So, today, I was basically a slug. Did some cleaning and such but other than that, I made some rigatoni ("That's not rigatoni!!!"), some peas like Grandma used to make, ate and watched a few great movies (Taking Woodstock and Eagle Eye). Now here I sit, with, as you can tell, little to say. So, let's get to the music. Oh, by the way, Red Robot was trying out different looks for the summer. I guess the nice weather today inspired him.
Here they are Today's 10 Tunes....
1. Rockin' At Midnight - The Honeydrippers 5:57 (es Paranza Records) If Robert Plant and Jimmy Page had met in the 1950s instead of the 1960s this is what Led Zeppelin would have sounded like! Well, maybe not but they are the founding members of The Honeydrippes. This was the follow up to Sea Of Love and has such a cool R&B 50s sound. Love Robert Plant's voice and Jimmy Page's guitars! Great remake.
2. If You Were A Woman (And I Was A Man) - Bonnie Tyler 4:08 (Columbia Records) Another amazing Jim Steinman production. The combination of Tyler's voice and Steinman's production was unbeatable. I love this song! This was so different from the other songs they had done together with the familiar elements that made it a Steinman piece. Love the crazy high backing vocals!!! There is an outstanding video for this song. You should look it up on YouTube. I used to play it when I DJed in a great bar on the Upper West Side.
3. Keeping The Faith (Special Mix) - Billy Joel 4:44 (Columbia Records) This is a very cute song but never one of my favorites, especially considering how much I loved Billy Joel. This is kinda when I stopped buying his albums. He had changed so much and as I have said before, I think 52nd Street was his last GREAT album. I kinda put this one with Uptown Girl. Yeh, it's catchy and would be great for someone else, just not my way cool Billy Joel. Although, he does sing a line in this song about listening to his old 45s!
4. Back For Good - Take That 4:00 (Arista Records) I barely remember this song! Yikes! I am waiting for the chorus to hopefully jog my memory. Oh yeh!!! I vaguely remember it. They really had a great sound....amazing harmonies. This song is very middle of the road with nothing really exciting about it, hence my lack of recall! Ironically, this was their biggest hit in the US! They did however, do an incredible dance version of Barry Manilow's Could It Be Magic that he adapted and did in his live shows for many years!
5. Who's Leaving Who - Anne Murray 3:38 (Capitol Records) I have said this before and I will say it again, I love 80s Anne Murray! She was a bit edgy and just sounded like she was having a blast. Granted I am a big fan of most of her work but it was great to hear her having so much fun back then. And she had some great producers working with her. I love the synths in this song!
6. I Can't Go For That (No Can Do ) - Daryl Hall & John Oates 3:39 (RCA Records) Hall & Oates has always been a hit or miss thing with me. Some songs were great and some were just annoying. This one falls squarely in the annoying pile. They just seem to be trying too hard to be cool and anytime you have to try that hard...................................................Sorry, nodded off there for a second. NEXT!
7. I Love Rock N Roll - Joan Jett & The Blackearts 2:45 (Boardwalk Records) Also not a big Joan Jett fan. But this is a really fun song and has become a bit of a classic. Great memories of Brooklyn College days here. This was always playing on the jukebox at the student lounge. I can remember loving it when my friend Therry would sing this!!
8. Walking On Sunshine - Katrina and the Waves 4:00 (Capitol Records) This is a much played to death song but I still think it is so much fun. It is just happy and getting you moving!! RR is bopping all over the place!! I really like her voice, a little husky, a little sexy and you can hear the smile in her voice. Ok, I am chair dancing!
9. Careless Whisper - Wham! Featuring George Michael 4:50 (Columbia Records) This was the beginning of the end for our Wham! boys. George only wanted his name on this one as it was to be his first solo single. The record company had different ideas but a compromise was reached, hence the way it is billed and the two different 45 picture sleeves. Whatever the drama, this is one of the coolest songs ever. It is so soulful and sexy and that saxophone solo is incredible. The man has a great voice!! (Ironically, this is one of two songs co-written with Andrew Ridgely, the other half of Wham!) I was working at Record Factory when this came out and no one knew the name of the song but it didn't stop them from coming in by the truck loads to buy it. They would sing part of it to me, or tap their foot on the floor and try to remember some of the words. Of course, being the sadistic little bastard that I was, I knew what song they wanted but I let them go on! A little something for me, ya know?
10. Rock This Town - Stray Cats 3:24 (EMI Records) Ok, we fake-50s rocked our way in tonight and now we are fake-50s rockin our way out tonight. I love Brian Setzer!! He has continued to create amazing original songs that sound straight out of the rock-a-billy 50s with the Brian Setzer Orchestra and he is soooo great at what he does. This is such a fun song I am chair dancing my little butt off right now!! This one also reminds me of Brooklyn College days!!!
This was a fun night. I really had a hard time getting myself off the couch to do it, but it was fun! See ya tomorrow!
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