Moved to dance

I've seen the quote, "Dance like nobody's watching," attributed to multiple people.  I'd rarely seen anyone live by it until this morning, however.  While driving, I saw a woman at a bus stop doing a dance she'd apparently choreographed.  Her steps with her imaginary partner looked deliberate.

As I drove by, I thought, "Good for her.  Not all of us are that uninhibited."

Only in college LI

Between school years, one of your college roommates, who had previously favored top 40 hits, takes a liking to country music.  Country music, especially contemporary country music, only appeals to you in small doses.  What do you do when he returns for the new school year and turns on a country music station in your dorm room?

If you're polite, you don't say anything--and turn toward the wall to avoid smiling or laughing inappropriately when he sings Garth Brooks's "Friends In Low Places" horribly off-key...

...Or, so I've heard...

"Maybe if I said this in Latin..."

My high school orchestra director was frustrated.  Too many students weren't paying attention one day, so he told the class, "I must not be getting through to you in English.  What language would you like me to speak?  I know French, Spanish, German...I'm not fluent in Italian, but I can get by.  So, what language should I be speaking?"

Everyone quieted down and paid attention to Mr. D.'s instructions, in English, after that.

Persistent earworm alert CVII

I never shopped at Remco.  At random times, however, bits of the store's jingle from decades ago come to mind.  I'll be asleep, and suddenly, I'll think I'm hearing, "Inflation's high. It's hard to buy.  At Remco, you can get it now!"

Then, I'll ponder that I still don't know my own blood type, but I remember a jingle for a store I knew only through commercials.

Online radio sampler highlights LXXX

Standout tunes heard this morning:

KXCI (Tucson, AZ)

• I Want To Be Happy-June Christy (Cool vibraphone backing for lyrics about caring for your significant other's happiness at home.  If I'd known of this tune when I was at WEW, it would have segued well with Ella Fitzgerald's "Lover Come Back To Me.")

KXT (Dallas, TX)

• You're Somebody Else-Flora Cash (Forthright lyrics about losing someone to an addiction or personality change.)
• Hearts And Bones-Paul Simon ("Hearts And Bones" sometimes gets overlooked in Simon's vast canon of excellent lyrics.  It shouldn't, as its studio and live versions are well worth hearing.)

WBOM (Rockford, IL)

• Land Of...-St. Germain (Play a saxophone, the piano, or any type of percussion?  Jump in and sustain this remixed-old-school-jazz groove for nearly eight minutes.)
• One-Paolo Parvan (Brisk piano and saxophone jazz.)

WQAT (Belton, SC)

• Sunshine-The O'Jays (The lyrics look generic on paper, but singing them with this much conviction elevates them.)
• Cigarettes And Coffee-Otis Redding (The lyrics show thoughtful appreciation for the pleasure of a beloved one's company.  Redding, as usual, sings with an abundance of feeling.)
• Good Morning Heartache-Diana Ross (I've praised Laura Fygi's breathy version of this before; that's the rendition that stays with me most often.  Ross, however, recorded a nice take on it that was a minor hit in 1973.)

WRTI (Philadelphia, PA)

• No More Shadows (Live)-Erroll Garner (Garner had a talent for making a piano melody sound elegant and accessible while embellishing it in his own unique way.)

WWEC (Elizabethtown, PA)

• Wishing Well-Terence Trent D'Arby (Thirty years later, "Wishing Well" is still just as fun to whistle as it is to sing.  Actually, I don't sing or whistle all that well, but it's reasonable to assume this smash hit from 1988 still makes a lot of listeners perk up.)

A (partial) linguistic irritant VI

Even when someone is preserving food in vinegar, using pickled as a verb irks me.  To this day, I still have a mixed reaction when recalling a former St. Louis Cardinals announcer's use of the word.

Red Rush was in the Cardinal booth in 1984, and I still remember him saying, "He really pickled that one over the fence," when a hitter knocked out an especially impressive home run.  Although the pickled-as-a-verb aspect of it makes me cringe a little, it was an admittedly unique way of calling a home run.  I'm still not entirely sure of my own blood type, but I remember Rush's recurring home run verbiage 34 years later.

How the mind works is still a mystery to me.

