Posted in 1960s, Events dear boy. Events, Friday On My Mind, Music at 12:00 on 13 March 2026
No apologies for repeating this song from earlier in the category. Country Joe died a few days ago. This one’s a studio recording, though.
Country Joe and the Fish: I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die Rag
Joseph Allen (Country Joe) McDonald: 1/1/1942 – 7/3/2026. So it goes.
Posted in 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, Events dear boy. Events, Music, Reelin' In The Years at 12:00 on 6 March 2026
Neil Sedaka died last Friday.
He was one of the most distinctive pop acts of the late 1950s and early 1960s before the advent of The Beatles overturned everything.
His many songwriting credits include Stupid Cupid, a 1958 hit for Connie Francis, and Love Will Keep Us Together (Captain and Tenille, 1975.) (Is This the Way to) Amarillo (1971) eventually became a big hit for Tony Christie – aided by Peter Kay’s video – in 2005.
Sedaka’s own hits include Calendar Girl, Little Devil, Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen, Breaking Up Is Hard to Do.
He kind of reinvented himself as a singer-songwriter in the 1970s with a more adult-oriented approach.
Here’s a live performance from 1975.
Neil Sedaka: Laughter in the Rain
This one was a hit for The Carpenters but this is a Sedaka performance-
Neil Sedaka: Solitaire
Though he had an earlier hit with I Go Ape this was the song which really announced him in the UK in 1959.
Neil Sedaka: Oh! Carol
Neil Sedaka: 13/3/1939 – 27/2/2026. So it goes.
Posted in 1990s, Music, Something Changed at 12:00 on 27 February 2026
The group’s second big hit and only no 1. From 1997.
The Verve: The Drugs Don’t Work
Posted in 1960s, Friday On My Mind, Music at 12:00 on 20 February 2026
Bowie’s first hit (no 5 in 1969) and a bit of a false start as he wouldn’t have another till Starman (no 8 in 1972.)
Atmospheric and eerie at the same time. Utterly memorable.
David Bowie – Space Oddity
Posted in 1970s, Events dear boy. Events, Music, Reelin' In The Years at 12:00 on 13 February 2026
Esteemed drummer, SlyDunbar, died last month.
Along with bassist Robbie Shakespeare he formed a rhythm section much in demand.
The list of people he played with or for is extensive (see link.)
This is possibly the earliest of his recordings I became aware of.
Dave and Ansel Collins: Double Barrel
Lowell Fillmore (Sly) Dunbar; 10/5/1952 – 26/1/2026. So it goes.
Posted in 1970s, Music, Reelin' In The Years at 12:00 on 6 February 2026
Not quite Dunfermline’s finest but the band launched the career of guitarist Stuart Adamson, later of Big Country fame. Lead singer Richard Jobson became a TV presenter.
Skids: Into the Valley
Posted in 1980s, Live It Up, Music at 12:00 on 30 January 2026
I realised last week that I haven’t featured any Kate Bush tracks beyond Wuthering Heights.
So let’s make up for that. This one only reached no 20 (in 1985.)
Kate Bush: Cloudbusting
Posted in 1990s, Lyrics, Music, Something Changed at 12:00 on 23 January 2026
The refrain of this is very unProdigy-like (in my opinion.) Not that lyrically there’s much to the whole thing. But reggae?
The Prodigy: Out of Space
Posted in 1970s, Events dear boy. Events, Music, Reelin' In The Years at 12:00 on 16 January 2026
One more week, another obituary. This time of the Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir.
The band was primarily known for its live performances and not for its singles. They had a few top 100 hits in the US, though, but never troubled the UK charts.
This was written by Weir.
The Grateful Dead: One More Saturday Night.
Robert Hall Parber (Bob Weir) 16/10/1947 – January 10/1/2026. So it goes.
Posted in 1970s, Music, Reelin' In The Years at 12:00 on 9 January 2026
From my familiarity with it on radio play I would have thought that this had been a hit in the UK but it seems it wasn’t. In fact only one of Seger’s songs ever made the UK top 30 and that We’ve Got Tonight was as a reissue – in 1994.
Anyway this is a superbly accomplished piece of popular song writing and performance.
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band: Mainstreet
