Curio Cabinet / Song Curio
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FREEMusic Song CurioFree2 CQ
As a member of the Noisettes, Shingai Shoniwa was one of the most unique voices in britpop. Now a solo artist, the British-Zimbabweian singer is crafting unrivaled songs drawing from her family and musical heritage. Her recently released and long-awaited album, Too Bold features tracks like the slow-burning We Roll. Co-produced with Charlie Kay, Shingai combines polyrhythmic hand snaps and drum machines with kalimba-like double-note punctuations and a chant-like saxophone riff. The main melodies follow a minor pentatonic scale (five notes), which somehow makes it sound futuristic and spacious and yet deeply rooted in the popular music traditions of Africa. Or to put it in Shingai's terms, she has "the African heat, coming through with that London cheek / Rock & Roll in [her] blood its peak, Warriors in [her] ancestry." In other words, there's no such thing as being Too Bold for an artist like Shingai!
Image credit & copyright: Vertigo Records
Written by: Esther P.
As a member of the Noisettes, Shingai Shoniwa was one of the most unique voices in britpop. Now a solo artist, the British-Zimbabweian singer is crafting unrivaled songs drawing from her family and musical heritage. Her recently released and long-awaited album, Too Bold features tracks like the slow-burning We Roll. Co-produced with Charlie Kay, Shingai combines polyrhythmic hand snaps and drum machines with kalimba-like double-note punctuations and a chant-like saxophone riff. The main melodies follow a minor pentatonic scale (five notes), which somehow makes it sound futuristic and spacious and yet deeply rooted in the popular music traditions of Africa. Or to put it in Shingai's terms, she has "the African heat, coming through with that London cheek / Rock & Roll in [her] blood its peak, Warriors in [her] ancestry." In other words, there's no such thing as being Too Bold for an artist like Shingai!
Image credit & copyright: Vertigo Records
Written by: Esther P.
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
On or offstage, the chemistry between Johnny and June Carter Cash was undeniable. In the '90s, the two graced the Western drama Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman as guest stars Kid Cole (Johnny) and Sister Ruth (June). Kid Cole was a former gunslinger who was causing endless trouble in his marriage to Sister Ruth. When Ruth seeks the advice of Dr. Quinn, Kid Cole reveals his terminal illness as the cause of his quarrelsome ways: he thought that if he pushed Ruth away from him, she would not be hurt by his eventual passing. With the air cleared between them, Kid Cole celebrates the fall holiday morning with song. The Thanksgiving Prayer proves to be as sweet as any of Johnny Cash's best ballads. The tender meditation on mortality and love were made all the more significant by June's presence during the performance. With 30 years of romance between them at the time, the late Johnny Cash would still profess how lucky he was to be with June, and how theirs was a love for the ages—whether it was the 19th-century frontier, or 20th-century country music stage.
Image credit & copyright: thecoast.com
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
On or offstage, the chemistry between Johnny and June Carter Cash was undeniable. In the '90s, the two graced the Western drama Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman as guest stars Kid Cole (Johnny) and Sister Ruth (June). Kid Cole was a former gunslinger who was causing endless trouble in his marriage to Sister Ruth. When Ruth seeks the advice of Dr. Quinn, Kid Cole reveals his terminal illness as the cause of his quarrelsome ways: he thought that if he pushed Ruth away from him, she would not be hurt by his eventual passing. With the air cleared between them, Kid Cole celebrates the fall holiday morning with song. The Thanksgiving Prayer proves to be as sweet as any of Johnny Cash's best ballads. The tender meditation on mortality and love were made all the more significant by June's presence during the performance. With 30 years of romance between them at the time, the late Johnny Cash would still profess how lucky he was to be with June, and how theirs was a love for the ages—whether it was the 19th-century frontier, or 20th-century country music stage.
Image credit & copyright: thecoast.com
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FREEMusic Song CurioFree2 CQ
Quarantine has been a surprisingly busy time for Nicholas Lens. With performances of his operas cancelled until 2021, the Belgian composer began work on a new project, L.I.T.A.N.I.E.S., with Australian rocker Nick Cave. Lens found inspiration for his project in the most unlikely place: the seat of his bicycle. While riding across Brussels, he began to reminisce of his time in Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan and its natural, quiet beauty. Lens then asked Nick Cave, whom he previously collaborated with on Shell Shock, to write lyrics as litanies for the music. Cave explained, "The first thing I did after I put down the phone was search 'What is a litany?' I learned that a litany was 'a series of religious petitions,' and realised I had been writing litanies all my life." Tracks like the recently released Litany of the Forsaken incorporate delicate woodwinds and piano pieces with soprano voices singing of the wonders and impermanence of love. If the song is any indication of how L.I.T.A.N.I.E.S. will sound, it's bound to be an intimate bit of vocal music to keep us warm in winter.
Image credit & copyright: Sebastien Forthomme / Deutsche Grammophon
Written by: Esther P.
