The Songfactor's Choice Top Ten Facts

[edna]

"Money Grabber"

Fitz & the Tantrums

Written by Michael Fitzpatrick and Chris Seefried.

A track of their album "Picking Up The Pieces", released on August 24th, in 2010, their debut studio album. The album was primarily recorded at the singer's house, Michael Fitzpatrick.

I was also released as a single in 2011, reaching #33 on the American Rock charts and #34 in the Adult charts.

"Money Grabber" is their most well known song. It was performed on TV many times (Jimmy Kimmel Live in Los Angeles, ABC, in Januery; Conan, TBS, in february; The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on April)

The video was also featured on Criminal Minds (CBS TV)

Edited June 11, 2011 by Guest

[edna]

"Hey, Leroy, Your Mama's Callin' You"

Jimmy Castor

Written by John Pruitt.

Recorded by Jimmy Castor in 1966 and released as a single by Smash Records.

It was a hit, reaching #16 on Billboard R&B chart by December 1966 and #31 pop charts a month later.

According wikipedia, it quickly went from being a neighborhood chant to a nation-wide hit.

By 1966 there was a new sound in Harlem; doo-wop was out (although it would never die, experiencing regular revivals into the 1 990s). The new sound, inspired by the large and growing Puerto Rican population of Harlem, was dubbed Latin soul, and locals like Ray Barrette (11 Watusi") and Joe Cuba ("'Bang' 'Bang'") were the new stars uptown, By now Castor had added cimbales and vibes to his arsenal of talents and with his longtime writing and producing partner John Pruitt came up with one of the all-time great New York Latin soul discs-"Hey, Leroy, Your Mama's Callin' You." "Hey, Leroy" was and is irresistible, with its fat melodic bass line, descending piano triplets, timbales, and conga grooves, wailing sax, and call-and-response refrain"go to yo' mama, go to yo' mama."... in Harlem it was as good as #1 and would be sung by kids on the baseball fields and playgrounds of New York for a decade. Smash issued an LP to cash in on the hit in early '67.

Before he was the clown prince of novelty disco-funk with hits like 1972's "Troglodyte" and 1975's "The Bertha Butt Boogie," saxophonist Jimmy Castor had earlier chart success with 1966's Latin- and jazz-infused "Hey Leroy, Your Mama's Calling You"...

[edna]

That's all I could find. If any of you have more info, pls, post it...

[edna]

Maybe we can keep on gathering info about songs? I can do it, I guess I should look up the songs that are not in the main site...

So please, let me know...

[Lucky]

edna if you would like to do it, I would thank you, the team would thank you, Carl would thank you, but most of all the Songfish would thank you .... please be our guest!

[night2day]

I think that if the "songfish" approves, then edna is the host of guests.

[edna]

Thank you, Lucky...

I'll try to do my best

[edna]

The Songfactors' Choice Top Ten #269

This week there are eight (8) songs needing facts.

1. Twisting The Night Away - Sam Cooke (1962)

2. Cherry, Cherry - Neil Diamond (1966)

3. Candy-O - The Cars (1979)

4. Yester-me, Yester-You, Yesterday - Stevie Wonder (1969)

5. Right Back Where We Started From - Maxine Nightingale (1975)

6. Kids Aren't Alright, The - The Offspring (1998)

7. Stupid Girl - Neil Young (1976)

8. Children Of The Grave - Black Sabbath (1971)

If you have any info on any of the songs mentioned anywhere in this thread, please feel free to post your knowledge here. Submissions on songs will be collated and sent to the main site and you will receive credit for your contribution.

As always the Songfish thanks you

:guitar: :rock:

Hey, taht's a lot and it's my first time doing this... Lucky or Shawna or Laurie, have I done it right? I guess so...

Edited November 28, 2011 by Guest

[edna]

"Twisting The Night Away"

Sam Cooke

Written by Sam Cooke and recorded in December 1961.

The single was released in January 9th 1962 with "You Send Me" as the B-side in the US and"One More Time" in the UK.

It was a hit in the US (it went to #9 in the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 at Billboard's R&B list.

It went up to #6 in the UK.

It was also a track of the album "Twisting the Night Away", his second LP to chart in the US.

The Marvelettes, Rod Stewart and Divine did covers of the song.

[edna]

"Cherry Cherry"

Neil Diamond

Written by Neil Diamond. Produced by Jeff Barry & Ellie Greenwich.

