Category Archives: jazz
SONGS THAT FEATURE WHISPERING
If you’re a child, there’s something quite comforting about WHISPERING. It can also be fun, if you’ve got a secret to share. For adults whispering often falls into two categories: it can take on a seductive tone or sometimes it can be quite sinister. Our playlist this week featured songs that do both. Check out the links to background and video clips at the BayFM site HERE and, more importantly, tune in 1-2pm Mondays and take your lunch at BayFM’s Theme Park, 99.9 on the dial or streaming at bayfm.org
Each week I’ll feature one video link here just to keep you amused. This week it’s Cowboy Junkies doing a cover of Lou Reed’s SWEET JANE.
Next week all the songs will reference America – falling on July 4th it was a given. I’m looking for songs about the country as a whole: its culture, its history and its relationship with the rest of the world. Any suggestions? Send them to lyn.themeparkradio@gmail.com
Listen to Lyn McCarthy at the Theme Park on BayFM at the new time of Mondays 1–2pm, Sydney time
Also streaming via BayFM
Tragically also on Facebook and Twitter
Email me at: lyn.themeparkradio@gmail.com
SONGS ABOUT CRITTERS
I reckon animals are just like people. I look at my pets and, to be honest, I recognise myself. My little dog Charlie likes nothing better than eating and sleeping and my Abyssinian cat is a bit of a talker. In fact you can’t shut him up. Songwriters share my affliction, which is probably why most songs supposedly “about” animals aren’t really about animals at all.
Our opening song, SPIDERS AND SNAKES, had Jim Stafford waxing lyrical about it would take to win over the object of his affection. Somehow I don’t think spiders and snakes and frogs were what they seemed, if you know what I mean. Thanks to Sandy for suggesting that one.
The Tenors’ 1968 rocksteady tune RIDE YOUR DONKEY is, on the face of it, not a delightful ditty about a mule, but a song about a child’s musical shortcomings. I have a feeling, however, that there may be a bit of a sexual subtext going on there too.
No point trying to figure out what Captain Beefheart meant with ICE CREAM FOR CROW. I’ll leave it up to you to figure that out:
Edie Izzard wonders about the logic of making a toad with an hallucinogenic back on his comedy album Stripped. Tim Finn sang the Cane Toad Blues which featured on Mark Lewis’ quirky hit documentary CANE TOADS. Mark has now made a follow up, in 3D no less, called CANE TOADS: THE CONQUEST and we had tickets to the film to give away. Congrats to BayFM subscriber Yvonne, who won those.
We had a whole show on Cats & Dogs a while back so I had to look a little wider for a track about our canine friends. I love what I found: WOLVES (SONG OF THE SHEPHERD’S DOG), from Iron & Wine, better known to his Mum as Sam Beam.
Sunhouse came together to provide the soundtrack to a couple of films by British filmmaker Shane Meadows. One of my very favourite films of his is TwentyFourSeven and it has a cracking soundtrack by the band, which includes MONKEY DEAD. They went on to record an album called Crazy Weekend, which also includes the song. Here they are performing on French television:
Nina Persson, lead singer of Swedish group The Cardigans tells us that she’s found her herself A GOOD HORSE. Every girl’s dream, I’m sure.
Big Mama Thornton’s I SMELL A RAT pushes the concept of anthropomorphism to its limit. It’s when you give human characteristics to non-human things. And pretty much every song on today’s playlist does just that.
Except for maybe Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. ALLIGATOR WINE appears to be about some voodoo concoction that not only uses alligator blood, there’s a dash of fish eye, some frog’s skin and a cup of swamp water to boot. Not sure whether Louis Jordan is being literal or not when he declares there AIN’T NOBODY HERE BUT US CHICKENS.
If you’re a regular visitor to this blog, you’ll know that I have a soft spot for the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, so I had to include BABA’S CAMEL from their Cornology album.
The legendary Little Willie John pleads with you to LEAVE MY KITTEN ALONE and the late, great, reggae artist Gregory Isaacs is out on a RAT PATROL.
One of my favourite contemporary groups is the Villagers and the song SET THE TIGERS FREE has made it onto my funeral list (everyone should have one – you don’t really want someone else picking the music at your wake do you?).
We closed the show with LOVE CATS from the Cure who are performing in Sydney on Wednesday night. So jealous of any of you who have tickets!
Thank you to the sponsors of our giveaway of tickets to CANE TOADS: THE CONQUEST in 3D. I hope to see as many of you as possible at this BayFM Fundraiser. Its at the Dendy on Wednesday night at 7pm and will be followed by a party at The Owl & Pussy Cat. Thanks also to Radio Pictures, Pinnacle Films, the Byron Cane Juice Company for your sponsorship of this benefit.
Next week I’ll be joined by swinging cowgirl and Dolphin Award winner Kathryn Jones who will be putting together a guest list of songs. I have no idea what she’ll be bringing in, and that’s half the fun. The other half will be hearing why Kathryn picked the particular songs she did.
Here’s this week’s playlist on Critters:
Spiders & Snakes – Jim Stafford
Ride Your Donkey – The Tennors
Ice Cream for Crow – Captain Beefheart And The Magic Band
Toads – Eddie Izzard Stripped (Live)
Cane Toad Blues – Tim Finn
Wolves (Song of the Shepherd’s Dog) – Iron & Wine
Monkey Dead – Sunhouse
A Good Horse – The Cardigans
I Smell A Rat – Big Mama Thornton
Alligator Wine – Screamin’ Jay Hawkins
Ain’t Nobody Here But Us Chickens – Louis Jordan
Ali Baba’s Camel – Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band
Leave My Kitten Alone – Little Willie John
Rat Patrol – Gregory Isaacs
Set The Tigers Free – Villagers
The Love Cats – The Cure
Next week: GUEST LIST – KATHRYN JONES
SONGS ABOUT SECRET VICES
Vice, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Sex isn’t a vice, but bonking your best friend’s partner might be. Drinking isn’t a vice, but drinking from bottles that you’ve hidden in the back of the wardrobe possibly is. So, for the purpose of this week’s playlist, its only a vice if a certain amount of secrecy or shame is attached to it.
So what do you think Doris Day was really singing about in our opening song, SECRET LOVE? Recorded in the ultra-conservative mid 1950’s, and knowing what we think we now do about Doris, could it possibly be about the love that dare not speak its name? When she declares “My secret isn’t secret any more” she suddenly appears way more interesting than her wholesome image would have us believe.
Mary Gauthier confesses to taking after her alcoholic Dad on I DRINK. And while we’re on the subject of Daddys, Ray Davies call to ‘Come to Daddy’ has a very creepy subtext on the otherwise quite beautiful ART LOVER.
