Celebrating music with six random tracks at a time
Good morning/afternoon/evening/night – regardless in which time zone you are, I hope you’re feeling great. If you live in a U.S. state that observes daylight savings time and forgot to adjust your watch, don’t worry, you didn’t miss the departure of the magical music time machine that once again will take us to six different tracks from six different decades and in different flavors.
Michael Brecker/Midnight Mood
For our first stop today, we’ll stay in the current century with soothing jazz by saxophone great Michael Brecker. Between 1969 until his untimely death in 2007 at the age of 57, he collaborated with many music artists outside the pure jazz realm, such as Steely Dan, Dire Straits, Joni Mitchell, John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen and Paul Simon. While Brecker’s recording career as a sideman started in 1969, his solo eponymous debut album didn’t appear until 1987. Midnight Mood, composed by Austrian jazz fusion keyboarder and Weather Report co-founder Joe Zawinul, is from Brecker’s June 2002 studio album Nearness of You: The Ballad Book.
The Replacements/Can’t Hardly Wait
Next we shall head to July 1987, which saw the release of the fifth studio album by The Replacements, arguably one of the best and most influential rock & roll bands of the ’80s despite repeated acts of self-sabotage that hindered their success in the music industry. Pleased to Meet Me, the only album recorded by group as a trio, was well received by critics. In addition to its punk roots, the band got into other genres like soul and jazz. A case in point is Can’t Hardly Wait, penned by Paul Westerberg and featuring ex-Box Tops and Big Star vocalist Alex Chilton on guitar.
Hank Williams/Honky Tonk Blues
Our next stop takes us all the way back to September 1952 and Moanin’ the Blues, the sophomore album by Hank Williams. Like his November 1961 debut Hank Williams Sings, it featured songs that all had been previously released as singles, including the hits Lovesick Blues, Long Gone Lonesome Blues and Honky Tonk Blues. Apparently, Honky Tonk Blues took various attempts to record between August 1947 and December 1951, making it one of the most challenging track for Williams to record. In the end, things worked out well and Honky Tonk Blues peaked at no. 2 on the U.S. Country charts.
Deep Purple/Speed King
Time to push the pedal to the metal with Deep Purple and a hard rock song with some of the coolest lyrics. Speed King, credited to all members of the group – Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), Ian Gillan (vocals), Jon Lord (organ), Roger Glover (bass) and Ian Paice (drums), was on the British group’s fourth studio album Deep Purple in Rock released in June 1970. The song, which is made of lyrical bits of rock & roll hits by Little Richard, Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry, also became the albums lead single in May of the same year. Hang on to your seats – ha ha ha ha!
Sting/Shape of My Heart
After some charging high-speed hard rock & roll, I think this would be an opportune moment to slow things down. For this we shall travel to March 1993 and Sting’s fourth solo studio album. Ten Summoner’s Tales is the ex-Police frontman’s Mount Rushmore, in my humble opinion. Here’s the beautiful Shape of My Heart, which Sting co-wrote with guitarist and his long-term sideman Dominic Miller. The song also became the album’s fifth single in August 1993.
The Beatles/Back In the U.S.S.R.
Once again, we’re reaching the final stop of another music excursion, which I hope you’ve enjoyed. Let’s make it count with a song by my all-time favorite band The Beatles from their self-titled November 1968 studio album, aka. The White Album: Back in the U.S.S.R.. The album’s opener was written by Paul McCartney and, as usual, credited to him and John Lennon. The song is a parody of the patriotic sentiments about the U.S. expressed in Chuck Berry’sBack in the U.S.A. and The Beach Boys’California Girls. Take it away, lads!
Of course, this post wouldn’t be complete without a Spotify playlist featuring the above tracks. So long and see you next time!
Happy hump day and welcome to another installment of my midweek feature that takes a closer look at a song I’ve only mentioned in passing or not covered at all to date. My pick today is what many folks call the best pop song ever recorded: God Only Knows by The Beach Boys. While as a long-time fan of The Beatles my knee-jerk reaction is to question that label, thinking the four lads from Liverpool must at least have one song that’s better than God Only Knows, I have to admit The Beach Boys delivered a true gem that’s certainly more than worthy to explore in greater depth!
Co-written by Brian Wilson and Tony Asher, God Only Knows initially appeared on Pet Sounds, the 11th studio album by The Beach Boys, released in May 1966. While it is a remarkable record, I can’t resists to opine it’s not “the greatest rock album ever made”, and also have to say I never quite understood all the fuzz about it. Perhaps one of the best things Pet Sounds did is to influence an album that in my humble opinion is way superior: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band! 🙂
Since this isn’t a post about The Beatles, though they were a much better group than The Beach Boys (I know, I know…), we can work it out and get back to God Only Knows. The pop gem also appeared separately as the album’s third single in July 1966, interestingly as the B-side to Wouldn’t It Be Nice. Notably, the single barely made the top 40 in the U.S., peaking at no. 39 on the Billboard Hot 100. In other countries, God Only Knows was the A-side, which I guess did the trick: No. 2 in the UK, no. 6 in Norway and no. 17 in Australia!
God Only Knows took an impressive production effort. Over the course of March and April 1966, Wilson gathered about 20 session musicians. Most were associated with The Wrecking Crew, a loose collective of L.A.-based top session cats who played on hundreds of top 40 hits in the ’60s and ’70s. To call out a few, Hal Blaine played drums and the sleigh bells, which give the song a bit of a Christmassy touch. Another quite noticeable instrument is the French horn, which was provided by Alan Robinson. A third key musical feature are the strings by The Sid Sharp Strings, creating a lush Phil Spector-type sound.
While the musical arrangement is notable, to me, the true outstanding aspect of God Only Knows are the mighty vocals. Personally, that’s how I feel about The Beach Boys overall, especially when looking at their surf music, which from a strictly musical perspective was pretty derivative. That said, I still love it – because of their incredible vocals! Going back to God Only Knows, the amazing lead vocals were sung by Carl Wilson, which some consider his finest performance. Brian Wilson and Bruce Johnston provided the song’s beautiful harmony vocals. Here’s a mind-boggling October 2014 star-studded cover produced in connection with the launch of BBC Music.
God Only Knows is among the majority of songs on Pet SoundsBrian Wilson wrote with Tony Asher. BTW, in case you’re wondering, Tony Asher neither is related to actress Jane Asher, Paul McCartney’s former girlfriend, nor English musician, manager and record producer Peter Asher, Jane’s older brother. Tony Asher has expressed his thought that God Only Knows was his most effortless collaboration with Brian Wilson who acknowledged he had not written a song like it before and that Asher was a musical influence.
