Song Musings

Happy Wednesday and welcome to another installment of my weekly feature where I take a closer look at a song I’ve only mentioned in passing or not covered at all to date. The Bangles are a band I dug right away when first hearing their breakthrough single Manic Monday in early 1986. I remember borrowing from somebody a copy of Different Light and taping it on music cassette. Apart from Manic Monday, the pop rock group’s sophomore album spawned various other hit singles.

For this post, I deliberately decided to stay away from Different Light. Since beyond the band’s most successful studio album I was only familiar with a few additional songs, this meant I had to do some research. My pick is Anna Lee (Sweetheart of the Sun), the great opener of The Bangles‘ fifth and most recent album of original music, Sweetheart of the Sun, which came out in September 2011.

Unfortunately, neither the album nor the song went anywhere, which perhaps explains why we haven’t seen any other studio releases of new original music by The Bangles. While many critics viewed the album as a successful reinvention of the band’s early musical style, it merely reached an underwhelming no. 148 in the U.S. on the Billboard 200 – the only country tracked by Wikipedia, in which it charted.

Co-written by group co-founders Susanna Hoffs (vocals, electric guitar, percussion), Vicki Peterson (vocals, electric and acoustic guitar) and her younger sister Debbi Peterson (vocals, drums percussion), Anna Lee (Sweetheart of the Sun) was also released separately as a single but missed the charts altogether. Here are the three ladies with a live rendition of the song, captured in 2014.

Sweetheart of the Sun was the band’s second album since their 2003 reunion, which they had marked with Doll Revolution. It also was their first as a trio following the departure of long-time bassist Michael Steele (born Susan Thomas) in early 2004.

Sweetheart of the Sun was co-produced by Matthew Sweet. The power pop singer-songwriter would subsequently collaborate with Hoffs on a series of three cover albums appropriately titled Under the Covers, featuring renditions of songs from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s.

Technically, The Bangles are still around. In 2018, co-founding member Annette Zilinskas returned as bassist after a 35-year absence. The most recent evidence of touring activity on Setlist.fm are three gigs in 2019.

Following are some additional insights from Songfacts:

The titular Anna Lee is a fictional person based on some of the women from the late ’60s and early ’70s who inspired the Bangles girls. Hoffs explained to Culture Brats: “There’s a woman named Toni Stern who wrote with Carole King in the ’70s. Vicki (Peterson) and I read a book, Girls Like Us. It was about Carly Simon, Carole King, and Joni Mitchell. There was also a series of books that came out: Hotel California and Laurel Canyon. I read all of these books and recommended them to the other girls in the band. We all loved it.”

“We were so fascinated reading about Carole King and Carly Simon and Joni Mitchell, girls that were big influences on us as female artists and realizing that being little girls growing up in the ’60s and ’70s, these women had a huge impact on our lives. They were icons to us.”

“We were envisioning the world of Laurel Canyon back in the day. I don’t remember if Carly Simon was living up at Laurel Canyon, but Carole King was there, that’s where Toni Stern was living. They got together and wrote together.”

“There were all these women who were strong women who had a very defined sense of self, coming out of an era where the music world was dominated by men, kind of a Boys’ Club. These women were finding their voices and we were commenting on that. It was our nod to the women who came before us.”

“Actually, we got an email from Toni Stern, thanking us for mentioning her and the fact that she was an inspiration to us. There was a really interesting description of her as a female writer and the whole Laurel Canyon scene and her and Carole King writing these great songs together. It became this really inspirational image so we sort of fashioned our own version, our own mythical ‘Lady Of The Canyon’ called Annalee.”

Another inspiration was a lyric from The Band’s “The Weight.” Said Hoffs: “And there was that great song by The Band where’s this little thing ‘keep Anna Lee company.’ Something about that name. For me, I always connected that with that song as well.”

Hoffs told MusicRadar.com how the song came together. “We wrote that in the studio together, all three of us. For some reason, I really wanted to write in the studio, and it’s something Matthew was pushing us to do. The music came together very fast. It started with the riff, and then we all just chimed in singing. It’s very ’60s and ’70s, but hey, that’s fine – that’s the idea. [laughs]”

Sources: Wikipedia; Songfacts; Setlist.fm; YouTube

Gearing Up For Rock the Farm

September in New Jersey is one of the best months of the year when the humidity of the summer is typically gone and temperatures turn to more pleasant levels. It’s also the time of an annual music festival on the Jersey shore that’s near and dear to me: Rock the Farm. Since my first attendance of the 10-hour event in the borough of Seaside Heights in 2017, I’ve loved the concept to combine great tribute music acts with fundraising for programs to overcome addiction to opioids, alcohol and other substances.

While according to a May 17, 2023 New York Times report, the number of drug overdose-related deaths in the U.S. fortunately plateaued in 2022 after double-digit increases in each of the two preceding years, there were still nearly 110,000 deaths. Picture it, that’s 30% more than the maximum capacity of MetLife Stadium, the largest U.S. stadium in the NFL. It’s 110,000 mothers, fathers, sons, daughters and other individuals leaving empty seats at breakfast tables and gatherings with family and friends. In a November 2021 Gallup poll, 32% of Americans said drugs had been a problem in their family.

The war on drugs is still fully raging, and this is not the time to let up. One of the many organizations across the country that aim to change the grim stats is the CFC Loud N Clear Foundation. The New Jersey non-profit community organization offers programs for individuals and families battling to overcome addiction to opioids, alcohol and other substances. Their efforts aim to fill the gap after clinical treatment in rehab, a period when staying sober and remaining on track can be particularly challenging. This brings me to Rock the Farm, their main annual fundraiser to sustain their activities.

