So pull up a beanbag chair, turn on your lava lamp and take a trip back to a groovier time!
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January 2016 January 31: Today's "Way Back Play Back" continues a series featuring randomly chosen hits from yesteryear; peaking at #8 on U.S. Billboard's Hot 100 chart here is American psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane with "White Rabbit" (1967)
Johnny K's Fun Facts: The song was written and performed by Grace Slick while she was still with San Francisco rock band, The Great Society. Following the band's break-up in 1966, Slick was invited to join Jefferson Airplane to replace their departed female singer, Signe Toly Anderson (who had left following the birth of her child). Slick utilized imagery found in the fantasy works of Lewis Carroll such as 1865's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its 1871 sequel Through the Looking-Glass, such as changing size after taking pills or drinking an unknown liquid. Slick had stated the composition was intended to be a slap to parents who would read their children such novels, and then wonder why their children would later use drugs. Characters Slick referenced include Alice, the hookah-smoking caterpillar, the White Knight, the Red Queen, and the Dormouse. With its enigmatic lyrics, "White Rabbit" became one of the first songs to sneak drug references past censors on the radio.
January 30: Today's "Way Back Play Back" continues a series featuring randomly chosen hits from yesteryear; peaking at #35 on U.S. Billboard's Hot 100 chart here is English rock band The Beatles with "Don't Let Me Down" (1969)
Johnny K's Fun Facts: On January 30, 1969, The Beatles made their final public performance, albeit nobody was aware of this at the time, by surprising a central London office district with an impromptu concert from the roof of Apple headquarters at 3 Savile Row in Mayfair, central London. In a 42-minute, unannounced set, the Beatles were heard playing nine takes of five songs (one being "Don't Let Me Down") before the Metropolitan Police Service asked them to reduce the volume. When the Beatles first started playing, there was some confusion from spectators watching five stories below, many of whom were on their lunch break. As the news of the event spread, crowds of onlookers began to congregate in the streets and on the roofs of local buildings. While most responded positively to the concert, the Metropolitan Police Service grew concerned about noise and traffic issues. Apple employees initially refused to let police inside, ultimately reconsidering when threatened with arrest. As police ascended to the roof, the Beatles realized that the concert would eventually be shut down, but continued to play for several more minutes. The concert came to an end with the conclusion of "Get Back", with John Lennon saying, "I'd like to say thank you on behalf of the group and ourselves and I hope we've passed the audition." Footage from the performance was later used in the 1970 documentary film Let It Be.
January 29: Today's "Way Back Play Back" continues with a series called "Fast-Forward Fridays" with the grooviest hits of that decade known as the 1990s; peaking at #14 on U.S. Billboard's Hot 100 chart (#8 U.K. Singles chart) here is Scottish singer, songwriter, political activist and philanthropist Annie Lennox with "Walking on Broken Glass" (1992)
Johnny K's Fun Facts: The setting of the music video, based partly on the 1988 film Dangerous Liaisons as well as period films dealing with the late 18th century, is that of a salon evening at Prince George's Carlton House, and is meant to represent an assembly of nobles and notables for an evening of society, gambling and dancing, the highlight of which is the arrival and feting of the newlyweds, the groom (played by John Malkovich). Lennox's character is striking in her somewhat unusual dress (a royal red in an environment dominated by white, a stage costuming technique designed to draw significant attention to her), and in wearing a 'Turkish' headdress hat in an environment dominated by wigs of the period. Lennox's character displays significant pique, as she is emotionally wounded by the appearance of her former lover on the arm of his new bride. Throughout the video, she tries to communicate the conflicting emotions of jealousy, continued desire, and anger towards this man who still clearly holds her heart. In the process, she spurns the previously welcome advances of the Prince Regent (played by Hugh Laurie) and repels him, to his embarrassment.
January 28: Today's "Way Back Play Back" continues a series featuring randomly chosen hits from yesteryear; peaking at #16 on U.S. Billboard's Hot 100 chart here is American singer, songwriter and record producer Kenny Rogers with "The Gambler" (1978)
Johnny K's Fun Facts: Written by country music songwriter Don Schlitz and recorded by many artists, "The Gambler" is regarded as one of Rogers's most enduring hits and a signature song. Drawing inspiration from the success of the song, a series of five western television films starring Kenny Rogers as Brady Hawkes, a fictional old-west gambler, were produced between 1980 and 1994. It was from Rogers' rendition of the song in 1979 appearance on The Muppet Show (Season 4 - originally aired October 13, 1979) that indicates the gambler actually dies in his sleep when he "broke even".