God Only Knows, rightfully, has received much recognition. To start with, none other than Paul McCartney has called it “the greatest song ever written.” I guess Macca forgot about a few Beatles songs! 🙂 Here are some other quotes noted by Songfacts: Pete Townshend: “‘God Only Knows’ is simple and elegant and as stunning as when it first appeared. It still sounds perfect.”Barry Gibb:“It blew the top of my head off. My first thought was, ‘Oh, dear, I’m wasting my time. How can I ever compete with that?'”Dave Bayley of Glass Animals: “That [song – CMM] just keeps taking on new meanings as you go through life. I often ask people if the world was going to end what three songs would you listen to. I change my three songs all the time, but ‘God Only Knows’ is on there most often.”
In 2004, God Only Knows was included in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s500 Songs That Shaped Rock & Roll. In 2021, Rolling Stone ranked it at no. 11 in their list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. I know the Rock Hall and the publication’s lists continue to trigger passionate debate, but as along as I agree with them, I will shamelessly continue to reference them! 🙂
The song has also been covered by god only knows how many other artists. Some include Neil Diamond, Olivia Newton-John, Glen Campbell, David Bowie and even Time magazine’s 2023 Person of the Year, Taylor Swift. Wouldn’t it be nice to hear one of these covers? You bet! Here’s English singer-songwriter and actress Joss Stone who included a beautiful rendition on her September 2044 album Mind Body & Soul.
Following are select additional tidbits from Songfacts:
Brian Wilson wrote “God Only Knows” with Tony Asher, an advertising copyrighter and lyricist Wilson worked with on songs for the Pet Sounds album. Asher came up with the title, but the song reflects Wilson’s interest in spirituality. It was a big departure from previous Beach Boys songs that dealt with girls, cars and surfing.
“It came from God through me,” Wilson told Steve Baltin in the book Anthems We Love. “I was 24 when I wrote ‘God Only Knows’ and the rest of Pet Sounds. All I know is I wrote what was in my heart. And the lyrics and the music just connect with people.”
“God Only Knows” is a pop music landmark and Beach Boys classic, but it went unheralded in the United States when it was released as a single in July 1966. It was first released as the B-side of “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” and then as an A-side, but with little promotion. Fear was that radio stations would refuse to play a song with “God” in the title.
In the liner notes to the reissued Pet Sounds album, Tony Asher explained, “I really thought it was going to be everything it was, and yet we were taking some real chances with it. First of all, the lyric opens by saying, ‘I may not always love you,’ which is a very unusual way to start a love song.”
In America, the song peaked at a lowly #39 in September 1966 and would only be truly appreciated much later. It did far better in the UK, where it went to #2 in August behind The Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine.” That November, The Beach Boys played the song at some London concerts, which is where they first saw its impact.
Carl Wilson (Brian’s brother) handled lead vocals on this track. Not long after the song was released, he said, “At present our influences are of a religious nature. Not any specific religion but an idea based upon that of Universal Consciousness. The concept of spreading goodwill, good thoughts and happiness is nothing new. It is an idea which religious teachers and philosophers have been handing down for centuries, but it is also our hope. The spiritual concept of happiness and doing good to others is extremely important to the lyric of our songs, and the religious element of some of the better church music is also contained within some of our new work.”
Brian Wilson produced the song, but the only Beach Boy to play an instrument on the track is Carl Wilson, who added guitar. The group used session musicians at this time, and lots of them. Fortunately, the Los Angeles area where they recorded was home to some of the best.
These musicians aren’t credited on the album [deplorable! CMM], but a Beach Boys researcher named Craig Slowinski did the work of figuring out who they were, with some interesting discoveries, especially with the percussion. Hal Blaine played drums but also sleigh bells; another drummer, Jim Gordon, played “plastic orange cups.” There’s also harpsichord by Larry Knechtel, accordion by Carl Fortina and Frank Marocco, and flutes by Jim Horn and Bill Green.
Brian Wilson has cited both “The Sound Of Music” and the works of the composer Tchaikovsky as influences on the melody.
Brian Wilson planned to sing the lead vocal himself, but decided that his brother Carl was better suited for the track. “I was looking for a tenderness and a sweetness which I knew Carl had in himself as well as in his voice,” said Brian.
Asked by The Guardian which Beach Boys song took the least effort to write, Brian Wilson replied: “I wrote ‘God Only Knows’ in 45 minutes. Me and Tony Asher.”
In Al Kooper’s tell-all autobiography Backstage Passes and Backstabbing Bastards, Kooper talks about his evening visiting Brian Wilson only a week before Pet Sounds hit the streets: “Brian played a test-pressing of the record, jumping up and stopping cuts in the middle and starting them over to emphasize his points. He was very proud of his accomplishment, maybe even a little show-offish, but I wasn’t about to argue. Do you remember the first time you heard ‘God Only Knows’?”
Celebrating music with six random tracks at a time
It’s Sunday and I’d like to welcome you to the first music time travel trip of 2024! I hope everybody had a good start into the new year. As always, our itinerary includes six stops in different decades, featuring music in different flavors. Let’s do it!
Red Garland Trio/Blue Red
Our first stop takes us to June 1957 and Red Garland’s debut album as a leader, A Garland of Red. The modern jazz pianist helped popularize the so-called block chord style of playing piano in jazz. He first gained prominence when joining the Miles Davis Quintet in 1954. In addition to Davis (trumpet), it featured John Coltrane (saxophone), Paul Chambers (bass) and Philly Joe Jones (drums). By the time Garland recorded A Garland of Red, he still was a member of Davis’ quintet, though their relationship had started to become strained. Davis eventually fired him. On A Garland of Red, Garland was backed by Quintet mate Chambers (bass), as well as Art Taylor (drums). Let’s listen to the album’s closer and sole Garland composition Blue Red. One could be forgiven to think it was written by Chambers, but trust me, eventually you’ll hear more than just upright bass! Plus, did I ever mention bassists are cool? 🙂
The Subdudes/(You’ll Be) Satisfied
New Orleans band The Subdudes blend folk, swamp pop, R&B, Louisiana blues, country, cajun, zydeco, funk, soul and gospel into a tasty musical gumbo. They have been around since 1987 with breaks from 1996-2002 and 2011-2014. Since their eponymous debut from June 1989, The Subdudes have released nine additional studio and two live albums. (You’ll Be) Satisfied, a tip from my dear German music buddy Gerd, is from the third studio album Annunciation that came out in March 1994. The song was written by the band’s bass player at the time, Johnny Ray Allen. This is great stuff!
