Curio Cabinet / Song Curio

There was a whole lot of rock in this orchestra. On this day in 1972, legendary British rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) made their debut at a small London pub. Within a few short years the band, which specialized in classically-inspired rock music, was churning out hits, including their best-remembered song, 1977’s Mr. Blue Sky. It features a bouncy tune and very literal lyrics (it’s about the joy of seeing a blue sky after a period of bad weather) yet the layers of electronic instrumentation and intricate harmonies (which may well remind listeners of The Beatles) lend it a maturity that made it instantly popular. In a 2014 interview with Hi-Fi News & Record Review, songwriter Jeff Lynne said, “All the bits that come in and out, the backing vocals, the cellos sliding, all the little naughty bits, the sound effects, everything is exactly what I imagined ELO to be.” The song has been featured in commercials, as a T.V. show theme song, and is even played at the beginning of every soccer match featuring the Birmingham City Football Club. It seems that everyone everywhere can agree that nice weather is worth singing about.

 
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Break out the Aqua Net and shoulder pads; in honor of yesterday's total solar eclipse, we're revisiting Bonnie Tyler's Total Eclipse of the Heart. The power-ballad, by songwriter Jim Steinman, slipped out of the late Meat Loaf's grasp and Steinman's own planned musical called Vampires in Love before it landed in Bonnie Tyler's lap. With a new voice and lyrics drained of all bloodsucker references, Tyler took the song to a different sort of mythical place. The song’s music video was filmed at Holloway Sanitorium, an abandoned British asylum, and it featured ninjas, nocturnal angels, and a possessed boys' choir. Luckily, the bizarre visuals didn't overshadow the song's popularity. In 1983, Total Eclipse of the Heart was the first song by a Welsh performer to hit #1 on the U.S. charts, selling over six million copies in the process. Tyler continues to perform the song live over 30 years after its release, because even if it’s not about the immortal undead anymore, it still has bite—especially during an actual eclipse!

That piano intro alone is enough to get the waterworks started. The late, great American songwriter Leon Russell was born on this day in 1942, but it was in 2018, two years after his death, that he accomplished one of his most impressive career feats. A Song for You, which Russell wrote in the 1960s and recorded in 1970 for his self-titled debut album, was named to the Grammy Hall of Fame. The iconic rock ballad has been covered by more than 200 artists—a testament to its enduring ability to tug at the heartstrings. Though Russell’s version remains the most famous, with its raw vocals and stripped-down, piano-heavy instrumentation, it was originally written with a very different singer in mind. Throughout his career, Russell worked with some of the most famous artists in the industry, including Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, and George Harrison. He envisioned A Song for You being sung by Frank Sinatra. The crooner never ended up recording it, but that certainly didn’t stop any other artists from taking a crack at it, including Russell. Sometimes, if you want something done right you’ve got to do it yourself…alongside 200 others.

This Beach Boys song hit number one before the Beach Boys ever did! While the instrumentals (and famous opening line) of Surf City were created by Beach Boys songwriter Brian Wilson, he allowed a different doo-wop-flavored surf band to record it: Jan & Dean. This duo was made up of young singers and former high school friends Dean Torrence and Jan Berry, the latter of whom passed away on this day in 2004. Jan & Dean’s vocals could have easily been confused for the Beach Boys’, with their spunky, upbeat harmonies. They seemed to be on a similar road to success, too, when they recorded the song in 1963. It immediately jumped to the top of the charts. However, though the duo ended up with 27 charting songs, Surf City was their only number one hit, and while the Beach Boys went on to have a relatively long career, Jan & Dean’s success was fairly short-lived. Still, for the brief time that the two groups overlapped, the beach was plenty big enough for the two of them.

It’s not June yet, but it’s still a good time to review this song’s history! On this day in 2022, British indie rock band Glass Animals were enjoying an unprecedented musical achievement. Their song Heat Waves was in the middle of a record-breaking run atop the Billboard Hot 100, which ended with it claiming the title of the longest-charting Hot 100 song of all time at 91 weeks. Although the song’s lyrics are self-reflective and focused on heartache, it has a steady beat and overall mellow feel. Frontman and songwriter Dave Bayley described writing the song as a “reflective” experience as he struggled to get over a real-life relationship. Although the song was released in June, Bayley has explained that that’s not the reason for the song’s emphasis on that particular month. Rather, the unnamed person who inspired the song was born in June. With as often as this song is played on the radio (especially during the summer) there’s little doubt that Bayley’s mystery muse has heard the tune.

