Last week I was able to squeeze in Jen's MixTape Tuesday blog hop and this week, I'm gonna do it again. This week the theme is Duos or Duets, and for once, I had a flood of possibilities right off the bat. I've decided not to mix and match, but to just go with Duets.
One of the greatest duets ever, and don't argue with me on this, was Marvin Gaye and Tammi Tyrell. Not only did they have great songs to work with, their voices paired perfectly. They had several hits together, and because I can't choose between my two favorites, I'm posting two of the best duets.... ever.
"Ain't No Mountain High Enough"
"You're All I Need To Get By"
One of the most enduring duets, and one which both singer-songwriters still sing, both solo and when they do shows together, was written by Carole King and included in her album Tapestry. James Taylor also recorded it for his album Mud Slide Slim. But the song really comes alive when they sing it together.
"You've Got A Friend"
The album Raising Sand was a brilliant collaboration between Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. It was actually the first time Plant had shared the vocals with anyone. My favorite off the album...
"Killing The Blues"
Whether it's the title, the lyrics or the vocal give and take, when Don Henley and Stevie Nicks got together, it was perfect. This is an early demo version.
"Leather And Lace"
Tina Turner has done several duets over the years. She always knocks them out of the park. For this exercise, I'll go with her duet with Bryan Adams, from his off-the-charts successful album Reckless.
"It's Only Love"
One of the first, if not the first duet I ever remember was from a husband and wife team, Who could have imagined where this song would lead. Is there anyone who doesn't like it, know the words, and sing along every time you hear it? Sonny & Cher.
"I Got You Babe"
This was fun and for me, a real easy list. Thanks Jen, for always putting out the welcome mat.
I can't believe it's been a week since I last posted on this blog. Right now I have too many irons in the fire, and unfortunately I haven't done a good job of finishing things. Hopefully, I will catch my breath sometime this next week. But today, I find myself back at Part 2 of the 1970's for Twisted Mix Tape Tuesday over at Jen's place, My Skewed View.
Last week's choices for Part 1 were for the most part pretty mainstream, and this week there are a few hits thrown in as well. And maybe a few that weren't quite hits, but were memorable... at least to me.
One song from the 70's was a constant background theme for my senior year of high school. Don McLean wrote a song so epic, its lyrics are still being debated today. It was one of those great songs where a car full of HS girls could sing at the top of their lungs, and laugh and enjoy every minute of it.
"American Pie"
In 1970 James Taylor released his second album, and it was the one which would change his career. To this day, how can you not smile when you hear "Goodnight you moonlight ladies, rockabye Sweet Baby James" Between the title song and "Fire and Rain," JT's music was everywhere. It was for me, one of those records that was played everyday. But besides those two great songs, the one which took me to another place began this way...
"Take to the highway won't you lend me your name
Your way and my way seem to be one and the same"
"Country Road"
Ok, this one I'm gonna cheat on. I only did one part of the 60's, so I'll bend the rules a bit for this entry. The song originally came out in the 60's true enough, but there was this film a documentary in fact which spawned an album. See where I'm going? The band was... The Band. The film was The Last Waltz and the song I need to put in is "The Weight" Why... because it deserves the designation of one of the most important songs of a decade. In this case, it could fit into several decades.
"The Weight"
Another one of those songs where you just had to sing along with was one with the strangest subject matter. But then again, that was how Warren Zevon wrote.
"I saw a werewolf drinkin' a pina colada at Trader Vic's
His hair was perfect"
"Werewolves of London"
In 1970 Eric Burdon and War released a song which was a little provocative for the time. A song that was played at every party where the wine was spilled and joints were passed.
"Spill the Wine"
I'm going over the five song limit again this week. Sue me, I'm a rebel. I didn't get to Motown songs in the 60's and I will not make that mistake in the 70's. Soul and R&B were as much of the soundtrack to my life in those days as anything else. And choosing one artist as a template for the rest has given me a headache, choosing only one of his songs well... it's kind of making me nuts, but I'm having fun going through them.
As someone who musically has run the gamut, Stevie Wonder has shown his brilliance through his songwriting. In the 70's he had Talking Book, Innervisions, and Songs in the Key of Life, all with charting singles. I could have chosen a dozen, but the one I thought had the most influence for the time was "Living for the City." The equal rights movement had created laws, but it didn't change the hearts and minds of a lot of people. This song addressed inequality, prejudice and the ugliness of all that occurred. Stevie managed to get the point across beautifully.
