Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. DXXXV--Fatboy Slim: The Rockafeller Skank

Once again, late for the sky....

I'm relatively sure my introduction to this week's tune was a music video, but whether it was on MTV or Much Music I can't recall.  I do remember that it was one of those songs that struck me instantly, and that I wanted to hear again--and the sooner the better....

I wrote about Fatboy Slim (aka, Norman Cook) in Vol. CCLIV, so I'll dispense with the bio for this week.  In the six years since that post, Mr. Cook continued to make music until late 2024, when he decided to give up creating music to concentrate on his DJ performances.  He was also nominated for a Tony Award (along with Talking Heads' frontman David Byrne) for writing the score for the musical Here Lies Love.  

"The Rockafella Skank" was the first single from Fatboy Slim's breakthrough album, the rather smokingly entitled You've Come a Long Way Baby.  The single would reach #6 in his native U.K., and #76 here in America.  Though I've noted the album before, as a reminder it hit #1 in Great Britain, and #34 in the United States.

Fun Fact:  "The Rockafella Skank" samples nine different songs, and Mr. Cook has stated that in order to get permission he had to release 100% of the song's royalties and has not received a penny of said royalties for himself.

In some ways (especially lyrically) "The Rockafeller Skank" seems to accomplish a lot with very little, but after doing my half-assed research I learned that Fatboy Slim created a truly wondrous piece of music with an awful lot of help (see "Fun Fact" above).  The song basically repeats the same two lines again and again (which makes the song's captivation all the more amazing), though what I've thought for years was sound effects turned out to actually be a lyric, repeating the word "rock" rapidly (and adding in a "rockafeller" here and there for shits and grins, one supposes).  I noted last week that sometimes a song just has a good groove, and I should note this week that "The Rockafeller Skank" just has a momentous groove.  Twenty years before hearing it I never would have imagined that such a song would fill my soul, but that's one of the continuing wonders of my musical adventure--and why it's included here in the annals of Friday Night Jukebox.

Lyric Sheet:  "Right about now, the funk soul brother/Check it out now, the funk soul brother..."

Fuck Donald Trump

Peace,

emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. DXXXIV--Eels: Mr. E's Beautiful Blues

'Twas nice while it lasted, but we're back to Late City yet again....

My introduction to this week's tune was--much like Fastball's "Out of My Head" from a couple weeks back--was an alternative station (channel number somewhere in the 1000's) on my local cable offering back when I still lived in Belleville, IL.  The two songs were released approximately a year apart so my musical good fortune was strong from 1999-2000.  Not the most exciting way to find new music, but it worked just fine....

While I wrote about the Eels in Vol. XVII, it was before I started doing short bios of each artist so I'm going to do a short bio just to give my legion of fans (all three of them) a little more to read.  Mark Oliver Everett (commonly known as "E"), the brainchild behind the Eels, started as a solo performer in 1991 and released two albums.  In 1995, along with Butch Norton and Tommy Walter, he branched out and the Eels were born.  Over the course of the last thirty years, the Eels have won a Brit Award, toured extensively, and had a number of their songs featured in movie soundtracks (including this week's tune).  Everett has been the only constant, as the band has had many incarnations (a number of musicians have only appeared on studio recordings, and a number have also only appeared as part of the touring band).  For their career, the Eels have released twenty studio albums, eight live albums, five compilations, and seventeen singles.  While they haven't had much in the way of commercial success, they've managed to sustain a thirty year career and released their latest studio album just last year.

"Mr. E's Beautiful Blues" was the first single released from their 2000 release, the rather florally entitled Daisies of the Galaxy.  The single did not chart in America, but did hit #11 in the U.K.  Similarly for the LP, which did not chart in America either, while hitting #8 in the U.K. (so many cool kids in Great Britain!).

Fun Fact:  While this week's tune has not had its own post, it has been featured on Friday Night Jukebox before.  In much happier times, I used it to celebrate Joe Biden being declared the winner of the 2020 Presidential election....

Other than being a series of vignettes that may show life's beauty in its everyday glory, I can't even begin to guess if "Mr. E's Beautiful Blues" has a point, other than it being a beautiful day, goddamn right, uh-huh.  Still the song is catchy as all hell, and while doing my half-assed research I noticed for the first time how solid the drumming is.  Everett, delivers solid vocals, though I'm guessing a number of them have his tongue planted firmly in his cheek (there is some nice falsetto work on the stanzas near the end, though whether it's to up its coolness quotient or some other reason, I have no idea).  Sometimes a song just has a good groove, and that's what this week's song has--it keeps a smile on your face and a shimmy in your shake.  Good enough for me, uh-huh, goddamn right....

Lyric Sheet:  "Well, I don't know/How you're taking all the shit you see/You don't believe anyone/But most of all, you don't believe me/Only you..."

Enjoy:

Fuck Donald Trump

Peace,

emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CDXXVI--John Williams: Cavatina

 Like most people familiar with this week's featured tune, my introduction to it was the movie The Deer Hunter.  My love for it through the years has grown, though, thanks to having learned how to play the guitar (albeit badly) in the interim--I have watched this week's artist perform it on many a YouTube video (and, no, I wouldn't even think of trying to play it myself).  Also, it is a bit different from our usual fare--pretty sure this is the first song I've written about that is considered classical...

John Williams was born in Melbourne, Australia in 1941, and by the age of four had begun playing the guitar.  When he was eleven his family moved to England, and he started studying via summer courses with classical guitar great Andres Segovia in Italy.  In 1956 he began attending the Royal College of Music where he had to study piano because it didn't have a guitar program.  Williams had his initial performance at the age of seventeen and has spent the last sixty-five years recording and performing.  Williams has won both a Brit Award and a Grammy Award and has been called the "most technically accomplished guitarist" in history.  Between studio albums and compilations, Williams has released over 150 albums.  Williams is also known for playing numerous genres of music, including performing with Pete Townshend for a charity concert, and with the fusion band Sky.

"Cavatina" originally appeared on Williams' album Changes, released in 1971.  Unsurprisingly for a classical release, the song was not released as a single and the album did not chart.  However, after the release of The Deer Hunter the song was released as a single in the U.K. and eventually reached the top twenty.

Fun Fact:  Though it gained fame as the theme of The Deer Hunter, "Cavatina" was originally written by British composer Stanley Myers for another movie, The Walking Stick.  

In Italian, "Cavatina" translates roughly as "simple song," which I like because although it's anything but, "Cavatina" is enlivened by its simplicity.  The repetition of notes, the quiet pauses, and the soft orchestral backing give the song a gentle poignancy that fills the soul.  In the end, though, it's Williams' guitar virtuosity--and even as a half-assed guitarist myself I can attest to said virtuosity--that makes the song.  He's just a joy to listen to--and as such, makes the song the same.

