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Showing posts from November, 2020

Hold Back The River – James Bay

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Hold Back The River – James Bay I'd never heard of James Bay until hearing his album playing at a hi-fi show. This track stood out to me, then as ever I seem to have heard it everywhere. It keeps popping up in playlists and on TV shows. Strange old lyric, guessing it means, just stop time for a while and let me enjoy the moment. There is a sense of lost love, life getting in the way of his relationship. Guessing the reference to riding bikes in the sky is a reference to the film E.T. and being young. I like the guitar parts on this and it's quite old fashioned sounding to me, the intro with the guitar sounding mournful and his voice full of sadness draws you right in. It's a good imagery song, as we can all understand the chances of stopping a river flowing, but you have to hope it works out for him. There's a good chant in the middle for the crowd to join on with, a quite section going into a build just so he can chuck as much emotion as possible into the repeated ch

I Got You Babe – Sonny & Cher

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I Got You Babe – Sonny & Cher Thought I'd Cher this one. You may get the very unsubtle reference to the movie 1993 ' Groundhog Day ' if you have ever seen it. Basically the main character, played by Bill Murray has to repeat the same day over and over again until he finally sees the error of his ways. Each morning he wakes up his clock radio beside the bed is belting out this same song .  I hear this song a lot in my head since I've been waking up each morning during the pandemic lock-down. Probably something Sonny Bono couldn't have contemplated when he wrote it, recording it with his then wife the iconic Cher. Each day at the moment has a big shadow of yesterday hanging over it, just wondering if today is the day I'm going to get up and find the worlds back to normal. But never-mind the strange association this is a classy song, well constructed and performed. You can tell the joy between the couple, even in their voices, that they can face

Vienna – Ultravox

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    Vienna – Ultravox Happened to discover Midge Ure on social media today, he was mentioning it was 36 years ago since they recorded Band Aid's 'Do they know it's Christmas.' Midge never got the credit he deserved for what he helped to achieve in using music to change the world, Sir Bob had the louder voice. But seeing this reminded me of this great song by Midge's band Ultravox. This is basically classical music but using electronic instruments, the heart beat in the background is powerful. The intro sounds like compressed thunder, it makes you feel cold before you ever hear the lyrics telling us about frosted window pains. The piano talking over the top and the lovely little runs on the organ and drums make it all so dreamy. I bet over the years this song has meant a lot to loads of people, especially the band themselves as it was a huge smash record. Some songs like this one can be taken out of their time period, out of the so called genre and just admired f

I'm Sorry – Brenda Lee

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I'm Sorry – Brenda Lee I'm sorry but this is a quality tune. It's like a daydream set to music, so soothing, Brenda's voice verses the violins is a match made in heaven. You believe every word, the spoken part sounds so sad, she was totally taken in and now she's sorry. As apologies go this one would take some beating. Being young is no excuse, but Brenda was 15 when she recorded this, you'd never believe it from the quality of her voice. Her vulnerability as a teenage girl comes across in the words and it's a fair representation of how two worlds, being young vs mature, collide as the backing is so sophisticated and grown up sounding. The lyrics aren't exactly Shakespeare but get their point across very well, there is a sense of upset and they express the pain of a break up and wrong doing. Song's like this with their big production and professional musicianship always seem to flow so well, I love the pure sound not bad for 1960. Brenda's Sweet

Walking in Memphis – Marc Cohn

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  Walking in Memphis – Marc Cohn It’s 25 years since I was walking in Memphis . I was on a weeks long road trip with my parents, whistle stop to Nashville and then Memphis. I liked Country and Blues music back then but didn’t know their history's as I do now. Memphis was brilliant, even the drive there surrounded by the forests in their fall colours was mesmerizing. Being huge Elvis fans we did Sun Studios, I can still look around the recording room in my head. It was only while we there I found out it was also where Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis started. We then did the Graceland experience, Elvis’ iconic home, fascinating and moving. Then in the evening we hit Beale Street , home of the Blues. We ventured into BB Kings bar and I can still remember the smell. Let’s just say it was a very relaxed atmosphere, sitting on a high stool, drinking a Bud, listening to the house band was amazing. It felt like being in a movie. Marc Cohn sums this all up perfectly in thi

