If I Could Only Take One (Repost)

In early March 2022, I introduced a new weekly feature highlighting songs I’d take with me on a desert island. I’ve decided to republish the series, which has replaced my Song Musings feature.

Happy Wednesday and welcome to another installment of my desert island song challenge. Before I can head out to the imaginary island in the sun, I need to pick one song to take with me.

In case you’re new to this weekly feature, there are a few additional rules that guide my picks. The tune must be by an artist or band I’ve only rarely written about or not covered at all. And I’m doing the song selections in alphabetical order. This means the band’s or artist’s name (last name) must start with a specific letter, which this week is “v”.

Frankly, even after doing a bit of research, I only found a handful of bands and music artists whose names start with “v”: Van Halen; Steven Van Zandt, aka Little Steven; Vangelis and The Velvet Underground. Of course, there’s also the great former Lynyrd Skynyrd lead vocalist Ronnie Van Zant, but I’m not aware of any solo music that appeared under his name.

Applying my criteria, it came down to Vangelis or The Velvet Underground. And my pick is Sunday Morning by The Velvet Underground. While I’ve only heard a handful of the band’s tunes and as such, it was a bit of a tricky decision, I’m quite happy with my choice!

Penned by Lou Reed, the band’s lead guitarist, vocalist and main songwriter, Sunday Morning was the opener of their debut album The Velvet Underground & Nico, which appeared in March 1967. It featured German vocalist Nico (born Christa Päffgen) on three tracks, at the insistence of their manager Andy Warhol who co-produced the album with Tom Wilson. Earlier in the ’60s, Wilson had produced three of Bob Dylan’s albums, as well as the debut by Simon & Garfunkel.

The Velvet Underground were formed in 1964 in New York City. By the time they recorded their above-mentioned debut, their line-up included co-founders Lou Reed (vocal, guitar, piano), John Cale (viola, bass, keyboards, vocals) and Sterling Morrison (guitar, bass, backing vocals), along with Moe Tucker (drums) who had replaced the band’s original percussionist Angus MacLise in late 1965.

By the early 1970s, Doug Yule who had joined The Velvet Underground in 1968 to replace John Cale, was the group’s only remaining member. While there was one more album released under The Velvet Underground name (Squeeze, February 1973), essentially, it was a Yule solo album he recorded together with a few backing musicians. Yule subsequently did some session and touring work for Lou Reed who had left the band in 1970 to launch a solo career.

In 1992, The Velvet Underground reunited for a European tour featuring Reed, Cale, Morrison and Tucker. But it was short-lived and a discussed U.S. tour didn’t materialize when Cale and Reed fell out again – the old story of egos in rock & roll! In August 1995, Morrison passed away from non-Hodgkin lymphoma at the age of 53. Reed, Tucker and Cale reformed the group one last time in 1996 when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Reed died from liver disease in October 2013. He was 71. In 2017, Cale and Tucker came together at the Grammy Salute to Music Legends concert for a performance of I’m Waiting for the Man, a tune from The Velvet Underground’s first album. They remain the only survivors of the group’s original line-up.

Following are some additional tidbits on Sunday Morning from Songfacts:

Lou Reed wrote this on a Sunday morning around 6 a.m. Andy Warhol, who helped finance the album, suggested he write a song about the paranoia associated with the effects of a drug wearing off.

Reed wrote this for Nico but then decided not to let the German ex-model sing it. Instead he impersonated her himself.

The production on this song is more lavish than the other tracks on the album. It was intended for release as a single and they wanted to make it radio friendly...

…This song is all about last-minute changes. The inclusion of the track on their first album was literally penciled in, Reed decided to take over vocals at the last minute as they walked into the studio to record it, and John Cale noticed a celesta in the studio and decided to include the instrument for the song on the spot. Cale also played the viola on the song.

Sources: Wikipedia; Songfacts; YouTube

Blues Musings

Happy Monday! In case you’re feeling a bit down because the weekend is over, I got a remedy that may sound counter intuitive. But I’ve heard blues artists say, ‘the blues chase the blues away.’ Some practitioners like Buddy Guy who turned 90 in July have reached a high age. I guess singing about bad stuff gets it out of your system and makes you feel better. My pick today comes from recently deceased Canadian artist Sass Jordan.

Sadly, Jordan passed away just last week on October 2 at age 65. While the cause of death wasn’t announced, she stepped away from music in September due to an undisclosed medical condition. I’m all new to Jordan who I read enjoyed decent popularity in Canada where she won the 1989 Juno Award for Most Promising Female Vocalist and was nominated three more times. But before providing some additional background, let’s listen to Still the World Goes Round.

The nice blues rocker was co-written by Jordan and guitarist Chris Caddell. It appears on Jordan’s final studio album Bitches Blues, released in June 2022. While Jordan has a neat bluesy voice that reminds me of Melissa Etheridge, apparently, she only began focusing on blues relatively late in her career with the release of Rebel Moon Blues, a near-all blues covers album from March 2020. Jordan launched her solo career in 1988 with Tell Somebody, a straight rock album. With the title track and Double Trouble, it yielded her first two of 10 top 20 hit singles in Canada over her 35-plus-year recording career.