Quarantine has been a surprisingly busy time for Nicholas Lens. With performances of his operas cancelled until 2021, the Belgian composer began work on a new project, L.I.T.A.N.I.E.S., with Australian rocker Nick Cave. Lens found inspiration for his project in the most unlikely place: the seat of his bicycle. While riding across Brussels, he began to reminisce of his time in Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan and its natural, quiet beauty. Lens then asked Nick Cave, whom he previously collaborated with on Shell Shock, to write lyrics as litanies for the music. Cave explained, "The first thing I did after I put down the phone was search 'What is a litany?' I learned that a litany was 'a series of religious petitions,' and realised I had been writing litanies all my life." Tracks like the recently released Litany of the Forsaken incorporate delicate woodwinds and piano pieces with soprano voices singing of the wonders and impermanence of love. If the song is any indication of how L.I.T.A.N.I.E.S. will sound, it's bound to be an intimate bit of vocal music to keep us warm in winter.
Image credit & copyright: Sebastien Forthomme / Deutsche Grammophon
Written by: Esther P.
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
At the onset of World War II, no musical act sold war bonds and inspired the troops quite like the rollicking Andrews Sisters. Lead by youngest sister Patty, the trio produced 46 top 10 hits, including the wartime carol Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy. Trussed by a gamboling rhythm, the tune tells the story of a Chicago street musician who gets drafted into the army as a bugler, only to infuse the morning reveille with his boogie-woogie style. As the sisters deliver the narrative, Patty's cheeky mezzo-soprano holds center presence, while sisters LaVerne and Maxene's contralto and soprano supply rich harmony. The tune, which ranks sixth on the NEA and RIAA's Songs of the Century, was just one of many hits that made the sisters the best-selling female vocal group of their era, with 75 million records sold. Other Andrews achievements included introducing calypso to the American mainstream with their cover of Lord Invader's Rum and Coca Cola, as well as appearing in 17 films and recording 47 duets with Bing Crosby—including Pistol Packin' Mama and Jingle Bells. In honor of such an enduring legacy, join us today as we jump eight-to-the-bar in memory of the Andrews Sisters!
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Image credit & copyright: Everett Collection / Rex Feature
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
At the onset of World War II, no musical act sold war bonds and inspired the troops quite like the rollicking Andrews Sisters. Lead by youngest sister Patty, the trio produced 46 top 10 hits, including the wartime carol Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy. Trussed by a gamboling rhythm, the tune tells the story of a Chicago street musician who gets drafted into the army as a bugler, only to infuse the morning reveille with his boogie-woogie style. As the sisters deliver the narrative, Patty's cheeky mezzo-soprano holds center presence, while sisters LaVerne and Maxene's contralto and soprano supply rich harmony. The tune, which ranks sixth on the NEA and RIAA's Songs of the Century, was just one of many hits that made the sisters the best-selling female vocal group of their era, with 75 million records sold. Other Andrews achievements included introducing calypso to the American mainstream with their cover of Lord Invader's Rum and Coca Cola, as well as appearing in 17 films and recording 47 duets with Bing Crosby—including Pistol Packin' Mama and Jingle Bells. In honor of such an enduring legacy, join us today as we jump eight-to-the-bar in memory of the Andrews Sisters!
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Image credit & copyright: Everett Collection / Rex Feature
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FREEMusic Song CurioFree2 CQ
Bryan Adams may seem like an unlikely hero for horse girls everywhere, but the gravelly-voiced Canadian rocker earned that title when he lent his voice to the Spirit: Stallion of the Cimaron soundtrack. Released in November 2002, the animated film follows a horse who is separated from his herd. Adams' songs provide context for the film's most important scenes. None is better known than "Here I am," which introduces the film's main character. Like many soundtrack tunes, the song was a joint effort. The lyrics were penned by Adams, American musician Gretchen Peters and famed German composer Hans Zimmer. The song was arranged by Ed Lajeski who has a background in musical theatre. Lajeski's arrangement compensated for several scenes which needed to take place during the song. He wove in long instrumental sections to seamlessly back up Adams' vocals. The song's hopeful, spirited feel—with some sections meant to mimic a prancing horse—earned it an American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Award and a Golden Globe nomination. It was even used to promote Canada's hosting of the 2010 Winter Olympics. Talk about a song with a colt following!
Image credit & copyright: A&M Records
Written by: Maria C.
Bryan Adams may seem like an unlikely hero for horse girls everywhere, but the gravelly-voiced Canadian rocker earned that title when he lent his voice to the Spirit: Stallion of the Cimaron soundtrack. Released in November 2002, the animated film follows a horse who is separated from his herd. Adams' songs provide context for the film's most important scenes. None is better known than "Here I am," which introduces the film's main character. Like many soundtrack tunes, the song was a joint effort. The lyrics were penned by Adams, American musician Gretchen Peters and famed German composer Hans Zimmer. The song was arranged by Ed Lajeski who has a background in musical theatre. Lajeski's arrangement compensated for several scenes which needed to take place during the song. He wove in long instrumental sections to seamlessly back up Adams' vocals. The song's hopeful, spirited feel—with some sections meant to mimic a prancing horse—earned it an American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Award and a Golden Globe nomination. It was even used to promote Canada's hosting of the 2010 Winter Olympics. Talk about a song with a colt following!
