Playlist: Folk-Rock Explosion!

A continuing celebration of my favorite folk-rock. Updated. Enjoy! 

The Mamas and the Papas

01. Farquahr – “Start Living” (1970)

02. The Mamas and the Papas – “My Heart Stood Still” (1966)

03. The Mamas and the Papas – “Straight Shooter (With John Phillips Intro)” (1966)

04. Farquahr – “My Island” (1970)

05. Prelude – “After the Gold Rush” (1974)

06. West – “Sad About the Times” (1969)

07. Crosby, Stills & Nash – “Blackbird (Live)” (1982)

08. The Beatles – “Nowhere Man” (1965)

09. Matthews Southern Comfort – “And When She Smiles (She Makes the Sun Shine)” (1971)

10. Al Stewart – “In Brooklyn” (1969)

11. The Rose Garden – “Flower Town” (1968)

12. Peter, Paul and Mary – “I Dig Rock and Roll Music” (1967)

13. Heron – “Smiling Ladies” (1970)

14. Jackie DeShannon – “Splendor in the Grass” (1966)

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Playlist: In Search of Baroque Pop

A continuing celebration of my favorite baroque pop. Updated. Enjoy! 

Scott Walker

01. The Beatles – “Penny Lane” (1967)

02. The Kinks – “Two Sisters” (1967)

03. The Neon Philharmonic – “Morning Girl, Later” (1969)

04. The Zombies – “I’ll Call You Mine” (1968)

05. The Kinks – “Village Green” (1968)

06. October Country – “October Country” (1968)

07. Sagittarius – “Song to the Magic Frog (Will You Ever Know)” (1968)

08. Bee Gees – “Turn of the Century” (1967)

09. The Zombies – “A Rose for Emily” (1968) 

10. Scott Walker – “Best of Both Worlds” (1968)

11. Bee Gees – “Don’t Wanna Live Inside Myself” (1971)

12. The Neon Philharmonic – “Morning Girl” (1969) 

13. The Association – “Angeline (Instrumental Version)” (1966)

14. The Left Banke – “I’ve Got Something on My Mind” (1967)

15. Bee Gees – “Sun in My Morning” (1969)

16. Simon & Garfunkel – “A Hazy Shade of Winter” (1966)

17. The Righteous Brothers – “Unchained Melody” (1965)

18. The Peppermint Rainbow – “Pink Lemonade” (1969)

19. The Millennium – “5 A.M.” (1968)

20. Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood – “Summer Wine” (1968)

21. The Millennium – “I Just Want to Be Your Friend” (1968)

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Playlist: Christmas Faves

 A continuing celebration of my favorite Christmas songs. Updated. Enjoy!

President John F. Kennedy

01. Hank Snow – “The Reindeer Boogie” (1967)

02. Percy Faith and His Orchestra – “Joy to the World” (1954)

03. June Christy – “The Christmas Song” (1961)

04. Toots & The Maytals – “Happy Christmas (The Christmas Song)” (1972)

05. New Found Glory – “Nothing for Christmas” (2012)

06. The Staple Singers – “Who Took the Merry Out of Christmas” (1970)

07. William Shatner feat. Henry Rollins – “Jingle Bells” (2018)

08. Bing Crosby – “Mele Kalikimaka (Merry Christmas)” (1950) 

09. Los Straitjackets – “Here Comes Santa Claus” (2002)

10. James Brown – “Merry Christmas Baby” (1966)

11. Glen Campbell – “New Snow on the Roof” (1972)

12. Ella Fitzgerald – “O Holy Night” (1967)

13. Pearl Jam – “Let Me Sleep” (1991)

14. José Feliciano – “O Come All Ye Faithful” (1970)

15. Tammy Wynette – “Away in a Manger” (1970)

16. Amy Grant – “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” (1983)

17. W.G. Snuffy Walden – “The First Noel” (2002)

18. Cary Grant – “Christmas Lullaby” (1967)

19. The Piano Guys – “What Child Is This” (2017)

20. Johnny Cash and the Carter Family – “Silent Night” (1965)

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Safe and Warm

May your hands always be busy

May your feet always be swift

May you have a strong foundation

When the winds of changes shift

May your heart always be joyful

May your song always be sung

And may you stay forever young

- Bob Dylan, “Forever Young” (1971)

The Byrds

If it’s true the fun, good vibrations, and idealism of the so-called ‘60s revolution crashed and burned with the Manson Family murders, Altamont debacle, and the Fab Four’s break up, then it’s no less true the dreams, ideals, and music of the ‘60s carried on through the ‘70s even as the children of the revolution got jobs, started families, and watched as their once radical ideas (good and bad) became mainstream. After Richard Nixon resigned the Presidency in disgrace (the same year I was born), America under Gerald Ford and then Jimmy Carter actually seemed to be moving in the direction of becoming a kinder, gentler nation although soon even the hippies learned freedom can be a real drag since it means not only having to take responsibility and make decisions but also accepting the consequences.

U.S. Embassy Saigon, 1975

‘70s contemporary pop/rock is the second most represented musical style featured on my blog. Eclectic, offbeat, and empathetic, ‘70s contemporary pop/rock was the sound of the moment (country rock, power pop, new wave, etc.) and may very well be the high point of all pop/rock musical styles since its artists put into practice lessons learned from ‘50s and ‘60s masters while expanding pop/rock’s palette and unifying the masses (before it all went wrong in the ‘80s). For me, there will always be something warm, genuine, and comforting about ‘70s pop/rock which- time-tested for over half a century- still sends us messages from an era when there was real community and people still looked out for each other- and shared the music. Here are some of my favorite ‘70s contemporary pop/rock songs. Enjoy!