Jordan who was born on December 23, 1960, in Birmingham, England lived in Europe until the age of three before her father, a French literary professor, moved the family from France to Montreal where he accepted a professorship at Concordia University. In her early teens, Jordan picked up the guitar, and already at 16 began performing with bands on the local club scene. After her recording debut on Montral group Bündock’s first album Mauve as co-vocalist on one of the tracks, she became a session vocalist and ended up singing on a couple of hits. She also started writing songs for other local artists.

Notably, it was The Band’s The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, which inspired Jordan to get into music. Rod Stewart, Judas Priest, Ozzy Osbourne, David Bowie, Tears For Fears, Anthrax and Al Green were among her musical influences, while vocalists she called out included Steven Tyler, Robert Palmer and Paul Rodgers.

Two other tidbits: In the early ’90s, Jordan’s touring drummer was 22-year-old Taylor Hawkins, later a member of Foo Fighters until his untimely death at age 50 in March 2022. Jordan was married to Derek Sharp, who from 2008 until 2024 fronted an incarnation of The Guess Who, managed by the group’s original bassist Jim Kale – Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings were less than amused, which led to a drawn-out legal battle and the shutdown of Kale’s version in 2024. Bachman and Cummings since revived The Guess Who and in late August this year concluded their Takin’ It Back Tour. Sharp who met Jordan in 1995 also appeared on and produced various of her albums.

I’m leaving you with another track from Bitches Blues: A neat cover of Little Milton’s 1965 song Ain’t No Big Deal On You.

Sources: Wikipedia; YouTube

The Sunday Six

We’ve made through another week, which I hope has been kind to you. Sunday also means that once again we’re embarking on a little music journey through space and time to visit six tracks from six different decades, featuring a variety of flavors.

Jimmy Smith/Willow Weep for Me

Let’s get underway with some neat Hammond organ jazz, which we hadn’t had in a while and visit one of the best artists in that department: Jimmy Smith. The soul-jazz pioneer taught himself how to play the piano as a child and won a Philadelphia radio talent contest as a boogie-woogie pianist when he was only 9 years old. When Smith started exploring the Hammond in 1951, he was playing piano in Philly R&B bands. In 1954, about two years after the legendary B3 had been introduced, Smith permanently switched to the organ. By the time his third studio album Jimmy Smith at the Organ was released in 1956, he had become a star on the jazz scene. Off that album, here’s his rendition of Willow Weep for Me, a popular 1932 song by Ann Ronell. Smith was backed by Thornel Schwartz (guitar) and Donald Bailey (drums).

Bobbie Gentry/Ode to Billie Joe

The other day, fellow blogger John (The Sound of One Hand Typing) had a fun post with chart-topping songs on the Labor Day holiday. Among others, it included Ode to Billie Joe, the title track of Bobbie Gentry’s eponymous debut album from August 1971. I rarely repeat a song a fellow blogger just featured, but in this case I simply couldn’t resist. It represents cinematic story-telling perfection! The song catapulted the singer-songwriter to international fame. After seven albums and a successful run of variety shows in Las Vegas, Gentry had enough and retired from the entertainment business in the early ’80s. She completely retreated from public life and her whereabouts are unknown. This bluesy song and Joe’s vocals that are slightly raspy and silky at the same time give me chills.

Bon Jovi/Lost Highway

Let’s head back to the current century and Bon Jovi. A few weeks ago, the glam-metal-turned-pop-rock group completed their Forever Tour in London, the first time they had hit the road since frontman Jon Bon Jovi’s reconstructive vocal cord surgery in 2022. The group were formed in New Jersey more than 40 years ago in 1983. They first entered my radar screen three years later with their third studio album Slippery When Wet featuring hits like You Give Love a Bad Name, Livin’ on a Prayer and Wanted Dead or Alive. Lost Highway takes us to June 2007 and an album that embraced a roots rock sound that always reminds me of John Mellencamp. Here’s the title track, co-written by Jon Bon Jovi, producer John Shanks and the group’s then-lead guitarist Richie Sambora. Sambora abruptly left Bon Jovi in 2013 during the tour that supported their 12th studio album, somewhat ironically titled What About Now. He was replaced by Canadian guitarist Phil X who became an official member in 2016.

Soundgarden/Fell on Black Days

Time to head to the ’90s and pay a visit to Soundgarden. The grunge pioneers came together in 1984 in Seattle, Wash. and initially included Chris Cornell (vocals, drums), Kim Thayil (lead guitar) and Hiro Yamamoto (bass). By the time the group dropped their fourth studio album Superunknown in March 1994, their line-up had stabilized to Cornell (vocals, rhythm guitar), Thayil (lead guitar), Ben Shepherd (bass) and Matt Cameroon (drums, percussion). They broke up in 1997, reunited in 2010 and dissolved again in 2017 after Cornell’s untimely death by suicide at age 52. There have been a few one-off reunions since then, most recently last month during the opening NFL game in Seattle. Fell on Black Days, penned by Cornell, is from the above noted Superunknown and also became the album’s fourth and final single.