Prince’s SISTER is a 30-year old song about incest that still has the ability to shock. Another unnerving confessional was supplied by Anthony Hegarty, of Anthony & The Johnsons. He sings about his violent lover with incredible sweetness on FISTFUL OF LOVE. The sting of a secret vice is unmistakable in lines such as, “I feel your fists, and I know it’s out of love.”
I’M LIVING IN SHAME sings Diana Ross and the Supremes, while Marvin Gaye’s admits that there’s something extra-curricular going on between him AND MRS JONES.
Nina Simone has some advice about FORBIDDEN FRUIT: “Go on and taste it, you don’t want to waste it”. The Kinks know exactly what she’s talking about on their huge hit about transgender love, LOLA.
The Go-Betweens’ song STREETS OF YOUR TOWN is a beautiful tale of small-town romance undercut with the revelation that even this seemingly perfect place is actually “a town full of battered wives”.
The Prodigy admit to a little pyromania on FIRESTARTER:
And the Strangers submitted their quintessential song about perving at the beach – PEACHES:
We finished the show with a couple of very non-offensive pop songs. Kate Ceberano admits YOUNG BOYS ARE MY WEAKNESS. Is that a bad thing? Surely not. Jill Sobule also owns up: She’s KISSED A GIRL, and she just may do it again. Shock horror! Released in 1995, way before whats her name’s version.
Next week I’m going to dedicate the show to SONGS ABOUT CRITTERS and I’m looking for songs about unusual animals, not 
just your cats and dogs. Film director Mark Lewis has sent me a recording of Tim Finn singing ‘Cane Toad Blues’ so that gives you an idea of the kind of thing I’m after.
And just a reminder that BayFM is hosting the premiere of Cane Toads: The Conquest in 3D on Wednesday June 1, 7pm at the Dendy Cinema in Byron Bay. It’s a benefit for BayFM with a party after at The Owl & Pussy Cat included in the price. If you’re a BayFM Subscriber that’s only $20. Get to the cinema now to pick up your tickets!
Here’s the complete playlist:
Secret Love - Doris Day, Ray Heindorf And His Orchestra I Drink - Mary Gauthier Art Lover - The Kinks Sister - Prince Fistful of Love - Antony & The Johnsons I'm Living In Shame - Diana Ross & The Supremes Me and Mrs. Jones - Marvin Gaye Lola - The Kinks Forbidden Fruit - Nina Simone Streets Of Your Town - The Go-Betweens Firestarter - The Prodigy Peaches - The Stranglers I Kissed A Girl - Jill Sobule Young Boys Are My Weakness (Brave Album Version) - Kate Ceberano
Next week: SONGS ABOUT CRITTERS
MUSICAL ROYALTY
The Royal Family have been attracting a fair bit of attention lately. Kate and Wills got 
married, Fergie is in detox and, according to her ex-chef, the Queen likes wholemeal toast for dessert. Riveting stuff.
All this just made me think about artists with a royal sounding name. Much more interesting, I’m sure you’ll agree. We opened the program with a track suggested by one of the Saturday Blues boys. Ken directed me to a fantastic album called The Duke Meets the Earl. It features two virtuoso blues guitarists, Duke Robillard and Ronnie Earl. The whole album is a cracker but I chose a track that’s indicative of how my week’s been going so far: LOOKIN’ FOR TROUBLE. I couldn’t find a clip of both artists performing the song together, but here’s Duke Robillard filmed at Callahan’s in November 2010:
Carol King has written a lot of great pop songs and she’s still going strong. Her 1962 hit IT MIGHT AS WELL RAIN UNTIL SEPTEMBER was originally a demo that turned out so well the record company decided to release it. Smart move.
Nat King Cole and Ella Fitzgerald do a great version of STORMY WEATHER. Ella was often referred to as “Lady Ella” and you can’t 
get a more royal sounding name than Nat King Cole, can you? And then it was something completely different. Princess Superstar with LIFE IS BUT A DREAM. And congrats to the Princess who this week gave birth to a baby girl! Happy Mother’s Day.
OK, he may not actually have King in his name, but we all know who we’re talking about when we refer to ‘The King’: Elvis Presley of course. BURNING LOVE went out to Faye. “Lord Almighty, I feel my temperature rising, higher higher, it’s burning through to my soul …”
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings JUST DROPPED IN TO SEE WHAT CONDITION MY CONDITION WAS IN. Thanks Sharon. Doing fine. Considering all the trouble I’m in.
King Curtis’ MEMPHIS SOUL STEW is an ode to musicians of all kinds. Check out Jerry Jermott on bass. Amazing.
I like a bit of diversity in the playlist, so I included an indie pop group from Sweden called Acid House Kings with WOULD YOU SAY STOP? It’s from their latest album Music Sounds Better With You. What is it about the Swedes and their pop music?
My Kings of Leon pick was a great song: CALIFORNIA WAITING. Check out Caleb’s Prince Valentine hairdo on this live performance:
Another artist with a royal sounding name is Prince Rogers Nelson, better known simply as ‘Prince’ to us plebs. KISS was followed by another classic, a gorgeous piece of soul from Ben E King called STAND BY ME. Ben E King was one of the original Drifters and when he was only 9 years old he was a member of the group The Three Crowns, so there you go, another reason why he should be included as one of our artists with royal sounding names.
We went way back to 1932 with: IT DON’T MEAN A THING IF IT AIN’T GOT THAT SWING by Duke Ellington and his Orchestra with vocals by Ivie Anderson. If, like me, you love your nostalgia, then you must tune in to BayFM on Saturdays from 8am when Jill brings you a fantastic show called MUSICAL KALEIDIOSCOPE.
I went way out on a limb with my next choice: I reckon the inclusion of Jesus and Mary Chain was justified on the basis that Jesus was King of the Jews. Right? Their version of SURFIN’ USA went out to Charlotte.
Now I couldn’t do a show about musicians with royal names without including B.B.King. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BLUES went out to anyone who’s had a birthday recently, but in particular to my friend Cheryl who had a great birthday party on Saturday night (and I’m still recovering!), and David who was sick with the flu on his birthday. How unfair is that?
Our goodbye track was from a group that I consider rock royalty: Freddy Mercury and Queen with THESE ARE THE DAYS OF OUR LIVES.
Next week’s show will be on CONCERTS. It can be about attending a performance or actually being on stage. I’m thinking of songs like DAFT PUNK IS PLAYING AT MY HOUSE by LCD Soundsystem. See what you can come up with and get in touch!
