The Nylons • Poison Ivy

Late in the summer, I had been doing lots of work around the farm, and while it felt good to get out in the summer sun, I also discovered that I seem to have an ever-growing allergy to a few plants that can be found there. In particular, poison ivy. Of course, even being scarred, I found inspiration in the itchy. So here I bring you the song "Poison Ivy", as sung by the Canadian a cappella group, The Nylons.

The Nylons: Marc Connor, Claude Morrison, Arnold Robinson, and Paul Cooper

Their version first appeared on the soundtrack to the 1988 film, 'Stealing Home', and then on their 1989 album, 'Rockapella'. The song was written by the great team, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. It was originally released by The Coasterss in 1959, and became a Top 10 hit for the group, and #1 on the Billboard R&B chart.

One of the founding members of The Nylons was Marc Connor, and out and proud member of the LGBT community. Unfortunately, Connor passed away in 1991, from AIDS-related complications. In 1990, Micah Barnes joined the group, replacing Paul Cooper as baritone. Micah is also an out and proud performer, and since leaving the group in 1994, Barnes has released some good music of his own. You can purchase The Nylons album 'Rockapella' from iTunes.

In 1986, The Nylons released 'Seamless', a wonderful collection of Doo-Wop classics, many hits from the 1950s. Among the songs on the album was "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", a true classic written and performed in 1939 by Solomon Linda, in Zulu. The song, which also had writing credits to Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore, George David Weiss and Albert Stanton, remained popular, and was a huge hit in 1961 for The Tokens, when it topped the Billboard Hot 100.

You can purchase 'Seamless' from iTunes. You can also find both songs on 'The Best of The Nylons', available on iTunes. The Nylons continue to make great harmonies, still making great music. For more about them, you can find them on Facebook.