Leonard Cohenβs career was at a low point when he wrote βHallelujahβ in the early 80s, and his record label had no interest in even releasing the track or the rest of the songs that eventually came out on 1984βs Various Positions. The track was a fan favorite, but it didnβt receive much love until the Velvet Undergroundβs John Cale created a stripped-down piano version for a 1991 Leonard Cohen tribute album.
Jeff Buckley used Caleβs version as the basis for his stunningly beautiful version of the song on his 1994 LP Grace. The track wasnβt a single, but after Buckleyβs tragic death in 1997 the song slowly started to become recognized as a classic. In 2004 Jeff Buckleyβs version of βHallelujahβ was ranked #259 on Rolling Stoneβs βThe 500 Greatest Songs of All Timeβ.
This is “Hallelujah” by the man himself, Leonard Cohen
And this is what it sounded like when Jeff Buckley recorded it
Have you ever roller skated? As a child I had the type of roller skates that attached to my shoes and tightened with a key. I would skate in my neighborhood with my friends; since the number of cars on the road back then was much less than now, it was safe for us to take over the whole street and skate for hours. I never had a pair of professional-type skates with the beautiful wood wheels, the ones that laced up like ice skates, nor did I ever go to a roller skating rink. My experience was limited to street skating in strap-on skates with my friends … and lots of skinned knees!
2. Have you ever ridden a horse (or donkey) Yes, Iβve actually ridden both. When I was a young girl in The Bronx, I remember there was a truck that would travel around the area making stops along the way. It was not a very large truck, similar to the vehicles belonging to private landscapers you see today. The truck traveled around and played music like an ice cream truck but instead of ice cream, it carried two ponies and offered rides to children whose parents were lucky enough to have an extra 5Β’ to spend. The rides didn’t last long, just up and down our street with the truck driver/pony handler holding the rein and leading us around. For city kids such as myself, this was an exciting and memorable event! One summer my sister-in-law and I took our young children horseback riding while on vacation in Montauk. It started out nice but as the day progressed, the weather became increasingly hot and humid and we were all extremely uncomfortable. Since it was a half day tour for beginners, we werenβt exactly galloping bareback down the beach on wild horses which would have provided a cooling breeze. At the end of the day, we were all sweaty, sunburned and covered with mosquito bites … not to mention that we walked like John Wayne for the next two days! There are quite a few horse stables where I currently live and itβs not unusual to see people on horseback crossing the local streets going from one trail to another. It’s a lovely way to spend a few hours but horseback riding isnβt anything I see myself doing again. While in Sicily I rode donkeys fairly often. Many of the streets in my fatherβs home town are so narrow, the only way to go from one place to another is by foot or on a donkey. Riding a donkey is nothing like riding a horse. Donkeys are much slower than horses; they are approachable and lovable, overall non-reactive and less likely to go into a flight response. Even though I rode horses several times, I did not grow up around them so it was natural for me to feel safer being around a donkey than a horse. Youβre also much closer to the ground should you take a tumble! Our donkeys were always saddled, a much more comfortable and safer way to ride.
3. What was your favourite ride at a fun fair? The rollercoaster, without a doubt. I love rollercoasters β the good old-fashioned ones with lots of steep climbs and drops β none of this crazy upside down nonsense you see these days. Just give me an old rollercoaster and Iβm a happy camper. All the rides that spin and twist and twirl and go upside down make me terribly nauseous and I steer clear of them. Also I will never go on any ride that involves a free fall; to me that is just insanity. I also used to love water parks and riding the huge twisty-turny slides into the giant pools. They were great fun and an instant way to cool off but these days I can’t walk around theme parks for hours on end because of my arthritis. As my husband always says, “I’m too old for this crap!”
4. Choice of fun fair prizes: coconut, cuddly toy, Β£10/$10 cash prize. Well, money is always nice but Iβd say a cuddly toy to give my granddaughter (unless it’s an elephant which I’d keep for myself! π). We don’t have coconut as a prize here which is too bad because I love coconut. But we do have cotton candy and whatβs a day at the fair without the sweet fluffy clouds of pink cotton candy? The legendary Coney Island is an hourβs drive from my house and Palisades Park (made famous by the video below) is only 30 minutes away in New Jersey across the Hudson River. We went to both places often when we were younger. For my UK friends, our Coney Island in Brooklyn was inspired by your seaside resort of New Brighton. We now live about 10 minutes away from Playland Park in Rye, NY, an old and very well-known amusement park/beach. Iβm a fan of the Dragon Coaster and the arcade but we spend most of our time (at least for now) in Kiddie-Land where our little 4 year old granddaughter can have fun on the kid rides and play mini-golf, which is the only type of golfing Iβm into! And letβs not forget the Tunnel of Love for me and my mister!
Thanks for offering up a fun prompt, Di! π’ ποΈ π
In 1960, Berry Gordy signed a talented group of vocalists called The Contours as one of Motownβs first acts. βDo You Love Me?β, recorded in 1962, was The Contours third single, far and away their best-known record. This song blazed its way up the charts and became a smash hit before being goosed all the way up the charts again more than 25 years later thanks to a little movie called Dirty Dancing.
As with many American R&B songs of the 1960s, “Do You Love Me” was recorded by several British Invasion groups. A 1963 version by Brian Poole and the Tremeloes reached number one on the UK Singles Chart. It also became a hit for the Dave Clark Five, reaching #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964. βDo You Love Meβ appeared twice on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, reaching #3 in 1962 and #11 in 1988.
This song is not just a big hit; itβs an enduring classic thatβs still going strong!
From 1962, here are The Contours asking an age-old question: βDo You Love Me?β
And this is what was on the B Side β βMove, Mr. Manβ
Thanks for joining me today for Monday Motown Magic.
