[Pete Jamison]

 

Funky Broadway – Wilson Pickett 1967

Have You Seen The Stars Tonight? – Paul Kantner/Jefferson Starship 1970

Coming Up Close – Til Tuesday 1986

We Belong To The Night – Ellen Foley 1979

Ordinary World – Duran Duran 1993

If I Had A Hammer – Peter, Paul & Mary 1962

Free Man In Paris – Joni Mitchell 1974

Don’t Call Us, We’ll Call You – Sugar Loaf 1974

Do You Know The Way To San Jose – Dionne Warwick 1969

Rag Doll – Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons 1964

Greensleeves – Liz Story (arrangement & performance) 1994

Don’t Call Me – Little Ed & The Blues Imperials 2008

Take Five – Dave Brubeck 1959

Hymn To Her – The Pretenders 1986

This Guy’s In Love With You – Herb Alpert 1968

Superstition – Stevie Wonder 1972

Get Closer – Seals & Crofts 1976

Mr. Big Stuff – Jean Knight 1971

My Favorite Things – John Coltrane 1961

Starting Here, Starting Now – Barbra Streisand 1966

Greenback Dollar – Kingston Trio 1962

Moon River – Andy Williams 1962

High Heel Sneakers – Stevie Wonder 1966

Don’t Come Knockin’ – Fats Domino 1960

Wichita Lineman – Glen Campbell 1968

—

Honorable mentions: 

Good Luck Charm – Elvis Presley 1962

God Will – Lyle Lovett 1986

From The Morning – Nick Drake 1972

Wedding Rain – Isadar (Liz Story cover) 2009

*sb

[DaveKurdelski]

Re: Pete Jamison’s post 103536 of 11/19/22

Here are two of my favorite singers and some of their songs:

Eva Cassidy. She never did anything original but only did covers which is probably why she was not well known.

Over the Rainbow

Fields of Gold.   This song was written by Sting who thought her version was the best.  

What a Wonderful World.  Eva knew she was dying (from cancer) but she did one last performance.  She had to be helped on stage and this was the only song she did.  To my knowledge this last performance was not recorded but she had recorded it before this time.  She died at the age of 33.  If you search on Youtube there are stories about her.

 

Carrie Newcomer.

Geodes

A Gathering of Spirits

You Can Do This Hard Thing

A Long Christmas Dinner

 

Both of these singers have a lot of recordings on YouTube if you’re interested in hearing more.

/sb

[JoseDonis]

Re: Pete Jamison’s post 103536 of 11/19/22

To be honest, I’m surprised you chose so many 80s songs.  I liked that one by ‘Til Tuesday; Aimee Mann’s voice is superb (also listen to the improvisational lyrics Mann belts out at the end of “Voices Carry”).  “Ordinary World” by Duran Duran is very well composed.

Any song by Jim Steinman (see Meat Loaf, Celine Dion, Bonnie Tyler) or David Foster (see Chicago, Chaka Khan) is surely to make anyone’s pop list.  The orchestration in those songs is quite splendid.

Do you find any of the poetry (lyrics) of the songs listed to be inspirational?

*sb

[Pete Jamison]

Re: Dave Kurdelski’s post 143975 of 11/20/22

I completely agree on Eva Cassidy.  Frank Sinatra described himself as a “song stylist” in that he knew that he didn’t contribute the writing but the performance.  Cassidy could be in that class with Sinatra.

Haven’t heard of Newcomer; will research that.

*sb

[Pete Jamison]

Re: Jose Donis’ post 143979 of 11/20/22

It IS unusual for a person of my age to refer to 80s selections and beyond (I deny having served during the First World War – not the first time I’ve used that joke) but I had an early music education and was in the biz for awhile.  Also, it was a different sort of 80s for me than for most, in that at that time I usually followed jazz artists and Mod Revival (which deals with things like Motown hits rediscovered in the UK) which are very broad categories.   But then, most 80s artists knew their riffs and history from the earliest days of rock and folk, and often before (many had taken “proper” music classes), so many relations, skills and references were maintained. 

Steinman is quite good (I have a few things from him on vinyl 45s) and I probably know Foster from Chaka’s work.  Any time Chaka was involved with a project, there was at least one hit from the record, and involving her.  She’s also still close with now-grandmother Joni Mitchell, a great writer (although somewhat of an existentialist of the morose variety). 

Dealing with lyrics in isolation is a sort of separate perspective but I’ll answer your question: “God Will” by Lyle Lovett would be the most obviously philosophical of my list.  “Superstition” has a solid point there as well: “If you believe in things you don’t understand, you suffer; superstition ain’t the way.”  Almost any “you done me wrong” song would have an implicit positive psychology as with “I Hear You Knockin'” from Smiley Lewis, Dave Edmunds and others.  The song from Sugar Loaf was obviously done by somebody that had dealt with record company representatives before.  But most of these tunes are merely upbeat, as opposed to argumentatively reinforcing.  And many pop songs are vaguely hopeful or optimistic, but lacking in referent as with lots of modern and romantic-era poetry; here I’m mainly thinking of Nick Drake (a writer good in other ways).

