Steel2Velvet
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Posts posted by Steel2Velvet
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Love the sitar solo midway through BJ Thomas' "Hooked On A Feeling" and even better as a solo refrain fade out at the end of the song. The jags from low to high tones are very cool.
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Brazilian Bossa Nova is diverse and extremely satisfying for listening. The guitar work is as complex and enjoyable as anything out there right now.
Angelique Kidjo has an album titled "Black Ivory Soul" that explores the African influence in Latino music that spawned the Brazilian sound. Not a bad track on that entire album. Great duet with Dave Matthews on there too! Highly recommend it for someone who wants to spend some time away from R&R, but not get too far away from music that makes you want to move.
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In the late half of the 50's, complexity within harmonies were transfused from country to rock via the Everly Brothers. And from R&B via The Platters. And from Swing via Nino Tempo and April Stevens. Prior to that time, harmonies were very simple if evident at all in R&R.
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Since first hearing Bette Midler's arrangement of The Rose, I have felt these rank with some of the finest poetic lyrics put to music. Here is the story of the song's birth.
The Rose
Some say love, it is a river
That drowns the tender reed
Some say love, it is a razor
That leaves your soul to bleed
Some say love, it is a hunger
An endless aching need
I say love, it is a flower
And you, it's only seed.
It's the heart afraid of breaking
That never learns to dance
It's the dream afraid of waking
That never takes the chance
It's the one who won't be taken
Who cannot seem to give
And the soul afraid of dying
That never learns to live.
When the night has been too lonely
And the road has been too long
And you think that love is only
For the lucky and the strong;
Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snows
Lies the seed
That with the sun's love
In the spring
Becomes the rose.
In the words of Amanda McBroom:
"A song came on the radio. It was ?MAGDALENA? by Danny O?Keefe, sung by Leo Sayer.
I liked it immediately. My favorite line was ?You?re love is like a razor. My heart is just a scar.? I thought,?Ooh, I love that lyric, but don't agree with the sentiment that love is a razor.? As I continued to drive down the road the thought came, "What, then, do I think love is?" Suddenly, it was as if someone had opened a window in the top of my head. Words came pouring in. I had to keep reciting them to myself as I drove faster and faster towards home, so I wouldn?t forget them. I screeched into my driveway, ran into the house, past various bewildered dogs and cats and husbands, and sat down at the piano. Ten minutes later, THE ROSE was there. A year or so later, a professional songwriter friend of mine said, ?Listen. There is this movie coming out called ?The Rose?, based on the life of Janis Joplin. They are looking for a title tune. Do you want me to submit this to them?? I had never really tried to submit a song to anyone. I didn?t consider myself a songwriter at the time. So I said, ?Sure.? The producers hated it. They thought it was dull and not rock and roll and totally wrong. They put it in the reject box. But Paul Rothchild, who had been Janis Joplin?s producer, and now the music supervisor on the film, hauled it out and asked them to reconsider. They again said no. So he mailed it to Bette Midler, the star of the movie. She liked it, lobbied in favor of it; and that?s how it got into the film and changed my life forever."
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Nora Jones - Every song is actually the same song. It just may be months between verses.
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She did introduce this as an op-ed (opinion editorial) piece. When was the last time you read an unbiased editorial piece? A rant is usually what an editorial most closely resembles in literary form.
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That is probably the most mind numbing, sleep inducing post I have ever read.
Shhhhh .... someone might take your statement as a challenge.
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Dog poop WILL go away .... it just takes a very long time. Gum? That's another story.
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The 7 faces of Dr. Lao. Tony Randall is mesmerizing in his multiple-role performance and the themes are timeless.
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In total sincerity, Harry Bellefonte said after taping with them, that the Muppets were the BEST backup group he had ever sung with. He felt honored to sing at Jim Henson's funeral.
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I too am coming out of the closet to say I like to listen to small or even medium doses of Rod Stewart. His voice has deceptive range and his pitch is pinpoint sharp. His is also a uniquely distinct voice during a time when many singers sound closely related. And when he covers a song, he adds his style to it, much like Willie Nelson does. My favorite Rod Stewart song is the one he sings with the Temptations, "Old Motown Records" (or whatever it is titled.) His soulful falsetto and phrasing justs clicks with me from in that and other songs. Have heard a couple of his latest Broadway revival numbers and say, stick with the gritty rock and R&B you do best. Have always wanted to hear a duet with he and Bonnie Tyler (Nothing But A Heartache.) That song would be a great testimonial for gargling with Draino. Don't know a thing about the man's character or habits; but I just listen, we don't call one another on the phone.
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Blinded By the light - Manfred Mann
Manfred Mann .... one hit ... excuse me? We nearly had their greatest hit "Doo Wah Ditty" made into the US national anthem. And how about "Quinn The Eskimo?"
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Working In A Coalmine - Lee Dorsey
"Lord, I'm so tired."
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The only hint of rock I ever heard on a Carpenters recording was the guitar solo on "I'll Say Goodbye To Love." Of course neither of them played that solo, but I am pretty sure Richard did all the arranging, so its inclusion for the music break would have been his call. I still like the ripped up sound of that guitar.
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Yes, each sang the lead on any song for which they were the primary composer. (They sometimes added bits of lyrics to one another's compositions.) The other usually then sang backup. On some of their earlier work they sang together the lead melody in unison and then occasionally broke apart for harmonic distinction eg. "Help", "She Loves You. " A lot of their lead is a double track of the same singer tracking over themselves on the same note to add a fullness to the melody, eg. "Paperback Writer."
