Winning Hand - Vol. 5: Fuller House!

Welcome to Winning Hand:

FULLER HOUSE!

In this edition of the series I have four of a kind plus
an extra pair up my sleeve - a mix of originals and covers.
I am curious to know which version or versions you prefer.

I might be a wild card and

a joker... but I'm no poker.

Therefore, without further delay, I will introduce
the kings and queens of song in today's post.

Remember, ladies and gentlemen...

This is only an exhibition...
This is not a competition...
Please... no wagering.

 BRENDA LEE 

Nicknamed "Little Miss Dynamite,"

country, pop, rock & roll and rock-

abilly artist Brenda Lee was one of

the most successful female singers

of the 60s. In April, 1960,  Brenda's

single "Sweet Nothin's," written by

Ronnie Self, reached the top 3 on

Cash Box and #4 on Billboard.

 "Sweet Nothin's" - Brenda Lee 

 (Mar./Apr. 1960, highest chart pos. 

  #3 Cash Box/#4 Hot 100, perf. on 

 Dick Clark Saturday Night Beechnut Show) 

 CASI JOY 

Now here's a delightful cover of "Sweet Nothin's" performed

by a country artist from Kanas City who appeared on season 12

of The Voice. Meet zesty zinger Casi Joy (and her dog)!

 "Sweet Nothin's" - Brenda Lee cover by Casi Joy 

 (Mar. 2018) 

 WANDA JACKSON 

The next "Sweet Nothin's" cover is by rock & roll pioneer Wanda Jackson,

nicknamed The Queen of Rockabilly and The First Lady of Rockabilly.

Wanda released her version on the 1982 album Let's Have A Party.

 "Sweet Nothin's" - Wanda Jackson 

 (from 1982 album Let's Have A Party) 

 HELEN SHAPIRO 

In 1962 English sparrow Helen Shapiro released her debut album

containing covers of hits made famous by other artists. One of

the songs is a more than capable cover of "Sweet Nothin's."

 "Sweet Nothin's" - Helen Shapiro 

 (from 1962 album 'Tops' With Me) 

 FLEETWOOD MAC 

Released as the second single from Fleetwood Mac's best-selling,

chart-topping 1977 album Rumours, the song "Dreams" also

reached the #1 spot on the U.S. chart, the only single

by the band to reach the top spot.

"Dreams" - Fleetwood Mac (May/June 1977, highest chart pos. 

 #1 Hot 100 & Cash Box, from Feb. 1977 album Rumours) 

 THE CLASSIC ROCK SHOW 

Now enjoy this fine cover of "Dreams" by Jess Harwood

fronting the UK based tribute band The Classic Rock Show.

 "Dreams" - Fleetwood Mac cover 

 by The Classic Rock Show (Feb. 2020) 

I think these musical
kings and queens are aces!

Do you agree? 

Have a Shady day!

Winning Hand Volume 4: The Deck is Stacked ...with (Count 'em) 4 Pairs Up Shady's Sleeve!

Welcome to Winning Hand:

FOUR PAIRS
UP SHADY'S SLEEVE!

In this edition of the series I have posted four pairs of songs.
Each pair contains the original and a cover. I am curious
to know which version or versions you prefer.

I might be a wild card and

a joker... but I'm no poker.

Therefore, without further delay, I will introduce
the kings and queens of song in today's post.

Remember, ladies and gentlemen...

This is only an exhibition...
This is not a competition...
Please... no wagering.

 EDDIE COCHRAN 

Rock & roll and rockabilly star Eddie Cochran died young at the age of
21 on Easter Sunday, 1960, as a result of a car crash that occurred while
he was touring in the UK. "Sweetie Pie," a song Eddie co-wrote and
recorded in 1957, remained in the vault until the late summer of
1960 when it was released posthumously on a single as the
B side of "Lonely." Neither song charted in the U.S. but
in Britain "Lonely" grazed the top 40 and
"Sweetie Pie" peaked at #38.

