The Sunday Six

Celebrating music with six random tracks at a time

Happy Sunday and welcome to November and, if you’re impacted, the switch back to standard time! Before we know it, another year-end holiday season is upon us. Hopefully, there will be good reasons to celebrate. But first let’s focus on the task at hand: another eclectic music excursion to six tracks from six different decades. Hope you’re in the mood. If you’re not sure, give it a try – it’s fun and a wonderful diversion from the daily grind!

Ornette Coleman/Tears Inside

Let’s start today’s journey in November 1959 and Tomorrow is the Question!, the sophomore album by Ornette Coleman. The saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter and composer is known as a principal founder of the free jazz genre, a term derived from his 1961 album Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation. Coleman who hailed from Fort Worth, Texas, began playing R&B and bebop in the late ’40s before joining Silas Green from New Orleans, a traveling show that was part revue, part music comedy, part minstrel theater. Later on, he became a member of the group of R&B, blues guitarist and vocalist Pee Wee Crayton. Coleman ended up in California, assembled his own band and recorded his debut album Something Else!!!! in 1958. By the time the above album had come out, he had shaken up the jazz world with his “alien” music. Like all other tracks, Tears Inside was penned by Coleman. His backing musicians included Don Cherry (trumpet), Percy Heath (bass) and Shelly Manne (drums).

Pixies/Debaser

When fellow blogger Hotfox63 recently covered Doolittle, the second full-length album by Pixies, I immediately thought the alternative rock band from Boston would be great fit for this series. During their initial phase from 1986 until 1993, Pixies released four albums. They broke up in early 1993, reunited 10 years later and continue to this day, with their most recent release being October 2024’s The Night the Zombies Came. Let’s go back to Doolittle, released in April 1989, and Debaser. Written by Pixies co-founder Black Francis (vocals, rhythm guitar), the lyrics are based on Un Chien Andalou, a 1929 short film by Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí. Joey Santiago (lead guitar, backing vocals), Kim Deal (bass, backing vocals) and David Lovering (drums) completed Pixies who were still in their original line-up. Francis, Santiago and Lovering are in the group’s current version, together with Emma Richardson (bass, backing vocals) who joined in 2024.

Brenda Lee/Sweet Nothing’s

My next proposition takes us back to July 1960 and Brenda Lee’s self-titled second studio album. Primarily known for rockabilly, pop, country and Christmas music, the vocalist started her career in the early 1950s. Lee’s first no. 1 came in 1958 with Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, the song’s most successful rendition. In fact, that version hit no. 1 again on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 2023, making Lee the oldest artist to date to top that chart. She continued to have hits throughout the ’60s like I Want to Be Wanted (1960), Fool No. 1 (1961) and All Alone Am I (1962). And the great Sweet Nothing’s, off her above second album. Written by Ronnie Self, the song peaked at no. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Lee’s second hit. It was also released as Sweet Nuthin’s in the UK where it reached no. 4 on the singles chart.

Johnny Marr/Hi Hello

Including Johnny Marr’s new album The Age of Everything in my last new music review prompted me to start further exploring his music, which led to my next proposition: Hi Hello, off his third solo album Call the Comet from June 2018. The English guitarist, vocalist and songwriter first gained prominence in the ’80s as a co-founder of British indie rock band The Smiths. Following their break-up, Marr played in various other groups, including Pretenders, The The, Electronic, Modest Mouse and The Cribs. Marr debuted under his name in February 2013 with The Messenger. Hi Hello, which like all other tracks on Call the Comet was penned by him, also became the album’s lead single in May 2018.

Kiss/Shout It Out

Time to head to the ’70s and a band that only a couple of years ago I probably wouldn’t have featured. Then fellow blogger-turned podcaster Deke came and brainwashed me! 🤣 I’m talking about Kiss. Formed in New York in 1973, the glam hard rock group became prominent in the mid ’70s with flashy stage outfits, face paint, a shock rock stage show featuring fire and blood spitting, and catchy, anthemic songs. While Kiss stopped releasing new albums after their 20th from October 2012, Monster, they performed until late 2023. Apparently, they will live on as digital avatars with shows set to start in Las Vegas in 2027. Let’s go back to the real Kiss and Shout It Out, off their fourth studio album Destroyer from March 1976. The song is credited to Paul Stanley (vocals, rhythm guitar), Gene Simmons (vocals, bass) and producer Bob Ezrin. At the time, Kiss were still in their original line-up that also included Ace Frehley (lead guitar, backing vocals) and Peter Criss (drums, vocals).

Joan Osborne/One of Us

We’re reaching our sixth and final stop. Today’s music trip shall end in March 1995. That’s when versatile vocalist and songwriter Joan Osborne released her debut album Relish, which included her biggest hit One of Us. Over her more than 30-year career Osborne’s music has included rock, pop, soul, R&B, blues and country. Her most recent original studio album Nobody Owns You appeared in September 2023. A jazz-inspired version of her debut album, Relish Reimagined, is scheduled for November 13. One of Us, written by Eric Bazilian, co-founder of rock band The Hooters, became the original album’s first single in September 1995. It climbed to no. 4 in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100, topped the charts in Canada and Australia, and reached no. 6 in the UK. One of Us also earned Grammy nominations for Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

Hope you enjoyed today’s excursion. As usual, I’m leaving you with a Spotify playlist. So long for now!

