Going out can be enjoyable, but staying in can be more fun, if you know what I mean.
Last year, I set up a nice hot list of songs to get cozy to, and I take no credit or responsibility for any family additions which may have arrived come September.
Let's see if we can continue the tradition this year.
A little slow dancin' to set the mood, and who to better start it off than Smokey... "You've Really Got A Hold On Me" ...just the right amount of heat to start the night
Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes "The Fever" ...you can go with Bruce's version, but I like Johnny's soulful licks.
The Rascals "How Can I Be Sure" ...add a glass of wine and a little candlelight
Springsteen "Human Touch" ...strip down the defenses, raw emotion now
"So what are you going to do with your life...move to Nashville and write songs?" Uh, why not. The story goes that a teacher in his upstate New York high school spoke those words to Marc Scibilia out of frustration. Could be he took it as the incentive he needed, because that's exactly what he did a month after graduation. Now, at the age of twenty-six, Scibilia has been writing, singing and recording ever since.
After being featured in the TV show Bones, the first release from his self-titled EP, "How Bad We Need Each Other" has been getting some airplay...and with good reason. It's worth way more than just a listen.
When I lived at home, I put up the Christmas tree and the Nativity set. My mother did the wreaths and assorted decorating and my dad hung up the bell that played "Silent Night." My brother, well he showed up for dinner.
After I moved out, my decorating duties were handled by my father. Way more meticulous with the tree lights and placement of the balls than I, well my Dad was very detailed oriented, let's just say that.
Now my parents Nativity set is quite old, they had been married for 63 years during the last Christmas season and I think it might have been a second hand set when they bought it. As such, some of the pieces have been replaced or...fixed. For example, if you look closely at the picture of the lambs, you might notice one of them has a toothpick where his leg should be. Apparently, there was a field amputation and the leg was replaced with an ill-fitting prosthesis. It ain't pretty, but after all these years, that sheep is still standing. My Dad and I had a mini tradition concerning the Nativity arrangement. He would always place the cow and donkey outside of the manger. And every year I would come over and explain to him that I thought they should be inside to help keep the baby Jesus warm. It was a silly exchange which both of us knew would take place, and one that I missed very much this year, as I regained my old job of tree decorator and Nativity arranger.
Tonight we will again gather at my parent's home, though the dynamic of the family is no longer the same. My Mom was determined to have this last Christmas Eve dinner in honor of my Dad. It was the one night of the year where he smiled from early in the day until the very last goodbye. He loved Christmas Eve. Tonight is the first time since his funeral that the entire family will be together. While we are all looking forward to seeing each other, we are all painfully aware of the empty chair. The one at the head of the table. At least we know he will be smiling.
Miss you Pops.
Wishing everyone a joyous Christmas. Make memories..they last forever. In honor of my Dad, today's song is his favorite carol. Just ten days after the tragedy in Newtown, what better version of the song could there be than the Saturday Night Live opening from last weekend with the children's choir.
Just like most of you, this was a very busy week for me. Lots of work, writing, errands, shopping and even a little partying. But there's still time to get in a 100 Word Song Challenge. This week Kathryn picked the tune for Lance. A new song by an indie band called Hey Rosetta, the song is called "Carry Me Home." As always, we use the song as a prompt to write a little something in exactly 100 words. This post also fits into the Studio30plus prompt for Headache.
Read the words then listen to the song, or listen to the song then read the words.
Sonny picked his aching head up for the third time with the same
result. The room was still spinning, maybe worse than before. What the hell had
happened? Sure drinks were flowing, but booze never hit him like this.
It was Christmas Eve and he shouldn’t be here. He was
already skating on thin ice with Celia, and if he didn’t help put the toys
together, he might be swimming in cold water come the New Year.
He saw that Charlie and Pete were still standing. “Hey you
guys. I gotta get home, even if you have to carry me.”
When we talk about people who died too young and think of them in terms of "what might have been," one name always comes to my mind. And while most people have heard the name, most likely they don't quite know just how much talent was lost when he died at the age of thirty-seven.
Bobby Darin was a singer, song-writer, actor and political activist. As a singer, he crooned, he did folk, he did rock, he did country...he did it all. And except for a bad heart which he knew meant he would never be an old man, he could have done so much more.
He had a style and a swagger. Born in the Bronx, his career eventually brought him to Hollywood where he won a Golden Globe for his first major role. The next year, he was nominated for an Academy Award for another film. Ten years later he would not wake up from an operation to repair that faulty heart.
I have loved Bobby Darin for as long as I can remember, if you really knew his stuff, you can't help yourself. Today, let's have a few tastes from a great talent and think...if only.
While I wait to see if I get the present I really want, I've decided to give myself a gift. The gift of music. I'm giving myself a rock concert. Last week's 121212 Concert...ha. I've invited some of the best of all time, even a few who are no longer with us, and yes, they've agreed to sing a song or two for my big day.
Some of these songs have been featured in past blogs. Some are my favorites, some are songs I've enjoyed seeing done live, some are songs by an artist I might have seen, but never heard that song done live. You may also notice that many are sung by hot guys...well, it's my party and there aren't many things I enjoy more than watching a good looking man singing a song. There I've said it. I may be adding another year on my age, but I ain't dead yet.
So in no particular order, mainly because I didn't have time to think about how the line-up should go...
Chris Isaac "Wicked Games" ...ok, so let's start with hot and go from there.
Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band "Blue on Black" ...with Noah Hunt singing lead...again, hot
Steve Winwood "Still in the Game" ...another hard choice, but I've never seen him do this live
Tracy Chapman "You're the One" ...the voice, melody, lyrics...excellent
Eric Clapton "Layla" ...electric, it never gets tired...cause uh Layla
Jimi Jamison "When Love Comes Down" ...really, did you think he wouldn't make the list. Never seen this live and I love the vocal.
