SOME GREAT STUFF FROM 2008, PART 2

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Okay, we started this last week, and I wish we could do this for another week or two. We rarely get to cover contemporary music (Okay, we rarely LET ourselves do it), but this was fun. Here is part 2 of our coverage of “Some Great Stuff from 2008....AND BEST WISHES FOR A HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON!

1)    Man Sized Wreath – R.E.M.

2)    A Few Words In Defense of Our Country – Randy Newman

3)     If I Don’t See You Again – Neil Diamond

4)    Chelsea Hotel ’78 – Alejandro Escovedo

5)    Uncovering the Old – Dr. Dog

6)    Finale – Twi the Humble Feather

7)    Golden Age – T.V. on the Radio

8)    What More Do You Want Me to Do – Al Green

HOW MUSIC CHANGED, PART 137-31 - EVERY SINGLE MOTOWN A-SIDE, PART 31

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            As Spring turned into Summer 1966, Motown was at the forefront of the popular music scene. This show focuses on all of the label’s 45-RPM releases from that specific era, in chronological order. Songs include;

1)    What Am I Going to Do Without Your Love – Martha & the Vandellas

2)    Whole Lot of Shakin’ in My Heart (Since I Met You) – The Miracles

3)    What Becomes of the Brokenhearted – Jimmy Ruffin

4)    Three Choruses of Despair – Rick, Robin  & Him

5)    Just Walk in My Shoes – Gladys Knight & the Pips

6)    I Guess I’ll Always Love You – The Isley Brothers

7)    La La La La La – The La Salles

8)    Blowin’ in the Wind – Stevie Wonder

9)    How Sweet It Is – Jr. Walker & the All Stars

10)  Love’s Gone Bad – Chris Clark

11)  You Can’t Hurry Love – The Supremes

A FEW GREAT THINGS FROM 2008

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Around this time every year, I feel compelled to compile a list of the year’s ‘best’ music , but I never derive much satisfaction from the process. To be honest, I sort of feel like a fraud when I do this, because I know that there is so much that I’ve missed. Even worse, I usually haven’t even listened much to the stuff that I thought I liked. The fact is that I always spend way too much time listening to music that predates the past year, and depp inside, I know my list is bogus. That is why, this year, I’ve got no list. Instead, I figure we can just play a few things that caught our ear, and we can listen again, together, and see if we have a consensus. Either way,  it’s fun to play ,sic and talk about our various opinions, and today’s is that simple. There’s way too much to cover in one hour, so we’ll do this again next week.

            Here’s what we’ve got today;

1)    Cemeteries of London – Coldplay

2)    You Don’t Understand Me – The Raconteurs

3)    Loaded – The Wood Brothers

4)    Everything Is Broken – Bob Dylan

5)    Anything I Say Can and Will Be Used Against You – T-Bone Burnett

6)    American Gangster Time – Elvis Costello

7)    Think I Wanna Die – Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin

8)    Ate It Twice – Boston Spaceships

HOW MUSIC CHANGED, PART 137-30 – EVERY SINGLE MOTOWN ‘A’ SIDE, PART 30

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1966 was an interesting year for pop music.  By definition, that means it was also a very interesting year for Motown, as it was the most consistently successful label of the era. Today’s show covers;

1)    Nothing’s Too Good for My Baby – Stevie Wonder

2)    You’re the One – The Marvelettes

3)    Come On and See Me – Tammi Terrell

4)    It’s My Time – The Mynah Birds

5)    Do I Love You (Indeed I Do) – Chris Clark

6)    Love Is Like an Itching in My Heart – The Supremes

7)    Just a Little Misunderstanding – The Contours

8)    Take Some Time Out for Love – The Isley Brothers

9)    Take This Heart of Mine – Marvin Gaye

10)  Ain’t Too Proud to Beg – The Temptations

11) Loving You Is Sweeter than Ever – The Four Tops

ALBUM TRACKS FROM LATE 1968

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Last week, we focused on 45 RPM singles releases during the later part of 1968. Today, we shift our focus to album tracks from that same era. There is plenty of evidence here to prove that 1968 was a fairly extraordinary time for music, even if you discount the singles charts. Here is our evidence, as represented by a few choice tracks from albums released forty years ago this month;

1)    Pearly Queen – Traffic

2)    Feelin’ Alright? – Traffic

3)    Dear Prudence – The Beatles

4)    Happiness Is a Warm Gun – The Beatles

5)    Helter Skelter – The Beatles

6)    I’ve Been Waiting for You – Neil Young

7)    The Village Green Preservation Society – The Kinks

8)    Porpoise Song – The Monkees

9)    Street Fighting Man - The Rolling Stones

HOW MUSIC CHANGED PART 137-29 – EVERY SINGLE MOTOWN A-SIDE, PART 29

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In some ways this is the quintessential Motown program from our series. In other ways, they are ALL quintessential, but this is the first show that exclusively covers music from the year 1966, a year when Motown’s domination was well known, and widespread. It also has a typical mixture of fabulously famous hits, a few lesser-known gems, and a handful of rarities that go to show just how limitless the talent pool was in Detroit in the mid-sixties.

Todays show covers;

1)    One More Heartache – Marvin Gaye

2)    Shake Me Wake Me (When It’s Over) – The Four Tops

3)    Get Ready – TheTemptations

4)    Helpless – Kim Weston

5)    Greetings (This Is Uncle Sam) – The Monitors

6)    I Miss You Baby (How I Miss You) – Marv Johnson

7)    Slender Thread – Billy Eckstine

8)    What’s Easy for Two Is Hard for One – Connie Haines

9)    Keep on Lovin’ Me – Frances Nero

10)  (I’m a) Road Runner – Jr. Walker & the All Stars

11)  Function at the Junction – Shorty Long

12)  Truly Yours – The Spinners

THE BEST SINGLES OF LATE '68

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Speaking for myself, the music from 1968 was simply undeniable. What a great it was to be a young music fan. I believe that it was songs like these making such a lasting impression on my psyche that I eventually find myself here, on the radio, playing them forty years later…and I’m still amazed.

Let’s see if you agree. Today’s playlist includes;

1)    Son of a Preacher Man – Dusty Springfield

2)    Stand By Your Man – Tammy Wynette

3)    Hooked on a Feeling – B.J. Thomas

4)    Soulful Strut – Young-Holt Unlimited

5)    Crimson and Clover – Tommy James & the Shondells

6)    Chewy Chewy – The Ohio Express (a ‘Great Miss’)

7)    Wichita Lineman – Glen Campbell

8)    I’m Gonna Make You Love Me – The Supremes & the Temptations

9)    For Once In My Life – Stevie Wonder

10)  Love Child – Diana Ross & the Supremes

11)  I Heard It Through the Grapevine – Marvin Gaye

12)  Back in the U.S.S.R. – The Beatles