Peter McCann
Songwriter Peter McCann had his only solo hit in 1977 when Do You Wanna Make Love made it to number 5 in the USA. The B-side, The Right Time Of The Night, which was also written by McCann, had made it to number 6 in the USA earlier the same year as the début hit for singer Jennifer Warnes. Both songs were included on Peter McCann's 1977 album Peter McCann (20th Century 544), which was rush-released to cash in on the success of the single.
In the UK Do You Wanna Make Love was covered first by the New Seekers (1978) and then by Peter Doyle (1980). It was also recorded in 1979 by American soul singer Millie Jackson, whose version was issued as the B-side of her single I Changed My Mind (Spring SPR 2036) and was also featured on an album she recorded with Isaac Hayes, Royal Rappin's (Polydor 6229).
Love Lyrics.com: Peter McCann, Do You Wanna Make Love Lyrics
Like this? Peter Doyle, Do You Wanna Make Love (UK single: Limelight BULB 1)
Like that? Peter McCann, Do You Wanna Make Love (US single: 20th Century 2335, featured on the album Peter McCann and on several compilation CDs, including: Singer-Songwriters of the '70s and Super Hits of the '70s: Have A Nice Day, Vol. 20)
Mondo Rock
The Australian rock band Mondo Rock was formed in 1976 by Ross Wilson, former vocalist with the '60s R&B band The Pink Finks. Having been through a variety of line-ups, Mondo Rock was joined in 1980 by Eric McCusker, who wrote the first of the band's big hits, State Of The Heart. Released in October 1980, the single reached number 6 in Australia. An edited version of the song was released as a single in the USA in 1982, along with the band's album Chemistry. Although the single failed to chart, the song became a US hit three years later for Aussie expat Rick Springfield. Peter Doyle recorded his version of State Of The Heart in 1990.
Mondo Rock Official Site
Like this? Peter Doyle, State Of The Heart (from the CD Rarities)
Like that? Mondo Rock, State Of The Heart (Australian single featured on the album Chemistry, also featured on the CD The Essential Mondo Rock)
Neil Sedaka
Neil Sedaka first began writing songs in the early 1950s with lyricist Howard Greenfield. One of their songs, Plastic Dreams And Toy Balloons, was recorded by Peter Doyle in 1967. Sedaka's best known songs include Stupid Cupid (a hit for Connie Francis in 1958), Oh! Carol (which he wrote for his former-girlfriend and fellow singer-songwriter Carole King) and Breaking Up Is Hard To Do (a hit for Sedaka in 1962 and for the Partridge Family in 1972).
Neil Sedaka Official Website
Neil Sedaka: For Fans
Like this? Peter Doyle, Plastic Dreams And Toy Balloons (Australian single: Astor A-7082)
Like that? Neil Sedaka, Plastic Dreams And Toy Balloons (unreleased)
Small Faces
The Small Faces had their first hit in 1965 with What'cha Gonna Do About It? (not to be confused with the Doris Troy hit of the previous year, which shared the same title and which was later covered by Peter Doyle, The Hollies and Cilla Black). Subsequent singles included: Sha-La-La-La-Lee and All Or Nothing (both of which were hits in 1966); Itchycoo Park (1967); and Lazy Sunday (1968).
The Official Small Faces Website
Like this? Peter Doyle, High Time Baby (from the album Peter's 1st Album)
Like that? Small Faces, Sha-La-La-La-Lee (UK single: Decca F 12317)
The Spencer Davis Group
Formed by Spencer Davis and featuring Steve Winwood on lead vocals, The Spencer Davis Group broke through in 1965 when the single Keep On Runnin' reached number 1 in the UK.
Many of the group's songs were collaborative efforts, written by Spencer Davis, Steve Winwood and Steve's older brother Muff Winwood, who was also a member of the group. These included the 1966 hit Gimme Some Lovin' (UK number 2 / US number 7) and High Time Baby (issued as the B-side of Keep On Runnin'). High Time Baby was covered by Peter Doyle on his 1966 LP Peter's 1st Album.
Keep On Runnin' is one of Marty Kristian's favourite songs. Interviewed in on the radio in 1974, he said: "I used to perform it as a solo singer in the old days. Great record!"
Steve Winwood left The Spencer Davis Group in 1967 to form Traffic. He later became successful as a solo artist. Muff Winwood left soon after him to work behind the scenes as an A&R man, first at Island Records, later at CBS.
The Official Steve Winwood
Like this? Peter Doyle, High Time Baby (from the album Peter's 1st Album)
Like that? The Spencer Davis Group, High Time Baby (B-side of the single Keep On Running, featured on the CD The Singles)
The Troggs
The Troggs stormed the UK singles chart in 1966, scoring Top 10 hits with Wild Thing (a number 2 hit in May), With A Girl Like You (number 1 in August), I Can't Control Myself (another number 2 hit in October) and Any Way That You Want Me, which entered the chart on 15th December and peaked at number 8 in January 1967.