Lyric Sheet:  I know what you're thinking loyal readers (both of you):  "How can an instrumental have lyrics?"  Well, jazz great Cleo Laine wrote lyrics to the music and called it "He Was Beautiful."  She also performed it with Williams, and after giving it a listen I can tell you that she (and he) came up with a wonderful rendition.

Enjoy:

Republicans = Nazis

Peace,

emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CDXXII--Laura Marling: All My Rage

One of the gentle reminders I get on occasion when I write my weekly music post is just how many artists I literally know just one song that they have performed, and how there will never be world enough and time (thank you, Andrew Marvell) to listen to every artist and their catalog of music before my time on this world is over.  Such was the case with this week's artist and tune (once again, introduction courtesy of my darling daughter) --as much as I love folk music, I am certain that the songs and albums produced by this week's featured artist would become a litany of good music for me to listen to....

Laura Marling was born in 1990 in the U.K.--her mother was a music teacher and her father ran a recording studio, so she most assuredly had an early start on her career.  At the age of sixteen she graduated from secondary school and moved to London, moving in with her sisters.  She immediately began joining bands, and by the ripe old age of eighteen had released her first album...which promptly was nominated for a Mercury Prize (as were three of her later albums).  She won a Brit Award for Best Female Vocalist at the age of twenty-one, and in 2017 was nominated for a Grammy for best folk album.  Over the course of her fifteen year career Marling has released seven studio albums (six of which have hit the top ten in the U.K.), and two more albums as a member of the band LUMP.  Marling also made a brief foray into acting in 2015, co-starring in a short film called "Woman Driver."

Fun Fact:  As of 2020, Marling was enrolled in a master's program for psychoanalysis...all of which leads me to wonder just what the hell I did with almost sixty-four years of my life....

"All My Rage" was featured on Marling's 2011 album A Creature I Don't Know.  It was not released as a commercial single; the album reached #4 on the U.K. album chart, and #99 here in America.

I couldn't begin to tell you fuck-all what "All My Rage" is about, but I can tell you it sounds like a beautiful Irish folk ballad, the instrumentation is as gorgeous as it gets, and Marling sings like the Gods of Music blessed her vocal cords two times over.  Throw in the harmonies on the second visit to the chorus and Marling's cryptic lyrics and you have yourself a folk song as good as anything this side of American folk in the fifties and sixties.  And she was all of twenty-one when she wrote and recorded it--all of which tells me that music will always be in the very good hands of some talented musician somewhere.

Lyric Sheet:  "Cover me up I'm pale as night/With a mind so dark and skin so white/Is this the devil having fun?/I tip my cap to the raging sun..."

Enjoy:

Republicans = Nazis

Peace,

emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CDXIV--Lorde: Royals

 For the both of you keeping track at home, the streak of Friday Night Jukebox posts actually posted on Friday ends at seven...once again thanks to life getting in the way.

My introduction to this week's tune came from the back room crew at the thrift shop where I was an incredible Assistant Manager (if I do say so myself).  They would keep a radio playing to the latest hits as they worked--though amazingly enough when I asked about this week's song none of them had the slightest idea who it was.  Thanks to the wonders of the internet, I typed in a couple of lyrics from the single and voila! a new favorite was realized.  

Lorde (birth name Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor) was born in 1996 just outside of Auckland, New Zealand (he writes as if he knows where "just outside of Auckland" would actually be), and at a very young age began to show the inklings of talents most of us can only dream about.  At the ripe old age of thirteen she signed with Universal Music Group and began making music.  She would release her first album, an EP, two years later originally as a free download and it helped attract attention to her first hit single--which would go on to sell fifteen million copies in the U.S. and help her to win two Grammy Awards.  In the years since, Lorde has had a Golden Globe nomination, another Grammy nomination (for album of the year), won two Brit Awards, and an MTV Music Video Award.  For her still very young career, she has released three studio albums (with all three reaching the top five), four EP's, and thirteen singles (with one #1 and another top ten).  She's also had three world tours.  As with our last two artists, Lorde, barring unforeseen circumstances, will be making music long after my ghost has departed this vail.

"Royals" was the first single Lorde released, in 2013, from her debut EP The Love Club. It was also included on her first studio album Pure Heroine (excellent play on words).  The single would hit #1 in the U.S. and her native New Zealand, as well as ten other countries.  The EP reached #23 in America and peaked at #2 in New Zealand and Australia (so many cools kids down under!).

Fun Fact:  The song's title was inspired by a picture Lorde cut out of National Geographic of baseball Hall-of-Famer George Brett signing autographs--with his team's name, the Royals, emblazoned upon his uniform.  Lorde thought it was a great word and worked on ways to incorporate it into a song.

When I was seventeen, I was wondering what it would be like to hold hands with any number of pretty young women I went to school with.  Lorde on the other hand, was taking a half an hour to write a song that challenged the illusions of opulence often portrayed in popular--especially American--culture.  Folks who are much more attuned to today's music have hailed the song as groundbreaking and an influence on countless songs and artists over the course of the last nine years.  For me, it's minimalist musical tones and Lorde's defiant vocals set the table for the personal being the political.  I've wondered over the past couple of days how Lorde views the song now that she herself is living the fantasy--I'm sure I'll never know, but I will know and have known what it means to literally count pennies and am glad that there's an artist who proudly shows the strength those of us who didn't win the economic lottery muster every day to do our part to keep this world rolling along.

Lyric Sheet:  "We count our dollars on the train to the party/And everyone who knows us knows/That we're fine with this, we didn't come from money..."

Enjoy:

Republicans = Losers

Peace,

emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox Vol. CDXII--Adele: Someone like You

Several years back I was helping restock a thrift store that had been damaged by smoke from a fire at a restaurant next door in anticipation of its grand reopening.  Over the course of several days, I kept hearing this week's tune again and again going from initially "What is this shlock?" to "Holy shit, this is incredible!"  When I finally remembered to look it up online, I played the song and asked my wife if she'd ever heard it, and she was like "Duh, it's Adele, one of the biggest stars going these days."  D'oh! So much for my new music cred....

