Not sure how long it's going to be up for, and not sure whether it's only available in the UK, but the Guardian website is currentl...

Having an unpleasant task to do today, involving a long-delayed cleaning duty, I stocked up with  MP3 downloads of Rock-It Radio shows to ma...

Heard this song on a recent edition of Clarke Davis' The Big Show on Rock-It Radio and couldn't resist sharing it. I didn't...

Good news in my hard copy of the Guardian today, which I can share with you via the magic of the internet. Other listeners to Spencer Lei...

Other fans of Ken Sykora (I wrote about him earlier, here ) will be interested to know that a documentary, The Man With the Jazz Guitar, ha...

This is a repost as Peter Bowker's drama has recently been repeated by the BBC. The link to the BBC player at the end of the first par...

Have just been listening to Spencer Leigh's Christmas Special On the Beat and wanted to recommend it while it's still available on ...

I make no apology for featuring once again the Valentines' A Christmas Prayer. I love the soulful, ragged feel. And no Richard Barret, n...

[screengrab] Before I say anything else, can I remind readers who also listen to Spencer Leigh's On the Beat show on BBC Radio ...

At the boy's home, his gang is having a rock'n roll party. The radiogram is going full blast, the room is full of frenzied boy...

If, like me, you like a range of popular music from the fifties onwards - and you probably do if you're reading this - I strongly advis...

The public may be more aware of Eric Morecambe's showier role, but Ernie Wise was one half of Britain's most successful double act,...

An hour of the Ravens can be heard on Matt the Cat's Juke in the Back radio show by clicking here for the prx (Public Radio Exchange) ...

Following on from the previous post, I have found a bit of information about Reginald "Briz" Brisbon online and a clip of him sin...

Wow! I have just found some clips of my favourite ever doo wop revival group 14 Karat Soul, apparently reunited, however briefly, for a per...

  If you have arrived at this blog by conscious choice then it is not unreasonable to assume you might already be familiar with the st...

American Hot Wax by Charles Taylor It's 1959 and in Floyd Mutrux's film "American Hot Wax" the legendary disc...

More from the Holman tribute act. This time he's gone from the sublime to ... well, you decide. But what makes these performances...

This is to alert readers to a hugely enjoyable and informative interview with Mort Shuman conducted by Spencer Leigh and broadcast on last ...

In the interests of balance (see previous post) I have to embed this video of Eddie Holman. Bit of vocal showboating at the end, though h...

The great Ben E King on David Letterman in 2007, with a proper orchestral backing, maybe even bigger than on the original recording - and...

  If you have read much of this blog - no, no, why should you, absolutely; but if, as I say -and the thing is remotely possible - you have,...

The Kool Gents featuring Dee Clark. Pic from Unca Marvy's highly recommended site - view page about the Kool Gents here . Superb, pains...

No pontificating on this occasion, no stupid pun in the title - just one of my doo wop faves which continues to give pleasure. But of one ...

In writer/director Anthony Simmons' words, Peter Sellers gives "a great gut performance" in the 1973 film The Optimists of Ni...

Just found this clip, below, on youtube of Dave Gilmour's beautiful performance of Don't, the song associated with Elvis Presley, f...

Very sad to read that Jerry Leiber (above, left)  is dead. Click here for a link to a 2001 interview with Leiber and Stoller at the NFT ...

There hasn't been much to add to this series of posts about Bowie's early influences lately, but idly looking through post 16, ab...