Image credit & copyright: A&M Records
Written by: Maria C.
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FREEPiano Song CurioFree2 CQ
While some of us were busy deciding which snacks to serve at high school events, Danny Scher was booking unbelievable talent for concerts at Palo Alto High School in Northern California. As the school's 1968 social commissioner, Scher had attracted the likes of Vince Guaraldi before turning his sights on Thelonious Monk. The idiosyncratic pianist had a three-week gig at the Jazz Workshop in San Francisco, attempting to recuperate money he owed to his record company for missing recording days due to a seizure-induced coma. Scher, for his part, wanted to put on a show to promote unity between white and black citizens in Palo Alto, a town racially segregated by property lines. No one believed Scher had actually secured Monk's performance —not even Monk when Scher called him that Friday before. When Monk showed up, he did so with 45 minutes of a swingin' good time. Take the opener Ruby My Dear, a swooning love song that Monk wrote for a girlfriend when he was a teenager. Given that the recently released Palo Alto recording was one of Monk's last performances, Ruby became an especially poignant piece to bookend the career of one of jazz's most inventive musical minds.
Image credit & copyright: Larry Fink, Courtesy of Thelonious Monk, 1968.
Written by: Esther P.
While some of us were busy deciding which snacks to serve at high school events, Danny Scher was booking unbelievable talent for concerts at Palo Alto High School in Northern California. As the school's 1968 social commissioner, Scher had attracted the likes of Vince Guaraldi before turning his sights on Thelonious Monk. The idiosyncratic pianist had a three-week gig at the Jazz Workshop in San Francisco, attempting to recuperate money he owed to his record company for missing recording days due to a seizure-induced coma. Scher, for his part, wanted to put on a show to promote unity between white and black citizens in Palo Alto, a town racially segregated by property lines. No one believed Scher had actually secured Monk's performance —not even Monk when Scher called him that Friday before. When Monk showed up, he did so with 45 minutes of a swingin' good time. Take the opener Ruby My Dear, a swooning love song that Monk wrote for a girlfriend when he was a teenager. Given that the recently released Palo Alto recording was one of Monk's last performances, Ruby became an especially poignant piece to bookend the career of one of jazz's most inventive musical minds.
Image credit & copyright: Larry Fink, Courtesy of Thelonious Monk, 1968.
Written by: Esther P.
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
The Presidents of the United States of America never let the title get to their heads—even if the eponymous character in Lump was out of hers. The weirdly-charming song was inspired by singer Chris Ballew's benign tumor, and a vision of a woman emerging from a swamp. Instead of getting an Excalibur, PUSA was rewarded with a #1 modern rock track, a double-platinum album, and the true mark of making it in the '90s: a (Forrest) Gump parody by Weird Al Yankovic. To top their presidential heyday, PUSA played a show in front of Mount Rushmore—one epic rock concert if we do say so. Sadly, PUSA packed up their two-string guitars and announced a breakup one week after the 2016 election. No word yet on their retirement philanthropy plans, or where their presidential library will be built!
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Image credit & copyright: The Presidents Of The United States Of America
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
The Presidents of the United States of America never let the title get to their heads—even if the eponymous character in Lump was out of hers. The weirdly-charming song was inspired by singer Chris Ballew's benign tumor, and a vision of a woman emerging from a swamp. Instead of getting an Excalibur, PUSA was rewarded with a #1 modern rock track, a double-platinum album, and the true mark of making it in the '90s: a (Forrest) Gump parody by Weird Al Yankovic. To top their presidential heyday, PUSA played a show in front of Mount Rushmore—one epic rock concert if we do say so. Sadly, PUSA packed up their two-string guitars and announced a breakup one week after the 2016 election. No word yet on their retirement philanthropy plans, or where their presidential library will be built!
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Image credit & copyright: The Presidents Of The United States Of America
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FREEMusic Song CurioFree2 CQ
We've covered the friendship between Eric Clapton and George Harrison in Curios past, but none of those songs amp up the guitars and drama quite like Layla. The album by Derek and the Dominos was released 50 years ago this week, initially an effort by Clapton to get away from the British supergroups he'd been part of in the 60s. Clapton formed the group with backing members of Delaney & Bonnie (a singer-songwriter duo), and initially wrote a somber ballad inspired by the Arabic poem of Layla and Majnun. In the poem, the lovers are separated by Layla's marriage to another man, and Majnun's grief-stricken madness. The tale was a perfect analogy for Clapton's obsession with his best friend's wife, Patti Boyd... who was married to George Harrison. With riff-master Duane Allman (of the Allman Brothers) adding the wailing guitar parts, Clapton and crew gave rock 'n' roll its unofficial anthem of unrequited love. As for the Clapton-Boyd-Harrison love triangle? Clapton eventually won Boyd over, with Harrison attending the nuptials. The two guitarists even later playfully referred to themselves as "husbands-in-law." Ah, young and overly-complicated love.
