We did not get cable in my area until a year or two after it launched so I never saw the beginning of the channel. Of course, I was crazy about it when we first got cable. It was like nothing else. They showed full concerts which I thought was great and of course the videos, But It also had it’s bad side because some of the artist or bands had hit songs only because of MTV that would have never made it on the radio and unfortunately It pretty much destroyed Billy Squier’s career because of a less than macho video that he made. The very first video MTV showed was the Buggles Video Killed The Radio Star. MTV nowadays is a big joke nothing but reality TV shows permeates the channel. For a day like today why don’t they let the original VJ’s take over the channel and we could have it back at least for a little while. The VJ’s…Martha Quinn, Mark Goodman, Alan Hunter, Nina Blackwood, and the late JJ Jackson. Martha Quinn now works as a DJ on iHeart radio and is syndicated on 35 stations. Alan Hunter and Nina Blackwood can be heard on SiriusXM Radio. I have communicated over X/Twitter with Martha Quinn, Mark Goodman, and Alan Hunter. If someone had told me that back in the 80s, I would’ve not believed them.
The first part of this song reminds me of my grandfather. He was a sharecropper during the depression in rural Tennessee. He and my grandmother had 5 kids, and they literally lived in shacks. The Waltons were well off in comparison. At some point when the kids got older, they moved into a regular house and also owned and operated a small grocery store. A few years after that they moved to the big city, Nashville and lived next to my uncle in a duplex. My grandfather died at the age of 80 in 1975. My grandmother would go on to live until 1992 and died at the age of 95.
The song peaked at number 04 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart on September 19, 1970.
The song tells a story about a boy born and raised in poverty on a backwoods farm in Alabama by a father who endured much suffering in life; the father dies before the boy is 13, entrusting the boy with the family and estate. The boy is forbidden from quitting school (as the father never could attend), so he must do all of the farm work before and after school so that he and his family have food. The burden is almost too much for the boy, especially after a flood wipes out a crop, but determination not to let his father down, along wth his mother’s prayers, keep him going. Years later, his mother has died and he and his younger siblings are adults, and he looks back on his father’s words as what helped him pull through those hard times.
The blind blues singer Clarence Carter heard the song, later saying: “I heard it on the Chairmen of the Board LP and liked it, but I had my own ideas about how it should be sung. It was my idea to make the song sound real natural…” Initially he thought “that it would be degrading for a black man to sing a song so redolent of subjugation,” but was persuaded to do so by record producer Rick Hall.
Carter recorded the song at the FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, with Hall as producer and musicians including Junior Lowe (guitar), Jesse Boyce (bass), and Freeman Brown (drums). Carter’s recording was released in July 1970 and was described by a Billboard reviewer as a “powerful blues item” featuring a “blockbuster vocal work-out.” The record rose to No. 4 on the Hot 100, No. 2 on the R&B chart, and No. 2 on the UK singles chart.
I was born and raised down in Alabama On a farm way back up in the woods I was so ragged that folks used to call me Patches Papa used to tease me about it ‘Cause deep down inside he was hurt ‘Cause he’d done all he could
My papa was a great old man I can see him with a shovel in his hands, see Education he never had He did wonders when the times got bad The little money from the crops he raised Barely paid the bills we made
For, life had kick him down to the ground When he tried to get up Life would kick him back down One day Papa called me to his dyin’ bed Put his hands on my shoulders And in his tears he said
He said, Patches I’m dependin’ on you, son To pull the family through My son, it’s all left up to you
Two days later Papa passed away, and I became a man that day So I told Mama I was gonna quit school, but She said that was Daddy’s strictest rule
So every mornin’ ‘fore I went to school I fed the chickens and I chopped wood too Sometimes I felt that I couldn’t go on I wanted to leave, just run away from home But I would remember what my daddy said With tears in his eyes on his dyin’ bed
He said, Patches I’m dependin’ on you, son I tried to do my best It’s up to you to do the rest
Then one day a strong rain came And washed all the crops away And at the age of 13 I thought I was carryin’ the weight of the Whole world on my shoulders And you know, Mama knew What I was goin’ through, ’cause
Every day I had to work the fields ‘Cause that’s the only way we got our meals You see, I was the oldest of the family And everybody else depended on me Every night I heard my Mama pray Lord, give him the strength to make another day
So years have passed and all the kids are grown The angels took Mama to a brand new home Lord knows, people, I shedded tears But my daddy’s voice kept me through the years
Saying Patches, I’m dependin’ on you, son To pull the family through My son, it’s all left up to you
Oh, I can still hear Papa’s voice sayin’ Patches, I’m dependin’ on you, son I’ve tried to do my best It’s up to you to do the rest
I can still hear Papa, what he said Patches, I’m dependin’ on you, son To pull the family through My son, it’s all left up to you
The song peaked at number 28 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in January 1972 It was a one hit wonder. The band actually did not exist until the song started to chart.
