When a Child is Born - Johnny Mathis

I am actually a traditionalist at heart. When a Child is Born is one of the most lovely, hopeful songs around and Johnny Mathis' version is sure to soften even the hardest of hearts at Christmas time. Even though the lyrics don't specifically mention Christmas, there are many references which allude to the hope, promise and expectation that surrounds the birth of a child, and one in particular. Simply beautiful.

Song for Guy - Elton John

Song for Guy

Elton John

Song for Adam

18/7/1974 - 9/11/1993

RIP

Life isn't everything.

Lovely Day - Bill Withers

Driving into town yesterday, Bill Withers' Lovely Day was playing on the radio. I was in a rush and thinking about my busy day ahead; that stress all melted away after hearing just a few bars. Simply by describing everyday life and seeing how wonderful even the simplest things are, these lyrics have the ability to instantly make things feel better in Withers' typically understated style.

While watching the news on tv last night, I saw a story about a flashmob in a London tube carriage that was actually an orchestrated marriage proposal. What did the choir sing? Lovely Day - a great choice and of course she said yes!

You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night) - Meat Loaf

I have been listening to Bat Out of Hell in preparation for Meat Loaf's Guilty Pleasures tour next week. Listening to an artist's music over and over before a concert is something I always do and really helps me enjoy the show more. I'm hoping for a show featuring lots of theatrics but am especially looking forward to my absolute favourite Meat Loaf song: You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night).

The song starts with one hell of a bang and scales up even further into a full blown attack on the senses in the best possible way. I love the piano lines, the rock guitar runs punctuating each third line and the in-your-face female backing vocals during the verses. The second verse goes on longer than expected but just prolongs the experience. The dynamics in the bridge and vocal ending contrast the intensity of the rest of the song, completing this celebration of sound.

Turn it up and sing it loud. I do.

Dream Police - Cheap Trick

Dream Police is the title track from an album released in 1979 by Cheap Trick, a highly underrated American rock band. It is a very cleverly organised aural represenation of a nightmare. (That doesn't sound quite right; I know plenty of other songs that are aural nightmares, but they're not clever at all. The key word here is: organised.)

Dream Police is a feast of orchestration, integrating driving string lines with an intense rock sound. The lengthy solo sequence has a definite pattern if you listen closely before the ongoing nightmare resumes when the chorus come crashing in again. I've listened to that bridge over and over and over and was chuffed when I eventually clicked on the 2:1 phrasing. Once again, this is a song best enjoyed repeatedly and loud.

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds - Elton John

A group of workmates get together at 3 o'clock every afternoon to do the Capital Day quiz from the Dompost. One of today's questions was about a #1 Beatles song released by Elton John in 1974. Easy: Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. "No way!" someone said. "Yes way!" I replied. "It can't be," they retorted. "Why not?" I asked. They gave up, accepted my answer and we got it right.

This is an excellent cover version of an already excellent song. Elton John not only does it justice but his arrangement adds both strength and originality. It naturally features a dominant piano underlined by some pretty decisive drumming and flavoured with distinctive guitar riffs. The verses, chorus and bridge provide a range of dynamics and variation that beautifully exploits the original song's structure and phrasing.

Rumour has it that when John Lennon was playing on this recording, he had to ask Elton John's guitarist what some of the chords were, even though he wrote the song himself. (And you still think the song was about a girl in a little boy's painting?)

She Believes In Me - Kenny Rogers

I have always said that if you're doing to do country music, there are only two ways to do it: Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers. I stand by that statement and you'll come to see why I have such respect for these two musicians as this blog evolves.

She Believes In Me was released by Kenny Rogers in 1979. It's technically not a country song and more of a pop ballad in style but, for me, almost anything associated with Kenny Rogers becomes synonymous with country music. From the gentle piano introduction to the sad, heartfelt vocals, this is a love story of the sincerest kind and that is the essence of country music. A woman supports her man night after night to achieve his dream of being a musician, even though success is constantly eluding him. I know first hand how hard it is to be in a relationship with a musician so this is truly admirable. Even when he begins to secretly doubt himself, her faith in him keeps him going. Isn't that the stuff dreams are made of?

Why is this song playing on Café Chick's Jukebox today? I was catching up on some tv this afternoon and watched Kenny Rogers: The First 50 Years. I'm not usually big on tribute shows (give me the original any day, I say) but was really impressed with Tim McGraw's version of She Believes In Me. McGraw captured the sincerity of Rogers' original while adding his own stamp to it. Hear for yourself:

Little Sister - Ry Cooder

A song that always seems to have been in the background for me is Little Sister by Ry Cooder. (There is also a great, but faster, live version here.) Even though I could never quite pinpoint what it is that appealed to me about the song, I remember it vividly from my childhood radio listening days.

