A Musical Treat (and Tease) on International Women’s Day!

I apologize for the lateness in this post. Happy International Women’s Day to the female readers of my blog! Thank you for all you do! I am lucky to have a very special woman in my life (my wife, Sam). I can honestly say that I would be a mess without her.

In a previous blog, I mentioned that for Women’s Month our Turntable Talk host (Dave from a Sound Day) has asked us to pick a female singer to write about. I really struggled to pick one. I even posted on Facebook asking my friends to offer up their three favorite singers. I guess I hoped that they would offer up someone that I hadn’t considered (and they did). The results surprised me.

The singers that came up the most were (1) Stevie Nicks, (2) Etta James, and (3 – tie) Pink and Karen Carpenter. Etta was the only one that was in my list of considerations. After looking at the list (and the suggestions) I finally chose who I am writing about and NO ONE mentioned her. Stay tuned for that.

I say all that to say this – in celebration of International Woman’s Day, here are some tunes by some of the gals on my list that I did not choose. I hope you will give them a listen and enjoy them.

Etta James – At Last.

The BEST version of this song!

Ella Fitzgerald – Blue Skies

One of the best and a fantastic arrangement. The Queen of Scat Singing!

Alison Krauss – When You Say Nothing At All

What a voice on this gal. God I love her version of this song.

Aretha Franklin – The House that Jack Built

I could pick so many from her, but I always loved this song! Funky !

Billie Holiday – All Of Me

Billie is an influence of so many singers both male and female. Tony Bennett was always mentioning her style.

Dusty Springfield – You Don’t Have To Say I Love You

My favorite Dusty song. The arrangement and her vocal – you can feel every emotion as you listen.

Sarah Vaughn – Broken Hearted Melody

Often overlooked, but SO good! A huge hit and a great vocal!

Diana Krall – The Look of Love

She is amazing. Her voice gets me every time. Her Christmas album is fantastic. There are so many great songs from her.

Norah Jones – Don’t Know Why

Norah and Diana Krall are very similar in my opinion. Both have smokey and unique voices. Both play piano. Both make great music. This song blew me away the first time I heard it.

Linda Ronstandt – What’s New?

I almost went with Linda. Don’t Know Much, Somewhere Out There, Blue Bayou, Different Drum and so many more great ones to chose from. However, I think the albums she did with Nelson Riddle really showcase her voice. Here is What’s New?

Pat Benatar – Bloodshot Eyes

She can rock and sing! I love her voice. She was such a huge part of the 80’s – Heartbreaker, Love is a Battlefield, Shadows of the Nights, and more! I have talked about her blues album from the 90’s so I thought I would share her cover of Wynonie Harris’ Bloodshot Eyes.

Peggy Lee – Big Spender

Her version of Fever is paramount, but I love Peggy’s song Big Spender! It’s sassy and brash. It is sloppy and teasing. It’s flirty and swings!

Jewel – You Were Meant For Me

Having the pleasure to meet and interview Jewel was a radio career highlight for me. She was such a sweet and wonderful person. I loved talking to her and having her sing on the air less than 6 feet from me was amazing. Here is a Jewel Classic

Keely Smith – On The Sunny Side of The Street

Keely was great with Louis Prima, but she was also a stand out as a solo singer. I love her version of this song.

Happy International Women’s Day!!