Which one is your favorite? - LXXV -

This week's song is coming from the Rolling Stones and most probably it is one of my favorite Stones songs. It is written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and the opening track on their 1968 album Beggars Banquet. It is considered one of the best songs of the popular music era, and it is ranked number 32 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.

Here is the song for this week;

"Sympathy for the Devil"

"Sympathy for the Devil" is credited to Jagger and Richards, though the song was largely a Jagger composition. The working title of the song was "The Devil Is My Name", having earlier been called "Fallen Angels". Jagger sings in first-person narrative as the Devil, boasting his role in each of several historical atrocities. The singer then ironically demands the listener's courtesy towards him, implicitly chastising the listener for their collective culpability in the listed killings and crimes. 

The lyrics were inspired by "The Master and Margarita", a book by Mikhail Bulgakov. British singer Marianne Faithfull was Mick Jagger's girlfriend at the time and she gave him the book. Faithfull came from an upper-class background and exposed Jagger to a lot of new ideas. In the book, the devil is a sophisticated socialite, a "man of wealth and taste."

The song perpetuated the image of the Stones as frightening bad boys, as opposed to the clean-cut Beatles. It was great marketing for the band, which got some press by implying an interest in the occult.

A documentary by French filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard called One Plus One captured the recording of this song, which took place over five days: June 5, 6, 8 - 10, 1968. At one point, a lamp for the documentary started a fire in the studio. The tapes were saved, but a lot of the Stones' equipment was destroyed.

Keith Richards said in 2002: "'Sympathy' is quite an uplifting song. It's just a matter of looking the Devil in the face. He's there all the time. I've had very close contact with Lucifer - I've met him several times. Evil - people tend to bury it and hope it sorts itself out and doesn't rear its ugly head. 'Sympathy For The Devil' is just as appropriate now, with 9/11. There it is again, big time. When that song was written, it was a time of turmoil. It was the first sort of international chaos since World War II. And confusion is not the ally of peace and love. You want to think the world is perfect. Everybody gets sucked into that. And as America has found out to its dismay, you can't hide. You might as well accept the fact that evil is there and deal with it any way you can. Sympathy for the Devil is a song that says, Don't forget him. If you confront him, then he's out of a job." 

Some of the historical events mentioned in this song are the crucifixion of Christ, the Russian Revolution, World War II, and the Kennedy assassinations. Robert Kennedy was killed on June 5, 1968, after Mick Jagger started writing the song. His original lyric was "who killed Kennedy?" referring to the 1963 John F. Kennedy assassination, but he changed it to "who killed the Kennedys?"

Here are the 7 versions I picked for you;

• Guns N' Roses - "Sympathy For The Devil"

• Natalie Merchant - "Sympathy For The Devil"

• Bryan Ferry - "Sympathy For The Devil" 

• Jane's Addiction - "Sympathy For The Devil"

• Motörhead - "Sympathy For The Devil"

• Ann Wilson - "Sympathy For The Devil"

• The Big Push - "Sympathy For The Devil"

Now the floor is yours, go ahead and make your comments (here, Instagram, Facebook wherever you feel like...).

nb. Please note that I intentionally do not include the original versions of the songs as it would be a little unfair to the artists covering the songs, and I am sure that sometimes you will be surprised to see that the songs you thought were the originals are just covers.

Five Songs for the Weekend - CXV -

It is sad to see contradictory decisions by the government regarding the Covid precautions. On one hand, we witness strict measures, however, on the other hand, people get together in large numbers like the risk has been eliminated... Difficult to comprehend...

As George Carlin once said;

"Let's not have a double standard. 

One standard will do just fine."

Here is the list for this weekend;

• Sleep Party People - "I'm Not Human At All"

• Cymande - "Dove"

• Kollektiv Turmstrasse - "Tristesse"

• Grant Green - "Untitled Blues"

• Nilüfer Yanya - "In Your Head"

Hope you have a great weekend.

nb. You can open the actual youtube page by clicking the name on the upper left side of each video.

Which one is your favorite? - LXXIV -

This week's song is a song that has been recorded by Judy Collins, a year earlier than the version that we all know by Joni Mitchell, who is the writer of the song. Collins is known as a folk singer, and has recorded songs written by Leonard Cohen, Pete Seger, Bob Dylan and many others, as well as traditional songs like "Amazing Grace." Her recording of this song provided her first hit, and also brought exposure to Mitchell, who went on to a very successful career as both a songwriter and performer.

Here is the song for this week;

"Both Sides Now"

In 1969, it was included on Mitchell's album Clouds (which was named after a lyric from the song). In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked "Both Sides, Now" at number 170 on its list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

This was the first hit song written by Joni Mitchell. She recalled: "I was reading Saul Bellow's Henderson the Rain King on a plane and early in the book Henderson the Rain King is also up in a plane. He's on his way to Africa and he looks down and sees these clouds. I put down the book, looked out the window and saw clouds too, and I immediately started writing the song. I had no idea that the song would become as popular as it did."

