What is "Bubbling Under the Top 100?"

With this in mind, Radio George is providing artist information about all of the artists who recorded the songs on this channel. Unless otherwise noted, the notes are based on information from finetune.com.

Ambrosia 

Beginning with a lightweight AOR sound, Ambrosia's albums steadily improved over time as they toughened up their music. They enjoyed early hits with "Holdin' On To Yesterday", and  "Nice, Nice, Very Nice. The albums "Life Beyond L.A.” (1978) and “One Eighty” (1980) saw a fusion of keyboards and guitar replace the laid-back sound of previous albums. The band enjoyed Top 5 hits in 1978 with "How Much I Feel" and in 1980 with "Biggest Part Of Me", while "You're The Only Woman” also reached the Top 20.

America

The first half of the 1970s was the heyday of introspective songwriting and close-harmony singing. America was at the forefront of the commercial end of this movement, releasing a string of singles that dominated the radio for years. Following their debut smash, "Horse With No Name," a Neil Young-derived, hallucinatory song-story, America scored again and again with singles and a series of records whose titles for some reason all began with the letter "H." 

Amboy Dukes

Originally from Detroit, Michigan, the Amboy Dukes achieved notoriety for their rendition of "Journey To The Center Of The Mind", which featured Ted Nugent's snarling guitar and reached the Top 20 in 1968. The brashness of their version of  "Baby Please Don't Go" set the tone for the band's subsequent albums on which  rather dumb lyrics often undermined the music. But the band rocked out  on instrumentals Frequent changes in personnel made little difference to the Amboy Dukes" development, as the band increasingly became an outlet for Nugent's pyrotechnics. He unveiled a new line-up in 1974 with “Call Of The Wild,” the first of two albums recorded for Frank Zappa's record label. The guitarist then abandoned the band's name altogether and embarked on a highly successful solo career. 

Animals

In their classic mid-1960s lineup, the Animals were one of the most formidable British blues groups, helping to spearhead the British Invasion led by the Beatles. Though heavily influenced by American blues artists, the Animals created their own voice, personified by the gruff, scrappy singing of Eric Burdon. After the original group fell apart in 1967, Burdon carried on as a solo artist, occasionally leading various new versions of the Animals. 

Archie Bell & the Drells

Once Americans got wind of the joyful guitar and bass licks and infectious drum breaks on "Tighten Up," they were goners, and Archie Bell & the Drells wrote their way into the soul music history books. Though Bell and his bandmates were originally from Houston, they caught the ear of Philadelphia International's Gamble and Huff, who helped turn them into mainstays of the Philly Soul scene. After Bell returned from Vietnam in 1969, the group was able to tour and record several more albums over the course of the '70s. They had three more hits, but dissolved in 1980 for solo pursuits. Bell, however, continued to teach crowds how do the Tighten Up well into the 2000s. 

 

Arthur Alexander

Though an often neglected figure in soul and pop music, Arthur Alexander influenced the likes of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and helped create the inimitable "Muscle Shoals Sound" when he recorded the first single ever at FAME studios--1961's "You Better Move On." Although he recorded sporadically throughout the '70s, '80s, and '90s, and helped bridge the gap between soul and country music as both a singer and a writer in Nashville, he never again matched his '60s fame. Alexander passed away in 1993. 

Association

Though their clean-cut image kept them from being embraced by the counterculture, the Los Angeles-based Association was one of the finest harmony groups of the '60s. Their albums, lushly produced by Bones Howe, and centered around the group's sophisticated, multi-part vocal harmonies, yielded hit after hit in the mid-to-late '60s.

Beach Boys

Admired for both their infectious surfer music and their sophisticated, multi-tracked pop productions, the Beach Boys created a lasting impression on popular music through their complex harmonies and Brian Wilson's genius for composition and arrangement. Their 1966 album, “Pet Sounds,” is a psychedelic-pop masterpiece that easily ranks among the most influential albums of the rock era. Brian's emotional difficulties eventually prevented him from performing, but his brothers and buddies carried on without him, singing his songs and spreading that California sunshine all over the world. In 1999, Brian launched a solo world tour, showcasing his Beach Boys compositions, and has continued to perform live as well.

