Music and me

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Kiki Dee (and her band) sang and played, “I’ve Got The Music In Me”. That lyric springs to mind when I consider what music means to me. I think music is the most beautiful language and I sometimes feel that I can express myself more clearly in the language of music than in English. My daughter, when ...

WHY POETRY?

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Day and night, I have to write, crunching words, playing with rhymes, thinking, in poetry land, always a notebook and pencil to hand. Scribbling, dribbling words on the paper, it’s like a caper, verses dancing, whilst I’m romancing about perfection. Writing is my art, I have a passion, but why this fashion, why poetry, why not the spoken word, why not oratory? My mind is a laboratory, always playing with ...

“THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS”

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sing it: "Coffee and yoghurt and muesli and branflakes, apples, bananas, sultanas and fruit cakes, De Niro, Pacino, when Sinatra sings, these are a few of my favourite things. Music and writing and running and walking, poetry and singing and rhyming and talking, Elton and Elvis and Bennett and Sting, these are a few of my favourite things.” - Koby

‘YOU MUST BELIEVE IN SPRING’: A WORK OF SUBLIME, EXQUISITE PERFECTION.

For me, what we have here, music composed by the colossus, Michael Legrand, lyrics by the legends, Alan and Marilyn Bergman (French lyrics by Jacques Demy), on piano, the enigmatic Evans, Bill Evans, that mercurial maestro, and the voracious vocalist, the icon, Tony Bennett, we have in this team effort which produced this recording of ...

‘SINATRA: BEHIND THE LEGEND’, by J. Randy Taraborrelli

Back in 2015/6, I read a magnificent biography of my favourite, my No.1, Frank Sinatra, a two-part colossus of a work by James Kaplan: VOLUME 1:  ‘FRANK: THE VOICE’ (in the UK, ‘FRANK: THE MAKING OF A LEGEND’) VOLUME 2: ‘SINATRA: THE CHAIRMAN’. When I finished reading the biography, I was convinced that I had read the definite Sinatra biography. I, some ...

CHARLES AZNAVOUR, THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC, YOUR HUMANITY AND THE SUPPORT. AU-REVOIR, IT’S NOT GOODBYE…

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Charles Aznavour, a genius of a musician, soulful songwriter (more than 1,000 songs - some he co-wrote), heavenly lyricist, magical singer, courageous activist and diplomatic, his life was one in which he made a big difference, a life in which he added quality to the lives of so many people.     He was a friend of Israel/Israelis/Jews, ...

TWO LEGENDS, PAUL ANKA AND NEIL SEDAKA

2 great songs, 2 songwriting geniuses, 2 great musicians, singers, performers, entertainers, 2 barnstorming recordings plus, what was for me, a real treat, a real joy, when I tripped over it yesterday…     First up, from the prolific legend Paul Anka who gave us, or gave Frank Sinatra, who then gave us, “My Way”, when he, Paul, ...

‘(HAVE I STAYED) TOO LONG AT THE FAIR?’ (Billy Barnes)

'(HAVE I STAYED) TOO LONG AT THE FAIR?' (Billy Barnes), 1962 or 3 (please let me know the year if you know it!), is an awesome, beautiful song, full of pathos, introduced to me by ‘Count Swing’ (@zootswings) whom I follow on Twitter. In fact, 'the Count' introduced me not just to this incredible song ...

MOZART’S ‘REQUIEM’, PERFECT MUSIC TO DIE TO…?

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Listening to Mozart's Requiem, I could almost believe again that there is a god or something supernatural, something 'not of this world' - this music isn't 'normal' and one gets a sense that Mozart was 'somewhere else' when he composed this (everything he composed, for that matter).     Mozart's Requiem, the perfect piece of music to die ...

A WINDOW INTO ALICE HERZ-SOMMER’S BEAUTIFUL SOUL

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I'm not sure if this blog belongs in the 'LIFE' category or the 'MUSIC' category...so I have put it in both:     I saw this about 3 years ago.       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oxO3M6rAPw     Alice: what a special lady!     What Alice says, how she says it, what Alice feels and how she expresses what she feels, the look on her face, the depth, her ...

‘FOR THE LOVE OF YOU’ (1975)

An oasis of calm in the midst of all the crazy, scary politico-talk as we approach the 2016 US Election, a beautiful song, 'For the Love of You', music by Chris Jasper and lyrics by Ernie Isley (both songwriters, not just Ernie, members of the legendary 'The Isley Brothers'). This beautiful song is a track ...

MARVIN GAYE & TAMMI TERRELL: “AIN’T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH”

Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson's finest hour, the penning of this magical classic, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"*, made all the more magical and classic by Marvin and Tammi.     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC5PL0XImjw       Marvin, whose divine musical sweetness and soul was so tangible and transparent, was destroyed by Tammi's tragic death at the horrendously young age of 24  -  she ...

‘ALL OR NOTHING AT ALL’, HBO FRANK SINATRA BIOGRAPHICAL DOCUMENTARY

I must put pen to paper, or finger to keyboard, to wax lyrical about a wonderful Frank Sinatra documentary I have just watched on the tele, “All Or Nothing At All”. What with James Kaplan’s magnificent, definitive two-volume 1,800 page biography and now this magical biographical documentary, my addiction to Frank has been powerfully fed ...

THE DEFINITIVE SINATRA BIOGRAPHY: A MASTERPIECE! (by JAMES KAPLAN)

VOLUME 1: 'FRANK: THE VOICE' (in the UK, 'FRANK: THE MAKING OF A LEGEND')   VOLUME 2: 'SINATRA: THE CHAIRMAN'   Before I began reading what I am now sure is a never-to-be bettered, definitive 1,800 page, two-volume biography of Frank Sinatra, penned by a genius of a writer, James Kaplan, he, Frank, was already my No.1.   I have a wide, ...