Their note range was similar (John strains more for the higher notes), but the sound is distinctly different. One can best compare them on the 2 sided hit "Penny Lane" (Paul) and "Strawberry Fields Forever" (John.)
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A Relationship Is Not True Love
If more questions are
being created than an-
swers have been given.
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I beleive there was a thread on this matter a few months back. But, the worst cover I ever heard (by far) was William Shatner's (of Star Trek) version of The Beatles' "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds."
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It might have appeared to go unnoticed
But I've got it all here in my heart
I want you to know I know the truth
I would be nothing without you
Did you ever know that you're my hero
And everything I'd like to be
I can fly higher than an eagle
But you are the wind beneath my wings
You are the wind beneath my wings
by Larry Henley and Jeff Silbar
"Wind Beneath My Wings" has now been recorded by about 200 artists, in practically all genres of music from R&B to Liturgical Mass. It reached its greatest prominence in 1989, when it became a #1 hit for Bette Midler (from the "Beaches" soundtrack), and won the Grammy Award for "Song Of The Year." It originated in 1982 when country music writers Silbar & Henley were bouncing around song ideas. Silbar spotted the line "Wind Beneath My Wings" on Henley?s legal pad from bits of a poem Henley had been working on. "I started working on the melody on my guitar," recalled Silbar. "Usually we would write the chorus first, but with this song, we started from the first line of the verse. One by one, the lines came in a spontaneous, stream-of-consciousness flow. By the end of that day, we had finished writing most of the song." On a Friday, the duo demoed the song as a midtempo number, with a guitar-based arrangement for their publisher, Bob Montgomery of House Of Gold Music. ?He arranged it into a beautiful, ballad version that he recorded over the weekend.? says Silbar, ?We couldn?t believe how fantastic it sounded. We both had tears in our eyes. Bob had taken our rough demo and produced a new version which truly showed the potential of the song.? Initially written as a love song, Silbar says, "It took us a few days to realize that the song had more depth and meaning. It had a lyrical theme which could apply to many people and situations. It could be for a teacher, a father or a mother. It was a ?Thank You? song for someone important in one?s life." Beyond its record sales and performances, this song has brought inspiration and joy to many people. It is performed at weddings, funerals, anniversaries, graduations and other memorable events. Wind Beneath My Wings has now won six ASCAP Pop Awards, and in 1999, was honored by ASCAP for being one of the most performed country songs of the 20th century.
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'79 was lean, but you can't miss with Sultans Of Swing by Dire Straits
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Clint Eastwood is a huge fan and supporter of jazz. He is a somewhat accomplished self-taught jazz pianist.
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I see your teeth flash, Jamaican honey so sweet
Down where Lexington cross 47th Street
She's a big girl, she's standing six foot three
Turning tricks for the dudes in the big city
Island girl
What you wanting with the white man's world
Island girl
Black boy want you in his island world
He want to take you from the racket boss
He want to save you but the cause is lost
Island girl, island girl, island girl
Tell me what you wanting with the white man's world
She's black as coal but she burn like a fire
And she wrap herself around you like a well worn tire
You feel her nail scratch your back just like a rake
He one more gone, he one more John who make the mistake
Island Girl from the album Rock Of The Westies
Elton John and Bernie Taupin are one of the most prolific songwriting tandems of all time; joining Lerner and Lowe, Rogers and Hammerstein, Lennon and McCartney, Jagger and Richards in hit-making capability.
Responding to an ad for Liberty Records talent search in 1966, both were rejected by Liberty, but when John's "audition" was to put a few of Taupin's lyrics to music, the partnership was formed. Meeting on their own 6 months later and honing their skills together every since, the two collaborators are responsible for 25 original music albums (many more when you factor in compilation albums.) Their 1975 album Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy was the first album EVER to debut at number one on the Billboard music chart. In addition, the very next album, Rock of the Westies, also broke in at number one! The song Island Girl was the only singles hit from that uniquely honored album.
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There was a thread on Songfacts about this song not long ago and I was hoping I could somehow share a photo interpretation I had made of that song about a year ago. Now this forum has begun, so here is my photo:
Winding your way down on Baker Street
Light in your head, and dead on your feet
Well another crazy day
You drink the night away
And forget about everything
I had always thought of that song everytime I walked past this hill that leads down to little houses. Early one Saturday evening I walked past with my camera and here came these young men. Coming up for Saturday night, as they do every week. Hoping to meet young ladies, maybe settle down, to maybe buy some land .... but will probably just go back down the hill, alone, staggering drunk, in about 6 more hours.
He's got this dream about buyin' some land
He's gonna give up the booze and the one night stands
And then he'll settle down
It's a quiet little town
And forget about everything
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The haiku sensei. Ahhhh, well done.
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You are very gifted with creative expression, Ames. Your wording and structuring is fresh and imaginative in many places in this piece. Some of my thoughts on polishing this neat work are below:
Or so I?ve been toldBy the voices in my head and the actions that you take
These two lines are unnecessary because they are already implied by the fact you have formulated this (the voice) and your very creative illustrations (the actions.)
And they go as followsUnnecessary, you don't need to announce that you are going to say something. Just say it!
But I have to admit, not as good as youCuz?
These two lines could be ommitted without being missed at all.
And tell the lies that drown my eyesI like this line a lot!
Remember lyrics/poetry is an artform that requires saying the most with the least amount of words. I am a published poet, and I always reread and edit my work many times, trying to strip it to its barest elements, before putting it out there for others to read.
You are good, Ames. You have a real talent. Get better.
If Rod Stewart Got A Sore Throat, Would You Notice
in Music News
Posted
Yeah ... look how it helped Janis Joplin.