oh, oh"). I will take this song over YMCA any day. Now, who said music was not educational? Not only can you dance to this gem but it also teaches you how to spell. Fun and educational. I say F.A.B.U.L.O.U.S.