Quinn Sullivan/Salvation (Make Me Wanna Pray)
For our next stop, we shall travel back to the present and the most recent single by Quinn Sullivan, a dynamite 24-year-old blues rock singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was discovered in 2007 at the age of 7 by Buddy Guy who became his mentor. Sullivan also was a guest on Guy’s 2008 album Skin Deep and has toured various times with him and also performed with B.B. King. Since 2011, Sullivan has released four albums. His most recent single Salvation (Make Me Wanna Pray), released in November 2023, blends contemporary elements with a neat retro sound that reminds me a bit of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix. Damn, this is so good!
Coney Hatch/Don’t Say Make Me
Our next destination was inspired by fellow blogger Deke from DeKe’s Vinyl Reviews & More and The Distortion Den, so you can all blame him! It was on his YouTube channel that I was reminded of Coney Hatch, a Canadian hard rock band I had known by name only. They were formed in 1981 and are still rockin’. In August last year, they released a live album, Postcard from Germany. Of course, any music artist who performs in my country of birth gets my attention! Don’t Say Make Me takes us back to 1983 and the band’s sophomore album Outa Hand – a great opener that reminds me a bit of early Foreigner.
Steve Miller Band/My Dark Hour
We’re reaching our second-to-final stop, so it’s about time to pay a visit to the ’60s. My Dark Hour by Steve Miller Band is the closer of their third studio album Brave New World, which appeared in June 1969. Written by Steve Miller, it was also released separately as a single but only reached a measly no. 126 in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100. Even if you don’t know the song, you probably recognize the distinct guitar riff that starts at around 13 seconds into the track. Miller would recycle that riff for his major August 1976 hit single Fly Like an Eagle.My Dark Hour also had a special guest: Paul McCartney (credited as Paul Ramon) who contributed backing vocals, drums, guitar and bass!
Outlaws/Stick Around For Rock & Roll
Time to wrap up our first music excursion of 2024 with a great proposition by southern rockers Outlaws. Stick Around For Rock & Roll is the final track of their third studio album Lady In Waiting, released in May 1976. It was written by Outlaws co-founder, guitarist and vocalist Hughie Thomasson. Later on, from 1996 to 2005, Thomasson who passed away in 2007 would also play with Lynyrd Skynyrd. Outlaws are still around, though no original member remains in their current line-up. That said, Henry Paul, who was part of the band when they recorded Lady In Waiting, remains a member to this day. This definitely rocks and reminds me a bit of The Doobie Brothers.
Last but not least, here’s a Spotify playlist featuring all of the above tracks. Hope you enjoyed the trip and will be back for more!
“Any musician with a set of ears was influenced by The Everly Brothers” – Graham Nash
This post was inspired by a documentary, The Everly Brothers: Harmonies From Heaven, which I coincidentally caught on PBS on New Year’s Eve. From the PBS description: Explore the story of Phil and Don Everly, two of the most important and influential early rock ’n’ roll stars of the 1950s and ’60s. Featuring new interview footage with surviving brother Don and archival interviews with Phil, the film delves into their relationship with Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, the songwriting team who wrote many of their early hits. It also includes commentary from Art Garfunkel, Graham Nash, Waddy Wachtel, Keith Richards and other music artists. Here’s a link to the trailer.
I started listening to The Everly Brothers in my early teens back in Germany, after my brother-in-law had given me a compilation as a present. I still own that copy and was able to find it in my current mess of vinyl albums (see photo below). At the time, Elvis Presley still was my favorite rock & rock artist. As such, initially, I was mostly drawn to songs like Wake Up Little Susie, Rip It Up and Keep a Knockin’. I immediately loved the Everlys’ great harmony vocals. I think calling them “harmonies from heaven” is no exaggeration!
Isaac Donald “Don” Everly and his younger brother Phillip “Phil” Everly grew up in a musical family and began singing with their parents Ike Everly and Margaret Everly in the 1940s when they were still children. In the mid-’40s, Ike who was a coalmine worker had a show on Shenandoah, Iowa radio stations KMA and KFNF. First, he performed there with his wife, then with their sons who were billed as “Little Donnie and Baby Boy Phil”, who at the time were about 8 and 6 years, respectively. Together, they were known as “The Everly Family”.
In 1953, the family relocated to Tennessee, first to Knoxville, then to Madison. Following high school graduation in 1955, Don moved to Nashville, together with Phil who finished high school there in 1957. The brothers decided they wanted to continue focusing on making music together. Eventually, they came to the attention of family friend Chet Atkins, manager of RCA Studios in Nashville. Atkins helped the brothers get a deal with Columbia Records, but after their first single Keep a-Lovin’ Me flopped, the label dropped them.
Phil Everly (left) and Don Everly
Atkins subsequently introduced Phil and Don to Wesley Rose who told them he could get a record deal if they would sign with his music publishing firm Acuff-Rose. The brothers obliged and Rose introduced them to Archie Bleyer, founder of Cadence Records. Phil and Don got signed and recorded their first single for the label, Bye Bye Love, penned by husband-and-wife country and pop songwriting duo Felice Bryant and Diadorius Boudleaux Bryant.
Released in March 1957, Bye Bye Love became the first of many major hits for The Everly Brothers. In addition to topping the county charts in the U.S., it climbed to no. 2 and no. 5 on the pop and R&B charts, respectively, indicating the duo’s appeal across different music genres. By 1973, tension had built up between the brothers, and they decided to split to pursue solo careers. While Don found some chart success, Phil did not, even though he recorded more frequently.
The Everly Brothers during their 1983 reunion concert at Royal Albert Hall in London
In September 1983, Phil and Don reunited as The Everly Brothers at the Royal Albert Hall in London. The concert was recorded and released as The Everly Brothers Reunion Concert later that year. While the live album reached a respectable no. 47 in the UK, it stalled at no. 162 in the U.S. on the Billboard 200. The Everly Brothers subsequently released three additional studio albums in the ’80s. They continued to tour on and off until 2003-2004 when they were guests on Simon & Garfunkel’sOld Friends reunion tour.
Phil Everly passed away from COPD on January 3, 2014 at the age of 75. Don Everly died at his home in Nashville on August 2021. He was 84. Let’s take a closer look at some of The Everly Brothers’ music and those “harmonies from heaven.” I’m going to highlight six of their songs, followed by a larger career-spanning Spotify playlist.
Bye Bye Love (March 1957)
Notably, this classic had been rejected by 30 other artists before it was given to The Everly Brothers. “I wrote ‘Bye Bye Love’ while traveling home one night,” notedBoudleaux Bryant. “Felice was driving down the highway and I got the first verse and chorus right down there. I always make sure I have a pen and paper in the car for these occasions.” He went on, “We really believed in the song and were disappointed when so many people turned it down. They said it was unsuitable, some even asked if we has anything better!”
