A Review of Famous Songs of the Past “Fascinating Facts” August 2017
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Daily Sparkle CD - A Review of Famous Songs of the Past “Fascinating Facts” August 2017 Track 1 Summertime Blues Summertime Blues is a song co-written and recorded by American rockabilly artist Eddie Cochran. Edward Raymond "Eddie" Cochran (October 3, 1938 – April 17, 1960) was an American musician. Cochran's rockabilly songs, such as "Summertime Blues", "C'mon Everybody", and "Somethin' Else", captured teenage frustration and desire in the mid-1950s and early 1960s. He was involved with music from an early age, playing in the school band and teaching himself to play blues guitar as well as piano, bass and drums. His image as a sharply dressed and good-looking young man with a rebellious attitude epitomized the stance of the 1950s rocker, and in death he achieved an iconic status. Cochran died at age 21 after a road accident, while travelling in a taxi in Chippenham, Wiltshire, during his British tour in April 1960, having just performed at Bristol's Hippodrome theatre. Though his best-known songs were released during his lifetime, more of his songs were released posthumously. Track 2 Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer is a song on the 1963 album of the same name by Nat King Cole, Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. He owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres. He was one of the first black Americans to host a television variety show. Cole fought racism all his life and rarely performed in segregated venues. In 1948, Cole purchased a house in an all-white neighbourhood of Los Angeles. The Ku Klux Klan, still active in Los Angeles well into the 1950s, responded by placing a burning cross on his front lawn. Members of the property-owners association told Cole they did not want any undesirables moving in. Cole retorted, "Neither do I. And if I see anybody undesirable coming in here, I'll be the first to complain." Cole maintained worldwide popularity throughout his life and even since his death. Track 3 We’re Gonna Hang out the Washing On The Siegfried Line We're Going to Hang out the Washing on the Siegfried Line is a popular song by Ulster songwriter Jimmy Kennedy, written whilst he was a Captain in the British Expeditionary Force during the early stages of the Second World War, with music by Michael Carr. The Siegfried Line was a chain of fortifications along Germany's Western border, analogous to the Maginot Line in France. The song was used as a morale-booster during the war, particularly up to and during the Battle of France. Arthur Bowden Askey CBE (6 June 1900 – 16 November 1982) was a prominent English comedian and actor. Askey's humour owed much to the playfulness of the characters he portrayed, his improvisation, and his use of catchphrases, which included "Hello playmates!", "I thank you" (pronounced "Ay-Thang-Yaw"), and "Before your very eyes”. He served in the armed forces in World War I and performed in army entertainments. After working as a clerk for Liverpool Corporation, Education Department, he was in a touring concert party and the music halls, but he rose to stardom in 1938 through his role in the first regular radio comedy series, Band Waggon on the BBC. He continues working right up until his death. Track 4 Sugaree This version of Sugaree is a cover of The Jordanaires and Marvin Hughes' Orchestra's "Sugaree". Dennis Lotis (born 8 March 1925) is a South African-born British singer, actor and entertainer, whose popularity was greatest in the 1950s. He was described as having a sophisticated style that was particularly attractive to the young female population. He went solo in the mid-1950s, and became one of the most successful acts on the British variety circuit, also appearing frequently on BBC radio. He appeared in his first Royal Variety Performance in 1957, and that year was voted Top Male Singer. He also toured the US with the Ted Heath Orchestra. He recorded in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He later established his own antiques and restaurant business in Tring. Track 5 Lullaby in Ragtime A song by Danny Kaye released in 1959. Danny Kaye (born David Daniel Kaminsky; January 18, 1913 – March 3, 1987)[2] was a celebrated American actor, singer, dancer, and comedian. His best known performances featured physical comedy, idiosyncratic pantomimes, and rapid-fire nonsense songs. His films were extremely popular, especially his bravura performances of patter songs and children's favourites such as "Inchworm" and "The Ugly Duckling". He was the first ambassador-at-large of UNICEF