Monthly Archives: March 2021

Let’s Take A Moment Day 380

Posted in Music by

Hi everyone.  Hope you are all well and continue to stay that way during this global health crisis we are facing.  But in addition to protecting your physical wellness, what are you doing to stay mentally healthy today?

March 2021 Blog

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

I know we are still facing a serious situation but a new year gives us hope for the new days, seasons, opportunities & moments ahead. Still, music is something that will never change for me. It is my refuge, the most comforting part of my life & the one thing I consistently count on. So until a more normal semblance of life returns, I am going to share a song I listen to that helps me escape the current state of things, if only for a few minutes each day. And if this helps anyone else, even better.

Time for a mid-week Motown break. April 2 will mark the 82nd birth anniversary for the man behind one of the first voices I fell in love with, Marvin Gaye. I still ache from his loss nearly 40 years ago but I continue to be amazed at how vital & progressive his music & lyrics remain. His 1971 seminal album, What’s Going On, touched on the issues we are still struggling with today yet continue to provide so much comfort to those of us who get lost in music to find hope that humanity will someday find a way to peacefully co-exist in the world we all inhabit.

I love all the songs on the album and each track hits a nerve, but today’s pick has hit closest to home for me since I was a kid. At that time I did not understand or was even aware of war, the struggle faced by those who serve & racial inequality. But I was very aware of pollution. I remember hearing so much about it on TV, especially about what aerosol sprays were doing to the ozone layer and how littering was ruining our air & water quality.

One of the most profound memories I have is the commercial of the Native American shedding a tear as he stood near a street where some horrible soul threw garbage right at his feet. And then the ominous voice delivering the stern message: “Some people have a deep abiding respect for the natural beauty that was once this country. And some people don’t. People start pollution. People can stop it”

Isn’t it funny how certain images from our childhood never leave us? And isn’t it a relief to have songs that continue to deliver the messages we still need to hear, especially the music by the magnificent Marvin Gaye?

“Oh, mercy mercy me
Oh, things ain’t what they used to be no, no
Oil wasted on the oceans and upon our seas
Fish full of mercury“.

Marvin gaye

Marvin Gaye’s 1971 groundbreaking album. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Marvin Gaye: “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)” (1971, written by Marvin Gaye).

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

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Let’s Take a Moment Day 379

Posted in Music by

Hi everyone.  Hope you are all well and continue to stay that way during this global health crisis we are facing.  But in addition to protecting your physical wellness, what are you doing to stay mentally healthy today?

March 2021 Blog

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

I know we are still facing a serious situation but a new year gives us hope for the new days, seasons, opportunities & moments ahead. Still, music is something that will never change for me. It is my refuge, the most comforting part of my life & the one thing I consistently count on. So until a more normal semblance of life returns, I am going to share a song I listen to that helps me escape the current state of things, if only for a few minutes each day. And if this helps anyone else, even better.

In 1990 “Saturday Night Live” celebrated its 15th year on the air. I had been watching it for at least a decade by then and was amazed I could still be so thoroughly entertained by the cast & their guests week after week. One of my favorite episodes of that anniversary year took place on March 24, 1990. That is when my great musical love Eric Clapton appeared as the special guest for not two but three songs.

He spent the rest of that week in NYC to celebrate his 45th birthday on March 30th. Today he celebrates his 76th and while he may not be in NYC for this one, I am marking the occasion with one of the songs he sang on SNL over 30 years ago. Happy birthday to guitarist extraordinaire, singer, songwriter, icon & legend, Eric Clapton.

“The mountain gets steeper, the hole you dig is gettin’ deeper
You better reach and pull yourself out
No one’s ever gonna love you the way that I love you
I never want to see you doin’ without“.

Clapton

Eric Clapton on “Saturday Night Live” from March 1990. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Eric Clapton: “No Alibis” (1989, written by Jerry Lynn Williams).

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

Let’s Take A Moment Day 378

Posted in Music by

Hi everyone.  Hope you are all well and continue to stay that way during this global health crisis we are facing.  But in addition to protecting your physical wellness, what are you doing to stay mentally healthy today?

