Posts From Jeff Tamarkin
Connie Francis, ’50s-’60s Hitmaker Whose Career Earned Recent Boost With ‘Pretty Little Baby,’ Dies
The singer was recently re-discovered via an obscure 1962 recording, “Pretty Little Baby,” which went viral via TikTok, garnering billions of views.
Read More
The Youngbloods’ ‘Get Together’: Unique Path to Success
The song had been kicking around for a few years when they recorded it. Their first release of the tune bombed. Then it became a timeless anthem.
Read More
The Cowsills—The Hits, the Misses & Other Things: Interview
“We were told that they were going to put our mom in the group. No one asked us. In she comes.”—Bob Cowsill
Read More
Zager & Evans’ ‘In the Year 2525’: The Gloomiest #1?
It was, to be sure, one of the bleakest songs ever to hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. And then the duo never charted again.
Read More
Pilot’s ‘Magic’ Trick: Never Believe It’s Not So
The Scottish band’s one great hit was the type that you might not hear for years, but when you do, it’s instantly familiar.
Read More
Three Dog Night: Under the Covers
Their value lie not in their compositional skills but in their knack for choosing songs by others that fit their style and broadened their appeal.
Read More
Bobbie Gentry ‘Ode to Billie Joe’: Another Sleepy, Dusty Delta Day
Why did he kill himself? What was thrown from the bridge? What became of the singer-songwriter behind it? Here’s what’s known.
Read More
Full Cyrkle: The ‘Red Rubber Ball’ Band Bounces Back
They scored a smash single with an unreleased Paul Simon song, were managed by Brian Epstein and disappeared after two hits.
Read More
When Brownsville Station Were Smokin’
Back in 1973, lots of high school students took extra bathroom breaks since that was generally the only place they could light up. The backstory of a classic.
Read More
Janis Joplin & Jorma Kaukonen: The Tale of the Typewriter Tape
Before they became rock icons, Janis and the Jefferson Airplane guitarist played acoustic blues. Here’s the tale of their fascinating 1964 duets.
Read More