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Home , Cara Mia, Charlie Drake, David Whitfield, Del Porter, Eric Fleming, Fred Godfrey

Daily Sparkle CD - A Review of Famous of the Past

“Fascinating Facts” May 2018

Track 1 My Very Good Friend The Milkman was a lyricist, widely regarded as one of the finest writers of popular songs in America between the 1920s and . In 1934, he and Harold Spina wrote "My Very Good Friend, the Milkman" which was a novelty hit for Fats Waller.

Fats Waller (May 21, 1904 – December 15, 1943), born Thomas Wright Waller, was a pianist, organist, composer, singer, and comedic entertainer. Waller was one of the most popular performers of his era, finding critical and commercial success in his homeland and in Europe. He was also a prolific and many songs he wrote or co-wrote are still popular, such as "Honeysuckle Rose", "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "Squeeze Me”. He was once ‘kidnapped’ by friends of Al Capone where he was taken at gunpoint to Al Capone’s birthday party where he was the surprise guest. Once he’d realised the gangsters weren’t going to kill him he played for 3 days earning thousands of dollars in tips! He enjoyed success touring the and Ireland in the 1930s. He appeared in several feature films and short subject films, most notably Stormy Weather in 1943, which was released July 21, just months before his death.

Track 2 Hound Dog Hound Dog is a twelve-bar blues by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. It was recorded by Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton in 1952. The song has been recorded more than 250 times with the best-known version being the July 1956 recording by Elvis Presley. From the 1970s onward, the song has been featured in numerous films, in Grease, Forrest Gump and Indiana Jones.

Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is commonly known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of " or simply "the King". Born in Tupelo, Mississippi, Presley moved to Memphis, Tennessee, with his family at the age of 13. He began his career there in 1954, working with Sun Records owner Sam Phillips, who wanted to bring the sound of African American music to a wider audience. His energised interpretations of songs, many from African American sources, and his uninhibited performance style made him enormously popular—and controversial. In November 1956, he made his film debut in Love Me Tender. Drafted into military service in 1958, Presley relaunched his recording career two years later with some of his most commercially successful work. In 1968, after seven years away from the stage, he returned to live performance in a celebrated comeback television special. Prescription drug abuse severely compromised his health, and he died suddenly in 1977 at the age of 42. Presley was also one of the first ‘celebrities’. At the age of 21, within a year of his first appearance on American network television, he was one of the most famous people in the world.

Track 03 The Biggest Aspidistra On The World Her most famous song, which became her theme, Sally, was worked into the title of her first film, Sally in Our Alley (1931), which was a major box o ce hit. Ironically, the final few lines of the song Sally were written by her husband's mistress, Annie Lipman, and Fields sang this song at nearly every performance she made from 1931 onwards – claiming in later life that she wanted to "Drown blasted Sally with Walter with the aspidistra on top!"

Dame Gracie Fields, DBE (born Grace Stansfield, 9 January 1898 – 27 September 1979), was an English-born, later Italian-based actress, singer and comedienne and star of both cinema and . One of her most successful productions was at the Alhambra Theatre, , in 1925. She made the first of ten appearances in Royal Variety Performances in 1928, following a premiere stint at the , gaining a devoted following with a mixture of self-deprecating jokes, comic songs and monologues, as well as cheerful "depression-era" songs all presented in a "no- airs-and-graces" Northern, working class style. At one point, Fields was playing three shows a night in London's West End. Fields had a great rapport with her audience, which helped her become one of Britain's highest paid performers, playing too sold out theatres across the country.

Track 04 Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t My Baby Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby is a 1944 song co-written by Jordan and Billy Austin. The phrase "Is you is or is you ain't" is dialect, apparently first recorded in a 1921 story by Octavus Roy Cohen, who wrote humorous black dialect fiction. recorded this song on a radio broadcast from Europe during World War II.

The Andrews Sisters were a highly successful close harmony group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras. The group consisted of three sisters: contralto LaVerne Sophia Andrews (1911 - 1967), soprano Maxene Angelyn Andrews ( 1916 - 1995), and mezzo-soprano Patricia Marie "Patty" Andrews (1918). Throughout their long career, the sisters sold well over 75 million records. Their 1941 hit Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy can be considered an early example of or jump blues. The Andrews Sisters' harmonies and songs are still influential today.

Track 05 The Story of My Life by Michael Holliday The Story of My Life is a popular song written by and and published in 1957. In the UK a version recorded by Michael Holliday reached Number 1 in 1958.

