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Ten-time Grammy winner Chaka Khan's (Yvette Stevens) first album without the band Rufus was titled simply "Chaka" in 1978. The lead track with Cissy (Drinkard) Houston and Will Lee supplying backing vocals on the LP was "I'm Every Woman" written by the

"Down Yonder" (L. Wolfe Gilbert) was recorded by the Peerless Quartet (Henry Burr, Albert Campbell, Frank Croxton and John Meyer) in 1921 and reached number nine on the charts. The composer also wrote "Ramona" and "Waiting For The Robert E. Lee". Del

Streetsinger Lou Bandy (Lodewijk Dieben) sings the Dutch military tune "Wie Heeft Er Suiker In De Erwtensoep Gedaan" (Jack Van Tol - Lou Bandy), English translation "Who Has Done Sugar In The Pea Soup". This 1937 vinyl release has a chorus that will

Rose Royce (lead vocalist Gwen Dickey, Kenji Brown, Kenny Copeland, Freddie Dunn, Henry Garner, Lequeint Jobe, Michael Moore, Michael Nash and Terry Santiel) included the Norman Whitfield produced "Wishing On A Star" (Billie Rae Calvin) on their second

This is the unreleased Joni Mitchell demo for Joni Mitchell's "You Turn Me On, I'm A Radio". While she was on tour with Graham Nash and David Crosby Atlantic Records' founder Ahmet Ertegun was convinced by Graham to give her a listen. This is the unmixed

The Intruders (lead vocalist Sam Brown, Eugene Daughtry, Robert Edwards and Phil Terry) "(We'll Be) United" (Gamble - Huff) was released in 1966. The group helped define the "Philadelphia Sound" and were one of the first groups to work with the writing

Ed Townsend wrote and recorded "For Your Love" in 1958. The single backed with the Gerald Wilson Orchestra and Chorus reached number seven on the R&B chart and number thirteen on the Top One Hundred. Following a stint in the U.S. Marines where he won

B. W. (Louis Charles) Stevenson recorded "Shambala" (Daniel Moore) in 1973 and charted in the lower regions on both the pop and A.C. listings. The B.W. stood for Buckwheat. There is supposed to be a mythical kingdom in the Himalayas called Shambhala.

Neil Diamond at New York City's "Bitter End" in 1967 with his writer's version of "A Little Bit me, A Little Bit You". My spouse and I had the pleasure of seeing Neil Diamond in concert twice, although the concerts were decades apart, and must confirm

The first recording of "Sick And Tired" (C. Kenner - D. Bartholomew) was issued by Chris Kenner in 1957. This single reached higher than Fats on the R&B chart when it peaked at number thirteen. Chris Kenner was a longshoreman who, according to

Jackson Browne started writing "Take It Easy" (Jackson Browne - Glenn Frey) in 1971 for his first album but was having problems completing the tune. Glenn Frey stepped in and helped finished the song and told Jackson Browne that the Eagles would record

"A Dear John Letter" (Billy Barton - Fuzzy Owen - Lewis Talley) was initially recorded by Bonnie Owens and Fuzzy (Charles) Owen. Bonnie was once married to Buck Owens, then Merle Haggard. In 1953 Jean (Imogene) Shepard and Ferlin Husky hit number one on

This is co-writer Denny Randell performing "A Lover's Concerto" (Sandy Linzer - Denny Randell) on the 2009 Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon. The tune is based on the classic "Minuet In G" lately accepted to be the product of German organist and composer Christian

The 1940 Broadway hit "Pal Joey" by Rodger and Hart saw the introduction of "Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered" on stage by Vivienne Segal. The opening night cast included Van Johnson, June Havoc and Gene Kelly! Actress, singer Doris Day (Kappelhoff)

The Coasters (Carl Gardner, Billy Guy, Earl Carroll, Thomas Palmer) recorded "Let's Go Get Stoned" (Ashford - Simpson - Armstead) in 1965. This was one of the first hits for the Ashford and Simpson team, Josephine Armstead, once a member of The Ikettes