Marvin Gaye/Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)

This next track takes us to May 1971 and what I feel is the best album by one of my all-time favorite soul artists: What’s Going On, the solo debut by Marvin Gaye. After gaining initial fame with a string of hits at Motown and helping shape the Detroit label’s infectious sound, Gaye emancipated himself from Berry Gordy’s hit production machine in the 1970s and recorded and produced a series of highly regarded albums. Don’t be fooled by the beautiful music and Gaye’s smooth singing on What’s Going On. The concept album explored themes like drug abuse, poverty, environmental degradation and the Vietnam War. Just because Gaye didn’t believe in “shouting,” this doesn’t mean his social commentary wasn’t biting. Case in point: Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler), co-written by Gaye and James Nyx Jr. What a great haunting song!

Willie Nelson/On the Road Again

For our sixth and final stop of today, I decided to pick a real classic by a man who I trust doesn’t need much of an introduction. On April 29, Willie Nelson turned 93. The career of the singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor and activist has spanned a whopping 70 years. Nelson was one of the key figures of the outlaw country subgenre that developed in the ’60s to shake up restrictive sound and rules of the Nashville country music establishment. Among various causes Nelson has supported over the decades is the importance of family farms with Farm Aid, the benefit and nonprofit organization he co-founded with Neil Young and John Mellencamp in 1985. Five years earlier, in August 1980, Nelson released one of his signature songs: On the Road Again. It was included on the soundtrack album for the 1980 musical drama picture Honeysuckle Rose, which also co-starred Nelson.

Last but not least, I’m leaving you with a Spotify playlist of the goodies we visited today. As always, I hope there’s something that tickles your fancy. So long for now!

Sources: Wikipedia; YouTube; Spotify

The Second Time Was the Charm

Yesterday (October 2), AC/DC concluded their PWR/UP Tour at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium. And what a finish it was! Originally, the Aussie rockers had been scheduled to play there last Friday, but the weather gods had different plans for those who were about to rock. The anticipated impact of a nor’easter also led to many other called off shows last Friday and throughout the weekend. At the end of the day, actual weather conditions probably would have allowed AC/DC to go forward, but better safe than sorry!

Less than glorious was Ticketmaster’s communication with ticketholders. Based on Facebook accounts, folks who were alerted only received messages a few hours after MetLife had announced the gig would be rescheduled. In my case, I received a text only an hour prior to showtime, 30 minutes after a friend had told me about the situation while I already was on my way to the venue. Even worse, some ticketholders apparently never received any alert – a regrettable disconnect between high ticket prices that Ticketmaster charges and the sophistication of their communications.

AC/DC (from left): Chris Chaney (bass), Brian Johnson (lead vocals), Matt Laug (drums), Angus Young (lead guitar) and Stevie Young (rhythm guitar)

While the above hiccups were unfortunate, who in 2016 would have thought we’d ever see AC/DC again after their hiatus following the Rock or Bust Tour? Critical co-founding member Malcolm Young had retired due to poor health (and would pass away in November 2017); vocalist Brian Johnson was side-lined with severe hearing challenges; drummer Phil Rudd was dealing with serious legal issues; bassist Cliff Williams had left the group. But against all odds, AC/DC reemerged in November 2020 with their 17th and most recent studio album Power Up, which I covered here at the time, and resumed touring in a big way in 2024!

The other intriguing aspect I’d like to highlight was the different opening act due to the rescheduling. I wouldn’t have minded seeing New York hard rock group The Pretty Reckless, but how cool was it to have Dave Grohl’s Foo Fighters instead, a band who perhaps fittingly also have been through much trauma! And, boy, did they warm up the audience. With that said I’d say let’s get to some music.

Foo Fighters (from left): Chris Shiflett (lead guitar, backing vocals), Dave Grohl (lead vocals, guitar) and Rami Jaffee (keyboards, piano, accordion). Not pictured: Pat Smear (guitar), Nate Mendel (bass) and Ilan Rubin (drums, backing vocals)

While the Foos finally entered my radar screen about four years ago and I’ve covered them various times since then, I’m still much less familiar with their music than AC/DC. This was their second time opening for the Aussie rockers during the tour after St. Louis on September 9. Remarkably, they began their set at 7:00 pm ET on the dot, the official start of show time. Here’s The Pretender, off their sixth studio alum Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace from September 2007.

Then Dave Grohl told the audience how he first learned about AC/DC as an 11-year-old, decided rock & roll was going to be his destiny and how he eventually got to St. Louis and to MetLife. Let’s hear it from the horse’s mouth, followed by Monkey Wrench, a track from the Foos’ second album The Colour and the Shape, which appeared in May 1997.

Let’s do one more by Foo Fighters: set closer Everlong, another track from The Colour and the Shape.`

After a short intermission it was AC/DC’s turn, which btw was my first time seeing the Aussie rockers. Their incredible setlist drew from 10 albums, primarily from their ’70s and ’80s heyday. Back in Black (1980) and Highway to Hell (1979) had the most representation with five and three tracks, respectively. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1976), Let There Be Rock (1977), Powerage (1978), T.N.T. (1975) and Power Up (2020) each got two songs, while For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) (1981), Stiff Upper Lip (2000) and The Razor’s Edge (1990) were represented with one.

Perhaps they deliberately left out Rock or Bust, given the above not-so-great memories, though it would have been cool hearong Play Ball, which I always considered a late-career highlight. They also didn’t play It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll), which may be my favorite AC/DC song. But, hey, I don’t mean to complain about what was truly an amazing show.

