Category Archives: song of the week

Song of the Week – Sleep That Burns, Be-Bop Deluxe

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Have you ever heard of the ‘70s rock band, Be-Bop Deluxe?  Have you ever heard Be-Bop Deluxe?

The British band released five excellent studio albums of obscure progressive rock, helmed by songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist extraordinaire, Bill Nelson.

Many consider the third album, Sunburst Finish, to be their best album, I included.  (All of their first three albums make references to guitar terminology – Axe Victim, using the slang, axe, for a guitar; Futurama, a brand of mid-priced guitars popular in England in the late ‘50s/early ‘60s; and Sunburst Finish, a recognizable style of finish very popular on Fender Stratocasters and Gibson Les Pauls.)  It also had a provocative cover with a silhouetted, naked woman.  I’m surprised it wasn’t banned like similar covers for records by Roxy Music and Golden Earring.

“Sleep That Burns”, from Sunburst, captures what Be-Bop Deluxe was all about.

The song opens with galloping hard rock, goes to a middle section with a Latin feel, then returns to climax with a screaming guitar solo.

Lyrically, the song describes an anxiety filled night of insomnia:

The night winds are howling…
Seducing the trees,
I wake in a cold sweat
With the sheets ‘round my knees

I lay in the darkness
With visionless eyes…
Exhausted and reeling…
All heartbeats and sighs…

But the sleep still burns,
Got a sleep that burns all night

Sunburst also marked the debut credit for the successful producer, John Leckie (XTX, Radiohead).

If you find Sunburst Finish to be of interest, you can dig deeper and watch the 45 minute documentary, The Making of Sunburst Finish, on YouTube.

Enjoy… until next week.

Song of the Week – Save the Last Dance for Me, The Drifters (Doc Pomus)

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Today’s SotW was written by guest contributor, Michael Paquette.  This is Michael’s sixth post since February 2020.

Doc Pomus was a blues singer in the 1940s who would later become one of the most prolific songwriters in American history.  He was crippled by polio as a child and spent most of his adult life confined to a wheelchair.  Doc Pomus was married to the Broadway actress and dancer Willi Burke.  On their wedding day she danced with friends and family while he wrote the lyrics to today’s SotW.  Here is the 1960 version of “Save The Last Dance for Me” by the Drifters with a classic vocal by Ben E. King. 

The song was released as a B-side but Dick Clark flipped it over and decided it was the stronger song. He was proven right when it became a number one hit on all the charts.  It was also released by The Searchers and later recorded by Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, and the European star Dalida, who, because she could sing songs in ten different languages, was the most Internationally famous French singer in history.

The song contains the refrain that captures the mood:  “But don’t forget who’s taking you home / and in whose arms you’re gonna be / so darling, save the last dance for me.”

Doc Pomus was born Jerome Felder and he liked to say that he was called Doc because his songs made you feel good.  This song, along with several other classic hits he wrote, including “This Magic Moment,” A Teenager In Love,” “Turn Me Loose,” “Suspicion,” and “Surrender”, certainly fit the bill.

Elvis recorded 20 songs written or co-written by Doc Pomus (mostly with Mort Shuman) including the classic “Little Sister.”  Doc Pomus never actually met Elvis.  He was in a press line waiting to meet him at the Hilton in NYC in 1974 but \ before he got the chance he was told that Elvis had left the building.  Three years later they arranged a meeting but Elvis died a week before it was to happen which spooked Doc.

Doc Pomus had a revival to his career in the late 1970s, writing songs for Dr. John and producing the debut albums for Roomful of Blues and the Fabulous Thunderbirds (unreleased).

He was the first white recipient of the Rhythm & Blues Foundation Pioneer Award and he is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

His songs were recorded by Mink DeVille, Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, Dr. John, Solomon Burke, John Hiatt, Shawn Colvin, Lou Reed, The Band, B. B. King, Roseanne Cash, Charlie Rich, Andy Williams, Ruth Brown, Marianne Faithful, Irma Thomas, Joe Cocker, ZZ Top, The New York Dolls, Los Lobos, Dion and hundreds of others.

Doc Pomus died on March 14, 1991, of lung cancer at the age of 65 at NYU Medical Center in Manhattan.  His legend and songs live on.  “Save The Last Dance for Me” is one of my favorites from his incredible library of work.

Enjoy… until next week.

