So much for Trump lifting our standing in the world

And the rest of the world says;

[image or embed]

— catsgotbaggage.bsky.social (@catsgotbaggage.bsky.social) January 21, 2025 at 6:36 PM

Fuck Donald Trump

Peace,

emaycee

 

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CDXCIV--Manfred Mann's Earth Band: For You

Alas, it's not on time, but rather a week late...

Funny how sometimes our remembrances are not quite like how it actually happened--which is my weak ass intro for this week's tune.  In the first place, I would have sworn the song was released in the mid to late seventies, but my first actual listen of it came just a few months after I started with Camelot Music.  Secondly, I would have sworn the song was a top forty hit...when, in fact, it didn't even come close.  One supposes the most important remembrance was that it was a song I liked very much....

Every now and again when doing my half-assed research I read about a band, whose history has heretofore been unknown to me, and discover that said history isn't all that interesting.  Such was the case with Manfred Mann's Earth Band (and yes, there is actually a Manfred Mann, who is the group's leader...as one might hope since the band bears his name).  That being said, I don't want to take away from the fact that they were a pretty successful band, starting in London in the mid-sixties when they were just Manfred Mann, segueing into Manfred Mann Chapter Three before settling on Manfred Mann's Earth Band in 1971 (the Earth Band moniker comes from Mann's interest in ecological issues).  Other than a short hiatus in the late eighties lasting until the early nineties, the band has been together (in many different incarnations) since the early sixties and is still touring to this day, though they haven't released an album since 2006.  As the Earth Band, they've released seventeen albums (with one top ten in both the U.K. and the U.S.), three live albums, and thirty-seven singles (with three top tens on the British charts and a #1 here in America).  Maybe a dull history, but most certainly a financially viable one.

Fun Fact:  Manfred Mann has actually had two number one singles--in their early days when they were just plain old Manfred Mann, they had a smash with a wonderful ditty called "Do Wah Diddy Diddy."  Their second--like this week's featured song--was their cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Blinded by the Light" which I discussed in Vol. CDLXXI.

"For You" was the first single from their rather randomly named 1980 album Chance.  The song reached #106 (with a kind of/sort of bullet!) on Billboard's Bubbling Under (the Hot 100) chart, while the album hit #87 on the Billboard 200.  Their compatriots in the U.K. were not impressed--neither single nor LP cracked their charts.

Like their version of "Blinded by the Light," Manfred Mann's Earth Band does a significantly more electrified version than Springsteen's original from his debut album.  Plenty of synthesizers and lots of piano solos...but it works.  They capture both the protagonist's conviction and love's overall hopefulness, in a tale of a man telling a young woman who's recently tried killing herself that he's (more or less) coming to save her. All you really need to know is that Springsteen is arguably my all-time favorite artist, and I was blown away by their version of his song (when hating it would be the more likely outcome).  Kudos, too, for it reminding me of just how much I loved Springsteen's version...and for being the only song I know of to use the word "undaunted" (and what a great word it is) in the lyrics...

Lyric Sheet:  "Wounded deep in battle/I stand stuffed like some soldier undaunted..."

Enjoy:

Republicans = Nazis

Peace,

emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CDLXXXIV--The Clash: Hitsville U.K.

What's all this fuss about being late?

This week's tune came from the much-anticipated follow-up album to The Clash's stunning masterpiece, London Calling.  It was a three-record set, sprawling and experimental and adventurous...and it took a while to grow on me.  But once it did, holy shit, what a record.  Always reminded me (not musically, just in its disparate songs) of The Beatles' unwieldy but brilliant White Album (and Lord have mercy would The Clash have ripped my heart out of my chest for that comparison).  And in its disparity, it yielded one of their more pop oriented songs, with a tongue-in-cheek nod to Motown....

I wrote about The Clash in Volume CCXXX, and as Joe Strummer hasn't risen from the dead (not from lack of trying, I'm sure), and Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, and Topper Headon have repeatedly said they have no desire to reunite or go on an oldies tour (like The Clash have anything that could remotely be called an oldie), I'll just leave it at the very good bio (if I do say so myself) of "The only band that matters" that I wrote for their first post.

"Hitsville U.K." was the second single released from the band's revolutionary named three LP set, Sandinista! (exclamation point theirs, not mine--the Sandinistas were a revolutionary left-wing Nicaraguan political group).  The single hit #56 in the U.K. but did not chart in America.  The album reached #19 in Great Britain and #24 here in the States.  It was also ranked at #323 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All-Time."