Rock the Farm started out as a relatively small event on a family farm in 2013. Attendance has since grown eight-fold and since 2017 the Seaside Heights Council offered to sponsor the event and support the CFC Loud N Clear Foundation by providing a location and stages. Rock the Farm was on hiatus in 2021 due to the COVD-19 pandemic.

The CFC Loud N Clear Foundation was established by the Regan family in 2012 after their son Daniel Regan had come out of a rehab center and with the help of his mother, Lynn Regan, developed a recovery system for himself. Other people noticed it was working for Daniel and started asking how they did it. That’s when the Regan family realized everyone should have access to an aftercare program, sparking the idea of establishing a foundation.

“We’re back for another year of Rock the Farm!” said Alyssa Regan, executive director of the CFC Loud N Clear Foundation. “With every year, our festival far surpasses our expectations. What started as a festival of 1,500 on our family farm turned into over 12,000 attendees! In the 9 years of this festival we’ve heard many of the “greats” and this year will no doubt be one of the best years to come!”

Once again, Rock the Farm will feature a broad variety of music on two stages, including pop, folk, rock, grunge, jam and metal. Performing bands and artists are Clouds In Our Coffee (Carly Simon), Coo Coo Cachoo (Paul Simon), Scarecrow (John Mellencamp), Grateful Dub (Grateful Dead), Nirvani (Nirvana), Lets Zep (Led Zeppelin), Fix You (Coldplay), Dancing Dream (Abba) and Romeo Delight (Van Halen).

Following are clips to preview some of the artists.

Clouds In Our Coffee, a tribute to Carly Simon, is led by versatile New Jersey musicians and husband-and-wife team Gerard Barros and Diane Barros. They perform this and other shows like Carole King tribute One Fine Tapestry at public libraries and other mostly intimate Jersey venues, both as a duo and, like their upcoming Rock the Farm gig, with a full backing band. Here they are as a duo with Simon’s beautiful Anticipation, captured at a library show a few months ago.

Scarecrow are a tribute to John Mellencamp formed in 1985. According to their website, they have “performed throughout North America from the Yukon to the Gulf of Mexico and from the Rockies to the Atlantic Coast.” The group focuses on Mellencamp’s music from the ’80s and ’90s. Here’s a highlights reel that was posted this April. I love John Mellencamp and look forward to seeing them r.o.c.k. at Rock the Farm!

Nirvani are a tribute to Nirvana, one of the most influential bands of the late ’80s and early ’90s, who brought alternative rock to the mainstream. Formed in 2021, Nirvani aim to be more than just a tribute, noting on their website, “It’s about paying homage to a golden era in music and the unique and raw atmosphere Nirvana contributed to that era.” Here’s what appears to be their official highlights reel. They certainly rock!

The last act I’d like to preview are Romeo Delight, a tribute to hair metal rockers Van Halen. The Philadelphia-based group’s website notes they specializes “in David Lee Roth era Van Halen, plus Sammy Hagar’s Van Halen hits, and their Greatest Solo Hits.” Here’s their highlights reel – rrrrrrrrrrr!

“It is so crucial for this event to be a success as it funds most of our programs like our annual sober social retreats to West Virginia and Vermont, our emergency response training like CPR and Narcan, and safe and secure housing for our members- most of which are provided at no cost to them,” added Alyssa Regan. “Rock the Farm provides us with massive exposure to connect with our communities and continue to raise awareness for mental health and substance abuse disorder…Recovery is possible. There is hope. Together, we can change the world, one step at a time.”

If you love live music and live in Jersey or can get there, I ask you to join me for a great event while supporting an important cause at the same time. Chances are you know somebody who is struggling with drugs, alcohol and other substances. Let’s make it the best Rock the Farm ever and set a new fundraising record. Visit https://www.rockthefarmnj.com for tickets and more information about the event. You can also read more about the CFC Loud n Clear Foundation and their important work here.

Sources: The New York Times; Gallup; Barros Music website; Scarecrow website; Nirvani website; Romeo Delight website; Rock the Farm website; CFC Loud n Clear Foundation website

Song Musings

It’s Wednesday and I hope this week has been kind to you. Regardless of whether the waters have been choppy or it’s been smooth sailing, I think sweet music is always a great proposition. Today, I’d like to offer one of my longtime favorite vocalists: Marvin Gaye. My specific proposition is How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You), one of his early gems.

Penned by Motown powerhouse songwriting and production partnership of Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Brian’s brother Eddie Holland, aka Holland–Dozier–Holland, How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) first appeared as a single in November 1964. It also became the title track of Gaye’s fifth studio album released in January 1965.

Gaye’s single turned out to be his highest-charting on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 at the time, climbing to no. 6. It also became his sixth Top 5 hit on the Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles chart, peaking at no. 3. Elsewhere, it was Gaye’s second top 50 song in the UK, reaching no. 49.

The album performed less impressively, though it marked Gaye’s first to enter the mainstream U.S. chart Billboard 200 where it reached no. 128. It also was his first to make the Hot R&B LPs chart (today known as Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums), climbing to an impressive no. 4.

Here’s a sped-up and pretty groovy live version, included on the posthumous Marvin Gaye at the Copa, which came out in 2005. The live album captured an August 1966 performance by Gaye at New York City nightclub Copacabana.

James Taylor released an excellent and well-known remake of the tune in June 1975 as the first single of his sixth studio album Gorilla that had appeared in May of the same year. Apart from Taylor on lead vocals and guitar, the recording featured his then-wife Carly Simon (harmony vocals), Danny Kortchmar (guitar), David Sanborn (saxophone), Clarence McDonald (piano, Fender Rhodes electric piano), Lee Sklar (bass), as well as Jim Keltner and Russ Kunkel (drums each, with Kunkel doubling on tambourine). That’s what I call a neat backing band!

I’ll leave you with some additional insights from Songfacts:

[How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)] was inspired by the trademark line of Jackie Gleason, “How sweet it is!” as it was said on The Jackie Gleason Show. Gleason was one of the biggest TV stars of the time.