Image credit & copyright: Polydor, Atco
Written by: Esther P.
We've covered the friendship between Eric Clapton and George Harrison in Curios past, but none of those songs amp up the guitars and drama quite like Layla. The album by Derek and the Dominos was released 50 years ago this week, initially an effort by Clapton to get away from the British supergroups he'd been part of in the 60s. Clapton formed the group with backing members of Delaney & Bonnie (a singer-songwriter duo), and initially wrote a somber ballad inspired by the Arabic poem of Layla and Majnun. In the poem, the lovers are separated by Layla's marriage to another man, and Majnun's grief-stricken madness. The tale was a perfect analogy for Clapton's obsession with his best friend's wife, Patti Boyd... who was married to George Harrison. With riff-master Duane Allman (of the Allman Brothers) adding the wailing guitar parts, Clapton and crew gave rock 'n' roll its unofficial anthem of unrequited love. As for the Clapton-Boyd-Harrison love triangle? Clapton eventually won Boyd over, with Harrison attending the nuptials. The two guitarists even later playfully referred to themselves as "husbands-in-law." Ah, young and overly-complicated love.
Image credit & copyright: Polydor, Atco
Written by: Esther P.
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
Before the Addams Family or Alice Cooper, Screamin' Jay Hawkins entertained audiences with his spooky antics. The piano prodigy and opera-trained singer began his career by playing as a sideman to Fats Domino and other big acts at the time. When he broke out on his own with I Put a Spell on You in 1956, Hawkin's stage identity as a bombastic witch doctor was more or less cemented: he would make state entrances from coffins, hold a large stick with a skull on it, and howl his way through his signature tune. While Hawkin's campy schtick brought audiences to his performances, I Put a Spell on You's hypnotic vamp (repetitive song parts, pun intended) made its way into other hit versions; Creedence Clearwater Revival, Nina Simone, and Bette Middler (in the film Hocus Pocus) have all covered it. And the track has been included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll." We have to hand it to Screamin' Jay Hawkins for being the first rock 'n' roller to make us want to get down and have a frightfully good time in our Halloween costumes!
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Image credit & copyright: Nialler 9
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
Before the Addams Family or Alice Cooper, Screamin' Jay Hawkins entertained audiences with his spooky antics. The piano prodigy and opera-trained singer began his career by playing as a sideman to Fats Domino and other big acts at the time. When he broke out on his own with I Put a Spell on You in 1956, Hawkin's stage identity as a bombastic witch doctor was more or less cemented: he would make state entrances from coffins, hold a large stick with a skull on it, and howl his way through his signature tune. While Hawkin's campy schtick brought audiences to his performances, I Put a Spell on You's hypnotic vamp (repetitive song parts, pun intended) made its way into other hit versions; Creedence Clearwater Revival, Nina Simone, and Bette Middler (in the film Hocus Pocus) have all covered it. And the track has been included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll." We have to hand it to Screamin' Jay Hawkins for being the first rock 'n' roller to make us want to get down and have a frightfully good time in our Halloween costumes!
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Image credit & copyright: Nialler 9
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
Need some extra tuneage for that Halloween playlist? Look no further than Modest Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain. The most-terrifying tone poem (a piece of music that tells a story) of Disney's Fantasia was originally written for St. John the Baptist's Feast Day in 1867. Bald Mountain follows the story of St. John discovering a witches' sabbath near Bald Mountain in Kiev, in the Russian Empire. The turbulent opening melody in the wind and string instruments gives way to an oppressive horn presence, with each group of orchestral instruments diving further and further into the evil chaos of the witches' spells. Fear not though! There is light at the end of a horrifying night: at around 7:30 minutes in, the gentle dawn breaks in the form of a soft, new melody. While Mussorgsky's piece is considered a classic today, it was never performed in his lifetime. It took his great friend Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov arranging the piece in 1886 for the work to gain prominence in the classical performing world. This Halloween, we're celebrating Mussorgsky. After all, a witches' sabbath is a terrible thing to waste!
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Image credit & copyright: Walt Disney Pictures
Need some extra tuneage for that Halloween playlist? Look no further than Modest Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain. The most-terrifying tone poem (a piece of music that tells a story) of Disney's Fantasia was originally written for St. John the Baptist's Feast Day in 1867. Bald Mountain follows the story of St. John discovering a witches' sabbath near Bald Mountain in Kiev, in the Russian Empire. The turbulent opening melody in the wind and string instruments gives way to an oppressive horn presence, with each group of orchestral instruments diving further and further into the evil chaos of the witches' spells. Fear not though! There is light at the end of a horrifying night: at around 7:30 minutes in, the gentle dawn breaks in the form of a soft, new melody. While Mussorgsky's piece is considered a classic today, it was never performed in his lifetime. It took his great friend Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov arranging the piece in 1886 for the work to gain prominence in the classical performing world. This Halloween, we're celebrating Mussorgsky. After all, a witches' sabbath is a terrible thing to waste!
