The Turn Around

Last night, after I posted the blog entry, I found myself slipping back into the grips of the Big Blue Monster. I was online chatting with my friends Angela and Char (Charlotte) who were having their weekly PJ night.  They asked if I wanted to join them and "I said thank you but I really wouldn't be good company".  They said, "Ok, we are on our way over"!  How cool are they?  Well, I put all 71 songs from the blog on a disc to have on as background music.  Background?  It became the main focus for the night.  I did feel bad for Angela though.  Everytime she went to say something, a new song started and Char and I were off and running.  The combination of these two wonderful women and my 45's made it a great, nutty, fantastic night. (Ok, the booze helped a little too, but we won't talk about that!)

Ok, here are today's 10! Again, a whacky mix of the sublime and the ridiculous.

(Click here to listen to clips of these songs)

1. Ode To Billy Joe - Bobbie Gentry 4:13 (Capitol Records) "It was the third of June another sleepy dusty delta daayaa..." A classic story song with the most incredible string arrangement I have ever heard in a song.  Very deep and haunting.  In fact, I just realized the whole song is nothing but strings....guitar, violins, upright bass.  No drums, no keyboards, no horns, just those strings and Bobbie Gentry's deep rich sexy voice.  Do you remember the tv movie of the same name? 1976, Robby Benson, Glynnis O'Connor?  GREAT movie.  I just looked it up on IMDB and guess who directed it?  Jethro.  Yep, you read that right, Max Baer, Jr.  Who knew?

2. If You Leave Me Now - Chicago 3:53 (Columbia Records) Aw man, as soon as this song starts I am sucked back in time. I was always amazed at how Chicago could have such a variety of hit songs but always keep that trademark Chicago sound...clean, clear guitar lines, outrageous horns and tight harmonies.  The lyrics to this song always get to me UNTIL (dah-dum) he sings, "OOooooOO Mama, I just got to have your lovin'"  I don't know, it just kinda smacks me right out of moment. Maybe it's just me.

3. Brand New Key - Melanie 2:26 (Neighborhood Records) Jumping up and down a little bit here.  I LOVE THIS SONG!  It is absolutely PTD and I will tell you why in a minute.  Just grinning like a fool listening to the song.  The combination of Melanie Safka's quirky voice, the piano and bongos makes this such a perfect bit of bubblegum.  But what do it mean?  Ok, she has brand new rollerskates and he has a brand new key.  A metaphor for something else?  Perhaps. And why didn't her brand new rollerskates come with its own brand new key? And, was she a stalker?  Come on, she keeps showing up at his house and his mother tells her that he is at home but he is never alone! Hint?  I am sure she would have just skated away but she needed that damn key.  Anyway, every year in grammar school there was a science fair (not really sure if it was every year, but it sure felt like it) and for a few years in a row I would make a record player out of various things and each year I would use this song for some reason. I think the year that I used a paper cone and a pin as the tonearm really did this poor single in.  Sorry Melanie!  Irony is though, I can't listen to this song any other way.

4. Undercover Angel - Alan O'Day 3:24 (Pacific Records) HA!!! Chair dancing already.  "I said WHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAH? She said OOOOOWWEEEEEE!  I said, ALLLLLRIIIGHT" What an absolutely goofy song!  This poor bastard can't get a date in real life so he creates a fantasy lover who reassures him, in bed, after he has "made sweet love" to this imaginary angel,  that he will find the girl of his dreams.  Now, here comes the twist (or the twisted part).  In the last verse we find out that he is actually telling a real live girl this whole story. Wouldn't you have run for the hills after hearing that story?  Oh wait, maybe he had a brand new key!!!  Oh, I get it now. By the way, I really do love this song and my favorite part is the "undercover undercover undercover" chorus whispering to us during the last chorus!  Hilarious.

