Founder member of Jethro Tull, Mick Abrahams, died on 19/12/25. He only played on Tull’s first LP This Was before leaving the band due to wanting to pursue more in the line of the blues than flautist, singer and main songwriter Ian Anderson.

This, from that LP, is a song he co-wrote with Anderson.

Jethro Tull: Beggar’s Farm

Abrahams went on to form the unforgettably named Blodwyn Pig. Their first single was Dear Jill.

Blodwyn Pig: Dear Jill

Michael Timothy (Mick) Abrahams: 7/4/1943 – 19/12/2025. So it goes.

Influential guitarist Steve Cropper died last week.

He made his name with Booker T and the MGs on such songs as Green Onions, Time is Tight and Soul Limbo.

Over his long career he was invited to contribute to the work of various soul and rock luminaries.

He co-wrote (Sittin’ on) the Dock of the Bay for Otis Redding, Soul Man for Sam and Dave and the following two for Wilson Pickett and Eddie Floyd respectively.

Wilson Pickett: In the Midnight Hour

Eddie Floyd: Knock on Wood

Steven Lee (Steve) Cropper: 21/10/ 1941 – 3/12/2025. So it goes.

And now Jimmy Cliff also has gone.

Cliff was among the first artists to bring Jamaican music to the wider world.

This was his first big UK hit and his highest chart placing – no. 6 in 1969. Joyful stuff.

Jimmy Cliff: Wonderful World, Beautiful People

James Chambers (Jimmy Cliff:) 30/7/1944 – 24/11/2025. So it goes.

For many people their favourite Creedence song but I always preferred Proud Mary as a 60s track and Have You Ever Seen the Rain? overall.

But I suppose this is iconic Creedence.

Creedence Clearwater Revival: Bad Moon Rising

A further tribute to John Lodge, who died last week.

This track, which he wrote (and whose mediæval and “orchestral” interludes in many ways presage Procession from Every Good Boy Deserves Favour,) was split into two for its appearance on In Search of the Lost Chord, with the Ray Thomas penned Legend of a Mind making the meat in the sandwich.

This TV appearance from 1968 –the Colour Me Pop session the Moodies did – puts it all together though.

The Moody Blues: House of Four Doors

This wasn’t a hit in the UK but was Warwick’s first in the US.

It’s a typical early sixties kind of song.

Here’s a TV appearance from 1963.

Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over

I remembered this as The Young Rascals only UK hit (a no 8 in 1967) but it seems they had another that didn’t even make the top thirty later that year.

Still this was a distinctive single. Below is a not entirely convincing clip of them ‘performing’ the song on the Ed Sullivan Show.

The Young Rascals: Groovin’

Feted jazz singer Cleo Laine also died this week. I have never been much into jazz and as a consequence never really paid much attention to her career beyond being aware of her from TV appearances and the like but I knew she was a big influence on the jazz world.

However, I always liked the description of jazz in the TV series The Beiderbecke Affair as falling into three kinds: “cool”; “hot”; or “when does the tune start.”

As far as I can see Laine only had two singles which could be described as UK hits, both from 1960.

The first was co-written by David Dearlove and Laine’s second husband and longtime musical collaborator Johnny Dankworth.

Cleo Laine: Let’s Slip Away

The second is more “pop”py, perhaps unsurprisingly as it was written by Hal David (more famous for his work with Burt Bacharach) along with Sherman Edwards.

Cleo Laine: You’ll Answer To Me

Clementine Dinah Bullock (Cleo Laine): 27/10/1927 – 24/7/2025. So it goes.

Since Brian Wilson’s death the good lady and I have been listening to the Beach Boys a lot. While doing so it struck me that even without God Only Knows, Good Vibrations and Heroes and Villains they would still be remembered – even revered – for songs like I Get Around, Wouldn’t It Be Nice, Help Me Rhonda, California Girls, Do It Again, Break Away and the arrangement on Sloop John B. And too, the slower, more thoughtful tracks like In My Room, Don’t Worry Baby and The Warmth of the Sun.

I discount here the early surfing inspired tracks Surfin’ Safari, Surfin’ USA and Surfer Girl. (Very few people now remember Jan and Dean, after all.) The ‘hot rod’ songs, Little Deuce Coupe and Fun, Fun, Fun might just creep in however.

I always had a liking for this one though, the B-side of Sloop John B.

The Beach Boys: You’re So Good To Me

The only Beach Boys single I actually bought was Darlin’ from 1967. God Only Knows and Good Vibrations were before my singles-buying days.

The Beach Boys: Darlin’

Their Wiki singles discography page says its B-side was a song called Here Today from Pet Sounds.  Well not in the UK it wasn’t, as I remember it very well. That was instead Country Air from the later album Wild Honey. As this video displaying the record label shows. (The murky sound quality was apparently due to a problem with the master tape.)

The Beach Boys: Country Air

Still brilliant as always.

Brian Douglas Wilson: 20/6/1942 – 11/6/2025. So it goes.