Wake Up Little Susie (September 1957)
Wake Up Little Susie, another song by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, became the first no. 1 for the Everlys on the U.S. pop chart. It also topped the country and R&B charts, as well as the charts in Canada. In addition to outstanding harmony vocals, the song has a really cool rhythm, which Don Everly said was inspired by Bo Diddley’s signature beat. “And I guess it rubbed off on me,” Keith Richards said in the above documentary. “Don’s acoustic guitar – rockin’, man!”
All I Have to Do Is Dream (April 1958)
Written by Boudleaux Bryant alone for a change, All I Have to Do Is Dream became another major hit for The Everly Brothers, toping the pop, country and R&B charts in the U.S. Once again, it reached no. 1 in Canada and became the duo’s first song to top the charts in the UK as well. “I remember hearing ‘All I Have To Do Is Dream’ on an acetate with Boudleaux’s version on it, and I said, at the time, they could have put Boudleaux’s out and it would have been a hit,” Don Everlystated. “It’s just a great, great song. It’s beautiful.” Indeed! BTW, these neat tremolo-style guitar chords were played by Chet Atkins.
Cathy’s Clown (April 1960)
While Felice and Boudleaux Bryant wrote many hits for the Everlys, the duo also had original songs. One of the most beautiful examples I know is Cathy’s Clown, which Don Everly wrote. Initially, both brothers had been credited until 1980, seven years after Don and Phil had split and I guess still weren’t on great terms. The song, which has been inspired by one of Don’s ex-girlfriends, became the last no. 1 for The Everly Brothers in the U.S., topping both the pop and the R&B charts. Cathy’s Clown was their first single on Warner Bros. after Cadence Records no longer could afford resigning them. They were still on top of the world.
Crying In the Rain (January 1962)
By the time Crying in the Rain came out, The Everly Brothers had not had a big hit in nearly a year. It already foreshadowed their declining popularity. The ballad was penned by Brill Building songwriters Howard Greenfield and Carole King, who worked for Don Kirshner’s Aldon Music at the time. Kirshner had been eager to produce a hit for The Everly Brothers. He didn’t need to cry in the rain. The song, one of the few King didn’t write with her usual lyricist Gerry Goffin, became the second-to-last top 10 hit for the Everlys on the U.S. pop chart (no. 6) and also reached that same spot in the UK.
On the Wings of a Nightingale (August 1984)
For my final pick, I’m jumping 22 years forward to what became the last charting single for the Everlys, reaching no. 50 and no. 41 on the U.S. and U.K. pop charts, respectively. Following their reunion concert in London the previous year, Phil and Don recorded EB 84, their first studio album of original material in 11 years. On the Wings of a Nightingale, which Paul McCartney specifically had written for them, became the lead single. After Phil Everly’s death in 2014, Macca wrote the following on his website, as reported by the Los Angeles Times: “Phil Everly was one of my great heroes. With his brother Don, they were one of the major influences on the Beatles. When John and I first started to write songs, I was Phil and he was Don.”
Altogether, The Everly Brothers scored 35 Billboard Top 100 singles, of which 26 reached the top 40. They hold the record for the most Top 100 singles by any duo, second only to Hall & Oates for the most Top 40 singles by a duo. In the UK, the Everlys had 30 chart singles between 1957 and 1984. In 1986, they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by Neil Young, who said every musical group he had ever belonged to had tried, and failed, to copy the Everly Brothers’ harmonies. Here’s the above-mentioned Spotify playlist.
Sources: Wikipedia; Songfacts; Los Angeles Times; YouTube; Spotify
Just in time before seeing off the year, I’d like to take a final look at new music. This post highlights my six favorite albums of 2023 I reviewed.
Highway 61 – Driving South
After 30 Years and an incredible background story including the global pandemic, a near-fatal cancer episode and the death of a music mentor, Los Angeles blues rock four-piece Highway 61 released their debut album Driving South on March 24. While after their formation in the early ’90s the band managed to establish themselves on the Southern California club circuit, the record deal they sought remained elusive, and they broke up in 1993. Fast forward to the summer of 2022 when they reconvened for the first time in decades at an L.A. studio to finally record their first album. Highway 61 blend flavors of The Rolling Stones and Tom Petty with dashes of The Black Crowes and Stevie Ray Vaughan. For a little taste, here’s the kickass opener Walk On Water (full album review). Thanks again to Gregg Bell of Wanted Management, who brought Highway 61 on my radar screen!
Ian Hunter – Defiance Part 1
Ian Hunter may be an octogenarian, but he sure as heck can show all the young dudes how to rock. After his departure as lead vocalist from British glam rockers Mott the Hoople in 1974, Hunter launched a solo career and has released his own albums at a fairly steady pace. He frequently collaborated with Mick Ronson until the untimely death of David Bowie’s former sideman in 1993 at the age of 46. His 15th and latest album Defiance Part 1, recorded during COVID lockdown and released on April 21, features the late Jeff Beck, Slash, Billy Gibbons, Todd Rundgren and Ringo Starr, among others, who all added contributions at their home studios. The album also includes Hunter’s longtime collaborator Andy York, one of John Mellencamp’s guitarist, who also served as co-producer. Here’s This Is What I’m Here For, written by Hunter and featuring the late Taylor Hawkins (formerly of Foo Fighters) on drums, Waddy Wachtel (guitar) and Def Leppard’sJoe Elliott (backing vocals) (full album review).
Lucinda Williams – Stories From a Rock n Roll Heart
Lucinda Williams may be among the ultimate rock & roll survivors. Only two and a half years ago, things looked pretty bleak for the singer-songwriter, who turned 70 in January. After her East Nashville home had been damaged by a tornado in March 2020, she suffered a debilitating stroke in November of the same year. Not only did the stroke limit Williams’ physical mobility, but it also took away her ability to play guitar, the instrument she had relied on to write her songs. None of this stopped Williams. After intense rehab, she returned to the stage. Still unable to play guitar, she adjusted her way to write music, collaborated with her husband and co-producer Tom Overby and others, and recorded the incredible album Stories From a Rock n Roll Heart, which dropped on June 30. I don’t mean to romanticize hardship, but I find Williams’ strength truly inspiring. Here’s the de facto title track Rock n Roll Heart, co-written by Williams, Overby and Travis Stephens, guitarist and Williams’ road manager. The song features Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa on backing vocals (full album review). Only select songs of the album are available on streaming services.
