Reason

For many, many years now I have believed, without question or pause, that everything that happens in life, happens for a reason.  Take today for example.  I was, once again battling the Big Blue Monster, not wanting to do a thing except sulk but I forced myself to be somewhat pro-active.  I got my electronic W2 forms and promptly filed my taxes.  Keep your fingers crossed folks because if this times out right, I will not have to borrow money to get through to February!  Ok, I felt good about that.  There are other things that are not quite right in my life at the moment but there is really nothing I can do about that except wait for them to play out and then be there when I am needed.  Now, here comes the horror of the day.....I ran out of cigarettes (climb down off your soap boxes folks....I KNOW!!!!  shuttup) If any of you do smoke, you know the only thing worse than running out of cigs is having to go and buy more.  Trust me, I put it off as long as I could.

Then the moment was right.  I walked up to the Mart of Wal, picked up a few things and headed back to the electronics department, my little slice of heaven, to check out the price of a dvd player that I recommended to my parents.  As I round the corner of the dvd player aisle who should be standing at the other end but my MOTHER! LOL  They have been looking to buy a tv for their bedroom and I suggested a Vizio which they checked out and were set on buying.....next week or so.  Long story short, we left the Mart of Wal together with the tv and the dvd player and I went to their house and set the whole sheebang up!  Good deed done for the day.  See, I went when I did for a reason.  I love when that happens.

Ok.....on to tonight's 10!  Gotta tell you, when I set up the picture I had a big ole grin on my face.  GREAT songs ahead....

(Click here to listen to clips of these songs)

1. Hitchin' A Ride - Vanity Fair 2:37 (Page One Records) "A thumb goes up, A car goes by, It's nearly 1am and here am I"  What a great song.  The best memory in the world attached to this one.  My best friend Jeffrey, whom I have known for 25 years this coming October, loves this song.  I went into the Village to meet him one day and brought my walkman with two sets of headphones.  Well, we walked from the Village down to the Seaport listening to the mixed tape I had made for that day. This was the title of the tape and I  still have that image of Jeffrey and I walking through the city listening to this.  It was like being in a movie musical.  A GREAT day!!! I really miss those innocent, fun, silly days.  Thankfully, from time to time, Jeffrey and I still have them!

2.Daddy's Home - Jermaine Jackson 2:59 (Motown Records) A great remake of a classic song. I don't think any Jackson has ever recorded a song like this.  By that I mean, it is totally unaffected, just straight from the gut singing with an updated 50s feel.  A great arrangement with GREAT back-ups. A perfect recording with such great memories. 

3. Gonna Fly Now (Theme From "Rocky") - Bill Conti 2:45 (United Artists) Why do we own this?    Ok, gonna cue it up and let it fly......now. (ugh) Alright, alright, I will admit, as soon as it started I remember liking it at some point.  Now, I know I am going to get shot by some of my friends for this and I will admit it here, I have never seen any of the Rocky movies. (please send all of your hate mail to NotARockyFan@stallone.net)  Folks, this is NOT a good record.  The background singers absolutely killed it!!  If they had left it instrumental, it would have been great.  It is very uplifting and makes you feel good until the 400lbs of vocal group lands on your head!  Oh bad!  Vury, vury bad.....next........(by the way, that is not a real email address.  I just made it up.)

4. Knock Three Times - Dawn 2:56 (Bell Records) Can't think of a better way to get the bad taste out of my mouth than by shoving this huge, fresh piece of bubblegum in my mouth!!  Get your pens ready to hit a glass when I tell you to! AHHHHH  Those horns in the opening!!! My friend Monica used to have a crush on the boy that lived downstairs from her and she would play this really loud and drop a note out her window attached to a string telling him to meet her in the hallway.  God, I can't believe I remembered that! "wwwoooooooooooa my darlin' Knock Three Times (not yet) on the ceiling if you want me, Twice on the pipe (not yet) if the answer is no.  WWWWWWWWWWWWWWooooooooooOOOOOOOa my sweetness (get ready) (thump the glass on the desk 3 times now) Means you'll meet me in the hallway, mmmmmm, twice on the pipe (NOW) means you ain't gonna shoooowoooa"  Classic!  I love audience participation songs, don't you?

