A Musical A-Z: H

I find these fairly easy to get through, so manage to do a couple at a time. Thanks to everyone who has joined in, all your comments are much appreciated, and make this a fun thing to do. Don’t forget, any song, album, artist, or band, as long as it begins with ‘H’.

I have featured this song from Daryl Hall before, but here it is again, as I like it so much. This was from a solo album, so will have to cover his work as Hall and Oates too. (But let’s face it, Hall and Oates was really only Daryl Hall, and some other guy with a moustache…)
In A Philly Mood

I didn’t feature Blondie when I covered ‘B’. That was because I knew that some of their songs would be mentioned later. The lovely Debbie Harry was at her peak back then, (Double ‘H’!) good to look at, and equally good to listen to. Here’s a favourite from the time.
Hanging On The Telephone

Ella Henderson was in a singing talent contest on TV here, in 2012. That usually signals the kiss of death for a musical career, at least in the UK. However, her powerful voice attracted the attention of a recording company, and she went on to achieve chart success with her debut album, as well as getting a large following, together with the respect of critics. She is still only 21.
Ghost

As a well-known Motown fan, it was obvious that the Marvelettes were going to feature, probably more than once. They were my favourite Motown girl group at the time, and I still play their songs all the time. Leaving out ‘The’ as usual, this one qualifies for ‘H’.
The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game

Jackie Wilson is a legend in Soul music. He has been the inspiration for many, and also copied by some. He was so influential that Van Morrison even wrote a song about him, ‘Jackie Wilson Said’. (And yes, that may well feature later) He is probably best known for ‘Reet Petite’, the rock and roll song that launched his career. But here’s one from my youth, a dance-floor classic.
Higher and Higher

Heaven 17 is a British band that was big in the 1980s. They produced some huge chart hits, some songs with a political edge, and achieved a lot of success, before fading out of the picture. They continue to perform to this day, trading on the older fan base that still follows them. This was a big hit, in 1983.
Temptation

I have left almost all of the ‘obvious’ choices for you to add, as you play along. I come to my pick for today, my top choice for ‘H’. Londoner Thomas Dolby may not be known to many of you. His short-lived pop career in the 1980s was followed by many other projects, and he is currently a Professor of The Arts at Johns Hopkins University, in America. Back then, he combined his very different music with some ground-breaking theatrical pop videos, and grabbed the attention of the record buyers with both. I have always loved this song, and bought the 12-inch extended version at the time. And the video is great too, even in this ‘unblocked’ version. Play it loud.
Hyperactive