January 27: Today's "Way Back Play Back" continues a series featuring randomly chosen hits from yesteryear; peaking at #3 on U.S. Billboard's Hot 100 chart here is American singer-songwriter and guitarist James Taylor with "Fire and Rain" (1970)
Johnny K's Fun Facts: According to Taylor, the song was written in three parts. The first part was about Taylor's childhood friend Suzanne, who had committed suicide while Taylor was in London working on his first album. The second part of the song details Taylor's struggle to overcome drug addiction and depression he suffered after the failure of his new band The Flying Machine. The third part deals with his coming to grips with fame and fortune, looking back at the road that got him there. American singer-songwriter, Carole King, who played piano on the song, has stated that her song "You've Got a Friend" (which Taylor also covered in 1971), was a response to the line in the refrain that "I’ve seen lonely times when I could not find a friend."
January 26: Today's "Way Back Play Back" continues with a series called "Totally Tubular Tuesdays" with the grooviest hits of that decade known as the 1980s; peaking at #4 on U.S. Billboard's Hot 100 chart (#6 Dutch Singles chart) here is Indonesian-born Dutch singer and entertainer Taco with "Puttin' On the Ritz" (1983)
Johnny K's Fun Facts: Written by Russian-born American composer and lyricist, the late Irving Berlin (1888 - 1989) in 1927, "Puttin' On the Ritz" was first introduced by Harry Richman and chorus in the 1930 musical film of the same name and was the first song in film to be sung by an interracial ensemble. The title derives from the slang expression "putting on the Ritz," meaning to dress very fashionably and was inspired by the opulent Ritz Hotel. The hugely popular video for Taco's synth-pop version of "Puttin' On the Ritz" contains characters in blackface and has since been banned from many networks.
January 25: Today's "Way Back Play Back" is dedicated to my dad on this his birthday; reaching #1 on U.S. Billboard's Hot 100 chart here is American singer-songwriter, the late Harry Chapin (1942 - 1981) with "Cat's in the Cradle" (1974)
Johnny K's Fun Facts: The song originated as a poem written by Chapin's wife, Sandra "Sandy" Gaston about the awkward relationship between her first husband and his father. Chapin also said the song was about his own relationship with his son, Josh. "Cat's in the Cradle" was Chapin's only #1 hit and is considered his signature song. Tragically, Chapin was killed in a car accident while driving on the Long Island Expressway in 1981; he was 38 years old.
January 24: Today's "Way Back Play Back" continues a series featuring randomly chosen hits from yesteryear; reaching #1 on U.S. Billboard's Hot 100 chart here is American folk and popular rock singer, the late Jim Croce (1943 - 1973) with "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" (1973)
Johnny K's Fun Facts: Written by Croce, "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" drew inspiration from Croce's brief time in the US Army where he encountered a man who allegedly went AWOL but returned at the end of the month to get his paycheck but ended up being hand-cuffed. Croce said that witnessing this inspired him to write a song about Leroy Brown. Billboard ranked the song as the #2 song for 1973 and was still on the charts on September 20th when Croce died in a plane crash in Natchitoches, Louisiana.
January 23: Today's "Way Back Play Back" continues a series featuring randomly chosen hits from yesteryear; peaking at #4 on U.S. Billboard's Hot 100 chart here is American soul and R&B singer and record producer, the late Ben E. King (1938 - 2015) with "Stand by Me" (1961)
Johnny K's Fun Facts: The song, which was written by King along with producers Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, was for American doo-wop and R&B/soul vocal group The Drifters in mind, however passed on recording it. King's version was a Top Ten hit on the U.S. charts twice - in its original release in 1961 and a 1986 re-release coinciding with its use as the theme song for the movie Stand by Me (where is peaking at #9 on U.S. Billboard's Hot 100 chart). In 2012 it was estimated that the songs royalties had topped £17 million, making it the sixth highest earning song as of that time.
