I never listened to country music before picking up Elvis Costello's "Blue" but those old classics from Hank Williams Sr and George Jones are really great. "Move it on over" sounds much more like an early rock song, but perhaps someone out there knows more about that history. So many great songs by Hank Williams Sr. Check out the video.
This Zulu song was later changed in to English with all of the usual horror stories related to the always slimy music recording industry. This original version has a different sound than The Tokens version and was a massive hit in South Africa well before it hit the UK and America.
A few years ago while driving around southern Africa, we were looking for music to play in the car since so many places are well beyond radio range and someone in South Africa suggested Mafikizolo who were quite popular at the time. For me, listening to this music reminds me of the wonderful people throughout that part of the world and the stunning countryside. Sadly, one member of the trio became a victim of the crime that many hear about around the world. That said, in our six months (and tens of thousands of kilometers of driving) never once did we experience any problems, anywhere. If you like this song, check out the others including Ndihamba Nawe.
The video is kitsch but I still like the remix and love this song. Dalida may have been one of the first multi-cultural singers to hit the world stage. This is a lovely song and a staple for any party in France...at least if you are a certain age. With the release of the hate-filled video by the Dutch extremist this week, it made me think about this song and crossing cultural barriers. It may be obvious to many, but for goodness sakes, people are people around the world. Good or bad isn't limited to any geography or religion. I've met wonderful people in the Middle East and I've met hate filled people in America and the other way around. Anyway, if you want to hear the other versions (French, Arabic, German, Italian) they're all on YouTube. Enjoy.
An absolutely amazing song by one of the best guitarists in the world. My first date with Joelle was a long weekend in Madrid and she gave me one of Paco de Lucia's CDs that included this classic. Great memories all around.
And a Vatican statement condemning the immoral nature of the song. This was a massive hit in 1969 thanks to the free publicity by the moralizers. I wonder how such a song would be received today. Would such sexual overtones (including heavy breathing, moaning and an orgasm) still be as scandalous today? Would the FCC ban it from the radio? Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin sing "Je T'aime... Moi Non Plus."
Lead Belly was one of the musical greats in America. Countless musicians borrowed heavily or were inspired by him. Midnight Special was later successfully recorded by CCR though some of his other songs (including existing folks songs that he recorded) include Grey Goose, Take This Hammer, Pick a Bale of Cotton, Where Did You Sleep Last Night and more. Once you start listening it's impossible to stop jumping to the next song. Check out Where Did You Sleep by Lead Belly which sounds just as great when performed by Nirvana. Lead Belly's music is timeless.
Yesterday morning was comedy, today it's the real thing. Two American greats, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, play Hot House. What an amazing period for jazz in America.
This is from a funny 1990's BBC show, The Fast Show. Every time I saw 'Jazz Club' skits I was reminded of watching the real thing back in the '70s. My father loved jazz so during the weekend we always listened to the Temple University radio station in the house and on occasion would see what I thought was an odd TV show about jazz. I still love bebop though "modern" jazz never did much for me. What was the name of that old jazz show?
The incredible Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti has died after battling pancreatic cancer at the age of 71. What a loss for music lovers around the world.
The first topic is Hillary's new proposal that we deauthorize the Iraq war - i.e., Congress passes a resolution rescinding the authorization - and then Bush can argue to Congress and the country why he should get a new authorization to continue his little pet war in Iraq. The second topic is about a hip-hop artist named Akon. Apparently he simulated sex on stage during one of his concerts and now the right-wingers want him destroyed. You can read more about the incident here, and scroll down to see a video. The article claims this is "simulated rape," and some conservatives are now calling him a misogynist (of course, those would be conservatives who supported the internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII, so take them with a grain of salt). Apparently we're discussing this controversy as part of the larger "hate in hip-hop/rap" story line. I'm not sure this incident is the same as rap lyrics calling for "ho's" to be raped and gays to be killed, but am curious what you guys think - especially the women. Is this as bad as Imus? As bad as hate-hip-hop (hate-hop?)?
I'll be doing two short segments on the show, not sure what times exactly.
