More Tunes

Went tune sleuthing again today. Sleuthing because, for all that I love music, I'm horrible with names of songs or artists and usually just remember the lyrics. While typing in various memories of single key words, hoping against hope that it would get me a clue, I kept wondering if I was trying to redo a certain decade. But as much as there seem to be 60's numbers in the list, there are also 70's 80's and 50's. And I think I covered most of them with the 5 songs that joined the playlist today.

Going way back to the TV variety shows, I found Mr. Sandman performed by Glen Miller and his Orchestra accompanied by the Andrew Sisters. I've got an album with Miller's greatest hits. Awesome dance tunes. Having found that I thought it'd be fun to put up some really old hits from the Lucky Strike Hit Parade albums. Alas, it wasn't to be. Try as I might I simply couldn't find Jambalaya (On the Bayou), at least not by the artist on the album and after you've heard that one you're spoiled to the rest. Bummer, there are at least two friends who'd have loved that one. I also tried for The Lady in Red. Nope! Not to be found in a version that was before the 80's. Would you believe I have actual vinyl albums of those songs? No turntable though.

Next I found Longer by Dan Fogelburg. That song hung in the charts for a really long time. It was just SO romantic. I even learned how to play it on the guitar. Then I found Stray Cats Strut by Stray Cats. If I ever had an album of those guys I wore that song out. There's some real sway to the chorus. Have I mentioned that I like songs that make me want to move? (G)

In 1968 the rock opera Hair came out. At 16 my mother thought it was too racy for my innocent eyes. But it turned out to be so popular that I learned most of the songs. I've still got original sheet music to the title song. It's performed by the Cowsills if you haven't heard it before. If memory works, 3 musical operas came out during those years. The other two were Jesus Christ Superstar, which I did see, and Godspell, which I didn't but also had an album. The best songs from those two, at least in my opinion, weren't the title songs. And what they did to JC Superstar in that movie is a crime beyond punishment.

Having gotten back to the era of the Beatles one of their songs had to go on the list. Nowhere Man has always been one of my favorites. The summer I was 17 I hand wrote lyrics and chords to it. I think my dad has a photo of my sister and me playing our guitars the second summer we went backpacking. So there you go. Enjoy!