Arts and Entertainment
Song of the Day 3/28: Louis Armstrong, “When the Saints Go Marching In”
Among the songs the Library of Congress added to its National Recording Registry last week is Louis Armstrong’s first recording of “When the Saints Go Marching In,” the gospel spiritual based on the Book of Revelations that Armstrong turned into a New Orleans jazz standard, helping usher gospel music traditions into popular music. Armstrong had […]
Song of the Day 3/26: Labelle, “Lady Marmalade”
The National Recording Registry announced this year’s additions, ranging from a recording Thomas Edison made on a piece of tinfoil in 1878 to Kermit the Frog’s “Rainbow Connection.” The headline selection, though, was this smash hit that reached the top of the charts in 1975 when it was recorded by Labelle, the girl group led […]
Song of the Day 3/25: The Lemon Pipers, “Green Tambourine”
I’m as anti-insurrection as the next guy, but I think the feds may be overreaching in the case of Sara Carpenter, 51, of Queens, who was arrested for entering the Capitol on Jan. 6. She cooperated with the authorities and turned over the clothing she was wearing when she was pepper-sprayed, as well as the […]
Song of the Day 3/24: Marvin Gaye, “What’s Going On”
When Rolling Stone magazine recalculated its 500 greatest albums list last year, giving greater weight to musicians’ opinions and less to the critics, a new No. 1 emerged — Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On,” his seminal 1971 soul song cycle. And that album literally wouldn’t exist without the title tune. The song was inspired by […]
Song of the Day 3/22: Jethro Tull, “Locomotive Breath”
The other day I saw a list of LPs released in 1971, and the phrase “embarrassment of riches” barely scratches the surface. None of them got spun as often among my high school friends as “Aqualung,” the album that ought to have made them a shoo-in for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which […]
Song of the Day 3/19: The Undisputed Truth, “Smiling Faces Sometimes”
The worst part of the story about the Biden White House firing staffers who admitted to past marijuana use is the fact that they were told such admissions would not be held against them. This Motown classic, the only hit for this psychedelic-soul trio, reached No. 3 in 1971. Written by Motown songwriting team of […]
Song of the Day 3/18: Graham Nash and David Crosby, “Immigration Man”
When a U.S. Customs official detained then-Brit Graham Nash as he tried to enter the country, he wrote “Immigration Man.” Nash was ticked off because he wasn’t given a reason for the hold-up, which ended after people started asking Nash for his autograph. The song was the first single from on their first LP and […]
Song of the Day 3/17: The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, “Brennan on the Moor”
Sure, celebrating St. Paddy’s Day by partying is an American invention, but so is an important element of this traditional Irish outlaw ballad. The song was popularized by a Clancy Brothers recording released in 1961 (this video is from 1963) and can be traced to broadsides published in the 1860s, though it tells of events […]
Song of the Day 3/16: Bill Parsons, “She Blinded Me With Science”
Maybe Thomas Dolby is the reason Republicans distrust science — they’re afraid it will make them go blind. I like covers that show a different side of a familiar song, and this one stands out in that regard. Bill Parsons was on the folk-club circuit 20 years ago promoting his only LP, “Special Delivery,” which […]
Song of the Day 3/15: Emma Swift, “Queen Jane Approximately”
Australian singer-songwriter Emma Swift, who works out of Nashville, released a well-received album of Bob Dylan covers last August, “Blonde on the Tracks,” that I only caught up with because now that I’m vaccinized I’ve been in the car a couple of Sundays in a row, and I heard a lot of Americana on the […]
Song of the Day 3/12: Sturgill Simpson, “In Bloom”
I guess it’s my week for country-adjacent covers of rock songs. Sturgill Simpson turns Nirvana’s tuneful grunge-pop nugget into a power ballad that builds to a horn-embellished climax worth of Vegas-era Elvis. He included it on his acclaimed 2016 album “A Sailor’s Guide to Earth” because, he told Spin, “For me, that song has always […]
Song of the Day 3/11: Molly Tuttle, “Fake Empire”
Celebrated bluegrass guitarist Molly Tuttle released a pandemic-inspired cover album, “…but I’d rather be with you,” last August, and the songs represent a mix of influences you might not expect, including the Rolling Stones, the Grateful Dead, Harry Styles and Rancid. This song dates to 2007, when it was included on The National’s fourth album, […]
Song of the Day 3/10: Randy Rainbow, “Mr. Biden (Bring My Vaccine)”
I was curious about how Randy Rainbow would transition to a post-Trump political landscape. Here’s your answer — Mr. Sandman parodied for Sleepy Joe, with backup vocals by the Robinettes.
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