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Image credit & copyright: Walt Disney Pictures
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
It was a one-eyed, one-horned flying novelty song that highlighted actor and musician Sheb Wooley's bizarre career. Born April 10, 1921, Wooley transitioned from a rodeo cowboy to a musician in the '50s, most notably penning The Purple People Eater after some schoolyard tomfoolery he overheard from a friend's son. Capitalizing on the era's fixation with flying saucers, Sputnik, and mad science, he invented a pigmy creature that blows music from its horn and swoops around devouring purple people—wishing, in a high-pitched Chipmunks' voice, that it could join a rock 'n' roll band. Wooley's producer in Nashville flatly rejected the demo, but MGM pounced, with the maniacal ditty selling one million copies and topping American charts for six weeks. Wooley's other successes included portraying Ben Colder on the television series Hee Haw and landing supporting roles in countless westerns, notably the 1951 film Distant Drums, in which he gave birth to the iconic Wilhelm death scream heard in Star Wars. Which really testifies to Wooley's ability to blow it out and really knock 'em dead—and be knocked dead himself!
Below: audio for The Purple People Eater, as well as a compilation of Wilhelm screams.
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Image credit & copyright: CBS / Hee Haw
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
It was a one-eyed, one-horned flying novelty song that highlighted actor and musician Sheb Wooley's bizarre career. Born April 10, 1921, Wooley transitioned from a rodeo cowboy to a musician in the '50s, most notably penning The Purple People Eater after some schoolyard tomfoolery he overheard from a friend's son. Capitalizing on the era's fixation with flying saucers, Sputnik, and mad science, he invented a pigmy creature that blows music from its horn and swoops around devouring purple people—wishing, in a high-pitched Chipmunks' voice, that it could join a rock 'n' roll band. Wooley's producer in Nashville flatly rejected the demo, but MGM pounced, with the maniacal ditty selling one million copies and topping American charts for six weeks. Wooley's other successes included portraying Ben Colder on the television series Hee Haw and landing supporting roles in countless westerns, notably the 1951 film Distant Drums, in which he gave birth to the iconic Wilhelm death scream heard in Star Wars. Which really testifies to Wooley's ability to blow it out and really knock 'em dead—and be knocked dead himself!
Below: audio for The Purple People Eater, as well as a compilation of Wilhelm screams.
Other streaming options
Image credit & copyright: CBS / Hee Haw
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
And the lightning strikes! On October 21, 2012, the Country Music Hall of Fame inducted Garth Brooks, acknowledging his electrifying career. By then, Brooks boasted an impressive catalog of 20 number-one hits, including his 1991 single, The Thunder Rolls. Famous for its dark tone and sudden electric guitar riffs, evoking the feel of lightning, The Thunder Rolls tells the story of a woman waiting for her husband to return home on a stormy night, and then realizing he's been with another woman. When Brooks sat down with legendary Nashville songwriter Pat Alger to create the tune, he admitted that he'd been inspired by one of Alger's own songs, Like a Hurricane, which mentions rolling thunder. The song caused controversy both with its unrecorded third verse (in which the central character kills her husband) and with it's music video, which was banned by some networks for showing domestic abuse. (Brooks still sings the third verse during live performances.) Nonetheless, the video went on to win CMA's Video of the Year and received a Grammy nomination. Like lightning in a bottle, some songs just can't be contained!
Image credit & copyright: Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall of Fame
And the lightning strikes! On October 21, 2012, the Country Music Hall of Fame inducted Garth Brooks, acknowledging his electrifying career. By then, Brooks boasted an impressive catalog of 20 number-one hits, including his 1991 single, The Thunder Rolls. Famous for its dark tone and sudden electric guitar riffs, evoking the feel of lightning, The Thunder Rolls tells the story of a woman waiting for her husband to return home on a stormy night, and then realizing he's been with another woman. When Brooks sat down with legendary Nashville songwriter Pat Alger to create the tune, he admitted that he'd been inspired by one of Alger's own songs, Like a Hurricane, which mentions rolling thunder. The song caused controversy both with its unrecorded third verse (in which the central character kills her husband) and with it's music video, which was banned by some networks for showing domestic abuse. (Brooks still sings the third verse during live performances.) Nonetheless, the video went on to win CMA's Video of the Year and received a Grammy nomination. Like lightning in a bottle, some songs just can't be contained!
Image credit & copyright: Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall of Fame
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
The New Orleans pianist Jelly Roll Morton once claimed to have invented jazz. Morton was actually known for exaggerating the truth, and throwing down some world-class music. His Jelly Roll Blues was the first piece of published jazz notation, a feat matched only by the unorthodox piano arrangement. Typical of early 20th century hot jazz pieces, Jelly Roll Blues finds Morton's band, the Red Hot Peppers, playing melodies and counterpoint harmonies on horn, while banjo and piano maintain the rhythm section. While Morton can be heard keeping the rhythm in Jelly Roll Blues, there are several piano breaks wherein his flourishes grow and grow to nearly a solo performance. Even if Jelly Roll Morton, who's 130th birthday we're celebrating this week, didn't actually invent jazz, he can lay claim to being one of the world's most influential and sophisticated jazz pianists!
