I love a samba beat with soft nylon-stringed guitar and congas and smooth bass lines. And I deeply appreciate when a singer/songwriter focuses more intently on vocal performance and recording than just about anything else. So, I certainly tuned into a song that came out, back in 1975, that met all that criteria. From a young woman who sang about getting no valentines when … The rest of the story…
Category Archives: music history
Lay Lady Lay? Are you kidding me? Bob Dylan is one of those people who was very fortunate to have been born in America. (psst…I am, too. But for much different reasons) Because with that voice, and some of those songs, he might have been imprisoned for crimes against the state in other countries. Mr. Dylan recorded Lay Lady Lay on this date back … The rest of the story…
I’m not sure I would have left my love for the drums if he hadn’t existed. Because, I’ve always really loved playing the drums. But then I heard some catchy hit songs on the radio. And then my brother gave me an album as a high school graduation gift. And suddenly my musical desires marched to a different drum. And that different drum was … The rest of the story…
If you’ve followed my articles and/or listened to my podcast episodes for a while, you might be surprised at some of the songs you’d find on my like list. And a great example of this would be “Dead Man’s Party” by Oingo Boingo. Here’s an excerpt of the lyrics… “I was struck by lighting, walkin’ down the street.I was hit by somethin’ last night … The rest of the story…
As I write this, today’s date is February 4, 2022. So, that means it has been exactly 39 years since Karen Carpenter died. And that might not mean anything to younger readers and listeners. But she was considered one of the best female vocalists around, in her day. The news reports said Karen Carpenter died of a heart attack. They also called it “cardiac … The rest of the story…
When I lived in Pasadena, Texas, there was a levee my friends and I would drive to and throw frisbees and listen to music. And one of the songs we listened to was about how Buddy Holly died and music did, too. And Buddy Holly died after a concert on this date in 1959. On February 2, 1959 Buddy, and Richie Valens, and The … The rest of the story…
We are the world. But that’s not a good thing. We can do good things. But we’re not solutions for change. We are not the answer to life’s challenges and problems. That’s why I don’t like that famous song, “We Are The World,” that was recorded on this day back in 1985. Sure, it’s catchy, I admit. But it’s wrong. It describes humans as … The rest of the story…
He said he learned to sing “in church, because of my mother. God bless my mom.” And I read another quote from him that was in response to being called Mr. Evans. He replied, “Don’t call me Mr. Evans; only my minister can call me that.” And American music chart history shows how he had the only record, ever, to reach number 1 at … The rest of the story…
It might still be possible. But my guess is, it’s rare. And I mean it’s rare for a person to have a lyricist career anymore. Especially since actual lyrics, with solid meter and rhyme. But something I shared yesterday led me to look a little more closely at the life of Johnson Oatman Jr. Ironically, Mr. Oatman didn’t really have a lyricist career. And … The rest of the story…
Did you ever attend a church where “In The Sweet By and By” was part of the praise and worship time? I did. And I think, if I close my eyes and listen real close, I can almost hear my Grandmother singing it in her kitchen. In The Sweet By and By There’s a land that is fairer than day, And by faith we … The rest of the story…
Sol was a songwriter. And way ahead of his time. But he could be SO negative. And that’s even after he basically had NO reason to be negative. At least as far as anybody could tell. But he toned down his negativity (a little) when he wrote some famous song lyrics that started with “To everything there is a season.” Can you sing the … The rest of the story…
Way back in 1976 there was a popular band, from Sweden, who enjoyed something most musicians might only dream about. On December 3, of that year, somewhere around three and a half million people applied to get tickets to one of their concerts. And there were only about 11 thousand tickets available. Yeah, I’d say that’s the epitome of a popular band. And I’m … The rest of the story…
I just read a short blurb about Billy Joel’s song “Uptown Girl.” And it said that song was a Number 1 hit for him on the British charts, for five weeks, back in 1983. That started on this day, November 5th. I knew it was popular. And it was even in my playlist for a while, back when I played live music for a … The rest of the story…
Back in 1974 I paid for (and enjoyed, immensely) an America holiday. Because it was an excursion into the best parts of musical imagination. And…what? You think I misspelled it? Oh, I see. You think it should have been American with the n at the end. Yeah, I get it. But no. I got it right. America Holiday. But maybe I should clear up … The rest of the story…
Bob Dylan said it. So, it must be true right? He talked about how you gotta serve somebody. In fact, in one of his songs, he sang “you’re gonna have to serve somebody” quite a few times. So, he must be pretty darn sure it’s true. And, in a way, it is. Sure, you could say you gotta serve somebody, OR… You could say you … The rest of the story…
In 1975 I worked in a disco. Just writing those words sounds crazy to me now. But it’s true. At that time, disco music was big. And if you don’t know what disco was, then you might be too young to be reading this. So, make sure your parents say it’s OK to proceed. Anyway…disco music was the thang. Just do a search for … The rest of the story…
Back when I was the praise and worship music leader for a church in the Denver metro area, I remember announcing, with a quip, a song we were about to sing. I said something like, “This next song is called My Father’s World. But I don’t think this is our Father’s world. Because it’s filled with evil and rebellious people.” That’s what any praise … The rest of the story…
What if you drove a truck for a living? And what if you went from driving a truck to singing in a band. And what if your band did so badly that you were told to go back to driving a truck? That’s probably happened more than once in America. But most of them weren’t this famous truck driver. Maybe you already know which … The rest of the story…
Income tax brackets. Now, those three words should never go together. Because when they do, they inevitably invite confusion, envy, and thievery. And even knucklehead, one-track-mind musicians can figure that out. In fact, income tax brackets influenced the name of a #1 album. That album was called “Atlantic Crossing.” And it was number one on the UK charts on this day (August 30) back … The rest of the story…
49 years ago, today (August 28) there was a hit song on the radio about the joy of school being out for the summer. And I remember listening to it that summer. It definitely struck a chord with a lot of people. In fact, it was #1 on the UK singles chart, 49 years ago, today, for Alice Cooper. Alice was a different guy … The rest of the story…