Dear Mr Luke,
it is Sunday. Sundays are for all the good things in life. However some of us have obligations requiring tethering to a phone for instance, or a particular area, and so we need to source the finer things in life which are accessible from our own houses. Bearing that in mind, I would like to make an application to Mr Luke's Amazing Emporium of Wondrous Tunes to suggest some good tracks which I may not be aware of. You know what I like, what would you recommend for a lady such as myself on an overcast Sunday afternoon? My recent playlist has included Tosca (mostly), Natalie Cole, Jake Morley and Paper Aeroplanes. There has also been a little Billie Holliday and a longing for the Carmen McRae album I have in my office in Glasgow.
I'll post some youtube clips from some songs I like. Some new discoveries....some old favorites. I'll make it a diverse mix so perhaps everyone can find something they like.
I just discovered this pair is sisters from Sweden called First Aid Kit. Every time I listen to the album I have a new favorite song.....right now it's this one......
Here's an old favorite from the Byrds. Gene Clark was an impossibly handsome dude who wrote the most beautiful melodies. And some heartbreaking lyrics. This one went on many a mixed tape for girlfriends from a lifetime ago.....
a jazzy little spaghetti-western inspired instrumental from my faves Calexico......
a number of folks here seem to have expressed interest in the sultry torch singers of years back. Back when I collected records, I paid a king's ransom to get the LP by Linda Lawson. Partly for the beautiful cover, partly for the top flight jazz band that backed her. This one is pretty good....
I'll post a few more and then it's time to walk the dogs.....
This one is from my new favorite albums. Turn it up..... it's great for vacuuming the house or cooking a little dinner or just dancing all by yourself (yes, I'm a little bit crazy)
Sometimes, you just need a little bit of twang. Sorry, but today's country just doesn't have it. The old stuff is ALL good, but I also love the modern big-screen production values. So then you need to turn to Dwight Yoakam who channels Buck Owen's Bakersfield sound into a magnificent grandeur. This one is pure heartache..... I love it.....
If you don't care for his singing......check out his acting. Supremely creepy in Slingblade!
I never knew of a record date where Billie Holiday sings with Louis Armstrong, but here it is right here......just amazing!
Here's an old favorite of mine from around 10 years ago.....where does the time go. Someone whose name escapes me had a big hit with it in the 50s. It then found a new lease on life in the 80's when Zeppelin's Robert Plant revived it with is group the Honeydrippers. The lovely and shy Chan totally re-invents and bests them all with her quiet rendition here.....
And this one was a big favorite when I was in high school. Pretty jazzy and loungy for a dorky teen to be listening to. Still sounds good to me......
Here's a guilty pleasure from my youth. Even if the tune isn't your cup of tea, the animation is sensational.
If some of you may have at some point inhaled something many, many years ago (I'm not pointing fingers and I can't speak for myself) you may find the animation a bit more ALIVE than others. Quite a nice bit of work by the animators....
The topic about (the passing away of) Kevin Ayers made me want to post about this song, but that didn't seem like the appropriate place so I figured I'd revive this topic and post it here:
in the most recent episode of the TV series "Girls", Judy Collins performs with her Song for Judith. At first it didn't ring a bell, but then when I heard the chorus, I suddenly realised my mom used to play it a lot when I was really small. I've had it on continuous replay for about an hour now and I should really pay my parents a visit again sometime soon!
I have adjusted the title of this thread accordingly. If anyone has a song they would like to share, feel free. I'm sure Heather would be fine with the title change.