Songs I can recall as specifically inspirational would make up some other list, such as “Be” by Neil Diamond, “My Way” from Sinatra, “Downtown” by Petula Clark and there have been a few good readings of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” from Peter, Paul & Mary and George Michael.

/sb

[DaveKurdelski]

Re: Pete Jamison’s post 143980 of 11/20/22

Pete, if you are still researching Carrie Newcomer there is another song by her that is interesting.  It’s called “A Crash of Rhinoceros.”  It’s a clever novelty song.

*sb

[Pete Jamison]

Re: Dave Kurdelski’s post 144011 of 11/26/22

I’m looking into this performer now.  YouTube has several effective promotional videos of her performances with string quartets and larger, in which several songs are featured per video.  She must be a successful act, since above two or three performers, touring is a pricey proposition not only due to wages but insurance.  Stylistically she resembles late 70s/early 80s Joni Mitchell (when Mitchell began experimenting with string backgrounds) and lacks the negativistic outlook.  Mitchell’s influence is also evident in Newcomer’s use of alternate tunings on a classical guitar, achieved in this case with multiple capo clamps, which I’ve never seen used this way.  Will continue looking at this artist.

/sb

[Pete Jamison]

Hm.  I intended for others to contribute lists, so as to give a kind of sense-of-life indication via cumulative effect of all the titles.  But we haven’t seen another list from anyone yet.  So here’s another.

 

Second List

 

1) Tiger Of San Pedro – Bill Watrous

2) Touch – John Klemmer

3) I Want You – Gato Barbiere

4) Linus & Lucy – Vince Guaraldi

5) Saturday Night Special – Rob Rio

6) Got My Mojo Workin’ – Muddy Waters (especially 1966 Canadian TV appearance)

7) Mystery Train – The Band w/ Paul Butterfield (“Last Waltz” film appearance)

Roy Rogers (slide guitar player) – Look Over Yonders Wall

9) Johnnie Winter – Highway 61 Revisited (live 1975)

10) Route 66 – Them featuring Van Morrison (mono version)

11) Rock Me Baby – Ike & Tina Turner (slow studio version)

12) Ain’t Nobody – Chaka Khan cover by KT Tunstall

13) Albert’s Special Boogie – Albert Ammons

14) Georg Phillip Telemann – Trumpet Concerto in D Major

15) Java – Al Hirt

16) Muskrat Ramble – Dukes of Dixieland

17) The Shadow Of Your Smile – Tony Bennett

18) Come Monday – Jimmy Buffett

19) Desafinado – George Michael & Astrud Gilberto

20) Ocean Front Property – George Strait

21) Southbound – Allman Brothers

22) State Street Strut – most Dixieland bands

23) Time Remembered – Bill Evans (live in Oslo 1966)

24) The Vultures Fly High – Renaissance

25) Green Hornet Theme – Al Hirt

 

Honorable Mentions:

Tonight Show Theme – Doc Severinsen & the NBC Orchestra

On A Clear Day You Can See Forever – Barbra Streisand

Dee Dee – Bill Watrous

Back In The High Life Again – Steve Winwood

[pcip367]

Re: Pete Jamison’s post 144400 of 1/14/23

Here’s 25 out of 389 songs from my Spotify list:

1. The Winner Takes It All – Abba
2. Reasons – Earth, Wind & Fire
3. For Your Eyes Only – Sheena Easton
4. Born To Be Wild – Steppenwolf
5. Freebird – Lynyrd Skynyrd
6. Old Time Rock n Roll – Bob Seeger
7. Greatest Love Of All – Whitney Houston
8. My Way – Frank Sinatra
9. Total Eclipse Of The Heart – Bonnie Tyler
10. Power Of Love – Huey Lewis and the News
11. Lyin Eyes – Eagles
12. Piano Man – Billy Joel
13. My Life – Billy Joel
14. Your The First, The Last, My Everything – Barry White
15. Light My Fire – The Doors
16. What A Feeling – Irene Cara
17. Rhiannon – Fleetwood Mac
18. How Deep Is Your Love – Bee Gees
19. To Love Somebody – Bee Gees
20. Star Spangled Banner – Whitney Houston (1991 Super Bowl)
21. Long Long Time – Linda Ronstadt
22. Nadia’s Theme – Barry DeVorzon
23. Holding Out For A Hero – Bonnie Tyler
24. We’ve Got The Night – Kenny Rogers and Sheena Easton
25. Cat’s in the Cradle –  Harry Chapin

/sb

[Pete Jamison]

Re: Paul Cipoletta’s post 144384 of 1/15/23

The Fleetwood Mac reference reminds me of Christine McVie’s contributions to that band’s success, notably with “Songbird.”  Rondstadt did a good live performance of Jimmy Webb’s “The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress” with Webb on piano.  And Barry White was a walking benevolent-universe premise.