From Songfacts
The songwriters Lanny Lambert and Bobby Flax composed this tale of an imminent breakup at the hands of a manipulative girlfriend. The song was recorded by lead singer Ernie Sorrentino using studio musicians and released by their label Big Tree Records under the name Bullet. When the song became a hit, an actual band was needed to promote it, so the drummer Mike Micara and keyboard/trumpet player Roget Pontbriand joined Sorrentino. Pontbriand tells us they shot their promotional photos in Central Park the day after they met. They performed the song on American Bandstand, The Merv Griffin Show and The Mike Douglas Show. Says Pontbriand: “We recorded two other singles. ‘Willpower Weak, Temptation Strong,’ which had amazing energy and should have faired better, but did make it into the top 100, and ‘Little Bit O’ Soul’ (a cover of the Music Explosion’s 1967 hit). The group toured for two years – with Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels and the Temptations, among others.” Unfortunately, no video of the band performing the song has been released.
Bullet – White Lies, Blue Eyes
White lies in her blue eyes Goodbye is on the way White lies in her blue eyes Evil’s the game she plays Well, she’s trying to tempt you With her music and her line Well, her lips look so inviting And those sultry eyes They get to shine
Oh, but look a little deeper At all that come on stare Then you might be able To see what’s lying there
It’s those White lies in her blue eyes Goodbye is on the way White lies in her blue eyes Evil’s the game she plays
Don’t you ever Let her get to you The way that she got to me Though the signs were plainly written I just didn’t want to see
But she could do most anything If you give her time A living testimonial Don’t make me color blind
There are White lies in her blue eyes Goodbye is on the way White lies in her blue eyes Evil’s the game she plays
White lies in her blue eyes Goodbye is on the way White lies in her blue eyes Evil’s the game she plays
White lies in her blue eyes Goodbye is on the way White lies in her blue eyes Evil’s the game she plays
White lies in her blue eyes Goodbye is on the way White lies in her blue eyes Evil’s the game she plays
The song was recorded in October of 1957 at Owen Bradley’s studio in Nashville, TN. It peaked at #6 on Billboards Best Sellers chart and #13 on Billboards Most Played C&W by Jockeys chart.
More from Wikipedia.
“Jingle Bell Rock” has been performed by many, but Helms’ version is the best known. The song’s title and some of its lyrics are an extension of the old Christmas standard, “Jingle Bells“. It makes brief references to other popular songs of the 1950s, such as “Rock Around the Clock“, and mentions going to a “Jingle hop“. An electric guitar played by Hank Garland can be heard playing the first notes of the chorus of “Jingle Bells”. Backup singers were the Anita Kerr Quartet.
Jingle Bell Rock
Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
Jingle bells swing and jingle bells ring
Snowing and blowing up bushels of fun
Now the jingle hop has begun
Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
Jingle bells chime in jingle bell time
Dancing and prancing in Jingle Bell Square
In the frosty air
What a bright time, it’s the right time
To rock the night away
Jingle bell time is a swell time
To go gliding in a one-horse sleigh
Giddy-up jingle horse, pick up your feet
Jingle around the clock
Mix and a-mingle in the jingling feet
That’s the jingle bell rock
Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
Jingle bells chime in jingle bell time
Dancing and prancing in Jingle Bell Square
In the frosty air
Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
Jingle bells chime in jingle bell time
Snowing and blowing up bushels of fun
Now the jingle hop has begun
Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
Jingle bells chime in jingle bell time
Dancing and prancing in Jingle Bell Square
In the frosty air
What a bright time, it’s the right time
To rock the night away (rock the night away)
Jingle bell time is a swell time
To go gliding in a one-horse sleigh
Giddy-up jingle horse, pick up your feet
Jingle around the clock
Mix and a-mingle in the jingling feet
That’s the jingle bell
That’s the jingle bell
That’s the jingle bell (rock)
Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
Brenda Lee was only 13 years old when she recorded this song. Recorded in October of 1958 at Owen Bradley’s studio in Nashville. The song was written by Johnny Marks. It would be one of the first stereo recordings to come out of Nashville. The song did not sell well until Brenda Lee had gotten more popular. In 1960 it reached #14 on Billboard’s Hot 100 pop singles chart. It peaked at #3 on Billboard’s Christmas singles chart in 1965. SoundScan has estimated total sales of 1,000,000 digital downloads in 2016. Update…The song has now reached #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart for the first time since it was recorded 65 years ago. It also makes Brenda Lee the oldest recording artist ever to have a #1 song on the Hot 100 chart at 79 years old.
