These Days: Carson and Josh

Mr. Mckee and Mr. Turner with a lovely version of Jackson Browne’s song, written when Browne was 16 years old.

More at Josh Turner Guitar

The Song In Every Musical That No One Likes

The very clever Sarah Smallwood Parsons sings a truth universally acknowledged, to hilarious effect.

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Thanks to YouTuber CharactersWelcome

Clonie

Miss Nellie McKay finds her mate.

Thanks to YouTuber TED

“Bye, Bye, Miss American Pie”

Monday Morning, Don McLean in a great re-make of “American Pie,” fifty years later. At last, all the verses again–not like the awful truncated version from Madonna. McLean is accompanied by the wonderful acapella group, Home Free. As always, not an instrument in sight; all the percussion you hear are mouth sounds from band member Adam Rupp, in the short-sleeve purple T-shirt. See here if you don’t believe it.

Once, when McLean was asked what the song meant, he replied, “It means I’ll never have to work again if I don’t want to.”

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More at Home Free

If I Only Had A Brain

Ray Bolger and Judy Garland, 25 years after their first meeting as The Scarecrow and Dorothy Gale from Kansas.

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Thanks to YouTuber The Vintage Archive

The Portal: Nellie McKay

A beautiful haunting song by Nellie McKay.

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Thanks to YouTuber Zoltán Borók-Nagy

FREE livestream by Nellie, Tuesday April 6th EDT!!!

http://www.signaturesounds.com/homesessions

In The Early Morning Rain

Gordon Lightfoot’s song as performed by Peter, Paul, and Mary

Thanks to YouTuber vinylsolution

Locomotion/One Fine Day

Monday morning, Carole King with two of her great songwriting hits, the first for Little Eva, the second for The Chiffons.

And featuring a great backup band.

Thanks to YouTuber Don Giller

“We Can’t Be Forever Blessed”

Paul Simon’s sings his “American Tune,” written over 45 years ago; under our present circumstances, his incredibly touching performance makes it seem like it was written just yesterday.

Thanks to YouTuber soundofsimon

“Wonder How You Manage To Make Ends Meet”

Monday’s child has learned to tie his bootlace.

The Beatles, Lady Madonna

More at The Beatles

Everybody Is A Star

Astronomy, as told by Sly and the Family Stone.

More at Sly & The Family Stone

“I Don’t Want To Live Like This, But…”

Monday morning, Josh and Carson get locked out of their apartments.

In this cover of Vampire Weekend’s “Harmony Hall,” Josh figured that virtuoso singing and guitar-playing was too easy, so let’s throw in taking off and putting on the guitar capo a few times without losing a beat.

More at Josh Turner Guitar

“Who Wants Their Mind Changed?”: Roy Zimmerman, Part Two

And here’s Part Two of our interview with singer/songwriter Roy Zimmerman. Last week in Part One we talked with Roy primarily about his more comical satirical songs. This week, in the final part, the conversation takes a turn as Roy talks about how he writes a song with heavier political content–maybe songs that can change some minds.

Click on the triangle or mp3 link above to hear Part Two of my interview with Roy as broadcast today on the Arts Express radio program on WBAI FM NYC and Pacifica affiliates across the nation.

Part One can be found here: https://jackshalom.net/2021/02/16/yer-a-socialist-satirist-roy-zimmerman/

More Roy at Roy Zimmerman

From Me To You

Monday morning, John and Paul pre-figure Amazon.

Still holds up to my ears, almost sixty years later.

More at TheBeatlesVEVO TM

No Reply

Monday Morning, John’s SMS messages, IMs, email inbox, and smartphone notifications have been wiped.

Thanks to YouTuber Starr’s Music

Hello, NSA

Satirist Roy Zimmerman says hello to the folks on the other side of the curtain.

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“Dear Number 1036924053887”

In which your friendly neighborhood healthcare insurance company sends a letter of mild request to Roy Zimmerman…

One more example of Roy’s great witty songs.

More at Roy Zimmerman

Junk

Monday morning, junk gets in your eyes.

From Paul McCartney’s first solo album. I like the way Carson and Josh swap the high parts as the song progresses.

More at Josh Turner Guitar

All The Things You Are

Monday morning Monk, as in Thelonious.

Thelonious Monk, piano ,

Charlie Rouse, tenor sax

Larry Gales, bass

Ben Riley, drums

Thanks to YouTuber hugO’s jazz

Small Day Tomorrow: Janis Siegel

Janis Siegel’s name is new to me, but after hearing her sing this Fran Landesman/Bob Dorough song, I am definitely a fan.

Sometimes I hear a strong lyric and I smile, because I can imagine the songwriter knowing she has hit gold with a great idea. Bob Dorough, the composer of this song, told in an interview how his writing partner, Fran Landesman, came upon the lyric. One night Fran and her husband were out drinking with some wealthy business people, and one of the puffed-up men suddenly downed his drink and peremptorily said, “Folks, I have to get going, I have a big day tomorrow” And Fran’s husband drawled, “Well, I think I’ll stay. I have a small day tomorrow.” And of course, as soon as they got home, Fran knew that was the hook of a great song, wrote down the line and finished writing the lyrics. Bob Dorough says as soon as he got the lyrics from Fran, the melody practically wrote itself.

More at Janis Siegel – Topic

For Emily/Overs

Two early S&G solos, perfectly sung.

Thanks to Simon and Garfunkel News

Rehearsing the Bridge

Monday morning, peeking through the bedroom blinds. Art Garfunkel and pianist Larry Knectal did 72 takes for the studio version of Paul Simon’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” the last of which eventually landed on the best-selling album. Above is an early version which has some different lyrics from the final version, and a lot less orchestral backing. While the lyrics in this version are a bit more filled with college-level angst, especially the cheesy “bedroom blinds” line, I like the simpler music arrangement a whole lot more, with less bombast than the released album version.

Thanks to YouTuber Simon and Garfunkel News

You Can Close Your Eyes

Kami Maltz and Josh Turner’s harmonizing on this James Taylor song is just wow.

More at Kami Maltz

Graceland

Monday morning, Mr. Simon, along with his amazingly tight band, bestow a kind of musical benediction.

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