"Sweetie Pie" - Eddie Cochran

(Sept./Oct. 1960, B side of "Lonely,"
highest chart pos. #38 UK)

 THE BLUEBELL SISTERS 

Now here's a delightful cover of Eddie Cochran's "Sweetie Pie" performed
by The Bluebell Sisters, a retro style girl group from Montreal, Canada,
that specializes in 1940s jump blues and 50s doo-wop and rockabilly.

"SweetiePie" 

Eddie Cochran cover by The Bluebell Sisters

(Mar. 2018)

 SARAH JANE 

This is my own video that I uploaded to YouTube after buying a various artists

CD of Brit girl pop and being blown away by mystery artist Sarah Jane. It is

the English sparrow's 1966 cover of "Listen People," a dramatic version of

the song that was a top 5 U.S. hit for Herman's Hermits that same year.

Sarah Jane has been compared to Marianne Faithfull because of her

hauntingly beautiful voice and style. Listen, people, to-- Sarah Jane!

"Listen People"
Herman's Hermits cover by Sarah Jane
(May 1966)

 HERMAN'S HERMITS 

Now listen to the original. Based on the church hymn "Jesus Let Us Come

To Know You" and featured in the 1965 Connie Francis movie musical

When the Boys Meet the Girls, Herman's Hermits do "Listen People."

"Listen People" - Herman's Hermits

(Feb./Mar. 1966, highest chart pos. #3 Hot 100 & Cash Box,

scene from Oct. 1965 film When the Boys Meet the Girls)

 AMY SLATTERY 

I am pleased to welcome back the delightful Amy Slattery, the English singer,

guitar player and multi-instrumentalist discovered by talent scout Chris Griffin

and introduced on the old blog Shady Dell Music & Memories. Amy specializes

in Beatles covers and here's one of her best-- The Ballad Of John And Yoko!"

"The Ballad Of John And Yoko" 
Beatles cover by Amy Slattery

(May 2018)

 THE BEATLES 

Now here is the nicely remastered mix of the original single released by

The Beatles in the spring of 1969. Written by John, the song about the

"Yoko effect" on the band, fans and the media, shot to #1 on the UK

chart, becoming the Beatles' 17th and last chart topping hit on that

survey. It is surprisingly to me that this Beatles classic didn't do

as well on the U.S. chart, halting in the lower part of the

top 10 on Billboard and Cash Box.

"The Ballad of John and Yoko" - The Beatles

(June/July 1969, highest chart pos. #1 UK/#8 Hot 100/#10 Cash Box)

 LITTLE PEGGY MARCH 

In 1963, diminutive singer Little Peggy March set a record (that still stands) as the

youngest female artist to achieve a number one hit single. Peggy was 14 when she

waxed "I Will Follow Him" and had just turned 15 when the record began its climb

to the top of the chart. Peggy's hit is actually a cover version of the song. In 1961

French composer, arranger and conductor Franck Pourcel was the first to record

the tune as an instrumental, followed by a French language version of the song

released by Pet Clark in 1962. Another instrumental version was recorded by

Percy Faith. Watch this cool hybrid YouTube video that combines footage

from two Peggy March television appearances, one on American TV and

the other on Japanese TV, as she performs her classic of the innocent

pre-Beatles teen pop era - "I Will Follow Him!"

"I Will Follow Him" - Little Peggy March

(Apr./May 1963, highest chart pos. #1 Hot 100 & Cash Box)

 RICK NELSON 

Later that same year, 1963, Rick Nelson released the studio album

For Your Sweet Love. One of the tracks on the album is an answer
to Peggy March's signature song. On an episode of his family TV
sitcom The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Rick sang his
version of the song entitled-- "I Will Follow You!"

"I Will Follow You" 
Little Peggy March cover by Rick Nelson

(from 1963 album For Your Sweet Love, perf. on

June 6, 1963 ep. of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet)

I think these musical
kings and queens are aces!

Do you agree? 

Have a Shady day!

Winning Hand - Vol 3: The Deck Is Stacked. Card Shark Shady's Got Three of a Kind + Two Pairs Up His Sleeve!

Welcome to Winning Hand:

THREE OF A KIND + TWO PAIRS!

In this edition of the series, I have posted a combination
of original recordings, covers and sound-alikes. Please
tell me which version or versions you prefer.

I might be a wild card and

a joker... but I'm no poker.