Clockwise from upper left: MetLife Stadium, your truly, “evil women” with lovely, illuminated devil’s caps and AC/DC on stage.

If there’s one individual I feel compelled to call out, it’s Angus Young. At 71 years, he seemed to have sheer endless energy, duckwalking across the stage, raising his right arm while continuing to play guitar with the left, making me wonder at time, ‘is he fully human?’

Fasten your seat belts and let’s kick off with Back in Black, the title track of AC/DC’s 7th studio album released in July 1980, the first without Bon Scott and Brian Johnson’s debut.

Next up: Hells Bells, the opener of Back in Black.

One of two tracks AC/DC chose to play from their aforementioned Power Up album was Shot in the Dark. I felt I would have been amiss not to capture at least one song from that album. The other was Demon Fire.

And then it was time for what perhaps is the group’s signature song, a track when first hearing it as a young teen I dismissed as ‘primitive.’ Are you ready to go on the Highway to Hell with Dave Grohl joining the fun! Hell, I sure was!

With so many great songs to pick, it was a bit tricky to decide what to capture, as the spectacle went on. So, I ended up filming more than what I initially had planned, but I guess there are worse problems to have. Here’s Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, the title track of AC/DC’s third studio album from September 1976, which initially only appeared in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. American audiences had to wait until 1981.

On we go with You Shook Me All Night Long, another song off the Back in Black album.

Here’s the last track I captured from the regular set: Whole Lotta Rosie, included on AC/DC’s fourth studio album Let There Be Rock, which dropped in March 1977. Angus! Angus! Angus!

All great rock & roll shows have to end and, boy, what a conclusion AC/DC gave us: For Those About to Rock (We Salute You), the title track from their eighth studio album released in November 1981. Just watch the entire clip, and you know what I mean!

Here’s AC/DC’s setlist:

• If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)
• Back in Black
• Demon Fire
• Shot Down in Flames
• Thunderstruck
• Have a Drink on Me
• Hells Bells
• Shot in the Dark
• Stiff Upper Lip
• Highway to Hell
• Shoot to Thrill
• Sin City
• Jailbreak
• Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
• High Voltage
• Riff Raff
• You Shook Me All Night Long
• Whole Lotta Rosie
• Let There Be Rock (With Angus Young Guitar Solo)

Encore
• T.N.T.
• For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)

There are some rumors what we just witnessed may turn out to be AC/DC’s final tour, which would make last night their final concert. They certainly left their hearts and souls on that stage. But, I don’t know, the hard-charging Aussie rock & rollers appeared to have a good amount of gas left in the tank, especially Angus Young. That said, touring is hard, and Brian Johnson is turning 79 in two days. But, hey, if this was AC/DC’s final tour and perhaps final gig, they certainly went out on a fucking high rock & roll note!

The closing words of this post shall belong to Angus Young and Brian Johnson: “I’m old and I’ve got white hair, but when the younger kids see me running back and forth across the stage, I want them to say: ‘How does he have that energy?’,” Young told Virgin Radio Italy a couple of weeks ago [well, no kidding! – CMM]. “But above all, I want to inspire them to pick up the guitar or any other instrument and start playing” [Yes, way more cool than playing video games! – CMM].

Joking about what then was supposed to be the September 29 tour closer in Philadelphia, Young said, “I hope it’s not my funeral,” further pointing out how he would like AC/DC to be remembered: “Just like a great rock band.” Added Brian Johnson, “A great band to do what they did, and they did it consistently and never stopped.” I salute you, gentlemen, is all I can say!

Sources: Wikipedia; Setlist.fm; Virgin Radio Italy; YouTube

A “New” Tom Petty Song

Note: This post is running instead of my republished series on desert island songs, which will resume next Wednesday.

When briefly noticing Origins 1971-1978 the other day, a forthcoming box set to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, I didn’t pay attention, “dismissing it” as some reissue of their early albums. On Sunday, my longtime German music buddy Gerd mentioned the box set, including Parade of Loons, a previously unreleased song on No Sleep Til L.A., a 12-track collection that is part of Origins 1971-1978.

Parade of Loons, which dropped on September 16, was written by Tom Petty in the wake of the sudden popularity the Heartbreakers enjoyed after the November 1976 release of their self-titled debut album, reported Ultimate Classic Rock (UCR). Here’s the official video starring 18-year-old American actor Iain Armitage.

‘The parade of loons’ was how the band described the fuzz about them in 1976 and 1977 during the supporting tour for their debut album when fans couldn’t get enough of them, UCR further notes. The crazy situation didn’t stop there, Heartbreakers drummer Stan Lynch recalled. “It’s the boiling frog, man. The water felt warm. The last thing I remember was like, ‘Wow, it was cold.’ Then it went warm, and then it was 1994. It seemed like a very natural evolution, for everybody in the band.”

“[But] also, there’s sort of an addictive quality to all of success,” Lynch further reflected. “Where no matter what you have, you always assume you should have more or could have more. It’s not until later in life you realize, ‘Holy crap, that was a lot.'”

Initially, Parade of Loons was considered for You’re Gonna Get It!, the Heartbreakers’ sophomore album from May 1978. But the group felt they had the songs they needed, according to UCR citing Conversations with Tom Petty, a 2005 book by Paul Zollo. Plus, there were some technical issues with the song’s recording. “It was so distorted,” Petty told Zollo. “It wasn’t recorded well, so I didn’t want to put that out.”

