Anyone who has known me all my life will tell you that I am not a great fan of Elton John. I don’t like to watch him perform, as he always seems rather creepy to me. However, there was a time when I liked him quite a lot, a time before he was as hugely … Continue reading Retro Music 66
Most of you will have heard of Nina Simone. Singing Gospel, Jazz, Blues, or Pop, she covered every genre in her long career. One of the first of her records I remember hearing was ‘My Baby Just Cares For Me’. I was around 8 years old when the jazzy song was released in Britain, and … Continue reading Retro Music 65
When I was young, I heard a French song called ‘La Mer’, by Charles Trenet. I knew that meant ‘The Sea’, and I enjoyed the music. Not long after, when I was only eight years old, I heard an English language cover version, by Bobby Darin. The title had changed to’Beyond The Sea’, and it … Continue reading Retro Music 64
Back to 1934. Seriously retro, and what for me was the golden age of Jazz. This version of a well-known song is from the Roy Fox Band, accompanied by some energetic tap-dancing ladies. Vocals are kept to a minumum, probably because the English accents don’t sound that good on a very American song. Okay, here … Continue reading Retro Music 63
I am going all the way back to 1946 with this choice, which was a hit six years before I was born. But when I was a child, it was still played by my parents, and was also popular at family parties for dancing. It has many fond memories for me. Louis Thomas Jordan (July … Continue reading Retro Music 62
Something different today, a comparison of two versions of the same retro song. The original, and a later cover. For a change, I love both versions, with the cover equally as good, in my opinion. I also saw the band who covered the song perform it live, and it was flawless. In 1968, Barbara Acklin … Continue reading Retro Music 61
We often hear the expression, “It doesn’t get better than this”. It is one I use myself, on many occasions. In 1965, I was a 13 year-old fan of Soul Music. I didn’t mind at all when it crossed genres into Torch Songs, or romantic ballads. And this choice qualifies as all three. Lap it … Continue reading Retro Music 60
Back to 1960, when I was just 8 years old. My dad worked in the record business, and brought home an album by Etta James. As soon as I heard the record, I knew I loved it, especially this title track. Etta had a very long career, performing in many genres of music. She could … Continue reading Retro Music 59
I was 19 years old in 1971, and my music tastes were becoming more varied. Deep down though, I was still a Soul Boy at heart, and that year I heard a wonderful Soul singer with his great new song. I bought this record the same day, then went on to buy his other records … Continue reading Retro Music 57
Regular readers will know that I am not generally a fan of Rock Music. Whether that might be Progressive Rock, Heavy Rock, Heavy Metal, or any of the other names that fans give to it. However, there are many notable exceptions, and this classic song is definitely one of those. Led Zeppelin had been around … Continue reading Retro Music 58
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