Long Lonely Nights - Lee Andrews & the Hearts (cover-live by Bill Sharkey)
Long Lonely Nights (Lee Andrews & the Hearts, 1957; Bobby Vinton, 1965). Live performance by Bill Sharkey, Home Studio, Hawaii Kai, HI. 2024-05-30. "Keeping the Oldies Alive"
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"Long Lonely Nights," written by Lee Andrews, Bernice Davis, Doug Henderson, and Mimi Uniman, was first released by Lee Andrews & the Hearts' single in 1957; their version was their first entry onto the Billboard Hot 100 chart but stalled at no. 45. Clyde McPhatter followed the same year and reached the no. 49 position on the Billboard chart; however, it was Bobby Vinton who broke the top 40 with his version in 1965, which rose to the no. 17 slot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (Whitburn, 2013). The Hearts hailed from Philadelphia, PA and were formed in 1953. Lead singer Andrews' name was Arthur Lee Andrew Thompson and when deciding on a name for the group, he did not think Arthur Thompson and the Hearts sounded right, so he used his middle names, which sounded more professional (Warner, 2006).
Lyrics:
Long, long and lonely nights
I cry my eyes out over you
Wondering if I did right
And why you left me
With a broken heart
Oh, long, long and lonely nights
Oh, how I miss you, my dear
Please, please, come back to me
How I wish you were here
As I go along my lonely way
I visualize your face
When I pass through
(Yeah) my doorway
What's left for me to face
Oh, long, long and lonely nights
I guess you're never coming home
Long, long and lonely nights
Ever since you've been gone
As I go along my lonely way
I visualize your face
When I pass through
(Yeah) my doorway
What's left for me to face
Oh, long, long and lonely nights
I guess you're never coming home
Long, long and lonely nights
Ever since you've been gone
Please, please, come back to me
You've been gone too long
20
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Palisades Park -Freddy Cannon (cover-live by Bill Sharkey)
Palisades Park (Freddy Cannon, 1962). Live cover performance by Bill Sharkey, Home Studio, Hawaii Kai, HI. 2024-05-25. "Keeping the Oldies & Classics Alive"
"Palisades Park," written by Chuck Barris, was Freddy Cannon's best selling single, which landed at the no. 3 position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1962 (Whitburn, 2013). Born Frederick Picariello, Cannon recorded eight top forty hits including "Tallahassee Lassie" and "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans" (Whitburn, 2013). Barris wrote the song while in New York looking over the Hudson River to New Jersey's Palisades Park Amusement Park (D. McCallister, npr, Mar. 22, 2017). The park officially opened in 1898 and closed in 1971; "Palisades Park Amusement Park became one of the most visited amusement parks in the United States" (Kristen, onlyinyourstate, Dec. 30, 2022). Barris was later responsible for creating "The Dating Game," "The Newlywed Game" and eventually "The Gong Show" (D. McCallister, npr, Mar. 22, 2017).
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Lyrics:
Last night I took a walk after dark
A swingin' place called Palisades Park
To have some fun and see what I could see
That's where the girls are
I took a ride on a shoot the chute
That girl I sat beside was awful cute
And after while she was holdin' hands with me
My heart was flyin' up like a rocket ship
Down like a roller coaster
Back like a loop the loop
And around like a merry go round
We ate and ate at a hot dog stand
We danced around to a rockin' band
And when I could, I gave that girl a hug
In the tunnel of love
You'll never know how great a kiss can feel
When you stop at the top of a ferris wheel
When I fell in love down at Palisades Park
We ate and ate at a hot dog stand
We danced around to a rockin' band
And when I could, I gave that girl a hug
In the tunnel of love
You'll never know how great a kiss can feel
When you stop at the top of a ferris wheel
When I fell in love down at Palisades Park
Down at Palisades Park
You know it's Palisades Park
Down at Palisades Park
20
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Mellow Yellow - Donovan (cover-live by Bill Sharkey)
Mellow Yellow (Donovan, 1966). Live performance by Bill Sharkey, Home Studio, Hawaii Kai, HI. 2024-05-28. "Keeping the Oldies & Classics Alive"
"Mellow Yellow," written by Donovan Leitch, was Donovan's second release to hit the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart rising to the no. 2 position in 1966 (Whitburn, 2013). A rumor at the time was that the song was about getting high on banana skins by cooking them and inhaling the fumes, which wasn't the case; actually, Donovan stated that generally the song was about being laid back and cool. He also said that he and John Lennon "used to look in the back of newspapers and pull out funny things and they'd end up in songs. So it's [also] about . . . the electrical bananas that were appearing on the scene - which were ladies vibrators" (songfacts, 2023).
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Lyrics:
I'm just mad about Saffron
Saffron's mad about me
I'm just mad about Saffron
She's just mad about me
They call me mellow yellow
(Quite rightly)
They call me mellow yellow
(Quite rightly)
They call me mellow yellow
I'm just mad about Fourteen
Fourteen's mad about me
I'm just mad about Fourteen
She's just mad about me
They call me mellow yellow
They call me mellow yellow
(Quite rightly)
They call me mellow yellow
Born high forever to fly
Wind velocity nil
Wanna high forever to fly
If you want your cup our fill
They call me mellow yellow
(Quite rightly)
They call me mellow yellow
(Quite rightly)
They call me mellow yellow
(So mellow, he's so yellow)
Electrical banana
Is gonna be a sudden craze
Electrical banana
Is bound to be the very next phase
They call me mellow yellow
(Quite rightly)
They call me mellow yellow
(Quite rightly)
They call me mellow yellow
Saffron, yeah
I'm just mad about her
I'm just mad about Saffron
She's just mad about me
They call me mellow yellow
(Quite rightly)
They call me mellow yellow
(Quite rightly)
They call me mellow yellow
(Oh so yellow, oh so mellow)
19
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Tighter, Tighter - Alive and Kicking (cover-live by Bill Sharkey)
Tighter, Tighter (Alive 'N Kickin', 1970). Live cover performance by Bill Sharkey, Home Studio, Hawaii Kai, HI. 2024-05-21. "Keeping the Oldies & Classics Alive"
"Tighter, Tighter," written by Tommy James and Bob King, was Alive and Kicking's first release and only top 40 hit, rising to the no. 7 position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1970 (Whitburn, 2013). The band was produced by Tommy James (of the Shondells fame). The group was officially a one hit wonder. During an interview with songfacts, James recalled: "I was dying to get back in the studio, and I had written a song called 'Tighter, Tighter.' It was going to be my single. And right about that time, my wife's friend was managing a group called Alive 'N Kickin' from Brooklyn. And they were a good group, a really good group. I went out to see them a couple of times in different places, and I was going to produce them at some point . . . I went in and I laid down a track of this song . . . and I just didn't like the way it was coming out, it just wasn't right. . . . I just miscalculated the vocal, and I didn't like the way I sounded on it. I really believed the song was a hit . . . I remembered this group. They had a male and a female lead singer that would switch off leads. So I re-wrote the song as a duet. I called them up and said, 'You guys, can you come down here and add your players on top of what we've already done, and I think you've got a hit with this.' So they came in and that's just what we did. We put their guitar player on, we put their keyboard player on, we added some horns, and Pepe [Cardona] and Sandy [Toder] sang the lead, and then Pepe, Sandy and I did backgrounds. And it came out beautiful" (S. Ortega, songfacts, Sept. 15, 2009). As an aside, the band's organist Bruce Sudano married Donna Summer in 1980 and became a member the band Brooklyn Dreams (Whitburn, 2013).
