This is Americana. This is New York. This is jazz, baby. This is Gershwin!
The New York Philharmonic with Leonard Bernstein conducting and playing the piano.
This is a masterpiece!
It is my honor to present a musical portrait of early-20th-century New York City. Here is the genius of George Gershwin and “Rhapsody in Blue”.
Now here’s something you don’t see every day – the maestro himself playing his composition “I’ve Got Rhythm”. I can’t think of a more fitting piece for The Rhythm Section!
I am in awe and words fail me, which is a rarity.
If you are not familiar with Gershwin, I recommend you read about the man, his vast repertoire and his very short life. Sometimes I wonder what more he would have accomplished had he lived longer. This is the music that will last for generations after we are gone.
There is no question of the day but I’d love to know what you thought of George Gershwin’s music.
Well, I’m not sure how next week’s In The Groove is going to compare to this, but I’ll try my best to come up with something great. Meet me here again, won’t you?
Deb’s up tomorrow with another location to visit on her magical musical mystery tour. Stop by and check it out.
Let’s face facts. If you’re in a rock band, chances are excellent a number of commandments are gonna get broken. That is exactly what led to the writing of our next tune.
Once upon a time, George Harrison and Eric Clapton were best friends, practically brothers. George was married and very much in love with his wife and she with him. So, what’s the problem? Eric was also very much in love with George’s wife. He couldn’t help it; by all accounts, she was very desirable. She, however, resisted the worn out phrases and longing gazes of Eric … but only just for so long. He wore her resistance down until, in spite of her love for the handsome George, she fell in love with Eric, left George and married Eric. George, realizing they were only human and he himself was no saint, forgave Eric and his wife (what a guy!). More than that, George and Eric remained best friends for the rest of George’s life, with the two men referring to each other as “husband-in-law”. The two continued to perform together frequently until George’s passing in 2001. It was all so very civilized. The end.
Sounds like this could be one of my stories!
Written and released in 1970 by composer/guitarist/singer Eric Clapton, “Layla” is the title track on the Derek and the Dominos album “Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs”. George and Eric’s wife was the inspiration for the song which is considered one of rock music’s definitive love songs.
This is one of those times I could not find a good quality recording of Derek and the Dominos. Instead I chose this version – Eric Clapton performing with Phil Collins and others at Live Aid in the John F. Kennedy Stadium, Philadelphia USA on July 13, 1985. The event was organized to raise funds for the Ethiopian famine disaster. I hope you enjoy “Layla”.
What a great tune and you can see why Clapton is regarded as one of the best guitar players in the world. I’ll never forget seeing Clapton with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker; they were Cream. They didn’t set off pyrotechnics, smash their instruments, sport big hair or perform acrobatics on stage. They came out, laid down some mean guitar riffs and sang some awesome songs. No need for more than that.
Here’s the question of the day:
In my intro to the video, I never referred to George’s wife by name. A model and actress in the 60s and 70s, she is recognized today as an author, photographer and supporter of various charities. Can you identify this beautiful blonde who stole the hearts of both George Harrison and Eric Clapton? FYI it is not “Layla”!
The answer appears below. If you don’t know the answer, no worries; perhaps you’d like to share one of your favorite George Harrison or Eric Clapton songs (videos always welcome).
Today’s post was a little bit longer than usual so thanks for sticking around. Join me next week In The Groove for another great tune.
Welcome back to In The Groove. Today I’ve got a hot little number for you – not just the song but the singer as well.
Take the #1 female singer in the country music scene and give her a crossover country rock song to sing and you’ve got “Before He Cheats”, a song which tells the story of a woman taking her anger and revenge out on her cheating lover.
Here is Carrie Underwood singing “Before He Cheats” from her 2005 debut album.
Hell hath no fury like Carrie Underwood swinging a Louisville Slugger!
So here’s my question of the day:
Carrie Underwood got her big break by winning the American version of a highly televised international reality talent show franchise originally hosted in the U.S. by Ryan Seacrest and judged by Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson. What is the name of the show that propelled Carrie Underwood into the world of mega-stardom?
