Tag: Elvis

Happy 79th Birthday, Pop!

If you have read my blogs in the past, you know that it consists of a mixture of pop culture things (like movie, TV and music thoughts) and personal things (radio stories, school memories, and things from my childhood).  As I thought about today’s blog topic, I realized that without this man in my life – this blog would probably not exist!  I guess I didn’t really realize it until now. As I scrolled back over the blogs of the past, I see just how much influence he has had in almost ALL of them!  I am talking, of course, about my dad.  Today – is his 79th birthday.  So here are some birthday thoughts for dad.

In the past I wrote a blog about his musical influence.  My musical taste is very broad, because I was introduced to so many different genres by him.  He introduced me to rock and roll with the music of Little Richard, Bobby Darin, Roy Orbison and Elvis.  He introduced me to the “Great American Songbook” with music from Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Bing Crosby.  He introduced me to Jazz with Louis Prima, and Ella Fitzgerald.  He played me music from Johnny Paycheck, Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard to introduce me to country music.  The list goes on and on … but what about other influences?

Movies

I could spend an entire week writing about the various movies he introduced to me!  As far as the classic films, most of those were introduced to me because he saw that they were playing on the Monday Night Movie on regular TV or something.  You have to remember VCR’s and DVD players were not a staple in the home yet.  You also have to remember that I grew up at the time where “pay TV” was just being incarnated.  One of the first pay services was “ON TV”.  It came on channel 20 at like 8 or 9 at night.  They put an antenna on your roof and it unscrambled the signal so you could watch movies.  I remember one time I wanted to record Smokey & the Bandit – but as I said, VCR’s were not for home use yet.  The last showing of it on ON TV was at 1am one Friday night.  My dad actually stayed up with a cassette recorder in front of the TV and recorded the audio for me.  What makes this even better is there were scenes that were so funny to him, you could hear him laughing in the background as the movie played.

With Cable TV came The Movie Channel and HBO.  As more and more channels became available, American Movie Classics, Turner Classic Movies, and others were the way to watch them. So he’d tell me “You gotta watch AMC at 3 today – they’re playing ‘Angels With Dirty Faces’!”  Growing up, I remember hearing my dad talking with my grandparents, my Uncle Tom, or his friends about actors and actresses and the movies they were in.  “Great Movie!” or “What a great flick!” I’d hear him say.  Well, if he thought it was great – I wanted to see it!  Movies I remember watching – only because I had heard him talk about them included The Godfather, White Heat,  Little Caesar, Key Largo, Patton, Midway, The Maltese Falcon, and Night of the Hunter.  Many of these were films that I’d walk in to the living room and dad would be watching and he’d tell me about them and catch me up so I could watch it with him. I was introduced to Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson, The Marx Brothers, The Three Stooges, Abbott and Costello, Alfred Hitchcock, Robert Mitchum, Burt Reynolds, and SO many actors just be casually walking into a room where he was watching TV!

The Godfather Part 1 & 2 and Patton are probably some of my favorite films.  I remember watching Godfather the first time trying to keep all the names straight.  Don Barzinni, Don Stracci, Luca Brazi, Sonny, Fredo, and Tom Hagen were all characters that I had to remember (amongst many more).  Dad was there to explain so many things to me as I watched this film the first few times through.  I have found myself doing the same thing when I sit and watch it with someone who has never seen it.  (On a side note, for one class I had to read books and write book reports for it.  I remember dad wrote a book report for me on The Godfather! He got an A!)

TV

Look through my DVD collection and amongst the movies are entire series of classic TV shows.  This, again, is a direct result from my dad’s influence.  I remember watching re-runs of The Honeymooners on channel 50.  I remember when dad told me that Ralph Kramden and Sheriff Buford T. Justice from Smokey and the Bandit were the same person!  I don’t know if I would have known that as a 7 year old!  I remember staying home sick and watching re-runs of the Dick Van Dyke Show on channel 9 out of Canada.  I knew about Carl Reiner because he was one of many cameos in the movie It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (which should have been mentioned in the movie section of this blog).  The other stars of “Mad World” were also known to me because of my dad:  I knew Mickey Rooney from a flick called Quicksand he rented.  I knew Milton Berle from The Dean Martin Roasts and other TV appearances. I knew Jonathan Winters from a classic Twilight Zone episode (Loved watching TZ with him).  Among the other “classic” TV shows he introduced me to:  The Untouchables, F-Troop, The Munsters, Car 54, Where Are You?, McHale’s Navy, Perry Mason, Combat, Star Trek, Hogan’s Heroes, Mission: Impossible, and Get Smart.

With the availability of video rentals, I remember dad bringing home TV shows that were not shown on TV anymore or shown late at night.  You couldn’t really watch The Little Rascals, Laurel and Hardy, or The Three Stooges on TV unless you stayed up late for comedy classics – which usually was on at 11pm or midnight.  With the VCR, though, we could go to the store and rent them!  I had listened to Jack Benny and Amos and Andy on cassette tapes of old radio shows (again, thanks to dad), but now I was able to see these TV shows – and they were amazing! I used to love watching these shows with him.  One thing I always love seeing is my dad laughing and these shows (and a couple I will mention in a minute) always made him laugh – I mean big belly laughs!

I guess you could say that I grew up at a time where some of  the “current” shows are now considered classics.  Those shows, my brother and I watched on a weekly basis and watched in re-runs.  These shows included The Love Boat, Mork & Mindy, Happy Days, Lavern and Shirley, The Dukes of Hazzard, Emergency!, Welcome Back, Kotter, All In the Family, The Jeffersons, The Carol Burnett Show, Barney Miller, Fantasy Island, and Charlie’s Angels.  Some of those dad introduced me to, while others he really couldn’t stand.

Sanford and Soupy

The one show that I will forever associate with my dad is Sanford and Son.  These shows, no matter how many times we see them remain funny.  I can be on the phone with my dad and say, “So last night I watched “the piano movers” and we will both start laughing!  Years later, we can quote this show to each other and still crack each other up.  Why do we and can we bond over this show? Perhaps it’s the fact that the show is about a father and son and their relationship.  I remember how I thought it was odd that Lamont always called Fred, “Pop”.  I never used to call my dad that, although somewhere over the years, dad has become “Pop” to me.  I call him that all the time now.  As a matter of fact, he still often calls me “Lamont”!  It is not used flippantly, I use it as a genuine term of endearment!  He’s my Pop – and I use it with much love and affection!

Another show that dad introduced me to was The New Soupy Sales Show.  He grew up watching Soupy at lunch time.  My grandmother often told stories of how Soupy would say “Tomorrow, we’re having bologna sandwiches for lunch” and if dad didn’t have them, he was pissed!  Soupy’s new show on channel 20 was pretty much just like the old show.  It was full of puns, bad jokes, clips of old movies, funny horoscopes on the radio, the Words of Wisdom, and his friends White Fang, Black Tooth, Pookie and Hippy.  It may have been on right after school and before dad came home from work, because I don’t recall him watching it too much with me, however, when it became available on video – we talked about it just like we talk about Sanford and Son.

Traits of a Good Dad

When I became a father, I remember reading something about what makes a good dad.  Let me say here that none of us is perfect.  My dad was not perfect and neither am I.  My point is that when you look at these things, we can assess things we are doing well, things we can improve, and things that we will start doing.  As I think back on those things – I can see where I strive to achieve those things and, at the same time, can see a lot of those things in my own father.

For example, a father must be a good disciplinarian.  All dad’s love their children, but you know and I know that you can’t let them get away with everything.  Dad was this way.  The old story about mom saying “Wait till your father get’s home” and the child being scared to death?  Yep!  That was me!  You didn’t want to make dad mad!  I would say I made him mad more than a few times.

One time in particular I remember telling him I was spending the night at a friends house.  I was out with my girlfriend at the time.  We were still in high school, and it was a weekend.  We had no money, so we weren’t going to a hotel or anything like that.  We just planned on staying out all night.  I don’t remember how he found out, but  I remember getting a page (remember pagers?!) from the friend who I said I was staying with and he asked why my dad thought I was there!  I think my girlfriend’s mom had called my house or something.  At any rate – I was in BIG trouble! Dad’s punishment was a fair one (even though I didn’t think so at the time).  He proved a point and I NEVER did that again.  He let me know that he was in charge.  Another time, I got in trouble at school for something.  We had a meeting with the teacher and he said what he would go on to tell every teacher afterward in parent teacher conferences, “If he gets out of line again, you have my permission to smack his ass!” (Yes, this was back before a teacher giving the kid a paddle was considered wrong).

A good dad allows his kids to make mistakes. Dad watched me make a TON of them, but he knew that if I was going to learn, I needed to make those mistakes.  He’d never let me make a mistake that was life threatening or would put me in danger, but he’d let me make mistakes that he knew, when all was said and done – I’d mature and learn from it.  While there were things he questioned, he never really interfered.  I learned a lot from that – even though there were times I wish he HAD said something!

A good dad has an open mind.  Times change.  The way that things were done when he was growing up, well, they may be handled differently now (the paddling in school is a good example).  He respected that and embraced it to a degree.  As someone who loved all kinds of music, I will never forget the time he called me into the living room to play me this “cool song” he heard and liked.  It was “Groove is in the Heart” by Deee-lite.  The song was not like anything he’s ever played for me, but he liked it and played it at DJ jobs!  He embraces change!

A good dad teaches his kids to appreciate things.  Those things can be anything.  My dad certainly taught me how to appreciate family and friends.  He taught me how to appreciate good music, movies and TV.  He taught me how to appreciate what you have and the importance of living within your means.

A good dad accepts that his kids aren’t exactly like him. This may or may not have been a lesson he learned from my grandpa.  My dad had always been very accepting of my brother and I.  While we all have a lot of similarities, we are all SO very different.  He respects that our religious and political views may not be the same as his.

A good dad spends quality time with his children. This is one of those things that is difficult to do in today’s society.  We spend so much time working and trying to get things done, that we often spend the hours we are not at work doing these things.  As a divorced father with limited time with my boys, I really try hard to make the time we spend quality time, even if it is just a car ride.  Some of my favorite memories with my dad are just him and I throwing the ball around in the front yard.  That meant more to me than he will ever know!

A good dad leads by example.  Dad was never really the “Do as I say, not as I do” kind of guy.  He was a hard worker and knew the importance of providing for our family.  I never once thought of growing up and not having a job.  Dad wasn’t always perfect in this area, but because of that, I was also able to take some of the things that I didn’t like him doing (like smoking) and not doing them.

A good dad is supportive and loyal.  I am sure that in my 30 year radio career, my dad probably thought “he needs to get out of that business and find something more stable”.  If he thought it – he never once told me that!  He was nothing but supportive!  If I ever came to him with something that he questioned, he might ask a question or two regarding the opposite viewpoint, but that was it.  He might ask “are you sure you want to do this” or “have you thought about what might happen if…”, and then he let me decide.  Whatever the decision, he supported it.  I have a great respect for that.

A good dad is someone who challenges his kids. I’m sure that there were many ways that dad challenged me.  I know there were times I wanted to quit something and he gave me the pep talk to keep going.  I cannot recall specific incidents, but I know they were there.