I was lost, a bit frightened and filled with regretfor not making a note of the address. A hazy moon began to make her appearance in the evening sky, leaving the tiny Palermo street awash in a warm orange glow. Squinting in the darkness, I saw what appeared to be a tunnel at the end of the street; there was no way I was going to walk into the black unknown. Slowly I inched closer and discovered the tunnel was actually a stairway. Just as I quickened my pace, an arm shot out of a hidden doorway and pulled me inside, pinning me against a wall. A deep voice I knew intimately whispered in honeyed Sicilian tones “PicchΓ¬ ci haiu misu tantu tempu, amuri miu? Ti vogghiu beni!”ΒΊ Passionate kisses drifted down my neck. Breathless, I murmured “I’m here now, my love. Show me.”
Kiss me now, my love, In the warm glow of the moon You possess my heart
Todayβs theme at Song Lyric Sunday is about songs by performers on American Idol.
In case youβre wondering about the title of todayβs post, The Original Amateur Hour began on radio in 1934 as βMajor Bowesβ Amateur Hourβ and ran until the 1946 death of its creator, Major Bowes. Ted Mack, a talent scout who had directed the show under Bowes, revived it in 1948 for ABC Radio and the DuMont Television Network. The show lasted on radio until 1952 and until 1970 on television, where it ran on all four major networks, ending as a Sunday afternoon CBS staple. A success in the early days of television, the program set the stage for numerous programs seeking talented stars, from The Gong Show to Star Search to American Idol to Americaβs Got Talent.
On June 11, 2002 a new type of TV show aired. Some called it reality TV while others dubbed it a talent show; critics and TV executives alike said it was βunparalleled in broadcasting history β¦. the most impactful show in the history of televisionβ. As a lover of music and talent and competition, which is what this show was all about, I called it fabulous! For 15 years my husband and I watched together each week as contestants auditioned, performed and were either sent on to the next round or sent packing.
The show, of course is American Idol and the only reason we stopped watching regularly after 15 years was our overall dislike of the new panel of judges. After 22 years, the show is still alive and well and making Simon Cowell and Ryan Seacrest a ton of money! Here’s something you may not know!
Idol has spawned 345 Billboard chart-toppers and a platoon of pop idols while remaining a TV ratings institution. For an unprecedented eight consecutive years, from the 2003-04 television season through the 2010-11 season, either its performance show or results show was ranked #1 in US television ratings β not bad at all for a little talent show.
While there are many American Idol winners who have gone on to become major music stars, I have often felt not winning (while spirit-crushing at the time) was just the impetus a young singer needed to become a household name; Adam Lambert, Jennifer Hudson, Katharine McPhee, Chris Daughtry, Clay Aiken and Kelly Pickler are perfect examples of artists whose loss on Idol was exactly what they needed to jumpstart their careers. Such is the case for my featured performer today, one of my personal favorite also-rans from American Idol.
Haley Reinhart first rose to prominence after placing third in the 10th season of American Idol. In July 2011, Reinhart signed a recording deal with Interscope Records. Her debut album, Listen Up!, was released on May 22, 2012, to critical acclaim and she subsequently became the first AI alumna to perform at Lollapalooza. She is the only Season 10 contestant who has over one million views on six of her YouTube performance videos: her renditions of Adeleβs βRolling In the Deep”, Elton Johnβs βBennie and the Jetsβ, Ben E. Kingβs βI (Who Have Nothing)β and her version of βHouse of the Rising Sunβ. In addition, her performance of Billie Holidayβs βGod Bless The Childβ hit one million views in March 2014 and the video of her American Idol audition performance of the Beatlesβ βOh! Darlingβ also reached one million views in March 2016. Reinhart was the only contestant in Season 10 who received three standing ovations from the judges in consecutive weeks for “House of the Rising Sun”,“I (Who Have Nothing)” and Led Zeppelinβs βWhat Is and What Should Never Beβ.
Haley Reinhart garnered widespread recognition in 2015 for performing and touring with Scott Bradleeβs Postmodern Jukebox, my favorite part of her career so far. Her most notable collaboration with the band on a jazz cover of Radioheadβs βCreepβ spent 58 consecutive weeks on Billboardβs Jazz Digital Songs chart and received high praise from critics. In the same year, she gained additional notice when her cover of Elvis Presleyβs βCanβt Help Falling In Loveβ which was used in a television commercial, became a viral sensation, peaked at #16 on the US Adult Contemporary chart and was later certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America on July 31, 2023. Reinhart won a Cannes Lion for Entertainment and a Clio Award for the song in 2016. Additionally, she made her voice acting debut as Bill Murphy in the Netflix animated comedy, βF Is For Familyβ on December 18, 2015. She reprised the role as a main cast member in the series’ second, third, fourth, and fifth seasons.
Let’s get back to “Bennie and Jets”. E! Online ranked Reinhart’s cover of as the series’ 14th best performance. TVLine ranked the performance as the 6th best in Idol history and BuzzFeed ranked it 1st on their list of the “17 Most IconicAmerican IdolPerformances of All Time.”
Iβve never really cared for “Bennie and the Jets” but what do I know?! Since Haley Reinhartβs performance garnered so much praise and coverage, Iβm featuring it today. Youβll see the judges thought it was βA-M-A-Z-I-N-G!β
Live from American Idolβs results night, this is Haley Reinhart with βBennie and the Jetsβ.