U.S. Embassy Tehran, 1979

01. Elton John – “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” (1975)

02. Elton John – “The Bitch Is Back” (1974)

03. Michael Nesmith – “Joanne” (1970)

04. The Velvet Undergound – “I Found a Reason” (1970)

05. The Byrds – “Jamaica, Say You Will (Live)” (1971)

06. Spirit – “Nature’s Way” (1970)

07. The Walker Brothers – “The Moon’s a Harsh Mistress” (1975)

08. Big Star – “Nightime” (1975)

09. Bob Dylan – “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” (1973)

10. The Velvet Underground – “Sweet Jane” (1970)

11. Bee Gees – “Run to Me” (1972)

12. The Velvet Underground – “Rock & Roll” (1970)

13. John Lennon – “Imagine” (1971)

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End of an Era

The Killing Fields – Imagine

WKRP Censorship

From Liverpool to the Moon

“They were doing things nobody was doing. Their chords were outrageous, just outrageous, and their harmonies made it all valid… I knew they were pointing the direction of where music had to go.”

– Bob Dylan on the Beatles

 

The Moon, July 20, 1969

The original sound of rock & roll- that exciting blend of country and blues- did not last long before morphing into more polished and accessible pop/rock. With each passing decade, artists continued soaking up the zeitgeist and producing their own unique and contemporary pop/rock sounds. Of all the music styles featured on my blog, ‘60s contemporary pop/rock and AM pop are the most represented perhaps because I tend to like things of substance that are not only of their time but also built to last. 

The Beatles, August 1966

The spirit of love, peace, and freedom (not to mention explosion of youthful idealism, relaxation of dress standards, and increased global consciousness across the planet) represented by ‘60s pop/rock artists like Dylan, the Byrds, the Mamas and the Papas, and the Beatles is the music I grew up hearing, still stirs my soul, and has yet to be surpassed. Here is some of my favorite ‘60s contemporary pop/rock. Enjoy!

Woodstock, August 1969

01. The Original Caste – “One Tin Soldier” (1969)

02. The Mamas and the Papas – “No Salt on Her Tail” (1966)

03. The Byrds – “It’s All Over Now Baby Blue (Version One)” (1965)

04. Manfred Mann – “If You Gotta Go, Go Now” (1965)

05. The Beatles – “All You Need Is Love” (1967)

06. The Beatles – “The Fool on the Hill” (1967)

07. The Mamas and the Papas – “Twist and Shout” (1967)

08. The Beatles – “For No One” (1966)

09. Elvis Presley – “Suspicious Minds” (1969)

10. The Lovin’ Spoonful – “Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?” (1965)

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Woodstock - Original Theatrical Trailer

Woodstock: Three Days That Defined a Generation (2019) | Official Trailer

Treasure Hunt

As a child, I had access to a trove of vinyl records courtesy of my parents and older siblings. Included among these treasures were stage & screen albums which for me carried a unique charm and mystique since they represented something much larger such as a film or a musical. Some of the standouts I remember floating around our house were Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, The Jungle Book, It’s a Small World, Grease, Return of the King, Flashdance, Cats, and The Mission. With stage & screen, you don’t need to like or have even seen the show or movie. You can just enjoy the music.

When I got older, I began purchasing my own stage & screen music- mostly TV and movie soundtracks. As my love for movies- especially foreign films- deepened, so did my appreciation for not only film music but also the power of music in movies and TV. In fact, if I were to enter a record shop now to buy some vinyl then I would start in the stage & screen section where so many interesting albums await discovery including out of print soundtracks and film music collections that I can hold in my hands and treasure for hours like when I was a kid. Here are some of my favorite stage & screen songs. Enjoy!

01. Cat Stevens – “Here Comes My Baby” (1967) (Rushmore)

02. John Barry – “Born Free” (1966) (Born Free)

03. Howard Shore – “Concerning Hobbits” (2001) (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring)

04. Ennio Morricone – “The Mission” (1986) (The Mission)

05. Georges Delerue – “The Final Canoe Trip” (1991) (Black Robe)

06. Ennio Morricone – “River” (1986) (The Mission)

07. Yann Tiersen – “Comptine d'un autre été : L'Après-Midi” (2001) (Amélie)

08. Henry Mancini – “Moon River (Vocal by Audrey Hepburn)” (1961) (Breakfast at Tiffany’s)

09. Judy Kuhn – “Colors of the Wind” (1995) (Pocahontas)

10. Cat Stevens – “The Wind ” (1971) (Rushmore)

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100 Years at the Movies

Playlist: Channeling AM Pop

A continuing celebration of my favorite AM pop. Updated. Enjoy!

The Beatles

01. The Beatles – “Yesterday” (1965)

02. The Beatles – “Come Together” (1969)

03. The Beatles – “Good Day Sunshine” (1966)

04. The Beatles – “Let It Be” (1970)

05. The 5th Dimension – “(Last Night) I Didn’t Get to Sleep at All” (1972)

06. Neil Diamond – “Play Me” (1972)

07. The Beatles – “Here, There and Everywhere” (1966)

08. Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass – “Marjorine” (1969)

09. The Association – “Angeline (Instrumental Version)” (1966)

10. Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood – “Summer Wine” (1968)

11. The Zombies – “A Rose for Emily” (1968) 

12. John Lennon – “Watching the Wheels (Ultimate Mix)” (1980)

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