A good dad is a teacher.  While dad taught me how to throw a “submarine” ball and how to swing a golf club, he also taught me some valuable lessons.  One of the things I have hoped to do is to write down some of those lessons and pass them down to my own children.  To illustrate my point: there is a cartoon I saw once of two guys standing in front of three piles of stuff in a garage.  The one guy asked what they were.  The second guy says, “This stuff is the stuff my dad gave me.” He points to the first pile and says “This is the stuff I want to keep.”  He points to the second pile and says, “This is the stuff my dad gave me that I want to share with my kids.” He points to the third pile and says, “This is my stuff that I don’t need and will throw away.”  That’s the way it is – as a father, you take things that you learned from your dad and keep the stuff you want to share, throw out what you don’t, and then add stuff of your own.

A good dad protects and provides for his family.  When times were tough and money was tight, my dad would DJ or play in the wedding band to bring in extra money.  I remember as a young boy my dad going back to college to get a degree so he could move up in his place of employment.  It took me over 20 years, but I also decided to go back to school to better provide for my family.  I know that my dad would do anything for us, and I would do the same for my family.

Finally, a good dad shows unconditional love.  I read where this is the greatest quality of a good father.  Even though his child may let him down, upset him, make him mad, disrespect him, and disappoint him … the love remains constant.  Not to get theological, but it is one of the great principles spoken of about God in the Bible.  It says that no matter how much a child of God angers Him, ignores Him, or disappoints Him – His love is never ending and ever present.  THAT is the kind of love a father has for his children.

I am lucky that I have never had to question whether or not my dad loves me.  He has done so much for me during my lifetime and continues to do so.  I can only hope that he knows how much he is appreciated.  I can only hope he knows how thankful I am that he was chosen to be my father.  I can only hope that he knows of the impact that he has made on me.  I hope that he will never have to question how much I love him.

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Thanks, Pop, for being such an amazing man!  Thanks for being a wonderful example to me.  Thanks for everything you have done to support, encourage, accept, and love my family.  Today, I wish you a very happy birthday and wish you many more in the future!  I love you, Pop.

“Lamont”

The Music of My Life – 2003

Welcome back to The Music of My Life, where I feature ten songs from each year of my life.  In most cases, the ten songs I choose will be ones I like personally (unless I explain otherwise). The songs will be selected from Billboard’s Year-end Hot 100 Chart, Acclaimed Music, and will all be released in the featured year.

This will post on January 1, 2025, so let me start off by saying Happy New Year! I am sure that I will be posting something of a New Year’s Wish as well today.

Off to the side of my 2003 list I wrote, “Difficult year!” This could mean that it was difficult to pick ten songs. It could also mean that it was difficult to narrow the list down to ten songs. With my life, it could mean that 2003 was a difficult year personally. I’m not sure. I know that as I got deeper into the 2000’s, there were fewer songs that I liked. Maybe that is it?

Anyway, let’s drift into 2003:

Drift Away was a top 5 hit for Dobie Gray in 1973. In 2002, Gray recorded this as a duet with Uncle Kracker. When the song reached the Billboard top 10 in 2003, 30 years later, it broke a record. Dobie broke the record for the biggest gap between top US top 10 appearances and held that record for 17 years.

How did Uncle Kracker come to record it? You can thank a radio DJ for that. Songfacts explains:

“Although Uncle Kracker liked this song, he only performed it out of necessity at first. He was making the rounds on the morning radio shows to promote his solo debut, Double Wide (2000), which was mostly rap-rock tracks except for the mellow hit single “Follow Me.” Because he was expected to perform a few songs during his appearance, he needed something else to sing in the same vein, and the DJ Scott Shannon suggested the Dobie Gray tune.“

Kracker said, “If it wasn’t for him, that song would have never gotten cut, he pretty much put the bug in my ear for that.”

I like the fact that the cover included the original singer. People liked it, too. It was #1 for 28 weeks in 2003-04 on the Adult Contemporary chart. It broke the record for the longest run atop the tally and held the record for 15 years.

Drift Away

I had my first child in 2002. Over that first year, it was amazing to see the changes in him. I never really understood how fast time flies, until having children.

I was working in country radio in 2003 and I remember hearing Then They Do for the first time. I knew that it would be a huge hit because any parent could relate to the lyrics. They are delivered perfectly by Trace Adkins.

The song begins and describes a typical morning where the singer’s children are causing trouble on the way to school. Naturally, he thinks things will be easier when the children grow up. In time, the children go off to college and get married. It is then that the parents realize that they have more time to themselves now. Their children have accomplished their dreams, but their house and lives feel a lot emptier nonetheless.

It’s sort of a “be careful what you wish for” kind of thing. Be present and enjoy the memories.

Then They Do

The next song is one that I really liked. I don’t necessarily pray to angels when I am down or when I am hurting, but I do pray. I pray to God and ask Him to give me guidance or comfort. I did an in depth study for Sunday School at our church about angels once. That is why I don’t pray to them.

That being said, I do understand that in certain situations, people will often pray. Some, pray to angels. I think in essence, they pray to heaven for help. That’s kind of what I got from Train’s Pat Monahan’s inspiration for the song.

From Songfacts:

The song was inspired by something his therapist, Judy Bell, told him. Monahan told Buzzfeed, she said: “Just remember that we are made up of angels and traitors, and the angel is the one that says, ‘You’re beautiful and you can do anything you want,’ and the traitor is the one that says, ‘You’re ugly and you can’t get anything right.'”

“That song just came from that conversation of, if we all called our angels, what a cool life this would be for all of us,” he said.

The song went to number one on the Adult Contemporary chart.

Calling All Angels

I have always loved Willie Nelson. Some of his duets are just fantastic. I loved Pancho and Lefty with Merle Haggard. I loved To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before and Spanish Eyes with Julio Iglesias. I loved Seven Spanish Angels with Ray Charles. Last week, I could have included Mendocino County Line, his duet with Lee Ann Womack. When he did his duet with Toby Keith, it was a monster country hit.

Toby posted the story behind Beer For My Horses on his website:

“When I was a kid I worked for a rodeo company,” says Toby. “The old timers who worked the stock and stuff in the back would carry a pint of whiskey in their pocket – they were just old cowboys. They would pull it out and say, ‘Here’s to me, here’s to you, we got screwed, so screw you, here’s to me.’ They always had some little toast. One was to hold up the bottle for a drink and say, ‘Whiskey for my men, beer for my horses.’ I kept that in my head a long time thinking I’d write it some day.“

“We did finally, trying to say that maybe it’s time that justice gets back into the judicial system. The big posse goes out and catches the bad guys and everybody comes back to lick their wounds, remember the ones they lost and celebrate with the ones that made it back. You raise your glass and say, ‘Whiskey for my men, beer for my horses, bartender.’ One of those conceptual deals. Soon as we got done writing it I thought man, it’d be cool if we could talk Willie Nelson into singing the Texas verse on that. Obviously he went for it and I think it’s the biggest multi-week #1 either of us ever had.“

In 2008, Toby and Willie starred with Rodney Carrington in the movie of the same name.

Beer For My Horses

The next song was a top five hit for 3 Doors Down. Lead singer, Brad Arnold told Songfacts:

“The song’s just about being away from someone, or missing them,” he clarifies. “And it really doesn’t matter if you’re here without them for all day or all month. It’s just kind of about the lonely and missing of somebody, but people kind of take that sort of as a little bit of a sad song. And in a way, I kind of meant it as a happy song. And the reason being because it’s talking about being here without you, but she’s still with me in my dreams. ‘And tonight, it’s only you and me,’ so the song was really just about that dream. And being in a state of peace, because you’ve got that person there with you in your sleep. And in that way I kind of meant for it to be a little bit of a happy song.”

The song means a lot to many military personnel. Especially those who find themselves away from their loved ones with their lives in danger. At the same time, many think about someone who has passed away and that miss them. However you interpret it, it really is a great song.

Here Without You

Josh Turner is one of the nicest singers I’ve ever had the chance to meet. His voice can rattle things hanging on a wall it is so deep. I remember when his first single (Long Black Train) hit my desk. Personally, I loved it. I got it. I understood it. However, it had a Christian theme to it and I wondered how the listeners would like it.

I love hearing him tell the story of how the song came about. He told AOL Music:

“‘Long Black Train’ was inspired by a vision that I had of a long, black train running down this track way out in the middle of nowhere. I could see people standing out to the sides of this track watching this train go by. As I was walking, experiencing this vision, I kept asking myself, ‘What does this vision mean and what is this train?’ It dawned on me that this train was a physical metaphor for temptation. These people are caught up in the decision of whether or not to go on this train. And this came about in a time of my life where I was trying to figure out who I was as an artist and as a person… I was trying to learn how to deal with the freedom that I had away from home for the first time. ‘Long Black Train,’ the song and the album, are very special to me. It was just one of those things that I felt like God gave to me for a purpose, and I’ve been out here promoting that purpose.”

He wrote the song after listening to some old Hank Williams Sr. songs. He was a college senior. He said he started strumming the guitar and the verses came to him. He never had any intention of releasing the song and noted that when he wrote it, “I didn’t even have a record contract yet!”

Long Black Train

Next is song that has been covered a few times. The First Cut is the Deepest was written by Cat Stevens. He did a demo of the song in 1965. In 1967,  it was a hit for P.P. Arnold in Britain reaching #18 in the charts.

In America, the first version to chart was by Keith Hampshire, who took it to #70 in 1973. Rod Stewart covered it in 1976, taking it to #21 US and #1 UK. Sheryl Crow released her version in 2003, which made #14 in the US and #37 in the UK.

Sheryl recorded it for her hits compilation, “The Very Best of Sheryl Crow.” It was one of her biggest radio hits. It also became her first solo top-40 country hit following the success of her duet with Kid Rock (“Picture”)

First Cut Is The Deepest

Next, the third duet on my 2003 list. This was another one of those songs that after hearing it, I knew it would be a hit. How could it NOT be with Jimmy Buffett on it?

The song came about when writer Don Rollins had with the line “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere.” It was written for another artist whose album wanted a Jimmy Buffett vibe to it. The artist passed on the song and eventually it came to Alan Jackson. Rollins explains,

“I got the call that it was on hold for Alan, which I thought was strange, because if you hear the demo it’s very island-ly. There are acoustic guitars and steel drum samples, very much Buffett. The idea that someone as country as Alan Jackson might be interested in that song never even occurred to me. Then I got wind that he was wanting to do a duet with Buffett, and it made a little bit more sense at that point.”

This song spent eight weeks at #1 on the Country charts, and won the 2003 Grammy for Best Country Song. It was the first #1 song on the Country chart for Jimmy Buffett.

It’s Five O’clock Somewhere

Last week I picked a remix of Elvis Presley’s A Little Less Conversation. In 2002, the remix had worldwide success. Because of that English record producer Paul Oakenfold took another Elvis song and did a remix of it. This time it was Rubberneckin’.