January 22: Today's "Way Back Play Back" continues with a series called "Fast-Forward Fridays" with the grooviest hits of that decade known as the 1990s; peaking at #2 on U.S. Billboard's Hot 100 chart (#5 U.K. Singles chart) here is English rock and blues guitarist, singer and songwriter Eric Clapton with "Tears in Heaven" (1991)
Johnny K's Fun Facts: Although "Tears in Heaven" is Clapton's best-selling single in the US, is one of the best-selling pop singles of the 1990s and is one of the best-selling singles released by any non-American artist, the song has a tragic inspiration. The song was written about the pain and loss Clapton felt following the death of his four-year-old son, Conor, who fell from a window of a 53rd-floor New York apartment building owned by his mother's friend and died on March 20, 1991. Clapton dealt with the grief of his son's death by co-writing "Tears in Heaven" with American songwriter Will Jennings (who is known for writing the lyrics for "My Heart Will Go On", the theme for the film Titanic). Clapton stopped playing it in 2004, stating: "I didn't feel the loss anymore, which is so much a part of performing those songs. I really have to connect with the feelings that were there when I wrote them. They're kind of gone and I really don't want them to come back, particularly. My life is different now. They probably just need a rest and maybe I'll introduce them for a much more detached point of view." Clapton eventually resurrected the song for his 50th anniversary world tour in 2013.
January 21: Today's "Way Back Play Back" continues a series featuring randomly chosen hits from yesteryear; reaching #1 on U.S. Billboard's Hot 100 chart here is American rock band the Eagles with "Hotel California" (1977)
Johnny K's Fun Facts: Writing credits for the song are shared by Don Felder (music), Don Henley and Glenn Frey (lyrics). The Eagles' original recording of the song features Henley singing lead vocals and concludes with an extended section of electric guitar interplay between Felder and Joe Walsh. Considered the signature song of the Eagles, its long guitar coda has been voted the best guitar solo of all time. The lyrics of the song have been given various interpretations by fans and critics alike, the Eagles themselves described the song as their "interpretation of the high life in Los Angeles".
January 20: Today's "Way Back Play Back" continues a series featuring randomly chosen hits from yesteryear; reaching #1 on U.S. Billboard's Hot 100 chart here is American singer-songwriter Barry McGuire with "Eve of Destruction" (1965)
Johnny K's Fun Facts: As mentioned, the lyrics of 1967 song "Creeque Alley" by The Mamas & the Papas mention, directly or indirectly, many artists and bands who were part of the folk music scene at the time, such as Roger McGuinn (in the line, "McGuinn and McGuire just a-gettin' higher..."). McGuire got his start after a stint working as a commercial fisherman followed by becoming a journeyman pipe fitter before getting a job singing in a bar and eventually joining the American large-ensemble folk music group, The New Christy Minstrels, in 1962. McGuire achieved his greatest success after going solo in 1965 and recording the most recognized version of the P. F. Sloan protest song, "Eve of Destruction." Around 1970 McGuire became a born-again Christian, and as a result renounced the song for many years, refusing to perform it. Though he is now known primarily as a singer of contemporary Christian songs, McGuire has resumed singing "Eve of Destruction" in recent years, often updating the lyrics to refer to such events as the Columbine High School massacre (April 20, 1999).
January 19: Today's "Way Back Play Back" continues with a series called "Totally Tubular Tuesdays" with the grooviest hits of that decade known as the 1980s; peaking at #2 on U.S. Billboard's Hot 100 chart here is American musician, singer, songwriter, producer and actor, the late Glenn Frey (1948 - 2016) with "The Heat Is On" (1984)
Johnny K's Fun Facts: After being hired as a backup band for a single gig for Linda Ronstadt in 1971, Frey, Don Henley, Randy Meisner and Bernie Leadon went on to form one of the world's best-selling bands of all time...the Eagles. Frey wrote or co-wrote (often with Henley) many of the group's songs, and sang the lead vocals on a number of Eagles hits. After the Eagles disbanded in 1980, Frey achieved solo success in the 1980s, especially with "The Heat Is On" (from the soundtrack for the 1984 comedy, Beverly Hills Cop). Frey died at the age of 67 in New York of rheumatoid arthritis, acute ulcerative colitis, and pneumonia while recovering from intestinal surgery on January 18, 2016.
