Happy 60th Anniversary to “The Twist”
In 1958 Hank Ballard wrote and released "The Twist;" two years later Chubby Checker recorded it, taking it to the top of the Billboard Hot 100...twice (again in 1962), and it became a world wide sensation. Tomorrow is the 60th anniversary of that version--named by...
R.I.P.: Ronald Bell, Co-Founder, Kool & The Gang
If you are a Boomer, then it's very likely that you're familiar with "Celebration," Kool and the Gang's festive ode to fun and even more fun! From the 70s through the 80s, when R&B songs were Top 40 staples, Kool & the Gang were super-stars--their co founder,...
These Musicians Are Old(er) BUT They’ve Still Got It!
Motown had its "Funk Brothers" and the West Coast its "Wrecking Crew"-- the session playing super-musicians who contributed and helped craft many of the major pop hits of the 60's and early 70's. Now, it's time for another group of rock's premiere, all star-session...
Be There or Be Square: Sunday Night’s MTV Video Awards
Sunday night MTV airs their 37th annual Video Music Awards and one of the most awaited highlight is South Korean boy-band and K-pop phenom BTS, who'll showcase "Dynamite," their newest single. According to the Wall Street Journal, last week, when "Dynamite" was...
Dave Mason & Fellow Rockers Update “Feeling Alright”
"Feelin' Alright," Traffic's 1968 classic, has been covered at least half dozen times, and here's the song's writer, Dave Mason (a first wave Boomer, born 1946) with the latest reinvigorated version, updated for the pandemic. He's dubbed his crew of fellow veteran...
R.I.P. Max Crook, Early Rock n’ Roll Influencer PLUS It’s Elvis Week!
On July 1st, Max Crook passed away at 83 y/o. While still in his 20s, he built a monophonic synthesizer and named it a Musitron, a sound that Boomers young and old and everyone else, too, can recognize when they hear it--its raw sound helped define early rock; the...
Oldies but Goodies: Today is Art Laboe’s 95th birthday (the video is a “must see”)
If you're an early Boomer who grew up a typical teen in 1950s-60s USA, then you probably listened to Top 40 radio, a virtual "teen town" hangout, your go-to to get connected, to find out what was happening, plus... you could send dedications and make requests....
Benny Mardones: Three-Hit Wonder
You probably won't recognize his name--Benny Mardones--however, you probably will recognize the best selling song he penned 40 years ago--"Into The Night"...it has such a captivating melody that it charted on the "Billboard Hot 100" three different times: first in...
“Get Together” A Song for Our Time and a Song for All Time
Remember "Get Together," the Youngbloods 4+ minute peace and love anthem that went nowhere in 1967 when it was first released, but hit top 5 when it was re-released in 1969 --a time period of national political unrest, similar to today (minus Covid-19)? It's been...