YouTube Fugue(Listening To Songs After the Midnight Hour)

Walker: Texas Ranger Redux?

2012-01-24T20:58:00.004-06:00

My Love For Evermore, The Hillbilly Moon Explosion

Walker: Texas Ranger, TV Intro

And then somehow, we ended up here:
Finders, Keepers,Bombariado, Tom Stormy Trio

Coen Bros "Fargo" -- Let's Find Each Other Tonight

2012-01-10T00:05:00.000-06:00

Let's Find Each Other Tonight, Jose Feliciano

Home -- OK Sweetheart

2011-12-25T20:23:00.002-06:00

The interesting things one finds by surfing the net. This is awesome.

Home, OK Sweetheart

Does she remind you of Lily?

F*ck You, Lily Allen

A Man Too Old To Start Again

2011-12-18T23:09:00.002-06:00

Wrong Rainbow, Peter Yarrow

1975: Do You Know Where You're Going To?

2011-09-11T22:56:00.003-05:00

Do You Know Where You're Going to? Diana Ross
I don't know if I knew where I would ultimately end up, but in 1975 I was somewhere between Boston and Los Angeles. My heart was in Boston; my body was in LA.

But two years earlier, in 1973, all of me was in Boston. [This allowed embedding, but I prefer this version, a link away.]

Do You Know Where You're Going to? Diana Ross

It's funny how life goes. Three beautiful women.

Killing Me Softly With His Song

2011-07-23T23:22:00.003-05:00

Amy Winehouse is found dead today, age 27 --> Lauryn Hill --> Roberta Flack and this song --- perhaps the most interesting song of all time ...

Killing Me Softly With His Song, Robert Flack

Since I Don't Have You, Don McLean

Since I Don't Have You, The Skyliners

Someone at YouTube wrote:

"I was born in 1964. I grew up with my parents playing this song. It remains one of my all-time favorites. Some things never go out of style." I don't recall music ever being played in our home, except for practicing the piano and practicing our band instruments.

American Pie, Don McLean

The Films of Joel and Ethan Coen

2011-07-08T01:30:00.006-05:00

... and, then, how did I get here?

Lookin' Forward, Lookin' Back, Slim Dusty

... and then this?

That's The Way Love Goes, Jewel and Merle Haggard

Cher and Sonny -- Very Early Clip -- 1965 -- I Got You Babe

2011-07-04T02:19:00.000-05:00

Who would have ever guessed that Cher would have stayed on top for forty years? Wow!

I Got You, Babe, Sonny and Cher

Mountain of Love

2011-07-04T01:17:00.001-05:00

The original was written and sung by Harold Dorman.

Mountain of Love, Harold Dorman

From Dave Marsh's Heart of Rock and Soul:

But at least "Mountain of Love" entered rock history, the more so after Johnny Rivers took the song Top Ten in 1964. Harold Dorman faded back into the woodwork for another decade, working as a typewriter repairman and leather maker until Charley Pride picked up his "Mississippi Cotton Picking Delta Town" and made it a country hit. After that, a few of Dorman's other good songs had some country chart success. In 1982 Pride got some country play with "Mountain of Love."

Taps

2011-05-27T16:18:00.000-05:00

Taps.

Tarantino Kill Bill and More

2011-01-21T22:46:00.000-06:00

Tarantino was a genius when it came to combining music and scenes:

Kill Bill, Vol. 2

Il Mercenario -- L'Arena, Ennio Morricone

I've Been Everywhere

2011-01-20T23:10:00.003-06:00

I've Been Everywhere, Hank Snow

Look What They've Done To My Song -- Melanie

2011-01-20T23:02:00.002-06:00

Look What They've Done To My Song, Melanie

Opened for Frank Sinatra; Her Most Famous Fan Was Elvis Presley

2011-01-15T17:34:00.009-06:00

Nothing Takes the Place of You, Timi Yuro

Hurt, Timi Yuro

Whats A Matter, Baby?, Timi Yuro

"Whats A Matter, Baby" was produced by an interim producer who happened to step in when Liberty Records' producer abruptly walked away. The interim producer ... Phil Spector.

All Alone Am I, Timi Yuro

Trivia Time?

2011-01-13T22:38:00.002-06:00

What/who connects these three songs/videos? The answer can be found at YouTube.com.

Heartbreak Hotel, Willie Nelson

Cry Me a River, Joe Cocker

This Diamond Ring, Gary Lewis and the Playboys

Leon Russell was at the keyboard in all three videos (he may not be seen in the last video).

Del Shannon

2011-01-13T22:11:00.003-06:00

Runaway, Del Shannon

The Snake, Max Crook

The Twistin' Ghost, Max Crook

I Wanna Talk About Me

2011-01-12T19:43:00.000-06:00

I Wanna Talk About Me, Toby Keith

What is Love?

2011-01-11T21:06:00.003-06:00

What is Love, A Night At the Roxbury

Tammy Wynette

2011-01-07T00:04:00.003-06:00

In My Room, Tammy Wynette and Brian Wilson, 1996

Perhaps it's just me, but while listening to Tammy sing "In My Room," it reminded me of the following:

Suicide is Painless, MASH, The Movie

Music Swims Back to Me -- Anne Sexton, 1957

2011-01-02T14:39:00.000-06:00

Wait Mister. Which way is home?
They turned the light out
and the dark is moving in the corner.
There are no sign posts in this room,
four ladies, over eighty,
in diapers every one of them.
La la la, Oh music swims back to me
and I can feel the tune they played
the night they left me
in this private institution on a hill.

Imagine it. A radio playing
and everyone here was crazy.
I liked it and danced in a circle.
Music pours over the sense
and in a funny way
music sees more than I.
I mean it remembers better;
remembers the first night here.
It was the strangled cold of November;
even the stars were strapped in the sky
and that moon too bright
forking through the bars to stick me
with a singing in the head.
I have forgotten all the rest.

They lock me in this chair at eight a.m.
and there are no signs to tell the way,
just the radio beating ot itself
and the song that remembers
more than I. Oh, la la la,
this music swims back to me.
The night I came I danced a circle
and was not afraid.
Mister?

-- Anne Sexton

Road Songs

2010-11-27T20:57:00.004-06:00

Me and Bobby McGee, Janis Joplin

City of New Orleans, Arlo Guthrie

Lights on the Hill, Slim Dusty

On The Road Again, Willy Nelson

Country Roads, Take Me Home, John Denver

Rockabilly Rules!

2010-11-25T20:02:00.005-06:00

Swedish: Top Cats

Rockabilly Rules, Stray Cats

Rockabilly Medley, Stray Cats

Bring It Back Again, Stray Cats

Be-Bop-a-Lula, Gene Vincent

Country Roads, Take Me Home

2010-10-21T20:23:00.005-05:00

Thirty-seven years ago I hitchhiked from Williston, North Dakota, to New York City, to catch an Air Luxembourg flight to Europe. At least that's what I told my parents. Yes, I did hitchhike to New York City, and I did catch a flight to Europe, and I did spend a summer in Germany, Italy, and Spain.

But the bookends to that summer in Europe was a week with a woman I had met two years earlier -- another long story -- and desperately wanted to see again. And the only way to do that, was squeeze in a trip to Europe at a time when I had no money, and thus the need to hitchhike.

My hitchhiking route took me through Pennsylvania on I-80, just skirting West Virginia to the south, but every time I heard this song, and every time hear this song, I am reminded of Linda.

Country Roads, Take Me Home, John Denver

I don't know if country roads were taking me home to Linda, or if country roads were taking me home to North Dakota.

Some years later -- many years later -- I drove with the love of my life and the mother of our two wonderful daughters from Virginia to Ohio, passing through West Virginia. West Virginia is every bit as beautiful as these pictures in the video.

Anyway, the YouTubeFugue will take me to "Linda On My Mind," I suppose.

Linda On My Mind, Conway Twitty

The Dance, Garth Brooks

The Dance, Garth Brooks -- posted in memory of Dale Earnhardt

Crying Time Again: Blues? Country? Buck Owens?

2010-10-21T20:11:00.000-05:00

Some years ago Don Was and Tony Brown produced "Rhythm, Country and Blues," an album with eleven duets with a country singer and a blues singer. This is a classic that should be in everyone's music library. It really is very, very good.

Tonight, while in one of my YouTubeFugue states, I ran across "Crying Time" -- the one made famous by Ray Charles. Now that was a blues song. One of the best ever.