Rubberneckin’ was a song that Elvis sang in the movie A Change of Habit. It was released as the B-side of Don’t Cry Daddy. It was a top ten hit for him.

The remix only reached number 94 on the Hot 100 chart in the US, but it was big elsewhere. It peaked at number two in Canada, and number three in Australia. It also reached the top 10 in Denmark, Finland, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.

Some folks dislike these remixes. I can see where a bad remix would make me feel that way. I really thought these two Elvis remixes were great. I was loving how many people danced to them at parties.

Rubberneckin’

The final song of 2003 is probably the most bizarre. It just sticks out, and the band knew this! I’m talking about I Believe in a Thing Called Love by The Darkness. This was a song that was brought to my attention by my ex. I had never heard it before, but one time I was asked to play it at a party and the crowd went crazy!

From Songfacts:

The British magazine Classic Rock named this as their Greatest Rock Song of the ’00s. The band’s frontman Justin Hawkins commented: “All The Darkness ever tried to do was bring a little joy into the glorious realm of rock, but ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’ crossed over big time and changed our lives forever. To have been awarded ‘Song Of The Decade’ is overwhelming and I’m very grateful to Classic Rock for everything.”

The band’s former guitarist, Dan Hawkins, told Classic Rock the story of the song: “‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’ was such an important song for The Darkness, but when we wrote it I really wasn’t sure about it. The chorus is so stupidly catchy, I thought people were just gonna take it as a complete joke! Right from the start, this song stuck out like a sore thumb.

We started with the riff, which Justin came up with. It sounded really great right away. But when he sang the chorus for the first time, I just said, ‘No, you can’t do that – it sounds ridiculous!’ I really thought people would just laugh at us when they heard it. So for the rest of the song, I tried to make it sound cool, more ‘rock.’ The rest of the song is all in minor key.“

Songfacts also presents this very funny review:

The New York Times wrote that this song “sticks to the listener like hair gel.”

I Believe in a Thing Called Love

So there you have it. Did I miss one of your favorites from 2003? Make sure to tell me about it in the comments.

Next week, I’ll present my list from 2004. The list include one of the funniest group names to say on the radio, a monster debut song, movie music, a dance craze that is still going strong, and a song that still brings me to tears.

Thanks for reading and listening!

The Music of My Life – 2002

Welcome back to The Music of My Life, where I feature ten songs from each year of my life.  In most cases, the ten songs I choose will be ones I like personally (unless I explain otherwise). The songs will be selected from Billboard’s Year-end Hot 100 Chart, Acclaimed Music, and will all be released in the featured year.

This particular year is posting on Christmas Day. I wasn’t sure about skipping it or moving it to another day, so here it is. That being said, Merry Christmas to you and yours!

In 2002, I turned 32 years old. I also became a father for the first time. It was a year of change to be sure. I was also a year of struggle, as I would be let go from my radio job shortly after my son was born. I was able to find another radio job, but the rate of pay was so much lower that I would have been better off on unemployment.

Music has always been a way for me to get through tough times. Here are my favorites from 2002:

In February of 2002, the world was introduced to the amazing Norah Jones. The album was Come Away With Me and it was something that really stood out amongst the rest of what was going on musically at the time.

According to Songfacts.com, Norah started performing this song with Jesse Harris (the write of the song) after moving to New York City. Harris “thought it was a good fit for a female voice. Jones changed the key to fit her voice, added a drum beat, then recorded a demo of the song with Harris in October 2000. That demo got the attention of the jazz label Blue Note, which signed Jones and sent her to the studio to record with a group of session musicians. The results were too convoluted, so Jones was assigned to a different producer, Arif Mardin, who had worked with many famous artists, including Aretha Franklin. He was brought in to capture Jones’ distinctive sound, which he did by keeping the original demo take and adding some guitar and a vocal harmony, making Jones harmonize with herself.”

Jesse Harris played guitar on the original demo, which ended up being used on the final recording. He almost stopped the take because he didn’t like the mix in his headphones. He kept going and was glad he did, since that was the keeper. Jones and her band were willing to do another take, but the engineer, Jay Newland, thought it was perfect and wouldn’t let them.

Songfacts says, “Grammy voters were enamored with Jones, nominating her in five categories, with “Don’t Know Why” up for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. After the nominations were announced, the album went to #1 in America, claiming the top spot on January 25, 2003, 11 months after it was released.

Jones cleaned up at the Grammys, winning all five awards she was nominated for, with Come Away With Me earning Album of the Year. Jones also won Best New Artist and performed “Don’t Know Why” on the show.”

It wasn’t long after this that I was watching Sesame Street with my son. Norah sang this with altered lyrics about the letter “Y.”

I Don’t Know Why

The Come Away With Me album is a rare massive seller with no big hits. The only song to land in the Hot 100 was “Don’t Know Why,” which made #30. “Come Away with Me” was the third single, released in December 2002 after the album had been out for nine months. By this time, it has already sold millions of copies, but many were just discovering it.

I love that these two songs really show off the unique voice of Norah Jones.

Come Away With Me

I don’t recall the first time I heard A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton. It is entirely possible that it was years after it was released. I probably heard it for the first time when I was at the Adult Contemporary station I was working for.

I just know that I really liked it. I loved the melody and her voice. I had never seen the video before I watched it to post here.

Vanessa wrote the lyrics after coming up with the song’s piano riff in the summer of 1998 at her parents’ house in Philadelphia. She revealed in a documentary for Vice that she penned the words about a Juilliard student she had a crush on while studying at the School of American Ballet. However, her love was unrequited. “I would never talk to this person,” Carlton said. “I was very shy. I was like, ‘There’s just no way on God’s creation that this would ever happen.'”

She refused to reveal the subject’s name to Vice because he’s a “famous actor” now, apparently.

The song was used in the Shawn and Marlon Wayans movie “White Chicks.” When asked about the song being in the movie, Vanessa said, “I thought it was hilarious. Those guys are really nice, too. I ran into them backstage or something, and they asked me if they could use it. They’re like fans, they’re so cute. But the scene that was in was hilarious.”

A Thousand Miles

Brad Paisley was just coming on the scene when our station brought him to town for a show. He was friendly and a bit shy. When he hit the stage, he was a marvel to watch. I’d watched a lot of people play guitar, but I was in awe of his playing!

His second album, Part II, was released in 2001. One of the songs from it showcases Brad’s playful lyrics and sense of humor. I’m Gonna Miss Her (The Fishing Song) is about a wife who gives her man an ultimatum. He needs to pick between fishing and her. I would imagine this could be re-written as The Golf Song or The Hunting Song, too.

The video is something that takes the song up a notch. Songfacts, quotes Brad:

“I’ve always written with a little humor. Even my saddest songs have a little smile to them,” Paisley recalled in his spotlight interview during the 2018 Country Radio Seminar in Nashville. “So for the [‘I’m Gonna Miss Her’] music video, I pitched this whole idea: I said, ‘I’m gonna do a video that’s gonna take the song to whole other places.’ I was going to get Dan Patrick, who was at ESPN at the time, and have him officiate a fishing tournament. And then Jimmy Dickens was gonna be my fishing buddy. Then, we were going to end up on The Jerry Springer Show. The wives were going to be upset with us, throwing chairs and stuff. [The guy from the label] said, ‘Can you really make this happen?’ And I said, ‘Absolutely.'”

“I walked out of that meeting,” Paisley added, “called my agent and said, ‘I really, really need Dan Patrick’s number.'”

His real life wife, Kimberly Williams, also appears in the video.

I’m Gonna Miss Her

The next song is one that I can relate to quite well. I have been very lucky to still have friends from elementary school (as well as middle and high school). Those elementary school friendships that last are treasures. I have written here many times about my best friend, Jeff, who I have known since second grade.

“We’re Going To Be Friends” by the White Stripes was released on the band’s third album, White Blood Cells. At that time, they were little known outside of their Detroit stomping grounds and in the UK, where they got a lot of love from the music press. But thanks to a surprise hit movie, they gained lots of recognition and fans.

This song plays at the beginning of the 2004 movie Napoleon Dynamite, where it’s used under a clever opening sequence where the credits appear on various everyday objects (lip balm, bag lunch). The film, of course, was a surprise hit and earned a great deal of exposure for the song. The main character, Napoleon, is a strong-willed, talented, quirky type with big ideas. Kinda like the White Stripes frontman, Jack White.

The movie was my first exposure to the song. It led me to dig deeper into their musical catalog.

We’re Going To Be Friends

I have always loved a song that has a Spanish feel to it. There is something about the sound of a Spanish guitar that I really dig. When I first heard My Heart is Lost to You by Brooks and Dunn, I was impressed on many levels. The thing that stuck out most was just how good Ronnie Dunn’s voice fit this type of song.

It only went to #5 on the country charts, and faded away afterward. You rarely hear it on the radio today. It is one of the songs that really got me through a rough patch. It always made me feel good when I heard it.

My Heart Is Lost To You

The 9/11 attacks were still very fresh in our minds in 2002. Patriotism was still on the rise, too. The next song became a sort of anthem for the country, but almost was not released.

Toby Keith wrote Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue shortly after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. He said he wrote the song based on what he thought his father’s thoughts on the terrorist attacks would have been. Keith’s father was a veteran and a patriot.

He told the CBS show 60 Minutes that he wrote this song in just 20 minutes, a week after 9/11. His intention was to play it for troops on USO tours, but not to be part of a commercial release. However, after playing it for Pentagon brass in Washington, the Marine Corps commandant said, according to Keith: “You have to release it. You can serve your country in other ways besides suiting up in combat.”

This was one of many country songs that were written and released after 9/11.

Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue

Elvis Presley had been dead 25 years in 2002, yet, here he is on my list!

Songfacts explains: Mac Davis and Billy Strange wrote A Little Less Conversation for the 1968 Elvis movie Live A Little, Love A Little, which was one of Presley’s last. Davis wrote the original version for Aretha Franklin, but when Billy Strange, who was handling music for the film, approached Davis about contributing a song, he realized that “A Little Less Conversation” fit the scene perfectly, so he reworked it with Strange and Elvis sang it for the film.

This was a fairly obscure Elvis song, peaking at a very un-Kingly #69 in America when it was released in 1968. But when it was remixed and released as a single in 2002, this new version went to #1 in the UK, giving Elvis 18 #1 hits there, the most of any artist. Previously, he was tied with The Beatles at 17. The remix topped the charts in several other countries as well, but only reached #50 in the US.

I do remember the first time I heard this. I was blown away. I thought it sounded modern and fresh. It was great to hear his vocals preserved and this take on the song. I was surprised when high school kids were asking for it at dances, too. They loved it and so did I.

A Little Less Conversation

The band Weezer has made some fantastic and memorable music videos. The next one is no exception.

Maladroit was Weezer’s fourth album. Keep Fishin’ was the second song released from the album. It received some high praise from critics. The AV Club stated: “It’s the kind of infectious, impeccably crafted power-pop rocker Cuomo can probably bang out in his sleep”.