January 18: Today's "Way Back Play Back" continues a series featuring randomly chosen hits from yesteryear; reaching #1 on U.S. Billboard's Hot 100 chart here is American rock band The Byrds with "Mr. Tambourine Man" (1965)
Johnny K's Fun Facts: As mentioned, the lyrics of 1967 song "Creeque Alley" by The Mamas & the Papas mention, directly or indirectly, many artists and bands who were part of the folk music scene at the time, such as Roger McGuinn (in the line, "McGuinn and McGuire just a-gettin' higher..."). McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967), along with Gene Clark (1944 - 1991), David Crosby, Chris Hillman and Michael Clarke (1946 - 1993) formed The Byrds in 1964 however this original five-piece line-up of the band was relatively short-lived and by early 1966, Clark had left due to problems associated with anxiety and his increasing isolation within the group. Written by Bob Dylan, "Mr. Tambourine Man" became The Byrds' first single on Columbia Records as well as being the title track of their first album, Mr. Tambourine Man. The Byrds' of the song was influential in initiating the musical subgenre of folk rock, leading many contemporary bands to mimic its fusion of jangly guitars and intellectual lyrics in the wake of the single's success.
January 17: Today's "Way Back Play Back" continues a series featuring randomly chosen hits from yesteryear; peaking at #9 on U.S. Billboard's Hot 100 chart here is American rock band The Lovin' Spoonful with "Do You Believe In Magic" (1965)
Johnny K's Fun Facts: As mentioned, the lyrics of 1967 song "Creeque Alley" by The Mamas & the Papas mention, directly or indirectly, many artists and bands who were part of the folk music scene at the time, such as Zal Yanovsky (in the line, "Zal and Denny workin' for a penny") and John Sebastian (in the line, "In a coffee house Sebastian sat,"). Sebastian and the late Yanovsky (1944 - 2002), along with Steve Boone and Joe Butler, went on the form the band, The Lovin' Spoonful. The band's name was inspired by some lines in a song of Mississippi John Hurt called the "Coffee Blues" which is a tribute to Maxwell House Coffee. The song is part of a group of songs with a long history in recorded blues that generally use the term "a spoonful" to suggest sex, and in some cases use of a drug such as cocaine; the term "lovin' spoonful" has been conjectured as referring to the amount of ejaculate released by a male during a typical orgasm. Yanovsky was married to English-born Canadian actress, the late Jackie Burroughs (1939 - 2010), best known for her portrayal of Hetty King in the CBC Television series Road to Avonlea (1990 - 1996) with whom he had one daughter, Zoe.
January 16: Today's "Way Back Play Back" continues a series featuring randomly chosen hits from yesteryear; peaking at #5 on U.S. Billboard's Hot 100 chart here is American folk rock vocal group The Mamas & the Papas with "Creeque Alley" (1967)
Johnny K's Fun Facts: "Creeque Alley" is an autobiographical song written by John Phillips and Michelle Phillips narrating the story of how the group was formed. The Mamas & the Papas was composed of Michelle Phillips, the late Cass Elliot (1941–1974), the late John Phillips (1935–2001) and the late Denny Doherty (1940–2007). The title of the song, which does not occur in the lyrics, is derived from Creque or Crequi (pronounced "creaky" Alley, home to a club in the Virgin Islands where the group came together with the addition of Elliot. The lyrics of the song also mention, directly or indirectly, many artists and bands who were part of the folk music scene at the time, such as Zal Yanovsky and John Sebastian (of The Lovin' Spoonful), Roger McGuinn (of The Byrds), and Barry McGuire (of The New Christy Minstrels). Several locations important to The Mamas and The Papas story are also mentioned, for example the Night Owl Cafe in Greenwich Village (considered the East Coast birthplace of both the Beat and '60s counterculture movements).
January 15: Today's "Way Back Play Back" continues with a series called "Fast-Forward Fridays" with the grooviest hits of that decade known as the 1990s; peaking at #3 on U.S. Billboard's Hot 100 chart here is American musician, singer-songwriter, painter and actor, John Mellencamp, and American singer-songwriter, rapper, bassist and vocalist, Me'shell Ndegeocello, with "Wild Night" (1994)
Johnny K's Fun Facts: Although the Mellancamp/Ndegeocello version held the highest chart position of any recorded version of the song, "Wild Nights" was originally written and recorded by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison in 1971. Morrison's version only reached #28 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
January 14: Today's "Way Back Play Back" continues a series featuring randomly chosen hits from yesteryear; peaking at #7 on U.S. Billboard's Hot 100 chart here is Australian/English pop band Bee Gees with "Nights on Broadway" (1975)
Johnny K's Fun Facts: Producer Arif Mardin asked if one of the Gibb brothers could do some screaming during the main chorus to make the song more exciting. In response, Barry began singing higher and higher, eventually singing it in a falsetto that was unexpectedly powerful. He had never known he had such an ability and Barry's falsetto became a trademark of the Bee Gees, although Maurice had been harmonizing in falsetto for years and did the shadow "blamin it all" part in falsetto. "Nights on Broadway" gave the Bee Gees back-to-back top 10 hits (with "Jive Talkin'") for the first time in seven years since 1968.