From Wikipedia.
The song’s declaration of a rock and roll sound notwithstanding, its instrumentation also fits the country music genre, which Lee more fully embraced as her career evolved. The recording features Hank Garland and Harold Bradley on guitar, Floyd Cramer on piano, Boots Randolph on sax, Bob Moore on bass, and veteran session player Buddy Harman on drums. The song is written in the key of A-flat major.
An instrumental version of the song appears as background music in the 1964 television special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, which exclusively featured music written by Marks. It can be heard in the scene where Rudolph first arrives at the Reindeer Games and meets another reindeer named Fireball. A fully sung version of the song would later appear in Rankin/Bass’s 1979 sequel Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July. The song was also used in the 1990 film Home Alone during a scene when Kevin McCallister pretends that there is a holiday party taking place in his house, and discourages the burglars from robbing it.
Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree
Rockin’ around the Christmas tree
At the Christmas party hop
Mistletoe hung where you can see
Every couple tries to stop
Rockin’ around the Christmas tree
Let the Christmas spirit ring
Later we’ll have some pumpkin pie
And we’ll do some caroling
You will get a sentimental feeling when you hear
Voices singing, let’s be jolly
Deck the halls with boughs of holly
Rockin’ around the Christmas tree
Have a happy holiday
Everyone dancin’ merrily
In the new old-fashioned way
You will get a sentimental feeling when you hear
Voices singing, let’s be jolly
Deck the halls with boughs of holly
Rockin’ around the Christmas tree
Have a happy holiday
Everyone dancin’ merrily
In the new old-fashioned way
Songwriters: Johnny Marks
From their 1984 album, Emergency. The song peaked at #10 on March 9, 1985, on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. In the Rock & Soul hit the girl has a real power over the guy, but is she real or just a figment of his imagination? There is a blood curdling scream through a part of the song. The song was written by the entire band. The music video borrows from the movie Indiana Jones and has a surprise ending …Happy Halloween!
Kool & the Gang – Misled
Late at night, body’s yearning Restless night, wanna be with you Someone’s playing in the garden So enticing, he’s sure to take a bite I don’t know what’s come over me, yeah
She’s as heavy as a Chevy Pure excitement, misled When she touches, can’t resist her I’m a puppet when she’s playing me She’s outgoing, but I love her so misled So I’m saying now
Baby, baby, what’s your claim to fame? Got me out of bed, heard you call my name What’s this crazy place you wanna take me to? Tell me, what’s the price if I go with you?
My heart, my soul, my love Is that the goal? It’s a thrill, then I will Be misled, be for real
Thought I knew her, this lady Opportunist, misled Always searching for adventure Like Pandora’s box, misled And I don’t know what I’m gonna do without her
Baby, baby, what’s your claim to fame? Got me out of bed, heard you call my name What’s this crazy place you wanna take me to? Tell me, what’s the price if I go with you?
My heart, my soul, my love Is that the goal? It’s a thrill, then I will Be misled or be for real
I’ve got this feeling, and it’s blocking my way But I love her just the same, just the same Oh yes, I do
Misled, heard you call my name Misled, what’s your claim to fame? Misled, took me by the head Misled, said I would understand
Misled, with a bomb of broken Venus Misled, not a word is said Misled, baby, that’s your name Misled, what’s your claim to fame?
