music Archives - Page 20 of 258 - Ramblin' with Roger

August rambling: Corporate Bullsh*t

Alice Green

Cory Doctorow reviews Corporate Bullsh*t: Exposing the Lies and Half-Truths That Protect Profit, Power, and Wealth in America, Nick Hanauer, Joan Walsh, and Donald Cohen’s 2023 book on the history of corporate apologetics. “The authors’ thesis is that the business world has a well-worn playbook that they roll out whenever anything that might cause industry to behave even slightly less destructively is proposed. What’s more, we keep falling for it.” Oh, the last stage in their playbook is ‘this is socialism.'” Or communism.

‘A different level than 2020’: djt’s plan to steal the 2024 election is taking shape

djt made $300k from selling Bibles – but owes $100m

Republican group cites notorious Dred Scott ruling as reason Kamala Harris can’t be president

The Convention That Ate Republicans’ Lunch

Harris, djt, and Our Broken News Media

I Put Him on Death Row. He Shouldn’t Die.

Hospice: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

Hollywood’s 20 Best Political Movies, Ranked

Very demure is very trendy.

Why Schools Are Racing to Ban Student Phones

How to Escape From the Russian Army

Everyone Is Judging AI by These Tests. But Experts Say They’re Close to Meaningless

Pew (2023): 32% of Americans have a tattoo, including 22% who have more than one

Everything You Need To Know About Saturday Night Live, season by season

My favorite Progressive ad is the first 30 seconds-“Practicing gratitude, manifesting abundance.”

The Flagstones and The Flintstones

Tulsa dog starts house fire after chewing on lithium-ion battery

Kellogg’s Corn Flakes ad (Huck and Yogi)

Duff, another meaning

Mark Evanier: My Ten Favorite Cartoon Show Openings From My Youth and Ten More

How to Mug Yourself?

OBITS

Local civil rights activist Alice Green would describe a formative episode from her teenage years when she and a white friend were hired to work at a small summer resort. I heard her tell this story in one of her books, We Who Believe In Freedom. She was a 2018 FFAPL literary Legend. Some of her work shone a light on the struggles of Black Adirondackers.

Phil Donahue, Who Died at 88, Transformed Daytime Television

Peter Marshall, Host of ‘The Hollywood Squares,’ Dies at 98

Wally Amos, R.I.P. He was “Famous”

Alain Delon, Seductive Star of European Cinema, Dies at 88

MUSIC

How Will I Know – Peter Sprague, featuring Rebecca Jade

Yo Me Estreso – The Linda Lindas, feat. “Weird Al” Yankovic

Look Through My Window – The Mamas & The Papas

Favorite Songs By Favorite Artists: The Black Angels

Brahms’ Academic Festival Overture

Coverville 1498: The Counting Crows Cover Story III and 1499: The Phoebe Bridgers Cover Story

Die With A Smile – Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars

The Cedar and the Palm by Vasily Kalinnikov

Ghostbusters – Ray Parker, Jr.

Kellogg’s Rice Krispies ad – I LOVED this song as a kid

Million Dollar Baby – Tommy Richman. “It holds the record for most weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s new TikTok Top 50 chart.” I did not know that existed.

The main theme for Once Upon A Time In The West by Ennio Morricone

The Love You Save – Jackson Five

Big Man On Mulberry Street – Billy Joel; Bruce Willis in Moonlighting, Maddie´s Dream episode.

I Had Some Help – Post Malone featuring Morgan Wallen

Badge – Peter Sprague featuring Leonard Patton

I Can Do It With A Broken Heart– Taylor Swift

Apple – Charli xcx. I understand my iPhone cover is BRAT; Bill Maher is confused by the term.

