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Monday morning, crack guitar player, singer, songwriter, and videomaker Mary Spender takes us behind the scenes to her castle, as she gives us a backstage explanation of how she put together her Romeo-and-Juliet influenced music video with zero crew. A really fascinating look at what talent and resourcefulness can do. Oh, and add camera drone operator to that list.
More at Mary Spender
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Monday Morning, Robbie Robertson, Ringo Starr and People for Change come together virtually with musicians from all over the world to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Robertson’s masterpiece.
Thanks to YouTuber Playing For Change
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Don McLean’s haunting “Vincent,” as performed by Mona and Lisa Wagner, the MonaLisa Twins
More at MonaLisa Twins
Monday morning, a beautiful song written and sung by Allison Young and Josh Turner. Josh writes:
“When Allison and I started to conceive of this project, we both wanted to do something acapella in the Scots-Irish-Appalachian folk tradition. I had suggested a few covers, and then Allison come to me with a verse and a chorus. We finished the song together over the next two days and recorded it just a few days after that. Allison woke up with her voice feeling terrible the morning of recording but it was one of the last days we had, so when she said she felt good enough to give it a try, I hit record on the camera without even checking it – couldn’t waste time! as a result, it is not a very good shot, with Allison almost out of frame and me blocked by the mic. But the recording I’m very happy with.
Longtime friend of the channel Gabe Terraciano added some subtle fiddle drones after the fact for this one, and I put just a tiny bit of Moog synth on there for bass. Topping it off is a recording of some birds Allison took at Edwin Warner park.”
More at Josh Turner Guitar
Monday morning, Tom Paxton, one of the best of the political songwriters of the 60s and afterwards, sings a song for Pete Seeger in 1965 about buying war toys. Little did Tom or Pete realize that the problem of war toys would be fully solved in our time by banning toy guns for children and insisting that they use real ones.
Thanks to Mitchel Cohen for pointing out this video.
Thanks to YouTuber funkydudesupreme
Monday morning, a young Josh takes Mr. Porter’s words to heart.
More at Josh Turner Guitar
One more lesson in obsequiousness from How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. The late Robert Morse rings every bit of humor from the song. The clever lyrics and music are by Frank Loesser.
Thanks to YouTuber Movieclips
From Wikipedia: “Kerry Livgren [ of the band, Kansas] devised what would be the guitar line for “Dust in the Wind” as a finger exercise for learning fingerpicking. His wife, Vicci, heard what he was doing, remarked that the melody was nice, and encouraged him to write lyrics for it. Livgren was unsure whether his fellow band members would like it, since it was a departure from their signature style. After Kansas had rehearsed all the songs intended for the band’s recording sessions of June and July 1976, Livgren played “Dust in the Wind” for his bandmates, who after a moment’s “stunned silence” asked: “Kerry, where has this been? …That’s our next single.”
More at KANSAS
Monday morning have breakfast with Nat King Cole calling out his order:
I don't want French-fried potatoes
Red ripe tomatoes
I'm never satisfied
I want the frim fram sauce with the Ausen fay
With chafafa on the side
I don't want porkchops and bacon
That won't awaken
My appetite inside
I want the frim fram sauce with the Ausen fay
With chafafa on the side
A fella really got to eat
And a fella should eat right
Five will get you ten
I'm gonna feed myself right tonight
I don't want fish cakes and rye bread
You heard what I said
Waiter, please serve mine fried
I want the frim fram sauce with the Ausen fay
With chafafa on the side
A fella really got to eat
And a fella should eat right
Five will get you ten
I'm gonna feed myself right tonight
I don't want fish cakes and rye bread
You heard what I said
Waiter, please serve mine fried
I want the frim fram sauce with the Ausen fay
With chafafa on the sideThanks to YouTuber TheNewFormat
Monday morning, Allison Young singing at least as well as anybody else is ever going to sing that E.Y. Harburg-Harold Arlen classic that was almost cut out of the movie.
More at Allison Young
Sung by the exquisite Carmen McRae. The don’t-make-em-like-that-anymore music and lyrics are by Richard Whiting and George Marion Jr.
Richard Whiting was the father of singer Margaret Whiting and also the composer of “Hooray for Holywood” and “She’s Funny That Way.”
Thanks to WBAI’s Reggie Johnson for a great two hour radio special on Carmen McRae where I first heard these songs.