Spirit In The Sky – Norman Greenbaum

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  Spirit In The Sky – Norman Greenbaum   This song seems to haunt me, it keeps popping up all over the place. My generation know it as a very random hit by ' Doctor and the Medics ' from 1986, but the original by Norman Greenbaum is now my preferred version. The sound is a bit dirtier and rockier, the guitar in there almost sounds like a police siren, it swirls round in the background. Really catchy tune, proper Rock drumming before it was ever a genre in it's self. The subject matter is obviously not to everyone's beliefs but that doesn't take away a positive theme and it's not preaching. This was out smack bang in the hippie era, plenty of long hair on this one. Apparently Norman had seen Porter Wagoner, the Country artist, singing a gospel song on TV and thought I could easily do one of those and had the words done in 15 minutes. The fact he was Jewish has nothing to do with it. I have this song on loads of compilations, but also associate it with a recent

People Are Crazy – Billy Currington

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  People Are Crazy – Billy Currington This song makes me smile every time I heat it. Love the simple story of it, I can fully imagine meeting that old guy at the bar, loving hearing his stories and getting his views on this mad world. This is a Country song in it's truest form, telling a tale of love and friendship. The lyrics are so clever and it reminds me of Kenny Rogers classic ' Lucille ' as it places the listener right there in the sounds and smells of the bar and what's going on around them. It's so descriptive it makes you want to know the outcome, pull up a stool and order a cold one. The backing is a true Country shuffle with what almost sounds like a nursery rhyme hook, it's not over complicated and helps you hear the story unfold. The nature of the song's sentiment also gives the song a purpose, because let's face it 'People are crazy.' The payoff being that the story teller gets rewarded for being kind to a stranger is also a good li

Dick-A-Dum-Dum – Des O`Connor

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Dick-A-Dum-Dum – Des O`Connor It was announced that Des O'Connor has died aged 88. I'm from the generation that know him best for his TV presenting instead for his singing, I remember his chat show on ITV on a Wednesday night. It seemed to be on every week of my entire childhood, he always seemed to end up in fits of laughter which as a kid made him seem really silly and fun. I also recall his stint doing Take Your Pick, mostly because of the brain hurting, yes or no game. It should be so simple but your so conditioned to answer a question yes or no, you never really stood a chance. Des was famously taughted by comedy duo Morecambe and Wise for his singing ability, which most people agree was totally unfair, but proved what a good sport Des was for going along with the joke. Des had some big chart hits before becoming an entertainer. This song was a big one from my childhood, really simple melody and repetitive words so fun to sing along to the chorus. We had a Des O'Con

Song For Guy – Elton John

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    Song For Guy – Elton John   I ended up on a Zoom call with Stuart Epps , a very well known music producer and studio engineer for some of the best known artists and bands. He was telling some great stories about of some of the big names and studios he'd worked with. It's a who's who of music royalty, it was amazing to get the chance to speak to him. He played a big part in Elton John 's career and that leads me to this song. Elton is another artist that a fully admire and I really love some of his songs but can't pretend he was one of my influences, guitars all the way for me. But as a song writing partnership Elton and Bernie are up there with the best of them. Which makes this song stand out as it's the only one Elton wrote alone. Usually he'd be crafting a melody around Bernie's supplied lyrics, but here he came up with an soulful instrumental. Stuart told the story how it was getting near the end of a long studio session when Elton mentioned aga

Scream & Shout – will.i.am ft. Britney Spears

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  Scream & Shout – will.i.am ft. Britney Spears We are at the semi final stage of The Voice UK , as usual will.i.am is one of the judges and watching it the other night reminded me how annoying he can be. But saying that he's obviously very musically knowledgeable and can craft and produce amazing pop songs. Then this tune hit my iPhone on my usual shuffle through iTunes, yes I know I'm old school but at least I'm not still on cassettes. I have quite a few NOW albums on there, this fell out of the Club Hits one. Which I suppose it would as it references going clubbing throughout. I was never really a Britney fan either, when she started out I was in the Christina Aguilera camp, but as always I've grown to like Ms. Spears back catalogue. She's had her own Toxic issues as all good pop stars tend to do when they have lived with fame from too young an age. There's something about the beat of this song and it's references which make me remember how much

