Rolling Stone magazine named them the Greatest singing duo ever. They influenced everyone from the Beatles to Simon and Garfunkel. Phil and Don Everly, brothers whose artistic and business partnership was famously contentious, make some of the most beautiful harmonies ever in pop music.
They called “Let It Be Me” the most beautiful song they had ever recorded.
Click on the image to play.
Thanks to YouTuber Orvil Morris
Weird Al Yankovic with his hilarious song about unwanted forwards. And hey–I think I spotted myself at 1:43 to 1:50, especially since this video was first posted in 2011. Thanks, Al!
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More at alyankovic
Monday morning, Stevie Wonder at the age of 22 killing it on Sesame Street, of all places, with “Superstition.” Still great.
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“Superstition”
Very superstitious, writings on the wall,
Very superstitious, ladders ’bout to fall,
Thirteen-months-old baby broke the lookin’ glass
Seven years of bad luck, the good things in your past
When you believe in things that you don’t understand,
Then you suffer,
Superstition ain’t the way
Very superstitious, wash your face and hands,
Rid me of the problem, do all that you can,
Keep me in a daydream, keep me goin’ strong,
You don’t wanna save me, sad is my song
When you believe in things that you don’t understand,
Then you suffer,
Superstition ain’t the way, yeah, yeah
Very superstitious, nothin’ more to say,
Very superstitious, the devil’s on his way,
Thirteen-months-old baby broke the lookin’ glass,
Seven years of bad luck, good things in your past
When you believe in things that you don’t understand,
Then you suffer, superstition ain’t the way, no, no, no
Thanks to YouTuber Ryan’s Smashing Life
With the madness of the last week it’s nice to just relax and give oneself up to an artist who is totally in control of her talent.
Lady Gaga sings a jazz/pop version of the Rodgers and Hart standard that promises a lot and delivers a lot.
She sang this often on her 2015 tour, and if you look on YouTube, you can see that in every performance the vocal arrangement is different, she’s clothed in a different costume and wig, and yet every performance is right on the money. Really a rare talent.
Click on the image to listen.
Thanks to YouTuber Lucs Said
Monday Morning in the Park (Prospect?). Carson McKee takes the lead on a lesser-known Beatles song by Mr. Lennon. (The brass figleaf with bronze oakleaf palms if you can guess which album it’s from. Careful–it’s a bit of a trick question.)
Josh Turner on guitar, and guest Jim Hogan with the terrific harmonies.
Click on the image to play.
More at Josh Turner Guitar
On the last day of the month, we think of Septembers past. Though there are many fine versions of the Tom Jones/Harvey Schmidt classic from The Fantasticks, in this case, schmaltziest is best, and that inevitably means The Brothers Four.
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More at Mark Pearson
Yom Kippur morning, Tracy Chapman takes on Rabbi Hillel.
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Thanks to YouTuber Folk & Country on MV
Reina del Cid with a smart lyric about a vain queen from Greek mythology who now makes her home in the sky.
More at Reina del Cid
Monday morning, it’s much too crowded in glorious scratchy mono.
Thanks to YouTuber Radiostorm
Monday morning after sifting through literally dozens of versions, band configurations, and covers, we settle on this 2013 version of the 1981 Toto song.
Dave Paich: lead vocals, keyboards and writer
Simon Phillips: drums
Nathan East: bass
Steve Lukather: lead guitar
And because here at Shalblog Industries® we use every part of the buffalo, expect more versions of it posted this week.
Thanks to YouTuber MADIM67
A very silly, clever song. Make sure you stay for the end, if you don’t want to be completely confused. Language definitely not suitable for work or the easily offended.
More at thelonelyisland
Boz Scaggs had one great album in 1976, Silk Degrees; the songs from it were heard everywhere you went that year.
Thanks to YouTuber fouchejose
If this doesn’t get you out of bed Monday morning, have someone check your pulse. Unbelievable banjo and guitar picking by Béla Fleck and Billy Strings.
More at Billy Strings
Dave Van Ronk claimed that it was really Tom Paxton of the NYC folk scene who first claimed the mantel of singer/songwriter among folkies, daring to sing mainly his own songs in the cafés, which led the way to Dylan and Ochs. Here’s a great Paxton song from fifty years ago that could have been written yesterday.
Monday morning, for all that’s been lost.
More at Tom Paxton – Topic
I met Raymond Crowe at the 2019 Genii Convention, and he was an absolute stand-out. He is a man of many talents, and I am sure you will be tremendously pleased with what he does in this clip.
Thanks to Youtuber AwesomeTalent666
You can visit Raymond’s website at raymondcrowe.com and view more of his unusual talents and skills.
Monday morning, Dad shows how it’s done: Ross McManus, the father of Declan McManus—better known as Elvis Costello—out-Trini’s Trini Lopez with his version of “If I Had A Hammer.”
Thanks to YouTuber Christopher Suprun and Bev Shalom for passing this on.
Sunday evening, Paul finds 50,000 to perform with, nah-nah-nah-nah-ing far into Monday morning.
Paul McCartney at the amazing Hyde Park concert in 2010, singing “Hey Jude.”
By the end, I think even McCartney was in awe. All 50,000 people, men, then women, were singing in the right key.
Here is the incredible set list for the concert that night:
Gordon Lightfoot’s song “If You Could Read My Mind” was always one of my favorites, but I never had the musical knowledge to understand why I liked it so much, even over and above the great lyrics. Rick Beato’s musical breakdown of the arrangement and production of the music of Lightfoot’s recording is just wonderful. His discourse on the song not only makes me feel smarter, but much more to the point, makes me hear things in the recording that I had never consciously heard before. (Headphones recommended).
More at Rick Beato
Monday morning, the McCartneys wake up next to each other and Paul sings.
With Jimmy McCulloch on bass, Denny Laine on 12-string guitar, both of Wings.
Thanks to YouTuber Gissela Pereyra
In this live performance from The Ed Sullivan Show, you can barely hear Buddy’s guitar because Ed demanded that the sound be turned down. But Buddy bangs it out nevertheless. After that, Buddy reportedly refused to perform the second song he was scheduled to sing on the show.
Thanks to YouTuber Maniana14
As Congress argues about whether, Please Sir, May We Have More Gruel? let’s not forget about who is really important here.
Riki “Garfunkel” Lindhome and Kate “Oates” Micucci in a dead-on satire of “We Are The World” type celebrity videos.
Warning: Language Not Suitable For Work.
More At: Garfunkel And Oates
Monday morning, Dion, now pushing 80 years old, sings “Here in America,” his moving tribute to Sam Cooke, with whom Dion toured. The harmonies by the unseen Paul Simon raise it to a whole other level.
More at Dion
