Happy Birthday to the American singer-songwriter Ray Wylie Hubbard, who is turning 78 today. He is a very good sonwriter, who after a few albums between 1975 and 1984, grew dissolutioned with the music industry. Luckily he returned to recording in the early 1990’s, and has been releasing records and performing more or less regularly since then.
Ray Wylie Hubbard is yet another of these talented singer-songwriters who’s never made it big. However, due to being more active in the past two-three decades, he has gotten some well deserved recognition, both among his contemporaries and among music fans. So here’s a toast or two to Ray Wylie Hubbard from one of those music fans Happy Birthday!
Ray Wylie Hubbard - Dust of the Chase (1994)
Ray Wylie Hubbard, with Willie Nelson - Stone Blind Horses (2022)
Happy Birthday to American songwriter, producer and occasional singer Dan Penn, who is turning 83 today. He has co-written songs recorded by among others Percy Sledge, Janis Joplin, The Box Tops, Sam & Dave, James Carr and Wilson Pickett. His best known song may be Do Right Woman, Do Right Man by Aretha Franklin.
Dan Penn’s songs have been recorded by some great singers. Yet he’s got a pretty decent voice himself. Still he never pursued a recording career, releasing his first album in 1973 and the second in 1994 (recommended), after which he has released a few more low key albums. I think this is a man who deserves some attention. Happy Birthday to Dan Penn
Yes, she is good. She is a newer artist, so I’m not very familiar with her. She’s got four albums since 2014, and lots of online-only releases. There’s plenty of songs with her on YouTube, and I’ve listened some and I like what I hear. However, most her songs are more folk/country oriented, and not like this cover of the classic Wanda Jackson song.
It’s time to celebrate the memory of the American singer and songwriter Gene Clark. Today he would have turned 80. Best known as one of the co-founders of The Byrds and writer of some of their best known songs. After two successful albums, he quit The Byrds in 1966, and pursued a solo career.
Gene Clark’s solo career never really took off. Still, he is a highly respected artist. A couple of his albums are regarded as classics today. Unfortunatly bad luck, bad timing and bad health, accelerated by substance abuse, led to his death in 1991. So here’s two songs from a very skilled songwriter, with a good ear for melodies and hooks. Here’s to Gene Clark’s memory
Happy Birthday to the fine English singer Graham Parker, who is turning 74 today. Along with his backing band The Rumour, he had some success in the late 1970’s, with three albums charting in the top 20 in the UK, the highest at number 11. There’s some very good music on these albums, and here is one of their best known songs. Cheers to Graham Parker
Graham Parker & The Rumour - Hey Lord, Don’t Ask Me Questions (1978)
After The Rumour broke up around 1980 (apart from a reunion in the 2010’s), Graham Parker pursued a more low key solo career. I’m not very familiar with it, but from what I’ve heard, it’s some pretty good stuff there too.
I’d like to pay tribute to Norwgian singer Bjørn Müller, who passed away yesterday at the age of 64. He was the singer in Backstreet Girls from 1986 to 1991 and then from 1995 until yesterday. Now don’t let the name of the band fool you, this is a Rock N’ Roll band! With music influenced by among others AC/DC, Chuck Bery, New York Dolls and The Ramones, they have been a force to reckon with in Norwegian rock since 1984. Buckle up!
Backstreet Girls - Gimme Just A Second (live 2022)
I did see Backstreet Girls live a couple of times back in the late 1980’s, and their gigs were parties! The band has been going all the time for 40 years now, and was still scheduled for concerts all the way up to March next year. So here’s to the memory of Bjørn Müller, who with his two meters stands tall in the history of Norwegian rock. Thank you for the music Bjørn, may you be remembered.
Backstreet Girls - Where Have All the Bad Boys Gone (2019)
Happy Birthday to the English drummer Bev Bevan, who is turning 80 today. He is best known as the drummer in the Electric Light Orchestra. However, his first success came with The Move, who had several hits in the UK between 1968 and 1971, charting once at number 1 with Blackberry Way.
In 1976 Bev Bevan released a solo single, produced by Jeff Lynne, which I think is a fitting tribute to him on this day. Happy Birthday, Bev Bevan. Let there be drums
Bev Bevan - Let There Be Drums
While in The Move, Bev also sang lead vocals on a couple of occasions. So while we’re at it, why not let him sing us a song too
The Move - Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart (1968)
Happy Birthday to Felix Cavaliere of The Rascals, who is turning 80 today! He is one of the singers and the keyboard player in this American band, also known as The Young Rascals. Along with Gene Cornish, another of the original members of the band, Felix is actually still performing as The Rascals. Their last gig so far was three weeks ago today.
The (Young) Rascals had quite a bit of success between 1966 and 1969, with several singles charting in the US and Canada, with five of them at number 1. They also charted in the UK and Australia. As with many of their contemporaries, the interest of the Rascals faded in the 1970’s. Still, a few of their songs have become staples in the history of pop music. Among them are People Got To Be Free, Here it is, from a Norwegian TV show from 1969, with Felix Cavaliere singing. Once again, Happy Birthday!
The Rascals - People Got To Be Free
What may be The Rascals signature song is Groovin’. It has been posted before in this topic. It’s well worth checking it out.
Happy Birthday to the English singer and songwriter Ralph McTell, who is turning 80 today. He was an important part of the British folk scene in the 1960’s and 70’s. Although his career has been a little more low-key since then, he has released records and toured more or less constantly since then. His last concert was less than a week ago, and he is scheduled for several dates in 2025.
Ralph McTell will always be remembered for one song in particular, namely Streets of London. It’s been covered by numerous artists (over 200 according to Wikipedia), and has become a standard tune in the history of modern folk music. Here is a beutiful version of this beutiful song, recorded on a TV show a few years ago. Happy Birthday to Ralph McTell
Great song! I actually remember that one from my school days when our headmaster (yes that’s what we still called him back then - I was at school in the 80’s and 90’s) used to have accoustic style singing sessions, just like we saw in that video and that was one of the songs he got us singing.
This is one of the great things with music. We all have songs that carries memories and stories from our lives. Hearing them again, creates a special feeling