Fun Fact:  Despite the fact that Joe Strummer sang the vast majority of their songs, somehow I've managed to pick two that were sung by Mick Jones (though this week he is ably supported by his then girlfriend Ellen Foley).

Every now and again, a song has a small but indelible moment.  In "Hitsville U.K.," it's about halfway through right before the instrumental break when Jones says (with his English accent) "So 'it it."  Can't ever listen to the song without waiting for that two second blip--it was one of the first things I noticed about the song when I first heard it some forty-three years ago.  The song, its title a nod to Motown's nickname "Hitsville U.S.A.," is a paean to the then burgeoning indie music scene in Great Britain, and how it had opened up the music business for everyday boys and girls.  It features nice vocal play between Foley and Jones, some funky ass bass work from Simonon, and is, much like my last post on The Clash, much more pop oriented than their usual fare.  Wonder why I'd like those two so much....

Lyric Sheet:  (Remember)/They say true talent will always emerge in time/When lightning hits Small Wonder/It's Fast Rough Factory time..."

Enjoy:

Republicans = Nazis

Peace,

emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CDX--Mumford & Sons: Little Lion Man

I spent the week trying to remember what first called my attention to this week's featured tune, and I think it was the Beautiful Girl hearing it on the radio (or on some TV appearance) and telling me it sounded like the kind of music I would like.  Or it was their appearance at their first Grammy Awards...such are the joys of an aging memory.  Regardless (though I prefer giving the Beautiful Girl her due), it ended up being a most propitious introduction....

Mumford & Sons formed in London in 2007, and within two years had released their first LP.  It didn't take long for the band to achieve considerable success, and it has shown little sign of abating in the years since.  Their second album, Babel, in addition to debuting at #1 in both the U.K. and America, was nominated for eight Grammy Awards and won two.  Each member of the band is a multi-instrumentalist, and the band has become well known for its concerts.  Mumford & Sons have released four studio albums, with two charting at #1 and two at #2 in their native Great Britain, and three #1's and a #2 here in the States.  They've also released three live albums, six studio EPs, and seven live EP's.  They have released twenty-one singles as well, with a #12 hit in both countries.  By the way (goddamnit!), the band's name is a nod to lead vocalist Marcus Mumford (who took the lead in organizing and promoting the band) and to an earlier time when family businesses were more prevalent than they are today (though none of the band members are Mumford's sons...).

"Little Lion Man" was the first single released from their debut album, Sigh No More (the title is from a line in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing).  The single peaked at #45 (with a bullet!) in the United States and #24 in the United Kingdom.  The album reached #2 in both countries.

Fun Fact:  Despite making liberal use of the word "fucked," for some odd reason "Little Lion Man" was not given a Parental Advisory Sticker upon its release.  Maybe the Shakespeare reference gave it a literary sheen?

As I've noted a time or two (or a hundred) here on Friday Night Jukebox, it often amazes me how often I revisit a song I haven't heard in a while, and it reminds me just how incredible that song was (and why I added it to the pantheon of FNJ tunes).  Such was the case with "Little Lion Man"--it's a lyrical, musical, and vocal work of wonder.  The four musicians--stand-up bass, acoustic guitar, banjo (emaycee fave!), and organ--play off each other like a clock's gears mesh together, each instrument making a statement unto itself.  Marcus Mumford's lyrics--basically an indictment of himself for damnable behavior in a prior relationship--are searing, and Mumford sings a diatribe against himself that's just as fiery.  Add in the band's delicious harmonies, and you have a song for the ages...or at least one of the best ones in this still very young century.

Lyric Sheet:  "But it was not your fault but mine/And it was your heart on the line/I really fucked it up this time/Didn't I, my dear..."

Enjoy:

Republicans = Losers

Peace,

emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CDV--The Godfathers: Birth, School, Work, Death

Really need to work on my time management--more than a week late might be the worst showing ever.

Every now and again a song comes out of nowhere and provides a much-needed breath of fresh air--which is exactly what this week's tune provided at a time (the late eighties) when for me there wasn't much of interest gaining airplay.  While I would in no way claim the song led the way to the Alternative craze that would sweep America and much of the world in just a few short years, in retrospect it certainly seems like it was at least a harbinger of the great music to come....