Here’s this week’s complete playlist:
Lookin For Trouble – Ronnie Earl & Duke Robillard
It Might As Well Rain Until September – Carole King
Stormy Weather – Nat King Cole & Ella Fitzgerald
Life Is But A Dream – Princess Superstar
Burning Love – Elvis Presley
Just Dropped In To See What Condition My Condition Was In – Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
Memphis Soul Stew – King Curtis
Would you say stop? – Acid House Kings
California Waiting – Kings of Leon
Kiss – Prince
Stand By Me – Ben E. King
It Don’t Mean A Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing – Duke Ellington & His Orchestra Feat. Ivie Anderson
Surfin’ USA – The Jesus & Mary Chain
Happy Birthday Blues – BB King
These Are The Days Of Our Lives – Queen
Next week: SONGS ABOUT CONCERTS
MOTORVATIN’ MAMAS
Hello there Parkies! The show has moved to Mondays 1-2pm for the winter. No time for a 2 hour show as I’m going to be very busy with the station’s Major Subscriber Drive for the next few months. This season’s show will not only be shorter, it will be sweeter and I’m thinking of bringing in a guest now and again to give us a list of their favourites. So that should be interesting! I’ve also given the blog a new look…. hope you like it.
This week’s playlist is dedicated to all our Mums because Mothers’ Day is next Sunday. Our opening song, MOTORVATIN’ MAMA was from Rolling Stone bassist Bill Wyman and his Rhythm Kings, and it set the tone for a pretty upbeat hour.
Having said that, the 1,000 Maniacs have a beautifully lyrical song that also suits the theme. Lead singer Natalie Merchant, knows what its like to EAT FOR TWO. She has a unique voice and she’s also a brilliant songwriter having written the majority of the Maniacs songs. She’s now out on her own and getting even better. Here she is, back then with the Maniacs:
The great soul singer O.V. Wright feels like a MOTHERLESS CHILD but its OK because Etta James is there with an offer that he can’t refuse: TELL MAMA. And Ben Harper taps into the zeitgeist on MAMA’S GOT A GIRLFRIEND NOW.
An oldie, but definitely a goodie is The Shirelles’ MAMA SAID THERE’D BE DAYS LIKE THIS. Take a look at this excellent award winning short film, using the song and recreating the group. A fantastic example of how a seemingly innocent song can be used to make political comment. The film, Mama Said, was directed by Mike Costanza and stars Lyn McDonald, Karen Hawkins, Lorinda Hawkins and Crystal Justine as The Shirelles. It was shown at both Cannes and Sundance Film Festivals:
Blues legend Magic Sam is having problems with his girlfriend so he’s got no other option than to plead with her mother on MAMA TALK TO YOUR DAUGHTER.
It was time to crank things up a bit and who better to do that than Lenny Kravitz and Slash with a great version of ALWAYS ON THE RUN. Sex on a stick, girls, sex on a stick.
Calm down, calm down. We had to have a song about Mother Earth, surely. Neko Case’s alternative country track NEVER TURN YOUR BACK ON MOTHER EARTH is a beauty. It’s from her Middle Cyclone album, released in 2009
When I first started doing Theme Park three years ago, I didn’t think I’d ever play any rap music, but the great thing about putting together a playlist like this each week is that you need to listen to lots of different music, and I’ve come to appreciate all genres, even rap! Especially when it’s as good as our next song. ALL I’VE GOT IS YOU is a reverent homage to all the mums in the world from Ghostface Killah and Mary J. Blige. Check this out and see if you’re converted too:
Of course, the Blues is where it all started and Howlin’ Wolf’s MY COUNTRY SUGAR MAMA is a classic in this genre. We followed with an artist who has been somewhat overlooked – Ruth Brown with MAMA, HE TREATS YOUR DAUGHTER MEAN. A wonderful performer. Take a look at those facial expressions!
The Rolling Stones ask: Have you seen your mother, baby, STANDING IN THE SHADOWS? Here’s some concert footage 1966. The Stones were touring with Ike and Tina Turner and The Yardbirds. Wow. What I wouldn’t have done for a ticket to one of those concerts!
Now if you’ve ever listened to Theme Park at my old time slot of Tuesday afternoons, you will know that I’m a huge fan of the Big ‘O’. So I had to include a Roy Orbison track in my first show of the season. It’s one you don’t hear very often – MOTHER.
And just in case you’ve got the impression that I’m permanently trapped in a 60’s and 70’s time warp, Decemberists fans will be happy that I played MY MOTHER WAS A CHINESE TRAPEZE ARTIST. That one was sent out to Alex who listens on the Internet from Sydney. You can do that too, you know. Just go to bayfm.org, press the listen button and the audio should then open in your media player (iTunes or whatever).
Wow, the hour whizzed past. Before I knew it I was playing our final song, a guilty pleasure for sure: Abba with DOES YOUR MOTHER KNOW? Get you’re dancin’ shoes on people!
For next week’s show I’ve been inspired by all this talk of Royalty to put together a list of songs from ARTISTS WITH ROYAL NAMES. Think Prince, Queen, Duke Ellington, Queens of the Stone Age,….. you get my drift. If you have a request leave me a message here. I’d love to hear from you.
Happy Mothers Day to all you Mums for next Sunday!
Here’s this week’s full playlist:
Motorvatin’ Mama – Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings
Eat For Two – 10,000 Maniacs
Motherless Child – O.V. Wright
Tell Mama – Etta James
Mama’s Got a Girlfriend Now – Ben Harper and Tom Freund
Happy Mothers Day ( jingle)
Mama Said There’d Be Days Like This – Shirelles
Mama Talk To Your Daughter – Magic Sam
Always On The Run – Lenny Kravitz
Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth – Neko Case
All That I Got Is You – Ghostface Killah
My Country Sugar Mama – Howlin’ Wolf
(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean – Ruth Brown
Standing in the Shadows – Rolling Stones
Mother – Roy Orbison
My Mother Was A Chinese Trapeze Artist – The Decemberists
Does Your Mother Know – ABBA
Next week: ROCKIN’ ROYALTY
LET’S GET MARRIED
I hear there’s a big wedding happening this Friday, so for my last show at this time slot, I decided to take a look at a quaint tradition that seems to be making a comeback. The subject of marriage is a perfect theme for songwriters as music has the ability to influence our mood and eat into our soul. It keeps us afloat when love is fresh, and life seems full of promise. But it can also reveal our deepest fears about a relationship, making problems seem way beyond repair. There are, of course, cynical songs about marriage but I tried to keep these to a minimum. No one likes a killjoy at an otherwise joyful time, now do we?
We launched the show with a great old Savoy recording. WEDDING BOOGIE features Little Esther and Johnny Otis with Esther as the bride, Mel Walker as the groom and Lee Graves as the preacher, and its hysterical.