Sources: Wikipedia; YouTube; Spotify

If I Could Only Take One (Repost)

My desert island song by The Young Rascals

In early March 2022, I introduced a new weekly feature highlighting songs I’d take with me on a desert island. I’ve decided to republish the series, which has replaced my Song Musings feature.

Once again, it’s hump day, and the thought of escaping to a desert island kind of sounds attractive. But wait, before I can embark on my imaginary trip, I have to make that crucial decision: Which one song to take with me.

For first-time visitors, it can’t be any song. It has to be by a band or artist I’ve rarely or not covered at all on the blog to date. And that band or artist (last name) has to start with a specific letter, which this week is “y”.

Some of the options that came to mind included The Yardbirds, Yes, Yola, Neil Young and The Youngbloods. But I’ve already covered all these artists. Luckily, I found one American group I had not written about: The Young Rascals. Since I could only name two of their songs, the choice was easy: Groovin’.

Written by band members Felix Cavaliere (keyboards, vocals) and Eddie Brigati (vocals, percussion), Groovin’ first appeared as a single in April 1967. The melodic laid-back tune also was the title track of their third studio album released in July that same year. Groovin’ became one of the group’s best-known songs, topping the pop charts in the U.S. and Canada, and climbing to no. 3 and no. 8 in Australia and the UK, respectively.

The group was formed in Garfield, New Jersey in 1965. In addition to Cavaliere and Brigati, the original line-up included Gene Cornish (guitar, harmonica vocals) and Dino Danelli (drums). The band did not have a dedicated bassist, so Cavaliere provided that part with his organ pedals. Initially, they used the name Them, but when they realized there already was a British band with that name, they came up with the Rascals. After signing with Atlantic Records, it turned out there was a group called The Harmonica Rascals who objected they would release records as The Rascals. To avoid conflict their manager Sid Bernstein decided to rename the group The Young Rascals.

Their eponymous debut album appeared in March 1966 and was an instant success in the U.S., rising to no. 15 on the Billboard 200. After the release of the Groovin’ album, the group decided the revert their name to The Rascals. By the time the band’s sixth studio record See appeared in December 1969, their chart and commercial success had started to wane. Brigati and Cornish left The Rascals in 1970 and 1971, respectively. Two more albums came out before the group broke up in 1972. There were a few reunions thereafter. In May 1997, The Rascals were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Following are some additional insights for Groovin’ from Songfacts:

Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati of The Rascals wrote this song after they realized that because of their work schedule, they could see their girlfriends only on Sunday afternoons…Cavaliere told Seth Swirsky, who was shooting footage for his documentary Beatles Stories, “I met this young girl and I just fell head over heels in love. I was so gone that this joyous, wonderful emotion came into the music. Groovin’ was part of that experience. If you look at the story line, it’s very simple: we’re groovin’ on a Sunday afternoon because Friday and Saturdays are when musicians work…”

The record company executives who worked on “Groovin'” didn’t particularly like the song, but as they listened to the playback, influential New York DJ Murray the K overheard it and pronounced it a #1 record. Unbeknownst to the group, Murray went to Atlantic Records president Jerry Wexler and demanded it be released. As the program manager and top DJ on the first FM rock station (WOR-FM), Murray the K had this kind of clout, and also the rare ability to connect with listeners and recognize what songs would become hits…

The term “Groovy” was becoming popular around this time, and the title of this song is a variation on the term. The first popular “Groovy” song was “A Groovy Kind Of Love,” and the first popular use in lyrics was in “59th Street Bridge Song.”

Smokey Robinson got the idea for his song “Cruisin'” from this one – his original hook was “I love it when we’re groovin’ together,” but he thought “cruisin'” was more intimate.

Sources: Wikipedia; Songfacts; YouTube

Monday Musings

Happy Monday! If you’re feeling a bit blue because the weekend is in the rearview mirror, how about getting some sunshine on a cloudy day? My proposition are The Temptations and My Girl. I was reminded of this great Motown picker upper when recently catching The Temps together with The Four Tops. This song always puts a smile on my face, and I hope it will do the same for you. Hey, hey, hey – snip and groove along and enjoy these other worldly vocal harmonies!

The sunshine ballad was co-written by Smokey Robinson and Ronald White. Both were members of The Miracles, another Motown act, and both are also credited as producers. My Girl was first released in December 1964 as a single and became the first of four no. 1s The Temps scored on the U.S. mainstream pop chart Billboard Hot 100. The group’s signature song was also included on their second studio album The Temptations Sing Smokey, which dropped in March 1965.

My Girl was inspired by Smokey Robinson’s wife at the time, Claudette Rogers Robinson, who also was a member of The Miracles. It was the first Temps recording to feature David Ruffin on lead vocals. Until then, Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams typically had performed that role. In addition to Ruffin (lead tenor vocals), Kendricks (first tenor/falsetto backing vocals) and Williams (baritone backing vocals), the recording featured Melvin Franklin (bass backing vocals) and Otis Williams (second tenor backing vocals).

Instrumentation was provided by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and The Funk Brothers, a local collective of session musicians who provided instrumental backing on most Motown recordings from 1959 until the company’s relocation to Los Angeles in 1972. For My Girl, musicians from the collective included Robert White (guitar), Earl Van Dyke (piano), Paul Riser (horn and string arrangements), James Jamerson (bass) and Benny Benjamin (drums).