My heart, my soul, my love Is that the goal? It’s a thrill, then I will Misled, won’t you be for real?
Baby, baby, what’s your claim to fame? Got me out of bed, heard you call my name What’s this crazy place you want to take me to? Tell me, what’s the price if I go with you?
My heart, my soul, my love Is that the goal? It’s a thrill, then I will Hey misled, won’t you be for real?
Misled, misled Misled Misled, misled Misled Misled, misled Misled (I was misled by you) Misled, misled Misled Misled, misled Misled, I was misled by you
Very heavily influenced by The Supremes. Polly Brown sounds like Diana Ross. I can’t believe that Motown did not offer her a contract. I also hear a little bit of Disco starting to creep in. The song reached #16 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart on March 15, 1975.
From Wikipedia,
The songwriting/production team of Gerry Shury and Ron Roker had admired Brown’s voice from her Pickettywitch recordings. Shury, who had arranged Brown’s 1972 self-titled album release, described her as a cross “between Diana Ross and Dionne Warwick”. In 1974, Shury and Roker had Brown record the neo-Motown number “Up in a Puff of Smoke”. In the same session Brown, with Roker as co-vocalist, recorded a cover of the ABBA song “Honey, Honey“, which was released under the name Sweet Dreams.
“Up in a Puff of Smoke” proved to be a UK Top 40 shortfall although it did spend five weeks in the Top 50, peaking at #43. However, the track became a hit in several English speaking countries: Australia (#22), Canada (#11), New Zealand (#13), and the US (#16).
Up in a Puff of Smoke
Going up, going up Going up, up, up Going up, going up Going up, up, up
Going up, going up Going up, up, up Going up, going up, oh
Like a bubble Headed for trouble Wind is blowing In the wrong direction I was headed into danger Too much in love to see
I pledged my trust in him Believed in everything Just had me on a string And then he let me blow away
And now it’s going Up, up, up in a puff of smoke It ain’t no joke the way He broke my heart Going up, up, up in a puff of smoke And I’m all choked up inside To see my dreams just Turn into ashes and all my Hopes go up in a puff of smoke
Going up, going up Going up, up, up Going up, going up, oh
I aspire, took me higher than A rocket on it’s way to Heaven Couldn’t see those dangers coming Cause I was flying blind
It hurt me deep inside And broke my foolish pride That my sweet talking guy Was only talking lies
And now it’s going Up, up, up in a puff of smoke It ain’t no joke the way He broke my heart Going up, up, up in a puff of smoke And I’m all choked up inside To see my dreams just Turn into ashes and all my Hopes go up in a puff of smoke
He took me higher than a kite Then dropped me like a light Going up, up, up, up, up, up ,up Thought I had a chance But let me set you down Going up, up, up, up, up, up ,up
Ooh, ooh, yeah Going up, up, up, up, up, up ,up
Going up, up, up in a puff of smoke Ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah Going up, up, up in a puff of smoke Ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah Going up, up, up in a puff of smoke
From their 1979 self-titled album. The song reached number 18 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart on September 01, 1979.
From Wikipedia,
Night’s vocalists Stevie Vann (aka Stevie Lange) and Chris Thompson had met when Vann had provided backing vocals for the 1978 album Watch by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band then fronted by Thompson. Soon afterwards Thompson invited Vann to join him in a new outfit, Vann’s session group known as Bones having recently disbanded and Thompson having reduced his involvement with Manfred Mann’s Earth Band. Before officially forming as “Night” in LA, the new group toured the London pub-rock scene in 1978 under the name “Filthy McNasty” performing the mix of originals and covers that became their first album. They are recorded on “A Week at the Bridge” (The Bridge House, Canning Town) and had their UK release event at The Golden Lion, Fulham.
Richard Perry produced two albums by Night for his Planet label; the group’s eponymous 1979 debut album yielded two US Top 40 hits: “Hot Summer Nights” (No. 18) and “If You Remember Me” (No. 17).
“Hot Summer Nights”, a cover of a minor Walter Egan hit, featured Lange on lead vocals and gave Night their one international hit most significantly in Australia at No. 3 with more moderate success in Canada (No. 23), the Netherlands (No. 21), New Zealand (No. 28) and South Africa (No. 13).
From their 1985 album Open Fire. The song reached #55 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in the summer of 1985.