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Image credit & copyright: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
The New Orleans pianist Jelly Roll Morton once claimed to have invented jazz. Morton was actually known for exaggerating the truth, and throwing down some world-class music. His Jelly Roll Blues was the first piece of published jazz notation, a feat matched only by the unorthodox piano arrangement. Typical of early 20th century hot jazz pieces, Jelly Roll Blues finds Morton's band, the Red Hot Peppers, playing melodies and counterpoint harmonies on horn, while banjo and piano maintain the rhythm section. While Morton can be heard keeping the rhythm in Jelly Roll Blues, there are several piano breaks wherein his flourishes grow and grow to nearly a solo performance. Even if Jelly Roll Morton, who's 130th birthday we're celebrating this week, didn't actually invent jazz, he can lay claim to being one of the world's most influential and sophisticated jazz pianists!
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Image credit & copyright: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
50 years ago on this day, guitarist Eric Clapton said a farewell—or rather, a Goodbye album—to his '60s supergroup Cream. The split was hardly amicable, as bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker's squabbles had tainted the band's work for years. So when it came time for Clapton to contribute a song to Goodbye, instead of looking to his quarreling bandmates, he turned to one of his best friends, Beatles guitarist George Harrison. Together they composed the odd rocker Badge, which begins with a minor key vamp beneath the verses. After the second verse, a happier, major key section kicks in with the very Beatles-esque sustained tones (changing chords while maintaining similar, droning notes within), and Clapton's signature solo finishes up the detour. With a song title conceived when Clapton misread Harrison's "bridge" song notes (and Ringo's lyrical contributions about swans living in the park!), the Cream guitarists' work with the band was finalized. But don't worry, no guitars were found gently weeping in the making of Badge.
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Image credit & copyright: Reddit
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
50 years ago on this day, guitarist Eric Clapton said a farewell—or rather, a Goodbye album—to his '60s supergroup Cream. The split was hardly amicable, as bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker's squabbles had tainted the band's work for years. So when it came time for Clapton to contribute a song to Goodbye, instead of looking to his quarreling bandmates, he turned to one of his best friends, Beatles guitarist George Harrison. Together they composed the odd rocker Badge, which begins with a minor key vamp beneath the verses. After the second verse, a happier, major key section kicks in with the very Beatles-esque sustained tones (changing chords while maintaining similar, droning notes within), and Clapton's signature solo finishes up the detour. With a song title conceived when Clapton misread Harrison's "bridge" song notes (and Ringo's lyrical contributions about swans living in the park!), the Cream guitarists' work with the band was finalized. But don't worry, no guitars were found gently weeping in the making of Badge.
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Image credit & copyright: Reddit
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, this song walks into ours. Though the Casablanca soundtrack had a belated release on this day in 1997, its signature tune As Time Goes By remains a classic—even if it was nearly cut from the movie! The tune was written by Herman Hupfeld for the 1931 Broadway musical Everybody's Welcome. Several studio versions were released, but it wasn't until composer Max Steiner scored Casablanca that the song became legendary. At first, Steiner wasn't keen on including a "popular" piece, feeling it would take away from the film's tone. He even tried to replace As Time Goes By, but several scenes would have had to be re-shot, so the song remained. Sung by actor Dooley Wilson, as Sam, and played by studio pianist Jean Vincent Plummer, Casablanca's version of As Time Goes By permeates the entire score. In sad scenes, it is played in a minor key, sometimes over a dissonant chord. In happier scenes, it is played in a major key at a jaunty pace. We'll remember As Time Goes By at least as long as we remember Casablanca. Play it again, Sam.
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Image credit & copyright: Warner Brothers
Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, this song walks into ours. Though the Casablanca soundtrack had a belated release on this day in 1997, its signature tune As Time Goes By remains a classic—even if it was nearly cut from the movie! The tune was written by Herman Hupfeld for the 1931 Broadway musical Everybody's Welcome. Several studio versions were released, but it wasn't until composer Max Steiner scored Casablanca that the song became legendary. At first, Steiner wasn't keen on including a "popular" piece, feeling it would take away from the film's tone. He even tried to replace As Time Goes By, but several scenes would have had to be re-shot, so the song remained. Sung by actor Dooley Wilson, as Sam, and played by studio pianist Jean Vincent Plummer, Casablanca's version of As Time Goes By permeates the entire score. In sad scenes, it is played in a minor key, sometimes over a dissonant chord. In happier scenes, it is played in a major key at a jaunty pace. We'll remember As Time Goes By at least as long as we remember Casablanca. Play it again, Sam.
