I'm a big fan of Patti Page, and also of mocking birds, so this old song from the '50's, is one of my favorites. Mocking Bird Hill

Did a little bit of research on that song. It started life in Sweden in 1915 as an instrumental titled "Livet i finnskogarna" ("Life in the Finnish Forests"). Swedish lyrics were added in 1934 and the well-known English lyrics were added in 1950. I'm not sure how it got to the US from Sweden, but I'd imagine someone heard it overseas during WWII and brought the tune back with them.

This was the first English version, by The Pinetoppers with vocals by "The Beaver Valley Sweethearts".

I think I may live on Mockingbird Hill 

Had no idea Telly Savalas could sing...

Quote from: BarbStAubrey on February 24, 2025, 09:23:11 PMHad no idea Telly Savalas could sing...

I didn't either until I stumbled across the video of "Some Broken Hearts Never Mend". Not a bad singer.

Here's a classic from Roberta Flack, who died earlier today at the age of 88. She wasn't the first to record this, but hers is by far the best known version. This hit #1 in the US and won her a Grammy as well.

An accidental hit that revitalized interest in a 43-year-old show tune in late 1959. This was the B side of "Don't Tell Me Your Trouble" but ended up becoming far more popular. This version peaked at #1 in the UK, Australia and Norway and #3 in The Netherlands. It was originally performed by Henry Lewis in the 1916 Broadway show Follow Me

Andy Griffith's commentary on the classic doo-wop song "Silhouettes". This was originally a hit for The Rays in 1957 and also a hit for Herman's Hermits in 1965.

A fun one from Chuck Berry. This was a minor hit in 1964, peaking at #14 in the US and #25 in the UK

A fun song by the late great Peggy Lee from 1947. This was apparently her biggest hit.

Maňana was very popular around here at the time.

Another classic Peggy Lee song. This is probably her most well-known song.

An interesting rendition of "Me and Bobby McGee". Ola Louise was a country singer from Sacramento, California and the wife of country/western swing artist Paul Westmoreland. She died in 2013 at the age of 86.

Beware the Jabberwock... From 1968. A great musical interpretation of Lewis Carroll's famous poem, but it wasn't a hit at all.

A fun Latin-infused tune from 1966. Joe Cuba was the stage name of American conga drummer Gilberto Miguel Calderón, who was of Puerto Ricn heritage.

A nice rendition of the classic American song "Red River Valley" from 2008. Dakota Blonde is a band from Denver, Colorado that plays bluegrass/Americana/folk music.

A fun one from 1929. I have no idea who did this first as there are at least a dozen versions from 1929 alone, some of which were recorded within a few days of each other. This was recorded by every major singer of the time - Harry Reser, Dick Robertson, Eddie Cantor and many others. Apparently it was a popular song.

In 1975, Italian group I Santo California had a big hit with "Tornero". In early 1976, an English version written and performed by German artist Michael Holm ended up being a big hit in South Africa of all places. I assume this has something to do with the country's historical ties to the UK? Great song either way.

Thursday,  March 20, was my sons 64th birthday!   I was reminded of the Beatles hit song,  When I'm Sixty Four,  so decided to post it here in his honor.

Super, Marilyne. Like many of us, I was a huge Beatles fan until I started seeing reports of drugs and such. Sue and I were ahead of the game when they first came to American and did the Ed Sullivan show. Mom had recently gotten back from a trip back home to visit family. She mentioned them as being all the rage so we were primed. This was before anyone even knew they were coming.

Speaking of birthdays and The Beatles, here's a rendition of "Here Comes the Sun" by legendary guitarist Phil Keaggy, who turned 74 today.

The original version of "I Can't Stop Loving You" by the guy who wrote it, from late 1957. Four and a half years later, Ray Charles had one of the biggest hits of his career with his version of this song.

One of at least three versions of this song to hit the top 20 in the US. This hit #7 in 1979.

A fun one from Jim Henson (yes, that Jim Henson) from 1960. He would have been 23 or 24 at the time. This was almost a decade before Sesame Street, when he was mostly known for the local show Sam and Friends in the Washington, DC area.

Everybody likes Jim Henson, including me.     Clever rhyme and good sound effects. 

Here's the flip side of that Jim Henson recording I posted the other night. This was the only record he released under his own name, though he did appear on a couple of singles featuring Ernie from Sesame Street and two singles featuring songs from The Muppet Movie with Kermit the Frog.

Here's Kermit, singing The Rainbow Connection, from the Muppets Movie, 1979.  I remember taking my youngest daughter to see the movie that year.  She was 10 in '79 and had long outgrown Sesame Street, but she still liked Kermit, and Bert and Ernie, The Cookie Monster and all the songs.  Today is her birthday . . . age 56.