Adele Laurie Blue Adkins was born in 1988 in London and began singing at the age of four.  After graduating from an art school at 18, she began making money from music immediately.  At the ripe old age of twenty she released her first album, and by the time she was twenty-one she was an international superstar.  I could literally fill several paragraphs with all her accomplishments, but just to highlight:  she has sold over 120 million records, won 15 Grammys, 12 Brit Awards, an Oscar, and an Emmy.  Ten million people tried to buy tickets for her 2016 World Tour, of which only 750,000 seats were available.  For her career, Adele has released four albums, with all four hitting #1 in her native U.K., and three reaching number one in the U.S.  She has had a #1 album in 36 different countries.  She's also released 18 singles with three number ones in the U.K. and five in America.  And she probably has a good forty years of touring and recording to go....

Fun Fact:  Adele is the only artist to have an album (21) be at #1 on the Billboard 200 while also having three singles hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 as the LP rested atop the album chart.  The album also had the longest reign of an album by a female artist at 24 weeks.

"Someone like You" was the second single from Adele's diamond certified (sales of over ten million) LP 21.  Amazingly enough, both the single and the album hit #1 in the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as more countries than I have the time to list.

A piano, some of the best vocals you'll ever hear in your life (not an exaggeration), and lyrics and music that easily cracks the top ten (if not top five) of all-time great "My Life Will Go On But My Heart Is Going To Be Shattered For A Good While" songs.  It still puts a lump in my throat every time I hear it. And all that's left to say is this:  Just listen to it--by the end, you'll understand.

Lyric Sheet:  "Nothing compares, no worries or cares/Regrets and mistakes, they're memories made/Who would have known how bittersweet this would taste?"

Enjoy:

Republicans = Losers

Peace,

emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CCCXCV--Nelly Furtado: I'm Like a Bird

 As I've grown older, when it comes to music (as well as other interests) I've tended to fall back on the familiar (most of which occurred prior to my leaving Camelot Music in the late nineties), which is why there is a dearth of songs featured here that were released between the year 2000 and today.  Doesn't mean that I've completely forsaken new music--I've discovered several artists and more than a few songs in the last twenty years...as evidenced by this pop gem from the turn of the century....

Other than this week's single and its follow-up (which I didn't much care for), my knowledge of the trajectory of Nelly Furtado's career would sit just slightly above nothing.  Undeterred by my lack of interest, Furtado has assembled a successful and varied musical journey.  Furtado was born in Canada in 1978 (she is the daughter of Portuguese immigrants), and she began entertaining at the ripe old age of 4.  By the age of nine she was learning musical instruments (trombone and ukulele--she added guitar and keyboards later), and she began writing songs at the age of 12.  By the time she'd turned twenty-two she had released her first LP, which went on to be both a critical and commercial success.  Over the course of the last twenty years Furtado has sold 40 million records, been nominated for seven Grammys (winning one), and won a Latin Grammy, a Brit Award, and ten Juno Awards from her native Canada.  For her career, she has released six studio albums (with one #1 here in the States), and twenty-eight singles (with four reaching the top ten, two of which hit #1).  Furtado continues to record and perform and has embraced numerous genres as well as cultures in her music through the years.

"I'm Like a Bird" was the first single Furtado ever released, and appeared on her debut LP, the wondrously titled Whoa, Nelly!  The single would hit #9 on the Billboard Hot 100, while the album peaked at #24 on the Billboard 200.

Fun Fact:  Unlike some artists who disdain their biggest hit singles, Furtado fully embraces the success of "I'm Like a Bird" having said of the song, "I just think I'm lucky I have it--it's paying the bills!"

Regular readers (both of you) will take one listen to this week's tune and think "Female vocalist? Check.  Inspired vocals by said female vocalist?  Check.  Uplifting but not sappy lyrics?  Check.  Catchy as all hell chorus?  Check.  A piece of pop music heaven?  Check.  Yup--this sounds like an emaycee fave!"  And you'd be perfectly right.  Not much else I can add to that other than how much I love the way she scats her way through the line "And baby, all I need for you to know is..."--literally knocks me out every time I hear her sing it....

Lyric Sheet:  "And baby, all I need for you to know is/I'm like a bird, I'll only fly away/I don't know where my soul is (soul is)/I don't know where my home is..."

Enjoy:

Republican = Traitor

Peace,

emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CCCLXXIX--Travis: Why Does It Always Rain on Me?

This week's featured tune is another in a long list of artists/songs introduced to me by my lovely daughter.  At one time, she was quite the aficionado of Brit Pop, and her sharing of her love of the genre led me to many a good tune and many a good band....

Travis had its beginnings in 1990 in Glasgow, Scotland, and by 1991 had all of the members who would form the core of the band.  They had their first taste of success with their debut album, Good Feeling, in 1997, and with their second album (featuring this week's tune) in 1999 were well on their way to critical and commercial success. While the bulk of their success has been in their native U.K., they have had a modicum of success here in the States.  Travis has won two Brit Awards and are considered by some as having set the stage for Keane and Coldplay (both of whom have also been blessed enough to be featured on Friday Night Jukebox).  For their career, Travis have released nine studio albums (with two #1's on the U.K. Albums Chart and seven of the nine reaching the top five), and 24 singles (six of which have hit the top ten on the U.K. Singles Chart).  They released their latest LP in 2020 and continue to tour and record.  For those wondering, the band's name came from the character of Travis Henderson (portrayed by Harry Dean Stanton) in the critically acclaimed film, Paris, Texas.

"Why Does It Always Rain on Me?" was the third single released from Travis' career making second album, The Man Who.  The song would hit #10 (with a bullet, or whatever the British equivalent of Billboard's bullet is) on the U.K. Singles Chart, while the album was their first #1 on the U.K. Albums Chart.  Neither entered the top 100 in America.

Fun Fact:  This is probably the coolest Fun Fact yet...When Travis played the Glastonbury Festival in support of the recently released The Man Who album, the album had already peaked on the album chart and was beginning to look like a sales disappointment.  However, as the band broke into "Why Does It Always Rain on Me?" it began to rain (after several hours of sunshine) and stopped raining when the band finished the song.  Word of mouth about the incident caused people to flood radio stations with requests and the band's album as well as the single became a hit, very likely rescuing the band's career.

Every now and again while preparing Friday Night Jukebox, I come across a song that I had forgotten how wonderful it truly was, and "Why Does It Always Rain on Me" was such a song this week.  From Fran Healy's understated but heartfelt vocals to the melancholy--yet still hopeful--lyrics, this tune is about as good as a pop song can get.  The melody is like a dream, and the band hits all the right notes, highlighting Healy's vocals while adding their own signature to the song.  Bonus points because my Mom liked this one a lot, too.

Lyric Sheet:  "Sunny days/Where have you gone?/I get the strangest feeling you belong/Why does it always rain on me..."