Stay – Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs; Maurice recently died at 86

Greg Kihn, Pop Star Who Had a Big Hit With “Jeopardy,” Dies at 75 (the song and the parody included)

A Mel-dey — a medley of songs from all the musicals written by Mel Brooks — both of them…

MUSIC (political section)

KAMALA!– A Randy Rainbow Song Parody (2020)

The Lawyer or the Conman and JD, JD… . (Married Lady) – Randy Rainbow Song Parodies (2024)

Childless Cat Ladies – Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer

DNC 2024 roll call and playlist, including:

Arizona — Edge of Seventeen by Stevie Nicks, a native of Phoenix.

Arkansas — Don’t Stop by Fleetwood Mac, the 1992 campaign song for Bill Clinton, the former governor of Arkansas. (I remember that well.)

Colorado — September by Earth, Wind & Fire. Philip Bailey, one of the band’s two lead singers, hails from Denver.

Connecticut — Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours by Stevie Wonder. Connecticut is known as the Constitution State.

Democrats Abroad — Love Train by the O’Jays. (“People around the world, join hands,” the lyrics say.)

Delaware — Higher Love by Kygo and Whitney Houston. President Biden, Delaware’s favorite son, has played this song regularly at his events, including after his acceptance speech in 2020.

(I’ll probably do this again. This is fun!)

What Kamala Harris and djt’s Music Choices Reveal About Each Campaign

Used by Kamala: All American – Mickey Guyton; Something More Than Free – Jason Isbell

The songs below were among those used by the djt campaign, to the disdain, and sometimes threat of legal action, by the artist and/or songwriter family:

Freedom – Beyoncé

Hold On, I’m Coming – Sam & Dave

My Heart Will Go On -Celine Dion

#1 hits of 1974: Beatles-adjacent

MSG

Of the #1 hits of 1974 on this half of the charts, quite a few are Beatles-adjacent. All of these songs were all #1 pop for a single week. All went gold except the ones by Stevie Wonder and John Lennon.

You Haven’t Done Nothin’ -Stevie Wonder (Tamla), featuring the Jackson Five. His Beatles connection, besides his great cover of We Can Work It Out, is his appearance on the 1982 Paul McCartney album Tug Of War, performing on What’s That You’re Doing? and Ebony and Ivory.

Nothing From Nothing – Billy Preston (A&M). His Beatles connection was heavy, especially the Get Back/Let It Be sessions. He also played on Abbey Road, several Harrison albums, including the Concert for Bangladesh, and albums for Lennon and Starr. Harrison produced one of his albums and co-produced another. Billy appeared in the Sgt. Pepper movie and sang Get Back.

Hooked On A Feeling – Blue Swede (EMI). The TV show Ally McBeal may have ruined this song for me with the dancing baby.

Sunshine On My Shoulders – John Denver (RCA Victor). Beatles connection: Here are his Beatles covers on Spotify.

Macca

Band On The Run – Paul McCartney and Wings (Apple). Beatles connection: Paul, Linda, and Denny Laine in Nigeria created Paul’s best-reviewed post-Fab album; this is the title track.

You’re Sixteen – Ringo Starr (Apple). Beatles connection: all three other Beatles appeared on the Ringo album, writing songs for the drummer. On this track, Paul sings a kazoo-like solo. Ringo performed on Lennon and Harrison’s solo tracks.

Sundown – Gordon Lightfoot (Reprise).

Rock Me Gently – Andy Kim (Capitol). Beatles connection: on the Stars on 45 song from 1981, Sugar Sugar, the Archies hit written by Kim and Jeff Barry, segues into eight Beatles songs.

Angie Baby– Helen Reddy (Capitol). “All This and World War II is a 1976 musical documentary directed by Susan Winslow. It juxtaposes Beatles songs covered by a variety of musicians with World War II newsreel footage and 20th Century Fox films.” Reddy, who was on Capitol, the Beatles’ label during Beatlemania, covered Fool on the Hill.

Feel Like Makin’ Love – Roberta Flack (Atlantic). Beatles connection: she lived in the Dakota in NYC across the hall from John and Yoko. She recorded a Beatles cover album in 2012.

Cat’s In The Cradle – Harry Chapin (Elektra)

Dark Lady – Cher (MCA). Beatles connection: as Bonnie Jo Mason, Cher released a song called Ringo, I Love You in 1964.