 
Bee Gees

The Brothers Gibb began performing together as children in Australia. When Barry, Robin, and Maurice moved to England to make it big in the 1960s, they began performing Beatles-influenced pop music, but their music was distinguished by their uncanny three-part harmonies and unusual songwriting style. After a brief slump, the group reinvented themselves in the mid 1970s by adopting a disco pop sound, thus reclaiming their superstar status. In January 2003, Maurice Gibb passed away, and although Barry and Robin didn't rule out performing together again, they officially disbanded the Bee Gees. 

Billy Butler and the Enchanters

Billy Butler, was so inspired by his older brother Jerry, who at the time sang with The Impressions. While attending high school, he formed Billy Butler and the Four Chanters, a close harmonied fifties doo-wop group, and recorded :Found True Love”. After two members left, the name was changed to Billy Butler and The Enchanters. Billy had a punchier, more uptempo sound than his brother, and was a great example of the finest features of the Chicago soul sound. Similar to Motown in its full, brassy production, it was earthier, with stronger tinges of gospel, doo-wop, and Latin influences. A songwriter of note, he contributed material to fellow Chicago soul greats Major Lance, Gene Chandler, and his brother, Jerry. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide  

Billy Vera & Judy Clay

Billy Vera & Judy Clay were less notable for their music than for their historical importance: certainly the first interracial recording duo in soul music, this late-'60s team may have been the first interracial recording duo of any sort. Vera was a New York songwriter with some minor when he brought his composition "Storybook Children" to Atlantic executive Jerry Wexler.  It was their only hit single. Vera initially tried to record it with Nona Hendryx (then with Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles), but when that idea didn't pan out, he teamed up with Clay.

Born Judy Lee, Clay had joined the gospel group the Drinkard Singers (who also featured Cissy Houston) in the late '50s, and had recorded soul singles throughout the '60s without notable success. Billy eventually formed the Beaters in L.A., hitting number one in 1986 with "At This Moment," and is very active today as an R&B historian, liner note writer, reissue compiler, and member of the Rhythm & Blues Foundation. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide

Blackbyrds

The original Blackbyrds were formed in 1973 by jazz trumpeter Donald Byrd. A doctor of ethnomusicology, Byrd lectured at Washington, DC's Howard University and the group, named after “Black Byrd,” the artist's million-seller, was drawn from his students. The Blackbyrds' debut album charted in the soul, jazz and pop listings, while the follow-up, “Flying Start,” featured their 1975 Top 10 single, "Walking In Rhythm". This performance became the group's first major success.The following year the group hit the charts again with "Happy Music" reaching the Top 20. Sadly, the unit's spirit of adventurw gave way to a less spirited direction. The compulsive rhythmic pulse became increasingly predictable as the group, once so imaginative, pursued a style reliant on a safe and tested formula, the repetitiveness of which brought about their demise. 

Blood, Sweat & Tears

As initially concieved by Al Kooper, Blood, Sweat & Tears was the first and best of the jazz-rock horn bands. Though Kooper departed after the debut album, new singer David Clayton-Thomas led the band to huge commercial success with a more pop-oriented approach. BST--in both its Kooper and Clayton-Thomas incarnations created Top 40 hits out of far-flung musical influences including jazz, classical music and one or two other musical niches.
 

Blossoms

The Blossoms began their career in Los Angeles, in 1954 under the name of the Dreamers

 But after working with various other singers, by 1957 the quartet was renamed the Blossoms. Their own records were interspersed with session work for Duane Eddy and several singles under such pseudonyms as the Coeds And The Playgirls.  

The Blossoms became a permanent fixture on the TV show Shindig. By 1965 the group had been reduced to a trio, and "Son-In Law", a response to Ernie K-Doe's "Mother-In-Law", was their only single to chart. They had a minor R&B hit in 1967 with "Good Good Lovin'". The line-up underwent several further changes, with two ex-members, forming the Girlfriends and another joining the group Honey. One of the girls kept a version of the Blossom going into the 1980’s.

