The tune most identified with The Animals was not written entirely by them and yet was not a cover. House of the Rising Sun, also known as Rising Sun Blues, was a traditional folk song. Recorded versions of the song go back to the 1930s, the oldest known from Clarence Ashley and Gwen Foster of Appalachia, … Read more
Cracklin’ Rosie wasn’t Neil Diamond’s first hit, as a writer, that is. He first topped the charts with I’m a Believer by the Monkees. However, “Cracklin’ Rosie,” sometimes misspelled as Cracklin’ Rose, was one of the songs, if not the song, that made Neil Diamond a superstar. It reached number one October 10, 1970, spending 15 … 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
When you hear the song In a Big Country you might think the band Irish, but Big Country was actually a Scottish group. They rose to great heights at a time when music was dominated by “new wave,” like Duran Duran, The Human League, and Thomas Dolby. They were also contemporary with the pinnacle of the … Read more
Song: Stuck in the Middle With You (1972) Artist: Stealers Wheel Album: Stealers Wheel (A&M) You may know the song Stuck in the Middle with You from the ear-slicing scene in Reservoir Dogs (1993). It was the only big hit by the Scottish folk-rock band Stealers Wheel, in 1973, appearing on their self-titled album Stealers Wheel, climbing … Read more