Stevie Wonder I Wish

Sneaking out the back door to hang out with those hoodlum friends of mine

Fact of the Week

“I Wish”, Stevie Wonder, (1976)

When it has been a tough week it is nice to listen to something that lifts you up, takes you back to a happier time. An innocent or not so innocent time as the case may be, but somewhere where you don’t have the pressures of your everyday life...

At the age of 11, “Little” Stevie Wonder was signed to the Motown label and a lifetime later is still there.  Born 6 weeks early, retinal detachment rendered him blind. There was nothing wrong with his ears.

Rolling Stones - Sympathy for The Devil ( Live 1969 Altamont

But what's puzzling you Is the nature of my game

70's Pick of the Week

“Sympathy for the Devil”, The Rolling Stones, 1968

You’ve heard these discussions I’m sure, maybe on a bus or in a mall. They go something like this:

Dude 1: “Hey man, what band do you like better, The Beatles or the Stones?”

Dude 2: “The Stones man, the Beatles were just not cool”

Dude 1: “No way. The Beatles really pioneered the way songs were written man”

Dude 1: “Ya but the Beatles were so clean cut and played stuff my Mom listened to – Beatle mania crap man. Jagger and Richards knew how to make a real rock song!”

Dude 2:  “Dude, Lennon had more talent in his little finger than Jagger will ever have, and beside the Beatles gave the Stones their first hit song”

...and on we go...Do we care?  That is the point at which you turn up your iPod, and stare out the window.

My Girl - The Temptations

I've got so much honey the bees envy me. I've got a sweeter song than the birds in the trees.

Songs Everyone Should Know

“My Girl” The Temptations (1965)

The would-be boxer, Berry Gordy could be stubborn, ignorant, and rude but he set out to set the world on fire by making hit records one hit at a time - and that is what he did, very, very well. 

Berry first met William ‘Smokey’ Robinson in 1959. Smokey was impressed that Berry had written songs for Jackie Wilson. Berry asked him who wrote their groups’ songs, which was at the time called the ‘Matadors’. Smokey said “I do” and pulled out a school notebook full of pencilled lyrics. By the time they were done that day, Smokey had sung every song in his note book to Berry – some one hundred songs. Barry knew Smokey could write catchy pop tunes and over the next few years he helped him hone his craft.  Of course Smokey Robinson and the Miracles themselves spun out a few huge hits with songs like: ‘Shop Around’, ‘Ooh Baby Baby’, and ‘Tears of a Clown’.

Tuesday Afternoon...

Cara Luft - The Light Fantastic

Cheap Trick - Live at Budokan

Al di Meola - Flesh on Flesh

Wings - Wings Over America

The Zombies - She's Not There

Well no one told me about her the way she lied...

Quick Hit for Psychedelic Sunday

“She’s Not There”, The Zombies (1964)

The band “Argent” put out a hit in 1972 with a song called “Hold Your Head Up” - You know the one!  Rod Argent was a founding member of the English Rock band “the Zombies” who had a number of hits in the sixties, including, “Time of the Season”, and “Tell Her No”.