Back in the summer of 2019, I posted a collection of my (then) Top Ten favorite music videos on Youtube.
You can see it by clicking here.
I freely admitted that I was no connoisseur of music, and not exactly a fan of the newer stuff either. Pretty much anything after… say, 1980 and I’ll pass.
The DeFranco Family featuring Tony DeFranco; next time, gang!
Since that previous collection, I’ve moved on to THESE old songs, some with a new spin, that have kept my toes tapping.
In fact, I like this list even better than the first one.
So on that encouraging note, in pretty much random order (tho’ I AM saving the better ones for last), here we go:
10. “Be A Girl” Public Service Announcement for Girls Clubs of America 1968
Have you ever seen or heard something that you haven’t seen or heard in 50 years, and you got a giant flashback? I stumbled across this classic PSA recently, and it took me right back to the late 1960s. (It’s Youtube title is incorrect, it began airing 5 years prior to 1973.)
My dad had this boxy, reel-to-reel tape recorder then, and I asked him if we could set it up to try and catch a song the next time it aired on tv. When he asked what it was, I can’t remember what I said but I do remember getting one of his raised eyebrows. I probably told him it was a song on how to be a girl. I just liked it’s folksy tune!
9. “Love of My Life” Brian May & Shuba 2020
Fans of Ronni Bennett’s blog “Time Goes By” (Ronni died of pancreatic cancer in 2020) will remember her weekly music column, guest-blogged by Peter Tibbles from Australia. Every Sunday Peter shared a collection of songs based on a theme, complete with his own liner notes. In Sept 2020, he shared this cover of Freddie Mercury’s song from 1975, performed by Queen’s guitarist Brian May & Indian singer Shuba. It’s haunted me ever since.
8. “Could You Use Me” Judy Garland & Mickey Rooney (from the movie “Girl Crazy”) 1943
I told my sister Shawn a year or so ago, everytime I’m feeling down—every time—this song picks me right up. I love all the Judy Garland-Mickey Rooney movies, but “Girl Crazy” has GOTTA be my favorite.
Instead of a plain-janed Judy silently pining for Mickey while he chases after Lana Turner, in this picture it’s Rooney who’s smitten, but Garland’s been bitten—so no thanks!
7. “If They Could See Me Now” Melissa Gilbert on ‘American Bandstand’, 1978
I am precisely 2 years & 5 months older than Melissa Gilbert. While I don’t recall her disco performance on Bandstand in 1978 (and I watched the show regularly), I bet my teenaged self probably said “This is the gayest thing I’ve ever seen.”
And now, all these years later… something compels me to watch it again. I’m afraid to ask why, ‘cuz it’s the gayest thing I’ve ever seen.
6. “Simply Jessie” Rex Smith (from the TV movie “Sooner or Later”) 1979
This video isn’t about the artist as it is his muse. I recently watched the tv-movie “Sooner or Later” (containing this song), and remember seeing it in 1979 because I was crushing HARD on this girl! Her name is Denise Miller, she went on to star on “Archie Bunker’s Place” from 1981 to 1983 and that was pretty much her acting career.
As for Rex Smith, this made-for-tv movie was his first acting role, where he says he literally became a teen idol overnight. “The day before this movie aired on television, I could walk downtown without being noticed. The day after when I went shopping for clothes, I was literally swamped by 500 girls.” Sweet.
5. “Spirit in the Sky” Norman Greenbaum 1970
Growing up, we had 2 drive-in movie theaters: the Sky-View in nearby Carmichaels, and the Waynesburg Drive-In right outside town. Amazingly, the Sky-View is still in business, the other closed down 45 years ago.
While both drive-ins played coming attractions & cartoons between shows, the Waynesburg Drive-In also showed trippy music videos. I was 10 years old when I first saw Spirit in the Sky there, and I was horrified—I thought this was Charles Manson and his scary Manson girls clapping along!
Anyway, I now love this song. Norman Greenbaum explained he only wanted to make a good rock song for Christians to call their own, and I think he succeeded.
4. “Love Me For A Reason” Merrill Osmond 2020
Look, there is no way I’m posting a music video collection without Merrill Osmond in it. I love him that much. And while I still enjoy the Osmonds video Love Me for a Reason from 1974, I think Merrill’s 2020 cover via Zoom makes it all the more special.
3. “Unchained Melody” Austin Brown 2021
YouTube has been a wonderful platform for new performers, and it appears this young man has just been discovered. Austin has posted several videos of himself singing standards, but 2 weeks ago he shared this rendition of 1955’s Unchained Melody and it’s now gotten close to 2 million hits. Boy does his voice soar.
2,1. “One Night” & “When I Was Young” Eric Burdon 1986
A couple months ago when I got my new bookshelf radio, I was showing it to my neighbor Opal and she asked who my favorite male & female vocalists were; hers was Doris Day & Frank Sinatra. I’ve been waiting for someone to ask me that for years. I said Karen Carpenter & Eric Burdon.
I wanted to include Eric in my first collection, but couldn’t decide between his songs with The Animals or with War. Now I don’t have to, in this performance of a bit older Eric & an acoustic guitar. Just listen to the first song… man!
Some of these singers go way back in time, e.g., Judy Garland and Doris Day, but they were really famous back then. I loved Karen Carpenter with her velvety voice.
ReplyDeleteGigi I'm with you--velvet! "Close to You" was my very first record purchase when I was 12-13 years old.