Lamont Dozier said the lyric was “wishful thinking.” He was “sitting at the piano, fantasizing about how good it would be if the woman I had eyes for was madly in love with me. But the truth is she never gave me a second look. So I created this fantasy world where I was the object of all her affections, a bit of fiction that eventually came true due to my persistence and showering her with affection.”

This was the second of Gaye’s 13 Top 10 hits. His first was 1963’s “Pride and Joy,” which peaked at #10.

The Holland-Dozier-Holland team often started songs as ballads, crafting a heartbreaking story and then setting it to upbeat music. This song took a different approach, which they sometimes used: letting the music dictate the song’s direction. The result is one of their few hit songs that is utterly joyful in both music and lyrics.

In a Songfacts interview with Lamont Dozier, he explained: “The drum feeling is the shuffle and it’s a 12-bar shuffle blues, basically. But, finding the chords, I remember Harvey Fuqua of the Moonglows who had came to Motown, he mentioned that song. He said, ‘Man, those chords that you played were really interesting because it’s the blues but not your run-of-the-mill blues. The chords you have are very intricate.’ I said, ‘Well, I just play what I feel.’

That’s the way that particular song came out. Those chords gave me the feeling of that melody.”

This became a #5 hit for James Taylor when he covered it in 1975. It was also recorded by Jr. Walker and the All-Stars, whose version hit #15 in the US in 1966.

Eddie Holland came up with the title and hook for this song. The rest of it took a while to put together, and by the time Gaye recorded it, he had to read from lyric sheets because he had not had time to memorize them.

Although it’s not featured on the film’s official soundtrack, “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” was performed by the school choir in the 1999 teen comedy, American Pie. The performance takes cues from James Taylor’s 1975 cover, which featured his then-wife Carly Simon on backing vocals and earned him a #5 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

In 2001, ESPN took some heat in the press when they used this song as background music in a Father’s Day tribute featuring athletes and their fathers or kids. Gaye had been shot by his father in 1984.

Sources: Wikipedia; Songfacts; YouTube

Song Musings

It’s Wednesday and I hope this week has been kind to you. As usual, this is the time for another installment of my weekly feature where I take a deeper dive into a tune I’ve only mentioned in passing or not covered at all so far. For this post, I’ve decided to highlight Anticipation by Carly Simon.

Anticipation, a beautiful song I’ve come to dig, is the title track of the singer-songwriter’s second studio album released in November 1971. Solely written by Simon, the tune also appeared separately as the album’s lead single that same month.

Anticipation was Simon’s second single. It pretty much matched the remarkable chart performance of That’s the Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be, released in April 1971 as the sole single off her eponymous debut album. In the U.S., Anticipation reached no. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and surged to no. 3 on the Easy Listening chart (now called Adult Contemporary). Elsewhere, it climbed to no. 9 in Canada and no. 64 in Australia – not too shabby for an artist who at the time was only nine months into her solo career!

The Anticipation album also did pretty well. In the U.S., it peaked at no. 30 on the Billboard 200, matching its predecessor, while in Canada it got to no. 36, lower than Simon’s debut (no. 17) but still a top 40. It did best in Australia where it climbed to no. 12, significantly up from its predecessor (no. 55). In the U.S., the album reached Gold certification (500,000 certified sold units) as of September 1973, placing it in the group of Simon’s five best-selling studio albums. Here’s a nice acoustic live cut of Anticipation, captured during a September 2005 concert aboard the British transatlantic ocean liner Queen Mary 2, which appeared as a DVD at the time.

Apart from Anticipation, Carly Simon has had 12 additional top 40 singles on the Billboard Hot 100. Her biggest hits on the U.S. pop chart were You’re So Vain (1972); Mockingbird, with James Taylor who also was her husband at the time (1974); Nobody Does It Better (1977), the great theme song of the James Bond picture The Spy Who Loved Me; and Jesse (1980), her final big hit.

Overall, Simon has also done well on the album front. In the U.S. alone, 12 of her 23 studio albums released between 1971 and 2009 charted in the top 40 on the Billboard 200, including five in the top 10. Three were certified Platinum (1 million certified sold units) while two reached Gold certification. Her 1975 compilation The Best of Carly Simon hit a whopping 3xPlatinum in December 1997.

Simon whose 80th birthday is coming up on June 25 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year. She canceled her planned attendance after tragically losing both of her sisters Joanna Simon and Lucy Simon to thyroid and breast cancer, respectively, within one day of each other! Her brother Peter Simon had passed away from lung cancer in November 2018. Carly is a breast cancer survivor and underwent a mastectomy, chemotherapy and reconstructive surgery between 1997 and 1998.

Following are additional insights for Anticipation from Songfacts.

Carly Simon wrote “Anticipation” while waiting for Cat Stevens to come over for their first date (she was making chicken with a béarnaise sauce). She was his opening act for a concert at the Troubadour in Los Angeles on April 6, 1971, and they were set to play again at Carnegie Hall in New York City on June 5. Simon lived in the City, so she invited Stevens over for the date a few days before that show.

He was late, so Simon burned off some nervous energy by sitting down with her guitar. She imitated Stevens’ style (he was her favorite artist) from his song “Hard Headed Woman,” where he keeps it mellow but then ramps it up for a section when he sings, “I know many fine feathered friends.” Simon played loud, singing the word that came into her mind because she was waiting for Stevens: “Anticipation.”

“I was anticipating his arrival,” she said in the book Anthems We Love. “So I just started the song and I wrote the whole song, words and music, before he got there that night. So in about 15 minutes I wrote the whole song. Three verses and the choruses and the outro. That’s only one of three times that that’s ever happened to me. That I just sat down and wrote the whole song in just one stretch. It was only about 20 minutes that he was late.”

