'40s Junction
- Jump Jive An' Wail-Louis Prima & Keely Smith (Somehow, I never heard the hippest vocal rendition of this tune on our former lounge music station, WRDA, i.e. "Red at 104.1." I would be surprised if they didn't play it.)
- Build Me Up Buttercup-The Foundations (A sing-along hit with a memorable chorus, lead vocals, and backing vocals that have earned the heavy play they still get on oldies stations.)
- Cherry Cherry-Neil Diamond (Possibly the catchiest of all Diamond hits; Diamond's vocals, the backing vocals, guitar, and piano punctuation are all integral to the effect it has on listeners.)
- Genius Of Love-Tom Tom Club (Talking Heads bassist Tina Weymouth and company struck gold with one of the most demanding-to-be-sampled riffs of the early '80s. I remember hearing this frequently on KMJM then.)
- You Never Give Me Your Money-The Beatles (This is one of three stellar highlights from the album-ending medley on "Abbey Road." The other two, in my judgment, are "Golden Slumbers" and "The End." It's one of their best-structured tunes, showing the Lennon-McCartney team at its best, lyrically, vocally, and instrumentally. The band moves deftly between stylistic transitions multiple times in a relatively short tune.)
- Alone Again (Naturally)-Gilbert O'Sullivan (O'Sullivan's tune has an unfair reputation as one of the supposedly worst songs of the '70s. If anything, it's actually a thoughtful, articulate song about the depression that follows the death of a family member. I've never understood the animosity toward this song; after all, when life knocks you down, who doesn't feel like this?)
- Get Ready-The Temptations (I can't believe I haven't cited "Get Ready" on this blog until now. It sports some of the coolest synergy between lead and backing vocals in a pop hit, and its central theme never wears out its welcome.)
- "The Pink Panther" Theme-Henry Mancini (Who doesn't like or at least respect this sly, cool, jazzy melody that has stood the test of time?)
- Even Now-Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band (If you like the feel of "Hollywood Nights," you'll probably enjoy the similar feel of "Even Now." Seger sang this with considerable energy and conviction, which appealed to me when the tune was a hit.)
- Any Major Dude Will Tell You-Wilco (A faithful rendering of the Steely Dan tune; fine interplay between vocals, guitar, and keyboard.)
- All About That Bass-The O'Neill Brothers (If The Boston Pops can cover Meghan Trainor's hit successfully, why can't a guitarist and bassist transform it into an easy listening/smooth jazz tune that could just as easily be called "Welcome To The Desert Southwest," the way they play it?)
- We Will Rock You-Piano Tribute Players (Imagine Queen's hit played as a new age piano instrumental and aspiring to be the "Days Of Our Lives" theme.)
- Christmas In Killarney-Bing Crosby (Although it's out of season, the bouncy, carefree feel of this quirky tune still feels welcoming to me in July.)
- God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen-The Mills Brothers (The ensemble's voices are ideal for conveying this carol's solemnity.)
- Smooth Sailin'-Leon Bridges (Bridges pulls off the admirable feat of sounding simultaneously contemporary and old school when he sings.)
- The Rain, The Park & Other Things-The Cowsills (I'm aware that some readers might think I've lost my mind in citing this as a standout, especially after praising two quirky easy listening covers on the Elevations station. Nevertheless, there's a comforting idealistic vibe in this hit from 50 years ago. One quibble: To help listeners find the tune at the record store or online, the band should have drawn from the lyrics and called the tune "I Love The Flower Girl" or "(She Could Make Me) Happy.")
- Hank's Shout-Lee Morgan & The Hank Mobley Quintet (When people used to praise a jazz club performance by saying "the joint is jumpin'," they could easily have been referring to a trumpet-dominated melody that cooks like this.)
- Wedding Rain-Liz Story (Story's piano playing conveys the turbulence of rain potentially ruining a wedding convincingly. This track is from, in my opinion, one of the best, most consistent new age albums, "Solid Colors." There are no weak selections on the album, and its title track is especially strong.)
- Follow You Follow Me (Live)-Genesis (Phil Collins and company convey the warmth of the tune's heartfelt studio version in concert. Find this rendition on the "Three Sides Live" album.)
- Higher Ground-Nathan East featuring Kirk Whalum (When you play jazz bass the way East does, Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground" is a natural choice for an instrumental cover. I've been glad to hear WSIE playing it in recent months. It's one of the more appealing smooth jazz cuts of 2017.)
- In Heaven-Gregory Porter (Porter's deep vocals make the afterlife sound very inviting, when compared to this flawed Earth. The piano and trumpet parts underscore this appealing picture effectively. Porter is one of the strongest singers I've heard in recent years. It's a pleasure to hear his music played online and on WSIE.)
- So Far From Home-Torcuato Mariano (Comforting, contemplative guitar and strings that bring Acoustic Alchemy to mind.)
