I might have skipped my music post today, for I am behind on almost everything and not feeling quite up to snuff, but yesterday afternoon my friend Jerry texted me and said he had a music suggestion for me. With some trepidation, for Jerry and I rarely like the same music, I read on and much to my surprise he was recommending this song … one of my all-time favourites, which … on further thought, Jerry should know … hmmmmm … maybe he sensed I needed some of my man, Stevie Wonder at the moment, eh? Sneaky, Jerry … very sneaky! Anyway, yes it’s a redux, but it’s still a damn fine song, and I haven’t played it since 2020!
Paul McCartney wrote this song, saying that the message was “that people of all types could live together.” He liked the piano analogy, since you can play using just the white keys or just the black keys, but to make great music, you have to combine them. So true.
McCartney started recording this as a solo effort, but then got the idea to do it as a duet with Stevie Wonder. A demo made its way to Wonder, and he agreed to record it, standing wholeheartedly behind the message in the song. It was issued as a single and appeared on McCartney’s 1982 album Tug Of War.
This was Stevie Wonder’s first #1 single in the UK. His only other was I Just Called To Say I Love You in 1984.
Listen to the words, feel the camaraderie between these two men, feel the love … share the love, spread the love. Love knows no colour boundaries, and neither should we.
Ebony & Ivory Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder
Ebony and ivory
Live together in perfect harmony
Side by side on my piano keyboard
Oh Lord, why don’t we?
We all know
That people are the same wherever you go
There is good and bad in everyone
When we learn to live, we learn to give each other
What we need to survive
Together alive
Ebony and ivory
Live together in perfect harmony
Side by side on my piano keyboard
Oh Lord, why don’t we?
We all know
That people are the same wherever you go
There is good and bad, mmm, in everyone
We learn to live when we learn to give each other
What we need to survive
Together alive
Ebony and ivory
Live together in perfect harmony
Side by side on my piano keyboard
Oh Lord, why don’t we?
Side by side on my piano keyboard
Oh Lord, why don’t we?
While I was working on my ‘snarky snippets’ post last night, for no known reason this song popped unbidden into my head. I thought … AHAH! There’s one I’ve never posted before, and I kept humming the tune, even though I could not remember the title. Well, a few words came to mind, so a quick Google search gave me the title, and I was all set to write a … wait a minute … better check and make sure I’ve never played this one bef … oopsie! Yep, played it just over a year ago! Drat. Oh well, it’s a good song and I’m in the mood to redux it! The second version, the ‘pandemic version’ is so much fun! I hope you guys enjoy it, even if it is a repeat!
Last week I reduxed a song by the Doobie Brothers, Listen to the Music, and our friend Clive mentioned two others that were his favourites by the band: China Grove and Black Water. Well, China Grove was one that I had never heard before, and when I listened it didn’t exactly make me want to jump up and dance. But Black Water was another story altogether … I recognized it immediately, and what’s more … I like it! And so …
Patrick Simmons, who is the group’s guitarist, wrote this song and sang lead. It has the Louisiana swamp rock feel of earlier Doobie Brothers songs like Toulouse Street and Black Eyed Cajun Woman. The song is about the Mississippi River, with lyrics likely inspired by Mark Twain’s books Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, which tell stories about rafting down the river.
A personal aside … while I have heard this song many, many times and always liked it, I must admit that I always thought they were singing, “Hold that water …” Ah, the joys of being hearing-impaired!
Black Water wasn’t seen as having hit potential, so it was relegated to the B-side of Another Park, Another Sunday in March 1974. Black Water wasn’t issued as an A-side until November, and it didn’t reach #1 until March 15, 1975.
In discussing how the song became an unlikely hit, says Tom Johnston, the Doobie Brothers frontman …
“That’s a story that could have happened back then, but never would ever ever happen now: Roanoke, Virginia picked that tune up and started playing it in heavy rotation, and somebody in Minneapolis who I guess knew somebody in Roanoke heard the song and decided to follow suit, and it ended up becoming our first #1 single. That was Pat’s first single. And oddly enough, it was never looked at as a single by the record company.
I remember when I first heard it was #1, we were in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and we were just getting ready to go on stage, and then I guess Bruce [their manager Bruce Cohn] must have told us. I think we were already aware of the fact that it was getting airplay, but nobody was really paying a lot of attention. And then all of a sudden it became #1 and we were paying attention. I remember I went in and congratulated Pat backstage, and we’ve been playing it ever since.”