March 2021 Blog

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

I know we are still facing a serious situation but a new year gives us hope for the new days, seasons, opportunities & moments ahead. Still, music is something that will never change for me. It is my refuge, the most comforting part of my life & the one thing I consistently count on. So until a more normal semblance of life returns, I am going to share a song I listen to that helps me escape the current state of things, if only for a few minutes each day. And if this helps anyone else, even better.

Baroque rock had a relatively short window of popularity, lasting only for about 10 years between the mid 1960’s to the early 1970’s. The sound defined rock music with specific orchestral sounds separate from the sole use of strings. Of course it was The Beatles who were thought to start this trend, most notably with the song, “In My Life” .

But in 1966 the genre was specifically attributed to the English group, The Left Banke. The broader sound of their music included the harpsichord in addition to specific brass, woodwind & string arrangements. The group displayed the sound beautifully with their 1966 hit “Walk Away Renee” (Day 143) and today’s song as well.

“I called her yesterday, it should have been tomorrow
I could not keep this joy that was inside,
I beg for her to tell me if she really loved me,
Some where a mountain is moving
Afraid it’s moving without me“.

Left Banke

The Left Banke circa 1965. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

The Left Banke: “Pretty Ballerina” (1966, written by Michael Brown).

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

Let’s Take A Moment Day 377

Posted in Music by

Hi everyone.  Hope you are all well and continue to stay that way during this global health crisis we are facing.  But in addition to protecting your physical wellness, what are you doing to stay mentally healthy today?

March 2021 Blog

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

I know we are still facing a serious situation but a new year gives us hope for the new days, seasons, opportunities & moments ahead. Still, music is something that will never change for me. It is my refuge, the most comforting part of my life & the one thing I consistently count on. So until a more normal semblance of life returns, I am going to share a song I listen to that helps me escape the current state of things, if only for a few minutes each day. And if this helps anyone else, even better.

When most people think about Dan Fogelberg, they recall his ballads: “Leader Of The Band”, “Same Old Lang Syne” and “Longer”. I was more of a fan of his edgier side. In 1978 he collaborated with jazz flautist Tim Weisberg on the album, Twin Sons Of Different Mothers. It featured the top 30 hit,  “The Power of Gold” which I really enjoyed. But it was Fogelberg’s 1982 single that really stood out as a favorite for me.

“Oh, Oh, if I had you beside me
Then I just might sleep through the night
Your love is the promise that guides me
All of the days of my life“.

dan f

Dan Fogelberg circa 1980. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Dan Fogelberg: “Missing You” (1982, written by Dan Fogelberg).

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

Let’s Take A Moment Day 376

Posted in Music by

Hi everyone.  Hope you are all well and continue to stay that way during this global health crisis we are facing.  But in addition to protecting your physical wellness, what are you doing to stay mentally healthy today?

March 2021 Blog

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

I know we are still facing a serious situation but a new year gives us hope for the new days, seasons, opportunities & moments ahead. Still, music is something that will never change for me. It is my refuge, the most comforting part of my life & the one thing I consistently count on. So until a more normal semblance of life returns, I am going to share a song I listen to that helps me escape the current state of things, if only for a few minutes each day. And if this helps anyone else, even better.

Fifty years ago The Rolling Stones famous logo made its debut. On March 26, 1971 the band’s lips and tongue trademark appeared on their VIP passes for the Marquee Club show in London, making their emblem one of the most identifiable ones in the world.

The same year today’s song hit #1 in four countries including the US and it peaked at #2 hit on the UK charts. It features another one of the band’s iconic guitar riffs and a smoking sax solo by Bobby Keys. The track is from the Stones 1971 Sticky Fingers album which had another legendary picture related to the group-the infamous Andy Warhol designed photo of a man’s crotch area featuring a functional zipper. The Rolling Stones were masters of both innovative music & iconic images.

“I bet your mama was a tent show queen
And all her boyfriends were sweet sixteen
I’m no schoolboy but I know what I like
You shoulda heard me just around midnight“.