Except it wasn't a blues song. It was country, written by Buck Owens. Who would have thunk.

Unfortunately I can't find a video with Ray Charles alone singing his classic that does him or the song justice, so I had to post this one. It will do for now.

Cryin' Time, Ray Charles and Glen Campbell

Blues? Country? Buck Owens? You call it.

Tell My Boy, That Daddy's So Proud of Him

2010-10-21T19:38:00.000-05:00

One can find any number of better audio and video, perhaps, on YouTube, but this is a very important clip.

Before Johnny's backup trio, the Tennessee Three, there was, as seen in this video, the Tennessee Two: Marshall Grant on upright bass and Luther Perkins on electric guitar.

Give My Love to Rose, Johnny Cash

Apparently "Give My Love to Rose" was written by Johnny himself. Wow.

It was the 8th track on Johnny's seventh album, "Johnny Cash Sings Hank Williams." In fact, only the first four songs, according to Wikipedia were written by Hank Williams; the others were said to be written by Johnny Cash and include:

Folsom Prison Blues
Give My Love to Rose
I Walk the Line

Incredible.

Many incredible phrases, many lines, but this is most poignant, "... tell my boy, that daddy's so proud of him." Nine words enveloping all there is between a boy and his father, despite the circumstances. Absolutely incredible.

2010-10-20T22:17:00.006-05:00

I guess I'm in a Norah Jones / Willie Nelson kind of night.....

Willie Nelson was always so gracious to perform duets with almost everyone.

I think this first video of Willie with Norah may be in celebration of his 70th birthday; I could be wrong, but that's what I think I read somewhere about this video (yes, at the end, Norah wishes Willie a "happy 70th").

He was smart to let the duet turn into a single by Norah.

Wurlitzer Prize (I Don't Wanna Get Over You), Norah Jones and Willie Nelson

And sometimes you have to put up with the "not so good" to enjoy the "really, really good." The "not so good" is Kris, but Norah more than makes up for it. I believe this is a tribute to Johnny Cash.

I Guess Things Happen That Way, Norah Jones and Kris Kristopherson

Are You Lonesome Tonight, Norah Jones

And I'm just sitting here, waiting for you to come home and turn me on.

Turn Me On, Norah Jones

Blue Eyes Cryin' in the Rain, Shania Twain and Willie Nelson, his 70th Birthday Party

.... and the classic ... live ...

Blue Eyes Cryin' in the Rain, Willie Nelson

I Guess Things Happen That Way, Johnny Cash

Folsom Prison Blues, Johnny Cash and the Highwaymen

You Never Even Called Me By My Name, David Allen Coe

Highway Man

2010-10-07T23:12:00.001-05:00

The Highwayman, The Highwaymen

The Association

2010-10-07T21:02:00.000-05:00

Never My Love, The Association

Along Comes Mary, The Assocation

Cherish, The Association

Sonny James

2010-10-05T22:35:00.001-05:00

Young Love, Sonny James

The Hollies

2010-10-01T21:14:00.002-05:00

Back to 1964 --

Just One Look, The Hollies, 1964

... and this is why I love the fugue. I started with the Hollies, completely forgetting that Linda Ronstadt had sung this song. She is absolutely gorgeous in this video:

Just One Look, Linda Ronstadt

... and the studio version, the one I grew up with. Wow, those were the days:

Just One Look, Linda Ronstadt

This was the album cover I remember:

Just One Look, Linda Ronstadt

But back to The Hollies,

I'm (Truly) Sorry, Suzanne, The Hollies

...and skipping through The Hollies cover of this Bob Dylan song, and going to the best version:

The Mighty Quinn, Manfred Mann

... and who can forget "Do Wah Diddy" and back full circle to 1964:

Do Wah Diddy, Manfred Mann

On a roll, from 1957...

Little Darlin', The Diamonds

I could go on forever. Need to quit. One last thing. I have often opined that the best year for music was 1969. Little Darlin' became a hit for the Diamonds in 1957. The rock and roll group Sha Na Na performed Little Darlin' at the Woodstock Festival ... yes ... 1969. Over and over I am validated and/or vindicated: 1969 was the best year for music.

Tarantino

2010-09-27T21:04:00.003-05:00

Pulp Fiction, the Dance

Songs Written by the Gods....and Sung By Angels

2010-09-11T23:19:00.003-05:00

To Know Him Is To Love Him, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton

Long, Long Time, Linda Ronstadt

Different Drummer, Linda Ronstadt (Michael Nesmith, writer)

The Great Divide, Nanci Griffith and Emmylou Harris

Lone Star State of Mind, Nanci Griffith

I Still Miss Someone, Nanci Griffith

Songs Written By the Gods

2010-09-11T22:24:00.003-05:00

We all associate this song with Arlo Guthrie; in fact, it was written by Steve Goodman:

The City of New Orleans, Steve Goodman (writer)

Someone said, about this song:

Songs like this seem like they fall out of the sky, written by gods. almost too good to be human. and what sweet guitar picking. this guy was one of a kind.

I could not have said it better: some songs seem to have fallen out of the sky, written by the gods.

Last summer (2009) I took Amtrak (US passenger train) from Los Angeles north along the coast to Portland, Oregon, and then east across the northern tier to Chicago, Illinois. From there, I caught the "City of New Orleans" and eventually made it back to San Antonio. Quite a trip.

This summer (2010) I completed that last little bit circum-tracking the nation by taking Amtrak from Boston to Chicago (that completed the circum-tracking) and then on to Portland, again.

The words are perfect: leaving Chicago -- pulling out of Kankakee -- rolls along, past houses, farms, and fields. Passin' towns that have no names; freight yards full of old black men and the graveyards of the rusted automobiles.

Kankakee -- don't you just love that word, that name?

Yes, some songs seem to have just fallen from the sky, written by the gods.

Live, with Arlo Guthrie, who made it famous:

The City of New Orleans, Arlo Gutrie

Here's the version, the studio version, with which you are probably more familiar:

The City of New Orleans, Arlo Gutrie (computer simulated video)

Real Country Classics

2010-09-04T22:49:00.011-05:00

We will start with this one, for no particular reason, except I remember growing up with this song while living on 17th Street, Williston, North Dakota, when it was still a gravel street. I vividly remember the day it was black-topped, as we called it then. Williston was very desolate.

Hello, Walls, Faron Young

It's Such a Pretty World Today, Wynn Stewart

Girl on the Billboard, Del Reeves

Six Days on the Road, Dave Dudley

The End of the World, Skeeter Davis

Coca-Cola Cowboy, Mel Tillis

Send Me Down to Tucson, Mel Tillis

Hello, Walls, Willie Nelson

Is That All There Is?

2010-09-01T20:09:00.000-05:00

Fly Me To The Moon. If only I could link these to the video from when they came!

Fly Me To The Moon, Doris Day

I'm Sorry, So Sorry, Please Accept My Apology, Brenda Lee

(I Bless The Day I Found You), Let It Be Me, Skeeter Davis and Bobby Bare

Only You (And You Alone), Reba McEntire

Is That All There Is? Peggy Lee

This Probably Needs to Be Posted Every Two Years in November

2010-08-30T16:18:00.002-05:00

A great election-year conversation starter:

She's A Lady, Tom Jones vs Who Let the Dogs Out, Fatt Jakk and his Pack of Pets

I understand some folks are upset with this. I would imagine it would not be difficult to post an alternative. I would start with Susan Sarandon in "Rocky Horror Show" for the Democrats, and then to the "early" Jane Fonda. This is not all that difficult. Actually, maybe all we need is the first half of the video.

Anaïs Nin

2010-07-30T22:08:00.003-05:00

Anais Nin: (embedding was disabled, so you have to go to click on Anais Nin which will take you to YouTube to see/hear the video).