Here’s a shortened live recording I took during the above recent concert. Toward the regular end of the song, The Temps invited four folks from the audience (one after the other) on stage to sing the chorus, which stretched the song to nearly 14 minutes. I figured that would be too long for most readers!

As you might expect, My Girl has been covered by many other artists over the decades. SecondHandSongs currently lists 317 versions, including the original and more than 40 instrumental takes. Covers with vocals include Otis Redding (1965), The Rolling Stones (1967), Al Green (1969), Glen Campbell (1975), John Hiatt with Loudon Wainwright III (1987) and Phil Collins (1995), among others.

Here’s the rendition by John Hiatt with Loudon Wainwright III. This version was the B-side to Thank You Girl, a 1987 single off Hiatt’s eighth studio album Bring the Family from June that year.

Following are some additional insights from Songfacts:

This song was written in the Apollo Theater when The Temptations were playing as part of a package tour with The Miracles. According to Robinson, he was working out the song on a piano at the theater when his bandmate Ronald White joined him and they hashed out the song. When The Temptations heard it, they convinced Robinson to let them record it instead of The Miracles. Robinson, who was Berry Gordy’s right-hand man at Motown agreed, and rehearsed the song with The Tempts over the next week. When they returned to Detroit, Robinson and White produced the session on December 21, 1964 when they recorded this song.

The previous year, Robinson wrote “My Guy” for Motown singer Mary Wells. That song carried the same sentiment of unconditional love, but from a female perspective.

In a 2006 NPR interview, Robinson explained that he wrote this with David Ruffin’s voice in mind. It was the first Temptations single to feature Ruffin on lead vocals (Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams sang lead on previous Temptations singles), and it led to a greater role for Ruffin, as he became their primary lead singer. Robinson went on to write many more hits for The Temptations, who were considered the most talented vocal group at Motown.

Smokey told Jimmy Fallon he deliberately crafted “My Girl” as something “sweet” to balance out Ruffin’s naturally commanding tone.

…The song has a very simple but effective arrangement, which was charted by Paul Riser. It opens with James Jamerson’s bassline, then goes into the ascending guitar figure played by Robert White (not to be confused with the song’s co-writer/producer, Ronald White). Finger snaps come in, then drums played by Benny Benjamin and strings provided by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

The arrangement accentuates the vocals, making the words very easy to understand. This served as a template for future Temptations recordings and helped make them stars, as attention was always focused on stage on the singers.

This song has charted in the US for five different artists, first for Bobby Vee in a medley with “Hey Girl” that went to #35 in 1968; Eddie Floyd’s cover reached #116 in 1970; Hall & Oates sang it with David Ruffin and Eddie Kendrick at the Apollo Theater in 1985 in a medley with “The Way You Do The Things You Do,” which reached #20 when it was released as a single. A new-jack cover by Suave went to #20 in 1988.

Sources: Wikipedia; SecondHandSongs; Songfacts; YouTube

The Sunday Six

Celebrating music with six random tracks at a time

Happy Sunday and I hope this past week has been good to you. It’s time for another Sunday Six takeover featuring one of my favorite artists of all time: Stevie Wonder. The basic rules still apply: Six tracks from six different decades and in different flavors. We’ll even kick off with an instrumental!

Easy Goin’ Evening (My Mama’s Call) – Songs in the Key of Life, Sep 1976

Our first stop today takes us to September 1976. While Songs in the Key Life is my favorite Stevie Wonder album, Easy Goin’ Evening (My Mama’s Call) had not been on my radar screen until I specifically was looking for an instrumental by the man who has had a whopping 65-year-plus-and-counting career! Granted, the tune isn’t on the main double LP but on the accompanying bonus 7-inch EP A Something’s Extra. Like most of the other tracks, it was solely written by Wonder – pretty neat jazzy tune prominently featuring Wonder’s signature harmonica! He also played drums and Fender Rhodes piano. Bass was provided by session bassist and long-term collaborator Nathan Watts, who since 1994 has also served as Wonder’s musical director.

For Your Love – Conversation Peace, Mar 1996

Next, we jump to March 1996 and Conversation Peace, Wonder’s 22nd studio album and his first full-length, non-soundtrack release since November 1987’s Characters. In February 1995, For Your Love became the lead single. Penned by Wonder, the song won twice at the 1996 Grammys, for Best R&B Male Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song. The adult contemporary ballad also entered three U.S. charts and did best on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, climbing to no. 11. The single also charted in multiple other markets, with peak positions including Canada’s Adult Contemporary at no. 5, UK Hip Hop/R&B at no. 3 and Europe (European Hit Radio) at no. 7, among others.

Uptight (Everything’s Alright) – Up-Tight, May 1966

My next proposition brings us to one of Stevie Wonder’s most popular early singles, Uptight (Everything’s Alright), which dropped in November 1965. He was 15 years at the time! It also was his first hit single he co-wrote, with Sylvia Moy and Henry Cosby. Uptight (Everything’s Alright) topped three U.S. charts, most notably Billboard’s Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles. On the mainstream Hot 100, it got to no. 3. In the UK, the single hit no. 1 on Record Mirror’s Top 20 R&B, one of five charts it entered there. In Canada, it climbed to no. 50 on RPM’s Top 100. Subsequently, the song became the de facto title track of Wonder’s fifth album Up-Tight, which appeared in May 1966, 10 days ahead of his 16th birthday.