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Lyrics:
You know I got to show you
Nobody else before you
Ever gave me such a beautiful feelin'
Oh woman you touched a-my soul now
Honey don't a-let go now
Hold on baby just a little bit tighter
Hold on a-just a little bit tighter now baby
I love you so much and I can't let go no, no, no
Hold on a-just a little bit tighter now baby
Love is so surprising
Opened up my eyes and you
Reached out and took my hand
Baby you touched a-my soul now
Woman don't let go now
Hold on baby just a little bit tighter
Hold on a-just a little bit tighter now baby
I love yo so much and I can't let go
36
views
Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow) - Monkees, The (cover-live by Bill Sharkey)
Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow) (Monkees, The, 1967). Live cover performance by Bill Sharkey, Home Studio, Hawaii Kai, HI. 2024-05-17. "Keeping the Oldies & Classics Alive"
"Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)," written by Neil Diamond, was released on the "More Of the Monkees" LP in 1967 (Whitburn, 2006). The album sold over 5 million copies earning it 5X RIAA certified platinum album award; the album also topped the Billboard 200 album chart for 18 weeks, while remaining on the chart for 70 weeks (Whitburn, 2006). Additionally, it is notable "for being the first pop/rock album to be the best-selling album of the year in the States" (theseconddisc, 2021). Although "Look Out" was not released as a single in the USA, it was released as a single in the Philippines and Venezuela as the "B" side of "She" and in Turkey as the "B" side of "Your Auntie Grizelda" and in Australia, it was released as the "B" side of an EP single (discogs, 2024).
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Lyrics:
Look out, here comes tomorrow,
That’s when I’ll have to choose.
How I wish I could borrow,
Someone else’s shoes.
Mary, oh what a sweet girl,
Lips like strawberry pie.
Sandra, the long hair and pig tails,
Can’t make up my mind.
I see all kinds of sorrow,
Wish I only loved one.
Look out, here comes tomorrow,
Oh how I wish tomorrow would never come
Told them both that I loved them,
Said it, and it was true.
But I can’t have both of them
Don’t know what to do.
I see all kinds of sorrow,
Wish I only loved one.
Look out, here comes tomorrow,
Oh how I wish tomorrow would never come
I see all kinds of sorrow,
Wish I only loved one.
Look out, here comes tomorrow,
Oh how I wish tomorrow would never come
27
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'Till There Was You - Beatles, The / Anita Bryant (cover-live by Bill Sharkey)
'Till There Was You (Beatles, The, 1964; Anita Bryant, 1959; Eileen Wilson, 1950). Live cover performance by Bill Sharkey, Home Studio, Hawaii Kai, HI. 2024-05-14. "Keeping the Oldies Alive"
"'Till There Was You," written by Meredith Willson, was first recorded by Willson & his Orchestra with Eileen Wilson providing the vocals back in 1950; although the original title was "Till I Met You" (archive.org, 2021). Later, in 1957, Willson changed the title to "'Till There Was You" and included the song in his play "The Music Man" (songfacts.com, 2021). In 1959, Anita Bryant's version of the song was the only recording to hit the Billboard Hot 100 chart landing at the #30 position (Whitburn, 2013). The Beatles released their version of the song on their second UK album "With the Beatles" in 1963 and in 1964 on their first US album "Meet the Beatles!" (Whitburn, 2006; Wikipedia, 2021). The Beatles introduced the song to the young US audience on the Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964 as the second of five songs they performed (setlist.fm, 2021). In 1962, The Beatles recorded the song onto a 10-inch acetate with "Hello Little Girl" on the flip side. The disc was found in Les Maguire's attic (keyboardist for Gerry & the Pacemakers). Because of it's rarity, in 2016, the disc sold at Warrington auction house for £77,500 [$97,715.00] (M. Bonner, uncut.co.uk, Mar. 23, 2016).
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Lyrics:
There were bells on a hill
But I never heard them ringing
No, I never heard them at all
'Til there was you
There were birds in the sky
But I never saw them winging
No, I never saw them at all
'Til there was you
Then there was music and wonderful roses
They tell me in sweet fragrant meadows
Of dawn and dew
There was love all around
But I never heard it singing
No, I never heard it at all
'Til there was you
Then there was music and wonderful roses
They tell me in sweet fragrant meadows
Of dawn and dew
There was love all around
But I never heard it singing
No, I never heard it at all
'Til there was you
'Til there was you
14
views
Mountain Of Love - Johnny Rivers (cover-live by Bill Sharkey)
Mountain Of Love (Johnny Rivers, 1964; Howard Dorman, 1960; Charlie Pride, 1982). Live cover performance by Bill Sharkey, Home Studio, Hawaii Kai, HI. 2024-05-09. "Keeping the Oldies & Classics Alive"
"Mountain Of Love,' written by Howard Dorman, was Johnny Rivers' second top 10 hit landing at the no. 9 position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1964; writer Howard Dorman also charted with his penned song in 1960 rising to the no. 21 position on the Billboard chart (Whitburn, 2013). Charlie Pride also had a hit with "Mountain Of Love;" his recording topped the Hot Country Singles chart in 1981 (Whitburn, 1994).
