I want to share this little track with you. It’s a 1961 doo-wop track by a Chicago-based group, the Dukays, with lead singer Eugene Dixon. “The Girl’s a Devil” earned the Dukays a contract with the tiny Nat record label, and eventually the Dukays went back in the studio to record sides for future singles. …
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Want to listen to some great music? Here’s ten songs all stitched together with a common theme. On an online radio station that I call “K-Chuck Radio”!
K-Chuck Radio: It’s a big day today…
For those of you who are not familiar with my blog, every so often I delve into a popular music theme. I call it “K-Chuck Radio,” an homage to those classic AM radio station jingles and call signs of long ago. Usually there’s a theme that runs through my selection of a K-Chuck Radio playlist.…
Read MoreK-Chuck Radio: The many branches of Bruce Channel’s one-hit wonder
You might hear this song once in a while on your oldies radio station, or maybe it’ll sneak in on your Pandora stream if the settings are just right. But for nearly sixty years, this track has evolved and grown, its influence has spread around the world, and even today the song is referenced by…
Read MoreK-Chuck Radio: Thou Shalt Not Cover the Beatles (if you don’t know what you’re doing)
A while back, I did a K-Chuck Radio segment on artists who had NO BUSINESS WHATSOEVER trying to cover Motown songs. So let’s go back to that well… And see who would DARE attempt to try to cover songs from the Beatles catalog. First off, it’s difficult enough to cover the Beatles and to do…
Read MoreK-Chuck Radio: The forgotten Harry Nilsson
At one point in time, he was lauded as a major star by David Bowie and by John Lennon. His voice was part of major movie themes. Even today, his songs are used in commercials. But as the old saying goes, he’s so famous you don’t even remember him. I’m talking about Harry Nilsson. The…
Read MoreK-Chuck Radio: Olivia Newton-John does make you feel mellow
Last night, I enjoyed a date night where we watched a Lifetime movie. The movie was a two-hour recap of singer Olivia Newton-John’s life and career, starring Australian singer Delta Goodrem as Olivia. And although parts of the movie were quite interesting, there were times when the story seemed rushed – character introduced in Olivia’s…
Read MoreK-Chuck Radio: The “cover band” phase of popular bands
Understand this. I put up with Weezer’s cover of Toto’s “Africa” for as long as I possibly could. I get it, it was a faithful cover of the classic “yacht rock” hit. Today, I discovered that Weezer took their swing at another classic 1980’s hit – the a-ha new wave classic “Take On Me.” No,…
Read MoreK-Chuck Radio: Thou Shalt Not Cover Motown (if you don’t know what you’re doing)…
Some people had a fit about Jennifer Lopez’ Motown tribute performance at the Grammy Awards last week. I didn’t. J-Lo can sing, and J-Lo respects the music. If you respect the music and you can cover the songs with equal parts of joy and reverence, I’m good with it. You don’t have to sound like…
Read MoreK-Chuck Radio: Our Native Brothers and Sisters
A couple of nights ago, I watched this excellent documentary on PBS. The documentary, called Rumble, showed the influence of Native American singers, songwriters and musicians in the popular music of our time. And watching this was fascinating. So in case you didn’t see this film, here’s some of the artists they profiled – along…
Read MoreK-Chuck Radio: Sail on, Captain…
He was a keyboard pioneer in rock music, as he brought synthesizers and electric pianos to AM pop radio. His wife was an amazing singer whose voice paired well with his keyboards. And whether they were singing Motown classics, Neil Sedaka tracks, or their own compositions, the Captain and Tennille were top 1970’s hitmakers. Daryl…
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