Master Blaster (Jammin’) – Hotter than July, Sep 1980

Time to pay a visit to the ’80s, which in September 1980 saw the release of Hotter than July. Wonder’s 19th studio album became his most successful in the UK where it climbed to no. 2 on the Official Albums Chart and spawned four top 10 singles. At home, it ended up as one of his top sellers, reaching Platinum certification. It also hit no. 3 on the Billboard 200 (at the time called Billboard Top LPs & Tape). One of the reasons was the groovy Master Blaster (Jammin’), which appeared two weeks ahead of the album and was the first of five singles. The pop reggae song is an homage to Bob Marley who opened for Wonder during his 1980 fall tour.

So What the Fuss – A Time to Love, Oct 2005

Let’s cross over to the current century and A Time to Love, Wonder’s most recent studio release from September 2005. His 23rd outing was the first after the aforementioned Conversation Peace. Following the 1980s, Wonder substantially slowed his output of new music. While A Time to Love paled sales of his earlier albums, it was generally well received and earned Wonder another Grammy, in 2005 for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for From the Bottom of My Heart, the fourth time he won that category. My pick is So What the Fuss, the first of the album’s two singles. Penned by Wonder, the funky song featured Prince on guitar and American girl group En Vogue on background vocals.

Can We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart – Single, Aug 2024

Our sixth and final stop takes us to Stevie Wonder’s most recent original single. Can We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart appeared in August 2024, his first solo outing since 2020. Released ahead of the 2024 U.S. Presidential Elections, the soulful pop ballad calls for unity among Americans, a message that remains as relevant today as it did two years ago – we’ll find out soon what progress if any has been made! Wonder co-wrote Can We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart with vocal director and screenplay writer Mauli Bonner. He played most of the instruments (harpejji, electric piano, bass, percussion and harmonica). Acoustic guitar was provided by Japanese guitarist Kay-Ta.

Of course, this post wouldn’t be complete without a Spotify playlist of all six tracks we visited today. Even though our excursion focused on one artist only and it’s fair to say most of the tracks fall outside what is widely considered his career peak, I still hope you enjoyed it.

Sources: Wikipedia; YouTube; Spotify

New Music Musings

Gary Calamar, Mary Bragg, Teenage Fan Club, Jess Williamson, Johnny Marr and Tall Days

Happy Sunday and welcome to my review of new music that has come out over the past four weeks. Let’s get to it!

Gary Calamar/Who Are We Gonna Be Today?

My first pick is Gary Calamar, a five-time Grammy-nominated producer and film and TV music supervisor who also happens to be a great indie power pop singer and songwriter. While growing up in the Bronx, New York, Calamar developed an interest in music and moved to Los Angeles in the early ’80s. There, he managed three boutique record stores and alternative pop rock quartet The Balancing Act and also became a popular radio DJ, among others. His debut EP You Are What You Listen To dropped in 2014. Now Calamar is out with his first full-length album Odd Numbers and Slanted Rhymes (October 23), which the good folks from Big Star Records flagged to me in early September. Let’s check out Who Are We Gonna Be Today? Written by Calamar, the song features British musician, vocalist and songwriter Robyn Hitchcock – love it!

Mary Bragg/Easy

Mary Bragg is a folk and country-oriented singer-songwriter from Nashville. Originally hailing from South Georgia, Bragg released her debut album Sugar in October 2007 and broke through with the appropriately titled Lucky Strike in May 2017. About her fifth and latest album Secrets to Strangers, produced by Ben Tanner and John Paul White, with basic tracks recorded at Muscle Shoals’ FAME Studio, Bragg said, “I definitely wanted to aim higher in a no-holds-barred kind of way- creatively just putting all your cards on the table. I saw it as entering a sonic playground, seeing how much I could uncover with other creative minds.” From that album, out since October 16, here’s Easy, which Bragg wrote with Liv Greene. I could picture Sheryl Crow perform this song!

Teenage Fanclub/I Do Not Dare to Dream

Teenage Fanclub are a Scottish alternative rock band from Glasgow. They were formed in 1989 by former members of The Boy Hairdressers Raymond McGinley and Norman Blake (each co-lead vocals, guitar) and Francis Macdonald (drums, backing vocals), who remain with the group to this day. The current line-up, in place since 2019, is completed by Dave McGowan (bass, backing vocals) and Euros Childs (keyboards, backing vocals). Teenage Fanclub have enjoyed chart success in the UK, including three top 10 albums. Their 13th and latest, Do Not Dare to Dream, appeared on October 9. Here’s the de facto title track penned by Blake – right up my alley!

Jess Williamson/Hum of the City

Singer-songwriter Jess Williamson made her first appearance on these pages in June 2020 with her fourth studio album Sorceress. Hailing from Dallas and now splitting her time between Los Angeles and Marfa, West Texas, Williamson has long experimented with country and western sounds, she notes on her website. Her sixth and new album, A Mile South of Heaven, out since October 9 and produced by Shooter Jennings, draws from the emotional directness of Lucinda Williams, the character-driven storytelling of Guy Clark, and the deep introspection of Leonard Cohen, while her voice recalls the earthen timbre of Emmylou Harris. My proposition is Hum of the City, written by Williamson. Yep, I can definitely hear a dose of Harris in this neat song!