Bruce Springsteen "Candy's Room" ...Max has to be on drums. And Bruce can do another five or ten songs...his choice, all fine with me.
Dobie Gray "Drift Away" ...cause that about sums it all up and it's the best song ever written about music. Period.
Not a bad night for me. Hopefully the usual suspects will be wearing some leather...a girl gets her wish granted on her birthday doesn't she? There's at least twenty more songs I would love to hear, but I don't have the extra cash to pay the unions for overtime. Listen to as many as you like.
Happy Birthday to me. Who wants to hang out for the show? Bring your own beer, and somebody better bring a cake. Chocolate.
I wasn't planning on doing the 100 Word Song Challenge this week, or even any writing today for that matter. The week has been a roller coaster of highs and for the past two days...extreme lows. The past couple of posts, on this blog and the Life blog were draining to say the least. I didn't think I had another post in me to deal with Newtown this week. There will most certainly be more to reflect on, but I thought a little time and space might be best for my personal mental health.
Then I heard the story. One little girl had survived as the rest of her friends were massacred beside her. One brave little girl who played dead, I can't even imagine the horror of hearing the gunshots, the screams and finally, only her own heart beating.
I believe it was a member of the clergy who recounted how she ran into her mother's arms, completely covered in blood and said "I'm Ok Mommy, but all my friends are dead."
The song in the 100 word challenge was "Never Going Back to Ok" by The Afters
"As the mother wrapped her arms around her daughter, she
thought her heart would surely explode from the emotional dam bursting inside.
Her flesh and blood alone was the only survivor.
The mother wept, but could
they be tears of joy…no.
Relief was a closer emotion, for on this day, joy no
longer existed.
Covered in the blood of her classmates, the child said
“I’m
Ok Mommy, but all my friends are dead.”
Ok… the mother knew her little girl would be anything but.
I don’t want
her to just be Ok, I want her to be good.
Our means of communication. Words convey ideas, commands, knowledge and most of all...feelings. Those of us who write, use them to let the joys and demons out of our minds, While there are times when words don't come easily, eventually most of the time, we can lasso them from the spinning vortex of our brains.
Then there comes a day like today. A day where there are no words.
No words can make this better.
No words can offer comfort to the parents of the twenty children whose Christmas or Chanukah presents were waiting to be opened.
No words can explain what went wrong in that young man's mind for him to think this was the answer to his problems.
No words can make you believe that a twenty year old with access to such firepower is acceptable.
No words at all.
This tragedy is already being called the second worst mass-shooting in this country. Do we really need to keep score? Do we need to compare numbers of dead children...maybe if it was only one dead child instead of twenty, it would be ok? No, of course it would not.
Twenty seven families forever changed. Many dozens more traumatized. First Responders who will live with those images for the rest of their lives. And we will never really know or understand why.
A song for the children, from a man who lost one of his own.
It's been a bit of a wild week. Stuff, and lots of it happening. Besides the usual list of must-do's, we had a hell of a music night on Wednesday. No way in the world I would not see the end of the 12-12-12 Concert, so I started yesterday on 3 hours of sleep. Throw in a trip to NYC last night for a live show and this morning, a Friday no less, is not all sunshine and rainbows.
But it's still time to get a little music out.
In today's episode of The Song Remains the Same, we have a very popular title. I know of at least ten songs with it, and because the genres are so varied, I'm putting up four different songs with the same title.
Big day in the music world. The 12-12-12 concert will take place later on tonight. Today is also an important day in the state of New Jersey for two reasons. On this day, one music giant was born, and so was one giant music fan.
I can't even believe so many years have passed since a baby girl was born in a hospital in New York City. A tiny human being who has brought nothing but joy and pride to her family. A child who so quickly grew into a teenager and now a woman. Someone who has always treasured every one of her crazy relatives...though some more than others, but I won't name names. As she has loved us, we have cherished her. Through movies and dog shows, from carrying on family traditions to creating new ones together, it has been a joy to share them with her. Two of my greatest delights have been taking her to her first rock concert and then to her first Springsteen concert...a mandatory education for a Jersey girl. To you, my beautiful niece, I wish that every bit of happiness you give to others, comes right back to you. Love you MC.
But I digress.
Also born on this day, Francis Albert Sinatra...Frank.
No introduction needed.
Sometimes the circle of life is a strange one. Lately, we've all been inundated with holiday commercials misusing a lot of holiday songs. Most are not very creative and after seeing and hearing them two dozen times in a three hour period...you are sick of them for the year.
There is one commercial though, I just love hearing. It's for Nautica clothing being sold through Macy's. It features a lot of young, good-looking people getting together in a nice house, by a dock, whatever. Not very intrusive, no one screaming about their product, just a song and not even a Christmas song playing in the background.
The song is "Bring It On Home To Me," written and originally recorded by the late Sam Cooke.
Sam Cooke was murdered 48 years ago today. The circumstances of his death have always been fuzzy at best. Rather than think about his death, let's celebrate his remarkable musical career. For today and for always, let Sam bring it on home, one more time.
This morning the world wakes up to the news of another singer lost in a plane crash. Mexican-American singer Jenni Rivera, along with members of her entourage and the pilots, died when their private plane went down. Today also marks the 45th anniversary of the death of another singer in a plane crash.
Otis Redding was only twenty-six years old at the time of his death. In his brief time in the music business, he became one of the era's most influential singers, and was one of the music acts responsible for getting the "soul" sound out to broader audiences. He appeared at the legendary Monterey Music Festival in June 1967 alongside, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, the Mamas & the Papas, the Who and a host of others. After the show, he and legendary guitarist Steve Cropper wrote what would be Redding's only #1 song. "Dock of the Bay" hit the charts after his death, offering a lasting tribute to a man who's influence is still strong 45 years after his death.
