Medium photo 1961 RayCharles piano France 1500 crop 1

the #1 hit records on the pop charts 1961

THIS IS THE SECOND in a series of ten articles listing and addressing the #1 records of the year as they appeared on Cash Box magazine’s Top 100 chart from 1960 through 1969. It was originally published as “Take Good Care Of Runaround Sue” on my publication Tell It Like It Was on Medium on January 15, 2019. [Read more] “the #1 hit records on the pop charts 1961”

BrendaLee 1960 piano Billboard 1500

the #1 hit records on the pop charts 1960

THIS IS THE FIRST in a series of ten articles listing and addressing the #1 records of the year as they appeared on Cash Box magazine’s Top 100 chart from 1960 through 1969. It was originally published as “Save The Last Twist For Me” on my publication Tell It Like It Was on Medium on January 1, 2019. [Read more] “the #1 hit records on the pop charts 1960”

Beatles Rishikesh Ashram Sajish 4 1500 crop

in search of the lost mentor (beatles ’68 part 2)

MAHARISHI MAHESH YOGI played an important role in the Beatles career, one that has been shoved aside by fans and historians. If you were of age and paying attention in 1968, the Maharishi was the Big Poobah in the Fab Four’s lives, at least for a while. [Read more] “in search of the lost mentor (beatles ’68 part 2)”

BeachBoys on stage 1971 1500

was beach boy mike love one of rock & roll’s greatest frontmen?

OPINION QUESTIONS are big on Quora and I try to provide answers that are accurate but somewhat off the beaten path. The question I received this morning was, “Who are the all-time great frontmen in music?” I read the question as who are the great lead singers of rock groups, as both vocal and visual performers. [Read more] “was beach boy mike love one of rock & roll’s greatest frontmen?”

PatBoone 1955 PublicityPhoto 1500

should pat boone be in the rock & roll hall of fame?

THE QUESTION ON QUORA was “Who was the first rock & roll superstar to be discarded and forgotten to time?” I answered with Bill Haley, Pat Boone, and Connie Francis. Each singer was a big star in their heyday—the word “superstar” did not exist then—but each has been under-appreciated by most critics and historians since rock & roll became self-reflective decades ago. [Read more] “should pat boone be in the rock & roll hall of fame?”

ConnieFrancis 1961 1500 crop

should connie francis be in the rock & roll hall of fame?

THE READERS AT QUORA have been keeping me busy—once I answered a question or two intelligently and fairly, I’ve been getting requests to answer others. Answer one question, and another pops up, even if it wasn’t asked directly of me. Many questions I just pass by, but this one was right in my ballpark: “Why isn’t Connie Francis in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?” [Read more] “should connie francis be in the rock & roll hall of fame?”

FatsDomino EP 2 1500

antoine “fats” domino has left new orleans for the last time

I NEVER THOUGHT of Antoine “Fats” Domino as a rock & roll artist. I thought he was a rhythm & blues-based artist, maybe a boogie-woogie artist, definitely a New Orleans artist. For some reason, white teenagers in the ’50s glommed onto him and the rest is rock & roll history.

I mean, yeah, when I was a kid inheriting my Aunt Judy’s 45 collection, I thought everything in it was rock & roll, from great stuff like Fats and the Platters to Fabian and silly jive like Who put the bomp in the bomp-bah-bomp-bah-bomp, who put the ram in the rama-lama-ding-dong? [Read more] “antoine “fats” domino has left new orleans for the last time”

Elvis 1956 tuxedo dog 1200x800dark

what exactly was a “rock & roll album” in those days?

WHAT EXACTLY IS A ROCK & ROLL ALBUM? To answer that question, we need to answer another: What is rock & roll music? After sixty years, we still don’t have a definition that everyone agrees with! Arguments about its definition and its origin in the early ’50s—no wait, was it the late ’40s?—have [Read more] “what exactly was a “rock & roll album” in those days?”

FatsDomino 1955 color 1500

rock and rollin’ with fats domino at wikipedia

I’M WORKING ON A PIECE titled “What Was the First Rock & Roll LP Album of the ’50s?” At one point, I turned to Wikipedia for information to determine the release date of Fats Domino’s first album, Rock And Rollin’ With Fats Domino. I wasn’t prepared for what I found—although I should have been. [Read more] “rock and rollin’ with fats domino at wikipedia”

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