The massive Hank (Hiram) Williams songbook includes the chart topping "Take These Chains From My Heart" Fred Rose - Hy Health) which came from his final Nashville recording session in 1952. Chet Atkins is playing lead guitar. The Ray Charles (Horace

South African David Marks (Holland) wrote "Master Jack" while working in the gold mines. He performs it here on a porch with friends. Four Jacks And A Jill (lead vocalist Glenys Lynne, Bruce Bark, Till Hanneman, Tony Hughes and Clive Harding) had the

"Obsession" (Knight - Des Barres) first appeared in 1983 by the duo Holly Knight and Michael Des Barres. The song was used in the movie "A Night In Heaven". Holly has authored for Rod Stewart, Aerosmith, Meat Loaf, Ozzy Osbourne, Tina Turner, Pat Benatar,

(Kenny) Loggins and (Jim) Messina included "Your Mama Don't Dance" (Loggins - Messina) on their 1972 self-titled album. Early the next year the single peaked at number four on the Top One Hundred and number nineteen on the Easy Listening chart. Glam

"Auf Wiedersehen (Ederhand Storch) was released by movie and recording star Rudi Schuricke in the original German in 1950. "Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart" (Storch - Turner - Parsons) was on the first published UK singles chart in November of 1952 where it

Maurice Williams wrote "Stay" when he was 15 years old and first recorded in 1960 by Williams with his group the Zodiacs (lead vocalist Maurice Williams, Wiley Bennett, Henry Gaston, Albert Hill, Willie Morrow and Henry Thomas). The single clocked in at

This is posted for several reasons but mainly because of the strange way it became a hit. "If You Gotta Go, Go Now" was written by Bob Dylan and recorded for the album "Bringing It All Back Home" but not released until the "Bootleg Series". This

The 1995 animated Disney film "Pocahontas" introduced "Colors Of The Wind" (Stephen Schwartz - Alan Menken) as sung by the operatically trained soprano Judy Kuhn on the soundtrack. It was Vanessa Williams who sang the Grammy, Golden Globe and Oscar

Joe "Fingers" Carr (Lou Bush) and the Carr Hops were first to record "Sam's Song" (Jack Elliott - Lew Quadling) in 1950 and peaked at number seven on Billboard. When Joe divorced actress Janet Blair he married singer Margaret Whiting. Bing Crosby and

Star of the stage, singer and songwriter Chauncey Olcott was first to record "Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral (That's An Irish Lullaby)" (James Royce Shannon) in 1913. It was composed for the musical "Shameen Dhu (Black-haired Jimmy) and recorded before the play's

Remember the million seller "Baby Sittin' Boogie"? This is the same Buzz (Reese) Clifford who wrote and performed the original "Echo Park" for his 1969 album "See Your Way". In the late sixties Buzz was in a band called "Carp" with songwriter Daniel Moore

Connie Francis (Franconero) released "No One" (Doc Pomus - Mort Shuman) as the B side to "Where The Boys Are" in 1960. The song reached number thirty-four on Billboard. The tune appears on the 1991 LP "More Greatest Hits" and the 1965 issue "Connie

Known as "The Golden Voice Of Italy" Carlo Buti released "Reginella Campagnola" (Eldo Di Lazzaro - Bruno Cherubini) in 1939. At the time of his retirement in 1956 he was the most recorded voice in Italian music history. Glenn Miller's "The Woodpecker

Kenny Nolan co-wrote "My Eyes Adored You" and "Lady Marmalade" with Bob Crewe and he composed the hits "A Penny For Your Thoughts" and "Swing Your Daddy". Here he sings the demo for his solo hit, "I Like Dreamin'" (Kenny Nolan). Kenny Nolan's single of

Linda Lyndell's (Rowland) "What A Man" (Dave Crawford) peaked at number fifty on the R&B chart in 1968. The track is from the LP "Super Dreams". Linda is white and when the record came to the attention of the KKK she was threatened for associating