Beyond his talent as a performer, he was also a writer of music. "Respect," Aretha made it famous, Otis wrote it. "Sweet Soul Music" was a hit for Arthur Conley and co-written by Otis Redding. But the one song covered the most, covered by every garage band, every R&B band and every soul singer over the years was Redding's signature song..."Try a Little Tenderness."
Watching a PBS fundraising special on Motown last night, I realized it has been way too long since we tasted the sweet sounds of the Motor City. Now the talent of Motown was so vast, it needs to be savored one bite at a time.
Today we go with one of the great girl groups: Martha Reeves and the Vandellas. Rosalind Ashford, Betty Kelly, Annette Beard and Martha Reeves were the main members responsible for a boatload of hits in the early to mid-60's. The group was always a trio with a few changes in personnel, most notably when Beard left and was replaced by Kelly.
Members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Martha and the Vandellas created a body of work with equal measures of fun and dance-ability. Listening to them, no way your feet aren't moving.
Kick up the volume, kick off your shoes and dance.
Getting down and dirty for this week's 100 Word Song Challenge. Lance from myblogcanbeatupyourblog, has invited Julia to pick the song this week, and her choice was "Criminal" by Fiona Apple. Rules are to use the song, title or feeling as a prompt and write something in exactly 100 words.
"Foolish girl, that’s what she had been three years or more
accurately, a lifetime ago. At sixteen, she thought she knew, at nineteen she knew
too much. She looked at him. First as her savior, then as her keeper. Now, as
nothing more than a business partner. She took the chances, he took the money.
And she earned a lot of it. She was good at what she did,
and there wasn't anything she wouldn't do. Soon it would be time to go it alone
and he would need to be gone…permanently. Yes, she knew how to do that too."
His songs have been covered by the likes of Eric Clapton, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Kansas, Tom Petty, Allman Brothers, Johnny Cash and more. A no-flash, just pick guitarist, he began playing what would be known as the Tulsa Sound...a blending a 1950's to 1960's country, rock, blues and rockabilly. The group of musicians creating that sound also included Leon Russell, Elvin Bishop, David Gates and Dwight Twilley, among others.
Today we focus on the birthday boy, JJ Cale.
Back to the songs. After Clapton recorded two of Cale's songs, "After Midnight" and "Cocaine," Cale finally started getting noticed by people outside the music community. Hell, one of his songs, "Travelin' Light" was even played to wake up the crews of the Space Shuttle and International Space Station before one of their spacewalks. The man has played with everyone, and the list of musicians influenced by his songs grows daily.
You know that sound. The whispers, the talk and finally the shouts. It's called the buzz. Sometimes it makes sense, sometimes it's for a flash-in-the-pan. For the past year and a half the buzz has been growing louder about the taste of the day.
Growing up in Austin, he cut his musical teeth in the same club as the Vaughn brothers...Jimmie and Stevie Ray. Since that time he has played alongside Clapton, Winwood, Guy, Crow, Keyes, Beck and Matthews. I don't think any first names are needed. From Bonnaroo to The White House, Gary Clark Jr. has played with, and for a lot of names.
Playing a blues-based guitar, listen to him slide up and down from straight blues through rock, jazz, soul and whatever else he's feeling. With his latest album Blak and Blu, just released in October, Gary Clark Jr. shows another side of his talent and style.
The other day I thought up another way to either A) excite my readers with a new feature or B) make my readers groan and run away in droves. Hopefully more A than B, but what the hell. As Mr. Fogarty told us...just keep on chooglin.
I give you Kat's Theory of Music's...The Song Remains the Same.
What we're gonna do is showcase two completely different songs...with the same title. Then if anyone chooses, they can rate one, both, leave a comment or suggestion for another go round. See, not that painful.
The opening act for this feature consists of one song from the 60's and one from 1980.
Today's tasty treat is "Anyway You Want It"
First up a typical 60's fast paced, catchy tune by British band the Dave Clark Five, followed by the opening track off the Departure album by Journey.
Take a listen to both, leave a comment or rating, if you choose.
Sometimes when you sit down to write something, there's nothing there. My plan was to take up this week's 100 Word Song Challenge mainly because, well it's a Jimi Hendrix song. I first read the other entries in the challenge and maybe because I was blown away by one of them, or maybe because I was exhausted...I could not come up with an idea. So I sat with my laptop and nodded off. Just a few minutes later, I woke up and wrote this in less than ten minutes. Sometimes that's just how it works.
The song this week is "Are You Experienced" and as usual, with the song as inspiration, we write...something.
Maybe I'm finally getting into the spirit of the season.
In his dream, Billy saw the bright colors, the moving
pieces, some finished, some not. The stacks went on forever. He watched the workers
fit the last minute additions into the correct order. Of course, he thought,
there would have to be a system.
His head was spinning as he took in the full extent of the
workshop. As he saw the man in charge he couldn’t help but ask “How do you know
how to do this?” The elderly gent
stroked his long white beard, smiled and replied “Ho, Ho, Ho…I’ve been doing
this for a very long time."
This past weekend, I was lucky enough to see a show at the Sherman Theater in Stroudsburg PA. It featured Newgrass band Railroad Earth and opening act Yarn. Both were great.
For a review of the show, check out my post Railroad Earth @Stroudsburg PA on ourvinyl.com
"I'd like to thank Elton and the boys for having me on tonight."
So said John Lennon on November 28, 1974 as he intro'ed the last of three songs he sang at Madison Square Garden in NYC. Months before, as Elton John and John Lennon had guested on each other's albums, Elton asked John if he would appear on stage with him in the event that John's single "Whatever Gets You Through the Night," became a #1 song. Lennon, who had never had a #1 solo hit, figured, what the hell, and agreed.