That old romantic Al Green made a suggestion that a lot of you gals wait a lifetime to hear: LET’S GET MARRIED. Martha Reeves and the Vandellas celebrate getting their fella to the alter on THIRD FINGER LEFT HAND. And UK folk rock group Oysterband give a vibrant description of a wedding breakfast on BLOOD WEDDING.
If you’re after a real soul classic, then you can’t go past Freda Payne’s BAND OF GOLD. On this hit single, Freda’s guy is missing in action and she’s only got a ring to show for all her lovin’. Sweet Inspirations have a good piece of advice for Freda: WHY MARRY? They ask. Indeedy.
Ani diFranco does a gorgeous cover of Dusty Springfield’s WISHIN’ AND HOPIN’. It was used for the title sequence of the film My Best Friend’s Wedding, starring Julia Roberts and directed by Aussie filmmaker P.J.Hogan (who also directed Muriel’s Wedding).
Here’s another classic, this time in the rock genre: Nick Lowe KNEW THE BRIDE WHEN SHE USED TO ROCK N ROLL.
Rock n Roll legend Chuck Berry reckons that YOU NEVER CAN TELL. And from the soundtrack to the film, The Harder They Come, it was Toots and the Maytals with SWEET AND DANDY. Such a thrill it was to see them perform the song among their set at the Byron Bay Blues Fest this weekend.
Another of my favourites from the Blues Fest is Eli Paperboy Reed. What a voice. Here he is performing STAKE YOUR CLAIM: “Yeah, if you love me then take my name”. Oh Eli you sweet old fashioned boy you!
UK group, The Wombats released a terrific song about going to your exes’ wedding (never a good idea, I say). MY FIRST WEDDDING is from their album A Guide to Love, Loss and Desperation.
The weather here in the Northern Rivers has been erratic, to say the least, so a good weather song, and a wonderful tune about love and marriage to boot, came from Ray Charles: COME RAIN OR COME SHINE.
Dancehall and reggae artist Yellowman turned the sound up a notch with a great version of I’M GETTING MARRIED IN THE MORNING, followed closely by doo-wop group The Cadets with CHURCH BELLS MAY RING.
The 5th Dimension gave us a medley of THE WORST THAT COULD HAPPEN and WEDDING BELL BLUES. Billy Davis and Marilyn McCoo, from the group, have been happily married for over 40 years and have even written a book about what makes their marriage work. Top tip: You’ve got to like the person you’re with, not just love them, because once the first flush of love subsides you need to know that you’re in a relationship with your best friend as well as your lover. Can’t disagree with that!
You can never claim that Theme Park doesn’t have a diverse playlist. The Easybeats followed with their 60’s hit, WEDDING RING, followed by Billy Idol’s WHITE WEDDING, which was written as a disapproving commentary on his sister’s shotgun wedding. How very conservative of him. Still, the video clip is a hoot:
The lovely Amy Rigby, married by the way to punk rocker Wreckless Eric, does a great song she wrote after divorcing her first husband, called WE’RE STRONGER THAN THAT. And, the always brilliant, Lyle Lovett contributed SHE’S NO LADY, (SHE’S MY WIFE) to the list. I think this clip is from the 80’s – check out Lyle’s hair. But better still, check out his wonderful voice. Like all the best artists, he’s a one-off.
Ernie K Doe and the Blue Diamonds sing about the bane of many a good marriage: MOTHER IN LAW. Of course, I’m not speaking from personal experience! Best to move on, and there’s no better way to put some romance back into the show than with more Al Green. One of my favourites is LET’S STAY TOGETHER. Here’s a live performance from 1972:
The Temptations followed with the delightfully delusional JUST MY IMAGINATION. And then it was another fantastic performer from the Blues Fest: Irma Thomas, with a song that she included in her set: YOU CAN HAVE MY HUSBAND BUT DON’T MESS WITH MY MAN.
Over the last three years of the show, I keep returning to two of my favourite artists – Louis Armstrong and Roy Orbison. And, of course they had songs on marriage for me this week as well. Louis with WE HAVE ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD and Roy with WEDDING DAY. But I had to close the show with a song for my husband of 23 years, sadly taken from us five years ago this week. Barry White’s very sexy YOU’RE THE FIRST, MY LAST, MY EVERYTHING is for you Graeme. Thanks for the music and the wonderful memories.
For the next 6 months, at least, you’ll find me still at BayFM, still churning out theme shows at the new time of 1-2pm on Mondays and I really hope to have your company next Monday on BayFM 99.9 or streaming at http://www.bayfm.org. As always I’ll keep putting my playlist and other info up at the blog, so keep checking in.
Next Monday’s theme will be MOTORVATIN’ MAMAS, just in time for Mothers Day. Send me your requests and suggestons. I’d love to hear from you.
Have a great week! Here’s the playlist:
Wedding Boogie - Little Esther Let's Get Married - Al Green Third Finger, Left Hand - Martha Reeves and The Vandellas Blood Wedding - Oysterband Band Of Gold - Freda Payne Why Marry? - Sweet Inspirations Wishin' And Hopin' - Ani DiFranco I Knew The Bride (When She Used To Rock And Roll) - Nick Lowe You Never Can Tell - Chuck Berry Sweet And Dandy - Toots and The Maytals Chapel Of Love - The Dixie Cups Stake Your Claim - Eli "Paperboy" Reed & The True Loves My First Wedding - The Wombats Come Rain or Come Shine - Ray Charles I'm Getting Married In The Morning - Yellowman Church Bells May Ring - The Cadets (Medley) The Worst That Could Happen, Wedding Bell Blues - 5th Dimension Wedding Ring - The Easybeats White Wedding - Billy Idol We're Stronger Than That - Amy Rigby She's No Lady - Lyle Lovett Mother-in-Law - Ernie K-Doe and the Blue Diamonds Let's Stay Together - Al Green Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) - The Temptations (You Can Have My Husband But) Don't Mess With My Man - Irma Thomas We Have All The Time In The World - Louis Armstrong Wedding Day - Roy Orbison You're The First, The Last, My Everything - Barry White
Next week: MOTORVATIN’ MAMAS
SLEEP & INSOMNIA
This week’s show is for all of you who like their sleep and also for those that have trouble sleeping, for one reason or another. Thankfully I’ve never been an insomniac. I hit that pillow and I’m a gonna and if you deprive me of my sleep its not safe to be around me, let me tell you.
We opened the show with the delightful Louis Jordan, who agrees with me about the value of sleep, singing A MAN’S BEST FRIEND IS A BED.