Enjoy (props to Fran Healy for wearing a kilt in the video):

Republican = Traitor

Peace,

emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CCCLXXIII--Spice Girls: Wannabe

 My first recollection of this week's tune is it being played constantly by a young man (whose name I've long forgotten and that wasn't a particularly good employee who quit without notice) during its height in popularity in the latter years of my career with Camelot Music.  At first the song was kind of annoying, but over time I came to realize it was a hell of a pop song.

Not going to lie, between the invasion of Ukraine and Joe Biden's State of the Union address my weekly half-assed research was really more like one-tenth-assed since there was little time for other reading, and frankly the Wikipedia entries for the band, the album, and the single were Beatlesque in length, and the Spice Girls (Scary Spice, Sporty Spice, Ginger Spice, Posh Spice, and Baby Spice) were a) not nearly that talented, and b) not nearly that interesting.  So...we'll have to settle for the first paragraph synopses.  The Spice Girls were created out of a series of auditions in 1994 and released their first album in 1996--which took them into the stratosphere with regard to their popularity and commercial success.  A movie followed shortly thereafter, and they also won several Brit Awards.  The band would release two more albums, both of which resulted in decreasing sales before disbanding to pursue solo careers in 2000.  They reunited for tours in 2007, 2012, and 2016, before reuniting for good in 2018 (though Posh Spice, aka Victoria Beckham, wife of soccer superstar David Beckham, has not been with the band since the 2007 reunion).  The Spice Girls sold over 100 million records, have the highest grossing tours for female bands in history, and made a shit ton of money in endorsements and band related enterprises.  My quick take on their career should not take away from the fact that the five women in Spice Girls were a significant force for female empowerment, especially for younger women, and contributed greatly to making our world more diverse and female friendly (though much work remains).

"Wannabe" was the debut single from their debut album (both released in 1996), the flavorfully entitled Spice.  The single reached #1 (with a bullet!) on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as on the U.K. Singles Chart, and would top the charts in 37 countries.  The album also hit number one in America and Great Britain, and just for good measure, topped the charts in 22 more countries.

Fun Fact:  This week's single, as well as the album it was released on, are the best-selling single and album by a girl group in recorded music history.  That's some serious success.

Alternating between a hip-hop rap and infectious pop segues, "Wannabe" stresses the importance of respecting and accepting your lady love's friends...which is actually a hell of a sentiment for a pop song (and not one I recall seeing in any other song).  The Spice Girls trade off vocals, with every member of the band taking turns at singing lines/verses, and, somewhat surprisingly, their vocals mesh perfectly.  Scary and Ginger rap back and forth, with a jaunty piano in the background, and the backing music for the rest of the tune is just a pop dream.  I couldn't name (or probably even recognize) another song by the Spice Girls, but this one is more than enough:  among the best of what pop music has to offer.

Lyric Sheet:  "If you wanna be my lover/You gotta get with my friends (gotta get with my friends)/Make it last forever/Friendship never ends..."

Enjoy:

Republican = Traitor

Peace,

emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CCCLXV--Spandau Ballet: True

 We're going to close out 2021 with one of the best pop ballads from across the pond from an otherwise often forgettable decade of music:  the 80's.  Mushy lyrics, sugary sweet vocals, and an unrequited love--just what the doctor ordered on the last night of the often very difficult year of 2021.

[For the both of you that have noticed, yes, it is actually a Friday Night Jukebox post actually appearing on its scheduled Friday.  That it's New Year's Eve leaves me very much hoping anyone reading it tonight is a humongous fan of music and is not spending a celebratory evening without a sweetie with which to share this week's tune--especially since it's a love song....]

Spandau Ballet formed in 1979 in London, and unbeknownst to me have had quite a successful career (though in fairness a good deal of their commercial success was overseas and this week's tune is pretty much their only hit in America).  The band's first run ran through 1990, at which time they went their separate ways (acting and various music projects) before reforming in 2009.  They stayed together again until 2019, opting not to continue as a band unless lead singer Tony Hadley, who left the band in 2017, decided to rejoin Spandau Ballet.  Over the course of their career, the band has sold over 25 million albums, won a Brit Award, and were one of the featured performers at Live Aid (as well as appearing on the Band Aid single, "Do They Know It's Christmas").  Spandau Ballet released seven studio albums, one live album, and 13 compilations in their time together, as well as 25 singles.  Five of their seven albums hit the top ten in the U.K., and they had eight top ten singles.  

"True" was released as a single in 1983 from their not surprisingly named album, True.  The single hit #1 in their native U.K., and #4 (with a bullet!) on the Billboard Hot 100.  The album also hit #1 in Great Britain, and peaked at #19 here in the States.  The song also hit the top ten in eleven other countries.

Fun Fact:  "True" has been played over four million times on the radio in the United States, which if played continuously, would last for over 22 years.  Oh, the things you learn on Friday Night Jukebox....

Fans of Friday Night Jukebox (both of you) know by now that there's nothing like blue-eyed soul to make emaycee smile, and I do a lot of smiling when I'm listening to "True".  Songwriter (and guitarist) Gary Kemp has said "True" is a love song about writing a love song (it's also about his unrequited love for Altered Images lead singer Clare Grogan), and that he had hoped to create a Marvin Gaye/Al Green type ballad.  While it's not quite in that league, Kemp came very close--inspired vocals from Hadley, understated instrumentation which carries the lyrics like a lullaby, as well as backing vocals (full of ha's and ah's) to make you swing and sway the livelong day.  A soulful ballad chock full of pop sensibility--and it's a fine final week's tune for this year's additions to the annals of Friday Night Jukebox.

Lyric Sheet:  "So true/Funny how it seems/Always in time, but never in line for dreams..."

Enjoy:

Republican = Racist

Peace,

emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CCCXXXII--Blur: Song 2

 We have another first for Friday Night Jukebox:  the first song that both of my readers are probably sick of, especially if they've seen a sporting event or any numbers of movies over the course of the past twenty some odd years....

Blur formed in London, England in 1988.  Originally a Britpop band, Blur would reinvent itself a couple of times over the course of its career with excellent results.  The band has had considerable commercial and critical success in its native U.K., and while they haven't quite enjoyed the same success here in the states, they have had a few hits and a nice following.  In the mid 90's Blur had a running battle with Oasis for the best band in the U.K.  It's generally conceded that Blur did not wind up on the winning end of the battle, but to even be a part of such rarefied air has to be a nice consolation prize.  Blur has released eight studio albums (with the last six all debuting at #1 on the U.K. Album Chart), five live albums, and five compilations.  They've also released 34 singles with 2 #1's and nine more top ten singles on the U.K. Singles Chart.  Blur has won five Brit Awards and been nominated for a Grammy.  The band took a hiatus from 2004-2008, and has been on another hiatus since 2016 but has not ruled out a future reunion.