January 13: Today's "Way Back Play Back" continues a series featuring randomly chosen hits from yesteryear; peaking at #5 on U.S. Billboard's Hot 100 chart here is American singer and songwriter, the late Dobie Gray (1940 - 2011) with "Drift Away" (1973)
Johnny K's Fun Facts: Gray's signature and highest charting song is "Drift Away" however his singing career can be traced back to the early 1960s. He recorded for several local labels under the names Leonard Ainsworth, Larry Curtis, and Larry Dennis, before Sonny Bono (of Sonny & Cher) directed him toward the small independent Stripe Records, who suggested that he record under the name "Dobie Gray", an allusion to the then-popular sitcom The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (1959 - 1963). Gray died on December 6, 2011, from complications of cancer surgery in Nashville, Tennessee at the age of 71.
January 12: Today's "Way Back Play Back" continues with a series called "Totally Tubular Tuesdays" with the grooviest hits of that decade known as the 1980s; reaching #1 on U.S. Billboard's Hot 100 chart here is American singer-songwriter Kim Carnes with "Bette Davis Eyes" (1981)
The song was written in 1974 by Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannon. Although DeShannon recorded the song that same year, it was not until Carnes recorded her version of the song in a radically different synthesizer-based arrangement, that "Bette Davis Eyes" became a commercial success.
Johnny K's Fun Facts: American actress, the late Bette Davis (1908 - 1989), rote letters to Carnes and the songwriters to thank them for making her "a part of modern times", and said her grandson now looked up to her.
January 11: Today's "Way Back Play Back" continues a series featuring randomly chosen hits from yesteryear; peaking at #28 on U.S. Billboard's Hot 100 chart (#18 U.K. Singles chart) here is English singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, arranger, painter and actor, the late David Bowie (1947 - 2016) with "Young Americans" (1975)
Bowie passed from cancer yesterday (January 10, 2016) in his New York home only two days after his 69th birthday; the same day he released his album Blackstar. Throughout his expansive career he sold an estimated 140 million albums.
January 10: Today's "Way Back Play Back" continues a series featuring randomly chosen hits from yesteryear; peaking at #42 on U.S. Billboard's Hot 100 chart (#1 on U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles chart) here is American singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor and author, the late Johnny Cash (1932 - 2003) with the late June Carter Cash (1929 - 2003) & the Carter Family and The Statler Brothers, with "Daddy Sang Bass" (1968)
Johnny K's Fun Facts: The song was written by American singer-songwriter, the late Carl Perkins (1932 - 1998), who had received help from Cash for alcoholism after Cash, himself, overcame drug addictions through spirituality and "finding God." The line in the song, "Me and little brother will join right in there" was written about Cash's brother Jack, who died when they were both boys.
January 9: Today's "Way Back Play Back" continues a series featuring randomly chosen hits from yesteryear; peaking at #6 on U.S. Billboard's Hot 100 chart (#3 Swedish Singles chart - English version) here is Swedish pop group ABBA with "Waterloo" (1974)
Johnny K's Fun Facts: ABBA was widely noted for the colourful and trend-setting, albeit garish, costumes that were worn by the group. The primary reason for the wild attire was Swedish tax law; the clothes could be deductible only if they could not be worn other than for performances.
January 8: Today's "Way Back Play Back" continues with a series called "Fast-Forward Fridays" with the grooviest hits of that decade known as the 1990s; reaching #1 on U.S. Billboard's Hot 100 Airplay chart American rock band No Doubt with "Don't Speak" (1996)
Johnny K's Fun Facts: No Doubt vocalist Gwen Stefani wrote the song with her brother Eric Stefani about her bandmate and ex-boyfriend, bassist and keyboardist Tony Kanal, shortly after he ended their seven-year relationship. Tensions in the band had been running high and they reportedly were on the verge of breaking up the day before they were scheduled to film the music video. They decided to go ahead and film it as a form of "therapy".
