Music critics crack me up. They’re always looking for something to dis about a record in order to validate their jobs as critics. And, I suppose at times I am no different than the rest. Nothing is ever just great, some fault must be found in order to have something to say. I guess without […]
Song Of The Day – “Knowing When To Leave” by Dionne Warwick
“Walk On By,” “Anyone Who Had A Heart,” “You’ll Never Get To Heaven (If You Break My Heart),” “Message To Michael,” “Alfie,” “”Do You Know The Way To San Jose,” “I Say A Little Prayer” — the list goes on and on, making an argument for the notion that the songwriting partnership of Burt Bacharach […]
Song Of The Day – “Chances Are” by Johnny Mathis
Fluff piece…or Pure Pop For Then People… Smooth and intimate. Those are adjectives you don’t hear that often to describe much of the music being made today. But there was a time when smooth and intimate was the basis for an entire genre of music. I’m talking about Pop Music. Pop music of the pre-rock […]
Song Of The Day – “Chicken Fat” by Robert Preston
It’s “Poultry in motion!” (Sadly, I didn’t write this line but it was too great to pass up.) How many of you remember this gem from the early 1960s? Even though I was only one year old when this record was released to public schools across the nation, I distinctly remember exercising to this song […]
Song Of The Day – “Piggies” by Theo Bikel
Broadway and film star, folk singer, songwriter, civil rights activist, and back in 1969 Theodore Bikel attempted to add pop star to his list of credentials with the release of one bright and shining album for Reprise Records. As a Broadway star, Theodore Bikel originated the role of Captain Von Trapp in The Sound Of […]
Song Of The Day – Mad Men Double Header – “Don’cha Go ‘Way Mad” by Frank Sinatra and “Wives And Lovers” by Jack Jones
I know I’ve featured both of these classics before, but with the return of Mad Men to our TV screens for a new season, they both seemed appropriate to feature again. The first song is the epitome of the early seasons of Mad Men by America’s favorite playboy of the time. Back in 1962, Frank […]
Song Of The Day – “It’s Been A Long Long Time” by Bing Crosby
As our boys came home from World War II, they were welcomed back with this number one hit from 1945 that perfectly captured the sentiments of those who remained home while their loved ones were away. It’s a perfect record in every way. You’d be hard pressed to find a better vocalist than Crosby to […]
Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – “So In Love” by Patti Page
Patti Page was different things to different people. To some, she was the first cross-over country star whose plaintive country hits reached an even wider audience by crossing over into the pop charts (“The Tennessee Waltz”), to others she was a sugary-sweet singer who recorded a lot of dross (“Doggie In The Window”), and yet, […]
Song Of The Day – “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive ” by Johnny Mercer
With a resume that includes writing the lyrics to some of the greatest songs of the 20th century including “Goody Goody,” “I’m An Old Cowhand,” “Too Marvelous For Words,” “Hooray For Hollywood,” “You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby,” “Jeepers Creepers,” “And The Angels Sing,” “Sweet Georgia Brown,” “G.I. Jive,” “Day In Day Out,” “I […]
Song Of The Day by Eric Berman – “Labrador” by Aimee Mann
Aimee Man has been creating articulate character sketches in song since the 1980s when she was MTV-marketed as part of the group ‘Til Tuesday and could regularly be seen (heavily made up) singing “Voices Carry” sandwiched between Milli Vanilli and Culture Club videos. After the demise of ‘Til Tuesday, Mann set out on a solo […]