The video is just a joy to watch, especially for folks like me who grew up watching The Muppet Show. The music video features Weezer as guests on The Muppet Show as drummer Patrick Wilson is held captive by none other than Miss Piggy. As noted in the Weezer Video Capture Device DVD, it marks the acting debut for the band members in a music video.

The video premiered on July 14, 2002, on MTV2. It was accompanied by a half-hour special showcasing behind-the-scenes footage from the video’s shoot.

Despite the Muppet Show wrapping in 1979 after five seasons on the air, I can see them having more fun with Weezer and other artists if it were still airing. (The new version from a few years ago took it to a more adult level with themes that I felt were not “Muppet-ish”)

Keep Fishing

Speaking of growing up in the 70’s and 80’s, the next song was like a time capsule. It tossed in many things that I remembered, and many others did, too. It was a crossover hit for Mark Wills called 19 Something.

The song begins with singer’s reminiscence of his formative years, the 1970s and 1980s. In the first verse and chorus, various 1970s-related bits of pop culture are referenced, such as Farrah Fawcett, eight track tapes, and Stretch Armstrong. The first verse also mentions the videogame Pac-man (“I had the Pac-Man pattern memorized.”). The first chorus begins with the line “It was 1970-somethin’ / In the world that I grew up in.” Verse two, similarly, references 1980s pop culture, such as the Rubik’s Cube, a black Pontiac Trans Am, and MTV. The second chorus likewise begins with “It was 1980-somethin’.” In the song’s bridge, the singer then expresses his desire to escape to his childhood years: “Now I’ve got a mortgage and an SUV / All this responsibility makes me wish sometimes / That it was 1980-somethin’.“

It was released as a single from Mark Wills’ Greatest Hits CD. It went to number one on the Country Charts and peaked at number twenty-three on the Hot 100 charts.

19 Something

The final song on my list is a cover of a Joni Mitchell song, Big Yellow Taxi. The song was a hit for her in 1970. She said in an interview: “I wrote ‘Big Yellow Taxi’ on my first trip to Hawaii. I took a taxi to the hotel and when I woke up the next morning, I threw back the curtains and saw these beautiful green mountains in the distance. Then, I looked down and there was a parking lot as far as the eye could see, and it broke my heart… this blight on paradise. That’s when I sat down and wrote the song.”

The Counting Crows covered the song as an afterthought and originally for a hidden track on their 2002 album Hard Candy. It was only released as a single after Vanessa Carlton’s back-up vocals were added for a new version that featured on the soundtrack to the 2003 movie Two Weeks Notice. Their version became the band’s only Top 20 single in the UK, peaking at #13. In the US it reached #42.

If I had to choose between the original and the cover version, I’d choose the original. I don’t think this is a bad cover, but many did. It appears on a few “worst cover song” lists.

I think the song itself is why it is on my list, I love the song. This version doesn’t touch the original, but it did introduce younger folks to the song.

Big Yellow Taxi

Did I leave off one of your favorites from 2002? If so, mention it in the comments.

Next week, we kick off the New Year with 2003. Next to my list for ’03, I wrote “difficult year.” Whether that means that it was hard to narrow my list down to 10 songs or that it was hard to find 10 songs, I don’t remember. I can tell you it features a couple covers songs, a song every parent can relate to, and we learn what beverage equestrians give to their horses.

See you then!

A Holiday Tradition Since 1982 (Spoilers Ahead)

“Marley was dead: to begin with” … so begins the Dickens classic A Christmas Carol.  It was originally titled: A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas. It was published on this day (December 19) in 1843. The first edition was completely sold out by Christmas Eve (that’s less than a week!). By the end of 1844 thirteen editions had been released!

This was not Dickens’ first Christmas story.  As a matter of fact, he had written three before writing this one. He would go on to write four more afterward.  The story of the transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge, however, remains his best known holiday story.

Backstory

By mid-1843 Dickens began to suffer from financial problems. The sales of his Martin Chuzzlewit were falling off. His wife, Catherine, was pregnant with their fifth child. To make matters worse, his publishers threatened to reduce his monthly income by £50 if sales dropped further! It has been said that the publishers knew that the Chuzzlewit stories were not gaining public interest. They begged Dickens for a Christmas book.

Dickens started writing the book in October of 1843. Michael Slater, Dickens’s biographer, describes the book as being “written at white heat.” It was completed in six weeks, the final pages being written in early December. He built much of the work in his head while taking night-time walks around London.

Slater says that A Christmas Carol was “intended to open its readers’ hearts towards those struggling to survive on the lower rungs of the economic ladder and to encourage practical benevolence, but also to warn of the terrible danger to society created by the toleration of widespread ignorance and actual want among the poor.”

Since its initial publication the book has been issued in numerous hardback and paperback editions, translated into several languages and has never been out of print

1982 – English Class – Lincoln Junior High

I was familiar, of course, with the story of Scrooge. I had even seen a few movie versions of this classic ghost story. Interestingly, I had never actually read the novella.  However, in 7th grade, I was blessed with one of my all time favorite teachers – Mrs. Shirley Kellogg.  She was a no-nonsense teacher who could even make diagramming sentences fun.

I remember one day I got caught daydreaming and looking out the window.  She  saw me and asked me a question, which I obviously did not hear.  I was startled by her calling my name and I must have looked scared to death.  She looked at me and said, “Well just don’t sit there like a Willie Lump Lump – answer the question.”  I started laughing, because I was well aware of the Red Skelton character she was referring to! Even though I didn’t have an answer, I immediately connected with her! Rest assured, I saved my daydreaming for other classes!

I digress. Back to A Christmas Carol :

I remember that we would often read from this big blue book that had the word “Literature” in the title.  It was a collection of modern stories, short stories, classic stories, and poems.  Charles Dickens’ tale was in this book. In elementary school, we would often read stories aloud, with each student reading a chapter.  What makes my first “reading” of this story unique is that Mrs. Kellogg read it to us – not live though…it was Memorex!  She had spent time recording herself reading the entire story and played it back to us on a cassette tape.  This allowed us to read along while she graded papers and such. Because of this, when I read the story today, I can still hear certain lines in her voice.

Stave One

Dickens divides his tale into 5 “staves” or chapters.  The story opens on a miserable Christmas Eve, seven years after the death of Scrooge’s partner in business Jacob Marley.  Dickens’ opening line stresses the importance of the fact that he was dead.  In fact, he stated that this “must distinctly be understood or nothing wonderful can come of the story” that follows. Dickens’ description of Scrooge is something that I can still hear in Mrs. Kellogg’s voice – “a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner!” Right from the start, we learn what a miserable man Scrooge truly is.

In this stave we are also introduced to Fred, Scrooge’s nephew.  His visit only continues to illustrate Scrooge’s hate for the holiday and the season. Another main character is Bob Cratchit, Scrooge’s clerk.  Dickens describes the poor working conditions and Cratchit’s measly salary. Jobs must have been scarce at the time. I say that because you have to wonder why this poor man is working for such a jerk like Scrooge. We are also introduced to two men collecting for charity, who are basically told by Scrooge to “get lost”.  He tells them that he supports prisons and workhouses and those in need should go there for refuge.

Before the chapter is over, we follow Scrooge to his empty, damp, dark, and desolate home. It is there that we are introduced to his deceased business partner, Jacob Marley. It is here that we witness the beginnings of Scrooge’s transformation.

Marley’s ghost is a ghastly sight.  He is wearing heavy chains and lock boxes.  He tells of the misery and gloom that he suffers in the afterlife.  He gives Scrooge a warning that his fate is far worse than his. This is because he has had additional years to labor on the chains he is forging.  A doubtful Scrooge tells him he must be some sort of mirage or illusion. In response to this, Marley scares him into believing his presence.  Marley sets the stage for what is to follow – the visits from three spirits.  These visits are the only chance that Scrooge has to avoid Marley’s fate.

Stave Two – The Past

Scrooge’s second spiritual visit from the Ghost of Christmas Past. Scrooge then asks the spirit if it is the spirit of “long past”, and the spirit responds “your past”.  The spirit whisks Scrooge away to Christmases where Scrooge was a boy, a young man, and a young adult.  We begin to get a sense of why he is the way he is.  As a boy, he spends Christmas at a boarding school.  As a young man, we see him as an apprentice – an apprentice who loves Christmas.  We also see him as a young adult. Here, we witness the love of his life leave him. She leaves because money has grown to be the most important thing in his life.

The older I get, the more this part of the story stays with me.  Scrooge, as he witnesses all these past Christmases, is given a gift.  He is allowed to see a younger self and those who he grew up with.  We watch him call out the names of former school mates. He sees his beloved sister who died giving birth to his nephew. He also speaks highly of his fellow apprentice and former boss. Finally, he relives the pain of the loss of his love. These are among the many scenes that spark strong emotions with Scrooge.

Imagine, being able to go back in time to witness past Christmases!  What I wouldn’t give to relive those childhood memories!  I would love to see:

  • My grandfather’s face as I opened the cribbage board he gave me
  • The joy on me and my brother’s faces as we opened up the entire collection of Star War figures
  • The homemade Christmas ornaments mom made for our tree
  • My children’s first Christmases
  • A family pinochle game in the sun room at my grandparents
  • Dad putting together one of our toys with a gazillion stickers to place on it
  • Mom in good health, laughing at a gag gift I bought her
  • The adults playing guitars and the organ after having a few too many rum balls
  • The spread of Italian food we’d feast on every Christmas Eve

The list goes on and on. Oh to be able to hear the voices of loved ones who are no longer with us … wow.  What a gift Scrooge is treated to.

Stave Three – The Present

The second spirit is the Ghost of Christmas Present.  He is a jolly spirit who shows Scrooge what is to happen this Christmas.  He is first given some enlightenment about his clerk as he visits their home.  He learns first hand of the struggles that they face, financially and emotionally.  He is shown the small feast that the entire family is to eat. It is here that Scrooge (and the reader) is introduced to the Cratchit’s lame boy, Tiny Tim.

We really see the events of the past and present working in old Scrooge here. At one point, he very uncharacteristically asks the spirit if Tiny Tim will live.  The spirit informs him that if the present course remains, Tiny Tim will die.  The amazing change that is beginning in Scrooge is seen clearly here.  There is a glimpse of compassion and worry as he asks the question of Tiny Tim’s fate. This is followed by the hanging of his head in grief when he hears the answer.

Ever wonder what people are saying about you when you are not there?  In some cases, it’s better that you not know.  Scrooge visits his nephews home next and is shown the dinner that he was invited to.  What he sees is the guests making fun of him.  He sees his nephew telling everyone in disbelief about his uncle’s abhorrence of the holiday. The more he sees the angrier he gets. He is so angry that he tells the spirit to take him away from the scene he is watching.

As the spirit’s time grows short, Scrooge notices something. He spies what looks like a claw coming out from underneath the spirit’s robe.  When asked about it, the spirit reveals two children – a boy and a girl who are anything but pretty.  They were children, but they looked terrible.  Scrooge asks the spirit if they belong to him.  The spirit answers that they are “Man’s”.  Scrooge learns that the boy is Ignorance and the girl is Want. He is then told to “Beware them both, and all their degree”.  181 years later – these words are still true!  Beware ignorance and want!