To see if you got the answer right, check the bottom of the page.
Thanks for hanging out with me here In The Groove. Have a great day; let’s meet up again next week.
The first time I heard this song, I was driving down a deserted highway in northern New York. I was immediately drawn to this piece and had to pull over to listen.
No babble today, no statistics; if you want them, they’re all available on Wikipedia.
Just sit back and enjoy the brilliance of Carlos Santana. This is “Europa”.
I’m blown away every time I hear this piece. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
You’re all probably too chill at the moment to do any deep thinking so I’m going to make today’s question an easy one:
What was Santana’s first big hit? Easy, right?
I wonder how many of you have had a similar experience while driving? One other time I got so caught up in“Dance Of the Furies” by Christoph Gluck (YouTube it) that I got my one and only speeding ticket! Music has a way of transporting us to another level; for me it was beyond the speed limit!
Let’s catch up At The Movies on Thursday. Don’t forget to see were Deb is taking us tomorrow. Have a great day!
We’re going deep today In The Groove. Hang onto your knickers, kids; it’s time for some heavy metal! And I have more than one video for you. Please do not dismiss this post out of hand; I give you my word – no blood will be shed, no eardrums shattered.
Rather than choosing just one song, I wanted to do something unique by offering three songs representative of three different time periods. The release date of each video is separated by approximately 25-27 years; I spaced them out this way for you to listen for musical changes over the years which will assist in setting up the question of the day.
There’s heavy metal and then there’s HEAVY METAL; what you’re about to hear falls into the first category. You will never hear “death metal”, “black metal”, “doom metal” or “metalcore” on any of my posts; I am not a fan and I choose not to play them.
Are you ready? Then let’s start with a song by a group that may surprise you. Considered by many in the music industry to be the first heavy metal song in history, here is “Helter Skelter” released by The Beatles in 1968.*
Next up is the American group Anthrax with their 1993 song “I’m Alive”.
And finally from Norway here is Jørn with “Over the Horizon Radar” from 2022.
Are you still with me? I tried my best to bring you heavy metal that wouldn’t chase you out of the room. Hopefully, I was successful.
Here now is the question of the day; it is fully conceptual and there is no right or wrong answer:
Keeping in mind that there is a span of 54 years of heavy metal music represented here, which of these three songs did you enjoy the most and why?How do these pieces differ for you?
Here was last week’s question:
Who was the performer who originally sang “Me and Mrs. Jones” in 1972?
And the answer is … Billy Paul. Did you get it right? A shout-out to our very own Pete and also to John Holton from The Sound of One Hand Typing right here on WP who both knew the answer.
Thanks for hanging out with me today; I know heavy metal isn’t for everyone. Think of it as a way of broadening your musical horizons!
Speaking of horizons, where in the world could Deb be taking us next? Tune in tomorrow to find out where her magic carpet will land.
*Some may argue that “Born To Be Wild” by Steppenwolf was the first heavy metal song; that is only because of the second verse lyric “I like smoke and lightnin’/Heavy metal thunder/Racing with the wind/And the feeling that I’m under“. That is the first time the phrase “heavy metal” was used in a rock music song but it is not describing the music; “Heavy metal thunder” is a reference to motorcycles. Remember the bikes in “Easy Rider”? Now that’s metal! The music genre of the song “Born To Be Wild” is categorized as “hard rock”, not “heavy metal”. The three songs above have all been categorized as “heavy metal”. 🏍️
Okay, we’re gonna turn the heat up just a bit here and really get In The Groove.
When this song first came out in September of 1972, I was a newlywed of exactly three months with nothing but loving on my mind. I thought this was possibly the sexiest, most titillating and steamy song I’d ever heard.
It’s the story of an affair between a married man and his equally married lover. In the song, the two meet in secret “every day at the same café” at 6:30 where they hold hands and talk. The two are in a quandary: “We’ve got a thing going on. We both know that it’s wrong but it’s much too strong to let it go now.”
Please excuse me, Pete, but I’m stealing a page from your playbook and doing a cover version of this song by my favorite duo of all time – Hall and Oates, the most successful pair in music history (yes, even more successful than Simon & Garfunkel).