"Song 2" was released as a single in 1997 from their cleverly titled fifth album, Blur.  The single reached #2 in Great Britain, and #55 (with a bullet!) on the Billboard Hot 100.  The album was their third straight number one in the U.K., but peaked at #55 in America.

Fun Fact:  "Song 2" is two minutes and two seconds long, has two verses and two choruses, and was the second song on its album, as well as the second single released from said album.  No word as to whether the number two was a particular band member's lucky number...

Originally written by frontman Damon Albam as an acoustic tune to fuck with their record label, the song took on a new life when guitarist Graham Coxon suggested they play the song with a power pop energy...and their record executives surprisingly loved it.  It's one of those songs that after the first couple of guitar chords is instantly recognizable, and the opening progression is widely considered not only Coxon's best work but one of the better guitar openings in rock history.  From there it's a nod to American alternative power guitar, some frenetic vocals from Albam, and a whole heck of a lot of "woo-hoo"'s (it's the little things...).  Even with the ubiquity of the song, it's still a great listen and two minutes and two seconds of power pop joy.

Lyric Sheet:  "I got my head checked/By a jumbo jet/It wasn't easy/But nothing i-is/No/Woo-hoo..."

Enjoy:

It's Not Just an Infrastructure Bill, It's a Jobs Plan, Too

Peace,

emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CCCXXV--David Bowie: Rebel Rebel

 The first time I heard this week's tune, I was driving my parents car to one of my college classes, and I was absolutely convinced it was a Neil Young song I'd never heard before because the guitars sounded exactly like Neil Young guitars.  When I got home later that day I immediately went to check my three or four Neil Young albums and was extremely disappointed that it appeared on none of them.  Some time later, I managed to get to a music store and checked the big music catalogs they used to have (whose name I have completely forgotten) and discovered it was by David Bowie.  Oddly enough, as I did my half-assed research this week, the guitar work in the song was compared again and again to the Rolling Stones.  After re-listening, I still think it sounds a lot more like Neil Young....

Man, I'm not even going to try a synopsis of David Bowie's career.  Not only is it long, varied, and critically acclaimed,  it is flat intimidating.  He truly was one of the few geniuses pop music ever spawned, and his influence will be felt long after most of us have left this vale.  Just to give you an idea, in the first week after his death, Bowie had 19 albums and 13 singles in the U.K. top one hundred albums and singles.  He is obviously a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2016 Rolling Stone named him the greatest rock star ever (debatable, but I certainly didn't think "You've got to be fucking kidding!").  In the you don't know what you've got till it's gone category, Bowie won the bulk of his Grammy Awards and Brit Awards after his death in 2016.  His discography is mammoth, having released 27 studio LPs and 128 singles over the course of his 54 year career. He will be remembered for his music, his lyricism, his artistic tendencies, and his showmanship.  A once in a lifetime artist--enough said.

Fun Fact:  I was actually going to make this post's fun fact the fact that I could have made an entire post of fun facts just about Bowie's career, but I decided to opt instead for what Bowie said after he listened to "Tutti Frutti" by Little Richard for the first time:  it was like he had "heard God."

"Rebel Rebel" was released as the first single from Bowie's seminal work Diamond Dogs in 1974.  The single would hit #5 in his native U.K. and a somewhat disappointing #64 (with a bullet!) in the U.S. (possibly because his label released a shorter version here that most think pales in comparison to the original).  The album went to #1 in the U.K. and was Bowie's first big hit in the States, peaking at #5 on the Billboard 200.

"Rebel Rebel" is considered to be Bowie's goodbye to glam rock and his Ziggy Stardust persona, and if so, it's a hell of a parting.  Needless to say, the amount of my life spent partaking in anything other than reading about glam would fit inside Donald Trump's pea brain.  Nonetheless, when you hear Bowie's guitars (and yes, it's Bowie playing the guitar) and his fuck all vocals you are left captured by an incredible swan song.  And the fact that you don't need to live the glam life to both feel and understand this paean to youth probably says all you need to know about it.  It was the song that made me begin paying attention to David Bowie, and had I but world enough and time, I'm sure I would have explored every nook and cranny of his music.    As is, a brilliant tune from a brilliant--and much missed--artist.

Lyric Sheet:  "We like dancing and we look divine/You love bands when they're playing hard/You want more and you want it fast..."

Enjoy:

400,000 Dead Americans Because the Pro-Life Party Botched the Pandemic

Peace,

emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CCCXXIII--Paolo Nutini: New Shoes

In which we touch upon emaycee's love for blue-eyed soul and good old fashioned top forty pop....

Paolo Nutini hails from Paisley, Scotland and released his debut album at the ripe old age of 19 in 2006.  Over the last fifteen years Nutini has carved out quite a career for himself, especially in his native U.K.  He has had two #1 LPs on the U.K. Album Chart, as well as a #3.  He's also had four top twenty singles on the U.K. Singles Chart.  He's been nominated for three Brit Awards.  For his career, Nutini has released three studio albums, one live album, and twelve singles.  While the bulk of his success has been on the British Isles, all three of Nutini's albums have charted here in America.  While Nutini has not spoken of it, he has been on hiatus since 2017, but one supposes with his track record of success it's only a matter of time before he's recording and touring again.

"New Shoes" was released on his debut album in 2006, These Streets.  The single reached #21 in the U.K., but did not chart here in the States.  The album was #3 in his home county, and reached #48 on the Billboard 200.

The first time I heard "New Shoes" (either MTV or VH-1, can't remember which), it reminded me of the top forty singles I heard in the early to middle 70's that were the genesis of my love for rock and roll.  This one is just plain fun--a ditty about a guy who makes his day better by putting on some new shoes (oh, if only it was that easy).  The stanzas are a cool warm up to the chorus, which is to catchy what sugar is to sweet.  But Nutini's vocals are what turn the song into a pure pop dream--his voice is smooth and silky with the same swagger that propelled Van Morrison and Rod Stewart to long careers.  It's not going to end up on any all-time top ten lists, but it's a shot of musical joy, a jolt of blue-eyed soul that I can guarantee you I'll be bopping along to it until it's time for me to start preparing next week's Jukebox post....

Lyric Sheet:  "Oh, short on money but long on time/Slowly strolling in the sweet sunshine..."