Joni Mitchell had been through a very difficult time when she wrote this song's lyric. In 1965, she gave birth to a baby girl but struggled as a single mom (the father was an old boyfriend who left soon after Mitchell got pregnant). She married a musician named Chuck Mitchell that year, but soon after the marriage, gave up the child for adoption. Soon, her marriage was on the rocks, and in 1967 they split up.

This is Joni Mitchell's most-covered song; with over 1000 versions recorded, it could be considered a standard. Some of the luminaries to record it include Frank Sinatra (on his 1968 album Cycles), Bing Crosby, and Ronan Keating.

When Mitchell first started performing this song in 1967, she called it "From Both Sides, Now." On her album, it was listed as "Both Sides, Now." 

Mitchell released an orchestral version of this song in 2000 to close out her album Both Sides Now, which is mainly comprised of jazz standards.

Here are the 7 versions I picked for you;

 

• Dion - "From Both Sides Now"

• Frank Sinatra - "From Both Sides Now"

• Anne Murray - "Both Sides Now"

• Seal - "Both Sides Now"

• Paul Young with Clannad - "Both Sides Now"

• Dianne Reeves - "Both Sides Now"

• Gang of Youths - "Both Sides Now"

Now the floor is yours, go ahead and make your comments (here, Instagram, Facebook wherever you feel like...).

nb. Please note that I intentionally do not include the original versions of the songs as it would be a little unfair to the artists covering the songs, and I am sure that sometimes you will be surprised to see that the songs you thought were the originals are just covers.

Five Songs for the Weekend - CXIV -

It has been exactly one year (for my country) since the Covid-19 came into our lives. It was again my birthday, just like today, we were going home from the office for an unpredictable time. What an interesting year it has been :( I hope music has helped you better survive this tough period.

As Jane Swan once said;

"How is it that music can, without words, evoke our 

laughter, our fears, our highest aspirations?”

 

Here is the list for this weekend;

• Esperanza Spalding - "Endangered Species"

• Rufus Du Sol - "Underwater"

• The Weather Station - "Robber"

• Ben Harper - "Diamonds On The Inside"

• Leon Redbone- "Your Cheatin' Heart"

Hope you have a great weekend.

nb. You can open the actual youtube page by clicking the name on the upper left side of each video.

Which one is your favorite? - LXXIII -

Let's continue with another great song from the 80s. This is a 1986 song by the English rock band the Smiths from their third album The Queen Is Dead, written by Johnny Marr and Morrissey.  The song features self-deprecating lyrics that reflected Morrissey's frustrations with the music industry and the merciless media. Frontman, Morrissey, describes being hounded by the press and even compares himself to the French martyr, Joan of Arc.

Here is the song for this week;

"Bigmouth Strikes Again"

It was released the lead single from the album, bypassing Rough Trade's preferred choice, "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out". The single reached number 26 in the UK Singles Chart and has since seen critical acclaim. 

Bigmouth Strikes Again" began as a lyric written by Morrissey in the summer of 1985. The lyric was the final one of three written about Morrissey's frustration with the music industry, the previous two being "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" and "Rubber Ring." "Bigmouth Strikes Again" specifically reflects Morrissey's negative experiences with the music press. When asked by the NME about the song, Morrissey replied, "I can't think of one sentence [I regret saying]. We're still at that stage where if I rescued a kitten from drowning, they'd say: 'Morrissey Mauls Kitten's Body'. So what can you do?"

Morrissey intended the lyrics of the song to be humorous; he explained, "I would call it a parody if that sounded less like self-celebration, which it definitely wasn't. It was just a really funny song." Drummer Mike Joyce commented, "What a fantastic title – one of Mozzer's better ones. And with this song, you can see why he made journalists cream their pants. Listen to the lyrical content. He was a one-off."

Johnny Marr based the song's music on a guitar riff he had written during a soundcheck of the band's 1985 tour. Marr later claimed that he had been inspired by the Rolling Stones' "Jumpin' Jack Flash", stating, "I wanted something that was a rush all the way through, without a distinct middle eight as such. I thought the guitar breaks should be percussive, not too pretty or cordial." Marr described the song as being "as close as getting to the sound of my heroes as we came."

During the song, the protagonist compares himself to Joan of Arc as "the flames rose to her Roman nose" and also says "now I know how Joan of Arc felt". In recent solo performances, Morrissey has changed the lyric "and her Walkman started to melt", to the more technologically current "and her iPod started to melt". Morrissey included the lyric "and her hearing aid started to melt" as a tribute to the band's hearing-impaired fans.