LYRICS
Hey kids, shake it loose together The spotlight’s hitting something That’s been known to change the weather We’ll kill the fatted calf tonight So stick around You’re gonna hear electric music Solid walls of sound
Say, Candy and Ronnie, have you seen them yet Ohh, but they’re so spaced out, B-b-b-b Bennie and the Jets Oh but they’re weird and they’re wonderful Oh Bennie she’s really keen She’s got electric boots a mohair suit You know I read it in a magazine Oh oh, B-b-b-b Bennie and the Jets Bennie, Bennie and the Jets
Hey kids, plug into the faithless Maybe they’re blinded But Bennie makes them ageless We shall survive, let us take ourselves along Where we fight our parents out in the streets To find who’s right and who’s wrong
Say, Candy and Ronnie, have you seen them yet Ohh, but they’re so spaced out, B-b-b-b Bennie and the Jets Oh but they’re weird and they’re wonderful Oh Bennie she’s really keen She’s got electric boots a mohair suit You know I read it in a magazine Oh oh, B-b-b-b Bennie and the Jets Bennie, Bennie and the Jets
Hey kids, plug into the faithless Maybe they’re blinded But Bennie makes them ageless We shall survive, let us take ourselves along Where we fight our parents out in the streets To find who’s right and who’s wrong
Say, Candy and Ronnie, have you seen them yet Ohh, but they’re so spaced out, B-b-b-b Bennie and the Jets Oh but they’re weird and they’re wonderful Oh Bennie she’s really keen She’s got electric boots a mohair suit You know I read it in a magazine Oh oh, B-b-b-b Bennie and the Jets Bennie, Bennie, Bennie, Bennie and the Jets Bennie and the Jets
Big thanks to Jim for hosting another great Song Lyric Sunday and for allowing be to take up residence here for the last 10 weeks. I had a great time coming up with the themes but even I got tired of seeing my name week after week on Jim’s SLS posts, I can just imagine how you feel!
Thanks for stopping by. See you on the flip side. π
βStranger On The Shoreβ Written by: Acker Bilk, Robert Mellin Recorded: 1961 Producer: Denis Preston Engineer: Adrian Kerridge Arranger: Leon Young
Released: October 1961
Available on: Stranger On The Shore Is This The Blues
Personnel: Acker Bilk β clarinet Featuring The Leon Young String Chorale
Acker Bilk said he thought up the songβs melody in a taxi and named the gentle tune βJennyβ in honor of his daughter. Having scored several hits since his first, 1960βs βSummer Setβ, Bilk was famous enough to be asked to create the theme for a BBC TV childrenβs series about a French au pair in Brighton. Bilk offered them βJennyβ but was asked to change its title to the name of the program,Β Stranger on the Shore. Its wistful, airy tones, with Bilkβs βliquorice stickβ accompanied by silken strings, was heard on TV on Sunday afternoons, accompanying the culture-shocked lead character longingly staring out across the English Channel towards her home in France. The song is certified gold by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America).Β
This is βStranger On The Shoreβ by Acker Bilk
May your Saturday be smooth sailing. Thanks for stopping by.
Written in response to The Unicorn Challenge where we are asked to be creative in 250 words or less by using the photo you see below. This is my story.
NB. My story is another perspective prompted by C.E. Ayrβs intriguing response to this weekβs Unicorn Challenge. Please check out C.E.βs story here and/or here. I hope you enjoy my version and his.
Contrary to popular opinion, sometimes these things really do just happen β at least thatβs how it was for me.
My husband was out for the day … the monthly visit with his son from his first marriage. I never fault him this time alone; itβs good for him and it gives me the chance to spend a day in my favorite book store.
One day while on my way home, I paused to watch the swans; from the bridge I saw a man emerge from his boat. As if drawn by my presence, he glanced up at me and waved. I waved back. Then the most unexpected thing happened: he beckoned me. I went down to greet him and that was the beginning of our affair.
Now I live for my husbandβs monthly visits with his son.
This month my husbandβs son is backpacking with friends and there is no visit. He busies himself with tennis and darts at the pub. Desperate to meet my lover, I bailed on our tennis game, pretending to be sick, and my husband went off alone to find a partner.
The afternoon with my lover was heavenly; half-way home I turned around and returned to the boat.
How could I know my husband had paused on the bridge to watch the swans and saw me leave the boat?
How could my husband know that while he was plotting his jealous revenge, I had returned to the boat and was inside when he torched it?
When youβre the daughter of one of the most poignant vocalists of all time, itβs nearly impossible not to carry on the tradition. With a voice as crisp as her fatherβs, Natalie Cole carved a career path of her own with hits including βThis Will Be (An Everlasting Love)β and βInseparable.β She made Grammy Award history by being the first black artist to win Best New Artist in 1976 and the first black woman to win Album of the Year for her tribute album to her father,Β Unforgettable .β¦ With Love, in 1992.
“This Will Be” was Natalie Cole’s debut single, released in April 1975, and one of her biggest hits, becoming a #1 R&B and #6 pop smash in the United States, also reaching the UK Top 40. She won a Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance,Β a category that had previously been dominated by Aretha Franklin. It would also help her win the Grammy Award for Best New Artist.
From 1975, this is Natalie Cole and the classic soul sound of “This Will Be”
βGee, the house sure is quiet. I wonder where everybodyβs gone. Bobbyβs been a little distant lately and that makes me sad. I mean, weβve been best buds ever since he was a little guy. We did everything together and he wouldnβt go anywhere without me. And he gave the best hugs at night. Shh! Here he comes now! Bobby! I just knew you wouldnβt leave without me. What’re we doing today?β
βIβm watching TV with Becky …. alone.β
βGosh, Bobby. You’re my bestie. Whoβs this Becky chick?”
Welcome to Birthday Thursdays! Each week I will feature someone from the world of music whose birthday falls on this day. There wonβt be any chit chat from me, no facts and figures β just some great tunes (and an occasional surprise). Check it out right here every Thursday and enjoy the music.
Happy Birthday to Engelbert Humperdink Born May 2, 1936 inChennai, India
An old man lived alone in the country. He wanted to dig up his garden and plant vegetables, but the ground was too hard. He sat down and wrote a letter to his son, who was in the state penitentiary.
Dear Fred,
It looks like I wonβt be able to plant my garden this year. Iβm too old to be digging up a garden plot. If only you were here, I know youβd dig the plot for me and all my troubles would be over.
Love, Dad
A few days later he received a letter from his son.
Dear Dad,
Whatever you do, donβt dig up that garden β thatβs where I buried the bodies!
Love, Fred
Early the next morning, FBI agents and local police arrived and dug up the entire area without finding any bodies. They apologized to the old man and left.
The following day the old man received another letter from his son.