The Beatles song I’M ONLY SLEEPING is a classic and it’s from, possibly, my favourite album of theirs, ‘Revolver’ so that had to make the mix. As did SOMEBODY’S BEEN SLEEPING from funky soul group 100 Proof (Aged in Soul). It’s inspired by the fairytale Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
Spiderman gets a mention on The Cure’s LULLABY, the only song of theirs to make the UK top 5 (can you believe it?) but the brilliant videoclip was voted the best of the year in 1989. Well deserved too. Check it out:
Three songs about sleep deprivation followed: the Eels who portray anxiety to perfection on I NEED SOME SLEEP; Peter Wolf with SLEEPLESS from his album of the same name, released in 2002. And rounding out the triple play, Craig David who’s love life is causing him to lose sleep on INSOMNIA.
Swedish band Acid House Kings do the twee-pop thing to perfection on SLEEPING. That was followed by Bobby Lewis who delivered a real blast from the past with the 60’s recording of TOSSIN’ AND TURNIN’. Then it was The Romantics with TALKING IN YOUR SLEEP from 1989. Viewing this clip of The Romantics, I think the 80’s have a lot to answer for, when it comes to fashion and hair.
Written by Ray Davies of The Kinks, I GO TO SLEEP was originally recorded by Peggy Lee on her 1965 album Then Was Then – Now Is Now!. Davies didn’t write many songs that weren’t specifically for The Kinks, but this one was widely covered. We played the only version to have chart success – The Pretenders who took it to #7 in the UK.
Talking of Peggy Lee, we had to play her version of BLACK COFFEE. There are lots of great versions of this standard, but for me Peggy Lee does it best. Sorry k.d.
Jody Reynolds uses sleep as a metaphor for death on ENDLESS SLEEP and the iconic Hank Williams Snr knows that you can’t sleep when you have a guilty conscience, on the country classic YOUR CHEATIN HEART.
More golden oldies with Frank Sinatra’s IN THE WEE SMALL HOURS OF THE MORNING and The Four Tops with SHAKE IT, WAKE IT.
Contemporary (and Australian) singer Sarah Blasko brought us back to the present with a beautiful song on the topic of sleep: SLEEPER AWAKE. We followed that with a great suggestion from Quentin: James Kahu with SLEEP. It’s from his 2010 album ‘Through Me’. Take a look:
The nostalgia bug still had me on The Everly Brothers’ WAKE UP LITTLE SUSIE, Berna Dean’s I WALK IN MY SLEEP and Sammy Myers SLEEPING IN THE GROUND.
And it was inevitable that I would play John Lennon’s little dig at Paul McCartney on HOW DO YOU SLEEP.
REM’s DAYSLEEPER is not only perfect for our theme, with its references to Circadian rhythms and all, but even the name of the band is a sleep reference. Did you know that REM sleep, or Rapid eye movement sleep, accounts for 20–25% of total sleep time in most human adults? And that most of our memorable dreaming occurs in this stage? True.
Edwyn Collins contributred LOSING SLEEP from his album of the same name and then it was The Smiths with quite a sad song where, once again sleep serves as a metaphor for death. The song is ASLEEP.
Then it was even further back in time for the sublime Julie London and her version of TWO SLEEPY PEOPLE, followed by SLEEP from Little Willie John and ROCK ME TO SLEEP from Little Miss Cornshucks.
We closed the show with a couple of my favourites: First up it was Tom Waits, who probably knows more about late nights than I’ve had hot breakfasts. MIDNIGHT LULLABY is from his Closing Time album. Then it was the always brilliant Ian Dury & the Blockheads with WAKE UP AND MAKE LOVE TO ME. Beats sleeping every time, or so they tell me.
I’m really going out on a limb for our Easter Show. The topic is RESURRECTION. And I’m talking about dying and coming back from the grave, literally. Come on, by now you’ll know that Theme Park will go where others fear to tread! Now we’re not talking musical comebacks – that’s a whole other theme altogether! Of course there will be lots of gospel and blues and I can see some rock and punk and even some songs about zombies on the list already. What do you have for me?
While you’re contemplating that, check out this week’s playlist:
A Man’s Best Friend Is A Bed – Louis Jordan
I’m Only Sleeping – The Beatles
Somebody’s Been Sleeping [UK Single Edit] – 100 Proof (Aged In Soul)
Lullaby – The Cure
I Need Some Sleep – Eels
Insomnia – Craig David
Sleepless – Peter Wolf
Sleeping – Acid House Kings
Tossin’ And Turnin’ – Bobby Lewis
Talking In Your Sleep – The Romantics
I Go To Sleep – The Pretenders
Black Coffee – Peggy Lee
Your Cheatin Heart – Hank Williams Snr
Endless Sleep – Jody Reynolds
In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning – Frank Sinatra
Shake Me, Wake Me – The Four Tops
Sleeper Awake – Sarah Blasko
Sleep – James Kahu
Wake Up Little Susie – The Everly Brothers
I Walk In My Sleep – Berna Dean
Sleeping In The Ground – Sammy Myers
How Do You Sleep? – John Lennon
Sleep Walk – Santo and Johnny
Daysleeper – R.E.M.
Losing Sleep – Edwyn Collins
Asleep – The Smiths
Two Sleepy People – Julie London
Sleep – Little Willie John
Rock Me To Sleep – Little Miss Cornshucks (Mildred Cummings)
Midnight Lullaby – Tom Waits
Wake Up And Make Love With Me – Ian Dury and The Blockheads
Next week: RESURRECTION
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SONGS WITH SOUND FX
I’ve been away in my home town of Sydney for a couple of weeks but you can’t keep me from Byron Bay for long, so I was all fired up for this week’s show on SONGS WITH SOUND FX in them. I’ve 
discovered that many a song has been enhanced by a clever piece of non-musical noise and our opening song, MY BROTHER MAKES THE NOISES FOR THE TALKIES summed up the program beautifully. It’s by the very entertaining UK group, the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band.
Sounds of thunder accompany a song that suits the weather we’re having up here at the moment. WALKING IN THE RAIN is by the Ronettes, best known for their work with Phil Spector. With their beehive hairdos and tight skirts, they were known as the ‘bad girls’ of rock n roll. And now you know where Amy Winehouse go her ‘look’.
The sound of lapping waves welcomes in Otis Redding’ standard, SITTIN’ ON THE DOCK OF THE BAY. Redding wrote this song while living on a houseboat in Sausalito on the San Francisco Bay. It was recorded shortly before his tragic death at the age 0f 26. Released posthumously, it is his biggest hit ever.
There’s lots of playground noise on Cat Steven’s (REMEMBER THE DAYS OF) THE OLD SCHOOL YARD. And The Beatles use all kinds of carnival noises on BEING FOR THE BENEFIT OF MR. KITE.
Jazz great Charles Mingus got his band to use their instruments to sound like foghorns and other harbour sounds on the remarkable A FOGGY DAY. In complete contrast, but somehow weirdly complementary, is M.I.A.’s PAPER PLANES. She utilizes the sounds of a cash register and heavy gunshot noise on this very provocative piece of hip-hop.
