Every iconic song or act has a starting point, but the journey to the top is rarely a straight line. In Music Origins, we go behind the scenes to uncover the roots of the music you love. From the unexpected early recordings of legendary artists to the bizarre historical accidents that turned forgotten tracks into global hits, we explore the foundations, evolutions, and hidden legacies that shaped music history
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
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
If you watched the recent Elton John biopic (if you could call it that), Rocket Man, you may have been interested to see the scene with Elton John recording the duet Don’t Go Breaking My Heart with a female singer. As I’m writing this, I can’t recall if she was ever actually identified by name … Read more
Song: Break My Stride (1983) Artist: Matthew Wilder Album: I Don’t Speak the Language (Private I) Break My Stride is Matthew Wilder’s one hit song from 1983. Although Wilder had little support, he managed to compete with other one-hits such as Der Kommisar, Blinded Me with Science, and Kajagoogoo (Too Shy). This feel-good pop-rock classic can still be heard … Read more
Song: She’s Not There (1964) Artist: The Zombies Album: The Zombies (Parrot) Written by Rod Argent, who wrote many other classic rock songs, She’s Not There was the first hit by the Zombies. It is also one of those songs that, if you have only heard Santana’s version (1977), you should listen to the original, without … Read more