Hi it Sunday again and Jim Adams is here again with Song Lyric Sunday. Today’s prompt for February 5th 2023. – Yacht Rock suggested by John Holton.
Yacht rock (originally known as the West Coast sound or adult-oriented rock is a broad music style and aesthetic commonly associated with soft rock, one of the most commercially successful genres from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s. Drawing on sources such as smooth soul, smooth jazz, R&B, and disco, common stylistic traits include high-quality production, clean vocals, and a focus on light, catchy melodies. Its name, coined in 2005 by the makers of the online video series Yacht Rock, was derived from its association with the popular Southern Californian leisure activity of sailing.
I have chosen Valerie by Steve Winwood. It was a big hit the year before our youngest was born in 1983 which made our lad 40 last month… How?
Any way I have always loved Steve Winwood since his days in traffic and the Spencer Davis Group ..met them at Top of the pops a couple of times.
The song deals with a man reminiscing about a lost love he hopes to find again someday. Will Jennings reportedly wrote the lyrics while thinking about singer Valerie Carter, whose career was declining, in part, because of drug use. On its original release, the single reached number 51 on the UK Singles Chart and number 70 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
In 1987, a remix by Tom Lord-Alge was included as a single from Winwood’s compilation album Chronicles. The remixed version of “Valerie” climbed to number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in late December 1987, and also reached number 19 on the UK Singles Chart. Both versions also reached number 13 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
DJ Falcon recalled in an interview that he and Thomas Bangalter, as a duo called Together, had sampled “Valerie” to create a track that they used in DJ sets. Falcon added that the duo had no intention of releasing it as a single, despite demand from various outlets.
Eric Prydz later sampled “Valerie” in 2004 for a house music track and presented it to Winwood, who was so impressed with what Prydz had done, he re-recorded the vocals to better fit the track. It was released as “Call on Me” that same year.”Call on Me” was, in turn, sampled in 2009’s “Pass Out” from Chris Brown (featuring Eva Simons) on his Graffiti album, also co-produced by Prydz. Information Wiki .
So wild, standing there With her hands in her hair I can’t help remember Just where she touched me
There’s still no face Here in her place So cool, she was like Jazz on a Summer’s day Music, high and sweet Then she just blew away
Now she can’t be that warm With the wind in her arms
Valerie, call on me Call on me, Valerie Come and see me I’m the same boy I used to be
Love songs fill the night
But they don’t tell it all Not how lovers cry out Just like they’re dying
Her cries hang there In time, somewhere
Someday, some good wind May blow her back to me Some night I may hear Her like she used to be
No it can’t be that warm
With the wind in her arms
Valerie, call on me Call on me, Valerie Come and see me I’m the same boy I used to be
So cool, she was like Jazz on a Summer’s day Music, high and sweet Then she just blew away
Now she can’t be that warm With the wind in your arms
Valerie, call on me Call on me, Valerie Come and see me I’m the same boy I used to be
Hi this week Jim Adam our knowledgeable host for Song Lyric Sunday is here with prompt. This week it’s New Wave Music. Well that’s a huge pallet for us to cover Jim…. I could spend a month on this subject and barely scratch the surface. So we are talking late seventies, eighties and beyond so I was young married and had small children to look after.. but I always made time for music , this shows in our lads eclectic tastes!
So what is New Wave Music, as always I shall get Wiki to explain, as I said it’s a huge subject!
New wave is a loosely defined music genre that encompasses pop-oriented styles from the late 1970s and the 1980s. It was originally used as a catch-all for the various styles of music that emerged after punk rock, including punk itself. Later, critical consensus favored “new wave” as an umbrella term involving many popular music styles of the era, including power pop, synth-pop, ska revival, and more specific forms of punk rock that were less abrasive. It may also be viewed as a more accessible counterpart of post-punk. A number of common characteristics of new wave music include a humorous or quirky pop approach, the use of electronic sounds, and a distinctive visual style in music videos and fashion. In the early 1980s, virtually every new pop/rock act – and particularly those that employed synthesizers – were tagged as “new wave”. Although new wave shares punk’s do-it-yourself philosophy, the artists were more influenced by the styles of the 1950s along with the lighter strains of 1960s pop and were opposed to the generally abrasive, political bents of punk rock, as well as what was considered to be creatively stagnant “corporate rock”. New wave commercially peaked from the late 1970s into the early 1980s wit h numerous major artists and an abundance of one-hit wonders. MTV, which was launched in 1981, heavily promoted new-wave acts, boosting the genre’s popularity. In the mid-1980s, new wave declined with the emergence of the New Romantic, New Pop, and New Music genres. Since the 1990s, new wave resurged several times with the growing nostalgia for several new-wave-influenced artists. More information here.