5. Rhinetsone Cowboy - Glen Campbell 3:08 (Capitol Records) WOW "There's been a load of compromisin' on the road to my horizon"!  Hmmmmm  Do you think the whole song came about ONLY because those two words kinda rhyme?  (compromiZIN - horiZON, meh, close enough) You know what is really scary?  I remember every single word to this song.  If you had asked me 2 seconds before I started playing it, I would have laughed and said, NO WAY!  I don't remember the words to this song.  HA!  I love this!!!  hee hee

6. Nights On Broadway - Bee Gees 4:26 (RSO Records) Ahh the Bee Gees!!! This song happened just prior to the Fever hit the world. Down and dirty.  That's how this song starts!!  Hard and funky.  Barry's familiar falsetto doesn't come in for a few seconds and his chest voice sounds sooooo good.  Waaka-Waaka guitars going crazy in the background.   Ahh, there it is, on the chorus, second time through, "Blaming it all on the Nights On Baa-road-way".  Wait, I forgot to pay attention to the lyrics.  Oh, those Bee Gees were good at distracting us, weren't they? Like holding something shiny in our faces.  What is it excatly that we are blaming those Baa-road-way Nights for, oh wise brothers Gibb?  We may never know. eh, who cares. 

7. Enjoy Yourself - The Jacksons 3:24 (Epic/Philadelphia International Records) Are your teeth hurting yet? Well, here comes another piece of Bazooka for you!  (Remember the little comics that came in each piece?  My buddy Dave gave me a box of Bazooka Bubble Gum at Christmas this year, solely for that reason!)  A great funky dance sound.  "woooooooooooo enjoy yourself, enjoy yourself with me" Chair dancing!!!  Lots of chair dancing with a little choreography  on the 'tear the house down" hook!  Kids you are missing a party!  WAIT!!!!  It is Friday night.  I am sitting here alone bopping to....oh nevermind. (shuttup Who are you to judge me? {{{{shaking fist at you in a very Simpsons-esque manner}}}}})

8. River Deep - Mountain High - The Supremes & Four Tops 3:05 (Motown Records) Another remake but in my humble opinion, this is THE definitive version of the song!!!! ANGRY VIOLINS thud!!!!  Love it!  This is another single that was PTD!!!!  Constant "phhhhhhhh" running throughout!  Ok, first of all, this song is just too damn short!  That said......The vocals on this are flawless.  Obviously, this was post Diana Ross cause there ain't no breathy babe sangin' here.  These are some women with a story to tell!  Ok, she loves him likes she loved her rag-doll and he says he will be as faithful as that puppy, though he will never let her down!  Nice! Loving that 60s early 70s sitar sound and then the discotheque sound crashing in.  I can see crazy go-go dancers in fringe bikinis dancing on the bar behind them!!!

9. This Will Be - Natalie Cole 2:50 (Capitol Records) Let the funky fun times continue. I don't know about you, but I would kill to go to a bar or a club that played music like this! (I always worked this stuff in when I DJed, right Annette?) Piano, clap, snap. Piano, clap, snap. Funky horns and Natalie is off and running!  I love this woman! Hard to believe, "this will be the first time anyone has loved" her.  "LOVING YOU!  is some kind of wonderful"  Yell at us and then pull it on back. And then of course, the vocal hook.....(let's see if I can type this in real time)  "huggin'andsqeezin'andkissin'andpleasin'togetherforevahthrough(something)whatevah yeh yeh yeh you and me (deep breath)solongasI'mlivin'trueloveI'llbegivin'toyouI'llbeservin'causeyou'resodeservin'"  And you know I didn't cheat on that, right? (shuttup)

10. Time Passages - Al Stweart 4:29 (Arista Records) Ok, who invited Captain Buzz Kill?  argh  Ahhh, MOR pop at it's best. I guess this is a good way to end this.  But I was in a good groove, you? "Buy me a ticket on the last train home tonight"  Why?  Cause you were partying too hard Al?  I think not.  I think it's cause you fell asleep while listening to your own song and missed the train you were supposed to be on.  I guess this is a good song and has it's moment in our musical history, but seriously, had I not had it in here, would you have even remembered it?  (Time Passages not fast enough for me, Al) Sorry Steve.

Doing this blog has reconnected me with old friends and old music that I love. It is making me remember things and preserve them here for my nieces. There-in lies the reason for this musical journey I am on.  The bigger things in life that come up and smack us sooooo hard in the face, much like the 400lbs of background singers in that Rocky tune, well those things take a little longer to show themselves but trust me folks, they always do.  Have a great night and pull out some old records and call an old friend.  See you tomorrow!