Therefore, without further delay, I will introduce
the kings and queens of song in today's post.

Remember, ladies and gentlemen...

This is only an exhibition...
This is not a competition...
Please... no wagering.

 ANI DiFRANCO 

Let's begin with "Wishin' And Hopin," a song composed by Hal David and Burt Bacharach
and most famously waxed by Dusty Springfield, a top 5 U.S. hit for the English songbird
in 1964. A version of the song was recorded in 1995 by Buffalo born singer/songwriter
Ani DiFranco and used for the opening credits of the 1997 Julia Roberts romantic
comedy film My Best Friend's Wedding. Along with the Austin Powers series,
My Best Friend's Wedding is responsible for renewing the popularity of the
Bacharach-David catalog in the 21st century. Watch the groovy opening
sequence to what has been called the quintessential ’90s flick--
My Best Friend's Wedding.

"Wishin' And Hopin'" - Ani DiFranco

(OST of June 1997 film My Best Friend's Wedding)

Instead of posting Dusty Springfield's original recording of "Wishin' And Hopin',"
which I am sure you have heard many times, I want to entertain you with
cover videos - not one, but two amazing "homemade" custom remakes
of the opening credits from My Best Friend's Wedding. First here's a
video produced in 2013 for an actual wedding as a surprise for
the groom. I wish I'd been there to see the look on his face!

"Wishin' And Hopin'" - Ani DiFranco

(OST of June 1997 film My Best Friend's Wedding,
Sept. 2013 homemade remake video)

Now here are fine performances by a group of younger ladies, members
of the Wollan family, doing their interpretation of the song in a video
produced in 2010 for a big brother's wedding. Imagine his surprise!

"Wishin' And Hopin'" - Ani DiFranco

(OST of June 1997 film My Best Friend's Wedding,
June 2010 homemade remake video)

 MILLIE FOSTER 

In the early 60s, before she became a jazz and gospel vocalist, Wichita, Kansas,
zinger Millie Foster recorded excellent deep soul ballads and up tempo R&B sides
in New York. On some of her recordings Millie Foster reminds me of Tina Turner.

Check out the Tina Turner style on Millie's first single, "Love Wheel" released
in the fall of 1962, a record that was way ahead of its time. This gal smokes!

"Love Wheel" - Millie Foster

(Nov. 1962, uncharted)

 JOSIE AND 

 THE PUSSYCATS 

Millie Foster's "Love Wheel" missed the chart, but it reminds me of three other
hits - James Brown's "Night Train," Roy Head's "Treat her Right" and "Money
(That's What I Want)," the 1959 Barrett Strong single that became Motown's
first hit. I found this cool cover of "Money" by Josie and the Pussycats,
the fictional all-girl pop band that was featured in a comic book and
and starred in their own Saturday morning animated TV series.
Three singers were cast to record songs as Josie and the Pussycats:
Kathleen Dougherty as Josie, Cherie Moor (future Charlie's Angels
main cast member Cheryl Ladd) as Melody and Patrice Holloway,
younger sister of Motown vocalist Brenda Holloway, as Valerie.
In 2001 Josie and the Pussycats were recast for a feature film
that starred Rachael Leigh Cook, Rosario Dawson and Tara
Reid. Kay Hanley of the band Letters to Cleo did the vocals

for Rachael Leigh Cook's Josie on the movie soundtrack and
the CD. Here is a hybrid video with the song "Money" from
the 2001 film edited to footage from the early 70s TV series.

"Money (That's What I Want)" Josie and the Pussycats

(from OST of Apr. 2001 film Josie and the Pussycats,

video from orig. 1970-71 animated TV series)

 KISS 

In 1979 Kiss proved that even a hard rock band could write a disco song

and achieve a hit with it. They recorded "I Was Made For Lovin' You"

and the rest is Kisstory. "I Was Made..." brushed the top 10,

making it their third most successful single. Two Kiss

ballads, "Beth" and "Forever," the latter co-written

by Michael Bolton, cracked the top 10.