As said above where to start. So I am going with three yup three and believe me it was hard to stop at three! Thr first one is a real catchy tune I used to dance around the house baby in one arm hoover in over hand and if they were not at school, the older boys either dancing with me or telling me to turn it down so they could hear their music!
… Doctor! Doctor!” is a song performed by the British new wave band Thompson Twins. It is the second single from the band’s fourth studio album, Into the Gap (1984). It was written by Tom Bailey, Alannah Currie and Joe Leeway, and prominently features a keyboard solo. Following the successful chart performances of the Into the Gap single “Hold Me Now“, “Doctor! Doctor!” was released in the UK on 27 January 1984 as the album’s second single. In 1983, after the commercial success of their third album Quick Step and Side Kick, the Thompson Twins collaborated again with producer Alex Sadkin to record Into the Gap at Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas. Bailey and Sadkin co-produced the album’s tracks, including “Doctor! Doctor!”.
I saw you there, just standing there And I thought I was only dreaming, yeah I kissed you then, then once again You said you would come and dance with me Dance with me across the sea And we can feel the motion of a thousand dreams
Doctor! Doctor! Can’t you see I’m burning, burning Oh, Doctor! Doctor! Is this love I’m feeling?
Ships at night give such delight We all leave before the morning light Please don’t go, no, please don’t go ‘Cause I don’t want to stay here on my own, ooh
Doctor! Doctor! Can’t you see I’m burning, burning Oh, Doctor! Doctor! Is this love I’m feeling?
Doctor! Doctor! Can’t you see I’m burning, burning Oh, Doctor! Doctor! Is this love I’m feeling?
Fever breathe your love on me (breathe your love) Take away my name (take away) Fever lay your hands on me (breathe your love) I’ll never be the same
Oh, Doctor! Doctor! Can’t you see I’m burning, burning Oh, Doctor! Doctor! Is this love I’m feeling?
Doctor! Doctor! Can’t you see I’m burning, burning Oh, Doctor! Doctor! Is this love I’m feeling?
Come with me and make believe We can travel to eternity
So I fell in love with Aha from the get go, their first release Take on me had me hooked but here’s my favourite one of theirs. I don’t think any of the lads were keen on these guys by then they had developed their own tastes!
“The Sun Always Shines on T.V.” is a song by Norwegian band A-ha, released as the third single from their debut studio album, Hunting High and Low (1985). The song was written by guitarist Pål Waaktaar. In some commercial markets the single was not as popular as their previous (debut) single “Take On Me“, which had achieved the top spot in the United States and several other countries around the world, but in the United Kingdom and Ireland it improved upon the number-two charting of “Take On Me”, reaching number one on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks in January 1986, having been released there on 16 December 1985. Its success secured for the band the prestige of having achieved number-one single status in both the primary Anglo-American popular music charts on either side of the Atlantic.
The band’s Paul Waaktaar-Savoy said… we wrote “The Sun Always Shines On T.V.,” that Andrew Wickham’s secretary felt was a hit. She convinced him to make room for it. When we recorded it, we were really sick with influenza. Magne and Morten were lying in the studio on camping beds with high fevers. The bass line for the song was performed using a Yamaha DX7. Other synthesizers include PPG Wave, Roland Juno-60 and sampled instruments. The oboe during the song was played on a sampler. Information from Wiki.