There is nothing that is more embarrassing and humbling than to have your own words thrown back at you. Especially when those words are applied the way the ghost does. As the ghost’s time expires on earth, he answers Scrooge’s question about finding the children some sort of refuge. His powerful reply consists of Scrooge’s words to the men collecting for charity “Are there no prisons?  Are there no workhouses?” With that, the spirit is gone…

Stave Four – Christmas Yet To Come

Fear can be a very good motivator.  Imagine the fear that now engulfs Scrooge as he sees his final spiritual visitor!  The Phantom which is described as being “draped and hooded” is now coming toward Scrooge. He is approaching ”slowly, gravely” and “silently – like a mist on the ground.” Rather than run away in a panic, Scrooge faces the spirit who speaks not a word.  Words can be scary – silence can be scarier!  How he realizes that he is in the presence of the ghost of the future I do not know. It must have be based on his knowledge of his previous two visitors. He confirms this by asking the spirit if that is who he is. The reply that he gets is a slow and deliberate nod.

Scrooge’s fear is no secret. As a matter of fact, he tells the ghost that he fears him. He fears him “more than any other spectre I have seen.” The change that continues in Scrooge is apparent here. He states that he knows that his “purpose is to do me good, and as I hope to live to be another man from what I was.  I am prepared to bear you company”.

No surprise that the topic everyone shown to Scrooge is discussing is death.  The death of one nameless man in particular. He sees business men standing on the street talking about an “old scratch” who “got his own at last”.  Then he is taken to a sort of pawn shop. There three people meet up to sell stuff they took from a dead man’s home! One of the items was the shirt off the man’s dead corpse.  He is then in a dark empty room where a dead man lays on a bed under a sheet.  The spirit points to the head of the body – he wants Scrooge to look at the man.  Scrooge says that he cannot do it.  Every situation the spirit showed Scrooge was one where the man’s death brought pleasure.

Scrooge begs the spirit to show him some “tenderness connected with death”.  He is taken through town to the home of his clerk, Bob Cratchit.  The mood is somber there as they continue to deal with the death of Tiny Tim.  There is much hurt and many tears in the house.  Scrooge then has the realization that the time with the spirit is almost gone. But he has to know something. He asks to know who the man was that had died.  He is taken to a church yard that is overrun with weeds and has not been tended to. The spirit stands with nothing but a hand pointing to a gravestone.

The culmination of all that he has seen is now coming to a head.  Scrooge must have some sort of inkling of who is buried in this terrible place. I say this because he now becomes frantic. He asks if the things he was shown are things that “will be” or things that “may be.” He begs to know whether or not they can be changed.  Upon reading his own name on the gravestone, Scrooge breaks.  He begs the spirit to wipe his name from the stone.  He insists that he is not the man he was and that he will live an altered life.  He makes promises to honor Christmas and live by the lessons taught by all the spirits.  He grabs the spirit and continues to plead, but the spirit disappears and turns into his bedpost.

Remember the classic It’s a Wonderful Life? In it George Bailey is shown what life would be like if he was never born.  George is frightened by so many things that he sees.  He understands just how many things would have been different if he were never born.  With A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge sees things a bit differently. He sees the product of the present and future because of his life and how he currently lives it.

Stave Five – The End of It

The climax of the story – the miracle of the story – all culminates here.  Scrooge is now a changed man!  He awakens on Christmas day and he is filled with joy and happiness. These are emotions which have eluded him for many many years.  His first order of business is to buy the prize turkey and send it to his clerk anonymously.  He even splurges for a cab to send it there. He then dresses in his best and heads out. 

He see’s the men who were collecting for charity the day before. He calls one of them over, apologizes for the day before and whispers a huge sum of money to them. They marvel at what is happening, and Scrooge assures them that there are many back payments included in that amount.  He goes to church for the first time in years. Finally, he heads over to his nephew’s house, not knowing what will happen.  Fred is surprised and welcomes him with open arms.

The one man who is unaware of the change in Scrooge is Bob Cratchit.  When he arrives at work a few minutes late, Scrooge is waiting for him. This is exactly what Scrooge had hoped for. As soon as he walks in, Scrooge lays into him. He demands to know why he is coming in late. Scrooge continues his charade and stresses how he is not going to stand this behavior anymore!  Quickly, he changes his demeanor and announces he is giving Bob a raise! He then vows to help his family in all ways possible.

Dickens ends by telling the reader that he was better than his word.  He was a great man and second father to Tiny Tim.  He explains that there were plenty of naysayers who still laughed at the transformation in Scrooge. The old man said it didn’t bother him one bit. We are told that there is no more spiritual intervention and that he “knew how to keep Christmas well”.

Closing Thoughts

I have been reading Dickens’ A Christmas Carol every year for 42 years now. Each and every year I am grateful for the start of the tradition.  I was lucky enough to have had Mrs. Kellogg for English Class in 7th and 8th grade and she read it to us both years.  Every holiday, I think of her fondly as I read those opening words.

I have seen almost every film and TV adaptation of this story. Honestly, it is hard for me to pick a favorite.  What holds true for all of them is the amazing transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge. There is also a renewed appreciation for the Christmas season.  During the holidays, just like Scrooge, people tend to give more to those in need. They tend to be kinder, and they tend to be happier.  Here’s a thought – why not do this all year round?

Elvis Presley had a song on his Christmas CD which stated my feelings perfectly:

Why can’t every day be like Christmas? Why can’t that feeling go on endlessly?  For if every day could be just like Christmas, what a wonderful world this would be.

Turntable Talk #33 – One More For Under The Tree

Once again, it is time for Turntable Talk, our monthly musical topic hosted by Dave from A Sound Day. Most readers are familiar with this feature. Dave gives some of us musical bloggers a topic and we write about it. This month, he asked for our help in creating a holiday playlist.

Per his instructions: “Because of the time of the year, we’ll keep it simple –  One More For Under The Tree.  Just pick a favorite Christmas / holiday season song of yours and tell us a wee bit about it and maybe why you love it. If it’s a ‘standard’, old or new, pick the favorite version of yours and we’ll make a nice little Christmas playlist of sorts.”

A couple years ago, we did something similar. As someone who loves Christmas music, it is difficult for me to chose just one. I will try to keep it to no more than two. Maybe three. Surely, not four….

The song I want to feature is one that has never really been classified as a “Christmas” song. It is not one that you will hear often (if at all) on the radio in December. You will find it on a few 1970’s Holiday compilation albums, though. It was first released as a B-side of a single and released again as a posthumous single.

It Doesn’t Have To Be That Way

Jim Croce’s It Doesn’t Have to Be That Way was on his 1973 Life and Times Album. It was the B-side of One Less Set of Footsteps. He died in a plane crash in September of that year. It was in December that his label rereleased the song as the final single from the album. The song paints some wonderful images of winter and Christmas for the listener. Perhaps this is what the label was hoping to take advantage of when it was released again.

I was introduced to this song by a gal I was dating in the late 1980’s. I had never heard the song before and she had told me it was one of her favorites. From the opening guitar work and Jim’s vocal, I was hooked. The song is melodically beautiful. As beautiful as it is, however, it is a sad song.

Anyone who has ever gone through a break-up around the holidays will tell you how difficult it is. The festive decorations, the warmth and happiness of the season, and the overall feeling of love can really cause depression. No one wants to be alone at Christmas time.

The singer reveals himself to be a man who has recently ended a relationship. As the holiday season approaches, the Christmas atmosphere in his town is evident nearly everywhere. The lyrics attest to that. As he experiences his surroundings, he begins to wish that he and his lover could reunite. He professes that it was a mistake to end their relationship and that it can easily be rekindled.

The song ends in mystery. In a bold move, the man says he will be stopping by his old lover’s place to “get it together.” “It’s only right” for them to start the relationship again according to the song. We never do find out what happens. Perhaps the “happy” chimes at the end of the song elude to a happy ending.

The songwriting team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller wrote over 70 hit songs together. They wrote songs in the 1950’s for The Coasters, Wilbert Harrision, Big Mama, Thorton, and Elvis Presley. One of those Elvis songs was the one that opened his first Christmas album…

Santa Claus is Back In Town

Elvis’ Christmas Album was released in 1957. It contained twelve songs – six on each side. Side A contained the more contemporary cuts like Blue Christmas, White Christmas and Santa Claus is Back in Town. Side B contained the more religious and sacred songs like Silent Night and O Little Town of Bethlehem.

For years, I was only familiar with his versions of Blue Christmas and Here Comes Santa Claus. You know, the ones that played on the radio. In 1994, I picked up the compilation “If Every Day Was Like Christmas.” It included early Christmas songs as well as his later songs. I first heard Santa Claus is Back in Town on this album.

The song is a basic twelve-bar blues song with three verses. I have always wished that Elvis would have recorded an album of all blues songs. The genre (and the mixing of blues and rock) is one that allows him to shine. This song is a prime example of this. It is a raunchy, raw, and dirty blues song that is misleading from the beginning.

The song begins a group singing the word “Christmas” three times. You get the feeling that you are about to hear this beautiful holiday song. Suddenly the drum kicks, Elvis growls his first lyric and the blues begin!

Elvis howls his was through the verses as “Santa Claus,” who has no sleigh, but a black Cadillac instead. He also tells his pretty baby to expect him to come down her chimney later that night. The chorus begs her to be a good little girl because Santa is back in town. Naturally, the lyrics and the song itself are meant to have that “double entendre” and “innuendo” to it.

Many people have covered this song, including Dwight Yoakam, Foghat, Billy Idol, and Joe Perry. Even Kurt Russell performed it in the Netflix special, “The Christmas Chronicles.” These versions never seem to live up to the energy and the grittiness that the Elvis version has. None of them have ever given me goosebumps when I hear it either. The Elvis version does. His version is the best!

The question I pose now is a simple one. Is it possible to make this song sound even better? Personally, I think so. When the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra accompanied Elvis on a Christmas album in 2017, it brought it to an entire new level! It is still gritty. It is still bluesy. It is still raunchy. But now, you’ve got this fantastic horn line that takes it up a notch. Mix the orchestra parts with the original arrangement and you have a much fuller and fresh sound. Now, there is a raunchy “sparkle” to it.

Dave, thank you for again asking me to be a part of this feature. To my fellow music bloggers and you, I wish you and your family a Happy Holiday season. May you and yours have a blessed and Merry Christmas! Here’s to an amazing 2025!!

The Music of My Life – 2000

Welcome back to The Music of My Life, where I feature ten songs from each year of my life.  In most cases, the ten songs I choose will be ones I like personally (unless I explain otherwise). The songs will be selected from Billboard’s Year-end Hot 100 Chart, Acclaimed Music, and will all be released in the featured year.

In 2000, I turned 30. It was one of those big milestone birthdays that people joke about. “You start to fall apart at 30,” I was told. I was lucky. Right around my 30th birthday I achieved my 30 pound weight loss. I was on my way to better health and actually felt good. I was married, had a steady full time job, was doing radio part time, and still DJing on the side.