The lyrics:

Paris, April 14

Ma vie est un exil My life is an exile
J'envie tes jours tranquilles I envy your calm days
A Clichy In Clichy
Henri, volcan velours Henry velvet volcano
Bandit au souffle court Bandit breath
J'écris la nuit, le jour I write at night, day
Tout mon amour All my love,
Mon amour My love
Là dans mon journal Here in my journal

[Chorus:]
Anaïs Nin a le diable au coeur Anaïs Nin has the devil inside
La douleur assassine The pain kills
Anaïs Nin, Anaïs Anaïs Nin, Anaïs
Infiniment féminine Infinitely feminine
Anaïs Nin a le diable au coeur Anaïs Nin has the devil inside
La douleur assassine The pain kills
Anaïs Nin
Nin

Miller

I fled the noise of cities
La pluie est un exil The rain is an exile
Elle coule des jours tranquilles It runs quiet days
A Clichy In Clichy

Henry I have a heavy heart
Gray around us
always cry
Tout mon amour All my love
Mon amour My love
Là dans mon journal Here in my journal

Miller

I'm Cold
Le temps d'un taxi Time for a taxi
Et me voilà And here I am
Contre toi, Henry Against you, Henry
Attend-moi, je te suis Looks to me, I am
Peu m'importe si I do not care if
Parfois la nuit nous trahit Sometimes at night we betray
Enfer ou paradis Heaven and Hell
Apprends-moi l'interdit Teach me the forbidden

The ban (the ban ... )

Anaïs Nin a le diable au coeur Anais Nin has the devil inside
La douleur assassine The pain kills
Anaïs Nin, Anaïs Nin
Anaïs Anaïs
Infiniment féminine Infinitely feminine
Anaïs Nin a le diable au coeur Anais Nin has the devil inside
La douleur assassine The pain kills
Anaïs Nin Anaïs Nin
Anaïs Anaïs
Miller Miller
Anaïs Anaïs
Miller Miller
Anaïs Anaïs
Miller Miller

Pop A Top for Three Bells

2010-07-29T22:13:00.001-05:00

Recently I started thinking about how I miss the camaraderie this song elicits. Maybe I've been away from San Antonio too long.

I enjoyed Alan Jackson's version, but somehow Jim Ed Brown's version sounds more ... more ... country. Alan's just seems a bit too polished. I wonder if it's the vinyl vs the CD quality. Hard to say. Enjoy.

(I do have to admit that Alan Jackson's version has a better opening "pop a top" sound.)

Pop A Top, Jim Ed Brown

... now, you've got me going ... here's one you probably haven't heard in a long time, and probably have never seen ...

Three Bells, The Browns

... and one of the best versions ... wow ...

Three Bells, Edith Piaf

... and, how could I resist ... this really is quite good ... on so many levels ...

Three Bells, Sha Na Na

Somebody's Knockin'

2010-06-11T20:00:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe that I didn't have this video on this site until now:

Somebody's Knockin', Terri Gibbs

FridayNightFugue, Round 78364

2010-06-04T20:06:00.003-05:00

I started this blog a couple years ago, and then deleted the whole thing, and started over.

One night I was surfing YouTube.com and could not recall how I had gotten to where I was, and I was completely unaware of the time that had passed. All I could say was that I was in a YouTube "fugue." That's how this site got started.

Tonight, Friday night, no plans, and I feel another evening of a YouTubeFugue about to begin.

I start with:

I saw the movie Kinky Boots years ago, and that's where I first heard this song. Since then I've heard it many different places and by many different people. It brings back memories of Menwith Hill Station; Pateley Bridge; meteors; long, long, walks; bittersweet memories.

I think this is slightly different:

And this is why I enjoy the YouTubeFugue. Has anyone else seen this before tonight? I had not:

And yet another:

But when I think "boogie," it doesn't get better than this:

One can't download the "official video" of this, but this song is amazing. Some folks have asked about the lyrics. If one has been down this road, the lyrics make perfect sense ... in my secret life ... I saw you this morning ... you were moving so fast ... can't seem to listen my grip .... on the past ..... And I miss you so much ... there's no one in sight ... and we're still making love ... in my secret life ... incredible lyrics ... I smile when I'm angry ... I cheat and I lie ... I do what I have to do ... to get by .... By I know what is wrong ... and I know what is right ... and I'd die for the truth .... in my secret life ... incredible lyrics ... I finally got my orders ... I'll be marching through the morning ... I'll be marching through the night ... and the dealer wants you thinking ... that it's black or white ... thank goodness it's not that simple in my secret world ... but I'm always alone ... and my heart is like ice ... and it's crowded and cold ... in my secret life ...

If only it were possible ...

Wow, and here it is. This is why I love YouTubeFugue ... play this loud .... very loud ... the video gets "scratchier and scratchier" ... it keeps getting removed from YouTube.com and someone finds an old copy and uploads it again. For now, enjoy ....

I remember climbing to the top of the roof of an apartment building in the Back Bay, Boston, on Beacon Street, many, many years ago ... a most romantic, coming of age ....

... from "Boogie Street" to "Yellow River"...

... slowing down ...

June 1: Happy, Happy Birthday

2010-05-29T21:47:00.004-05:00

(posted May 29, 2010)

"Happy, Happy Birthday" was Dolly's first song; there is conflicting information whether it charted. She later recorded it again with Willie Nelson.

Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson

The Sixties (not necessarily including 1969)

2010-05-19T23:21:00.001-05:00

The Mamas and the Papas, Compilation

Blondie

2010-04-26T18:48:00.006-05:00

Perhaps my favorite, the first one in the series below. But then I have a lot of favorites.

I uploaded more than I had planned just to see Deborah Harry in her different outfits.
Call Me, Blondie

One Way or Another, Blondie

Sunday Girl, Blondie

Denis, Blondie

Hanging on the Telephone, Blondie

Touched By Your Presence, Blondie

Picture This, Blondie

Pretty Baby, Blondie

k.d.lang.best.song.best.interview

2010-04-22T22:43:00.003-05:00

Without question, one of the best interviews ever.

"When did you first realize you were....?" Even k.d. couldn't stop laughing.

Big Boned Gal From Southern Alberta, k.d.lang

See Ysabella Brave ... Again

2010-04-21T20:25:00.007-05:00

This is pretty incredible. It's not YouTube, but it started with YouTube.

A couple years ago I stumbled across "Ysabella Brave." She was a most incredible talent, essentially a karaoke singer, but very, very unique. Her audience kept growing and the number of hits on her YouTube postings started hitting some remarkable numbers.

Then, all of a sudden, one could not find her on YouTube. Rumors flew until she posted an explanation on YouTube. I forget the details, but due to copyright issues, YouTube canceled her YouTube account. I was devastated; quite angry. Over time I thought less often of Ysabella but always wondered what happened next. She did end up signing a contract with Warner Brothers, but I haven't heard much about that.

Tonight, I was in the mood to see/hear Ysabella again and started looking for her again. It took a few clicks, but no real sleuthing, and I found a site put up by an individual who somehow had found most of the Ysabella videos and re-posted them. He (Julio) says he does not know whether he, too, will be forced to take down his site, but for now it's quite a joy.

See Ysabella again.

Ysabella's first response. Quite incredible in its own right, her innocence.

Ysabella does a great cover of "Fade Into You" at that site linked above. For the original:

Fade Into You, Mazzy Star

Peter and Gordon

2010-04-11T19:50:00.010-05:00

"I Go To Pieces" was written by Del Shannon who gave it to Peter and Gordon:

I Go To Pieces, Peter and Gordon

"A World Without Love" was a Lennon/McCartney song:

A World Without Love, Peter and Gordon

What was it about the 60's that made it the best decade ever, in so many ways? A traditional folk song:

Five Hundred Miles, Peter and Gordon

Marianne Faithful

2010-04-01T22:03:00.000-05:00

Marianne Faithful, "As Tears Go By," written by Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and their manager Andrew Loog Oldham, according to Wikipedia. YouTube contributor says Marianne Faithful wrote the lyrics and has subsequently been given co-credit for the song. This launched Marianne Faithful's career in 1964. It was initially titled, "As Time Goes By" (Casablanca tune).

As Tears Go By, Marianne Faithful

Time Capsule

2010-03-31T19:57:00.000-05:00

These just might make it to my time capsule.

Baby Makes Her Blue Jeans Talk, Dr Hook

Sunset Sam, Michael Nesmith

Cry Me a River, Mad Dogs and Englishmen (Joe Cocker)

Against the Wind

2010-03-06T22:13:00.002-06:00

We were runnin' against the wind. We were young and strong. We were runnin' against the wind...the years rolled slowly past....I found myself alone...

Against the Wind, Bob Seger

Spaceholder

Japanese Love Songs

2010-03-05T23:28:00.009-06:00

The first one:

The second one....

The third one...

The fourth one...

Mayumi Itsuwa

The fifth one ...