Enjoy:

Daily Reminder:  Zero Republicans Voted for the COVID-19 Relief Package

Peace,

emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CCCXVI--Des'ree: You Gotta Be

 We have another first this week on Friday Night Jukebox--this week's artist is the first to have an apostrophe in the middle of their name.  How exciting!

Des'ree (original name:  Desiree Annette Weekes) was born in London, England in 1968, and at the ripe old age of 22 had her first record contract (her boyfriend had sent a demo to a record label).  Her first album was released just a few short weeks after her signing, and wound up a top thirty hit in the U.K.  She had the bulk of her success in the nineties, though she did release her first album in sixteen years in 2019.  Des'ree has won a Brit Award.  I have to admit to being a bit surprised that this week's tune didn't grab at least one Grammy nod--must have been a good year for female R & B.  For her career, Des'ree has released five studio albums, two compilations, and 18 singles.  While she has taken a couple of hiatuses through the years (once to train as a nutritionist and once to take care of her ailing mother), she does continue to make music.

Fun Fact:  Des'ree and 600,000 British schoolchildren became the world record holders for "most people simultaneously singing the same song" when she led them in a rendition of "You Gotta Be" in 2008.  Which, come to think of it, is a pretty cool record to hold.

"You Gotta Be" was originally released as a single in 1994 from her album I Ain't Movin.  The song reached #5 (with a bullet!) on the Billboard Hot 100, while the album reached #27 on the Billboard 200.  The single was released twice more, in 1995 and 1999 (the latter after it was used in a Ford Focus commercial).  Oddly, the 1999 release charted higher than the original in her native U.K., peaking at #10 versus #20 for the original.

Every now and again, a song comes out of nowhere and becomes a pleasant surprise in providing listening pleasure, which "You Gotta Be" has now done for me for the better part of twenty-six years.  Des'ree flashes her power of positive thinking vibe throughout, and even for an "expect the worst, hope for the best" kind of guy like me it works perfectly.  Amazingly enough, the music is upbeat throughout, with a catchy as all hell chorus that can even make the hopelessly rhythm challenged into good dancers (I'm proof posi...well "good" might be stretching it).  Des'ree nails the vocal with a soulful sweetness that shoots straight from her lungs and right on out through her heart.  Hell, when I watch the music video, it's as if Des'ree is a high priestess guiding us all up into clouds filled with peace, love, and happiness--and when a song can make you feel like you're in another world, you know that that's one fine piece of music.

Lyric Sheet:  "You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm, you gotta stay together/All I know, all I know, love will save the day..."

Enjoy:

427,000+ Dead Americans Because of Donald Trump's Incompetence

Peace,

emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CCXLIX--Bananarama: Really Saying Something

While technically their second single, this week's tune was the first of theirs I had heard and one I fell in love with at first listen...and still am in love with to this day.  As is sometimes the case, though, the band never had another song that I even remotely liked.  Doesn't make the magic of the first any less wondrous....

Bananarama formed in 1981 in London by friends Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey, and Karen Woodward.  They were an immediate success--within a year they had a record deal and three top ten hits in their native U.K.  Over the course of the last thirty-eight years, Bananarama has released nine studio LPs (their debut album is the only top ten hit they had in the U.K, and their best showing here in America was #15), and, wait for it...twelve compilation albums, because surprisingly enough, they became one hell of a singles band, especially in the U.K.  They have released forty-five singles, 31 of which charted in the United Kingdom (ten in the top ten, but nary a number one), and 11 here in America (with three top tens and one #1).  Dallin and Woodward have remained with Bananarama since their forming, but Fahey (who married and eventually divorced Dave Stewart of Eurythmics fame) became disillusioned with the band's direction and left to form Shakespears Sister (with which she had some success, including a Brit Award).  They reunited in 2017 for the obligatory Let's Make a Hell of a Lot of Money Reunion Tour, and Fahey once again departed at its end.  Bananarama released their latest album this year, and is touring in support of it.

Fun Fact:  Bananarama is in the Guiness Book of World Records for having the most charted singles by an all female group.

"Really Saying Something" was released in 1982 from Bananarama's debut album, Deep Sea Skiving (Skiving, for the two of you who may be interested, is British slang for skipping school or work without good reason--and yes, I had to look it up).  It would reach #5 on the U.K. charts, though only climbing to #108 (with a kinda/sorta bullet?) on the Billboard Hot 100 (the Hot 100 has an addendum called "Bubbling Under" which charts the ten singles between 101 and 110).  At some point I should also note that the British ska band Fun Boy Three provided backing vocals for the chorus...which probably only matters to the members of Fun Boy Three and their families....

Let's see...female vocalists?  Check.  Incredibly catchy Motown tune (originally released as "He Was
Really Saying Something" by the Velvelettes in 1964)?  Check.  Funky drum and bass beats?  Check.  Nonsensical yet fun phrasing in the chorus ("Bop bop shoo be doo wah")?  Check.  And that's about all you need to know--a really bouncy pop tune about a boy trying (and succeeding!) to win a girl's heart.  Banararama stayed true to the song's Motown roots (especially with the harmonies) while adding a few modern (at the time) touches by infusing the song with reggae/ska inflections.  "Really Saying Something" isn't a song to make anyone forget "Born to Run" but it's still a hell of a pop tune and another nice edition to the pantheon here at Friday Night Jukebox.

Lyric Sheet:  "My heart started thumping'Blood pressure jumping/He was really saying something/Really saying something/Bop bop shoo be doo wah..."

Enjoy:

Fuck Donald Trump,
emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CCXLVIII--Joan Armatrading: I Love It When You Call Me Names

I discovered this week's tune back in the day when MTV was still just a music station--all video, all day long.  Times may have changed, but not my enjoyment of this week's tune....

Much to my surprise (admittedly, I know very little about her--I actually thought she was from New York, not the U.K.), Joan Armatrading has put together a hell of a career.  She started in the mid 60's in London doing impromptu shows and musical theater before getting her first contract and releasing her first album in 1972.  Since that time she's released 19 studio albums, 17 of which charted in her native U.K. (four of them hit the top ten, with a compilation album also topping out at #9), three live albums, and five compilations.  She hasn't had as much success here in America, but ten of her albums have charted with the best peaking at #28.  Armatrading has also been nominated for three Grammy Awards and two Brit Awards.  She released her latest album in 2018, and completed her latest tour in 2016.  She is also known for supporting new and local talent--during her 2012 tour she had a local artist from each of the fifty-six cities she played open her shows.

Fun Fact:  Armatrading left school at sixteen to help support her family, but was fired from her first job as a typist for bringing her guitar to work and playing it on her tea breaks.  Man, what a shitty boss that must have been--I'd be thrilled to have one of my employees play a guitar at break time....