It has been interesting to look back year by year to see the changes in music. It’s funny to see how certain things come and go. For example, “Boy Bands.” When the New Kids on the Block faded away in the early 90’s, many folks thought the boy bands were done. However, in 1999, two new boy bands brought the genre back into the spotlight.

When the Backstreet Boys stormed on the scene in 1999, they helped pave the way for ‘N Sync. ‘N Sync’s No Strings Attached album would go on to be the best selling album of the 2000’s according to Billboard magazine. Bye Bye Bye was one of the songs from it that helped the sales of the album.

The song is on my list because it was one of my “go to” songs at parties. It never failed to get all of the younger females out on the dance floor. It always made me laugh because when it started to play, you’d hear a bunch of high pitched screams. I liked it to the girls you’d see watching the Beatles or Elvis!

Bye Bye Bye

Next, it’s a one hit wonder that really stuck out on the radio. The group Nine Days took Absolutely (The Story of a Girl) to the top ten on the charts, but wound up being a “one and done” group.

The song was written by lead singer Josh Hampson. The song is actually an autobiographical song about him and his wife. In an interview with Impose magazine, he says, “I exaggerated things and used tons of figurative language to express something, but it’s about me, and it’s about my wife – who was then my girlfriend – and her wanting to get engaged. I just wasn’t ready. I was basically stalling her and making her cry. I was good at that.”

Their first album didn’t produce any further hits. They recorded a second album, but their label dropped them and said that the album would not be released. They said that there were “no hits” on it.

John left the music business and became a teacher.

When a song opens cold (with no musical intro), that first line really has to grab you. The first time I heard this on the radio, it grabbed me. I thought, “Okay, tell me more about the girl who cried a river and tried to drown the whole world…”

Absolutely (The Story of a Girl)

We’ve seen throughout this series how tough times can often lead to amazing songs. That is the case for the country cross-over hit, I Hope You Dance.

The was written by Tia Sillers and Mark Sanders. Sillers told Songwriter Universe magazine:

“For ‘I Hope You Dance,’ I had written the opening line, ‘I hope you never lose your sense of wonder.’ I had just broken up with someone, going through a brutal divorce. I needed to get away, so I went to a beach on the Florida Gulf Coast. Sitting on the beach and reflecting about the breakup, I felt so small and inconsequential. But out of this difficult time came the inspiration to write ‘I Hope You Dance.’ As I was leaving the beach, I remember thinking that things weren’t really so bad, that I would get through it. That’s when I came up with the line, ‘I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean.'”

In a Song facts interview, Bill Withers talked about this song. He stated that this is a song that says something that everyone can understand and remember: “There are lines that are so profound… ‘And when the time comes for you to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance.’ Come on man, you can’t say that any better.”

This was a song that became big for Daddy/Daughter and Mother/Son dances at weddings. It wasn’t odd for it to be the bridal dance either. I think Lee Ann Womack’s voice is perfect for this song and I was thrilled to see it get pop airplay.

It really is one of those songs that is a “wisdom song.” It could easily be something someone would tell a loved one if they knew it was the last time they’d see each other in my opinion. It’s just a really great song.

I Hope You Dance

it would be two years before my first child would be born. I won’t lie, the thought of being a dad scared me. The next song is one that was still being played on the radio when my son was born. It struck a chord and I know now, why.

According to Song facts, Creed’s lead singer, Scott Stapp was due to be a father. Once he found out that he was going to have a son, Stapp wrote this song because he didn’t want his child facing the same problems he faced while growing up. He was from a very strict, very devout Christian household and he didn’t want his son to grow up questioning himself and his faith like Scott did. Stapp told us: “Don’t we always want our kids to be better than us? Don’t we always want them to have a better experience in this life and this journey than we did? So I think that from my point of view I’m beginning to see why that song struck a chord with multiple generations: because it touches on a feeling and sentiments that are universal for fathers, and for parents in general.”

Scott says that he still connects with the song when he performs it. He says he remembers the fear of being a father, but also knows with time, the fear has gone and he loves being a dad.

The song would be Creed’s only #1 on the Pop chart.

With Arms Wide Open

Next is a song that I hated to include. I never really cared for the song, but it was a part of my life. Heck, it was a part of everyone’s life. It seemed like you couldn’t go anywhere without hear it or a reference to it. It may surprise you to know that despite this, it barely did anything on the charts.

Songfacts says, “Considering what a sensation this song was in America, it had a surprisingly low chart position, peaking at just #40. While the song seemed to be everywhere, its omnipresence was due more to cultural references than to record sales or airplay. Few radio stations put the song in rotation, and in this pre-download era, consumers had little interest in owning the single.”

So just how did it get so popular??

Songfacts answers that, too. “Knowing most radio stations would have no interest in this song, it was marketed through sports, with the single sent to various baseball, basketball, football, hockey and soccer teams in hopes that they would play it at games.

Most of the music played during sporting events is during lulls in the action – after a foul ball in a baseball game or when a football team is in the huddle – which is only room for about 12 seconds of a song. Songs with quick, high energy, easily understood hooks work well, and “Who Let The Dogs Out” fit the bill for these jock jams.”

Who Let The Dogs Out?

I was working in Country Radio when Tim McGraw released “My Next Thirty Years.” Talk about a song that hit home at the time. I think when you hit any milestone birthday you think about the past and the future. The lyrics conveyed things that I was feeling at the same time.

The song mentions focusing on “where I go from here,” and forgetting about “the crazy things I’ve done.” He says he is going to “cry less” and “laugh more!” He’s going to “eat more salads” and watch his weight. Then he says he’ll try “not to stay up too late.” Can you relate? I know at the time I did.

Actually, I found myself pondering those exact same things when I hit forty and fifty. You look back and hope that you’ve learned from your past experiences. You look forward with a plan to make what lies ahead the best yet. I know so many people who connected with this song. Rightfully so, it went to number one for Tim McGraw.

My Next 30 Years

How can a song that starts with the lines, “Hey, Mr. DJ, put a record on! I wanna dance with my baby!” not make my list? Music from Madonna was a song that a lot of people asked for when I was DJing. It was almost like the song was doing the talking for the crowd.

Madonna has always been a complex sort of person. This album brought back the “fun” Madonna, if you will. She told Billboard magazine, “Everything in life moves in cycles… there’s a period where you’re quiet, and there’s a period where you explode. In the time leading up to Ray of Light, I was in a quiet space – making lots of discoveries and going through lots of changes. It was an introspective, questioning time. Then, almost without warning, I felt like I needed to explode. I didn’t feel the need to be so introspective. I felt like dancing. And that’s reflected in these songs.”

When Madonna shot the video for this song, she was expecting her son. She hides it by wearing a lot of coats and such. There is one section of the video that was difficult for her to shoot due to her pregnancy, so it was animated.

Music

My next song was one that I heard first from my ex-wife. She had Beth Hart’s CD and listened to it often. I was very familiar with LA song and my pick, Delicious Surprise because of her. When I heard it on the radio, it struck me a bit differently. I can’t explain why. Maybe it was because it was just her singing (and not my ex joining in).

We all like to dream. Many of us dream big. “What if I won the lottery?” “What if I was the President?” “What if I was a movie star?” Those are questions pondered by the singer in this song. Then she offers up the advice to “see and believe” those dreams.

Jo Dee Messina did a country version of the song in 2005.

Shortly after the song was released, Beth was dropped from her record label. While it was never given as a reason, many believe it was because of her drug addiction. She battled this and bi-polar disorder for some time yet continued to make music. Today, she has been long sober and lives in California.

Her last album was a Led Zeppelin tribute album in 2022.

Delicious Surprise

The world can always use a bit more gratitude. Don’t we spend the first few years of their lives teaching our children to say “please” and “thank you?” Sadly, we don’t say it enough.

I love Dido’s song, Thank You. I love the simplicity and complexity of it. The song features all of the troubles and and stress of life in general. It also features how that all goes away when that special someone is there.

According to Songfacts:

“Dido wrote “Thank You” after meeting her boyfriend, a lawyer named Bob Page, in 1995 and falling for him hard. She thanks Page for giving her the “best day of her life,” which is when they met in a club and had their first encounter. Page sparked a creative fire in Dido, who also wrote the song “Here With Me” about him. They got engaged in 2001, but broke up a year later, inspiring another Dido song: ” White Flag.”

Dido owes a lot of thanks to Eminem. He sampled the song for his song, “Stan.” He did not ask permission to use this on “Stan” until after the song was produced. However, Dido loved it agreed to let him use it. She recalled to Billboard magazine in a 2013 interview: “I just got a letter saying, ‘We heard your track. We love it. We’d like to use it for this track ‘Stan.’ Can you take a listen? I hope you like it and can we use your song?’ It was completely out of the blue. I put it on like, ‘I wonder what he could have done.’ You just don’t know. And I was a big Eminem fan, so it was pretty cool. And then I heard it. I remember because I had some friends staying in the same hotel. They were literally running down the hall, like ‘You gotta listen to this; it’s just brilliant!'”

Thank You

The final song for this week’s list is one that never cracked the Hot 100. It was the second single and title track from Green Day’s Warning album. Songfacts says, “by this time they were mellowing out a bit, with lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong playing more acoustic guitar. This was a product both of the band getting older and the pop-punk sound they ushered in falling out of fashion. The album sold poorly, but the band was well established by this point and wasn’t watching the charts.”

Billy Joe Armstrong has said that the original concept was to create a song whose lyrics were made up of all of the everyday warning signs and labels and the idea grew from there. I love his description of the content.

“The world is being filled with warnings and instructions of what not to do. The song states that it’s important to trust your instinct and do what you believe is right, but also to not be stupid enough to be the cause of another warning sign to be established. Take risks and question your surroundings, but don’t fall victim to your own stupidity.”

Well, alrighty then….

It wasn’t the words that made me like the song. It was actually the guitar and bass licks. It was so simple, but I loved the chord progressions. Someone compared it to the Kink’s Picture Book. I can hear that …

Warning

Well, that wraps up Y2K! I’m sure your list looks different than mine. What were your favorite songs from 2000? Let me know in the comments.

Next week, I may play the theme from 2001, just because, ha ha! My list only includes 2 cover songs, a must have party song, movie and TV music, a song that moves me and a song that moved the entire country.

Thanks for listening and reading! See you next week.

The Music of My Life – 1999

Welcome back to The Music of My Life, where I feature ten songs from each year of my life.  In most cases, the ten songs I choose will be ones I like personally (unless I explain otherwise). The songs will be selected from Billboard’s Year-end Hot 100 Chart, Acclaimed Music, and will all be released in the featured year.

In 1999, I turned 29 years old. In September of that year, I would venture into a marriage that would fail years later. Two great sons came out of it though, and that was a great thing.

1999 was also the year that I began receiving monthly CDs with new music on them. It was a great was to always be sure to have clean edits of songs and be current. I received my first CD in May of that year and thankfully so!

I had been hired to DJ a prom. It was the first one I had ever done. I had been able to scrounge up some of the “newer” songs thanks to friends. However, a lot of the brand new stuff not in stores yet. (This is probably before I got my iPod and iTunes). Two days before the prom, that CD had the hottest song on the radio at the time. The song was Ricky Martin’s Livin’ La Vida Loca.