Norman Alexander Milne, known professionally as Michael Holliday (26 November 1924 – 29 October 1963 was a British crooner popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He had a string of chart hits in the pre-Beatles era in the UK, including "The Story of My Life" and "Starry Eyed". Michael Holliday was born in Liverpool, and brought up in Kirkdale. His career in music began by winning an amateur talent contest, ‘New Voices of Merseyside’, at the Locarno Ballroom in Liverpool. Holliday's style of singing was heavily influenced by , who was his idol. The style would earn him the title of "the British Bing Crosby". Holliday had an ongoing problem with stage fright, and had a mental breakdown in 1961. He died two years later, from a suspected drug overdose.

Track 06 All Through The Night All Through the Night is a Welsh folksong sung to a tune that was first recorded in Edward Jones' Musical and Poetical Relics of the Welsh Bards (1784). The Welsh lyrics were written by John Ceiriog Hughes, and has been translated into several languages, including English, most famously by Harry Boulton in 1884.

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 Renaissance.

Track 07 I Won’t Forget You I Won't Forget You is a single by American singer Jim Reeves. It was released in 1964

James Travis "Jim" Reeves (August 20, 1923 – July 31, 1964) was an American country and singer-songwriter. With records charting from the 1950s to the 1980s, he became well known as a practitioner of the Nashville sound (a mixture of older country-style music with elements of popular music). Known as "Gentleman Jim", his songs continued to chart for years after his death. Reeves died at age 40 in the crash of a private airplane.

Track 8 Moon River" is a song composed by with lyrics written by . It received an Academy Award for Best Original Song for its first performance by Audrey Hepburn in the 1961 movie Breakfast at Tiffany's. Since its original performance, the song has been covered by many other artists.

Patti Page Clara Ann Fowler (November 8, 1927 – January 1, 2013), known by her professional name Patti Page, was an American singer and one of the best-known female artists in traditional . She was the best- selling female artist of the 1950s, and sold over 100 million records. She was often introduced as "the Singin' Rage, Miss Patti Page". In 1950, she had her first million-selling single "With My Eyes Wide Open, I'm Dreaming", and would eventually have 14 additional million-selling singles between 1950 and 1965. Page's signature song, "Tennessee Waltz", recorded in 1950, was one of the biggest-selling singles of the 20th century, and is also one of the nine official state songs of Tennessee. Page had three additional No. 1 hit singles between 1950 and 1953, with "All My Love (Bolero)", "I Went to Your Wedding", and "(How Much Is That) Doggie in the Window". Unlike most pop music singers, Page blended the styles of into many of her most popular songs. Towards the 1970s, Page shifted her career towards country music. She was one of the few vocalists to have made the country charts in five separate decades.

Track 09 Why Do Fools Fall in Love is a song that was originally a hit for early New York City-based rock and roll group & the Teenagers in February 1956. It reached No. 1 and helped make Frankie Lymon a household name and would make him a rock and roll pioneer.

Frankie Lymon Franklin Joseph "Frankie" Lymon (September 30, 1942 – February 27, 1968) was an American rock and roll/rhythm and blues singer and songwriter, best known as the boy soprano lead singer of the New York City-based early rock and roll group, The Teenagers. The group was composed of five boys, all in their early to mid teens. The original lineup of the Teenagers, an integrated group, included three African American members, Frankie Lymon, and Sherman Garnes, and two Puerto Rican members, and Joe Negroni. The Teenagers' first single, 1956's "Why Do Fools Fall in Love", was also their biggest hit. After Lymon went solo in mid-1957, both his career and those of the Teenagers fell into decline. He was found dead at the age of 25 in his grandmother's bathroom from a heroin overdose. His life was dramatized in the 1998 film Why Do Fools Fall In Love.

Track 10 Let’s Face the Music and Dance A song written in 1936 by for the film Follow the Fleet, where it was introduced by Fred Astaire and featured in a celebrated dance duet with Astaire and . It is also used in Pennies from Heaven, where Astaire's voice is lip-synched by Steve Martin, and in a celebrated Morecambe and Wise sketch involving newsreader Angela Rippon.

Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute. He is particularly associated with Ginger Rogers, with whom he made ten films. Gene Kelly, another major innovator in filmed dance, said that "the history of dance on film begins with Astaire".