Song of the Week – Live in the Dream & The Melting of the Sun, St. Vincent

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The LP (long playing) record album was introduced by Columbia Records in 1948.  At the time, shellac “78s” (records played at the speed of 78 RPM – revolutions per minute) were the standard.  “45s” (7 inch discs with one song per side, played at 45 RPM) were introduced by RCA in 1949.  For many years, the recorded music market was dominated by singles.

With the introduction of stereo LP and high fidelity reproduction equipment, the album slowly became the dominant format, reaching its heyday with ‘70s rock music.

Even though cassettes, then CDs, took over from the vinyl record format, the album was still the preferred way for fans to consume their music.  But with the evolution from physical records to digital devices that began 20 years ago with the iPod, today streaming services like Spotify are the dominant listening format.

The digital formats have had an unintended consequence; their convenience in selecting songs and building playlists has returned us to being singles consumers.  Most people, especially those under 40, rarely listed to full albums – sadly, me included.

But that’s not without exception.  There was one 2021 album release that I tend to listen to from start to finish – St. Vincent’s (aka Annie Clark) Daddy’s Home.  Yes, it’s that good!

The album title refers to the real life situation of her father being released from prison after being convicted in 2010 for his involvement in a stock manipulation fraud.

“Live in the Dream” is the fourth track on the album.  It starts as a dreamy dirge reminiscent of Pink Floyd’s “Us and Them”, from their Dark Side of the Moon album, builds to a crescendo with a screaming Clark guitar solo, then drops back to its wistful beginning.

“The Melting of the Sun” follows.

“The Melting of the Sun” has a ‘70s soul/funk/R&B feel.  St. Vincent takes a little from Sly Stone and a bit from Stevie Wonder and makes it her own.  I dig the sounds of the clavinet and electric sitar.

The song opens with the line “So sorry, missed the party/Hello, on the dark side of the moon.”  I find it hard to believe this is a coincidence.

It has been reported that St. Vincent took inspiration for the writing of this album after rooting through her dad’s record collection.  If true, that would bring us full circle.

Listen to the whole album.  Then listen to it again.  You will be rewarded for the familiarity.

Enjoy… until next week.

Song of the Week – Music in Films as Vehicles for Rock Stars

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In May of 2020, I started a series of posts under the theme of Rock Music in Films.  I notched eight posts in the series through May 2021.  But the series isn’t complete.  I have a few more ideas and today I resume after nine months – this time featuring films as vehicles for rock stars.

This idea was “invented” by Elvis Presley.  The Beatles and other British Invasion groups took advantage of the medium to enhance their popularity.  But those were all covered in earlier installments of the series.

Take note – my idea of films as vehicles for rock stars doesn’t include movies that simply star rock musicians.  The film has to feature their music as a key component.  So, Madonna’s Desperately Seeking Susan and David Bowie’s Labyrinth are out.  Bob Dylan’s music was critical to Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid, but his acting role was too insignificant to qualify as a vehicle for him.  That one’s out.  Mick Jagger starred in Performance and sang the excellent “Memo From Turner” but that’s his only song on the soundtrack.  Out.

So, what films do meet my criteria?  One great example is The Harder They Come (1972), starring Jimmy Cliff.  I know, this film features Reggae music not rock.  But by my definition, Cliff is a rock star!

The title tune is terrific, but the best song on the soundtrack is “Many Rivers to Cross.”

“MRtC” has a gospel feel and an amazing vocal performance.  It is even more spectacular when you consider the legend that it was recorded in one take at the end of a session where the backing musicians had never heard the song before!  In Wikipedia, Cliff is quoted as saying “I started singing, the band came in, and that was it.  Once.  That was it.”

“MRtC” has been covered by many stars – from Harry Nilsson to Linda Ronstadt.  You can’t keep a great song down.

Another super film that was a vehicle for a rock star was Prince’s Purple Rain (1984). I know, this film features funk and R&B music, not rock.  But by my definition, Prince is a rock star!

The title tune is terrific, but the best song on the soundtrack is “When Doves Cry.”

“WDC” was written as a metaphor (doves being the bird of peace) for the dysfunction in relationships – in this case, the discord between his mother and father coming full circle in his own relationship.