The Night Chicago Died – Paper Lace (Mercury) in 1964.

BTO

You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet – Bachman-Turner Overdrive (Mercury), Beatles connection: Google Randy Bachman and you’ll find out about his knowledge of and appreciation for the Beatles, such as here, here, and here. He was a member of Ringo’s All-Starr Band.

Rock The Boat – The Hues Corporation (RCA Victor)

I Shot The Sheriff – Eric Clapton (RSO). The cover of the Bob Marley song introduced reggae to the American masses. His Beatles connections: his guitar solo on While My Guitar Gently Weeps, his playing on early Lennon recordings such as Live Peace in Toronto, and his long friendship with George despite him falling in love with George’s wife Patti Boyd and eventually marrying her. Eric was the musical director for the Concert for George in 2002.

Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe – Barry White (20th Century)

Whatever Gets You Through The Night – John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (Apple). This features Elton John on vocals and keyboards. Beatles connection: Elton famously got Lennon to agree to a wager. If the single reached #1 on the charts, JL had to promise to appear with EJ at one of his shows. John showed up at Elton’s 11/28/74 Thanksgiving show at Madison Square Garden. They sang this song, Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (soon a #1 hit for EJ, featuring JL), and I Saw Her Standing There. Lennon’s only #1 after this was the posthumous (Just Like) Starting Over.

Musician Elvis Costello is 70

Spike

The musician Elvis Costello, born Declan Patrick MacManus, was considered one of those “angry young men” in the pop scene that straddled the 1970s and 1980s. I first heard his music on WQBK-FM, Q 104 in the Albany area, a station I listened to constantly for about a decade.

I saw Elvis perform in Albany in 2008. Opening was Amos Lee, then Elvis, who was quite good, and Bob Dylan, more indecipherable than usual.

I bought a few of his earlier albums on vinyl and many of the latter on CD. Here are some of his songs.

Radio Sweetheart – Taking Liberties (1980). B-side of Less Than Zero single, 1977

Watch Your Step – Trust (1981)

20% Amnesia – Brutal Youth (1994)

Everyday I Write The Book – Punch The Clock (1983)

Miss Macbeth -Spike (1989). I love this album so much. Sometimes, you and a piece of music hit the same wavelength.

Remove This Doubt – Kojak Variety (1995). This is a cover of a song on The Supremes Sing-Holland-Dozier album. I love the original.

Accidents Will Happen – Armed Forces (1979)

Man Out Of Time – Imperial Bedroom (1982)

Last Boat Leaving –Spike (1989). The album is quite eclectic.

Ship Of Fools– Deadicated: A Tribute to the Grateful Dead (1991), a GREAT compilation album.

Love and romance

Let Me Tell You About Her – North (2003). The album was “partially inspired by the dissolution of his marriage to wife Cait O’Riordan and his burgeoning relationship with Diana Krall.” This song is about the latter. It is the only EC album my wife, a big DK fan, ever bought for me.

Wise Up Ghost– Wise Up Ghost (2013) is an album EC did with Questlove. The opening strings are lifted from Can You Be True? from EC’s North album.

A Slow Drag With Josephine – National Ransom (2010). I need to listen to this album more often.

Deep Dark Truthful Mirror – Spike (1989)

National Ransom – National Ransom (2010)

Veronica – Spike (1989). This represents not only Paul McCartney’s contribution to Spike but Elvis’ to Paul’s Flowers In the Dirt album the same year

Pump It Up – This Year’s Model (1978)

Chewing Gum – Spike (1989) – I know people who hate this song with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band.

All This Useless Beauty – All This Useless Beauty (1996)

Watching The Detectives – My Aim Is True (1977). The UK single was added to the US release.

(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding – Armed Forces (1979). The American release of the album omitted “Sunday’s Best” and added Costello’s cover of Nick Lowe’s classic.

Coverville 1500: The Elvis Costello Cover Story V

Elvis Costello turns 70 today.