Track 11 Do Not Forsake Me The Ballad of (or "Do Not Forsake Me, O My Darlin' ") is a popular song published in 1952, with music by and lyrics by . It was introduced in the movie High Noon, sung over the opening credits by . It was awarded the 1952 Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Frankie Laine, born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio (March 30, 1913 - February 6, 2007), was a successful American singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spanned 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a marathon dance company to his final performance of "That's My Desire" in 2005. Often billed as America's Number One Song Stylist, his other nicknames include Mr. Rhythm, Old Leather Lungs, and Mr. Steel Tonsils. His hits included "That's My Desire," ", "Jezebel," "High Noon," "I Believe," "!," "The Kid's Last Fight," and ‘Rawhide," He sang well-known theme songs for many movie soundtracks, including 3:10 To Yuma, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and Blazing Saddles. Laine sang an eclectic variety of song styles and genres, stretching from big band crooning to pop, western-themed songs, gospel, rock, folk, jazz, and blues. He did not sing the soundtrack song for High Noon, which was sung by Tex Ritter, but his own version was the one that became a bigger hit, nor did he sing the theme to another show he is commonly associated with—Champion the Wonder Horse (sung by Mike Stewart)—but released his own, subsequently more popular version.

Track 12 A Picture Of You A song released by Joe Brown in 1962.

Joe Roger Brown, MBE (born 13 May 1941) is an English entertainer. He has worked as a rock and roll singer and guitarist for more than five decades. He was a stage and television performer in the late 1950s and a UK recording star in the early 1960s.He has made six films, presented specialist radio series for BBC Radio 2, appeared on the West End stage alongside Dame Anna Neagle. Brown's recording band was a collection of session musicians, and was named the Bruvvers by Jack Good to give Brown the identity of having his own backing band for record releases.

Track 13 Roamin’ In The Gloamin’ Roamin' In The Gloamin' is a popular love song written by Sir Harry Lauder in 1911. The song tells of a man and his sweetheart courting in the evening.

Sir Henry "Harry" Lauder (4 August 1870 – 26 February 1950) was an international Scottish entertainer, described by Sir Winston Churchill as "Scotland's greatest ever ambassador” He was born in Edinburgh and worked in the flax and coal mines. Lauder sang as he worked in the coal mines to help relieve the arduous nature of the work, and his fellow workers encouraged him to sing in local halls. In 1912, he was top of the bill at Britain’s first ever Royal Command Variety performance, in front of King George V. He was Britain’s best-known entertainer. His understanding of life, its pathos and joys, endeared him to all. Lauder usually performed in full 'Highland' regalia—Kilt, Sporran, Tam o' Shanter, and twisted walking stick—singing Scottish-themed songs (Roamin' in the Gloamin' etc.). Sir Harry wrote most of his own songs, favourites of which were Roamin' in the Gloamin', I Love a Lassie, A Wee Deoch-an-Doris, and Keep Right on to the End of the Road.

Track 14 Bless ‘Em All by Bless 'Em All is a war song credited to have been written by Fred Godfrey in 1917 and first recorded by George Formby, Jr. in 1940.Godfrey claimed to have thought up the lyrics for the song while serving with the Royal Naval Air Service at Dunkirk during the First World War, recalling in a 1941 letter to the Daily Mirror: "I wrote “Bless ’Em All” while serving in the old R.N.A.S. in France in 1916.

George Formby, OBE (born George Hoy Booth; 26 May 1904 – 6 March 1961), was an English actor, singer-songwriter and comedian who became known to a worldwide audience through his films of the 1930s and 1940s. On stage, screen and record he sang light, comical songs, usually playing the ukulele or banjolele, and became the UK's highest-paid entertainer. After an early career as a stable boy and jockey, Formby took to the music hall stage. During the Second World War, Formby worked extensively for the Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA), and entertained civilians and troops. By 1946, it was estimated that he had performed in front of three million service personnel.

After the war his career declined, although he toured the Commonwealth, and continued to appear in variety and pantomime. His last television appearance was in December 1960. He died in Preston three weeks later, at the age of 56. George Formby was to embody simultaneously Lancashire, the working classes, the people, and the nation. He was considered Britain's first properly home-grown screen comedian. He was an influence on future comedians— particularly Charlie Drake and Norman Wisdom—and, culturally, on entertainers such as the Beatles, who referred to him in their music.

Track 15 Toot Toot Tootsie The song Toot, Toot, Tootsie was first performed by Al Jolson in 1921. It was covered by Tony Bennett, Jerry Lee Lewis, Brenda Lee and 4 others.

