Robert Neil Speaks with...

Robert Neil Speaks with…

In the third of a three-part series about legendary singer/songwriter Gordon Lightfoot, Robert Neil speaks with music journalist and historian Nicholas Jennings about his book ‘Lightfoot,’ the authorized biography of the legendary Canadian icon.

In this final installment, Jennings tells Robert Neil about the serious health incident that threatened his life and put him in a coma for six weeks in 2002.

A vide...

The topic, again, is Gordon Lightfoot as Robert Neil Speaks with music journalist and historian Nicholas Jennings about his book ‘Lightfoot,’ the authorized biography of the legendary Canadian singer/songwriter.

This episode is part two of a three-part series and focuses on Lightfoot’s character, and how the Canadian legend’s principles have sometimes kept him from achieving a higher degree of fame, yet, at the same time, have ende...

The topic is Gordon Lightfoot as Robert Neil Speaks with music journalist and historian Nicholas Jennings about his book ‘Lightfoot,’ the authorized biography of the legendary Canadian singer/songwriter.

In the first of this three-part interview, Jennings talks about Lightfoot’s early career and his incredibly strong connection to Canada, where he is revered.  Lightfoot’s friendships with Bob Dylan and Ronnie Hawkins are also menti...

Big Bands were on their way out when jazz musician Ron Aprea was ready to make his mark on the music scene.  However, that didn’t deter the young saxophone player from embarking on a career in that genre.  Without a doubt the New York native had talent. His sax playing and instincts were top rate, and eventually his ability to arrange and write charts would grab the attention of his peers.

So, with all that talent and a deep love f...

British superstar Cliff Richard has released his first album of new material in 14 years, and the man who launched his career in the late 1950s as England’s answer to Elvis Presley, still sounds fresh and energetic.

The album features songs written by some of Richard’s long-time associates, including Terry Britten (“Devil Woman,” “What’s Love Got to Do with It”), Christopher Neville Eaton ("Lost in a Lonely World,” “Saviour’s Day...

One of the true joys of Christmas is music, which brings out the emotions of the season; however, many radio stations and streaming services only play a small selection of songs. As a result, many wonderful tunes go unheard.

This episode of Documenting Popular Music takes a look at 10 songs that are either unknown or underplayed in the United States at this time of year. The selections include songs from well-known American artists...

If you’ve ever thought your favorite superhero theme songs would sound great as original jazz tunes, then pianist extraordinaire Randy Waldman has the new album you’ll need to add to your collection.  Waldman is one of the music industry’s most successful and popular session players, and he’s been featured on songs and album from numerous top-selling artists such as Barbra Streisand, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Madonna, Olivi...

The songwriter who could easily be considered America’s unofficial poet laureate has a new album in which he revisits past composition with new recordings and new interpretations. Paul Simon has been writing the soundtrack to multiple generations’ lives since the 1960s, when he and childhood friend Art Garfunkel took folk-rock music to new heights of popularity.

Simon’s subsequent solo career allowed him to continue growing as a wr...

(This version of the episode is presented in its entirety and runs about 37 minutes; however, for listeners who prefer shorter episodes, the program is also available in Part I and Part II editions, which each run about 20 minutes. Please check the menu for all episodes of ‘Documenting Popular Music,’ or visit http://documentingpopularmusic.libsyn.com or iTunes.)

In the 1970s, the most popular song of the decade was Debby Boone’s “...

Rita Coolidge was one of the staples of Top 40 and Adult Contemporary radio in the 1970s and early 1980s. She’s back with a new album entitled 'Safe in the Arms of Time,' which takes a unique look at love, life and relationships.

The songs on the album reflect the maturity of someone who has already gone through the highs and lows of love and is now experiencing what the emotion is like at this stage of her life. Coolidge gives voi...

That unmistakable sound of West Coast smooth rock was all over the radio in the late 1970s and early 1980s with groups such as Hall&Oates, Player, Steely Dan, the Little River Band, Boz Scaggs, the Michael McDonald lead version of the Doobie Bros and many others.

The genre, which incorporated elements of smooth jazz and soul, is making a comeback, and a group helping to make the past current is Young Gun Silver Fox.  The band is ma...

In the late 1970s, when Neil Diamond was asked to star in the movie the Jazz Singer, his career was at the peak of popularity, and he had not only established himself as an elite performer, but also an accomplished songwriter.  Similarly, Gilbert Bécaud, who had reached stardom more than a decade before Diamond, was also revered as a top performer and songwriter in France and other European countries.

These two men came together in...

For this ‘Throwback Thursday’ (TBT) episode of Documenting Popular Music, we are replaying our 2015 review of James Taylor’s ‘Before this World' album.  To date, it is the last studio album Taylor has released, and he has been performing songs from the album on his current concert tour.

‘Before this World’ was produced by one of Taylor’s long-time collaborators, Dave O’Donnell, and the core musicians who perform on the album have a...

The Monkees TV show debuted in September of 1966 and ran until March of 1968.  During that time, the band saturated the music charts and radio stations with songs such as “I’m a Believer,” “Daydream Believer,” “Last Train to Clarksville,” “Valleri,” “A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You,” “Pleasant Valley Sunday,” “I’m Not Your Stepping Stone” and many others.

The group consisted for Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Pete...

The Monkees TV show debuted in September of 1966 and ran until March of 1968.  During that time, the band saturated the music charts and radio stations with songs such as “I’m a Believer,” “Daydream Believer,” “Last Train to Clarksville,” “Valleri,” “A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You,” “Pleasant Valley Sunday,” “I’m Not Your Stepping Stone” and many others.

The group consisted for Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith and Peter...

Dan Fogelberg passed away 10 years ago this month.  His memory has been kept alive this year by a number of events, including the release of two new albums, ‘Live At Carnegie Hall’ (a previously unheard performance from 1979) and a tribute album that features a long list of musicians that loved Fogelberg’s music.

This episode of Documenting Popular Music takes a look at the tribute album and artist such as Garth Brooks, who perfo...

It was 1971, and a 25-year-old Barry Manilow was still a struggling musician and commercial jingles writer when he came up with a melody he felt was very special. That melody would become the song “Could It Be Magic,” which featured a chorus based on the chord changes in Chopin’s Prelude in C Minor.

“Could It Be Magic” had several early incarnations, including a version produced by a well-intending Tony Orlando that Manilow says ...

About two years ago, Sarah Partridge began working on a project to bring new life to Janis Ian’s songs by presenting them with fresh jazz interpretations.  Ian, who debuted during the folk scene of the 1960s, rose to fame with her hits “Society’s Child” (1967) and “At Seventeen” (1975), and she’s written numerous songs – some of which were previously unrecorded – that deal with social, political and relationship issues.

Partridge a...

Documenting Popular Music puts a spotlight on the thriving musical scene in Alabama and the city of Birmingham, where musician Scott McDavid was born and raised.  McDavid’s journey is representative of numerous other musicians who work under some anonymity, but who have been vital to the creation, maintenance and spread of popular music in America.

McDavid’s career began in his hometown, where he played with a number of local ban...