From Allmusic.com
Taking their name from a Beatles song, the group was originally formed as Yesterday & Today in San Francisco, around 1973.
From Wikipedia
“Summertime Girls” is a single by American rock band Y&T. It was released as the first single from their seventh studio album Open Fire. It later reappeared on their eighth studio album Down for the Count. The song became the band’s biggest hit, as well as their first and only single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 55.
Summertime Girls
Ooh yeah, I Just want to watch the girls, goin’ by… It’s like poetry in motion against a hot summer sky. I’m in love, yeah yeah… at least every minute or two… until the next time a girl walks by I think I love her too
I can’t help myself but I just loose my head everytime you see ’em walkin’ by…
Summertime Girls You make my whole world go around Summertime Girls When you lift me up I never come down, no, no…
She’s hot! I dig her wiggle and all that shake I can read that body language, yeah a million miles away Sometimes I, yeah come on just a bit, a bit too strong But I just like to pretend, yes. that I can have ’em all.
No time, time to catch my breath so easily impressed it doesn’t matter if it’s day or night
Summertime Girls You make my whole world go around Summertime Girls But when you lift me up I never come down, no, no…
Come here girls…
Summertime Girls You make my whole world go around Summertime Girls When you lift me up I never come down, no, no…
Summertime Girls Oh baby..You make my whole world go around Summertime Girls The way you lift me up I never come down, no, no…
Summertime Girls Summertime Girls Summertime Girls You make my whole world go around Summertime Girls
I ran across this song a couple of months ago. In 1971 it was banned by Arm Forces Radio. I thought this would be a good post for Memorial Day.
From her 1971 album Contact. The song reached #12 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart on June 5th 1971.
From Wikipedia
“Bring the Boys Home” is a song recorded by rhythm and blues singer Freda Payne in 1971 during the Vietnam War era. It was an anti-war song that was aimed at the sending of troops to fight in an increasingly unpopular war.
The song was produced by Greg Perry and released on the Invictus label. It was backed with “I Shall Not Be Moved”. The song came out at a time when soldiers were returning to America dead and in body bags. A higher than normal amount of the soldiers were black. The soldiers were only boys at the age of 20, which was the average age that many of them were killed. In spite of the healthy amount of airplay it received in the US, the US Command from the American Forces Network banned it. The reason given was that it would be of benefit to the enemy. 50,000 copies of the album Contact were pressed before it was added to the album after it became a hit. It replaced “He’s In My Life” which was the first track on side 1.
The Soul Source section of the May 22 issue of Billboard named it the best new record of the week.
Bring the Boys Home
Fathers are pleading Lovers are all alone Mothers are praying Send our sons back home (tell ’em ’bout it) You marched them away Yes, you did now On ships and planes To the senseless war Facing death in vain
Bring the boys home (bring ’em back alive) Bring the boys home (bring ’em back alive) Bring the boys home (bring ’em back alive) Bring the boys home (bring ’em back alive) (why don’t you) Turn the ships around (everybody oh) Lay your weapons down
Can’t you see ’em march across the sky All the soldiers that have died Tryin’ to get home Can’t you see them tryin’ to get home? Tryin’ to get home They’re tryin’ to get home Seesaw fire (tell ’em ’bout it On the battlefield Enough men have already Been wounded and killed
Bring the boys home (bring ’em back alive) Bring the boys home (bring ’em back alive) Bring the boys home (bring ’em back alive) Bring the boys home (bring ’em back alive) (why don’t you) Turn the ships around (everybody oh) Lay your weapons down (Mothers, fathers and lovers, can’t you see them)
Ooh, ooh Tryin’ to get home Can’t you see them tryin’ to get home? (Have mercy) Ooh, ooh Tryin’ to get home, tryin’ to get home
Bring the boys home (bring ’em back alive) Bring the boys home (bring ’em back alive) Bring the boys home (bring ’em back alive) Bring the boys home (bring ’em back alive) What they doing over there, now (bring ’em back alive) When we need them over here, now (bring ’em back alive) What they doing over there, now (bring ’em back alive) When we need them over here, now (bring ’em back alive) Bring ’em home, bring ’em home (bring ’em back alive) Bring ’em home, bring ’em home (bring ’em back alive)
Free Fallin' 