Johnny Marr/Beyond the Rain

Following February 2022’s Fever Dreams Pts 1–4, Johnny Marr has released his fifth solo album The Age of Everything, which I’m thrilled to include in this post. The English guitarist, vocalist and songwriter first gained prominence in the ’80s as a co-founder of British indie rock band The Smiths. Following their break-up, Marr played in various other groups, including Pretenders, The The, Electronic, Modest Mouse and The Cribs. Marr debuted under his name in February 2013 with The Messenger. From his latest, which came out on October 2, here’s Beyond the Rain. Marr co-wrote the sweet jangly song with long-term collaborator James Doviak, who like all Marr solo albums to date co-produced and was part of the backing band.

Tall Days/Breakers

My sixth and final pick for this new music review comes from the U.S. music state of New Jersey – okay, I can’t deny a bit of local patriotism here! Tall Days, a rock & roll duo from Montclair, made up of Graham Hartke (vocals, guitar) and Joe DeAngelus (drums), have been around for more than 20 years. Their debut album Long Time No Talk dates back to July 2004. Breakers, out since September 29, marks their first new album in seven years. A press release I received from No Rules PR in late September explains, drawing from the raw punch of ’60s and ’70s British rock, garage rock and modern indie fuzz, the record lands somewhere between the blown-out immediacy of Jack White and The Black Keys and the restless garage instincts of Ty Segall. Yours truly couldn’t have said it any better! Let’s listen to the great title track penned by Hartke – oh, yeah, baby!

Sources: Wikipedia; Consequence; Gary Calamar website; Big Stir Records website; Mary Bragg website; Jess Williamson website; No Rules PR press release; YouTube; Spotify

The Temptations and The Four Tops Continue to Deliver Sweet Soul After 60-Plus Years

When my wife told me a few weeks ago The Four Tops and The Temptations would come to perform right in our backyard and I sensed some interest, I immediately checked and secured two tickets. Our music tastes hardly intersect, so I didn’t want to miss the rare opportunity to enjoy a concert together. Plus, I previously saw a similar show featuring both groups in November 2021 (without my sugar pie honey bunch) and pretty much knew we couldn’t go wrong. Showtime at State Theatre of New Jersey in New Brunswick was last Sunday (October 18). It turned out I was right!

The one thing that might confuse you is why the concert poster called out celebrating 40 years when each group has been around for more than six decades. It tripped me up so I couldn’t help myself to investigate. Turns out both groups have been touring together for 40 years. Apparently, that idea was born after each had gone head-to-head in 1983 in a friendly battle of the two, which was captured for a TV special that celebrated Motown’s 25th birthday. Ron Strassner, then the road manager for The Four Tops liked what he had seen and suggested the two groups should tour together. I suppose the rest is history.

Clockwise (from upper right): The Four Tops, yours truly & wife and The Temptations

Before getting to some music, a bit of background on each group. The Four Tops came together in Detroit, Mich. in 1953 as the Four Aims. Their founding members Levi Stubbs, Duke Fakir, Lawrence Payton and Renaldo “Obie” Benson started performing while they were still in high school. They stayed together for a remarkable 44 years until Payton’s untimely death in June 1997 at age 59. Fakir, the last original member, passed away in July 2024 at age 88. The group’s current line-up features Lawrence Peyton Jr., one of Peyton’s sons, along with Michael Brock, Ronnie McNeir and Theo Peoples.

The Temptations were founded in Detroit in 1961. Two of their original members, Eddie Kendricks and Paul Williams, had started singing together as boys in church and by their teenage years co-founded doo-wop quartet The Cavaliers in 1955, who in 1957 changed their name to The Primes. The Temps’ three additional original members, Otis Williams, Elbridge “Al” Bryant and Melvin Franklin had sung together in the group Otis Williams & the Distants. Williams who is turning 85 on October 30 remains the only original member in the group’s current line-up, which also includes Ron Tyson, Jawan M. Jackson, Terry Weeks and Anthony Grant.

The Four Tops opened the evening with a set that heavily focused on their ’60s heyday, featuring many of their hits. They frequently combined songs into mini medleys, which made recording a bit tricky. Following is some of the footage I captured.

It’s the Same Old Song (Four Tops Second Album, Nov 1965) & Shake Me, Wake Me (When It’s Over) (On Top, Jul 1960)

Reach Out I’ll Be There (Reach Out, Oct 1967) & Standing in the Shadows of Love (Reach Out) & I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch) (Four Tops Second Album, Nov 1965)

After a 15-minute intermission, it was time for The Temps. They pretty much mirrored The Four Tops by focusing on their most successful period spanning the ’60s and early ’70s. Following are some clips.

Get Ready (Gettin’ Ready, Jun 1966)

Ain’t Too Proud to Beg (Gettin’ Ready, Jun 1966)

Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) (Sky’s the Limit, Apr 1971)

Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone (All Directions, Jul 1972)

It was great seeing both of these Motown legends again and still going strong. Reflecting my general sentiments, overall, I preferred The Temptations. If there’s one individual to call out in particular, it has to be Otis Williams who seemingly effortlessly was movin’ and groovin’ throughout the group’s entire set – not what you commonly associate with a gentleman who is about to turn 85. I guess this once again shows music can keep you young and going, if you live a healthy lifestyle, which I have to believe Williams does.

