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The Songfactor's Choice Top Ten Facts


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The Songfactors' Choice Top Ten #250

This week there are five songs needing facts.

Wonderful World - Sam Cooke (1960)

Bare Trees - Fleetwood Mac

Jungle Boogie - Kool Gang (1974)

Pusherman – Curtis Mayfield (1972)

Out In The Cold - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers(1991)

If you have any info on any of the songs mentioned anywhere in this thread, please feel free to post your knowledge here. Submissions on songs will be collated and sent to the main site and you will receive credit for your contribution.

As always the Songfish thanks you :guitar: :drummer: :bow:

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Bare Trees

Fleetwood Mac

Written by Danny Kirwan, it features on the album of the same name, released in April 1972. It is also the last album during Kirwan's tenure in the band.

The album peaked on the Billboard Charts at #70.

The first song, "Bare Trees," its title suggested by a line from old Mrs. Scarrot's poem, moves along exhilaratingly, even though its lyric is a metaphor of age and approaching death; perhaps it's the acceptance of the cycle that gives the music a hopeful, almost happy feeling.
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"Wonderful World"

Sam Cooke

Written in 1950 by Sam Cooke, Herb Alpert and Lou Adler.

It was recorded by Sam Cooke in 1959, on March 2nd as a track of "The Wonderful World of Sam Cooke", the album released in 1960.

It was also released as a single with "Along the Navajo Trail" as the B-side on April 14th the same year.

The song charted at #2 at the Black Singles Chart and made #12 at the Pop Singles Chart in the US in 1960. It reached #27 in the UK Singles list.

According wikipedia, A bouncy love song, the lyrics have the singer disavowing knowledge of academic subjects (the song is often referred to informally by its first line, "Don't know much about history"), but affirming the object of his affection "but I do know that I love you"

There is a long list of covers: Art Garfunkel (with Paul Simon and James Taylor), Otis Redding, Rod Stewart, Johnny Nash or Joan Baez among others. The song -sung by Coooke- was also used in the movie "Hitch" (2005).

The Herman's Hermits recorded their version as a tribute to Sam Cooke in 1965 and reached the charts both in the US (#4 in the Pop Singles Chart) and the UK (#7 in the Singles Chart)

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"Jungle Boogie"

Kool & The Gang

The song is credited to Kool & the Gang and Donald Boyce.

It was recorded as a track of their 1973 album, "Wild And Peacefull" and was also released as a single on November 24th the same year.

Its B side was "North, South, East, West".

It reached #4 in the charts and became a very popular song and of the big names in the funky scene. A must in all discos.

The song was part of the soundtrack of Quentin Tarantino's film, "Pulp Fiction" in 1994.

Don Boyce, a roadie and friend of the band, is the main vocalist for the spoken part of the song.

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"Pusherman"

Curtis Mayfield

The song was written by Curtis Mayfield.

It's a track of his album "Superfly", released in July 1972, and the soundtrack for "Superfly", the movie, directed by y Gordon Parks, Jr.

It's his third studio album, considered as one of the first "concept" albums in soul music.

It's also considered as a classic of funky and a big success as an album. All the lyrics talk about drugs, dealers, poverty and the social situation in the ghettos by then.

"Pusherman" wasn't released as a single nor a B-side, yet it was included among The "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll".

It was the first song the band recorded when they went in the studio to make the soundtrack. Tyrone McMullen played drums on this track (the drummer for the other tracks was Morris Jennings). While the album was recorded in Chicago, this song was recorded at Bell Studios, in Manhattan, New York.

The band went there to the movie location, to shoot the cameo for the film. It's also the only track with a full orchestra playing and without the arrangements of Johnny Pate.

"Pusherman" masterfully uses the metaphor of drug dealer as businessman, with the drug game, by extension, just another way to make a living in a tough situation...

Mayfield plays guitar, sings lead vocals and produced the song (as the whole album)

He also makes a performance in the movie, playing “Pusherman†with his band, called "The Curtis Mayfield Experience" in "Superfly".

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"Out In The Cold"

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Written by Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne.

A track of their eighth studio album "Into The Great Wide Open", released on July 2nd, 1991.

Produced by Jeff Lynne, who also plays guitars, bass, piano, percussion, synthesizer and sings.

"Out In The Cold" was the second single released. It charted #1 on the Mainstream Rock chart for two weeks.

'Out In The Cold' was never something that I was particularly knocked out with. It was fun, but I was always annoyed that there were two songs that got played all the time on the radio in L.A., 'Out In The Cold' and 'Making Some Noise,' which I thought were the lesser songs of the album, really. But they rocked the hardest. It was this cold realization to me that, in the end, whatever has the loudest guitar and the wildest beat is probably what they're going to play. But I don't think it's a bad song. It has some good lines in it. I just never was completely happy with it. Michael's really great on that and we played it pretty well, but we've never played it again."

Epstein plays bass guitar and makes back vocals in the band.