in 1954 and received the French Legion of Honour in 1986 for his many years of work with the organisation. Track 6 Men of Harlech Is a song and military march which is traditionally said to describe events during the seven-year siege of Harlech Castle between 1461 and 1468. The song occupies an important place in Welsh national culture. The song gained international recognition when it was featured prominently in the 1964 film Zulu. John Barry, OBE ( 3 November 1933 – 30 January 2011)was an English composer and conductor of film music. He composed the soundtracks for 11 of the James Bond films between 1963 and 1987. He wrote the scores to the award winning films Midnight Cowboy, Dances with Wolves and Out of Africa, in a career spanning over 50 years. In 1999 he was appointed OBE at Buckingham Palace for services to music. Born in York, Barry spent his early years working in cinemas owned by his father. During his national service with the British Army in Cyprus, Barry began performing as a musician after learning to play the trumpet. Upon completing his national service, he formed his own band in 1957, The John Barry Seven. He later developed an interest in composing and arranging music, making his début for television in 1958. He received many awards for his work, including five Academy Awards. Track 7 Heart of My Heart The music and lyrics were written by Ben Ryan (1892–1968) in 1926. It reminisces about singing a song called "Heart of My Heart" in a youthful quartet. Max Bygraves OBE (born Walter William Bygraves on 16 October 1922) is an English comedian, singer, actor and variety performer. He appeared on his own television shows, sometimes performing comedy sketches between songs. Shows he presented included the game show Family Fortunes. Bygraves was born the son of poor parents in London, England. His father was a pro boxer, known as Battling Tom Smith, and a casual dockworker. Bygraves later changed his name from Walter William to Max after comedian Max Miller. Track 8 Seven Little Girls Seven Little Girls (Sitting in the Back Seat) was a hit song written by Bob Hilliard and Lee Pockriss in the late 1950s. Paul Evans (born March 5, 1938 in Queens, New York) is an American rock and roll singer and songwriter, who was most prominent in the 1950s and 1960s. As a performer, he had hits with the songs "Seven Little Girls (Sitting in the Back Seat)" (his biggest hit), "Midnight Special" and "Happy-Go-Lucky Me". As a songwriter Evans' songs were performed by numerous performers, including Elvis Presley, Jimmy Dean and Pat Boone. Track 9 Almost Like Being In Love Almost Like Being in Love is a popular song published in 1947. The music was written by Frederick Loewe, and the lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. The song was made popular by David Brooks and Marion Bell in the 1947 musical Brigadoon. It was later performed in the1954 film version by Gene Kelly. Edmund James Arthur Hockridge (9 August 1919 – 15 March 2009) was a Canadian baritone and actor who had an active performance career in musicals, operas, concerts, plays and on radio. Track 10 It Ain’t Necessarily So It Ain't Necessarily So is a popular song with music by George Gershwin and lyrics by Ira Gershwin. The song comes from the Gershwins' opera Porgy and Bess (1935) where it is sung by the character Sportin' Life, a drug dealer, who expresses his doubt about several statements in the Bible. The opera Porgy and Bess deals with African-American life in the fictitious Catfish Row which was based on the area of Cabbage Row in Charleston, South Carolina, in the early 1920s. Paul Leroy Robeson (April 9, 1898 – January 23, 1976) was an American singer and actor who was a political activist for the Civil Rights Movement. His advocacy of anti-imperialism, affiliation with Communism, and criticism of the US brought retribution from the government and public condemnation. He was blacklisted, and to his financial and social detriment, he refused to rescind his stand on his beliefs and remained opposed to the direction of US policies. Robeson won a scholarship to Rutgers University, where he was a football All- American and class valedictorian. He graduated from Columbia Law School while playing in the National Football League (NFL) and singing and acting in off- campus productions. After theatrical performances in The Emperor Jones and All God's Chillun Got Wings he became an integral part of the Harlem Renaissance. Track 11 Downtown Downtown was composed by Tony Hatch and recorded by Petula Clark. It became an international hit in 1964. In the fall of 1964 Hatch had made his first visit to New York City seeking material.