These songs were both about dolls, but neither one was playing around at the 96th Academy Awards. Oscar night saw a showdown between two songs from 2023’s Barbie: I’m Just Ken and What Was I Made For?, both of which were nominated for Best Original Song. Both tunes explore the tribulations of what it means to be a doll: the first, performed by Ryan Gosling, is a purposefully cheesy romp in which Ken, Barbie’s ever-present male companion, opines about his second-best status. The second, performed by Billie Eilish, is a haunting, poignant ballad about finding one’s place in the world while being constantly commodified. Both songs were performed with great gusto at the Academy Awards, but Eilish, along with her songwriter brother, Finneas O'Connell, ultimately won the night. The win makes Eilish the youngest person ever to have won two Oscars. Of course, both songs represent different facets of the film from which they come, and all of Barbie’s stars, including Gosling, celebrated the victory. Ken has to be used to playing second fiddle by now.

When things get litigious in musicland, they get really litigious. Fans of 1970s pop-rock duo Hall and Oates are probably aware of their recent falling out, which culminated in Daryl Hall getting a restraining order against John Oates to prevent Oates from selling a share of their joint business. But even diehard fans may not know that this isn’t the first time Hall and Oates have been at the forefront of legal drama. Despite the pair’s famously upbeat musical catalog, which includes hits like 1980’s You Make My Dreams Come True, a bouncy, poppy earworm featuring a chorus of “ooo-oos”, Hall and Oates have always been a bit litigious. In fact, on this day in 2015, the pair were in the middle of a lawsuit they had brought against cereal maker Early Bird Foods & Co. for naming one of their granola bars “Haulin' Oates.” While Early Bird did agree to change the name of their granola, it didn’t work out entirely in the band’s favor, as the name was changed to “Kiss My Oats.” Hey, we’re all fans of upbeat pop…can’t we just learn to get along?

Which song is better, the original or the cover? Sometimes, it depends where you’re from! On this day in 1964, British singer Cilla Black was just beginning to enjoy what would turn into a three-week run at the top of the UK Singles chart with her cover of Anyone Who Had a Heart. The song had originally been performed by American singer Dionne Warwick, whose version was a hit in the U.S. and several other countries…but the UK had their own preferences. Black’s version of the dramatic, soaring ballad leaned into its over-the-top orchestral instrumentation, making it sound like a number from a stage musical. Warwick’s version had been more grounded, but British hearts want what they want. Black also had a backstory that gave her plenty of British-style street cred—she used to work as a hat-check girl at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, where the Beatles often played. In 1963, she sang for John Lennon, who praised her voice. But she truly rose to prominence during the Merseybeat era, a musical movement centered around Liverpool’s River Mersey area. By 1968, she was the host of her own variety show. It sure beats checking hats!

This song was written for a good time, not a long time! In February of 1970, The Plastic Ono Band released Instant Karma in the UK just ten days after the song was written, making it one of the fastest-released songs in modern music history. The song's vocals had been recorded in just 24 hours. The band, which was formed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono and included a roster of other rotating musicians, was created for the express purpose of musical experimentation, so members were used to working on unusual music with unconventional timelines. Besides its ultra-fast release, Instant Karma also boasted a cheerful sound complete with a danceable beat punctuated by handclaps. This is likely due to the fact that Lennon left much of the song’s final arrangement to Phil Spector, and told him to give it a 1950s sound. Despite its title, the song isn’t actually about someone getting their comeuppance. Rather, its lyrics focus on peace and positivity, encouraging listeners to connect with others and telling them that they shine “like the moon and the stars and the sun.” Upon its international release, the song quickly became a Ton Ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Impressive for something whipped up on such a tight timeframe.

It's a boastful song with surprisingly humble origins. 1978’s Sultans of Swing, by British rock band Dire Straits, was a breakout hit, reaching number four on the Billboard Hot 100. The song features famously funky and lackadaisical guitar riffs and lyrics about a ragtag-yet-extremely-talented London band. Yet, the song’s real-life inspiration was anything but inspiring. Mark Knopfler, who wrote all the songs on Dire Straits’ first, self-titled album, came up with the song’s title after watching a mediocre band play in a small bar in the British town of Ipswich. At the end of their show, the band said goodnight and reminded the small crowd of their name: the Sultans of Swing. In an interview years later, Knopfler said, “...there was something really funny about it to me because Sultans, they absolutely weren't. You know they were rather tired little blokes in pullovers.” Of course, Knopfler’s song painted a much more flattering picture of the band, and helped propel Dire Straits to superstardom. Their first album went double-platinum in both the U.S. and the U.K., thanks in large part to Sultans of Swing. Not bad for a song that got its start in a small town bar.

