Four more losses to reflect on here, early in 2026.
These guys were in movies such Bullitt, True Grit, M*A*S*H, and the Godfather; was a country record producer, songwriter, and guitarist; was a professional quarterback for 18 seasons in the NFL; and a vocalist, actor, composer, photographer, and a founding member of The 5th Dimension.
Four more memorable people passed away in early 2025.
This group starred in most of the episodes of M*A*S*H; played the rememberable “NORM” on the TV show Cheers; was one of the engineers responsible for saving the astronauts on Apollo 13; and played memorable characters such as Chucky, Howard the Duck, and the dinosaur Tasha in Land of the Lost.
This “Stand Out Single” was by a favorite of my mother.
The single “Oh Lonesome Me” / “I Can’t Stop Loving You” by Don Gibson, released in 1958, is one of the most iconic and influential records in country music history. Both tracks were written by Don Gibson himself and recorded in a single session on December 3, 1957, at RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee, produced by Chet Atkins.
My first SOS Award goes to Sugar, Sugar by the Archies!
The SOS awards (Stand Out Singles) will go to some of my favorite singles. The rules are that the single was released in the United States, and is a 7″, 45 RPM record. While it will be a bonus if the single charted well, or has a great B-side, that will not affect the awarding.
There’s a ship lies rigged and ready in the harbor, Tomorrow for old England she sails, Far away from your land of endless sunshine, To my land full of rainy skies and gales, And I shall be aboard that ship tomorrow
Though my heart is full of tears at this farewell
Roger Whittaker is a British-Kenyan singer, songwriter, and musician known for his folk and pop music, distinctive baritone voice, and impressive whistling skills. He was born Roger Henry Brough Whittaker on March 22, 1936, in Nairobi, Kenya, which was then a British colony. He spent his early years in Kenya and developed a love for music and the outdoors during his upbringing.
Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist who achieved international success in folk, folk-rock, and country music.
Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr. was a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist who achieved international success in folk, folk-rock, and country music. He is credited with helping to define the folk-pop sound of the 1960s and 1970s. He has been referred to as Canada’s greatest songwriter and was known internationally as a folk-rock legend.
A leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art.
This is where I’ll be talking about the Album Art that I like. That is one of the benefits of 12″ vinyl albums, the cool packaging that surrounded the record. Here I’ll research the creations that we all loved as children, teenagers, and adults. I’ll try to find as much information on the artists as I can.
Get rid of those snap, crackles, and pops.
The importance of maintaining clean records is undeniable. The benefits are numerous: extending vinyl life, improving playback, and preventing needle wear. You can even increase the value of some records with a good clean. We made and sold our own cleaning solution at my record store, Circle Sky Records when we were open.
“Well the sheriff got wind that Amos was in the swamp trappin’ alligator skins
So he snuck in the swamp gonna get the boy but he never come out again
Well I wonder where the Louisiana sheriff went to
Well you can sure get lost in the Louisiana bayou”
When I was young before I had cassettes, the only good way of making a playlist of songs was to stack 45s on the turntable. I would arrange for them to play my favorite songs in my favorite order. These posts are about records I had in my stacks.
My third inductee into my Music Hall of Fame is Elvis Aaron Presley, dubbed “The King of Rock and Roll”. While, unlike my first two inductees, he didn’t write many of his songs, “All Shook Up”, “Don’t Be Cruel”, “Heartbreak Hotel” were three he penned and some of my favorites.