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Lyrics:
Standing on a mountain looking down on a city
The way I feel is a doggone pity
Teardrops fallin' down a mountainside
Many times I've been here, many times I've cried
We used to be so happy when we were in love
High on a mountain of love
Night after night I'm a-standing here alone
Weepin' my heart out till cold gray dawn
Prayin' that you're lonely and you come here too
Hoping just by chance that I'll get a glimpse of you
Tryin' hard to find you, somewhere up above
High on a mountain of love
A mountain of love, a mountain of love, you should be ashamed
We used to be a mountain of love
But you just changed your name
Way down below there's a half a million people
Somewhere there's a church with a big tall steeple
Inside a church there's an altar filled with flowers
Wedding bells are ringin' and they shoulda been ours
That's why I'm so lonely, my dreams gone above
High on a mountain of love
A mountain of love, a mountain of love, you should be ashamed now
Used to be a mountain of love
But you just changed your name
Way down below there's a half a million people
Somewhere there's a church with a big tall steeple
Inside a church there's an altar filled with flowers
Wedding bells are ringin' that shoulda been ours
That's why I'm so lonely, dream gone above
High on a mountain of love
High on a mountain of love
High on a mountain of love
High on a mountain of love
High on a mountain of love
46
views
2
comments
Daddy's Home - Shep & the Limelites (cover-live by Bill Sharkey)
Daddy's Home (Shep & the Limelites, 1961; Jermaine Jackson, 1972; Cliff Richard, 1982). Live cover performance by Bill Sharkey, Home Studio, Hawaii Kai, HI. 2024-05-06. "Keeping the Oldies & Classics Alive"
"Daddy's Home," written by band members James "Shep" Sheppard, Clarence Bassett and Charles Baskerville (on the original Hull Records recording) and James "Shep" Sheppard and William Miller (after a law suit, on Roulette Records), was the Limelites first release and their only top 40 hit climbing to the no. 2 position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1961 (Whitburn, 2013). Sheppard began his recording history with the Jamaica, Queens, NY doo-wop group the Heartbeats, who had a hit with "A Thousand Miles Away." Two years later, Sheppard formed the Limelites; they disbanded in 1966 (allmusic, 2024). The song has been recorded by many artist but the recordings that hit the Billboard Hot 100 are Chuck Jackson & Maxine Brown (1967 no. 91), Jermaine Jackson (1972 no. 9) and Cliff Richard (198f2 no. 23) (Whitburn, 2013)."Shep" Sheppard . . . was murdered on January 24, 1970 [34 yrs old]. He was found dead in his car on the Long Island Expressway, having been beaten and robbed" (C. Tucker, blackpast, Sep. 28, 2021).
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Lyrics:
You're my love, you're my angel
You're the girl of my dreams
I'd like to thank you for waiting patiently
Daddy's home, your daddy's home to stay
How I've waited for this moment to be by your side
Your best friend wrote and told me
You had teardrops in your eyes
Daddy's home, your daddy's home to stay
It wasn't on a Sunday
(Monday and Tuesday went by)
It wasn't on a Tuesday afternoon
(All I could do was cry)
But I made a promise that you treasured
I made it back home to you
How I've waited for this moment to be by your side
Your best friend wrote and told me
You had teardrops in your eyes
Daddy's home, your daddy's home to stay
Daddy's home to stay
I'm not a thousand miles away
21
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Fool (If You Think It's Over) - Chris Rea (cover-live by Bill Sharkey)
Fool (If You Think It's Over) (Chris Rea, 1978). Live performance by Bill Sharkey, Mexico Fiesta Hawaii Kai, HI. 2024-05-02. "Keeping the Oldies Alive"
"Fool (If You Think It's Over)," written by Chris Rea, was Rea's first release in the US and his only top 20 hit climbing to the no. 12 position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1978 (Whitburn, 2013) and remained three weeks on the Adult Contemporary chart's top position. Elton John's producer, Gus Dudgeon, produced this track, but Rea was not thrilled with the final production wanting it to be a more soul rather than a pop feel; "I did as I was told by a huge producer, and he'd been told by the record company to turn me into the next Elton John, which couldn't be further away from what I was . . . I've still got a piece of paper and on the original lyrics it says: ''Fool (If You Think It's Over).' Song for Al Green" (songfacts, 2024). Because of the song, Rea was nominated for the Best New Artist Grammy (awardsandwinners, 1978).
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Lyrics:
Dyin' flame, you're free again
Who could love, do that to you
All dressed in black, he won't be comin' back
Look, save your tears
Got years and years
The pains of seventeen's
Unreal they're only dreams
Save your cryin' for the day
Fool if you think it's over
'Cause you said goodbye
Fool if you think it's over
I'll tell you why
New born eyes always cry with pain
At the first look at the mornin' sun
Fool if you think it's over
It's just begun
Miss Teenage Dream, such a tragic scene
He knocked your crown and ran away
First wound of pride, and how you cried and cried
But save your tears, got years and years
Fool if you think it's over
'Cause you said goodbye
Fool if you think it's over
I'll tell you why...
(Fool if you think it's over)
(Fool if you think it's over)
I'll buy you first good wine
We'll have a real good time
Save your cryin' for the day
That may not come
But anyone who had to pay
Would laugh at you and say
Fool if you think it's over
'Cause you said goodbye
Fool if you think it's over
I'll tell you why
New born eyes always cry with pain
At the first
26
views
Just A Little - Beau Brummels, The (cover-live by Bill Sharkey)
Just A Little (Beau Brummels, The, 1965). Live cover performance by Bill Sharkey, Home Studio, Hawaii Kai, HI. 2024-04-29. "Keeping the Oldies & Classics Alive"
"Just A Little," written by Robert Durand and Ron Elliott, was the Beau Brummels' second consecutive top 20 hit and their highest charting single landing at the no. 8 position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1965 (whitburn, 2013). The song was produced by Sylvester Stewart (aka Sly Stone of Sly & the Family Stone) (lyrics, 2013). "The band's original lineup included Sal Valentino, Ron Elliott), Ron Meagher, Declan Mulligan, and John Petersen" (bandcamp, 2024). Drummer Petersen left the band around 1967 and joined Harpers Bizarre (prabook, 2021). The band appeared, in animation, on the hit TV show "The Flintstones" in its final season (1965) in the episode "Shinrock A Go-Go" as The Beau Brummelstones (flintstones, 2024). They performed their first release hit "Laugh Laugh" (youtube, 2012).
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Lyrics:
Ah!
I can't stay
Yes I know
You know I
Hate to go
But goodbye
Love was sweet
I was kind
Never mean
So I'll cry just a little 'cause I love you so
And I'll die just a little 'cause I have to go away
Can't you see
How I feel
When I say
Love's unreal
So goodbye
It's been sweet
Even though
Incomplete
So I'll cry just a little 'cause I love you so
And I'll die just a little 'cause I have to go away
Every night
I still hear
Oh your sigh's
Very near
Now it's gone
Gone away
As I once
Heard you say
Now I'll cry just a little 'cause I love you so
And I'll die just a little 'cause I have to go away
Ah!