Online radio sampler highlights LXXIX

Standout selections heard today:

KHUM (Ferndale, CA)

• A Little Crazy-Nicole Atkins (Compelling vocals that fall at the unusual intersection of indie rock and torch music.)
• Black Hole-Bishop Allen (Relatively subtle but engaging midtempo vocals.  The protagonist's attitude, "It's not love; Oh, well," serves the song well.)

KING (Seattle, WA)

• Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco: Guitar Sonata in D major, Op. 77, "Homage To Boccherini" (Irina Kulikova, guitar) (Kulikova brings out the warmth and pensiveness of the piece with equal ease.  If you enjoy Castelnuovo-Tedesco's compositions, I also recommend the "Guitar Solo Works" CD by Susanne Mebes.)

WFCL (Nashville, TN)

• Bernhard Henrik Crusell: Clarinet Quartet No. 3 in D major, Op. 7; IV. Finale. Allegro (Members of the Allegri String Quartet; Thea King, clarinet) (A pleasant, well-balanced, spirited conclusion to an easily accessible piece.  The key of D major, in my opinion, is second only to C major in its accessibility.)

WMFE-HD2 (Orlando, FL)

• Anthony Holborne: Five Pieces (Empire Brass) (Appropriately regal and solemn, as required.)

WRBD (Fort Lauderdale, FL)

• This Is For The Lover In You-Shalamar (Instant atmosphere, from the first two notes.  I remember KMJM playing this frequently in the early '80s.)

WTMD (Towson, MD)

• Time (Live at WTMD)-Dirty Grass Players (I'd never imagined this Pink Floyd tune as a brisk bluegrass piece, but it works better than you might expect.  The band's version of the Allman Brothers Band tune, "Blue Sky," is also impressive.)

WUVS (Muskegon, MI)

• Blues For Muse-Clifford Jordan (Some impressive up-and-down-the-scales runs in this showcase for Jordan's flute and saxophone.)

FM dial scan highlights XCIX

Seven of the best tunes I've heard since my last FM dial scan highlights post in June:

KDHX 88.1 FM

• Have Faith-Sloan (One of 2018's stronger tunes; pairing encouraging lyrics for someone going through a rough time with a melody similar to Tom Petty's "A Higher Place" is a winning formula.)
• Come Cryin' To Me-The Jayhawks (Karen Grotberg's vocals on this new track remind me a lot of Aimee Mann.)

WSIE 88.7 FM

• The Look Of Love-Gabriel Espinosa featuring Tierney Sutton (When I think of this song, it's usually in its Diana Krall or Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 incarnations.  It still sounds sultry when Sutton sings it at a faster-than-usual tempo.)
• Smilessence-The Reggie Pittman & Loren Daniels Quartet (How the Beatles tune, "You Never Give Me Your Money," would sound as a trumpet-led, tropical fiesta instrumental.)

KWMU 90.7 FM

• Lu's Blues-Gene Harris (Excellent slow instrumental blues, with a great refrain and stride piano tremolo; the Ray Charles rendition of "Black Coffee" would sound appropriate before or after this.)

KSHE 94.7 FM

• One Fine Morning-Lighthouse (I heard "American Top 40"'s Casey Kasem refer accurately to this tune's "great driving sound."  If you're a longtime St. Louis native, you might remember it as the "K-S-H-E News" theme.)
• Portrait (He Knew)-Kansas (Lyrically, this is not only a fitting tribute to Albert Einstein but a realization of how much the world loses when a genius dies.)

Persistent earworm alert CVI

One St. Louis commercial jingle has been a pleasant-sounding but persistent earworm for years.  I've heard it many times over the past six or seven years on KMOX.  All together now...

..."If you owned a Patriot sunroom, how would you use it?"

A former co-worker once emailed me, joking that he'd gotten a Patriot sunroom but couldn't figure out how to use it.

"It did not come with directions," he wrote.

Years later, I still don't know if he ever figured that out.

Persistent earworm alert CV

I haven't seen a "Felix The Cat" cartoon since approximately 1980.  The cartoon's theme song, however, still persists in my memory.  I'll be reading an article about a bond issue that failed, climate change, or a company that went out of business, and suddenly, the theme, "Felix the cat, the wonderful, wonderful cat," will come to mind.

Maybe that's a subconscious wish that fixing what's wrong with the world could be as simple as summoning a cartoon cat with a magic bag of tricks.