Lead singer Tom Johnston became severely ill on the eve of a major tour beginning in Memphis, Tennessee in 1975, which led to the group replacing him with Michael McDonald, who became the lead singer of the band. Johnston was restored to fitness in 1976 and briefly back in the band, although he was sidelined once again in the fall due to exhaustion. Michael McDonald remained with the band until their split in 1982 (they reunited in 1987, with Johnston).
Released in 1974, this hit #1 in the U.S., #11 in Canada, but did not chart in the UK. Still, since our friend Clive knows of it and likes it, I must assume it did receive airtime in the UK.
Tonight, I have what I hope will be a treat for you. I’m playing the original, official version and also one made within the past year, a ‘pandemic’ version where the members of the band all tuned in virtually and played their parts! Needless to say, they are a bit older now, and of course the quality doesn’t match the original, but I thought it was fun anyway.
Black Water The Doobie Brothers
Well, I built me a raft and she’s ready for floatin’
Ol’ Mississippi, she’s callin’ my name
Catfish are jumpin’, that paddle wheel thumpin’
Black water keeps rollin’ on past just the same
Old black water, keep on rollin’
Mississippi moon, won’t you keep on shinin’ on me?
Old black water, keep on rollin’
Mississippi moon, won’t you keep on shinin’ on me?
Old black water, keep on rollin’
Mississippi moon, won’t you keep on shinin’ on me?
Yeah, keep on shinin’ your light
Gonna make everything
Pretty mama, gonna make everything all right
And I ain’t got no worries
‘Cause I ain’t in no hurry at all
Well, if it rains, I don’t care
Don’t make no difference to me
Just take that streetcar that’s goin’ uptown
Yeah, I’d like to hear some funky Dixieland and dance a honky-tonk
And I’ll be buyin’ ev’rybody drinks all ‘roun’
Old black water, keep on rollin’
Mississippi moon, won’t you keep on shinin’ on me?
Old black water, keep on rollin’
Mississippi moon, won’t you keep on shinin’ on me?
Old black water, keep on rollin’
Mississippi moon, won’t you keep on shinin’ on me?
Keep on shinin’ your light
Gonna make everything, everything
Gonna make everything all right
And I ain’t got no worries
‘Cause I ain’t in no hurry at all
I’d like to hear some funky Dixieland
Pretty mama, come and take me by the hand
(By the hand) hand (take me by the hand) pretty mama
Gonna dance with your daddy all night long
I’d like to hear some funky Dixieland
Pretty mama, come and take me by the hand
By the hand, take me by the hand, pretty mama (I wanna honky-tonk, honky-tonk)
Gonna dance with your daddy night long (honky-tonk with you all long)
I’d like to hear some funky Dixieland
Pretty mama, come and take me by the hand
By the hand, take me by the hand, pretty mama (I wanna honky-tonk, honky-tonk)
Gonna dance with you all night long (honky-tonk with you all long)
I’d like to hear some funky Dixieland
Pretty mama, come and take me by the hand
By the hand, take me by the hand, pretty mama (I wanna honky-tonk, honky-tonk)
Gonna dance with you all night long (honky-tonk with you all long)
I’d like to hear some funky Dixieland
Pretty mama, come and take me by the hand
By the hand, take me by the hand, pretty mama (I wanna honky-tonk, honky-tonk)
Gonna dance with you all night long (honky-tonk with you all long)
I’d like to hear some funky Dixieland
Pretty mama, come and take me by the hand
By the hand, take me by the hand, pretty mama (I wanna honky-tonk, honky-tonk)
Gonna dance with you all night long (honky-tonk with you all long)
Oooooh-la-la-la … Oooooh-la-la-la … Ooo 💥 Oh … oh … here you are! Sorry, I was wrapped up in the music, singing Oooooh-la-la-la … it grabs you, y’know? Anyway, today’s song is an ‘oldie but goodie’ by none other than The Beatles from waaaayyyy back in 1965.
Paul McCartney wrote this about his tumultuous five-year relationship with the actress Jane Asher. He wrote it one night after she had walked out. Up to this point, McCartney wrote lots of “silly love songs.” You Won’t See Me was a departure lyrically, as the song was more personal and mature, and also a little bitter, which reflects how he felt about his relationship with Jane Asher.