Dear Dad,
Go ahead and plant your garden now. That was the best I could do under the circumstances.
And this is what it looks like now after a few weeks of water and sun; I just repotted into a larger pot; now I’m going to stand back and watch what happens. I’ve been thinking I should name it Audrey III!
It looks a bit prehistoric, doesn’t it? All that new reddish growth will unfurl into giant-sized leaves; if you look closely you can see some are already beginning to unfurl. This is one of the largest plants I have. Stay tuned for Audrey III’s growth over the next few weeks.
Written for Glynβs Mixed Music Bag #18, where we are asked to write about a song by a group or solo singer beginning with the letter G or H.
As the 60s slipped into the 70s, an American hard rock band was getting started in Flint, Michigan. Known for such iconic rock hits as βWeβre An American Bandβ, “I’m Your Captain” “Some Kind Of Wonderful” and their cover version of βThe Loco-Motionβ, the guys called themselves Grand Funk Railroad, culling their name from Michigan’s GTWR (Grand Trunk Western Railroad. Originally comprised of singer/guitarist Mark Farner, singer/drummer Don Brewer and bassist Mel Schacher, the bandβs style of rock reflected their blue-collar Michigan surroundings. There were no pretensions, no airs …. just sweaty, longhaired grooves and celebratory tunes for days.
Known for a crowd-pleasing arena rockΒ style, Grand Funk toured extensively and played to packed stadiums worldwide and was well-regarded by audiences despite a relative lack of critical praise. Early in their career, they headlined a much hyped free concert in Hyde Park, wowing the audience while being relatively unknown in the UK. They also opened for Led Zeppelin in their home state of Michigan.
GFR split and reunited numerous times; in 1996 all three members reunited for a summer tour in which they played to over 250,000 people, and a slate of Bosnian relief dates in 1997 including several TV performances. In 1998 they did a 65+ date tour listed as one of the top ten grossing tours of the year.
Grand Funk Railroadβs first number-one hit, 1973β²s βWeβre An American Bandβ, came seven albums into the bandβs career and was literally written around the lines βWeβre coming to your town. Weβll help you party down.β
According to songwriter/drummer Don Brewer, the inspiration came from the band’s day-to-day life. “Weβre on planes all the time, flying into these towns. I remember looking down at the ground as we’re coming into a city and that thought came to my mind: ‘We’re coming to your town to party it downβ β because that’s what this band does.” Brewer then added more lyrics about the trials and tribulations of life on the road: “Booze and ladies, keep me right / As long as we can make it to the show tonight.” Prior to writing βWeβre An American Bandβ, Brewer had stuck mostly to drumming.
Released on July 2, 1973, “We’re An American Bane” went to #1 on the US chart, and the album of the same name went to #2 on the Billboard 200. The album jacket was originally covered in gold-colored foil; the initial pressings were in clear, dark yellow vinyl to suggest a “gold” record. The album is #200 of the National Association of Recording MerchandisersΒ definitive 200 albums of all time. Grand Funk Railroad has released 14 studio albums and 5 live albums (10 platinum) with sales totaling over 25 million records sold, 10 million of which were sold in 1970 alone.
The bandβs lineup in recent years features Brewer and Schacher, as well as former Kiss member Bruce Kulick on guitar, 38 Special expatriate Max Karl on vocals, and keyboard player Tim Cashion, formerly with the likes of Robert Palmer and Bob Seger.
This is βWeβre An American Bandβ by Grand Funk Railroad.
Big thanks to Glyn for hosting another week of Mixed Music Bag.
βMohammedan-owned Chinese/Tai/Himalayan/Middle Eastern/Indian Restaurant” β well, you certainly donβt see too many of those in Lancaster, Pennsylvania but there it is right in the heart of the downtown dining district. This meeting of culinary minds is definitely intriguing and what an original and humorous name β βTasty Ballsβ.
That caught my eye and gave me a good laugh as I read about the new exotic fusion restaurant in the newspaper. I wondered if my wife Judith intentionally left the paper on the kitchen table conveniently opened to the dining section for me to see. Judith has many fine attributes; subtlety is not one of them.
We met soon after I graduated college. I took a year off to backpack my way through Asia and the Middle East. Money was tight so I had to be frugal while traveling; thatβs how I learned to find really good food at cheap prices.
One day while trekking through Shanghai, I stopped at a noodle and dumpling place. I was drawn to the sound of feminine laughter coming from the next table. There were two pretty blondes who looked to be around my age; I asked if I could join them and they agreed. Judith and Eunice were cousins from England on holiday. I hit it off quite well with Judith and we agreed to meet the next night for dinner. After that night we knew we wanted to be together and the rest, as they say, is history.
As I continued reading the article, I learned this new restaurant was operated by the same people who managed a nearby tea house called βThe Barefoot Magpieβ β another place Iβd never heard of. How can this be? Iβve lived in Lancaster all my life and thought I knew every place there was to eat. Obviously I havenβt been getting out enough lately.
Whatβs this? βTasty Ballsβ serves only one item: dumplings. What made it so special was the staggering number of varieties of dumplings on the menu. Now I knew without a doubt that Judith left this article here for me to stumble upon; she knows I am the worldβs biggest sucker for dumplings!
Well now, letβs see what else the article says: βExtravagantly yet handsomely decorated β¦ moderately priced β¦ perfectly prepared dumplings β¦ culinary delight.β My stomach rumbled and my mouth watered as I read a description of just a tiny sampling of dumplings offered at βTasty Ballsβ:
Xiaolongbao β A Taiwanese delicacy, this steamed dumpling has meat and broth inside. The small, succulent orb is meant to be eaten whole; one bite and the fortunate dinerβs mouth is filled with liquid ambrosia.
Momos β A staple from Tibet and Nepal, these delectable pouches are filled with yak, beef or chicken and have become an obsession with the patrons at βTasty Ballsβ.
