Saturday, February 22, 2014

Show #426--2/23/14

SUNDAY MUSIC CLUB, 1965-1969

Something About You—The Four Tops
Walk Tall—The 2 of Clubs
They Are the Lonely—Pat Powdrill & the Powerdrills
Inside Looking Out—The Animals
Charlena—The Outsiders
Look Through Any Window—The Hollies
Judy—Frank Howard
Cleo’s Back—Jr. Walker & the All-Stars
The “In” Crowd—Ramsey Lewis Trio
Colours—Donovan
Mystic Eyes—Them
Spellbinder—Gabor Szabo
Going Back to Miami—Unchained Mynds
She’s a Woman—The Beatles
Obviously 5 Believers—Bob Dylan
Sound of Love—The Five Americans
Said I Wasn’t Gonna Tell Nobody—Sam & Dave
May I Baby—Sam & Dave


Hour 2

California Soul—Marlena Shaw
Hard to Handle—Patti Drew
Safe in My Garden—The Mamas & the Papas
Hair—The Cowsills
Looking Glass—The Association
Voices Green and Purple—The Bees
The Rake—The Id
The Last Wall of the Castle/Rejoyce—Jefferson Airplane
San Francisco Girls—Fever Tree
Hung Upside Down—Buffalo Springfield
The Hunt—Barry Ryan
Death of a Clown—Dave Davies
The Windmills of Your Mind—Noel Harrison
My Foolish Pride—The Ides of March
Don’t Let the Joneses Get You Down—The Temptations
Psyche Rock—Les Yper Sound
Love in the City—The Turtles 

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Show #425--2/16/14


Impressions—Neil Finn  
Americans—Oneohtrix Point Never
King of the World—Steely Dan  
You Can’t Do Me—Madeleine Peyroux 
Henriette—Lake Street Dive  
Fully Retractable—Soul Coughing  
Deeper and Deeper—The Fixx
Ring the Bell—White Hinterland
Digital Witness—St. Vincent 
The Jungle Line—Joni Mitchell   
Teeth—Lady Gaga
Paint a Rumour—Eurythmics

Hour 2

Long Promised Road—The Beach Boys   
Good Morning Starshine—Oliver   
Blacklight—ESC
Punchbag—Godley & Creme  
Earthquake—Deerhunter
Black Rice—Women
Human Hands—Elvis Costello & the Attractions 
Blame the Weather—XTC  
A Special Path—Becky Severson
Janglin—Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
Jackie Wilson Said (I’m in Heaven When You Smile)—Van Morrison  
Call Me—St. Paul & the Broken Bones   
Don’t Let Me Be Lonely—Tammi Terrell   
Impressions—Wes Montgomery  

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Just some random Beatles memories


In this very Beatlesy week, I sat down and thought of some personal memories attached to some great Beatles music. No doubt if you happen to stumble upon this post, you may have some cool memories that are also inextricably linked with them. So, without much editing or polishing, here's some of my thoughts:

I was born in 1968, so I wasn’t really aware of the Beatles until after their breakup. But, I did some quick catching up! I seem to recall more Beach Boys records in my mom’s collection than the Beatles.  But I do remember playing a Vee-Jay Beatles album that must have been hers. And I must have inherited some early Beatles singles (on Tollie and Swan!) from relatives as well that are still in my collection. I generally don't play them -- they're too beat up -- but they're great to have as souvenirs of the time!

“Beatles ‘65” was the first Beatles album that I could call mine. It was bought for me by my mom at our local Kmart. I still have it, even though the cheap, thin cardboard cover long ago went kaput. Perhaps realizing that this was a historic “first” for me, I took the yellow price sticker off the shrink wrap and put it on the cover. $4.84. And in the upper right hand corner, some cover damage from where I probably had put a Dymo label with my name on it (Could it have been..."Marc K."?)

As a young boy and avid reader, I used to get every book I could get my hands on about the Beatles from our Erie, PA libraries. A favorite was the very handsome “The Beatles Forever” by Nicholas Schaffner (which I remember having to hide because it had pics of John & Yoko’s “Two Virgins” album and her film “Bottoms.” Naked and semi-naked people!). I can see myself reading Hunter Davies' official biography of the Beatles at my grandmother's house, too. Always with the head in a book!

I also had at least one conversation with my mom about the meaning behind “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” as in, “You know what that really means, don’t you?” Bless her. And I had to defend a group from my mom’s generation about Julian’s classmate story, even if I’m only halfway sure that John Lennon’s explanation is true. I’ve never experimented with LSD, though, I can say that. The song did not coerce me!