Neil Diamond wrote the song and recorded it in September 1966. It was released as a single and also included in Diamond's debut album, "The Feel of Neil Diamond".

The single was released in July 1966 with "I'll Come Running" as the B-side.

Ellie Greenwich, who was one of the producers, is also singing backup and chorus.

The sonh went up to #6 on Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box, two months after it was released. It was Neil Daimond's frist hit and it sold more than one million copies all over the world.over one million copies.

A "three chords song", as Rolling Stone Magazine said; in fact, they listed "Cherry Cherry" as one of the best "three chords songs" ever.

The song had many covers but the B-side, "I'll Come Running", was covered by Cliff Richard in 1967. Don Kirshner, a song publisher, heard it and asked Neil Diamond if he could write a similar song for The Monkees, as their TV show was going to be launched and they needed a hit. Diamond had written "I'm A Believer" for his debut album. But it was what Kirshner was looking for, so Diamond, Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich recorded the musical track.

Then, The Monkees recorded the vocals in California.

[edna]

"Candy-O"

The Cars

Written by Ric Ocasek.

It's a track of their second album "Candy-O", recorded in 1979 and released in June of the same year. Benjamin Orr sings lead vocals.

Roy Thomas Baker produced the whole album and illustrator Alberto Vargas painted the cover.

The song was not released as a single but had a lot of airplay. Though the Cars were very much a "new wave" band, the song sounds a bit heavier, with much guitar and drum playing.

It's considered as one their best songs.

Elliot Easton, the guitar player, performs one of his best solos.

The title track from the Cars' sophomore album is one of the record's darkest moments and best rockers. Ric Ocasek and producer Roy Thomas Baker (of Queen fame) combine their talents, wedding Ocasek's quirky new wave songcraft to Baker's slick, streamlined studio production, resulting in the group's continued commercial dominance of the new wave genre they helped coin with their smash self-titled debut of 1978. The track's slightly sinister tone is fostered by short minor-key guitar licks, a pulsing bassline, and synthesizer arpeggios, while vocalist/bassist Ben Orr does his best to temper his naturally honeyed vocal timbre with a low-range delivery and clipped phrasing in a not-too-convincing attempt to maximize the song's element of danger: "Purple homes/Assorted cars/Laser light you'll bring/And all to prove, you're on the move/And vanishing/Candy-0, I need you so!" The end of each verse is punctuated by stinging guitar runs and a smattering of deep drum fills, which serve as the substitute for a more formulated chorus. Lead guitarist Elliot Easton uncorks his finest solo on the album, starting with a burst of speeding liftoff effects and then moving into Eddie Van Halen territory, ripping off a series of tight scorching trills that are quickly tucked into the next verse before wandering too close to '70s guitar virtuosity, the antithesis of the new wave credo at the time. "Candy-O," apart from being an infectious title cut, serves as a prime example of a group of studio-savvy musicians making the most of the fresh sounds of the day without stifling their formidable songwriting and playing skills. While such an arrangement never earned the Cars a lot of street credibility, it did result in some solid, lasting music that would became a staple of classic rock radio.

Edited November 14, 2011 by Guest

[edna]

"Yester-me, Yester-You, Yesterday"

Stevie Wonder (1969)

The song was written by Ron Miller and Bryan Wells in 1969. A track of "My Cherie Amour", the 11th studio album by Stevie Wonder, it was also released as a single and it went up to #7 on the pop charts, #5 in the R&B lists and #2 in the UK charts. It was Stevie Wonder's 10th hit.

It was released by Motown records and Wonder also recorded a version in Italian.

[edna]

"Stupid Girl"

Neil Young

Written by Neil Young.

A track from his album "Zuma", recorded between June 16, 1974 and August 29, 1975.

The song wasn't released as a single. The backing band is Crazy Horse: Neil Young on guitar and vocals plus Frank Sampedro (rhythm guitar), Ralph Molina (drums) and Billy Talbot (bass and vocals)

It has been said that the song was written about Joni Mitchell.

...dark little portrait of a spoiled girl whom Young -- at least temporarily -- despises. Musically, the song has several tempo changes, all the while retaining Crazy Horse's loose but infectious funk.

[edna]

Please, feel free to add more info about the songs. I'm searching on my own but I am sure some of you might know a bit more than I do...

Thank you so much for helping!!