Bobby “Blue” Bland

Bobby Bland earned his enduring blues superstar status the hard way: without a guitar, harmonica, or any other instrument to fall back upon. All Bland had to offer was his magnificent voice, a tremendously powerful instrument in his early heyday, injected with charisma and melisma to spare. Just ask his legion of female fans, who deemed him a sex symbol late into his career.

For all his promise, Bland's musical career ignited slowly. He was a founding member of the Beale Streeters, the fabled Memphis aggregation that also included B.B. King and Johnny Ace. Single reclease in 1951 and the next year bombed. Thanks to working with a lot of talented people (in terms of arrangers, musicians, and other music industry professionals) and just plain hard work, Bobby’s star status rose nicely throughout the 60’s. The singer re-teamed with his old pal B.B. King for a couple of mid-'70s albums that broke no new ground but further heightened Bland's profile. ~ Bill Dahl, All Music Guide

Note: Bland has been a guest singer at a number of Van Morrison’s concerts and was featured on a track on Morrison’s 2007 compilation album, “Best of Van Morrison, Vol. 3.”
 

Buckinghams

Formed in Chicago in 1966, the Buckinghams’  first hit, "Kind Of A Drag", was their only gold disc. The band enjoyed a consistent run of     chart successes throughout 1967, achieving two further Top 10 entries with "Don't You Care" and "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy'. Despite those slick, commercial singles, their albums showed a desire to experiment. Unable to reconcile their image and ambitions, the quintet split up in 1970. 

Byrds

Adding ringing electric guitars to Bob Dylan songs, the Byrds helped invent folk-rock, as well as becoming early proponents of psychedelic rock and popularized country-rock as well. Led by Roger McGuinn and his distinctive Rickenbacker guitar sound, the mid-1960s lineup--also featuring David Crosby, Gene Clark, and Chris Hillman--achieved fame with their unique take on Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man." Personnel changes resulted in a core band of only McGuinn and Hillman. Ultimately, McGuinn assumed full control of the Byrds legacy, and their harmonies and distinctive guitars have influenced countless younger bands. 

Cadillacs

This vocal quintet, initially called the Carnations, was formed in 1953 in New York. The Cadillac's debut single, "Gloria", was released in July 1954, and although it did not chart at the time, it was later considered a doo-wop classic. 

Their next two singles, "No Chance"/"Sympathy" and "Down The Road", failed to chart, but "Speedoo", released in October 1955, did reach number 17 in the Billboard R&B charts. 

The Cadillacs were one of the groups that changed members soon after their first record was released and with some regularity after then as well. This caused their original audience was confused about their direction. The group split in two early in 1957, with both parties continuing to use the name Cadillacs and remaining on the same record label, with one group recording as the Original Cadillacs. 

Neither of the spinoff groups could match their former achievements. Reunions of the various formations of the Cadillacs have occurred from time to time, and even recorded a new album in 1997. 

Capt Groovy and His Bubblegum Army 

The production team of Jerry Kasenetz and Jeff Katz built the sound and spirit of the bubblegum era, producing the biggest bubblegum hits of the day, making records for the Ohio Express, the 1910 Fruitgum Company, and numerous others. “Super K Productions” played fast and loose with proper credits, with countless aliases disguising the fact that they were actually responsible for the vast majority of bubblegum releases. "Yummy, Yummy, Yummy" was a million-selling hit in early 1968, the song that captures the sound of bubblegum rock probably better than any other. This type of music offered a sharp contrast from the Beatles, Rolling Stones and others whose more ambitious and serious-minded hits also charted during the turbulent year of 1968. They had a dozen Top 40 hits in less than two years.

