Yesterday Once More....Indeed!

Here I am at the end of another rollercoaster day.  Started out depressed, confused and unsure of the future. What is new about that, right? Then, I went over to my parent's house to help my mom with some stuff and had a really wonderful, creative day. I was so happy with what we had done and that they (mom and dad) BOTH loved it, it made me feel really good.  Well, the universe rewarded me today!  A couple of weeks ago I ordered a cd and I finally got it!!!  For those of you that have chosen to remain in your seats through this journey of life with me, this will sound sooooooo familiar.  I find that I have been (thankfully) saying the same thing for almost 40 years now and you may want to skip ahead.  The rest of you may want to read on.

2009 was the 40th Anniversary of Karen and Richard Carpenter signing their contract with A&M Records.  To mark the occassion, Richard put together a new compilation called 40/40 (40 years/40 songs).  It was a HUGE hit in Europe and Asia and when it was released here in the states, it did fairly well. I did not get it when it came out as I do not have access to the music outlets I did in NY and could not find it.  On New Year's Day, Shane bought it for me on Amazon.com and I received it today (it is a Korean release and, to my surprise, actually came from Korea!). Richard and his outstanding mastering artist, Bernie Grundman, a personal hero of mine since I was a kid, took these 40 songs and put them in 5.0 Surround Sound.  I sat and then stood in the middle of my living room and was swept back in time.  Here I am, standing with Karen singing directly to me from the center speaker and all of Richard's genious arrangements coming at me from the other 4 speakers...I was in heaven.  I immediately picked up the phone and called my parents to tell them about this. Turning to them is something that I have done since I first discovered that Richard would change things from album pressing to album pressing. I know that they don't really care about what the changes are as opposed to the fact that they mean so much to me, but knowing that I could call them and tell them this, meant the world to me tonight.  Thank you mom and dad.  I love you guys soooo much. 

Ok....enough.  After that, I talked to Scott for a little while, which, as you know I love doing and then watched the mayhem of Idol.  Can't even comment about it tonight.  LOL  After Karen, who could compare.  I just wish the cop that sang Superstar would have sung it straight instead of with all those stupid vocal trills and senseless drama.  He had an amazing voice and would have blown the song out of the park if only he had sung it straight.

ROFLMAO (sorry) I just looked at today's 10.  Folks, we are all over the place today!

(click to enbiggen)

(deep sigh) No matter what life throws at us, good bad or indifferent, one thing holds true.  You just......

1. Can't Stop The Music - Village People 3:35 (Casablanca Record and Filmworks) "Nobody can stop the music!"  Oh God!!!  Tragic roller disco!  This is the main theme from the movie of the same name. Originally, the female lead was offered to Olivia.  She turned it down.  Then it went to Cher.  She turned it down.  Nautrally, it went to Valerie Perrine.  Hey, come on.  Olivia, Cher, Valerie.  Makes perfect sense to me.  After being Lex Luthor's girlfriend she NEEDED to don rollerskates and roll around with the Village People in the streets of NY.  I actually saw this movie in the theatres with Mark Doyaga and all I can remember is laughing uncontrollably, something I always seemed to do with Mark.  There was choreography for this song that Mark and I would do for years to come. (Yes, I am actually doing it now while listening to the song.  shuttup) Oh crap, this is just tooo funny....the needle got stuck toward the end of the song and they just keep singing "the music" over and over again.  I guess THEY don't want the music to stop either! ROFLMAO

2. Theme From S.W.A.T. - Rhythm Heritage 4:07 (abc Records) More hilarity!!!!!  tssst tssst tssst sirens and disco waa-waa guitars.  Yes folks, it is 1979 and we are in the world of the Special Weapons and Tactics force.  I guess SWATF didn't exactly trip off the tongue.  Classic disco and a perfect snapshot of the time!  Great bass line though. Again, I am seeing Doc, from the Love Boat, walking around with his big fro and goldfish swimming shoes!  LOL

3. Best Of My Love - Eagles 3:25 (Asylum Records)  Finally, we get to pop the buggle gum bubble!  Oh man, the scratches from playing this one to death.  That first guitar strum....wow.  Excuse me, I have to sing along to this one.  BRB God, I miss that Panasonic recorder.  This song is just too damn short.  "Wasting our time on cheap talk and wine/ Left us so little to give" A great song about lost love. Such amazingly understanding lyrics. "But here in my heart, I give you the Best Of My Love".  Nice!