Shish Barak β Middle Eastern ravioli-like envelopes filled with seasoned lamb, onion and pine nuts, these piquant squares are boiled, baked or fried and served in a warm yogurt sauce with melted mint butter and a garnish of chopped cashew nuts.
Muthia β This Indian delight consists of chickpea flour, turmeric, chili powder, curry powder and salt bonded together with oil. Once shaped, these fritters can either be fried or steamed, depending on personal preference.
Luqaimat β Originally from Saudi Arabia, this luscious dessert translates into βsmall bitesβ. Found in many Middle Eastern countries, this is a treat of fried dough sweetened with date syrup and garnished with sesame seeds. With a scoop of pistachio ice cream, this is a delightful end to an unforgettable meal.
I suddenly realized the newspaper was wet; either I was salivating over the scrumptious description of dumplings or I was crying tears of joy that this heaven-sent restaurant was now located in little old Lancaster. Oh, what joy, what rapture!
Judith came into the kitchen, took one look at my face and asked βWhat in the world has come over you?β
Holding up the soggy newspaper I exclaimed βThis β as if you didnβt know, you little minx! Tempting me with an article about delectable dumplings. Well, it worked. Itβs βTasty Ballsβ tonight!β
βOh, I donβt think so, luvβ Judith laughed. βThatβs Euniceβs. She must have left it behind when she returned to the UK after her visit. That paper is from Lancaster, England!
While Johnny Cash’sΒ cover of Trent Reznor’s βHurtβ gets all the press, this Neil DiamondΒ tune is just as good. The 1966 Diamond version was about young adult heartbreak, while Cashβs rendition is about going through life and never getting over it. It remains not only one of Cashβs best cover songs, but one of his finest moments on the American RecordingsΒ albums.
“Solitary Man” was Neil Diamond’s debut single as a recording artist, having already had moderate success as a songwriter for other artists. By July, the track had become a minor hit, rising to No. 55 on the US pop singles chart. It would then be included on Diamond’s first album, The Feel of Neil Diamond, which he released in August 1966.
The song is a ballad of a loner looking for love; the theme of the song has been closely identified with Diamond himself. In the lyrics, the singer lists some of his relationships and how they each ended. He laments “I know it’s been done, having one girl who loves you.” But he doubts it will happen for him. Indeed, Diamond himself would tell interviewers, “After four years of Freudian analysis, I realized I had written ‘Solitary Man’ about myself.“
Johnny Cash used “Solitary Man” for the title track of his third album under the American Recordings label, American III: Solitary Man, in 2000, featuring guest backing vocals by Tom Petty. The recording received a Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance.
From 1966, this is the amazing Neil Diamond with “Solitary Man”.
And this is what it sounded like when Johnny Cash released it 34 years later.
Thatβs todayβs Twofer Tuesday! Thanks for stopping by.
The Motown Sound has something extra-special about it. Berry Gordy, Jr. knew people would be listening on their car stereos and transistor radios and he was going to do what it took to make songs sound good and memorable. Even if you couldnβt put your finger on it, when a Motown song came on, baby, you knew it. Still do.
βHeat WaveβΒ was written by the songwriting team of Holland-Dozier-Holland and was first made popular by the groupΒ βMartha and the Vandellasβ.Β Released as a single on the Motown subsidiaryΒ GordyΒ label, this song garnered aΒ Grammy AwardΒ nomination, the first Motown group to ever do so.
Founded in 1957 by friends Annette Beard, Rosaline Ashford and Gloria Williams, the group eventually included Martha Reeves who moved up in ranks as lead vocalist after Williamsβ departure in β61. During their nine-year run from 1963-1972, βMartha and the Vandellasβ charted over 26 hits recorded in the styles of doo-wop, R&B, pop, blues, rock and roll and soul. In 1995 the group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
βHeat WaveβΒ was one of the first songs to exemplify the style of music later termed as theΒ βMotown Soundβ.
Here areΒ Martha and the VandellasΒ performing their 1963 hit,Β βHeat Waveβ.
And this is what was on the B Side: A Love Like Yours (Don’t Come Knocking Everyday)
Thanks for joining me today for a dose of Monday Motown Magic.
A rare alternate album cover of Heep’s “Demons and Wizards”
It was the early 1970s and the four of us scored tickets to see Uriah Heep in Allentown, PA. It was the dog days of August β¦ the kind of sun that blisters your skin in minutes β¦ and the concert was outdoors. The drive was 3 hours each way in scorching temperatures but we were going to that concert come hell or high water. Allentown became our Mecca and the road trip our personal hard rock pilgrimage. The details of that day are a little sketchy but the concert was freakinβ awesome.
Todayβs theme at Song Lyric Sunday is all about songs performed with orchestras and/or choirs.
Formed in London in 1968, Led Zeppelin developed their style by drawing from a variety of influences, including blues and folk music. The band was comprised of vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist and keyboardist John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy guitar-driven sound, they are cited as one of the forerunners of hard rock and heavy metal music. Zeppelin has been credited as significantly impacting the nature of the music industry, particularly in the development of album-oriented rock and stadium rock.
Led Zeppelin is one of the best-selling musical groups of all time, with total sales estimated at over 300 million records sold worldwide. The group achieved eight consecutive UK #1 albums and six #1 albums on the US Billboard 200, with five albums certified diamond in the United States. Rolling Stone magazine once describedZeppelin as βthe heaviest band of all timeβ, βthe biggest band of the 70sβ, and βunquestionably one of the most enduring bands in rock historyβ. Led Zeppelin was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995; the museumβs biography of the band states that they were βas influential during the 1970s as the Beatles were during the 1960sβ. Thatβs quite a statement.
There are so many great songs that fit into this category and I changed my mind several times before finally making my decision. For me this is the quintessential presentation of a legendary song which has withstood the test of time over and over again.
The performance I have chosen to feature today is what I consider to be an indelible moment in time. On December 2, 2012, Led Zeppelin received the Kennedy Center Honors; it’s an award bestowed upon those considered to have contributed greatly to American culture. In a world where awards are handed out like lollipops, The Kennedy Center Honors are a big deal.