This song is very much about living in the moment. Simon isn’t sure this relationship is going to last, but she decides to just enjoy it while they’re together. “These are the good old days,” goes the refrain at the end.

Simon performed “Anticipation” for the first time when she opened for Cat Stevens at Carnegie Hall on June 5, 1971. The song got a great response, so she knew it was a winner. She added it to her repertoire and performed it a handful of times before recording it.

The romance between Cat Stevens and Carly Simon was short-lived, but they forged an enduring friendship Simon spoke of fondly many years later. She ended up marrying James Taylor in 1972 (they divorced in 1983)...

…Simon’s musical director Jimmy Ryan played bass on this track, but on the last verse he played guitar-style riffs on the instrument. The other personnel were Andy Newmark on drums, Paul Glanz on piano, and Simon on acoustic guitar and vocals.

Simon earned a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, but she lost to Helen Reddy for “I Am Woman.”

Simon recorded an acoustic version with her son, Ben Taylor, for her 2009 album, Never Been Gone.

Sources: Wikipedia; Songfacts; YouTube

Song Musings

Happy Humpday and welcome to another installment of my weekly feature where I’m taking a closer look at a song I’ve only mentioned in passing or not covered at all to date. For today, I decided to write about a tune by one of my favorite singer-songwriters, who I also admire for his great acoustic guitar skills – the one and only James Taylor.

When thinking of Taylor, the first thing that comes to my mind is his warm smooth voice. I feel it has the amazing quality to instantly put listeners at ease. At least, I can confirm it does so for me! That said, this doesn’t mean Taylor is only singing about pretty things. In fact, the song I chose to highlight in this post is a great illustration: A Junkie’s Lament.

Taylor wrote A Junkie’s Lament for his seventh studio album In the Pocket released in June 1976. That record is best known for Shower the People, which became Taylor’s third single to top Billboard’s Easy Listening chart, following his covers of How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You) and You’ve Got a Friend in June 1975 and May 1971, respectively.

According to Wikipedia, A Junkie’s Lament was also released as a single, though I couldn’t find any evidence of that on Discogs.com. What I did find is that Art Garfunkel and Carly Simon who was Taylor’s wife at the time provided duet vocals and backing vocals, respectively. The backing musicians included Leland Sklar (bass) and Russ Kunkel (drums), who along with guitarist Danny Kortchmar were core members of The Section, a band of top-notch session musicians who frequently can be heard on albums by Taylor and many other artists. Here’s a great live version from Taylor’s 2001 Pull Over Tour, which was also captured on DVD.

Following are some additional insights from Songfacts:

This is an autobiographical song about Taylor’s battles with addictions (primarily heroin), the “monkey on his back.”

Speaking with Rolling Stone in 2015, Taylor explained: “This one’s a warning not to think of a junkie as a complete functioning human being. Heroin should’ve killed me about five times, but it never did. My kids suffered from their father being an addict. I think there’s no way they can’t. People take drugs to be in control. They want to short-circuit any risk that they might take in life, any uncertainty, any anxiety. They just want to find the chemical route, to just push the button that gets the final result. So all of your relationships suffer, no question about it.”

You don’t think of mellow singer-songwriters like James Taylor as junkies, which made this song rather surprising. But drug addicts come in many forms, which is his point: the guy you see dropping off his kids at school could be shooting heroin an hour later. The song led to a better understanding of addiction. [I couldn’t have said it any better – while prospects of getting into drugs vary, the reality is nobody is immune, so this tune has an important message – CMM]

“A Junkie’s Lament” is the second track on Taylor’s seventh album, In The Pocket, following “Shower The People.” Taylor had taken some time off and wasn’t the hit-maker he was in the early ’70s, but his music didn’t suffer. He survived the decade and sustained a long and fruitful career that found him performing well into his 70s.

Well, he still is. In fact, I’m thrilled to say I have a ticket to see James Taylor in Philly on Saturday, July 1, my first time!

Last but not least, here are the song’s lyrics:

Ricky’s been kicking the gong, lickity-split, didn’t take too long.
A junkie’s sick, a monkey’s strong, that’s what’s wrong.
Well, I guess he’s been messing around downtown, so sad to see the man losing ground.
Winding down behind closed doors on all fours.

Mama, don’t you call him my name, he can’t hear you anymore.
Even if he seems the same to you, that’s a stranger to your door.
Go on, ask him what’s he come here for.

Oh my God, a monkey can move a man. Send him to hell and home again.
An empty hand in the afternoon, shooting for the moon.
It’s halfway sick and it’s halfway stoned. He’d sure like to kick but he’s too far gone.
They wind him down with the methadone, he’s all on his own.

But baby, don’t you throw your love away, I hate to seem unkind.
It’s only that I understand the man that the monkey can leave behind,
I used to think he was a friend of mine.

Oh, La la la la la la la la,
Oh, la la la la la la la la.
La la la, la la la, la la la la.

Sources: Wikipedia; Songfacts; YouTube

The Sunday Six

Spring has officially arrived – Yay, finally, as it’s been a long and lonely winter! I’m also happy to report that with today’s installment, The Sunday Six has hit its first mini-milestone: This is the 10th post in the weekly recurring series that celebrates the beauty of music from different periods and genres, six random tunes at a time. I think I found a nice set of tracks I hope you will like.

