Blog Archives
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
