When I was a young girl, I loved music so much that I would listen to my favorite songs on the radio, sometimes taping them to play back, and then write the lyrics down in notebooks. "Mighty Love" and "Could It Be I'm Falling In Love" by The Spinners are two love songs that I remember as particular favorites.
"Mighty Love" was released in 1973, and made it to the Top 40 in 1974. The Spinners were a group of friends from Michigan, near Detroit. They debuted at the Apollo Theatre, but did not find great success in the 1960's. They worked at Motown - but in desk jobs and support staff positions. Their success came in the early 1970's, and they were everywhere on the radio during the mid-'70's.
I heard this song over the weekend on the radio and have been thinking ever since how much I enjoyed it. I hope you do, too.
Because some days you just need to hear a song that feeds your soul.
This weekend I was catching up with email and listening to the 1950's channel on SiriusXM. This song came on and I had to stop and listen. I can't believe that I had never heard this fun, infectious 1957 tune before. "Bad Motorcycle" was recorded by The Storey Sisters (Ann and Lillian Storey) in Philadelphia in 1957 on the Cameo label. This song charted briefly in 1958 on the Billboard pop charts. It's a girl group sound with a rockabilly beat, and it is just FUN.
I can't believe I've never included "Tell Him" as a Music Monday selection before. This girl group song from 1962 is one of my all time favorite songs. The Exciters were a girl group from Queens, New York. Brenda Reid, the lead singer, suggested adding her husband, Herb Rooney, to the group, and he joined them on most of their popular songs. Legend has it that "Tell Him" is the song that inspired Dusty Springfield to sing pop/soul music. This video, filmed at a zoo, is great fun! I love everything about it - the dresses, the gloves, and especially the music.
Readers of my blog will know that I am a huge fan of classic soul music. I can (and sometimes do) listen to it all day. One of my favorite retro soul songs is "I Can't Stand the Rain" by Ann Peebles. Ann Peebles is from Memphis, and she co-wrote this song with Don Bryant and Bernie Miller. This song made the Top 40 in 1973, and - a little bit of trivia - it was one of John Lennon's favorite songs. Tina Turner covered this song in the 1980's, and I like her cover ... but the original is just so great.
"Nothing But a Heartache" is one of my all time favorite songs. It combines many things I love: retro soul, girl group music, and a melody that is catchy and dynamic.
The Flirtations recorded this song in 1968, and it was a hit for the group, making the Hot 100 list. The Flirtations started recording in 1962 as the Gypsies. Two of the singers were sisters from South Carolina. They were marketed as being like the Supremes, and there are some real similarities in sound and performance style.
"Nothing But a Heartache" became a Northern Soul hit. Northern Soul music was soul music that achieved popularity in dance clubs in Northern England, Scotland, and Wales in the mid-1960's. Northern Soul songs were typically by less well known artists. They were uptempo with a good beat for dancing.
I have loved this song for years. I have it on my Blackberry, my iPad ... and now I am happy to share it with you, too.
I just discovered "You and Me" by Penny and the Quarters, and I cannot stop playing it. Here's how it happened: I was out yard saling with my friend Dave. We were taking a break and he mentioned this song, which he had just discovered on AM 1690. (1690 "The Voice of the Arts" is a great radio station - the most diverse playlist ever. They stream online and are available on TuneIn radio. Check them out!) Dave had the song on his phone, so we passed it back and forth, like an old fashioned transistor radio, listening to this song.
"You and Me" was recorded as a demo record between 1970 - 1975 at Harmonic Sounds Studio. It has a sort of dimestore recording booth sound. The vocals, by teenage singers, are amazing. The song is sung by Jay Robinson (lead male) and Nannie Sharp (lead female, pictured above). This song was not released until 2006, when the contents of the recording studio were sold. "You and Me" was released by an archival recording company that releases lost soul music songs. Actor Ryan Gosling heard it and liked it so much that he suggested this song for the soundtrack of Blue Valentine.
I really love this song and think it is a treasure. I hope you do, too!
