I used a picture of Vesuvio’s in San Francisco as the featured image because it’s one of the best bars in the world. Better still, it provides a pretext to link to my Lawrence Ferlinghetti story, which takes place there.

We take a detour into the pop-rock era with this week’s song. You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ was written in 1964 by Phil Spector, Barry Mann, and Cynthia Weill. It’s the first time I’ve used a song by a convicted murderer who was played by Al Pacino:

The Righteous Brothers were the first to record the song.  It was a huge hit; finishing at #5 for the year on the Billboard Top 100. Truly righteous, bros…

I added a version by Friday Cocktail Hour semi-regular Nancy Wilson so my readers won’t be confused by all the different names. No Frank, Ella, Mel, or Billie, y’all.

Gladys Knight & the Pips gave You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ the Motown treatment in 1968.

Here are real life brothers Johnny and Edgar Winter singing an albino version of the Spector-Mann-Weill classic.

Hall & Oates charted in 1980 with a faithful version of the 1965 song.

The Firm were a British rock supergroup starring Paul Rodgers and Jimmy Page. I’ve always loved Paul’s voice. He could sing the phone book and make it sound soulful. Our younger readers are probably asking: what the hell is a phone book?

What would the Friday Cocktail Hour be without some instrumental versions of the week’s song? This time, Billy Preston followed by the great R&B saxophonist and band leader King Curtis.

That’s it for this week. Let’s toast Barry Mann and Cynthia Weill for all the great music they made over the years. No comment on the Spector that haunts this post. It’s what Bogie, Betty, and Frank would want. Never argue with them.