On November 16, the song was on top of the Billboard charts and twelve days later John Lennon would make the last live concert appearance of his life.
Today, let's taste the songs he sang that night, thirty-eight years ago.
For the second Saturday night in a row, I found myself travelling for a little music. What could be better than that?
This adventure took me about thirty miles away from the weekend house in the Poconos, to the Sherman Theater in Stroudsburg PA. Headlining the night was Newgrass band Railroad Earth. We will get to them another day, but today I'd like to spread the news about the support band that night. Brooklyn NY based Americana-Alt Country band Yarn.
Other than the fact they were great, what amazed me is that until last Wednesday when I was pretty sure I would go to the show, I had not heard of them. Bad job by me. But in researching the particulars of the show, I started to check out their music and their website. As I launched their website's music player, the first song "Fussing & Fighting," a country-style tune with references to listening to Jim Croce got my interest. As fun as the first song was, it's not quite indicative of their true sound.
Saturday night they started the set with the song "Annie," an aching song which starts slowly and builds to include some beautiful harmonies and a catchy chorus. This immediately got me happy. This opening act was gonna be good.
The rest of the set did not disappoint. The six-piece band has clearly worked hard on their craft. Everything in sync, each piece a perfect compliment to the others. Good songwriting, good singing, good musicians. It all added up to a great start of the night.
The one day a year, all of us in America are forced to reflect. Something which should come to each of us as naturally as breathing, is a declared Federal holiday..and for that we are all thankful. But, it is that time of the year when we all start to look back, look around and look inside.
While I didn't get what I wished for last Thanksgiving, that this year all the chairs around the table would be filled by the usual suspects, there is still plenty for which I am grateful.
Now, other than food and football, I only have one other Thanksgiving tradition. No, not the parade. I stopped watching it once they retired Bullwinkle. This tradition has been in effect since long-lost WNEW-FM, the greatest free-form radio station ever, started the annual event decades ago. At noon this year, just like every year, it is time for a listen to the unofficial song of the day.
Put it on in the background and start your holiday with a smile.
Today's song was inspired by the 100 Word Song Challenge. This week Lance has chosen the song "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac. Stevie Nicks wrote that song about her father and though I wasn't really up to doing a song about mine, this being the first holiday without him...it was important for me to do the challenge, and to not write about him.
In a twist of fate, or maybe not, it is also Lance and his wife Deana's anniversary. So I've taken them as inspiration for the challenge. Now, as I only know them online, any resemblance to real people is just coincidence...or maybe not.
"For them, it was always about falling. Meeting one November morning, when she slipped on the icy walkway and he caught her before she fell. The feeling of his breath falling away, looking into her blue eyes the first time, and every time since. Knowing the baggage of their pasts was falling from their hearts…little by little, day by day. Gracelessly falling out of bed, while making love the first time and laughing ‘til they cried. Seeing problems in life, once boulders coming toward them, turn to stones as they fought them together. All this, by just falling in love."
You hear the guitar, you know. He's up there, one of the few whose guitar playing is instantly recognizable. Think "Funk 49", think "Rocky Mountain Way." Good Stuff.
From the early days with the James Gang, through Barnstorm, the Eagles and throughout his solo career, the guitar of Joe Walsh sings, cries and sometimes hits you in the face. Creatively massaging notes, his playing is always interesting , usually taking you on an unexpected ride.
Not gonna do the hits today, instead let's sample a couple of oldies and something new. And if you want to have some fun, go over to Live From Daryl's House and check out last week's show where Daryl Hall welcomed Joe Walsh for an hour of talk and music. Real Good Stuff.
A little fun today. Today a friend and fellow writer and I are both doing a album review, but we are guesting on each other's blog. So filling up the space here is Jim Wood from gojimmygo.net Read his take of the CD then jump over to his site to read mine.
Go Jimmy Go!
I have to give a big thank you to Kat for allowing me to guest post on her
blog today.
Ironically, it was through a mutual admiration of Jimi Jamison and Survivor
that brought us together. So for our first cross-post to be about Jimi’s new
album, “Never Too Late” is pretty cool.
Kat and I both have had the pleasure of meeting Jimi on several occasions
this past year. But once we discovered he was releasing a new CD, our eyes lit
up like saucers.
As most writers do, (and admittedly with a bit of bias towards the subject
matter) we both set forth to write a review of the new album. But once we
realized just how amazing this new music was, we thought it might be even
cooler to “guest post” our reviews on each other’s blog. So, without any
further ado, here is my review on Jimi Jamison’s ‘Never Too Late’: the absolute
BEST melodic rock album of 2012.
As most of you know, I’m a tried and true music fan of the 80′s. For me,
growing up during the age of the Members Only jacket was a great time to be
alive (at least as far as music is concerned).
Whenever my favorite bands would put out a
new album, it was an event. I remember rushing home from the mall with my new
found treasure and making my way to my upstairs bedroom, where an empty
turntable eagerly awaited. For the next hour or so, it didn’t matter if the
world was ending; the music was all that mattered.
A great album from the 1980′s would typically have at least three hits on
it. Songs that would be regularly played on the radio. The remaining tracks
were usually just as good, but although these gems would never find a place on
the FM dial, they’d still become fan favorites.
Over the years, the “event” of buying and enjoying an entire album went the
way of the dinosaur. Today, you’re lucky if there are even two songs from an
album that are worthy of repeated listenings. But just when I thought I’d be
lost in the wilderness of musical despair, along comes “Never Too Late” by Jimi
Jamison.
Fresh off the heels of ‘Crossroads Moment’ and his duets album with Bobby
Kimball, Jamison again proves why he’s one of the greatest voices in rock. In
joining forces with writer/producer Erik Martensson, he’s given us a melodic
rock treasure chest. One that’s filled with enough musical booty to fill the
soul and immerse our senses in tasty hooks and melodies and reunite us once
again with the voice that defined a generation.