Lips logo

Sticky Fingers

Stones 1971

Top: The Rolling Stones lips & tongue logo. Middle: The Sticky Fingers album cover. Bottom: The Stones circa 1971 (L-R): Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Mick Jagger, Bill Wyman and Mick Taylor. (Images found online.  Original sources unknown.)

The Rolling Stones: “Brown Sugar” (1971, written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards).

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

Let’s Take A Moment Day 375

Posted in Music by

Hi everyone.  Hope you are all well and continue to stay that way during this global health crisis we are facing.  But in addition to protecting your physical wellness, what are you doing to stay mentally healthy today?

March 2021 Blog

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

I know we are still facing a serious situation but a new year gives us hope for the new days, seasons, opportunities & moments ahead. Still, music is something that will never change for me. It is my refuge, the most comforting part of my life & the one thing I consistently count on. So until a more normal semblance of life returns, I am going to share a song I listen to that helps me escape the current state of things, if only for a few minutes each day. And if this helps anyone else, even better.

Yesterday marked another birthday for one of music’s elite, this one belonging to one of the earliest & greatest loves in my musical world. Reginald Kenneth Dwight, n/k/a Sir Elton John, was born 74 years ago on March 25,1947 in England. He acquired his stage name by combining the names of two musicians from his first band, Bluesology, Elton Dean and Long John Baldry.

Today’s song was a #2 hit in the US in 1973. It was the one that started it all for me & Elton. It was the second 45 I ever bought in my life and I cherish it to this day. It is why I fell in love with his voice, his sound and the words by his exquisitely gifted friend & lyricist, Bernie Taupin. The last time I heard it performed live was when Elton made his record setting 60th appearance at Madison Square Garden-on March 25, 2007-which was also his 60th birthday. It remains one of my favorite songs ever, not just by those two incredible songwriters, but of all time. Elton John’s voice is one of the best parts of my life.

“They say Spain is pretty though I’ve never been
And Daniel says it’s the best place that he’s ever seen
He should know, he’s been there enough
Oh I miss Daniel, oh I miss him so much”.

Elton

Elton John circa 1974. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Elton John: “Daniel” (1973, written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin).

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

Let’s Take A Moment Day 374

Posted in Music by

Hi everyone.  Hope you are all well and continue to stay that way during this global health crisis we are facing.  But in addition to protecting your physical wellness, what are you doing to stay mentally healthy today?

March 2021 Blog

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

I know we are still facing a serious situation but a new year gives us hope for the new days, seasons, opportunities & moments ahead. Still, music is something that will never change for me. It is my refuge, the most comforting part of my life & the one thing I consistently count on. So until a more normal semblance of life returns, I am going to share a song I listen to that helps me escape the current state of things, if only for a few minutes each day. And if this helps anyone else, even better.

Nearly eight decades ago, the world received a queen. Aretha Franklin was born on March 25, 1942 in Memphis, TN. From her humble beginnings singing gospel in her father’s church at age 10 to conquering the world as The Queen Of Soul, from the 1960’s through infinity, Franklin was an absolute wonder in a world where there were so few.

It is hard to believe that when she started singing secular music at age 18, with Columbia Records she did not achieve instant success. It was not until she moved to Atlantic Records in 1967 that her career flourished. Today’s song was a top 20 hit in 1973 and is one of my absolute favorite Aretha tracks of all time. Happy birthday to The Queen Of Soul.

“I know there must be someone somewhere for me
Oh I lived too long without the love of someone
There’s no misery ooooooh oooh like the misery
I feel in me gotta find me an angel in my life“.

Aretha

The Queen Of Soul circa 1968. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Aretha Franklin: “Angel” (1973, written by Carolyn Franklin and Sonny Sanders).

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

Let’s Take A Moment Day 373

Posted in Music by

Hi everyone.  Hope you are all well and continue to stay that way during this global health crisis we are facing.  But in addition to protecting your physical wellness, what are you doing to stay mentally healthy today?

March 2021 Blog

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

I know we are still facing a serious situation but a new year gives us hope for the new days, seasons, opportunities & moments ahead. Still, music is something that will never change for me. It is my refuge, the most comforting part of my life & the one thing I consistently count on. So until a more normal semblance of life returns, I am going to share a song I listen to that helps me escape the current state of things, if only for a few minutes each day. And if this helps anyone else, even better.