There were lots of requests for MONEY by Pink Floyd. And it had to be played, if not for the very good use of various sound effects, but because, well ….. it’s Pink Floyd!
Another fantastic song with sound effects is NO TIENE BILLET from Fruko y Sus Tesos. The rifle fire that tears through this brilliant Colombian tune implies that the eruption of violence, in a very poor country especially, is almost inevitable. On NITE CLUB, by the Specials, the only aggression heard is raised voices and the clinking of glasses.
George Gershwin’s AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, written in 1928, is full of imagery gone wild. It’s a brilliant song and a brilliant film too. This was Gene Kelly’s magnum opus. His choreography was of such a standard that the Academy of Motion Picture Sciences created a special Oscar that year in recognition of his achievement. Dancing to a segment of George Gershin’s stunning music, here is Kelly’s duet with the beautiful Leslie Caron:
Michael Jackson uses sound effects to the hilt on THRILLER and the Doors gave us another perfect weather song, with its thunder and lighting sound effect: RIDERS ON A STORM.
There are some very suggestive street sounds on what happens to be one of my all time favourite songs: LOOKING FOR THE HEART OF SATURDAY NIGHT from the sublime Mr. Tom Waits. And then there’s a beautiful song that reminds me of my home town, Sydney: The Platters’ HARBOR LIGHTS.
Yep, that’s a baby gurgling throughout Stevie Wonder’s ISN’T SHE LOVELY. And as far as car sounds go, you can’t go past the highly influential electronic pioneers, Kraftwerk, with AUTOBAHN. Check this out:
Talking of road sounds, you didn’t actually think I was going to leave out LEADER OF THE PACK by the Shangri Las did you? This clip is from the television show ‘Ive Got a Secret’, recorded in 1964. The ‘bikie’ is Robert Goulet!
Dancehall queen, Lady Saw, inserts self-made creaking sounds on BED NOISE. They’re so convincing that I can hear the neighbours complaining already! Neo Ska group, The Specials, seem to put sound effects on most of their songs. This is one of their big hits: GHOST TOWN. These guys have been around for 30 years and still going strong. Here they are on Top of the Pops in 1981. Blast from the past. Love, love, love.
The Surfaris break a surfboard just to make a point on WIPEOUT. Creaking doors and other creepy sounds illustrate MONSTER MASH, by the marvellously named Boris Pickett and the Crypkickers. And crashing glass introduces Billy Joel’s YOU MAY BE RIGHT. How’s that for a trio of songs with sound effects? And just because I can, here’s a nice little clip with lots of fun horror film clips, backed up by MONSTER MASH. Do you see where Michael Jackson got his inspiration for Thriller?
Our last song went out to Des who so ably sat in for me while I was away for a few weeks. His favourite is Bob Dylan and it seems that Bob isn’t against using a sound effect either. There’s a mean sounding whistling siren on HIGHWAY 61 REVISITED.
Hopefully I won’t need to use any alarms to keep you awake during next week show on SLEEP AND INSOMNIA. Lots of great songs in this category so get your thinking caps on and send me your suggestions. But remember, we’ve done DREAMING and TIREDNESS, so the list has to be specifically about sleeping, or not.
Here’s this week’s complete playlist:
My Brother Makes The Noises For The Talkies – Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band
Walking In The Rain – The Ronettes
(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay – Otis Redding
(Remember The Days Of The) Old School Yard – Cat Stevens
Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite! – The Beatles
A Foggy Day – Charlie Mingus
Paper Planes – M.I.A.
Money – Pink Floyd
No Tiene Billete – Fruko y Sus Tesos
Nite Club – The Specials
An American In Paris – George Gershwin
Thriller – Michael Jackson
Riders on the Storm – The Doors
(Looking For) The Heart Of Saturday Night – Tom Waits
Harbor Lights – The Platters
Isn’t She Lovely – Stevie Wonder
Autobahn – Kraftwerk
Leader Of The Pack – The Shangri-Las
Bed Noise – Lady Saw
Ghost Town – The Specials
Wipe Out – The Surfaris
Monster Mash – Bobby (Boris) Pickett and the Crypt-kickers
You May Be Right – Billy Joel
Highway 61 Revisited – Bob Dylan
Next week: SLEEP AND INSOMNIA!
SMOKING
I’m not a smoker and, in fact, I think its a pretty silly way to spend your time, but I have to admit that there are some terrific songs on the subject, both for and against. We started the program with Tex Williams and His Western Caravan with SMOKE! SMOKE! SMOKE! THAT CIGARETTE, a western swing novelty song recorded in 1947. While the line “Ive smoked all my life and I ain’t dead yet” suggests that the song is pro-smoking, the chorus includes lines like “Puff, puff, puff … smoke yourself to death”. So Tex is having a two way bet, let’s just say.
Here Tex’s song is used brilliantly to illustrate all the smoking on my favourite TV series, Mad Men. This video will have one of two results: The repetitious, perfunctory and seemingly pointless act of inhaling smoke may turn you completeley off smoking cigarettes. Or, the fact that this repetitious, perfunctory, and seemingly pointless act is carried out by such debonair, dashing human beings will make you run to your corner store and chimney down a carton before dinner. Either way, advertising works.
We couldn’t leave out references to tobacco’s more pungent partner in crime, marijuana. Before this recreational drug was criminalised in the US, there was a fertile genre known as reefer jazz, of which Ella Fitzgerald’s WHEN I GET LOW I GET HIGH is a lively example.
When it comes to Bluegrass, Jimmy Martin was known as The King. He recorded a great smoking song called I CAN’T QUIT CIGARETTES in 1966.
More currently, Hefner’s Darren Hayman gave us THE HYMN FOR THE CIGARETTES from the 1999 album The Fidelity Wars. Here the song is set against some of my favourite films including Contempt, Bad Education, Manhatten, Breathless, Coffee & Cigarettes, All About My Mother, A Bande A Part and more…
Talking Heads do a great version of TAKE ME TO THE RIVER “take my money, take my cigarettes I haven’t seen the worst of it yet…” and, of course, there’s Otis Redding, mixing caffeine with his nicotine on CIGARETTES AND COFFEE.
Neil Young’s ROLL ANOTHER NUMBER (FOR THE ROAD) is from his most uneven album ‘Tonight’s the Night’ on which he looks back at Woodstock through a fog of smoke, which probably explains a thing or two about the quality of the album.
Rufus Wainwright contributed his charismatic 2001 showtune, CIGARETTES AND CHOCOLATE MILK. Everything he likes is just a little bit harmful for him (know the feeling!).