The sixth one ...

Not one of the ten, but has to be included:

Sukiyaki, Kyu Sakamoto

Nobody's Child

2010-02-26T21:19:00.006-06:00

I assumed Nobody's Child was written by the Travelin' Wilburys. How interesting to find that it was first sung by Hank Snow back in 1949 according to Wikipedia. Unfortunately a video with the Wilburys singing this song is not yet posted on the net.

For now, this will have to do (and in some respects, I enjoy it more than the Travelin' Wilburys. It's a bit more mellow).

Nobody's Child, Nancy Sit

Of all the videos of The Travelin' Wilburys, this is among the best: great footage of all five of them and great arrangement:

Handle With Care, The Travelin' Wilburys

The End of the Line.

Nobody's Child, The Traveling Wilburys

Don't Even Ask

2010-02-26T20:39:00.007-06:00

..... Don't even ask....

Love Potion #9, Nancy Sit

Nobody's Child, Nancy Sit

I'm a Believer, Nancy Sit

In Mandarin:

Love Potion #9, Nancy Sit

Venus, Nancy Sit

Herman's Hermits

2010-02-25T21:26:00.009-06:00

This came out in February, 1967. I was a sophomore in high school, and on the varsity wrestling team. I remember listening to this song on the long bus rides from Williston, North Dakota, to points east (Minot, Mandan, Bismarck) and points west (Billings, Montana) for wrestling meets. I was madly in love, and just as sentimental then as I am now. Who ever would have imagined that we would enjoy these groups again as often as we liked, whenever we liked, on our desks?

There's A Kind of a Hush, Herman's Hermits

....and the Hermits did the next song, but it was Sam Cooke who made it the classic it is:

Wonderful World, Sam Cooke

..... which, of course, led to ....

Cupid, Sam Cooke

.... so, how did we get here? Another one of those fugue states....

A Wishin' and a Hopin', Dusty Springfield

No Milk Today, The BlackSheeps

The Blacksheeps: a Norwegian rock band; they hit the big time when they won a 2008 music contest in Norway.

And still another version (the first?):

No Milk Today, The E-Types, 1966

No Milk Today, Herman's Hermits

Foreigner

2010-02-24T20:33:00.000-06:00

Another great 70's band. About the same time as Queen.

Waiting for a Girl Like You, Foreigner

Crazy Heart

2010-02-21T10:42:00.002-06:00

Not bad.....

Fallin' and Flyin', Colin Farrell and Jeff Bridges

This really is quite good. I'm impressed.

The filming was done at a Toby Keith concert. My hat is off to Toby Keith to be a sport and let them do this at his concert, and how about that Jeff Bridges -- getting up in front of a Toby Keith audience and sing country! Pretty amazing.

Please Come to Boston

2010-02-18T20:04:00.011-06:00

Please Come To Boston, Dave Loggins

I don't know when I first really started listening to music. I don't recall paying much attention to music while growing up. I don't recall having a "record player" although my parents did have a "hi-fi" set which included a built in record player which always intrigued me. The "hi-fi" set was in the living room, a room where the children did not go; I recall that it was a very rare event to have music played on that set.

Somewhere along the line I started listening to cassette tapes, and I did start to collect a vinyl collection somewhere along the line, but I have no recollection when or where. I find that very strange that I can't remember considering how much music is a part of my life now. I know that I did not have a turntable or any vinyl collection while in college. Following college, I did have some positive cash flow; I lived in South Pasadena with a roommate, and there I must have had a turntable and speakers, but I'm having trouble visualizing exactly what I had.

I do recall the Best of the Bee Gees album, the music and the art work, and I think it must have been the first album I owned and one that has always been one of my favorites. It was released in 1969, the year that I consider to have the best music ever. Interestingly, I did not know this album was released in1969 until I looked it up tonight because I was trying to remember when I first started enjoying music. 1969. Depending on the mood I'm in and the thoughts I'm having, on any given night, this can be my number one album of all time. Others that can make the list: Willie Nelson's Red-Headed Strangers; Wanted!, The Outlaws; and, Leonard Cohen's Ten New Songs.

Massachusetts, The Bee Gees

There is no direct connection with "To Sir With Love" by Lulu, but tonight while listening to it, somehow I felt it needed to be put here. What a great song.

To Sir With Love, Lulu

... and a live version, a little bit later ...

To Sir With Love, Lulu

... and again, a little bit earlier ...

To Sir With Love, Lulu

... I guess I can never get enough of this one ...

To Sir With Love, Lulu

To Sir With Love, Lulu on Ed Sullivan

To Sir With Love, The Movie, Lulu

To Sir With Love, The Movie, Lulu

Cher

2010-02-13T22:38:00.001-06:00

I think I've purchased 25 different Macintosh / Apple computers over the years -- for me, for my wife, for my daughters. I wish I had had room over the years to keep all the models. Each model is associated with very good memories.

Tonight, coming home I heard Cher on the radio; I've always enjoyed her. When I got home, I "needed" to hear her again. I let YouTube choose the song for me, and "Strong Enough," the official music video popped up. In this video, the original iMac, the "bean-shaped" iMac took center stage:

Strong Enough, Cher

I bought my first "bean-shaped" iMac when we were stationed at Langley Air Force Base. I remember it very well; it was the first Apple computer that I bought as soon as it was released. Generally I waited until just before a new model was going to be released, and "older" models would drop in price.

If I remember correctly, this song came from Cher's album Believe. My secretary played the album over and over all day long. Cher's songs were all autobiographical.

Walking in Memphis, Cher

San Antone

2010-02-13T17:34:00.004-06:00

Freddy Fender, RIP, was a member of this group. I live just a few miles away from Gruene Hall. One more reason I will never leave San Antonio. Gruene Hall, great music, and generally no cover charge. Sunday buffets are outstanding!

Who Were You Thinkin' Of, Texas Tornadoes, Gruene Hall, BBC Production, 1992

Anybody Goin' To San Antone, Texas Tornadoes, Gruene Hall

Wasted Days, Wasted Nights, Texas Tornadoes, Gruene Hall

96 Teardrops, Texas Tornadoes, Gruene Hall, Texas

San Antonio Rose, Patsy Cline

Darlene Love -- Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)

2010-02-10T20:22:00.008-06:00

2000And to think I served with every one of those folks! What an honor!

2005

2009

1995

2008

2010

1993

Rod Stewart

2010-01-16T22:42:00.008-06:00

This must have been a spectacular concert.

Besides beautiful songs, Rod Stewart always manages to surround himself with gorgeous women (there are at least three in the following clips). For their names, see below or double-click on the videos to take you to the original YouTube site to read the comments.

So many wonderful memories....

A Reason to Believe, Rod Stewart

If you are wondering, the violinist / guitarist is J'Anna Jacoby.

Maggie May (this is the third time I've tried to keep this posted; the folks keep removing videos of Rod Stewart singing this song)

I Don't Want To Talk About It, Rod Stewart and Amy Belle

The lovely saxophonist is Katja Rieckermann.

Mellow -- oh, so Mellow

2010-01-15T21:51:00.005-06:00

I don't know if I will add additional videos to this first one, but this is quite remarkable:

Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky Star, Merle Haggard

If I could get a video of Wrong Rainbow, Peter Yarrow, I would post it on this page. Wrong Rainbow used to be available on Korean sites, but even those have been removed. The webpages and the lyrics are still there, but not the audio.

This is quite incredible. Just after posting the above note, I checked an old link, and what do you know, the link is back up and the audio is just fine: http://blog.chosun.com/blog.log.view.screen?blogId=51222&logId=2573493.

Here is another link to Wrong Rainbow. Wrong Rainbow is hard to find. I link it more than once in case one of the links breaks.

Accordion

2010-01-12T12:03:00.003-06:00

Don't ask ....

American Express

Time Goes

The Glasgow Reel -- her favorite

Devil Doll

2010-01-11T20:31:00.004-06:00

Sorry, Gary Allan

Was this Gary's answer to Devil Doll's The One Who Got Away?

The One Who Got Away, Devil Doll

******

More of Devil Doll

If I Died In Your Arms, Devil Doll

Elegant Music! I Will Follow Him

2010-01-11T12:58:00.002-06:00

It is amazing how a simple song can become so elegant with perfect arrangement, professional back-up, and a mature voice. I loved this song when I was a teen-ager, but it seems even better here:

I Will Follow Him, Peggy March.