51
views
2
comments
How 'Bout Us - Champaign (cover-live by Bill Sharkey)
How 'Bout Us (Champaign, 1981). Live cover performance by Bill Sharkey, Home Studio, Hawaii Kai, HI. 2024-04-24. "Keeping the Oldies & Classics Alive"
"How 'Bout Us," written by keyboardist Dana Walden, was Champaign's first and only top 20 hit, landing at the no. 12 position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and remaining on the chart for 23 weeks (Whitburn, 2013) ), hit the top no. 1 position on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart and no. 3 on the Billboard R&B chart (allmusic, 2024). The group was named after their home town Champaign, Illinois (smoothradio, 2020). The band recorded a "demo and sent out to the A&R departments of various labels. Most wanted to record the song on an artist already signed to their label roster, but Walden refused to grant the rights; instead holding out for a record deal for the band. Champaign signed with the Infinity label, but was soon without a deal when the label folded. With some help from producer Joseph Wissert, the band got a deal with Columbia Records," where the song was finally released (allmusic, 2024).
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Lyrics:
Ooh, short and sweet
No sense in draggin' on past our needs
Let's don't keep it hangin' on
If the fire's out, we should both be gone
Some people are made for each other
Some people are made for another for life, how 'bout us
Some people can hold it together
Last through all kinds of weather, tell me can we
Now don't get me wrong
'Cause I'm not tryin' now to end it all
It's just that I have seen
Too many lover's hearts lose their dreams
Some people are made for each other
Some people are made for another for life, how 'bout us
Some people can hold it together
Last through all kinds of weather, tell me, can we
How 'bout us
How 'bout us, baby
How 'bout us
How 'bout us, baby
Some people are made for each other
Some people are made for another for life, how 'bout us
Some people can hold it together
Last through all kinds of weather, tell me, can we
82
views
Listen To A Country Song - Loggins & Messina / Lynn Anderson. (cover-live by Bill Sharkey)
Listen To A Country Song (Loggins & Messina, 1971; Lynn Anderson, 1972). Live cover performance by Bill Sharkey, Home Studio, Hawaii Kai, HI. 2024-02-28. "Keeping the Oldies & Classics Alive"
"Listen To A Country Song," written by Alan Garth and Jim Messina, is found on Loggins & Messina's "Sittin' In" (1972), "On Stage" (1974) and "Finale" (1977) LPs; it was never released as a single; however, it was Lynn Anderson's recording of the song that was released as a single in 1972 that hit the charts landing at no. 4 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and no. 1 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart (collectionscanada, 2013; Whitburn, 1994, 2006).
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Lyrics:
It's Saturday night and my daddy's up late
Pickin' with my Uncle Bill
The neighbors don't mind 'cause they have a good time
Sippin' on my pappy's still
Old brother Dan's got a fiddle in his hand
Momma's on the mandolin
When the music is right and the band gets tight
You ought-a see 'em pick and grin
And everybody starts movin'
To the sound of the guitar strums
And everybody starts groovin'
To the beat of the rhythm and drums
So come along and let yourself really go
While the feeling is good
Just sip that wine, have a really good time
And listen to a country song.
Old Sheriff Brown he never comes around
Knocking on the old back door.
As a matter of fact you can find him in the act
Pickin on the old banjo.
Second cousin Jack sneaks up from the back
Tries to get to sister Sue.
Well she throws him on the ground without turning around
'Cause she knows a lotta jujitsu.
And everybody starts movin'
To the sound of the guitar strums
And everybody starts groovin'
To the beat of the rhythm and drums
So come along and let yourself really go
And everybody starts movin'
To the sound of the guitar strums
And everybody starts groovin'
To the beat of the rhythm and drums
So come along and let yourself really go
61
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2
comments
Honolulu City Lights - Beamer Brothers, The (cover-live by Bill Sharkey)
Honolulu City Lights (Beamer Brothers, The, 1978-1979). Live cover performance by Bill Sharkey, Home Studio, Hawaii Kai, HI. 2024-04-15. "Keeping the Oldies & Classics Alive"
"Honolulu City Lights," written by Keola Beamer, was released on the album of the same name in 1978. In 2004, listing The 50 Greatest Hawaiian Albums Of All Time, "Honolulu Magazine" placed "Honolulu City Lights" at number 1 (honolulumagazine, 2004). In 1979 Keola Beamer and brother Kapono Beamer were awarded a number of Na Hoku Hanohano Awards: Best Contemporary Hawaiian Album, Best Song, Best Single, Best Composer, Best Engineered Album, and Best Produced Album (K. Fry, hawaiianmusichistory, 2024). "Both song and album went on to become one of the most popular and most played works of contemporary Hawaiian music" (wikipedia, 2024).
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Lyrics:
Looking out upon the city lights
And the stars above the ocean
Got my ticket for the midnight plane
And it's not easy to leave again
Took my clothes and put them in the bag
Try not to think just yet of leaving
Looking out into the city night
And it's not easy to leave again
Each time Honolulu city lights
Stir up memories in me
Each night Honolulu city lights
Bring me back again
You are my island sunset
You are my island dream
Put on my shoes and light a cigarette
Wondering which of my friends will be here
Standing with their leis around my neck
It's not easy to leave again
Each time Honolulu city lights
Stir up memories in me
Each night Honolulu city lights
Bring me back again
Bring me back again
39
views
2
comments
Never Ending Song Of Love - Delaney & Bonnie & Friends (cover-live by Bill Sharkey)
Never Ending Song Of Love (Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, 1971). Live cover performance by Bill Sharkey, Home Studio, Hawaii Kai, HI.
2024-04-11. "Keeping the Oldies & Classics Alive"
"Never Ending Song Of Love," written by Delaney Bramlett, was Delaney and Bonnie's first and highest entry onto the top 20 rising to the no. 13 position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1971 (Whitburn, 2013). Dickey Lee also had a hit with the song landing at the no. 8 position on the Billboard Hot Country Singles' chart in 1971 (Whitburn, 1994), and the New Seekers had a no. 2 hit with the song in the UK and no. 1 in Ireland the same year (rock.co.za, 2024; Wikipedia, 2024).