The September 16 drop of Parade of Loons coincided with a reunion of the Heartbreakers for the Americana Awards that same night, where the group were honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Original band members Mike Campbell (guitar), Benmont Tench (piano, organ), Ron Blair (bass) and Lynch were joined by Chris Stapleton to open the evening, as reported by Pitchfork. Here’s a clip of Tom Petty classic American Girl. The band sounded great and Stapleton did a decent job on vocals!

Apart from Parade of Loons, the No Sleep Til L.A. collection features six additional previously unreleased songs and five rare recordings. According to Tom Petty’s official website, all are newly mixed from the original multi-tracks by Ryan Ulyate. In addition to his extensive work with Petty, Ulyate’s website calls out the recording engineer and producer since 1978 has worked with Jeff Lynne, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Mick Fleetwood and Juan Gabriel. Altogether he has credits on more than 120 albums. Here’s the track list for No Sleep Til L.A.:

Side A:
• Parade Of Loons
• You’re Gonna Learn
• Another Lonely Night
• I Can’t Fight It (2026 Mix)
• Depot Street (2026 Mix)
• Sin City

Side B:
• Wild Eyes (2026 Mix)
• Unheard of Kind Of Hero
• Up in Mississippi Tonight (2026 Mix)
• Satisfy Yourself
• Since You Said You Love Me (2026 Mix)
• Long Way

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Origins 1971-1978 Uber Deluxe Box Set

The box set is coming out November 6 via UMe. In addition to No Sleep Til L.A., it includes 50th anniversary editions of the group’s first two studio albums; Live From The Record Plant 1977; and The Cut Out Bin, another collection of rare recordings. The “uber” deluxe edition will also get you a DVD titled Live on the BBC’s Old Grey Whistle Test 1978.

Sources: Wikipedia; Ultimate Classic Rock; Pitchfork; Tom Petty website; Ryan Ulyate website; YouTube

Addendum: ‘Songs in the Key of Life’ Turns 50

Yesterday, on the date of the 50th anniversary of Songs in the Key of Life, Stevie Wonder dropped a surprise EP featuring four previously unreleased tracks from the recording sessions for his 1976 masterpiece. An announcement on the website of Universal Music notes Wonder personally curated the recordings, which were recently mixed by John Fischbach and Gary O Adante, two of the original album’s recording and mixing engineers.

The EP includes It’s Easier, My Life Story of Love, I Can See the Sun In Late December and I’m Into Livin’. Wonder wrote and produced all, except the second track, for which Susaye Greene co-wrote the lyrics. Here’s the groovy I’m Into Livin’. Notably, backing vocalists include Thelma Houston best known for her 1977 hit Don’t Leave Me This Way. The neat saxophone work is by Jim Horn.

“We’ve lived with Songs in the Key of Life for fifty years, but there’s still more to hear,” Wonder said. “We didn’t add these songs to the album, but they were part of what I was feeling and discovering as we made it. They bring me back to that time in my life, and now they get to become part of yours.”

Here’s a Spotify link to the EP:

My previous post to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the album is here.

Sources: Universal Music; YouTube; Spotify

Songs in the Key of Life Turns 50

Today marks another 50th anniversary of one of the outstanding studio albums of 1976. On September 28 that year, Stevie Wonder released Songs in the Key of Life. Even though Wonder was only 26 years at the time, it already was his 18th studio album. It also marked the fifth and final release of what is known as Wonder’s “classic period” that began with March 1972’s Music of My Mind. Let’s take a closer look at this gem!

Songs in the Key of Life almost wouldn’t have happened. While by 1974 Stevie Wonder was one of the most accomplished music artists, he had grown tired of the music industry and started making plans for a farewell concert. His vision was to emigrate to the African country of Ghana and help children with disabilities. Not only did Wonder change his mind, but on August 5, 1975, he signed the then-biggest deal in music history. The seven-year, seven-album agreement with Motown gave him full artistic control, $13 million upfront, up to $20 million in potential bonus payments and 20% of the royalties.

Notably, by the time Wonder signed his new agreement with Motown, Songs in the Key of Life already had been recorded. In fact, initially, it had been scheduled to come out in October 1975, but Wonder wasn’t happy with it and felt further mixing was warranted. Work on the album was finalized in early 1976. Its original title was Let’s See Life the Way It Is before it became Songs in the Key of Life.

Songs in the Key of Life originally appeared as a double-LP, together with a four-track 7-inch EP titled A Something’s Extra

The recording of Songs in the Key of Life was intense. The process involved four studios in Hollywood and New York and a total of 130 people. Wonder spent many hours in the studio for each track. Reportedly, he didn’t eat or sleep, and it was hard for those around him to keep up. “If my flow is goin’, I keep on until I peak,” Wonder told Rolling Stone in 2019. In that context, bassist Nathan Watts recalled that after a long day in the studio Wonder called him in the early morning hours and asked him to return right away to help with one of the tracks, I Wish. I’d say it’s time to take a closer look.

Side one of the double LP (in vinyl speak) opens with Love’s in Need of Love Today. Like most of the other 16 tracks it was solely written by Wonder. “The concept I had in mind was that for love to be effective, it has to be fed,” Wonder recalled in 2015. “Love by itself is hollow. […] When I was finished [recording the song], I listened to the playback and realized the song was perfect to open the album [Songs in the Key of Life], to set the entire tone.”

