Chris Isaak Wicked Game

The world was on fire and no one could save me but you. It's strange what desire will make foolish people do

Sappy Song Department

“Wicked Game” by Chris Isaac (1989)

Chris got his break when an Atlanta radio station host, obsessed with David Lynch movies started playing the vocal track of “Wicked Game” from the soundtrack of “Wild at Heart”. I remember seeing the movie and not being very impressed. Slowly the requests built for the song and by early 1991 it was a top-ten hit.

In 1991 a compilation of previous songs was put out to capitalize on Chris new found success. It included the mournful “Blue Spanish Sky”, “Wrong to Love You”, and of course “Wicked Game”.

There is a twang of country and rockabilly on his albums and that continued with 1993’s “San Francisco Days”.  This band often reminds me of Canada’s ‘Blue Rodeo’, but with flamenco flair.

A ha - Take On Me

We're talking away. I don't know what I'm to say. I'll say it anyway. Today's another day to find you.

Quick Hit

“Take on Me” by A-ha (1985)

O.K. so I draw my inspiration this week from a chat a work where the question was raised: “What was that really cool video that transitions between cartoon and real life in the early ‘80’s?”  The answer of course is A-ha’s period piece called “Take on Me”. The reason I call it a ‘period piece’ is because it sounds so typically ‘80’s. The weird thing with this one is that when I went to look it up, I discovered I don’t have a digital copy of it; I only have it on good ‘ol fashioned vinyl. Go figure? I remember I got it one Saturday down at Hot Wax records in Kensington. Huh. Just as well; sounds great still.

 A-ha is I think the most successful band to come out of Norway. It formed in Oslo in 1982, with vocalist Morten Harkel, Magne Furuhulem (keyboard) and guitarist Pal Waaktaar. My experience with Norwegians is very limited, and based mostly on my maternal grandmother – they live forever and they are tough, no-nonsense kind of people. I digress.......

Soundtrack Sunday.......

10 Things I Hate About You

Detroit Rock City

Now and Then

The Commitments

Dont Bring Me Down - Electric Light Orchestra

You want to stay out with your fancy friends I'm telling you it's gotta be the end Don’t Bring me down....grrooss!

70’s Pick of the Week

“Don’t Bring Me Down” by Electric Light Orchestra (1979)

When Electric Light Orchestra, aka ELO released the album “Discovery”, my friends and I called it ‘Disco –Very’. Not that we didn’t like the album, but it was that all groups around that time seemed to go through a disco phase, even the Rolling Stones, and this was ELO’s disco album. The strange thing about ELO is that they never had a number one hit in the U.K. or in the U.S., yet they have had the most top 40 songs in the U.S. than any band in history.  Weird huh?

Birmingham, England’s Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne set out to make pop songs that had a bit of classical music interwoven. Wood left after the debut album and its lukewarm reviews. Lynne of course went on to write, arrange and produce every album after that – all 11 of them.

Super Mellow on a Sunday...

Gillian Welch - Revival

Paul Simon - So Beautiful or So What

Kate & Anna McGarrigle - Love Over and Over

Bryndle - House of Silence

Shivaree - "Goodnight Moon"

Something's under the bed Now it's out in the hedge There's a big black crow sitting on my window ledge And I hear something scratching through the wall

Quick Hit

“Goodnight Moon” by Shivaree (1999)

The band name, ‘Shivaree’ came for the French term ‘shiveree’ which is a raucous newlywed tradition most commonly occurring along the Mississippi river. The neighbours wait for the dark of night when the couple is hopefully asleep and then armed with pots and pans and noisemakers, make a ruckus that could raise the dead. When the couple gets up they invade their home, make coffee and expect the couple to feed them, sometimes leaving a bit of a mess just for fun.

The Marvelettes - Please Mr. Postman (1961)

The Chiffons - One fine day