This was recorded in two takes. In their early years, The Beatles did so many live shows that they had no trouble recording quickly. What I did not know was that the melody for the Chicago hit Saturday In The Park is based on this song.
You Won’t See Me
The Beatles
When I call you up
Your line’s engaged
I have had enough
So act your age
We have lost the time
That was so hard to find
And I will lose my mind
If you want see me
(You won’t see me)
You won’t see me
(You won’t see me)
.
I don’t know why you (Ooh-ooh, La la-la)
Should want to hide (Ooh-ooh, La la-la)
But I can’t get through (Ooh-ooh, La la-la)
My hands are tied (Ooh-ooh, La la-la)
I won’t want to stay (Ooh-ooh, La la-la)
I don’t have much to say (Ooh-ooh, La la-la)
But I’d get turned away (Ooh-ooh, La la-la)
And you won’t see me
(You won’t see me)
You won’t see me
.
Time after time
You refuse to even listen
.
I wouldn’t mind
If I knew what I was missing (no, I wouldn’t, no, I wouldn’t)
.
Though the days are few (Ooooh, La la-la)
They’re filled with tears (Ooooh, La la-la)
And since I lost you (Ooooh, La la-la)
It feels like years (Ooooh, La la-la)
Yes, it seems so long (Ooooh, La la-la)
Girl, since you’ve been gone (Ooooh, La la-la)
And I just can’ go on (Ooooh, La la-la)
If you want see me
.
You won’t see me
(You won’t see me)
.
Time after time
You refuse to even listen
I wouldn’t mind
If I knew what I was missing (no, I wouldn’t, no, I wouldn’t)
.
Though the days are few (Ooooh, La la-la)
They’re filled with tears (Ooooh, La la-la)
And since I lost you (Ooooh, La la-la)
It feels like years (Ooooh, La la-la)
Yes, it seems so long (Ooooh, La la-la)
Girl, since you’ve been gone (Ooooh, La la-la)
And I just can’ go on (Ooooh, La la-la)
.
If you want see me
(You won’t see me)
You won’t see me
(You won’t see me)
Yeah!
Ooooh la la-la
.
Ooooh la la-la
Ooooh la la-la
.
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Lennon John Winston / Mccartney Paul James
Since today is Juneteenth, I thought it only appropriate to play some Motown — in my book some of the best music produced in the U.S.! Of course, since I feature Motown songs and artists pretty often in these posts, I’ve already played most of my favourites at one point or another … some of them twice. This one I’ve played only once twice before, so it will be new to many of you. And Happy Juneteenth!
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough is an R&B/soul song written by the husband/wife songwriting team of Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson in 1966 for the Tamla label, a division of Motown. Nick Ashford was inspired by an experience when he first moved to New York. He was walking down a Manhattan thoroughfare, determined that New York City would not get the best of him; the words “Ain’t no mountain high enough” popped into his head.
Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell recorded the original version, which peaked at #19 US in 1967. Uriel Jones of The Funk Brothers, who played the drums on Gaye and Terrell’s original version, recalled …
“Ashford and Simpson had written the song and they always came to the studio with charts. This time was no exception; they came with the song fully written out. The lyrics were written out too. They were one of the few producers and writers who had full charts and made us work from them. They knew 95 percent what they wanted to hear. Johnny Bristol and Harvey Fuqua were the actual producers in charge of the recording. We did the rhythm track first, then they put the horns on second. Then they recorded Tammi Terrell’s vocal, then they did Marvin Gaye’s next. Each vocal was done separately, the singer in the studio with the producer on their own, and they put it all together at the end. You know, I never heard the finished song until I switched on the radio and it was playing.”
British soul singer Dusty Springfield wanted to record the song but Ashford & Simpson declined, hoping it would give them access to the Detroit-based label. As Valerie Simpson later recalled, “We played that song for her (Springfield) but wouldn’t give it to her, because we wanted to hold that back. We felt like that could be our entry to Motown.”
Diana Ross & The Supremes recorded a version of Ain’t No Mountain High Enough which was more faithful to the Terrell-Gaye original version as a duet with The Temptations. That song was an album cut from a joint LP released by Motown Records in 1968 on the two superstar groups, titled Diana Ross & the Supremes Join The Temptations.
In spring 1970, after the Top 20 success of her first solo single, Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand), Ashford and Simpson had Ross re-record Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.