It's Not Easy Being Green – Kermit (Muppets)

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It's Not Easy Being Green – Kermit ( Muppets )   I've some huge heroes in my life and Jim Henson is up near the top of my list. The concept of The Muppets , probably the craziest bunch of creatures you could dream up, their love and friendship is a great lesson to all young people everywhere. My favourite Muppet has to be Fozzie , but I adore this song sung by Kermit , as voiced by Jim himself. We all think we have it hard in life sometimes, this song sets out to tell us what it's like being green. I think it sums up insecurity and self analysis perfectly, having a puppet sing it makes it accessible to everyone and so non threatening. The words are so clever, referencing all the great and diverse things that are green makes you realise how important they are. I totally get the lyric about blending into the background and not feeling noticed. But Kermit ends up saying he's happy to be himself which is something I think we all hope for, being safe inside your own skin i

Somewhere In My Heart – Aztec Camera

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Somewhere In My Heart – Aztec Camera A great track, with some strange lyrics going on. Catchy opening, then the repetitive drum beat draws you in and keeps you going throughout. I think this is all most a Christmas sounding song, the sample of what could be jingle bells going down the scale puts that in my mind. The sax is pretty up front and you can't argue with the guitar solo in the middle, something that is definitely out of fashion at the moment. It's a bit different from other 80's pop hits as it's not to synth based.  I got to know this one from a compilation I had called ' The Best Celtic Anthems ... Ever! ", Aztec Camera being from Scotland fit into that perfectly, it was a great mixture of Irish and Scottish songs, and this one was in good company with the likes of The Pogues and Van Morrison . Funny name for a group, but it's easily remembered and out there enough to set the tone of the music, another one of those bands where it was basically on

Firework – Katy Perry

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Firework – Katy Perry It's Guy Fawkes day, or Fireworks night if you prefer. So it's probably time to feature this song, I really like this one, but never really paid much attention to it's meaning. Songwriting lecturers I've been following hold it up as a proper song, the chord progressions and clever lyrics are sited as very sophisticated. It has such a positive message in there, who wouldn't want to be a firework. Bet you've never heard the first line of the song properly before, ' Do you ever feel like a plastic bag, Drifting through the wind.' Not your average opener and from there comes more and more references to being suppressed. When I was advised to study the words, it was an eye opener just how meaningful they are. Real messages of despair and then hope, it's now time to explode and be yourself. The words bounce along with the melody following perfectly, it's full on and then drops away. So now I have looked into the song more I have

Addicted To Bass – Puretone

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  Addicted To Bass – Puretone My name is Kevin and I'm addicted to bass. Not really sure this song is the most bassful tune around, but it's pretty cool. The funny sounding mixture of sounds and a simple title usually goes a fair way to making a catchy hit. It sounds like a mixture of a ticking clock and someone bashing a trash can. Apparently it was a big underground hit in 1998, but didn't trouble us in the UK until 2002. It's a strange lyric in that it's quite a long moan, it's seen as a weakness to be addicted to bass. But I can think of worse illnesses and quite like the idea of it shooting up my spine. But sadly ' Everybody's groovin' to their own song' if that's the case it just proves music is for everyone but we all have our own favourites. You think this is just a fun song but with other lyrics like ' The backbeat of humanity sweetens my tears', isn't really an usual line in a dance song. Songs like this get so many remi

A Fistful Of Dollars – Ennio Morricone

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A Fistful Of Dollars – Ennio Morricone It's about time I put a theme tune on here. Following on from the Dollar mentioned in my last post, how's this for a theme tune. If this song doesn't set the tone of the movie, I'm not sure what would. I love a good Western, and I've been lucky enough to have visited Cowboy country a number of times. We always take the Western theme tunes with us, they really set the scene for the showdown. With this one the lonesome whistler starting it all off, later the full orchestra kicking in to add all the texture and mood, one man against the world, you know it ain't going to be pretty. The simple guitar riff builds into a string of sound effects until we feel we're stood next to that church with the ringing bell. Then you can hear what sounds like a posy of horses heading towards us. The chanting and the strings keep adding tension and we then feel like we are riding that pony across the West alone and ready for anything. A sto