A diverse repertoire is one the great strength of The Cleftomaniacs. Our repertoire constantly changes but usually includes jazz, pop, soul, swing, gospel through to classical.
Blackbird was released on The Beatles White Album in 1968. From an interview with Paul McCartney by KCRW's Chris Douridas, 2002: I had been doing poetry readings.
This song was recorded by Dionne Warwick in 1964. It was written for the 1964 film of the same name, starring Shelley Winters and Richard Todd. The song was a modest hit in the U.S.
This song was a single from the album of the same name and achieved success in the United States and the United Kingdom when it was released in 1972, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 ch
"I Got You (I Feel Good)" is a twelve-bar blues, originally written with a brass-heavy instrumental arrangement similar to Brown's previous hit, "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag".
According to Paul Kelly’s book ‘How to Make Gravy’, this song came from Paul just singing psalm 23, and inserting into it a line that has been ‘floating around for more than a hundred years in blue
This song is credited to the renowned father of gospel music, Thomas Andrew Dorsey, not to be confused with the Big Band leader Tommy Dorsey of the same era.
This song was originally a hit for early New York City-based rock and roll group Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers in February 1956. It reached No. 1 on the R&B chart, No.
("A rose has sprung up"), most commonly translated to English as "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming" or "A Spotless Rose", is a Christmas carol and Marian Hymn of German origin.
In dulci jubilo ("In sweet rejoicing") is a traditional Christmas carol. In its original setting, the carol is a macaronic text of German and Latin dating from the Middle Ages.
Writer, Doris Akers, born in Brookfield, Missouri, on May 21, 1923, was one of ten children. She learned to play the piano by ear at age six and by age ten had composed her first song.