So great was the popularity of bubblegum in general and Super-K Productions in particular that the duo was even approached by the Hanna-Barbera animation studio to produce a cartoon series; to be titled “Captain Groovy and His Bubblegum Army,” the show never got off the ground although it did generate a single by the same name. Kasenetz and Katz's fortunes dwindled during the early 1970s, and by 1972 the bubblegum fad was basically over -- they later worked on projects with 10cc, Bo Diddley and others, but never again recaptured their peak success. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide

Chris Clark

 Christine Clark joined Motown Records as a receptionist in 1964 and followed a familiar career structure within the company by graduating from office work to a recording contract. Her strident, bluesy vocals led her to be nicknamed "The White Negress" by British fans, but this style excluded her from Motown's musical mainstream. After having an R&B hit with "Love Gone Bad" in 1966 on the VIP subsidiary label, she graduated to Tamla Records in 1967, where she found some success with "From Head To Toe". In 1969 she became the Vice-President of Motown's film division, co-writing the screenplay for Lady Sings The Blues in 1971. In 1981 she was appointed Vice-President of Motown Productions, with jurisdiction over the company's creative affairs. Clark left the organization in 1989 and re-recorded "From Head To Toe" with producer Ian Levine for Motor City Records in 1991. (Not to be confused with the dance music artist of the same name.) 

Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose

A Florida family group, Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose had a brief moment in the sun in 1972, with their self-titled United Artists LP. They scored two pop hits in "Too Late to Turn Back Now" and "Treat Her Like a Lady," and the album cracked the pop LP chart at number 29. They actually fared better with general audiences than R&B and soul fans, who found their arrangements, harmonies, and style lacking grit and intensity. They enjoyed one more mild hit in "Don't Ever Be Lonely (A Poor Little Fool Like Me)." But their two hits are among the most requested songs of the early '70s that air on oldies stations. ~ Ron Wynn, All Music Guide

Cowsills

Billed as "America's First Family Of Music", the quartet of the Cowsills recorded a single "All I Really Want To Be Is Me" for Johnny Nash's Joda Records label before coming to the attention of Mercury Records writer/producer Artie Kornfeld. The Cowsills recorded an album for Mercury but were dropped after failing to make a commercial impact. Producer Kornfield stayed faithful to the group and co-wrote and produced their breakthrough hit, "The Rain, The Park And Other Things', which reached number 2 on the charts in December 1967. The single featured additional vocals from the siblings' mother, sister, and brother, who were subsequently added to the line-up. 

.The Cowsills" happy, bouncy harmonies were evident on the singles "We Can Fly", "In Need Of A Friend" and the 1968 Top 10 hit "Indian Lake". Their energetic interpretation of the title song from the rock musical Hair reached number 2 in May 1969 and proved to be their swan song. Before they split up in 1972, the Cowsills became the inspiration for the NBC television series The Partridge Family, starring David Cassidy, in 1970.

Cryan Shames

Two 60s groups claimed the name , although a misspelling differentiated the British and American bands. Formed in Hinsdale, Illinois,  in 1965, the  (U.S.) Cryan Shames made their debut with a version of "Sugar And Spice', previously a hit for the Searchers. Although the single only rose to number 49 in the charts in July 1966, interest in the band proved sufficient to warrant an album. 

“Sugar & Spice” was turned out very fast, and was heavily influenced by the Byrds and British beat. The band took its time to create more of a personal sound with their second release, “A Scratch In The Sky.” Here they showed an understanding of harmony pop similar  to the sound of  the Association. 

The band's final album, “Synthesis,” contained truly lavish instrumentation. By 1970 , it was breakup time. The band continued to perform in various reunion shows, however, and in 1986 two of the founding members revived the Cryan Shames name for touring purposes.  

Cream

Without Cream, rock as we know it might sound very different today. The London-based band was only together for a brief couple of years (1966-1968), but their success opened the door for subsequent generations of blues-rockers and power trios. The jazz-schooled chops of drummer Ginger Baker and bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce combined with the psychedelic heavy blues of Eric Clapton's stinging guitar for a level of improvisational skill never before heard in a rock context. After Baker and Clapton's reunion in the group Blind Faith, all three members of Cream went on to lengthy solo careers, ranging from Baker's experimental jazz to Bruce's folk and jazz to Clapton's traditional blues and mainstream rock. 