[edna]

"Right Back Where We Started From"

Maxine Nightingale

Written by J.Vincent Edwards and Pierre Tubbs. The original version was recorded in August 1975 by Maxine Nightingale.

The B-side was "Believe in What You Do".

The record session took place at Central Sound Studio,in Camden, with Tubbs on guitar, Edwards on percussion, Pete Kircher on drums and Dave Rowberry on keyboards. Plus Mike de Albuquerque, on bass guitar and Wilfred Gibson with the strings arrangements, who were former members of ELO.

Very much in the style of Holland-Dozier-Holland, the song, with a Motown inspired sound, became a hit soon. It reached #9 in the UK lists by November 1975.

It was released in the US in January 1976. By Mars it had reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stood there for almost a month. It was certified Gold on April 27th and then went #1 in the Cash Box charts and #5 in the Adult Contemporary lists.

Singles charts at respectively #5 and #46

J. Vincent Edwards tells a bit about the song: Pierre Tubbs heard Maxine Nightingale singing on the session when Al Matthews was recording "Fool". He thought "Right Back Where We Started From" was a pretty name for a song.

Meanwhile, Tubb's wife was having a baby: he and Edwards wrote the song in ten minutes, while they were driving to the hospital.

Edwards knew Maxine Nightingale: they performed together in "Hair". He recorded a demo the day after and offered her the song. She refused at first, she didn't want to record it under her name and they had to discuss about the money. She also wanted to sing it as a duet with Edwards -though she declared once that she didn't like Edward's voice-. But the song was finally released as sung by Maxine Nightingale and sung only by her.

Maxine Nightingale complained about recording the song in a higher key than hers.

According wikipedia:

"We were doing...one of those demo sessions where everybody goes and sits down with music in front of you and you try and get through as many tunes as possible....I remember [Pierre Tubbs]...saying, listen guys, I want to record in entirety four pieces in this three hour session...and we recorded two pieces with Maxine and two with somebody else....[Let] me stress, it was a demo session that this multi million selling thing came out of, it wasn't let's go and remake it... it was the original demo session....[That] multi million selling recording, I would think, cost [Tubbs] less than a £100 if you put the other tracks into the pudding".

The song appears in many movies: "The World Is Full of Married Men", "Slums of Beverly Hills", "Whatever Happened to Harold Smith?", "Starsky and Hutch", "Yours, Mine and Ours", "The Family Stone", "College Road Trip" and "Shrek Forever After".

[edit] Sinitta version

[edna]

Still missing facts for two songs:

Kids Aren't Alright, The - The Offspring (1998)

Children Of The Grave - Black Sabbath (1971)

I'll add some tomorrow.

And if you have further info, please, go ahead and post...

few facts though for "Yester me, Yester you, Yesterday" - Stevie Wonder and "Stupid Girl" - Neil Young (1976)

[miamisammy29]

"The Kids Aren't Alright" - The Offspring (1998)

Written by Dexter Holland, the song was from the 1998 album Americana. It tells the story of the decay of the neighborhood in which the singer grew up, and how all the kids thought they'd be big shots when they got older, But then reality sets in and they become slackers and a couple of the kids die from suicide and overdose. True punk at its best, in the mold of Jim Carroll's "People Who Died".

The title is obviously a take on the Who's song, "The Kids Are Alright". It peaked at #6 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks charts in 1999, and is the most listened to Offspring track on LastFM and Spotify.

[edna]

Sammy you rock!!!!

Thank you!!!

[phil]

"Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday" is a 1969 soul song written by Ron Miller and Bryan Wells, released by American Motown singer-songwriter-musician Stevie Wonder on the album My Cherie Amour. The song continued Wonder's success on the pop charts. It reached #7 on the pop singles chart and become Wonder's ninth Top 10 single of the 1960s. Stevie recorded also an Italian version with the title "Solo te, solo me, solo noi" (Only you, only me, only us). The song was later reworked by Jennifer Rush on her 1985 Movin' album. This unusual, electronic version became well known in Europe - particularly Germany where the album reached No. 1 for 14 weeks.

WIKI

[Lucky]

Sammy & phil, you rock. edna, what can I say .... but thank you.

[edna]

Thank you, Phil and Lucky...

I feel we can go on with the facts now....

[edna]

"Children Of The Grave"

Black Sabbath

Written by Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward, the song is a track fron their third LP "Master of Reality". It was released in July 1971.