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Lyrics:
I've got a never ending love for you
From now on, that's all I want to do
From the first time we met
I knew I'd have a never ending love for you
I've got a never ending love for you
From now on, that's all I want to do
From the first time we met
I knew I'd have a never ending love for you
After all this time of being alone
We can love one another
Feel for each other from now on
Feels so good I can hardly stand it
I've got a never ending love for you
From now on, that's all I want to do
From the first time we met, I knew
I'd sing my never ending song of love to you
After all this time of being alone
We can love one another
Feel for each other from now on
Feels so good I can hardly stand it
I've got a never ending love for you
From now on, that's all I want to do
From the first time we met, I knew
I'd sing my never ending song of love to you
I've got a never ending love for you
From now on, that's all I want to do
From the first time we met
I knew I'd have a never ending love for you
54
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2
comments
I'm Your Puppet - James & Bobby Purify (cover-live by Bill Sharkey)
I'm Your Puppet (James & Bobby Purify, 1966). Live cover performance by Bill Sharkey, Home Studio, Hawaii Kai, HI.
2024-04-07. "Keeping the Oldies & Classics Alive"
"I'm Your Puppet ," written by Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham, was the Purify cousins' (James Purify and Robert "Bobby" Lee Dickey) first entry onto the Billboard Hot 100 and only top 10 hit rising to no. 6 on the chart in 1966 (Whitburn, 2013). Funny that Bobby Dickey eventually hated the song. Dickey recalled in The Tallahassee Democrat in 2000 "that he despised singing the song. 'I hated it,' he said. 'It was originally intended to be the B-side. But things got changed ... I sang it for 23 hours straight (in the studio), that's why I hate it'" (songfacts, 2024). The Purfiy's recording was nominated for the 1967 Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals (awardsandshows, 2024).
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Lyrics:
Pull the string and I'll wink at you
I'm your puppet
I'll do funny things if you want me to
I'm your puppet, mm
I'm yours to have and to hold
Darling, you've got full control
I'm your puppet
Pull another string and I'll kiss your lips
I'm your puppet
Snap your fingers and I'll turn you some flips
I'm your puppet
Your every wish is my command
All you gotta do is just wiggle your little hand
I'm your puppet
I'm your puppet
I'm just a toy, just a funny boy
That makes you laugh when you're blue
I'll be wonderful, do just what I'm told
I'll do anything for you
I'm your puppet
I'm your puppet
Pull them little strings and I'll sing you a song,
I'm your puppet
Make me do right or make me do wrong,
I'm your puppet
Treat me good and I'll do anything
I'm just a puppet and you hold my string,
I'm your puppet
I'm a walking, talking, living, loving puppet
I'm hanging on a string, I'll do anything
I'm your puppet
26
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The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald - Gordon Lightfoot (cover-live by Bill Sharkey)
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald (Gordon Lightfoot, 1976). Live cover performance by Bill Sharkey, Home Studio, Hawaii Kai, HI. 2024-04-03. "Keeping the Oldies & Classics Alive"
"The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," written by Gordon Lightfoot, was a song based on the actual sinking of the ship the SS Edmund Fitzgerald in Lake Superior in 1975; the song rose to the no. 2 position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1976 (Whitburn, 2013). Lightfoot said that the song was inspired by an article in "Newsweek," "The Cruelest Month," which was published November 24, 1975 (Lyrics, 1988). Lightfoot stated that the article gave "'short shrift for such a monumental event.' Lightfoot [said] the song came about when he discovered the newspaper writers kept misspelling the name of the ship, rendering it as 'Edmond Fitzgerald' rather than 'Edmund Fitzgerald' . . . That's it! If they're gonna spell the name wrong, I've got to get to the bottom of this!" (songfacts, 2024). Lightfoot attempted to keep the lyrics as close to the actual facts as possible with few embellishments; however, years later, when he read that some of the information about the sinking had been updated/corrected, he changed the lyrics to mirror the newer information (A. London, songmeaningsandfacts, Nov. 11, 2020). The song was nominated at the 19th Annual Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance (Grammy, 2024).
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Lyrics:
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they called 'gitche gumee'
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy
With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more
Than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty
That good ship and crew was a bone to be chewed
When the gales of November came early
The ship was the pride of the American side
Coming back from some mill in Wisconsin
As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most
With a crew and good captain well seasoned
Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms
When they left fully loaded for Cleveland
And later that night when the ship's bell rang
Could it be the north wind they'd been feelin'?
The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound
And a wave broke over the railing
And every man knew, as the captain did too,
T'was the witch of November come stealin'
The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait
When the gales of November came slashin'
When afternoon came it was freezin' rain
In the face of a hurricane west wind
When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck sayin'
Fellas, it's too rough to feed ya
At seven pm a main hatchway caved in, he said
Fellas, it's been good t'know ya
The captain wired in he had water comin' in
And the good ship and crew was in peril
And later that night when his lights went outta sight
Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Does any one know where the love of God goes
When the waves turn the minutes to hours?
The searches all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay
If they'd put fifteen more miles behind her
They might have split up or they might have capsized
They may have broke deep and took water
And all that remains is the faces and the names
Of the wives and the sons and the daughters
Lake Huron rolls, superior sings
In the rooms of her ice-water mansion
Old Michigan steams like a young man's dreams
The islands and bays are for sportsmen
And farther below Lake Ontario
Takes in what Lake Erie can send her
And the iron boats go as the mariners all know
With the gales of November remembered
In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed,
In the maritime sailors' cathedral
The church bell chimed till it rang twenty-nine times
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call 'gitche gumee'
Superior, they said, never gives up her dead
When the gales of November come early
105
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4
comments
Turn! Turn! Turn! - Byrds, The (cover-live by Bill Sharkey)
Turn! Turn! Turn! (Byrds, The Live cover performance by Bill Sharkey, Home Studio, Hawaii Kai, HI. 2024-03-27. "Keeping the Oldies & Classics Alive"
"Turn! Turn! Turn!," written by Pete Seeger, was the Byrds' second no. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart ascending to the top position in 1965 (Whitburn, 2013). The single was induced into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001 (grammy, 2024). The song was recorded by many artists; however, Judy Collins' version is the only other rendition that made it onto the Billboard Hot 100; her recording stalled at no. 69 in 1969 (Whitburn, 2013). Seeger took the lyrics from a passage in the Bible (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8) and rearranged the words to fit with the melody he put together. Seeger said that within two months of writing the song, he sold it "to the Limelighters and then to the Byrds. [He said he] liked the Byrds’ record very much" (P. Zollo, "Songwriters On Songwriting," 1988).