"I Love It When You Call Me Names" was released on Armatrading's album The Key in 1983.  The song was never released as a single, but has become a staple of her concerts.  The album was not named for the key to life or the key to happiness, but rather for the house key Armatrading wore on a string around her neck so she wouldn't lose it.  Oh, the things you'll learn here on FNJ!

Though Armatrading wrote "I Love It When You Call Me Names" about a man who enjoyed being physically and verbally abused by his wife, the song's inspiration actually came from two male members of her band who she noticed seemed to enjoy being insulted as much as insulting each other and Armatrading's finding this to be somewhat odd.  The song's stanzas featuring nothing more than Armatrading's vocals over a literally pulsating bass and a driving drum beat, followed by the simple  (just Armatrading repeating the title words) but catchy as all hell chorus replete with rumbling electric guitars.  The song was somewhat of a departure for Armatrading, whose previous work was was mostly of a jazzy folk variety, but her venture into the world of power pop had one hell of an arrival.  It was a different sort of song for a different sort of artist, with the lasting effect of being a hell of a fun tune...even thirty-six years down the road.

Lyric Sheet:  "Big woman/And a short short man/And he loves it/When she beats his brains out..."

Enjoy:

Fuck Donald Trump,
emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CCXXXI--The Verve: Bittersweet Symphony

Every now and again when I revisit a tune picked for Friday Night Jukebox, I'm surprised to find out a song I thought was great was even better than I originally thought (if that makes any sense).  Such was the case with this week's song as the U.K. is again this week the home of the band that produced it.

The Verve formed in 1990 in Wigan, England and were originally just known as Verve, but eventually they felt it was much cooler to all themselves The Verve, as the word "the" makes all the difference (not serious--it was actually for legal reasons as there is a jazz label called Verve that made a stink about the band having the same name as their music company).  To say that The Verve had a volatile relationship would be an understatement--the band split up three times (1996 for a year, 1999 for eight years, and 2008 without yet recommitting to a reunion) in its relatively brief run.  Over the course of their career, The Verve released four LPs, three EPs, and amazingly after the Eagles and The Clash, only two compilation albums.  They've had two number one albums in the U.K., two #23 albums here in the States, four top ten singles on the U.K. charts (including one #1), and one top fifteen single in America.  Courtesy of this week's tune (and its album), the band also shows up on numerous best alternative'Britpop/90's all-time lists, and are considered one of the better bands to come out of the Britpop movement.  They also won 2 Brit Awards and were nominated for a Grammy Award.  Lead singer Richard Ashcroft has had some solo success in the years when the Verve wasn't a band, and the rest of the band has continued playing music in various incarnations through the years.

(Not So) Fun Fact:  Due to legal complications (which really aren't interesting enough to discuss), the band was forced to give credit for the song to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards as it sampled an orchestral string version of their song "The Last Time."  This likely cost The Verve a hefty sum of money, though Jagger and Richards did sign over the rights back to the band earlier this year.

"Bittersweet Symphony" was the first song and first single released (1997) from their seminal album Urban Hymns.  The song would go on to reach #2 on the British charts and #12 (with a bullet!) on the Billboard Hot 100.  The album was on of their two #1's in England and one of the two that reached #23 in the United States.

(Actual) Fun Fact #2:  The photographer of the album cover said that it's simplicity was the result of Ashcroft wanting fans to just "listen to the fucking record."

Amazingly enough, "Bittersweet Symphony" is exactly as its title suggests:  a bittersweet symphony.  The melody is 99% driven by orchestral strings--I heard a touch of other instruments, but not enough to really make note of.  The lyrics are 99% driven by Ashcroft's vocals, which are an amalgamation of regret, sorrow, and anger.  The song is a look into the hope borne out of desperation--there's a lot of nuance in "Bittersweet Symphony" as it takes a look inside the human soul, the bitter and the sweet, the hope and the sorrow.  In the end, The Verve took a shot at greatness and didn't miss.  The song isn't merely one of the best of the 90's--it's quite conceivably one of the best of all-time.  A true masterwork.

Lyric Sheet:  "'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, that's life/Tryna make ends meet/You're a slave to money then you die..."

Enjoy (Note the Official Video is one of the few "Official Videos" worth watching...):

Fuck Donald Trump,
emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CXLIX: The Kaiser Chiefs: You Can Have It All

We're returning to the British Isles again this week (so many cool kids in England!) for a band that has had great commercial and critical success there and even less commercial success in the states than recent Friday Night Jukebox inductee Keane (or The Jam or The Waterboys....).

The Kaiser Chiefs originally formed in 2000 as Parva, bounced around with one LP for the next three years, and after being dumped by their record label, reinvented themselves as the Kaiser Chiefs and rose to meteoric success in their native U.K.  They've released six albums, two of which went to #1, two of which went to #2, and one each that went to #4, and #10 on the UK Albums chart.  Here in the states they've only managed to put two albums on the Billboard 200 (and both peaked at middling spots--#45 and #55).  They've won three Brit Awards, had an album nominated for the Mercury Prize (a sort of British Pulitzer for English and Irish LPs), a #1 single ("Ruby"), and have toured extensively since their major label debut in 2005.  All told they've sold over ten million albums and carved out quite a niche for themselves in their homeland.

Released in 2005 on their first album as the Kaiser Chiefs, Employment, "You Can Have It All" was actually the fifth single released from the album in the U.K., and was never released as a single here in the good old U.S.A. (and we're all the poorer for it).  The U.K. single was actually a special limited edition Christmas release and was limited to 2000 records--needless to say, if you ever come across this baby in some used record shop, buy it!  Some Brit kid will probably give you good money for it...

While some say the band is influenced by the punk movement of the late 70's and the new wave movement of the late 80's, I've always thought they would sound right at home with any number of bands that came out of the alternative scene of the early 90's (and many of which were influence by the same).  And "You Can Have It All" would have made more than one playlist on the numerous Alternative radio stations that grew out of that scene.  It's a slow paced song, relying heavily on the band's harmonies (compared to the Beach Boys, though I don't quite hear it) which are out of this world, telling the tale of a man who sees a woman on the bus and is letting her know that she can have it all (hence the title) and what she is going to miss should she leave the bus without him.  It's either love at first sight or he's a stalker, but what the hell, it's catchy as all hell either way.  The song concludes with the "you can have it all" chorus which I have been singing over and over for the last four days--it's ear candy that will add an extra bounce to your step and leave you feeling lighter than air...or not.