As a matter of fact, I guessed I was effectively spooked by the Beatles’ druggy lifestyle as a kid that I had a very vivid dream that was kind of in the form of those creepy PSAs which seemed to permeate my TV-watching childhood. 

In it, all four Beatles were in a spare, all-white room smoking marijuana and just having a grand old time. They’re dressed in their white smocks a la “Yesterday and Today,” by the way. I can’t hear what they’re saying, and I think there was some ominous announcer voiceover talking about the evils of drugs, when suddenly (don't laugh too hard) my dream "cut" to a white paper towel holder mounted on the wall in that white room, and into frame came a big bloody hand that swiped at the towel. That was the end of that dream, as I no doubt woke up with a start. Maybe a scream. 

After reading about the infamous “butcher cover,” I tentatively tried to peel my own copy of “Yesterday and Today” to see if by some odd chance I had one. Never mind that my copy was purchased at a mall in the early 80s. Stupid kid.

Back before the days when we could listen to almost any piece of music any time we wanted to, I remember thinking about the album “Abbey Road,” and, not having heard in full yet, imagining what the songs sounded like just from the titles (I was way off, of course), even imagining a song called “Abbey Road.” I was a kid with no job, no real pocket money, so I imagined. When I finally got my copy of "Abbey Road" as a teenager, it had a skip near the beginning of "Here Comes the Sun." Grr. 

Seeing “Let it Be” on videocassette in a small makeshift screening room at Stapleton Library at IUP. Haven’t seen it since, and you can’t get it on DVD even now. I think I ended up buying a used copy of the album at a garage sale, and it's still awesome in its pre-"Let it Be...Naked" glory, with the goofy chatty bits and all intact. 

Taking my elementary school-aged son to see “A Hard Day’s Night” at the Denis Theatre in Mount Lebanon; and before that, endless viewings at home with Nick of “Yellow Submarine” when it arrived on videocassette. And being thrilled that he really seemed to be into the music. (The visuals are really pretty cool, too). Purchasing "Help!" on DVD for the Indiana Free Library where I used to work, and seeing it for the first time and sharing it with my family at home. 

And the endless amount of places I see myself enjoying the music, and still do. 

Sunday, February 09, 2014

Show #424--2/9/14


All My Loving (Live)—The Beatles
A Little Loving—The Fourmost
Love of the Loved—Cilla Black
Alone Again Or—Love  
Out of My League—Fitz & the Tantrums
Cigarette of a Single Man—Squeeze
Pretty One—Squeeze
Look It Here—Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats 
I Wanna Be With You—Raspberries   
Really Wanted You—Emitt Rhodes
A Feather’s Not a Bird—Rosanne Cash
Waves—Sleeper Agent
Young Fathers—Typhoon
Sell Sell Sell—David Gray 
Without Her—Johanna Warren
You Can’t Do That—Nilsson

Hour 2

Good Intentions—Toad the Wet Sprocket
Future One—Cassorla (feat. Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes)
Simplethings—Miguel
Moneyball—Jennifer Nettles
You Used to Kiss the Girls—John Hiatt
Don’t Wait Up For Me—The Beat
The Feeling I Get—The Knack 
Prince-S—Sebadoh
Rumor Has It—The Honeydogs
Cassius—Foals
I Miss Your Bones—Hospitality
I Heard it Through the Grapevine—The Slits
This Weight—Midlake
Skyscraper—Julian Plenti
Don’t Dream It’s Over—Crowded House

Saturday, February 01, 2014

Show #423--2/2/14


Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There is a Season)—Pete Seeger
Who Knows Where the Time Goes—Judy Collins
He—Moby Grape
Sea of Madness—Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
I Will Not Dance—Chi Coltrane
Bring ‘Em Home—Todd Snider 
Black Horse and the Cherry Tree—KT Tunstall
Sugartune—Sloan
No Ideas—Parquet Courts
Face the Face—Pete Townshend
Hyperactive!—Thomas Dolby
Gonna Get Close to You—Dalbello
Mote—Sonic Youth
Sidewalking—The Jesus & Mary Chain
Don’t Stop the Music—Yarbrough & Peoples

Hour 2

The Same Old Thing—NRBQ
Every 1’s a Winner—Bing Ji Ling
Escape Horse—Marco Benevento
You Really Got A Hold on Me—The Georgias
Two Sides of Monsieur Valentine—Spoon 
Keep Pushing Me—James & Bobby Purify
Good Girls—Merry Clayton
All the Love You Got—Diane Birch
Dream Song—Scott Matthews
Too Many People—The Cake Sale
Romantic Traffic—Spoons 
Ten Styles of Funk—Spooner
August Song —The Autumn Defense
Innocence—Pontiak
Run Like Hell—Pink Floyd
The Bewlay Brothers—David Bowie