Cordovas – The Rose of Aces
East Nashville, Tenn.-based Americana and country rock band Cordovas have become one of my favorite contemporary groups since the summer of 2018 when I coincidentally caught them at a free open air summer concert in New Jersey. Their three-part harmony vocals and warm sound remind me of other groups like The Band, Grateful Dead, Eagles and Little Feat. Cordovas were formed in 2011 by songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Joe Firstman after he had put out a series of solo projects and served as bandleader on NBC’s former late-night TV show Last Call with Carson Daly from 2005 to 2009. On August 11, they released their fourth studio album The Rose of Aces, another gem. Here’s Love Is All It Takes, a song written by Firstman with a neat Allman Brothers Band vibe (full album review).
The Rolling Stones/Hackney Diamonds
Hackney Diamonds is no Sticky Fingers or Exile On Main St., but the first new Rolling Stones album with original music in 18 years still marks a late-stage career highlight. Released on October 20, Hackney Diamonds sounds remarkably fresh and dynamic for a band that has existed for 61 years! The first Stones album since the 2021 death of longtime drummer Charlie Watts features Elton John, Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder, Bill Wyman, Paul McCartney and even Watts, among others. One of the most effective contributions are Lady Gaga’s backing vocals on Sweet Sounds of Heaven, a great soulful ballad credited to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. It also includes Wonder on keyboards and piano, but you don’t notice unless you carefully listen to Jagger telling Wonder, ‘Play me something, Steve’, at around the 5:30-minute mark or check the credits – a relatively small wrinkle on what I think is the Stones’ best studio album since 1989’s Steel Wheels (full album review).
Raze Regal & White Denim Inc. – Raze Regal & White Denim Inc.
The collaboration between Raze Regal, who AllMusiccalls an eclectic, psych, jazz, and rock-influenced guitarist, and James Petralli, vocalist of Austin, Texas indie rock band White Denim who he co-founded in 2006, is one of my most intriguing new music discoveries this year. The album’s sophisticated sound blending jazz, rock, soul and pop at times reminds me of Steely Dan and some of Gino Vannelli’s work I’ve heard. Here’s the cool opener Ashley Goudeau, named after a local Austin morning news anchor, a song about a parasocial relationship with a TV personality (full album review).
It’s hard to believe today is the final Wednesday of 2023. I hope everybody is feeling groovy. For the last time this year, welcome to 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.
If you’ve visited this blog before or are aware of my music taste otherwise, you know The Beatles are my all-time favorite band. I also like a good deal of each member’s solo work and have featured them and the band on many other occasions but not in Song Musings except for John Lennon.
Today, I’d like to turn to George Harrison. While he had become a seasoned writer by the mid-’60s, many of the songs he presented to The Beatles were rejected by Lennon and Paul McCartney. My pick was one of them. Ironically, it’s titled Isn’t It a Pity.
Harrison wrote Isn’t It a Pity in 1966 and proposed it for inclusion on a Beatles album various times, including the Get Back sessions that resulted in Let It Be, as well as The Beatles (White Album), Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Revolver. Like many other such songs it ended up on All Things Must Pass, Harrison’s massive first solo album after the break-up of The Beatles and his third overall.
“‘Isn’t It a Pity’ is about whenever a relationship hits a down point,” Harrison explained in his 1980 biography I, Me, Mine. “Instead of whatever other people do (like breaking each other’s jaws) I wrote a song. It was a chance to realize that if I felt somebody had let me down, then there’s a good chance I was letting someone else down. We all tend to break each other’s hearts, taking and not giving back – isn’t it a pity.”
Isn’t It a Pity, paired with My Sweet Lord, was released as a double A-side lead single on November 23, 1970, four days prior to the All Things Must Pass album. In the UK, My Sweet Lord was paired with What Is Life. The single became a massive hit worldwide, topping the charts in the U.S.; Canada; various European countries, including the UK, Republic of Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Norway and Sweden; as well as Australia.
It also became Harrison’s best-selling single, reaching Platinum status in the U.S. and the UK, and 2x Platinum in Japan. In the mid-’70s, that success got him into trouble with My Sweet Lord, and he was found guilty for subconsciously having plagiarized Ronnie Mack’sHe’s So Fine, a 1963 hit for The Chiffons. Going back to Japan, here’s a live version of Isn’t It a Pity, captured there in 1991 during Harrison’s tour with his friend Eric Clapton. While it’s a pity the video is blurry, the audio is pretty good!
Co-produced by Harrison and Phil Spector, Isn’t It a Pity included a remarkable amount of high profile musicians: Tony Ashton (piano); Billy Preston (piano); Gary Wright (electric piano); Bobby Whitlock (harmonium), of Derek and the Dominoes; Badfinger’sPete Ham, Tom Evans and Joey Molland (each acoustic guitar) and Mike Gibbins (tambourine); Klaus Voormann (bass); and Ringo Starr (drums). In addition to providing slide guitar and vocals, Harrison played acoustic guitar and Moog synthesizer. Orchestral and choral arrangements were done by John Barham. All of this creates a lush wall of sound, but I think it works magnificently for this song!
One of the things I absolutely love about Isn’t It a Pity is Harrison’s distinct slide guitar – a true signature sound. Apart from melodic playing and overdubbed harmony action, the soft tone is outstanding. The latter likely resulted from Harrison using his thumb instead of a pick. It’s also part of the equation for Jeff Beck’s magic tone.
In addition to the famous long 7:10-minute version, All Things Must Pass includes a shorter edit, Isn’t It a Pity (Version 2). At 4:48 minutes, this cut isn’t only significantly shorter but also noticeably slower. Apparently, Harrison initially wasn’t happy with the long version. The shorter version is said to have come about by chance on a separate occasion after one of the backing musicians began playing the song.
Taking a look at the credits for version 2 reveals the following: George Harrison (vocals, acoustic guitar), Eric Clapton (electric guitar), Tony Ashton (piano), Bobby Whitlock (organ), Carl Radle (bass), Ringo Starr (drums), Mike Gibbins (tambourine) and John Barnham (woodwind arrangement). It’s a more subdued cut, but I like it as well.
Isn’t It a Pity has been covered by many other artists, including Matt Monro, Nina Simone, Cowboy Junkies, Annie Lennox and Peter Frampton, among others. The songs was also performed during the commemorative Concert For George on November 29, 2002 by Eric Clapton and Billy Preston who were backed by a large band that included Jeff Lynne and Harrison’s son Dhani Harrison.
I’m leaving you with three of the above renditions, as well as the lyrics.