#1 hits of 1974 part 1

Barry White

There were 35 of them on the pop charts! That’s why this is merely the #1 hits of 1974 part 1.

When I think of 1974, I think of Watergate. Richard Nixon, the only US President to resign, did so in August 1974. The Oakland Athletics won their third straight World Series that year. Musically, disco was starting up.

The Way We Were – Barbra Streisand (Columbia), three weeks at #1, two weeks at #1 AC (adult contemporary), a platinum record, received the Grammy for Best Song. It’s from the 1973 movie of the same name starring Streisand and Robert Redford, filmed partly at Union College in Schenectady, NY, in the Albany metro.

Seasons In The Sun – Terry Jacks (Bell), three weeks at #1, one week at #1 AC, gold record, a singsongy meh tune

The Streak – Ray Stevens (Barnaby), three weeks at #1, #2 for two weeks CW (country), #12 AC, a gold record, a novelty song.

(You’re) Having My Baby – Paul Anka with Odia Coates (United Artists), three weeks at #1, #5 AC, gold record. I’m not fond of several songs on this list, but this is my least favorite.

Kung Fu Fighting – Carl Douglas (20th Century), two weeks at #1, #1 RB in 1975, gold record.

A song for my cat

Billy, Don’t Be A Hero – Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods (ABC), two weeks at #1, #20 AC, gold record. While I’m not fond of the original, I have used it to sing to my cat: “Midnight, don’t be a dipwad. Don’t make a fool of your life. Midnight, don’t be a dipwad. Stop causin’ me such strife.”

Annie’s Song– John Denver (RCA Victor), two weeks at #1, three weeks at #1 AC, #9 CW, gold record. I was sad when John and Annie split in the early 1980s.

The Loco-Motion – Grand Funk (Capitol), two weeks at #1, gold record. This is the second time this song went to #1. The first was Little Eva’s version in 1962.

TSOP (The Sound Of Philadelphia) – MFSB with the Three Degrees (Philadelphia International), two weeks at #1 pop and AC, #1 RB, gold record. Instrumental.

I Can Help – Billy Swan (Monument), two weeks at #1 pop and CW, #6 AC, gold record. I liked the stroll delivery. This tune was used in a ServiceStar hardware store ad.

Rock Your Baby – George McCrae (T.K.), two weeks at #1 pop and RB, #19 AC—long version.

I Honestly Love You – Olivia Newton-John (MCA), two weeks at #1—the first of her five #1 hits, #1 for three weeks AC, #6 CW. It recharted in 1977 – #49 AC. A different version, with Babyface doing backing vocals, went #18 AC in 1998

A single week at #1 pop

Bennie and the Jets – Elton John (MCA), #15 RB, platinum record. This is the only song I own on vinyl, having purchased the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album some years later—the official music video.

The Joker – Steve Miller Band (Capitol), gold record. What is “the pompatus of love”?

Then Came You – Dionne Warwicke and the Spinners (Atlantic), #2 for two weeks RB, #3 AC, gold record. Dionne added an extra letter to her last name for a time for numerological reasons. I love this song.

Love’s Theme – Love Unlimited Orchestra (20th Century), #1 for two weeks AC, #10 RB, gold record. An instrumental written by Barry White that was ubiquitous. Here’s an extended version. There’s also a version with The Three Degrees on vocals.

Show and Tell – Al Wilson Rocky Road),#3 AC, #10 RB, gold record.

I have the other songs I own on the greatest hits CDs: Streisand, Denver, Newton-John, Miller, and Spinners. This is NOT the case for the rest of the 1974 #1s, which I’ll post soon.

August rambling: maximum happiness

Unplugged

Our joyless quest for maximum happiness

The Unfathomable Mystery of Biracial Americans

Not All Racial and Ethnic Groups Are Aging At National Pace

AmStat article on Risks to Federal Statistical Data and a related speech by Adriana Kugler, a governor of the Federal Reserve

The West Bank: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

Utah ban of 13 books in schools and libraries; out-bloody-rageous

Inside the Texas Crime Lab That’s Cracked Hundreds of Cold Cases

Teaching the Bible in Public Schools: Biblical and History Response

He Took His 68-Year-Old Secret to Court and Finally Confronted His Ghost

San Diego Comic-Con 2024: download a PDF copy of the free souvenir book.