How can you just leave me standing
Alone in a world that’s so cold? (So cold)
Maybe I’m just too demanding
Maybe I’m just like my father, too bold
Maybe you’re just like my mother
She’s never satisfied (she’s never satisfied)
Why do we scream at each other?
This is what it sounds like
When doves cry

“WDC” received a wonderful cover by Patti Smith.  You can’t keep a great song down.

The underappreciated One Trick Pony (1980), by Paul Simon, was also a film vehicle for a rock star.  I know, many of you don’t consider Paul Simon a rock musician.  But by my definition, he is a rock star!

The key song on the soundtrack is “Late in the Evening.”

Steve Gadd’s drum groove and the spicy Cuban horn charts (arranged by Dave Grusin) drive it.  No one would dare cover it!

Enjoy… until next week.

Song of the Week – Time Won’t Let Me, The Outsiders

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In 1966 a band from Cleveland, OH scored a top 5 hit with “Time Won’t Let Me.”  That band was The Outsiders.

The song was a simple R&B influenced rocker that sounds of its time, yet also still sounds fresh today.  It is enhanced by a horn section.  I love the screaming trumpet at the end, played by session musician John Madrid.

“TWLM” was written by the band’s guitarist, Tom King, and his brother-in-law Chet Kelley.  It was sung by Sonny Geraci who later hit again as the vocalist on “Precious and Few” by Climax (1972).

Drummer Jimmy Fox, who later played in the James Gang with Joe Walsh, hit the skins for all but two of the songs on their debut album – one was “Time Won’t Let Me.”

I always thought “TWLM” had a Beatlesy sound to it.  Maybe that was just because it was released on the same Capitol, yellow and orange swirl label that graced so many Beatles’ hit singles.

It was covered by The Plimsouls (Peter Case), Iggy Pop, and The Smithereens, among others.

Enjoy… until next week.

Song of the Week – Dreaming of You, The Coral

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Today marks the 14th anniversary of the Song of the Week.  That represents over 725 posts and over 1,000 songs!  I hope you continue to find the topics interesting and the music enjoyable.  Thank you for reading and commenting on the posts.  I promise there will be more to come!

Twenty years ago, The Coral released their self-titled debut album.  It contained one of the catchiest songs I know – “Dreaming of You.”  Clocking in at 2:21, this is an economical piece of power pop.

There’s something about the chorus in “Dreaming of You” that reminds me of the middle section of “No Good to Cry” by the Wildweeds (SotW 10/20/2012).

The band – James Skelly (songwriting, vocals, guitar), brother Ian Skelly (drums), Paul Duffy (bass), Bill Ryder-Jones (guitar) & Lee Southall (guitar) – were schoolmates.  Later Nick Power was brought in on keyboards.

Ian Skelly once tweeted “Dreaming of you – I remember James writing this back when we were still in our teens.  Born out of a love of American doo-wop and Mersey Beat.  It nearly didn’t make the album for fear of becoming one-hit wonders.”

In MOJO 331, Paul Weller wrote of “Dreaming of You” — “One of James Skelly’s earliest compositions for the Wirral-ites details teenage longing as a glorious sing-along soul-shanty.  Showcase for the nascent skills of guitarist Bill Ryder-Jones.”

The album, and single “Dreaming of You” attained platinum status in the UK, but barely broke into the Top 200 in the US.  That’s a shame.

The band released their tenth album of original material – Coral Island – in 2021 and it is worth a listen.

Enjoy… until next week.

Song of the Week – Beggin’, Måneskin and The Four Seasons

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Måneskin is an Italian rock band that formed in 2016, released their debut album in 2018, but has only recently been making waves in English-speaking countries.

A song they recorded in 2017 was released in the US last year and peaked at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100.  “Beggin” has also notched over 875 million streams on Spotify!

This song rocks!

You may have seen Måneskin perform “Beggin’” last week on Saturday Night Live.

Hearing it led me to revisit the original version released by The Four Seasons fifty-five years ago, in February 1967.

This song rocks!

It is one of Frankie Valli’s best vocal performances – very soulful, with less saccharine and more dinge.  “Beggin’” was very popular in the ‘70s on the English Northern Soul circuit at dance clubs such as the famous Wigan Casino.

Enjoy… until next week.

Song of the Week – Back Door, Rhinoceros

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If any of you are vinyl record collectors (as I am) you can appreciate the joys of “crate digging” in thrift shops, garage sales, or used record stores.  For me, the greatest reward comes from buying an album I’ve never heard (or heard of), bringing it home, putting on the turntable for a spin, and finding out it’s a nugget!