5. Tonight's The Night (Gonna Be Alright) - Rod Stweart 3:55 (Warner Brothers Records) Before he beat us to death with every single volume of the Great American Songbook (which I was starting to think had more volumes than Brittanica) Rod Stewart was a rocker.  With his mix of sleaze and tongue in cheek humour he was, and still is, one of a kind.  So, here is this ballad, that at-first-listen one thinks is a love song.  WOW  So very wrong.  This is basically a song about this guy deflowering the underage, virginal french maid!  I wonder if he asked her to take the trash on her way out. Oh, Rod, Rod, Rod! (shaking my head while still swaying to the song)

6. Sugar, Sugar - The Archies 2:48 (Calendar Records) YAY!!!!!  Thus concludes our little bit of tawdry, scary, sex-starved stalker songs and onto PURE BUBBLEGUM BLISS. "Sugah. Awww Honey honey.  You are my kanda girl and you got me wanting you!" Chair dancing, spinning and singing, real loud!! I can still see Archie and the Gang playing and singing this in my head.  Betty and Veronica on tamborine and keyboard doing their toe-stepping dance.  Favorite part of the song, the "I'm gonna make life so sweet"s.  The first time with, Betty (in my mind anyway) singing it very low and sweet and then the second time with Veronica, cos you know she could throw down, okay?, WHALING it to the heavens!  Excellent song.

7. That's Rock 'N' Roll - Shaun Cassidy 2:52 (Warner Brothers/Curb Records) Keep blowin them bubbles folks and take Shaun's advice, "Come on everybody get down and get with it Come on everbody get down that's rock 'n' roll".  In case anyone was every curious as to exactly what rock 'n' roll was, we now know!  Put this together with Da Doo Ron Ron and we have Shaun's Greatest Hits SINGLE! I forgot how much fun this song is, for as goofy as it is.

8. My Life - Billy Joel 3:50 (Columbia Records) One of my all-time favorite Billy Joel songs!  And another one that got the Panasonic Recorder sing along treatment!  ALOT! I was obsessed with this whole album actually.  In fact, 52nd Street was, in my estimation, the last of the absolute Classic Billy Joel albums.  He had some amazing singles after that but, this was the last whole great album from beginning to end. Please, if anyone reading this disagrees and thinks I should listen to another of his albums, tell me and I will.  I love Billy!

9. Lonely Night (Angel Face) - Captain And Tennille 3:17 (A&M Records) Have you noticed that the Captain and his first mate have made their way in here almost everyday?  They really made some great pop songs! "crickets"  Oh not from you guys disagreeing with me...it's the beginning of the song.  WOW  The way Toni could go from coy to full-throttle at the drop of a hat. Such a fun song!!! I love all of things going on in the background of this song.  "Gotcha!" (Again, that was in the end of the song, not....oh, you know what I mean.  shuttup)

10. The Candy Man - Sammy Davis, Jr. 3:10 (MGM Records) Perfect way to end this round of bubblegum, don'tcha think?  "All right everybody, gather around.  The Candy Man is here" Such a happy song!!!  Nan and Uncle Bob bought us this one to go with the brand new (no not rollerskates) olive green General Electric Record player that they also gave me!  Oh man, did I love that record player. It was the kind you could close the top and carry it with you anywhere and trust me, I did!  I thought it was the greatest thing ever and I always reminded Nan how much I loved that thing and her for giving it me.  I think that is why I love having her stereo here now, also a GE, it just brings back such great memories.

I will never stop marveling at the effect music has on me.  It doesn't matter what mood I am in when I start each new post, by the end, I am happy as a clam. (What makes clams so damn happy anyway?  Ever think about that?) I wish I could share this feeling with everyone I know. Tonight, I am thinking about someone who means the world to me and wishing I could make them feel this good!  Anyway, go tell someone that you love them or just walk up to them and give them a big long hug.  Don't think about it, just do it.  You'll both feel better.  Make sure you come back tomorrow!!!  Co-blog with Annette!  I can't wait!!!!  'night.