It’s worth noting that all eleven tracks on ‘Never Too Late’ are worthy of
a place in any music collection. From the opening piano intro on the track
‘Everybody’s Got A Broken Heart’, the entire album is a cacophony of
sonic euphoria.
The standout for me though is the title track. With its multiple hooks and
inspirational message, it’s reminiscent of many classic Survivor songs about
keeping faith and finding love. A song that will certainly endure the test of
time, and one that would surely blow up any arena wherever it’s performed.
On ‘The Air That I Breathe’,
Jamison pours out his heart and soul about finding a complete love; even
comparing his personal defenses and walls with sand. Brilliant. In ‘Heaven Call Your Name’, Jamison asks
the question, Why? An emotionally haunting ballad that could easily be sung
without music and still deliver the same impact.
‘Walk On (Wildest Dreams)’ closes
out the album with the same power and intensity that began it all, and makes
one lament why such a great collection of songs has to end. Fortunately though,
21st century digital technology makes it easy to simply press repeat rather
than flipping over a piece of vinyl to Side A. I guess progress is a good
thing.
In an age where talent shows give record deals out freely and careers are
dictated by how many auto-tuned singles you can release at any given time, it’s
rare to find an entire album that can be this darn good. ‘Never Too Late’
indeed.
For the next fifty minutes, I’d like you to conduct an experiment. Hop in
your mini-van (or whatever it is we middle aged connoisseurs of real music own
these days) and drive somewhere with ‘Never Too Late’ as your soundtrack;
preferably through the back winding roads of your own hometown on a beautiful,
crisp day. Make sure you play the album from start to finish, and don’t just
listen to it; immerse yourself in it.
Do you hear it? Can you feel it?
It’s real music, and what could possibly be better than that?
Track Listing: 01. Everybody’s Got A
Broken Heart
02. The Great Unknown
03. Never Too Late
04. I Can’t Turn Back
05. Street Survivor
06. The Air I Breathe
07. Not Tonight
Thanks for stopping by Jim. For Kat's review, go to... gojimmygo.net
Over the last few months, I have listened to today's song several times, and every time I hear it, I savor it even more.
Gerry Rafferty was a singer-songwriter from Scotland, who enjoyed a decent amount of fame in the late 70's. First known from the band Stealers Wheel, the group had a hit in 1972 with the song "Stuck in the Middle with You." He recorded a solo album in 1978 which produced his biggest single "Baker Street."
His songwriting was heartfelt and beautifully melodic. His singing was exactly the same. While "Baker Street" told his story of life in the business and the fame which made him so uncomfortable, today's taste is just a flat-out love song. Jerry Rafferty died in January, 2011, his battle with alcohol the main factor in his death.
Another artist who sang with his soul and lost a piece of it with every hit record.
Enjoy a few minutes of what a love song should be...lyrics from the heart combined with a melody to help convey the feelings.
"You know I need your love, you got that hold over me
Long as I got your love, you know that I'll never leave
When I wanted you to share my life, I had no doubt in my mind
And it's been you, woman, right down the line
I know how much I lean on you, only you can see
Changes that I've been true, have left there mark on me
You've been as constant as the northern star, the brightest light that shines
It's been you, woman, right down the line
I just wanna say this is my way of telling you everything,
I could never say before
Yeah this is my way of telling you that everyday,
I'm loving you so much more
Cause you believed in me through my darkest night
Put something better inside of me, you brought me into the light
Threw away all those crazy dreams, I put them all behind
And it was you, woman, right down the line
I just wanna say this is my way of telling you everything,
I could never say before
Yeah this is my way of telling you that everyday,
I'm loving you so much more
If I should doubt myself, if I'm losing ground
I won't turn to someone else, they'd only let me down
When I wanted you to share my life, I had no doubt in my mind
And it's been you, woman, right down the line"
In this song, Rafferty writes no crazy comparisons or adjectives or claims. He wrote it all simply and matter-of-factly. When he sings it though, it feels true...just as a love song should.
As I would walk into my parent's house every Veterans Day, my Dad would be sitting at the kitchen table. He would glance up at me, look into my eyes and wait.
I would return the look, raise my hand to my eyebrow, salute him and say "Happy Veterans Day, chief." We lost him nearly three months ago and the sadness I feel today is almost unbearable. He was a Navy Vet of World War II, the Seabees to be exact. While living through a time of war for any serviceman is a hard thing, for an 18 year old spending time in the jungle of New Guinea, it was an experience he treasured for his entire life. He never realized his dream to go back, maybe it was better that way.
While I didn't want to do a patriotic musical theme today, I did want to honor our Vets. Those new ones, just home from endless tours of duty, and our older generations of the military from Vietnam, Korea and World War II. And also to those who didn't serve in a conflict zone, but still gave years of their lives to our country. We thank you all.
So, in thinking about my Dad and his generation, the song I've chosen today is from that era. Originally done by the Andrew Sisters, it was later covered by the Divine Miss M many generations later.
It's Friday, the weekend is here and I for one need it.
Out of Pittsburgh, today's taste has just signed with Frontiers Records and maybe that will help to get the word out. I love the video for this song, so very 80's MTV.
While we may not like the choices before us, either make a choice or keep your mouth shut for the next four years. And since we all know how that will turn out...just pick. Now today, on today's Life blog if you're interested, I gave my laundry list of what I want in a President. It's very tongue-in-cheek, but there's also a lot of truth in it.
For the taste of the day, let's go back to a quick little song from the 60's
The Lovin Spoonful, 'Did you Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind"
I woke up in a pretty good mood this morning, should have known it wouldn't last.
Going through the overnight news articles, fun stuff, weird stuff...just looking for something to write about. The election is always fun, and I was going to take a day off from Sandy. Then I ran across this clip which appeared on Fox & Friends.