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Image credit & copyright: Warner Brothers
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
David Bowie's classic Space Oddity experienced somewhat of a failure to launch when it was released. The singer's second album was influenced by the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, and the release of the first single Space Oddity was intended to coincide with the launch of the Apollo 11 Moon mission in July 1969. Leaving Major Tom lost in space during the last verse proved too ominous for BBC Radio at the time, and as a result, the song wasn't aired during the mission's entirety. When the astronauts returned safely to Earth, Bowie's single was finally allowed on the radio, and hit number five on the U.K. charts. The song—and its re-release in 1972—marked a career-defining moment for Bowie, who would create over four more decades of ambitious and experimental rock with the alien characters inside his head. In 2013, astronaut Chris Hadfield sang Space Oddity on the International Space Station, making it the first music video ever made in outer space. Can you hear that, Major Tom?
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Below: Astronaut Chris Hadfield sings Space Oddity in a tin can, far above the world (on the International Space Station).
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
David Bowie's classic Space Oddity experienced somewhat of a failure to launch when it was released. The singer's second album was influenced by the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, and the release of the first single Space Oddity was intended to coincide with the launch of the Apollo 11 Moon mission in July 1969. Leaving Major Tom lost in space during the last verse proved too ominous for BBC Radio at the time, and as a result, the song wasn't aired during the mission's entirety. When the astronauts returned safely to Earth, Bowie's single was finally allowed on the radio, and hit number five on the U.K. charts. The song—and its re-release in 1972—marked a career-defining moment for Bowie, who would create over four more decades of ambitious and experimental rock with the alien characters inside his head. In 2013, astronaut Chris Hadfield sang Space Oddity on the International Space Station, making it the first music video ever made in outer space. Can you hear that, Major Tom?
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Below: Astronaut Chris Hadfield sings Space Oddity in a tin can, far above the world (on the International Space Station).
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
A little curio about a classic rock song… John Cougar Mellencamp, born on this day in 1951, scored one of his biggest hits with Jack & Diane, a story about small-town love. But the song almost wasn't released. Mellencamp ran into issues trying to record and release his iconic track: from being unable to get the band to sound the way he wanted (resulting in the song's many instrumental starts and stops), to being pressured by the record company to not make Jack African-American. But Mellencamp's uncomplicated and relatable lyrics, along with an arrangement by none other than David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust guitarist Mick Ronson, made the song go on long after the recording frustrations were gone. Delivered in Mellencamp's signature plain-spoken style, Jack & Diane balances between nostalgic acoustic verses and driving, hard rock sound in the form of electric guitars and a drum solo. After topping the charts in 1982, Jack & Diane ushered in a string of Top Ten singles for Mellencamp, and came to define his style—sometimes referred to as heartland rock. As Mellencamp once told The LA Herald Examiner, to be a successful musician, one has to "write about something that matters to people, man."
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A little curio about a classic rock song… John Cougar Mellencamp, born on this day in 1951, scored one of his biggest hits with Jack & Diane, a story about small-town love. But the song almost wasn't released. Mellencamp ran into issues trying to record and release his iconic track: from being unable to get the band to sound the way he wanted (resulting in the song's many instrumental starts and stops), to being pressured by the record company to not make Jack African-American. But Mellencamp's uncomplicated and relatable lyrics, along with an arrangement by none other than David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust guitarist Mick Ronson, made the song go on long after the recording frustrations were gone. Delivered in Mellencamp's signature plain-spoken style, Jack & Diane balances between nostalgic acoustic verses and driving, hard rock sound in the form of electric guitars and a drum solo. After topping the charts in 1982, Jack & Diane ushered in a string of Top Ten singles for Mellencamp, and came to define his style—sometimes referred to as heartland rock. As Mellencamp once told The LA Herald Examiner, to be a successful musician, one has to "write about something that matters to people, man."
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
It wouldn't be New Year's in Vienna, Austria, without a little bit of the bubbly… the bubbly dance, that is. Johann Strauss II's Champagne Polka is one of the composer's most festive tunes and a staple of the Vienna Philharmonic's New Year's Concert. Known primarily for his illustrious waltzes, Strauss took an uncommon turn with this piece. He composed it as a polka, a Bohemian folk dance in duple time that's coupled with two quick steps and a longer step (sometimes giving it a triplet feel). And that champagne uncorking sound about halfway through? It's known as a pop gun, or a long tubular percussion instrument that makes a pressurized popping sound. Together with the jaunty melodies, these rhythmic effects really do give the Champagne Polka a sense of unbridled joy. Now who's ready for another round of celebratory drinks and dancing?
Below: a short video from Vintage Percussion Sound Effects showing a version of the pop gun percussion instrument, which makes the cork-popping sound in Strauss' Champagne Polka.
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It's Flashback Friday! Enjoy this favorite from the Curio Cabinet archives.