This is the "original":

The "original."

And a short, scratchy version, but at least you can see little Peggy March (well, not any more; it's been removed by YouTube. How disappointing. I will leave the shell here reminding me to check in periodically to see if it's been brought back up):

Scratchy, live version.

You Don't Own Me

2010-01-07T23:58:00.005-06:00

You Don't Own Me, The Blow Monkeys

Of course, this song has nothing to do with Hunter S. Thompson, but when I listen to the arrangement by The Blow Monkeys, I think of HST, and reading the poetry he wrote of the Hell's Angels. It makes no sense, I know, but that's what I think of when I have a couple of glasses of white wine and listen to the song. RIP HST.

[Listening to this again, it seemed I had heard the introduction somewhere before. And then it occurred to me, Nina Simone's "I Put A Spell on You." Not exactly but the same haunting, bluesy beginning. Wow. And then I thought of an atrium in a farmhouse at the top of a hill in Pateley Bridge. Wow.]

You Don't Own Me, Leslie Gore

You Don't Own Me, Joan Jett

Leroy Van Dyke

2009-12-12T21:48:00.006-06:00

Walk On By, Leroy Van Dyke, 1961

The Auctioneer, Leroy Van Dyke

The Auctioneer, Leroy Van Dyke -- Live

Nothing Takes the Place of You

2009-12-12T15:15:00.004-06:00

Nothing Takes the Place of You, Toussaint McCall

I read your letters, one by one,
And I still love you, and
When all is said and done,
Nothing takes the place of you.

I remember the daily correspondence, even special delivery letters that would arrive on Sundays.

Yes, I read those letters one by one,
And I still love her.
But now she's gone.

See also, Timi Yuro.

Pateley Bridge Yorkshire

2009-12-10T20:46:00.026-06:00

I've got to see you again (posted May 23, 2010) ...

I've Got To See You Again, Norah Jones

I can't help myself. I've got to see you again.

I could almost go there, just to live in a dream.

.. and a prayer ... and the answer you give ...

My Prayer, The Platters

Yes, an incredible British mini-series, and not available on DVD -- how sad! Lipstick on Your Collar.

Lipstick On Your Collar, Connie Francis

Just close your eyes and dream....

Just Walk On By, Leroy Van Dyke

... and, not a moment goes by...

Arvo Pärt: Te Deum (embedding disabled) ...

You'll Never Walk Along, Gerry and the Pacemakers

Nothing Takes the Place of You, Toussaint McCall

I Look Up When I Walk

... do you remember counting meteors on that blackestofblacknights? We had so much ... how fast it goes.

At the Dark End of the Street, James Carr

....you're the reason God made Oklahoma, and I'm sure missin' you...

The Reason God Made Oklahoma, David Frezzell and Shelley West

"....in the still of the night...the BBC chimes every hour...lost in the 50's tonight....we'll hold each other whenever we hear...the still of the night..."

Lost in the Fifties, Ronnie Milsap

.... I flew all night...to get to you... is that alright....

I Drove All Night, Roy Orbison

Wolfman Jack signing off; Nothing Takes the Place of You, Toussaint McCall

You might enjoy listening to the next one (Bob Seger's We've Got Tonight) on YouTube site so you can read the comments; they are precious.

We've Got Tonight, Who Needs Tomorrow, Let's Make It Last, Bob Seger

I cannot forget the way we were ... the clock stood still ... but still time passed too quickly ...

Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky Star, Merle Haggard

B-52s

2009-12-08T20:59:00.004-06:00

Rock Lobster, Live, B-52's

Love Shack, B-52's

This really was very, very good:

Planet Claire, B-52's

1971

2009-12-06T20:45:00.001-06:00

How Do You Mend a Broken Heart?, Bee Gees

The top 100 songs of 1971.

ABBA

2009-12-06T18:11:00.018-06:00

ABBA topped the charts for ten years, from 1972 to 1982.

I don't remember hearing even one of their songs during this period. I was in over my head, in love with beautiful women and doing all I could to maintain best grades possible in college, graduate school, and first job. I do believe that decade was my coming-of-age decade, a decade in which I recall very little music. Any music I was listening to was country. More on that later, perhaps.

But it was the decade of ABBA. And the decade for ABBA.

I Do x 5, ABBA

Fernando, ABBA

Money, Money, Money, ABBA

Waterloo, ABBA, (YouTube removes better versions)

The next video was a complete surprise. It sounds like it is right out of Lawrence Welk but the photograph probably was not.

I Am Just a Girl, ABBA, nice photo

Now, back to some fun....

I Do x 5, ABBA

On and On and On, ABBA

Here's a link of On and On and On that is still there (hopefully).

Ring, Ring, ABBA

Ring, Ring Mix, ABBA & Blondie

Ring, Ring (Swedish), ABBA

I Do X 5, ABBA

By the way, they're real...and they're SPECTACULAR!

2009-12-06T12:03:00.001-06:00

By the way, they're real....and they're SPECTACULAR!

Unexpected But Surprisingly Good

2009-12-05T20:57:00.007-06:00

We'll start with ...

You Don't Own Me, Joan Jett

... and, not bad....

Hanging on the Telephone, Blondie :: Ring, Ring, ABBA

Too bad the video was removed; here's a link that is still there, hopefully.

If you thought "Ring, Ring" was good, look at the next mix. This is absolutely incredible. It is so good, it's hard to believe that Blondie's "Rapture" is playing at the same time as "Riders on the Storm." Incredible.

"Jim Morrison, meet Debra Harry."
"Debra, meet Jim."
"Jim, what's your profession?"

This really is incredible. It's hard to believe that Blondie's Rapture is in the background while The Doors sing Riders in the Storm; the beat and the key work together perfectly.

Feleena: The Trilogy

2009-12-04T21:52:00.004-06:00

The Feleena -- El Paso Trilogy

Feleena

El Paso

El Paso City

CCR, 'nuf said

2009-11-29T00:19:00.006-06:00

The Midnight Special, CCR

Lookin' Out My Backdoor, CCR, maybe my favorite of the CCR songbook.

Down on the Corner, CCR

Bad Moon Rising, CCR

I Put a Spell On You, CCR

The following bit of footage reminds me of the early Beatles (I need to compare dates of this footage with that of early Beatles, 1964). After seeing this and comparing early Beatles, one wonders if "slower music," more introspective music, was the result of the later Beatles, taking us in a whole new direction. Trivia: plagiarism charges ("Good Golly, Miss Molly," Little Richard, settled out of court). "Banned" (actually declared "inappropriate lyrics to be played on the radio) by Clear Channel following 9/11 terrorist attacks -- whatever.

Travelin' Band, CCR

Junior Brown

2009-11-28T23:12:00.004-06:00

Rock and Roll Medley, Junior Brown

Highway Patrol, Junior Brown

My Wife Thinks You're Dead, Junior Brown; wife in band

Patsy Cline

2009-11-28T18:55:00.000-06:00

Close your eyes and listen to this, it is truly incredible.

San Antonio Rose, Patsy Cline

Bobby Bare

2009-11-28T18:30:00.008-06:00

500 Miles Away From Home, Bobby Bare

Detroit City, Bobby Bare

Continuing the theme, about how I feel tonight, metaphorically:

1,000 Miles From Nowhere, Dwight Yoakim

Four Strong Winds, Bobby Bare (not as good as Ian and Sylvia; too fast)

Proof that reincarnation exists

2009-11-25T19:07:00.013-06:00

First, the Mamas and Papas in 1967....

California Dreamin', The Mamas and Papas

...and in 1980, they morphed into the B-52's and made a hit with...

Own Private Idaho, The B-52's

... and Idaho became the new California.

(Coincidentally, I posted this November 25, 2009; this morning, November 26, 2009, the B-52's Planet Claire was featured in the Macy's Day Annual Thanksgiving Parade. It was the only non-syrupy song in the parade!)

Another example.....

On my previous site, I gave another example that reincarnation exists. On that site, I uploaded two vidoes, one of ABBA and then one of Blondie. Someone has done me one better, combining the two into one video, definite proof not only that reincarnation exists, but visual and auditory proof that reincarnation exists.