While I would consider seeing The Temptations by themselves, pairing them with The Four Tops is even more fun! Looking at the current schedule for The Temptations, apparently, they have a bit of a break before they do two back-to-back ship cruises during the first half of November before resuming to tour the mainland U.S. with dates stretching into the second half of February 2027. The full schedule is here. The Four Tops currently are booked for a series of dates during the first half of January before rejoining The Temptations on January 16 in Indio, Calif. Their current schedule is here.

If you dig their music and can get to any of their shows, I can recommend it, especially if both groups share the same bill. You get more than two hours of music. My tickets were not unreasonably high. I think you’d have a great time like sunshine on a cloudy day!

Sources: Wikipedia; The Temptations website; The Four Tops website; YouTube

If I Could Only Take One (Repost)

My desert island song by XTC

In early March 2022, I introduced a new weekly feature highlighting songs I’d take with me on a desert island. I’ve decided to republish the series, which has replaced my Song Musings feature.

Welcome to another installment of my recurring Wednesday feature where I need to pick one song to take with me on an imaginary trip to a desert island. It must be a tune from an artist or band I’ve only rarely or not covered on this blog to date. And the picks are happening in alphabetical order.

This week, I’m up to “x”, meaning it needs to be a band or artist (last name) who starts with that letter. Frankly, how many such music acts you know? I only came up with two: XTC and X-Pensive Winos, a band Keith Richards formed in 1987 to back him on his solo efforts, which included Waddy Wachtel (guitar), Ivan Neville (keyboards), Bobby Keys (saxophone), Charley Drayton on bass and Steve Jordan (drums, percussion).

Kingclover, a frequent visitor and commentator who was aware of my challenge, also mentioned X, an ’80s punk rock band, and another punk band from the ’70s or ’80s called X-Ray Spex. He cheerfully added the latter really sucked! In any case, I don’t know any of them.

While I haven’t covered the X-Pensive Vinos per se, I’ve written multiple times about Keef and the Stones, so it really came down to XTC. But at this time, essentially, I know this English rock band by name only and that fellow blogger Graham at Aphoristic Album Reviews is a fan. He also noted the band’s only song I could name: Making Plans For Nigel. Since I happen to like that tune, this made my pick an easy decision.

Making Plans for Nigel was written by Colin Moulding (bass, vocals), one of the group’s founding members. The tune first appeared in August 1979 on XTC’s third studio album Drums and Wires. The following month, it became the record’s lead single and marked the band’s commercial breakthrough. In addition to reaching no. 17 in the UK, it also charted in Canada (no. 12), New Zealand (no. 29), The Netherlands (no. 32) and Australia (no. 94).

XTC were formed in Swindon, South West England in 1972. Initially, they were known as Star Park (1972–1974) and The Helium Kidz (1974–1975) before becoming XTC in 1975. Here’s more from their AllMusic bio: XTC was one of the smartest — and catchiest — British pop bands to emerge from the punk and new wave explosion of the late ’70s. From the tense, jerky riffs of their early singles to the lushly arranged, meticulous pop of their later albums, XTC’s music has always been driven by the hook-laden songwriting of guitarist Andy Partridge and bassist Colin Moulding. While popular success has eluded them in both Britain and America, the group has developed a devoted cult following in both countries that remains loyal over two decades after their first records.

In January 1978, XTC released their debut album White Music. Eleven additional studio releases followed. Eventually, Patridge’s and Moulding’s musical partnership unraveled, and the group effectively came to an end in 2006/2007. There was no official announcement of a breakup.

Following are some additional tidbits on Making Plans For Nigel from Songfacts:

This was XTC’s breakthrough single. It was written by bassist Colin Moulding, who shared vocal and songwriting duties with guitarist Andy Partridge.

Moulding: “Partly biographical, this one. My dad prompted me to write it. He wanted a university future for me and was very overpowering in trying to persuade me to get my hair cut and stay on at school. It got to the point where he almost tried to drag me down the barber’s shop by my hair. I know the song tells of a slightly different situation, but it all boils down to the same thing – parental domination.”

Partridge: “Quite early on it had been decided that Making Plans For Nigel was going to be the single. We spent five times longer messing with that song than any of my tracks. At one point I was fuming because my songs were being ignored.”

The Rembrandts, Primus and Robbie Williams all covered this.

Sources: Wikipedia; AllMusic; Songfacts; YouTube

Blues Musings

Keb’ Mo’/The Worst is Yet to Come

Happy Monday and I hope this week is off to a good start for you. In case you feel you could need a little boost, my proposition is a soulful blues song by Keb’ Mo’. Coz the blues help chase the blues away! Since May 2017’s TajMo, his first collaboration album with Taj Mahal, Keb’ Mo’ (born Kevin Roosevelt Moore) has been on my radar screen. What can I tell you, I just love the man!

The Worst Is Yet to Come is from Moore’s 12th studio album BLUESAmericana, which was released in April 2014. It earned a Grammy nomination for Best Americana Album. Other 2014 nominees for that category included John Hiatt, Sturgill Simpson, Nickel Creek and Rosanne Cash who won with The River & the Thread. Moore co-wrote the song with Heather Donovan and Pete Sallis.