Al Jolson (May 26, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was an American singer, comedian, and actor. In his heyday, he was dubbed "The World's Greatest Entertainer" His performing style was brash and extroverted, and he popularized a large number of songs. In the 1930s, he was America's most famous and highest paid entertainer. Although he's best remembered today as the star in the first (full length) talking movie, The Jazz Singer in 1927, he later starred in a series of successful musical films throughout the 1930s. After a period of inactivity, his stardom returned with the 1946 Oscar-winning biographical film, The Jolson Story. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Jolson became the first star to entertain troops overseas during World War II. He died just weeks after returning to the U.S., partly due to the physical exertion of performing.

Track 16 Dream A Little Dream Of Me Dream a Little Dream of Me was originally recorded by Ozzie Nelson and his Orchestra in 1931. It was also recorded for the Mamas & the Papas in April 1968. The group had often sung the song for fun, having been familiarised with it by member Michelle Phillips, whose father had been friends with the song's co- writer, Fabian Andre.

The Mamas & the Papas were an American/Canadian vocal group who came to prominence in the 1960s. The group recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968. They have sold nearly 40 million records worldwide. Their signature sound was based on four-part male/female vocal harmonies arranged by John Phillips, the band's songwriter. Their first successful single, California Dreamin', was re- released in the UK and peaked at number nine in 1997.

Track 17 Whispering Grass Whispering Grass (Don't Tell The Trees) is a popular song written by Fred Fisher and his daughter Doris Fisher. The song was first recorded by Erskine Hawkins & His Orchestra in 1940. The Ink Spots also recorded it the same year. The words of the song are reminiscent of those of Kahlil Gibran: "If you reveal your secrets to the wind, you should not blame the wind for revealing them to the trees.” "Whispering Grass" was a 1975 UK number-one single by Windsor Davies and Don Estelle. Davies and Estelle were actors in the successful sitcom It Ain't Half Hot Mum.

Don Estelle (22 May 1933 – 2 August 2003) was a British actor and singer best known as 'Lofty' in It Ain't Half Hot Mum. He had a powerful tenor voice and as a spin-off from the series, he and co-star Windsor Davies had a Number 1 hit in the UK Singles Chart in 1975 with a semi-comic version of "Whispering Grass". Estelle also acted in the films Not Now, Comrade(1976), A Private Function (1984) and Santa Claus: The Movie (1984)

Windsor Davies (born 28 August 1930 in Canning Town, West Ham, Essex)[1] is a British actor who is best known for playing the part of Battery Sergeant Major Williams in the British sitcom It Ain't Half Hot Mum (1974–81). Among his catchphrases was "Shut Up!", delivered as an eardrum-shattering military scream.[4] Another phrase was "Oh dear, how sad, what a pity, never mind" Other television roles included the sailor Taffy in the first of the BBC-series The Onedin Line.

Track 18 I’ll See You In My Dreams by One of the most beloved and popular songs of its day, ‘I'll See You in My Dreams’ was written by Isham Jones, with lyrics by Gus Kahn. The song was published in 1924.

Doris Day (born Doris Mary Ann Kappelhoff, April 3, 1924) is an American actress, singer, and animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording, Sentimental Journey, in 1945. After leaving the Les Brown & His Band of Renown to try a solo career, she started her long-lasting partnership with , which would remain her only recording label. The contract lasted from 1947 to 1967, and included more than 650 recordings, making Day one of the most popular and acclaimed singers of the 20th century.

Track 19 Cara Mia is a popular song published in 1954 that became a hit for English singer in 1954.

David Whitfield 2 February 1925 — 16 January 1980) was a popular British male tenor vocalist. This operatic-style tenor had a huge female fan base in the 1950s. His most popular recording was probably "Cara Mia". Whitfield was born in Hull and as a child, became a choirboy and began a lifelong love of singing. He joined the Royal Navy at the age of 17 and served in the Far East as well as being part of the D-Day landings. During his days in the Navy, he would entertain shipmates and also at base hospitals.

Track 20 How do you do what you do to me How Do You Do It? was written by Mitch Murray. Adam Faith had turned it down and the Beatles chose not to release their version (they did record the song but insisted on releasing their own song instead).

Gerry and the Pacemakers were a British beat music group prominent during the 1960s. In with the Beatles, they came from Liverpool, were managed by Brian Epstein. Gerry Marsden formed the group in 1959. The group's original name was Gerry Marsden and the Mars Bars, but they were forced to change this, when the Mars Company, producers of the chocolate Mars Bar, complained. They disbanded in October 1966.