Every December, the awards climax with a gala event at the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, D.C., and in 2012 the show included an emotional performance by Heartβs Ann & Nancy Wilson, with Jason Bonham on drums.
Did I say βemotionalβ? It’s almost startlingly so. It’s the looks the members of Led Zeppelin give each other during the performance. It’s Robert Plant’s eyes watering as he watches Ann Wilson singing a song he famously has a difficult relationship with. It’s the gospel choir paying tribute to Led Zeppelinβs original drummer John Bonham in the most unexpected way. It’s Jason Bonham lifting his eyes towards the heavens as the song climaxes. It’s extraordinary.
This is no hype; youβll know what I mean when you see the reaction from Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones watching from the best seats in the house. The song is one you all know; it has been called βthe single-most important and celebrated song Led Zeppelin ever recordedβ.
From the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, this is Ann & Nancy Wilson with orchestra and choirs performing the epic βStairway To Heavenβ.
LYRICS
There’s a lady who’s sure all that glitters is gold And she’s buying a stairway to Heaven
When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed With a word she can get what she came for
Ooh, ooh, and she’s buying a stairway to Heaven
There’s a sign on the wall, but she wants to be sure ‘Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings
In a tree by the brook, there’s a songbird who sings Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven
Ooh, it makes me wonder Ooh, makes me wonder
There’s a feeling I get when I look to the West And my spirit is crying for leaving
In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees And the voices of those who stand looking
Ooh, it makes me wonder Ooh, really makes me wonder
And it’s whispered that soon if we all call the tune Then the piper will lead us to reason
And a new day will dawn for those who stand long And the forests will echo with laughter
Oh-oh-oh-oh-whoa
If there’s a bustle in your hedgerow, don’t be alarmed now It’s just a spring clean for the May queen Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run There’s still time to change the road you’re on
And it makes me wonder Ohh, whoa
Your head is humming, and it won’t go, in case you don’t know The piper’s calling you to join him
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow? And did you know Your stairway lies on the whispering wind?
And as we wind on down the road Our shadows taller than our soul There walks a lady we all know Who shines white light and wants to show How everything still turns to gold And if you listen very hard The tune will come to you at last When all are one, and one is all To be a rock and not to roll
βBy The Time I Get To Phoenixβ Written by: Jimmy Webb Recorded: August 29, 1967 Producer(s): Al De Lory, Nick Venet Arranger/Conductor: Al De Lory
Released: October 23, 1967
Available on: By The Time I Get To Phoenix
Personnel: Glen Campbell β vocals, acoustic guitar James Burton β acoustic guitar, electric guitars Joe Osborne β bass Jim Gordon β drums
The inspiration for “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” originated in Jimmy Webbβs breakup with his partner, Susan Horton. Their relationship, which peaked in mid-1965, was also the primary influence for βMacArthur Parkβ, another Webb composition. Webb called the song a “succinct tale” with anO. Henrytypetwist at the end which consists merely of the guy saying,‘She didn’t really think that I would go,’but he did.” Although the protagonist in the song plans to leave his lover, Webb did not leave Horton; their breakup was a mutual agreement.
Glen Campbellβs version topped RPM magazineβs Canada Country Tracks, reached number two on Billboardβs Hot Country Singles chart and won two awards at the 10th Annual Grammys. BMI named it the third most performed song from 1940 to 1990.Β The song was ranked #20 on BMI’s Top 100 Songs Of The Century. It was #450 on Rolling Stone magazineβs Top 500 Songs of All Time. And perhaps the greatest accolade …. Frank Sinatra called it “the greatest torch song ever written”.
This is the exquisite βBy The Time I Get To Phoenixβ by Glen Campbell.
May your Saturday be smooth sailing. Thanks for stopping by.
βWhere you been, girl? You got anythin’ goinβ on in that head of yours besides them nonsense rhymes? Your Maβs been cookinβ all day and she sure coulda used your help with them black-eyed peas but you was nowhere to be found. You best not-a been hanginβ βround that good-for-nuthinβ boy again, girl. If I told you once, I told you a thousand times … keep away from him! Thereβs somethinβ not right with that boy! Heβll bring nuthinβ but misery. You start messinβ around with him and youβre gonna live to regret it. Then try and find yourself a decent husband! No man I know wants used goods! Now stop makin’ excuses, girl! Iβm your Pa and I know when youβre lyinβ β¦ just like you was lyinβ about not bein’ out by the river. You know how I know that? βCause somebody done seen ya. I see by the look in your eyes that itβs true. Yeah, you was seen by that new preacher man. And that ainβt all, girl. He said you was with that troublemaker and you had your heads together like you was plottin’ somethin’ real private-like. I swear, girl, you ainβt got a lick a sense between ya. Stop this dang foolishness βcause itβs gonna lead to no good! Cβmon now, girl … dinnerβs waitin‘. Anna, your cookin’ is fit for a king! What you goin’ on about, woman?Jesus! I seen that boy just yesterday. Now, whyβd he go do a fool thing like that!β
NB: Bobbie Gentry remarked that the message in Ode To Billie Joe revolved around the “nonchalant way” the family discussed Billie Joeβs suicide. She also said she included the verse about something being thrown off the bridge because it established a relationship between Billie Joe and the daughter, providing “a possible motivation for his suicide after meeting with her“. Gentry told The New York Times in 1969: “I had my own idea what was thrown off the bridge while I was writing it, but it’s not that important. Actually it was something symbolic. But I’ve never told anyone what it was.β The last time Bobbie Gentry appeared in public was at the Academy of Country Music Awards on April 30, 1982, almost 42 years ago to the day. Since that time, she has not recorded, performed or been interviewed. A 2016 news report stated that Gentry lives a secluded lifestyle in Los Angeles; she has refused to speak to reporters about Ode To Billie Joe or to give interviews. Β
Music is in the bloodline of the Nelson family. Country giant Willie Nelson passed his songwriting prowess on to his sons Lukas and Micah Nelson, both of whom are musicians. Today Iβll be focusing on Lukas, the frontman of Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real. The band appears as the backing band for Bradley Cooperβs character in the 2018 edition of A Star Is Born, with Lukas also co-writing and co-producing songs for the film. From 2015 to 2019, they toured as the backing band for Neil Young. With Young, the band recorded two studio albums (The Monsanto Years and The Visitor), a soundtrack album (Paradox) and two live albums (Earth and Noise &Flowers). For his work on A Star Is Born, Lukas won the BAFTAFilm AwardForOriginal Music in 2019 and a Grammy Award in 2020 for Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media, sharing both awards with Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga.