"I Was Made For Lovin' You" - Kiss

(June/July '79, highest cht pos. #9 Cash Box/#11 Hot 100)

 SILENZIUM 

If you can believe your eyes and ears, check out Silenzium, an all female classical

string quartet based in Russia. Their cover of the Kiss klassic is one of the most

fascinating videos on YouTube. The song starts at the 1:15 mark but I urge

you to watch from the beginning before the ladies start Breaking Bad.

"I Was Made For Lovin' You"

Kiss cover by Silenzium (Oct. 2017)

SONG BEGINS AT 1:15 MARK!

I think these musical
kings and queens are aces!

Do you agree? 

Have a Shady day!

Winning Hand - Vol. 2: Shady's Got a Full House... Plus an Extra Card Up His Sleeve!

Welcome to Winning Hand:

A Full House + 1 Extra!

In this edition of the series I will present three different versions of two
different songs. I'd like you to tell me which version or versions you prefer.

I might be a wild card and

a joker... but I'm no poker.

Therefore, without further delay, I will introduce
the kings and queens of song in today's post.

Remember, ladies and gentlemen...

This is only an exhibition...
This is not a competition...
Please... no wagering.

 DION 

Around Halloween 1961, a year after leaving his doo-wop group
The Belmonts, Dion DiMucci scored a #1 hit solo single with
"Runaround Sue." Dion's ditty rode the pop chart 14 weeks
through the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays and into
the new year. "Runaround Sue" is listed by Rolling Stone
Magazine as one of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

"Runaround Sue" - Dion

(Oct./Nov./Dec. 1961, highest chart pos. #1,

scene from Dec. 1961 film Twist Around The Clock)

 GINGER DAVIS 

 & THE SNAPS 

Ginger Davis and the Snaps were a doo-wop harmony quartet formed in
Philadelphia in 1959. Ginger and her three male singing partners released
only three singles in their brief career. Their second, "I'm No Run Around,"
is an answer song to Dion DiMucci's monster hit "Runaround Sue."

"I'm No Run Around" - Ginger Davis & The Snaps

(Oct./Nov. 1961, uncharted)

 LINDA LAURIE &  

 THE DEL SATINS 

Now here's "Stay-At-Home Sue," another answer to Dion's "Runaround Sue,"
this one recorded by Linda Laurie, a singer/songwriter who had a minor hit
in 1959 with the novelty single "Ambrose (Part 5)." In the background you
will hear the Del Satins, the group that sang backup on many of Dion's
solo recordings after he split with The Belmonts.

"Stay-At-Home Sue" - Linda Laurie & The Del Satins

(Nov. 1961, uncharted)

FLEETWOOD MAC

Now let's listen to three versions of our second featured song, "Dreams."

Composed of British and American members, Fleetwood Mac is one of the
world's oldest and most successful bands. Rumours, released in 1977,

is one of the best-selling albums in UK and U.S. history. "Dreams,"
a single from the album, reached #1 on the Billboard chart
and sold over a million copies.

"Dreams" - Fleetwood Mac
  (May/June 1977, highest chart pos. #1,
from Feb. 1977 album Rumours)

VAZQUEZ SOUNDS

You met Mexican songstress Angie Vazquez and her band of musical
brothers on Shady Dell Music & Memories in a volume of my 2016
dance pop/pop rock series. Vazquez Sounds, or V-Sounds as they
are often called, blew up on YouTube when Angie was only ten.
I love their 2012 cover of the Jackson 5 hit "I Want You Back."
Fast forward to 2016 and we find Angie and V-Sounds

doing an equally fine job on a cover of "Dreams."

"Dreams" - Vazquez Sounds
(2016 cover single)

DEEP DISH feat.

STEVIE NICKS

Deep Dish is a D.C. based EDM duo known for their house and
dance remixes of hits by major artists. In 2005 Fleetwood Mac's
lead vocalist Stevie Nicks rerecorded "Dreams" with Deep Dish.
Their single made the top 15 in the UK and reached the

top 30 on the U.S. Dance Club chart.

"Dreams" - Deep Dish feat. Stevie Nicks

(single from July 2005 Deep Dish album George is On

and Mar. 2007 Stevie Nicks album Crystal Visions)

I think these kings and queens

of song are aces!

Do you agree? 

Have a Shady day!