The Worst Is Yet to Come starts off like a typical blues and a classic opening line, with the protagonist encountering one misfortune after another…

Woke up this mornin’, wrong side of the bed
Had a heavenly night, you know, I’m feelin’ it in my head
Lord, have mercy
And the day ain’t even begun

Well, I got a bad, bad feelin’
That the worst is yet to come

Didn’t get no breakfast, didn’t get no lunch
But I did get two weeks notice, they gonna blow the factory up
Lord, have mercy
And the day ain’t even begun, oh yeah

Well, I got a bad, bad feeling
That the worst is yet to come

Look out, y’all
Drivin’ in my car, headin’ on down the road
Looked in the rearview mirror, nothin’ but a trail of black smoke
Lord, have mercy
Lord, what have I done?

Well, I got a bad, bad feelin’
That the worst is yet to come

Then, Moore adopts a more optimistic tone…

Now the sun keeps on shining
Just like it should, yeah
When I take a look around me
I guess I’m doin’ pretty good

…before resuming a more typical blues narrative…

Got back to my house, open up the door
She took everything I had, and the dog took a shit on the floor
Lord, have mercy
Even the bedbugs up and run

You know, I’ve got a bad, bad feelin’
That the worst is yet to come

Well, I got a bad, bad feelin’
That the worst is yet to come
Well, well, well, well
Lord, tell me what’s a-comin’
Got to watch my back
Lookin’ for a paycheck
That’s right

And even though the song doesn’t end on that more upbeat middle part, I don’t know about you, but to me The Worst Is Yet to Come still feels more like a ‘happy blues.’ Perhaps it’s Moore’s smooth delivery or the fact he just strikes me as more of an upbeat guy. I’m leaving you with a great live version captured in September 2021 in Nashville, apparently for music and entertainment outlet Paste Magazine – Mo’s my man!

Sources: Wikipedia; YouTube

The Sunday Six

Celebrating music with six random tracks at a time

It’s hard to believe another week just flew by and it’s Sunday again. As frequent readers of these pages know, this also means we’re about to embark on another imaginary music time travel excursion. For newbies, these trips take us to six tracks from six different decades in different music genres. No matter whether you’re a first-time or a repeat rider, hope you stick around!

Dizzy Gillespie & Charlie Parker/Mohawk

Let’s start with two key figures for the development of bebop jazz: Saxophonist Charlie Parker, aka. Bird, who was known for his blazing speed and new harmonic ideas he introduced to jazz; and Dizzy Gillespie, a virtuoso trumpeter and improviser who built on Roy Eldridge’s style but added layers of harmonic and rhythmic complexity previously unheard in jazz. In June 1950, they came together for Bird and Diz, an album released in August 1952. My pick is the Parker composition Mohawk. Parker and Gillespie were backed by formidable musicians, including Thelonious Monk (piano), Curley Russell (bass) and Buddy Rich (drums).

Tears For Fears/Sketches of Pain

Our next stop takes us to October 1995 and Raoul and the King of Spain, the fifth studio album by Tears For Fears. The British synth pop and pop rock group were formed in 1981 by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith in Bath, England. In March 1983, they released their debut album The Hurting, which topped the charts in the UK and reached the top 20 in Canada (no. 7), Australia and Germany (no. 15 each), as well as France and New Zealand (no. 16 each). Their sophomore release Songs from the Big Chair did even better, becoming their best-seller to date. Raoul and the King of Spain was the second and final Tears For Fears album without Smith who had left in 1991 and would return in 2000. Together with Orzabal he remains one of the group’s two core members to this day. Sketches of Pain, a great deep track, was co-written by Orzabal and Alan Griffiths.

Uriah Heep/July Morning

This brings me to British rock group Uriah Heep who over their 55-plus-year-and-counting career have blended hard rock, progressive rock, metal, acid rock and pastoral folk and seen many changes. Their origins date back to 1967 and a predecessor called Hogwash formed by guitarist Mick Box, today’s sole remaining original member. After becoming Uriah Heep in 1969, they released their debut album …Very ‘Eavy …Very ‘Umble in June 1970. July Morning, one of the group’s best-known songs, is on their third album Look at Yourself from September 1971, widely regarded as one of their best. The epic song, co-written by David Byron and Ken Hensley – then Uriah Heep’s lead vocalist and keyboarder, respectively – inspired an annual tradition in Bulgaria that started in the 1980s and initially was politically motivated, where every June 30, people from all over the country come together on the coast of the Black Sea to watch the sunrise on July 1st.

Neil Young/Without Rings

Let’s return to the present century with this next pick by Neil Young who I trust doesn’t need much of an introduction. After relocating from Winnipeg to Los Angeles and co-founding Buffalo Springfield in 1966, the Canadian American artist launched a solo career in 1968, which continues to this day. Between 1970 and 2013, he also was and on and off member of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Throughout his solo career, Young frequently headed his own bands, most notably Crazy Horse. He formed his current backing group The Chrome Hearts in September 2024. Without Rings is a Young song from his 25th solo album Silver & Gold, which dropped in April 2000. It’s classic acoustic Neil, except perhaps his vocals that are deeper than on many of his other songs. I really dig Without Rings and hope it speaks to you as well.

