Which one is your favorite? - XXII -

The song of this week comes from my beloved cousin who lives in Amsterdam.
You can also follow her on this website, www.ceydaartist.wixsite.com/ceyda.
I thank her for the tip.

This is a song recorded by the British group Hot Chocolate. It was written by Hot Chocolate's lead singer Errol Brown, and produced by Mickie Most. The song was released in October 1975 and reached number two on the UK Singles Chart in 1975, as well as number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 a year later. Billboard ranked it the number-twenty-two song for 1976. It went on to gain notability by being featured in films, such as The Full Monty (1997).

Without further ado, here is the song for this week;

"You Sexy Thing"

The song was originally a 1975 B-side. Not yet convinced that the song could be a hit, producer Most put it on the flip-side of the Hot Chocolate single "Blue Night". The song was later remixed by Most, who re-released it as an A-side some months later on his RAK label. The song was a hit and ultimately became the group's best-known song. In the UK the song was poised for the number-one spot, but was beaten to it by "Bohemian Rhapsody", when on November 29, 1975 the Queen single leaped above it from number nine.

The original "You Sexy Thing" has a simple structure, with most of the song alternating between two major chords (F and Bb). It has a chorus-verse form. One of the song's most memorable aspects is its distinctive six note riff which is repeated intermittently throughout, played on a mildly overdriven electric guitar on a high treble setting and with noticeable vibrato.

And here are the 3 versions I (one coming from my cousin, I won't tell you which...) chose for you;

• Stereophonics - "You Sexy Thing"

• Zella Day - "You Sexy Thing"

• Tom Tom Club - "You Sexy Thing"

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 - LXII -

Here we are again approaching the weekend. The weather report says that it is going to be a snowy weekend here so if you are around the below songs might make your weekend a bit warmer. Thanks for listening and keep on filling your life with music...

As Robert Browning once said;

"Who hears music feels his solitude peopled at once."

And here's this week's list;

• Lana Del Rey - "Shades Of Cool"

• James Basdanis - "Chechen Girl"

• Isaac Gracie - "Reverie"

• Ultimate Spinach - Jazz Thing

• The Standells - "Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White"

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.

Electronic Maloya from La Reunion

In this post, I would like to briefly mention some really special music coming from La Reunion, a small island off the coast of Madagascar. It is called "Electronic Maloya from La Reunion since 1980". I would like to thank @outromusic for letting me discover this album in vinyl.

Digital Kabar is a compilation of electronic music endemic to the Reunion Island, at the crossroads of cultures and porous to all sound experiences. The musicians of the island that have been cross-fertilized by many musical genres, their way of life and their diversity have enabled them to come up to the music scene with such an amazing album.

One can tell that a tradition of music was all around the island, Maloya (the major music genre of Réunion, usually sung in Réunion Creole, and traditionally accompanied by percussion and a musical bow) was the dominating cultural factor for the islanders. And this beautiful music was totally banned by the French Republic almost through all the 20th century. The ban was quite aggressive between the early 60s and early 80s. Maloya has been built up over centuries in the sugar plantations of the island, agglomerating popular sounds brought along by slaves from Madagascar, India, and Mozambique. It was the music of the poor, especially black people, infused with mystical beliefs.  It can be considered as trance music with dark elements.

Patrick Manent - "Kabaré Ater"

Obviously, the ban by the French governments did not stop the music develop in time. Maybe that's how it did not stay frozen in time nor became the music of the older generations. It blended with rap, chanson, reggae and ultimately electronic music, and this album is a fine example of the latter.

Kwalud - "Angel Choirs"

The album is also available on Spotify in digital streaming format. Give it a listen, I am sure you'll love it...

Which one is your favorite? - XXI -

This week we go back to the 50s and try to find the best covers of a Screamin' Jay Hawkins song that was written in 1956 and was selected as one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. It is also ranked No. 313 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Here is the song for this week;

"I Put A Spell On You"

Hawkins had originally intended to record "I Put a Spell on You" as "a refined love song, a blues ballad". However, the producer (Arnold Maxin) "brought in ribs and chicken and got everybody drunk, and we came out with this weird version ... I don't even remember making the record. Before, I was just a normal blues singer. I was just Jay Hawkins. It all sort of just fell in place. I found out I could do more destroying a song and screaming it to death." as he said in an interview...

Hawkins first recorded "I Put a Spell on You" as a ballad during his stint with Grand Records in late 1955. However, that version was not released at the time (it has since been reissued on Hawkins' UK Rev-Ola CD The Whamee 1953–55). The following year, Hawkins re-recorded the song for Columbia's Okeh Records – the notorious screaming version, which was released in October 1956. However, this version was banned from most radio programming for its outrageous 'cannibalistic' style. A truncated version was later released omitting the grunts and moans from the ending of the song, but the ban generally remained. Despite the restriction, the record still sold over a million copies.

And just for this week I have 11 versions for you; I am telling you, you have some homework to do :)

• Nina Simone - "I Put A Spell On You"

• Bryan Ferry - "I Put A Spell On You"

• Natacha Atlas- "I Put a Spell On You"

• IZA - "I Put a Spell On You"

• Annie Lennox - "I Put A Spell On You"

• Diamanda Galas - "I Put A Spell On You"

• Nick Cave & The Cavemen - "I Put A Spell On You"

• Chaka Khan - "I Put A Spell On You"

• Creedence Clearwater Revival - "I Put A Spell On You"

• Jeff Beck & Joss Stone - "I Put a Spell On You"

• She and Him - "I Put a Spell on You"

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 - LXI -

It is the awards season in music and movies and as always I am trying to stay away from the mainstream but I am happy that Brad Mehldau won a Grammy this year in the Jazz Instrumental Album category. If you haven't listened to "Finding Gabriel", give it a try...

As Bob Marley once said;

"One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain."

And here's this week's list;

• Rodrigo y Gabriela - "Echoes"

• John Zorn, Sofia Rei - "Besos de Sangre"

• Meena Cryle - "It Makes Me Scream"

• David Bowie - "Starman"

• Pat Metheny with Charlie Haden - "Cinema Paradiso"

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.