Touch me How can it be Believe me The sun always shines on T.V
Hold me Close to your heart Touch me And give all your love to me To me…
I Reached inside myself And found nothing there To ease the pressure off My ever worried mind
All my powers waste away I fear the crazed and lonely looks The mirror’s sending me These Days
Touch me How can it be Believe me The sun always shines on T.V
Hold me Close to your heart Touch me And give all your love to me
Please don’t ask me to defend The shamefull lowlands Of the way I’m drifting Gloomily through time (Touch me)
I reached inside myself today (Give all your love) Thinking there’s got to be some way To keep my troubles distant
Hold me Close to your heart Touch me And give all your love to me
The boys were older by now and Tears For Fears were liked by all of us. In fact later our youngest worked, for a time, for a record company who had Tears for Fears on their books.
The Seeds of Love is the third studio album by British pop rock band Tears for Fears, released on 25 September 1989 by Fontana Records. It retained the band’s epic sound while incorporating influences ranging from jazz and soul to Beatlesque pop. Its lengthy production and scrapped recording sessions cost over £1 million. The album spanned the title hit single “Sowing the Seeds of Love,” as well as “Woman in Chains,” and “Advice for the Young at Heart”, both of which reached the top 40 in several countries.
The Seeds of Love was an international success, entering the UK Albums Chart at number one, and top ten in other countries including the U.S. It has been certified Gold or Platinum in several territories including the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Germany, Canada, and the Netherlands. Despite its success, personal tensions during recording led to band members Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal splitting up at the conclusion of their 1990 world tour, with Orzabal remaining as the band’s sole official member until the two reunited in the early 2000s.
High time we made a stand and shook up the views of the common man And the lovetrain rides from coast to coast D.J.’s the man we love the most Could you be, could you be squeaky clean And smash any hope of democracy? As the headline says you’re free to choose There’s egg on your face and mud on your shoes One of these days they’re gonna call it the blues yeah
Sowing the seeds of love (Anything is possible) Seeds of love (When you’re sowing the seeds of love) Sowing the seeds Sowing the seeds of love (Anything is possible) Seeds of love (When you’re sowing the seeds of love) Sowing the seeds
I spy tears in their eyes They look to the skies for some kind of divine intervention Food goes to waste So nice to eat, so nice to taste Politician granny with your high ideals Have you no idea how the majority feels? So without love and a promise land We’re fools to the rules of a goverment plan Kick out the style! Bring back the jam!
Sowing the seeds of love (Anything is possible) Seeds of love (When you’re sowing the seeds of love) Sowing the seeds Sowing the seeds of love (Anything is possible) Seeds of love (When you’re sowing the seeds of love) Sowing the seeds
The birds and the bees My girlfriend and me In love
Feel the pain Talk about it If you’re a worried man, then shout about it Open hearts, feel about it Open minds, think about it Everyone, read about it Everyone, scream about it! Everyone (Everyone yeah, yeah) Everyone (Everyone), read about it, read about it Read in the books in the crannies And the nooks there are books to read for us!
Sowing the seeds Sowing the seeds of love We’re sowing the seeds Sowing the seeds
Sowing the seeds of love Sowing the seeds Sowing the seeds of love
Sowing the seeds of love
Time to eat all your words Swallow your pride Open your eyes Time to eat all your words Swallow your pride Open your eyes
High time we made a stand (Time to eat all your words) And shook up the views of the common man (Swallow your pride) And the lovetrain rides from coast to coast (Open your eyes) Every minute of every hour “I love a sunflower ” (Open your eyes) And I believe in love power (Open your eyes) Love power Love power (Open your eyes)
Sowing the seeds of love Seeds of love Sowing the seeds Sowing the seeds of love The seeds of love Sowing the seeds Sowing the seeds of love The seeds of love Sowing the seeds
An end to need And the politics of greed With love
Sowing the seeds of love Seeds of love Sowing the seeds Sowing the seeds of love Seeds of love (Anything, anything) Sowing the seeds Sowing the seeds of love Seeds of love Sowing the seeds
An end to need And the politics of greed With love
Sowing the seeds of love Seeds of love Sowing the seeds Sowing the seeds of love Seeds of love Sowing the seeds…
Before I start proper with my two classic Country choices here is what I consider a great piece of country music from James Blunt ….yup! I said James Blunt. HALFWAY.