January 7: Today's "Way Back Play Back" continues a series featuring randomly chosen hits from yesteryear; peaking at #11 on U.S. Billboard's Hot 100 chart (#3 U.K. Singles chart) here is British progressive rock band Jethro Tull with "Living in the Past" (1969)
Johnny K's Fun Facts: The band's name came from one of their booking agents who, being a history enthusiast, christened the group Jethro Tull, named after the 18th-century agriculturist Jethro Tull (1674 - 1741), who helped bring about the British Agricultural Revolution.
January 6: Today's "Way Back Play Back" continues a series featuring randomly chosen hits from yesteryear; peaking at #31 on U.S. Billboard's Hot 100 chart (#4 Canadian Singles chart) here is Canadian singer-songwriter and musician Neil Young with "Old Man" (1972)
Young wrote the song for the caretaker of the Northern California Broken Arrow Ranch, which Young purchased for $350,000 in 1970. The song compares a young man's life to an old man's and shows that the young man has, to some extent, the same needs as the old one.
Johnny K's Fun Facts: American singer-songwriter and guitarist James Taylor played six-string banjo (tuned like a guitar) and sang on the song, and American pop music singer Linda Ronstadt also contributed vocals.
January 5: Today's "Way Back Play Back" continues with a series called "Totally Tubular Tuesdays" with the grooviest hits of that decade known as the 1980s; reaching #1 on U.S. Billboard's Hot 100 chart here is American pop rock band The Bangles with "Eternal Flame" (1989)
Of their biggest-selling single, co-writer Billy Steinberg came up with the title after band member Susanna Hoffs (guitar/vocals) told him about the group's recent trip to Memphis, Tennessee. The band visited Graceland, Elvis Presley's estate in Memphis. An "Eternal Flame" in memoriam to Presley is maintained on the site, but on the day the band visited, the flame had gone out and its clear-plastic enclosure was flooded. When they asked what was in the box, they were told, "That's the eternal flame". Hoffs was actually naked when she recorded the song, after being convinced by producer Davitt Sigerson that Olivia Newton-John got her amazing performances by recording everything while naked.
January 4: Today's "Way Back Play Back" continues a series featuring randomly chosen hits from yesteryear; reaching #1 on U.S. Billboard's Hot 100 chart here is American rock and roll group Tommy James and the Shondells with "Crimson and Clover" (1968)
The song's title, "Crimson and Clover", was decided before a song had been written for it. The combination of unknown meaning came to group leader Tommy James as he was waking up, comprising his favorite color – crimson – and his favorite flower – clover. "Crimson and Clover" was recorded in late 1968 in about 5 hours and is one of the first songs recorded on 16-track. James played most of the instruments, while Mike Vale played bass and Peter Lucia, Jr. played drums. The song contains a tremolo effect on the guitar, set so that it vibrated in time with the song's rhythm. Near the end of the recording, the band had an idea of utilizing the tremolo effect with vocals. To achieve this, the voice microphone was plugged into an Ampeg guitar amplifier with tremolo turned on, and the output from the amplifier was recorded while James sang "Crimson and clover, over and over".
Falling into the psychedelic pop/rock genre, the single has sold 5 million copies, making it Tommy James and the Shondells' best-selling song.
January 3: Today's "Way Back Play Back" continues a series featuring randomly chosen hits from yesteryear; peaking at #5 on U.S. Billboard's Hot 100 chart here is American singer, songwriter and performer, the late Natalie Cole (1950 - 2015), with "I've Got Love on My Mind" (1977)
The daughter of American singer, the late Nat King Cole (1919 - 1965), Natalie rose to musical success in her own right in the mid–1970s as an R&B artist. After a period of failing sales and performances due to a heavy drug addiction, Cole re-emerged as a pop artist in the late 1980s. In the 1990s, she re-recorded standards by her father, resulting in her biggest success, Unforgettable... with Love, which sold over seven million copies and also won Cole numerous Grammy Awards. She sold over 30 million records worldwide.
Cole died at the age of 65 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, due to congestive heart failure on December 31, 2015.
January 2: Today's "Way Back Play Back" is dedicated to the late Lemmy Kilmister (1945 - 2015) who passed away just four days after his 70th birthday; peaking at #68 on U.K. Singles chart here is English heavy metal band Motörhead with "Louie Louie" (1978)
January 1: Today's "Way Back Play Back" continues with a series called "Fast-Forward Fridays" with the grooviest festive hits of that decade known as the 1990s; peaking at #7 on U.S. Billboard's Hot 100 chart American adult contemporary and smooth jazz saxophonist Kenny G with "Auld Lang Syne" (1999)
