My Favorite Songs With Whistling (Part One)

This is a series of posts that will talk about some of my favorite songs that contain whistling. See if you agree with any of these!

“Walk Like an Egyptian” is a 1986 pop hit by the Bangles, written by songwriter Liam Sternberg, whose quirky inspiration came from observing people awkwardly balancing themselves on a ferry during rough seas, which he likened to the stylized poses seen in ancient Egyptian art; recorded for the album Different Light,

Continue reading “My Favorite Songs With Whistling (Part One)”

Ned Jarrett, Dee Palmer, Foster Sylvers, and Duane Ollinger Die

Four more losses to reflect on here in 2026.

These individuals were a NASCAR driver and champion as well as a broadcaster; an English composer, arranger and keyboardist known for work with Jethro Tull; a singer, songwriter, record producer and multi-instrumentalist, member of the Sylvers; and a contractor and entrepreneur in the oil and gas industry, treasure hunter, and owner of Blind Frog Ranch.

Continue reading “Ned Jarrett, Dee Palmer, Foster Sylvers, and Duane Ollinger Die”

My Favorite (Parenthetical) Songs (Part One)

This is a series of posts that will talk about some of my favorite (parenthetical) songs. See if you agree with any of these!

“(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” is the signature song by the American rock band Blue Öyster Cult, released in July 1976 as the lead single from their album Agents of Fortune, and it remains one of the defining rock recordings of the 1970s. Written and sung by lead guitarist Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser, the song emerged from his reflections on mortality after concerns about his own health

Continue reading “My Favorite (Parenthetical) Songs (Part One)”

The Ventures – Doyle’s Space: Music Hall of Fame – Telstar Award

The Ventures were unusual because they achieved mass popularity without a vocalist.

The Ventures were among the most influential and commercially successful instrumental groups in popular music history, a band whose crisp guitar lines, relentless rhythm playing, and adventurous studio techniques helped define the sound of early rock guitar long before hard rock, psychedelic music,

Continue reading “The Ventures – Doyle’s Space: Music Hall of Fame – Telstar Award”

Sonny & Cher – Doyle’s Space: Music Hall of Fame

Sonny & Cher was a huge part of my childhood, both musically and visually on their wonderful television show.

Before they became a defining pop duo of the mid-1960s, Sonny & Cher emerged from the restless, transitional landscape of early rock and roll, when the industry was shifting from the dominance of teen idols toward more experimental studio-driven sounds. Their eventual chemistry was rooted not only in their contrasting personalities and voices, but also in the musical apprenticeship each underwent separately in Los Angeles, a city rapidly becoming the epicenter of American pop production.

Continue reading “Sonny & Cher – Doyle’s Space: Music Hall of Fame”

“The Battle of New Orleans” / “All for the Love of a Girl” – Doyle’s Space: Music Hall of Fame – SOS Award

This “Stand Out Single” was one of my Mother’s 45s that I kept in my play stack growing up.

Johnny Horton’s 1959 Columbia Records single “The Battle of New Orleans” backed with “All for the Love of a Girl” became one of the defining country-pop releases of its era and helped establish Horton as one of the premier story-song performers in American music. Released on April 6, 1959,

Continue reading ““The Battle of New Orleans” / “All for the Love of a Girl” – Doyle’s Space: Music Hall of Fame – SOS Award”

Covers – “Feelin’ Alright?”

The song was written by Dave Mason and first recorded in 1968 by Traffic.

“Feelin’ Alright?” is one of those rare songs whose identity has become almost as strongly associated with its most famous interpreter as with its original creator, a distinction that speaks to both the strength of the

Continue reading “Covers – “Feelin’ Alright?””

“Down on the Corner” / “Fortunate Son” – Doyle’s Space: Music Hall of Fame – SOS Award

This “Stand Out Single” was a double-sided hit!

The single “Down on the Corner” / “Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival, released in September 1969, stands as one of the most striking examples in popular music of a 45 rpm record whose A- and B-sides both achieved enduring cultural importance. Issued during the band’s extraordinarily prolific year that also produced the album Willy and the Poor Boys,

Continue reading ““Down on the Corner” / “Fortunate Son” – Doyle’s Space: Music Hall of Fame – SOS Award”

Olivia Newton-John – Doyle’s Space: Music Hall of Fame

Make favorite Olivia song is “Silvery Rain”, from Physical, but my favorite Olivia album is Totally Hot.

Olivia Newton-John emerged as one of the most distinctive soft pop voices of the late 1960s and early 1970s, but her success was the product of years of gradual development across continents and styles. She was born in Cambridge, England, on September 26, 1948, into a family that blended academic

Continue reading “Olivia Newton-John – Doyle’s Space: Music Hall of Fame”

“Me and Bobbie McGee” – Doyle’s Space: Music Hall of Fame – SOS Award

This “Stand Out Single” was written by singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson and originally performed by Roger Miller.

The song “Me and Bobby McGee” stands as one of the most enduring compositions of late-1960s American popular music, written by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster, and first recorded in 1969 by Roger Miller. Its origin has become part of music lore, with Foster suggesting the title and the name “Bobby McKee,” inspired by a secretary,

Continue reading ““Me and Bobbie McGee” – Doyle’s Space: Music Hall of Fame – SOS Award”