Sonny Rollins Quartet/My Reverie

Let’s kick things off with some amazing saxophone action by American tenor sax player Sonny Rollins. I have to give a shoutout to fellow blogger Cincinnati Babyhead, who recently posted about Tenor Madness, a studio album Rollins released in 1956 as the Sonny Rollins Quartet. In addition to him, it also featured Red Garland (piano), Paul Chambers (double bass) and Philly Joe Jones (drums) – what a cool name, Philly Joe Jones – I love the flow! Oh, and there was this other fellow called John Coltrane, who joined the band on tenor sax for the album’s opener and title track. The track I’m featuring is called My Reverie. Apparently, the first jazz recording was by Larry Clinton and His Orchestra in 1938, featuring Bea Wain on vocals, with lyrics by Clinton. The music is based on Rêverie, a piano piece by French classical composer Claude Debussy, dating back to 1890. This really goes to show there’s such a thing as truly timeless and beautiful music!

The Horace Silver Quartet/Song for My Father

Let’s shake up things a bit on The Sunday Six with another another instrumental and another jazz track back to back. And, nope, Donald Fagen or Walter Becker are not Horace Silver’s father or otherwise related to the American jazz pianist, composer and arranger. But Becker and Fagen both loved listening to jazz. Undoubtedly, they also got inspired by the intro of Song for My Father. Somehow, it became the introductory riff of Steely Dan’s 1974 single Rikki Don’t Lose That Number, their most successful U.S. single, peaking at no. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Whether consciously or unconsciously, to me, this looks a bit like yet another case where a credit should have been given to the original composer. Perhaps Messrs. Becker and Fagen lost his number! Silver who began taking classical piano lessons as a child was active between 1946 and 2004. Initially, he started as a sideman before leading mainly smaller jazz groups. In the early ’50s, he became a co-founder of The Jazz Messengers, which at first he ran together with drummer Art Blakey. After leaving the band in 1956, Silver formed his own five-piece combo, which he led into the 1980s. He continued to release albums until 1998. In 2007, it became known that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. He passed away in June 2014 at the age of 85. Song for My Father, composed by Silver, is the title track of an album he released with his band in late 1965. Great tune!

Jackson Browne/Shaky Town

I trust Jackson Browne needs no introduction. The American singer-songwriter who has been active since 1966 is one of my all-time favorite music artists. I dig both his vocals and his songwriting. I also have something in common with him: We were both born in the lovely town of Heidelberg, Germany. He went on to become a rock star. I ended up playing bass in two bands in my late teens and early ’20s with short-lived ambitions to become a professional musician. It’s probably a good thing it didn’t happen (though never say never! 🙂 ), and I’m a daddy though not rocking in the U.S.A. Instead, I get to enjoy listening to great music by fantastic artists and giving my two cents as a hobby blogger – not such a terrible thing, after all! The one Jackson Browne album I keep coming back to is Running on Empty, his fifth studio release that appeared in December 1977. When I had that aforementioned dream to become a professional musician, I actually envisaged sounding like Browne on Running on Empty, notably, not like The Beatles – true story. I was tempted to go with the title track. Instead, perhaps somewhat ironically, I decided to pick a tune that’s not by Browne: Shaky Town. The song was written by guitarist Danny Kortchmar, who has worked with the likes of Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, Neil Young, Carly Simon and not to forget Carole King. Kortchmar also provided harmony vocals. And check out that sweet lap steel guitar by the amazing David Lindley.

The Church/Under the Milky Way

The Church are an alternative rock band from down under, formed in Sydney in 1980. Their debut album Of Skins and Heart appeared in April 1981. Since then, the band that remains active to this day, has released 16 additional studio albums. Their most recent one, Man Woman Life Death Infinity, came out in October 2017. I covered it here at the time. But it was their fifth international breakthrough album Starfish from February 1988, which brought the Aussie band on my radar screen. I just love the sound, and it remains one of my favorite ’80s records. Here’s the fantastic lead single Under the Milky Way. It was co-written by the band’s bassist and vocalist Steve Kilbey and his then-girlfriend and guitarist Karin Jansson, founder of alternative Australian rock band Curious (Yellow). The atmospheric sound and Kilbey’s distinct vocals still give me good chills.

George Harrison/Blow Away

What’s better than enjoying some sweet slide guitar? You guessed it – more sweet slide guitar action! One of the artists I’ve always admired in this context for his unique tone is George Harrison. I don’t know of any guitarist who got that same sweet slide sound. Blow Away was first released in February 1979 as the lead single from Harrison’s eighth, eponymous studio album that came out a few days later. Written by him, it became one of eight top 20 mainstream hits Harrison had in the U.S., peaking at no. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100. It did even better in Canada, hitting no. 7, one of his nine top 10 hits there. The recording features former Sly and the Family Stone member and session drummer Andy Newmark. Nuff said – let’s get blown away!

Elton John/Your Sister Can’t Twist (But She Can Rock ‘n’ Roll)

Time to wrap things up. How about kicking ass with some good ole rock & roll Elton John style? Ask and you shall receive! I guess Your Sister Can’t Twist (But She Can Rock ‘n’ Roll) is more of a deep track. As usual, the lyrics were written by Bernie Taupin, while Sir Elton composed the music. According to Songfacts, the tune is a “throwback to music of the late ’50s and early ’60s when lots of songs were about dance crazes and teenage girls.” Songfacts also quotes John from a 1973 interview with now-defunct American rock magazine Circus, in which he reportedly characterized the tune as “a cross between surfing music and Freddie Cannon records” that was intended “to end the ‘Crocodile Rock’ thing.” Sounds like John had hoped it would help people forget about that latter tune. While it’s a great song that appeared on his masterpiece Goodbye Yellow Brick Road from October 1973, it’s fair to say Your Sister Can’t Twist (But She Can Rock ‘n’ Roll) was completely overshadowed by other tunes from the album, such as Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting, Bennie and the Jets, Candle in the Wind and of course the title track. John also didn’t release it as a single.

Source: Wikipedia; Songfacts; YouTube

The Sunday Six

Another Sunday morning means it’s time for another selection of six tunes that don’t reflect any overarching theme. Pretty much anything is fair game as long as I like it. In general, I also aim to make these posts a bit eclectic. This installment includes beautiful new age style harp music (a first!), soulful blues, country rock, pop, pop rock and edgy garage rock.