Rap Sheet:  "I'll tell you what it's going to be like/I saw you on the bus and that was that/There's more to this than passing by/There's more to this than meets the eye..."

Enjoy:

Fuck Donald Trump,
emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CXLV--Elton John: Tiny Dancer

In all honesty, if I'd never seen the movie Almost Famous, there is no way "Tiny Dancer" would have been this week's featured tune.  I knew the song in a small way, but it was a minor hit from a thousand years ago.  But once you see the bus scene in Almost Famous where the band and its followers sing along, you'll never forget it--hell, the Beautiful Girl downloaded it from Kazaa (remember that one?) the very next day after she'd seen it.

Elton John is another in a long line of rock and roll stars whose resume is a bit long for a brief recap.  Nonetheless, he has released over thirty albums, sold over 300 million records, won five Brit Awards, five Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and a Tony.  He was elected into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, has numerous songwriting awards and honors with his partner, lyricist Bernie Taupin, has six albums on the Rolling Stone list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time," and has been given a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth.  He also had thirty-one consecutive years (1970-2000) with at least one single on the Billboard Hot 100, is the first person to ever have an album debut at #1 on the Billboard 200, and has the greatest selling single ("Candle in the Wind") ever in both the U.S. and the U.K (33 million copies).  And truth be told, since 1975 everything he's done has been utter shit to my ears, but much like Rod Stewart (who at least had "Downtown Train" in the eighties) that doesn't take away from the several great years he had from 1970-1975 (he was as big a rock star as there was in that time) that made him a rock and roll icon.

I would be remiss if I did not mention that John is a noted humanitarian and has done much in the battle against AIDS (including having the go to after party for the Academy Awards--surprisingly enough, I've never been), as well as being a leader in LGBT community and a voice for their equal rights.

While "Tiny Dancer" has become a classic and concert staple through the years, it didn't have typical success--originally released in 1972 from the 1971 album Madman Across the Water (one of the better album titles in the rock era), it only reached #41 (with a bullet!) on the Billboard Hot 100 and was never even released as a single in the U.K. (thought it made it to #19 in Canada thanks to all the cool Canadian kids).  Still, it's been certified platinum here in the states and silver in the U.K. even though it was not a single (not exactly sure how that worked....).  Unlike many hit singles, as well, it clocks in at over six and a half minutes which is three and a half minutes longer than your average Top 40 radio usually played back in the day.

Lyricist Taupin has said the song was trying to capture the spirit of California in the early seventies as evidenced by the many beautiful women he met there--which I can attest to, though, being a dork, I never actually met them, I just admired them from afar.  In listening to it over the past couple of days, what stands out most to me is its simplicity--while there's a touch of guitar, some drums, and some strings, it's mostly John's piano playing which stays with you.  And then there's the vocals--John manages to convey both the joy and the sorrow that is at the heart of the song, and bounces from storyteller with the staccato breaks to emcee of the upcoming wonder to pop star extraordinaire as he's singing for the tiny dancer to hold him closer.  "Candle in the Wind" may have sold 33 million copies, but "Tiny Dancer" should have--it's Elton John's masterpiece and a timeless classic celebrating the loveliness that is women.

Liner Notes:  "Jesus freaks out in the street/Handing tickets out for God/Turning back she just laughs/The boulevard ain't that bad..."

Enjoy:

Fuck Donald Trump,
emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CXLI--Coldplay: Yellow

Might as well just make it Wednesday Night Jukebox...

I'm not one for equating pop music lyrics with poetry, but the lyric, "Look at the stars, look how they shine for you..." comes pretty darn close.  Pretty sure even the Bard of Avon would have given himself a pat on the back for that line.  And when you add in music...well you have a pop gem that was as big a breakthrough single as any band could hope for.

Formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland while they were in college, Coldplay released three EPs in 1998 and 1999 before releasing their debut LP, Parachutes, in 2000.  The first single in the U.K., "Shiver," went to #35 on the British charts.  Their second single in the U.K. (and first here in the states) was "Yellow" and lead the way for Colplay to become the juggernaut that they are today.  Arguably the most commercially successful (and even, perhaps, critically) band of the 21st century (over ninety million albums sold), Coldplay has released seven albums over the past 17 years, gone on seven wildly successful tours, won seven Grammy Awards, nine Brit Awards (the U.K. Grammy Awards), and donate time and money (10% of the money they make goes to charity) to numerous political (generally left leaning) and social causes.  Truth be told, other than the occasional song ("Clocks," "The Scientist") I really haven't followed their work since "Yellow," but any band that plays their own instruments and writes their own music in this day and age (do I sound like much of an old fart?) is A-OK in my book.  It's also hard to not appreciate how successful they have been on an international scale, especially in an era when radio is godforsaken, the internet offers literally millions of musical choices, the media is more than happy to present overrated mediocre talent, and republicans control all three branches of government in the United States (just kidding about that last one...sort of).

While Parachutes was an immediate sensation (so many cool kids in the British Isles) in the U.K. (hitting number one within a couple of weeks), it never enjoyed the same success here in the States, only hitting #51.  Likewise, "Yellow" reached #4 on the British charts, but only #48 (with a bullet!) on the Billboard Hot 100--yet the album would go on to become double platinum and the single would sell over two million copies.  "Yellow" also appeared on eight different charts in Billboard, which seems like a hell of a lot until you realize there are like a thousand charts (only a slight exaggeration) in each issue....

Opening with a lightly strummed guitar before seguing into some simple though not so lightly struck chords (for some reason, whenever I hear them, I think of a match being struck), after which Chris Martin begins his earnest vocals for an unrequited love with the words "Look at the stars...".  Martin has said that the word yellow has no special meaning--he was merely looking for the right word while the band was composing it in the studio when he looked up and saw a female friend who was there and she seemed to have a yellow glow about her.  He inserted the word yellow until he could come up with a better word, but never found one that sounded better than yellow.  One of the features I really like about the song is that the lyrics are subtle enough that it's not your run of the mill sappy love ballad, but not so subtle as to lead you to believe it might be about Dostoyevsky's pet emu.  There's a nice bridge where Martin sings about her as being "skin and bones turned into something beautiful."  All of which leads to the closing which is basically Martin asking her to see how the stars shine for her over and over before closing up with a lightly strummed guitar as at the intro.  It'd been a while since I'd heard this one and listening to it earlier this week reminded me not only of how much I liked it, but also of just how good of a love ballad it is--and of how hard it is to write one that doesn't sound trite after a hundred listens.

Lyric Sheet:  "I came along/I wrote a song for you/And all the things you do/And it was called 'Yellow...'"

Enjoy:

Fuck Donald Trump,
emaycee