...intense guitar-heavy tracks like “All Or Nothin’†and “Out In The Cold†(another popular FM radio track) show that these middle aged guys aren't ready to be put out to pasture just yet.

on “Out In The Coldâ€, the Heartbreakers throw a haymaker of their own. To me, it is the song on the album in which they don’t feel constrained by the producer. Instead, Lynne’s production seems to enhance to heft of the band’s assault.

And what an assault it is. Stan Lynch’s drums practically burst with force, while Mike Campbell piles riff upon riff until embarking on a scorched-earth solo that leaves nothing in its wake. Howie Epstein hits home with some excellent backing vocals in the chorus, and Petty practically has to yelp just to keep up. Indeed, he takes to spoken-word sections just to catch his breath here.

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"Wonderful World"

Sam Cooke

Written in 1950 by Sam Cooke, Herb Alpert and Lou Adler.

>The song was actually written in the late '50s, not 1950.

Here's more info.

>It was originally written by Lou Alder and Herb Alpert, but Cooke added the finishing lyrical touches, and the trio used the songwriting pseudonym 'Barbara Campbell.'

>The song was recorded at his last session for the Keen record label in Los Angeles.

>After the initial recording on March 2, 1959, the song wasn't released until over a year later on the Keen label, by which time Cooke had moved on to RCA.

>The song was reissued in 1986 in Britain in conjunction with a TV advertisement for jeans.

Source

Singles: Six Decades Of Hot Hits & Classic Cuts - Thunder Bay Press 2006, page 42

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Thank you for supplying the facts for last week Edna, PS and Brad :coolio:

The Songfactors' Choice Top Ten: Guilty Pleasures

This week there are two songs needing facts.

Mr. Bass Man - Johnny Cymbal

Born To Be Alive - Patrick Hernandez

If you have any info on any of the songs mentioned anywhere in this thread, please feel free to post your knowledge here. Submissions on songs will be collated and sent to the main site and you will receive credit for your contribution.

As always the Songfish thanks you :guitar: :drummer: :rock:

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"Born To Be Alive"

Patrick Hernandez

Written by Patrick Hernandez, a French pop singer.

In 1978, Hernandez spent a year in Belgium writing songs for his debut disco album, "Born To Be Alive".

The first single was "Born To Be Alive", produced by Jean Vanloo and released in November 1978. A disco song that inmmediately rushed to the charts and by January 1979 it was already awarded Gold in Italy.

It became a hit through all Europe -being #1 in France for four months-.

It was also a hit in the US. It was remixed and released as a 12" single, reaching #1 at the disco charts and #16 at Billboard Hot 100. It had a Billboard Award by February 1980, one of the few examples of European disco-sound being a hit in America.

The vocals of Hernandez (a Frenchman of Spanish, Austrian, and Italian heritage) are infectious, but the deftly arranged musical hooks tie the song together -- nimble guitar lines and dramatic dive-bomb power chords, three-chord piano fills, pulsating synthesizer, multi-tracked handclaps, hyperactive percussion, crisp strings, and siren-like horns.

In his first US tour, Hernandez had a group of dancers performing with him and a very young Madonna was among them.

The song was awarded with 52 gold and platinum record in more than 50 countries.

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"Mr. Bass Man" - Johnny Cymbal

> Considered a "novelty" recording.

> Peaked at #16 in 1963 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.

> Ronnie Bright (member of The Valentines) was bass singer on the recording.

> Johnny Cymbal also recorded under the pseudonym, 'Derek'

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"Mr. Bass Man" - Johnny Cymbal

> Considered a "novelty" recording.

> Peaked at #16 in 1963 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.

> Ronnie Bright (member of The Valentines) was bass singer on the recording.

> Johnny Cymbal also recorded under the pseudonym, 'Derek'

Let me add this:

Credited to Johnny Cymbal. Recorded in New York City in 1962 (December 14th, 1962)

Released in January 1963.

Arranged and produced by Alan Lorber, the top record producer in the early sixties (Sedaka, Gene Pitney, The Coasters, Leslie Gore or Brian Hyland, among others)

It made the charts worldwide and was translated into French and sung by Henri Salvador.

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The Songfactor's Choice Top Ten #251

This week there are three songs needing facts.

Getting Away With It (All Messed Up) - James (2001)

Animals In The Zoo - The Kinks (1971)

Last Train - Allen Toussaint (1975)

If you have any info on any of the songs mentioned anywhere in this thread, please feel free to post your knowledge here. Submissions on songs will be collated and sent to the main site and you will receive credit for your contribution.

As always the Songfish thanks you :guitar: :drummer: :rock:

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"Getting Away With It (All Messed Up)"

James

Credited to Baynton-Power, Tim Booth, Saul Davies, Glennie and Hunter.

A track of their album "Pleased To Meet You", released on July 17th 2001. It's produced by brian Eno.

The single was released in June 25th 2001.

It's the non-official song of their last tour, in 2001. The performance was recorded and released as a DVD called "Getting Away With It Live".

The song is also included in the soundtrack of the movie "The Big White", from 2005.