/sb

[Pete Jamison]

Re: Paul Cipoletta’s post 144384 of 1/15/23

The most recent list (the one beginning with “Winner Takes It All” by Abba) possesses the virtue of including titles of which people might possibly have heard.  Many of my selections do not exhibit this asset, being important to me for musicianship technicalities (I’m a brass player primarily) or historical first uses of techniques or writing subjects. 

At the risk of even more obscurity, here’s a list I’ll call a Second Tier list.  These songs are on a sort of everyday playlist of mine.  They are often not exactly masterpieces, but are interesting to me at a more relaxed level of intensity.  Some need an overt defense, included as needed.

1. Magic Bus – The Who
2. Can’t Get It Out Of My Head – Electric Light Orchestra
3. Flowers On The Wall – Statler Brothers
4. 24 Hours At A Time – Marshall Tucker Band
5. I’m Henry The Eighth I Am – Herman’s Hermits
6. Song On The Radio – Al Stewart
      (good for practicing an instrument, due to long break w/o lyrics from sax great Phil Kenzie)
7. I’ll Play For You – Seals & Crofts
8. We’ve Got Time – Melissa Manchester
      (this one and the next two are good vocal technique examples)
9. I Don’t Know How To Love Him – Helen Reddy
10. Northern Lights – Renaissance
11. Cello Song – Nick Drake
12. Human (On The Inside) – Pretenders
13. Johnann Christian Bach – opus 3 short symphonies
14. Siberia – Charlotte Hatherley
      (I’ll be thrown into the same category as Dr. Schram, but there’s a dissonance here that’s clever)
15. Big River – The Grateful Dead
      (It strikes me as hilarious that, padding shows to fill in for acts that were absent or too drunk to perform,
      the Dead pulled out titles from every non-rock source they could muster. It calls to mind the scene in the
      Blues Brothers movie where they desperately played “Theme From Rawhide,” which oddly worked.
      Anyway, stoned hippies couldn’t tell the difference, as with country in this case (a Johnny Cash number).
      The Grateful Dead had a coherent performing style rather like Joe Cocker, in that whatever they played
      (potentially from Battle Hymn Of The Republic to the Teletubbies Theme) still came out sounding like a
      Grateful Dead song… Particularly in the 1960s/70s, it was strange for a rock band to be playing country        but the Dead’s audiences never seemed to get it – or mind if they did.)
16. I Saw Her Standing There – The Inmates (Beatles cover)
17. Day By Day – Robin Lamont / Paul Shaffer, piano / NY “Godspell” cast
18. Songbird – Christine McVie / Fleetwood Mac
19. Woman Of The World – Laura Nyro
20. Ain’t That A Kick In The Head – Dean Martin
21. Fai Moi Une Place – Francoise Hardy
22. Ilia’s Theme – soundtrack, Star Trek: The Motion Picture
23. These Dreams – Heart
24. Wedding Rain – Liz Story
25. Working Man Blues – Merle Haggard

Honorable Mentions:

The Ballad of Irving – Frank Gallop
Gonna Fly Now – Maynard Ferguson
Gonna Take A Miracle – Deneice Williams
B.B. King & Bobby Bland – Let The Good Times Roll

/sb

[Pete Jamison]

And before leaving the subject, here are more titles which, in these cases, I think are either unfairly unknown or have been unfairly forgotten.

1. Le Large – Francoise Hardy  (has a decent video somewhat influenced by Bergman films)

2. Ups and Downs – Paul Revere and the Raiders

3. Ain’t Nobody – Leonid & Friends (cover of Chaka Khan by Moscow retro rock act)

4. Baby Elephant Walk – Henry Mancini

5. (Like A) Hurricane – Bryan Ferry (live Neil Young cover)

6. The Finer Things – Steve Winwood

7. Statesboro Blues – Taj Mahal (LP version from 1968)

8. Tommy Can You Hear Me? – The Who

9. Tibetan Side Of Town – Bruce Cockburn (Live Deluxe Edition)

10. Heaven Can Wait – Meat Loaf

11. Georgy Girl – The Seekers

12. First Cut Is the Deepest – Cat Stevens

13. Tin Soldier – The Small Faces

14. Free Man in Paris – Elton John (live cover)

15. Heavy Metal / The Score – Elmer Berstein (side one of LP)

16. I’m One – The Who

(This last is my current favorite.  Although it’s mostly a song about dressing well, I’m hardly a slave to fashion. . . but sometimes you gotta clean up).

/sb

[JoseDonis]

Re: Pete Jamison’s post 145033 of 3/5/23

“Heaven Can Wait” by Meat Loaf.

You should compare Meat Loaf songs written by Jim Steinman, such as the one you listed above, to Meat Loaf songs written by others or by Meat Loaf himself.  They are worlds apart.  Jim Steinman was a musical genius.

The best non-Jim Steinman song I could find by Meat Loaf is “Couldn’t Have Said It Better” written by Nikki Sixx–yes, that Nikki Sixx from Mötley Crüe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bd6_W7Bp5I

/sb

[Author]

Posts