Motown chief Berry Gordy did not like the record upon first hearing it. He hated the spoken-word passages and wanted the song to begin with the climactic chorus/bridge. It was not until radio stations nationwide were editing their own versions and adding it to their playlists that Ashford and Simpson were able to convince Gordy to release an edited three-minute version as a single. Ross’ version of Ain’t No Mountain High Enough rose up to number one on both the pop and R&B singles charts. Ross received a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
I prefer the Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell version, but the Diana Ross version is good, as well, so I proffer both!
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell
Listen baby, ain’t no mountain high
Ain’t no valley low, ain’t no river wide enough baby
If you need me call me no matter where you are
No matter how far don’t worry baby
Just call my name I’ll be there in a hurry
You don’t have to worry
‘Cause baby there ain’t no mountain high enough
Ain’t no valley low enough
Ain’t no river wide enough
To keep me from getting to you babe
Remember the day I set you free
I told you you could always count on me darling
From that day on, I made a vow
I’ll be there when you want me
Some way, some how
‘Cause baby there ain’t no mountain high enough
Ain’t no valley low enough
Ain’t no river wide enough
To keep me from getting to you babe
Oh no darling
No wind, no rain
Or winters cold can stop me baby, na na baby
‘Cause you are my goal
If you’re ever in trouble
I’ll be there on the double
Just send for me, oh baby, ha
My love is alive
Way down in my heart
Although we are miles apart
If you ever need a helping hand
I’ll be there on the double
Just as fast as I can
Don’t you know that there
Ain’t no mountain high enough
Ain’t no valley low enough
Ain’t no river wide enough
To keep me from getting to you babe
Don’tcha know that there
Ain’t no mountain high enough
Ain’t no valley low enough
Ain’t no river wide enough
Ain’t mountain high enough
Ain’t no valley low enough
I have played this one other time, but it’s been a couple of years ago. The Doors were never my favourite band, but they had 3-4 that I liked a lot, and this is one such!
Doors guitarist Robby Krieger wrote this song as “Hit Me,” based on fights he had with his girlfriend. They lyric was, “C’mon, hit me, I’m not afraid.” In a rare show of restraint, Jim Morrison insisted on changing it to Touch Me. At the end of the song, Morrison chants “Stronger than dirt!” The line is from an Ajax commercial popular at the time where a white knight rides around destroying dirt. The last four chords of the song were also lifted from the commercial.Many critics claimed this was a sellout, as the horn and string sections were not typical of The Doors. The band admitted they were trying to broaden their audience and achieve commercial success with this album, which they did.
The sax part was played by Curtis Amy, who was a popular session horn and flute player who got his biggest exposure playing on Carole King’s famous Tapestry album. Jim Morrison remarked that the song was the first rock hit with a jazz solo.Something that was news to me when I was researching this song tonight … this song was popular around the time Jim Morrison was arrested in Miami for indecent exposure. The song had nothing to do with Morrison’s arrest, apart from an unfortunate title, but some radio stations refused to play it as a result. Morrison was convicted and sentenced to six months in jail for the incident, but he died while the case was being appealed. In 2010, the governor of Florida pardoned Morrison, believing that the conviction was politically motivated and that no conclusive evidence showed that the Doors frontman exposed himself.
Touch Me The Doors
Yeah!
Come on, come on, come on, come on
Now touch me, baby
Can’t you see that I am not afraid?
What was that promise that you made?
Why won’t you tell me what she said?
What was that promise that you made?
Now, I’m gonna love you
‘Till the heavens stop the rain
I’m gonna love you
‘Till the stars fall from the sky
For you and I
Come on, come on, come on, come on
Now touch me, baby
Can’t you see that I am not afraid?
What was that promise that you made?
Why won’t you tell me what she said?
What was that promise that you made?