Ring, Ring, ABBA :: Hangin' on the Telephone, Blondie

*****

This one might be a bit more subtle, but reincarnation is sublime:

Sunset Sam, Michael Nesmith

Michael Nesmith morphs into Bruce Springsteen:

Glory Days, Bruce Springsteen

And this may be one of the best visual proofs that reincarnation is real: President Barack Obama was a country singer in his previous life:

Detroit City, Bobby Bare

And then, of course, who can forget Rita Chao, back in the '60s and '70s (embedded not permitted), who came back as Martha Wainwright in the 90's:

The Tower of Song, Martha Wainwright

Thank Heaven for YouTube.com

2009-11-21T20:03:00.017-06:00

Que Sera Sera, Thailand Boys and Girls, Commercial

Hundert Mann und Ein Befiel, Heidi Bruehl, 1966

Life Has Been Good To Me, French Stewart and Randy Newman (3rd Rock From the Sun)

Rosemarie, Andy Kaufman

My Girl, Wolfman Jack - yeah, I heard him in North Dakota, all the way from Tijuana.

A Canadian's Opinion, Tex Ritter

The Auctioneer, Leroy Van Dyke

Puttin' On The Ritz, Taco

Facebook Song, Kate Miller

A Bunch of Luther Perkins Licks

In My Room, Bill Medley, Phil Everly, Brian WilsonBill Medley: The Righteous BrothersPhil Everly: The Everly BrothersBrian Wilson: The Beach Boys

Thank Heaven for YouTube.com.

1969

2009-11-18T18:28:00.086-06:00

The top 100 songs of 1969.

There was an 18-month-period, from late 1968 through mid-1970 that clearly had some of the best music ever. The Beatles were still going strong, but touring less, and would soon stop completely. The era of "free love" and the uncertainties of the Vietnam War probably contributed to some of this really incredible music. Speaking of the Vietnam war, I turned 18 in 1969. My lottery draft was July 1, 1970; my lottery number was 103. The highest lottery number called for this group was 125; all men assigned that lottery number or any lower number, and who were classified as available for military service, were called to report for possible induction. I would have been deferred by virtue of being enrolled in college. I was worried that I would be called up before I graduated from college. I was convinced, but wrong, that the war would still be going on when I graduated from college.

Songs from the musical "Hair" (opened in NYC, 1968) played throughout 1969, and I saw the musical in person in Los Angeles in December, 1969.

Venus, Shocking Blue

By the way, there were other reasons that made 1969 a very memorable year.

Yesterday, Roy Clark (it has an annoying beep periodically; if I find a better recording I will replace this with that)

Everybody's Talkin', Harry Nilsson

From Diane Wood Middlebrook's biography of Anne Sexton:

In 1969 it seemed harder than ever to to be parents of teenagers [Anne and her husband Kayo had two young teenage daughters, Linda and Joy]. [The Pill was approved by the FDA in the early 1960s; its use spread rapidly in the late part of that decade, generating an enormous social impact. Time Magazine placed the pill on its cover in April, 1967. -- wikipedia] Suddenly, even in the suburbs, everyone was in drug trouble, if marijuana was the drug in question (letters indicate that Anne too sneaked a joint now and then during Kayo's absence; he loudly disapproved of pot). The point wasn't so much the drugs, though, as the "drug culture," which made parents lose their bearings. Nineteen sixty-nine was the year of Woodstock; albums by Janis Joplin, the Jefferson Airplane, and the Doors, prescribing sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll, were hard to get away from. These new media stars were white, middle-class young people with good educations who had seemingly evolved in a single generation into sleek, charismatic animals of a new breed. Their music surged into suburban homes and, like a tide lifting all the boats, made parents worry about what their own children were up to. Sexton reported that her daughter Linda had "fallen in love with a hippy with long, long hair. What do I say? I'm kind of a hippy myself." Should Linda go on the pill? If she smoked, shouldn't she pay for her own cigarettes?

Venus, Shocking Blue
I wasn't the only one who thought they were singing about something else when we first heard this song.

The Rapper, Jaggers (released, December, 1969)

Vehicle, Ides of March (fastest selling record for Warner up to that time; close enough, 1970)

Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes), Edison Lighthouse, January 31, 1970, close enough)

In the Year 2525, Zager and Evans

Hitchin' A Ride, Vanity Fair

Radio 2 was my favorite radio station while serving in England during my Air Force career. Wonderful memories. I remember my last night in England many years ago, staying awake all night, listening to the music, listening to the DJs, counting the hours left before going home by counting the chimes.

Smile a Little Smile for Me, Rose Marie, The Flying Machine

Yellow River, Christie, May, 1970, close enough

Very much like a Credence Clearwater song, this just may be the best song of the decade. "Put my guns away, the war is won. I'm goin' home....I'm so glad I'm still alive...I've been gone for such a long time..." Like many others on this page, this video tends to get removed by YouTube. When I notice that it has been removed, I will look for a "new" copy.

Mungo Jerry's "In the Summertime" just had to be the greatest summer song ever. I remember turning the radio up, rolling the windows down and driving up to Blacktail Dam with this song blasting away. Sometimes I was even fortunate enough to have a female friend sitting beside me. In those days, no bucket seats, no console separating the front passengers. It was great to have your girlfriend sitting next to you in the front seat while driving. Why did they ever get rid of bench seats?

In the Summertime, Mungo Jerry, 1970, close enough

Cry Baby, Janis Joplin, Close Enough

Sunday Afternoon, The Kinks

The Games People Play, Joe South, released 1968; album, 1969; Grammy Song of the Year, 1970

Don't It Make You Wanna Go Home, Joe South

The following replaces a video with actual video of Henson Cargill; that video was removed by YouTube. These "removals" get frustrating.

Skip A Rope, Henson Cargill, #1, 1968, Close Enough

I always pictured Henson Cargill as a 68-year-old curmudgeon when I heard this song growing up.

In the autumn of 1969 I was a freshman at college; I fell in love with a senior -- she didn't know it. I always associated "Arizona" with her for some reason, and when I stumbled across "Arizona" for this page, I was instantly reminded of her. Wow. Bittersweet memories. She was the first of many.

Arizona, Mark Lindsay, 1970, close enough -- January, 1970

Spirit in the Sky, Norman Greenbaum, lots of memories; cross-country trip

The Mighty Quinn, Manfred Mann (1968) and Dylan (1970); book ends to 1969

It's The Time of the Season, The Zombies, November, 1968 -- close enough -- considered one of the best ever rock and roll -- along with Creedence Clearwater, I associate it with my outings to Blacktail Dam, north of Williston, ND. Better videos removed by YouTube, thus this version. Sorry.

Lookin' Out My Backdoor, CCR, one of my favorites of the CCR songbook. Reminds me of North Dakota. July, 1970 -- end of the 18-month period of interest.

Yellow River, The Tremeloes

No matter how many times I come back to this page to listen to the music, I am absolutely amazed that this music was made back in 1969. Much of it -- most of it - is so much better than what we have today. It strikes me that no matter how hard musicians try these days, they can not compete with what was rockin' in the late 60's and early 70's. Iron Butterfly is as relevant today as it was then.

In-a-Gadda-da-Vida, Iron Butterfly; the short version was released in May, 1968; the long version was on their 1969 album

Reflections on My Life, Marmelade

Those Were the Days, Mary Hopkin, released August, 1968

Mendocino, 1969

I'm Sorry, Suzanne, The Hollies

Just when I think I've completed this page, I find another great song from "1969." Here's another one; rare.

My Sentimental Friend, Herman's Hermits

And then, on top of everything else, the movie EASY RIDER was released in 1969:

Easy Rider, Born to Be Wild

No Time, The Guess Who

From the album, "Canned Heat." This is the 1969 version; some say the 1970 version is the one we are more familiar with.

Another video of Yellow River by Christie...

Yellow River, Christie

And still another, since YouTube is starting to remove them...the audio is fairly atrocious -- if I can find the same video with better audio, I will replace the following...

Yellow River, Christie

This one can bring me to tears. It may be a rainy night in Georgia, but it's raining all over the world, and I remember the rain storm -- the hurricane -- that hit New Jersey and the rain in Yorkshire that seem to hit every day.

Recorded in 1969, it went to the top of the charts in 1970.

Rainy Night in Georgia, Brook Benton

Hawaii 5-O came out in the fall of 1968, literally right at the beginning of this incredible time period, with the theme song hitting the charts in 1969:

Hawaii 5-O, The Ventures

This is absolutely incredible. I have no idea how many times I heard this when it first came down, and then off and on, after that. And then to find out it too came out in 1969. A lot of this had to do with Woodstock, of course, but the fact that it is another great 1969 hit is awesome. Melanie is underrated. Even I did not know how great she is until tonight.