The Godfathers formed in Lonon in 1985 and had secured an indie record deal by the next year and released their first album.  Their second and third albums were the only records they released that charted (and neither was exactly a hit--didn't even chart in America), but the band managed to stay together for fifteen years before disbanding in 2000.  The Godfathers reunited in 2008 (the band has seen numerous personnel changes with twenty-one different people being one of the five members at one time or another), and are still touring and recording, having released their latest LP this year.  For their career, they released nine studio albums (highest charting was #49 in the U.K.), three live albums, and six compilations.  They have also released six EP's and 18 singles (with four songs charting in the U.K. and one in the States).

"Birth, School, Work, Death" was the first single released from their second album, the rather inventively titled Birth, School, Work, Death.  The single never charted in the U.K. but was their biggest (and only) hit in America, hitting #38 (with a bullet!) on the Billboard Hot 100.  The album reached #80 in Great Britian, but did not chart (at least that I could find) in the U.S.

There's something to be said for simplicity in music (and often in life, as well) and in "Birth, School, Work, Death" The Godfathers make the utmost of the electric guitar, the bass guitar, and a set of drums.  The bass and drums literally drive the song from beginning to end and the electric guitars fill up the rest of the empty space with a reverberating pulse that reaches right down into your soul (a thoroughly enjoyable guitar solo is thrown in just to make the song that much better).  Lyrically the song is an angry rebuke to the scourge that was Margaret Thatcher--and the cruel soulless world that she (and her partner in pathetic, Ronald Reagan) envisioned.  Nihilistic?  Sure, but it beats the living hell out of drudging off to work every day as just another cog in a fascist's dream.

Lyric Sheet:  "I've been abused and I've been confused/And I've kissed Margaret Thatcher's shoes/I've been high and I've been low/And I don't know where to go..."

Enjoy:

Republican = Traitor

Peace,

emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CCCXCIII--America: Daisy Jane

 There are any number of music artists that I've enjoyed throughout my life that I would consider "Greatest Hits" artists or bands, that is solo performers or groups whose greatest hits collections are the sum total of my knowledge of their music catalogs (Bachman-Turner Overdrive, ELO, the Spinners, War, and a holy host of others).  While that may be my loss (for missing any number of album tracks that may be little known gems), it's also worked out quite well as I've been blessed with hearing countless songs that I love again and again--much like the songs I've enjoyed from this week's featured musical artist.

America, oddly enough, actually formed in London--and making it even stranger, they're all actually Americans (their fathers were USAF personnel stationed in the U.K. capital and they met while in high school there).  Dewey Bunnell, Gerry Beckley, and Dan Peek had a hell of a run through seventies (Dan Peek found God and left the band in 1977 to become a Christian artist) notching numerous hits and touring the whole wide world.  For their career, America has released 18 studio albums (their last in 2015) with four of them reaching the top ten (in keeping with this week's theme their Greatest Hits is far and away their best-selling effort) with one of them hitting the number one slot.  They've also released 47 singles with seven of them peaking in the top ten and two climbing all the way to the top of the chart.  Sadly, Dan Peek passed away in 2011, but Bunnell and Beckley continue to have a loyal following on the oldies circuit.

"Daisy Jane" was released in 1975 as the second single from their album Hearts.  The song reached #20 (with a bullet!) on the Billboard Hot 100, while the album peaked at #4 on the Billboard 200.

Fun Fact:  In addition to producing the aforementioned song (and album), noted "Fifth Beatle" and music producer extraordinaire George Martin plays the piano on the tune as well.

Yeah, this one isn't going into the Ball Out Rocker Hall of Fame.  Written by Beckley, the song tells the tale of a man who left behind a good woman to go out and see the world...who has finally realized that she's the only world he needed to see and is hoping she still loves him.  Beckley has said that there is no Daisy Jane, and at the time of writing the song had never even been to Memphis (he said he loosely based it on the song "Hazey Jane" by recent FNJ honoree Nick Drake).  The heartbeats that open the song are a nice touch, and the song has the lush production that George Martin is often known for--strings, the featured piano, and some fantastic harmonies by a band known for its harmonies.  My favorite part, though, is the how Martin takes the band softly through the stanzas before unleashing the booming chorus which captures all the hope the narrator is feeling...and reminds us just how precious love can be.

Lyric Sheet:  "Well I've been picking it up around me/Daisy, I think I'm sane/And I'm awful glad/And I guess you're really to blame..."

Enjoy:

Republican = Traitor

Peace,

emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CCCLXXXIII--Roger Daltrey: Without Your Love

 For those wondering, while last week's Friday Night Jukebox featured Who band mate Pete Townshend, the next two weeks posts will not feature John Entwistle or Keith Moon as I have zero familiarity with their solo work.  There's only so much time....  