I’m gonna love you
‘Till the heaven stop the rain
I’m gonna love you
‘Till the stars fall from the sky
For you and I
I’m gonna love you
‘Till the heavens stop the rain
I’m gonna love you
‘Till the stars fall from the sky
For you and I
A comment conversation with a relatively new member of my ‘blogging family’ led to this song. I was thinking how it is that a new reader pops in to a post, and maybe that’s the only time we ever see him/her, but then on the other hand, maybe there’s a connection, a spark, something that says, “Hey, I really click with this person!” I’ve had that happen on a number of occasions since I started this blog, and some of my blogging family have, over time, become some of my best friends. And a line came to my mind … “I’m so glad you came into my life” … and I put those words into Google, for I knew there was a song there, but couldn’t quite put my finger on it. But, Google found it right off and here we are …
I was unaware that this song was originally a #39 hit for Motown artist Brenda Holloway in 1967. Holloway shares writing credit on the song with Berry Gordy, Frank Wilson and Patrice Holloway. How did I not know that??? The version I know best is the one by Blood, Sweat & Tears. According to SongFacts …
Blood, Sweat & Tears founder and keyboard player Al Kooper came up with the idea to cover this song, but he left the group before they recorded it. His replacement, David Clayton-Thomas, took over and sang lead on this track. Clayton-Thomas explained: “They had tried it with Al Kooper and they weren’t happy with the vocals, so they never did record it. Then up at [drummer] Bobby Colomby’s place one day, he was playing me a bunch of stuff that they had been considering, and I heard ‘You’ve Made Me So Very Happy.’ I said, ‘Whoa, who’s that? That’s Brenda Holloway! I know that song!’ So we did the chart and it went into the show, and we played it down at the club, and we ran up in the studio and recorded it.”
This was the first of three US #2 songs (also “Spinning Wheel” and “And When I Die”) on BS&T’s second LP, Blood, Sweat & Tears.
Virtually a small orchestra, this song stood out as Blood, Sweat & Tears established a milestone in rock history with its large horn section and jazz-blues orientation.
In his bang-up biography Backstage Passes and Backstabbing Bastards, Al Kooper relates the discovery of saxophonist and arranger Fred Lipsius: “Fred showed up at rehearsal a few days later, and I couldn’t believe it. Sam Straight. Short hair, square clothes, the whole bit. Then he unpacked his alto and started playing and that was it for me. I didn’t care what this guy looked like, he could play the f–king saxophone and make it cry f’chrissakes! We played him all my tunes and he said he was in. Freddie was as sweet and innocent as anyone could possibly be, and a corruption process was essential. He’d never listened to rock ‘n’ roll; he was a hard-core jazzer, but had soul in huge doses. We used to force-feed him marijuana and make him listen to James Brown with headphones on. He got the picture, and pretty soon we had us a rockin’ alto player.”
Blood, Sweat & Tears closed their Woodstock set with this song. When the festival started on August 15, 1969, Blood, Sweat & Tears was the #1 album in America. Since they were wildly popular at the time, the group commanded a premium fee: $15,000, which was second only to Jimi Hendrix. Unfortunately for BS&T, they were never paid (the festival lost money) and were not included in the film, since they would have been owed a portion of the receipts had they appeared.
You’ve Made Me So Very Happy
Blood, Sweat & Tears
I lost at love before
Got mad and closed the door
But you said try just once more
I chose you for the one
Now I’m having so much fun
You treated me so kind,
I’m about to lose my mind
You made me so very happy
I’m so glad you came into my life
The others were untrue,
But when it came to lovin’ you
I’d spend my whole life with you
‘Cause you came and you took control
You touched my very soul
You always showed me that
Loving you was where it’s at
You made me so very happy
I’m so glad you came into my life
Thank you baby, yeah yeah
I love you so much, it seems
That you’re even in my dreams I can hear
Baby, I hear you calling me
I’m so in love with you
All I ever want to do is
Thank you, baby
Thank you, baby
You made me so very happy
I’m so glad you came into my life
You made me so very happy
You made me so, so very happy baby
I’m so glad you
Came into my life
Mmmm, I want to thank you, girl
Every day of my life
I wanna thank you
You made me so very happy
Oh, I wanna spend my life thanking you
Thank you, baby
Thank you, baby
Writer/s: BERRY GORDY JR, BRENDA HOLLOWAY, FRANK WILSON, PATRICE HOLLOWAY
Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind
This has been a day of … perception and pondering for me. I admit it … I am depressed in a way I’ve never been before and it is taking its toll on my psyche. This song popped into my head a day or so ago, and when I looked at it tonight, one part in the lyrics stood out for me …
… nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky It slips away And all your money won’t another minute buy
I think there are a lot of people in this world who need to hear and ponder those words. Anyway, I’ve only played this once in my ‘blogging career’ and that was three years ago, so … not too soon for a redux, is it?