Creative Source

The Los Angeles-based quintet Creative Source seemingly appeared out of nowhere in the early '70s to score with a funky disco rendition of Bill Withers' "Who Is He (And What Is He to You)." The group, comprised of Barbara Berryman, Barbara Lewis, Don Wyatt, Steve Ranagan, and Celeste Rose, was managed by Fifth Dimensions' Ron Townsend and two of the members were seasoned vets. Lewis sang with the Los Angeles Elgins, while Wyatt performed with a pair of late-'50s groups (the Fortunes and the Colts) and also sang in Nat King Cole's background group for a spell.

Wrongly labeled by many as strictly disco and funk, Creative Source could mellow out with the best of them, such as "You're Too Good to Be True," where the male lead sounds like a cross between Tyrone Davis and Jerry Butler. A lack of promotion and public indifference to their last two albums caused them both to fizzle. With little backing and no label after that, Creative Source drifted back into basic Southern California nine-to-five living. ~ Andrew Hamilton, All Music Guide

Crests

Formed in New York in 1956, the Crests soon became one of the most successful of the "integrated" doo-wop groups of the period, after being discovered by Al Browne. Their signature tune and one of doo-wop's enduring classics, "16 Candles", a heartfelt and beautifully orchestrated ballad, became a national pop hit at number 2 in the Billboard charts, paving the way for further R&B and pop successes such as "Six Nights A Week", "The Angels Listened In" and "Step By Step". 

In the late fifties, the band was almost permanently on the road. They changed record labels and went through changes in the lineup as various members left the group. One of them, James Ancrum (who replaced Johnny Mastro when he tried to pursue a solo career), re-emerged as the leader of The Brooklyn Bridge, an 11-piece doo-wop group, best remembered for their 1968 single "The Worst That Could Happen." 

Cyrkle

What a story!

The founding members of this harmony pop act met while studying at Lafayette College in New York. Together they formed a "frat" band, the Rhondells, and styled their music after songs by the Beach Boys and the Four Seasons. They were "discovered" playing at New Jersey's Alibi Lounge by New York attorney Nat Weiss, who introduced the band to Beatles manager Brian Epstein. He signed the Rhondells to his roster.

John Lennon reportedly suggested their new name, the Cyrkle. The new act then broke up temporarily, leaving member Tom Dawes free to tour with Simon And Garfunkel. Paul Simon offered the bass player "Red Rubber Ball", a song he co-wrote with Bruce Woodley of the Seekers, which gave the band, who got back together again, a number 2 hit in May 1966.

The group toured with the Beatles on their final tour but having passed on another Paul Simon composition, "59th Street Bridge Song (Feeling Groovy)", which later became a hit for Harpers Bizarre, the Cyrkle enjoyed their only other Top 20 entry with "Turn Down Day,' hitting number 16 in August 1966.

Dion

Not unlike his friend Bobby Darin, Dion Dimucci was a native New Yorker who started out as a rock & roller in the 1950s and went through a series of drastic stylistic changes. He began as a doo-wop hitmaker with his group the Belmonts, turning out such smashes as "Runaround Sue" and "The Wanderer." Over the following decades, the artistically restless Dion tried his hand at blues, folk-rock, Phil Spector-produced pop, and hard-edged rock & roll, managing to maintain his credibility and integrity all along the way, and eventually getting inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. 

Drifters

One of the best-known and best-loved R&B vocal groups of all-time, The Drifters were blessed with some great lead singers (Clyde McPhatter & Ben E. King), great songwriters (Leiber & Stoller, Pomus & Shuman) and great producers (Phil Spector, Bert Berns). Despite many personnel changes, they scored an amazing 11 top-20 records between 1959 and 1964, and are still on the oldies touring circuit today. 

Eddie Cochran

With his James Dean good looks and enormous skill as a songwriter, producer, and guitarist, Eddie Cochran influenced hordes of apprentice rock musicians (among them George Harrison and Pete Townshend) before his death in a tragic car accident in 1960. A pioneer of rockabilly, the Minnesota-born Cochran had his first major breakthrough performing in the 1956 film “The Girl Can’t Help It”, and subsequently scored numerous seminal hits, later covered by artists from the Beatles to the Who.  