Kirsty MacColl sang backing vocals on this. Sometime later, Johnny Marr briefly became MacColl's London tenant and the pair began writing together. The working relationship resulted in several memorable songs, including MacColl's hit single "Walking Down Madison."

Here are the 7 versions I picked for you;

• Placebo - "Bigmouth Strikes Again"

• Treepeople - "Bigmouth Strikes Again"

• Among The Oak & Ash - "Bigmouth Strikes Again"

• The Snowdrops - "Bigmouth Strikes Again"

• MIAMI TIGER - "Bigmouth Strikes Again"

• Eva O & DJ Eric Ill - "Bigmouth Strikes Again"

• Heidemann - "Bigmouth Strikes Again"

Now the floor is yours, go ahead and make your comments (here, Instagram, Facebook wherever you feel like...).

nb. Please note that I intentionally do not include the original versions of the songs as it would be a little unfair to the artists covering the songs, and I am sure that sometimes you will be surprised to see that the songs you thought were the originals are just covers.

Five Songs for the Weekend - CXIII -

It appears to be even "back to half normal" is bringing along a lot of risks in the Covid-19 situation. Therefore we really need to be careful to the maximum extent if we want to stay away from the virus. Please do not let go of the precautions at least till the summer so that we can all enjoy a good holiday season.

 As Mahatma Gandhi once said;

"It is health that is real wealth and 

not pieces of gold and silver."

Here is the list for this weekend;

•  Lusine - "Just A Cloud"

• Princess Chelsea - "Monkey Eats Bananas"

• Still Corners - "The Trip"

• Ebo Taylor - "Atwer Abroba"

• Juju & The Space Rangers - "Plastic"

Hope you have a great weekend.

nb. You can open the actual youtube page by clicking the name on the upper left side of each video.

Which one is your favorite? - LXXII -

Here is a great song from the 80s with equally great lyrics. It is a song by the English singer-songwriter Kate Bush. It was the first single from her 1985 album Hounds of Love, released in the United Kingdom on 5 August 1985. It was her first 12-inch single. It was the most successful of Bush's 1980s releases, entering the UK chart at number 9 and eventually peaking at number 3, her second-highest single peak.

Here is the song for this week;

"Running Up That Hill"

Thie song is about making a deal with God to swap lives with another person. Bush explained in a 1985 interview: "It's about a relationship between a man and a woman. They love each other very much, and the power of the relationship is something that gets in the way. It creates insecurities. It's saying if the man could be the woman and the woman the man, if they could make a deal with God, to change places, that they'd understand what it's like to be the other person and perhaps it would clear up misunderstandings. You know, all the little problems; there would be no problem."

Bush's record company wanted to release "Cloudbusting" as the first single, but Kate convinced them to release this instead. Since they had already renamed her song, it was considered a compromise.

This was Bush's biggest hit in the US. She is very popular in the UK, but remains mostly unknown in America.

The song was originally written using a Fairlight synthesizer.

The music video featured Bush performing an interpretive dance with dancer Michael Hervieu. The video was directed by David Garfath while the dance routines were choreographed by Diane Grey. Bush and Hervieu are shown wearing grey Japanese hakamas. Bush wanted the dancing in "Running Up That Hill" to be more of a classical performance as she he felt the art was being cheapened by the newer crop of talent on MTV.

Here are the 7 versions I picked for you;

• Theo Bleckmann - "Running Up That Hill"

• First Aid Kit - "Running Up That Hill"

• Placebo - "Running Up That Hill"

• Within Temptation - "Running Up That Hill"

• Ellevator - "Running Up That Hill"

• Georgia - "Running Up That Hill"

• Mozartine - "Running Up That Hill"

Now the floor is yours, go ahead and make your comments (here, Instagram, Facebook wherever you feel like...).

nb. Please note that I intentionally do not include the original versions of the songs as it would be a little unfair to the artists covering the songs, and I am sure that sometimes you will be surprised to see that the songs you thought were the originals are just covers.

Five Songs for the Weekend - CXII -

It appears to be that the Covid restrictions are being reviewed all around the world and easing is on the way. Obviously, everyone will agree that it was about time but still need to be careful especially before the vaccination. On the other hand, this seems to be a fair decision for the businesses and people trying to make a living in the most affected sectors. Please support your local businesses and help them to overcome this terrible situation with relatively minimal impact.

As Toba Beta once said;

“Being cautious ain't merely look after myself, 

but also keep me away from others' carelessness..."

Here is the list for this weekend;

• Andra Day - "Strange Fruit/Tigress & Tweed Medley"

• The Be Good Tanyas - "Waiting Around to Die"

• Erykah Badu - "On & On"

• AKKU Quintet - "Deep Sea"

• Mammal Hands - "Black Sails"

Hope you have a great weekend.

nb. You can open the actual youtube page by clicking the name on the upper left side of each video.