That night, I had requests for it and was surprised (and thankful) it was on the CD! I played it at least three times that night and knew my investment was a good one. Those CDs saved me plenty of times.

Frank Sinatra died on May 14, 1998, which was around the time this song was conceived. Co-writer Desmond Child told Songfacts that Sinatra’s music was a strong influence on this song. He said, “Frank Sinatra’s music was coming out of the airwaves, and we were all of a sudden into this Rat Pack idea, and also the Latin Elvis concept that we had for him. So we put that into the songs, as well – there was a swing aspect to it. So the verses were more like that, and then the choruses were all out rock anthems, with horns. Because horns had fallen out of favor, we brought horns back.”

Paul McCartney’s guitarist, Rusty Anderson, played on the song. Co-writer Robi Rosa asked him to put some guitar on some sections that were blank slates. He remembers: “I was thinking more of a James Bond vibe actually. But I kinda liked the way it counter-balanced the song.”

Anderson recorded his guitar work at his studio intending it to just be a demo. “I didn’t have a reverb to print that I was happy with so I figured the mixer would have the perfect reverb in mixdown,” he explained. “That recording turned into the single. When I heard it on the radio, I was shocked that they left it dry!”

Many years later, the song re-entered my life when I took my son to the movies. In Shrek 2, Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) and Donkey (Eddie Murphy) sing it as the credits roll.

Livin’ La Vida Loca

Next is a song that I always felt should have been a bigger hit. I Know How The River Feels was a song that was recorded first by country singer Ty Herndon in 1996. His version was never released. Diamond Rio recorded it for their Unbelievable album and it was their third single from it.

I liked it because it gave Diamond Rio a different sound. This was the first song of theirs to feature outside instruments as they added a string section to the arrangement. The song, however, was met with some negative reviews from critics. It only went to #33 on the Country charts.

I love the way the song uses a river with its twists and turns to describe the search for love. Finally, when it reaches the sea – the search, the twists, and the turns – you reach the final destination.

Now I know how the river feels
When it reaches the sea
And finally finds the place
It was always meant to be
Holding fast, home at last
Knowing the journey’s through
Lying here with you
I know how the river feels

I Know How The River Feels

Hey Leonardo by Blessid Union of Souls is a song that I liked for a few reasons. First, the parenthetical title is “She likes me for me.” Isn’t that what love is about? It’s not about the physical things, the status and such. It is about loving a person because they are that person. Next, I like when a song tosses in some pop culture references.

Songfacts says: This song is written in the form of a letter to someone named Leonardo – a reference to actor Leonardo DiCaprio. In the song, the singer lists many celebrities and the qualities they possess making them attractive to women. He emphasizes that while he does not have the same qualities, his girlfriend loves him just the way he is.

The celebrities that are referenced include: Tyson Beckford, Robert Redford, Steve Buscemi and the movie Fargo. It also references opera singer Pavarotti, model Cindy Crawford, Clint Eastwood’s characterization of Dirty Harry, and Jim Carrey in the movie The Cable Guy.

Hey Leonardo

For the longest time I had only ever heard the clean edit of the next song. When I downloaded “Why Don’t You Get a Job” by the Offspring, it was the album version. It certainly was not edited. As I think of the words that are edited from it, I chuckle. They seem tame compared to what words are allowed on the radio today.

Offspring’s Americana album was a concept album. It examined the unpleasant side of life in America. Songfacts says, The song fits the concept by examining how so many people get by in the country without being productive and contributing to society.

If you listen closely, the melody might sound familiar. That is because it is based on The Beatles song “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da,” with some elements of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Cecilia.”

Why Don’t You Get A Job

I’ve told this story before. When the Dixie Chicks first hit the radio, I did not think they would last. I felt that they had too much of a traditional sound and that listeners would not like it. I was wrong and I am glad that they went on to have radio success.

Their album Wide Open Spaces was full of hits. I came to really love the harmonies of the Dixie Chicks, especially on the last single from the album.

The Chicks’ version of “Tonight the Heartache’s on Me” was released in April of 1999. It had been recorded in 1994 by singer/songwriter Joy Lynn White, whose version was much slower. The Chicks version has a tempo and attitude that conveys all the feelings of the lyrics.

I love the play on words in the title. “The next round’s on me” is something you might hear in bars all over the country. The story of the song takes place in a bar. A gal sees her ex walk in with another woman and “Boom” – the hurt is there. “Bartender, pour the wine, ’cause the hurtin’s all mine. Tonight, the heartache’s on me!”

The song is a guilty pleasure, I suppose.

Tonight The Heartache’s On Me

I hate to say that Sheryl Crow is a cover artist, because she is not. However, her cover songs are really good! Take for example, her cover of 1987’s Sweet Child ‘O Mine.

It was originally done, of course, by Guns N’ Roses. The lyrics came from a poem Axl Rose was working on. Songfacts says that “he wrote the song about his girlfriend, Erin Everly, the daughter of Don Everly of the Everly Brothers. After dating for four years, they got married at a quickie wedding in Las Vegas on April 28, 1990, but just nine months later, the marriage was annulled, with Everly claiming abuse.“

The Sheryl Crow version appeared in the Adam Sandler movie Big Daddy. It earned her the Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance in 2000. Her version appears near the middle of the movie right after they take the kid away. The Guns N’ Roses original is also played in the movie (at the end with the credits.)

I think her voice compliments this song very well. Her voice is much better than some of the folks who attempted to sing this when I hosted karaoke!

Sweet Child O’ Mine

The aforementioned green ogre, Shrek, ties in with my next song. I think this is the one that most people associate with the Shrek films. I’m talking, of course, about All Star by Smash Mouth.

Like most Smash Mouth originals, it was written by their guitarist, Greg Camp. He said in a Songfacts interview:

“When we were on tour for the first record, it’s still when people were writing fan mail, like, in the form of paper and pencils and typewriters and stuff,” said Camp. “We would get these big bags of fan mail and we would take them to the Laundromat and do our laundry and read all this mail while we were sitting around waiting for our clothes to get dry. And about 85-90 percent of the mail was from these kids who were being bullied or their brothers or older siblings were giving them s–t for liking Smash Mouth or liking whatever they’re doing or the way they dressed and stuff. So we were, like, ‘We should write a song for fans.’

Before I stopped DJing a couple years ago, this song was still being requested at high school dances.

All Star

It is always great to see an artist from the past make a come back. 1999 was a great year for Carlos Santana!

Most music people are aware of Clive Davis. He is a legendary record executive who has worked with many artists and even appeared on American Idol. He was the mastermind behind Santana’s Supernatural album.

Santana hadn’t had a hit since “Hold On” in 1982, so Davis teamed him with contemporary musicians like Wyclef Jean, Everlast and Lauryn Hill to make sure the younger generation took notice. The result was a wildly successful album that went over well with Santana’s old fans and created a legion of new ones. “Smooth” was the first single; it spent 12 weeks at #1 in the US.

Rob Thomas sang lead on “Smooth,” but that wasn’t the plan. He had never written a song for someone else before, so he jumped at the chance to write a song for Santana. When he finished it, Thomas suggested George Michael, one of his musical heroes, as the vocalist. Arista Records ended up asking Thomas to do the vocals, and when he did, it was in Michael’s style. “If you listen to the melody and the cadence, it’s an attempt to emulate his style in so many ways,” Rob said.

Smooth” won Song Of The Year and Record Of The Year at the 2000 Grammy Awards. Supernatural also won for Best Rock Album and Album Of The Year. Santana picked up a total of eight awards that night.

Fun fact: Santana has the distinction of waiting the longest between his first charting single and first #1 hit. In 1969, “Tango” hit #56 in the US, and 30 years later, “Smooth” was #1.

Smooth

The next song was probably THE ear worm of 1999. It was certainly one of those songs that got into your head. Believe it or not, Lou Bega’s “Mambo No 5” was a cover song! The song was originally done in 1952 by the Cuban-Mexican bandleader Perez Prado. Known as the “King of the Mambo,” Prado recorded numerous mambos. When he ran out of inspiration, he would simply number them. “Mambo No 5” was one of a series of eight.

The difference between the two versions? Perez Prado’s version was instrumental. In 1999, Lou Bega added lyrics to it. By doing so, he transformed it into a love song for several women. Those women: Angela, Pamela, Sandra, Rita, Monica, Erica, Tina, Mary and Jessica. It was reported that the girls he mentioned were all Lou’s former girlfriends. It is probably beyond coincidence that eight of the girls in the song have names that end in “A,” making them quite singable.

Why is it on my list? Because I will forever link it to Barbara Eden. Let me explain. My buddy Steve said to me one day, “Hey. Did you know that you can sing the I Dream of Jeannie Theme song to Mambo No 5 and it fits perfectly?” I looked at him like he was nuts…until I heard it.

So, when you give it a listen, when Lou says, “A little bit of (Girl’s name)…” when he says the girls name, start singing the theme song and watch how it fits. It’s uncanny and it is ridiculous! Now, every time I hear it, that is ALL I hear!

If you’d like me to punch my friend for you, I will.

Mambo #5

Finally, this week a song that I literally just mentioned because of a birth anniversary. Last Tuesday, I featured this for Tune Tuesday and Robert Goulet’s birthday. I didn’t realize that it would coincide with this week’s list. You can read about that here:

Tune Tuesday – A Pixar Classic

…or you can just listen to it here.

You’ve Got A Friend In Me

Alright, which one of your favorites did I miss from 1999? Tell me about it in the comments.

Next week, we enter a new decade with the year 2000. It was a year that seemed SO far away for many of us. We all breathed a sigh of relief when the world didn’t shut down at midnight on January 1st (the Y2K fiasco!). Remember that?

My list next week is straight forward, and has no cover songs on it (I may have to double check to be sure). There are a few songs that strike a chord with me, especially as I celebrated birthday #30. Another good mix comes your way in 7 days.

Thanks for reading.

Tune Tuesday – Blue Christmas

56 years ago today, NBC aired Elvis Presley’s 1968 Comeback Special. This was HUGE! Elvis hadn’t appeared live in about seven years because he was busy doing movies. Naturally, it topped the ratings!

The special was originally going to be a Christmas special. The special’s director didn’t think that would peak the interests of young people at the time. Instead, the special included a sit-down session that showcased Elvis in an informal setting, surrounded by fans and a small band.

The special was recorded in June of 1968, and despite it not being a Christmas special, it did include one of his biggest Christmas songs – Blue Christmas. Now I could easily play the Elvis version of the song that was a hit, or the new arrangement with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, or even the full 1968 Comeback version for you, but I decided not to.

What I want to play for you is the 1968 Comeback version with a twist. What would it have sounded like if a special guest joined Elvis in a duet of his famous hit? Well, Martina McBride (thanks to a green screen and modern technology) does just that. Check this out:

I LOVE THIS!

