Mid-Week Songs

 

Modern folk artist Maggie Rogers was one of the featured performers at the "No Kings" rally in St. Paul, MN, performing "Different Kind of World."  Here she is, after an introduction by Jane Fonda.

Last night, "The Boss," Bruce Springsteen, launched his "Land of Hopes and Dreams" tour at the Target Center in Minneapolis with his E Street Band.  He was also in the Twin Cities for the "No Kings" march on Saturday.  He starts his concert with a rousing denunciation of the lawless and evil Malignant Fascist, followed by rousing a cover of Edwin Starr's "War (What Is It Good For)," and his own "Born In The U.S.A."

Mid-Week Songs

 

British singer / songwriter Olivia Dean cleaned up at this year's BRIT awards ceremony -- their prestigious equivalent of the Grammys -- by winning four of their top awards: Artist of the Year, Best Pop Act, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year. That's on top of her Grammy win this year for Best New Artist. Her second studio album, "The Art of Loving," released last year, produced several top ten hits in the UK, and reached number 3 on U.S. charts, going double platinum. 

Two videos we're featuring today are songs from that album: her sultry and smooth "Man I Need," and her playful, upbeat "So Easy (To Fall in Love)".  Enjoy.

Mid-Week Songs

 

We'll start off our song choices today with ones from two different genres and eras.  Jazz saxophonist Boney James (James Oppenheim) leads off with "The Magic Hour," from his new EP "Off the Record," followed by a holiday classic, the festive "Sleigh Ride" by the legendary composer Leroy Anderson, performed by the Boston Pops Orchestra, conducted by John Williams.  Enjoy!

Mid-Week Songs: An Anniversary

 

Today is the 60th anniversary (!) of the release of one of the Beatles' most popular and impactful albums, "Rubber Soul," a work that was a departure from their pop genre into folk rock and songs with increasing depth and nuance.  As with every album of theirs, it spawned numerous hits and inspired the likes of The Beach Boys (who went on to record "Pet Sounds"), and the Stones ("Aftermath"). It was also groundbreaking in that it incorporated instruments (the sitar in "Norwegian Wood") and sounds (a harpsichord-like piano bridge in "In My Life") that showed their experimentation with new genres.  Here are three songs from that album we've picked to celebrate this musical anniversary, in the order in which they appear on the album.  If you take the time to listen to the entire album, it's well worth the experience, whether it's for the first time or revisiting it.

Mid-Week Songs: RIP Jimmy Cliff

 

Jamaican reggae / rocksteady star Jimmy Cliff, who passed away at 81 on Monday, left an indelible legacy of songs that popularized reggae music internationally.  As a 2010 inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of  Fame, Cliff is only one of two Jamaicans to receive the honor, the other being the legendary Bob Marley.  Cliff also won Grammy awards for Best Reggae Album in 1986 and 2013. 

Here are two of Cliff's best known songs, the bluesy "The Harder They Come", from the 1972 movie of the same name, and his joyous cover of Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now," from the film "Cool Runnings," loosely based on the story of the Jamaican bobsled team in the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics. What a voice.  RIP.

Mid-Week Songs And A Farewell

 

The folk revival of the 1950s and 1960s was advanced by artists like the iconic trio Peter, Paul and Mary, whose catalogue of recordings will stand the test of time. Yesterday, Peter Yarrow died, leaving only Noel Paul Stookey as the surviving member, following Mary Travers' death in 2009. Here are three of their many classic songs. RIP.

   

   

         

Mid-Week Songs

 

Happy 73rd birthday to singer and half of the band Heart, Ann Wilson. With her sister and guitarist Nancy, Heart formed in Seattle in 1973 and 50 million record sales later were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. Here is Heart, with Ann Wilson's powerful voice, on 1987's "Alone."

And, just for fun, Stephen Colbert did a video satire of the unhinged Malignant Loser's memory gap when he misidentified his doctor, the disgraced pill-pusher Ronny Jackson, as "Ronny Johnson." Then, British duo The Ting Tings with "That's Not My Name," the song that inspired Colbert's satire (also, her name is Katie White).

Mid-Week Songs: Anniversary

Yesterday was the 40th anniversary of the release of Bruce Springsteen's "Born In The U.S.A.", his seventh studio album and one which contained seven top ten singles, making it his best selling album with more than 30 million copies sold worldwide. We're featuring two of the album's hit songs, which were the last songs on their side of the album.  The driving and passionate "I'm On Fire," and the painful images of a changing home town, "My Hometown," both performed live at his London concert in 2013 with the iconic E Street Band. 

Mid-Week Songs: Beginning And End

 

Folk and pop artist Judy Collins celebrates her 85th birthday today. One of the key figures in the American folk revival of the late 1950s and 1960s, Collins recorded numerous hits, including "Both Sides Now," and "Send In The Clowns." We've always loved her cover of the wistful "Who Knows Where The Time Goes," written by the late Sandy Denny of Fairport Convention.

Folk music lost a giant a year ago today with the death of Gordon Lightfoot at the age of 84. His hits included "Sundown," "Carefree Highway," "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," and our choice today, "If You Could Read My Mind," his first major hit in 1970.

Mid-Week Songs

 

We had another song in mind today when we happened upon Americana - folk musician Christian Lopez' songs from his new extended play, "Magdalena."  Lopez, who was named Rolling Stone's "best newcomer" at the 2015 Americana Music Festival and Conference, has only grown in talent since then. Here are two lovely songs from him, "The Morning," and "Harpers Ferry," a place which evokes personal memories for us.  Enjoy.