Context? XXXVIII

Heard out of context on an NPR station recently: A storm chaser talked about a tornado that she was excited to capture with her digital camera.

Storm chasing mystifies me.  Safety and shelter would be my concerns during a tornado, but to each, his or her own, I suppose.

Persistent earworm alert CIV

That 1964 testament to a car's speed, "Hey Little Cobra" by The Rip Chords, lodged itself in my mind recently.  If you haven't heard it, you've probably heard a song that preceded it on the charts.  If you know what the Beach Boys tune, "Shut Down," sounds like, you already have a decent approximation of "Hey Little Cobra."

Only in college L

In college, a musician I knew played a tape for me of an impressive, bluesy guitar instrumental he said his band and he had written.  Three years later, I played Stevie Ray Vaughan's "I'm Cryin'" on KCOU.  After the song ended, I heard the opening strains of the album's next tune off the air, and said, "Wait a minute.  I know that intro."  The song that this other musician had claimed so proudly as his band's own composition was actually Vaughan's song, "Lenny."  Two or three years after that, I bought an Eric Johnson CD, which contained the song, "Bristol Shore."  On that day in college, this other musician also played an untitled song he had also proudly attributed to his band--which, I learned, was actually Johnson's song.

That got me thinking.  I remember in the liner notes for his tape, he said a guitar riff on another allegedly original song was "inspired by Prince."  "Inspired?" I thought.  "I wonder if he really meant, 'lifted directly from Prince.'"

I wonder if he ever topped that level of audacity--by playing the national anthem and retitling it, "Tribute To Freedom: Ode To A Cool Place," for instance...

The green apple telegraph voice test...

...No, that's not the name of a psychedelic group or album...

I've written previously about my battle with dysphonia.  Recently, I devised a test to gauge how good or bad my voice sounds.  I drank some apple-flavored Tango soda or eat a green apple, as green apple flavoring is supposed to help one's voice.  Then, I put on the 45 of "Western Union" by The Five Americans and monitor how closely I'm able to replicate the telegraph sounds. If I can enunciate them reasonably clearly, I know my voice is in good shape.

My doctors haven't vouched for the validity of this method, but for me, at least, it's an effective test.

Giving a shout out to your own band

It's difficult not to sound blatantly self-promotional when you put your band name in your lyrics.  Near the end of "Sunless Saturday" on "Saturday Night Live," Fishbone shouted out its name, which fit in with the cacophony, to an extent.  In "Whoever You Are," Geggy Tah promotes itself with the lyric, "On the mic is Geggy Tah..." That's not out of place in a novelty song, though.

In their high-energy track, "Just Don't Know," however, St. Louis band The Urge promotes itself in the best way.  The closing track on the "Puttin' The Backbone Back" CD puts the group's passion for its ensemble front and center with the lyrics, "You just don't know--how I feel--about this band!"  In that context, the lyric, "The Urge put the backbone back," is appropriate self-promotion--especially with the blistering rhythm section's infectious accompaniment.

Self-promotion is tricky business, but there's a smart way to do it.

Persistent earworm alert CIII

Sometimes, it's enough to talk-sing one's way through the lead vocals while building up to a simple, memorable chorus.  OMC scored a huge hit with this approach in 1997. 

After hearing "How Bizarre" on the radio three times while it was a hit, however, I'd heard it enough for a lifetime.  I'm thankful that I almost never hear it these days.

Persistent earworm alert CII

Considering how firmly this song implants itself into one's mind, I'm surprised I haven't thought about it in years.  For a time in 1996, though, if you listened to WVRV in St. Louis, you heard Geggy Tah's "Whoever You Are."  Lyrically, it's not deep or heart-rending.  It's relatable, however.

After all, it was considerate of the driver in the song to let the singer change lanes.

A linguistic irritant V

When you hear any announcer say, "We'll be right back after these important messages," you should expect to hear that a tornado, snowstorm, or nuclear attack is imminent.  That isn't how it usually works, though.  Radio announcers stretch the definition of important to include sales on coat hangers, common sense PSAs reminding you not to drive with your eyes closed, and lectures on the abolition of work.

An exaggeration?  Yes, but only a partial one...

"All for the fans?" Well...