Side one closes with what is one of my all-time favorite Stevie Wonder songs, and while I’ve covered it on previous occasions, I simply couldn’t skip it. Sir Duke is Wonder’s beautiful tribute to jazz pianist, composer and orchestra leader Duke Ellington. The song also appeared separately in March 1977 as the album’s third single. It became one of two singles to top the pop charts in the U.S. and Canada.

On to side two and I Wish, the album’s first single from November 1976 and the first of the two above mentioned songs that topped the charts in the US and Canada. I Wish is about Wonder’s childhood from the 1950s into the early 1960s and how he wants to go back and relive it. “The day I wrote it was a Saturday, the day of a Motown picnic in the summer of ’76,” he recalled in a January 2022 Ultimate Classic Rock story. “I had such a good time at the picnic that I went to Crystal Recording Studio right afterward and the vibe came right to my mind – running at the picnic, the contests, we all participated. It was a lot of fun … and from that came the ‘I Wish‘ vibe.” Totally seductive groove!

Pastime Paradise, another track from side two, alludes to various issues, such as race, religion and the economy. Listeners may understand the song in one of two ways, explains Steve Lodder in his 2005 book Stevie Wonder: A Musical Guide to the Classic Albums. One way is the comparison and contrast of the difference between the negative attitude of someone with a flawed past, and the positive outlook of someone who wishes for a perfect future in this life or the next. The other way is a description of how selfish materialism and laziness cannot compare to a strong work ethic which brings the great reward of Heaven. The album track became one of the first to use a synthesizer sounding like a full string section.

Moving on to side three, let’s listen to Black Man, one of the few songs where Wonder shared writing credits, in this case with Gary Byrd. The song expresses Wonder’s desire for interracial harmony and his criticism of racism. Groovy stuff!

The last track I’d like to call out takes us to side four: As, which also became the album’s fifth and final single in October 1977. Songfacts notes the first half finds Stevie relating his love to nature’s wonders: just as the earth revolves around the sun and the rosebuds bloom in May, his love will endure. It’s a statement of faith, knowing that love and nature are the works of God. Midway through, Wonder changes his voice, going into the gravely growl of a preacher to make a call to action. Notably, the recording features Herbie Hancock, who like Wonder plays Fender Rhodes piano.

The original double-LP releases of the album included a bonus 7-inch EP, titled A Something’s Extra. It featured four additional tracks. Songs in the Key of Life was nominated for seven awards at the 1977 Grammy Awards and won in four categories: Album of the Year, Producer of the Year, Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance (for I Wish).

Songs in the Key of Life became the first album by an American artist to debut at no. 1 on the Billboard 200 and the third overall to accomplish that performance milestone. It spent 13 consecutive weeks in the top spot and also peaked at no. 1 in Canada. Songs in the Key of Life ended up being the second-best selling album of 1977 in the U.S. It has sold more than 5.6 million copies, including 5 million-plus in the U.S. alone where it reached Diamond certification in March 2005.

I’m leaving you with a Spotify link to the album:

Sources: Wikipedia; Rolling Stone; Ultimate Classic Rock; Songfacts; Recording Industry Association of America website; YouTube; Spotify

The Sunday Six

It’s hard to believe we’ve reached the final Sunday of September and that summer is now clearly in our rearview mirror. However, while seasons change, one thing won’t: The Sunday Six, the weekly music time travel excursions on these pages, taking us to six tracks from six different decades in different musical flavors.

Chet Baker/Slightly Above Moderate

Today, we first set the controls of our music time machine to February 1957 and Chet Baker & Crew, an album by “The Prince of Cool,” as the trumpeter and vocalist was known. Renowned for major innovations in cool jazz, Baker was active between 1949 and his untimely death in May 1988 at age 58. Due to heroin addiction and frequent incarceration, Baker’s career started to decline in the late ’50s before he enjoyed a resurgence in the late ’70s and ’80s. My proposition today is Slightly Above Moderate, a Bob Zieff composition. Baker’s backing crew included Phil Urso (tenor saxophone), Bobby Timmons (piano), Jimmy Bond (bass) and Peter Littmann (drums). On three tracks excluding this one Bill Loughborough provided chromatic timpani.

Rhiannon Giddens/Carolina Rain

Our next stop takes us right back where we started and folk and bluegrass vocalist, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Rhiannon Giddens. Shout out to fellow blogger Lisa (Tao Talk), who the other day featured Giddens, thus bringing her on my radar screen. This versatile artist also is an actor and author and in late 2005 co-founded traditional folk group the Carolina Chocolate Drops. After the group stopped regular performances and recording, Giddens launched a solo career with February 2015’s Tomorrow Is My Turn, the first of seven albums to date. Off her latest, Hope Is the Thing with Feathers, released September 18, here’s Carolina Rain. Giddens co-wrote this soulful folk gem with co-producer Dirk Powell – so good!