"A boy is born in hard time Mississippi
Surrounded by four walls that ain't so pretty
His parents give him love and affection
To keep him strong moving in the right direction
Living just enough, just enough for the city."
"Living for the City"
I could go on and would love to, but it's time to end the trip through the 70's music scene. Thanks for having me over Jen.
On Friday, the Songwriting Hall of Fame announced their inductees for 2013. Since a few of my favorites are included, I thought I'd do a little post acknowledging each one. They are: Joe Perry/Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, Mick Jones/Lou Gramm from Foreigner, John David Souther, Tony Hatch and Holly Knight.
The last three may not be the household names the first four are, but the songs they've written are hits through and through. As time permits before the ceremony, we will take a listen to some of the hits created by the inductees. But today, one of my favorites from the 70's.
While his name may not be familiar, his songs are extremely well known. Having had one hell of a run writing songs for both Linda Ronstadt and the Eagles, J.D. Souther has a reputation for chart-topping songs, most notably in the country-rock genre. Moving to California in the late 60's, he met Glenn Frey and the two became friends, writing partners and roommates. Another legend-to-be also lived in the same building, his name was Jackson Browne, with whom Souther also collaborated in songwriting.
Here's a partial list of his songwriting credits:
"Heartache Tonight," "New Kid in Town," "Victim of Love," "Best of My Love," "You're Only Lonely," "White Rhythm and Blues," "Faithless Love," "Prisoner in Disguise," "Border Town," and "Pretty Goodbyes."
In 1974 he joined with Chris Hillman (The Byrds,Flying Burrito Brothers) and Richie Furay (Buffalo Springfield,Poco) and they put out two albums. The first, a self-titled album was one of my favorites.
Let's taste some his his best work as recorded by others and his own interpretations.
In 1979 a group of musicians under the acronym MUSE (Musicians United for Safe Energy) organized a monumental concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City, to support the idea of a nuclear free world. The concert known as No Nukes, was recorded and released the next year as a feature documentary and a live triple album.
The performances from this show are legendary. Springsteen, at this point gaining a reputation for his wild, all-night-long live shows, is finally caught on film. James Taylor singing with then-wife Carly Simon, Bonnie Raitt, The Doobie Brothers, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Jackson Browne, John Hall...the list goes on.
Today, we will take a few samples from that great concert.
James Tayor & Carly Simon"Mockingbird" ...just an incredible and joyful performance Bruce Springsteen"Thunder Road" ...show a little faith there's magic in the night, you ain't a beauty but hey you're alright. yes indeed. Doobie Brothers"Taking it to the Streets"... with a little help from their friends Jackson Browne"Running on Empty"...hard to find a better version John Hall"Power"...the unofficial anthem, with JT, Doobies, Carly etc.
One of the first, but certainly not last time when musicians came together for a common cause. This one was absolutely magical.
If you need to see more, check out TheMusicMan34 on youtube, his channel has the entire concert split into seven segments.
Writing, you may have noticed, is my thing. So musically, the lyrics are what catches me first, then I go into the instrumentation. Specifically today, we're talking guitars. Boy this is gonna piss off some people to be sure.
Just like anything else, your favorite rock guitarist is a subjective thing. Yes... Eddie, Jimmy, Jeff...all masters, no argument from me. I can appreciate the depth of their ability and their soul. Just not what soothes my soul. My top three: Clapton,Vaughn & Knopfler...with Clapton and Knopfler on top...though no particular order. Disclaimer:No disrespect intended to any guitar players who might read this. I like smooth, not frenetic...and then Stevie Ray is just Stevie Ray (can you say "Little Wing?") Having seen all of them play live, well those are memories to savor.
The taste for today is from one of my top three. The first time I heard "Sultans of Swing" with that guitar solo, it was 'whoa, can I hear that every day for the rest of my life?' Kinda of how I felt and still feel about the guitar and piano solos of "Layla"...it never gets tired.
On this morning's menu is Mark Knofler doing a little something from one of his solo albums. The title song from "Sailing to Philadelphia," features James Taylor helping out on the vocals. It's not a knock your socks off guitar piece, just a nice blend of vocals and instrumentation. This entire CD is wonderful, if you have the chance to check it out.
