Category Archives: tunes

Tunesday: Cowboy Junkies – Where Are You Tonight?

The New American Digest Posted on by

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.

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Tunesday: PropellerHeads – “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”

The New American Digest Posted on by

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. :)

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Tunesday: Joe Byrd & The Field Hippies – Sub-Sylvian Litanies

The New American Digest Posted on by

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 ...

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Tunesday: Planet P – Why Me?

The New American Digest Posted on by

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"

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Tunesday: Ad-Libs – Boy From New York City

The New American Digest Posted on by

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.

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Tunesday: Roger McGuinn – “Shenandoah”

The New American Digest Posted on by

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.

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Two 4 Tunesday: Amethystium – Ilona/Shadow To Light

The New American Digest Posted on by

A sample of some obscure - and maybe not obscure - tunes from my strange and off-the-wall collection.

Today's dual selection: Amethystium - "Ilona"/"Shadow To Light"

Ilona
Shadow To Light

Amethystium is a solo music project by the Norwegian Øystein Ramfjord.

Ilona is one of my favorites from the album Odonata (1999/2001)
Shadow To Light is considered one of the best from his album Aphelion (2003).

"Amethystium could be described as a subtler Delerium, a less self-conscious Enigma, or a second cousin to Mythos. Ramfjord favors a lighter, spacier vibe than most of the aforementioned acts though."

Does that help?

Øystein was 18 when he released his first album Odonata as a free mp3 download in 1999.

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Tunesday: Napoleon XIV – “Coming To Take Me Away”

The New American Digest Posted on by

A sample of some obscure - and maybe not obscure - tunes from my strange and off-the-wall collection.

Today's selection: Napoleon XIV - "Coming To Take Me Away"

Jerry Samuels, aka Napoleon XIV, was born in 1938 in NYC. He began his recording career in 1956 but hit the big time in 1966 with "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" which hit #3 on the Billboard charts. That was pretty much it for his recording career but he began an agency business, retiring in 2021. Samuels died of complications from Parkinson's in 2023.

"Coming To Take Me Away" was a staple tune on Dr Demento's radio show.

Today also happens to be my brother's birthday - so I dedicate this tune to him.

This song played at our reception in 1998.
Any woman that allows that must love the one to whom she dedicates herself.

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