As with last week's post, this week's bio recap will be mercifully short as I've already written about the Who a couple of times.  Roger Daltrey was actually the founding member of the Who, as Townshend and Entwistle originally joined his band The Detours.  Daltrey was known for leading the band and settling arguments with his fists and was at one point fired from the band for beating up Moon for supplying drugs to Townshend and Entwistle.  Daltrey has appeared in numerous movies and TV shows, most notably the film version of the Who's rock opera, Tommy.  For his solo career, he has released 10 studio albums (with two top ten LPs in his native U.K.), and 42 singles (with a top ten in Great Britain and a top twenty here in America).  As noted in last week's bio for Townshend, Daltrey is involved in their charity for teen cancer, and has loaned his talents to numerous charitable events through the years.

Fun Fact:  Daltrey kept extremely busy throughout the course of his younger days in the fine art of procreation.  In addition to the four children he has from his two marriages, Daltrey has four other children from various relationships throughout the sixties.  

"Without Your Love" was released as a single in 1980 from the soundtrack to the film McVicar (a biopic in which Daltrey starred as the title character).  The single reached #55 in the U.K. and #20 (with a bullet!) on the Billboard Hot 100 (it hit number two in the Netherlands--so many cool Dutch kids!).  The album hit #39 on the U.K Albums Chart, and #22 here in the United States.

While the song is catchy as all hell and the backing music is tastefully understated, this song is all Daltrey's vocals.  Daltrey weaves the tale of a man trying to find his place in the world (more or less the story behind the film noted above) but realizing that no matter where he ends up it means nothing without the love of his life.  Daltrey sings with all the calmness of a man who has made his peace with his life, and delivers a performance that would make the Gods of Love themselves smile.  A lovely and loving ballad.

Lyric Sheet:  "And if I could travel far/If I could touch the stars/Where would I be without your love?"

Enjoy:

Republican = Traitor

Peace,

emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CCCLXXXII--Pete Townshend: Let My Love Open the Door

A few years back I was watching the tail end of Kevin Smith's movie Jersey Girl when this week's tune began playing over the final scene, and my youngest son's ears perked up and he asked if it was perhaps a Who song that he was unfamiliar with...alas, I had to tell him that, no, it was not and was rather a solo effort from Pete Townshend (which may be the next best thing).  His only concern thereafter was how quickly I could add it to his favorites playlist....

As I've covered the Who a couple of times already (here and here), this week's bio recap will be mercifully short.  Pete Townshend, songwriter and guitarist extraordinaire, has long been the guiding force behind the Who, but through the years has released solo albums here and there, and while he has not had quite the critical and commercial success of that other band, has done quite well nonetheless.  Townshend has released seven studio albums (with one top ten here in the States), and 17 singles (again with one top ten in America).  Ever the Renaissance man, Townshend has also dabbled in writing (essays, short stories, a novel), and has helped develop both Broadway plays and orchestral renditions of his work with the Who.  Townshend is also quite active (with Roger Daltrey) doing charitable work for children with cancer (including a wing at UCLA), and as a former addict himself, has helped support rehabilitation centers for drug abusers in his native U.K.

"Let My Love Open the Door" was the second single released in the U.K. from his 1980 album Empty Glass, but the first single released in the United States.  Somewhat surprisingly (because of the Who's popularity in their homeland), the single and the album did much better here than across the pond.  In the U.K. they peaked at #46 and #11 respectively, while in America the single reached #9 (with a bullet!) and the album #5.  So many cool kids here at home!

Fun Fact:  Townshend's peak position for his highest charting single was also the same as the Who's highest charting single ("I Can See for Miles")--number nine.

In the liner notes for an anthology LP of his solo work, Townshend claims that "Jesus sings" on this single--and that's all you really need to know about this wonderful "ditty."

Lyric Sheet:  "Release yourself from misery/There's only one thing gonna set you free/That's my love..."

Enjoy:

Republican = Traitor

Peace,

emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CCCLXXXI--The Notting Hillbillies: Railroad Worksong

 Unbeknown to me before I did my weekly half-assed research, this week's tune is actually well over a hundred years old, and originally began as a song sung by railroad workers and road gangs (among others) as they toiled.  It's been recorded by dozens of artists through the years, with differing lyrics (many featuring America folk hero John Henry), and often under the title "Take This Hammer" or "Nine Pound Hammer."  Oh, the places you'll go on Friday Night Jukebox!