Why a cover and not the original when the original is an excellent recording? Two words: Daryl Hall. Fifty-plus years after seeing him on MTV, I still “have a thing going on” for Daryl Hall so please allow me this one indulgence.
Turn down the lights, pour the wine and light the candles; here now are Hall and Oates doing a live performance of “Me and Mrs. Jones”.
Oh, my goodness! What can I say? I got a thing for “blue-eyed soul”.
Back to the business at hand. It’s time for the question of the day. Once again, you either know this or you don’t.
Who was the performer who originally sang “Me and Mrs. Jones” in 1972?
I’ll have the answer for you next week.
To refresh your memory, here’s the question of the day from last week:
In my little blurb before the video, I tossed out the name of another great song written by George Harrison. Did you notice it?
The song is “Cheer Down” and the title came from a little thing George’s wife Olivia used to say to him. Whenever he was starting to get all caught up in something and needing reining in, she’d say “Cheer down, big guy”. I like that; nicer than “Cool your jets!”.
I hope you enjoyed today’s sultry number here In The Groove. Join me next week when things will be very different.
Well, whaddya know? It’s tax day here in the USA! And what better way to say “Thank you” to The Man than by listening to one of the coolest songs written by George Harrison.
I know it’s an exciting day, another chance to show our gratitude for the privilege of paying taxes on our earned incomes. Wow … what a concept! As always, we tell it like it is here In The Groove. Just one of those things that make you go “hmmm”.
Now let’s all try to cheer down and have a listen to a really great tune. Follow the lyrics closely; they are spot on. As I like to say, “There’s not a single thing wrong with a George Harrisong!”
Every time I hear this song I’m reminded of two things: 1) the very creative and clever lyrics and 2) George’s incredible (and often overlooked) guitar playing.
So here’s the question of the day:
In my little blurb before the video, I tossed out the name of another great song written by George Harrison. Did you notice it?
I’ll have the answer for you next week.
Now here’s a reminder of last week’s question of the day:
Jimi Hendrix is a member of an exclusive and extremely unique club. What is the name of that infamous club?
And the answer is … “27 Club”. Jimi Hendrix, Brian Jones, Alan Wilson, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison all died at the age of 27 between 1969 and 1971. At the time, the coincidence gave rise to some comment but it wasn’t until Kurt Cobain’s 1994 death at age 27 that the idea of a “27 Club” began to catch on in the public eye.
That’s it for another segment of In The Groove; come on over and join me Thursday At The Movies and don’t forget to check in on Deb tomorrow for another magic carpet ride through the World of Music!
Do you remember when I told you last week that we’d be going on a trip today? And do you remember when I used that old phrase “Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em!”? Well, there’s a whole lot of tripping going on here and they were definitely smoking!
“Purple Haze”. Yeah, baby! The name alone sounds trippy. This is the music I cut my teeth on.
There can’t be anyone reading this who hasn’t heard of Jimi Hendrix. Written in 1967 by Jimi, “Purple Haze” showcases his extraordinary talent and inventive guitar playing. Listeners interpret the song as referring to a psychedelic experience; Hendrix described it as a love song. Hmm, interesting.
Regardless of what people may think of this type of music, nothing can change the fact that “Purple Haze” launched not one but two revolutions: late-sixties psychedelia and the unprecedented genius of Jimi Hendrix. “Purple Haze” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and has been called one of the greatest guitar songs of all time.
You decide. Here is the Jimi Hendrix Experience and “Purple Haze”.
Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em!
Far out, man! His guitar fingering was amazing!
Ok, here’s the question of the day:
Jimi Hendrix is a member of an exclusive and extremely unique club. What is the name of that infamous club?
The answer will be given next week.
As a reminder, here’s the question from last week.
Can you name the doo-wop group who had a hit revival of “You Belong to Me” in 1962?
A few of you got it right (you know who you are)! And the answer is … The Duprees.
Well, whaddaya say we score some snacks and meet At The Movies on Thursday? And don’t forget to check out Deb’s “trippy” post tomorrow!