Andreas Vollenweider/Behind the Gardens, Behind the Wall, Under the Tree…

Andreas Vollenweider is a harpist from Zurich, Switzerland. His instrument is no ordinary harp but an electro-acoustic harp he created. A New York Times article from October 1984 characterized his music as “swirling atmospheric”, evoking “nature, magic and fairy tales.” This story appeared ahead of Vollenweider’s U.S. tour debut at the Beacon Theatre in New York City in October of the same year. According to Wikipedia, he was introduced by Carly Simon who had come across his music the previous year. Vollenweider ended up collaborating with Simon 10 years later on his first album to include vocals. He also has worked with Luciano Pavarotti, Bryan Adams and Bobby McFerrin, among others. Behind the Gardens, Behind the Wall, Under the Tree… is the title track of Vollenweider’s second studio album from 1981. To date, he has released 13 additional albums. Until the other day when I randomly remembered his name, I had completely forgotten about Vollenweider and his beautiful and relaxing music. It’s perfect to kick off a Sunday morning.

Chicken Shack/I’d Rather Go Blind

My dear longtime friend and music connoisseur from Germany pointed me to this beautiful song recently. Coincidentally, around the same time, Music Enthusiast mentioned the band Chicken Shack in an installment of his previous four-part series about Fleetwood Mac’s middle period. So what’s the connection between Chicken Shack and the Mac you might ask? Christine Perfect (later Christine McVie) who sang lead and played keyboards in Chicken Shack before recording her eponymous solo album Christine Perfect and joining Fleetwood Mac in late 1970. Chicken Shack released I’d Rather Go Blind as a single in 1969, scoring a no. 14 on the British charts. Written by Ellington Jordan, the tune was first recorded by Etta James in 1967 and appeared on her seventh studio album Tell Mama from February 1968. Perfect’s vocals on Chicken Shack’s cover are – well – just perfect! BTW, Chicken Shack are still around, with the current lineup including founding member Stan Webb (guitar, vocals).

Blue Rodeo/Hasn’t Hit Me Yet

Canadian country rock band Blue Rodeo were founded in 1984 in Toronto. They were formed by high school friends Jim Cuddy (vocals, guitar) and Greg Keelor (vocals, guitar), who had played together in various bands before, and Bob Wiseman (keyboards). Cleave Anderson (drums) and Bazil Donovan (bass) completed the band’s initial lineup. After gaining a local following in Toronto and signing with Canadian independent record label Risque Disque, the group released their debut album Outskirts in March 1987. They have since released 14 additional studio albums, the most recent of which, 1000 Arms, came out in October 2016. Blue Rodeo have enjoyed significant success in Canada. Hasn’t Hit Me Yet was co-written by Keelor and Cuddy who together with Donovan are part of Blue Rodeo’s current lineup. The tune is included on the band’s fifth studio album Five Days in July from October 1993, their best-selling record in Canada to date.

Bruce Hornsby & The Range/The Way It Is

The debut album by American singer-songwriter and pianist Bruce Hornsby with his backing band The Range quickly became one of my favorites when it came out in September 1986. After I hadn’t touched it in many years, I listened to it again about a week ago – turns out I still like it. Hornsby went on to record two additional albums with The Range. His fourth studio album Harbor Lights from April 1993 was the first solely credited to him. Four additional solo albums and four albums with his touring band The Noisemakers have since come out. Hornsby also was a touring member of the Grateful Dead in the early ’90s and has collaborated with numerous other artists. After his first two albums with The Range, Hornsby had dropped off my radar screen. Here’s the title track of his debut. Both the album and the tune enjoyed major international chart success. Not hard to understand way – it’s pretty catchy pop.

Rainbirds/Blueprint

For some reason, the above Chicken Shack tune trigged my memory of German pop rock band Rainbirds. Other than the fact that both tunes feature female vocalists, they really don’t have anything in common – funny how the brain sometimes works! The group around singer-songwriter Katharina Franck, which was formed in Berlin in 1986 and named after a Tom Waits instrumental, enjoyed significant success in Germany with their first two albums. After the band dissolved in 1999 and Franck pursued a solo career, Franck reformed the group in 2013 with a new lineup. Another album appeared the following year. While Rainbirds haven’t released new music since, the group still appears to exist. Blueprint, co-written by Franck (guitar, vocals) and fellow band members Michael Beckmann (bass) and Wolfgang Glum (drums), is from Rainbirds’ eponymous debut album released in January 1987.

The Kinks/All Day and All of the Night

I felt this Sunday Six needed a dose of real rock. The Kinks and All Day and All of the Night looked like a great choice. I love the raw sound, which is very much reminiscent of You Really Got Me, the band’s third single from August 1964 and their first no. 1 in the UK. Written by Ray Davies, All Day and All of the Night came out in October of the same year. It almost matched the success of You Really Got Me, climbing to no. 2 on the British charts. In the U.S., both tunes peaked at no. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. Oh, get ’em hard!

Sources: Wikipedia; The New York Times; YouTube

Bond, James Bond…

“Bond, James Bond…” These words fascinated me from the very first 007 picture I saw when I was a kid growing up in Germany. I can’t remember how old I was but believe it was Goldfinger. On television. Sean Connery as the British super-spy, the silver Aston Martin DB5 with all the cool features, German actor Gert Fröbe as the ultimate bad guy Mr. Goldfinger – and, since this blog isn’t about movies – the killer title track performed by Shirley Bassey, an amazing vocalist!

Between TV and the movie theater, I pretty much have seen all of the 24 pictures released in the series to date. Of course, the difference between then and now is that I have so much matured that I would never want to be James Bond, driving down a winding road in a DB5 with an attractive woman sitting next to him. But taking a look at the 007 soundtracks sounds legitimate for a music blogger, doesn’t it?