Circus Maximus/Travelin’ Around

Time to pay a visit to the ’60s and Circus Maximus, a short-lived American psychedelic rock band initially formed as Lost Sea Dreamers in 1967. Concerns by their record label their initials LSD could be associated with drugs prompted the group to change their name before dropping their self-titled debut album in 1967. By July 1968, they already were history after the release of their second album Neverland Revisited. Their members included Jerry Jeff Walker (rhythm guitar, vocals), Bob Bruno (lead guitar, organ, piano, vocals), Peter Troutner (vocals, tambourine, guitar), Gary White (bass) and David Scherstrom (drums). Travelin’ Around, written by Bruno, is from their debut album. Featuring a busy yet great bassline and a cool guitar solo that sounds like a choppier version of The Byrds’ Eight Miles High, I find this song pretty intriguing.

Duncan Sheik/She Runs Away

Ten days ago (September 17), Duncan Sheik suddenly passed away at age 56 from cardiac arrest due to heart and organ failure. Let’s celebrate this versatile artist who started out as a pop and alternative rock singer-songwriter before adding scores for film and Broadway shows since the early 2000s. In pop music Sheik is best known for his top 20 Billboard Hot 100 hit Barely Breathing, off his May 1996 eponymous debut album. His biggest success for writing Broadway music was wining the Tony Award for Best Musical and Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album for 2006 musical Spring Awakening. Since we visited Barely Breathing on a previous Sunday Six trip, let’s listen to She Runs Away, another song Sheik wrote for his debut album, which also became a single.

The Kinks/Ducks On the Wall

I trust The Kinks don’t need much of an introduction. While we’ve visited the British group, formed as The Ray Davies Quartet in London in 1962, multiple times on our Sunday trips, most of the previous stops were in the ’60s, the decade I generally feel was their best period. Today, we shall go April 1975 and Soap Opera, the first of two concept albums The Kinks put out that year. By that time, apart from original members Ray Davies (vocals, guitar), his younger brother Dave Davies (guitar, vocals) and Mick Avory (drums), the lineup included John Dalton (bass) and John Gosling (keyboards). Here’s the hilarious Ducks On the Wall, penned by Dave Davies who apparently was dismayed at his wife’s decorative ducks she loved to hang on the wall.

Iron Maiden/Purgatory

Our sixth and final stop for today perfectly illustrates a key aspect of why I enjoy music blogging as much as a do: fellow bloggers who help broaden my horizon by exposing me to acts and genres I otherwise would not have listened to. In this case, it’s Deke from Distortion Den with Iron Maiden. While I had known of the English heavy metal band since the ’80s, I pretty much ignored them. Things started to change in November 2024 after I had asked Deke which of their albums he’d recommend as an entry point. This must have been preceded by a post about the group I saw and liked on his blog. With that said, here’s Purgatory, from Maiden’s February 1981 sophomore album Killers. Written by bassist Steve Harris, it was their final single with Paul Di’Anno, their third lead vocalist. Guitarists Dave Murray and Adrian Smith completed their line-up, along with drummer Clive Burr. Harris, Murray and Smith remain part of Iron Maiden’s current version.

Of course, this post wouldn’t be complete without a Spotify playlist of all tracks we visited today. As always, I hope there’s something that speaks to you.

Sources: Wikipedia; YouTube; Spotify

New Music Musings

Happy Saturday and welcome to me latest look at newly released music. All picks in this post have appeared over the past four weeks.

Jake Thistle/Hiding in the Vacancy

Kicking off today is New Jersey singer-songwriter Jake Thistle, who I covered on various previous occasions. Since his last appearance, the now 22 or 23-year-old was a contestant on this year’s season of American Idol. While he got eliminated in the Top 14 round, I have no doubt the contest helped raise his profile beyond the Garden State. Off his sophomore studio album A Stranger By Design, which dropped yesterday (September 25), here’s Hiding in the Vacancy, a catchy pop rock song penned by Thistle, who as I’ve noted before reminds me a bit of a young Jackson Browne, one of his key influences, along with Tom Petty.

Echo & The Bunnymen/Take Me By the Hand

When I learned Echo & The Bunnymen would release their first new studio album in 12 years, I was all ears! Formed in Liverpool, the British post-punk, neo-psychedelic and new wave group enjoyed their heyday between 1981 and 1987, particularly in the UK where each of the four albums released during that time period hits the top 10 in the charts. In the U.S., they always remained a cult band. After the end of their initial run in 1993, they reunited in 1996 and have been hopping ever since. Take Me By the Hand, written by co-founder Ian McCulloch (vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards), is from their 13th studio album Apples For Isaac, out since September 18. As the group’s only constant member, Will Sergeant (lead guitar) completes the current core line-up of Echo & The Bunnymen.

The Morning Line/Spellbound

On to Northern California indie rock band The Morning Line who have been around for about 20 years and have dropped four regular studio albums to date. Their latest, Stars, is a 21-track career-spanning collection of re-recorded and two new songs. The Morning Line have seen various line-up changes over the years and currently feature Stephen Smith (vocals, guitar) who remains their sole original member and writes all songs, along with Brian Mello (guitar), David Knupp (bass) and Peter Craft (drums). Their label Big Stir Records characterizes the group’s sound as blending ‘80s postpunk and college rock jangle with ’90s alt-rock drive and an occasional tinge of No Depression-style Americana. Here’s Spellbound, which originally appeared on the group’s 2007 debut album Stay My Satellite.