Nobody drives to the middle of nowhere Just to turn around, to turn around Nobody sleeps in the middle of the bed When they got someone else, someone else And nobody walks up the stairway to hell Just to walk back down
‘Cause it’s there or it’s not It’s heartbreak or it’s love There’s no such thing as halfway You’re in or outta luck We made it or we lost There’s no such thing as halfway
Nobody’s searching for the middle of the rainbow To find the gold, to find the gold Nobody sails to the middle of the ocean And calls it home, and calls it home And nobody stands in the middle of a dance floor To dance alone
‘Cause it’s there or it’s not It’s heartbreak or it’s love There’s no such thing as halfway You’re in or outta luck We made it or we lost There’s no such thing as halfway
So here we are in this halfway house There’s no way in and there’s no way out If you stay, or if you go I don’t care, just let me know If you feel it, do you feel it?
‘Cause it’s there or it’s not It’s heartbreak or it’s love There’s no such thing as halfway You’re in or outta luck We made it or we lost There’s no such thing as halfway
Hey, yeah There’s no such thing as halfway Hey, yeah There’s no such thing as halfway
Now I have never been a big fan of country music but there are a few great exception one is the great Dolly Parton. . My favourite track by the great Dolly is Better Get To Livin.
I have chosen the video below, it is really a firm favourite of mine. The young lad in the video is cute and obviously a talented artist. I also love the way he adds positive photos in of himself and his partner and their life together it just embodies the meaning of the song.
“Better Get to Livin'” is a song by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on August 28, 2007, exclusively to the iTunes Store as the first release by Parton’s own record label, Dolly Records.The song was subsequently sent to country radio on September 28 as the first single from Parton’s 2008 album, Backwoods Barbie. An upbeat country pop song, its lyrics deal with keeping a positive attitude and overcoming negative emotions. The song garnered positive reviews from critics and reached number 48 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. The music video featuring Parton and Amy Sedaris premiered November 26. The idea for the song came from Parton’s co-producer and band leader Kent Wells, who co-wrote the song with her. According to Parton, Wells suggested that she write a song about her attitude since so many people ask what the secret to her happiness is. According to Parton, the song is about coping with the pressures of life and trying to keep a positive outlook in the midst of difficult times: information from Wiki.
People always comin’ up to me and askin’ “Dolly, what’s your secret? With all you do, your attitude Just seems to be so good How do you keep it?” Well, I’m not the Dalai Lama, but I’ll try To offer up a few words of advice.
You better get to livin’, givin’ Don’t forget to throw in a little forgivin’ And lovin’ on the way You better get to knowin’, showin’ A little bit more concerned about where you’re goin’ Just a word unto the wise You better get to livin’.
A girlfriend came to my house Started cryin’ on my shoulder Sunday evening She was spinnin’ such a sad tale I could not believe the yarn that she was weavin’ So negative the words she had to say I said if I had a violin I’d play.
I said you’d better get to livin’, givin’ Be willing and forgivin’ Cause all healing has to start with you You better stop whining, pining Get your dreams in line And then just shine, design, refine Until they come true
And you better get to livin’.
Your life’s a wreck, your house is mess And your wardrobe way outdated All your plans just keep on falling through Overweight and under paid, under appreciated I’m no guru, but I’ll tell you This I know is true.
You better get to livin’, givin’ A little more thought about bein’ A little more willin’ to make a better way Don’t sweat the small stuff Keep your chin up Just hang tough And if it gets too rough Fall on your knees and pray And do that everyday Then you’ll get to livin’.
The day we’re born we start to die Don’t waste one minute of this life Get to livin’ Share your dreams and share your laughter Make some points for the great hereafter.
Better start carin’ Better start sharin’ Better start tryin’ Better start smiling And you better get to livin’…
My second choice is the fabulous John Denver who I have loved since I can’t remember when, beautiful voice, fabulous lyric, gorgeous smile and a true gentleman died too soon.
Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. (December 31, 1943 – October 12, 1997), known professionally as John Denver, was an American guitarist, singer, composer, actor, activist, and humanitarian whose greatest commercial success was as a solo singer. After traveling and living in numerous locations while growing up in his military family, Denver began his music career with folk music groups during the late 1960s. Starting in the 1970s, he was one of the most popular acoustic artists of the decade and one of its best-selling artists. By 1974, he was one of America’s best-selling performers; AllMusic has called Denver “among the most beloved entertainers of his era”.