Track 21 Black Velvet Band This song is a traditional English and Irish folk song describing transportation to , a common punishment in 19th century Britain and Ireland. The song tells the story of a tradesman who meets a young woman who has stolen an item and passed it on to him. The man then appears in court the next day, charged with stealing the item and is sent to Van Diemen's Land for doing so.

The High Kings are an Irish ballad group. They were formed in Dublin in 2008. After their first they moved from the 'staged' format and created a “re-energised folk group." The band consists of multi-talented performers Finbarr Clancy, Brian Dunphy, Martin Furey and Darren Holden. Together they play thirteen different instruments. On March 20th 2012 The High Kings were invited to perform at the Official St Patrick's Day Celebrations at The White House in Washington DC, .

Track 22 My Old Man Said Follow The Van My Old Man is a music hall song written in 1919 made popular by Marie Lloyd. The song, although humorous, also reflects some of the hardships of working class life in London at the beginning of the 20th century. It joined a music hall tradition of dealing with life in a determinedly upbeat fashion. In the song a couple are obliged to move house, after dark, because they cannot pay their rent.

Marie Lloyd, Born Matilda Alice Victoria Wood (12 February 1870 – 7 October 1922) was an English music hall singer. Her ability to add lewdness to the most innocent of lyrics led to frequent clashes with the guardians of morality. Her performances articulated the disappointments of life, especially for working-class women. Marie's first major success was The Boy I Love Is Up in the Gallery, and she quickly became one of the most famous of English music hall singers. During the First World War, in common with most other music hall artists, she enthusiastically supported recruitment into the army. She first appeared in the USA in 1897, but in 1913 was initially refused entry to that country for "moral turpitude". On 4 October 1922 Marie collapsed on stage as she was performing at the Empire Music Hall in Edmonton, London, and died three days later. This version is sung by Jessie Wallace, an English actress. She is best known for her role of Kat Slater in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. She was also the lead role in Miss Marie Lloyd – Queen of The Music Hall for BBC Four in 2007

Track 23 Clink Clink Another Drink and His City Slickers were among the many performers showcased in "Soundies," short musical films designed to be played in special jukeboxes. In CLINK! CLINK! ANOTHER DRINK (1942), Del Porter leads the chorus and there are the voices of many legendary cartoon characters (including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety and Sylvester).

Lindley Armstrong "Spike" Jones (December 14, 1911 – May 1, 1965) was an American musician and bandleader specialising in performing satirical of popular songs. Ballads and classical works receiving the Jones treatment would be punctuated with gunshots, whistles, cowbells, and outlandish vocals. Through the 1940s and early 1950s, the band recorded under the title Spike Jones and his City Slickers

Track 24 Hey Mr Tambourine Man Mr. Tambourine Man is a song written, composed, and performed by , who released his original version of it on his 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. also recorded a version of the song that they released in 1965 too. It was the title track of their first album, Mr. Tambourine Man. The Byrds' recording of the song was influential in initiating the musical subgenre of , leading many contemporary bands to mimic its fusion of jangly guitars and intellectual lyrics in the wake of the single's success.

The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964 The group disbanded in 1973. Although they only managed to attain the huge commercial success of contemporaries like the Beatles, , and the Rolling Stones for a short period (1965–66), the Byrds are today considered by critics to be one of the most influential bands of the 1960s. Initially, they pioneered the musical genre of folk rock. As the 1960s progressed, the band was also influential in originating , raga rock, and . The band's signature blend of clear harmony singing and McGuinn's jangly twelve-string Rickenbacker guitar has continued to be influential on popular music up to the present day. Among the band's most enduring songs are their cover versions of Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man" and 's "Turn! Turn! Turn! (to Everything There Is a Season)". , from the original line-up went on to form rosby, Stills, Nash and Young.

Track 25 For He Is An Englishman One of the hit songs from the comic opera HMS Pinafore.

HMS Pinafore by Gilbert and Sullivan H.M.S. Pinafore is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It opened at the Opera Comique in London, on 25 May 1878. H.M.S. Pinafore was Gilbert and Sullivan's fourth operatic collaboration and their first international sensation. The story takes place aboard the ship HMS Pinafore. The captain's daughter, Josephine, is in love with a lower-class sailor, Ralph Rackstraw, although her father intends her to marry Sir Joseph Porter, the First Lord of the Admiralty. Pinafore's extraordinary popularity in Britain, America and elsewhere was followed by the similar success of a series of Gilbert and Sullivan works, including The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado. Their works, later known as the Savoy operas, dominated the musical stage on both sides of the Atlantic for more than a decade and continue to be performed today.