Jazz legend Nina Simone has some good advice: DON’T SMOKE IN BED. She recorded her version of Willard Robison’s piece in 1958. And in 1959 a completely different style of music was being recorded by Joe and Rose Lee Maphis. Their honky tonk style of country music was also a crowd pleaser, with its old fashioned views about the role of women in society. Well it was 1959 folks. The song is DIM LIGHTS, THICK SMOKE (AND LOUD, LOUD, MUSIC).
David Bowie’s ROCK & ROLL SUICIDE is an avant garde showtune of sorts, where he references the Spanish poet Manuel Machado with the line “Time takes a cigarette…”
My pick from the multitude of reggae songs that celebrate weed is U Roy’s CHALICE IN THE PALACE because it has to be the most unusual of the bunch. Inspired by a dream, he outlines his plan to bond with the Queen over a hashpipe. Cool.
Ry Cooder proved, once again, that he must be the best slide guitarist in the world with a very nice live performance of FOOL FOR A CIGARETTE.
Canadian Hawksley Workman works a nice piece of sexual metaphor on JEALOUS OF YOUR CIGARETTE.
I had to include the Happy Mondays song LOOSE FIT, if only because it starts with someone lighting up and inhaling. Then it was a cruisy little number from Camper Van Beethoven who suggest we get high while the radio’s on. The song, GOOD GUYS & BAD GUYS, is a great example of the slacker ethos of the late 80’s.
Steve Miller reckons he’s a joker, a smoker and a midnight toker on The Steve Miller Band’s song JOKER. Brownsville Station’s SMOKIN’ IN THE BOYS ROOM took me back a few years. Remember when being a rebel was sharing a pack of Peter Stuyvesant’s behind the toilet block? Seems so distant now doesn’t it?
I love to play a little Pink Floyd now and again and HAVE A CIGAR from the album Wish You Were Here was perfect for this week’s show.
The Editors recorded a song about one of my big bugbears, SMOKERS OUTSIDE THE HOSPITAL DOORS. It drives me crazy when I go to visit someone in hospital and I see hospital workers and visitors congregating outside the hospital entrance smoking their lives away. Grrrr.
Super Furry Animals gave us a rambling, rousing slice of smoking philosophy on SMOKIN’, which we followed with REEFER MAN from Baron Lee and The Mill Blue Rhythm Band.
For all you Francophiles out there: Serge Gainsbourg and Catherine Deneuve want you to know that they’re big cigar fans. They even contend that God smokes them. I’m no theology expert, but who knows, they may be right! The song is DIEU EST UN FUMEUR DE HAVANES.
A couple of country songs on the subject of smoking: Lefty Frizzell with CIGARETTES AND COFFEE BLUES and a classic: Patsy Cline with THREE CIGARETTES IN AN ASHTRAY.
k.d. lang is a huge Patsy Cline fan and she’s covered many of her songs including THREE CIGARETTES IN AN ASHTRAY. And you’ve got to hand it to her for doing a whole album on smoking. So k.d. saw us out with a terrific song from the album Drag: MY LAST CIGARETTE.
Next week our show falls on March 8th which is International Women’s Day, so its a given that I’ll be presenting a program that features all my favourite female artists. Get in touch if you would like to request a particular song or artist. I’d love to hear from you.
Meanwhile, here’s the complete playlist from this week:
Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette) – Tex Williams and His Western Caravan, Theme Time Radio Hour Volume Three [Disc 2]
When I Get Low I Get High – Ella Fitzgerald The Early Years: Part 1 (1935-1938) [Disc 1]
I Can’t Quit Cigarettes – Jimmy Martin, Smoke That Cigarette: Pleasure To Burn
The Hymn For The Cigarettes – Hefner, The Best of Hefner
Take Me To The River – Talking Heads, The Best Of
Cigarettes And Coffee – Otis Redding, The Soul Album
Roll Another Number (For The Road) – Neil Young, Tonight’s The Night
Cigarettes And Chocolate Milk – Rufus Wainwright, Dreamworks Fall
Don’t Smoke In Bed – Nina Simone, Little Girl Blue
Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (And Loud, Loud Music) – Joe and Rose Lee Maphis, Smoke That Cigarette: Pleasure To Burn
Rock & Roll Suicide – David Bowie, The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust
Chalice In The Palace (1990 Digital Remaster) – U-Roy, Dread In A Babylon
Fool For A Cigarette / Feelin’ Good – Ry Cooder
Jealous Of Your Cigarette – Hawksley Workman, (Last Night We Were) The Delicious Wolves
Richard Diamond Advertisement – Richard Diamond, Smoke That Cigarette: Pleasure To Burn
Loose Fit – Happy Mondays, The Chillout Album, Vol. 2
Good Guys & Bad Guys – Camper Van Beethoven
The Joker – The Steve Miller Band, Groovin’ 70’s
Smokin’ In The Boy’s Room – Brownsville Station, Best Of Brownsville Station
Have A Cigar – Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here
Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors – Editors, An End Has A Start
Smokin’ – Super Furry Animals, Outspaced
Reefer Man – Baron Lee and The Mill Blue Rhythm Band
Dieu fumeur de Havana – Serge Gainsbourg/Catherine Deneuve
Cigarettes And Coffee Blues – Lefty Frizzell
Three Cigarettes In An Ashtray – Patsy Cline, The Ultimate Collection
My Last Cigarette – k.d. lang, Drag
Next week: AUSTRALIAN WOMEN SINGERS
RECORDED FOR FILM
As you will no doubt be aware, the Academy Awards are coming up and in honour of the Oscar tradition of jazzing up a long-running format with dubious gimmicks, this week’s Theme Park was dedicated to Original Songs Recorded For Film. Here at BayFm we’re always on a budget so you just have to imagine the red carpet, the paparazzi and my fabulous outfit.
J’aimee Skippon-Volke from the Byron Film Festival also paid us a visit and we had a chat about what’s screening at the festival this year. She kindly gave away some tickets to our loyal subscribers, as did the wonderful people at the Dendy Cinema who are screening most of the Oscar nominees at the moment. Thanks guys and congrats to the lucky listeners who won those.
STAYIN’ ALIVE was written and recorded by The Bee Gees in 1977 for the film ‘Saturday Night Fever’ and the album defined the Bee Gees as they ushered in the disco era. None of the songs from this best selling album were nominated for an Oscar, with the Best Original Song of 1977 going to “You Light Up My Life’ from the widely panned film of the same name. Go figure.
Another oversight by the Academy is WHEN DOVES CRY from Prince’s brilliant album ‘Purple Rain’ which supported the film of the same name. Funky, sexy and totally rockin’ the album was nothing short of revolutionary and probably far too much for the staid Academy committee to take in. Prince doesn’t like to have his music on YouTube so it was difficult to get a good video of him performing the song, but here’s an extract from a DVD called ‘Prince – The Glory Years’:
Simon & Garfunkle wrote MRS ROBINSON especially for the film ‘The Graduate’. Thanks Judi, all the way from Cairns, for suggesting that one.