The Troggs' début single, Lost Girl, had failed to chart but the song did not go unnoticed in Australia, where it was recorded by Grandma's Tonic, featuring Peter Doyle on lead vocal. The song was used as the B-side of the group's second single I Know.
The début single by Grandma's Tonic, Hi Hi Hazel, which was released in Australia towards the end of 1966, became a minor UK hit for The Troggs in 1967. The Troggs' version, which had first appeared on their début album From Nowhere... The Troggs, entered the UK singles chart on 26th July and peaked at number 42. It preceded the more successful Love Is All Around, which reached number 5 in November 1967. The song had a second lease on life in 1994 when a version by Wet Wet Wet, which had been featured in the film Four Weddings And A Funeral, topped the UK singles chart for 15 weeks. Love Is All Around and Lost Girl were both written by The Troggs' lead vocalist Reg Presley (real name Reginald Ball).
The Troggs: rock's "wild things"
Making Time - The Troggs
Like this? Grandma's Tonic, Hi Hi Hazel (Australian single: Astor A-7072)
Like that? The Troggs, Hi Hi Hazel (UK single: Page One POF 030)
Like this? Grandma's Tonic, Lost Girl (Australian single (B-side): Astor A-7074)
Like that? The Troggs, Lost Girl (UK single)
Conway Twitty
Conway Twitty had a number 1 hit in 1958 with It's Only Make Believe (a chart-topper in both the USA and the UK). The following year he had Top 10 hits in the States with Danny Boy and Lonely Blue Boy. He also had a Top 5 hit in the UK with Mona Lisa, a rock 'n' roll version of the Nat 'King' Cole hit from 1950.
Peter Doyle recorded Mona Lisa in 1990. The track was released fourteen years later on the posthumous CD Rarities. Mona Lisa has been recorded by a long list of other recording artists, among them: James Brown (1964), Johnny Burnette (1960), Natalie Cole (1991), Bing Crosby, Marvin Gaye (1965), Engelbert Humperdinck (1969), Julio Iglesias (1990), Frankie Laine, Jerry Lee Lewis, Willie Nelson (1981), Elvis Presley, Jim Reeves (1958) and Andy Williams (1964).
Twitty's recording of Mona Lisa appeared on his 1959 album Conway Twitty Sings and on his 1963 album R&B '63, which also included The Pick Up. This song was later covered in the UK by Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers and in Australia by Peter Doyle. Peter's version was released as a single in March 1965 and gave him his début hit. Cliff Bennett's version appeared on the 1966 album Drivin' You Wild.
Conway Twitty.com
Like this? Peter Doyle, Speechless (The Pick Up) (Australian single featured on the album Peter's 1st Album)
Like that? Conway Twitty, The Pick Up (from the album R&B '63 and featured on the 8-LP box set The Rock 'n' Roll Years)
Like this? Peter Doyle, Mona Lisa (from the CD Rarities)
Like that? Conway Twitty, Mona Lisa (US single: MGM 12804 / UK single: MGM 1029, featured on the albums Conway Twitty Sings and R&B '63. Also included on the 8-LP box set The Rock 'n' Roll Years and on the compilation CD Rockin' Conway: The MGM Years)
Slim Whitman
Slim Whitman, who claimed to be the original "Man In Black" before Johnny Cash, had his first country hit in the USA in 1952 with Love Song Of The Waterfall. His UK hits included: Rose Marie, Indian Love Call and China Doll.
Peter Doyle recorded China Doll as a demo in the 1970s. The track went unheard until 2004, when it appeared on the CD Rarities.
CMT.com: Slim Whitman
Like this? Peter Doyle, China Doll (from the CD Rarities)
Like that? Slim Whitman, China Doll (UK single: London L 1149, featured on the CD compilations Rose Marie (6-CD box set) and The Man With The Singing Guitar, Volume One)
The Zombies
Formed in 1963, The Zombies made their UK chart début in the Summer of '64 when the band's first single, She's Not There, made it to number 12. In the Autumn the record became an even bigger hit in the States, where it climbed to number 2. The follow up, Tell Her No, was a Top 10 hit in America but didn't make it past number 42 in the UK.
Although The Zombies had another two, albeit minor, US chart entries with She's Coming Home and I Want You Back Again, subsequent releases such as Whenever You're Ready and Is This The Dream did not make the chart at all. Peter Doyle covered Is This The Dream on his début album.
The Zombies disbanded in 1967. Keyboard player Rod Argent formed a new group Argent, while vocalist Colin Blunstone started a solo career, initially as Neil MacArthur. Ironically, it was while the band members were embarking on these new ventures that The Zombies had a big hit in the USA with Time Of The Season, a track taken from their last album, Odessey & Oracle.
Rod Argent.com
Colin Blunstone's website
Like this? Peter Doyle, Is This The Dream (from the album Peter's 1st Album)
Like that? The Zombies, Is This The Dream (featured on the CD The Singles A's and B's)
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