Gary US Bonds

New Orleans R&B singer Gary U.S. Bonds had a major hit in the early 1960s with "Quarter to Three," but quickly faded into obscurity. One man who never forgot Bonds was Bruce Springsteen, who made "Quarter to Three" a staple of his live set and oversaw the release of Bonds' 1981 comeback album, “Dedication.” The album's follow-up repeated its predecessor's successful Springsteen-assisted formula, with Bruce contributing an even bigger percentage of the material. In retrospect its hard to believe that in the wake of two albums as strong as these it took Bonds another 22 years after that to return to the studio again, though he seemingly never tired of playing the Comeback King role to the hilt.  

Glen Campbell

Glen Campbell had already enjoyed success as a session guitarist and surrogate member of the Beach Boys when he scored his first big hit, "Gentle On My Mind," in 1967. In the following few years Campbell climbed the country and pop charts with a number of Jimmy Webb compositions, among them "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" and "Wichita Lineman." His career hit a second peak in the '70s, thanks in large part to the hit "Rhinestone Cowboy." In the '80s Campbell recorded a number of gospel albums as well.  

Herb Alpert

One of the most successful instrumental performers in pop history, trumpeter Herb Alpert was also one of the entertainment industry's shrewdest businessmen: A&M, the label he co-founded with partner Jerry Moss, ranks among the most prosperous artist-owned companies ever established. Born March 31, 1935, in Los Angeles, Alpert began playing the trumpet at the age of eight. After serving in the Army, he attempted to forge an acting career, but soon returned to music, recording under the name Dore Alpert for RCA.

After 1966's “What Now My Love” -- his most popular effort, remaining at number one for nine weeks -- Alpert continued to dominate the charts with records. Released in 1969, “Warm” was the first of Alpert's 11 albums not to crack the Top 20; by 1971's “Summertime,” his commercial fates had fallen to the point where he no longer reached the Top 100..

In 1979, Alpert staged a major comeback with “Rise.” Not only did the album reach the Top Ten, but the title track topped the singles charts and became the biggest hit of his career. Alpert continued recording throughout the 1990s. He also established the Herb Alpert Foundation, a philanthropic organization dedicated to establishing educational, arts, and environmental programs for children. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide  

 

Herman’s Hermits

Though they were often discounted as a teenybopper bubblegum group, Herman's Hermits were a significant part of the mid-1960s British Invasion scene. While their early hits featured a bouncy, music-hall-influenced sound, they scaled greater heights not long after, turning out tracks that stood up well alongside such peers as the Kinks and the Dave Clark Five. Singer Peter Noone, a natural-born teen heartthrob, inevitably went solo (and even made a credible stab at New Wave/power-pop years later as leader of the Tremblers). 

Jerry Butler

Known as "the Iceman" for his cool delivery, Jerry Butler is one of the linchpins of Chicago soul. In the 1950s, he started out singing gospel, and was subsequently an original member of the Impressions, but around the turn of the decade he embarked on a highly successful solo career. Occasionally accompanied by female duet partners (Betty Everett, Brenda Lee Eager), Butler trademarked an urban soul sound that mixed in liberal doses of pop stylings and production. Though he never abandoned singing, Butler entered politics in the '80s, ultimately becoming the Cook County Commissioner, and pursuing public works with the same intensity that characterized his musical career.

Jimmy Buffet

A genuine American original, Key West troubadour Buffett mixed Hank Williams with Xavier Cugat, and in the process introduced Caribbean rhythms to the staid musical denizens of Nashville. While he's best-known for morsels such as 1970s classics "Margaritaville" and "Cheeseburger in Paradise," Buffett has enjoyed a long and varied career, as well as the enduring loyalty of his fans, otherwise known as "parrotheads."