Lay Down (Candles in the Rain), Melanie

Is That All There Is? Peggy Lee

All these songs. I thought I had them all, and now I see "First of May," by the Bee Gees came out in 1969:

First of May, Bee Gees

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Roberta Flack
"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" is a 1957 folk song written by Ewan MacColl for his wife Peggy Seeger. It was popularized by Roberta Flack and became a breakout hit for the singer after it appeared in the 1971 Clint Eastward film Play Misty for Me. Though the song first appeared on Flack's 1969 album First Take, it topped the Billboard Hot 100 and won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year three years later.

Other 1969 songs:
Leaving on a Jet Plane, John Denver
He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother, The Hollies
This Magic Moment, Jay and The Americans

Roberta Flack's debut album, First Take, was released in 1969.

17th Street, Williston, North Dakota

2009-11-17T17:42:00.005-06:00

If anyone can put me into a nostalgic mood for my childhood days growing up on 17th Street, Williston, North Dakota, back in the 1960's, it is Floyd Cramer, and it could probably start with this one. I have no idea what song of Floyd Cramer's I heard first, but this certainly sounds like it.

Last Date, Floyd Cramer

Here's a very short video of Floyd Cramer playing "Last Date":

Last Date, Floyd Cramer

When I listened to this ("A Summer Place," below) for the first time in many years, the first thought that flashed across my mind was a vision of my mom on a good day, on a summer day. Except for photographs, I can't really recall her when I was growing up. From photographs she was a most beautiful woman. She was a survivor, too. Surviving North Dakota winters with six children was not for the timid. I wish I knew then what I know now. I was the luckiest kid in the world.

Theme From "A Summer Place," Henry Mancini

But Only People Make You Cry ...

2009-11-11T00:05:00.007-06:00

Wanderin' Star, Lee Marvin

I Feel Like Hank Williams Tonight, Jerry Jeff Walker

We were runnin' against the wind. We were young and strong. We were runnin' against the wind...the years rolled slowly past....I found myself along...

Against the Wind, Bob Seger

Someday Soon, Suze Bogguss

Surfin' Instrumentals

2009-11-10T23:37:00.023-06:00

We start with the classic that started it all:

Wipeout, The Surfaris (yes, they were the first to perform this song)

My first solo road trip was from my hometown, Williston, North Dakota, to southern California. So many memories.

1963: I was starting middle school when these songs came out, growing up in North Dakota, and I had no clue what was going on in California, but we loved the music. My brother-in-law now lives in Huntington Beach, where Surfer Joe used to hang out.

Surfer Joe, The Surfaris

It's hard to believe that "Surfer Joe" was the "A" side of the 45 and "Wipeout" was the "B" side.

Apache, The Shadows

Pipeline, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Dick Dale

Misirlou, Dick Dale and the Del Tones

Nitro, Dick Dale

The Stratocaster, Hank Marvin

Sleepwalk, The Shadows (with Hank Marvin)

Apache, The Shadows (again)

Walk, Don't Run, The Ventures

Someone said the following sounded like Bob Dylan (vocals) being backed up by the Ventures:
Sultans of Swing, Dire Straits

Yeah, I know this one is not a surfin' song...but whatever...

Atlantis, The Shadows

.... but I think I like this version better... the earlier version...#2 in the UK...

Atlantis, The Shadows

Medley, Junior Brown

Surf Beat, Dick Dale

Banzai Washout, Dick Dale

Esperanza, Dick Dale

Spanish Kiss, Dick Dale -- watch this at YouTube so you can read the interesting comments linking Quentin Tarantino, Morricone, Dick Dale, Pulp Fiction.

I just can't get enough of the California surfin' experience:

Wipeout, The Surfaris, updated

This is not an instrumental, but I enjoyed it so much the first time I saw/heard it on YouTube, I did not want to lose it:

It's Time, Sean Murphy

Memory, The Shadows

Not a Moment Goes By ...

2009-11-09T21:18:00.016-06:00

... that I'm not thinking of you. Pateley Bridge.

The Spy Who Loved Me, Carly Simon

I wasn't lookin', but somehow you found me
I tried to hide from your love light
But like heaven above me
The spy who loved me
Is keeping all my secrets safe tonight

And nobody does it better
Though sometimes I wish someone could
Nobody does it quite the way you do
Why'd you have to be so good?

*****

"When in the end, the day came on which I was going away, I learned the strange learning that things can happen which we ourselves cannot possibly imagine, either beforehand, or at the time when they are taking place, or afterwards when we look back on them." -- Karen Blixen (Isak Dinesen), Out of Africa, 1937.

*****

Yorkshire is a frame of mind, not a geographical location.

*****

A Thousand Kisses Deep, Leonard Cohen

An All Time High, Rita Coolidge

All I wanted was a sweet distraction for an hour or two,
Had no intention to do the things we've done.
Funny how it always goes with love, when you don't look, you find
But we're an all time high,
We'll change all that's gone before.
Doing so much more than falling in love.

On an all time high,
We'll take on the world and wait.
So hold on tight, let the flight begin.
I don't want to waste a waking moment; I don't want to sleep.
I'm in so strong and so deep, and so are you.

In my time I've said these words before, but now I realize
My heart was telling me lies, for you they're true.
We're an all time high...

We're an all time high. I don't want to sleep.
I don't want to waste a waking moment.

*****

Nothing Takes the Place of You....

Nothing Takes the Place of You, Al Green

Just Walk By, Leroy Van Dyke

Pat,

I Will Always Love You, Dolly Parton

I find it incredible how Leonard can write such amazing songs. I would think Harold Bloom, et al, would rank Leonard Cohen right up there with Emily Dickinson as a poet. Sublime.

By the Rivers Dark, Leonard Cohen

Marlene Dietrich

2009-11-07T23:53:00.001-06:00

Where Have All The Flowers Gone?, Marlene Dietrich

Dame Vera Lynn

2009-11-07T23:37:00.009-06:00

There is something so absolutely incredible about the beauty of singing. I get a kick out of anthropologists talking about the difference between humans and other animals -- that it is our ability to use tools, or the fact that we walk upright, or that we....whatever...but the difference between humans and other animals is such a huge difference it cannot be quantified. When I hear music like that of Dame Vera Lynn shivers go up my spine. There is nothing like this on earth outside humans. Darwin can explain some evolution on the margins but Darwin's theory cannot begin to explain the gap between humans and the rest.

When I Grow Too Old To Dream, Vera Lynn

We'll Meet Again, Vera Lynn

Johnny Cash also recorded his version of We'll Meet Again. He did this in his last few years of life. His was good, but Dame Vera Lynn is so hauntingly beautiful.

We'll Meet Again, Vera Lynn

Those Were the Days, Vera Lynn

Those Were the Days, Mary Hopkin, arrangement by Paul McCartney

Kenneth Anger

2009-11-07T23:09:00.010-06:00

Documentary, Kenneth Anger

He's a Rebel, The Blossoms

Dream Lover, The Paris Sisters

Kustom Kar Kommandos, Kenneth Anger

I Love How You Love Me, The Paris Sisters

I Love How You Love Me, Beth Orton

La Roux

2009-11-07T22:57:00.009-06:00

I first posted La Roux in November, 2009. She was a hit sensation on New Year's Eve, 2010 --> going into 2011.

Bulletproof, La Roux

This duo is currently on tour well into 2010. They do not plan on making a second album until after this tour is completed according to Wikipedia.com.

Now, it's been pulled of YouTube for copyright reasons. What a bunch of crap. Here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOYufRHQSms, or here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUsbpmQ9-mc, or here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQdC7h609k8, or here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9cXLFk65y4

the audio without much video:

...and another redhead...at least in one moment in time...

Sweet Dreams, Eurythmics

Alexandra Leaving -- Leonard Cohen

2009-11-07T19:46:00.002-06:00

The god forsakes Antony

When suddenly, at midnight, you hear
an invisible procession going by
with exquisite music, voices,
don’t mourn your luck that’s failing now,
work gone wrong, your plans
all proving deceptive—don’t mourn them uselessly.
As one long prepared, and graced with courage,
say goodbye to her, the Alexandria that is leaving.
Above all, don’t fool yourself, don’t say
it was a dream, your ears deceived you:
don’t degrade yourself with empty hopes like these.
As one long prepared, and graced with courage,
as is right for you who were given this kind of city,
go firmly to the window
and listen with deep emotion, but not
with the whining, the pleas of a coward;
listen—your final delectation—to the voices,
to the exquisite music of that strange procession,
and say goodbye to her, to the Alexandria you are losing.