In short, the "friends" over there believe since the concert was so quickly put together, and had performers who were mostly democrats, there had to be a hidden agenda into making this a pre-election rally for Obama. Ok, let me try to edit myself as I go.
First of all, dear god I am getting more pissed, anyone with half a brain would realize the sooner you ask for donations after a disaster, the more money you will receive. As time goes by, the mind automatically begins to tune out, as overload sets in. It happened with 9/11, it happened with Katrina. We have all heard the saying, strike while the iron is hot. Nowhere does it mean more than with charity. There is a finite amount of time between empathy and apathy. Life goes on and if you are not directly affected, other things become increasingly more important.
Second, in questioning where were all the conservative performers? With the exception of British born Sting, who has owned a home in NYC for years, all the other performers were from the NY/NJ area. That was the reasoning behind their involvement. And geographically speaking, the fact that both NY and NJ are traditionally blue states, is it so unusual to find the talent on the show to be more democratic leaning?
And for the life of me, I do not understand what the insert of Kanye West idiotic statement against former President Bush during the Katrina benefit, had to do with anything they were talking about.
With a major news network so slanted as to find fault in citizens doing whatever they can to help others out in a time of need, well...it scares the hell out of me. People look to these networks for the news...which should be presented as such. Increasingly, news networks are becoming shills for whichever political party their company's editorial policy dictates.
They...are becoming the problem.
So now, a little music to go with today's rant.
A quick tune from John Mellencamp to calm me down. It also beautifully states my feeling for today.
This week was consumed by dealing with Hurricane Sandy. Though my life was inconvenienced by loss of power only, living through everything else has taken a toll both physically and emotionally. There were many things to take care of, many people to check on. While I've been writing on the Life blog, the Music blog had been put on the back-burner. Next week, things should be back to normal.
Today will be another quickie. This is another round of the 100-word song challenge on Lance's myblogcanbeatupyourblog. As a nod to the Hurricane and all of us dealing with the aftermath, young Lance has chosen wisely. "Shelter From The Storm," by Bob Dylan.
Here's my entry:
"As the blackened flood water rose inside her home, Lila never once thought about why she had stayed. In her mind, whether she drowned like the rat stuck in her deck railing, or swallowed the lethal cocktail she had prepared, it really didn't matter. The rat thing did make her uneasy though. Drowning would make her death less complicated. Choosing to ride out the storm would be looked at as a bad decision, nothing more. For once in her life, her timing was impeccable. With the icy water rushing over her, Lila smiled; hopeful she had finally found her sanctuary."
A little dark perhaps, but it's been that kind of week.
Learning that Maplewood, NJ had become a hotspot for music and musical talent
surprised no one more than this New
Jersey native. But apparently, it has. Starting with
a two-day music festival called Maplewoodstock now
nine years old, the township of Maplewood, located twenty miles outside of New
York City, is quietly becoming a landing spot for musicians. This year’s
Maplewoodstock provided the debut performance of
local band House of Essex, an eclectic, vintage rock band oozing
with talent and experience.
House of Essex lead vocalist, songwriter and
keyboardist Tim Welch, formed the group, adding each complementary
member slowly and methodically. Veteran drummer David Longworth was
the first on board, bringing the experience of playing nationally and
internationally with renowned artists such as Phoebe Snow, Southside Johnny and
Bruce Springsteen. David also can be found playing with LaBamba and the
Hubcaps. Bassist Gregory Jones involvement with top tier
artists goes back to Sly & the Family Stone. With Brazilian, Cuban, Afro
and Funk influences, Gregory adds his unique style with David’s in creating a
first-class rhythm section. Guitarist Courtney Sappington does
more than just play guitar, he creates punctuation with it. Think exclamation
point. A veteran of Broadway orchestras, Courtney has also toured extensively
with artists from Garland Jeffries to Bobby Womack. Lora
McFarlane-Tazewell brings her R&B, Soul, Jazz and Reggae
influences into the band, empowering her rich vocal range.
While each member of the House of Essex equation
is a skilled, stand-alone musician, the sum of its parts is absolute magic. The
band sat down for a talk about beginnings, creativity and of course…music.
Kats's Theory: You all come from various musical
backgrounds with huge amounts of experience. How did you all actually meet?
David Longworth
David: I was doing a local collegiate theatre prep production, I
was in the pit and Tim was the conductor. We met at a great time, hooked up and
he said “Well, I was thinking, do you do drum lessons? Why don’t you
come over and do a drum lesson?” So I said sure. I go over there to do
one lesson and he says ”Well I have some original tunes, you want to
hear them…maybe you could do the recording on some of my tunes.” I
said yeah and we started getting to know each other in a different kind of way.
In one of the sessions he goes “Would you know a bass player around?”Gregory
is someone I’ve known for years, more professionally than anything else, and I
said I’ll give him a call. Greg came over and the three of us for six months
every Thursday from 10-12, we got together working out tunes. I mean
religiously. And it ain’t about money or anything else, we didn’t even know if
we were gonna gig or anything like that. We just really enjoyed each other’s
company, musically speaking and personally. We started to form a sort of bond
and some of the songs on the CD were from the original trio thing.
Tim plays everything: the guitar, piano, keyboards. We
started to think we really had something going here, if we wanted to play live,
how are we gonna recreate all the stuff that he (Tim) does? That’s when we
started thinking about guitar players. Courtney is somebody I’ve known for
decades at gigs, and Gregory has known him too, and they're all Maplewood (NJ)
people.
Kat’s Theory: And Lora, when did you come into the group?
Lora McFarlane-Tazewell
Lora: Tim is my vocal coach and I started working with him, I think
it’s going on two years. I was working on getting back into singing and I was
prepping for a special recording project. It was like a godsend to be able to
work with him. Then he started working on this project and asked me if I’d like
to be a part of it, because he knew that I really wanted to sing with a band.