Twenty years ago on March 24, 2001, the city of Macon, Georgia dedicated a street to one of its revered residents. “Duane Allman Boulevard” was named in honor of the famed musician who died not far from that location in a motorcycle crash on October 29, 1971.

This year will mark 50 years since Allman passed away yet he is still regarded as on of the greatest guitar players of all time. Today’s song was written by his brother, Gregg, who performed the song at Duane’s funeral and was featured on The Allman Brothers Band 1972 album, Eat A Peach.

“Crossroads, will you ever let him go? No, no, no
Will you hide the dead man’s ghost
Or will he lie, beneath the clay
Or will his spirit float away“.

Gregg and Duane

Allman blvd

Top: Gregg Allman (L) and Duane Allman (R) circa 1970. Bottom: Sign in Macon on roadway named for Duane Allman. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

The Allman Brothers: “Melissa” (1972, written by Gregg Allman).

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

Let’s Take A Moment Day 372

Posted in Music by

Hi everyone.  Hope you are all well and continue to stay that way during this global health crisis we are facing.  But in addition to protecting your physical wellness, what are you doing to stay mentally healthy today?

March 2021 Blog

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

I know we are still facing a serious situation but a new year gives us hope for the new days, seasons, opportunities & moments ahead. Still, music is something that will never change for me. It is my refuge, the most comforting part of my life & the one thing I consistently count on. So until a more normal semblance of life returns, I am going to share a song I listen to that helps me escape the current state of things, if only for a few minutes each day. And if this helps anyone else, even better.

Today marks another rock & roll birthday, this one belonging to a co-founder of The Cars. Ric Ocasek was born March 23, 1944 in MD. Admittedly I was not a fan of synth rock or new wave, as his band was considered. But most of their songs were enjoyable enough for me not to turn to another station when they came on the radio.

However, I absolutely loved two of their songs, “Drive” (Day 183) and today’s pick. It has an unbelievably hypnotic guitar riff & a great bass line. The Cars also made some of the most interesting videos in their heyday, many from the artistic vision of Ocasek.

“If the illusion is real
Let them give you a ride
If they got thunder appeal
Let them be on your side“.

Cars

The Cars circa 1980 (L-R): Benjamin Orr (bass guitarist), Greg Hawkes (keyboardist), Ric Ocasek (rhythm guitarist), Elliot Easton (lead guitarist) and David Robinson (drummer). (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

The Cars: “Good Times Roll” (1978, written by Ric Ocasek).

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.

Let’s Take A Moment Day 371

Posted in Music by

Hi everyone.  Hope you are all well and continue to stay that way during this global health crisis we are facing.  But in addition to protecting your physical wellness, what are you doing to stay mentally healthy today?

March 2021 Blog

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

I know we are still facing a serious situation but a new year gives us hope for the new days, seasons, opportunities & moments ahead. Still, music is something that will never change for me. It is my refuge, the most comforting part of my life & the one thing I consistently count on. So until a more normal semblance of life returns, I am going to share a song I listen to that helps me escape the current state of things, if only for a few minutes each day. And if this helps anyone else, even better.

March 21 marked the 72nd birth anniversary for Edward Joseph Mahoney, known professionally as Eddie Money. He was born in Brooklyn in 1949 and raised nearby in Levittown, NY. He moved to California in 1968 to pursue a musical career after a short detour as a third generation NYC police officer.

He found success nine years later with the release of his 1977 self-titled debut album. Today’s song, a Top 20 hit in 1978, was the first single & introduced him to the world. As someone who also grew up in Levittown & went to the same high school as he did, Money was a local legend & a source of great pride to our town. And where would we be without small town heroes? .

“Rich man poor man
Really don’t mean all that much
Mama’s always told you girl
That money can’t buy you love“.

Eddie Money

 Eddie Money’s 1977 self-titled debut album. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Eddie Money: “Baby Hold On” (1977, written by James Lyon and Eddie Money).

I do not own the rights to anything.  I am just sharing what I love and how I am coping with you.

Stay well.