Given the current status of our world, our environment, the health of our planet, this song kept popping in and out of my head today.
According to SongFacts …
Kansas guitarist Kerry Livgren wrote this after reading a book of Native American poetry. The line that caught his attention was “For All We Are Is Dust In The Wind.”
This got him thinking about the true value of material things and the meaning of success. The band was doing well and making money, but Kerry realized that in the end, he would eventually die just like everyone else. No matter our possessions or accomplishments, we all end up back in the ground.
Kansas was almost done writing and rehearsing the Point of Know Return album when their producer, Jeff Glixman, asked if they had any more songs. Livgren reluctantly played this song for his bandmates on acoustic guitar, insisting they wouldn’t like it because it was not Kansas. To his surprise, they loved the song and insisted they record it. Livgren then fought against his own song, but was overruled. “Dust In The Wind” became their biggest hit, but Livgren never did think very highly of it. “I tend to like the more bombastic things, like ‘The Wall,’ he told us.
The song peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 the week of April 22, 1978, making it Kansas’s only top ten Billboard Hot 100 charting single.
Dust in the Wind Kansas
I close my eyes, only for a moment, and the moment’s gone
All my dreams pass before my eyes, a curiosity
Dust in the wind
All they are is dust in the wind
Same old song, just a drop of water in an endless sea
All we do crumbles to the ground though we refuse to see
Dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind
Oh, ho, ho
Now, don’t hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky
It slips away
And all your money won’t another minute buy
Dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind
Dust in the wind
Everything is dust in the wind
Everything is dust in the wind
The wind
I hinted last night that I was planning to do a music post for a friend. Roger mentioned this one way back a week ago when I posted Simon & Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water, but I’m just now getting around to playing it … where the heck does time go??? So anyway, Sir Roger, this one’s for you!
I am not able … and I’ve searched high and low … to find much background or trivia about this song. Released in November 1965, it was Paul Revere and the Raiders’ first national hit and one of the first rock records to feature a distinctive, double-tracked guitar solo, performed by guitarist Drake Levin. The song peaked at #11 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in January 1966 during a then-lengthy 15-week run. And that is all of the factual info I have, so you’ll just have to settle for giving it a listen!
Just Like Me Paul Revere and the Raiders
It’s just like me
To say to you
Love me do
And I’ll be true
And what I’d like
For you to say
Is you’ll come home
To me each day
Hiku be my girl
That’s what I want
Just you sweet thing
And not a thing
It’s just like me
To feel so good
And fall so much
In love with you
It’s just like me
It’s just like me
I’m acting the fool
That’s how I’ll be
But it’s just like you
To say goodbye
And leave me all
Alone at night, waaa
It’s just like me
To say to you
Love me do
And I’ll be true
And what I’d like
For you to say
Is that you’ll love me
Here each day
It’s just like me
It’s just like me
I’m acting the fool
That’s how I’ll be
But it’s just like you
To say goodbye
And leave me all
Alone at night, waaa
Okay, so I was looking into a song for this morning’s music post that had been mentioned by a dear friend, and as I wanted to bring a much-needed smile to his face, I was planning to surprise him with a song. And then … and then … this one popped into my head and … well, if you’ve followed this blog for a few years, you know that Stevie Wonder is DA MAN in my book, and as I listened … a funny thing happened. My face felt funny … what was wrong??? WHOA … could it be … was it possible … yes … YES … the corners of my mouth were slightly upturned … I was … SMILING! And so, I will post my friend’s song tomorrow night, but for tonight, sit back and enjoy yourself a bit of Stevie at his best!
I am told by several who have reason to know, that I don’t smile enough these days. They are probably right, but in truth, I find little to smile about. In the mirror, I see an old hag with a perpetual scowl and sad eyes. However, there is one person who always brings a smile to my face, and that is Mr. Stevie Wonder!
I could have sworn I had played this one, for it is one of my favourites by Stevie, but a search of my archives found nothing. I love this one, especially, when I am out walking, for the beat makes me pick up my speed and makes me smile at the same time, such that the people I pass wonder just what the heck I am up to with that sappy grin on my face!
Stevie Wonder wrote this song as a tribute to music, specifically to Duke Ellington, who had died in 1974. Ellington was a jazz bandleader and composer who was a big influence on Wonder.