Kat’s Theory: House of Essex
bills itself as an eclectic, vintage rock band, which I think is pretty
accurate. Tell me how you ended up going in that direction. Tim: You know it’s funny, our first gig out, we played 15 songs I
think, all originals. Now our library of 17 or 18 songs are even more diverse
than what we play in our 6 or 7 song set. The songs all came over a time period
of maybe five years of writing. They were never necessarily ready for any
purpose other than I have a creative idea. I’d be inspired by an artist and
write a song
Tim Welch
Then it became a matter with the group, it was sort of “let’s
try out these songs” and they really became more of a skeleton, or a
template around which this sound that we have now kind of happened. Courtney’s
addition was really a huge sonic change to the music. He brings a very
specific, unique to his own playing, sort of style of guitar playing that added
a thumbprint to the sound. And Gregory has a distinct style of playing; it’s
not always straight rock, it’s not always jazz, not always Motown, it’s a real
hybrid type of thing. So the songs that were all scattered in the beginning,
were thrown into this fusion of whatever harmonic and sonic things that were
happening with us getting together. So the sound hasn’t really been a
formulated or calculated “let’s go this or that route” per se,
because I’ll write a song and drop it into the machine, and out comes whatever
House of Essex sounds like now. It becomes its own thing.
Kat’s Theory: "Right to Love You," I love the
heavy keys at the beginning, then Courtney comes in with the accent of the
guitar. As opposed to most rock songs, with the heavy guitar and the keys come
in as an afterthought. Is that a trial and error kind of thing, or just absolute
genius on your part?
Courtney: Oh, it’s just trial and
error. It’s just accident really. It just comes out. I hope it just sounds
good.
Tim: We’re still changing things all the time
and it’s very much feeling it out. We’re interjecting ideas all the time. We
just changed “Learn From You.” Lora’s going to sing the second half of the
verses now, as opposed to me singing all of the verses. We just did that about
20 minutes ago before you called and it was like “that’s kind of
perfect.” So it’s very organic.
Courtney Sappington
David: And then we’re trying to find the right
key to make the vocals and the song fit and feel the best, so it’s all part and
parcel. But I think the overall thing, is there’s an element of trust here
that’s a rare kind of quality that allows you to go out on a ledge and still
feel like there’s always a safety net around you. It’s because people are going
to take your ideas seriously, give their best effort and let the chips fall
where they may. And if it sounds good, it sounds good. But we’re really getting
to the point where we are really trusting each other along the way. I think
that’s one of the essential ingredients to this kind of thing.
Kat's Theory: Now do you think that it’s coming from the
fact that you guys are not kids and have been around the block, or is it that
you think you have the exact right group right now?
Lora: A Combination David: Yeah a combination that’s extremely rare. I can get in the
room with four or five other men and women who I might know really well, but we
might just not find that kind of quality. It really is almost an unspoken
thing. To find it, it’s a really rare quality.
Kat’s Theory: Either during the recording process or in
rehearsal, what was that moment like when you looked at each other and
said “Yeah, this works. This is gonna be good”
Tim: It was in the beginning, we had a good time
playing, getting together and experimenting on things, but I don’t think it was
until we actually heard the first rough mix of “Right to Love You.” And we were
like “Holy Cow, this kind of sounds cool.” I think maybe that
was the moment when we thought maybe we had created something cool. David: The three of us (Tim, David, Gregory) were all kind of
reacting the same kind of way
Kat’s Theory: Tim, how do you do this? You have vocal
studios, you teach, you have three bands in progress, you are trying to get a
cabaret act going with your wife Elizabeth, and you have a life. How is this
even possible? Tim: I’m not a big fan of sleep and I love coffee. First of all, I
have an extremely understanding and supportive wife, that I am happily married
to, and she really supports my music projects a lot. As far as my creative
time, she’s on Broadway, so she working in the evenings and my daughter goes
down about quarter to nine or so. Then until she (Elizabeth) gets home around 11:30, that is a
very sort of protected time for me. That’s my creative time: mixing songs,
recording, writing music. I also have some time during the day. It’s all a
juggling thing I guess like it is with all of us. You’re balancing spending
enough time with the family, enough time on this project, that project. It’s
the same that we’re all doing. I just drink a lot of coffee.
Kat’s Theory: Gregory, Your bio mentions Brazilian,
Afro-Cuban, Jazz and Funk among your strengths. I can't think of any better
influences for a bassist. Did you naturally drift into those genres or was it a
case of being handed an opportunity?
Gregory: In the case of jazz, I grew up in Boston at a time when
jazz was everywhere, and very accessible. Funk, and Soul, was the music we all
heard on the radio, as well as more sophisticated bands like Steely Dan,
Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, and the like were
played on college radio.
Gregory Jones
Brazilian, Afro-Cuban, African, and various other world
music, was the result of being a little familiar with latin jazz through some
of my favorite players like Anthony Jackson with Michel Camilo. I could fake it
a bit! I got a call to do a last minute restaurant gig with a brother and
sister group, Cidinho and Vera Mara Texeira, and drummer Vanderlei Pereira. All
from Brazil.
I was a really strong sight reader, and could groove. They offered me steady
weekends, and proceeded to school me on the vast music of Brazil mixed
with their jazz approach. That led to working with bands from Peru, Uruguay,
Argentina, West Africa, South Africa,
Parisian-Afro scene. It's a lifelong study, as each country, and region have
their own rhythms-just the individual islands in the Caribbean alone, one could
spend years absorbing. It has also given me a deeper appreciation of our own
music, such as soul, rock, and jazz
Kat’s Theory: Courtney, You've done a lot of work in
Broadway orchestras, and also touring with some very well known artists. I
would think it's a lot easier to have a normal life playing on Broadway but
it's probably more fun to be on the road. Other than the economic factor, what
would make you choose one over the other?
