by Kevin Burton This is the story of two songs, one title; two sources, one promise, namely, “the best.” And, within the setting of popular music, it’s also a mini grammar lesson about comparative and superlative adjectives. Chances are you have heard the one song, but not the other. The title of …
Category Archives: 1960s
Younger McCartney Travels His Own Path
by Kevin Burton The English singer known professionally as Mike McGear has a birthday today. He turns 79. Among the greetings and well wishes, he may get a birthday call, or maybe a musical card that plays the Beatles song “Birthday,” from his brother – Paul McCartney. Peter Michael McCartney created the …
Honoring The Musicians We Lost In 2022
by Kevin Burton Toward the end of his life my father said it was strange getting old because many of his friends and relatives had died and he was left behind. I understand where he was coming from. But I extend that to teachers and public figures. Even though I don’t interact …
Electrified Hand Holding: British Invasion
by Kevin Burton The song that launched the British Invasion was released on this date 59 years ago. “I Want To Hold Your Hand” holds up to this day, but to get the full impact of it you’d have to hear it with ears attuned to the sounds of 1963. God bless …
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Still Singing, Petula Clark Turns 90
by Kevin Burton Did you know Petula Clark has a new single? Well, it’s her birthday today so let’s help her celebrate. That’s 90 candles on the cake today for Petula, if you’re counting. She was born on this day in 1932 in Ewell, England. That’s 68 million records sold, if you’re doing …
Visiting Johnny Carson’s Boyhood Home Town
by Kevin Burton There was a time when one man captured this nation’s attention, made us laugh and in a way, held us together. And that national smile began with the first five notes of that song, The Tonight Show theme. “Daaaaa dum dum daaaa daaaa….” You heard those notes and …
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Songwriter Cynthia Weil Turns 82
by Kevin Burton Happy 82nd birthday to a great American songwriter you may not know much about, Cynthia Weil. If her name doesn’t ring a bell, her music sure will. She and her husband Barry Mann formed one of the most important songwriting teams of the 60s. They were contemporaries of writers you …
Bills, AFL And I Get Good Start To Season
by Kevin Burton Super Thursday anyone? Yeah, you’re used to Super Sunday. Big meals, commercials as big deals and oh yeah, a football game, the Super Bowl. Did you ever want to skip the five months of preliminaries and cut straight to the chase? Ever want to skip all the insurance commercials …
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Saginaw USA, Why Not Exactly?
by Kevin Burton I think I’ve found America kids! This after considerable searching. You’ll never guess where. Listen to this: “The Saginaw Valley Rail Trail is one of Saginaw County’s gems, stretching 11 miles from St. Charles to Saginaw. It incorporates a number of natural features including: seven bridges over various rivers …
Drift Away: The Healing Power Of Music
by Kevin Burton Let me be clear: the beat, the rock and roll beat, does not free one’s soul. But in the secular sense it sure frees something. And that’s the heart of the great 1973 song “Drift Away.” Lawrence Darrow Brown was born in Simonton, Texas on this day in 1940. …
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