I find the history of one hit song from 1959 to be at least as interesting as the song itself. While theories abound that the folklore and circumstances in the song go back, even farther, there is no question about it that there was a recording of the song in 1928. It was by blues legend Mississi
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01/28/2009
I have only positive things to say about my recent vacation in Oaxaca, Mexico. We stayed healthy and good-natured, loved the food, and we found the people to be friendly and honest. A couple times I paid too many pesos to a vendor and was quickly corrected and given the right change. Wow! I neve
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01/27/2009
Frank Sinatra did not beat around the bush. He made it clear that he did not like the phenomenon known as rock n' roll music. In 1957 he was quoted as saying: "It is sung, played, and written for the most part by cretinous goons; and by means of its almost imbecilic reiterations and sly, lewd, i
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01/26/2009
Steven L. Smith Bellingham WA Home Inspections
01/25/2009
We got back into the USA last night, got home today. As is always the case, even after a short trip, there is catching up to do. Got inspections on the book, sad to see that a few died like produce in the store (If you are not here to do them, they go to another). Year end taxes due the end of th
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01/24/2009
The Billboard Book of One Hit Wonders is an amusing read at times. It brings back memories of many old songs. Some of those people maybe only had one hit, but some of those were mega-hits. It is hard to imagine that someone could have a huge hit, yet only to have been capable of one. Some of the
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01/23/2009
In the years that I worked in radio, starting back in the 1960's, one of my favorite bands of that era was the Lovin' Spoonful. These guys, with John Sebastian as the lead singer and songwriter, had some great songs. The band was not so interested in rocking and rolling. They wanted to create a "
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01/23/2009
In this series, stories behind the music, I have delved into the roots of the early rock n' roll music that became the music of a generation. Because so much of the "roots" music consisted of African-American rhythm and blues, that genre has been well-represented in this series. Let's change dire
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01/22/2009
Now that the colder weather is upon us, this seems like a good time to think about those lazy, hazy days of summer. In the USA, historically, there will probably never be a group of musical performers that so captured the teens and the surfer crowd as the Beach boys. The group was formed in Hawt
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01/22/2009
