Eric Troy 
Song: Maggie May (1971) Artist: Rod Stewart Album: Every Picture Tells a Story (Mercury) Maggie May was Rod Stewart’s first big number one hit. Ironically, it was the B-side of the song he thought would be his breakthrough, Reason to Believe, a cover of a folk song by Tim Hardin, today a true classic in … Read more
Song: Summer of ’69 (1985) Artist: Bryan Adams Album: Reckless Bryan Adams sang about getting his first real six-string guitar, trying to start a band, contemplating forever with his teen-age girl-friend, and similar teenage dreams in 1984 on his fourth studio album, Reckless. Now, the Canadian singer-songwriter is 56 years old, having been born in November … Read more
Song: Whenever I Call You ‘Friend’ (1978) Artist: Kenny Loggins with Stevie Nicks Album: Nightwatch (Columbia) Although Kenny Loggins might be known as a movie soundtrack staple, and best remembered for Danny’s Song, even if fans of the song don’t quite realize its Kenny Loggins. However, Whenever I Call You ‘Friend’ was his first big solo hit, a … Read more
Long before Bananarama got a hold of it, in 1970, the song Venus became the first of only two songs out of Holland (the Netherlands) to rise to the top of the American chart. Not to be confused with the Frankie Avalon song of the same name, Venus was recorded by the band Shocking Blue, led … Read more
Song: After Midnight (1965 Liberty Records: Liberty #55931, 1972) Artist: J.J. Cale Album: Naturally (Shelter Records 1972 Imagine living in your car while Eric Clapton has tremendous success with your song and slowly becomes a legend. Imagine earning royalties from this that allow you to not only eat but to go on recording music. Now … Read more
Song: Happy Together (1967) Artist: The Turtles Album: Happy Together (Sundazed Records) The lyrics “I Can’t See Me Lovin’ Nobody But You” are featured in the song Happy Together as prominently, if not more so, than the lyrics of the title, so many people mistake this for the name of the song. Today, we might consider this … Read more
Song: For What It’s Worth (1967) Artist: Buffalo Springfield Album: Buffalo Springfield (Atco) Buffalo Springfield has had a tremendous influence on folk-rock, and the so-called “California Sound.” Two of their members, Stephen Stills and Neil Young, are today musical icons and they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. Yet, … Read more