Lady Gaga assists Nelson on βFind Yourself.β Her powerful vocals can be heard in the background of the chorus. Nelson and Gagaβs voices perfectly complement one another and, though this is just one of several collaborations between the pair, itβs undoubtedly the best.
This is βFind Yourselfβ by Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real.
Thanks for stopping by and spinning some tunes with me.
In the middle of a field there stands a great big tree and at the base of the tree’s very broad trunk is a miniature door with a little knob. Beyond that miniature door is the most dizzying of spiral staircases intricately woven together with twigs and seeds, licked-clean popsicle sticks and discarded toothpicks. Each landing of the staircase leads to a cluster of tiny rooms .β¦ storage rooms, dining rooms, play rooms, sun rooms and hibernating rooms. Inside those tiny rooms are the giddiest chipmunks busy storing, dining, playing, sunning and, when the wintry snowflakes bluster about, snugly hibernating. πΏοΈ
Welcome to Birthday Thursdays! Each week I will feature someone from the world of music whose birthday falls on this day. There wonβt be any chit chat from me, no facts and figures β just some great tunes (and an occasional surprise). Check it out right here every Thursday and enjoy the music.
Happy Birthday to Ella Fitzgerald Born April 25, 1917 inNewport News, Virginia
Written for Glynβs Mixed Music Bag #17, where we are asked to write about a song by a group or solo singer beginning with the letter G or H.
Steve Marriott, Peter Frampton, Greg Ridley & Jerry Shirley
Frustrated with a number of things but mostly his image as a teen idol, Steve Marriott finally had enough. It was New Yearβs Eve, 1969, when he threw down his guitar and walked off the stage at Londonβs Alexandra Palace, quitting his band, Small Faces. Marriott was a talented musician and vocalist who wanted to be taken seriously for his music …. not his looks.
After quitting, Steve Marriott called two friends β one was Peter Frampton β another frustrated teen idol who had recently quit his band, Herd β and the other was 17-year-old drummer Jerry Shirley. Marriott asked his friends if he could join the band they were forming and, to sweeten the pot, said heβd bring with him Greg Ridley, a well-respected bass player from the band Spooky Tooth, who was also looking to make a change. Well, of course, Frampton and Shirley couldnβt turn down an offer like that and so the newest βsupergroupβ (as the press called them) was created. The guys in the band hated being called a supergroup …. they were worried about expectations being set too high and dooming them to failure. In retaliation they chose a name they were more comfortable with …. Humble Pie.
Their debut album, “As Safe As Yesterday Is”, was released in August 1969, along with the single, “Natural Born Bugie”, which reached #4 in the UK singles charts; the album peaked at #16 in the UK album charts. “As Safe As Yesterday Is” was one of the first albums to be described by the term “heavy metal” in a 1970 review in Rolling Stone magazine.
In 1971 Humble Pie released their most successful record to date, “Rock On“, as well as a live album recorded at the Fillmore EastΒ in New York entitled “Performance Rockin’ the Fillmore”.Β The live album reached #21 on the US Billboard 200 and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. Culled from four sets recorded on May 28 and 29, 1971 (the original LP was essentially a sampler of songs from several raucous shows),Β βPerformance Rockinβ the FillmoreβΒ was released that November as a double album set. Humble Pie was second on the bill, after Fanny and before headliner Lee Michaels, a fact hardly anyone seems to remember.Β I will testify to that because I was in the audience at the Fillmore East on May 28, 1971 and the only group I remember seeing was Humble Pie. That was just one month before the legendary Fillmore closed its doors …. the end of an era in the history of rock.
Peter Framptonβs final recording with Humble Pie in 1971 was, by some irony, the bandβs most successful, and is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential live albums of the decade. Humble Pie produced 11 studio albums and 2 live albums.
“I Donβt Need No Doctorβ from “Performance Rockin’ the Fillmore” was an R&B song written by Nick Ashford, Valerie Simpson and Jo Armstead, first released by Ashford in August 1966; it went nowhere. The song has been recorded by Ray Charles, John Mayer, rock bands New Riders of the Purple Sage, Great White and Styx, metal band W.A.S.P. and others. Humble Pieβs version became an FM radio standard in the US, peaking at #73 on the Billboard Hot 100 and propelling the album up the charts.
Live from the Fillmore East in my hometown of New York City, this is the single version of βI Donβt Need No Doctorβ by Humble Pie.
Personnel
Steve Marriottβ guitar, vocals, harmonica Peter Frampton β guitar, vocals Greg Ridley β bass guitar, vocals Jerry Shirley – drums
Technical team
Live recording by Fedco Audio Labs Engineer: Eddie Kramer Assistant Engineer: David Palmer Re-mixed at Electric Lady Studies, New York Produced by The Pie
In 1991 Steve Marriott died in an accidental house fire at the age of 44; bassist Greg Ridley died in 2003 at the age of 56 from complications from pneumonia. Peter Frampton continues to enjoy success as a solo artist and Jerry Shirley is still behind the kit, touring with the current members of Humble Pie.
The Fillmore East didn’t last all that long, from March 8, 1968 to June 27, 1971, but a ton of great music was played there. It was our personal music Mecca. Pretty much every legendary 1960s band …. except the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Cream and Dylan …. graced the stage and I was in attendance for a lot of those shows. It was epic.