The Goods/Minor Key

My next proposition are another California outfit, The Goods, a music project of Rob Good (vocals, guitar, bass, drums, percussion, keyboards). Following October 2025’s debut Don’t Spoil the Fun, The Goods are back with their second album Goodbye Summertime, which appeared on September 16 and was brought to my attention several weeks ago via a press release. Their Bandcamp page notes Good is pushing the project into new territory, folding Beatles-esque psychedelia, jangling folk rock, sunny indie pop, and the melodic punch of classic power pop into something far bigger than what came before. The album credits also list contributions to specific tracks from Yea-Ming Chen (vocals, organ), Cherron Arens (bass) and Ian McBrayer (drums). Let’s listen to Minor Key, for which Good handled vocals and instruments. This jangly power candy delivers the goods, as far as I’m concerned.

Eli Paperboy Reed/Every Once in a While

Eli Paperboy Reed, hailing from the Boston, Mass. area, and currently living in Brooklyn, NY, is a vocalist and songwriter who according to his Spotify profile has been called “the king of rhythm and soul” by Mojo. After spending time in Chicago where he studied sociology, hosted a local radio show and played organ and piano in a South Side church, Reed returned to Boston to focus on music. His first album of original music, Roll With You, appeared in April 2008. Off his latest, Getting There (September 11), here’s opener Every Once in a While. Penned by Reed, the song does have a retro soul vibe. The steel guitar adds a bit of an Americana flavor – pretty neat!

Told Slant/Manhattan

This brings me to my final pick for this installment of New Music Musings, Told Slant, a Brooklyn, NY-based low-fi indie music project around Felix Walworth (drums, synthesizer, electric guitar, vocals). Told Slant came together in 2012 at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, NY, where Walworth met Oliver Kalb, who performs as Bellows. BTW, that’s same school where Donald Fagen and Walter Becker initially met, later prominently mentioned in Steely Dan song My Old School. Told Slant debuted in August 2012 with Still Water, the first of four albums that have appeared under that name to date. The latest, What’s Up, has been out since September 4. Other musicians that keep recurring in the credits include Hannah Pruzinsky (vocals, bass, piano, synthesizer), Jonnie Baker (electric guitar, saxophone, synthesizer, drum machine) and Emily Sprague (synthesizer, electric guitar). Here’s Manhattan, written by Walworth – the cool-sounding song drew me in right away!

Sources: Wikipedia; Consequence; Big Stir Records website; The Goods Bandcamp page and No Rules PR press release; YouTube; Spotify

If I Could Only Take One (Repost)

In early March 2022, I introduced a new weekly feature highlighting songs I’d take with me on a desert island. I’ve decided to republish the series, which has replaced my Song Musings feature.

Alrighty, it’s Wednesday and time again to prep for another imaginary desert island trip. Of course, in the context of this recurring feature, this means I need to pick another song to take with me – one bloody tune, not an album, though I’m not suggesting the latter would be much easier.

Plus, there are a few additional rules. The tune must be by an artist or band I’ve only rarely written about or not covered at all. And I’m doing the silly exercise in alphabetical order.

This week I’m up to “u”. Artists (last name) and bands starting with that letter include U2, UFO, Ultravox, Umphrey’s McGee, Uncle Kracker, Uncle Tupelo, Utopia and Uriah Heep. Given my above rules, U2 and Uriah Heep are out. I also just recently wrote about Umphrey’s McGee. And since I don’t feel like dancing with tears in my eyes, Ultravox are out as well.

This still leaves me with four choices, none of which I’ve covered to date. And my pick is Utopia, aka Todd Rundgren’s Utopia. Now that I’ve figured out the artist/band, the question is which song to pick? Love Is the Answer.

Written by Todd Rundgren, Love Is the Answer is a tune from Utopia’s third studio album Oops! Wrong Planet, released in September 1977. Initially, the pop-oriented song missed the charts. Two years later, American soft rock duo England Dan & John Ford Coley recorded a version of the tune and took it to no. 1 in the U.S. on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Chart. It also reached no. 10 on the mainstream pop chart Hot 100. Sounds very yachty!

Following are some additional tidbits from Songfacts:

Todd Rundgren wrote this hopeful song about the power of love for his band Utopia, which released it on their 1977 album Oops! Wrong Planet. The song became a hit in 1979 when England Dan & John Ford Coley recorded a slicker version perfect for the adult contemporary market, and scored their last of six US Top 40 hits with their cover.

In our 2015 interview with Todd Rundgren, he explained that Utopia’s Oops! Wrong Planet was a “bummer album,” and that they included this song on it to make it more uplifting. [Perhaps that made Rundgren want to bang the drum all day? CMM]

Todd Rundgren performed this song when he toured as part of Ringo Starr’s “All Starr Band” in 2015. Ringo insists on three hits from his guests, and along with “I Saw The Light” and “Bang the Drum All Day,” he wanted Todd to do “Hello It’s Me.” Rundgren didn’t think that one was a good fit in the set, as it’s a very introspective song and Ringo’s shows are very communal. Todd convinced him to go with “Love Is The Answer,” which he thought was the perfect song for Ringo – “Mr. Peace And Love” as Rundgren calls him. The plan worked: the song went over very well at these shows and fit the vibe perfectly.

Sources: Wikipedia; Songfacts; YouTube