OK, I admit it; I struggled a bit with Mr. Bump’s Name That Tune on Sunday and was totally stumped by his post yesterday for Breaktime Whodunnit. That said, I don’t feel the least bit guilty for today’s post as I take you “youngsters” on a little trip back in time.
Now I’m pretty sure I’m correct when I say that the majority of you reading this right now are not part of the Baby Boomer generation (those born between 1946 and 1964). You probably won’t know this song or who the singer is and it’s doubtful you’ll be able to answer the question of the day. But you know what? That doesn’t matter. A great song and a great singer are timeless and no one’s keeping score as to who answers the most questions correctly. It’s all about fun!
We’re going back to 1952 with a sentimental tune called “You Belong To Me”. The version you’re about to hear is the most popular interpretation of this ballad done by a chanteuse by the name of Jo Stafford, one of the biggest stars of her time.
Jo Stafford had a lovely voice, smooth and silky as warm bourbon. Her rendition of this song is my favorite; here it is now for your enjoyment.
I thought that was really nice!
This song reminds me of those old war movies such as “From Here To Eternity” or “The Longest Day”. You can imagine soldiers listening to a tune like this, huddled around a radio on their bunks, and someone saying “Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em”.
I’m going out on a limb now when I say one, may two of you will know the answer to this question but what the hell … as I said, it’s all about having fun! Here goes:
Can you name the doo-wop group who had a hit revival of this song in 1962?
I’ll have the answer for you next week.
Hope you enjoyed the trip. And speaking of trips, get ready for another great adventure tomorrow with Deb.
Thanks for stopping by and going back in time with me!
Prince Rogers Nelson is widely regarded as one of the greatest musicians of his generation. He was known for his flamboyant, often androgynous persona, his incredible vocal range and his skill as a multi-instrumentalist. Prince produced his albums himself, pioneering the Minneapolis sound, and preferred to play all or most of the instruments on his recordings.
The song I’ve chosen to feature today is “Little Red Corvette” which was released in 1983. Using several automobile metaphors, the song recalls a one-night-stand with a beautiful promiscuous woman. “Little Red Corvette” is Prince’s highest charting hit and first to reach the top 10 in the U.S., peaking at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. Since Prince’s death in 2016, this tune has sold more than 900,000 copies in the United States alone.
Here is Prince performing “Little Red Corvette.
Now that’s a really cool song and a great video!
So, keeping it clean and going along with a car theme, here’s the question of the day:
What was the color, year and model of your first car? Do we have any red Corvette owners out there?
Mine was a Sunshine Yellow Ford Mustang.
I hope you enjoyed today’s post and song; join me next Tuesday In The Groove and don’t forget to check out where Deb’s taking us tomorrow.
How’s everybody doing? Hope you got your groove on for a little rock today because we’re featuring one of the biggest groups to come out of England – Queen!
“Bohemian Rhapsody” was first made for Queen’s 1975 album, “A Night At the Opera”. Written by Freddie Mercury, the song is the group’s greatest hit. It officially became the most streamed song in December 2018, having been downloaded or streamed almost 2 billion times.
Mercury’s premature death in 1991 shocked the music world but the band’s legacy is as strong today as it has ever been.
Let’s not get all bogged down with statistics and numbers; let’s just cut to the chase and play some Queen. Check your speakers and turn up the volume cos this is “Bohemian Rhapsody”!
It’s fair to say that actor Rami Malek absolutely nailed his portrayal of Freddie Mercury in the movie “Bohemian Rhapsody”; the Oscar he won for his role attests to that. But imagine if he hadn’t had the chance to play the part. Imagine if the producers had cast someone else. Here’s our question of the day:
Hollywood is calling you every day and producers are banging on your door. They want to make a movie about YOU and the story of your life! Cool, right? The pressure is really on now. If you were in charge of casting the movie of YOUR life, who would you choose to play YOU? I can’t wait to see these answers!
Well that does it for today’s edition of In The Groove. I hope you had a blast! Looking forward to Tuesday for another great song and video.
Have a terrific week and don’t forget to catch Deb’s post tomorrow here at The Rhythm Section.
