If I get this right, there will be many cover versions by future bands. I shall try and link live versions if they exist from the tellybox or a film, the sound quality may not be the best, but there is nothing like watching a real talent live.
So, in a sort of chronological order, my third legends are The Everly Brothers
Some brief notes first, courtesy of Wiki:
The Everly Brothers were an American country-influenced rock and roll duo, known for steel-string acoustic guitar playing and close harmony singing. Consisting of Isaac Donald “Don” Everly (born February 1, 1937) and Phillip “Phil” Everly (January 19, 1939 – January 3, 2014), the duo was raised in a musical family, first appearing on radio singing along with their father Ike Everly and Mother Margaret Everly as “The Everly Family” in the 1940s. When the brothers were still in high school, they gained the attention of prominent Nashville musicians like Chet Atkins, who began to groom them for national attention.
They began writing and recording their own music in 1956, and their first hit song came in 1957, with “Bye Bye Love”, written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant. The song hit No. 1 in the spring of 1957, and additional hits would follow through 1958, many of them written by the Bryants, including “Wake Up Little Susie”, “All I Have to Do Is Dream”, and “Problems”. In 1960, they signed with the major label Warner Bros. Records and recorded “Cathy’s Clown”, written by the brothers themselves, which was their biggest selling single. The brothers enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve in 1961, and their output dropped off, though additional hit singles continued through 1962, with “That’s Old Fashioned (That’s the Way Love Should Be)” being their last top-10 hit.
Long-simmering disputes with Wesley Rose, the CEO of Acuff-Rose Music, which managed the group, a growing drug usage in the 1960s, as well as changing tastes in popular music, led to the group’s decline in popularity in its native U.S., though the brothers continued to release hit singles in the U.K. and Canada, and had many highly successful tours throughout the 1960s. In the early 1970s, the brothers began releasing solo recordings, and in 1973 they officially broke up. Starting in 1983, the brothers got back together, and would continue to perform periodically until Phil’s death in 2014.
The group was highly influential on the music of the generation that followed it. Many of the top acts of the 1960s were heavily influenced by the close harmony singing and acoustic guitar playing of the Everly Brothers, including the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Bee Gees, and Simon & Garfunkel.
To me, therefore they are legends, not just brilliant songs, but big influencers on some astounding talent that followed them. The only bad thing I have ever said about the Everly brothers is that their name is spelt wrong. Shirley, it must be Everley!
A full list of their songs is here: Full list of The Everly Brothers
The featured track is from a live performance in 1960. Of note, they are backed by The Crickets. The Everly brothers were big mates of Buddy Holly.
In addition to this classic, some more of my favourites are:
The Everly Brothers Reunion Concert Live at The Royal Albert Hall – Superb concert this. Got many of their biggest hits. Includes a track from the immortal Roy Orbison singing “In Dreams”.
That’ll Be the Day – Great over of Buddy.
Wake up little Susie – I am always grateful they recorded the Ed Sullivan show.
Singalong, enjoy and be happy!
Featured Image: “instant party, everly brothers,” by badgreeb RECORDS – art -photos is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
© Phil the ex test manager 2021