TONY BENNETT, INSPIRATION, LEGEND, WINS HIS 18th GRAMMY AWARD AT THE AGE OF 89. MASSIVE CONGRATULATIONS!!

Tony Bennett is 89 years old, he still tours the world and, last night, he won his 18th Grammy award. I'm approaching, with trepidation, 50 years old, I have been bemoaning the ageing process, the speeding up of the passage of time and the relentless skidding towards my dotage.     Tony Bennett was already almost 40 when ...

MY MUSICAL ‘DEMIGODS’

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Christopher David Tookey, Former Film and Video Critic, 'Daily Mail':   "The one other thing I remember about David Bowie was that he didn't have much confidence in his own voice. He knew that he sounded like Anthony Newley but was relaxed about that. Oddly enough, Newley hated this "imitation" and when Bowie sent him a copy ...

DAVID BOWIE, RIP

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The passing of David Bowie, I know the world hasn't stopped spinning on its axis. I know that time hasn't stopped. The things that cause world leaders to lie awake at night, they were frightening and alarming yesterday and they are just as frightening and alarming, probably more so, today. We all know that but, ...

TONY BENNETT: IMMORTAL!

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Tony Bennett is the last of the musical GREATS still gracing this Earth. The man is not only a giant of a musician, he is a giant of a man, a painter, a philanthropist, an awe-inspiring survivor, he is the last of the great presenters, the great deliverers, of the most beautiful music (in my ...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FRANK

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Francis “Frank” Albert Sinatra, Hoboken, New Jersey’s local boy made good, whose life was truly a life worth living, a man who brought, and whose life and legacy continues to bring, to billions of people the world over, to generation after generation, extreme pleasure and happiness, is (yes, is!) 100 years old today, 12 December ...

A FEW GREAT TUNES AND VIDS FROM THE 70’S AND 80’S

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pu7AR0-FRro https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jr8jEIQKgZI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIpfWORQWhU ...thinking "The Wedding Singer" "Do you like A Flock Of Seagulls?" "I can see you do"   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WGVgfjnLqc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upyrWwstEMY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypadKraAb1s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXewIR7Y7cc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcATvu5f9vE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ks_qOI0lzho https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6rrTROoZIw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWtCittJyr0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmaVK1E-VKQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1wg1DNHbNU

‘Ooh Baby Baby’: 3 Beautiful Versions of a Beautiful Song – Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Linda Ronstadt and Seal

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'Ooh Baby Baby', what a beautiful song, co-written by Smokey Robinson (and Pete Moore) in 1965, performed originally by Smokey and The Miracles on, of course, the Motown label. Watch this performance  -  Smokey's voice is exquisite, his vocal control is staggering. Class, class, class: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwwsT2Hh1AQ I trust that you enjoyed that... Next up, a sumptuous cover by ...

Wow, Wow, Wow!!! Seal Performing The O’Jays’ Classic, ‘Back Stabbers’

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Last night, I happened to come across this performance by Seal of 'Back Stabbers'. I have never before seen anything like it. What a beautiful performance! I watched aghast, I couldn't mentally digest what I was seeing. The colour 'play', it's magical, the song, of course, is special, the arrangement, orchestration, production/direction, all perfect, Seal ...

George Benson: “This Masquerade”, “Breezin'”

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Relax, get your headphones on, sit back and listen to, and watch, this, George Benson at his very best...the whole concert is off-the-scale terrific ('Absolutely Live In Belfast, Northern Ireland') but here's "This Masquerade" and "Breezin'". As long as I have known music, I have known George Benson, an outstanding guitarist, a beautiful singer and a ...

Billy Paul: ‘Me and Mrs Jones’

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This song!! I love it. The dreamy, soulful, instrumental intro and Billy Paul's special, special, instantly recognisable vocal, his emotional input, his heart and soul, he puts everything into it. The orchestration, the production, I never tire of listening to it. This is a terrific performance on Soul Train. It's one of those songs, you're ...

Frank Sinatra: ‘Dindi’

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One of my favourite songs, it is beautiful yet tragic...the music was composed by the legend, Antonio Carlos 'Tom' Jobim (words by Aloysio de Oliveira  -  English lyrics by Ray Gilbert) for the Brazilian singer, Sylvia Telles. After Sylvia recorded it, she was, in 1966, killed in a car accident. She was 32 years old: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfudNEKC62c

I Will Wait For You

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I have just been introduced to the beautiful "I Will Wait For You", great renditions by Frank, Connie Francis and other greats but this, by the composer of the piece, Michel Legrand, I've just watched it and I was aghast...I was blown away, stunned...it is magnificent! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_X4AYu5m2ko

More “I’m A Fool To Want You”:

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oh, Linda Ronstadt, what a staggering beauty and what a voice she had...tragically, suffering with Parkinson's, she can no longer sing. This song, co-written by Frank Sinatra (his rendition is, of course, superb) is beautiful and Linda could not have done it more justice....jaw-dropping! The arrangement!! Johnny Carson's favourite song was the outstanding "Here's That ...

I’m A Fool To Want You

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sit down, get comfortable, relax, put your headphones on, volume up and listen to this...it's up there with the most beautiful music ever composed, produced and performed: it is magical   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0z26panRGOI&index=65&list=PLniYytlAbsKXnjXLa3FbwfeqvephMw-Zs