Joe & Eddie

Joe & Eddie were one of the more successful gospel/folk groups to perform in the '60s. They enjoyed a healthy run of albums throughout the decade, ending their career with a "best-of" retrospective in 1967 while they were still hot. ~ Bradley Torreano, All Music Guide

Johnny Crawford

Johnny Crawford shot to fame in 1958 when he co-starred with actor Chuck Connors (as his son Mark), in the television series The Rifleman. In 1961 his debut single "Daydreams" made the lower reaches of the Billboard Top 100, but subsequent releases fared better, including the 1962 Top 10 smash, "Cindy's Birthday", - which later became a UK Top 20 hit for Shane Fenton aka Alvin Stardust - "Your Nose Is Gonna Grow" and "Rumors", all of which highlighted his "teen appeal" voice and appeared on his Top 40 album “A Young Man's Fancy.” 

Lou Christie

Born Lugee Alfredo Giovanni Sacco, Glen Willard, Pennsylvania. A former student of classical music, Christie moved to New York in 1963 where he sang backing vocals on a variety of sessions. Before beginning his string of hits, Christie recorded unsuccessfully with such groups as the Classics, Lugee And The Lions, and the Tammys.

Although his high falsetto was reminiscent of an earlier era, and similar to that used successfully by Frankie Valli and Del Shannon, "The Gypsy Cried", the artist's debut solo single, achieved sales in excess of one million in 1963. The following year "Two Faces Have I" proved equally successful but, unable to avoid the military draft, Christie's career was interrupted. He achieved a third golden disc with "Lightnin' Strikes" (1966), arguably his finest record, which pitted the singer's vocal emotionalism against a solid, Tamla/Motown Records-styled backbeat.The single also charted in the UK, where its follow-up, "Rhapsody In The Rain" (1966), was another Top 20 entry, despite a ban in deference to its "suggestive lyrics".

In 1969, Christie had his final Top 10 hit with "I'm Gonna Make You Mine', his style virtually unchanged from the earlier hits. His final album for Buddah Records, 1971’s “Paint America Love,” was a bizarre and commercially unsuccessful attempt to accomodate new developments in music. Numerous singles followed on small labels into the 80s, but Christie was unable to regain any commercial ground. He has spent most of the past two decades performing on the rock 'n' roll revival circuit.  

Manfred Mann

Keyboardist Manfred Mann started out as part of the 1960s British invasion, combining jazz, blues, pop, and the songs of Bob Dylan. In the '70s his band added synthesizers and Bruce Springsteen songs, and turned into the thinking man's rock band. The common thread in both incarnations: fantastic musicianship and a sense of humor.

Oscar Peterson

List pianist Oscar Peterson among the most prodigiously recorded artists in all of jazz. Peterson primarily worked in a trio setting, alternately with guitar & bass or bass & drums, though he also performed solo, with larger groups, and with a full orchestra. Possessing dazzling technique, Peterson always delivered the musical goods in a powerfully swinging style. Peterson died in December, 2007.

Ray Charles

There are few musicians in modern pop music who can truly be called "genius," but in the case of Ray Charles, the term applies. His innovative singing, drawing on both gospel and pop, has inspired legions of great singers. With a long, prolific recording career that began in 1949, Charles became perhaps the finest interpreter of pop music in the postwar years. A gifted pianist, songwriter, and vocalist, he was a master of every style he attempted, be it R&B, country, blues, or soul. The man who wrote such indelible R&B classics as "I Got a Woman" and "What'd I Say" passed away in 2004, a legend several times over.
 

Righteous Brothers

As the Righteous Brothers, singers Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield virtually invented what's come to be known as blue-eyed soul. The duo's grandest moment came with their 1964 smash "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'," a Phil Spector-produced classic whose soulfulness and epic sweep made it a timeless favorite. The group peaked shortly thereafter and broke up in '68, though they occasionally reunited in the ensuing decades. Bobby Hatfield died in 2003.

Roy Clark

A lot of people simply aren’t aware of the incredible background of this amazing performer. 

When he was 11, the family moved from his small hometown in Virginia  to Washington, DC, after his father, a competent musician who played guitar, banjo and fiddle, progressed from being a cotton picker to become a computer programmer, and augmented his pay for the government job by playing at local dances (his mother also played piano). Clark played banjo and mandolin at an early age and was playing guitar at dances with his father by the time he was 14. He won the National Banjo Championship at the ages of 16 and 17, the latter occasion resulting in an appearance at the Grand Ole Opry. He considered a baseball career in his late teens but at 18 became a professional boxer. 

