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Today’s Forgotten 45 @ 45!


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Donnie Iris – Ah!Leah!Donnie Iris got his start as a member of The Jaggerz, who had a Top 40 hit in the 70s with “The Rapper”.

As a solo artist, “Ah!Leah!” is considered his signature song. It was originally being written with a friend, Mark Avsec, when they were both members of Wild Cherry, as a protest song. They wanted a phrase that was like a chant that could be airy and echoed, like Gregorian Chant. Mark came up with “ah lee-ah” as that phrase. It worked but Iris mentiond that Leah was a girl’s name and the song transformed into a song of obsession or passion for a lover that always seems to come and go.

Released in 1980 on the album, ‘Back On The Streets’, “Ah! Leah!” became a Top 40 hit, peaking at #22 on the Hot 100!

Jeff Winfield
105.7 KOKZ afternoons: the Forgotten 45 at 3:45 and the 5 O'Clock Traffic Jams.
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