Courtney: Many factors come into play. The
economic factor is very important, but so is the fun factor, the quality of the
music, the travel conditions when on the road, the company, etc. And of course,
once you have a family, it can be hard to leave home for extended periods.
Kat’s Theory: David, playing drums behind Ben E. King,
The Shirelles, Southside and playing at the New Jersey Hall of Fame (NJHOF).
Was that two different years you played at that event?
David: They started that four years ago and I’ve
been in the pit band there every year. Originally I played with LaBamba &
the Hubcaps since 1982. And though they were still located in New
York when we did the first year at the NJHOF, now of course they
are located in California.
But he’s come back each year to do those, and I will still fly somewhere….to do
a Hubcaps gig. It’s a great little gig for us to do, it’s a solid packed
weekend and we always get to play with some nice people. And to play at that
performance center (New JerseyPerformingArtsCenter) is really
beautiful.
Kat’s Theory: Now do you go into it with a different
mindset when you’re playing with somebody like Phoebe Snow?
David: Well, I played with her and had done
international touring with her before and she was a Jersey
girl. Everyone in the band has known her and done some stuff with her, so that
was easy.
I will tell you a very funny story about the NJHOF. It was
in 2011 and it was all politicians, scientists, doctors and athletes. It’s the
governor, Woody Johnson and it’s just to create some publicity for New Jersey, so to speak.
They had Susan Sarandon, Jack Nicholson, Yogi Berra, I mean all these famous New Jersey people bought
into the concept. So they’re given some sort of award and they have some other
famous people introducing them… that maybe have a relationship with them. We
start to rehearse during the week because there’s always a special guest,
And Southside was a guest in 2011.
It’s a long day, lots of rehearsing. So we do the show and
we’re at the last three minutes of a two-hour show. “We’re Having A Party” with
Southside Johnny, and the producer of the whole event is standing in the wings
and Joe Piscopo is standing with him…with a pair of drumsticks in his hand.
We’re in the last song, the last part of the last song, and the two of them
come over to the drum riser and he points to me “Joe sits in.” I’m
like“You’re kidding right.” But I didn’t have a choice. All the
guests were on stage, like sixty people on stage and so I sort of move over on
the drums. So Joe comes up and sits down and I take literally a step and a half
and I’m going “Oh my god, he can’t play drums.” He can’t play
and we’re in the encore.
It was like a tidal wave from the back of the bandstand
through to the front. The groove is destroyed. Joe Piscopo cannot play and I’m
pissed and upset all at the same time. So really quickly this tidal wave hits
the front of the stage and Southside turns around like “What the fuck?” And
it really messed him up, and the gig had gone great. His songs beforehand were
great. So he throws the mic down, storms off the stage and there he practically
runs into me. We are standing about two inches from each other and he’s
spitting at me “How could you fucking do that to me? What the fuck did
you let him go up on stage?” “Don’t be yelling at me, I had no choice.” I
mean we’re like face to face spitting at each other. And I did eight years with
Southside, I know him. So he leaves and the show sort of just collapses at that
point in time. We made up, it was fine and everything like that, but to me it’s
just another Southside story.
Kat’s Theory: Lora, You step out in the front for “Bright
Lights.” Great vocal. How did you approach that vocal and did you have to fight
Tim to get the lead on it?
Lora: Actually Tim wrote that for me. Being the
amazing vocal coach that he is, he created a song that he thought really
complimented my vocal register and helped take me out of my shell a little bit.
He really had me in mind with that song and said Lora “I have this
idea, can you come over and hear it?” And we went through it maybe
five or ten minutes and it was so natural. It was a natural fit. Before I had
even performed it or recorded it, it felt like it was so much a part of me. So
that’s a very special song.
Kat’s Theory: “To The Bone” You have this big wall of
sound that comes at you and it’s just fabulous. How did you come up with huge
tidal wave of sound to start it out with?
Tim: Well, as we’re playing out live more, we’re
starting to get a feel for how we want to interact with the audiences and what
sort of energy to bring. When we did our first gig, our library of songs, maybe
half of them are mid tempo, some of them are ballads, bluesy…very much not this
kind of raucous, wild, in your face live energy six song, half hour set. Our
whole library of music is much wider ranging. Real diverse. So sometimes it
feels we need, in a six or seven song set, to bring a little more energy, more
punch. Because in the sort of in-and-out half hour set, sometimes the slower
songs feel like they dip the energy too much. When “To
The Bone” came out, it was like "let’s do something
raucous, a little dirty,a little sort of wild" and
think of a great opener. That was how that idea started and then the whole
lyrical content really came more from the chord progression. Usually the lyrics
always come second for me. The chords come and I’ll get the energy of the song.
Kat's Theory: You don’t seem to get writer’s block…
Tim: See, the trick to not having writers block,
in my opinion is, to in any moment write a crappy song. And be ok with it. Just
don’t stop. I just don’t stop. I try to be very careful at what stage I edit.
I’m a big believer in complete, unjudged brain-dumping, look at what comes out
and sort of move it around. Turning off that editor for a large part of the
initial creation of a song. I haven’t had that (writer’s block) in a while
Kat's Theory: What does the future hold in store for
House of Essex?
Tim: We’re just gonna keep playing and trying to
reach people that would connect to our music. David: We’ll see how it goes. There’s going to be bumping and
bruising along the way. I mean the gigs we’re doing right now, we just sort of
throw ourselves up on stage. At the level we’re at, there’s no sound check or
nothing. Just going up and hittin’ and quittin’ and that’s just part of the
process. So it’s all good. I know we’re just all excited about keeping our
momentum moving forward.