It's usually disingenuous when an artist says his or her work is "all for the fans."  While that might be true at a benefit concert, artistic endeavors aren't usually completely selfless.  Most artists, I suspect, want to find an appreciative audience for their music, but it's understandable that they'd take pride in nailing a double high C, mastering a complex guitar solo, or crafting lyrics about universal feelings in a way no one has before.

Rarely, though, are anyone's efforts all for the fans.

To argue the other side...

...of the post I wrote on my other blog today, I'll admit that "Because It's There," a guitar instrumental by Michael Hedges, is an appropriate theme for climbing a mountain.  It conveys the drama, scale,  and uncertainty of such an undertaking.  The gripping tenseness of its recurring theme fits the endurance one has to have and the leap of faith one has to take when climbing.  It would also work as an accompaniment for a film about a plant's life cycle.

Retro FM dial scan highlights III: 7/11/92

Per my notes from this day 26 years ago, here's a sample of what was playing on the St. Louis FM radio dial:

KSD 93.7 FM

• Seven Bridges Road-The Eagles (This is how you prove your a cappella harmony chops while blending elements of folk, rock, and country music into one of your best tunes.)

KSHE 94.7 FM

• Tightrope-Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble (Solid lyrics about realizing you've done wrong and trying to make amends, coupled with Vaughan's blistering, as expected, guitar licks. If Vaughan's guitar playing here impresses you, check out his live cover of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition.")

KRJY 96.3 FM

• Busted-Ray Charles (Kudos to KRJY for playing a somewhat overlooked tune that you almost never heard on the radio then and rarely hear now.  Charles has an especially bluesy vibe here, which the horn section punctuates impressively.) 

KHTK 97.1 FM

• Rock Witcha-Bobby Brown (Still a smooth, laid-back groove; the chorus doesn't leave your mind easily.) 

KYKY 98.1 FM

• Something To Talk About-Bonnie Raitt (Among Raitt's hits, this has held up well.  I've always liked the attitude in the lyrics of, "Who cares what other people say?  We're just living our lives.")
• Vision Of Love-Mariah Carey (Carey's first hit launched a remarkable string of chart-toppers; when "Vision Of Love" debuted in 1990, I thought, "Anyone who can sing with this much range and confidence is going to have a bright future on the charts."  "Bright future" turned out to be an understatement.)
• Every Little Kiss-Bruce Hornsby & The Range (Lyrically strong and easily relatable to most listeners; St. Louis's own Ralph Butler sings a strong cover of it.)

WFXB 101.1 FM

• Strange Way-Firefall (Although not as lyrically reassuring as "You Are The Woman" or "Just Remember I Love You," I always thought this tune deserved more airplay.  At least, it has a home on '70s soft rock and yacht rock streams.)

KEZK 102.5 FM

• After All-Al Jarreau (One of Jarreau's smoothest, most accessible ballads.  I'm still puzzled that it wasn't a top 40 hit.)

WKBQ 106.5 FM

• Every Heartbeat-Amy Grant (One of Grant's most radio-friendly singles that received considerable airplay in the Summer of '91; "Find A Way" and her version of "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" are still my favorite tracks of hers, but I'll give this overtly glossy pop tune its due for its bouncy chorus.)
• The Best Things In Life Are Free-Janet Jackson & Luther Vandross (I hadn't thought about this song in years, but since reading my notes a few days ago, I've been unable to forget the tune's sing-along chorus.) 

KMJM 107.7 FM

•  Money Don't Matter 2 Night-Prince & The New Power Generation (One of Prince's subtler, more contemplative uptempo tunes. Bigger hits of the time overshadowed it on the radio, unfortunately, but it holds up as one of his best written and sung tracks.)

Reconsidered merit IV

Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" has never appealed much to me.  I don't own a copy of it, and I don't let it play out on the radio.  Nevertheless, I understand why other listeners like it.  When you're on the receiving end of a painful breakup, what song feels more empowering than "I Will Survive?"  Being reminded, with such resolve, that life will go on and likely get better for you has to make even the most dejected sad sack perk up and want to seize the day.

Maybe I'd like it more in a plaintive jazz or blues arrangement, though.

"Because I say so..."