The Notting Hillbillies were formed in 1986 by Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler.  The band recorded their first, and only, LP in 1990, before embarking on periodic tours through 1993 (they were also the music guest on a Saturday Night Live episode), at which time the various members returned to their previous projects.  They reunited in 1997 for a short tour and in 2002 for a performance for charity.  They released three singles from their one album, none of which charted in the U.S. or the U.K.

"Railroad Worksong" was on their sole album noted above, the rather cleverly (really!) titled Missing...Presumed Having a Good Time.  The song was not released as a single by the Notting Hillbillies, and the album did not chart in America or Great Britain but did reach #6 in Australia (so many cool kids in Australia!).

Every now and again a song comes along that reminds you of why you have always loved a certain genre of music, and when it was first released "Railroad Worksong" did that for me as an exemplar of folk/Americana music.  Steve Phillips lead vocals capture well the hope inherent in the song, and Mark Knopfler's guitar (elegantly understated) underscores the resolve of the protagonist as he makes his way in the world.  Extra props for the "good buddy" thrown in at intervals throughout the song bringing it ever closer to home.  A nice reminder of how beautiful simplicity in music can be.

Lyric Sheet:  "If he asks you was I running/If he asks you was I running/If he asks you, good buddy, was I running/Tell him I was flying, tell him I was flying..."

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. 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. CCCI--The Psychedelic Furs: Pretty in Pink

 This week's tune is novel for the fact that a remade version of it charted higher here in the States than did the original version--despite the fact that it completely lost the edge that made the original such a visceral experience.  The remake was done for a movie of the same name supposedly based on the song...which actually had nothing whatsoever to do with the song (though not a bad movie).  Moral of the story:  avoid the 1986 version like the plague (probably not a good comparison in a year in which a pandemic played such a central role...).

The Psychedelic Furs--one of rock and roll's better monikers--formed in London in 1977 and had most of their original success in the U.K. and Europe.  Their second album broke them in the U.S. and they would go on to have a string of hits here and across the pond through 1992, at which time they took an eight year hiatus.  After reforming in 2000 the Furs have toured regularly and just this year released their first album in thirty years.  Brothers Richard (vocals) and Tim (bass) Butler are the only two members to have remained in the band throughout their tenure, and the Furs, like many a band before them, has had numerous incarnations.  For their career they have released eight studio LPs, two live albums, and eight compilation albums.  They've also released 22 singles, with much more success in Great Britain than here.  Overall, the Furs have had a solid career over the course of the last forty-three years, and one would imagine it beat the hell out of working in a fish and chips shop.

"Pretty in Pink" was originally released as a single in 1981 from their somewhat repetitively titled second album, Talk Talk Talk.  The song did not chart here in America, but would reach #43 on the UK Singles chart (so many cool kids in the U.K.!).  The album hit #30 in the British Isles and #89 here in the U.S.  Sadly, the remake was their biggest hit single in England and their second biggest single in the States--sometimes there's just no accounting for taste.

Occasionally, if you follow the world of rock and roll, you'll come across a song or a band that's described as garage rock, i.e. it sounds like music an enthusiastic group of young musicians whipped up in their garage.  I've often thought "Pretty in Pink" (and to a degree much of the Furs early work) falls into this category.  It's a little rough around the edges...but that roughness is what drives the song and takes a not so easy to tell story and makes it into a great song (the song chronicles a young woman who is sexually adventurous and some believe that pretty in pink refers to her nude body).  Butler's gravelly vocals (one of the few British singers who keeps a hint of his accent as he sings) toes the line between respect for her sexual choices and scorn for her often callous lovers.  The guitars reverberate like oceans waves continuously crashing the shore, and the drums explode from the song's opening moment to its last, smashing and smashing a manic beat.  It's one of those songs where a pretty good band turns in a stellar performance--so much so that even thirty-nine years later some doofus like me is still waxing enthusiastic about it.

Lyric Sheet:  "She turns herself 'round and she smiles and she says/"This is it, that's the end of the joke"/And loses herself in her dreaming and sleep/And her lovers walk through in their coats..."

Enjoy:

219,000+ Dead Americans

Fuck Donald Trump,

emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CCLVI--Adam and the Ants: Antmusic

And again this week we have another tune discovered during the After Dinner Music Sessions, courtesy of CBS Records and their promotional single extravaganza...