The Music Machine/The People in Me

Time to head to the ’60s and revisit psychedelic garage rock group The Music Machine – a previous recommendation by my dear music friend Mike Caputo. A New Jersey songwriter, musician and vocalist, he fronts Good Stuff, a top-notch tribute band mostly celebrating the music by Steely Dan. Initially, The Music Machine came together in 1965 as folk rock trio the Raggamuffins before expanding into a five-piece and changing their name. By late 1967, the Los Angeles band started facing serious challenges, and after an unsuccessful revival attempt by frontman Sean Bonniwell disbanded for good in early 1969. The People in Me, written by Bonniwell, initially appeared in December 1966 on (Turn On) The Music Machine, the first of only two albums the group released. The song also became their second single in January 1967.

The Plimsouls/A Million Miles Away

Coming up is our sixth and final stop for today. Let’s end it in May 1983 with some sweet power pop by The Plimsouls. Formed as a trio in the Los Angeles area in 1978 and initially named The Tone Dogs, they quickly gained local popularity, changed their name the following year and became a four-piece in 1980. Their self-titled debut album appeared in February 1981. Following the release of their second album Everywhere at Once in May 1983, the group broke up in 1984. They have reunited several times thereafter. A Million Miles Away, co-written by the band’s lead vocalist and guitarist Peter Case, together with Joey Alkes and Chris Fradkin, is from the aforementioned sophomore album and became their best-known song. The group’s line-up also featured Eddie Muñoz (lead guitar, backing vocals), David Pahoa (bass, backing vocals) and Lou Ramirez (drums, backing vocals).

As usual, I’m leaving you with a Spotify playlist featuring all of the above goodies we visited today. Hope there’s something you dig. So long for now!

Sources: Wikipedia; YouTube; Spotify

If I Could Only Take One (Repost)

My desert island song by Wet Wet Wet

In early March 2022, I introduced a new weekly feature highlighting songs I’d take with me on a desert island. I’ve decided to republish the series, which has replaced my Song Musings feature.

This post has been updated since its original publication in August 2022.

It’s Wednesday, which means it’s time again to pick a song to take on an imaginary trip to a desert island. If you’re a frequent flyer on this blog, chances are you’ve seen previous installments of this recurring feature. For first-time travelers, the idea is to pick one tune only, not an album, I would take to an island in the sun. There are a few additional rules to guide my selections.

The song must be by an artist or band I’ve only rarely covered or not written about at all. Selections are in alphabetical order, meaning the band’s or artist’s name (last name) must start with a specific letter. This week, I’m up to “w.”

Options that came to mind include The Wallflowers, The Walker Brothers, The Waterboys, Weather Report, The White Stripes, The Who, Steve Winwood, Stevie Wonder and World Party, among others. And my pick is Wet Wet Wet and the Scottish soft rock band’s cover of Love Is All Around.

Love Is All Around was written by Reg Presley, lead vocalist of The Troggs. It also was the British garage rock band, who first released the song as a single in October 1967, giving them a no. 5 hit on the British charts. Fast-forward 27 years to May 1994, when Wet Wet Wet released their rendition of the song and took it to no. 1 on the UK Singles Chart, a position it held for 15 consecutive weeks. The tune was part of the soundtrack of the popular 1994 British romantic comedy Four Weddings and a Funeral.

Wet Wet Wet were formed in 1982 as Vortex Motion at a local high school in Clydebank, Scotland. The original line-up of the group, who initially mostly played covers of The Clash and Magazine, featured Mark McLachlan (vocals), Lindsey McCauley (guitar), Neil Mitchell (keyboards), Graeme Clark (bass) and Tommy Cunningham (drums). By the time Graeme Duffin replaced McCauley as guitarist in 1983, the band had already changed their name to Wet Wet Wet.

In March 1987, their debut single Wishing I Was Lucky came out, reaching an impressive no. 6 on the British Singles Chart. The tune was also included on Wet Wet Wet’s debut album Popped In Souled Out released in September of the same year. Three additional studio albums followed before the group started to unravel in 1997.

Wet Wet Wet reformed in 2004 and recorded Timeless, their sixth studio album that appeared in November 2007. Eighteen years later, in October 2025, the group’s eighth and most recent album Strings Attached was released. In 2022, Cunningham and keyboarder Niel Mitchell departed, leaving the band with Clark as the only original member. Duffin and Kevin Simm, the group’s lead vocalist since 2018, complete their current line-up.

Following is some additional background on Love Is All Around from Songfacts:

Troggs lead singer Reg Presley wrote this in about 10 minutes. He was inspired by the Joy Strings Salvation Army band he’d seen on TV. The song is a gentle folk ballad and a far cry from The Troggs previous hit “Wild Thing.”…

…The UK record for longest stay at #1 is held by Bryan Adams’ “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You).” Wet Wet Wet’s record company tried to tie this record by announcing they were pulling the single after 16 weeks, hoping people would rush out to buy it. The plan failed and Whigfield knocked them out of #1 with “Saturday Night.” Wet Wet Wet claimed they asked their record company to pull the song because they were sick of it. Their version does hold the record for most weeks at #1 for a UK based act. In the US it reached #41.

When this was revived by Wet Wet Wet, Reg Presley got massive royalties as the songwriter. He denoted the proceeds to crop circle research.

R.E.M. did a cover of this as well, which they played on an episode of MTV Unplugged. The video for this can be found on their VHS/DVD This Film Is On, featuring all the videos for the songs off their 1991 album Out Of Time.

Sources: Wikipedia; Songfacts; YouTube