Aaron Sorkin Says If He Made ‘The West Wing’ Today, People Wouldn’t Recognize “Reasonable” Republican Party

162 lies and distortions in a news conference. NPR fact-checks djt

‘Especially a Woman!’: Fox Host Furious Kamala Harris Loves to Cook

Scott Meyer, one of the founders of the Spectrum Theatre in Albany and the Third Street Cinema in Rensselaer before that, dies at 73

Gena Rowlands, a luminous leading lady of independent film, dies at 94

Baseball trailblazer Billy Bean, who dedicated his life to inclusion, dies at 60

Chi Chi Rodriguez, Hall of Fame golfer, dies at 88

Mitzi McCall, Comedian, Actress and Sitcom Writer, Dies at 93

Is English just badly pronounced French?

A Bisectional Rainbow at the SUNY Admin Building, where I used to work

A Simple Tech Issue, and Unplugged, which links to ME.

COVID

As I mentioned, COVID is not dead yet. From August 12, 2024, LA Times (paywall likely): “California’s strongest summer COVID wave in two years is still surging, fueled in part by the rise of a particularly hyperinfectious FLiRT subvariant known as KP.3.1.1.

“There are a number of possible culprits, experts say. Heat waves kept many Californians indoors, most adults are well removed from their last brush with the coronavirus, or their last vaccine dose, and changes in the virus have also widened the scope of the surge.”

There was COVID among the athletes at the Paris Olympics.

From the New York Times: “Doctors say that many people may want to wait for the updated vaccines, which have been retooled to better protect against the current dominant strains of the virus…

“An upcoming vaccine from the biotechnology company Novavax will target JN.1, a coronavirus variant that accounted for the bulk of cases in the United States this winter. The Pfizer and Moderna shots coming this fall will target KP.2, a newer offshoot of JN.1 that’s been circulating this summer. The variants responsible for the largest share of cases in the United States right now, KP.3 and KP.3.1.1, are closely related to KP.2 and JN.1.

“Health officials are expected to issue guidance on how long someone should wait between vaccines when the new shots become available… Because the variants spreading this summer are closely related to one another, a recent Covid infection will likely offer substantial protection against the most common strains circulating now.”

ITEM: A federal court finds an upstate New York eye doctor and his practice illegally fired an employee who reported a lack of COVID protections to state health officials.

Now I Know

The Weird Snack Chip Trick That May Get You Fired and A Spiteful (But Funny) Way to Deal With Telemarketers and Please Be Quiet, We Can’t Hear the Martians and What Cheaters Should Watch Out For and The eBay Fact I Can’t Verify and Why We Wake Up With Crusty Eyes and These Shoes Are Made for Talking and The Great Minnesota Goose Scandal of 2017 and There Is No “Eye” in “Art”

MUSIC

Hymne à l’amour -Edith Piaf

The Lawyer or the Conman – A Randy Rainbow Song Parody

Jungle Love – The Time

How Bizarre – OMC

Shepherds of the Nation – The Kinks

Suite from Close Encounters of the Third Kind by John Williams, with Zubin Mehta conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic

The American Ruse – MC5

Coverville 1497: The Supertramp Cover Story II

Good Vibrations – Peter Sprague featuring Leonard Patton

Untitled – R.E.M.

Monkey Gone To Heaven – Pixies

Escapade -Janet Jackson:

Cuba – Gibson Brothers

Blue – The Jayhawks

Destination Sunrise – MonaLisa Twins

Out Here On My Own – Irene Cara

Favorite Songs By Favorite Artists: Clutch

Ichi – Ptychka

Rainbow Perfection– A parody tribute to Randy Rainbow by Jonathan Jensen