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

Today's double selection: Camel Medley: Nimrodel/The Procession/The White Rider 1974

Off one of my favorite albums, this medley off "Mirage" is inspired by "Lord of the Rings".

I've blown out speakers cranking this piece up at about 7:00. My solution? Get bigger speakers and crank it up further.

Camel was formed in England in 1971, Mirage being their second album. Their first performance was as the opening band for Wishbone Ash. Back in the mid-70s, they toured with Wishbone Ash quite a bit - I believe I saw those bands together in 1974 at a place called "The Icehouse" in Kalamazoo before I left Michigan although I can find no record of such a concert. Everything's on the internet except my memory.

The original lineup produced 4 albums until 1976 when personnel changes began. One member of the original band is still part of the group. Not fully active since 2002, they still perform live occasionally.

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

Today's double selection: Leonard Cohen/Iggy Pop "You Want It Darker" - 2016/2022

Leonard Cohen's last album, released on his 82nd birthday and 17 days before he died - this being the title track. Iggy Pop recorded a cover of this song for "A Tribute To Leonard Cohen" in 2022.

Leonard Cohen was born in Quebec in 1934. He was a poet and novelist but began a music career in the mid-60s. His most famous song was "Hallelujah" released in 1984. He stopped recording in 1991. In 2005, he discovered that his money and publishing rights had been stolen by his manager so he returned to music and released three more albums. "You Want It Darker" was released three weeks before he died in 2016.

Jim Osterberg Jr was born in Muskegon, MI and began later moved to Ann Arbor. Although he began as a drummer, he found his calling as a front-man. His rise to fame as Iggy Pop began when he was the song-writer and vocalist of the local Detroit band, "Iggy & The Stooges". Considered a proto-punk band, they produced two albums before breaking up due to Iggy's heroin addiction. The name "Iggy" came from an earlier band called "The Iguanas". The rest of the band began calling Iggy "Pop" in reference to another local character who had a similar look after shaving his eyebrows. Iggy Pop wrote David Bowie's hit "China Girl" and other songs covered by Bowie.

A selection of some of my favorite Christmas carols. A daily event through Christmas.

Today's selection: Moody Blues - "What Child Is This?" - 1580/1865/1994

The tune is Greensleeves with lyrics written in 1865 but not published until 1871. The tune Greensleeves was registered in 1580 in London. Although often credited to King Henry VIII, he had died before the tune was registered.

The Moody Blues released this version in 1994.

A selection of some of my favorite Christmas carols. A daily event through Christmas.

Today's selection: Bob Seger - "Little Drummer Boy" - 1950/1988

Little Drummer Boy was written in 1941 by Katherine Davis but first recorded by the Trapp Family (Sound of Music) in 1951. It became popular with a 1958 recording by Harry Simeone. The Simeone version hit the Top40 for 5 years.

Bob Seger recorded the song in 1987 for his album "Ultimate Hits: Rock & Roll Never Forgets" but as a personal side note, I had heard Bob Seger play this song at several live concerts including a performance at the opening of a suburban Detroit mall in 1968 (Bob Seger was the headliner but that was one of the best concerts I've been to).

A selection of some of my favorite Christmas carols. A daily event through Christmas.

Today's selection: Bing Crosby - "Do You Hear What I Hear?" - 1962

Written in late 1962 as a response to the Cuban missile crisis and recorded by Bing Crosby in 1963. The song was performed on a Bob Hope TV special in Dec 1963.