Calendar Girl

“Calendar Girl” is a song written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield and was a hit single for Neil Sedaka. It was released in 1960 and reached #4 on the US Billboard chart in 1961, making it one of the better-known Sedaka songs alongside “Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen” “Oh! Carol”, and “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do”. The personnel on the original recording include Al Caiola, Buck Pizzarelli, Art Ryerson and Bill Suyker on Guitar, George Duvivier on Bass, Ernie Hayes on Piano, Jerome Richardson on Sax, and David “Panama” Francis on Drums. Continue reading

Release Me

“Release Me” is a popular song written by Eddie Miller, Robert Yount, and James Pebworth , published in 1946.
Miller wrote the song in 1946 but could not get anyone to record it for years, so he recorded it himself in 1953. Shortly afterward it was covered by Jimmy Heap, and with even better success by Ray Price and Kitty Wells. Subsequently a big seller was recorded by Little Esther Phillips, who reached number one on the R&B chart and number eight on the pop chart. A version by Engelbert Humperdinck reached number one on the UK Singles Chart. Continue reading

Red River Valley 紅河谷

Red River Valley is a folk song and cowboy music standard of controversial origins that has gone by different names. Edith Fowke offers anecdotal evidence that the song was known in at least five Canadian provinces before 1896. This finding led to speculation that the song was composed at the time of the Wolseley Expedition to the northern Red River Valley of 1870 in Manitoba. Continue reading

Rains and Tears

“Rain and Tears” is a reworking of Pachelbel’s Canon in D major, by Aphrodite’s Child a Greek progressive rock band formed in 1967,
It was probably Vangelis’ idea that the still-anonymous band should be relocated in London which would be a more suitable environment for their music. Greece had entered a right-wing dictatorship in 1967. This decision, however, was not problem-free. Continue reading