More at Carmen McRae – Topic
Let’s be frank, there’ll probably never be a cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” that’s better than the original, but this version sung by British singer and guitar player Mary Spender and Reina Del Cid is quite good. Extra city noises free of charge.
More at Mary Spender
Nellie’s mischievous take on veganism, the left, and hypocrisy.
Thanks to YouTuber eTown
Monday morning, some excellent Beatles covers by the Filipino band REO brothers–who are, in fact, really brothers, and have a really inspiring story about the hardships they faced in their lives and the people who helped them. To give you an idea, In 2005, lead vocalist Ronjoseph Otic made drums from tin cans covered with potato-chip bags and started teaching himself to play. He then mastered playing the guitar and taught these skills to his three siblings.
More at REO Brothers
Monday morning, Mona and a stereo Lisa bring back a John Lennon-penned Beatles song with some great harmonies.
More at MonaLisa Twins
Woody Guthrie’s song version of John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath as sung by Brooklyn’s favorite cowboy, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott. Phil Ochs fans might recognize the melody as the same that Phil used for his own song “Joe Hill,” but Phil was just following tradition since Woody had already stolen the tune from an even earlier song called “John Hardy.”
Thanks to YouTuber mrgildons
Monday morning, Laurie Anderson, trying to comprehend the horror, gets a phone call in 1982’s “O Superman.” See the wiki link at the end of the post for the background behind the song.
Words:
O Superman O judge O Mom and Dad Mom and Dad O Superman O judge O Mom and Dad Mom and Dad
Hi. I’m not home right now. But if you want to leave a Message, just start talking at the sound of the tone.
Hello? This is your Mother Are you there? Are you coming home? Hello? Is anybody home?
Well, you don’t know me, but I know you And I’ve got a message to give to you Here come the planes So you better get ready Ready to go. You can come as you are, but pay as you go. Pay as you go.
And I said: OK. Who is this really?
And the voice said: This is the hand, the hand that takes This is the hand, the hand that takes This is the hand, the hand that takes Here come the planes.
They’re American planes Made in America Smoking or non-smoking?
And the voice said: Neither snow nor rain nor gloom Of night shall stay these couriers from the swift Completion of their appointed rounds.
‘Cause when love is gone There’s always justice And when justice is gone There’s always force And when force is gone, There’s always Mom. Hi Mom!
So hold me, Mom, in your long arms So hold me, Mom, in your long arms In your automatic arms. Your electronic arms. In your arms.
So hold me, Mom, in your long arms Your petrochemical arms Your military arms In your electronic arms
Here’s the backstory: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Superman
Thanks to YouTuber Nonesuch Records
As snow and cold invades these parts, Renée Elise Goldsberry seeks some warmth from Will Chase in Rent.
Thanks to BroadwayInHD
Monday morning, going to the window to hear those kids and birds singing. A great haunting cover of The Train Song by Kelly, Josh and Carson, performing a once obscure song by Vashti Bunyan. Vashti Bunyan’s musical journey is an interesting one in itself: this song was originally recorded in 1966, and released on an album in 1970; the album flopped and Vashti left the music world. Thirty years later, her music is rediscovered, she gains a measure of fame, and now she is playing music dates again.
Kelly’s and Carson’s harmonies are exquisite.
More at Josh Turner Guitar
Monday morning, as the 1961 vs the 2021 West Side Story movie buffs argue, let’s go back to the glorious original Broadway theater cast of Carol Lawrence and Larry Kert. Certainly no one better than they were. Here they are in a tv appearance on Ed Sullivan, about 1958. Unfortunately, this YouTube version ends early, but some is better than none…
Thanks to YouTuber The Ed Sullivan Show
Monday Morning, Suzanne Vega’s “Knight Moves.”
I hadn’t heard this song for decades before hearing it again yesterday. Vega had fame with “Luka” and “Tom’s Diner” but this is one song of hers from 1985 that I particularly liked.
Thanks to YouTuber ponchsanta
Mona’s voice seems especially suited for this Beatles song from Rubber Soul.
More at MonaLisa Twins
Monday morning, Joan Baez with the Bob Dylan song that took up a whole side of vinyl on the Dylan album, Blonde on Blonde.
Dylan’s wife at the time was Sara Lownds; but as for the rest of the lyrics, you’re on your own…
Singer Tom Waits said of “Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands”: “This song can make you leave home, work on the railroad or marry a Gypsy.”
Thanks to YouTuber vpolynha