It puzzles me when a new radio station uses a slogan without justification, such as, "This is your source for (classic rock, R&B, today's hits, etc.)"  When I hear that, I think, "Do you play a wider variety of music than the other station(s) in the market with this format?  If not, how are you the source, when one or more stations have been on the air longer and are doing a more expansive job with your format?"  If you're going to just proclaim that you're the source of a musical genre, your slogan might as well be, "Listen.  Just because."

I can't be the only one...

...who cringes at the thought of saying the word, "boogie."  To me, it's one of the silliest-sounding, least dignified words anyone can say.  Fortunately, I didn't have to say it on the air very often, unless it was part of a song title.

Persistent earworm alert CI

Thanks to "The Logical Song," "Give A Little Bit," "Goodbye Stranger," and "Take The Long Way Home," Supertramp has a permanent place on classic rock stations.  There's another hit of theirs,  though, that I hadn't thought about in a long time.  All those years of not thinking about it are catching up with me, as "It's Raining Again" has been on my mind continuously for several hours.  I was surprised to read that it was a bigger hit than I remembered.  Then again, its melody is immediately accessible; adults can relate literally to the lyrics, and kids can enjoy its sing-along quality.  In late 1982, it would have been a nonthreatening way for parents to introduce their kids to pop music.  I've never heard it on KDHX's "Musical Merry-Go-Round," but it wouldn't surprise me if it came up.

Next task: Obeying my thirst by drinking Sprite

We all like to think we're independent-minded.  Sometimes, however, commercial slogans shape our priorities more than they should.  I once joked with a former co-worker that I would have returned his call sooner, "but I had to call First Option Mortgage first.  (The fact that I didn't have my mortgage through them didn't deter me.)  After all, they're 'the people you call first.'" Fortunately, he remembered their slogan and understood.

Online radio sampler highlights LXXVIII

Thursday highlights:

KBXR (Columbia, MO)

• Leave It Alone-Amanda Shires ("When You're Gone" is my go-to Shires track, so the more processed sound on her voice and the techno backing on this new track took a little time to warm up to.  After just one listen, however, I wanted to hear it again.)
• Lash Out-Alice Merton (A cathartic track from Merton's EP, released in April.  If you usually hold your tongue and let your anger well up inside, you might feel like this.  Merton's forthright vocals mesh well with the bubbling undercurrent of bass that would have fit in on either of Joe Jackson's 1979 albums.)
• Veronica-Elvis Costello (One of Costello's best, most immediately accessible, sing-along efforts.)

WICR HD-2 (Indianapolis, IN)

• Magnolia Special-Jambalaya Brass Band (An infectious minor key rhythm that simmers and stews; I'd be curious to hear The Dirty Dozen Brass Band play this.)

WSPS (Concord, NH)

• Quiereme Mucho-Linda Ronstadt (If you haven't heard this much-covered tune, Ronstadt's beautifully sung Spanish should draw you right in.)
• Ti Mon Bo-Tito Puente (If I were still a student, I wouldn't rule out having this hypnotic percussion in the background while I studied.)

WZUM (Pittsburgh, PA)

• Days Of Wine And Roses-Earl Klugh Trio (A fine cover version, with bass, drums, and Klugh's guitar turning this into a jaunty stroll.)
• What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life? (Monterey Jazz Festival recording)-Stan Getz with The Woody Herman Orchestra (Equally compelling saxophone in quiet, lyrical moments and brisk passages.)

Online radio sampler highlights LXXVII

Alas, I haven't heard any radio station play "Schoolhouse Rock"'s Everyone-should-live-by-these-sentiments songs, "The Great American Melting Pot" and "No More Kings," yet.  Still, the day is young.  Here are eight of the better selections--and one surprising cover song--I've heard so far today:

KAFM (Grand Junction, CO)

• Black Day In July-Gordon Lightfoot (I'm impressed that a DJ had the presence of mind to play this.  Lyrically, this is an ominous look at where we could be headed as a country.)
• America The Beautiful-Keb' Mo' (Keb' Mo''s bluesy approach to this should-be-national-anthem on the guitar and vocals serves it well.)
• Save The Country-Laura Nyro (This is better known to many listeners as a hit for The Fifth Dimension.  I just listened to Nyro's version of this on one of her compilations last week.  I smiled ruefully as I listened, thinking, "I love the optimism in her lyrics here, and I love how she sings this, but applying that optimism to the future of our country now feels like such an uphill battle.")