DeleteOnly two ring a bell for me, Spirit in the Sky and Unchained Melody. But I had a crush on Melissa Gilbert growing up so I had to watch her disco.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I have ever thought to search for a video of Spirit in the Sky. Thanks for enlightening me!
Haha, thanks Ed! While I admire her, I have to admit I never had a crush on Melissa Gilbert; so she's all yours my friend. :^)
DeleteI am amazingly unfamiliar with many of these songs! However, I'm ashamed to admit that my tastes run to rock and alternative rock. I'm still a teenager in an old person's body. :)
ReplyDeleteMargaret there's nothing wrong with that, c'mon! Besides, your years of teaching probably exposed you to more music than the rest of us fogeys :^)
DeleteYour mention of Ronnie brought a moment of sadness. Wish she could have been there for the 20th.
ReplyDeleteSpirit in the Sky was a favorite, thanks for that treat. Wish you hadn't said what you did about the M Gilbert video for that was all I saw too:)) Mercy.
Eric Burdon was always a favorite, that first song is my kind of singing. Good ole blues. Enjoyed that. Thanks Doug.
Patti, every time I hear from you, you surprise me--in a good way! You obviously have good taste in music, and your Melissa Gilbert comment gave me a chuckle, haha :) (I do love Ms.Gilbert, I'm sure you do too!) And yes about Ronni Bennett... I miss her very active blog... and her of course.
DeleteThanks for the mention. All the music columns (and Ronni’s as well) are still all there if people are interested, at least for the time being.
ReplyDeleteCoincidentally, I discovered Austin Brown’s “Unchained Melody” this week and played it for Norma, the Assistant Musicologist who thought it was nearly as good as the Righteous Brothers.
Peter I keep meaning to get back over there to check out your previous columns, I didn't discover Ronni's page (or yours) until her final year. Anyway, that's wild about your discovering Austin Brown so recently too--and I should've given Norma the Assistant Musicologist a shout-out :^) PS. Midway thru S2 of "Rake"--thanks again!
DeleteGee, I wouldn't have picked any of these songs -- haven't even heard of some of them -- but it's a great post for a cold, self-isolating kind of afternoon. Austin Brown does have a heck of a voice, and it's interesting to hear Eric Burdon do a coffeehouse treatment of these songs.
ReplyDeleteThanks Tom, and yes I like how you put Eric Burdon's performance--just a bit subdued. :^) PS. I know I have some eclectic tastes, you should do one of these music pages sometime, I'd be curious.
DeleteI went back and listened to the songs of the previous selection again, loved the Andy Williams: Music to Watch Girls by and Edison Lighthouse: love Grows where my Rosemary Goes, which is actually on a couple of my playlists still. I did enjoy Down By The Lazy River again, but wonder what happened to the littlest Osmond, Jimmy? He had a couple of hits and was quite good I thought.
ReplyDeleteThis selection doesn't do much for me, Merrill Osmond's Love Me for a Reason is good, and Norman Greenbaum's Spirit in the Sky is an old favourite, it's on my playlists too. Do you not like anything from the 80s?
River, I know my tastes aren't that great--I should try to expand them and listen to stuff that's not 50 years old! I think You inspired me though, my next list is going to be everything newer than the 70s!
DeleteAs a dj it's my job to love all music. When I'm doing a gig (back in the days when I could!), I'd cringe at the some of the songs people would ask me to play, but because it was special to them, it kinda made it special to me. I follow the charts every week, and have done since I was a kid and love modern music. I just love hearing something new. But I love oldies too.
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty cool Joe, I didn't know that was what you did. You've probably seen & heard it all!
DeleteThank goodness for music, especially during this time of social lock down. Been practicing YouTube lessons on blues style piano. Consequently, the muscle on my left thumb is getting a much harder workout than usual and beginning to complain. Well, at least I've no neighbours within ear shot to annoy.
ReplyDeleteFlorence, thanks for my smile this icy morning, haha--I am sorry about your sore thumb, but good for you! :^)
DeleteWhat fun! Thank you for all the time you took to share these songs. I am impressed and feel grateful for all the listening I have ahead, thanks to you. :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks DJan, this sure was nice of you to say! I believe your comment just earned a blue ribbon :^)
DeleteI can barely exist through this pandemic without music. I did not know all of the songs but I did love the ones that I remembered.
ReplyDeleteGranny Annie, I feel just the same, thanks very much for your comment. I need to "upgrade" my taste in music some :^)
DeleteI, too, like Karen Carpenter and was really sad she died so young. Music has always been important to me. Most of the pop songs of my era and later that I liked were pretty much just casual listening favorites but I especially like some types of jazz. Ended up wedding a guy whose avocation was as a professional jazz musician.
ReplyDeleteWow Joared, that's pretty cool!
DeleteThese are all such fun and wonderful, Doug. That fellow singing Unchained Melody is pretty darn amazing! I can't believe so much talent in one Osmond family.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kay! Yes that young man singing Unchained Melody is amazing--now HE is a whipper-snapper! :)
DeleteI can like Music from all Eras and most Genres, within reason. Now that I'm Older I've really gotten a taste for Music from 20's-40's Era and could listen to that all day long. When Pandora first came out my Grandkids set up that kind of Music to play for me under "Andrews Sisters Genre" and it does pull some great tunes and I can skip the ones I dislike and then it hones in on my particular tastes of that Era's Music. I've always loved Blues even if I don't always know whose singing it. The Grandkids are always surprised at the wide range of Music from Past thru Present that I really do like. Of coarse, there is plenty I really do Hate too. *LOL*
ReplyDeleteI loved this comment, thanks Bohemian! :)
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