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Lyrics:
To everything (Turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (Turn, turn, turn)
And a time to every purpose under heaven
A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep
To everything (Turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (Turn, turn, turn)
And a time to every purpose under heaven
A time to build up, a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones
A time to gather stones together
To everything (Turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (Turn, turn, turn)
And a time to every purpose under heaven
A time of love, a time of hate
A time of war, a time of peace
A time you may embrace
A time to refrain from embracing
To everything (Turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (Turn, turn, turn)
And a time to every purpose under heaven
A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time of love, a time of hate
A time of peace, I swear it's not too late
To everything (Turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (Turn, turn, turn)
And a time to every purpose under heaven
45
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3
comments
Truckin' - Grateful Dead, The (cover-live by Bill Sharkey)
Aloha Everyone:
My upcoming performances:
Every Saturday & Sunday, 5:30-7:30pm at Chicken In A Barrel BBQ Wahiawa, 167 S Kamehameha Hwy, Wahiawa, HI.
Every Wednesday, 5:30-7:30pm at Puka's Bar & Grill Courtyard, Kahala Mall.
Themes for Puka's Bar & Grill:
Apr 03rd 1950s-1990s: Various Artists
Apr 10th 1950s-1990s: Songs of Love
Apr 17th 1950s-1990s: Various Artists
Apr 24st 1950s-1990s: Spotlight on the group America
Come out and enjoy the outdoor venues, food and drinks, and sing along to the songs of the '50s, '60s, '70s, and 80s. Hope to see you there.
Truckin' (Grateful Dead, The, 1970). Live cover performance by Bill Sharkey, Chicken In A Barrel BBQ, Wahiawa, HI. 2024-03-23. "Keeping the Oldies Alive"
"Truckin'" was the Grateful Dead's second entree onto the Billboard Hot 100 chart hitting the #64 position in 1971 (Whitburn, 2013). The song was a group project with Garcia, Weir, and Lesh providing the music, while Hunter provided the lyrics (D. Dodd, dead.net, Oct. 24, 2013). The song closed out the "American Beauty" album, which was released the previous year (Whitburn, 2009). The album cut was quite a bit longer than the single version performed here with a number of additional verses clocking in at 5:05 (allmusic.com, 2021; deaddisc.com, 2021). Truckin'" is an autobiographical picture painted by the band about their touring experiences (songfacts.com, 2021). “'Truckin’' was first performed on August 18, 1970, at the Fillmore West. The show opened with an acoustic set, and 'Truckin’" was their opening song (D. Dodd, dead.net, Oct. 24, 2013).
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Lyrics:
Truckin', got my chips cashed in
Keep truckin', like the do-dah man
Together, more or less in line
Just keep truckin' on
Arrows of neon and flashing marquees out on Main Street
Chicago, New York, Detroit and it's all on the same street
Your typical city involved in a typical daydream
Hang it up and see what tomorrow brings
Dallas, got a soft machine
Houston, too close to New Orleans
New York got the ways and means
But just won't let you be
What in the world ever became of sweet Jane?
She lost her sparkle, you know she isn't the same
Livin' on reds, vitamin C, and cocaine
All a friend can say is, "Ain't it a shame?"
Truckin', up to Buffalo
Been thinkin', you got to mellow slow
It takes time, you pick a place to go
And just keep truckin' on
You're sick of hangin' around and you'd like to travel
Get tired of travelin', you want to settle down
I guess they can't revoke your soul for tryin'
Get out of the door and light out and look all around
Sometimes the light's all shinin' on me
Other times, I can barely see
Lately, it occurs to me
What a long, strange trip it's been
Truckin', I'm a goin' home
Whoa, whoa, baby, back where I belong
Back home, sit down and patch my bones
And get back truckin' on
93
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4
comments
Fly Like An Eagle - The Steve Miller Band / Seal (cover-live by Bill Sharkey)
Fly Like An Eagle (Steve Miller Band, The, 1976; Seal, 1996). Live cover performance by Bill Sharkey, Home Studio, Hawaii Kai, HI. 2024-03-26. "Keeping the Oldies Alive"
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"Fly Like An Eagle," written by Steve Miller, was the band's third top 20 hit rising to no. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1976; twenty years later, 1996, English singer Seal had his third and final top 20 hit with his version of the song, which rose to no. 10 on the chart (Whitburn, 2013). In 2008, Miller stated "'Fly Like An Eagle' is always about 12 minutes long (in concert). We have always built our recordings so they have room for spontaneity. My jazz and blues influence is what started us as a jam band originally. 'Fly Like An Eagle' was developed over a period of time as a jam. To me it's much more interesting to see a musician be spontaneous than it is to see someone perform perfectly something they do note for note the same way every night" (songfacts, 2024). Seal's version of the song was featured in the 1996 film "Space Jam" (T. Benitez-Eves, americansongwriter, 2023).
Lyrics:
(Tick tock tick) Doo doo doo-doo
(Tick tock tick) Doo doo doo-doo
(Tick tock tick) Doo doo doo-doo
(Tick tock tick) Doo doo doo-doo
Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'
Into the future
Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'
Into the future
I want to fly like an eagle
To the sea
Fly like an eagle
Let my spirit carry me
I want to fly like an eagle
'Till I'm free
Oh, Lord, through the revolution
Feed the babies
Who don't have enough to eat
Shoe the children
With no shoes on their feet
House the people
Livin' in the street
Oh, oh, there's a solution
I want to fly like an eagle
To the sea
Fly like an eagle
Let my spirit carry me
I want to fly like an eagle
'Till I'm free
Right through the revolution
Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'
Into the future
Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'
Into the future
Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'
Into the future
Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'
Into the future
Doo doo n-doo-doo, doo doo n-doo-doo
Doo doo n-doo-doo, doo doo n-doo-doo
Doo doo n-doo-doo, doo doo n-doo-doo
Doo doo n-doo-doo, doo doo n-doo-doo
I want to fly like an eagle
To the sea
Fly like an eagle
Let my spirit carry me
I want to fly like an eagle
'Till I'm free
Right through the revolution
(Tick tock tick) Doo doo doo-doo
(Tick tock tick)
(Tick tock tick) Doo doo doo-doo
(Tick tock tick) Doo doo doo-doo
(Tick tock tick) Doo doo doo-doo
Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'
Into the future
Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'
Into the future
197
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Tonite Tonite - Mello-Kings (cover-live by Bill Sharkey)
Tonite Tonite (Mello-Kings, 1957). Live performance by Bill Sharkey, Live cover performance by Bill Sharkey, Home Studio, Hawaii Kai, HI. 2024-03-24. "Keeping the Oldies Alive"
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"Tonite Tonite," written by Billy Myles, was the Mello-Kings' only entry onto the Billboard Hot 100 chart; it first charted in 1957, where it stalled at the no. 77 position (although it did remain on the chart for 10 weeks) and then again charting in 1961, but lasted only one week on the chart at no. 95 (Whitburn, 2013). Even so, the song managed to sell more than two million copies (Warner, 2006). Mello-Kings were a doo-wop group hailing from Mt. Vernon, Westchester County, New York (allmusic, 2024). According to Jay Warner in the book "American Singing Groups," they were the "blackest-sounding white groups of the '50s" (2006, p. 254). Song writer Billy Myles was a staff writer for the Herald label on which the Mello-Kings were originally signed (last, 2008).
