General News

What Does It Take ( To Win Your Love For Me). Junior Walker & The All Stars.

I always was a huge fan of Junior Walker & The All Stars, the saxophone playing of Walker has always been my favourite. I could have picked many of his hit records, here’s one from 1969 that reached Number 4 in the U.S.A chart, originally rejected as a single by the Motown quality control but radio DJ’s made the album track popular resulting in it’s release.… more


Hey There Lonely Girl. Eddie Holman.

A soul classic and inspiring performance from Eddie Holman. I worked with him at Barbarella’s in Birmingham during 1972. This song was a Number 27 hit in 1963 for Ruby and The Romantics, then called ‘ Hey There Lonley Boy.’ In 1969 when Eddie was asked to record the song, he declined, but did so after pressure from his wife, who was also his producer.… more


It’s Too Late. Carole King

One of my favourite songs from the classic Carole King album ‘Tapestry.’ ‘It’s Too Late’ was originally released as a ‘B’ side to ‘I Feel The Earth Move,’ after a few weeks Dj’s all over America flipped the single and ‘It’s Too Late’ started to climb the charts reaching Number 1 in May of 1970.… more


Band of Gold. Freda Payne.

I remember buying this record back in 1970 on the Holland-Dozier-Holland label, Invictus Records. Freda initially turned down the song, saying it was more suited to a teenage vocalist, she didn’t like or understand the lyric. Ron Dunbar co-writer of the song told her ‘You don’t have to like the lyric, learn it and just sing it.’ Freda eventually did, it became a Number 3 record in the U.S.A.,  a six week Number 1 in the U.K.… more


I Saw The Light. Todd Rundgren.

Todd Rundgren wrote this song in 15 minutes in 1971, he described it as a pastiche of 1960’s pop songs and a homage to singer/songwriters, Laura Nyro and Carole King. Not a favourite of Todd’s he has said , the song is a string of cliches and is nothing I ever thought of, or thought about, before I sat down and wrote it.… more