Welcome back to In The Groove. Hope you’re all doing fine and are looking forward to another great song and video.
There really isn’t too much I can tell you about today’s performer that you don’t already know so I’m going to concentrate on the song.
“Can’t Help Falling in Love” was recorded by Elvis Presley in 1961 for his album “Blue Hawaii”; it is also featured in his movie of the same name.
This beautiful tune has been covered by many artists and was listed as one of the greatest songs of all time by Rolling Stone. According to a 2020 survey, the song is the most popular choice for couples as the first dance at their wedding.
Now’s the perfect time to take that special person in your life by the hand and dance to “Can’t Help Falling In Love”. Here is The King:
That certainly was beautiful and I’m taking bets that many of you might be able to guess the question of the day:
What was the first dance at your wedding? If you’re engaged, what song have you chosen for your first dance? Perhaps you’re neither married nor engaged; just name your favorite romantic song to dance to. Mine is “Something” by George Harrison which was the first dance at my wedding.
Thanks for getting In The Groove with me; I hope you’ve been enjoying the songs and videos throughout The Rhythm Section.
Join us tomorrow for another musical journey with Deb. Have a great day!
Hi, everyone, and welcome to my first post at In The Groove! This site is dedicated to all the great songs we’ve come to love, anything from Ella Fitzgerald to Led Zeppelin. Maybe you’ll come across an old favorite you haven’t heard in a long time or find a new tune that really turns you on. My hope is that whatever videos I play here, someone will say “Yes! I love that song!”
Anyone who knows me also knows I love The Beatles so it seemed only appropriate that I open this site with a Beatles song. Now, for those of you who don’t like The Beatles (a concept I cannot wrap my head around), don’t panic – this site is not devoted to them but I believe you’re going to like what I’ve chosen today.
As Mr. Bump said in his first post, we’re going to try to keep our blurbs short and sweet. I can do sweet but I’m a storyteller so short doesn’t come easy. I will try my best. Please bear with me because sometimes there are some songs/artists that are too great to skim over – like this one.
“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” was written by George Harrison after his return from India where The Beatles had been studying Transcendental Meditation. The song appears on the 1968 double album The Beatles, also known as the White Album.
George Harrison said “The Eastern concept is that whatever happens is what is meant to be; every little item that’s going down has a purpose. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” was a simple study based on that theory. I picked up a book at random, opened it and saw “gently weeps”. I laid the book down and started writing the song.”
“A simple study”, he said. Ha!
New Yorker columnist Mark Hertsgaard said “While My Guitar Gently Weeps was the single most impressive song on the White Album”.
Rolling Stone ranked George’s composition 136th on its list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time”, seventh on the “100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time”, and at number 10 on its list of “The Beatles’ 100 Greatest Songs”. At long last George was getting his due!
I hope you’ve enjoyed my post and a tribute to George Harrison. Now you’re really going to get your money’s worth here at In The Groove– not one but two versions of this incredible song. The first video features today’s song from the White Album and the second video is from “Concert for George”. (Look for a very young Dhani Harrison among the concert musicians; he is without a doubt his father’s son!)
Now let’s get this show on the road!
On November 29, 2002, one year after George’s passing, Olivia Harrison and Eric Clapton organized a performance tribute to celebrate the life and music of George. Held at London’s Royal Albert Hall, the momentous “Concert forGeorge” featured George’s songs and the music he loved performed by artists including Eric Clapton, Joe Brown, Dhani Harrison, Jools Holland, Jeff Lynne, Paul McCartney, Monty Python, Tom Petty, Billy Preston, Ravi & Anoushka Shankar, Ringo Starr and more.
Now for the question of the day:
If you were to pick the perfect band or perhaps a tribute concert for YOURSELF, which famous artists would be in the band and what song(s) would they play? OK, have at it! Let’s see what you got!
Thanks for tuning in; I hope you had as good a time as I did.
We have a brand new and totally different segment lined up next. I can’t wait to see what DA’s got planned for us!
Join me In The Groove next Tuesday. Have a great week!
The Elephant's Trunk 