Lyrics:
Tonite, tonite
While I'm holding you so near
Tonite, tonite
What I'd give if I could hear
Those three little words
That would thrill the heart of me
Just whisper "I love you"
And will eternally
Tonite, tonite
More than any time before
This heart of mine
Seems to need you so much more
The touch of your lips
The thrill of your embrace
Keeps saying that
No one will ever take your place
While looking up above
I wished upon a star
And prayed for a blessing from above
Well if my wish should come true
Until our life is through
To have you near to have to hold and to love
Well, tonite, tonite
May never reach an end
I'll miss you so
Til you're in my arms again
With all of my heart
I declare with all my might
I'll love you forever
As I love you tonight
Tonite, tonite
May never reach an end
I'll miss you so
Til you're in my arms again
With all of my heart
I declare with all my might
I'll love you forever
As I love you tonight
27
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Gloria - Them / Shadows of Knight (cover-live by Bill Sharkey)
Gloria (Them, 1965; Shadows of Knight, The, 1966). Live cover performance by Bill Sharkey, Home Studio, Hawaii Kai, HI. 2024-03-21. "Keeping the Oldies & Classics Alive"
"Gloria," written by Van Morrison, was Them's first entry onto the Billboard Hot 100 chart stalling at no. 93 and remaining on the chart for only one week in May of 1965; however, the Shadows of Knight recorded the song the following year and had a top 20 hit with the song, which rose to the no. 10 position on the Billboard chart in 1966. Becuase of the success of the Shadows' version, Them rereleased their original version a month later, though their version still was only able to move up to no. 71 on the chart (Whitburn, 2013). According to Morrison, "the song was titled after his cousin Gloria, who was 13 years older. The song is not about her though" (songfacts, 2024). In 1999, "Gloria" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame (Whituburn, 2013), and it is listed on the "Rolling Stone's" 500 Greatest Songs of All Time at #211 (rollingstone, 2003).
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Lyrics:
Like to tell you 'bout my baby
You know she comes round
Just 'bout five feet four
From her head to the ground
Well she comes around here
Just about midnight
She makes me feel so good Lord
Makes me feel alright.
Her name is G-L-O-R-I-A
Gloria, Gloria, Gloria...
Yeah, she comes around here
Just about midnight
Makes me feel so good Lord
Makes me feel alright
Walkin' down my street
Comes up to my house
She knocks upon me door
Makes me feel alright.
Her name is G-L-O-R-I-A
Gloria, Gloria, Gloria...
46
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Layla - Eric Clapton (cover-live by Bill Sharkey)
Layla (Eric Clapton, 1992). Live cover performance by Bill Sharkey, Home Studio, Hawaii Kai, HI. 2024-03-18. "Keeping the Oldies & Classics Alive"
"Layla," written by Eric Clapton and Jim Gordon, was released on Clapton's "MTV Unplugged" LP and as a single; the single rose to the no. 12 position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the winter of 1992 (Whitburn, 2013). Clapton has reported that the song was written for Pattie (nee Boyd) Harrison, his close friend George Harrison's wife at the time, and Clapton's future wife. Pattie told "The Guardian:" "I wasn't so happy when Eric wrote 'Layla,' while I was still married to George. I felt I was being exposed. I was amazed and thrilled at the song - it was so passionate and devastatingly dramatic - but I wanted to hang on to my marriage. Eric made this public declaration of love. I resisted his attentions for a long time - I didn't want to leave my husband. But obviously when things got so excruciatingly bad for George and me it was the end of our relationship. We both had to move on. Layla was based on a book by a 12th-century Persian poet called Nizami about a man who is in love with an unobtainable woman. The song was fantastically painful and beautiful" (The Guardian, Dec. 13, 2008). Pattie and Eric married in 1979 and divorced in 1989 (history, 2009). The MTV version of the song won a Grammy for Best Rock Song in 1993 (J. Uitti, americansongwriter, 2023).
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Lyrics:
What'll you do when you get lonely
And nobody's waiting by your side?
You've been running and hiding much too long.
You know it's just your foolish pride.
Layla, you've got me on my knees.
Layla, I'm begging, darling please.
Layla, darling won't you ease my worried mind.
I tried to give you consolation
When your old man had let you down.
Like a fool, I fell in love with you,
Turned my whole world upside down.
Layla, you've got me on my knees.
Layla, I'm begging, darling please.
Layla, darling won't you ease my worried mind.
Let's make the best of the situation
Before I finally go insane.
Please don't say I'll never find a way
And tell me all my love's in vain.
Layla, you've got me on my knees.
Layla, I'm begging, darling please.
Layla, darling won't you ease my worried mind.
Layla, you've got me on my knees.
Layla, I'm begging, darling please.
Layla, darling won't you ease my worried mind.
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Sounds of Silence, The - Simon & Garfunkel (cover-live by Bill Sharkey)
Sounds of Silence, The (Simon & Garfunkel, 1965). Live cover performance by Bill Sharkey, Home Studio, Hawaii Kai, HI. 2024-03-14. "Keeping the Oldies & Classics Alive"
"The Sounds of Silence," written by Paul Simon, was Simon & Garfunkel's first release and it hit the no. 1 position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1965-1966 (Whitburn, 2013). The song was released in 1964 on the duo's debut album "Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M." with the title "The Sound of Silence;" the song was remixed and released as a single the following year and was printed as "The Sounds of Silence." The new remixed version was then added to their 2nd album titled "Sounds of Silence," which was released in 1966 (Whitburn, 2006). According to Simon, "It's a young lyric, but not bad for a 21-year-old. It's not a sophisticated thought, but a thought that I gathered from some college reading material or something. It wasn't something that I was experiencing at some deep, profound level - nobody's listening to me, nobody's listening to anyone - it was a post-adolescent angst, but it had some level of truth to it and it resonated with millions of people" (songfacts, 2023). "Despite its great popularity, Blender magazine voted [the song] the 42nd worst song ever, remarking sardonically that 'If Frasier Crane were a song, he would sound like this'"(songfacts, 2023).