It wouldn't be New Year's in Vienna, Austria, without a little bit of the bubbly… the bubbly dance, that is. Johann Strauss II's Champagne Polka is one of the composer's most festive tunes and a staple of the Vienna Philharmonic's New Year's Concert. Known primarily for his illustrious waltzes, Strauss took an uncommon turn with this piece. He composed it as a polka, a Bohemian folk dance in duple time that's coupled with two quick steps and a longer step (sometimes giving it a triplet feel). And that champagne uncorking sound about halfway through? It's known as a pop gun, or a long tubular percussion instrument that makes a pressurized popping sound. Together with the jaunty melodies, these rhythmic effects really do give the Champagne Polka a sense of unbridled joy. Now who's ready for another round of celebratory drinks and dancing?
Below: a short video from Vintage Percussion Sound Effects showing a version of the pop gun percussion instrument, which makes the cork-popping sound in Strauss' Champagne Polka.
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
If great artists steal from the best and brightest, then Dutch garage rock band Shocking Blue's was a group of thieving geniuses on their pop hit Venus. Guitarist Robbie Van Leeuwen wrote the track in an effort to capture rock 'n' roll lightning in a bottle, so to speak: he lifted the opening guitar riffs from The Who's Pinball Wizard, and the swinging rhythm from the Big 3's The Banjo Song (itself a unique cover of Stephen Foster's Oh! Susanna). Van Leeuwen could have used some help in the lyrical department, though. He misspelled "goddess" on a lyrics sheet, instead writing "A godness on a mountaintop," as the opening line, which Mariska Veres sang verbatim, having little familiarity with reading English. Luckily, the sum of Venus' parts are no comparison to the whole, which is a groovy-psychedelic track that hit #1 in 1969. In celebration of Mariska Veres' birthday today, we're spinning the tune that proved to the world "she's got it."
Below: The Big 3's The Banjo Song, featuring a pre-Mamas and the Papas Cass Elliot, and Shocking Blue's Venus.
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Image credit & copyright: Red Bullet
If great artists steal from the best and brightest, then Dutch garage rock band Shocking Blue's was a group of thieving geniuses on their pop hit Venus. Guitarist Robbie Van Leeuwen wrote the track in an effort to capture rock 'n' roll lightning in a bottle, so to speak: he lifted the opening guitar riffs from The Who's Pinball Wizard, and the swinging rhythm from the Big 3's The Banjo Song (itself a unique cover of Stephen Foster's Oh! Susanna). Van Leeuwen could have used some help in the lyrical department, though. He misspelled "goddess" on a lyrics sheet, instead writing "A godness on a mountaintop," as the opening line, which Mariska Veres sang verbatim, having little familiarity with reading English. Luckily, the sum of Venus' parts are no comparison to the whole, which is a groovy-psychedelic track that hit #1 in 1969. In celebration of Mariska Veres' birthday today, we're spinning the tune that proved to the world "she's got it."
Below: The Big 3's The Banjo Song, featuring a pre-Mamas and the Papas Cass Elliot, and Shocking Blue's Venus.
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Image credit & copyright: Red Bullet
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FREEMusic Appreciation Song CurioFree2 CQ
He may have been born on this day back in 1935, but chances are awfully good that plenty of people are still listening to legendary crooner Johnny Mathis in 2020! His first number one hit, Chances Are, charted in 1957. Mathis's crystal-clear voice and sincere tone transformed what might have been an ordinary pop song written by Robert Allen and Al Stillman into an irresistibly sweet ballad, underscored by swelling violins. Mathis has a knack for making everything sound romantic—a talent he used to catapult 18 of his 73 studio albums to gold record status. And he doesn't just talk the talk (or sing the song)! He's a real-life champion for love, having supported LGBT rights since the 1960s, and performed at numerous civil rights (Mathis is half-Black and Indigenous) and gay rights rallies over the decades, before confirming his own homosexuality in a 2017 interview with CBS News Sunday Morning. In 2003, he was presented with a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement, partially due to his activism, and no doubt due to his record-breaking sales, only being surpassed by Elvis and Frank Sinatra in the U.S. Talk about not leaving a successful career to chances!
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Image credit & copyright: Photofest
He may have been born on this day back in 1935, but chances are awfully good that plenty of people are still listening to legendary crooner Johnny Mathis in 2020! His first number one hit, Chances Are, charted in 1957. Mathis's crystal-clear voice and sincere tone transformed what might have been an ordinary pop song written by Robert Allen and Al Stillman into an irresistibly sweet ballad, underscored by swelling violins. Mathis has a knack for making everything sound romantic—a talent he used to catapult 18 of his 73 studio albums to gold record status. And he doesn't just talk the talk (or sing the song)! He's a real-life champion for love, having supported LGBT rights since the 1960s, and performed at numerous civil rights (Mathis is half-Black and Indigenous) and gay rights rallies over the decades, before confirming his own homosexuality in a 2017 interview with CBS News Sunday Morning. In 2003, he was presented with a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement, partially due to his activism, and no doubt due to his record-breaking sales, only being surpassed by Elvis and Frank Sinatra in the U.S. Talk about not leaving a successful career to chances!
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Image credit & copyright: Photofest