The Beatles A HARD DAY’S NIGHT is so iconic that many of us forget that all eight original songs plus four instrumentals are from the Beatles first movie.
And then it was one of my guilty pleasures, TONIGHT I’M GONNA ROCK YOU TONIGHT, from ‘This is Spinal Tap’. Not nominated for an Oscar either! What was the Academy thinking!
Prior to Bob Marley, nothing did more to make reggae popular than the soundtrack to THE HARDER THEY COME. Jimmy Cliff’s title song does the work of the film in less than four minutes. Gotta be the best reggae song ever written for a movie. The year was 1972 and the Oscar for Best Original song that year went to The Morning After from ‘The Poseidon Adventure’. Jimmy was robbed!
Here’s a song that actually did win an Oscar. Another guilty pleasure, I’m afraid, but in 1987 while all else around us was synth-pop, we fell hard for the film ‘Dirty Dancing’. The song? I’VE HAD THE TIME OF MY LIFE from Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes. Oh, stop it, you know you were waiting for this one! R.I.P. Patrick Swayze.
Ok, I’m on a roll…. Yet another song that won an Academy Award for Best Original Song, and who would have thought a rap song could pull it off? Eminem’s LOSE YOURSELF was written for his hit film 8 MILE, released in 2002.
Stevie Wonder’s I JUST CALLED TO SAY I LOVE YOU pipped two songs from the film ‘Footloose’ at the post to take out the Best Original Song in 1984. But he wasn’t the first black artist to take out the award. Back in 1971 Isaac Hayes’ soul and funk style THEME FROM SHAFT won the Oscar, making Hayes the first African American to win that honor (or any Academy Award in a non-acting category, for that matter). Check out the opening credit sequence from the film, which uses the theme so superbly. Damn right!
Danny Boyle’s amazing film ‘127 Hours’ is nominated in various categories this year, including Best Original Song and Best Film. He also directed ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ which in 2008 walked away with 8 Oscars. That year two of the songs from the film were nominated and JAI HO won the Oscar, but I prefer the song that missed out, O…SAYA by A.R. Rahman and M.I.A.
By having the actors write and perform their own songs, director Robert Altman managed to capture the sprawling heart of the ’70s Nashville music scene, the good, the bad and the just plain hokey. And while the album has its high and low points, the high points got their due: Keith Carradine’s I’M EASY won an Oscar for Best Original Song in 1975.
Zoe suggested that I play the whole album from the film INTO THE WILD. Ah yes, if only I had the time. But we definitely had to play something from this wonderful soundtrack, which was composed by Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam fame. So, my pick was SOCIETY.
Rebecca suggested PLAYGROUND LOVE from the Virgin Suicides soundtrack. it’s by the group Air and it has to be one of the most beautiful love songs written. An Oscar? No, of course not.
In 1969 the film ‘Midnight Cowboy’ won three Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. But no best song, not even a nomination. It was a strong year with Raindrops are Falling on my Head from the film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid taking out the honours, but I do have a soft spot for Harry Nilsson, so we had to play EVERYBODY’S TALKIN’. Here’s the opening sequence with Jon Voight as Joe Buck. Not even a nomination, what gives?
Bruce Springsteen’s STREETS OF PHILADELPHIA from the 1993 film ‘Philadelphia’ did go on to win Best Original Song for Springsteen. So, sometimes the Academy does get it right, it seems. As it did last year with THE WEARY KIND from a film that I also adore, ‘Crazy Heart’. The song was sung by Ryan Bingham.
MEMO FROM TURNER is a song written by the Rolling Stones for Nic Roeg’s film ‘Performance’. Ry Cooder provides slide guitar on the track, which was enough reason for me to include it, despite it not even being nominated for an Oscar. The film starred Mick Jagger as a sex-crazed rock star. I think it probably should have been awarded an Oscar for type-casting, surely! Love the fact that Mick lip-syncs to himself…
Like James Brown’s Black Caesar and Marvin Gaye’s Trouble Man, Curtis Mayfield’s ‘Superfly’ album typified the blaxploitation tradition of soundtracks that eclipsed, and in this case outgrossed, their original inspirations. FREDDIE’S DEAD was my pick from this soundtrack.
It would have been remiss of me not to play at least one of the nominated songs from this year’s Academy Awards. So I went to go out on a limb and forecast that IF I RISE from ‘127 Hours’ should take the guernsey on Oscar’s night. With music by A.R. Rahman and lyrics by Dido and Rollo Armstrong, I think its the best of the bunch. Great footage from the film as well, on this clip:
We finished the show with a divine song from Louis Armstrong. WE HAVE ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD was one of the themes for the James Bond film ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’, starring George Lazenby and Dianna Rigg. Composed by John Barry, with lyrics by Hal David, Barry has been quoted as saying that this is the finest piece of music he ever wrote.
Next week the theme will be SMOKING. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a big fan of nicotine or other smoking substances, for that matter. But gee, there are some good songs on the topic, aren’t there? So I have no shame. Smoking it is. Or maybe we should call it THANKS FOR NOT SMOKING. Put your thinking caps on and get in touch, especially if you have an anti-smoking song for our list.
While you’re pondering your choices, take a look at the playlist from this week:
Stayin’ Alive – Bee Gees, Bee Gees Greatest
When Doves Cry – Prince, Purple Rain
Mrs Robinson – Simon & Garfunkel, The Graduate
A Hard Day’s Night – The Beatles, A Hard Day’s Night
Tonight I’m Gonna Rock You Tonight – Spinal Tap, Back From the Dead
The Harder They Come – Jimmy Cliff, The Harder They Come
(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life – Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes, Dirty Dancing
Lose Yourself – Eminem, 8 Miles
I Just Called To Say I Love You – Stevie Wonder, The Very Best Of
Theme From Shaft – Issac Hayes, Shaft
O…Saya – A R Rahman & M.I.A., Slumdog Millionaire
I’m Easy – Keith Carradine, Nashville
Society – Eddie Vedder, Into The Wild
Playground Love – Air, Virgin Suicides
Everybody’s Talkin’ – Harry Nilsson, Midnight Cowboy
Streets of Philadelphia – Bruce Springsteen, Philadelphia
The Weary Kind – Ryan Bingham, Crazy Heart
Memo From Turner – The Rolling Stones, The Stones
Freddie’s Dead – Curtis Mayfield, Superfly
If I Rise – Dido, AR Rahman, 127 Hours
We Have All the Time In the World – Louis Armstrong, The Best of Bond
Next week: SMOKING