It reached #22 in the UK charts.

The press release of the album pointed that "The single is the perfect introduction to the sound of the album. Honed into shape live and perfected in the studio, the song builds and builds into another timeless classic James single."

The band disbanded after Tim Booth left, though they re-formed again six years later.

...an album highlight is buried near the end. This time it's "Getting Away With It," a song that represents the remainder of the album with a solid tune -- with some of Tim Booth's finest, most meaningful lyrics that aren't necessarily preachy -- and well-placed layers of synths and strings that accent an otherwise merely good James song.
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"Animals In The Zoo"

The Kinks

Written by Ray Davies.

Recorded in London, at Morgan Studios, between October 1970 and January 1971.

The song is a track of "Percy", released by the end of march 1971, their last album for Pye records. It's the soundtrack of "Percy", a british comedy from the same year.

The song wasn't released as a single.

According Ray Davies, the whole album was written "with a pen in one hand and a chronometer in the other". "Animals In The Zoo" is a reflection about how funny it is that men are free while animals are in a cage... when men's behaviour sometimes isn't much better than animals' .

:help: :help:

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"Last Train"

Allen Toussain

Written by Allen Toussaint.

Released as a track of his 1975 album, "Southern Nights".

It's the opening track but it was never released as a single.

allmusic points how the monumental "Last Train" builds from its spare, funky opening to a multi-layered conclusion boasting one of Toussaint's best horn arrangements and vocal hooks.

:help: again...

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  • 2 weeks later...

The Songfactor's Choice Top Ten #252

This week there are five songs needing facts.

A Song For You - Leon Russell (1970) [smallest]This song is listed under a few cover artists, but not Leon.[/smallest]

When Love Comes To Town - U2 & B.B. King (1988) [smallest]This song is listed but only under U2.[/smallest]

Have You Seen Her Face - The Byrds (1967)

River - Joni Mitchell (1971)

I Fought the Law - The Clash (1977)

If you have any info on any of the songs mentioned anywhere in this thread, please feel free to post your knowledge here. Submissions on songs will be collated and sent to the main site and you will receive credit for your contribution.

As always the Songfish thanks you :guitar: :drummer: :rock:

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"When Love Comes To Town" - U2 with B.B. King

>From U2's 1988 album, 'Rattle And Hum', which included both studio and live tracks.

>Credited as U2 with B.B. King

>Written by U2, the song features B.B. King on guitar and vocals.

>Peaked at #10 on the U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in late 1988.

>Peaked at #2 on the U.S. Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart (now known as Mainstream Rock Tracks chart) in early 1989.

>Peaked at #68 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in early 1989.

>Peaked at #6 on the UK Singles chart in early 1989.

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I don't have any info on the other songs but I do have a few interesting ArtistFacts for Leon and Joni, if you'd like them.

Leon Russell:

>Rock singer/ songwriter/ multi-instrumentalist.

>Prolific Session Musician

>Also recorded as Hank Wilson.

Joni Mitchell:

>Recipient of Billboard's Century Award in 1995.

>Inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1997.

>Won Grammy's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002.

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I Fought the Law has a songfact for its original version by Bobby Fuller Four, which mentions the Clash cover.

Taken from the Songfact:

"The Clash recorded this in 1979 after they heard Fuller's version on a jukebox. They changed the line "I left my baby" to "I killed my baby." Their version hit #22 in the UK."

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"Have You Seen Her Face"

The Byrds

Written by Chris Hillman.

It was recorded in 1966, in November 28th and 30th and December 1st at Columbia Studios, in Hollywood.

Released on May 22nd with "Don't Make Waves"

as the B-side.

The song wasn't a hit, it reached #74 on the Billboard Hot 100, but it was recognised as one of the best Byrds tracks by the press, critics and radio D.J.s

It's also a track and the third single from the album "Younger Than Yesterday", from 1967.

It's one of the first songs written by Chris Hillman, bassist for the band; he wrote after a recording session where he was part of the line-up, recoding with trumpet player Hugh Masakela in 1966.

Roger McGuinn borrowed David Crosby's Gretsch Country Gentleman guitar to perform a solo as the lead guitar. The song is strongly influenced by the British sound of the sixties; powerfull and melodic at the same time.

They performed it at Johnny Carson's "Tonigh Show" and was also one of the songs they playued at the Monterey Festival in 1967.

“Have You Seen Her Face†is one of The Byrds’ great songs – it’s arrangement is extraordinary and it’s ambitious both lyrically and musically. The group’s command of harmony is immediately striking, especially the way they sing lyrics such as the repeated “Run by/Don’t turn back/Can’t hide from that look in her eyeâ€. Musically, the song is magnificent, with McGuinn’s chiming 12 string dominant, but the song distils the groups’ many influences, from Indian music (in McGuinn’s wondrous guitar solo to folk to rock and roll. “Have You Seen Her Face†has not dated one bit since it’s release in the late 1960s. One of the most outstanding songs of the period, by anyone.

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