Plenty of studio musicians work in Nashville, but few had the legendary reputation of Hargus ‘Pig’ Robbins, who passed away on this day in 2022 at the age of 84. Blinded at the age of three due to a knife accident, Robbins poured his heart and soul into his art, eventually becoming one of the most celebrated keyboardists in Music City. Known for his boisterous, improvisational style, Robbins first made his mark on the industry after playing for George Jones’ White Lightning, a playful, jumpy country tune about moonshining. Although it took Jones around 83 takes to get the song right (due to his real-life habit of drinking while recording) Robbins remained inexhaustible. His keyboard added colorful, braggadocious life to the track, and soon he became a go-to studio musician for country greats like Patsy Cline and Dolly Parton. Robbins even went on to work with folk legend Bob Dylan. Not bad for a guy with “pig” for a nickname!

As their name implies, The Killers aren’t a band that’s known for touching tributes or poignant lyrics. Yet their most enduring hit, Mr. Brightside, is famously one of their saddest songs. On this day in 2005, The Killers’ debut album, Hot Fuss, had just begun a two-week stint atop the UK album chart. For many, Mr. Brightside was the album’s standout track. While it boasts the same echoey vocals and distorted, indie-rock sound as most of The Killers’ other songs, Mr. Brightside tells the sad story of a man walking into a bar to find his girlfriend there with another guy. The song is actually based on a true story, as The Killers’ lead singer, Brandon Flowers, wrote it to soothe his pain after he discovered his then-girlfriend cheating at a Las Vegas bar. The catharsis paid off, as it has remained so popular that it was named “Song of the Decade” by UK radio stations Absolute Radio and XFM, and remains the most streamed song on Spotify from the 2000s. Not bad for a track from a debut album.

Rock music isn’t all heavy guitar and repetitive lyrics. On this day in 2002, Irish rock singer and songwriter David McWilliams passed away. Though his career was short, lasting only from the late-60s to the mid-70s, his musical contributions greatly impacted Ireland’s at-the-time evolving rock scene. His best known song, The Days Of Pearly Spencer is not your usual rock fare. It’s a heartfelt song about the struggles of a homeless man, and it was written based on McWilliams’ own experiences with a homeless friend in Ballymena, a town in Northern Ireland. McWilliams’ empathy for those who were struggling helped the song strike a nerve with the public. Unfortunately for McWilliams, the song was banned by the BBC upon its release—not because of its content, but because McWilliams had connections with several Irish pirate radio stations. These were stations that operated without a license and were popular in Ireland at the time due to a lack of radio infrastructure. Luckily, the song still gained notoriety thanks to its unusual sound featuring distorted vocals and megaphones, though it didn’t officially become a hit until it was covered by British singer Marc Almond 25 years later. Better late than never.

This is one melancholy rock anthem. On this day in 1994, Welsh rock band Manic Street Preachers played the first of a three-night concert series at the Astoria in London. It was the last time that songwriter and guitarist Richey Edwards, one of the band's most crucial members, would play live before he mysteriously disappeared in February of 1995. Edwards vanished after checking out of a London hotel that he and the rest of the band were staying in, on their way to a U.S. tour. His empty car was discovered nearby, but Edwards himself remains missing to this day. The band’s next studio album, 1996’s Everything Must Go, utilized lyrics and soundbites that Edwards left behind. Enola is one of the album’s most melancholy songs, with lyrics about loneliness and grief. Even the song’s title is “alone” spelled backwards. Yet, in the style of classic pop punk, the song’s beat and instrumentation are harsh, fast, and steady. Although other band members deny that the song (or any on the album) were direct tributes to Edwards, Enola makes it clear that his disappearance left a mark musically and emotionally.

This movie owed it all to its soundtrack! In November of 1987, (I've Had) The Time of My Life, from the hit film Dirty Dancing, was topping the Billboard Hot 100. The movie was tailored around the song to the point that some lyrics were featured in the movie’s tagline and on official posters. That makes sense, considering that the song’s three writers, Franke Previte, John DeNicola, and Donald Markowitz, were hired to write it specifically for the film. Previte provided the vocals for the song’s demo alongside singer Rachele Cappelli, and the movie’s climactic final scene was actually filmed first, using that demo. Eventually, though, the vocals were replaced with the voices of Jennifer Warnes and Bill Medley, of the Righteous Brothers. Previte could hardly be upset, though, as the song was an instant hit, owing partially to its unusual structure. The writers based its format on Donna Summers’ Last Dance. It begins with a slow chorus, in half-time, before chugging into a danceable-but-bare-bones verse, then building to a bold, towering crescendo of a second chorus. It’s a tune that seems built for the silver screen…because it was.