Points-for-chutzpah honorable mention: Give Peace A Chance-Mitch Miller & The Gang (Yes, you read that right.  It's a cover of the John & Yoko song.  I can't quite recommend it, but I suppose I should give Miller & company credit for even attempting a peace anthem that's so out of their comfort zone.  Next thing I know, someone will unearth a Ray Conniff Singers cover of The Five Man Electrical Band's "Signs.")

KWMU-3 (St. Louis, MO)

• Mark O'Connor: Appalachia Waltz (Yo-Yo Ma, cello) (As beautiful as Ma's solo reading of this is, the trio version, featuring Mark O'Connor, Edgar Meyer, and Ma is even more moving.  Sometimes, a composer strikes gold when weaving together a variety of dance styles.  When A Christmas Carol's Ebenezer Scrooge demanded that The Ghost Of Christmas Yet To Come show him "some tendneress (and) some depth of feeling," it's a shame that the spirit couldn't have played this piece in response.)
• Shenandoah (Kansas City Chorale/Charles Bruffy, conductor) (The general subtlety of this rendition makes its crescendos all the more effective.)

WVST (Petersburg, VA)

• This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)-Dave Koz featuring Kenny Lattimore & Shelea (This strong cover of Natalie Cole's hit replicates the original version's exuberance compellingly.)

WXPN (Philadelphia, PA)

• Bodhisattva-Steely Dan (There's a roof-raising level of energy on this tune that stands out among Steely Dan's many consistently excellent tracks.  For an even more seemingly caffeinated take, seek out the live-in-Santa-Monica recording.)
• Short Court Style-Natalie Prass (This is one of 2018's most pleasant melodies so far.  If I didn't know otherwise, I would have thought this was a '70s R&B track.)

No more spicy food just before bedtime...

...It triggers acid reflux, and I have this recurring dream: Jimi Hendrix launches into one of his best, most deliberate guitar intros; however, instead of singing, "And the winnnnnnnd cries, 'Mary...,'" he sings, "And the winnnnnnnd cries, 'Tralfraz,'" complete with the extra r that The Jetsons' dog, Astro, added to his detested, supposed original name.

There's no reason why my brain should make those associations, but in the land of hot pepper and chili powder-inspired dreams, everything makes sense.

"Like a good neighbor...?"

I told another neighbor recently about the dilemma I'm facing with July 4 music this year.  He joked that if I played anything by John Philip Sousa, he'd throw up.  Certainly, I never aim to make anyone retch with my musical choices.  However, as this holiday season feels incomplete to me without "The Stars And Stripes Forever," I played it today--at half the volume I usually would, in case he returned to the building suddenly.  I played it just loudly enough so I could hear it but softly enough that it couldn't be heard through the vents.

I'm going to credit myself with being a good neighbor.  I wonder if State Farm would let me do a commercial.

SiriusXM highlights XCIII

Highlights heard this morning:

The Bridge

• For A Dancer-Jackson Browne (Excellent lyrics about realizing that you can't control what fate bestows upon you, but you can still leave your unique stamp on the world.)

Escape

• Hurting Each Other-Festival Strings (A credible orchestral cover of the song that many listeners know because of The Carpenters.  I also recommend the version by Ruby & The Romantics, which is overlooked too often.) 

The Groove

• Love Come Down-Evelyn "Champagne" King (It's a pleasure to hear this '80s groove that doesn't wear out its welcome.)

Real Jazz

• Hot House-Eddy Louiss Trio (The way Louiss makes the rhythm swing on the Hammond organ brings Jimmy Smith's playing to mind.)

Siriusly Sinatra

• I Only Have Eyes For You-Laura Fygi (Appropriately breathy alto vocals.  The harmonica adds to the ambience.  Also recommended: "Good Morning Heartache.")

Soul Town

• These Eyes-Jr. Walker & The All Stars (The Guess Who's own version of the tune still gets deserved airplay, but Walker and company show that it works well as an R&B tune with saxophone.)

Spa

• An Unusual Summer-John Mills (A thoughtful, low-key, midtempo guitar piece.  It's a highlight of the "Hallowed Moon" release, which is easy to listen to straight through.)