Big thanks to Glyn for hosting Mixed Music Bag every week.
Melissa at dVerse poets has asked us to write a poem for the prompt “If You Don’t Like Cats, I’m Sorry”, based on one of Louis Wain’s drawings. I have written a Dectina Refrain for βCatβs Nightmareβ. Oh, but thereβs a catch: we canβt use the word “cat” in our poems!
A Dectina Refrain is written as follows: 1st line is 1 syllable, 2nd line is 2 syllables, 3rd line is 3 syllables, and so on for 9 lines; the 10th line is comprised of the first four lines as one stand-alone sentence.
“Cat’s Nightmare” by Louis Wain
WHO do you think you are, trying to hide from the likes of us? We have our eyes on you watching every move you make; foolish kitties, thereβs no escape. A tasty whisker pie we will bake! Who do you think you are, trying to hide?
It doesnβt happen very often but last Sunday was a rare babysitting day for us; our usual days to watch our 4-year-old granddaughter Colette are Tuesday and Thursday but both our son and daughter-in-law (Colette’s mom & dad) had to work over the weekend. That was a rarity for them as well, but one is a librarian and the other a doctor and with both the library and the hospital open every day of the week, they sometimes pull a weekend shift but seldom do their rotations coincide as they did last Sunday.
My husband Bill has been having good and bad days this month, thinking about and missing his twin brother who died suddenly on April 2, so our son has been extra considerate, asking if watching Colette at this time is too much of an imposition; we answer without hesitation βNot at all β¦. in fact, just the opposite!β
Colette is always fun to be with but recently she has been a true blessing and a much-needed distraction …. a tonic, a balm for our sad and broken hearts, a healing magical concoction of love, joy, sunshine and humor blended with a combination of innocent wisdom and an intuitive nature that defies her tender age.
We were looking through some old photo albums with Colette β¦. snapshots of Bill and his brother as babies, as kids growing up on City Island, our wedding photos β¦. and even though Colette knew Billβs brother and saw them together many times, seeing those photos left an impression on her, especially the ones of Bill and Jim when they were babies; itβs true, you know, that when our kids and grandkids are little and they look at us, they only see us as we are and have no idea we were ever any younger than we are right now.
One particularly sweet photo of Bill and Jim brought tears to my husbandβs eyes and though he tried to hide his tears, they spilled through his fingers causing Colette to ask why he was so sad and we explained that Uncle Jim was gone, that he had left us to be with God in heaven; she thought for a second, put her little hand on Billβs and said βWell, thatβs ok, Grampy; don’t worry because God will take good care of him and itβs all going to be ok.β
In 1964 The Kinks came out with a song with a killer riff, so it only made sense that 14 years later guitar genius Eddie Van Halen would take the tune and make it a showcase for his brand of guitar pyrotechnics. Singer David Lee Roth, meanwhile, perfectly laid bare each and every emotion that may have been buried beneath a previous generationβs decency.
The song, of course, is βYou Really Got Meβ, written by Kinksβ frontman Ray Davies. Lead guitarist Dave Davies performs the songβs famous guitar solo, although it was long rumored that Jimmy Page had performed the solo β¦. hearsay that Page himself denied.
βYou Really Got Meβ was originally released in the UK on August 4, 1964 as The Kink’s third single and reached #1 on the Record Retailer chart the following month, remaining there for two weeks.Β Van Halenβs cover of the song was released as their first single and peaked at #36 on the Billboard Hot 100.
This is the fabulous 1964 original version of βYou Really Got Meβ as recorded by The Kinks.
And this is what it sounded like when Van Halen recorded it 14 years later.
Thatβs todayβs Twofer Tuesday! Thanks for stopping by.
The waiter silently glided up to my table carrying a silver tray with an empty glass, a decanter of ice cubes and a bottle of chilled limoncello. I watched as he expertly filled my glass halfway with ice, then with ease poured the moonglow yellow nectar over the cubes. I watched, mesmerized, as the oro liquido trickled down the inside of the glass and gently caressed the ice. A little twist of the wrist and he was done.
Not making eye contact, I thanked the waiter and told him to leave the bottle. He obliged.
I reached into my breast pocket and retrieved my silver cigarette case. Selecting a Muratti, I tapped it three times on the case and placed it between my lips. There was an ashtray and a book of matches on the table, compliments of the hotel; I lit my cigarette and inhaled deeply. I always got a rush from the feel of the slow burn of that first drag. I exhaled slowly watching the smoke rings break away and drift off.
Raising the glass of limoncello, I took a healthy sip and swirled it around in my mouth, savoring the refreshing lemony sweetness as I swallowed. I immediately began to feel a calm wash over me and I took another generous pull; it was unexpectedly heady. Placing the glass on the table, my hand remained suspended in midair as I spied the cursive inscription on my cigarette case:
To Nigel From Camilla Christmas, 2010
Plain, boring and emotionless …. exactly like Camilla was to me …. and I to her, no doubt. I quickly realized I hadn’t thought about her since that afternoon, since the accident. Even if there was anything left, which was doubtful considering the height of the cliffs and the number of times her frail body hit the rocks before disappearing into the choppy Mediterranean, there was no reason to assume it was anything but an accident. And that’s exactly what it was …. difficult to prove, though, if certain facts came to light
I put the cigarette case back into my pocket and thought about my next move. I refilled my glass, lit another Muratti and stared at the lights from the ships on the water. The longer I sat the more comfortable I became with my plan of action. It was imperative that nothing be rushed, not even a whiff of anything unusual lingering in the air.
Tomorrow I will leave Agrigento as planned. After lunch I’ll check out of the hotel; if anyone asks about Camilla, she had personal business to attend to. The concierge will arrange for my rental to be out front. Camilla preferred to travel light; it will be easy to add her bag to mine.
The waiter floated to my table, filled my glass with the last bit of limoncello, nodded politely and left, taking the empty bottle with him. I felt all traces of tension leave my body.
