Arts and Entertainment
Song of the Day 11/12: Emerson, Lake & Palmer, “Lucky Man”
Before ELP released this track in 1970, the Moog synthesizer was a wall-sized curiosity used mainly for sound effects. Keith Emerson changed all that in about 32 bars, starting during the final chorus with a low, portentous note that suddenly soars two octaves into Emerson’s iconic solo. The song only appeared on the super-group’s first […]
Song of the Day 11/11: Eric Burdon and the Animals, “Sky Pilot”
In a way, this 1968 anti-war song was evidence that public opinion had turned against American involvement in Vietnam. Eric Burdon and the Animals didn’t exactly have a peace-loving hippie image, so it wasn’t a good sign for warmongers that even a bunch of British yobs who weren’t in any danger of being drafted were […]
Song of the Day 11/10: The Doobie Brothers, “Jesus Is Just Alright”
Kanye West is raising hackles these days not just for supporting Donald Trump but Jesus as well, revealing a glaring hole in his understanding of both, but it’s not as if the Nazarene has never invaded the pop charts before. Back in the early ’70s a nation shaken by the violent end of the ’60s […]
Song of the Day 11/9: John Prine, “That’s How Every Empire Falls”
I probably feature John Prine more often that some people would like, but this is the rare Prine tune that he didn’t write himself, though he did sign its composer, R.B. Morris, a poet and playwright who moved to Nashville to pursue music, to his Oh Boy record label. The song was written during the […]
Song of the Day 11/8: Slade, “Cum On Feel the Noize”
The glam rock years were strange ones, kids. Bands, particularly in England, put on makeup, glitter and androgynous outfits in emulation of David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust. Most of them took it seriously, but not Slade. The quartet from Wolverhampton played loud, stomping rock that dominated the British charts (six No. 1 records, 17 top 5 […]
Song of the Day 11/7: Mick Jagger, “Memo From Turner”
A lot of people think this is the Rolling Stones, but it’s actually Jagger backed by a band of studio musicians for his star turn in the film “Performance.” That’s Ry Cooder playing the slide guitar that dominates the track, along with Gene Parsons of the Byrds on drums and Randy Newman(!) on piano. Jagger […]
Song of the Day 11/6: Python Lee Jackson ft. Rod Stewart, “In a Broken Dream”
Python Lee Jackson was an Australian band, founded in 1965, that tried its luck in England in 1969. Despite catching the attention of producer John Peel, they didn’t make it big, or even medium-sized, but they did record three tracks with a guest vocalist, bloke by the name of Rod Stewart, who had just left […]
Song of the Day 11/5: Quicksilver Messenger Service, “Fresh Air”
The only song by this quintessential San Francisco psychedelic outfit to make the singles charts, this Santana-sounding 1970 cut talks about something in short supply these days in fire-ravaged California. Dino Valenti, who had just rejoined the group after a prison stretch for marijuana possession, moved the band to Hawaii to record their “Just for […]
Song of the Day 11/4: Vanilla Fudge, “You Keep Me Hangin’ On”
This Holland-Dozier-Holland tune was a No. 1 hit for the Supremes in 1966, just a year before Long Island band Vanilla Fudge slowed it down and turned the song’s minor-key moodiness into sinister anguish. This version reached No. 4 on the charts, and it’s credited as one of the songs that helped steer psychedelia toward […]
Song of the Day 11/3: Paul Simon, “Night Game”
A song I play every year as the elegy for the baseball season. Paul Simon’s natural melancholy, some jazzy chords and the harmonica wizardry of Toots Thielemans combine to roll the tarpaulin upon the winter frost.
Song of the Day 11/2: The Box Tops, “Soul Deep”
Another 1969 track El Som couldn’t squeeze into October was the last top 40 hit by the Box Tops, featuring lead singer Alex Chilton, a 16-year-old high school student when the band’s “The Letter” topped the charts in 1967. Like all their hits, “Soul Deep” was written by Wayne Carson, with legendary Memphis producer Chips […]
Song of the Day 11/1: The Archies, “Sugar, Sugar”
El Somnambulo did a great job of highlighting some of the music of 1969, but he left a big one out — the song that topped the Billboard charts for the entire year. No, not the Beatles, or the Stones, or any other flesh-and-blood musical act. It was The Archies, a studio-only “band” created for […]
Songs Of The Day: Several By The Band
The Band’s self-titled second album helped me make it through my freshman year of college. Not a cure for homesickness, exactly, but a balm to salve doubts as to whether I belonged. It remains my favorite album ever. Most of you already know ‘The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down’ and ‘Up On Crickle Creek’. […]
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