Isn’t It a Pity
Isn’t it a pity Now, isn’t it a shame How we break each other’s hearts And cause each other pain
How we take each other’s love Without thinking anymore Forgetting to give back Isn’t it a pity
Some things take so long But how do I explain When not too many people Can see we’re all the same
And because of all their tears Their eyes can’t hope to see The beauty that surrounds them Isn’t it a pity
Isn’t it a pity Isn’t is a shame How we break each other’s hearts And cause each other pain
How we take each other’s love Without thinking anymore Forgetting to give back Isn’t it a pity
Forgetting to give back Isn’t it a pity Forgetting to give back Now, isn’t it a pity
[Repeat: x6] What a pity What a pity, pity, pity What a pity What a pity, pity, pity
Recently, Dave who pens the great A Sound Day, once again asked some fellow bloggers to share their thoughts on the latest topic for his fun monthly feature Turntable Talk. He was kind enough to invite me back, and following is my contribution, which first appeared on Dave’s blog last week. Except for some slight tweaks to mirror the formatting of this blog, here’s what I wrote.
After 20 rounds, Turntable Talk truly remains the gift that keeps on giving, and with the holiday season upon us, writing another contribution feels quite appropriate – thanks for having me back, Dave!
This time, our task was to pick any artist or other personality from the music industry – alive or dead – who we could magically invite to come to our home and join us for a holiday dinner.
Even if you limit the universe to music artists only, the choices are enormous. As such, the task may seem impossible, especially for an individual like me who easily feels overwhelmed when there are too many options. And yet I knew right away who my imaginary guest would be.
Drum roll…
Ringo Starr!
‘Okay,’ you might think, ‘he was in The Beatles, your favorite group, but why Ringo? Why not John, Paul or George?’
My answer is simple: While John, Paul and George were brilliant musicians, who have written some of the best music ever recorded, I’m not sure I would enjoy their company as much as I would Ringo’s.
Ringo simply strikes me as a genuinely pleasant individual who does not seem to be full of himself. As such, I don’t think I would feel intimidated talking to him. With John, Paul or George, as much as I admire each, I don’t know. Frankly, I feel it could be a bit awkward.
Based on what I’ve read and what I’ve observed, Ringo is a perfect band mate, and that’s a quality I like a lot. It always seems to be about the music and the success of the band, never about him specifically. I’m absolutely convinced The Beatles would have been a different group and probably would have broken up earlier without Ringo.
I think the concept of Ringo Starr And His All Starr Band perfectly illustrates his personality. Yes, they perform some of the songs Ringo sang for The Beatles and from his solo career, but for most of the show, Ringo is happily playing the drums while other members of his supergroup get the limelight performing some of their songs or songs from their current or former bands.
I also love Ringo’s upbeat nature. To me, the man literally radiates positivity. His annual “Peace and Love” initiative for his birthday is a recurring reminder. Sure, cynics may call it a PR gimmick. While I suppose Ringo doesn’t mind the publicity around it (after all, he wants people all over the world to participate!), I do believe he does it in pursuit of the greater good, not for PR. Perhaps I’m a bit naïve here!
Since this is a contribution for a music blog, I’d like to leave you with six songs sung by Ringo, which unless stated otherwise he also wrote or co-wrote.
Octopus’s Garden (The Beatles – Abbey Road, September 1969)
It Don’t Come Easy (Ringo Starr – non-album single, April 1971)
Wrack My Brain (Ringo Starr – Stop and Smell the Roses, October 1981; written by George Harrison)
La De Da (Ringo Starr – Vertical Man, June 1998)
Postcards From Paradise (Ringo Starr – Postcards From Paradise, March 2015)
Rewind Forward (Ringo Starr – Rewind Forward (EP), October 2023)
Ringo who in July turned 83 remains as vital as ever. Just recently, he announced a 2024 spring tour with the All Starr Band, which currently includes Steve Lukather, Edgar Winter, Colin Hay, Warren Ham, Hamish Stuart and Gregg Bissonette – the same line-up I got to enjoy last June at the Beacon Theatre in New York City sans Edgar Winter who was sick with COVID.
Half of the 12 dates of the upcoming will be a residency in Las Vegas. Three of the other gigs will happen in Mexico City. The remaining dates are still to be announced. I’m thinking they may add more dates or do a fall tour.
Celebrating music with six random tracks at a time
As we’re now well into the final month of the year, the weeks seem to fly by even faster than it usually feels. Sunday is here once again, and whether it’s the morning, afternoon, evening or night in your neck of the woods, I hope you’re up to join me for some music time travel. I got the itinerary ready, so let’s start up the magical music time machine and go now!
The Quintet/Perdido
Our journey today starts in December 1953 with jazz by what in pop or rock you’d call a super-group: Dizzy Gillespie (trumpet); Charlie Parker (alto saxphone), who fellow blogger Music Enthusiastfeatured the other day; Bud Powell (piano); Charles Mingus (bass); and Max Roach (drums). While I visited all of these outstanding musicians during past Sunday Six excursions, this is the first time here we’ll get to hear all of them and the only occasion when they recorded together: a concert at Toronto’s storied Massey Hall on May 15, 1953, appropriately titled Jazz at Massey Hall. The show also marked the last recorded meeting of Parker and Gillespie. Except for Mingus’ mostly under-recorded basslines, which were subsequently overdubbed in a New York studio, everything we hear on the album is from the live performance. Here’s Perdido, a composition by Puerto Rican jazz trombonist Juan Tizol.
The Rembrandts/Just the Way It Is, Baby
How about some power pop? For this we shall set the controls of our music time machine to September 1990 and the eponymous debut album by The Rembrandts. I think it was my often-mentioned longtime German music buddy Gerd, who first brought the American duo of Phil Solem and Danny Wilde on my radar screen. At least in the U.S., they’re probably best known for co-writing and performing the main theme song of NBC sitcom Friends, I’ll Be There For You, which became a big hit in the mid-’90s. The Paul McCartney-esque Just the Way It Is, Baby was their first single, which also did pretty well.
Ian Hunter/Just Another Night
Time to kick up the dynamics a notch with a great rocker by Britain’s Ian Hunter who first came to prominence as a young dude with Mott the Hoople, serving as the English rock band’s lead vocalist from inception in 1969 until their break-up in 1974. Hunter subsequently launched a solo career that frequently saw him work together with David Bowie’s sideman and guitarist Mick Ronson. Not only did their collaboration include Hunter’s above album, You’re Never Alone With a Schizophrenic, but Ronson also co-wrote the neat opener Just Another Night. Hunter, now 84, is still active and came out with a nice new album in April 2023, which I covered here at the time.
Sheryl Crow/Weather Channel
Next, let’s hit the current century and travel to April 2002. That’s when Sheryl Crow, one of my favorite female American singer-songwriters, came out with her fourth studio album C’mon, C’mon. Even if you’re generally not familiar with Crow’s music, you’ve probably heard All I Wanna Do, off her 1994 debut album, which catapulted her to international stardom. Or her second-biggest hit after that song, Soak Up the Sun, which brings me back to C’mon, C’mon and my proposition from that album: the closer Weather Channel, a more obscure cut. Penned by Crow, the song features guest vocals by Emmylou Harris, another great artist in my book!