"Master of Reality" is considered as the firt stoner rock album and was certified double platinum.

The single was the second to be released from the LP.

Its B-side had an edited version of the same song.

The lyrics talk of pacifism and non-violence. As for the guitar, Tommy Iommi plays in a middle C. This is due to an accident he had some years before: his fingers had been injured so he tuned the guitar down three semi tones, and the strings were less tensioned so he could play easily. Butler also downtuned his bass guitar to play in the same chord. It gave the song a darker sound. Iommy plays a very good solo.

It's one of the most famous Black Sabath songs. It was included on many compilations of hits and is also a must in their live concerts. It's featured in "Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock", the video-game. It's also a song often played by Ozzy Ozbourne solo.

[edna]

The Songfactors' Choice Top Ten #270

This week there are six (6) songs needing facts.

1. Death Of A Clown - Dave Davies (1967)

2. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight - Bob Dylan (1967)

3. Stone Blue - Foghat (1978)

4. Possum Kingdom - The Toadies (1994)

5. Molina - Creedence Clearwater Revival (1970)

6. Renaissance Fair - The Byrds (1967)

If you have any info on any of the songs mentioned anywhere in this thread, please feel free to post your knowledge here. Submissions on songs will be collated and sent to the main site and you will receive credit for your contribution.

As always the Songfish thanks you

:guitar: :rock:

Edited November 28, 2011 by Guest

[edna]

"Death Of A Clown"

Dave Davies

Credited to Dave Davies on the single, though the song was actually written by him and his brother Ray Davies.

It was released as a single by Pye Records in July 1967, with "Love Me Till The Sun Shines" as the B-side, both songs sung by Dave Davies.

Also a track of "Something Else", the 1967 LP by The Kinks. Later also included in "To the Bone", the last album released by The Kinks en 1994. The song is credited to Ray and Dave Davies on the albums.

It was a big hit for him, and his first solo single as well. It reached #3 in the UK charts, and charted also in Australia, Netherlands, Germany and Belgium. Not in the US though.

Dave Davies had never written a hit of his own before, his songs were always on B-sides. Yet, "Death Of A Clown" was seen as a potential hit, so the record label released it as his first solo single. The Kinks are the backing band.

Dave Davies thought he could start a solo carreer after "Death of a Clown" but the next singles weren't hits, so he didn't release music on his own till 1980.

The female vocals in the chorus, the "la la la", are sung by Rasa Davies, former Ray Davies' wife.

The song is surprisingly poetic, even artsy, for a guy whose public reputation was that of a hard-living rock and roller, but Davies' appealingly hoarse, rough-edged voice, which cracks a bit on key lines in a way that both Rod Stewart and Lloyd Cole would later appropriate, mostly keeps the pretentiousness to a minimum, as does the jolly, pubby feel of the arrangement, dominated by Nicky Hopkins' barrelhouse piano. Defiantly jubilant in the face of sadness, "Death of a Clown" is a gem, every bit as good as his more celebrated brother's best work.

Edited November 19, 2011 by Guest

[edna]

"I'll Be Your Baby Tonight"

Bob Dylan

Written by Bob Dylan.

It was recorded in the fall of 1967 and released as a track of his LP "John Wesley Harding" on December 27th the same year.

The song was actually recorded during the last session for the album, on November 29th. Pete Drake plays steel guitar, Kenneth A. Buttrey is on drums and Charlie McCoy plays bass. Dylan plays harmonica, piano, guitar and vocals.

Dylan recalls getting in touch with Robbie Robertson and Garth Hudson, of The Band, so they would overdub the song, but he finally decided he liked it was it was.

The song was recorded in three hours,between 9pm and 12 midnight, along with "Down Along the Cove".

While Bob Dylan was recovering from his bike accident in 1967, he wrote and recorded the "basement sessions" in West Saugerties, New York. But none of the many songs he came up with later in the official album, "The Basement Tapes"(1975) were from that set. He decided not to include those songs in "John Wesley Harding" though the style and the inspiration are very similar.

Produced by Bob Johnston, Dylan lately said that he would have liked to have more instruments on the whole album. He also said that he came up with the music and the lyrics at the same time, he didn't even have to write the song on a paper, something he had never done before.

It's a simple love song with no Biblical referencies, and it reveals a Dylan coming back to his love lyrics and getting closer to a country style after a dark period.

Edited November 19, 2011 by Guest