4. American Pie (pts I and II) Don McLean - 8:42 (wow) (United Artists Records) "A long, long time ago..." Don McLean, like Chapin and Croce, was one of those rare, insightful writers that managed to cross all lines to make a pop song that EVERYONE felt, whether or not you understood it at first didn't matter. Amazing song. On a personal note....I sang this song at a Karaoke contest when I had first moved to Lancaster County.  I always turned my nose up at Karaoke because I came from the world of piano bars.  Live people playing for you that would follow you instead of you having to keep up with a recording.  (Shit, I was a snob!  Well, actually, spoiled, I realize now.) Anyway, I sang this and actually won first place! (Yeh yeh I know, the others must have really sucked.  shuttup)  From that day on, I have loved Karaoke.  Who? Me? Shallow?  Nah.

5. Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band - Meco 3:28 (my favorite time) (Millennium Records) Ahhh, Annette!  Here is another one for you!!! (I am soooo looking forward to Sunday*)  How does one even describe this?  Yes, it is disco at it's finest. But it is amazing.  Meco took the brilliance of John Williams' score and added all of the fun from the movie, light saber sound effects and all.  And R2D2's cameo is perfect.  LOL Who knew he could carry a tune?  Oh man, the Ewoks!!!!! Chair dancing!!!!!  (Answering the clarinet lines too)  77WABC in 1977!!!! I still have a flier from the station!

6. Precious And Few - Climax 2:43 (Flashback Records) "Precious and few are the moments we two can share.  Quiet and blue, like the sky, I am hung over you!"  WOW  Just to feel that way about someone.  Amazing. This is one of those songs that the background vocals are as important as the lead line. The combination of the two make the hook.  KEY CHANGE! YAY (given the subject matter of the song, the name of the band is kind of unfortunate, dont'cha think?)  This was another summer vacation song.

7. One Bad Apple - The Osmonds 2:45 (MGM Records) Osmonds?  Jacksons?  Remember THAT fued?  It was up there with Farrah or Lindsay?  Of course, it was always Lindsay in my book....but I digress.   "YEH YEH" Oh man!!!  Go Donny! Do you remember the cartoon versions of the Jacksons and the Osmonds?  I can just see them dancing right now (and no!  I am not doing the dance moves from the animation.  shuttup Yes, Amanda and Melissa, it is the only dance move I know and you have seen it several times!)  Oh, those amazing summer vacations!!!!  If Snowbird is next I my head may explode!

8. Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head - B.J. Thomas 3:02 (Scepter Records) Ok, well, my head didn't explode but this song is in that same heavy summer rotation!  (Side note: this record is almost inaudible too!  PLAYED TO DEATH here-to-fore referred to as PTD!) Banjo strumming and barely audible vocals.  I just can't seem to hear this song any other way!  LOL  Bacharach/David were incredible songwriters. "It won't be long till happiness steps up to greet me" to which I always respond, "Hello Happiness?  I'm Gary. Nice to meet you.  How you doing?"  and I can get it in before I need to sing again.  LOL The end of this song is classic and perfect. 

Ok, hold onto your chairs folks, this is soooo bizarre.  From B.J. Thomas to David Bowie?  Only here in GaryWorld.

9. Cat People (Putting Out Fire) - David Bowie 4:08 (Backstreet Records) Ok, another movie I went to see with Mark Doyaga!  Loved this one.  But it is one of those movies that I am afraid to see again.  You know what I mean, they were great in the moment but when you see them again......eh.  Not so great!  WOW  Totally forgot about this song.  VERY haunting and different!  Amazing!  One thing I do remember about this single....Harold and I had been playing it one night and Sophie, our cat, knocked a plant over onto it and it made a huge dent in the beginning of the song.  Something I would never have remembered until I played it again. "Putting out the fire with gasoline!"  A pyro's dream come true!

10. Let's Stay Together - Al Green 3:15 (HI Records) A perfect way to end tonight's post.  Another "gem" that is broken completely in half. STEVEN!  What the hell did we do to our records?  Anyway, it does play perfectly.  Probably because of the cellophane tape (thank you Grandma) on the back of the record.  What an amazing song.  Yes, Tina Turner did a good version of this song but man oh man, no one was as smooth and sultry as Al Green.  This was, of course, before he became the right reverun' Al Green.  Before he devoted his life to the Lawd, he could throw down with the best of them!  WOOOH!

I am gonna get this in just before midnight!!!  YAY!  Before I say goodnight, do me a favor, when you read this, go tell someone that you love them. Whether it be your brother, sister, mom or dad, boyfriend or girlfriend, husband or wife or maybe your best friend.  Trust me, they can never hear it enough.  I thank you all for reading and coming back everyday.  I am so working on getting the music thing up and running but I keep hitting a snag.  When I do get it worked out, you will be able to hear clips from all of these songs.

Goodnight and thank you!

* Please make sure you come back Sunday. Annette and I are going to co-blog. Vegas to Lancaster!  man, this is going to be great!