Douglas was one of those late fifties/early sixties singers whose career was in effect ended by the advent of the Beatles/Merseybeat, the rise of guitar pop and the shift to artists writing their own songs.
In the Sixties his version of Pretty Blue Eyes was a no. 4 in Britain and four others of his records reached no 9. This is one of them, a cover of a composition by Carole King and Gerry Goffin.
Craig Douglas: When My Little Girl Is Smiling
His biggest hit, though, had come in 1959 when he reached no 1 on the UK charts with a cover of Sam Cooke’s Only Sixteen.
Craig Douglas: Only Sixteen
Terence Perkins (Craig Douglas): 13/8/1941 – 4/9/2026. So it goes.
Bassist Jackie Jackson, a cornerstone of Jamaican music, died last month. He was a player on many records of the ska, rocksteady and reggae genres as well as dub and discomix and played bass with Toots and the Maytals for over 50 years. Among the artists on whose records he played are Desmond Dekker, Bob Marley, Ken Boothe, Paul Simon and Jimmy Cliff.
This is one of the sixties hits.
The Upsetters: Return of Django
Clifton Courtney (Jackie) Jackson: 22/3/1947 – 23/9/2026. So it goes.
Posted in 1960s, Music at 12:00 on 11 September 2026
The Zombies’ second US no 1 – four years after their first She’s Not There in 1974. While the latter did reach no 12 in the UK this one didn’t chart at all. Despite that it’s still fondly remembered.
I liked what I heard from the band so much I bought their second LP, Blood, Sweat & Tears. I note that the track listing given for that on its Wiki page differs from the copy I bought. (No Erik Satie variations for example.) Perhaps the UK version was different from the US.
Their second single Spinning Wheel was written by Clayton-Thomas (as were later tracks Lucretia MacEvil and Go Down Gamblin’.)
Blood, Sweat & Tears: Spinning Wheel
David Henry Thomsett (David Clayton-Thomas): 13/9/1941 – 24/6/2026. So it goes.
I saw in yesterday’s Guardian that singer Beverley had died in April.
I featured her version of Randy Newman’s Happy New Year on 1/1/2021.
Beverley’s marriage to John Martyn was marred by abusive behaviour on his part and also meant Beverley’s career, certainly in a solo sense, stalled.
This was her second solo single. This time a song written by Donovan – which is obvious when you listen to it.
Beverley: Museum
Though known after her marriage, and in her musical collaborations with John, as Beverley Martyn, in accordance with the Scottish tradition on headstones I commemorate her in death with her maiden name.
Beverley Kutner: 24/3/1947 – 27/4/2026. So it goes.
This is unseasonal I know but I’ve already featured the group’s two biggest UK hits, here and here. Taken from Phil Spector’s Christmas Album – actually named A Christmas Gift to You from Philles Records and the less said about Spector the better – it’s also one of The Ronettes better known songs and was their third biggest, no 15 in 1963.
The Ronettes: Sleigh Ride
Nedra Yvonne Talley (Ross): 27/1/1946 – 26/4/2026. So it goes.
Dave Mason, co-founder of the band Traffic, has died.
His career with Traffic was by no means smooth (and he later went on to play with various luminaries) but he wrote and sang their biggest UK hit, a No 2 in 1967.