Fast forward to the 1980s when I was first learning to play the piano. Dad said I could learn a couple of songs to play with his band one night and his keyboard player (my piano teacher) and I worked out what was manageable for me to play. We settled on the dreadful Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves and this number by Elvis Presley:



It was a long time before I realised that these were actually versions of the same song. In fact, it was only the lyrics that made me think about it. Now I wonder how I could have possibly missed it! There have been several versions of Little Sister released over the years, but I remain most impressed with Ry Cooder's fun arrangement.

Breezin' - George Benson

My iPod selected Breezin' as background music for my lunch time walk yesterday. It was a great choice; I enjoyed it three times in a row before returning to my desk. This instrumental is from the album of the same name and released in 1976 by jazz guitarist George Benson. It is pure listening pleasure as the main theme cycles over and over, with each iteration adding a tiny variation, an embellishment or a full on guitar jam.

Breezin' was naturally one of many highlights of George Benson's concert in Wellington a few years ago, and he pretty much played it note perfect. It's hard to tell what comes first with Benson's improvisations: vocals or guitar lines. His style of singing along to the improvised solos he plays shows that a guitar is as much a natural extension of Benson himself as his voice. It was absolutely delightful to see and hear all this from our seats just six rows away from the stage. It was even better when Benson introduced Stanley Banks, the original bass player from Breezin' who had been playing with Benson since the 1970s and is still a member of his backing band today.

The Ballad of Lucy Jordan - Marianne Faithfull

At a social function the other day, a workmate commented that "at the age of 47" he had his first child. "Isn't that a song?" someone asked, half in jest. She was out by ten years but, in amongst all the blank stares, we shared a sly smile; I knew exactly what she meant.

Written by Shel Silverstein and originally recorded by Dr Hook, I love Marianne Faithfull's 1979 take on The Ballad of Lucy Jordan. This haunting song is so very different to almost any other that I like and I was hooked (pardon the pun) the very first time I heard it; it was appealing and grotesque all at the same time. Faithfull's voice broke at the most crucial parts and the unusual instrumentation leave an air of mystery about this song. I wonder how many housewives can relate to the lyrics and have dreamed similar dreams of escape for themselves?

At the age of 37, she realised she'd never ride
Through Paris in a sports car with the warm wind in her hair

What happened to Lucy Jordan? The unfinished cadence leaves open endless possibilities. Did she actually jump from that rooftop? Was her eventual ride through Paris in a sports car actually a hearse? (I know it wasn't, but the question remains). Did the stranger that helped her down and release her back to the very life she'd been trying to escape, or was she about to start another life sentence altogether?

Lucy eventually got her ride through Paris in a sports car with the warm wind in her hair, but it remained in her imagination. Tragic, haunting and ever so poignant.

Summer Nights - John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John

Grease is my all time favourite movie (yes, I'm a female of a certain generation) and you can read about how I went along to the singalong version of the movie last night. Here is one of the many highlights from the night, right from the start of the movie and pure pop kitsch.The karaoke lyrics were colour coded pink and blue so that the audience knew which parts to sing, but everyone ended up singing every line on top of each other - awesome!

I'll get you started ...

Summer loving had me a blast

Summer loving happened so fast ...

Just My Imagination - The Temptations

I confess to being a huge fan of Motown, soul and original R&B music and a substantial portion of my collection comes from these genre, particularly from the 1960s and 70s era. Motown produced numerous vocal groups with smooth chops and immaculate harmonies, of which The Temptations are an excellent example.

There are so many songs about dreaming and unrequited love, but none paint quite so vivid a picture as Just My Imagination, released in 1971. It laments the fact that this poor guy doesn't even know the object of his affection, yet has imagined every detail of their perfect life together. (Hmm, that sounds a bit stalker-ish, but listen to the song - I assure you it's not like that.)

The bass line is the feature in this song. Listen out for the gentle marimba fills at the start and get caught up in the cello runs that rise and fall but ultimately go nowhere, just like the dream itself. Add rousing string orchestration and overlay it with poignant yet perfectly melded harmonies. *peaceful sigh*

Lola - The Kinks

Let's start with a classic. :-)

Lola, Ray Davies' 1970 hit by The Kinks, really is one of my favourites. Its raunchy rock style describes an ultimately sleazy scene that a fresh-faced, wide-eyed boy encounters just a week after leaving home. His naïve introduction to the seedy side of the city and one particular drag queen is way more than he bargained for. Slow and measured, the music plunges you further into the tangled mess that unfolds.

The sheer terror the boy feels once he realises that Lola is not the woman he expected is perfectly captured in these desperate lines, after which he completely succumbs to Lola's charms:

I pushed her away.
I walked to the door.
I fell to the floor.
I got down on my knees.

You need to listen to this song nice and loud.