Adam and the Ants formed in London in 1977.  Their first incarnation lasted until January of 1980 when three members of the band left to form Bow Wow Wow .  The second incarnation would go on to have considerably more commercial success than the first, especially in their native U.K., and last until 1982.  Adam Ant (yeah, nobody really named their kid that--real name Stuart Goddard) was the only link between the two, and he would go on to some solo success, as well.  The band released three LPs during their short tenure, with one going to #1 and another to #2 on the British charts.  Adam Ant would release six albums before calling it quits (two more top five albums in the U.K.) in 1995, though in another instance of Money Matters in Rock and Roll, resumed his solo efforts in 2013 and has released two more albums.  The band had six top five singles, and Ant himself had two more.  The band has also released 11 compilations and three box sets, which is pretty impressive considering Adam and the Ants have only released eleven studio albums in their careers.  Still, they had an impressive run for four years, and are considered part of the second British Invasion into the U. S. music market (though with considerably less financial success than the first).

"Antmusic" was released in 1980, and was the third single from their album Kings of the Wild Frontier.  The single would reach #2 on the British charts, though it did not have any success on the Billboard Hot 100.  The album would reach #1 in the U.K. and was the best selling album for 1981 in their native land (it would peak at #44 on the Billboard 200).  The album would also go on to win a Brit Award for album of the year.

Fun Fact:  In what will be a first and last here on Friday Night Jukebox, this week's band makes use of Burundi drums and their music is considered to be Burundi beat (for the music it borrows from comes from Burundi--the only other band to employ the sound is Bow Wow Wow and I didn't like any of their songs).

And speaking of Burundi drums (segues are for amateurs), one of the many things that sets "Antmusic" apart from so many other minor hits is the drums, which are almost like two drumsticks clicking together and really help, along with the chants, to make the chorus ever so memorable.  The song itself, I believe, is a kick in the ass to disco (though it could just be to the music industry's trend of over saturating talentless tripe in the name of making a buck), and suggests that this month's flavor should be, surprisingly enough, "Antmusic."  Ant does a fine job of of vocalizing his disdain for flavor of the month as a means to making music, there's some nice guitar (nothing fancy, just your average 80's pop song guitar solo) that adds a little edge to the song, and the lyrics are a bit clever as to why one should prefer to be an ant rather than a coked up disco dancer.  No, this one won't make anyone forget "Night Moves," "Baba O'Riley," or "Born to Run," but it's a nice cut that provided a bit of a segue (that word again!) from the punk movement to new wave.  And every now and again, a little fun goes a long way in providing listening pleasure.

Lyric Sheet:  "It's so sad when you're young/To be told you're having fun/So unplug the jukebox/And do us all a favor, yeah/That music's lost its taste/So try another flavor/Antmusic..."

Enjoy:

Fuck Donald Trump,
emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CCXLIII--The Police: Invisible Sun

In which the Police channel their inner U2...and it only took 252 songs to get to a band that was a huge part of my musical palate from the late 70's through the mid 80's....

The Police formed in London, England in 1977, and like many a featured artist here on Friday Night Jukebox have a history that's a bit big for summarizing in a paragraph.  So without further ado...they had a relatively short career as a band, releasing five studio albums over the course of seven years.  They took a short break and went into the studio in 1986 to make their sixth album which never was completed...and that was that.  They did reunite in 2007 for a year long reunion tour (the third highest grossing tour in history), but have pretty much returned to focusing on their solo careers as before--Sting as a mega-selling (though not particularly very good) pop star, Andy Summers through guitar collaborations, and Stewart Copeland via the soundtrack route.  One can't underestimate how successful the Police were--arguably at one point the biggest band in the world, four of their five albums hit #1 in the U.K. (the fifth was #6), and even in the U.S., which wasn't as quick to catch on, their last three albums were top five and their first two were top 25.  Add to that their hugely successful world tours, that four of their five studio LPs made Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All-Time, six Grammy Awards, and two Brit Awards, and it's not surprising that they entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility.  And just for good measure, they were also on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All-Time.

(Not So) Fun Fact:  I had the good fortune to see the Police on two of their world tours, and for the record, both times they were beyond awful.  Easily two of the worst concert performances I've seen over the years.  C'est la vie!

"Invisible Sun" debuted in 1981 on the Police's third album, Ghosts in the Machine.  While it was the first single released from the album in Europe, it was never released as a single here in the States ("Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" was the song of choice here in America).  It would go on to
reach #2 in the U.K. and # 5 in Ireland--so many cool kids in the British Isles!