Take Me Home, Country Roads“, also known simply as “Country Roads“, is a song written by Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert and John Denver about West Virginia. It was released as a single performed by Denver on April 12, 1971, peaking at number two on Billboard‘s US Hot 100 singles for the week ending August 28, 1971. The song was a success on its initial release and was certified Gold by the RIAA on August 18, 1971, and Platinum on April 10, 2017. The song became one of John Denver’s most popular songs. It has continued to sell, with over 1.6 million digital copies sold in the United States.
Hi all this week Jim Adams has set the prompt for Song Lyric Sunday. Today it is January 15, 2023 – Metal Music. Happy days around getting married and then having our eldest who love Heavy Metal as we call it here in the UK.
Jim Adams
Heavy metal (or simply metal) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and United States. With roots in blues rock, psychedelic rock and acid rock, heavy metal bands developed a thick, monumental sound characterized by distorted guitars, extended guitar solos, emphatic beats and loudness. read more here
There are Oh! so many great group to pick from and so I am in a quandary as to who to go with. Okay I am going with my heart… Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are cited as one of the progenitors of hard rock and heavy metal, although their style drew from a variety of influences, including blues and folk music. Led Zeppelin have been credited as significantly impacting the nature of the music industry, particularly in the development of album-oriented rock (AOR) and stadium rock. Read more here.
What better track even if a tad obvious is the one the only Whole lota love !
You need cooling Baby I’m not fooling I’m gonna send ya Back to schooling
A-way down inside A-honey you need it I’m gonna give you my love I’m gonna give you my love
Want to whole lotta love Want to whole lotta love Want to whole lotta love Want to whole lotta love
You’ve been learning Um baby I been learning All them good times baby, baby I’ve been year-yearning
A-way, way down inside A-honey you need-ah I’m gonna give you my love, ah I’m gonna give you my love, ah oh
Whole lotta love Want to whole lotta love Want to whole lotta love Want to whole lotta love
You’ve been cooling And baby I’ve been drooling All the good times, baby I’ve been misusing
A-way, way down inside I’m gonna give ya my love I’m gonna give ya every inch of my love I’m gonna give ya my love
Hey! Alright! Let’s go!
Whole lotta love Want to whole lotta love Want to whole lotta love Want to whole lotta love
Way down inside Woman, you need, yeah Love
My, my, my, my My, my, my, my Lord Shake for me girl
I wanna be your backdoor man Hey, oh, hey, oh Hey, oh, hey, oh Ooh Oh, oh, oh, oh
Cool, my, my baby A-keep it cooling baby A-keep it cooling baby Ah-keep it cooling baby Ah-keep it cooling baby Ah-keep it cooling baby
Then of course there is Black Sabbath. Another Banging Metal band!
“War Pigs” is an anti-war protest song by English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, released in 1970, it is the opening track from the band’s second studio album Paranoid (1970).
Black Sabbath were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy metal music.[1] The band helped define the genre with releases such as Black Sabbath (1970), Paranoid (1970) and Master of Reality (1971). The band had multiple line-up changes following Osbourne’s departure in 1979 and Iommi is the only constant member throughout their history.
After previous iterations of the group – the Polka Tulk Blues Band and Earth – the band settled on the name Black Sabbath in 1969. They distinguished themselves through occult themes with horror-inspired lyrics and down-tuned guitars. Signing to Philips Records in November 1969, they released their first single, “Evil Woman“, in January 1970, and their debut album, Black Sabbath, was released the following month. Though it received a negative critical response, the album was a commercial success, leading to a follow-up record, Paranoid, later that year. The band’s popularity grew, and by 1973’s Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, critics were starting to respond favourably.
Happy New Year to everyone, be safe, healthy and happy in 2023.
Jim Adams
Today the first day of 2023 Jim Adams, our host for Song Lyric Sunday has asked us to us the prompt : January 1, 2023 – Garage Rock.