The Moody Blues/Go Now
On Tuesday, we lost another great music artist with Denny Laine who passed away at age 79 from a severe from of lung disease. Laine is best known as co-founder of The Moody Blues and Wings, Paul McCartney’s backing band from the early ’70s till the early ’80s. Since 1973, he also had a solo career and was still active as recently as earlier this year. Laine co-wrote Mull of Kintyre with Macca, a November 1977 non-album single that not only became Wings’ biggest hit in the UK but also one of the best-selling singles there of all time. While Laine did some writing for the Moodies, he didn’t pen my pick but sang lead on it: Go Now, a stunning rendition of a song first recorded by American R&B and soul singer Bessie Banks she released in January 1964. The Moody Blues included what became their first and only no. 1 in the UK on their July 1965 debut album The Magnificent Moodies. What a gem!
Chris Isaak/Wicked Game
We’re reaching our sixth stop, which means it’s time to wrap up today’s trip. This takes us to June 1989 and Heart Shaped World, the third studio album that became the breakthrough for American singer-songwriter and occasional actor Chris Isaak, fueled by Wicked Game. After the track got featured in the 1990 David Lynch film Wild At Heart, Isaak’s signature song also became his biggest hit. Kudos to another dear friend who reminded me about Wicked Game the other day: Mike Caputo, a professional songwriter, musician and leader of Good Stuff, a great tribute band to Steely Dan, who also play select songs by Sting, Stevie Wonder and Gino Vannelli (I previously covered him and the group here and here). I’ve always loved Wicked Game’s cool guitar sound.
Before wrapping up this post for good, here’s a Spotify playlist of the above songs. As always, I hope there’s something there that tickles your fancy and you’ll be back for more.
Recorded under challenging conditions, Paul McCartney’s 5th post-Beatles album became his Mount Rushmore
It was 50 years ago today on December 5, 1973 that Paul McCartney released Band On the Run. His fifth album after the break-up of The Beatles and his third with Wings is widely considered his finest work outside The Fab Four, even though it came together under challenging conditions. Band On the Run also came at a critical time for McCartney who had yet to gain artistic credibility for his post-Beatles work.
After completing a successful UK tour with Wings in July 1973, he started to plan the group’s third album. The stakes were high. Predecessors Wild Life (December 1971) and Red Rose Speedway (May 1973) had a lukewarm reception from music critics and uneven commercial and chart performances. “Paul thought, ‘I’ve got to do it, either I give up and cut my throat or [I] get my magic back,” Linda McCartney subsequently told Sounds magazine.
Macca figured recording in an exotic location would help the album, so he asked EMI to send him all of their international recording studios. Eventually, he picked Lagos, Nigeria, not realizing into what he was getting himself and the band. By the time of their departure, the latter turned out to be his wife Linda and guitarist Denny Laine. Drummer Denny Seiwell and guitarist Henry McCullough had left. Since there wasn’t enough time to find replacements, Wings became a trio, with Macca taking on drums, percussion and most of the lead guitar parts, in addition to bass, piano, keyboards and vocals.
When they arrived in Lagos on August 9, 1973, they found a recording studio in poor condition. I guess they tried to make the best of the situation, deciding to work during the week and engaging in tourism on the weekend. But things turned dicey. During a walk outside one night, Paul and Linda were robbed at knifepoint. Not only did the assailants take all their valuables but also stole a bag with handwritten lyrics and songs and demo cassettes. And it didn’t end there.
While McCartney was overdubbing a vocal track, he suddenly began gasping for air and eventually fainted. What Linda initially thought was a heart attack was officially diagnosed as a bronchial spasm brought on by too much smoking. In another notable incident, local Afrobeat pioneer and political activist Fela Kuti confronted Macca in the studio, accusing the band of exploiting and stealing African music. This prompted McCartney to play their music to Kuti to prove him wrong.
In yet another twist to the saga, ex-Cream drummer Ginger Baker got into the picture. He invited Wings to record the entire album at his ARC Studio in the nearby city of Ikeja. McCartney ended up going there for one day, which resulted in the recording of Picasso’s Last Words (Drink to Me), with Baker contributing by playing a tin can full of gravel – you just can’t make this stuff up! After six weeks during which the basic tracks and initial overdubs were completed, Wings left Nigeria. The album was finished at George Martin’sAIR Studios in London. Given the above, one wonders why they didn’t depart earlier.
Time for some music! The obvious start is the album’s magnificent opener and title track, one of my all-time favorite McCartney songs. With its three distinct parts, Band On the Run is a song mini-suite reminiscent of The Beatles’Abbey Road. The song, which also became the album’s second single on April 8, 1974, was partly inspired by a remark George Harrison had made during one of The Beatles’ many business meetings. Another inspiration McCartney acknowledged during a 1988 interview with Musician magazine were drug busts he and other musicians of the late ’60s and early ’70s had experienced.
Jet, the second track on side one, was the album’s first single released on January 28, 1974. On a couple of occasions McCartney said the song was inspired by a Labrador Retriever dog named Jet. In a different interview he noted Jet was the name of a pony he owned. In yet another version, Macca said Jet was about his experience meeting Linda’s father. While as such the song’s inspiration remains ambiguous, there can be no doubt Jet has become one of Macca’s most beloved songs that remains a staple in his live sets to this day.
Side one closes with another gem: Let Me Roll It, a nice rocker with a great guitar riff. While it has been interpreted by many as an olive branch to John Lennon after his Beatles break-up song How Do You Sleep?, McCartney in a 2010 interview with Clash magazine explained it essentially was a drugs song, Songfactsnotes. “‘Let Me Roll It’ wasn’t to John, it was just in the style that we did with The Beatles that John was particularly known for. It was really actually the use of the echo. It was one of those: ‘You’re not going to use echo just cos John used it?’ I don’t think so. To tell you the truth, that was more [about] rolling a joint. That was the double meaning there: ‘let me roll it to you.’ That was more at the back of mind than anything else. ‘Dear Friend,’ that was very much ‘let’s be friends’ to John.”
This brings me to side two, from which I’d like to call out two tracks. The first is the aforementioned Picasso’s Last Words (Drink to Me). In a November 2010 interview with British TV channel ITV1 McCartney explained he created the song on the spot in Montego Bay, Jamaica during a dinner with Dustin Hoffman. After the actor had doubted Macca could write a song about anything, he put him to the test by pulling out a magazine that had a story about the death of Pablo Picasso and his famous last words, “Drink to me, drink to my health. You know I can’t drink anymore.” McCartney obliged, and came up with a demo of the song on the spot!