Mid-Week Songs: The Great Harry Belafonte

 

When we learned of singer, actor and civil and human rights leader Harry Belafonte's death yesterday at age 96, we knew we wanted to feature some of his iconic songs today. Belafonte popularized calypso music in the '50s and '60s, and was an early advocate of civil rights, appearing with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and other icons at public rallies. His 1956 album "Calypso" was the first album by a single artist to sell one million copies, a remarkable achievement. A winner of the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards (EGOT), Belafonte also received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1989. Here are three of his hits, the beautifully wistful "Jamaica Farewell," the energetic "Jump In The Line," and his signature song, "Banana Boat (Day-O)."  Tributes from President Biden and former President Obama were among many that honored Belafonte. RIP for a life well-lived.

Mid-Week Songs: Birthday Boys

 

Eighty years ago today, two important musicians in different genres were born on different continents: jazz guitar great George Benson in Pittsburgh, PA, and the late Yardbirds lead singer Keith Relf in Richmond, England. Here are two of their best known songs: "Breezin'" and "Shapes of Things" respectively.

Mid-Week Songs: Birthday Anniversaries

 

Yesterday marked the birthday anniversaries of two greats in contemporary music: lyricist Ira Gershwin (1896-1983) and jazz pianist Dave Brubeck (1920-2012). With his composer brother George, the Gershwin brothers created some of the greatest popular and jazz tunes of the 20th century, many of which are considered integral to the Great American Songbook. Brubeck, who formed one of the classic jazz quartets of all time, extended jazz's popularity in the years following World War II. Here are two of their signature works, "I Got Rhythm" sung by the incomparable Ella Fitzgerald, and "Take Five" by the Dave Brubeck Quartet (featuring Paul Desmond on alto sax, Eugene Wright on double bass, and Joe Morello on drums).

Mid-Week Songs

 

Williamsburg, Virginia, native and master pianist and songwriter Bruce Hornsby celebrates number 68 today. Over the past 40 years, Hornsby has won Grammys in pop and bluegrass music categories (won 3, nominated for 13), toured as the Grateful Dead's pianist, and collaborated musically with a variety of artists from Justin Vernon's Bon Iver to filmmaker Spike Lee. Here are two of Bruce's best known songs with his band The Range -- timeless, beautiful classics from his award-winning album "The Way It Is." (Hip hop fans might be surprised that Tupac Shakur sampled "The Way It Is" single for his 1998 hit "Changes").

Mid-Week Song: The Incomparable Tony Bennett

 

There's not much more praise you can give to Tony Bennett that hasn't already been given: superb, velvet smooth singer, beloved icon of the golden age of classic crooners, 20 Grammy Awards, Kennedy Center Honors, a Bronze Star for WW II service, a good and decent man. On his 96th birthday today, we present a couple of his songs by way of saying "happy birthday and thank you."

Mid-Week Songs

 

The War on Drugs has been featured here a number of times, a favorite of ours for their unique sound and soaring melodies, vocals and guitars. Their latest album, "I Don't Live Here Anymore," was released last fall, and one of the tracks, "Rings Around My Father's Eyes," is an evocative, slow tempo song, sung in Dylanesque style by lead singer Adam Granduciel. 

The next selections are a tribute to Procol Harum founder and lead singer / pianist Gary Brooker, who passed away last Saturday of cancer at age 76. From their first album, the iconic "Whiter Shade of Pale," and from their second album "Shine on Brightly",  the single "Quite Rightly So."  RIP.

 

 

Mid-Week Songs

 

One of the biggest rock and cultural icons of the 20th century was born today in 1943:  The Doors' leader Jim Morrison. The self-styled "lizard king" was a fan of such writers as William Blake and Aldous Huxley, and produced reams of lyrics and poetry himself before his early death in 1971 in Paris, France. He's buried there in the famous Père Lachaise cemetery, along with such figures as Balzac, Chopin, Molière, Edith Piaf and Oscar Wilde. Here are two songs from The Doors featuring Morrison's vocals: "You're Lost Little Girl," from their second album, and the last song he recorded, "Riders on the Storm."

Mid-Week Songs: Petty Birthday Trilogy

The late great Tom Petty would have celebrated his 71st birthday today had he not died too soon in 2017. He left us with a very memorable classic rock compendium, much of which forms the rock songbook of the second half of the 20th century, and into the 21st. Here are three among many of his most famous songs. Enjoy.

Mid-Week Songs: Dylan's Mastery

 

American icon Bob Dylan turned 80 on Monday, and there are few if any singer / songwriters who have had the impact on music and the culture at large as he has. You can't capture his catalogue of masterpieces in a random sample, but here are some gems that he's given us over his long career.

Mid-Week Songs: Tony Bennett Turns 94

An American musical and cultural icon, Tony Bennett, celebrated his 94th birthday on Monday. It's hard to express how fortunate we are that he's around to enchant us with his music and personality. A multi-talented creator known for his beautiful voice and for his paintings, Bennett is also a long-time champion of progressive causes. His fans are innumerable, and include Lady Gaga, Sting, Cher, Stevie Wonder and everyone else that's entertained us over his more than 7 decades of song. Still stylish, youthful and fit, he posted this brief "thank you" to his millions of well-wishers yesterday:

Thank you all so much for the wonderful birthday wishes! Your support and love is the greatest gift I could ever ask for. pic.twitter.com/rCNomM8Xss

— Tony Bennett (@itstonybennett) August 4, 2020

Here are just three songs from his brilliant career which have stood the test of time, and are part of his legacy and the American songbook forever.







The happiest of happy birthdays!