"Invisible Sun" was written by Sting in response to the hunger strikes of 1981 which occurred during The Troubles in Northern Ireland--he said he was trying to understand what made people continue on despite the misery they faced in their daily lives.  Despite the song's ominous overtones, it's actually quite uplifting--the idea of their being an "invisible sun" that shines on people when life is at its worst.  And it's perfect fodder for folks like me who like their music with a political bent every now and again (or more).  The song itself is a marvelous representation of what each member brought to the band instrumentally--Stewart Copeland's drumming echoes with a sinister foreboding, Andy Summers guitar work at the end of each chorus is like a catharsis, and Sting's bass playing adds force to the song's whole.  There's some nice harmonizing on the chorus as well--and the minute and a half or so of "Oh oh oh oh oh oh"s that close the song are reminiscent of a benedictine chant and are as hopeful as a soothing prayer.  All in all, "Invisible Sun" was a tour de force for the Police...and a stunning piece of political pop for the rest of us.

Lyric Sheet:  "It's dark all day and it glows all night/Factory smoke and acetylene light/I face the day with my head caved in/Looking like something that the cat brought in..."

Enjoy:

Fuck Donald Trump,
emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CCX--The Kinks: Waterloo Sunset

My one New Year's resolution this year was to actually post Friday Night Jukebox on Fridays...and as you can see, that resolution has already been flushed down the shitter...

The fifth year of FNJ opens with a song that doesn't come to mind as often as it should when discussing the all-time great pop songs, by a band that doesn't come to mind as often as it should when discussing the all-time great rock and roll bands.  I don't know that the song or the band are what one would call underrated--and a large part of it might be that like the Jam or Oasis they are quintessentially an English band and not as readily remembered here in the States--but their influence far supersedes their name recognition.

The Kinks were formed in 1964 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies (the seventh and eighth children of their parents--after six girls) in Muswell Hill (their childhood home), London, and have had a career full of ups and downs.  Their first hit, "You Really Got Me," reached #1 in their native U.K. and the top ten here in the U.S.--and it would be hard to underestimate its influence on the heavy metal, punk, and alternative scenes that would follow it through the years.  The band was banned for a number of years from performing in the U.S. because of the brothers fighting on stage (as well as fighting between Dave Davies and original drummer Mick Avory).  From the mid-sixties through the early seventies the band saw a great deal of success before falling out of popularity until the late seventies when they had a resurgence through the mid-eighties.  The band would have little success until their breakup in 1996.  Since then, the two brothers have performed solo, though last year Ray Davies spoke of a reunion that may include a tour.  Through the years the Kinks sold over 50 million records, having five top ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and nine albums make the top 40 on the Billboard 200, as well as having 17 top twenty singles and five top ten albums in their native U.K.  Over the course of their career, the Kinks released 24 studio albums, 4 live albums, and two compilations.  They've been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the U.K. Music Hall of Fame.  They were ranked 65th on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Greatest Artist of All-Time, and count Pete Townshend of the Who, the Jam, the Pretenders, Oasis, Blur, the Clash, and the Ramones as bands who were both fans of, and influenced by, the music of the Kinks.

Fun Fact:  Rod Stewart went to the same school as the Davies boys and was the lead singer of their band the Ray Davies Quartet for a couple of gigs before forming his own band called Rod Stewart and the Moonrakers while they were in secondary school (similar to our high school).

"Waterloo Sunset" was released in 1967 on their somewhat oddly titled album Something Else by the Kinks.  It would reach #2 on the U.K. charts...but, although it was released as a single in the U.S., it never charted (whoa--decided lack of cool kids here in the states!).  The song was ranked #42 on "Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All-Time."

The dean of American rock critics, Robert Christgau, has called "Waterloo Sunset" the "most beautiful song in the English language" (a case could be made).  Pete Townshend has called the song "divine" and a "masterpiece."  emaycee freely admits to being very late in discovering "Waterloo Sunset" (never heard it until the Rolling Stone 500 list was released, but in fairness, it was a) originally released when I was eight, and b) not a hit here in the states of any sort), but it didn't take long after first hearing it to fall right in love with it.  There's a bit much to the song to describe in a paragraph, but suffice it to say that it combines the best of what the brothers do--lyrics of introspection, a chronicle of England, and understated vocals with a beautiful melody (courtesy of Ray), and an otherworldly guitar with complementary backing vocals (courtesy of Dave Davies, with an assist from Ray's first wife on the background vocals).  I should also mention that the song is--in something of a rarity for a pop single--a song about a perfectly content introvert who's perfectly content to watch a beautiful sunset...and it's the kind of song that the more you listen, the more you appreciate its greatness.  In the end, this year will feature fifty-one more songs that I truly love...but none of them will be close to the artistic genius that the Kinks have imbued in "Waterloo Sunset."