Track 26 Love Is a Many Splendoured Thing Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing is a popular song with music by and lyrics by .The song was publicized first in the movie, Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955), winning the Academy Award for Best Original Song

Matt Monro (1 December 1930 – 7 February 1985) was an English singer who became one of the most popular entertainers on the international music scene during the 1960s. Throughout his 30 year career, he filled cabarets, nightclubs, music halls, and stadiums in Australia, Japan, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Europe, and the Americas. He also covered many of the most popular stage and screen songs of the 1950s and 1960s.

Track 27 Runaway Runaway is a number-one song made famous by in 1961. It was written by Shannon and keyboardist Max Crook, and became a major international hit. It is on the list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Del Shannon (born Charles Weedon Westover; December 30, 1934 – February 8, 1990) was an American rock and roll and country musician, and singer- songwriter who is best known for his 1961 No. 1 billboard hit ‘Runaway’. Shannon followed with Hats Off to Larry’. Runaway and ‘Hats Off to Larry’ were both recorded in a day. After these hits, Shannon was unable to keep his momentum in the U.S., but continued his success in England, where he had always been more popular. In 1963, he became the first American to record a cover version of a song by the Beatles: his ‘’ charted in the US before the Beatles' version.

Track 28 You’re The Top This track is the most popular song from the 1934 musical Anything Goes. It is about a man and a woman who take turns complimenting each other. The lyrics are particularly significant because they offer a snapshot as to what was highly prized in the mid-1930s, and demonstrate Cole Porter's rhyming ability.

Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an American singer and television personality. "Mr. C.", as he was nicknamed, sold millions of records and pioneered a weekly musical variety television show, which was one of the most successful in television history. Como was seen weekly on television from 1949 to 1963. His television shows and seasonal specials were broadcast throughout the world. Como's appeal spanned generations and he was widely respected for both his professional standards and the conduct in his personal life. His life was summed up in these few words: "50 years of music and a life well lived. An example to all." One of the many factors in his success was Como's insistence on his principles of good taste; if he considered something to be in bad or poor taste, it was not in the show or broadcast. Another was his naturalness; the man viewers saw on the screen was the same person who could be encountered behind a supermarket shopping cart, at a bowling alley, or in a kitchen making breakfast.

Track 29 Chattanooga Choo Choo Chattanooga Choo Choo is a song by (music) and (words). It was recorded as a big-band/swing tune by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra and featured in the 1941 movie "Sun Valley Serenade" The song tells the story of traveling from New York City to Chattanooga. However, the inspiration for the song was a small, wood-burning steam locomotive of the 2-6-0 type which belonged to the Cincinnati Southern Railway.

The Andrews Sisters were a highly successful close harmony singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras. The group consisted of three sisters: contralto LaVerne Sophia Andrews (1911 - 1967), soprano Maxene Angelyn Andrews ( 1916 - 1995), and mezzosoprano Patricia Marie "Patty" Andrews (1918). Throughout their long career, the sisters sold well over 75 million records. Their 1941 hit Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy can be considered an early example of rhythm and blues or jump blues. The Andrews Sisters' harmonies and songs are still influential today.

Track 30 Rawhide by Rawhide is a Western song written by Ned Washington in 1958. It was originally recorded by Frankie Laine. The song was used as the theme to Rawhide, the western television series that ran from 1959 to 1966. The song is about the job of drover on a cattle drive. The typical Rawhide story involved drovers, portrayed by Eric Fleming and coming upon people on the trail and getting drawn into solving whatever problem they were confronting.

Frankie Laine, born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio (March 30, 1913 - February 6, 2007), was a successful American singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spanned 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a marathon dance company to his final performance of "That's My Desire" in 2005. Often billed as America's Number One Song Stylist, his other nicknames include Mr. Rhythm, Old Leather Lungs, and Mr. Steel Tonsils. His hits included "That's My Desire," "That Lucky Old Sun, "Jezebel," "High Noon," "I Believe," "Hey Joe!," "The Kid's Last Fight," and ‘Rawhide," He sang well- known theme songs for many movie Western soundtracks, including 3:10 To Yuma, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and Blazing Saddles. Laine sang an eclectic variety of song styles and genres, stretching from big band crooning to pop, western- themed songs, gospel, rock, folk, jazz, and blues. He did not sing the soundtrack song for High Noon, which was sung by Tex Ritter, but his own version was the one that became a bigger hit, nor did he sing the theme to another show he is commonly associated with — Champion the Wonder Horse (sung by Mike Stewart)—but released his own, subsequently more popular version.