top of page
Search
Michael Cook
Feb 1, 20231 min read
Me & My Arrow - Harry Nilsson (`1971) 2/2/23
In 1970, singer/songwriter, and all-purpose genius Harry Nilsson was walking through the woods near his home when he noticed that...
00
Michael Cook
Feb 1, 20232 min read
Peter McCann/Jennifer Warnes (1977) 2/1/23
It just won't stop! Today we pay tribute to yet ANOTHER member of the music world: Singer/Songwriter Peter McCann, who passed away at the...
20
Michael Cook
Jan 30, 20232 min read
Psychedelic Shack - Temptations (1970) Barrett Strong Tribute 1/31/23
Sigh. The list of 2023 music world deaths continues to grow. Original Motown artist, singer/songwriter Barrett Strong has passed away at...
00
Michael Cook
Jan 29, 20231 min read
Why Can't I Touch You - Ronnie Dyson (1970) 1/30/23
I'm wondering how many of my theatre friends and colleagues have heard of the 1969 off-Broadway rock musical, "Salvation." It was about a...
00
Michael Cook
Jan 28, 20231 min read
Big Shot - Billy Joel (1979) 1/29/23
There are two "origin" stories behind today's "Great Song of 1979," And according to Billy Joel, BOTH of them are true. #1: The song "Big...
10
Michael Cook
Jan 27, 20231 min read
Bluer Than Blue - Michael Johnson (1978) 1/28/23
Randy Goodrum is probably a name you've never heard before, but he wrote some "Great Songs," including "Anne Murray's "You Needed Me, "...
10
Michael Cook
Jan 26, 20231 min read
Daytime Friends - Kenny Rogers 1978 (1/27/23)
You never know where the inspiration for a "Great Song" might come from. Today's example has got to be one of the strangest, and...
00
Michael Cook
Jan 25, 20231 min read
Only 16 - Dr. Hook (1976) 1/26/23
During the 1970s, Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show certainly had their ups and downs. It seemed that for every "Great Song" they scored...
00
Michael Cook
Jan 24, 20231 min read
18 with a Bullet - Pete Wingfield 1975 (1/25/23
One of the best things about popular music in the '70s was the variety. Your never knew when something just a little bit "different"...
00
Michael Cook
Jan 24, 20231 min read
Machine Gun - he Commodores (1974) 1/24/23
The Mystics and the Jays were two freshman music groups that formed at Alabama's Tuskegee Institute in1968. Both featured some extremely...
10
Michael Cook
Jan 22, 20231 min read
Say Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose - Tony Orlando & Dawn (1973) 1/23/23
When "Dawn's New Ragtime Follies" album was released in 1973, it not only paid tribute to a popular musical genre from the early 1900s,...
00
Michael Cook
Jan 21, 20231 min read
Keeper of the Castle - Four Tops (1972-73) 1/22/23
When The Four Tops left Motown Records for a new label (ABC/Dunhill) in 1972, nothing was certain, and there was just a bit of...
10
Michael Cook
Jan 20, 20231 min read
One Toke Over the Line - Brewer & Shipley ( 1971) (1/21/23)
Today's "Great Song of 1971," "One Toke Over the Line" was a by "Brewer & Shipley made them a one-hit wonder--with an obvious backstory,...
00
Michael Cook
Jan 19, 20232 min read
David Crosby Tribute (1/20/23)
Dear Lord, please make it stop. I realize that as the history of popular music passes on, our musical icons have--and will continue...
00
Michael Cook
Jan 18, 20231 min read
Tragedy - Bee Gees (1979) 1/19/23
One day in 1978, while the Bee Gees were filming their parts in the "Sgt. Pepper" movie, they found themselves with an afternoon off....
00
Michael Cook
Jan 17, 20231 min read
Torn Between Two Lovers - Mary MacGregor (1977) 1/18/23
For a multiple chart topper, there's not a lot of info to pass along about today's Great Song of 1977: "Torn Between Two Lovers" by Mary...
00
Michael Cook
Jan 17, 20231 min read
That'll Be the Day - Linda Ronstadt (1976) 1/17/23
How do you make an iconic song of the '50s a "Great Song of the '70s? Have Linda Ronstadt record a Buddy Holly Song! The song in question...
00
Michael Cook
Jan 15, 20231 min read
Holdin' On to Yesterday - Ambrosia (1975)
The group Ambrosia appeared on the scene in 1975, with their eponymous debut album...and a single that became a "Great Song" right off...
10
Michael Cook
Jan 14, 20232 min read
For the Love of Money - O'Jays (1974) 1/15/23
Today's "Great Songs of the '70s" blog entry begins with a Bible verse: "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some...
00
Michael Cook
Jan 13, 20231 min read
Hey You -BTO (Robbie Bachman Tribute) 1/14/23
The parade of music world deaths in 2023 keeps marching on, and it's RELENTLESS: Anita Pointer, Fred White of Earth, Wind, and Fire, Jeff...
00
Heading 6
bottom of page