Two future members of 10CC languished in 1960s’ obscurity with The Mockingbirds. Credits 1 YOU STOLE MY LOVE – The Mockingbirds (U.K.)(Graham Gouldman) PERSONNEL/GRAHAM GOULDMAN: vocals, guitar * STEVE JACOBSON: guitar * BERNARD BASSO: bass * KEVIN GODLEY: drums, vocals…
Welcome back for another week of quizzing. Can you link these albums to their #1 hit singles? I scored 20/20, but forgot to record my time. Can you beat me? Congratulations to Tony, who scored the 10/14 in last…
Background Californian folk-rock band The Byrds enjoyed immediate success in 1965 with their first single, a cover of Bob Dylan’s ‘Mr Tambourine Man’. The song was a watershed moment in pop music – combining Dylan’s poetic, creative lyrics with Roger…
Split Enz first reached New Zealand’s attention with an appearance on the New Faces talent show in 1973, where they finished second-to-last. Their early material was too weird for the mainstream, comparable to early Genesis or Roxy Music, and Phil…
I’m weirdly short of new releases to cover at the moment – it’s been a quiet few weeks. Enjoy the retro sounds of The Lemon Twigs and the late-night chill of Arlo Parks. Arlo Parks Ambiguous Desire 2026, 7/10From Nigerian…
Predictably, Aaron Neville sings the heck out of this smooth 1970s cover. Aaron Neville Aaron Neville is from New Orleans, of mixed African-American, white, and Choctaw heritage. His vibrato-laden, delicate tenor is instantly recognisable. He released his first single in…
A bunch of songs have been transmogrified into Shakespearean sonnets. Apologies – this one is a bit more brain-intensive than usual. You might need to wait until you have ten minutes of focused time. I puzzled through 12/14 –…
A guest article by Scott Floman I love lists, in fact it’s right there in the title of the book I’ve written (and continue to periodically update) about music: The Story Of Rock and Soul Music: Album Reviews and Lists.…
Vanessa Carlton is a one-hit wonder, best known for 2002’s ‘A Thousand Miles’. You may question why I’m ranking a one-hit wonder’s albums, but she’s actually made a string of strong records. She’s grown from her debut, which spawned ‘A…
Before he topped the 1970s charts with Electric Light Orchestra, Jeff Lynne recorded some gems with The Idle Race. Credits 3 DAYS OF THE BROKEN ARROWS -The Idle Race(Jeff Lynne) PERSONNEL/JEFF LYNNE: vocals, guitar * DAVE PRITCHARD: guitar * GREG…