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Lyrics:
Hello darkness, my old friend
I've come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence
In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone
'Neath the halo of a street lamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence
And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never share
No one dared
Disturb the sound of silence
"Fools" said I, "You do not know
Silence like a cancer grows
Hear my words that I might teach you
Take my arms that I might reach you"
But my words like silent raindrops fell
And echoed in the wells of silence
And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made
And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming
And the sign said, "The words of the prophets
Are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls"
And whispered in the sounds of silence
183
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Love Is in the Air - John Paul Young (cover-live by Bill Sharkey)
Love Is in the Air (John Paul Young, 1978). Live cover performance by Bill Sharkey, Home Studio, Hawaii Kai, HI. 2024-03-11. "Keeping the Oldies & Classics Alive"
"Love Is in the Air," written by Harry Vanda and George Young, was John Paul Young's only top 40 hit in the US rising to the no. 7 position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1978 (Whitburn, 2013), and it landed at no. 3 on the Australian chart, no. 5 on the UK Singles Chart (fandom, 2024) and no. 1 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart (National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, 2017). Additionally, in 2017, the song was selected for preservation in the National Film and Sound Archive's Sounds of Australia collection (nfsa, 2017). "In 1992 it became the theme song to Baz Luhrmann's debut feature 'Strictly Ballroom;' the ‘Ballroom Mix’ climbed the Australian charts and helped make ‘Love is in the Air’ the 'Most played Australian song overseas'" (nfsa, 2017).
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Lyrics:
Love is in the air
Everywhere I look around
Love is in the air
Every sight and every sound
And I don't know if I'm being foolish
Don't know if I'm being wise
But it's something that I must believe in
And it's there when I look in your eyes
Love is in the air
In the whisper of the trees
Love is in the air
In the thunder of the sea
And I don't know if I'm just dreaming
Don't know if I feel sane
But it's something that I must believe in
And it's there when you call out my name
Love is in the air
Love is in the air
Love is in the air
In the rising of the sun
Love is in the air
When the day is nearly done
And I don't know if you're an illusion
Don't know if I see it true
But you're something that I must believe in
And you're there when I reach out for you
Love is in the air
Everywhere I look around
Love is in the air
Every sight and every sound
And I don't know if I'm being foolish
Don't know if I'm being wise
But it's something that I must believe in
And it's there when I look in your eyes
Love is in the air
Love is in the air
Love is in the air
Love is in the air
215
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Snoopy vs the Red Baron - Royal Guardsmen, The (cover-live by Bill Sharkey)
Snoopy vs the Red Baron (Royal Guardsmen, The, 1966). Live cover performance by Bill Sharkey, Home Studio, Hawaii Kai, HI. 2024-03-06. "Keeping the Oldies & Classics Alive"
"Snoopy vs the Red Baron," written by Phil Gernhard and Dick Holler, was The Royal Guardsmen's first release and their first entry onto the Billboard Hot 100 chart rising to no. 2 in 1966 (Whitburn, 2013). Due to possible copyright issues and the possibility of a lawsuit, they decided to record the song with alternate lyrics just in case they were unable to secure the rights to use the Snoopy references, and instead used "Squeaky vs the Black Knight" (Songfacts, 2024); Squeaky was a bucktooth beaver. Co-writer Dick Holler stated that "Peanuts/Snoopy" creator, Charles Schultz, was initially against the band using Snoopy in the song; he didn't like the song and he didn't like the group (D. Paulson, Nashville Tennessean, Oct 22, 2020); however, according to an interview with author David Manning White in 1975, Charles Schultz said "'We threatened to put a stop to (the record) until we were included in the success.' The band never met Snoopy's creator, though Chris says, 'We heard through our label (Laurie) and producer that Charles Schultz liked our songs'" (songfacts, 2024). Barry Winslow, lead vocalist and guitarist, once remarked that "It was probably Charles Schulz's lawyers that did the suing. I don't think Charles really cared either way" (J. Osborne, tampabay, Jan. 22, 2005); "His lawyers smelled money and, whether Charles cared or not, the lawyers put a ding in us!" (E. Tucker, crazedfanboy, 2006). Regardless, Winslow said that Schulz eventually allowed the use of Snoopy in the song, advertising, album cover art, and so on after being paid a "pretty healthy chunk of money" (J. Osborne, tampabay, Jan. 22, 2005). As an aside, "the song begins with a background commentary in faux German: 'Achtung! Jetzt wir singen zusammen die Geschichte über den Schweinköpfigen Hund und den lieben Red Baron,' which is a purposeful mistranslation of the English: 'Attention! We will now sing together the story of that pig-headed dog [Snoopy] and the beloved Red Baron' (Wikipedia, 2024).
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Lyrics:
After the turn of the century
In the clear blue skies over Germany
Came a roar and a thunder men had never heard
Like the screamin' sound of a big war bird
Up in the sky, a man in a plane
Baron von Richthofen was his name
Eighty men tried, and eighty men died
Now they're buried together on the countryside
Ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty or more
The Bloody Red Baron was rollin' up the score
Eighty men died tryin' to end that spree
Of the Bloody Red Baron of Germany
In the nick of time, a hero arose
A funny-looking dog with a big black nose
He flew into the sky to seek revenge
But the Baron shot him down ("Curses, foiled again!")
Ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty or more
The Bloody Red Baron was rollin' up the score
Eighty men died tryin' to end that spree
Of the Bloody Red Baron of Germany
Now, Snoopy had sworn that he'd get that man
So he asked the Great Pumpkin for a new battle plan
He challenged the German to a real dogfight
While the Baron was laughing, he got him in his sight
That Bloody Red Baron was in a fix
He'd tried everything, but he'd run out of tricks
Snoopy fired once, and he fired twice
And that Bloody Red Baron went spinning out of sight
Ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty or more
The Bloody Red Baron was rollin' up the score
Eighty men died tryin' to end that spree
Of the Bloody Red Baron of Germany
Ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty or more
The Bloody Red Baron was rollin' up the score
Eighty men died tryin' to end that spree
Of the Bloody Red Baron of Germany
117
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