Sean Connery with the classic Aston Martin DB5 from Goldfinger

Okay, when it comes to Bond music, we’re not exactly talking Hendrix, Clapton or The Beatles here, though in one case we come close. Plus, 007 title tracks have been performed by an impressive array of artists, such as Carly Simon, Paul McCartney, Tina Turner, Duran Duran and Sheryl Crow, to name a few. Let’s get to some of them – of course, shaken, not stirred! Hence in chronological order.

What could possibly be a better way to kick things off than with the classic James Bond Theme, which first appeared in the film that started it all: Dr. No. from 1962, introducing the movie world to “my 007”, Sean Connery. The piece was written by Monty Norman. John Barry, who composed the soundtracks for 11 Bond movies, arranged it for Dr. No. I’ve always dug the combination of the cool guitar theme that reminds me a bit of Hank Marvin and the jazz orchestra. It’s a timeless movie classic, in my opinion, right up there with Casablanca.

If I could only select one 007 title song, I think it would be the above noted Goldfinger, composed by John Barry with lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley. This also happens to be my favorite Bond picture. Bassey’s killer vocal performance still gives me goosebumps to this day. Goldfinger peaked at no. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving the vocalist born in Wales, England her only top 40 hit in the U.S., and a no. 21 on the UK Singles Chart.

On to Sir Paul and Live and Let Die. The 1973 picture was the first in the series to star Roger Moore as 007, my second favorite Bond actor and very close to Sean Connery. Co-written by Paul McCartney and his then-wife Linda McCartney, and recorded by McCartney’s band Wings, the tune became the most successful Bond title track up to that point, peaking at no. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reaching no. 9 on the UK Singles Chart. The song also reunited McCartney with Fab Four producer George Martin

In 1977, the 10th Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me came out. The title track Nobody Does It Better, composed by Marvin Hamlish with lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager, was performed by Carly Simon. It became Simon’s second most successful single in the U.S. and the UK, reaching no. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and no. 7 on the UK Singles Chart, respectively.

Jumping to the ’80s, here’s the only Bond track to date that ever topped the Billboard Hot 100:  A View to a Kill from the 1985 picture, the last to feature Roger Moore. Co-written by Duran Duran and John Barry and performed by the English new wave band, the song also climbed to no. 2 in the UK, giving Duran Duran one of their biggest hits

The last Bond movie of the ’80s was License to Kill starring Timothy Dalton as 007, not my favorite choice; but I guess following Sean Connery and Roger Moore almost was mission impossible. The title track was co-written by Narada Michael Walden, Jeffrey Cohen and Walter Afanasieff. Gladys Knight performed the tune, marking her last charting solo single in the UK with a no. 6 top position.

This brings us to the ’90s. Who would have ever thought that Bono and U2 would get into the 007 action? Well, they did, writing the title track for the 95 picture GoldenEye, the first to star Pierce Brosnan in the lead role. He’s my favorite “late” 007. The title track, which incorporates a clever dose of nostalgia into a contemporary pop song, was performed by Tina Turner, who may not quite match Bassey’s Goldfinger but undoubtedly was a compelling vocalist.

Let’s pick another one from the same decade: Tomorrow Never Dies from 1997, Brosnan’s second lead role as 007. The title track was co-written by Shery Crow and the song’s producer Mitchell Froom. While the song peaked at no. 12 in the UK, it didn’t chart in the U.S.

This brings us to the current century. I’m not gonna beat around the bush here. The 007 movies and their title tracks haven’t gotten better over the decades. I still wanted to capture two examples from the 21st Century. Here’s You Know My Name from the 2006 picture Casino Royale, the first installment with Daniel Craig. Co-written by Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell and soundtrack composer David Arnold, the tune was performed by Cornell. If I see this correctly, it was Cornell’s most successful single as a solo artist in the UK, where it hit no. 7. It also reached the top 10 in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Switzerland; it was less successful in the U.S., where it climbed to no. 79.

Last but not least, perhaps you wonder how a 007 title track sounds these days. Ask and you shall receive. Here’s No Time to Die from the upcoming picture, the 25th in the series. Scheduled to hit U.S. movie theaters on April 10, it once again stars Daniel Craig as 007. Co-written by Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas O’Connell, the tune is performed by Eilish. It was released as a single on February 13th and debuted on top of the UK Singles Chart and the Irish Singles Chart. At age 18, the American singer is the youngest artist to write and perform a Bond title track. Apparently, the song is also the first 007 theme track to top the British charts – the times they are a changin!

Sources: Wikipedia; YouTube

Rock The Farm Once Again Proves To Be Gift That Keeps On Giving

While late September in New Jersey means fall is upon us and soon folks will start bitching about rain, wind and cold weather, I’ve been looking forward to this last weekend of the month all year. The reason is Rock the Farm, the annual music tribute festival and fundraiser in Seaside Heights, N.J., organized by the CFC Loud n Clear Foundation. As previously noted on these pages, this charitable organization provides support to families struggling with addiction at a particularly critical time when their loved ones come out of drug rehab and need to rebuild their lives while staying sober.

It’s a good thing if you like me have never been hooked on drugs, but let’s not kid ourselves: Even if we think we’re immune, there’s no doubt in my mind addiction can happen to anybody. And it can probably go faster than we want to admit. Therefore, I strongly feel we shouldn’t look down on folks who are in the throes of drugs. Instead, we should support them as best as we can. It’s safe to assume nobody wants to be a drug addict, if they could freely choose. And, yes, impacted people probably made some choices they wish they could take back. But we shouldn’t judge. Behind each case, there is a human being with a unique story.

