Pop Memories

I remember around the age of 9 or 10 suddenly discovering the joys of pop music. Like with so many other youngsters in Ireland at the time, a special status was attached to late night listening on Radio Luxembourg. So I soon prided myself on being well versed on everything new emerging on the pop scene. So I can still remember the humiliation I experienced when chatting with some school pals in St. Anne's Park in Dublin after a football match. A newcomer who was in a junior class had joined the group and immediately asked me "Well! What do you think of Cliff Richard"? I tried to correct him suggesting that he meant Little Richard! However he was quite sure that it was not Little Richard to whom he was referring! So I had to own up to my shame that I had not heard of Cliff! This was back in 1958 and Cliff's first single "Move It" had just been released. Needless to say I became quickly aware of Cliff after this episode and remarkably he is still going str

I cannot say that I was ever a great fan of Ray Charles though I could appreciate that he was very talented. I do remember however that one of the early singles that I purchased was his biggest hit "I Can't Stop Loving You". Those early single purchases were momentous occasions back then providing welcome relief from school routine. I recall the HMV label on which it was released in Ireland with its pale blue colour. In those days one would inevitably flip over the other side to see if it contained some hidden treasure. (It generally didn't)! However I can still hear the closing refrain "Born to lose, and now I'm losing you". As is well known the peak of Ray Charles' popularity came in the early 60's when - unusual for a black performer - he recorded two albums devoted to Country and Western material. "I Cant' Stop Loving You" was a single taken off the first album. However my own particular favourite was "Take Thes

The 60’s was a great era for female singers in the UK with the likes of Shirley Bassey, Petula Clark, Sandie Shaw, Helen Shapiro and Cilla Black all making a big impact. However perhaps the most fondly remembered of all is Dusty Springfield. I remember well her earlier incarnation as the girl singer in the Springfields. It was a very competent folk trio that was like the British equivalent of Peter, Paul and Mary. Indeed they had a top 20 twenty hit in the States with “ Silver Threads and Golden Needles ” before the Beatles which was completely unheralded then for a British group.   Though strangely this missed out completely in Britain, they soon established themselves there with " Island of Dreams ” (written by Dusty’s brother - now called Tom Springfield). They had become extremely popular, regularly appearing on radio and TV, when they suddenly broke up. There was no doubting that Dusty was the undisputed star of the group and having discovered the music of Tamla M

It has been recounted many times how the song  "Killing Me Softly With His Song"  arose from the attendance of the young folk singer Lori Lieberman at a Don McLean concert in the early 70’s. The song in this case that “killed her softly” was “ Empty Chairs ”. I remember experiencing a similar moment when attending my first Don McLean concert in the National Stadium (a boxing arena) in Dublin in the late 70’s. However on this occasion it was the song “ Tapestry ” that had the effect. Though included on his first album, I had not yet the heard this song and was completely knocked out by both the beauty of the composition and the quality of the lyrics. 35 years later I would be very much of the same opinion and would consider it quite simply as the best environmental song I have heard. Indeed when one listens to this superbly crafted composition, one realises that it is so much more than a “pop” song with its relevance for our world even greater today than when it was