I immediately thought of : UK garage, abbreviated as UKG, is a genre of electronic dance music which originated in England in the early to mid-1990s. The genre was most clearly inspired by garage house, but also incorporates elements from dance-pop, R&B, and jungle. It is defined by percussive, shuffled rhythms with syncopated hi-hats, cymbals, and snares, and may include either 4/4 house kick patterns or more irregular “2-step” rhythms. Garage tracks also commonly feature ‘chopped up’ and time-stretched or pitch-shifted vocal samples complementing the underlying rhythmic structure at a tempo usually around 130 BPM.UK garage. Info from Wiki.
So I spoke to my eldest son this morning, I asked him for what he thought was a defining Garage track and he came up with 187 Lockdown UK Garage. This was his scene so even though I also remember plenty of tracks, some which still hold up today as good as they ever were. I figured why rack my brain when I have an expert on hand. I have search high and low for the lyrics and sorry it was a big fail.
187 Lockdown was a British speed garage act, comprising Danny Harrison and Julian Jonah. The duo produced one album, with four singles released from it, and remixed many songs towards the end of the 1990s.
The duo also recorded under a number of other aliases, such as Gant, Ground Control, Nu-Birth and M Factor. Of these, M Factor was the most commercially successful, notching up a UK top 20 hit with the vocal version of “Mother”.
After M Factor, Harrison went on become part of remix outfit Moto Blanco. Jonah still continues to work as a producer. Information Wiki.
Then there is American Garage which is from a completely different era.
Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or ’60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock and roll that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The style is characterized by basic chord structures played on electric guitars and other instruments, sometimes distorted through a fuzzbox, as well as often unsophisticated and occasionally aggressive lyrics and delivery. Its name derives from the perception that groups were often made up of young amateurs who rehearsed in the family garage, although many were professional. Information Wikipedia .
Pushin’ Too Hard“, originally titled “You’re Pushing Too Hard“, is a song by Americanrock group The Seeds, written by vocalist Sky Saxon and produced by Saxon with Marcus Tybalt. It was released as a single in 1965, re-issued the following year, and peaked at number 36 on the Hot 100 in February 1967 and number 44 in Canada in March.
The song became the signature tune for the group and a template for their musical style – so much so that Creem magazine later wrote, not disapprovingly, that “the Seeds, of course, managed to work ‘Pushin’ Too Hard’ into every song they ever did.” It was included on the influential Nuggets compilation in the 1970s, and earned a reputation as a protopunkgarage rock classic. The song is featured in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s exhibit showcasing “The 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll”. The Seeds performed “Pushin’ Too Hard” during a 1968 episode of the television sitcom The Mothers-in-Law. Saxon revisited the song on his 2008 solo album The King of Garage Rock. Read more here.
Which do I prefer….that for me to know and you to wonder!
This week Jim has asked us to use Indie Rock or Indie Pop songs as this week’s Song Lyric Sunday prompt. What is the definition of indinmusic? : Independent music (also commonly known as indie music or simply indie) is music that is produced independently from commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, a process that may include an autonomous, do-it-yourself approach to recording and publishing. The term indie is sometimes used to describe a genre (such as indie rock and indie pop), and as a genre term, “indie” may or may not include music that is independently produced, and many independent music artists do not fall into a single, defined musical style or genre and create self-published music that can be categorized into diverse genres. The term ‘indie’ or ‘independent music’ can be traced back to as early as the 1920s after it was first used to reference independent film companies but was later used as a term to classify an independent band or record producer
Those of you who visit my blog regularly know that I am a true fan of Imogen Heap. I have put together a little collection of her more unusual music and video. I hope you enjoy! Plus a video where she explains her Mi Mu gloves.
I love Imogen Heap, you may of already noticed that. Her words really impact on my life. When I was recovering from my accident she kept me going and helped me to walk again. I would say to myself I shall walk for one more song, maybe one more and so on!
She has made songs that I associate with joy and sadness.
I have chosen The End Of The Road from Boys to Men…yes it was a Tamala Motown and it was one of the record labels last great hits!
“End of the Road” is a song by American R&B group Boyz II Men for the Boomerang soundtrack. It was released in 1992 and was written by Babyface, Antonio L.A. Reid and Daryl Simmons. “End of the Road” achieved domestic and international success. In the United States, “End of the Road” spent a then record breaking 13 weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, a record broken later in the year by Whitney Houston‘s 14-week number one hit “I Will Always Love You“; Boyz II Men would later match Houston’s record with “I’ll Make Love to You“, which spent 14 weeks at number one in 1994, and then reclaim the record with “One Sweet Day” (a duet with Mariah Carey), which spent 16 weeks at number one from 1995 to 1996.
Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of motor and town, has become a nickname for Detroit, where the label was originally headquartered.
Our middle son was born in 1975 which puts him in the perfect age group for Brit Pop and boy did he and his mates embrace it when it exploded on to the scene. Verve and Oasis….They all travelled around following their hero’s…. They walked the walk, talked the talk sang the songs and danced the dance oh! Yes they had the haircuts!
Anyway I got to like the music too …..I had too to survive! Anyway 1997 Verve released Bitter Sweet Symphony and I loved it. I only have to hear those amazing strings on the intro to be cast back to the days of Brit Pop look alikes filling the house with music blaring.
I do think the intro is magic and definitely is up there with the most recognisable tracks like Ticket to ride, Layla, Chains and many many more.
A an aside a few years back middle son told me he and some friends were going up North to see Richard Ashcroft, having not listed properly I replied, ” That’ll be good, were you at school with him” ….he’s still laughing at me!
“Bitter Sweet Symphony” is a song by the English rock band the Verve, from their third studio album, Urban Hymns (1997). It was produced by Youth and released on 16 June 1997 by Hut Recordings and Virgin Records as the album’s lead single.
“Bitter Sweet Symphony” is based on a sample from a 1965 version of the Rolling Stones song “The Last Time” by the Andrew Oldham Orchestra. The Verve added strings, guitar, percussion and vocals. They obtained rights to use the “Last Time” sample from the copyright holder, Decca Records, but were denied permission from the Rolling Stones’ former manager, Allen Klein. Following a lawsuit, the Verve relinquished all royalties and the Rolling Stones members Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were added to the songwriting credits. In 2019, after Klein’s death, Jagger, Richards and Klein’s son ceded the rights to the Verve songwriter Richard Ashcroft.
“Bitter Sweet Symphony” reached number two on the UK Singles Chart, and stayed on the chart for three months. It was released in the US in March 1998 by Virgin Records America, reaching number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was named Rolling Stone and NME Single of the Year and was nominated for Best British Single at the 1998 Brit Awards. In 1999, it was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song. “Bitter Sweet Symphony” is considered one of the defining songs of the Britpop era.
The Verve songwriter Richard Ashcroft heard the Andrew Oldham Orchestra version of “The Last Time” and thought it could be “turned into something outrageous”. The Verve sampled and looped four bars, then added dozens more tracks, including additional strings, guitar, percussion and several layered vocals from Ashcroft. Ashcroft said he imagined “something that opened up into a prairie-music kind of sound”, similar to the work of the Italian composer Ennio Morricone, and that “the song started morphing into this wall of sound, a concise piece of incredible pop music”. He likened the use of the sample to the golden age of hip hop: “To take something but really twist it and fuck it up into something else. Take it and use your imagination.”
The strings that open “Bitter Sweet Symphony” are not sampled; they were arranged by Wil Malone based on the melody in the sample. Malone expanded on the melody to add “bounce” and “jump”. The strings were recorded in Olympic Studios, London, and performed by a group of 24 players. Malone instructed them to “make the strings tough, determined, not pretty, not to make them poetic”. He observed that the song is built on a single chord, and likened it to Arabic music.
“Bitter Sweet Symphony” was produced by Youth at Olympic Studios. According to Youth, Ashcroft initially recorded a version with the producer John Leckie but had decided not to proceed with it; Youth persuaded him to record another version. Youth said: “It was only once we’d put strings on it that he started getting excited. Then, towards the end, Richard wanted to chuck all the album away and start again. What was my reaction? Horror. Sheer horror. All I could say was, I really think you should reconsider.”
HAPPY SUNDAY EVERYONE 💜💜
Cause it’s a bittersweet symphony, that’s life Tryna make ends meet, you’re a slave to money then you die I’ll take you down the only road I’ve ever been down You know the one that takes you to the places where all the veins meet, yeah
No change, I can change I can change, I can change But I’m here in my mold I am here in my mold But I’m a million different people From one day to the next I can’t change my mold No, no, no, no, no (Have you ever been down?)