Based on experience, I’ve learned a few tricks to increase the odds that I’ll take a flyer on a good record instead of a dog.  I look at the credits to see who was involved as session players, producers, or engineers.  What label is it on?

I bought an album by the band Rhinoceros because of the font used for the track listing on the back cover.  I recognized it from albums by Tom Rush, Tim Buckley, The Butterfield Blues Band, The Doors, and Love – all late 60s artists on Elektra.

Rhinoceros, it turns out, was a band of musicians that were auditioned, selected, and assembled by Elektra producers Paul Rothchild and Frazier Mohawk in 1967 to form a “supergroup.”  They released three albums that received critical accolades but sold poorly.  Perhaps the inorganic nature of the group’s formation rubbed the public the wrong way at a time when authenticity was a strongly held value.

But there’s no denying that the band could write, play and sing.  They were funky and soulful.  Three Dog Night and Rod Stewart both covered their recordings.  TDN cut a speeded-up “I Will (Let Me) Serenade You” on 1973’s Cyan.  Stewart included “You’re My Girl” as the closer on Gasoline Alley (1970).  Songs by Rhinoceros are frequently heard on Sirius XM’s Underground Garage playlists.

Today’s SotW is “Back Door” from the second Rhinoceros album, Satin Chickens (1969).  It’s an R&B workout that captures a funky groove.

Keep your eyes (and mind) open for cool records that you’ve never heard.  You may discover a gem.  Happy hunting!

Enjoy… until next week.

Song of the Week – Be My Baby, The Ronettes; You Mean So Much to Me, Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes; Take Me Home Tonight, Eddie Money

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Ronnie Spector (Veronica Bennett) died last Wednesday, January 12th, at the age of 78, after a brief bout with cancer.

As the lead singer of The Ronettes, she recorded a few of the true standards of Rock and Soul, including “Be My Baby”, “Baby, I Love You”, and “Sleigh Ride”, all with her future husband Phil Spector and employing his famous “wall of sound” production technique.

Her famous “Whoa-oh-oh” refrain was featured prominently in her collaboration with Southside Johnny & the Asbury Dukes on “You Mean So Much to Me”, written by Bruce Springsteen around the time of The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle sessions.

Later, in 1986, it is specifically called out in her duet with Eddie Money on “Take Me Home Tonight.”  His chorus says:

Take me home tonight
I don’t want to let you go ’til you see the light
Take me home tonight
Listen honey, just like Ronnie sang, “Be my little baby”

Her trademark “Whoa-oh-oh” has been imitated often by the likes of Elvis Costello (“Oliver’s Army”) and Bruce Springsteen (“Out in the Street”).

Ronnie’s impact and influence went way beyond her hits.  Her fashion aesthetic – beehive hairstyle, heavy mascara, and tight skirts – were the model for many female artists to come, among them Chrissie Hynde (The Pretenders) and Amy Winehouse.

RIP, Ronnie, you will be missed.

Enjoy… until next week.

Song of the Week – That Life, Unknown Mortal Orchestra

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Like many of you, as the year is coming to an end, I review the new music I discovered during the year to compile my “best of” list.  One of the songs I dropped onto my 2021 list was “That Life” by the Unknown Mortal Orchestra (UMO).  I simply like its vibe!

UMO originated from New Zealand but currently hail from Portland, Oregon. The core of the band is Ruban Nielson (lead vocals, guitar, drums, bass, piano, keyboards, synthesizers) and Jacob Portrait (bass, synths, backing vocals).

“That Life” was a single released by the band last August and addresses a life of luxury and indulgence.  In a press release that accompanied the single Nielson said:

I saw this painting by Hieronymus Bosch called The Garden of Earthly Delights and in the painting there was a mixture of crazy stuff going on, representing heaven, earth, and hell. When I was writing this song, “That Life,” I was imaging the same kind of “Where’s Waldo” (or “Where’s Wally” as we call it in New Zealand, Australia, and the UK) of contrasting scenes and multiple characters all engaged in that same perverse mixture of luxury, reverie, damnation, in the landscape of America. Somewhere on holiday under a vengeful sun.

The track’s cool video features a puppet created by puppeteer and fabricator Laura Manns (The Muppets and Sesame Street).

Enjoy… until next week.