“I knew the title from the beginning but wanted it to be about the musicians who did something for us. So soon they are forgotten. I wanted to show my appreciation. They gave us something that is supposed to be forever. That’s the basic idea of what we do and how we hook it up.”
In addition to Ellington, musicians referenced in this song are “Satchmo” Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie and Sodarisa Miller.
This wasn’t the first song Wonder wrote in tribute to one of his musical inspirations: Bye Bye World from his 1968 album Eivets Rednow is about the guitarist Wes Montgomery. Wonder’s second album, released in 1962 when he was just 12 years old, was a tribute to ‘Uncle Ray’, which paid homage to Ray Charles.
Sir Duke Stevie Wonder
Music is a world within itself
With a language we all understand
With an equal opportunity
For all to sing, dance and clap their hands
But just because a record has a groove
Don’t make it in the groove
But you can tell right away at letter A
When the people start to move
They can feel it all over
They can feel it all over people
They can feel it all over
They can feel it all over people
Music knows it is and always will
Be one of the things that life just won’t quit
But here are some of music’s pioneers
That time will not allow us to forget
For there’s Basie, Miller, Sachmo
And the king of all Sir Duke
And with a voice like Ella’s ringing out
There’s no way the band can lose
You can feel it all over
You can feel it all over people
You can feel it all over
You can feel it all over people
You can feel it all over
You can feel it all over people
You can feel it all over
You can feel it all over people
You can feel it all over
You can feel it all over people
You can feel it all over
You can feel it all over people
You can feel it all over
You can feel it all over people
You can feel it all over
I can feel it all over-all over now people
Can’t you feel it all over
Come on let’s feel it all over people
You can feel it all over
Everybody-all over people
Tonight I am tired and hot because the air-conditioning went south, and I have to be up early to greet the maintenance dude when he shows up to (hopefully) repair the air! So, I am reduxing one that I played two years ago and hope you’ll enjoy it!
Group leader John Fogerty wrote this song. Released in 1970, the song is often interpreted as a protest of the Vietnam War (like Fortunate Son), but when he performed it at the Arizona state fair in 2012, Fogerty told the crowd that he had been at Woodstock, watching the rain come down. He watched the festival goers dance in the rain, muddy, naked, cold, huddling together, and it just kept raining. So when he got back home after that weekend, he sat down and wrote Who’ll Stop the Rain, making it not a Vietnam protest at all, but a recounting of his Woodstock experience.
The line, “I went down Virginia, seekin’ shelter from the storm” gave Bob Dylan the idea for the title of his 1975 song Shelter From The Storm.
The song was a concert staple for Bruce Springsteen during 1980-81’s River Tour, as well as on the summer 2003 leg of the Rising Tour. Springsteen and the E Street Band opened with Who’ll Stop the Rain whenever it was raining. When Creedence Clearwater Revival was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, Springsteen performed the song with John Fogerty.
Who’ll Stop the Rain Creedence Clearwater Revival
Long as I remember the rain been coming down.
Clouds of myst’ry pouring confusion on the ground.
Good men through the ages, trying to find the sun;
And I wonder, still I wonder, who’ll stop the rain.
I went down Virginia, seeking shelter from the storm.
Caught up in the fable, I watched the tower grow.
Five year plans and new deals, wrapped in golden chains.
And I wonder, still I wonder who’ll stop the rain.
Heard the singers playing, how we cheered for more.
The crowd had rushed together, trying to keep warm.
Still the rain kept pouring, falling on my ears.
And I wonder, still I wonder who’ll stop the rain.
Paul McCartney wrote this song, saying that the message was “that people of all types could live together.” He liked the piano analogy, since you can play using just the white keys or just the black keys, but to make great music, you have to combine them. So true.
Many critics claimed this was a sellout, as the horn and string sections were not typical of The Doors. The band admitted they were trying to broaden their audience and achieve commercial success with this album, which they did.
Something that was news to me when I was researching this song tonight … this song was popular around the time Jim Morrison was arrested in Miami for indecent exposure. The song had nothing to do with Morrison’s arrest, apart from an unfortunate title, but some radio stations refused to play it as a result. Morrison was convicted and sentenced to six months in jail for the incident, but he died while the case was being appealed. In 2010, the governor of Florida pardoned Morrison, believing that the conviction was politically motivated and that no conclusive evidence showed that the Doors frontman exposed himself.
Filosofa's Word 