Fighting as a light-heavyweight, he won 15 fights in a row before the next fight convinced him he should look elsewhere for a living. He found work in clubs and appeared on local radio and television in such shows as the Ozark Jubilee and Town And Country Time. In 1955, he joined Jimmy Dean on his Washington television show Country Style, and when Dean left for New York, Clark was given the show. 

He played instruments, joked and sang and gradually built himself a reputation, but in the early 60s, he decided to seek fame further afield and became lead guitarist and frontman for Wanda Jackson. He stayed with her for about a year and played lead guitar on her hit recording of "Let's Have A Party". When she gave up her band, Jim Halsey took on the role of Clark's manager and soon found him a spot on one of the most popular network television shows, The Beverly Hillbillies. Here he appeared in the dual role of Cousin Roy and (dressed as a woman) his mother Big Mama Halsey. He also signed for Capitol Records and released his first album, which contained both songs and instrumentals. 

In 1963, he was given the chance to play on the Tonight Show on television, owing to the fact that Jimmy Dean was hosting the program. This led to further invitations to appear on other top television shows and his popularity rapidly grew. In later years he hosted many of the shows personally.  

During the 60s, somewhat ironically, he had country hits with pop songs. Double-charted hits included Charles Aznavour's "Yesterday When I Was Young" and "September Song'. During the mid-60s, he fronted the Swingin" Country television series and in 1969, CBS invited him to co-host their new country comedy show Hee Haw with Buck Owens. This program became one of the most popular on television, so much so that when CBS dropped it in 1971 because they felt it did not create the right impression for the company, it was immediately syndicated by the show's producers and even grew in popularity. 

During the 70s, Clark had a great number of country chart hits, including "Thank God And Greyhound", "Riders In The Sky", "Somewhere Between Love And Tomorrow" and "Come Live With Me", his only number 1 country hit. He also made several popular television commercials. 

Clark progressed to become one of country music's biggest stars and to enable himself to keep up a punishing schedule of concert appearances, he learned to fly and piloted himself around the States. He was one of the first country artists to star in his own show on Las Vegas strip, where he still appears regularly, usually backed by an orchestra.  

Clark also became the first star to take his show to the Soviet Union, when in January 1976, he played to packed houses during a 21-day tour of Riga, Moscow and Leningrad. The same year, Clark also played concerts with Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops Orchestra. In 1977, he appeared at Carnegie Hall, New York, and in 1979, he recorded an album with blues artist Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown. 

Between 1979 and 1981, he recorded for MCA but during the late 80s, he was with several labels. Although he had no major hits, a version of "Night Life" registered country hit number 50 for him in 1986. 

In later years, he become involved in cattle ranching, publishing, advertising and property. During his career, he has won many CMA awards including Comedian Of The Year 1970, Entertainer Of The Year 1973, Instrumental Group Of The Year (with Buck Trent) in 1975 and 1976 and was nominated as Instrumentalist Of The Year every year from 1967 to 1980, winning in 1977, 1978 and 1980. He guested on the Opry many times over the years but did not become a member until 1987. He has appeared in several films and in 1986, he co-starred with Mel Tillis in the comedy western Uphill All The Way, which they both also produced. Clark is a talented multi-instrumentalist and all-round entertainer, who is equally at home with various types of music. 

Sam Cooke

In his brief yet luminous career, Sam Cooke made perhaps a dozen recordings that were milestones of soul, and laid the groundwork for most of the R&B-related music that would dominate the charts for decades afterward. Cooke's signature sound fused the passion of his beloved gospel music with a silky-smooth, assured pop-vocal style. As a singer, songwriter, and producer, he was one of the most important figures in both pop and soul music in the 20th century. In 1964, while still at the prime of his musical ability, Cooke was murdered in a California hotel--a sudden end for a gifted and influential artist.