Well, I’ve never prayed but tonight I’m on my knees, yeah I need to hear some sounds that recognize the pain in me, yeah I let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind, I feel free now But the airwaves are clean and there’s nobody singin’ to me now
No change, I can change I can change, I can change But I’m here in my mold I am here in my mold And I’m a million different people From one day to the next I can’t change my mold No, no, no, no, no (Have you ever been down?) I can’t change, oh, no I can’t change, oh
‘Cause it’s a bittersweet symphony, that’s life Tryna make ends meet, tryna find somebody then you die I’ll take you down the only road I’ve ever been down You know the one that takes you to the places where all the veins meet, yeah
You know I can change, I can change I can change, I can change But I’m here in my mold I am here in my mold And I’m a million different people From one day to the next I can’t change my mold No, no, no, no, no
I can’t change my mold No, no, no, no, no, I can’t change my mold, no, no, no, no It’s just sex and violence, melody and silence It’s just sex and violence, melody and silence I’ll take you down the only road I’ve ever been down I’ll take you down the only road I’ve ever been down Been down Ever been down Ever been down Ever been down Ever been down Have you ever been down? Have you ever been down? Have you ever been down?
Hi its Sunday and time for Jim Adam’s Song Lyric Sunday. This week our prompt is November 13, 2022 Songs by an artist or a group that was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine.
The Herd were an English rock band, founded in 1965. In 1966, 16-year-old Peter Frampton joined as lead singer and guitarist. I was a huge fan even though I was only 12 years old. I have followed him through the years he is three years older than me, same as my husband so we have kept pace! What is he doing now? He says that “there’s much to follow, including a blues album—the sequel to 2019’s All Blues—and another solo record currently in the works. “This is a period in my life where I can do whatever I want musically,” he adds, “and I’m experimenting with all new types of material.”21 Jan 2022. Go man I still love you! There are nine covers of him that I know of.
His music makes me so happy like Imogen Heap does 😊😊😊
Rolling Stone is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its coverage of rock music and political reporting by Hunter S. Thompson. In the 1990s, the magazine broadened and shifted its focus to a younger readership interested in youth-oriented television shows, film actors, and popular music.[2] It has since returned to its traditional mix of content, including music, entertainment, and politics. More information here.
Peter Kenneth Frampton (born 22 April 1950) is an English guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was previously associated with the rock bands Humble Pie and the Herd. As a solo artist, he has released several albums, including his international breakthrough album, the live release Frampton Comes Alive!, which spawned several hit singles and has earned 8× Platinum in the United States to date. He has also worked with Ringo Starr, the Who‘s John Entwistle, David Bowie, and both Matt Cameron and Mike McCready from Pearl Jam, among others.
Peter Kenneth Frampton was born to Owen Frampton and Peggy (née ffitch) Frampton in Beckenham, Kent. He attended Bromley Technical High School, at which his father was a teacher and the head of the Art department. He first became interested in music when he was seven years old. Having discovered his grandmother’s banjolele in the attic, he taught himself to play it, going on to later teach himself how to play guitar and piano as well. At the age of eight, he began taking classical music lessons.
Hi everyone it’s Sunday again and time for Jim Adam’s Song Lyric Sunday. Our prompt this week is– Embrace, Hug, Kiss.
Jim Adams.
I have chosen Wild is the Wind , but not from Nina Simone or the wonderful Johnny Mathis version but The David Bowie version. The words Kiss and Caress are in the lyrics so I reckon I am covered. Anyway this is such a lovely song and this version , as much as I love the others is my favourite.
David Bowie recorded a version of “Wild Is the Wind” for his 1976 album Station to Station. Bowie was an admirer of Simone’s style, and after meeting her in Los Angeles in 1975, he was inspired to record the song for his album. Bowie later said that Simone’s version “really affected me… I recorded it as an hommage to Nina.”
Bowie took special care with the contemporary rock arrangement and production of “Wild Is the Wind”, committing to an emotional and romantic vocal performance, the words drawn out more slowly and with a greater sense of loss, following the 1966 Simone version rather than the Mathis original.
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