Last but not least, here’s the album’s excellent closer Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five. The piano-driven song culminates in a big finale with a full orchestra, Mellotron, organ and horns. McCartney said it originated with just the first line: “With a lot of songs I do, the first line is it. It’s all in the first line, and then you have to go on and write the second line…With this one it was ‘No one ever left alive in nineteen hundred and eighty-five.’ That’s all I had of that song for months. ‘No one ever left alive in nineteen hundred and eighty… six?’ It wouldn’t have worked!”
Notably, all songs on the album are credited to Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney, except for No Word, which was co-written by Macca and Denny Laine. Band On the Run was produced by Paul McCartney, with former Beatles sound engineer Geoff Emerick serving in the same role. Tony Visconti provided orchestration for the title track, Picasso’s Last Words (Drink to Me) and Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five. Interestingly, he didn’t receive proper credit until the 25th anniversary reissue in 1999.
Unlike McCartney’s previous four post-Beatles albums, Band On the Run was mostly well received by critics upon its release. By contrast, its initial chart performance wasn’t exactly overwhelming, including peaks of no. 9 on the UK Albums Chart in December 1973 and no. 7 in the U.S. on the Billboard 200 in February 1974. But later in 1974, the popularity of the two singles Jet and Band On the Run changed the album’s trajectory and propelled it to the top of both charts. It also hit number 1 in Canada, Australia and Norway.
Band On the Run ended up with triple Platinum certification (3 million certified sold copies) in the U.S. alone and became EMI’s top-selling ’70s album in the UK. Altogether, it sold more than 6 million copies worldwide. Band On the Run also earned various accolades. In 2000, now-defunct popular music magazine Q ranked it at no. 75 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever. Moreover, it was included at no. 418 on Rolling Stone’s 2012 list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Last but no least, in 2023, Band On the Run was also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Celebrating music with six random tracks at a time
Happy Sunday and hope you’re feeling groovy! I can’t believe it’s December, and we’re well into the year-end holiday season – seems unreal to me. Regardless of how you feel about it, I hope you’ll join me on another trip with the magical music time machine, which starts right now!
Sonny Stitt/The Nearness of You
For our first stop today, let’s set the time controls to 1956 and hope we have enough runway for this baby to 88 miles an hour! American bebop/hard bop jazz saxophonist Sonny Stitt, known for his warm tone, recorded more than 100 albums during his active close-to-40-year career. Sometimes viewed as mimicking sax genius Charlie Parker, eventually, Stitt developed his own sound and style. After struggling with heroin and alcoholism through much of his life, Stitt passed away from cancer in 1982 at the age of 58. The Nearness of You, a beautiful composition by Hoagy Carmichael and Ned Washington, appeared on a 1956 album titled Sonny Stitt Plays. Hank Jones’ piano and Shadow Wilson’s “soft” drums give the tune a bar feel. The recording also features Freddie Green (rhythm guitar) and Wendell Marshall (bass) – my kind of Sunday morning music!
4 Non Blondes/Superfly
Let’s kick it up a few notches with this next pick that takes us to October 1992. About four months later, you couldn’t switch on any mainstream radio station without hearing What’s Up, the major international and only hit for San Francisco-based rock band 4 Non Blondes. The song first appeared on their sole studio album Bigger, Better, Faster, More!, as did Superfly – and, no, it’s not a cover of the Curtis Mayfield gem you may know. The song was co-written by lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Linda Perry who also penned What’s Up. Unlike the latter, Superfly missed the charts altogether when it appeared in March 1994 as the album’s fourth and final single. During recording sessions for what was supposed to become 4 Non Blondes’ next album, Perry left to launch a solo career, and the group dissolved shortly thereafter.
The Pointer Sisters/Lay It On the Line
I’m in the mood to keep up the intensity, and my proposition is a smoking hot rocker performed by a music act who you may find surprising in this context: The Pointer Sisters. While the American girl group from California may be best known for R&B and pop hits like Jump (For My Love) and I’m So Excited, over their 50-plus-year-and-counting career, they have touched many other genres, including jazz, blues, soul, funk, country, dance and – yes- rock! Lay It On the Line, co-written by Patrick Henderson and Wornell Jones, is the kickass opener of the group’s fifth studio album released in October 1978 and appropriately titled Energy – the very same that included their excellent rendition of Bruce Springsteen’sFire, which became one of their biggest hits. BTW, the ladies were backed by top notch musicians, which for Lay It On the Line included Waddy Wachtel (lead guitar), Danny Kortchmar (rhythm guitar), as well as Toto’sDavid Paich (piano), David Hungate (bass) and Jeff Porcaro (drums).
Joe Firstman/Slave or Siren
Time to pay a visit to the current century and the sophomore solo album by Joe Firstman, released in July 2003. The singer-songwriter gained national prominence as bandleader on American late-night TV program Last Call with Carson Daly. After his tenure on the now-defunct NBC show from 2005 to 2009, Firstman founded Americana and roots rock group Cordovas, who over the past five years have become one of my favorite contemporary bands. Here’s Slave or Siren, a great-sounding song off Firstman’s second solo album The War of Women.
The Beatles/A Day In the Life
After nearly five months, I think a visit to my favorite band of all time, who are back in the charts more than 50 years after their breakup, is in order. This shall take us back to May 1967 and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, which I continue to think is the best studio album by The Beatles and, frankly, one of the best ever recorded. And while throwing out attributes, why not picking the magnificent closer, which on most days also happens to be my all-time song by the Fab Four: A Day In the Life. While credited to John Lennon and Paul McCartney, as usual, this gem was mostly written by John, with Paul mainly contributing the middle section. As on most Beatles songs, all four members helped shape this masterpiece.
Rush/The Spirit of Radio
Once again, we’re reaching the final destination of yet another Sunday Six. Let’s end it in January 1980 with a great song by Canadian rock band Rush: The Spirit of Radio, off their seventh studio album Permanent Waves. It marked the group’s shift toward more concise arrangements and songs that were more radio-friendly. Evidently, music listeners liked what they heard, propelling the single to no. 22, no. 51 and no. 13 on the mainstream charts in Canada, the US and the UK, respectively. Admittedly, Rush were acquired taste for me, especially their early work featuring very high vocals by Geddy Lee. While Lee doesn’t exactly sound like Hank Marvin on The Spirit of Radio either, I simply have to acknowledge it’s a helluva song!
As usual, I’m going to leave you with a Spotify playlist featuring all of the above stops during this music time travel excursion. It turned out to be pretty rock-oriented, and I hope there’s something you dig and I will see you again soon!
Christian's Music Musings 