A sample of some obscure - and maybe not obscure - tunes from my strange and off-the-wall collection.
Today's selection: Gregorian - "High Hopes" 2003
A Pink Floyd cover. Gregorian is a German band that converts modern tunes into Gregorian-style chants. This cut is from the IVth of a Masters Of Chant series of X.
Continue reading →A sample of some obscure - and maybe not obscure - tunes from my strange and off-the-wall collection.
Today's selection: Tune Over Time - "Blue Moon" 1934
Written in 1933 by Rodgers & Hart for a movie - Hollywood Party - with Jean Harlow as the singer, the movie was released without Harlow or the song. Tweaked a bit, it was cut from another movie in 1934. Tweaked yet again, it was finally recorded as the theme song for a 1934 radio program with Muzzy Marcellino on vocals. It was a number one song in 1935. It also ended up in seven movies between 1939 (Marx Bros) to 1964 (Elvis Presley)
Also recorded by Bunny Berigan ("Chicken and Waffles") in 1934, that is the version presented here. A jazz trumpeter, he played with Tommy Dorsey, Rudy Vallee, and Benny Goodman. He died an alcoholic in 1942 at age 33.
Heavily covered, it was a major hit for the Marcels in 1961. Awarded a gold record, it is listed among the top rock & roll recordings.
The last version presented is by Chris Isaak, recorded in 1994 on the "It's Now Or Never" Elvis Presley tribute album.
A sample of some obscure - and maybe not obscure - tunes from my strange and off-the-wall collection.
Today's selection: Cowboy Junkies - "Where Are You Tonight?" 1990
Cowboy Junkies is a Canadian band formed in 1985. Still together with the same line-up. A 4-man band, three of the members are siblings. A 4th family member left the band early on. The 5th (now 4th) member of the band was a childhood friend from kindergarten. Their first album was released in 1986 but their 1989 release of The Trinity Session had a cover of Lou Reed's Sweet Jane which peaked at #5 in the US. To date, they've released 18 albums.
This cut comes from their 3rd album, The Caution Horses.
A sample of some obscure - and maybe not obscure - tunes from my strange and off-the-wall collection.
Today's selection: PropellerHeads - "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" 1997
Sacrilege - neither Sean Connery or Roger Moore: A version of the soundtrack to my favorite James Bond movie. With the exception of Telly Savalas as Blofeld.
PropellerHeads was an English electronic music duo who developed this piece for "The David Arnold James Bond Project"
A bit off the wall but I like it.
Or I wouldn't have posted it. :)
A sample of some obscure - and maybe not obscure - tunes from my strange and off-the-wall collection.
Today's selection: Joe Byrd & The Field Hippies - "Sub-Sylvian Litanies" 1969
Today's selection takes up roughly ½ of the first side of "The American Metaphysical Circus"
Described as "an entire acid trip in 11 minutes", this "psychedelic" album was one of the first compositions utilizing synthesizers. It has been compared to some of the earlier experimental works of Pink Floyd (also among my favorites).
I ended up with two copies of this LP. One I bought at a record/head shop; the other I obtained from the local "underground" FM station when it went under.
A far different world ...
Continue reading →A sample of some obscure - and maybe not obscure - tunes from my strange and off-the-wall collection.
Today's selection: Planet P - "Why Me?" 1983
In acknowledgement of the current moon mission.
Planet P was a project by Tony Carey, the former keyboardist for Ritchie Blackmore's "Rainbow"; Blackmore being the former Deep Purple guitarist. The name Planet P was taken from Heinlein's "Starship Troopers"
A sample of some obscure - and maybe not obscure - tunes from my strange and off-the-wall collection.
Today's selection: Ad-Libs - "Boy From New York City" 1964
The A-Libs were a doo-wop band from ... New York City. Although the group made other recordings, none came close to this cut which peaked at #8 in early 1965.
The Beach Boys answered with "Girl From New York City" and used the rhythm section of the original in what became "Good Vibrations".
Cover versions did a bit better: The Darts cover hit #2 in the UK in 1978; The Manhattan Transfer's version hit #7 in the US in 1981.
A sample of some obscure - and maybe not obscure - tunes from my strange and off-the-wall collection.
Today's selection: Caamp - "By and By" 2019
Caamp is a band from near Columbus, Ohio. This cut is the title song of their 2nd album, released in 2019
Continue reading →Ray Stevens - Ahab the Arab - 1962
Remember "The Streak"? Same guy.
Continue reading →A sample of some obscure - and maybe not obscure - tunes from my strange and off-the-wall collection.
Today's selection: Roger McGuinn - "Shenandoah" 2003
"Away, we're bound away, cross the wide Missouri"
I sometimes wonder if songs such as this, "Mr Tambourine Man", "The Wayward Wind", and a few others led to my itchy feet taking me west.
"Shenandoah" is known as a sea chantey but more likely originates among the river men of the Ohio, Mississippi, and Missouri rivers of the early 1800s. Shenandoah was an Indian chief living along the Missouri River ... or was it upper New York? There are many versions of the song - it became internationally famous as the song propagated down the rivers to the clipper ships travelling around the world.
Roger McGuinn - sometimes known as Jim McGuinn - was born in 1942 and is best known as the lead guitarist and singer for The Byrds. He began as a folksinger in the late 50s/early 60s. He co-founded The Byrds with Gene Clark in 1964. The Byrds began breaking up by 1967; McGuinn finally finished the name in 1973. He then went on to a solo career, returning to his folk music roots.
He recorded this in 2003 - one of my favorite versions.