By 1971, the non-stop run of hit albums and singles by Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass was becoming a distant memory. In fact, Alpert was more intent on producing other artists and running his mega-successful A&M record label than going into the studio to record new material, especially if it was under the Tijuana […]
Song Of The Day – “MacArthur Park” by Richard Harris
Who knows what was going on in songwriter Jimmy Webb’s mind when he wrote the somewhat nonsensical lyrics to this song, but one thing for sure is that it is a classic brought to the upper regions of the charts not once but twice. Richard Harris was known primarily as an actor and not a […]
3D Year End Bells
I’m everybody’s Uncle Marty, this is The Award Winning 3D RadioActivity number 515, and our last gathering of twenty nineteen as we ring out the old year with a variety of tunes that toll. Every number this time will have a BELL calling in the title, lyrics or the name of the artist in order to provide the utmost in your […]
Song Of The Day – “Calcutta!” by Lawrence Welk
Instrumental week continues… Wunnerful…wunnerful…this groovetastic little number conjures visions of Gomez and Morticia dancing up a storm in their creepy parlour while Lurch serenades them on the harpsichord. I’m not sure if this Lawrence Welk ditty was ever used on The Addams Family, or if it’s just something I’ve yanked from the cobwebs of my […]
Song Of The Day – “Love Is Blue” by Paul Mauriat
We’ve all heard about the British Invasion in rock music that took place in the early 1960s, but what about the late ‘60s French Invasion? Never heard of it? That’s because it consisted of only one record by one artist. OK, technically you could argue that Petula Clark was also part of the French Invasion, […]
Song Of The Day – “Bond Street” by Enoch Light
Shagadelic indeed! Literally hundreds of records were released during the 1950s and 1960s carrying the Enoch Light name. Light was born in Ohio and led The Light Brigade, which was a big band that primarily played on the radio and in theaters that scored the 1937 hit “Summer Night.” After they disbanded, they became a […]
Song Of The Day – “Whipped Cream” by Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
Before forming the Tijuana Brass and a record company (A&M) that still lives today, Herb Alpert was best known for co-writing Sam Cooke’s “Wonderful World” and producing tracks for Jan & Dean. All that changed in 1962 when he recorded “The Lonely Bull” in his garage and gave birth to one of the biggest recording […]
Song Of The Day – “A Lot Of Livin’ To Do” by Sammy Davis, Jr.
It’s the wham of Sam, from the musical Bye Bye Birdie. Without Sammy Davis Jr., there wouldn’t have been a James Brown or Prince. He was clearly the most talented of the Rat Pack by a mile…could sing circles around Frank and Dino…and had the moves and comedic talents to make him the total entertainment […]
Song Of The Day – “Savoy Truffle” by Ella Fitzgerald
About a month ago, I featured Fats Domino’s recording of “Lady Madonna” from the 1969 album Fats Is Back. That record was produced by Richard Perry for Reprise Records, and today’s Song Of the Day follows Perry to the very next project he worked on, Ella by Ella Fitzgerald. Reprise records of the late ‘60s […]
Song Of the Day – “The Alley Cat” by Bent Fabric
Dance crazes come and go, but they are never forgotten. Today there’s Psy’s “Gangnam Style,” wreaking havoc across dance floors all over the world. In the 1990s, there was “The Macarena.” In the 1980s, country line dancing and “The Lambada” had their day in the sun, and the ‘70s gave us “The Electric Slide.” But […]