Lyric Sheet:  "People so busy, makes me feel dizzy/Taxi light shines so bright/But I don't need no friends/As long as I gaze on Waterloo sunset/I am in paradise..."

Enjoy:

Fuck Donald Trump,
emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CXXIII--Bush: Glycerine

Friday, Wednesday--sometimes life gets in the way...

So, an eon ago when I was doing my half-assed research for this week's tune, I read that one of the knocks against Bush when they were in their heyday was that they sounded too much like Nirvana/Pearl Jam.  And after I was done reading, as I am wont to do, I gave this week's song a listen, and I swear it hadn't been playing thirty seconds when the Beautiful Girl asked, "Are you listening to Pearl Jam?  It sounds like Pearl Jam."

In fairness, back in Alternative Music's wondrous nineties run, about half the bands with records out sounded like Nirvana or Pearl Jam....

Formed in 1992 in London, Bush had a nice run in the nineties garnering several hit albums (including a #1) and several top ten singles.  They broke up in 2002, reunited in 2010, and have been together since, recording three more albums.  Time has been kinder to the band--their nineties material has gotten a better shake from the critical press in recent years (oddly enough, I picked up a copy of their debut album for a buck at a thrift store last year and was amazed at how much better it was than I remembered from its initial release--I spent several weeks listening to it).  At any rate, they're twenty-five years down the road and still making music,and you can't beat that.

Fun Fact:  If last week's tune was notable for being about worrying, this week's is notable for being about...um, a laxative?  Glycerine is actually a clear odorless sweet-tasting liquid that is used in many food products, soap products, anti-freeze, diesel fuel, and suppositories.  Fascinating, my God...

Released in 1995 from their Sixteen Stone LP, "Glycerine" would eventually reach #28 on the Billboard Hot 100.  For me, the song is most memorable for three things:  showing the pulsating beauty of three guitar chords, Gavin Rossdale's otherworldly vocals, and the fact that I have no fucking clue what it means in the end.  "Glycerine" is obviously about a relationship, but whether it's failed or failing (or neither) is never made clear (though it may be desired)--and maybe that's the point.  Even the best of relationships are never simple and neither is "Glycerine." Still, as with much of the best of pop music, it's exact meaning is unimportant--as long as it fills the holes in the head and the heart it's done its job.

Lyric Sheet:  "It might just be/Clear, simple and plain/Well, that's just fine/That's just one of my names..."

Enjoy:

Fuck Donald Trump,
emaycee

Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. LXXXI--Edison Lighthouse: Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)

This one's on the regular loop in Pop Song Heaven...

Fun fact #1:  Tony Burrows, lead singer for Edison Lighthouse, had a second top five hit with the band The First Class, with "Beach Baby" in 1974.

Fun fact #2:  "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" hit the top of the UK charts the second week after its release--the fastest jump to the number one slot in the history of the UK charts.

And that's about it--Edison Lighthouse (named for the famed Eddyson Lighthouse off the coast of Devon--yeah, you've got me, too) was basically a studio band formed in London, England to release a great single.  They stayed together for about two years and then called it quits.  While they began touring again in 2001 (where there's a buck there's a way), there are separate UK and US versions of the band (WTF, am I right?).  No Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, no drug addictions, no Grammy Awards--just one golden moment.  A true one hit wonder.

But if they're just going to have one, Edison Lighthouse could not have picked a better tune to do it with.  Released in 1970--and I shit you not, there wasn't even an album along with it--"Love Grows" would go on to reach #5 (most assuredly with a bullet!) on The Billboard Hot 100, and give the band a slot on almost every one hit wonder compilation ever released.  It's basically guitars, drums, background strings, some righteous lead vocals, and perhaps one of the catchiest choruses ever released.  It's a love song devoted to one Rosemary, who's wild and free and obviously a child of the sixties. There's a nice bass line that runs through the song and keeps tempo with the vocals--but this is just one of those songs they used to release back in the day just because it was a great song and not because it was some corporate idiot's idea of what would sell commercials on the radio or help build a band's brand.  There's a joy that runs throughout the song that I don't hear too often anymore...

...and don't I sound like one of those old farts who used to have to walk ten miles to school in the snow, uphill, backward, and barefoot?

What the hell--they just don't release one hit wonders like this one anymore...

Lyric sheet:  "She's really got a magical spell/And it's working so well that I can't get away..."

Enjoy:

Peace,
emaycee