Ode to Joy is a musical and spiritual alloy. Even if Ludwig didn’t mean it that way. And of course, I’m talking about Beethoven’s Symphony #9. Or at least a section of it. If you wanna give your brain a revitalizing vacation, listen to the whole symphony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3217H8JppI Or you can go to the Ode section here: Imagine composing an Ode to Joy when … Read the rest…
Tag Archives: music history
He said he had a dream where he heard Mexican trumpets. And I guess that’s how they became such a recognizable part of his hit song, “Ring of Fire.” In fact, it went to number 1 on March 25, 1963. And it stayed there for seven weeks. Not bad for a guy whose last name was Cash but was born into a family who … Read the rest…
I remember a young lady telling me about The Joshua Tree when I was in Albuquerque, New Mexico back in 1987. I was booked there for two weeks, and she and couple of other friends asked me if I’d heard of that album by the band U2. And they asked because we’d all been in a friendly conversation about Christian values and principles in … Read the rest…
Back in my school days, there was a spunky and long song with a chorus that said, “Bye bye Miss American Pie.” It was written, performed, and recorded by Don Maclean. And lots of people thought the song was about Buddy Holly when it said, “…the day the music died.” But Mr. Maclean says maybe, maybe not. One thing’s for sure. The bye bye … Read the rest…
In 1981 I joined a popular trio, in Atlanta, Georgia. They added me as their drummer, and all four of us sang. So, we had some nice 4 part harmonies. And I remember how their fans enjoyed our rendition of a song called “Leader of the Band.” Because the bass player, lead guitarist, and I played recorders, and sang backup, while the rhythm guitarist … Read the rest…
December 3rd has been the date for some pretty interesting and cool things, through the years, in the world of popular music. It must be the weather. Not quite winter. But not quite fall. And here’s a short list of some of those December 3rd moments. First, an obscure rock-n-roll singer released his first song(s) on his new record label, RCA Victor. His name … Read the rest…