Just for fun, here is a behind the scenes video of how it was done…

Prior to this cut, an Elvis Christmas Duets album was released. Martina sings this with him on that album, but it is the “hit version” arrangement. Here is that, just because:

Share Your Nostalgia

The trial run of Share Your Nostalgia continues! This was an idea suggested to me by some fellow bloggers. The topic for this feature is “The Toy of Your Life.” Was there one toy that you considered the “best?” When you think of yourself as a child, what is the toy that immediately pops into your mind? What was the toy that you brought to Show and Tell or took with you everywhere?

Today, I welcome a blogger who is no stranger to followers of my page. My good buddy, Max runs the Power Pop Blog (https://powerpop.blog/) and features a lot of great musical posts. He has written guest blogs for my site in the past, and I have returned the favor for his blog. Even though we’ve never met in person, I feel like I’ve been friends with Max for years. I love chatting about music and life with him.

Max and I are about the same age. I believe one of the first conversations we had was about one of my early blogs. Is it a coincidence that the blog was about toys from my childhood? Probably. So what toy is Max picking? Is it one I had too? Let’s find out…

Thank you Keith for inviting me to do this. I really appreciate it! I hope you do more in the future. 

Whenever I see red, white, and blue not only do I think of the flag but I think of Evel Knievel. A hero to many in the 1970s… He is responsible for more broken arms, legs, bruises, bumps, and scrapes than anyone… Kids set up homemade ramps and then jumping them with their bicycles. I said kids…it wasn’t exclusive to boys because I remember some girls jumping also.

Riding down hills standing on your seat, popping wheelies, jumping ramps with your buddy stupidly laying in-between. We wanted to be Evel Knievel jumping over those cars or buses.

He was THE Daredevil… There are Daredevils around today but no one has reached the popularity that Knievel achieved. Not only did he jump and crash he looked cool jumping and crashing. He was like a cool Elvis in a jumpsuit jumping various objects.

I got the Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle and Figure when I was 8 years old on Christmas Eve. I have a picture that I can see halfway unwrapped. I immediately started to play with it that night. Over the next couple of months, I would jump everything in sight.

I would make it jump on our porch, our outside dog, and finally, I got a great idea. It took me hours to set it up but I finally got it right. I had ramps going over my mom’s car. I never could get it to go completely over but I got it really close when it came down on the trunk…who needed the Snake Canyon? My mom wasn’t a big fan of the Stunt Cycle…when Evel missed and hit the flowers…some flowers would be missing. When I revved it up in the house…more than one glass shattered making mom shut down my jumping activities.

I wouldn’t mind getting one now to tell you the truth!

Another…well Keith could disqualify this but it was a toy to me…it was called Pong.

Basically, it was magical! It would connect to your television, and you could play table tennis all day long. It was the forerunner of modern games that we have today. It was simple black and white, but I can’t tell you how it felt playing the thing. 

I got it around 1977 and we just didn’t have things like this. There is one thing I remember well though…mom made me play it at night or on rainy days. The days were made for kids to go out and play baseball, play in the creek, or ride their bicycles for miles. What I wouldn’t give to relive one of those days being 11 again. 

I wish the audio was better on the original commercial:

The Music of My Life – 1993

Welcome back to The Music of My Life, where I feature ten songs from each year of my life.  In most cases, the ten songs I choose will be ones I like personally (unless I explain otherwise). The songs will be selected from Billboard’s Year-end Hot 100 Chart, Acclaimed Music, and will all be released in the featured year.

In 1993, I turned 23 and was still coping with the fact that my girlfriend had broken up with me. It wasn’t until a year later that I began going out with a buddy and hitting the Karaoke bars. It was while we sat and waited for our turn to sing that I heard many songs that were new to me. The first was by Expose.

Expose had success with dance/pop music. When they crossed over and had a #1 song with Seasons Change, they decided to go in a different direction. Their focus was shifted to more mature audiences. The label picked some great songs for their third album, including the Diane Warren song “I’ll Never Get Over You Getting Over Me.”

When one of the gals we hung out with at Karaoke got up and sang this, I watched the words on the screen. The heartache was still pretty fresh and it actually choked me up. It was the break up that I really never saw coming and the fact that she moved on so quickly rubbed salt in my wound.

Today, I appreciate the song for the powerful lyrics, the beautiful arrangement, and the lovely vocals.

I’ll Never Get Over You Getting Over Me

Elvis Presley recorded two songs called “Trouble”. The first was back in 1958. The second was in 1975, but that time he spelled it out. The latter was written by Jerry Chesnut. Travis Tritt covered it on his third album and it was the title track.

Tritt’s version went to #13 on the charts and got some positive reviews. Geoffrey Himes, of Billboard magazine, reviewed the song favorably, saying that Tritt transforms it with “boogie-woogie piano, slide guitar and super-fast tempo into a bar romp reminiscent of (the band) Little Feat.”

Not to diss on Elvis, but Tritt’s version is superior.

T-R-O-U-B-L-E

I’m not the biggest Rod Stewart fan. I can’t give you a reason for that. However, there are a few songs that I feel he does a really good job with. One example of this is from his 1993 Unplugged performance – Have I Told You Lately.

The song was originally done by Van Morrison. According to songfacts.com, the song is widely considered to be about Van Morrison’s relationship with God and religious convictions. Although we’ve never heard him speak specifically about the song, he does acknowledge a spiritual element in his music.

In 1993, during his Unplugged show, Rod dedicates the song to his wife Rachel Hunter (They divorced in 1999). You can really hear the emotion as he sings this, and when you watch the video, those emotions are more apparent.

The song was a huge hit, reaching #5 in both the US and the UK. It remains one of the most popular bridal dance songs.

Have I Told You Lately

Every once in a while, there a song that just pops out of the radio at me. That was the case for Every Little Thing by Carlene Carter. From the opening guitar strums and the drum that kicks into the beat, I was hooked.

Carlene is the daughter of June Carter Cash and her first husband Cal Smith. I’d never heard of her prior to this song, but she’d been recording and writing for some time. As a matter of fact, the album Little Love Letters was actually her seventh album!

To me, this was one of those songs that just made me feel good. It’s happy. It’s uptempo. It’s about a gal who loves her man so much everything reminds her of him. Isn’t that what we all want? Someone who loves us like that?

Every Little Thing

The next song was another one that hit me in the emotional gut. The song could be taken a few ways I suppose. I think you can look at a variety of situations and wonder, “What Might Have Been”. Our lives are full of “What ifs” and such.

When I heard this song, I thought about my ex girlfriend and wondered what our lives would be like if we had stayed together. Depression makes you dive deep into those hurtful thoughts. In hindsight now, I am glad to be where I am and realize that things happened the way they did to get me where I am today. At the time, though, this one ripped me apart.

It’s a truly beautiful song by Little Texas.

What Might Have Been

The early 90’s was a great time for dance music. There were some really awesome songs that kept folks out on the dance floor. As opposed to years later, I never really had to struggle to find a good follow up song back then.

One of my go-to songs was from the German group Real McCoy. The group was a dance trio formed in Berlin in 1993. They were made up of 2 female dance singers and a male rapper. This quickly became a huge hit in European dance clubs, and hit #2 UK. It went to #3 in the US.

It featured a good beat and the signature 90’s synthesizer. The song caught the attention of Clive Davis, who worked a deal with the band and the song took off!

Another Night

The next song was written before the band who sang it was ever created. Blind Melon’s bass player, Brad Smith, was not exactly feeling great. That’s when he wrote No Rain. He says, “The song is about not being able to get out of bed and find excuses to face the day when you have really, in a way, nothing.”

At the time, Brad was dating a girl who was going through depression (she would sleep through sunny days and complain when it didn’t rain), and for a while he told himself that he was writing the song from her perspective. He later realized that he was also writing about it himself.

He once said,  “A lot of my songs come from a darker place. And if you just met me walking down the street, you’d say, ‘Oh, you’re such a happy guy, Brad. Why the dark songs?’ I’m like, ‘I don’t know.’ For me, it just has more meaning if you can get inside someone’s soul and identify with them on a heavier level and try to connect with them on that level. Because when you’re sad and you’re down, you’re the most vulnerable, and you feel the most alone.”

This is one of those songs where I really got lost in the lyrics. I felt like there was something more to them, and I couldn’t figure it out.

No Rain

The next one is another one of those songs I heard at the karaoke bar. Sadly, many of the people who tried to sing it were awful!

Linda Perry, the front woman for 4 Non Blondes, said, “There are times when we just need to take a deep breath and scream from the top of our lungs, ‘What’s going on!?'” On a podcast, she said that was the way she felt when she wrote the very cathartic song, “What’s Up”. “It’s like, ‘Why does it always seem like either I’m struggling, or there’s some f–king political mess happening? Why is this all happening in the world?'”

Fun fact: After the “And I scream at the top of my lungs, what’s going on?” line in the chorus, Linda Perry sings, “Hey hey hey hey…” She put this part in as filler, planning to insert lyrics, but the song sounded so good that way she left it in.

The song is sort of an anthem I suppose. I tend to agree with Linda. There are plenty of times where I wonder exactly what’s going on ….

What’s Up

The next one reminds me of my former sister-in-law. She always made me laugh and there are plenty of songs that make me think of her. This one is no exception. She loved Jim Carrey and this song was featured on the soundtrack. It is Boom-Shack-A-Lak by Apache Indian.

I can’t recite any of the lyrics except the chorus. and all I know is that it had a bouncy feel to it and was loaded with wacky sound effects. It is actually kind of silly.

Larry Flick of Billboard magazine described the song as “a wacky blend of guttural toasting and retro-pop shuffle beats.” He felt that “the hook has the potential to take up permanent residence in your brain, while the fun array of sound effects are sure to get those shoulders shakin’ out of control.” He also encouraged, “Seek it out and give it a whirl.”

I can hear my former sister-in-law laughing at this as I type…

Boom-Shack-A-Lak

The final song for this week is one that really didn’t mean much to me in 1993, but it sure did in 1999. When my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer, there was a lot of uncertainty. I recall many times wondering about how long she was going to be around. She was in and out of remission so many times.

When I got engaged to my ex wife, there was a lot of talk about whether or not she’d make it to see us get married. Her battle was a long one and she struggled so much with the chemo and radiation. It was through this time that I realized just how strong she was!

She would battle that disease and fight like no one’s business. So when it came time to choose a song to dance with my mom for the mother/son song, I thought long and hard about it. With every passing day, I realized just how much of a hero my mom was to me. She was stronger than I could have ever imagined. So, I chose Mariah Carey’s Hero.

I remember walking out to the dance floor and meeting her there. I remember her telling me how much she loved me and how handsome I looked. I told her how amazing she was and how much I loved her. We both shed tears and it is four minutes of my life that I wish I could revisit every day. I miss her terribly.

Hero

So what song from 1993 was your favorite? What did I miss? Drop it in the comments.

Next week, we visit 1994. There are a couple cover songs, but no Elvis covers. There’s a tribute to a Rock and Roll legend. There’s a bit of country and a bit of alternative music. I’ll share a great story about a singer who appreciates the veterans of our country, and feature my favorite “last song of the night” at weddings and parties.

Thanks for reading!