- Constantine P. Cavafy (1911)

Translated by Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard

Alexandra Leaving, Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen

2009-11-04T20:35:00.003-06:00

The finest living poet.

Dance Me to the End of Love

Tower of Song

Memories

You Have Loved Enough

Boogie Street

Closing Time

Concerts That Went To Hell in a Hand Basket

2009-10-31T21:19:00.003-05:00

I don't know if any of these videos need any explanation. They are simply concerts that went to hell in a hand basket. I'm sure there are more. Enjoy:

I Am Sailing

2009-10-31T21:08:00.002-05:00

Cruisin'

2009-10-31T20:06:00.012-05:00

A typical night of cruisin' in San Pedro, south Los Angeles.

What's on the radio?

Suspicion, Terry Stafford

Walk on By, Leroy Van Dyke

Some nights, this clip defines "southern California" for me:

Devil Gate Drive, Suzi Quatro

An unexpected Elvis sighting.

Leader of the Pack, Shangri-Las

Runaway, Crime Story, Del Shannon

The Animals

2009-10-30T22:46:00.009-05:00

One of the greatest groups ever, but again, short-lived.

The eyes, the eyes, very, very expressive.... no matter how many times I watch this, I see something new...

This is one of the best, one of the most haunting songs ever.

Nina Simone

I prefer this version:

Nina Simone, again.

The story of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" is quite fascinating.

And then there's Ysabella Brave.

We Gotta Get Out of This Place. Go to YouTube.com and read the comments.

Et Cetera

2009-10-30T22:41:00.010-05:00

A parody. One of the best drum riffs in rock. Et cetera.

The story:

The line, "You're my pride and joy etcetera" ends the main chorus of this song. This was a dig at their record label, White Whale, who had been hounding them for another "Happy Together," which was The Turtles' big hit in 1967. They quickly threw together this overly-clichéd song ("Gee I think you're swell") and it proceeded to be another smash despite their best effort at sabotage. In the liner notes of The Turtles' Anthology Solid Zinc, Howard Kaylan of The Turtles explained: "Elenore was a parody of "Happy Together." It was never intended to be a straight-forward song. It was meant as an anti-love letter to White Whale (their record company), who were constantly on our backs to bring them another 'Happy Together.' So I gave them a very skewed version. Not only with the chords changed, but with all these bizarre words. It was my feeling that they would listen to how strange and stupid the song was and leave us alone. But they didn't get the joke. They thought it sounded good. Truthfully, though, the production on 'Elenore' WAS so damn good. Lyrically or not, the sound of the thing was so positive that it worked. It certainly surprised me." -- from Songfacts.com.

Now, more of the Turtles.

So Happy Together, The Turtles

This has a history of being removed by YouTube.

And again:

And a cover of the Dylan song, It Ain't Me, Babe:

It Ain't Me, Baby, A Dylan cover by The Turtles

Glam

2009-10-30T22:36:00.012-05:00

Ballroom Blitz

Ballroom Blitz

The Main Street Celebration Parade at Disneyland, summer of 2010, features the following song. Something tells me Disney would not let Joan perform there (at least not during the early hours):

I Love Rock and Roll, Joan Jett

I Hate Myself For Loving You, Joan Jett (no video)

Sunday Night Football (NFL) Theme Song, Faith Hill covers Joan Jett

48 Crash, Suzie Quatro

At Disneyland the other day, I saw a lot of professional face painting (at $12/face). The artists were very, very good, but if I was going to pay for face painting my granddaughters, ages 4 years old and 7 years old, this is how I might start:

Fade To Grey, Visage

Stumblin' In, Suzi Quatro and Chris Norman

Can the Can, Suzi Quatro

Devil Gate Drive, Suzi Quatro

Love Hurts, Joan Jett

Lily Allen

2009-10-30T22:21:00.008-05:00

F*ck You, Lily Allen

This is a hard video to find. I do not understand how YouTube sorts its videos, but on a standard search, one cannot find this Lily Allen video. As one gets more specific about the video, it eventually shows up.

By the way, a new Target (the American retail store) has a new television commercial out and the background music is eerily similar to Lily Allen's F*ck You. Something tells me the Target "suits" are not aware of Lily Allen.

It's been my experience that the Lily Allen videos have a track record of sometimes being there, sometimes being gone. Here's one that seems always to be there:

It's Not Fair (embedding not allowed).

At one time, it seemed to me, that ALL Lily Allen videos were allowed to be embedded; now it is rare for the "official" Lily Allen videos to be embedded.

This one is not as good as the one above (that cannot be embedded) but at least it's live:

It's Not Fair, Lily Allen

The big question: does Lily Allen have staying power, or is she another "flash in the pan." Speaking of which, a real flash, where's Amy Winehouse? [Found dead: July 23, 2011.]

Jennifer Warnes

2009-10-30T22:01:00.018-05:00

I must have posted over 500 YouTube videos at my original blog. Over the course of two years, a handful of those videos were routinely visited. The two most often visited were "Storms Never Last" (Jessi Colter and Waylon Jennings) and Jennifer Warnes.

I never understood that; I certainly would not have guessed. Jennifer must have a huge and loyal fan club.

One of the back-up vocalists looks uncannily like Jennifer Warnes in this clip, but "everyone" says she is Donna Washburn. I cannot argue but it is interesting that Jennifer Warnes and Joe Cocker did come together in the future, making a duet that went on to win them an Oscar for best song. In candid photos of Donna Washburn she is not seen wearing glasses, but almost every photo of Jennifer shows her wearing glasses. If Donna Washburn does not wear glasses (generally), why did she wear them on stage (she was not seen wearing them off-stage in the photos available on the web)?

Photos of this tour can be found here.

Jennifer

Yes, this is a song written for Jennifer Warnes.

My post at YouTube: Three Dog Night covered this song; original was from "Hair." I saw Jennifer Warnes in "Hair" in Los Angeles; sitting about four rows back; I never knew, until now, how fortunate I was. She worked closely with Leonard Cohen over the years; co-writing with him and backing him up.

Someone else posted at YouTube: Jennifer Warnes sang two duet songs - with two different partners (the other being Bill Medley) - that each won the Academy Award for best song in a period of five years. Quite impressive.

First We Take Manhattan, Leonard Cohen, Jennifer Warnes. Go to YouTube.com to see the comments; informative.

Posted, January 6, 2011 This is incredible! I did not know this until I happened to read this in a comment at YouTube. Bill Medley and Jennnifer Warnes sang the hit song "Time of My Life" on the original soundtrack for "Dirty Dancing." This is absolutely incredible! Embedding is not allowed, but here's the link.

But here is a video of Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes singing it live:

Time of My Life, Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes

Jennifer Warnes is also one of the featured backup vocalists on Roy Orbison's "Black and White Night."

Sweet Dreams, Baby, Black and White Night, Roy Orbison

Storms Never Last

2009-10-30T21:57:00.008-05:00

Storms Never Last, Jessi Colter and Waylon Jennings

In my original site, I probably posted three hundred YouTube music videos. Over the course of two years, only about five of those videos were routinely visited. The two most visited links were of Jennifer Warnes and this video, "Storms Never Last" with Jessi Colter and Waylon Jennings.

Although there are several videos that are much better of Jessi and Waylon performing this song, I still like this one the best. Even the less-than-perfect quality adds something. Fortunately, the audio is excellent.

Jessi Colter wrote the song but tossed it away. Waylon "rescued" it from the waste paper basket and turned it into a hit.

This is perhaps one of my favorite songs, favorite duos, and two of my favorite soloists.

A bit of documentary regarding this song. Amazing.

Storms Never Last, Jessi and Waylon

*****

Waylon Jennings leads me to the Highwaymen, one of the greatest "temporary" bands ever.

Highwayman, The Highwaymen

I find it interesting how Willie Nelson's voice has not changed all that much after all these years. I also marvel at how distinctive all these voices are -- they are instantly recognizable. So distinctive, and so great together.

The City of New Orleans, The Highwaymen, Steve Goodman (writer)