Tag: Pop

In The Groove

IN THE GROOVE (April 18, 2023)

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶

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!

See you on the flip side.

I’m The Sicilian Storyteller

NAR © 2023

Eighties, Name That Tune

NAME THAT TUNE (April 16, 2023)

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶

It’s time for another edition of Name That Tune. No pressure but I think this is a pretty easy one; let’s see if you can guess our featured artist and song.

Are you ready? Hit it!

  1. Our featured performer was born on November 30, 1955 and is a British singer, songwriter, musician and actor who also holds U.S. citizenship. While in school, a teacher described him as “lazy”, perhaps leading to his homophonous stage name.
  2. As a 21-year-old guitar-playing university drop-out, today’s performer (literally) made a name for himself by forming a “generational” punk group in 1976, garnering some of the members after placing an advertisement in the British weekly music magazine,  Melody Maker.
  3. Our featured song is the title track of the 1983 album of the same name, the second album released by today’s singer. The song received critical acclaim and in 2009 was named the 79th best hard rock song of all time by VH1.
  4. At a televised performance of VH1 Storytellers, our towheaded singer recalled an event where Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were taking swigs from a bottle of bourbon. He was not familiar with the brand but he liked the name, which was the inspiration for today’s song. I guess the spirit moved him!
  5. It’s very likely the name of that fabled bottle of bourbon had a lot to do with this performer’s signature howl.

Now that you have the clues, do you have the answers? Scroll down to see the big reveal.

Yeah, baby! The answer is Billy Idol doing his famous “Rebel Yell”.

Let’s check out the video!

Gotta love that yell and the perfect lip curl!

Did you know the name of the song and our famous singer? What was the clue that clinched it for you? 

FYI – Billy Idol’s’ teacher said he was “lazy and idle“, inspiring his name change. The bourbon Keith Richards and Mick Jagger were drinking was called “Rebel Yell” and the rest, as they say, is history.

Thanks for joining me today at Name That Tune; I hope you had a blast!

We’d love to hear your comments so don’t be shy.

Happy Sunday! Why not stop by during the week and check out our other posts?

See you on the flip side.

I’m The Sicilian Storyteller

NAR © 2023

Fifties, In The Groove

IN THE GROOVE (April 4, 2023)

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶

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!

See you on the flip side.

I’m The Sicilian Storyteller

NAR © 2023

Eighties, In The Groove

IN THE GROOVE (March 28, 2023)

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶

From The King to Queen to … what else? Prince!

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.

See you on the flip side.

I’m The Sicilian Storyteller

NAR © 2023

Name That Tune, Sixties

NAME THAT TUNE (March 19, 2023)

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶

Welcome back to another shot at Name That Tune! It’s my turn again and I have the clues; let’s see if you have the answers.

Ok, are you ready? Here are your questions:

  1. This 1965 novelty song by an English band was an instant hit, the 2nd for this group from Manchester.
  2. It’s a snappy little number with one verse repeated three times by the cheerful and likeable (not to mention ‘toothy’) lead singer. That’s right: second verse same as the first!
  3. Known for their jaunty beat sound and the singer’s tongue-in-cheek vocal style, the group ranked as one of the most successful acts in the Beatles-led British Invasion.
  4. This sing-along, bouncy tune about a famous (or infamous) ruler had teenage girls jumping around and just about losing their heads.
  5. Although the name of this group may make you think otherwise, they were a happy bunch and not at all “crabby”.

Do you think you know the answers? Well, scroll down for the big reveal.

Well, if you said “I’m Henry VII, I Am” by Herman’s Hermits … you’re right!

Let’s give a listen to that little song right now, and I do mean little; it’s only 1 minute, 50 seconds!

Well, that sure brought back memories!

Did you catch on and figure out the name of the song and the group that performed it? Which clue was the one that did it for you?

Of course we all know that “Herman” is actually singer, songwriter, guitarist, pianist and actor Peter Noone. Since September 2019, Noone has been hosting a program on SiriusXM’s 60s Gold station titled “Something Good” after Herman’s Hermits’  hit song, “I’m Into Something Good”.

Thanks for playing along! Join us again next Sunday for another round of Name That Tune!

Don’t forget to catch Mr. Bump tomorrow as he brings us Breaktime Whodunnit.

See you on the flip side.

I’m The Sicilian Storyteller

NAR © 2023

In The Groove, Sixties

IN THE GROOVE (March 14, 2023)

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶

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!

See you on the flip side.

I’m The Sicilian Storyteller

NAR © 2023

Name That Tune, Sixties

NAME THAT TUNE (MARCH 12, 2023)

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶

Welcome to another edition of Name That Tune; I’m Nancy, The Sicilian Storyteller and it’s my turn to toss out the questions.

Ok! Let’s see how you do this week with what I have prepared for you. And we’re off:

  1. The singer of today’s song was born on June 7, 1940 and is primarily of English descent. Hmmm. He received an OBE in 1998 and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2005 for services to music.
  2. This campy 1965 tune was the singer’s second U.K. hit and is the theme song for a star-studded movie of the same name. The movie received mixed reviews and changed cast members several times before being released.
  3. Today’s wildly popular, hip-swiveling ‘sex-bomb‘ of a singer has the same name as a well-known period piece movie which was described as “bawdy as the British were bawdy when a wench had to wear five petticoats to barricade her virtue”. The singer’s manager encouraged him to use only his first and middle names to help exploit the popularity of the Academy Award-winning 1963 film …. a very ‘foxy’ move.
  4. Today’s song was written by an extremely prolific songwriting duo. When the singer was approached by the songwriters to record this song, his first reaction was: “Christ! What the bloody hell do they want me to sing this for?” but the composer explained he “wanted a big booming baritone voice to sing this bloody crazy song and make it a classic” …. which he did.
  5. Today’s featured singer has a long run of hit songs including one bearing the name of a woman from the Bible and another with a word that’s synonymous with a mushroom cloud. He was the host of a syndicated TV variety show in the U.S. which aired during the 1980-1981 season.

Did you guess the song and singer’s name? Scroll down for the big reveal.

It’s Tom Jones and here’s today’s featured song, “What’s New, Pussycat?”:

What a knockout voice on him!

So which clue did it for you? We love comments so please share your thoughts below.

Don’t forget to join Pete tomorrow as he eases us into another Monday with Breaktime Whodunnit.

Have a great Sunday and thanks for joining me today for another round of Name That Tune.

See you on the flip side.

I’m The Sicilian Storyteller

NAR © 2023

In The Groove, Sixties

IN THE GROOVE (MARCH 7, 2023)

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶

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 for George” 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!

See you on the flip side.

I’m The Sicilian Storyteller

NAR © 2023