In fact, just like last year, the event featured individuals who had the courage to come on stage and briefly share their stories with the audience. It’s safe to assume it takes guts to this. It’s also extremely powerful. Among these folks was an 18-year-old woman who said she became a drug addict at age 13. Thirteen years – that’s a good deal younger than my 17-year-old. Her life fell totally apart and she lost everything. This is truly heart-breaking stuff. Luckily, thanks to support from the CFC Foundation, this young woman was able to turn things around and now feels she’s stronger than ever. While it was obviously a happy outcome, I have to admit these stories get to me. I also love the message of hope and empowerment. With that being said, let’s get to some music. There was plenty, and once again, most of it was outstanding.

For readers who aren’t familiar with Rock the Farm, the concept of the 10-hour open air event is this: Imagine a music festival many folks wish would happen but can’t, since artists have passed away or no longer perform. As a music lover, I think it’s a fun idea. Yesterday’s line-up brought a nice mix of tributes playing different music styles, including folk, rock, pop and even hair metal. Following are some clips.

I’d like to kick things off with One Fine Tapestry, a tribute to Carole King, one of my favorite singer-songwriters. At the core of this act are Gerard Barros and Diane Barros, a New Jersey-based versatile husband and wife duo performing a variety of different shows. Yesterday, they were backed by a full band and in addition to King also played some tunes by Joni Mitchell and Carly Simon. For more information and their schedule of shows mostly in Jersey, you can check out their website. Here’s Sweet Seasons, a tune off King’s third solo album Music from December 1971, co-written by her and Toni Stern.

Coo Coo Cachoo, another Jersey-based act, are Thomas Johnston and Ed Jankiewicz, who have been singing Simon & Garfunkel songs since they met in high school some 47 years ago. This means they started about two years after Simon & Garfunkel had released their fifth and last studio album Bridge Over Troubled Water. I find that pretty amazing. In addition to performing as a duo, they each do solo projects. Johnston recently completed his third album of original singer-songwriter material. Jankiewicz has recorded one original album and plays in an eclectic array of music groups , from symphony to blue grass to jazz. More information is on the duo’s Facebook page. Here is their rendition of America. Written by Paul Simon, the song appeared on Simon & Garfunkel’s fourth studio record Bookends released in April 1968. I’ve always liked this tune!

Following are a few tribute acts I covered before, but they’re just too good to skip. First up: Decade, a great act revolving around Neil Young tribute artist John Hathaway, who is also from New Jersey and performs with different line-ups of great backing musicians. Frequent members include guitarist Gordon Bunker Strout, pedal steel player Joseph Napolitano, bassist John Dickson and keyboarder Steve Cunniff. Sometimes, Hathaway’s band also features a female backing vocalist as was the case yesterday with Pam McCoy. For more information and upcoming gigs, visit Decade’s Facebook page. Here’s Cinnamon Girl, a tune from Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, which Young released as his second solo album in May 1969.

The Glimmer Twins, a Rolling Stones tribute from Philly, are another excellent band I previously featured. Adopting the nickname of the songwriting partnership of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, this bandis led by Keith Call (vocals, harp) and Bernie Bollendorf (guitars, vocals), who bring to life the sound and looks of Jagger and Richards in the ’70s. While the band’s remaining musicians don’t resemble the other members of The Rolling Stones, they sound fantastic:  Michael Rubino (guitars), Bobby Corea (drums), Rob Ekstedt (Bass), Rocco Notte  (keyboards), Valorie Steel (vocals) and Bobby Michaels (saxophone, flute, organ). For more information, check out their website. Here’s Can You Hear Me Knocking, one of my favorite tunes from the Sticky Fingers album that appeared in April 1971. Check out the nice sax work by Michaels!

Yet another outstanding band I’ve covered before is TUSK, a tribute to Fleetwood Mac, which mirrors the Rumours lineup. Their members include Kathy Phillips (as Stevie Nicks, vocals), Kim Williams (as Christine McVie, keyboards & vocals), Scott McDonald (as Lindsey Buckingham, guitar & vocals), Tom Nelson (as Mick Fleetwood, drums) and Randy Artiglere (as John McVie, bass). While TUSK are from Jersey, they tour nationally. Check the band’s website for more information including their schedule. If you are into Rumours and other albums the band recorded with that line-up, this is definitely a tribute act I can recommend. Here’s the McVie tune You Make Loving Fun from Rumours, the Mac’s 11th studio album released in February 1977.

The last band I’d like to call out is Simply Queen, a tribute to – yes, you guessed it – Queen. This Canadian band, which has been around for 15 years, features Rick Rock (as Freddie Mercury), Bob Wegner (as Brian May), Phil Charrette (as Roger Taylor) and Mitch Taylor (as John Deacon). Despite some technical issues they seemed to have, especially in the beginning, Simply Queen put on a great show. It was quite obvious that Rock and Wegner have closely studied Mercury and May, respectively, beyond the music to mimic their onstage personas. So similar to the Glimmer Twins and also TUSK, Simply Queen is an audio-visual experience. While they mostly perform in Canada, they venture out to the U.S. fairly frequently. For more information and their schedule, visit their website. Here’s a nice rocker called It’s Late. Written by Brian May, the song is from News of the World, Queen’s sixth studio album released in October 1977. 

With some not so great things that have happened on the family front over the past two weeks, Rock the Farm could not have come at a better time for me. Oftentimes, I feel music is the best therapy and distraction when the shit hits the fan. I was a happy camper. Can you tell from the selfie?

This was the 6th annual Rock the Farm festival and my third time there in a row. I have every intention to return next next year. More information about this great event is available here.

Sources: Wikipedia, Rock the Farm website, One Fine Tapestry website, Coo Coo Cachoo Facebook page, Decade Facebook page, Glimmer Twins website, TUSK website, Simply Queen website, YouTube